Keep in mind that first and foremost, growling is a means of communication for your dog. So, you don’t want to take away his or her ability to growl altogether; you just want to control it when it is behaviorally inappropriate.

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Most common situations where dog growling occurs

Dog growling occurs most often when your dog feels threatened. For example, maybe you have young children in the family and they move very quickly and in ways that the dog can’t anticipate, so that he or she feels threatened.

Or, perhaps you’re taking your dog for a walk and your dog comes upon an unfamiliar dog that is larger than him but in no way menacing; the other dog is simply strange to him or her. That’s another situation where your dog may growl.

Stopping inappropriate growling behavior

Again, remember that there are going to be certain situations where it is very appropriate for your dog to growl. So when you stop dog growling behavior, you’re not going to want stop it altogether; you are simply going to want to control it to the point where it doesn’t happen in what should be innocuous situations.

Respect goes both ways

If you have very small children and the dog feels legitimately threatened because he or she may be injured (unintentionally) by the child, that is a time when it may very well be appropriate for the dog to growl. Growling is a means to warn the child that he or she is being too rough, and this should be respected, such that the child backs off and leaves the dog alone. If you stop the dog from growling, he or she may resort to other more injurious responses to the rough behavior, like biting, to warn your child to stay away when he or she is being too rough. Of course, you don’t want that.

In this case, you need to instruct your child to move away from the dog when he or she begins to growl, so that the dog can feel safe once again.

When growling occurs in innocuous situations

If a dog begins to growl simply as a matter of course in safe situations (like when a calm person approaches him or her, or when a doorbell rings, or when your child is being perfectly appropriate and calm), this is something that does need to be controlled. The dog must know that while growling will be respected in times of unsafe or dangerous circumstances, growling “just because” will not be.

First, of course, you should take your dog in for a complete physical if he or she does not normally exhibit this type of behavior. It could be that there are hormonal imbalances, allergies, health problems, aging difficulties, etc., that put him in pain or discomfort and that have nothing to do with the so-called growling “triggers.” Take care of the medical problems, and you should see that the growling problem will go away by itself.

If nothing is found physically wrong with your dog, then it’s time to address the inappropriate growling behavior itself.

Remember that you are the “alpha” dog

Reestablish yourself as the “alpha” dog in your “pack.” It may very well be that you’ve let your dog get aggressive and take the lead; however, dogs are happiest when YOU are the “alpha” dog, such that you’re the leader and they follow. So if things have gotten out of control and your dog has become the “alpha” dog, you need to take control back.

In that case, you’ll need to practice some obedience tricks to get your dog to stop growling inappropriately.

When you first witness inappropriate growling behavior (where the dog isn’t really being threatened by anything), give a gentle but sharp tug on the dog’s collar and firmly reprimand him with a loud “no!” It’s perfectly okay to “shame” the dog a little bit, because dogs want to please you and of course you want that. Shame is an unwanted consequence for the dog, so if you shame him a little bit, he’s less likely to repeat that behavior. However, never, ever hit your dog as a form of punishment.

Consistency is key

Finally, as you work with your dog to stop inappropriate growling, remember that it’s really important that you reinforce to your dog that his growling is inappropriate EVERY time it is, or you won’t be able to stop dog growling. If you do, though, you should see inappropriate growling stop and then disappear altogether, in a relatively short amount of time.

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If you’ve got a small dog and you want to be able to litter train him so that you can avoid having to walk him on most days, litter train dog techniques are quite easy.

Litter train dog techniques can be very beneficial to your larger dog as well, especially if he or she is older, has difficulty walking, or must “hold it” for long periods of time during the day when you’re gone, otherwise. Having your dog “hold it” for long periods of time can lead to extreme discomfort, and even health problems that are life threatening.

Most dogs are very, very amenable to training, and will take direction very easily. Use these tips to litter train dog, so that you’re sure your beloved pet is comfortable and safe during the day, while you’re away.

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It’s not impossible to litter train older dogs

Despite the adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” you certainly can. While it’s certainly easiest to train puppies in litter box training, older dogs will absolutely take to it as well. Choose a litter box that is plenty big enough for your dog to use, and then choose a place that’s out of the way enough so that he or she has some privacy. If necessary, you can place the litter box in a crate; you have to make sure the dog has enough room to turn around in addition to the litter box space, though.

Choosing the right litter box

The litter box has to be large enough for your dog to use, and it has to be comfortable for him or her to get into. So if you’ve got an older dog with arthritic hips, for example, choose one with low sides that’s easy to get into; you can use paper as the absorbent material, which will be very useful in this situation.

Manufacturers these days have also come up with creative ways to make “doggie litter boxes” much more familiar to your dog, such that you can buy “fake Astroturf” litter boxes, and so on. The most important aspect of your choice, however, is that the box is both large enough for your dog to use comfortably, and easy for him or her to get into.

Where to put the litter box

Dogs don’t want to “live” in the same space they’ve eliminated or gone to the bathroom in, so make sure the litter box is relatively far away from where your dog eats and sleeps. Then, the best way to litter train a dog is to lead him to the litter box immediately after eating or drinking. Encourage him or her to “go” in the litter box; at first, this may be difficult, since your dog may think it’s actually a bad thing to “go” inside the house rather than outside he’s used to the latter, but praise him amply after every successful trip to the litter box, and soon, he will catch on.

Of course, if you’ve got a puppy and this is all brand-new to him or her, it’s going to be no more difficult to litter train dog in this way than it would normally be to housebreak your puppy so that he or she would “go” outside. Simply take your puppy to the litter box after he or she has eaten or drunk something, and praise profusely, rewarding with treats as well, when he or she uses the litter box correctly.

Either way, whether you got an older dog to teach litter box techniques to, or you’re newly training a puppy to use a litter box, remember that consistency, praise reward and patience are your keys to success. Litter train dog techniques are not difficult; they just require patience and love. Soon, your dog will be completely used to the litter box so that you should have no more worries about “accidents.”

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You have probably heard you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Well, this is not exactly accurate you can have success training adult dog but it will not be without challenges.

You may have to exercise more patience with an adult dog in fact than a puppy, but with diligence and attention you most assuredly can teach your old dog a thing or two.

Age

The first consideration when training adult dog is exactly how old is the pet? Puppies are fairly outgoing, adolescents are more leery and an older adult dog can be pretty set in their ways. The age of the dog you are trying to train will affect which training methods will work the best.

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Adolescent

A dog can be technically grown but still be in adolescence, this age dog will many times appear hyperactive and curious while at the same time being leery of new people, sounds and objects.

Training adult dog in adolescence will require time and patience to train. You will want to introduce people, noises and new places to the dog slowly and calmly, and your training methods will need to be similar. This is the type of dog you will want to be gentle but firm with once you have established trust.

Adult or Unsure

If you have adopted a new dog from a rescue or pound there is a good chance you will be unsure of their age. Many people prefer an older dog to a puppy because generally house training and chewing issues are already dealt with.

You should be aware that adopting an adult dog like this means you are adopting baggage from the dogs previous owners. Go slowly at first until you determine a bit more about the animal.

Choose a Training Method

There are many options for training adult dog and you may need to try a couple before you find the perfect fit for you and your dog.

Clicker training, lure, rewards, and all or none rewards are all viable options. The latter of the three is one of the most effective tools for training an adult dog, however lure and reward is probably the most practiced.

When you use the lure and reward method you will first request the behavior, such as sit. You will then lure the dog into the correct position on the floor, as you raise a treat in front of him the nose generally comes up and the rump goes down, giving you the desired behavior, which you promptly reward. It may take a bit of practice but before you know it your dog will be performing like a champion.

Bottom Line

When you are training adult dog you must exercise patience above all else. Physical punishment or harsh screaming will never garner the results you are looking for.

Establish a firm but loving relationship with your pet and you will find that training adult dog becomes much easier and rewarding for both you and the animal. Sometimes a previous owner will have inadvertently “trained” a dog to have some bad behaviors.

When you are talking about an older animal this will take some time to overcome. Nevertheless if you persist and are consistent with your requests and rewards you will achieve your training goals.

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Is the phrase “stop my barking dog!” one that you often think to yourself? Do you often find yourself wondering why your dog is barking and why he simply won’t stop?

The truth of the matter is that your dog definitely has reasons for barking and if this is a problem that you are running into, there are definitely things that you can do to solve it.

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Take some time and consider what your options are when you are thinking about how to calm the racket and to get a little more peace and quiet.

In the first place, think about how old your dog is. If your dog is a puppy and you are leaving him alone for extended periods of time, you will find that there is a good chance that he is barking from loneliness.

Keeping in mind that dogs are pack animals, young dogs will especially get stressed and lonely if they need to be kept on their own. They need to socialize and they do need to be occupied.

A young puppy who barks a great deal does not know any better, and the solution is often going to involve getting him some more company and helping him feel more comfortable in your home.

If you are dealing with an older dog that is barking, you will find that your refrain of “stop my barking dog!” is one that might be a little surprised.

Has your dog simply started barking out of nowhere?

If you have an older dog that has always had good manners, you might be a little surprised. The truth of the matter is that some dogs do develop behavioral issues as they get older and those do need to be addressed. One thing that you need to consider is what has changed.

Have you moved or have you changed your schedule?

There are many different things that can stress your dog out, and figuring out what is going on can help.

Remember that when you are exclaiming “stop my barking dog,” that one thing that might be a factor is energy. Barking is like any other activity in that it uses up energy, and if your dog has too much energy, this might be something that contributes.

Is your dog’s breed one that requires a lot of exercise?

If it is, make sure that you are taking him out daily. If he is bored and has too much energy, finding someone to exercise him during the day while you are work is ideal.

The refrain of “stop my barking dog is one that many people are familiar with, but they are often not aware that it is one that they can change. Your dog is not barking to aggravate you, and you will find that there are plenty of ways to get them to stop.

Figure out the cause, and after that, finding a solution will likely be quite simple. Just have patience and in short order, this will cease to be a problem.

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Not only can your puppy’s digging leave unsightly holes in your yard or garden but these holes can also be dangerous, resulting in a serious fall causing sprains and even broken bones.

In order to stop your puppy from digging you need to first look at where he is digging and why.

Why Puppies Dig

Dogs and puppies dig for basically 4 reasons. They either are seeking shelter, seeking attention, are bored or they simply like to dig.

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In order to stop your puppy from digging you need to know why he is digging. Look at where and when he usually does most of his digging.

If your puppy is kept in a fenced in play yard when he is outside with you and is doing a lot of digging in his play yard, check where he is digging and what his actions are. If your puppy is digging in a corner or even the center of the play yard and then laying in the hole he has dug, chances are he is seeking shelter either from the elements or from something that is making him nervous or frightened.

Make sure your puppy has adequate shelter. Something that will protect him from both heat and cold as well as rain and snow. Make sure he has plenty of cold water to drink so he does not get overheated. If his shelter is fine, then check the area around his pen. Are there loud noises or a lot of unfamiliar traffic that could be making him nervous. If so, you may have to move the play yard to a more secure area to stop the puppy from digging.

If shelter does not seem to be the problem then stop to consider if you are spending enough time playing with your puppy. Puppies need a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation. They also need a lot of attention. Playing with him for 30 minutes or so a couple of times a day by throwing a ball or stick for him to chase will meet both his need for attention and exercise. Meeting these two needs may stop your puppy from digging or at least cut down on how often he digs.

Sometimes, puppies dig simply because they are bored and need more mental stimulation. Making sure they have plenty of toys in the yard to play with can help to stimulate them mentally. Treat puzzles that make them work to figure out how to get a treat they want can keep them busy for long periods of time and stop the puppy from digging, by providing them with something more interesting to do.

Whenever you catch your puppy in the act of digging, reprimand them with a sharp “No” and give them a toy to play with. Soon they should get the message that digging is not acceptable.

Providing your puppy with a safe shelter, plenty of attention, exercise and mental stimulation as well as discouraging him from digging whenever you catch him, should in the end stop your puppy from digging. Just keep in mind it will take some time and a lot of effort on your part but will be worth it in the end.

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House training an older dog can be both more challenging and simpler than house training a puppy.

Depending on the dog in question, house training could be just a matter of his relearning good habits he once had or it could mean acquiring training he had never received at all.

While house training an older dog is not without challenges, it is well worth your time to accomplish the goal.

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Start with the basics

Starting with the basics is the first step in house training an older dog. As soon as you bring your new pet home take him to the area you want him to eliminate in. Stay there with him for however, long it takes him to explore the area and go to the bathroom. Once he has praise him for the good job he did.

This will start to give him the message that this is the place where he is too eliminate his waste.

Put Your New Pet on a Schedule

Older dogs have bigger bladders and so do not have to urinate as often as puppies do. This makes it possible to actually train your new pet to a schedule. While this may take a little time and effort, it makes it easier in the long run. When using a schedule in house training an older dog, take him out first thing in the morning, ½ an hour after he has eaten, after play and just before bed. Make sure you go out with him and that he eliminates each time he is taken out. He will soon learn that he is to use this time to go to the bathroom in the proper place.

Supervise and Use a Crate

While your dog is adjusting to a schedule, you will need to supervise him closely. Some accidents will occur and when they do you should handle these calmly. If you catch the dog in the act, reprimand him with a sharp “No” and immediately take him outside. If the accident happens when you are not watching, simply clean up the mess and do not punish or scold the dog as he will not know what he did wrong.

Using a crate when house training an older dog will help prevent accidents when you cannot supervise as closely as you should. Dogs do not like to soil an area where they lay, so providing a crate that allows room for your dog to lay down in comfortably and turn around when desired, but is not too big will help him control his body functions until it is time to go outside.

With a little time, a little patience and by using a schedule that you stick with, house training an old dog will not be as difficult as you think.

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An excellent way to housebreak your puppy is through puppy crate training. When done properly, it can provide your pup with a safe place, and teach them to potty out of doors.

Pups don’t like to mess up where they sleep, so crating works wonders for pups that are old enough to control their bladder and sphincter.

Usually, when you pup is introduced to their crate when they are young, will love their crate, and use it when they want to get away from the world. Crates should never be used for punishment however.

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When first introducing your puppy to the crate, keep the door open at all times, and try to keep the pup in the room with you. Be sure to fill the crate with things your pup loves, like chew toys, bones, and balls.

When your puppy needs to be in the crate for longer than two hours, you should attach a water bottle to the crate as well. In addition, something soft to lie on is nice, but if the pup urinates on it, it should be removed until they no longer do that.

Puppy crate training works best when a few guidelines are followed:

1. When getting puppy used to the crate, occasionally drop pieces of dog food and biscuits in the crate. This helps your pup associate good things with their crate.

2. At first, make sure you give your pup lots of praise when they go in the crate. It is not wise to make the pup go in at first, unless you are going to sleep.

3. There is a fun game you can play with your pup to get them to like their new crate. Don’t tell your puppy, and drop pieces of food in the crate. Call your pup, and ask them to find the food, and show them where it is. If he discovers the stash, praise him and let him know how good he is.

4. When puppy crate training, if you can crate train him when home with you for small periods first, it works much better.

5. Remember that if your pup is less than 4 months old, they have very little bladder and sphincter control, and pups under 9 weeks shouldn’t be crated since they have to use the bathroom very frequently.

6. Be sure not to crate your puppy when it is very cold or hot. Always leave cold water for puppies when it is hot, and when exercising outside, make sure that the times they can be out are short, to avoid your pup becoming overheated.

7. So your pup won’t use the crate as a bathroom, make certain that it is not too large for them.

If you find your dog using the crate as a potty, and the crate isn’t too big, he may have other problems, and some of the reasons for this might be:

1. The puppy isn’t quite old enough to control his bodily functions.

2. The pup didn’t use the bathroom before being confined.

3. The puppy might have worms.

4. The pup drank too much water before being put into the crate.

5. Before he was crated, he had to go to the bathroom in tight areas.

6. There could be a health problem with the pup.

7. The puppy might have a real problem with separation anxiety.

If you take your time and don’t rush it, puppy crate training can be a terrific way to both housebreak your dog, and allow them to have a special place that they will feel secure in as well.

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It seems that not everyone faces having to learn how to stop dog digging because not all dogs seem to inherit this bad habit.

There are just some breeds of dogs that are more prone to digging up the backyard than others.

Also, there are some dog personalities that seem to be more prone to do it, no matter what their breed is.

Remember, every dog is different and should be treated that way.

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Before you can know exactly how to stop dog digging, it is important to make sure that you are aware of why your dog is doing it.

If he is trying to dig around the fence to escape, it is not because he does not care for you, but rather that there seems to be so many interesting things on the other side of the fence.

You might try adding some new fun toys to the backyard and doing whatever it takes to make his backyard seem to be the only place he should ever want to be.

Generally, when a dog is digging, it is out of instinct and it really is not a “wrong” behavior, but most likely, you are not taking too kindly to your grass and your flower bed being dug up.

The thing is, you are not going to be able to completely stop the digging, as he will always want to dig unless he naturally grows out of that behavior on his own. What you can do however is to redirect his attention to a spot where it is okay to dig.

How to stop a dog digging has more to do with how to stop him digging in inappropriate places.

Select one spot in the backyard where it is okay for digging. If you do not have a spot that is okay to dig up, you can take an old sand box, fill it with dirt or soil, and allow your dog to dig there.

You will want to make sure that you are with your dog every time he is outside while you are retaining him on how to stop dog digging in inappropriate spots.

Whenever your dog starts to dig in a bad location, simply give him the “NO” command and then guide him over to the spot where it is okay to dig.

If you want to give him a little incentive to dig, you can bury some of his favorite toys or a nice big bone. This will get him to want to dig in the area that you are directing him to.

As you can see, getting your dog to dig in a proper area can be done. It may take a couple of days or it could take a couple of weeks before your dog starts digging in the correct location.

Once your dog has learned how to stop dog digging in the wrong spots, make sure that you are keeping up with the positive reinforcement in order to make sure that he continues with the good work.

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If you have an animal that is prone to biting, it is important to make sure that you are learning how to stop biting dog. This is not only to protect the people or animals that could become physically harmed by your dog, but it is also to protect your dog.

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The last thing you will want to do is to play a game of viscous tug of war with your puppy. While this game seems innocent enough now, it is teaching your puppy that not only is biting and pulling acceptable, but it is a behavior that comes with rewards.

When you are the one teaching your puppy that it is okay to bite people or anything else for that matter, it is going to be sort of hard to stop biting dog later down the road.

The sooner you get started with the training the better. This of course does not mean that the training will not work if your dog is older now. You certainly can teach an old dog new tricks so do not give up on your pet just yet.

Make sure that you are giving the stern “NO” command as soon as your dog starts to even think about chomping down on your hand, arm, or something that does not belong to him. If your dog steps back from that command and then comes back more gentle, then make sure that you are rewarding him with nice words and maybe even a scratch on the back. He will naturally start to pick up on what makes you happy and what makes you mad. Your dog strives to make you happy so he will do his best to try and figure out just what will do that.

If your dog has gotten way out of hand to the point that you are unable to properly train him in a sufficient enough manner to stop biting dog, you will need professional help. There are certified dog trainers out there that specialize in working with dogs who are prone to biting. If you contact one of these trainers you will be able to get your dogs biting under control in no time at all.

Get started working on stop biting dog issues right away. The sooner you get started the more likely it is that your dog will be able to keep himself from doing harm to himself or others.

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A new puppy can be a very eye opening experience, especially if it is your first time. When puppy training, biting is almost always something that needs to be addressed.

Puppies bite because it is something they must do to know when they bit too hard, and when not to bite.

They must learn the way to develop proper bite inhibition, so when faced with spur of the moment decisions, they can get a reign on how hard they bite in the future.

If you have ever watched puppies, you probably noticed that when playing with their littermates and mother, if they bite too aggressively, their littermate would let them know by squealing. Mother may bite back, to let the pup know that he is getting too rough with his jaws.

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In puppy training, biting is normal, so teaching the puppy when and how to bite is important.

It is beneficial to the puppy for him to stay up to 10 weeks with his mother and mates. This gives him the right amount of time to learn the basics of controlling their jaws. It will help you, since you will not have such a difficult time training your puppy.

For adults, an excellent way to help your puppy learn not to bite skin, is to simply give them a stuffed toy or bone when they start to bite you. This will let them know that it is ok to bite toys, but not skin.

Another thing when training a puppy, is to ignore them when they bite, and then pay attention to them when they behave in the proper way. Puppies love attention, so they will quickly understand that they get no love when they bite. This is a terrific way to teach your puppy bite inhibition.

When puppy training, biting should first be lessened, and then eliminated through different methods, until you find one that works for your puppy. Keep in mind that young children should never be left around puppies that are playing and are wound up. They can bite the young child in a bite redirect, and this can be extremely dangerous for young children.

It is also crucial to make sure that your puppy is well socialized also. When puppies are young, they need to get used to the company of humans, both young and older.

Another way to teach your puppy not to bite, is with a shake can. If you find your puppy isn’t listening to a verbal response, use a clean soda can and put some pennies in it. Tape the mouth closed. If your puppy starts to bite, give them the verbal command and at the exact same time, either shake the can, or drop it close to the puppy. This helps with reinforcing the verbal command you have given them. It may take a while for the puppy to fully grasp the lesson you are teaching them, but be patient, as it will pay off in the end.

When puppy training, biting from your pup is still going on no matter what you try, then you may need to visit a vet, as there could be an underlying reason your pup is biting excessively.

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