Paws Companion Dog Training

11/16/2024

We can help with leash walking, basic commands, reducing or preventing unwanted behaviors. Check out our website for prices and training packages. We will customize the training plans to your needs.

https://pcdtraining.com/

11/16/2024

Training for naps😂
This is one sweet girl and absolutely brilliant!!

11/04/2024

Love me some Healer fun! This is Ruby and she’s a star pupil!

09/11/2024

Potty Training

PCDTRAINING
Bryan Litchford CPDT-KA
479-522-6095
Potty training is one of the first challenges of owning a puppy. It can sometimes seem to be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. If you follow a few simple steps, you can have your pup potty trained in no time.

Management First
Dogs do things that benefit them. If p*eing on your carpet relieves their bladder, you can bet that is what they will do. It’s not a matter of right or wrong but rather what works. So until we can teach them that it’s more beneficial to go outside, we need to control their access to indoor spaces.
Crate training​ is perhaps the most useful tool you have for potty training. Dogs generally do not like to do their business in the same space where they sleep. Take advantage of this! Puppies sleep approximately 18 to 20 hours of a 24 hour period. So if your puppy is in a crate the majority of that time, this leaves 6 to 8 hours that needs to be managed.
Playpens​ are a great way to control their access to indoor spaces while they are awake. They are also a great alternative to crating your pup if you need to be gone for a longer period of time. I recommend using a combination of a playpen attached to a crate for this. It gives your pup a den to sleep in with access to a potty and play area. Keep a p*e pad at the opposite end of the playpen from the crate. Do not cover the whole floor with p*e pads. You want there to be an obvious difference in his sleep and play area and his bathroom. Make sure to tape the pad down, or your pup may decide to play with it.
If you are using a playpen while you are present, I would recommend not using a p*e pad. They really should only be used if you need to be gone for extended periods as they can possibly cause confusion if you are planning on the bathroom being outside.
Leashes​ are a great way to keep an eye on your pup if you need to be moving around the house a lot. Just attach a leash to your waist and have him follow you around. Be careful not to step on him.

How To Potty Train

Predictability
Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly when your puppy needed to go potty? While it can sometimes seem so random, there are a few very predictable times when he may need to go.
Here are the 3 most predictable periods that your pup may need to go.
1. Just after waking up- Whether it’s when you wake in the morning, or after your pup has woken from a nap, he needs to go out immediately. No exceptions.
2. After eating and drinking- Puppies need to use the bathroom 15 to 20 minutes after they eat. Don’t wait for them to let you know. Just take him out.
3. After play- Playing stimulates their bowels, so if your pup has been active even for a short time, you need to take him out.
Making it work for you
So now that we’ve established when they will most likely need to go, how do we teach them where to go and where not to go? As I mentioned before, dogs do what works for them. Unfortunately the very act of p*eing or pooping is in itself reinforcing, because it gives them relief. So the best we can do is prevent them from doing it indoors through management and a watchful eye, and make sure it’s extra beneficial to go outside. How? By ​immediately​ rewarding the behavior with something they love such as a treat. Later, once the pup has developed a habit of p*eing outside, you can fade out the use of treats, and you can relax your management incrementally.
Rewards / Reinforcement
Above I mentioned rewarding ​immediately​ for pottying outside. This is where most people make a mistake. Dogs most easily make associations between behavior and reward when the reward happens instantaneously following the behavior. Over the years I have heard countless times from pet parents that they gave their dog a treat after they came back in the house. The problem with this is that it is often not clear to the dog what they are being rewarded for. Is it pottying or coming into the house?
This can also cause the pup to come back in prematurely before he has emptied his bladder in order to get the treat. Then finish the job on your favorite rug. You want to be as clear as possible as to what behavior you are reinforcing.
Here are four rules for reinforcing pottying outside​.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Go out with your pup.
Make sure he is on leash, so you have control of the distance he is away from you. Take at least 3 treats with you! He may need to go multiple times.
Have a short play or sniff session before coming back inside.

Schedule and Consistency
Beyond taking your pup out at those predictable periods, it is important to keep a schedule. This means feeding at the same times every day, keeping a consistent bedtime, and planned potty breaks every 45 minutes to an hour between those predictable periods. Being consistent with this can greatly shorten the time it takes to potty train your puppy.
Accidents will happen
Your puppy will have accidents. How you respond is equally as important as your response for correct behavior.
So what do you do? Clean it up! It is not anybody’s fault if your pup goes in the wrong place. Think about it this way. A human child wears a diaper for the first few years of their life. Why? Because if they didn’t, you would have a mess. Now obviously humans and dogs develop differently, but the principle is the same. You would not punish a human baby for soiling themselves. These things take time. This is true for puppies as well. Punishment is only going to confuse your puppy and have a negative effect on your relationship. In fact punishing a puppy for p*eing in the house can backfire big time. Dogs basically see the world in a few different lenses. Safe, unsafe, and neutral. If pottying in your presence is deemed unsafe because you have punished him, he may decide to find a safe place to potty, like behind your couch or under a bed. Good luck keeping up with that. It can also mess up any plans of rewarding immediately for going outside, because pottying near you is considered unsafe. He may instead hold it until he comes back in and finds a safe place to do his business.
Patience
All dogs are different. If your puppy seems to take longer than expected to learn this, they may have a physical issue that should be checked out with your veterinarian, or it could just be that they learn at a different rate than the puppy down the street. It doesn’t mean they are dumb or stubborn. Just be consistent and patient, and it will happen.

08/30/2024

https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2015/04/teaching-puppies-its-just-arranging-coincidences/

I am pretty sure C.S. Lewis wasn't referring to dog training when he said of experience that although it was a "brutal teacher" you still do learn from it! However, truthfully that is how not only people but puppies learn. It is through interacting with the environment, the people, the things, and o...

08/28/2024

GOT A CRAZY DOG?
DO SOMETHING NOW!

Tips on effecting behavior

Does your dog…
• bark at people passing your house
• Dig in the trash
• Run off
• Chew up furniture
• Steal socks and other items
• Dig
• Chase cars
• Display aggression around food
• Play bite
• Display hyperactivity
• Jump on guests
• Counter surfing
• Beg for your food

These are a few of the most common behavior issues clients call me for. They are also behaviors that can be helped, at least temporarily, through management. I’m not saying that training isn’t necessary, but even the best training starts with management. It amazes me how common sense goes out the window when we get a new puppy or rescue. More times than not when I arrive at a new clients house there are no visible boundaries. The dog is usually running around the house with unfettered access to everything. This means it’s up to the dog to figure out what is appropriate and what is not. This typically leads to a lot of punishment that usually has very little impact on the behavior and tremendous impact on the dogs trust in the people they live with. Below I will give examples of management that can help prevent each of these behaviors. In some cases they may be the only tools necessary to help your dog learn the ropes.

• Barking at people going past your house - Often people leave their blinds open when they leave, so their dog can see out. The problem with this is if a stranger passes by, the dog may bark as a way of getting the person to leave. Of course the person will eventually move on, so in your dogs mind the barking worked. So the behavior of barking grows. Solution - keep blinds leading out to the road closed. Possibly keep them in an interior room or a room near the back of the house.

• Get in the trash - I mean why wouldn’t they get in the trash. Dogs are scavengers at heart. Solution - Keep trash behind a closed door.
• Running off - This can be a scary one that can sometimes have a tragic end. In this case training a really good recall is the best option, but until you can do that here are a couple of management tools that are obvious but far too often over looked. Solution - ( in public ) Keep your dog on leash and harness when out until they have have been trained a reliable recall. Stay off your cell phone and focus on your dog. ( at home ) 1. When outside in a fenced yard, make sure you check your fence for holes. Check that your gate is closed every time you let them out. 2. Go out with them. 3. Have an escape artist that digs under the fence? Use a dig deterrent at the bottom of your fence in trouble areas. Here is a link to one on Amazon Amazon.com : Dig Defence 10 Pack No-Dig Small/Medium Animal Barrier, 8" L X 32" W, 10 CT : Dig Defence : Pet Supplies

• Chewing up furniture and other items - this one can be frustrating but most of the time, preventable. Solution - use crates, play pens,or dog-safe rooms to prevent them from having access to things that might entice them to chew when you are not actively watching them. Make sure you keep appropriate chew toys down for them to chew on. You will need to condition them to the crate or pen. There is a crate-training pdf in the free training resources on my website. Here is the link. PCD Training | POSITIVE TRAINING POSITIVE REWARDS
• Stealing items - this one is simple. Solution - Keep items they like to steal, like socks and shoes, put away.

• Digging - dogs dig for a few reasons. To stay cool in the fresh dirt, to catch moles, to escape the yard, or simply because it’s fun. Solution - 1. Supervise them when in the yard. Give them a designated spot to dig like a kiddie pool filled with dirt. Add toys just under the surface, and help them dig them up at first to show them how to get started. If they dig other places, redirect them to the kiddie pool.
• Chasing cars - This is a tough one. Here are a few things that can help. Solution- Keep your dog on leash with a harness when out. If they are doing it in the yard, disrupt the behavior, and try to get his focus on something else or take him in. Avoid cars.
• Aggression around food - This one can be scary. Especially if children are involved. Although the tips below can help, I recommend you hire a certified professional science-based dog trainer to help. Solution - Everyone deserves to eat in peace including dogs. Leave your dog alone when he’s eating, and instruct children to stay out of the room. If you have multiple dogs, feed them apart from each other, and don’t allow them to eat from each other’s bowl. You may even have to put them in separate rooms. Keep the food down until he’s finished eating. If he does not finish eating the food, pick the bowl up after he walks away. Never leave food out between meal times.

• Play biting - puppies interact with the world via their mouths. Especially in play, and that can be painful for us. Unfortunately, we often send mixed signals when we play roughly with our puppies. (guys I’m especially talking to you). How is it fair to sometimes allow biting and sometimes punish it? Solution - Make sure that when you play with your puppy you alway use a toy. If they start to get out of control, play time stops, and the puppy goes to their dog-safe place. If it’s an adult dog, play games like fetch, or go for a walk, or do something less arousing.
• Hyperactivity - Does you dog get the zoomies or just get over the top any time you interact with them? Solution - This could be as simple as giving your dog more attention. But don’t wait till he’s being crazy to give it to him, or you may be reinforcing that behavior. Spend time with your dog. Do games that mentally stimulate them like hiding treats and having them search for them. Lastly, exercise your dog, but don’t over do it.

• Jumping on guests - Nothing is more annoying than having your dog jumping all over your friends and family when they visit. Solution - Don’t allow it. When guests arrive you have two options. Keep the dog on leash or put them in another room with a tasty long-lasting treat like a filled Kong. If it’s a guest that is willing to help out, just keep your dog on leash, and ask your friends to stay at a distance. Ask them to ignore your dog until he settles down. This may take a while. When you think your dog has settled down (give it 15 minutes or so), allow them to approach. If the dog jumps up, just have them back up and ignore your dog a bit longer.
• Counter surfing for food - does your dog steal food off of the counter? Solution - simple, don’t leave food out. If it needs to be out for a period of time, keep the dog in another room.

• Begging for your food - Does your dog drive you crazy every time you eat? Solution - Stop giving it to him!
Some of these solutions can seem like a pain in the neck, but keep in mind they are often just temporary. Starting with these management tools, and adding good training, is a powerful combination that can have a great impact on your dogs behavior.

08/27/2024

Happy National Dog Day!!

08/10/2024

07/20/2024

Keeping your pup hydrated is always important - even more so in the hot summer months, given the heat ☀️ Look out for these signs from Chewy Vet Care, and make sure to:

💦 Keep water and a bowl handy, especially when you’re on the go.
🚰 If you're noticing milder symptoms like only tacky gums, offer them a small amount of cool water to drink.
📱 If you’re noticing moderate to extreme signs of dehydration, and has other symptoms, like lethargy, decreased or increased urination, vomiting or diarrhea, or they haven't eaten in 24 hours, call and make an appointment with your vet immediately.

07/10/2024

Submit your favorite area companies for consideration and be entered to win a gift card!

06/28/2024

Many thanks to Nik Mikando for this Friday's funny.

06/28/2024

Remember, you can vote every day and really appreciate every one!

Submit your favorite area companies for consideration and be entered to win a gift card!