Author: Nicole Pitts

Properly introducing a crate to a new puppy can serve many important functions. A crate is a crucial part of potty training, helping new puppy parents prevent inside bathroom accidents. It can act as a safe place where a dog can retreat to when they’re fearful or nervous, like during fireworks, a thunderstorm, or when a few particularly loud friends are over. A crate can help prevent puppy chewing, saving your couch and loafers. And it can also act as a happy place where energetic puppies learn to calm down and settle.

Start by choosing an ideal spot in your home for the crate. It should be away from the action, not in the center of the living room. Keep in mind that dogs prefer a wall to a window. They don’t want a view, they want security. It can also be helpful to set up a noise machine or speaker nearby to play calming music when you need to cover up external sounds, like the aforementioned fireworks, thunder, or boisterous friends.

When you first introduce your dog to the crate, make it magic! Put some treats in the crate when your dog is not around and then bring them over to let them explore. When your dog discovers the treats in the crate, they’ll think they magically appeared and associate the fun with the crate!

Try feeding your dog in the crate. If they’re still a little wary, put the food just inside the door so your dog only has to stick their head in to eat. Over time, slowly move the food to the back of the crate and, eventually, close the door while they eat.

Practice short, happy crate experiences. Put your dog in the crate and give them a safe, yummy, and long-lasting distraction like a frozen Kong toy with peanut butter. After a few minutes, BEFORE they’re finished with the distraction, open the crate door and give them the option to come out if they want. Your goal is for the entire experience to be a positive one, from going in and closing the door to opening it again.

If you want to teach your dog a verbal cue to go in the crate, gently hold their collar and toss a few treats in the crate. Say your verbal cue and then let go, allowing them to go in and get the treats. For at least the first few weeks, you should ALWAYS give your dog a treat for going into the crate.

Keep in mind that well-exercised and tired dogs will take to the crate better than those full of energy. When you’re building the time your dog stays in the crate, make sure to take them for a nice long walk beforehand or play with them to get some of their energy out.

Finally, if your dog is really fearful of the crate, they may have crate anxiety. If the above tips don’t alleviate the anxiety, it’s important to enlist the services of a qualified trainer to help modify a training program for your specific dog. Check out Barking Hound Village for more information, or contact them at (404)-369-2014 or [email protected] to set up a session!

What happens when you have allergies but still long to be a pet parent? Can you do it? Or maybe someone else in your home is allergic, but you all want the love and companionship of a dog or a cat. The good news is some solutions are available to make this work!

The first thing to consider is how allergic you or your family member is. If these allergies are life-threatening, then bringing a dog or cat into your home wouldn’t be safe. However, if the allergies are tolerable, you can probably manage to have a happy home complete with a furry friend.

What causes allergies?
As you’re learning about the severity of your allergy, it’s important to understand what it is that you are allergic to. Typically, allergy-causing proteins in a dog or cat’s saliva and skin glands get on their fur and dander and then spread around your home. This is why a dog that sheds less is a better choice for someone with allergies. However, it’s important to know that there is no dog or cat completely who is completely non-allergenic. Many experts believe that the hypoallergenic dog is a legend but if animals shed less, there’s less hair and dander to trigger allergies.

Are there dogs that shed more or less than others?
It’s hard to say which dogs shed less, but people often think that curly-haired dogs with tighter coats, such as poodles, Airedale terriers, and Cairn terriers, shed less. You’ll want to be careful with designer breeds like labradoodles and goldendoodles because golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers are some of the most prolific shedders around. Dogs like huskies, German shepherds, and Great Pyrenees are also known to be heavy-duty shedders.

What about cats?
As for cats, those with shorter fur will spread less hair and dander around. The more they’re in the sun, the more likely they are to shed. It’s important to know that shedding is a normal part of their body function, but brushing your cats regularly can help contain it.

Can you reduce shedding?
Yes, there are a few things you can do to help control your animal’s shedding:

• Make sure to feed your dog or cat a nutrient and protein-rich diet to keep their skin and fur healthy. Talk to your vet about adding olive oil or fish oil to their diet to ensure they receive healthy Omega-3s.
• Groom and brush them. If you take your dog outside to brush them, all that unwanted will stay outside rather than all around your house. Brushing your cat will help, too.
• As tempting as it is, don’t let your pet sleep in your bed, and make sure to wash bedding frequently.
• A good Hepa vacuum will help get more of the allergens out of your home, and remember to vacuum and dust regularly.
• Wood floors are better than carpets for controlling allergies because carpets trap allergens.
• Speak to your doctor about possible medications for you or your family member.

The bottom line is that anytime you bring a pet into your home, you have the risk of triggering allergies. Be careful of getting an “allergy-free” or “hypoallergenic” pet thinking you’ll be completely free of issues, but there are ways to control and live with allergies if you long to have a pet in your life. Speak with your doctor, do your research, and invest in a good vacuum and pet brush and it may just be possible to have that sweet dog or loving cat in your family.

Potty training is the first thing new puppy parents ask trainers about. And with good reason! It’s no fun cleaning up potty accidents inside, especially on the brand-new carpet. Fortunately, with attention to detail and consistency, most puppies should be able to be potty trained in a timely manner.

Dogs learn to use the bathroom outside when they imprint on textured, outside surfaces like grass, pine straw, and mulch. They’re not learning “inside bad, outside good.” They physiologically associate going to the bathroom with only these specific surfaces.

In order to get a dog to imprint outside, your goal is to get them to use the bathroom on these outside surfaces thirty to forty times in a row, with no inside accidents. That means the MOST important thing when potty training your puppy is prevention. Consistently prevent your dog from using the bathroom inside and they will easily learn to only go outside.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, if I knew how to prevent my dog from pooping on the rug, I would have done so already! Fear not, here are 5 crucial prevention tips to help.

• Crate training is a vital part of potty training. Most dogs do not want to use the bathroom in a space where they lay and will do their best to hold it. When you can’t watch your dog–when you’re sleeping at night,  leave them home alone, or jump in the shower–you should put them in the crate.
• Always keep an eye on your puppy when they’re out of the crate. Treat them like a baby without a diaper, which you would never let out of your sight, even for a second. Use a leash and baby gates to keep them close. Watch for visual cues indicating that your puppy may need to use the bathroom, like sniffing a particular spot, circle sniffing, or walking towards the door that leads to the outside.
• Remember, when things go in, they’re eventually going to come out. Set a timer after your puppy eats to make sure you give them an opportunity to go outside before they need to use the bathroom. If they drink a lot of water in one sitting, like after a long walk, bring them back outside within five minutes as their full bladder will need to empty quickly.
• Know WHERE and WHEN your dog tends to have accidents inside. Block off common accident areas. Pay extra attention to your puppy during common accident times or put them in the crate until you can. If you can identify specific patterns, it’s far easier to prevent accidents in the future.
• One of the most common times a puppy has an accident inside is after they were outside when they DIDN’T use the bathroom at all. If you think your puppy needs to use the bathroom and they don’t when you bring them out, keep them on a leash for a few minutes when you come back inside (or put them in the crate) and then take them outside again. The world is a very distracting place and sometimes puppies forget they need to go!

And don’t forget to reward your puppy with praise and a treat the moment they finish eliminating outside. Dogs have a half-second learning window, meaning you need to reward them immediately after they use the bathroom. Going back inside and then giving them a treat has no connection to what happened outside.

Along those lines, never, ever, ever punish or scold your dog for having a bathroom accident inside. Even if it happened two seconds earlier, they only know you’re upset, not why. And it doesn’t matter if you catch them in the act. You won’t teach them they shouldn’t use the bathroom inside by yelling, just that they shouldn’t do it when you’re nearby. All they’ll learn is to sneak off and do it when you’re not looking. Instead, ask yourself how you could have prevented the accident, and do a better job next time. With patience, consistency, and good attention to detail, you can set your puppy up for potty training success!

If you’re struggling with potty training, Barking Hound Village can help! With private, one-on-one training sessions at your home, group training classes at 3 locations around metro-Atlanta, including the West Midtown Atlanta Humane Society location, and a 2-week intensive Board-and-Train program, Barking Hound Village has the perfect training service to fit your exact needs. Visit their website or contact them at (404)-369-2014 or [email protected].