1. Make sure that you monitor their daily water intake to see to it that they're not drinking too much/out of boredom. 2. Log the amount of time between pees, even if it was an accident. This way you will know how much time your puppy's bladder can hold, in correlation to the amount of water he/she gets to drink daily 3. Slowly work on increasing the amount of time in between outdoor bathroom breaks. 4. After playing, sleeping, and eating provide your pup with a quick opportunity to pee & poo outside. 5. Really important one! Avoid using bells or other means to allow your puppy to let you know when he/she needs to go outside for a bathroom break. It's far better, for you and your dog's relationship, if your puppy learns that they don't need to prompt you to let them outside. Not only can this be something they use when they're bored, want attention, or want to do something outside that might not be a bathroom break, but it's a prompt-like behaviour that can then be carried to other scenarios, where your dog might feel like he has to do something, in order for you to react, like barking, pulling, jumping, etc. And so it's best if your pup learns that all they have to do is wait and that you know exactly when they need what.

"How Do I Reward My Puppy Without Getting Them Excited?" New puppy mom as of a few weeks ago and saying that it's been hard is an understatement. I understand the concept of praising good behavior when it happens, and we're getting better at it.   Fantastic. If the good behavior is going to create downtime on her own or to go sit on her dog bed and wait for me, how do I praise her without making her move? How do I praise her without getting her excited?  A very good question. And, a bit of a catch-22, right? If you are seeing your puppy do something that like, so like a sit a down, they're walking with you nicely. They're greeting people nicely. Whatever it is, anything that you love doing, you wanna of course reward And an easy way is with food, with, a little. Piece of a treat that they like. And obviously, that gets your puppy feeling good, feeling potentially excited. But what do you do when, what they're choosing to do and you want to praise is them going to their crate, them resting them laying down? Especially for a young puppy, it doesn't take a lot to get them very excited. And so how do you reward that? And my answer to that would be the reward is the rest. If your puppy is choosing. To go to their crate for downtime or to go to their dog bed, is not something that a lot of puppies can do, and that could be for different reasons. Some puppies really just have a lot of energy. Some puppies are potentially not getting much engagement and enrichment outlets, and so it's hard for them to just want to have any downtime period. But if your puppy is choosing downtime, Chances are you've done things very well and or they're a low energy pup, and because you provided outlets, physical, mental enrichment, socialization, They're then much more likely to choose downtime to go and sit down, rest somewhere, relax. And so if you want to reward that, the reward is that they get to relax. The reward is that they're happy to choose downtime they're happy to go on their bed. That is a huge reward. We all go to bed at night. being happy that we had a good day. And the reward is that we get to rest and get ready for the next day. So what you can do because it's still good to reward a puppy, definitely, a young puppy's likely going to lay down to sleep. So just let them rest. But as they get a little bit older, you'll notice that they go and rest or lay down and not necessarily. Fall asleep as much right away. And so if you want to reward something, reward that. If they're choosing to just lay down or if they're just. Relaxing somewhere. Whether or not you've done activities prior. Give them a little snack. Give them a little something as they get a little bit older to still let them know, Hey, I like that you lay down. I like that you are choosing to spend time alone. I like that you're giving me space. I like that you are not doing things that I dislike. And so as the puppy gets a bit older and they're choosing to do things that you like, Then be a little bit more interactive in your reward, your praise, your voice, the snacks, food, water, is a great reward as well. Until then, the reward is that they're getting to rest, and you should feel proud that your puppy is looking to rest, looking to have some downtime as a result of everything you've done well.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts , you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts , you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts , you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below. Here's how you can improve your dog's recall skills:

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have.

Welcome to one of our Step by Step articles! In these articles, we do our best to avoid lengthy explanations and jump straight into the actions you need to take, to tackle different concerns you may have. Please note: To gain access to this and all of my premium blog posts , you will need to use the Subscribe Now button below.

Product Review: Tricky Treat Ball Tricky Treat balls are amazing! In many ways, it's like a 3 in 1 toy. Let's take a closer look at just that! Why I recommend it I've relied on no other food-dispensing toy nearly as much as this one! It does the job of a few different toys. You can throw it, hide your dog's kibble or treats inside it so that he has to nudge it around or stuff it with some yogurt/peanut butter to turn it into a Kong-like toy. Either way you decide to use it, your dog is sure to have a blast and keep busy for a good little while. When you should use it Like with most enrichment/problem-solving toys, this one is perfect to use either to provide your dog with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a snack. I should mention that this toy is not meant to be used as a chewing toy as it's not as durable as other options . So make sure that you don't provide it to your dog if they have a lot of physical energy to burn "Simply insert your dog’s favorite dry food or treats into the ball. As your dog plays with the Tricky Treat™ ball, it will dispense treats keeping your dog focused and entertained." – OmegaPaw.com How this food puzzle works It doesn't get any simpler, and that's what I love about this toy, with how quick and easy it is to set up! Grab some of your dog's favourite treats or their kibble, drop it inside and for some extra fun you can hide it inside an old towel. Just make sure that you're supervising your dog's play so that if he starts destroying it or feeling frustrated, you can help him out! Which type of food should I use? Dry food will be your main option with this food dispenser. However, when you're ready to use it more like a Kong-like toy, you can stuff it with a bit of peanut butter or an apple/banana puree to make it so the dry food sticks to the inside a bit more, making it so your dog has to work a little harder to get each piece out. Recap This tricky treat ball: ✔️ Prevents fast eating ✔️ Burns mental energy while feeding ✔️ Encourages your dog or pup to focus This was one of my first dog's favourite toys and the very first that I liked to bring with us wherever we went. You can put their kibble or treats inside and they can spend time pushing and rolling the ball as each piece slowly comes out. This is not meant to act as a chew toy, and because of that, it's best to use it under your supervision. Should your dog start to heavily chew it, swap it out for a kong (as it means they're probably feeling tired) or switch to a more physically stimulating game first, before trying again. Recommended 9.5/10 Have you gotten the Brick Food Puzzle already? Click on the image above to find it on Amazon. Got any feedback, questions, or concerns about this blog post, or interested to learn more? Send me an email at info@dignofurther.com!

The best way to find out what breed is the ideal one for you is to read about as many dog breeds as you can, their breed origins, and what they're bred for. If you're considering a mix, make sure that you learn about each breed included in the mix. A great place to do so is the American Kennel Club website . You will find on there that each breed is displayed with its history and traits but also categorized into different types of groups (Sporting, Working, etc). All of which are key details to take into account. In a way, these overall but important details may prepare you for the type of dog you might get but don't forget that dogs are also individuals, and it's very well possible that you might end up with a dog whose personality completely contradicts everything you've learned! This is all simply part of the fun when bringing a dog home. Another place to learn even more about a particular dog breed is breed-specific Facebook groups , as you will be able to ask questions directly to pet parents that live (and sometimes breed) the breed you're interested in! Lastly, take into strong consideration what your lifestyle is, as well as the mental and physical requirements of each breed. The common mistake I see pet parents make is they primarily focus on the aesthetics of the dog (including whether they are or aren't hypoallergenic) or if they're considered family/child-friendly, when they should first and foremost be focusing on everyone's interest to match the potential and drive the dog or puppy their bringing home might come with. Whether you're considering a small or large breed, a puppy, or a rescue, each breed has its own traits. And these are traits that you will not be able to train out of them, but that you will rather want to make sure you provide outlets and encouragement for, in order to best fulfill your dog's needs so that they can then have a happier time giving you everything you want.

The iFetch Frenzy is a dog toy that does a lot of the leg work (or arm work in this case) for you! The iFetch is an automatic ball launcher that you can set up and teach your dog to use so that he/she has easy, ongoing access to a fun game of fetch. Highly energetic dogs can definitely benefit from and enjoy this additional outlet for their physical stimulation (and mental, in the early days of this toy as they figure out just how it works). As someone who has used this toy and works with a large number of dogs who have additional energy they’d love to burn, I do recommend this toy. However.. just like with any, engaging dog toy (or any type of highly engaging activity), there are a few things you will want to keep in mind when using it. 1. Preventing an obsession. Dogs, especially young ones can easily form an obsession with this type of toy if it’s one they can access at any time, particularly when they’re already feeling very energized and excited. Therefore it’s important that your dog is at all times well socialized with this toy, in a way where he/she gets to interact with it in different ways. Such as by eating food around it (snuffling, using their nose) and resting close to it. Doing so will prevent an obsession with the toy and the excitement it can bring. Toys can and should also be associated with relaxation and calmness. That way your dog has a few different ways of being and feeling around it, to prevent an obsession. 2. It doesn’t replace time with you. Activities and time with your are more important than anything else in your dog’s life, and although an automated toy like the iFetch can buy you a bit of time when you’re busy, it will never be as good and as fruitful and time and other enrichment activities that you can do together. You want to make sure that any activity similar to this one is only a small part of the games and things you do together, as this can also help prevent any kind of obsession and further strengthen your bond around toys, people, and other environments. 3. It doesn’t meet all of your dog’s physical needs. The game of fetch in general is really only one of the few types of exercises you should be doing with your dog. Walking, jogging, running, chasing, tugging, crawling, jumping and many other types of activities are key when raising a dog. So make sure that if you love playing fetch with your dog and are considering getting an iFetch, you’ve got all the other areas, and more, covered! Recommended! 8/10