Dog Training Help

Shih-Tzu training is one of the most important things you can do for your new pet.  If your Shih-Tzu is properly trained it can be a great addition to your family; if the pet is untrained your Shih-Tzu can become destructive and in extreme cases even dangerous.

The first step in your Shih-Tzu training is to gain the trust and cooperation of the dog.  If the animal is mistreated and handled roughly you will not gain the respect needed for the dog to become properly trained.

The normal Shih-Tzu training, or any dog training, will consist of teaching the dog what to and what not to do.  The basic lists of commands to teach your dog will be commands such as:  heeling while walking, stopping, sitting, stay, and coming all when directed.

It is also important to train a Shih-Tzu in things that are inappropriate to do.  Some of these may include jumping on people, running ahead while going on walks, getting out of control and disruptive, and being destructive with property.

Dogs are pack animals and are in their nature trained to respect a social hierarchy.  The dog needs to be shown that he will be the submissive member of the pack and you are the alpha leader.  When you dog obeys your commands he will be showing compliance and submissiveness.

As with all puppy training it is important that the training take place in short sessions.  Also the Shih-Tzu training should be rewarding and playful to the dog also.  If you can mix training with play the whole process will go much smoother.

The saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is not necessarily true.  Granted, it is easier to teach puppy obedience training than it is an adult dog; but as long as proper training is taking place you can also teach full-grown dog obedience.

Pug training is normally a very simple task with a dog as intelligent as the pug is.  With a small size, and playful temperament, a pug can make a great family pet especially those with smaller homes and yards.  An important thing to know about the Pug is that it is important to give him a lot of attention otherwise they may become extremely stubborn.

Crate training a Pug is a recommended process for most Pugs.  Many families have found that by giving a Pug it’s own place to stay and with his toys that it’s helped on the amount of destructive chewing.  A crate also gives your Pug a safe place to go when they feel the need to be alone.

Many owners prefer to paper train their pugs instead of taking them outside every time they need to “go”.  When you crate train your dog it will also make paper training easier as they will want to keep their spot clean.  This is also good if you live in a cold weather area as you won’t have to go outside in the cold and snow and neither will your pet.  Perhaps keeping both of you from becoming sick.

Pugs have been known to be a stubborn breed, but they also are very intelligent and will learn their commands quickly.  Pug training should start with a good breeder.  A good breeder will have already begun socializing your puppy with other peoples and animals.  This is important so that when you bring the puppy home it will feel more comfortable around your family members.

Pugs like most animals love to get treats and praise.  They’re very eager to please you and they like to see you happy with their results.  You will notice that your Pug will learn tricks and commands quickly if they’re fun and also challenging.

Toy dogs and other small dogs can often give some challenges training.  Pomeranian training is not really any different.  Pomeranians are very intelligent dogs and also very energetic.

Pomeranians have a large amount of energy and will often have issues with excessive barking, mainly with strangers at the door.  These two main traits of Pomeranians can make it a difficult house companion for small children and the elderly that may live in the house.  Also if children give the dog too much attention it may even snap at them.  It will be best if you speak to your Pomeranian breeder and perhaps other Pomeranian owners so you can learn how to deal with these traits and maybe some of their training methods.

The key to training any dog is being firm and consistent.  It is important to start their training as soon as they are placed with a home.  Crate training is popular among many owners.  Pomeranians are a clean dog and will often want to keep their crate clean.  Also by having a crate the dog will have a place to go when it needs to get away.

The crate should be big enough that the dog can move around and be comfortable.  Also the dog while crate training will feel more comfortable if there are people around so it does not get lonely.  When beginning crate training keep the puppy in the crate for only a few minutes at a time.  If it is good while in the crate reward it to reinforce their good behavior.  Consistency is key; make sure your consistent with your crate, feeding, and toilet training.

Negative reinforcement will often just make your Pomeranian stubborn and hardheaded.  Punishment should be firm and consistent, but never abusive.  Being intelligent, your Pomeranian will be eager to please you.

The Pekingese is very courageous despite it small stature. Many Pekingese get themselves in trouble by challenging larger dogs. But proper socialization should prevent your Pekingese from getting into too much trouble. This breed is very bold and won’t hesitate to challenge you for dominance of the “pack”.

Like most small dogs many Pekingese trainers find difficulty in training this breed to be housebroken. Pekingese instinctively think of crates as dens making the crate training method especially effective. If your dog can learn to think of their den as their own personal space they’ll be less likely to go to the bathroom in it. But don’t forget to take your Pekingese out regularly to avoid accidents. If they aren’t given the time to do their business you can’t expect them to not go inside. Pekingese won’t always immediately accept the crate, but as they spend more time their they’ll learn to love it and will often times retreat to their crate to relax.

When your puppy Pekingese goes to his crate when commanded to remember to reward them with a treat like any other training. A good command to trigger the action of going to the crate is something like “crate” or “kennel.”

The second you see you Pekingese preparing to go to the bathroom indoors quickly pick them up and take them outside. Place them on their designated spot and tell them that “this is where you goto the bathroom.” Then reward them with a treat.

If your Pekingese makes an accident don’t scold them. Instead send them to their crate and be done with it. But if they do let you know they have to go to the bathroom let them out and then reward them.

Try not to use food based reward during training. Pekingese are very likely to develop obesity in their later years.

Miniature Pinscher are like a mix between a guard dog and a toy dog. Though officially classified as a toy dog, they are also very dominant for their size and will do their best to protect their owners. Known as the “King of Toys” this dog is very bold and energetic.Like most small dogs the Miniature Pinscher also has difficulties being housebroken. Crate training is an effective method for housebreaking a Miniature Pinscher. Provide your Min-Pin with ample time to do his business outside. The last thing a dog wants to do is make a mess of their own home. If you don’t provide them with time to do their business, they’ll assume you want them to go inside.

Miniature Pinschers are also well known for their habit to bite and chew on things. This is clearly acceptable with toys and bones and such, but when it stems to chewing your posessions, something needs to be done. As a puppy you should always train a Miniature Pinscher to respond to the “no bite” command. This will establish a way to stop this behavior in case your Miniature Pinscher turns out to be a chewer. When out of those confine your Miniature Pinscher to a room of the house. Confining dogs to a bathroom is a common mistake that many dog owners make. Dogs need much more room than this, you should confine them to somewhere like a kitchen or basement instead.

Avoid playing games like Tug-O-War with your Miniature Pinscher. Otherwise, when you try to snatch something from them, they’ll assume you’re playing and won’t give up the object. Test your Miniature Pinscher from time to time, always rewarding them to reinforce good behavior.

With steady training, it shouldn’t be too difficult to train your Min-Pin out of obsessive chewing and biting. Before trying to unteach chewing, its important to establish the basic commands with your dog. “Get off” is a very important command to know before progressing to this level of training.

The Maltese is an energetic, smart, loving, and devoted breed. Reward training is your best bet when deciding on a training method. Maltese have been known to learn many tricks if they feel they are adequately appreciated for performing them. Its important that owners of a Maltese don’t overprotect this breed. Maltese become jealous very quickly and won’t be friendly with strangers if they are spoiled dogs. Maltese get along great with other pets and will help with the socialization of your dog.

As with many toy breeds the Maltese is fairly hard to housebreak, But if you can dedicate the time and effort to housebreaking your Maltese, doing so is easy to achieve. An effective method is crate training. Give your Maltese time in their crate to establish a sense of home. But remember to take them out for enough time do their business. Try to put the trips outside on a schedule so your Maltese has some sense of when they are going to be give the opportunity to relieve himself. Puppies don’t intentionally make messes in the home. Its because they haven’t learned where the bathroom is. The last thing a Maltese wants to do is make a mess of their living space. This is why you’ll often find dogs hiding their waste in corners of the house.

Like I mentioned before, Maltese are very willing to learn if they are rewarded enough. Each time your Maltese does his business in the right place reward him with praise and a treat. Never punish your Maltese is they made an accident. Keep in mind that its called an accident for a reason.

Don’t be lazy when it comes to training your Maltese. Postponing or ignoring training all together will make things almost impossible when you finally realize that your Maltese requires training.

Dachshunds were originally breed to hunt small animals because they were conveniently shaped and to dig and borrow into the homes of their owner’s prey. Its no surprise that even today the Dachshund is a notorious digger, almost to the point of addiction, this dog loves to dig! Digging isn’t only a way to make up for lack of exercise but dogs also love to dig simply because its natural instinct for them to do so.

The easiest way to prevent digging is by avoiding it all together. Keep your Dachshund confined to particular part of the yard. Or keep an eye on them when they are let outside or taken out on walks. However, confinement does not resolve the problem entirely. And you need to train your Dachshund properly to avoid digging problems.

Since Dachshunds love to dig so much you may consider building them a digging pit. With their help dig up a small part of the yard that you designate as their digging spot. Mix some sand into the pit so it won’t get filled when it rains. Now all you have to do is train them where its appropriate to dig. You can then let your Dachshund throughout the day and you can command them to “go dig”. For the first week, if they go to their designated are to dig reward them with praise and treats on occasion (Dachshunds are likely to become overweight at a young age, treats should be used at a minimum).

When you go out for your daily exercise you can now let them play in their digging pit while you simply watch and encourage them. This is a great way to ensure your Dachshund is getting enough exercise with little effort from your side.

A digging pit should be a great way to encourage play time with your dog. Letting your Dachshund participate in the initial digging process is a fun way to get your dog involved in the family.

Chihuahua are very easily attached to their owners which makes training the Chihuahua easy assuming you can get through to them without them getting distracted or wanting to play. But Chihuahuas love to please their owners and if that means obeying their commands, the Chihuahua is more than willing to oblige.

Training a Chihuahua is no different from training any other breed of dog. Chihuahua training requires consistency and patience. Training your Chihuahua should start as soon as you arrive home with them. The earlier you start the less time they have to pick up bad habits.

Due to the small size of the Chihuahua, they have very little control over their bladder and bowels for their first 6 months of life. So be sure you take them out almost immediately after they are fed and given water. Don’t forget to do this. If you don’t give them a chance to go outside and do their business they’ll assume you expect them to do it inside the house, we obviously don’t want to teach this behavior.

For more advanced training, you may want to to try clicker training. For every good action, no matter how small, receives a click of the clicker and a treat. This will teach them pick up even the most actions and tricks. As they better learn an action slowly phase out the treats and then the clicker, until they can preform the entire routine with only one treat in return.

Again Chihuahuas should be trained just like any other dog. And you should remain firm and patient even though it may be hard to stay consistent because they are so small and love to play the role of the victim and give you puppy eyes. Chihuahuas love to please their owners and if they’re shown you appreciate their dedication they will be very receptive to your training.

The Bichon Frise breed is highly sociable and and extremely friendly. They get along with all other pets and are great dogs for families because the Bichon Frise gets along so well with children. Unfortunately the Bichon Frise was over breed during the 1980’s and now many Bichon Frise like to bite because of it. If you buy your Bichon Frise from a breeder make sure that they’ve taken the proper precautions to keep this trait out of their puppies. No matter where you get your Bichon Frise from make sure you have time to spend with them, so you can get a feel for their personality before you take them home.

But like many other small dogs, training your Bichon Frise to be housebroken can be quite the difficult ordeal. The best way to train a puppy Bichon Frise is to confine them to a crate so they can establish a sense of home. Dogs are clean by nature and don’t want to make a mess of their living space. But they obviously need to be taken out a few times through the day so they can relieve themselves. If they aren’t given time to use the bathroom, then they WILL go inside.

Other than potty training, the Bichon Frise is fairly easy to train. They require little to no socialization training because the Bichon Frise is naturally friendly with other dogs and humans. Although, because of their friendliness and need for companionship, they are quite prone to separation anxiety. This is why its a good idea to get another pet to keep them company and to keep them out of trouble, which many dogs do when they are lonely or bored.

The Bichon Frise is also receptive to dog trick training, and are capable of picking up many tricks. Training your Bichon Frise requires patience and consistency, but with the proper dog training, the Bichon Frise will be a very loyal of well-behaved dog.