One the first training exercises you will embark on as the proud owner of a new puppy is housebreaking. A dog crate can cut that time in half when sized correctly. The crate should be large enough for your dog to stretch out, get up, and turn around, but not so large that they can curl up in one corner while leaving three-quarters of the crate empty.

Dogs will not defecate where they sleep or eat and having the right size dog crate is essential for housebreaking. However, do not expect your new puppy to hold his business for eight hours when they first come home. Successful housebreaking still takes time as new puppies will need to relieve themselves every half hour for the first week or two so be prepared.

What a dog crate can do for housebreaking is ensure that they will ask to go outside when the time comes instead of using their dog crate or your carpet. Again, this depends on buying the right size crate. The best investment is a life style dog crate. These dog crates have a moveable panel that allows you to add more space as your new puppy grows.

The next most important factor to remember is that your dog’s crate is never to be used for punishment. A dog crate should be your dog’s sanctuary a place where they can go to get away from loud noise or a house full of guests. By allowing, your dog to use his/her crate, as a safe haven will help reinforce housebreaking.

Training in this way; investing in a dog crate that will grow with your dog and establishing a place of safety will have your dog housebroken in no time. Crate training is the fastest way to achieve success setting up a solid foundation for future training exercises.

You have just met the love of your life and decide to take your relationship to the next level; living under the same roof. There is only one catch you’re a dog owner and she is a cat owner; how will you introduce them so they too will be able to live with one another.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association 32% of households are cat owners and 37% of households are dog owners. Which represents 72 million dogs and 82 million cats in the United States; with this many pets, the two are likely to be found in the same household.

Generally speaking, when either pet is brought up with the other as a puppy or kitten the relationship can be rewarding for both. If however, the introduction takes place when both are adults the experience is often stressful. There is a method, which has proven successful with most dog breeds in meeting an adult cat for the first time. Keep in mind that this is a process and one that will take three to six months to achieve a safe environment for both pets.

The first step is to understand your dog breed. If you have properly socialized your dog and their built-in instincts do not involve chasing pry then you are off to a great start. If however, this is not the case not all is lost, it will just take longer. One thing you can take for granted is your pets sense of smell.

No one knows for sure how much more scent-sensitive dogs are than humans, a thousand times-ten thousand?  Nevertheless, what is known is that a dog’s nose has many more odor receptors, and an olfactory (smell) center that takes up much more room in the brain. Cats are no different. Remember the last time you opened a can of Tuna fish only to look down and see your cat standing next to you waiting for the juice.

Over the course of your new relationship the odors from your mates pet is on your clothes and they will recognize the smell. The pet supplies you will need are a dog crate and a cat carrier along with a pet gate. Establish the boundaries in your house that is where your cat’s area will offer a safe haven from your dog as well a place to hide. Use the pet gate to separate the two spaces.

Let us assume that your cat will be the new comer in the home. Cats are more sensitive to a change in routine then dogs, so for first introductions leave your dog in his/her dog crate allowing your cat to explore the new space. The opposite should take place if the dog is the new comer, although your dog will get use to the new space much faster. Just add the familiar dog toys and their dog bed as long as they know you’re going to be around the transition will be seamless.

The next step is most critical to success, the face-to-face introduction. Always have your dog on his/hers dog leash and sitting at your side. Bring the cat into the room and allow the cat explore the space and see your dog. Your dog will be very alert at this point wanting to sniff the cat and see what’s up. That is the next step. While holding your cat ease off the dog leash and allow the dog to smell the cat. Your cat is not going to like this first greeting and that’s okay.

At night, you dog should be in their crate and the pet gate closed. This safe separation procedure should happen while you both are away from home. If you are going to be away from home longer than eight hours make sure someone is available to let your dog outside and able to return them to their dog crate.

Over the next weeks and months gradually increase the time they spend in each other’s company remembering to give praise when the greeting is nice and firm “no” when the greeting is not. Begin leaving your dog off the leash and your cat free to roam. The goal is to reach a balance when both pets can tolerate one another without using a leash, dog crate, or the pet gate.

The keys to success are:

• Patience, this is going to take some time
• Always keeping a watchful eye when the two pets are together
• Continued praise for both pets – Cats are territorial and dogs will be dominate

Following this method will produce results and your pets will be able to live together.

by Remarkable Dogs

The much anticipated call from your breeder has come…”Your new puppy is ready to go home.” Having a dog crate is one of the most important purchases you can make as a dog owner. Aside from speeding up the process of housebreaking and a place to sleep, a dog crate offers a safe haven and the security of a den like feel.

One the first training exercises you will embark on as the proud owner of a new puppy is housebreaking. A dog crate can cut that time in half when sized correctly. The crate should be large enough for your dog to stretch out, get up and turn around, but not so large that they can curl up in one corner while leaving three-quarters of the crate empty.

Dogs will not defecate where they sleep or eat and having the right size crate is essential for housebreaking. This does not mean that a new puppy should be expected to hold his business for eight hours when they first come home. Successful housebreaking still takes time as new puppies will need to relieve themselves every half hour for the first week or two so be prepared.

What a dog crate can do for housebreaking is ensure that they will ask to go outside when the time comes instead using their crate or your carpet. Again, this depends on buying the right size crate. Unless you plan to buy a new crate when your dog is fully grown, purchasing a dog crate that can grow with your dog is a great investment.

Life Stage dog crates like the one from Midwest have a moveable panel that is included with the crate that allows pet owners the flexibility of increasing the size of the interior to accommodate your dogs growth. To provide that den like feel use a towel or small blanket placed on the divider so the crate “feels” the right size for your dog.

For all dogs and especially small dogs, a crate offers a safe haven. Anxiety felt for small dogs living in a lively household is the fear of being trampled. Vets have said many broken bones in small dogs is due to accidentally being stepped on by a family member. A safe haven for your dog means just that, a dog crate is never to be used for punishment. The last thing any pet owner should do is raise their voice, order their dog in their crate, and lock them in. A time-out area is for human children not for your dog.

Because of the crates den like feel they are great for relieving anxiety when traveling. Dog travel crates come in a variety of styles from hard plastic to pop-up camping travel crates. Visiting a busy Veterinary office can be a scary experience for a small dog and keeping them safe and secure in a dog crate can ease the tension they feel.

Lastly, a dog crate will keep your pooch out of trouble when they are left home alone. Depending on your breed dogs, mature at different rates. For some maturity arrives by the age of two while others it could be age three. While a dog should spend no more than an eight hour stretch locked in a crate, dog crates offer pet owners the peace of mind that their dog will not tear up the house or injury themselves while off to work or on an errand.

Once old enough you can leave the crate door open so that your dog can come and go as necessary offering you the opportunity to purchase a designer dog crate. These crates resemble a quality piece of furniture such as an end table or nightstand doubling as a dog crate. These are great for adding some style to your home while providing a comfortable house for your dog.

by Remarkable Dogs

The Italian Greyhound is a very quick learner and trains well during its puppy stages. A puppy left without support or security will have temperament problems and will have constant fears to manage during later years. Puppies left without their mothers or siblings for extended periods will have difficulty socializing, and need this attention during their formative years to become better socialized in the long term. They may exhibit behaviors such as hand biting, nipping, and excessive barking; however, with the appropriate amount of obedience training, you can turn this around.

House training is much easier during the period of 10-12 weeks; prior to that, they have little control over their body functions until they are at least 10 weeks old, and waiting until they are too old can be a problem.

Italian Greyhounds are extremely bright and paper training or litter training your dog will be the ideal choice. They are not good all weather dogs and making sure training takes place indoors will be your best option.

These dogs require attention and positive motivation. They may need frequent stroking or caressing if they are uneasy, and they do well with training in a dog crate during the housebreaking stages.

It’s important to keep a firm grip on these puppies but also keep a gentle hand. Holding the puppies by wrapping them tight can help them stay safe and secure, and setting them on the floor requires that they have all four feet on the floor before letting go. This toy dog has long, thin, and delicate legs that are easily damaged if they land too hard. The dog needs to be trained on how and when to climb furniture, and they should not be left unsupervised on a bed or couch whenever possible.

It’s important not to let the dog go unleashed in an unsecured area; they may have selective deafness where no amount of calling will let you be heard. These dogs need to be monitored on a regular basis as they can be easily distracted.

Still, the dogs travel extremely well but do need to use their dog travel crate for long car rides. They do have a tendency to leap out of cars or vehicles if they are not properly restrained so be sure to buckle them in a dog harness.

Italian Greyhounds take direction and instruction well, and will be especially obedient after only a short period.

by Remarkable Dogs

As with most of the gun or sporting dogs the Irish Red and White Setter has an amazingly friendly and open personality and temperament. They are a gentle, kind, and affectionate dog that is truly an excellent family pet. They are not always a good watchdog and tend to welcome all pets, animals, people, and other dogs into the home or yard with a friendly wag of the tail. Some of the breeds will naturally bark when strangers arrive but generally, you can easily train them to bark and give notice.

The Irish Red and White Setter is a high-energy dog that loves to run and play as well as get out and work scent tracks and hunts. They are not good apartment dogs, as they do need a lot of exercise on a continuous, daily basis. They can be somewhat rambunctious at times and as teen-age dogs often go through a challenging period of independence and over-zealous behavior. For this reason, it is a good idea to train your dog to use a dog crate. Dog crates can keep them out of trouble when you’re off to work or running an errand.

Prone to jumping up for attention, but with firm and consistent training will be wonderfully behaved pets. Clicker training with various types of gundogs is often used, but they can also be trained using praise and immediate rewards. It is always best when rewarding your for a successful dog obedience lesson you praise first and then offer a treat; better for your dog to be rewarded by affection should ever bore of the treats he will still follow your commands.

There are two different lines of Irish Red and White Setters, the field line and the show line. Both are much different for the Irish Setter and not just in color pattern. Show line Irish Red and White Setters tend to be slightly larger with longer coats and typically a calmer disposition. Field lines that are actively used for hunting will need more exercise and challenges and will also have slightly shorter coats. Recognized by the various organizations, both lines and many purebred dogs are both show and field champions.

The Irish Red and White Setter is highly intelligent and has been bred to work closely with humans. Considered very easy to train and often almost housetrain themselves, given proper opportunities to get outdoors when needed. They can also develop bad habits relatively quickly and should never be allowed to start jumping, chewing, or ignoring their owner’s commands.

They are natural trackers and love to play games of hide and seek where the owner hides and the dog will then track them. This game is easy to teach the dog and provides lots of mental and physical stimulation for the dog. Since the dogs have a very well developed sense of smell they can sometimes be difficult to walk off their dog leash or training lead, as they will pick up a scent and track, often running across roads or away from owners in the excitement of the hunt.

The Irish Red and White Setter is good as a housedog and will quickly learn to find a quiet spot to stay while indoors. They prefer to be with people rather then left alone, but do very well with companion dogs or other pets for daytime company. Since they do need exercise, it is not a good idea to confine them to a kennel or small space for long periods.

By Remarkable Dogs

Some dog owners see crate training as cruel and unusual punishment, but this is far from the truth. If your dog is appropriately crate trained, they will see their dog crate, as a refuge and both of you will be much happier. Not only is your dog crate a refuge but an important tool in dog training as well.

If you have never used a dog crate then you are in for a treat. There are many different types of dog crates on the market and purchasing the right size is key to success. A cost effective approach is to purchase a dog crate that will grow with your puppy as they age. The important thing to remember here is that the crate should allow your dog to get up, turn around, and stretch out without being too large as to allow them to curl up in one corner.

The issue you will run into in buying a growth crate is that it may not offer your dog the security he or she needs with an open back. To solve this, try hanging a towel or small blanket over the moveable panel. This will give the appearance of being small and more of refuge for your pup.

Before introducing your dog to their crate, you need to set it up with a soft bed, blanket, and perhaps a toy and small bowl of water. Make it as cozy as you can. Keep the dog crate door propped open so your dog can come and go. Once you have done all this, it is time for your dog to meet the crate.

Ensuring you as the dog owner possess the right mindset and the initial introduction is the most critical part to dog crate training. The crate is never used for punishment in fact; when your dog is properly crate trained, they will run to their crate when they have done something wrong. You never want to bang on the crate to get your dogs attention, as this will cause behavioral issues down the road. Instead, your feelings and training toward the dog crate should always be positive.

For the new pup, in the right sized dog crate, will help you in housebreaking, as dogs naturally will not soil where they sleep. Housebreaking using a dog crate can take as little as 7 to 8 days to be successful. For the new pup however, they will need to relieve themselves quite often. During those first few days when they initially arrive home taking your new pup outside about every half hour is common. It will gradually become longer so do not plan to leave a new puppy in a crate for extended periods. By the time your dog reaches six months old, you should be able to safely leave them in their dog crate for up to 8 hours at a time. Any longer regardless of age will cause problems in the future.

Dog crates also offer dog owners the peace of mind knowing their dog will not tear up the house while they are out. There is nothing more frustrating than coming home from work or from an errand to find the couch in shreds with stuffing hanging from your dog’s mouth.  For the smaller dog, a dog crate adds the safety they need from being accidentally tramped on from the kids or a house full of people.

Dog crates also make it possible to safely transport your dog when traveling either by car or plane. Overall, properly crate training your dog is an essential part of their wellbeing and safety. With the variety of dog crates available to pet owners there is sure to be the perfect match for your dog and your house.

By Remarkable Dogs

September is back to school time. The family is running around picking up school supplies, shopping for those new school outfits and getting back into the fall routine. It’s easy to forget the feelings of the most loyal member of the family.

Most breeds will experience some level of separation anxiety as their routines too have changed. You might see a heightened degree of aggression or behavior never before encountered. This is especially true for young pups and older dogs. Certain members of the terrier and hound groups especially will be affected.

The point to remember is that this has more to do with training people then about disciplining or punishing your dog to bring this behavior back in-line. Do not allow yourself to give in to that all-to-happy-to-see-you when you first come home. If your dog jumps up and down and is overly excited, allow them to calm down before they receive your affection; when they do give a small treat or a pet on the head.

Part of the family’s homework will be to practice the commands you’ve spent all summer long teaching. Ensure a daily walk is planned for using a training lead. These techniques will help your dog focus on something other than destructive behavior.

Beyond the obvious chewing, soiling in the house and barking, more serious symptoms can rear their head. Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and even seizures can arise with lifelong consequences if not addressed immediately. There are several ways to avoid many of these issues before they take root and before the family goes back to school.

One such method is crate training. If your dog will be spending his alone time in a dog crate when the kids are back to school and you’re at work then begin slowly during the last days of summer. Start with an hour or when you are off running short errands gradually increasing the time. Crate training by far is the best method preventing a host of destructive problems.

If you have a breed that suffers sever anxiety then perhaps a pet sitter is your best solution. You can start with a couple of visits throughout the day gradually reducing the time if you notice him/her beginning to settle down when you come home. You can search for a qualified sitter at Remarkable Dogs by clicking the Find a Pet Sitter page and entering your zip code.

Remember at the end of the day it’s about training the owner to better prepare the most loyal of family members to deal with the change of routine that comes every year in the fall.