Using Positive Reinforcement to Stop Bad Behavior in your Yorkie

Are you having trouble stopping your dog or puppy from behaving badly? Well, if you are, you aren’t alone. You can stop your dog's bad behavior best through constant positive reinforcement. Good relationships with your dog/puppy are vital to give the animal the right training. You also need to be able to listen and comprehend what your dog’s needs are. You should train your pet when it is still a puppy ideally. However, using positive reinforcement, it is possible to invert any dog’s bad behavior to good.

With its bad actions, your dog might be trying to make you notice something the only way he knows how. This includes such traits as barking and yelping constantly, as well as biting and chewing things up. Yes, a dog acts in specific ways when it is in fear, feels lonely or insecure. So, first you need to ascertain what the cause of the problem is and try to make that problem right. This might mean that all you need to do for your dog is show him a little more attention. Positive reinforcement includes taking your dog away from any perceived dangers or threats and in general trying too give the dog a sense of security.

Many dog owners have come to the realization that breaking a dog’s bad habits and actions with positive reinforcement is done best in conjunction with the use of crate training. A dog crate can make the dog feel secure in many ways and can also be a factor in helping your dog in house-breaking.

Your dog or puppy may have the problem of nipping children. If this is the case then putting the dog in a crate with one of his favorite toys can take away his feeling of the child being a threat. This will help prevent any child from getting nipped. If you have any small children in your home, you should warn them not to approach too close to your dog if it starts to growl. This prevents any danger of the child being bitten. Always keep an eye out when the dog is near your children anyway to foresee potential problems, and always be ready to say "no" to your dog to help him realize that there is no need to fear the children.

If your pet feels like you have left it when you go to work or out and about, the animal may start to act destructively in frustration. Again, a dog crate can help to keep your dog feeling secure and can be the key to cutting out your dog’s bad actions through positive reinforcement. Many ways exist in the domains of patience and consistency that will help you to understand your dog’s needs when using positive reinforcement on your pet. Also, when your dog is a puppy, he still has many bad behaviors that he will grow out of. And as he becomes older, he’ll get well settled into the routine you have built for him.

 That said, certain behavior problems should be removed as soon as possible. Things such as nipping and biting, if not improving from your efforts need to be dealt with by dog obedience experts or animal behaviorists. This has to be done as soon as possible otherwise it will result in injury to a human being. Starting positive dog training while your dog is young can help to halt any major problems before they develop in the dog.
 
Article provided by Eric Spears of  www.ohmydogsupplies.com, check for current deals on designer dog collars online. Click the links for more great articles.


Health Concerns In Teacup Dog Breeds

Over generations of selective breeding very small breeds of dogs have been successfully bred and developed. Some of these dogs are well adjusted and very athletic little dogs with robust health and average lifespans that are equal to their larger counterparts. However, the teacup toy breeds, particularly those that are bred to be the smallest of the small such as Yorkshire Terrier and Chihuahua, often have significant health problems that potential owners need to be aware of.

Toy breeds that have been established for years are generally the healthiest of the small dogs. Unfortunately some breeders are now choosing to breed for even smaller adult size, typically calling the dogs by the terms micro, mini, micro-mini or teacup. Most prospective buyers actually end up paying much more for the term "teacup" without realizing that there is no recognition of these sizes within the American Kennel Club, Canadian Kennel Club or the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom.

Breeding teacup sized puppies of toy breeds means that these puppies are very tiny, often less than two pounds at the eight week mark. Most will mature to be under seven pounds at maturity with a great number of breeders marketing that mature dogs will weigh under four pounds when fully grown. These very small dogs often have significant health concerns that are both congenital, meaning they are present at birth, as well as chronic digestive and skeletal problems due to their incredibly small size.

Teacup puppies, so name because they fit in a teacup, tend to have more problems with bone and skeletal development than their larger toy breed counterparts. The soft spot on the skull may not properly close, resulting in a condition known as open fontanels. This in turn can increase the possibility of brain trauma and may also be linked to seizures and neurological problems.  Another critical and often fatal condition is a known as PSS or portosystemic shunts. These are blood vessels that allow all the blood to by-pass the liver and continue to circulate through the cardiovascular system without being filtered and cleaned. While in the mother is shunt is used since her system cleans the blood, however it should naturally shut off and force the blood through the liver after the puppy is born. Without the liver functioning toxins build up in the blood and literally poison the dog internally, often within a very short period of time. 

Leggs Calves Perthes is a condition that occurs in many toy and small breeds but can be very problematic in the teacup sizes. It is a rotting or death of the tissue of the femoral head of the back legs. Extreme limping, walking with the weight on the front quarters, constant discomfort and pain and eventually refusal to move is noted either rather rapidly or over a period of time, depending on the severity of the bone loss. Surgery can correct the problem provided the bone loss is not extensive.

Teacup puppies and dogs are also more likely to have digestive problems throughout life. Dental concerns such as early tooth loss and gum diseases often occur because of dietary and digestive problems, so it is essential to get these puppies on the healthiest possible diet possible and avoid any type of foods that contain sugars, high carbohydrate content, human foods or foods that are spicy or fatty.

Information written by Alex Jones of  www.ohmydogsupplies.com, the top shop to purchase puppy dog toys online.