Don’t reward whining ….

Every dog owner has experienced it – your animal whines, howls, whimpers, barks and we just can’t figure out why. If you are sure that your dog does not need to go potty, is not hungry, hurting, IGNORE it!
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Your dog is house trained, he is a happy, playful companion but when you come home, visitors are coming to your house, or when he gets too excited, you’ll have a puddle on your floor. This can happen frequently to puppies but normally dogs outgrow this phase while their confidence level rises.

First and foremost, submissive or excitement urination is not a housetraining problem. Punishing or scolding your animal does not help, the opposite is true, the problem will worsen.

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Some dogs learn quickly, for some it takes a little longer to master the basic commands.
Some are “geniuses” and soak up every trick like a sponge, some are slow learners. Whatever dog you decide upon, keep in mind that every dog is trainable (to a certain degree) and eager to please you. While it takes less effort to train some breeds, with praise, consistency and love, every dog can become a great companion and a beloved and loving member of a family.
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When our four-legged friends take forever to “go” ..

I dare to say that every animal owner has been in the situation when we are a little short on time or it’s very cold, but the dog takes forever to do his business. Especially male dogs are pretty good in testing the patience of their owners. They are capable of “portion control”, much more than females.
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Teach your dog the meaning of the word “NO”

Dogs beg, dogs like to chase, dogs like to greet people with enthusiasm by jumping on them, dogs like to chew on shoes, furniture, carpets … dogs are dogs!

We all love our animals but that does not mean that we love canine misbehavior. Don’t tolerate bad behavior. At the first sign of the animal’s misbehavior issue a command. A firm but convincing “NO” will teach your dog that he is about to overstep his boundaries, and that you are not going to tolerate it. Don’t yell, just be firm and repeat if needed.
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Separation Anxiety
Excessive Barking

Some dogs are more prone to separation anxiety than others. I have made the experience that in general smaller dogs are more anxious to be left alone than larger ones. Be it that smaller dogs are probably more spoiled, or feel more insecure, studies reveal though that other reasons might come into play. Some of these are early separation from the bitch, deprivation of attachment early in life (puppies kept in pet shops or animal shelters), a sudden change of environment (new home, stay at a kennel), a change in owner’s lifestyle which results in a sudden end to constant contact with the animal, a long-term or permanent absence of a family member (divorce, death, child leaving home) or the addition of a new family member (baby, pet).

None of these circumstances would apply to my dog; he nevertheless went into a barking frenzy whenever I left the house. By following the steps below his anxiety is almost diminished, his behavior acceptable. Yes, there is still the occasional bark, but more to show me his annoyance for not being able to take one of his beloved car rides

Let me make one thing very clear - punishment and locking the dog into a kennel/crate does NOT help. You will scare the animal even more, and instead of barking it might resort to urinating, and destroying things.

Plan your departure! Gradually adjust the dog to being alone by exposing him to many short departures. Because the stress response occurs very shortly after the owner’s departure (within 20 - 30 minutes), the dog should only be left alone for very short intervals at first (seconds to minutes) to ensure the owner returns before the onset of anxiety. Before you increase your departure period make certain that the dog is not stressed. Watch the dog for signs of anxiety and ensure that the dog does not engage in an extended greeting. After the short departures have reached the 30-minute mark, the length of time the dog is left can be increased by larger increments. Once the dog can be left alone for 1 - 2 hours, it can usually be left for much longer periods without problems.

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Some dogs are “angels” and very obedient when they are with their owner, but that “angel” might turn into “Rambo” when you are gone. Dogs respond in different ways to separation from their owners, be it excessive barking (not a good thing if you live in a condo or apartment building), some sleep, and some go on a rampage and destroy things they normally would not even touch in the presence of the owner.

Let’s start with the “Rambos” to keep your posessions intact.

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