Using Food to Train Your Puppy – The Basics

Food is the most effective motivator for canines. If used right, it can help you train your dog into obedience.

You give your dog a command and expect it to comply; it may seem simple to you, but for your dog, the process is quite complicated. In order to communicate with your dog properly, and make it act to your command, you need to harness the power of food — it is primal to the canines’ existence and will make them learn the task at hand easily.

Follow these tips for an effective approach to food-oriented training:

Little Treats Go a Long Way

You don’t want your dog putting on too much weight with too many treats. To keep that in check, resort to small sized treats, or break down bigger ones into smaller pieces. 

Reward Each Step

To make sure your dog learns, it is important to reward their progress. The small steps your dog takes towards the ultimate goal need appreciation.

When you reward your dog for lowering down to an almost sitting position, they realize what the treat is associated with. Next time, wait around till they settle down into a sitting position before you reward them.

Remember to “Fade the Lure”

You don’t want the treat becoming a bribe. Using this technique, you lure your dog into doing your desired action for the first few times, like beckoning it to you, and then repeat the same gesture without any treats. However, you do need to be mindful about:
·        Giving verbal encouragements when your pet performs its task properly.

     ·   Gradually decreasing the use of treats to a complete stop when your dog learns the command.
·        Reinforce the behavior by giving them treats in the exact position you want them in.

Get Rid of the Distractions

When training, it is important to have all their attention focused on you and the tasty treat in your hand. You need to train them in an isolated space where playing children, whirling cars, and scurrying squirrels don’t distract them from the lesson.

Keep Experimenting

When you’re using food to train your dogs, you need to make sure the treats you use are delicious enough to motivate them.

It all depends on your dog’s taste. It is a trial and error process which will require you to test different brands of healthy dog treats before you find the one that grabs your dog’s attention.

Of course you do need to consider that some dog species are more inclined towards food as an incentive than others. If your dogs are not food-oriented, some love and affection, or toys would work better in helping you train them.

The Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, and poodles at April’s Poodles and Doodles love everything; a tasty treat, healthy affection from the owner, and some toys. They are all standard poodle puppies for adoption, if you’re looking for one.

How to Puppy Proof Your Homes

You’ve decided to get a puppy for you and your family — but before you bring one home, there’s some serious preparation you need to undertake.

You need to provide your puppy with a safe environment to grow in. Thus, you need to prepare your yard and home for this new member of the family just like you do for a curious toddler. Your focus should be on eliminating any and all dangers that can harm your family or your little pup.

Puppy proofing the house should be taken seriously. So take a walk around your home and scan each room for possible risks. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is an explorer’s (your puppy) haven. There are interesting cords, cabinets, drawers, and the tantalizing tastes and aroma. You need to:

·        Secure drawers using childproof latches (find them at a hardware store near you)

·        Tuck out all the cords, and cables out of your puppy’s reach. The safest option is to enclose them in chew-proof PVC tubes to keep your puppy uninterested.

The Bathroom

Bathrooms carry too many things that can prove dangerous for your puppy. They could swallow pills, choke on soap, or drown in the toilet bowl. To make your bathrooms puppy proof, remember to:

·        Keep soaps, shampoos, razors and other accessories in a drawer or cabinet, well out of your pup’s reach.

·        Keep the toilet lid down all the time.

·        Close your bathroom doors when you leave it.

·        Use dustbin that have lock lids.

·        The cords and drawers are to be treated the same ways as the ones in the kitchen.

·        Exercise caution as a family not to leave anything behind to the puppy after using the bathroom.  

The Bedroom

Dogs follow the scent. They will be attracted to anything that gives off your scent. Clothes, slippers, shoes, etc. everything will gravitate them towards itself. So:

·        Don’t leave clothes lying around.

·        Put laundry in a tall, lidded basket.

·        Store your shoes in a secure, high out-of-their-reach place.

·        Keep all your jewelry, coins, hair ties and any other things your puppy can choke on well hidden.

·        Install temporary blockades to keep them from squeezing behind furniture.

The Living Room

These family rooms are the coziest, and often have the greatest congregation of shoes, throw pillows, electronic gadgets, and magazines that are highly tempting for a little puppy. What you can do is:

·        Put all the clutter away every time you get up dogs for adoption.

·        Keep the place clear off pillows, rushes, blankets, and décor.

·        Wires and cords need to be concealed.

Deciding to get a puppy is the first step. It is followed by the chain of different decisions and considerations that you need to sort out before bringing the puppy home. The foremost of these decisions is to find the perfect puppy for you and your family.

Visit April’s Poodles and Doodles for an exciting range of sociable labradoodles, goldendoodles, and standard, miniature, and toy poodles to find the puppy you are looking for. 

Top Reasons To Adopt A Puppy

Debunking Top 10 Dog Related Myths

A wrong advice from a well meaning, but misguided, friend; a story people passed on without checking its credibility. Believing anything and everything claimed over the internet - all these lead to misconceptions and myths.

The same is true with dogs. When you bring home your canine friend, you may be unsure of how to go about their care, which may lead you to believe some of those ill-founded myths.

To help you out, we debunk the top 10 dog myths:

You Don’t Have to Bother About Your Dog’s Oral Hygiene

Some people believe that a dog’s mouth does not need any attention – that nature has a way of taking care of that. The truth, however, is far from that. While your dog’s germs might be harmless, they are barely hygienic. You may have seen your dog lick all kinds of things on the ground. It’s recommended to have their teeth brush frequently. You will also come across some great treats that are formulated to keep your dog’s dental hygiene in check.

Old Dogs Are Too Senile To Learn New Things

People believe that as the dogs grow older; their ability to learn new things lessens. That is not true. Teaching them new tricks might be tricky. But it’s not impossible. In fact, a new trick might be good for them, as long as it is not physically challenging.

Tail Wagging Is A Good Sign

It’s a common believe that when dogs wag their tails, it means they are excited and happy. That is not always the case. Sometimes, dogs wag their tails when they are anxious about something. Many times, it is also an indication of fear. So try to understand more about your dog’s body language.

The Best Place For Leftovers Is Dog’s Dish

Any leftover goes to your dog and they seem to be enjoying it; however, dogs don’t know what is good for them. You, however, do. Cooked food can cause several pancreatic and gastrointestinal problems in your dog. Better stick to dog food.

Large Dogs Are Dangerous

Another myth, large means dangerous. A red toy poodle can be aggressive as well if not given proper socialization and training. Big dogs are almost like a big teddy bear; they are friendly and harmless.

Backyard Playing Counts As Exercise

A little shuffle in the backyard does not count as exercise. Dogs like to be by human’s side most of the times, so the only good physical exercise involves you going outside with them, giving them a good old walk, hike, swim or run.

Dogs And Postmen Are Enemies

Dogs are protective by nature and do not like strangers; so when they see a stranger walking toward their house with a bag of God knows what, they may get aggressive. The key is to familiarize your dog with the mail carrier, so that he or she doesn’t attack the poor man.

Cats And Dogs Are Foes

Cats and dogs are not enemies. In fact, many people own both in their house and they live happily together. The only thing that might happen occasionally is dogs chasing the cats. But that’s only because your canine buddy is playful in nature.

Feeding Chocolate To Dog Is Just Fine

Chocolate can seriously harm your dog. It could be toxic. Even a small amount could kill your pet. So keep chocolates away from them.

Every Time You Enter, You Encounter An Excited Dog

As soon the key turns, your dog comes rushing towards you. This doesn’t always mean that your dog is happy to see you. In fact, it could be all the pent up energy, and he just needs to channel it somewhere.

Now that you know what is, and is not true about dogs, you are all prepared to own one. If you are looking for dogs and puppies foradoption, visit www.aprilspoodlesanddoodles.com to get the cutest fur ball in your house.