Wednesday, September 22, 2010

House Training 101 : How To Potty Train and Housebreak Your Dog

There is so much joy when you bring a new dog home for the first time and potty accidents comes with the territory of pet ownership. A puppy isn’t born knowing that your carpet or hardwood floors is not an acceptable place to relieve himself. So be sensitive to this learning curve and remember that accidents happen.

Even the best dogs have their share of oops! House training your dog and staying tuned in to their potty break signals will make sure your dog gets outdoors quickly, not giving him enough time to soil your hardwood floors. Establishing a potty training routine is the first step toward a happier life with your new found furry family member. Here are some tips on house training your dog:

1. Take your dog out at the same time each day. Suggestion would be in the morning when he wakes up before breakfast, upon arrival from work, and before bed time.

2. Praise, Praise!! Dogs will do anything for a reward and to hear you say “Good Girl” or “Good Boy”. After she potty outside immediately praise, so she knows why she is getting praised. Don’t wait until you get back inside to do so because she won’t remember why she is getting praised. She will soon learn that going to the bathroom outside equals treat & praise.

3. Location, Location- Choose a spot outside that will be your dogs official porter potty area (make sure the area is cleaned daily). Dogs like the security & familiarity, picking one specific spot will make her feel at ease and help to know that area of the yard equals. Your dog will need supervision so take her on leash to the potty spot. The best part about picking a spot is that you won’t have the problem of landmines all over the yard and a small area to clean.

4. Choose Your Words Wisely- Giving your dog a command to “go potty” or “do your business” will let her know what is expected of her. While your dog is going to the bathroom outside use words or phrases like “go potty” that they will come to understand. As time goes on when you say the words “go potty” she will immediately run to the door instead of relieving herself on your floor and run back inside afterward.

5. Schedule Feeding- Like humans, dogs like eating on a regular schedule and this will make them more regular in the literal sense.

6. Don’t Rush Potty Time – Give her about 10 minutes to go potty, if she does not do so bring her back in and take back out in 15-20 minutes for another try. She should not be able to run or play inside until she has went potty, play is her reward for being on good potty behavior.

If you catch your dog eliminating in the house, do something to interrupt her but make sure not to scare her. Immediately take her outside to her bathroom spot, afterward lavish her with praise & treat for job well done.

Keep in mind that potty training any dog requires repetition and hands on approach. Be fair warned no dog is perfect and their will be messy moments throughout the process . But as time goes on she will learn that bathroom time is outside. If you happen to sniff and find a soiled area in your house hours or days later it is too late to administer a correction. Do nothing but clean it up. Rubbing your dog’s nose in it, taking her to the spot and scolding her will not help the situation. In fact it will make her more afraid of you and even more afraid to potty in your presence. Animals do not understand why they are being punishment once time has passed and scolding can do more harm than good.

Now on to the fun part, clean up. Cleaning up the the soiled area in your home is very important because dogs are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces. So keep it squeaky clean & green with eco-friendly, all natural, non toxic cleaning products. Pet Oder & Stain Remover like Mrs. Meyers are safe if licked by your pet.

Happy potty training!!

  • Providing Bark-tastic Customer Service!! Shop www.pawlux.com for eco-friendly, all natural & organic goodies for your new furry family member. We carry a great selection of Odor Free Bully Sticks / Dog Treats / and Dog Toys !

  • Thursday, July 29, 2010

    Quench Your Dogs Thirst : How to Care For A Sick and Dehydrated Dog

    Got Water? Water is essential to humans and pets living a healthy & happy life. When dog's becomes ill it is so easy for them to become dehydrated & lethargic.

    Canine dehydration is a serious issue that can become life-threatening if not properly treated. It is important that you constantly hydrate your dog back to health. Here are some simple tips on how to care for a dehydrated sick dog and get him on the road to recovery & back to his old tricks again.

    1. Seek help of a certified vet. Your dog may be too ill or dehydrated for you to nurse her back to health and made need vet observation of emergency assistance.

    2. Ready Set Hydrate! Place your dog on a strict water diet by hydrating your sick dog every 1/2 hour to an hour. If your dog is refusing to drink it is important for you to be persistent. Your dog may be to weak to drink on his or her own so bringing your sick dog water throughout the night is important.

    3. Electrolytes to the Rescue! Make your dog a 5o/50 mixture of Gatorade & water. Gatorade contains sugar and electrolytes that help your dog's body hydrate better.

    4. Hydrate with a dropper. You can use a store bought plastic dropper to administer fluid. Your dog may be to weak to suck on the dropper. So one trick is to place the dropper in the corner of her mouth and push it in about 1/2 an inch. Squeeze the dropper and release the fluid in the back of the throat. Hold your puppy's head up for a second or two after each squirt to make sure she gets all of the fluid.

    5. Chicken & Rice Diet. Stick to a very simple diet of rice that has been really saturated with chicken or beef broth. Giving your puppy regular food could cause him to develop diarrhea and become even more dehydrated.

    6. Revisit the vet if health does not improve. If your dog 's condition worsen make sure you go to the vet immediately as a precaution.

    Here are some Frozen Treat Ideas to Keep Your Sick Dog Hydrated

    1. Ice is not only a nice cool, fun & delicious treat for your dog it is also a great way to hydrate your sick pup. So, get out your ice trays!

    2. If your sick dog is not a big fan of ice cubes then you can substitute in frozen chicken stock ice cubes in place of water.

    3. Frozen banana slices

    Need Help!

    Don't forget to use our Is Your Dog Sick? easy drop down menu on our www.pawlux.com homepage to find eco-friendly, healthy, all natural products that with help with your dogs specific ailment.






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    Tuesday, July 27, 2010

    Tips on How to Make Your Dog Stop Humping & Mounting


    Let's start by saying that dogs give the term "public displays of affection" new meaning and aren't shy about it. Dogs are considered "man's best friend", or shall we say "leg's best friend". We all know that embarrassing face redding feeling we have when you have house guest over and your dog takes a humping fancy to one of their legs. Although this can be viewed as a form of flattery, this situation can get out of control very quickly when your dog refuses to loosen his grip.

    Instead he or she goes to town like the energizer bunny, that keeps going and going. Perhaps random passerbyr's, couch pillows, your new furniture & your child's favorite stuff animal has fallen victim to your dogs out of control horny, humping & annoying behavior. Watching your dog get personal with random strangers & household family heirlooms can be quite disturbing, but is not abnormal. So what do you do to curb this unsightly jaw dropping behavior? Unfortunately their is no such thing as Dog Humpers Anonymous. Instead of reaching for the nearest rolled up newspaper to tame your four leg humping friend here are some helpful tips to get your dog to dismount and calm down.

    1. Just say "No" -Remember you are the alpha dog & pack leader. So don't be shy and let your dog know who's boss. A firm "NO" or "STOP" will make your dog aware that this behavior is not appropriate. In order for a verbal correction to work, your dog has to understand that you are the leader. You can also clap your hands to get your dogs attention. Never hit your dog to curb bad behaviour this will only evoke fear & resentment towards you.

    2. Spritz Away! Spray your dog with a spritz from a water bottle when he or she starts to exhibit humping & mounting behavior. For experienced dog humpers your may want to carry a spray bottle with you at all times. Having a spray bottle on hand is a gentler way of giving your dog a message that this is not proper pettiquette.
    1. 3. The Root of the Matter-Learn the causes for dog humping. Just keep in mind that dog humping & mounting is not always sexual in nature but can be to display dominance or admiration by males or females. Humping may have nothing to do with sex or dominance--it may simply be a form of play. Dogs ages 6 months to 2 years are the ones most likely to hump. If they get into the humping habit at that age, it's much harder to break later on.


      4. Re-focus Your Pup-Dog humping is an instinctual response. Change your dog's focus and he or she will stop the behavior. Distract your dog in mid-hump with his favorite dog toys , a walk & exercise or other sort of playful redirection. If he likes a good game of fetch with frisbee or ball, toss one across the room and see how he reacts.


      5. Ignore & Give silent treatment- Dogs love attention so perhaps as simple as it may sound, ignoring the behavior may do the trick. Leave the room suddenly. Ignoring your dog's performance will let him know that his humping is not gaining your approval. Your dog may stop humping if you stop paying attention to him.


      6. Spay & Neuter Your Pet-Spaying & neutering not only helps control the pet population, but will slow down your dogs urge to hump everything in sight. But spaying & neutering is no sure cure if your dog has firmly established the habit. Male dogs that hump may have increased testosterone levels. Studies have found that neutering stops humping in 60 percent of the cases.


      7. Training Day! Enroll your dog in obedience training or what some may call doggie boot camp. Seek help & advice from an experienced trainer or canine behavioral specialist, who can train the dog to stop the humping behavior.


      8. Exercise is key-Daily exercise helps release pent up aggression, energy, stress & desires to hump. In most cases, humping results from stress or aggression, especially if the dog has contact with other canines. Take your dog out for at least one long, strenuous walk and play time each day. Set aside enough time for the dog to tire before you stop the exercise session.


      9. Seek vet advice. In some cases, humping is caused by hormone imbalances that may indicate serious conditions, such as hypothyroidism.


    2. Need Help!

      Don't forget to use our Is Your Dog Sick? easy drop down menu on our www.pawlux.com homepage to find eco-friendly, healthy, all natural products that with help with your dogs specific ailment.





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      Shop www.pawlux.com for eco-friendly, all natural & organic goodies for your new furry family member. We carry a great selection of Odor Free Bully Sticks / Dog Treats / and Dog Toys !