Normally puppies learn bite inhibition by playing with their siblings. If the puppy bites too hard while playing then the other puppies will let it know with a high pitched yelp or cry. This helps the dog o understand when it is biting too hard.

This is why puppies naturally mouth or gently bite when they are young as it is a natural thing for them to do. Because of this it’s very important to never punish your puppy for mouthing. Instead use it as a tool to teach puppy bite inhibition.

How To Train Your Puppy In Bite Inhibition

The best way to train your puppy in bite inhibition is to act like its siblings would. So if he bites you, make a high pitched “oww” sound and then walk away. This teaches the puppy that it has bitten too hard, and also that biting won’t get attention. Make sure the sound you make is short and sharp and that you walk away from the puppy immediately so it knows why you are ignoring it.

Keep repeating this until your puppy learns that biting isn’t the right thing to do.

You should perform bite inhibition training even when the puppy doesn’t bite hard enough to hurt. A well trained dog will never bite, even playfully, so it’s best to try to train the dog that it is wrong for its teeth to make contact with human skin – even in a playful way.

Bite Inhibition Tips

• Playing with your puppy is a great way to train bite inhibition. When the puppy goes to bite you will walk away, letting it know that play time has stopped. Before long the puppy will associate the end of play time with biting and won’t bite anymore.
• Punishing your dog or losing patience will only hinder your training efforts. Remember that puppies naturally learn through biting and mouthing, you just need to train them to be able to control it.

If your dog isn’t a puppy but has still not learned bite inhibition it is possible to train it, but it will take more time and patience.

Choosing the right training class isn’t always easy though. How can you tell which classes are the best? What should you look out for in a training class? Below are some guidelines for choosing the best training class for your dog.

1. While an important aspect of a training class is allowing your dog to socialise with other dogs, the main reason you are there is for training. Be wary of classes which seem to be more about socializing than actual training.
2. Like human schools, the fewer dogs per teacher the better. Try to go to a class with no more than 10-12 dogs and a maximum of five dogs per teacher.
3. Asking your friends, family and vet is a great way to get a recommendation for a training class.
4. Never dive straight into a class before you know what it’s like. Go along to one session without your dog just to check how well organised it is.
5. Ask the instructors at the class about their experience and background. The best class teachers will have an extensive knowledge of training your specific breed.

These are some general guidelines for choosing the right class, but the best way to find a great class is to see which ones other people have had success with. If other dog owners have been to a class and it’s really helped with their training then go and watch a session.

Remember, training classes should be in addition to your own training and not as a substitute. You can’t expect your class instructor to train your dog for you but they will help guide you in the right direction. Training at home is vital for success.

I’m thinking of getting a new dog but I’m not sure if I have enough time/money. How can I find out?

Esme

First of all, if you have any doubts about whether getting a dog is the right thing to do then it probably isn’t a good idea. You need to be fully committed to a dog from the moment you get it. It’s a much better idea to wait for a while until you are certain you can look after a dog and give it the care it needs.

Things you need to think about are:

• Can I financially afford a dog? (Not just the purchase fee, but also food, toys, equipment, grooming and medical care)
• Do I have enough time for a dog? (Dogs need care throughout a day, not just at one or two times during it)
• Can I provide enough exercise for the dog? (Dogs need daily exercise throughout their life)
• Do I have the time to train the dog?

There are many more considerations before getting a dog, but these should get your started. You need to be sure you can provide for all the dogs need before you get one.

All the best,

Richard

1. If you have a new puppy, train it as early as possible
It’s entirely possible to train an older dog – but it does take more work! The earlier you can start training your puppy the better. There is no minimum age to start training, you can start the less intensive basics almost as soon as you get the puppy. This will go a long way to making dog training easier in the future.

2. Make sure you don’t give your dog reason to disobey
When training, it can be tempting to give commands constantly even if you can’t always enforce them. Never, ever give a command to your dog that you can’t enforce if the dog doesn’t do as you want it to. This will only teach your dog that it can obey your commands when it wants.

3. Avoid repeating commands
You want to train your dog to respond immediately and at the first command, so avoid repeating commands. Each command should be said once, in a clear and concise manner. After this you need to enforce it in a gentle way.

4. Train your dog when it’s hungry and not sleepy
If you train your dog straight after a meal it is going to be a lot less bothered about the treats you’ll use as a reward. If it’s hungry though, it will want to please to get the treats which can aid the training process. Of course that doesn’t mean starve a dog before training! Like humans, dogs also learn best when they are well rested and aware, so try not to do training at night.

5. Train in short bursts
Dogs – especially puppies – have short attention spans. That means your training will be a lot more effective if you split it up into short bursts rather than one long session.

Telling off or reprimanding the puppy for crying isn’t going to do any dog either. Think of your puppy like a new born baby. It has little control over what it feels and its actions, and if it gets shouted at it is only going to become more confused.

It’s completely natural that first night puppies feel scared and alone. Dogs love to have a routine, and if suddenly everything they’ve known the whole of their short life – their home, mother and siblings – is taken away it is no doubt they get upset.

So what can you do to help your puppy? First of all, make sure you have a safe place for your puppy set up. This could be in the form of a crate (which will be very useful later on in the puppies life) or a fenced off area of the house. I would recommend a crate as a puppy feels safer when enclosed and it will help when you start to house train the dog.

You might also find that covering the crate with a sheet or cloth (with adequate breathing holes) helps to keep the puppy calm. It will also teach him that when the blanket is put over the crate it is sleep time.

It can be difficult to know what to do if your puppy is continues to cry every night. You can’t go to it to stop it crying, but you don’t feel you can leave it either. If this is the case, as a last resort you could try having the crate in your bedroom when the puppy sleeps. This way the puppy knows it is not alone as you’re near.

The first few nights of having a puppy are often the hardest, and they usually set the ground rules for a long time to come. If you come to your dog when it cries, or allow your dog to sleep in your bed this could quickly become a routine that is difficult to break. It is fairer on the dog to treat the first night puppies as you will treat them for the rest of their life. This will also help in the future with general puppy training.

Many times when dogs are left in one place for a long time and are not exercised enough, barking becomes a source of taking out their built-up energy. Barking becomes a hobby for a dog, when he is socially isolated as there is no one to manage him. In fact the dog starts enjoying it and once they start barking, they go on doing it for the fun of it and you have a barking dog in hand.

Different breeds are also more likely to bark than others. Border collies are just one example, and this is definitely something you should consider when getting a dog.

There are times your pet takes to barking too often as you have inadvertently trained the dog to do so. It is like your pet speaking and you obeying. He barks and you open the door or he barks and you pat him. In a way the dog barks to catch your attention. One can easily fall into this trap. You can reward your dog when he is sitting quietly also.

It is very important to understand that a number of times the dog barks out of boredom and frustration. You should find ways to get rid of such a situation. Remember that a cheerful dog that has had enough exercise has better chances of sleeping through the day when you are away. Barking dog can be helped, if you spend some time training, playing as well as exercising the canine.

Obedience training is a very good method of giving mental exercise to the dog. As we humans get tired by thinking so does the dog. In fact almost all dogs have fun with speedy and exciting games like commanding them to sit, come, stay or even calling them and giving a hug, treat etc. Make sure that the training does not become a monotonous and boring schedule.

We have to understand that dogs are social animals and they also need friends and company. Help your dog make friends by taking him to the same dog park. Till your barking dog comes under control try to keep him in a place where he is least disturbing and your neighbours don’t complain. If your dog has taken to too much of barking, don’t expect this habit to come under control immediately. You will have to give more time as well as be patient.