How To Change Your Puppy’s Shy, Timid Behavior

Are you the proud owner of an extremely shy puppy? This fear-based behavioral characteristic is very common if you have a toy dog breed. However, it’s a known fact that every litter will have a least one shy puppy that will need to be treated a little differently than the rest of the pups.

When these shy puppies grow up they can become extremely needy and look towards their owners for reinforcement in almost every situation they come across. And unfortunately, while this need to �run to mommy or daddy� every time she gets scared, your dog may start to initiate aggression if she is not getting the soothing attention needed. This could be labeled as aggression induced by fear.

Ironically enough, if you constantly caress and soothe your puppy when she demonstrates extreme shyness and becomes frightened, you are only reinforcing the behavior. I realize that it’s hard to imagine ignoring your shy and scared puppy when she needs you, but if you would like to change her behavior and help the dog become a bold and social animal, you are going to have to quit letting her know that it is �okay� to be afraid.

Helping Your Shy Puppy Change

If your dog is showing signs of fear and timidness early on, then you will have to be patient when desiring to help her adjust. You must coax the dog along to realizing that you will not be her protector anymore. Behaviors that she is used to doing when getting scared will need to be stopped, such as barking while hiding behind your legs when startled, darting away whenever seeing a normal part of the outside, like a person walking or a bush swaying by the wind, etc.

Here are some tips that you can use to help your puppy become less shy:

1. Explain to your family and friends to ignore your puppy’s fear-induced barking or crying whenever they approach. Up to this point your dog has acted out of fear whenever someone approaches and when these people naturally stop the approach, your dog has learned that this behavior works in her favor. However, from now on your dog will start to understand that fear-induced barking will not work anymore so long as your friends and family respect your training wishes.

2. Whenever you are expecting guests to arrive at the house, be sure to keep your puppy secured by a lead. Take her with you as you approach the guests if you can allow the dog to be with you all times. The difference from now on is that when she starts crying, barking, or hiding behind your legs, you will now act in a confident matter and without petting or soothing her. This will help your dog become more brave while teaching her that her old behavior will not work anymore.

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When you let your puppy roam free outside on the property, it is essential that you keep the little guy enclosed in some form or fashion. And if you cannot fence the dog inside, then at least leash your dog up. This will prevent him from wandering off and getting hurt by an other animal or a moving vehicle.

If you are in search of purchasing an enclosure such as a dog pen or a tie out, here are a few research tips to help you choose the appropriate security item which would suit your dog and landscape best.

Start by asking your self the following 3 questions:

1. Based on how well you know your dog, what type of personality does he have and how well does he handle being confined? Is he the type of dog that will try to escape knowing that he cannot get past a certain barrier mark?

2. When you have an enclosure put up outside, how do you plan on using it when confining your dog? In other words, will you be by your dog’s side at all times when he is out or do you plan on using the fenced in area or tie out as a way to keep him secure when you’re not at home?

3. Based on your dog’s temperament, are you aware of what type of confinement his personality will allow without creating chaos for your pet? Using a secured lead may create anxiety. A fenced in area that is too small may also be a negative experience for your dog.

Can’t I just train my dog to stay on the property without a security fence or leash?

This is a big mistake. Initially when your young puppy is new to the outside world and is just getting used to the fact that he can play around the yard, letting him loose without any security is a dangerous choice. Your dog may not understand what his boundaries are and end up wandering off into danger or being fatally injured from traffic.

Not only is safety an issue here, but the fact of the matter is that it is virtually impossible to train a puppy to stay on a certain area of land at such a young age, especially if there are other houses, sidewalks, and streets nearby. Yes, some breed types can be trained, but to successfully train a dog to stay within certain confines of your property without a fence or leash takes a specific type of dog temperament.

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If you have a new puppy in the house and are unclear about whether or not you should use yelling as a way to get him to stop doing something wrong or barking too much, then this should clear up your confusion. If anything, you should learn the simple fact that yelling at your dog it does nothing to fix a problem, stop what he’s doing, or induce any type of positive reinforcement.

Yes your dog may stop doing a certain activity temporarily after yelling at him, but he will only return to whatever behavior he was displaying which made you angry in the first place. Why? Because when you shout at your dog it does nothing to fix the issue, yelling only works as a temporary solution.

Most puppies think of their owners as other dogs. And when you start yelling at your pet, it only increases how excited he is about the situation. You also cause your dog to create a negative association between yelling and how he feels around you. He will soon start to connect yelling with the idea that he is disliked or unwanted, and will not have the ability to know that he is actually breaking a rule that you are trying to establish.

Not All Loud Voice Commands Are Bad

Even though yelling at your dog is considered to be of poor communication skills, there are definitely times when you need to firm up the tone of your voice and change the way you come across to him. There are three general forms of communication in terms of the way you speak to your dog that you can apply:

1. The soothing tone of voice. A soothing and delightful tone of voice should be used whenever you want to give praise to your dog. When you communicate this way, you should be able to relax and soothe him as opposed to creating excitability. Speaking to your puppy in a soothing tone of voice makes him feel secure and proud knowing that you are happy with him.

2. The second tone of voice used when communicating with your dog is more of a direct tone. A direct tone would be the same way you give commands to your puppy when you want to get his attention. It should be short, firm, and authoritative.

3. The third general tone of voice you can use with your dog is more of a disciplinary tone. However, you must learn to draw a fine line between a disciplinary tone and a yelling tone. Remember, you do not want to yell your dog but there are certainly times when you need to get across to him to back away from something quickly or to stop doing something immediately, all without actually scaring him off with shouting. Personally, I like to use two syllables such as “DOWN BOY” or “SPARKY NO”.

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Does your puppy have the attention span of a two-year-old child? And does he seem a little too fatigued and tired throughout the day? If you have already taken your dog to the veterinarian for a full examination and he checks out okay, you may want to take it upon yourself to help increase his energy levels and attention span by going the “natural” route.

Of course animal medicines do have their place, but if your veterinarian does not see a major health problem then your best choice is to follow some of the guidelines below to get your puppy feeling better and acting more alert:

1. As long as your puppy is more than six weeks old, try reducing his feeding times to only twice per day. In an attempt to keep our puppies growing and healthy, some dog owners make the mistake of overfeeding the little pups, which can result in lethargic energy levels as well as very short attention spans. You can help your puppy by cutting back on his meals.

2. Check the food labels and be sure that the food you are feeding your puppy has a complete digestibility level of at least 85% to 90%.

3. Protein is a very important nutrient for good health and energy in dogs. Unfortunately, many dog foods sold in stores are made up of mostly carbohydrates. Dogs need meat and lots of protein to be at their best. This is especially true of young puppies. So be sure that each meal has a high level protein source when feeding your puppy.

4. As far as supplements are concerned, is always smart to first check with your veterinarian. But we have a recommendation that may help your dog and that is to supplement his food with brewers yeast. Brewers yeast is chock full of B vitamins and protein.

5. Last but not least, the latest trend in supplements for both people and animals are omega-3 fatty acids. But there is good reason for this popular trend and that is because these oils are extremely healthy and are known to raise concentration levels in dogs as well as create a healthy shine on their coat. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils and flaxseed oils.

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For any new dog owner, handling all of the loud barking of a new puppy can be quite an unnerving experience. Most new dog owners are not prepared for the intense amount of barking and yelping that young puppies start doing the minute they arrive in their new home. Although it is totally natural, some puppies do not give their owners the luxury of quieting down, especially at night.

One of the biggest phases that a puppy will go through is the fear of being alone. And I’m not talking about being alone in the sense of you leaving the house. Some puppies will go absolutely nuts even when you only leave the room for a split second. They just can’t bear to be alone because they are used to having their mommy or littermates around non-stop.

When faced with this situation, what you do? If you run to your puppy to sooth and caress him every time he cries, then you are only feeding the behavior and creating a spoiled dog. On the other hand, if you ignore him and let him bark his brains out, the rest of the family (especially your spouse) will become very annoyed with you for letting the barking go on.

It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place, however, we do have some tips to help you deal with your puppy barking situation:

1. The first step is to try to ignore your puppy’s barking if at all possible without yelling at him. Yelling will either scare him from wanting to come near you or will further add to his anxiety levels that and he will continue barking.

2. There is a product called a “teaching lead” which will enable your puppy to be around you at all times in the house. Use these types of tools so that your puppy can be around you while he is getting used to his independence.

3. When you leave the house, try to refrain from long and drawn out departures. Although it’s understandable to want to pet your puppy and talk sweet to her before leaving the house, it only creates more stress because she will start to associate your behavior with you leaving her side. The same advice goes when you arrive home. Avoid big and exciting welcomes after walking through the door.

4. Try using a simple training aid to get your puppy to quiet down immediately when she is barking. A water bottle that sends a quick burst of streaming spray is a perfect idea. Or you could use a small tin can filled with a few pennies in it. When you go to leave her side and she starts barking, simply throw that can in her area. It will create a startling noise while at the same time diverting her attention.

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Socializing your pet to accept new animals into the household is not always an easy task. We all read the biblical account of Noah and his Ark and wondered just how he got the animals to survive in the ark together for five minutes let alone 40 days and nights of rain. The dog usually has its own ideas of its territory and home and is generally not a generous creature when it come to sharing but would much rather chase the intruders away. We have to reprogram the dogs thinking to make it understand that chasing the cat or iguana or whatever other pet you may have, is not acceptable. So how about some instruction on just how it’s done?

For the First tip, Insure the Safety of Both Animals and Yourself. To start, make certain that the new animal will be safe. Place the new pet in a pet carrier or some other sturdy structure that prohibits the dog from actually physically contacting the animal but still allows for both animals to see, smell and hear each other. This provides a way for both animals to acclimate to each other in a safe, though possibly a bit stressful, situation. In later steps, gloves might be advisable to avoid scratches from a nervous pet.

Secondly, Rewards Work Wonders. After the animals have both calmed a bit give them each a small reward, such as a morsel of some favorite food. Be sure to give the dog lots of verbal praise and affection when it is not barking or trying to get to the new animal as this will show the dog that you are accepting of the new pet’s presence and you expect him to be also. Repeat this process several times over the course of a week or so, until both animals seem fairly accustomed to the presence of the other and their aggressions seem to have subsided. At this point, you are ready to move on to the next step and tip number three.

The third tip to socializing your animal is Get Help. This step will require an assistant to help with one of the animals. Have the assistant leash the dog and hold him firmly on a very short leash. After instructing the assistant to maintain control of the dog, open the pet carrier and bring the new pet out carefully. Your dog will likely move towards the animal so be sure the assistant has the dog held tightly and be careful not to let the new pet panic and escape your grasp. Gradually bring them closer together and let them calmly adapt to each others presence. Repeat this step several times over the next few days and by the end of the week, these two animals should be like old chums.

Another tip to remember in socializing your pets is that, while the animals most likely won’t make an instant attachment to each other, there are those special picture perfect moments that you will want to cherish a lifetime. So keep the camera handy and loaded with film. The candid shots of training at its best provide memories that will last forever. Few things are more fun than looking at a picture of your dog with an iguana riding around the room perched on his back and telling a little white lie that you taught the two of them to do that.

Our Fifth and final point is remember that just like humans, not everyone is going to get along. There will be days where the dog and the cat are going to feud or the iguana will get cantankerous and slap the dog with his tail for the fun of it. Some animals were just never meant to live in harmony but with a lot of patience and a little direction you can make your household fairly peaceable most of the time. When things go sour, just take it in stride and put the animals in their separate areas for a bit and, given a cooling period, they will be friends again in no time.

With these simple tips you can be certain that life around your home will be much more harmonious and you might just have a bit more respect for Noah and his Ark.

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It’s really exciting for you and your family when you bring a new puppy home isn’t it! However, in the excitement don’t forget to address the basic needs of your puppy. The way to make sure this does not happen is to have your puppy’s supplies already bought and on hand before the big day. So let’s take a look at some of the things your puppy will need from the start of his new life with you.

Obviously one of the absolute basic supplies that you will need is food. This should be obvious, but you would be surprised at how often this is overlooked. You will need to check with the breeder to find out what food your puppy is already eating. You will need a supply of this type of food. If you are planning to change to a different brand, you will need to gradually change it over the course of about seven to ten days. Just add a little of the new brand to the old brand, adding a little more each day, until your puppy is eating just the new brand.

Of course, to go along with the food, you will need food and water bowls. These need to be made from easy to clean material. They also need to be heavy enough that they will not be easily tipped over by an excited young puppy. Since some breeds chew more than others, you may also want to avoid plastic altogether, as these can splinter and cause problems. A set of stainless steal bowls will take care of this problem and they are easy to clean.

After food, one of the most important items you will purchase for your new puppy is his crate. These can be found in many different styles and sizes. If you are bringing home a large breed dog, you will either want to buy a crate that is adjustable or buy several crates in different sizes to accommodate your growing puppy. This crate will become your puppy’s special place. This is where he will sleep, stay, and get away from all the household hubbub. This can also be his “safe” place, especially if you have children. This will become your puppy’s own little “den”. When you purchase your puppy’s crate, you should be sure that it is the right size. Your puppy should be able to stand comfortably, turn around, and lie without being cramped. It should not be so large though that your puppy has enough room to relieve himself at one end while having room to sleep at the other, you do not want your puppy to get in the habit of relieving himself in his crate.

When your puppy is ready to be taken outside, you will need to have him in a collar and on a leash. Your puppy’s first collar and leash should be made of lightweight nylon or leather. If you start your puppy from the very beginning wearing a collar and leash, it will be less of a challenge when you start training. You will need to make sure the collar fits properly. The way to do this is to add two inches to the puppy’s neck size. As your puppy grows you will need to check the collar to make sure it is not to tight. To go along with your puppy’s new collar, you will also need to have an identification tag attached. This tag should have your name, address, and telephone number (make sure you include area code). If your puppy was to stray, it could make the difference in you getting him back or not.

Another item to have on hand to use right from the start is your dog grooming tools. Establishing your puppy’s grooming routine early in his life will eliminate a lot of challenges later on. Hopefully your puppy will start to look forward to this time as time spent one on one with you, so do everything you can to make it a special time. The brushes and combs and other grooming supplies will depend on the breed you choose. Check with the breeder to determine which grooming supplies you will need.

Another thing you will need to establish from the very start of your puppy being a part of your family is what he is allowed to play with. Having toys already on hand will help establish his boundaries for what to play with. If you find your puppy playing with something unacceptable, you can very easily distract him with the proper toy, if you already have the toy on hand. Some good toys to consider are any large rawhide piece (chips, logs, or bone shaped), large nylon chews, and hard rubber balls. You want to find something that is made for puppies and cannot be torn apart, swallowed or splinters easily. You will want to avoid any toys that will fit completely into your puppies mouth, this can pose a serious choking hazard. Also, do not use toys that are meant to encourage tugging, these can unintentionally reinforce aggressive behavior. One last note on toys, do not let your new puppy chew on any old shoes or clothing. Puppies do not know the difference between the old things you gave them and any thing they find laying around, to them it is all fair game. Not only the damage that could be done to your pocessions, but this could also cause some serious safety issues for your puppy. Little pieces could be torn off and swallowed, possibly causing obstructions in the digestive tract.

Thinking ahead and doing a little planning before your new family member comes home will make the transition a lot smoother. It is much easier to have what you need on hand before you even need it. Then there won’t be any mad dashes to the store because you were not prepared.

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A lot of times when we get a new puppy, we research to find the best food, toys, and supplies for him. But, do we really think about setting up our new family member’s feeding routine? This is an important component to your puppy’s development in his first year. When planning your new puppy’s feeding routine you will need to ask yourself: Where? When? and How much? These are the important building blocks to a good routine.

Where? This is important to your puppy’s eating comfort and your clean ups. Place the food bowls away from where everyone is. You don’t want your puppy’s eating area to be in a high traffic area. Place the bowls where it is easy for your puppy to get to. An ideal situation would be to have a special area just for puppy. Have his crate and eating area in this special area. It should be in an area that is out of the way, but is easily accessible to the main living areas where everyone is. The most important thing is that once you have established the puppy’s eating area is not to move it, unless absolutely necessary.

When? From about six to eight weeks until about six months you should have scheduled feeding times three times a day. A young puppy will eat all he is going to eat within twenty minutes. It is a good idea to remove the food bowl after this time. Doing this along with a balanced diet will be important steps when you are house breaking your puppy. Once your puppy is about six months old to maturity, you can reduce the scheduled feedings to twice a day.

How Much? This will be dependent on the breed of dog you have. One of the most common mistakes with larger breed puppies is to overfeed them. You will need to learn how to read the nutrition label on dog food. This will give very good guidelines on different sized dog breeds and how much to feed them. You can also check with your vet, he will be able to give some very breed specific guidelines.

One final thought on your feeding routine. Don’t change your puppy’s food. If you change your puppy’s food all of a sudden it could cause your puppy to have a very upset digestive system. Any time you do need to change your puppy’s food, do so gradually over a seven to ten day period. Just add a little of the new food to the existing food, adding more each day, until the puppy is eating only the new kind.

Taking the time to set up your puppy’s feeding routine will have great rewards now and in the future. Just remember to plan ahead to make your puppy’s feeding routine as easy on you and puppy.

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What do you do to keep your dog healthy? Do you know what you are suppose to do to keep your dog healthy? What factors that you can control go into making a healthy dog? Just remember that a healthy dog is a happy dog.

Do you try to make your dog happy and feel loved by giving him a treat? Does your dog have an expanding waistline? One may contribute to the other. Keeping your dog at a healthy weight may lessen the chances of a lot of health related problems. Being a portly pup can cause just as many serious health problems as it would for humans. Heart, lung, kidney and liver problems are not uncommon in dogs carrying extra weight. Make sure you know how to read the feeding recommendations on your dog’s food, and use a true measuring cup to portion it out. Use treats sparingly, treat them as, well, treats (i.e. something special).

To go along with your pooch’s new diet, make sure he gets enough exercise. Just like humans, if a dog does not get regular exercise, restricting food intake won’t help much. If you lead a sedentary life, your dog probably does to. Start slowly, for yourself and your doggy, and just start walking. Or just go out in the yard and play a rousing game of fetch or chase. Just do something to get your puppy pal moving.

Regular checkups at the vet are important as well. The vet can monitor your canine companion’s weight, and suggest some things for you and your dog to do. They can also keep tabs on your dog’s overall health, this usually helps in catching any problems early. Your vet will also suggest any medications your dog may need. Make sure if your dog needs any medications, you give them to him as prescribed. You will also need to give medications such as heart worm medicine on a regular basis.

Also, on a regular basis, you will need to make sure your dog has good hygiene. Yes your dog’s hygiene can affect his overall health. Giving your dog a regular bath and grooming will keep is skin and fur healthy. This will also make sure there are not nasty little critters living on your dog, such as fleas and ticks. Excessive scratching because of parasites and/or dry skin can cause your dog’s skin to become irritated and open to infections.

Your dog’s overall health and happiness depends on the steps you take. Keeping your dog’s weight under control, regular vet checkups, and a good washing will make your canine companion a happy member of your family.

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When you participate in the sport of dog agility, chances are you’ll begin by joining a local group and handling your dog on a local course. But eventually, you may want to enter the world of master tournaments, such as the United States Dog Agility Association.

When it comes to scoring a professional trial for a dog agility competition, there are three basic ways the performance can be scored – standard scoring, time-plus-faults scoring, and points-based scoring.

With standard scoring, the dog and handler are judged against the STC, or Standard Course Time that is pre-determined by a judge overseeing the agility competition. The exact time will be set according to the level of the competition, depending on if it’s a starter, advanced, or masters trial.

In standard scoring with dog agility competitions, faults are still assessed a penalty. The winner is whoever has the shortest period of time with the fewest penalties. If there’s a tie, then the fastest time wins.

Time-plus-faults scoring is determined by speed. The score of the handler and dog in the agility competition is calculated by the actual time on the course plus penalties. So if the time score was 38.27 seconds on the course, but the dog incurred 9 penalties, then the score would be 47.27 seconds.

In this case, the winner of the dog agility competition is whichever dog has the lowest score overall. If a tie erupts, then a jump-off is used to determine the winner. The last scoring choice is points-based scoring.

With points-based scoring in dog agility competitions, the winner is determined according to gamblers, snooker, and other classes. Judges assign values to a certain obstacle, and each performance has a time requirement.

The points are accumulated throughout the obstacle course. If the dog achieves something, such as no faults, then he is given extra points for his performance in the dog agility competition.

With points-based scoring, the highest points-earner is the winner. Ties are broken using the fastest time as the key to winning the competition. As you go from beginner or starter status to masters-level champion, you’ll pick up the rules for each organization along the way.

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