House Breaking, Barking and Exercise

House Breaking:

     Start house breaking your dog as soon as possible. You would want to start practicing when he or she is a puppy. Housebreaking routines should be practiced over and over so within time your puppy will not urinate and defecate all over your house.

     Before your puppy urinates, he or she would sometimes start turning in circles. This would be a good time to take your puppy outside.

     When your puppy makes a mess in the parlor, the trick is to try catching your dog in the act. This would help your puppy understand that it is wrong to do their business on the carpet. The tone of your voice would be just enough to make the puppy feel and see that you are unhappy with what he or she did. Be firm and say NO! Do not hit your dog and be somewhat abusive. Immediately bring your puppy outside to an appropriate area for your puppy to do his or her business. Wait a while, until your puppy is done and then praise him or her. Continue these steps until your puppy understands that he or she is not allowed to mess in the house.

     If you want to ensure that your puppy will not urinate all over the house, you can give your puppy a small space to run around, until he or she understands not to mess the house.

     If your puppy was a small breed and you would like to keep your puppy as an indoor pet, you can paper-train him or her. You start by laying newspaper all over the ground so after your puppy is done eating, he or she can do their business. Take the top layer of newspaper and throw it away, leaving another layer of newspaper that carries the urinated scent. Add a top layer of newspaper on top of the bottom layer, so it stays thick enough that when the puppy urinates, it would not leak through. Eliminate the newspaper area smaller and smaller each round. This will make the puppy get used to urinating on the newspaper in the same spot. 

Why do Dogs Bark?

     Barking is the only way dogs communicate by. They use barking to let out their feelings, needs and thoughts. Dogs may bark to notify you that danger is near by or something weird is happening, so it is best to pay close attention to your dog. They also bark to let you know he or she is bored, in need of attention, feeling lonely, is scared, is hurt, to advice you and if he or she is hungry or thirsty. Sometimes dogs bark to fend off an aggressor or trespasser.

     Dogs bark to receive your attention! Sometimes they want to be outside instead of being trapped. All dogs need exercise and they would bark to release tension. Going on walks with your dog would improve your relationship and make your dog happier.

Reasons Dogs Bark:
- Stress
- Defense
- Warning/ Alert
- Hungry/ Thirsty
- In Need of Exercise/ Bored
- Excitement
- Attention

Exercise:

     Some dogs love water, swimming, playing ball or basically just being able to get out of the house. It is good to make your dog be able to run around and be physically fit. If you have a bigger dog, you can take him or her jogging around the neighborhood. Making your dog physically fit will lead your dog into becoming happy and healthy!