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For many new dog owners, housetraining is one of the most challenging parts of introducing a new canine into the family. Until that puppy learns how to go outside, chances are that you’ll be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up messes and dreading the smell when you open your front door.

But many people struggle with understanding the best way to teach their puppy how to go not only where you want but also when you want. After all, having your puppy on a schedule for using the bathroom is almost as important.

The solution in most cases is crate training. This is a relatively easy approach to house training that also provides some other useful benefits puppy owners should appreciate.

Why Crate Train?

First, crate training is intended to take advantage of your dog’s natural impulses. Although dogs have been domesticated, they still have some of those old instincts that helped their ancestors survive and thrive for millions of years. Some of those instincts relate to the concept of having a den.

A den is a safe haven for the animal where he or she can retreat without fear of being harmed. The den was the preferred location for sleeping, rearing young, and other activities. But to keep the den protected, dogs also had to keep it from being too easy to find. Since most predators use their sense of smell pretty well to find prey, the den was not a place for dogs to go to the bathroom. Their urine and feces would attract other animals and would endanger the safety of the den.

Dogs simply don’t go to the bathroom in their den unless out of absolute necessity.

The purpose of the crate is to give your dog a den in the home. This crate becomes his or her sanctuary.

But it also provides you with peace of mind. As long as your puppy is confined to the crate, he or she can’t be out doing damage to the rest of your house or getting into trouble by chewing on electrical cords or eating things that could get lodged in the intestines, for example.

Basically, crate training provides your dog with a safe place to call his or her own. Plus, it keeps him or her safe during the day while also working as an invaluable tool for housebreaking. Now let’s see how you can get started.

Picking the Crate

The first step is to choose the crate you want to use for your pet. Two types are available: the hard plastic models used for airplane travel and the wire types. If you have a big dog, you’ll probably be stuck with the wire type. Otherwise, you can choose whichever you think will be the best choice for your dog.

Keep in mind that the crate should only be big enough for your dog to stand up comfortably, lie down, and turn around. If you give the dog too much room, he or she could use part of the crate for a den and part for a bathroom spot which would defeat the purpose.

To keep costs reasonable, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your full-size dog but use dividers which can also be purchased to restrict the space available to your puppy.

Getting the Puppy Comfortable with the Crate

Next, you have to help your puppy get comfortable inside the crate. Most dogs are not going to immediately love the crate. They won’t like being confined and away from you. But you can make the situation easier by going slowly, using treats and praise to reinforce the desired behavior, and letting the puppy explore the crate on his own.

When you bring home the crate, leave it open so the dog can go into it and sniff it at his leisure. Then you can begin luring your puppy into the crate with treats and praising him for going inside.

After he is doing that well, you can lure him into the crate and close the door. This might cause some crying and whining from your puppy. Let him stay inside the crate for a minute or two then let him out. Do not let him out while he is still crying, however. Otherwise, he will cry every time you try to put him in the crate because he’ll know this behavior will get him released.

Keep expanding the time the puppy is in the crate with the door closed until he begins to feel comfortable. Then you can practice leaving the room, leaving the house, and staying away for longer periods of time. Each time remember to praise your puppy when you release him from the crate but never release him until he has calmed down.

House Breaking & the Crate

To use the crate for house breaking, be sure to give your dog food and water at least an hour before putting her in the crate. Take the puppy to the bathroom, preferably for a walk with a potty break, before she is placed in the crate.

Do not give your puppy food or water in the crate. These things will only make a mess and will cause the puppy to need to urinate or defecate badly.

Keep in mind that young puppies may not be able to “hold it” as long as you would like. For this reason, it’s a good idea to come home at least once during the day to take your puppy to the bathroom. If you can’t, you may want to hire someone to do this for you. Even adult dogs should not be left in crates for longer than 6 to 8 hours a day.

As soon as you let your puppy out of the crate, take him or her to the bathroom immediately. Praise him or her when they do what you want and quickly they will learn the routine.

If an accident does occur in the crate, clean it thoroughly with an enzyme-destroying cleaner so the dog won’t be able to smell the accident and assume that is an appropriate place to use the bathroom. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating the problem.

Finally, don’t punish your dog for having an accident. You could end up causing them to fear the crate, as well as you.

Clicker training is a reinforcement or reward for a cat when training them. Clickers are use most often for support when training a cat for a reward. Cats associate the clicker with a good behavior they will use for a long time. Clicker training is associated with classical condition were they associate the sound with food. and operant conditioning (cat will do certain movement to receive food).

Why use a clicker and not tell a cat or make a sound to get your cat to do a trick? A clicker has a sound a cat can hear and associate good behavior. With words, our tones in our voice can change from time to time, which a cat can become confused with the training. With talking for the commands, a cat could mistake the commands. With using a clicker, it is more of a training tool to get the behavior started with the cat. Then you can put the clicker away for that behavior or trick once a cat has learned the behavior

When taking the cat out for a walk or on a trip, the clicker is a good item to carry along with you. Cats can get distracted with other people, or animals in the area. With using the clicker, it will reinforce the behavior that you have taught them. In addition, a clicker can help you with having your cat walk with you instead of wondering around.

With the clicker, a cat can be trained using three easy steps: Get a behavior, mark a behavior, and reinforce the behavior. Get a behavior is the first step. A good example would be for the cat to jump a hoop. The cat will have to know that when you click that they get a treat. Start with very small treats in your pocket. Clicks, Treat, Click Treat do this for a few times until you see the cat coming for the treat on the click.

 Next marking the behavior: You will have to show the cat the hoop. Once the cat touches the hoop, click, treat. Then show the cat to go though the hoop once it does click, treat. Continue to do this until the cat goes though the hoop on its own or your command. Reinforce the behavior Remember to have snacks handy so when you do see your cat go though the hoop a snack is available.

Training a cat with a clicker can be fun for both you and the cat. Taking steps in training will be rewarding to you and the cat. Try not to rush a cat in training, as they can become confused especially if they did not get the step before down. The training will take time and steps to achieve this behavior. Patience, love, and rewards will be the key factor in training your cat.

The clicker is a good exercises tool for a cat. 10 to 15 minutes a day you should get your cat to exercises. For exercising, you can have the cat use a hoop, play with a toy, and climb on the scratching post or something that focus on the cat getting exercise. Exercises will help the cat to stay healthy and help to keep it out of mischief.

Clickers can come with books to help you train, treats, and a clicker. Clickers come in many different size shapes, and color. You will want to research the clickers out. Check out a pet store, Internet sites give lots of information on training and using a clicker. Check out companies that make the clicker by using Internet to see what kind they offer and any additional information that you might need to get the process of training done. Check out articles about the clicker. Talk to someone that has used one. Talk to your area veterinary about training with a Clicker

Once you have used a clicker, the cat will get good exercise and be a healthy cat. The cat will be happier and you will be happier with the new behaviors that you have taught your cat.

To sum up training your cat, important things to remember is have patience, love and the use of the clicker.

NOTE:  This article is for information only.   See your veterinarian for medical advice.

Most dogs live indoors now and a dogs potty training is necessary.  This training can occur at any age, but the amount of time that it might take varies with the age of the puppy or dog.  For example, a puppy that you acquire at six weeks old could take a number of weeks to housebreak, one that is three months old should take less time and one that is six months old might learn in just a few days.  Whatever age your puppy/dog is, don’t forget that it is the owner’s duty to teach not to condemn.  A failure in a dogs potty training is most likely the owner’s fault.

It is best for one person in the household to be responsible for the dogs potty training because people could get confused as to whose job it is at what time.  This is not a spare time job, you must monitor the puppy/dog continually.  Prevention is the best cure when tackling your dogs potty training.  Observe effectively and note an anticipative look or running to the door and scratching at it.  This might be the time to take the dog/puppy outside.

To assist with the process of your dogs potty training, feed him/her on a fixed timetable and note what his or her habits are.  They most likely have a bowel movement soon after eating.  A significant fact to recall is that a puppy’s memory is about 30 seconds long, conseqently, if you are going to discipline him you must be fast.  Once again, prevention is a significant tool.  When you have to leave the dog alone or when you go to bed at night, the dog should be constrained to a small area that is covered in newspaper.  You can also “paper train”  by utilizing newspapers indoors.

When your dog/puppy urinates or messes on the floor or carpeting, wipe it up quickly and remove the cloth with the odor on it (take it out side).  When on a carpeting, clean the area with soap and water and then club soda (or with one of the specialty products formulated for this job).  There are some dogs who never seem to be potty trained, however, some of these may be because of training issues. It is possible, however, that there might be medical issues, conseqently, it might be beneficial to have your vet examine the dog.

Essentially you should feed your dog/puppy on a regular timetable, walk him/her consistently, observe effectively for indications that he/she has to go, wipe up messes and urine efficiently and correct the dog promptly.

Though dogs don’t eat nearly the number of sweets and other substances dangerous to their teeth, it still makes sense that at least some base dental care is needed to ensure that they enjoy the best health possible.

The first step in healthy teeth and gums is a healthy diet.  This will go a long way toward ensuring your dog’s dental health.  Bones and other chew toys are also an essential part of your dog’s dental hygiene program.  But occasionally a more hands on approach is required.

The first sign of a problem with your dog’s teeth is recurring bad breath.  This is a common sign of gum infection and must be dealt with quickly before it becomes more serious.  Bacteria are the cause of the bad breath and eradicating them will quickly freshen the dog’s mouth.  A combined effort of proper hard food, chew toys and brushing with a canine approved paste constitutes a good combined strategy.

Dogs are not overly prone to cooperation when it comes to dental hygiene.  The first few times you try to brush your dog’s teeth will be a chore to say the least.  A paste that is appealing to your dog will help ease things.  Make sure that you brush gently so as not to cause pain.  If the dog enjoys the taste of the dental paste, he will soon relax and even look forward to the brushings.  Start early with puppies and avoid having to convince an adult dog that you aren’t out to hurt him.

Do not use tooth paste designed for humans on your dog.  The fluoride and other chemicals can cause serious harm to dogs.  Dog specific pates are available from your vet or in pet stores.  Make sure you use a soft bristle brush to avoid harming the dog’s gums.  Tooth paste designed for dogs is alright to swallow and is one of the rewards for submitting to a tooth brushing.

Start the brushing slowly and only try for a few minutes.  As the dog becomes accustomed to the process, you can increase the time.  Once a week is usually good enough as long as your dog is eating enough hard kibble and has sufficient chew toys.

Don’t forget to give your dog a treat after brushing.  This is just another tool to make the dog happy to get his teeth brushed.  Pretty soon your dog will be waking you up with his toothbrush in his mouth.

One of the most important chores when grooming your pet, is definitely the trimming of the nails. Pet owners with wooden floors are likely to hear the long nails on their pet very clearly, as they tick, tick, tick when they walk. This usually means more than an irritating noise, it also means the time has come to groom your pet and trim his nails. Trimming of the nails is very important since they can be painful on your pet when he walks, and in some cases they can prove to be dangerous and cause unfortunate accidents, either on purpose or by mistake. We are not going to even start talking about what long nails in your pet can do for your carpet and furniture.

Professional pet groomers active in the trade use special tools for clipping nails on felines and canines. The trimmer tool must be able to surround the nail completely, never in an angle but straight all around. In order to attempt this at home you must be trained in some aspects of nail clipping. First, you should know how far you can go in relation to length, and where to apply a cut. The secret is to identify the cuticle and not cut into it. There are veins, blood vessels and nerve endings that run part way up the nail. If you should cut into this area by accident, there will be bloodshed and a great deal of pain involved. The case may also be one in which your pet shows some discomfort because your cut was too close to this area.

Animals in general dislike any type of grooming activity and will turn away from it every chance they get. In order to be successful, approach your pet and calmly start caressing him. Create a soothing moment that makes him comfortable, and then slowly pull out his paw and begin caressing it without showing him the clippers. Massage his paw as if you where playing a pet game with him, and then slowly take out the clippers and begin working.

Note that professional groomers clip the nails differently, faster and more efficiently than novice groomers at home. Be aware however, that professional groomers are able to do this by holding down your pet tightly, mostly due to the fact that they are not interested in a relationship with him, and won’t have to see him again tomorrow. You, on the other hand, want to remain being friends with him, thus, you are best advised to take the slow approach.

Let’s face it, for some animals the entire process of clipping the nails is a gruesome experience. Your pet may react violently, and try to hurt himself or the person doing the grooming. If for any reason you are hesitant about trimming nails on your pet, thing about getting help before trying anything. Ask your veterinarian for advice, and let him decide whether you are ready for the job or not.