Maggie Marshall,ABCDT - Clay - Duval - St. Johns                 904-442-5923
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Housetraining 101

 
Housetraining 101
 
Teaching a dog to go to the bathroom outdoors is a simple matter of training. The same processes are used to train a dog to sit, come when called and to shake.  Set the dog up to do the desired behavior (pee and poop outside) while you prevent the dog from making mistakes (going indoors.) The message gets muddled when we believe our dogs “know” the difference between right and wrong.  If a dog is peeing in the house, the training process needs to continue. It’s that simple.

A Day at the Park

Before I get to the meat of this post, let me say that I am a compassionate and understanding person. I'm sure there is someone out there who will vouch for me.  I am nuts about dogs and people make me nuts. I am skilled in the psychology of humans and dogs, but dogs are so much easier to change.....
 
I took my kids and dogs to a local park tonight.  My dogs, though they belong to a trainer, aren't all that trained. They don't do anything fancy, but what's special about them is that I can trust them.

How to Solve a Doggie Dilemma

 
1.      Prevent the bad behavior through management of the dog and the environment. If your dog jumps on people coming in your house,don’t let him! Use a gate or a leash.
 
2.      Teach your dog what to do instead and reinforce that behavior like crazy. Sit and stay can cure almost anything.
 
3.      Meet your dog’s needs by letting him be a dog.If he digs, provide a digging pit. If he’s hyper, get him plenty of exercise.

Lessons I Have Learned From Dogs.

 
Every moment is an opportunity to learn. Good experiences can inspire and motivate and bad experiences can cause one to shut down.
Don’t hold a grudge.
Proper motivation can work wonders.
Praise the good and ignore the bad.
It’s not personal.
Anyone can change, if they want to.
Daily exercise is important.
We really only need a few things to be happy.
Be patient.
Trust my gut.
One can learn so much by just sitting and quietly observing.
If a task is too hard, break into pieces and master one piece at a time.

The Proper Use of a Crate

A crate can be very useful if you own a dog.  It is very helpful for housetraining, home alone training, to prevent destructiveness and may serve as a dog’s makeshift “den.”  It’s good to train a dog to be comfortable while confined in a crate to help it at the vet, groomer, during travel and if the dog needs to be confined for any other reason.  A crate should not be where the dog spends most of its time.
 
A crate should be purchased to fit your dog when it is fully grown.  It should be big enough for the dog to stand upright, turn around and sleep in comfortably.

Establishing Leadership

     Leadership means that you and your dog know and follow the house rules that you have established by teaching them to your dog and then enforcing them routinely. Your dog should look to you for guidance and happily listen to you. You have the leader position, but you must do things to make that clear to your dog. Clear boundaries give a dog security and confidence, so that he can just be a dog and leave the rest up to you to handle.
 
1.   The Leader Controls the Resources

Noel's Purpose

I had a busy day today.  It started with taking Noel out to go pee.  At noon, I brought Noel back to the vet clinic where I first met her 10 days ago.  I kept a stiff upper lip, but watching my daughter hug her goodbye tore me up.  On the way home we had an important conversation about why we couldn't keep her that I'd like to share.  Later in the day I took several phone calls from confused dog owners, then evaluated a misunderstood dog and finally helped introduce a new dog into a new home.

Noel's Basic Needs

Shelter:
Any size or type house would suit Noel, with the addition of gates to prevent her access to areas where she couldn’t be supervised. Noel would be happiest in a moderate sized fenced in yard with a digging pit. She likes to bury toys. I do not recommend Noel ever live outdoors. She shivers in the morning FL temperatures and has a short coat. Noel enjoys company and although she does well in a crate, should not be left alone more than 2-4 hours without attention and an opportunity to exercise and relieve herself.

Day 7 with Noel

The day started out rough. I woke still tired from day 6, but had to take care of the dogs and get out to Physical Therapy (long and boring story.) PT brought me to tears, so they surprised me with the great pleasure of six injections to top off my normal two hour ordeal...I mean routine.  On my way home, I realized the tears weren't just the physical pain I was feeling, but some physical and emotional fatigue that I believed I could just ignore.  It's exhausting trying to prove people wrong.

Day 6 fostering Noel

Today was a disappointment....in myself, not the dog. I know better than to blame the dog. An effective teacher has an exemplary student. What's great about today is that although I am a dog trainer, I am still an average person. My husband is away for two weeks, I homeschool my kids, I have two dogs that I dote on, I run a business and my kids' social and extracurriclar lives are busy!! I am not fishing for sympathy...at all. Just painting the picture. Average people are busy and average people mess up with dogs.
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