You might want to try out canine freestyle or dog dancing. It might turn out to be a new hobby for you and your beloved canine to enjoy.

Musical canine freestyle is also called musical freestyle, freestyle dance,or simply canine freestyle. Whatever name you want to call it, it is a great “tail waggin” sport that showcases an owner’s great relationship with his beloved canine through music and obedience training.

What is canine freestyle?

If I were to describe or define what canine freestyle is, it’s an activity where a dog dances to music with its handler in dog shows. But there’s so much more to Canine Freestyle than dancing with your dog.

Dancing alone is an art and, when you combine dogs and dancing, that’s always going to be a sight to see. Canine freestyle is a way to show the relationship between the owner and his or her four-legged buddy. Dancing together shows great coordination and rhythm between them. It takes teamwork to give a great performance.

The best canine freestyle routines showcase a dog’s intelligence and the way it can pick up subtle commands and follow choreographed moves through music. It’s a display of how well-trained a dog is.

Canine freestyle is a way for you to show your dog’s athleticism and endurance as they perform on two legs and do heelwork.

Dog dancing also allows the owner to showcase artistry in choreography and mix basic obedience training with tricks and dancing.

Here’s a video of a dog enjoying dancing:

When and where did canine freestyle start?

Canine freestyle or dog dancing simultaneously started in Canada and in Europe in the late 1980s. There are several people who claim to have invented canine freestyle, but there’s no actual documentation on who started it.

The first canine freestyle group was called Musical Canine Sports International in 1991 in British Columbia, Canada. Other groups from all over the world soon followed.

Different countries soon developed individual styles of dog dancing. American groups focused on costumes and tricks while their British counterparts focused more on heelwork.

The two types of canine freestyle

You can choose from two varieties of canine freestyle: musical freestyle and freestyle heeling (heelwork to music). Musical freestyle tends to offer more variety in terms of choreography, while freestyle heeling involves the dog dancing on its heels.

Musical Freestyle

Musical freestyle is a performance with a variety of tricks and obedience training. The routine can be dramatic like dancing close together or moving away from each other. Jumping, spinning, and jumping on the owner’s arms can be seen in musical freestyle

Freestyle Heeling (Heelwork to Music)

A freestyle heeling routine focuses on the dog being able to do a variety of tricks while standing on its heels. The dog and the handler stand close to each other during the routine.

A dog practicing for canine freestyle (source)

Can all dogs dance?

The ideal dogs for dancing are breeds that are smart and are fast learners because dog dancing relies heavily on the dog’s capacity to follow a trainer’s instructions and choreography and move in time to the music.

It’s also not surprising that canines who love attention do well in this sport. Poodles are particularly suited to canine freestyle, with their love of performing and trainability. Small breeds like Dachshunds and medium breeds like Golden Retrievers commonly participate in canine freestyle competitions as well.

If you did not see your beloved canine on the list, fret not because there are also some other breeds that can dance, such as Newfoundlands, Great Danes, and English Mastiffs.

Even handicapped dogs have been taught to dance for fun, so, yes, with proper training, almost all dogs can dance.

How can I train my dog to dance?

Before training a dog, the pooch needs to have a healthy and athletic body, as dog dancing requires a lot of physical effort. Never begin training when a puppy is less than 14 months old to avoid any injury or impede any development in the canine’s growth. You want to make sure that the dog’s bones and joints are fully developed.

You also need to check with your vet if your pet’s health and the strength of its legs can keep up with the physically demanding nature of canine freestyle dancing.

Another requirement is the dog needs to have excelled at basic obedience training, as canine freestyle dancing uses a lot of basic obedience commands.

According to the World Canine Freestyle Organization, there are three steps on how to train your dog to be a superstar in canine freestyle:

Choose the right music.

This may sound basic, but you have to select something that you and your beloved dog would want to dance to. Maybe you can pick a song that makes your dog happy. Training will be repetitive so it’s important that you and your four-legged pal enjoy your time training together. You can pick just one song for canine freestyle or pick a medley of songs.

Incorporate your dog’s tricks into the choreography.

You have to put together dance moves from the tricks that your dog can do and the music you chose. The best canine freestyle routines include basic obedience training and footwork.

A Border Collie performing with its owner (source)

Pick the proper costume.

You would need to pick a costume that is aligned with the overall theme of your performance. The goal of the costume is to represent the performance, not deviate from it.

What are the different canine freestyle competitions?

Here’s a list of Canine Freestyle organizations that regulate dog dancing competitions in different parts of the world.

United States:

• Rally Freestyle Elements
• World Canine Freestyle Organization
• Canine Freestyle Federation
• Musical Dog Sport Association

Canada:

• Paws 2 Dance Canine Freestyle Organization

United Kingdom:

• Canine Freestyle GB

Every organization has their own set of rules, but all competitions are free from training aides or leashes. Rhythm and artistry need to be on point to score well on competitions.

Is canine freestyle for you and your dog?

Dancing and dogs are some of the best things in the world and having something that combines the two would be just amazing. Whether you and your buddy would join a competition or not, I think Canine Freestyle is a must-try.

Admiring those beautiful canines trotting around looking all proud is worth any dog lovers’ time.

But if you’re hoping to watch, join, or hopefully judge a dog show, you’re at the right place!

What are Dog Shows?

Showing dogs were initially used as a way to evaluate canines for breeding. But the real purpose of dog shows is to measure each pooch on how closely they conform to the standard of their own breed.

Even though some people think these events are like a beauty pageant for all types of dogs, it’s not.

The American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Breed Standards describe:

“Characteristics that enable the breed to perform the job or function for which it was bred.”

And that includes their physical structure, bones, and muscles, teeth, coat, temperament, as well as gait.

The closer the dog’s qualities are to the breed specification also means that it will be able to produce litters that would meet the standard.

It’s the reason why crossbreeds and spayed/neutered purebreds are not eligible to compete in Conformation Events.

How do Dog Shows work?

Dog Shows are actually simple – it’s a process of elimination where the last dog left undefeated would be the best of the best.

Canines who enter Conformation Events compete toward the American Kennel Club Championship. A dog would need 15 points and two major wins to become a Champion of Record. But first, let’s discuss the three basic types of dog shows.

1. Specialty Shows are events focusing on a single breed with varieties such as the Poodle who comes in three sizes: Toy, Miniature, and Standard.
2. Group Shows are limited to the breeds that belong to one of the seven groups: Sporting, Working, Herding, Hound, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting.
3. All-Breed Shows are events that are open to more than 190 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.

The Classes in a Dog Show

All types of Conformation Events begin with the breed level competition. It’s where all dogs who entered are divided by gender, then further divided into seven classes:

Puppy Class
This is for pups that are between 6 to 12 months. Sometimes, clubs would further divide this class into puppies who are 6-9 months and 9-12 months of age.

12 to 18-Month Class
Are for dogs who are at least 12 months old and only under 18 months. Like the Puppy Class, this can also be divided further into 12 to 15 months and 15 to 18 months, depending on the club.

Novice Class
Dogs under this class have either:

• Not previously won three 1st places in the Novice Class
• Got 1st place in Amateur-Owner-Handler, Bred-By-Exhibitor, American-Bred, or Open Classes
• Have not earned one or more points leading to their championship

Amateur-Owner-Handler Class
This class is for dogs who are handled by registered owners who were never:

• A professional dog handler
• An AKC-approved conformation judge
• Employed to be an assistant to a professional handler

Bred-By-Exhibitor Class
Is the class for canines who are owned and handled by its breeder.

American-Bred Class
Are for dogs whose dam and sire were paired or mated in the US and was born in America as well. This is a required class.

Open Class
This is also a required class that any pooch may enter. It’s also the only regular class that Champs are eligible to compete in.

There are other classes that some dog shows may offer such as:

Non-Regular Classes
These are held after the seven regular classes have been judged. Winners of Non-regular classes aren’t permitted to compete for Championship points. Specialty dog shows mostly hold these events.

The most common example of this is the Veterans Class – for dogs who meet a minimum age requirement provided by the club, which varies with the breed.

Most of the time, dogs who are seven years old and above are allowed to enter, and the winners of the Veterans are eligible to contend for the Best of Breed.

Special Attractions
Clubs may also include special attractions in conjunction with specialty, group, or all-breed shows. Those activities are:

• Best Puppy Competition
  This is where the Puppy Class Winners in each variety or breed has an opportunity to be named the Best Puppy in Show.The first place winners in Puppy Class will reenter the ring for the Best of Breed/Variety judging to determine the Best Puppy for that specific breed or variety.Then the victors will join this sideshow competition until one of them gets the Best in Puppy Show award.
• National Owner-Handled Series
  Where owner-handler exhibitors are recognized and celebrated. They’d compete in the regular classes with the NOHS Best of Breed award at the end of judging.

Sweepstakes
This is also a non-regular competition that is primarily held at specialty dog shows.

It’s designed to recognize Puppy Sweeps (outstanding pups and young dogs) and Veteran Sweeps (older dogs). All the class divisions, requirements, and conditions are established but with a separate judge for this specific competition.

Don’t expect any championship points here, but the winners will get a portion of the entry fees as their prize for their placements.

If you’re wondering if there are any dog shows for mutts or mixed breeds, you can find lots of local fun matches or games that are arranged by dog training facilities or groups. Although they’re not sanctioned by the AKC, these events for crossbreeds is for the best interest of all dogs and owners to teach their four-legged buddies anything they are capable of doing.

Dog Show Winners

After every regular class, judges will be awarding the placements and their ribbons.

For the 1st Place Winner would get a blue ribbon, while the 2nd Place is awarded a red one. The 3rd placer would be given a yellow ribbon, and the 4th would get white.

At the end of judging for all classes, every dog who got First Place will compete in the Winners Class. This is where the judge will pick the best example for its breed, which would be given a purple ribbon, receive Championship points, and will be awarded Winners Dog.

Then those who got Second Place from its original class to the Winners Dog will compete with the remaining First Class Winners to get the Reserve Winners Dog award that comes with a purple and white ribbon.

The same process would be repeated for the female dogs (bitches), except their award would be called Winners Bitch and Reserve Winners Bitch.

The Winners Dog and Bitch would then compete for the Best of Breed title. This is where they would be judged with dogs who have already earned their Championship, as well as first place winners of non-regular classes like the Veterans Class.

At the end of the Dog Show Breed competition, the five awards that are given are:

• Best of Breed (gold and purple ribbon) – Best in its breed.
• Best of Winners (white and blue ribbon) – the better of the Winners Dog and Bitch.
• Best of Opposite ( red and white ribbon) – best dog and opposite sex of the winner.
• Select Dog (light blue and white ribbon)
• Select Bitch (light blue and white ribbon)

*The Select Dog and Bitch are recognized as the next best after Best of Breed and Best of Opposite.

Dog Show Group or Categories

Once the competition at Specialty Shows is done, the Groups and All-Breed Shows begin. It is where the Best of Breed will have to compete in toward getting the Best in Show, the highest award in a dog show!

And there are seven groups that are made up of breeds who are categorized based on their similar function.

SPORTING
This group includes canines that are bred for hunting game birds on land and in water. Examples of those dogs are the Labrador Retriever, Pointer, and the Irish Setter.

HOUND
These dogs – such as the Beagles, Doxes, and Greyhounds – are bred to hunt game by scent or sight.

WORKING
Dogs bred to pull carts, perform search and rescue services, and guard properties like the Saint Bernard, Dobermann Pinscher, and Boxer belong to this group.

TERRIER
The breeds that are included here are bred to rid properties of vermin like rats. Some of those dogs are the Cairn, Airedale, and the Scottish Terrier.

TOY
Based on the name of the group, this is where dogs that are bred to be household companions are placed in. Famous Toy breeds include the Pug, Pomeranian, and of course, the Chihuahua.

NON-SPORTING
This is where breeds of various sizes and functions are placed in, which mostly consists of companion dogs like the Dalmatian, Bulldog, and Poodle.

HERDING
Canines such as the German Shepherd, Collie, and the English Sheepdog, belong to the group of dogs who are bred to help ranchers and shepherds in herding their livestock.

Here’s a video that would show how dog show competitions work:

Final Awards in a Dog Show

For the group competition, a judge will award four placements for each category.

The First Place Winner will be awarded a blue ribbon or a rosette. The Second Place will be given a red ribbon, while the Third placer will get a yellow, and the Fourth will receive a white.

Then the first placer for each group will advance to compete in the All-Breed Show.

From those seven group winners, the judge will select Reserve in Best Show (1st Place) and Best in Show (Champion).

Top dogs all over the country can have more than 50,000 points in a given year, but to get the highest title, one canine must be judged first as the best of many dog shows. The Best in Show is traditionally awarded a white, red, and blue ribbon. But the host club can also choose a combination of colors.

If it seems easy enough, but the sport of showing dogs encompasses lots of activities where a few of them have nothing to do with “showing” per se. That’s why we’ll give you a glimpse of what a dog fancier’s life is like.

To give you a visual of how dog show ribbons look, take a look at this video:

The World of Dog Fancy

By definition, Dog Fancy involves the appreciation, promotion, or breeding a canine. It is comprised of hobbyists and professionals who invest everything in the sport of showing dogs in judged competitions.

Aside from altering their living arrangements to accommodate their lovely pets, dog fanciers collect and value chain link fences more than crates. They buy quality kibble, snacks or treats, and other things their pooch might need.

Dog fanciers drive different kinds of trailers, motorhomes, or vans to travel about 50 weekends year after year to attend Conformation Shows. In fact, they attend events every weekend!

Those who are extremely enthusiastic about their dogs would be evident once you see them.

They proudly wear shirts that proclaim that their furry buddy is a king or a queen, and they meet their friends at events to celebrate each other and their pooches.

Fanciers also engage in field activities such as hunting or herding and are equipped with appropriate accessories such as gears, guns or pistols, and even their own flock of sheep.

And lastly, they may have one dog they bring to compete every year in one activity or more. They may also have a household that’s centered around many dogs with litters from the original Star of the family, and working their way through different levels of competition.

A Dog Show Fancy would include:

• Judges who are licensed by the AKC (or their country’s registry) to select the best dog’s at each show and are compensated for their services.
• Professional Handlers who condition, groom, train, oversee, transport, present, and promote dogs to judges and are also paid for their services.
• Exhibitors (owners or breeders) are those who condition, train, groom, as well as promote and present dogs and invests all their time and money doing what they do best.
• Breeders that are dedicated and artfully create generations of quality show dogs to sell.
• Kennel Club members (including the four groups above) that host and operate the venues of the dog show, and rarely receive remuneration.
• Breed Clubs with members who are unpaid but promotes an individual breed.

There are subsidiary groups that earn income from dog fancy, and they are:

• Vets who take care of show dogs
• The Dog Show Media that provides advertising and information
• Journalists, Writers, and Reporters who write everything about dog shows.
• Artists and Photographers who specialize in show dogs
• Suppliers of veterinary, nutritional, and accessories used in dog shows.
• Training and Boarding kennels operated by show dog handlers.

It’s no wonder that Conformation Events make the perfect place for passionate dog lovers because there are so many activities that there’s something for everyone, both dog and keeper.

How Can You and Your Canine Friend Enter a Dog Show?

Every dog owner would think that their dog is the best, and you can make that true, whether nationwide or international. It’s up to you on how much time and money you’re willing to invest in getting your furry pal to the top.

Qualities of a show dog

Determine if your pooch is eligible to participate in Conformation Events. Your dog must be six months or older and is AKC registered.

Then you would have to prepare your dog for the ring. It’s not just the basic training like socialization and learning tricks, but you can participate in AKC clubs or training facilities that offer conformation handling classes for owners and their dogs.

You both have to learn important things such as:

STACKING
The proper posing of a dog in a standing position for the judge’s exam. Depending on your dog’s breed, he’ll be examined on either a table, ramp, or the ground.

GAITING
Where the movement of the dog around the ring is checked if it’s at the appropriate speed for his specific breed. Usually, canines are gaited on the left side of their handler so the judge can always see the dog.

Aside from those two, you’d also learn in training on how your dog’s mouth or bite will be examined by judges, what gaiting patterns to know how to free stack and other helpful tricks and hints of the dog show trade.

Apply what you and your furry buddy learned

Once you and your dog have learned everything you know during classes and training, it’s time to put it to the test by joining Match Shows. It’s a place of opportunities to socialize with fellow dog owners, seasoned handlers, and even judges who can provide feedback that you’ll want to have before competing.

Even if there are no Champion Points awarded, these matches are great for practicing in an informal yet educational setting.

You can also get a mentor if you want. It’s usually recommended to be taught by a breeder or an experienced exhibitor on how to show your dog.

Find someone who’s near you and who’d likely attend the same events is an incredible resource. That person can also guide you through your first competition and support your dog throughout his career.

Enter an actual event, and it’s showtime!

Once you’re ready and confident for your very first dog show, it’s time to enter an event.

Do this in advance as entries typically close about 2 ½ weeks before the date of the show. You can use the AKC Search to find one in your area.

Review the Premium List of the show which contains all the information about the event such as entry fees, the judge’s panel, and the clubs.

After selecting the appropriate class for your dog to compete in, a superintendent will send you a judging program after the entries close. It will have the schedule and which ring each breed will be shown.

The day of the show

The time has come! And speaking of time, it means being punctual is important.

In fact, arrive in advance of your ring time so you can set up and prepare, pick up your number from the ring steward, and wait for your dog’s class to be called. It’s better than rushing around and causing delay for everyone else.

Once it’s your turn to be in the ring with your dog, it’s the start of your dog show journey!

And when you’re done, it’s best to stay and watch the rest of the event. Observe how professional handlers, breeders, and the other exhibitors are doing and learn from them. After all, most of them have been participating in these shows for years.

They are the best resources of what you need to learn when it comes to dog shows.

Rules: Judging Criteria

Dogs don’t win these events by going muzzle to muzzle to compete with each other. Whenever a judge enters the ring, they are judging each canine against a written standard describing the ideal dog for their particular breed.

These standards are created by the breed’s national breed club of a country.

Every official will apply their interpretation of the standard and would give their opinion on which dog best represents its breed.

Judges measure each dog against parameters, not merely comparing them. The standards address every body part and attributes, including:

• Overall proportions in size (balance)
• Weight
• Size
• Eyes (size, shape, and color)
• Ears (shape, length, position)
• Head (shape)
• Muzzle (length and shape)
• Whiskers (thickness)
• Teeth (bite; level or scissors)
• Tail (how it arches and sets; how high or low)
• Shoulders (bone and muscle)
• Legs (muscles, stance, and proportionality)
• Coat (texture, length)
• Color (accepted breed colors)

Officials will also assess the dog’s attitude. Others have a criterion where it’s required as a Beagle has to be cheerful while a Poodle must be proud.

The AKC assembled these criteria for each type of dog they recognize by gathering information from organizations and other clubs who specializes in the specific breed.

Do you want to be an official in Conformation Events?

How to Become a Dog Show Judge

Dog Show Judges are badge-sporting examiners that are confident and poised at what they do. You’ll find the dressed conservatively in sensible skirts or sports jackets. But they aren’t good at what they do because they’re born into it, they’re made.

To be a judge, liking dogs isn’t enough; you have to be experienced and accomplished.

It is the ultimate price that the judges paid to be where they are now. The first breeds they are allowed to apply for are the ones they have experience with, so they are usually breeders.

The AKC requires:

• Breeders who have at least 12 years of experience in their breed, having bred, and raised at least five litters at home
• Breeding or owning four champions or more from the same litter
• Passed tests on Dog Anatomy and Ring Procedure
• Have been a Ring Steward at a maximum of 6 shows
• Was able to judge the breed at 6 Sweepstakes, Match, or Open Shows
• Attended a day-long basic-judging institute and has complied with occupational eligibility requirements

But breeders aren’t the only possible candidates for the judge’s badge, retired professionals and amateur handlers, as well as those who own stud-dogs, can apply. They would need to have a tenure of 15 years (minimum), and achieve specific milestones like owning a dog that sired at least 4 champions.

The process

If you’re applying to become a judge and the AKC verified that you passed the criteria, then you’ll move on to the interview with their field representative.

The interviewer would discuss the basics of the breed, like the origins and standard, as well as the ins and outs of the procedure in the ring. Things like what to do when a dog starts limping, or a dog’s armband number is wrong.

Following the rules in a highly competitive sport such as dog showing is important as it helps give clarity for everyone at all times.

Dog shows even make laws about politeness. An example of this is, if Exhibitors are heard using profanity, they’re risking their dog-showing privileges suspended.

If you passed the interview, you would have to pass your judging assignments and good reports from field representatives so you can apply for regular status. You’d start with judging a breed you are knowledgeable of, and soon expand your territory to other breeds if you want to.

When and where are dog shows held?

This would depend on what dog show you’re specifically going to watch or join. If you’re asking about famous Conformation Events, we’ll discuss that later on. But technically, there are shows during weekends.

You can look at the AKC for different types of shows happening at different months of the year.

There’s also an option to write the superintendent of the event you’re interested in to be put on their mailing list so you can receive Premium Lists of future shows. It will contain the location of where the show is going to be held, the judges, the officers, the show chairman, closing date, and even instructions if you’re planning to join the show.

Aside from the AKC home page, the Moss Bow also has information about dog shows such as results of completed events.

Dog Shows in the US

Whether you’re joining a show, wanting to watch one on tv, or hoping to see an event near you, luckily, there are three national dog shows in America every year.

The American Kennel Club (also known as the Eukanuba National Championship), Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show, and the National Dog Show. Let’s discuss them further.

The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show

Let’s start with the oldest of the three. The Westminster show dates back to 1877 and has a rich history of being the most prestigious dog event in the US. It’s held annually at Madison Square Garden of New York City every mid-February.

Generally, there are about 2,500 entrants, but anyone who gets in the show is either invited or has a Championship status. If not, your dog should’ve at least won 3-, 4-, or 5- point major award.

This dog show is broadcasted live on national TV and is usually rebroadcast during the week after the date of the show.

The National Dog Show (Presented by Purina)

Initially called The Kennel Club of Philadelphia, the National Dog Show started in Pennsylvania around 1879.

Now, it has an average of 2,000 entrants every mid-November at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.

You’d usually see this dog show on NBC, where it’s broadcasted nationwide on Thanksgiving Day after Macy’s Parade. And this is also sanctioned by AKC.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

First held in 2001, this is the newest of the top 3 dog shows in the US, this AKC event is held in mid-December and has been held in Orlando, Florida. But keep in mind that their competitions have different locations.

The dogs who made the top 25 in each breed, based on the points they earned during the year at AKC-accredited shows, can qualify for this Conformation Event.

Other Dog Shows

Curious about the other events outside of the US? There are so many that you can easily search by country, region, state, and city. But these events that we would mention are worth learning about.

World Dog Show

Held annually and internationally, this event is sponsored by the Federation Cynologique International (FCI).

Featuring conformation shows and other canine sports, this event can get so large that entries are limited to dogs who have already earned their championships. One of the greatest dog shows ever was in Leipzig, Germany that was held in December 2017.

It covered more than 20,000 dogs from over 300 breeds competing for Championship trophies and titles.

The show was held in a large and modern exhibition center that’s 80,000 square meters. It was able to accommodate handlers comfortably while providing ample space for the judging rings. Anyone who attended the show even enjoyed culinary treats and a shopping paradise!

Crufts

The international championship in the UK called Crufts was initially held in 1891. It was only officially recognized around 1991 because it was the world’s largest and most prestigious dog show according to the Guinness Book of Records. The event had a total of 22,973 dogs who actually performed that year.

They had another dog show that ran for four days at the NEC or National Exhibition Center in Birmingham. It was known as the largest animal event held at the NEC with more than 160,000 human visitors in 2008.

Their winner of “Best in Show” received an award that is similar to the Silver Keddel Memorial Trophy and a cash prize of $200.

AKC Registered Breeds by Group

All the breeds that are registered with AKC are categorized into groups which are based on their functions and characteristics that they are bred for.

And here is a complete chart of all the dogs under each category they belong to.

Best Show Dog Breeds

Here are the ten most common breed winners of Best in Show for the Westminster Kennel Club.

1. Wire Fox Terrier
2. Scottish Terrier
3. English Springer Spaniel
4. Smooth Fox Terrier
5. Airedale Terrier
6. American Cocker Spaniel
7. Boxer
8. Doberman Pinscher
9. Standard Poodle
10. Sealyham Terrier

Dog Show Tips

Whether you’re a Spectator or an Exhibitor, you should know these tips whenever you’re in and around a dog show.

Tips for First-Time Exhibitor

• Make sure your dog is AKC-registered.
• Be sure your canine is current on all vaccines.
• Learn the proper techniques of grooming and presenting your dog in the ring.
• Join your breed’s Parent Club, Local Specialty, and All-Breed club around your area.
• Become familiar with all the rules and regulations for AKC dog shows.
• Attend dog shows to observe how your dog’s breed is judged and how others present the same type of canine. Get a Judging Program at the show to find out schedules and ring numbers.
• Apply the knowledge you learned from your breeder.
• Don’t be afraid to ask any questions.
• Attend handling classes or training with your dog

Here are 5 steps that you can do to help you win your first or next dog show:

Tips for First-Time Spectator

• If the area for grooming is open to spectators, socialize and talk with professional groomers to know tips on maintaining your dog’s best look.
• Don’t just pet a dog without asking for permission! The dog may have just been prepared and groomed in preparation for judging.
• At each dog show, you’ll find vendors and information booths that are willing to provide help for the general public.
• Wear your most comfortable shoes. Unless you bring your own chair or arrive early, be prepared as seating is usually limited.
• If you are planning to get a purebred dog, talk to breeders and exhibitors.
• If you’re bringing a baby stroller to a dog show, be careful to not run over any dog’s tail, and that your little one does not grab or poke any of the dogs within his or her reach. Avoid crowded areas and be informed since some shows don’t allow baby strollers.

Can Show Dogs be a good pet or a working dog?

Most people who like dogs, especially those who own one or more, would remind you that these canines are called “Man’s Best Friend” for a reason.

Dogs are lovable and amazing not just because of how they look or what they can do, but because of what they have inside – the way they show their love for their human no matter the age, and that they’re willing to be there for you, and even sacrifice their lives to protect their family.

Those who love their dogs know that they’re just perfect the way they are, whether they won or not.

You can still have lots of fun and competitive activities and sports just as an exercise or bonding time such as flyball.

In fact, show dogs can even perform better in their actual tasks as companion, service, or working dogs.

Glossary: Dog Show Terminologies

You should know that, just like any event or competition, dog shows have their own unique vocabulary.

For you to enjoy watching dog shows better, we’ve prepared a list of common terms you’d hear in and out of the ring. Let’s start with the basics:

Bitch – a female canine.

Dog – a male canine.

Since these events are for exhibiting breeding stock, it’s vital to have a distinction between dog genders.

Articles – Cotton gloves and metal objects (often dumbbells) that are used in scent discrimination exercises in the utility level obedience.

Bait – a bite-size treat used by handlers to get a canine’s attention inside the ring, and to demonstrate expression to judges.

Benched show – an event where all dog entrants are assigned benching space and are required to stay for the length of the show when they’re not being groomed, exercised, or shown. It’s for spectators to find an example breed any time, not just during the breed’s ring schedule. (Rare show)

Brace – a competition between two dogs of the same breed are shown by one handler at a time. This is a pair that is judged on overall quality and similarity.

Campaign – when a champion dog being shown at the Best of Breed and Group level (called special) is being “heavily specialed” is also known as being “campaigned”.

Chipped – Microchipped; bionic dogs identified with an electronic ID chip.

CGC (Canine Good Citizen) – a certificate and title give to dogs who passed minimal standards for “good behavior.”

Choke – a metal or nylon collar with a tension that tightens so the dog can’t back out and get loose.

Crate – another term for a cage.

Dam – A dog’s equivalent to the word mother; while the father is called a Sire.

Ex – short for ‘exercise,’ a euphemism for taking a dog out to perform its eliminatory functions.

Fancier/Fancy – someone with an active interest for dog shows; can be owners, handlers, judge, or breeders. Fancy is the worldwide group or community of these enthusiasts.

Finish – in obedience, it’s a command which sends the dog to sit at the exhibitor’s side; or to finish a Championship or other title.

Flexi – a popular kind of spring-loaded leash used for exercising dogs.

Greyhound – a breed of dog; a kind of metal comb.

Handler – the person who shows canines in the ring; professional handler. May also train, groom, and board their charges, or pick the dog up at the ringside from the owner.

Junior – a junior handler; competitive classes in different age divisions offered for young people who are judged on their handling skills, not their dog.

Futurity – another non-regular set of classes (like Sweepstakes) that don’t contribute point totals or make a dog eligible for the ‘winners’ class. For futurities, the mother of a litter is nominated, and a fee is paid before she whelps a litter, the litter is entered in its first 6 months of life, and individuals are entered at the normal time for show entries; builds up a sum of money – virtually the only way that money can occasionally be won.

Lead – a thinner leather leash used only in show rings to help handlers guide dogs.

Martingale – a type of show lead.

Owner-handler – that actual owner of the dog is the same person who would show or present the canine in the ring. A breeder-owner-handler is a person that bred the dog and didn’t purchase it. A mark of prestige is if the dog wins impressively without the benefit of a professional handler.

Pin Brush – a type of brush with straight wire teeth.

Pooper Scooper – equipment used to pick up the excrement of a dog.

Resco – a type of show lead.

Rig – anything from a minivan, with seats out, to a hightop van with roof air, awning and crate Benching, to Greyhound Bus size motor homes.

Ringsiding – Delivering your dog to a professional handler just before going into the ring. But the handler doesn’t groom, train, board, or carry this dog in their ‘rig’.

Slicker – a type of brush short bent wire teeth.

Snood – an elasticized cylinder of cloth, slips over the head to keep a dog’s ears out of food and water; often a fashion statement.

Special – Champion of Record, being shown at the Best of Breed, Group, Best in Show level.

Specialty – Show given for just one breed that is sponsored by a ‘breed club.’

Standard – the description of a breed that enables breeders and judges to evaluate the quality of an individual dog; AKC Breed Standard.

Stripper – a blade for plucking the coat, usually for terriers.

Sweepstakes – special classes held in conjunction with Specialty shows and some others, for 6- to 18-month old puppies and young adults; not a regular class and doesn’t have a ‘winners’ class, no points are awarded for competition.

Tack box – whatever you carry all your grooming gear in.

Water Hole – a water bowl designed to keep a dog’s ears and whiskers dry.

Wheels – a flat, wheeled dolly that’s made to transport crates, grooming tables, and other gears in from your car.

Ex-Pen – are wire panels joined to make a lightweight, moveable enclosure about 4 by 4 and of varying height. It allows dogs crated for a period of time to get out and stretch their legs without a lead on.

CONFORMATION

Classes – the categories in conformation events showing which dogs entered and haven’t had a Champion title yet.

Puppy – canines who are 6 months to 1 year of age

Novice – a dog who has not won points at a dog show

12-18 months – a class which is usually available at Specialty Shows (check premium list)

Bred By Exhibitor – owned and handled by the breeder.

American Bred – dogs born in the United States.

Open – any dog eligible to show under AKC rules.

Veteran – a non-regular class, available if stated in a premium list, usually at Specialty Shows; age varies with the breed (often 7 years and older).

CH – Champion of Record; a dog which has earned an AKC Championship in conformation.

DC – Dual Champion (FC and CH).

TC – Triple Champion (CH, FC, OTCH).

Conformation – a structured competition to determine soundness and the degree to which the dog conforms to its breed standard. No rigorous training required; basically good manners and special tricks of the trade that helps the dog move and stand to look his best.

OBEDIENCE

CD – Companion Dog; the lowest obedience competition title. Includes sitting, heeling, lying down, come stay, and stand exercises.

CDX – the intermediate obedience title, Companion Dog Excellent; includes companion dog exercises but includes jumping over hurdles, broad jumps, and retrieving over jumps.

UD – Utility Dog; the highest level of obedience; does what CD and CDX do, but includes scent discrimination. Good training for drug sniffing, as well as search and rescue dogs (See ‘Articles’).

UDX – Utility Dog Excellent.

OTCH – Obedience Trial Champion.

TD – Tracking Dog; involves scent discrimination in the field.

TDX – Tracking Dog Excellent.

VST – Variable Surface Tracker, good training for drug sniffers, and search & rescue dogs.

Obedience – a competition that involves heeling, commands, jumping over hurdles, finding an article scented by the handler, and much more. May easily be mastered in steps of increasing difficulty, without the use of special equipment or unreasonable time involvement. Many levels may be enjoyed for years.

FIELD – SPORTING

FC – Field Champion; Field Trial (sporting) or Lure Coursing (sight sounds).

AFC – Amateur Field Champion; dogs who won a trial handled by an amateur.

NAFC – National Field Champion; dogs who won a trial competition with amateur and professional handlers.

JH – Junior Hunter; 4 qualifying legs at the beginning level.

SH – Senior Hunter; more qualifying legs at the intermediate level.

MH – Master Hunter; qualifying legs at the highest level of difficulty.

Hunting – Dogs tested on pointing, retrieving, flushing, quartering, and general steadiness that involves the sound of a starter’s pistol, as well as retrieving on land and in water. Different breeds – retriever, pointers, and setters, etc., specializing in one or more of these skills with months or years of training, a very large time commitment.

FIELD – HERDING

(Non-trial level designations)

HT – Herding Tested; involve a dog’s ability to move sheep and change their direction while being responsive to the handler’s control.

PT – Pre-Trial Tested.

(Trial level designations)

HS – Herding Started; ability to gather and move sheep through gates and chutes with the handler working close to the dog.

HI – Herding Intermediate; same as the HS ability but with a somewhat higher level, with part of the course being run with the handler at a moderate distance from the dog.

HX – Herding Excellent; a dog that works well at all times, even when the handler is away.

Herding – dogs that are tested on instinct and training; ability to gather, contain, and drive sheep (takes months or years of training to work with sheep). Travel usually requires just sheep access and training.

FIELD – COURSING (Hounds)

JC – Junior Courser.

SC – Senior Courser.

AGILITY

NA – Novice Agility.

OA – Open Agility.

AX – Agility Excellent.

MX – Master Agility.

Agility – tests a dog’s physical ability and speed while going over a course with elevated walks, A-frames, teeter-totters, tunnels, jumps, and more; the canine version of the US Marine obstacle course. A great way to introduce young dogs to obedience, control, and responsiveness to commands and attention to detail.

JUNIOR EARTHDOG (Terriers – Go-To-Ground)

JE – Junior Earthdog.

SE – Senior Earthdog.

ME – Master Earthdog.

If you have any stories you want to share with us about your experience with dog shows, let us know about it by commenting on the box below.

Crate training: to be or not to be? That is the question.

You may feel like you’re walking on a tightrope, teetering on the edge of guilt for the idea of incarcerating your dog, but still wondering about how crating can help jump start and positively influence your puppy’s obedience for life.

Is it tough love? Here’s our list of crate training pros and cons to help you make the best decision for you and your pooch.

Crate Training Does Offer Huge Benefits

Delving into the world of crate training requires patience, time and dedication. It may seem daunting, but know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You’ll watch your dog’s personality and obedience blossom, making life easier for you. Here’s why!

1. The convenience factor

Our dogs want to be around all of the time, whether it’s with a tennis ball in their mouth, children running around in the household or they just want to stretch across your lap for a belly rub.

Sometimes though, it’s not cool when they pounce all over guests, beg at the dinner table or run underfoot when you’re trying to clean. When your dog is over-excited, the crate is a great way to grab some peace while also letting your dog know that it’s time to calm down.

Furthermore, when you’re out running errands and she understands it’s crate time, you’ll feel better knowing that destructive behaviors, such as chewing, won’t develop.

If you’re leaving the house for some vacation time, bring the crate and your dog. The crate is like her security blanket, allowing her to feel less anxious while adapting to unfamiliar surroundings.

2. Crate training fosters den instincts

It’s in a dog’s nature to be territorial. As a dog grows in a familiar environment, it starts to display possessive behaviors towards food, toys, and other pets. Crate training can help ease possessiveness.

When an owner sticks to a daily crate training routine, the crate becomes a dog’s “den” so to speak. Your dog learns that the crate is her own personal space. It smells like her and she is the only one who spends time in there. She begins to understand that it’s where she is safe and can relax.

The crate will help put a stop to those times your dog harrases the cat, growls over the food bowl or makes a mad dash out the front door to bark at neighbors.

Instead of taking a pack leader mentality that lets your dog feel she calls the shots when you take her to the crate, she knows you’re the one in charge. Physical and mental stimulation is provided by you.

3. It’s a dream for housebreaking

This is the biggest crate training pro, especially for puppies that need to be properly housebroken. If you start crate training immediately, it will set up obedient behaviors for life that lets your dog know not to relieve herself indoors.

Remember that “den” instinct we mentioned? Naturally, dogs do not soil where they lay. As the crate becomes your dog’s den, it becomes a space that it knows not to eliminate in.

By utilizing a larger crate and taking your dog outside on a consistent basis, she becomes localized, understanding where it’s appropriate to go potty. This also helps prevent accidents at night or when your dog is left alone.

If You Decide to Crate Train, Remember…

You really need to be dedicated, because essentially, you are training your dog every day for the rest of her life.

Focus on the end results, and know that the time and energy you put in will benefit both of you. Whether you have a puppy or even an adult dog, it’s never too late to introduce the almighty crate.

Keep these vital tips in mind:

• Avoid leaving your dog inside for long time periods.
• Refrain from associating the crate with punishment.
• Take care when choosing a crate size.

And Then, There Are the Downsides to Consider

You heard it here: Crate training isn’t all peaches and cream. If not executed correctly, this type of training can have negative effects that are both dangerous to your dog’s physical well being and detrimental to her behavior.

1. It can cause physical harm

This con stems specifically from being left inside a crate for too long. A lengthy confinement throughout the day leads to desperate behaviors, such as defecating inside the crate and stress on the limbs from being unable to move around adequately.

Some dogs will even develop stress sores of the skin caused by constantly licking out of anxiety and boredom.

With their small bladders, puppies under three months old need less than three hours inside a crate per day.

As they mature, the time allotment can increase as follows:

• 0 to 10 weeks: from 30 to 60 minutes
• 11 to 14 weeks: from 1 to 3 hours
• 15 to 16 weeks: from 3 to 4 hours
• After the age of 17 weeks: from 4 to 5 hours

2. Dogs can become distressed

Be patient when introducing crate training and make sure to do your research when deciding on the best techniques to incorporate into your dog’s schedule. Ask yourself if crate training is the right option for her to excel.

Not all dogs are created the same. Some are more prone to personality traits such as anxiety, separation issues or claustrophobia. For example, if your dog is a rescue that has spent ample time locked up, whether it was in dire conditions with an abusive owner or in a shelter, trauma can be associated with cages.

This can cause agitation, which crate training may not be able to overcome.

3. Carelessness can pose dangers

A crate is a safe space for your dog, but if care and consideration is not given then it can also be dangerous for her overall well being.

It’s important to place your crate in an area of your home that receives plenty of ventilation to alleviate breathing and avoid overheating scares.

Also, be aware of your dog’s behavior. Is she hyper or prone to run away? Puppy-proof sharp edges of the crate to avoid injury in case of escape and NEVER crate your dog while wearing a collar or leash. This can cause strangulation.

Are There Any Alternatives to Crate Training?

It’s ok if crate training isn’t for you or your dog. There are plenty of other options that say “nay” to the cage life:

• Baby gates: This technique incorporates the use of baby gates instead of a cage to keep a dog sanctioned to an open, safe space in the house.
• Exercise pen: Also called a “doggie playpen” this also offers an option that is spacious and more open for your dog.
• Fenced yard: If you’ve got a well secured, fenced in backyard, consider keeping your dog outdoors.
• Doggie Daycare: A pricier option, this ensures your dog has a constant human care in a safe environment made for dogs while you’re away for the day.

Crate Training Pros and Cons in a Nutshell

Don’t let the idea of crate training overwhelm you. As long as you arm yourself with the facts, you can make an educated decision that renders the best training solution for you and your dog.

Ask yourself: do you work long hours? Can your dog handle being confined? Do you have the time to dedicate to crate training?

It’s not an easy feat to undertake, but this type of training offers many benefits that can develop good behavior and help housebreak your dog.

Crate training isn’t for everyone though, and if you do work long hours or your dog gets extreme anxiety from being confined, then it may be best to consider other options.

What do you think about crate training? Tell us in the comments!

A crate can be an extremely helpful tool for house training and to help new dogs keep out of trouble when you aren’t around, but there are some possible downsides to using crates that can make them unsuitable for some dogs.

If your dog has separation anxiety, was over-crated by a previous owner, or the crate was used for punishment in the past, crate training might not be an option for you. Or maybe you need to leave your dog for too long, or you simply don’t like the idea of crating him.

What Are The Alternatives To Crate Training?

Depending on your particular circumstances, there are some other ways you can keep your puppy or dog contained and safe while you aren’t home. Let’s take a look at some of your options.

1. Baby Gates

Confining your puppy in a safe, easy-to-clean room (generally a kitchen, hallway, laundry room or bathroom) using baby gates has a number of advantages over just letting your dog roam the house or shutting him into a bedroom.

Rooms without carpeting are easy to clean up in the event of mistakes and prevent your puppy from having something to rip up that really matters to you. These rooms are easier to puppy-proof and usually provide fewer opportunities for trouble.

Be sure your puppy can’t jump or climb over the gate before leaving for the day! Also, you should fixate it to the walls to avoid the following scenario:

2. Exercise Pens

Exercise pens, or x-pens as they are sometimes called, are a sort of puppy playpen. They create a safe indoor space for your puppy that is larger than a crate, and more open.

Available in many sizes, you can create a little area for your puppy within a room, without allowing access to your cabinets and baseboards.

As with baby gates, you should pick an uncarpeted area. Also consider the size and strength of your puppy, since x-pens can be knocked over or jumped over.

Some people use x-pens to create three sides of a confined area, and attach them to a wall on the fourth side. This helps stabilize the pen and keeps your puppy from moving it around the room.

3. Fenced Yard

If you have a secure privacy fence, it may be possible to keep your dog outside when no one is home.

If you choose this option, be sure your dog doesn’t bark all day and make your neighbors crazy. And this is not an option for a dog who loves to dig.

Since your dog’s comfort and safety are vital, you must ensure that he has shelter from cold, rain and sun, and has water available at all times. Check the fence weekly to make sure there are no spots where he can dig out when you aren’t looking.

4. Doggie Daycare

For those who can afford it, doggie daycare is an excellent alternative to leaving your pup alone all day. He comes home tired and happy, which eliminates many behavior problems you might see if he’s been bored and restless all day.

Daycare facilities have rules about the age and temperament of dogs they will take, and it may not be a viable option even if you have the budget. Check with the facilities in your area to see what the requirements are before deciding on this option.

Making It Work

Here are some tips for successfully confining your dog without using a crate:

• Be sure to provide safe toys in your dog’s space. Interactive food toys like Kongs or Buster Cubes can keep your pup busy for hours.
• Break up the day with a walk. Find a family member, neighbor or dog walker to take your pup out for a potty break, some exercise, and a bit of people time.
• Be sure to puppy proof your dog’ space. The better you keep things out of reach, the easier it is for him to stay out of trouble.
• Use an area that’s easy to clean, with a non-absorbent floor.
• Keep in mind that dogs are social creatures and get bored with nothing much to do all day.

Keeping Your Dog Safe

Food – put all food away. Some human food is dangerous for dogs, either toxic or a choking hazard.

Cabinets and knobs – Use childproof locks on cabinets that contain food or household chemicals. Keep in mind that dogs have been known to turn on stove burners, so if you have knobs they can reach, childproof them as well.

Pick up – Don’t leave anything in your dog’s area that you wouldn’t want him to chew. Shoes, kids’ toys, remotes, cell phones and anything else that is not a dog toy doesn’t belong in his area.

Medications – Be sure medications and toothpaste are in a cabinet that your dog can’t reach or open. If you ever keep meds in your purse, be sure there is no way he can rummage around in it. Also, chewing gum often contains xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.

Cords – Be sure you hang curtain/blind cords up high where your dog can’t reach. Many dogs have become tangled in these and strangled. Avoid tragedies by checking the area thoroughly for hazards. Plastic bags are dangerous, as is a choke collar when left on while a dog is unattended.

Trash – Be sure your dog can’t get into the trash while you’re gone. If it isn’t locked in a cabinet or closet, be sure it has a lid. You may need a lid that latches onto the can if your dog is especially good at opening it.

Plants – Many houseplants are poisonous to dogs if eaten. Be sure you clear any plants out of his area.

Conclusion

If you have a puppy or dog that needs to be confined but you don’t want to use a crate, there are several alternatives available to you. But no matter how you confine your dog, remember that he needs exercise and company to be a happy and well-adjusted pet.

If you are looking for ways to help your dog love his crate, try playing crate games with him.

Crate games are a fantastic way to teach your dog to run in and out of the crate on command willingly, and they are fun to play for both of you.

Using games with the crate is especially helpful since many dogs aren’t initially happy with being confined. By moving slowly through these fun processes, your dog will learn to love his crate.

In this article, I’ve put together six great crate games to play with your dog.

But first…

Before You Start

Although wire crates are great for a growing puppy, it’s easier to train these games with a hard plastic airline crate or soft crate.

Throwing treats into a wire crate sometimes results in them flying through the bars, so if you use a wire crate, be careful how you throw them.

It’s a good idea to have started feeding your dog his meals inside the crate, so he’s already begun to expect that going inside means something good is about to happen.

And be sure you’ve taken your dog out to potty before playing crate training games with him.

Basic Guidelines for Crate Games

1. Keep your training sessions short and fun.
2. Use a release word like “Okay!” or “Release” or “Free” to let your dog know he’s done and can come out. Be sure to put a little energy into saying it, and move to help him see that you want him to come out of the crate.
3. Always train when you are in a good mood. If you’re not feeling happy, your dog will sense it, and it will affect the training session.
4. A couple of short sessions a day is plenty. Don’t turn it into a grind.
5. You should play each game for several days before moving to the next – the concepts build on each other, and later games rely on the skills learned in the earlier ones.
6. If your dog doesn’t go inside, even for yummy treats, see our article on crate training an older dog for some ideas to help get started.

Here’s a video that discusses some considerations for starting to help your dog see the crate as fun:

Now let’s get playing…

Game 1: The Crate Is Cool

With the crate door open, sprinkle some treats outside the door as well as just inside the crate. Let him eat the treats, and toss a couple more all the way to the back of the crate. Does he go all the way inside and get them? If so, you’re ready to move on to Game 2.

If he doesn’t go all the way in, play this game a few times each day until he warms up to his crate. Be sure not to close the door at this stage – you don’t want him to worry about being trapped!

Once he’s happily going in and out of his crate, it’s time to move on to the next game.

You might want to watch this video on the first steps of getting your dog to love his crate:

Game 2 – Stay a While

Now you want to start building a hand signal for going into the crate. Practice swinging your hand with your finger pointed while at the same time throwing a treat with that hand.

It might feel awkward at first, but with a little practice, it will become natural. The motion should look like you’re telling your dog to go where you’re pointing.

Once you’ve got the motion down, stand beside the open crate door and toss a treat far inside the crate using your hand motion. At this point he should follow the treat – if not, go back to Game 1.

If he did follow the treat into the crate, toss another far inside for him. Keep throwing in treats as he eats, until you see him wait for another treat rather than trying to leave his crate.

Then add a “Okay!” word in a happy voice, and encourage him to come out. This will begin the process of teaching him to wait until you let him out, instead of him trying to bolt out of the crate as you open the door.

Be happy and excited that he’s doing well, and remember not to close the door during this game.

Game 3 – Just Like I Said

Now let’s add a command word to the process. Stand by the open crate just like Game 2, only this time say a cue like “Kennel Up!” or “Crate!” just before you point and throw the treat.

Be sure to say the word before you move, so that your pup can realize that the word means you are about to make the motion he already understands, and eventually will go in just with the word.

This time when he goes into the crate, dump several treats into the crate behind him while he’s eating the first treat.

Do this a couple of times to reinforce how great it is to stay inside, and then use a “Okay!” word (“Release” or other word you’ve chosen) in a happy voice, and encourage him to come out. This will begin the process of teaching him to wait for permission to exit.

Practice this a few more times, and then test to see if he’s getting the connection between the word and the action of going into the crate.

To test his understanding, stand the way you did before and say your command, but this time don’t move. If he runs into the crate, act happy and drop a handful of treats into the crate with him. Add a few more treats when he finishes those, and then release him as you did earlier.

If your dog understands, be sure to repeat the game a few more times to help it stick in his memory.

If he doesn’t run inside, go back to using the hand signal after you say the word a few more times before trying again without the hand motion. And keep the door open at all times for this game.

Even if he “gets” it, the next time you play this game he might forget at first. If that happens, just try a few times with the signal again before trying again without it.

Game 4 – On My Command and Wait

Now that he’s going in on cue, we want to start working on coming out with permission.

Using your verbal command (“Kennel up!” or “Crate!”), send your dog into the crate, just like you did for Game 3. Give him a couple of treats for going in, and then stand back up and wait to see what he’s going to do.

If he waits expectantly for more treats, toss another treat inside and wait again. If he runs out of the crate instead, go back to Game 3 and keep playing until he seems like he’s expecting more treats after he goes in.

After he’s waited for treats a few times (for just a few seconds), then release him with a happy “Okay!” and let him know what a good dog he is.

Be sure to practice this a few times a day for a couple of days before moving on.

Game 5 – Let’s Close the Door

Now we’re upping the ante by closing the crate door while your dog is inside. Take it slowly at first, and keep it fun!

Use your command to send your pup into his crate, and give him some treats. While he’s eating, close the door. As he finishes up, open the door and say “Okay!” to let him out.

Gradually increase the time you keep the door closed. As you extend the time, let’s say over 10 seconds, hand him a treat through the closed door to reward him for his patience.

Don’t give him a treat or open the door if he is fussing. If he’s barking or whining or pawing at the door, ignore him and wait for a break in that behavior to release him.

If this break happens, don’t take so long to reward him and let him out next time.

Keep playing this game until he can stay calmly in his crate for at least 30 seconds while you stand nearby.

Then you can start mixing it up by moving away from the crate and back, testing if he’s quiet or not. If not, next time make it easier again.

Game 6 – Say Please

Now it’s time to teach him to respect the threshold of the crate, and not come out until you give him permission. If you’ve been playing the earlier games, this should be easy for him, since you’ve been teaching him your release word all along.

Follow the procedure in Game 5, but now we will require your dog to either sit or lie down inside the crate before being let out.

To do this, we are going to use a bit of a back-and-forth process to show him what you mean. This works best if you don’t say anything, but just let your pup figure out what to do by what happens.

Wait for him to sit or lie down, and then move your hand to the latch.

If he gets up, take your hand off the latch and stand back up. Wait for him to sit (or lie down).

When he sits, touch the latch again. If he doesn’t get up, give him a treat through the bars to let him know that was the right decision. If he gets up, just repeat the process.

After he stays in position when you touch the latch, then start to open the door. Again, if he gets up, just close the latch and stand back up. Repeat the above process.

Eventually, he will understand that you want him to stay seated, and you can get the door open a little bit while he’s still in position.

At this point, swing the door open and release him right away, with happiness all around. You both did a great job!

Practice this game until you can get the door all the way open and he doesn’t move unless you release him.

This could take a week or more, so be patient and remember to proceed slowly through the steps. If he starts to move at any point before being released, you should quickly close the door – if necessary, firmly push him back inside.

Final Thoughts

Crate training games are a fun and easy way to teach manners, and they help your dog learn that the crate is a rewarding and comfortable place to be.

By taking the time to teach your dog using these games, you avoid the problems created by using the crate for punishment. When your dog loves his crate, he will find it less stressful if situations arise that require it, even after he has earned his freedom in your home.

Take the time to play these games now, and both you and your dog will be glad you did!

If you’re wondering how to crate train an older dog, or whether crate training an adult dog is even possible, we have good news for you! With patience and a plan, almost every dog can be taught to love his crate.

Crates are widely used to house train puppies, but when you adopt a new older dog, it’s often a game of trial-and-error to find out if he’s house trained already or even whether he’ll eat your couch when you’re not home.

A crate can keep him safe and out of trouble when you can’t be watching until you have determined that he’s well-behaved enough to have more freedom when alone.

Some dogs with a mild case of separation anxiety can feel more secure in a crate, although with severe separation anxiety issues, crates can make the problem worse.

See a qualified behaviorist if your dog is showing signs of frantic or extremely anxious behavior when you aren’t around.

But there other reasons to crate train an older dog, even if they already have excellent house manners.

Why Even Bother? My Dog Is Great in the House.

A crate, used wisely, is a terrific tool for house training, controlling destructive behaviors and teaching manners. But there are even more important reasons to teach your dog to be comfortable and relaxed in a crate.

Hre they are…

A crate is a safe way to travel with your dog in the car. Many states have laws requiring you to restrain your dog while a car is moving so he can’t interfere with the driver.

It’s also a good way to keep him safe from being thrown around when you hit the brakes.

For large dogs, you might need a station wagon or larger SUV to hold the size of the crate you need, so a car crate isn’t always an option. You can hook smaller dog crates onto the seat with a seatbelt.

If you need to board him, crate training may be required. Many kennels will need your adult dog to be comfortable in a crate if you want to leave them for an extended stay.

Hotels and motels may insist on having your dog crated too. This requirement is a reasonable request to help keep their rooms free from damage if you leave your dog alone.

While visiting friends or family, you may need to confine him safely. Parties can stress your dog out, especially an older dog, and being able to take his den with you and put it in a quiet room can help keep your dog calmer.

For that matter, crating your older dog during a party at your own home is perfect if the commotion is too much for him.

Air travel means an extended stay in a crate. Traveling by air can’t be anything but a traumatic experience for an animal, but if he’s already learned to be comfortable in his crate, it won’t be quite as frightening.

Many times a dog will have to be crated after an operation or injury, sometimes for an extended period. If he already loves being in the crate, he’ll adapt much faster, possibly shortening his recovery time.

You may have noticed that the above list requires that your dog already knows how to relax and be at home in his crate. If you haven’t taken care of it before you need it, you’re too late. So let’s see about getting it done now!

What Are the Special Challenges in Crate Training an Older Dog?

Since an older dog has a history, either with you or with other homes, he’s more likely to be resistant to the idea of being confined if it is new to him. He may fuss, and you might hear your dog barking and whining in the crate at night.

In addition to being more set in his routine, a newly adopted adult dog can come with baggage about being crated: he may have been over-crated (almost all the time), or prior owners punished him in a crate. As a result, he may refuse to enter a crate, even for his favorite treats or toys.

If you have a dog who is comfortable going in and out of the crate and you want to teach him to relax and stay inside longer, check out our basic crate training article. The process is the same for older dogs and puppies if the dog has no serious resistance to the crate.

If things are a bit more challenging for your older dog, here is a step-by-step plan to help make it easier for him to accept going into the crate.

Once he’s confidently going in and out, it’s time to play games and do some training to help him feel great going inside and staying there.

Before we’ll jump the exact process, we need to make some preparations.

3 Things to Do Before You Start Crating

#1 Buy the correct-sized crate

To figure out the appropriate crate size for your dog, allow for him to be able to stand up and turn around comfortably. He shouldn’t have too much extra room, or you’ll lose the feeling of being in a den-like area.

The good news is you don’t need to change crates as would you do with the puppy, as your dog is already reached his maximum size.

A couple of toys (ones you are confident he can’t chew up or break into pieces) and some bedding will help to make it feel comfy.

Don’t include food or water bowls, but be sure he gets plenty of water when he’s out of the crate.

If your dog likes to rip things up, you may not be able to put soft bedding with him.

#2 Choose the right type of crate

There are 4 basic types of crates available:

• Soft-sided crates
• Wire crates
• Furniture crates
• Plastic airline crates

Soft-sided crates are easy for an anxious dog to rip up, so we don’t recommend them for the initial training.

Later this may be a good option for a dog who doesn’t chew much, especially a smaller dog. Soft crates are easy to carry with your dog inside and can fold up for compact storage.

Wire crates are a decent choice, but since they are open and less den-like, they’re not our first choice for crate training an adult dog who’s having difficulties.

These are not easy to carry while a dog is inside, but they do fold up into a compact package for transporting or storage.

Furniture crate – is a new trend in crates, which combines an end table with a crate.

If your dog is the right size for it, this kind of crate saves space and is less noticeable in your home. They could be pricey, though.

Obviously, a furniture crate won’t work if you need to move it around.

Hard plastic airline-approved crates are an excellent choice when struggling to get your older dog to accept crating.

They have a more den-like feel that can provide more of a sense of security, and the ability to remove the top section helps with crate training dogs that have a deep-seated resistance to going inside a crate.

#3 Choose the right spot for the crate

Most of the time it’s a good idea to keep your adult dog’s crate in an area of the home where the people hang out.

If he’s locked away from the social activities of the family, he may feel left out and be more likely to bark or whine in the crate.

Exceptions to this are when he’s not feeling well, he’s stressed by strangers in the house, there are too many children around, or you’re hosting a party. These are situations where a quiet room can help him to relax.

Now when you have your crate setup, let’s move to the initial crating

4 Step Process for Crating Your Adult Dog

STEP 1 – Getting him comfortable going in and out of his crate

Take off the door or secure it open with a clip or bungee cord.

Then toss some treats in and see if your dog will follow them in to get them. It’s likely he will be a little wary about going in at first, so put the treats just inside the doorway of the crate.

If it’s easy

• Keep throwing treats in, a little farther back each time.
• Put your dog’s favorite toys (or new ones) inside and let him get them.
• Continue to have him going in and out for several days before moving on to Step 2.

If it’s not easy

• Move his bed and toys next to the crate, so he gets used to being near it.
• Spend more time with treats near the door if he will put some of his body inside.
• Only gradually move the treats back farther.
• Try using real meat or cheese to tempt him.
• Once he’s going in and out comfortably, go to Step 2.

If he won’t go in at all

• Take the top off of the crate (or use the pan if using a wire crate).
• Repeat the above process with treats and toys in the open crate bottom.
• Take as long as you need to get your dog to feel safe with it.
• Once he feels safe getting treats and toys, begin to feed him his meals inside the open bottom.
• Only when he is readily going into the open crate will you try it again with the top on.
• At this point, go back to the beginning with treats and toys.

Keep in mind that this step might take several days, even weeks, depending on your dog and his history with crates.

Be patient – if you rush this step, you risk undoing any good feelings he has developed along the way.

STEP 2 – Starting interact with him inside

1. Feed him his meals inside his crate.
2. Play Crate Manners Games (see below for instructions).
3. Give him all of his treats and toys in the crate to help him associate the crate with all of the things he likes best.
4. Once he seems quite comfortable eating his meals in the crate and playing the Crate Manners Games, you can move on to Step 3.

STEP 3 – Starting to close the door

• While he’s eating, close the door for a few seconds.
• Hand him a yummy treat or piece of real meat or cheese through the wires.
• Open the door (stay at the crate).
• Repeat this process during meals for a day or two.

STEP 4 – Closing and leaving him alone

• Close the crate door while he’s eating a treat inside and walk away for a couple of seconds.
• Quickly return, give him a treat through the bars, and walk away again for a couple of seconds.
• Quickly return and let him out (see Crate Manners Games below for teaching him to come out politely).
• Repeat these steps several times a day.
• Gradually begin to increase the time you are closing him in.

NOTE: If he starts barking or crying, don’t let him out. Wait for at least a tiny break in the noise before opening the door. Ignore him and treat him as if he’s invisible – he needs to understand that this strategy simply will not work. If you even look at him or talk to him, he’s getting some attention, so IGNORE HIM!

Be sure to check out our basic crate training article for some other suggestions.

Crate Manners Games

Crate Manners Games combine the benefits of making being in the crate rewarding with teaching a command to get your dog to go in and out when you tell him! And it’s a lot of fun for both of you.

This process works to crate train both adult dogs and puppies.

Part 1 – Running into the crate on command and staying in with the door open

1. Toss a treat into the back of the crate, saying a cue like “Kennel Up!” or “Crate!” in a happy voice.
2. While he’s eating the treat (before he comes out), throw another into the back of the crate.
3. Repeat the above step until he’s staying inside, waiting for you to throw another treat.
4. After a few times of this, say “Okay!” and encourage him to come out.
5. Repeat the entire process for several treats.
6. Make this a fun game, and he should soon run back in to do it again!

Note: if he doesn’t chase the first treat into the crate, you are trying this too soon. Go back to the steps on getting your dog to go into the crate comfortably before trying again.

Part 2 – Staying in the crate with the door shut and you standing near the door

1. Send your dog into the crate with your new command. If he isn’t going in on command yet, keep playing Part 1 until he does.
2. Toss in the treat AFTER he goes in on command, and close the door while he’s eating.
3. Quickly toss another treat to him through the door.
4. Repeat this a few times, but stay near the crate – don’t walk away yet.
5. After you’ve done this a few times, if he’s sitting, open the gate saying “Okay!” and let him out.

Part 3 – Staying in the crate with the door shut and you moving away a bit

1. Play the same way as Part 2; only this time step a bit away from the crate in between treats.
2. Gradually build up a little time before coming back (a little time meaning a few seconds, not minutes, please!)

Part 4 – Staying in a sit while you open the door, and coming out on command

1. Play Part 3, but when you come back to open the door, wait for him to sit (or lie down) inside the crate. You don’t need to ask him, just wait.
2. When he sits, put your hand on the latch.
3. If he gets up, take your hand away.
4. If not, start to open the door.
5. If he gets up now, close it and take your hand away.
6. Always wait for him to sit back down before starting the process over.
7. When you get to the point where you can open the crate door just a bit and he doesn’t get up, say “Okay!” and open the door all the way to let him out.
8. Gradually open the door farther before releasing him with the “Okay!”.
9. If he gets up when you are opening the door, quickly close it again.

Your dog is all about efficiency. When he realizes he gets out faster when he sits than when he tries to push out, he will start cooperating happily.

Bonus tip: you can use this same process to teach your older dog not to bolt out the front door – just be sure he’s on the leash when working on it just in case he gets out when you’re not ready. Safety first!

And here’s a great video showing the process of teaching your dog to be calm going in and out of the crate.

5 Common Mistakes When Crating an Older Dog

1. Not taking the time to let the dog get comfortable in and around his crate: your dog will let you know when he’s ready to move on in the process by how happy he looks.
2. Pushing him into the crate: doing this will set you back and make him afraid of being put in. Unless you have absolutely no alternative, don’t push him in.
3. Using the crate as a punishment: if you’re angry when you send him into it, he’ll become afraid of the crate, the opposite of what you want. Your emotional vibe should be happy or, at the very least, neutral when crating him.
4. Crating for too long: never crate a dog more than four hours without a break for potty, exercise, water, and companionship, and even shorter for a puppy or an elderly dog.
5. Letting him out when he’s barking or whining: he has to learn that making noise or being obnoxious doesn’t work, but being quiet can work. Don’t look or talk to him if he’s fussing.

And while a crate makes a great “time-out” place for an adult dog or puppy, if you haven’t gone through the process of making it a safe and comfortable spot, it’s punishment even if you don’t yell at him.

A “time-out” is for calming down an over-excited dog, or carefully teaching him that his behavior isn’t acceptable if he wants to be with you, but you can quickly undo any good work you’ve done by misusing the crate.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you will see your older dog gradually getting more comfortable with the idea of being confined in a crate. Take it slowly and move at his pace – you’ll be able to see by observing his body language how he’s doing.

Be sure to use the crate correctly. Keeping your dog locked in a crate for most of the day and all night will create a whole new set of problems for you. It’s not reasonable to confine an intelligent, social, active animal in that way.

If you must crate him all day, you should hire someone to come in at least once every 3 or 4 hours.

A potty break and much-needed exercise and companionship will go a long way toward keeping your dog happy and healthy. And be sure to give your dog plenty of attention when you are home!

Before you can start using your crate for training, you need to know what to put in it to make it a comfortable, welcoming place where your dog will enjoy spending time.

This article will look at what should and shouldn’t be allowed in the crate to keep your dog as safe and comfortable as possible.

Keep reading to find out the dos and the don’ts!

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Any dog can learn how to maintain a clean house by eliminating outside, if you know how to potty train a puppy correctly.

This article is the Ultimate Guide for Potty Training Puppies and presents all you have to know about the FASTEST METHOD to toilet train your dog.

The main trick is to reward your puppy every time she eliminates in the right place.
Whenever she eliminates outside her toilet area, you’ve missed a chance for a potty training session.

Definition of Potty Training

You can call it house training, housebreaking, potty training, or you can use a term of your own. Basically, it’s just teaching your dog to control her bladder when she’s inside and eliminate in a specific area.

The Most Effective Ways to Potty Train a Puppy

According to Dr. Mary Burch, Ph.D., director of the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy programs, you can use three methods for potty training a dog:

• Crate training;
• Frequent trips outside;
• Paper training.

The success of any of these methods depends on the same four things. No matter what road you decide to take, you need to pay attention to these four details:

1. Provide your dog with the correct diet. Healthy meals help your dog’s digestion, so your dog will eliminate regularly.
2. Maintain a regular schedule for feeding and going out. Dogs learn faster if you keep an organized schedule. Furthermore, regular activities will help you prevent unpleasant incidents.
3. Encourage your dog to exercise. Through exercise, your dog stays healthy and burns off the extra energy that makes her agitated. A calm puppy responds better to your commands.
4. Use positive reinforcement by rewarding your dog every time she eliminates in the correct area. So your pup gets the idea that “Potty in right place” = “Treat”.

Before you start dog potty training, choose an easy to access toilet for your pet. If you live in an apartment on the third floor, for example, you’d better organize a corner inside your bathroom or a pen as your dog’s primary toilet area.

Things are easier when you live in a house with fast outdoor access because you can designate your dog’s toilet area somewhere close to your home, but still outside the house. You’ll need a pen anyway, but it’s always better when your dog learns from the beginning that her toilet area is not inside.

Why Crate Is One of the Best Potty Training Tools

Crate training is the best way to potty train a puppy because it uses the dog’s “den instinct” as a starting point. Normally, dogs don’t soil their dens and most puppies learn this right from their first days.

When they are very young, they eliminate in the sleeping area and their mother always cleans both them and the place where they live, so puppies learn to sleep in a clean spot.

Growing, they start imitating their mother’s behavior and go outside the den, so it’s in dogs’ nature to learn at an early age (2-4 months) not to eliminate where they sleep.

By confining your dog and by providing her frequent access to an external area for eliminating, you will satisfy your puppy’s natural need for home and safety and help her maintain her “den instinct”. This generates the desire of keeping the sleeping area clean.

The confined area can be an exercise pen, a large crate, a restricted area in the bathroom, or any other space that works well for you.

Keeping the dog confined when you can’t watch her over is not cruel, as some people might think. In fact, teaching a dog to stay inside the crate is helpful, especially when you travel and when she needs to remain locked up for safety reasons.

For the method to work, you must pay attention to your puppy’s needs and give her access to an area where she can eliminate every time she scratches and whines.

If you miss these signals, the dog will understand it’s ok to soil the crate and the housebreaking your puppy will become longer and more difficult.

How to Choose a Crate?

A crate has the right dimensions if, once inside, your dog can turn around, lay down and stand up without difficulty. However, you don’t want it to be too large, because this will allow the dog to set herself a space for sleeping and one for soiling.

She’ll eliminate in one of the corners and then she’ll get into the bad habit of spreading the dirt. If your dog learns to live in a dirty home, she’ll have no problem soiling your entire house.

Invest in a quality cage that can withstand all your puppy’s physical changes. So, get one large enough to fit your dog when she grows up, and ask for a divider or panel to delimit the living area, to make it fit your puppy’s current small dimensions.

Get a crate that you can clean easily, as you’ll have to wash it and sanitize it often. Wire crates, for example, are reliable, allow you to have a full view of the dog and some models can even be folded, so they’re also easy to transport.

House Training When You ARE Home

When housebreaking a puppy, you should watch her as long as possible and take her to the designated toilet area regularly. She’ll learn faster if you reward her more often, so spend a lot of time with your dog and take her out whenever she shows signs that she’s ready to eliminate.

Some typical signs that your dog needs to go out are:

• Sniffing around
• Squatting
• Circling
• Barking
• Restlessness
• Whining inside the crate
• Going close to the door.

However, all dogs have different signals, especially when it comes to number 1, so you should observe her carefully to learn her habits and be able to step in at the right time.

After going out, when she has an empty bladder, you can quit on the crate and leave her outside the confined area. However, you should continuously watch over her to catch the next moment she needs to go out, so make sure your dog is always close to you.

Use the leash to have permanent control over the places your puppy explores. If you have your dog literally attached to you, she won’t have a chance to hide and eliminate without you noticing it.

Keep the leash when you’re in the yard, too. Puppies need attention all the time, especially if you want to take advantage of any opportunity for housetraining.

If you can’t keep your eyes on her for any reason, don’t leave the puppy by herself outside her confined area, even if you are at home. Until she’s potty trained, you will either need to watch your puppy all the time or keep her in the pen.

Keep the puppy away from rugs or carpets. These objects are inviting for her, because they are soft and absorbent, perfect to pee on.

Why to Keep a Schedule

A regular schedule, based on your puppy’s habits, will help her learn faster. Take your puppy out periodically, every 30-45 minutes at an early age, and moving gradually to every two hours as she grows.

Use the following list of specific moments when your puppy normally eliminates to organize your schedule better. Take her out after each of these activities and, as always, praise and reward her for eliminating in the correct area.

1. When she wakes up: first thing in the morning (before feeding) and after her naps during the day
2. After eating. Some dogs eliminate right after eating, while others need up to 30 minutes before they’re ready to poop.
3. After drinking. You can control your dog’s water intake by periodically checking her bowl.
4. Before going to bed at night.
5. After she has spent some time in the crate.
6. When she’s finished playing and exercising.

Regular meals will help you potty train your puppy faster because they generate fixed hours for going out. So, give her food at the same hour, in the same location every day and, unless a veterinarian has advised you to do so, never free-feed. Try not to feed too late in the evening because it causes defecating during the night, which is no fun for you or your puppy.

Always provide your puppy with the best food, whether it’s kibbles or homemade products. Examine stools periodically and, if they’re loose or stinky, talk to your vet and change the puppy’s diet.

Avoid feeding any salty foods. They increase water intake, which means your puppy will urinate more often and you won’t be able to respect the schedule.

Overfeeding makes puppy potty training more difficult. Specialists advise dividing the food into three daily meals for young dogs because their digestive systems are not mature enough to handle all food in one single meal.

Before going to bed, you need to take your puppy to her primary toilet area. Praise and reward her after eliminating, then put her in her crate and go to bed.

During the night, if your dog whines because she needs to go out, you must release her from the crate and take her to the toilet.

Verbal Cues

Potty training a puppy works better if you associate a verbal cue with the moment when the puppy should go out. You can choose any word, such as “Outside”, “Do It”, or “Potty”, as long as all family members use the same command. It’s important to remember that this verbal signal serves for one activity only.

If you take your puppy out for any reason, other than eliminating, you should use a different verbal cue, to avoid confusion.

Using words will encourage your puppy associate your command with eliminating. This is important because it will make her to come to you when she wants to go out, instead of barking or waiting in front of your door to be let outside.

Paper Training or Passive House Training When You’re NOT Home

There comes a time when you have to leave your puppy home alone and you need a reliable method to continue potty training when you’re not around.

You can’t leave your small dog locked up for more than four-five hours a day. So, if you spend most time outside, you should choose an adult dog that can wait for longer periods before eliminating, or find a person to walk your puppy regularly.

There’s also the third option of training your puppy to eliminate in a fixed place indoors, but it’s less recommended, mostly because it encourages the puppy to eliminate inside. Furthermore, a very small percentage of dogs are able to go through this training process with good results. So, if you choose to use this path, you should know there’s a high possibility your puppy never learns to keep a clean house and you’ll have to teach her, at an older age, to eliminate outside. This means more work and additional stress for both you and your puppy.

Paper training generally works with very young dogs, whose breeders have used paper to start basic housebreaking training. So, unless you have some clues your puppy meets these requirements, it’s better to quit on the idea and hire a dog sitter to help you with outside training.

However, if you have no choice, then prepare yourself with patience and papers, and praise her every time she makes progress. Reinforcing is essential, and so are a rigid schedule and your ability to remain focused on your puppy’s needs.

Any mistake you make can confuse your puppy and she’ll end by soiling your home more and more often.

If you’re paper training your puppy, then you should have a dog pen where to confine her during training sessions. The pen is large enough to have separated areas for sleeping, playing and eliminating, which is exactly what you’re looking for if you plan to teach your puppy to eliminate in a specific angle.

Step 1: Prepare your dog’s confined area by covering the entire pen’s floor with papers.

Don’t worry if, at the beginning, she goes everywhere without rules. This is normal behavior, and so is playing with the dirty papers or chewing on them. Remove all used papers, clean the surface and cover it back with a few layers of fresh paper.

Step 2: Reduce the papered surface.

With time, the puppy will always use the same place to eliminate. When all other papers are clean, gradually reduce the covered area, starting from the opposite corner to the dirty one. If you move too fast, your dog will make mistakes. If that happens, you must go back to the previous step, when the papered area was larger. Remember that your dog needs to have separate areas for sleeping, playing and eliminating.

Step 3: Move the papers into the location you choose.

Once your dog has learned to eliminate in the same spot, modify the papers’ position by just a few inches every day, as sudden changes could provoke a negative response that will force you to have to start the training over.

Step 4: Move the papers outside.

Paper training isn’t the best way to potty train a puppy, but it proves itself helpful sometimes. Once the puppy has developed the habit of eliminating on paper, move the papers closer to the door and add some outside the house too. As the puppy grows, she will learn to eliminate outside and will quit using the papers indoors.

You can substitute papers with treated or wee-wee pads. They have a particular smell that shows the puppy where the right place to eliminate is.

Some specialists recommend using a sod box instead of papers, to avoid the unpleasant situation where your puppy learns to soil any newspaper lying around your home. You can buy one from the pet store or do it yourself by placing sod in a container.

How to Choose an Exercise Pen?

If you prefer to substitute the crate with an exercise pen, then you should be sure it’s tall enough to prevent your dog from jumping out of it.

Place the pen in the area where you spend most of your time, so that you can watch over your puppy more easily. Organize the spaces inside with a corner for sleeping, one for playing, a separate spot for water, and a specific toilet area, not very close to the entrance, covered with paper or tarp. Toys should stay as far as possible from the spot chosen for eliminating.

Watch your dog without staring at her and, after she has used the correct toilet area, reward her and release her from the pen. This way, your puppy learns that “Potty in the correct area” = “Treat” = “Freedom”.

When to Begin House Training a Puppy

The best age for potty training your puppy is between 12 and 16 weeks, when she starts gaining control over her bladder and bowel. However, experts say that training can start at earlier ages, as long as you carry your puppy to the designated toilet area yourself.

After the age of 12 weeks, puppy housebreaking can take longer, especially if your puppy has already developed some bad habits, such as eliminating inside her crate or even eating the waste.

How Long Does It Take to Potty Train a Puppy

It depends on how much time you spend with her; the more time you dedicate to housebreaking your puppy, the faster she will learn what you expect from her. Generally, housebreaking a dog takes between 4 and 6 months, but you can’t talk about a completely trained dog before the age of 6 months. So, no matter how well she’s doing, accidents can happen at any time.

Some factors that can influence potty training, besides your efforts, are:

• Breed and size. Smaller breeds need to go out more often because they have a high metabolism and small bladders.
• Previous behavior. Correcting inappropriate behavior requires more work than starting training from scratch.
• Age. Young puppies develop differently and some of them learn great manners from their first days, while others need to grow a little before getting things right.
• Training background. It’s easier to work with dogs whose breeders have already started some basic training.

How Often Do Puppies Have to Potty

As previously stated, a puppy needs to go out every 30-45 minutes, unless she’s sleeping. Experts say that the time a puppy can control her bladder is related to her age: a 2-month puppy can hold for 2 hours, a 4-month should be able to resist as long as 4 hours, and so on. When they sleep, dogs can go without urinating for as long as 7 hours.

However, this is just a guideline, as each puppy is unique and has different timings. You have to observe your dog’s rhythm in order to adapt your training methods to her individual needs.

Further reading

• How Often Do Puppies Poop and Pee?
• Why Does My Dog Poop So Much?

Giving Treats

Rewarding good behavior is the most important thing in dog potty training. So you should reward your puppy every time she eliminates in the correct area, indoor or outdoor. Adapt your praise to your dog’s preferences: some puppies prefer loud celebrations, while for others, your silent approval works just as well.

Use something your dog likes to eat as a reward to motivate her and help her learn faster. A treat can be a pea-size piece of her favorite homemade food or any of the special dog snacks you can find at the pet store, as long as it makes her happy and leaves her craving for more. However, you must pay attention to quantities and count all treats when you consider your puppy’s daily food intake, to prevent obesity.

The reward must arrive immediately after eliminating because dogs don’t have the ability to associate things that are separated in time. So, if you wait until you’re back inside to offer the treat, your puppy won’t understand what she’s being rewarded for. Keep treats somewhere close to the toilet area, to be sure that you can reward the puppy every time she eliminates.

Never rush your puppy when you’re taking her to eliminate and avoid using a loud tone for the verbal cue. These cause stress and can distract her from what she has to do, so she’ll stop eliminating to focus on you until she’s back inside.

What to Do When Accidents Happen

Accidents inside the house are normal when you’re potty training your puppy, especially if your dog is younger than 6 months.

The good news is you can minimize damage using some of these tricks:

1. If you catch your puppy in the act, interrupt her immediately. You can make a noise, such as saying “OUTSIDE” or “WRONG”, but pay attention not to scare her. Then carry your dog to the designated toilet area and allow her to finish. Always praise and reward her after she’s eliminated.
2. Don’t punish your puppy for accidents, whether you catch her in the act or not. Remember, dogs don’t associate things that have happened in different moments in time, so punishment for something that occurred in the past is completely useless. Furthermore, scolding your puppy could make her afraid of you or of eliminating when you’re around. This will considerably increase the training period. Physical corrections, the act of rubbing the puppy’s nose in the dirt, or leaving your puppy alone as punishment almost always bring bad results. In fact, punishments can affect your relationship with your dog throughout her entire life.
3. Clean the dirty areas extremely well. A zone that smells of urine or feces is going to be soiled again, as the scent signals to your puppy that it’s OK to pee there. As previously stated, you can place the dirty rag you used to clean messes within the correct toilet area, to help your puppy identify it easier. For cleaning, use some specific products, such as Nature’s Miracle, or any other similar enzymatic cleaner, made specifically for this task. Use the producer’s instructions to be sure you obtain a perfectly clean spot. Just because you don’t notice the smell of urine, doesn’t mean your puppy won’t. Avoid cleaning substances that contain ammonia, because their scent is similar to urine and sends the wrong signals to your puppy.

PATIENCE and DEDICATION are keywords when it comes to reducing the number of accidents. Supervise your puppy and keep her in a confined area to give her fewer opportunities to soil around the house. And, whenever she goes in the wrong place, clean up as quickly as possible, without making too big a deal out of it.

What to Do When Your Dog Is Soiling Her Crate

Many dogs who have lived in pet stores or shelters tend to eliminate inside their crates, mostly because they have lived in a confined area for long periods, without access to a separate toilet.

When you’re potty training this type of puppy, you’ll need to adapt the method, using the following steps:

Step 1: Try to evaluate how long your puppy can control her bladder and bowel when she’s outside the crate. This will help you understand better how to toilet train your dog using the right potty training program.

Step 2: Organize a consistent feeding schedule, paying attention to the quality of the food you’re providing.

Step 3: Give her access to the toilet area frequently, using a rigorous timetable. Take into consideration all indications from the subtopic “Why to Keep a Schedule”.

Step 4: If you can’t respect the timetable because you work outside your home, hire a dog walker or find someone you trust to take your puppy out according to schedule.

Step 5: After every accident, clean the crate and any other soiled area until there is no odor left.

What to Do If Your Pup Is Not Able to Hold on Until She’s In the Toilet Area

If your puppy can’t hold on as long as you need to arrive at the toilet, you’ll have a missed training opportunity. Whereas making it on time gives you the chance to reward and praise your puppy.

To avoid such situations, some dog trainers advise dog owners to carry their puppies to the toilet. By picking your puppy up in your arms and taking her to the toilet area in time, you can avoid accidents caused by the fact that the puppy is too young to control her bladder well enough.

You can use this technique every time your puppy needs to pee. It’s not recommended when she’s pooping because puppies don’t have the ability to interrupt this process and you’ll end up making a mess all over the place.

This method is helpful mostly when you’re training small puppies, under the age of 3 months. However, if your puppy is too large and you can’t pick her up, use a leash and hurry her to the toilet area without any stops.

If the toilet area is outside, make sure you use a collar and leash when going out. Never let your puppy lose outside the house unless your yard is closed and pet-proofed.

Spontaneous or Submissive Urination

Sometimes, puppies need to go out when they are over-excited about something. It’s what veterinarians call submissive or excitement urination. It generally happens in “special” moments, such as when you two meet after your long absence when your puppy comes close to another dog, or when she is afraid of something.

You shouldn’t punish your puppy when it occurs, because she doesn’t have any control over her bladder during such moments, and punishment will only make things worse. So, if your puppy urinates spontaneously when you arrive, it’s better if you first take her out to eliminate and then greet her.

Generally, this problem disappears with time, when the puppy is between 4 and 7 months.

Further Reading

• My Dog Pees when Excited – What Do I Do?
• Excitement Urination

Setbacks

They generally occur when you quit puppy potty training too soon. Even if your dog seems completely trained, you need to wait before letting her free and unwatched. So leaving her home alone and free to explore the entire house is out of the question.

You should stick to the schedule for some time, as too much freedom can make your puppy go back to her old habits.

Main Rules When Potty Training a Puppy (Summary)

1. Keep a regular schedule for all your puppy’s activities:

• Feeding. Generally, what goes in regularly will come out at consistent times. This will help your dog learn faster and will allow you to have a more flexible schedule.
• Going outside. If you can’t remember her schedule easily, a diary is a practical tool to keep track of your puppy’s next time to go out.
• Removing the dog’s water bowl two hours before bedtime. This can reduce the chances of your puppy needing to go out during the night.

2. Be consistent when you interact with your puppy

• Always reward and praise your puppy for going in the correct place; special treats work best.
• Use the same verbal cue every time your puppy has eliminated, to avoid confusion.
• Maintain a cheery voice when you encourage your dog. If you can’t control your tone, quit on the verbal cue.

3. When you keep your puppy locked up for a long time, the first thing you should do when you get back to her is taking her outside to eliminate.

Common errors

1. You expect too much from your puppy from the beginning

This includes:

• hoping your puppy will go through the night without eliminating;
• waiting for her to ask to go out instead of providing access to the toilet area regularly;
• keeping the puppy in a confined area for too long

2. You punish your puppy

It has negative consequences, such as making training longer and more difficult. Your puppy will be scared of you and of eliminating in your presence, which is totally unacceptable when potty training dogs, as you need to be there when she eliminates to reward her.

3. You don’t pay attention to your pup’s diet

Too much food or bad nutrition will cause your dog to go irregularly and prevent you from keeping a consistent schedule. So, try to avoid:

• Overfeeding,
• Free feeding,
• Inappropriate diet.

4. You leave your puppy on her own

This is wrong mostly because:

• A puppy that can go outside whenever she wants won’t learn to eliminate outdoors because you won’t be there to reward her good behavior.
• If the yard is always available, it will be the puppy’s playground rather than the place where she should eliminate.
• When the weather is cold you have to limit her access outside and she’ll eliminate without rules inside.

Under these conditions, teaching your puppy to remain quiet for long periods is necessary if you’re planning to keep the dog in your family.

Yes, it’s possible to control dog barking with patience and, in specific situations, a little professional help.

The fact is that it’s in every dog’s nature to bark.

It’s only their natural way of communicating with the world around them. For centuries, dogs have been warning their families about possible dangers and strangers trespassing, through barking, and owners have been praising and rewarding them for being good guardians.

Now that most dogs no longer have to fulfill the mission of protecting the family house, the noise can easily become an unpleasant problem. A bark every now and then is natural, but extreme dog barking can force even the most patient of pet owners to get rid of their ear-splitting puppy.

How to stop your dog from barking excessively? Learn to understand what she wants to communicate and fix the problem. Then train your dog to remain quiet on command. It takes time and a lot of practice, but the good news is that most barking dogs respond to training and you can easily regain control over the situation.

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Dogs bark to express fear, pain, threat or boredom, but barking can also be a sign of joy or excitement. Generally, it’s easy to tell the difference once you learn how to listen to your dog.

According to specialists, the most common reasons dogs bark are:

• Fear. You know your dog is afraid if she keeps her ears back and her tail low between her back legs. Barks caused by fear can happen when she hears loud noises, such as thunder or fireworks and sometimes when she feels the presence of strangers or other animals nearby.
• Attention. Dogs use this type of bark to tell you they’re hungry, thirsty, cold, or hot. They also do it when they need to go outside to eliminate.
• Boredom and loneliness. A lonely dog gets bored and is unhappy, so if you leave your puppy all by herself for too long, she will start barking. In fact, excessive barking is often the result of loneliness.
• Territoriality. It’s natural for dogs to threaten anyone who comes too close to their home. This type of barking includes an aggressive look, which becomes more obvious as the person or animal gets closer to your house.
• Play. In this case, she generally wags her tail and wants to greet you or another member of the family.
• Separation Anxiety. This specific situation includes more signs, such as destructive behavior, depression, and irregular elimination.

How to Stop a Dog from Barking

In most cases, the ongoing barking is just a symptom, so the best way to solve the issue is identifying the problem that’s causing your dog’s bad behavior and eliminating it.

To understand your dog’s reasons, you need to determine:

• The moments when your dog barks;
• The places where she barks;
• The people, animals, or objects that cause this specific response;
• The type of barking you hear.

0. General Rules

Different causes call for separate solutions against dog barking. However, in all situations, you have to respect the same principles to be sure you obtain good results.

1. Any type of response will make your dog bark again. Whether you react positively or negatively to your puppy’s noise, she gets what she wants: your attention. Many dog owners try to ignore the dog for a minute or two, but they end up responding anyway. This is wrong because what the dog understands is the fact that she needs to work harder and bark excessively to get what she wants. So, try not to respond to her barking at all. Wait until she’s quiet for 2-3 seconds and then praise her for the good behavior.
2. Never yell or shout when your dog’s barking. She’ll see it as a positive response because it sounds as if you’re barking back. Your dog won’t stop barking, as long as she’s happy because you’re joining her.
3. Use positive reinforcement only. Rewarding your puppy when she’s good has better results than any physical punishment. There’s no need for violence when training dogs.
4. Remain consistent. You can’t allow your puppy to bark sometimes and then stop her when you need silence. This can cause confusion and your dog won’t understand what she’s doing wrong. Always react in the same way and advise all family members to act in a similar way whenever she’s barking, so your dog understands the message and learns to control her instincts.
5. Pick a command and teach her what it means. Dogs don’t understand your language, so just because you tell her “No”, “Quiet”, or “Enough”, doesn’t mean she gets the message. You must choose one word only and teach her its meaning through obedience training.
6. Be patient. Barking dogs need time to learn to control their habit. Organize training sessions with care and pay attention to all details. Don’t hurry and, most important, don’t get angry, because you’ll make things worse instead of solving the problem.
7. Ask an expert. Changing behavior requires time and energy. If your dog doesn’t respond well to your training sessions, then you should get professional help. Every dog has a unique personality and sometimes applying general rules won’t work. Special dogs need special training tricks, so ask a behaviorist, a trainer or a veterinarian for some personalized advice.

1. When She Defends Her Territory

Your dog develops the habit of barking at passengers outside the house, bikers, or cars, mostly because something permanently reinforces her action. For example, when a biker passes by, your puppy starts barking. After a while, the biker disappears and she believes that this is the effect of her barking. She’s got what she wanted and she’ll continue doing it.

So, the first thing to do is restrict what the puppy sees and hears. You can either keep her away from the windows and the entrance door or cover the windows that have a street view. In both cases, this first step should limit your dog’s reactions.

Then you must teach your puppy to respond to your commands. Once the dog has warned you about the arrival of a stranger, you must command her to stay quiet, so she knows that you’re in control of the situation and that she needs to stop barking.

2. When She’s Scared

Fear is a common cause of barking and most dogs that are afraid of people or objects need special attention to learn how to control their instincts.

Most of the time, fear is just a characteristic of your pet’s temperament. Not all dogs are alike, and some of them get scared easier than others. However, fear can also come from a bad experience in the puppy’s past, or from the lack of socialization, so you should take things slowly and don’t push your dog’s limits too far.

Generally, dogs are scared of a limited number of things. It can be anything, from a person, an animal, an object in your house, an activity you do, or even a specific place or odor. In all cases, you need to identify what scares your dog and teach her to handle the situation.

Experts call it desensitizing your dog to the stimulus. In simple terms, you should help your puppy to get used to whatever scares her so badly that she barks continuously.

It’s not an easy job, but you can obtain good results following the following steps:

Step 1: Recreate the situation that scares your puppy at a time when you’re in charge. Choose a moment when your puppy is relaxed and hungry, so you can motivate her with some tasty treats. If your puppy feels safe on her leash, then don’t be afraid to use it.

For example, if she’s afraid of another dog, arrange for a friend to bring a dog nearby. Keep the second pet far enough to avoid her barking at your puppy.

Step 2: Far away from the thing that agitates your dog, start praising her and offer her some treats. Don’t feel discouraged if, during the first 3 or 4 training sessions, she’s busier barking than taking the food. If you repeat this exercise several times and she’s hungry enough, the barking will stop, as she’ll give in to temptation.

In the example, keep your dog busy with treats while your friend passes by with the other pet. Be sure to keep a far enough distance between the two animals, to allow your dog to feel safe.

Step 3: When the stimulus is gone, stop the treats.

Step 4: Repeat the operation several times.

Step 5: As you feel your dog getting more and more relaxed, you can start reducing the distance between the two pets. However, don’t rush things. Give your puppy some time to get used to the new things she’s learned before moving on to this step.

Further reading

• Dogs and Thunderstorms

3. When She’s Bored

All dogs need physical and mental stimulation to stay healthy, so not meeting your puppy’s basic needs will lead to bad behavior. If your puppy is bored or lonely, then you should find a way to give her more attention to get her to stop barking.

If she spends too much time in the yard, by herself, maybe it’s time to bring her inside where she can feel like part of the family. Dogs are pack animals; they need to bond to be happy. Leaving her alone will make her develop separation anxiety, one of the main causes of excessive barking.

If you spend all day working away from home, hire someone to walk her and play with her for a couple of hours. Tired dogs don’t bark, so let her burn off her extra energy through exercising and you won’t have to deal with the problem anymore. If you can’t find a dog walker in your area, try a dog daycare.

When you’re out for a few hours, leave some special food-dispensing toys to keep her busy for the time you’re not around. Most puppies go to sleep after playing and having some treats from toys, so she’ll have no time left for barking or crying.

4. When She’s Seeking Your Attention

When your puppy barks to let you know she needs your attention, you must never respond immediately or she’ll continue barking every time she needs something.

Also known as demand barking, this action generally happens because it works. You’ve responded to your dog’s bark in the past and she’s learned how to take advantage of the situation. Remember that even a negative response is still a response. Maybe not the type of response your puppy expects, but it’s still something that stimulates her to carry on barking.

When your dog barks, leave the room and wait until she calms down. Then call her to you, praise her and reward the good behavior.

If your dog barks because she’s hungry or thirsty, wait a few minutes after she’s stopped barking before giving her food or water. To avoid this unpleasant situation in the first place, set fixed hours for her meals, so she doesn’t have to ask for food, and make sure she drinks enough water during the day.

When your dog barks because she needs to go outside, teach her to ask differently. One easy solution is to have a bell next to the door. If you ring the bell every time you take her outside to eliminate, she’ll learn to use the bell to let you know she needs to go potty.

If your dog barks just because she wants your attention, ignore her. It can be annoying, but any answer will make things worse. Generally, though, you can avoid this situation by spending some time with your dog every day, walking, playing, and exercising.

5. When You’re Playing

Dogs can get very excited when they’re playing, so barking is sometimes a natural way of telling you they’re happy. However, if you want to keep things under control, make sure you don’t encourage this behavior.

When your puppy starts barking, change the game with something that requires less activity, or even stop the game until she calms down.

Over time, train your puppy to respond to your commands and teach her to stop barking when you ask.

6. When She’s Greeting Someone

To stop your dog from barking every time she hears the doorbell you must change her behavior completely. Specialists advise pet owners to distract their dogs when someone is about to come in the house. You can use her favorite toy, for example, to keep her busy while your guests are arriving.

If this easy trick doesn’t work, you should teach your puppy to stay away from the door when she hears the doorbell.

Choose a place far away enough from the entrance, that still gives her enough visibility of the door and start training her following these steps:

Step 1: Call your puppy to the designated spot. When she arrives, give her some treats and praise her. Repeat this step about 10 times, in short training sessions.

Step 2: Start a new training session. After calling your puppy twice, ask a family member or a friend to ring the doorbell when you’re praising and rewarding your puppy. If she starts barking or leaves you to go to the door, wait until she calms down and restart the exercise. When she stays next to you, praise her and reward her. Repeat the exercise a few times during more training sessions.

Step 3: When your puppy’s learned to stay silent, ask the person who’s helping you to enter the house. If your puppy barks or leaves you to greet the guest, then you should both ignore her. Once she’s calm, redo the exercise until she remains with you in silence. Praise and reward her every time she’s not barking during the training sessions.

This process requires patience, especially if your puppy is already used to excessive barking when someone knocks at your door. Give her time to understand what’s expected from her and reward her for her progress, no matter how small.

7. When She Suffers from Separation Anxiety

If you think your puppy might be suffering from separation anxiety, you must ask for professional help. A specialist can prescribe medication depending on how bad the situation is, so choose someone with specific expertise in dealing with this kind of cases, such as a certified applied animal behaviorist, certified dog trainer, or a veterinary behaviorist.

Some possible causes of separation anxiety are:

• Separation from a family member;
• Loss of another pet;
• Environmental change, such as moving to a new home;
• Too much time alone.

How to Teach Your Dog the “Quiet” Command

Many of the situations described above require the “quiet” command as part of the solution to stop your dog barking. Teaching her to remain silent when you ask is less complicated than you might think. All you need are some good treats, always at hand, and enough time to spend with your dog.

Choose ONE verbal cue, such as “Quiet”, “Stop”, “Enough”, or “Silence”, and teach all family members to use the same word when they command her to remain silent.

Then start training sessions whenever you and your dog are in a good mood for teaching and learning. You can use the following method, for fast results:

1. When your dog starts barking for any reason, say the command only once. Then take a treat and put it close to your dog’s nose. Most puppies stop barking to smell it, so immediately after you have a second of silence praise her and give her the treat. If you’re not fast enough and she starts barking again, don’t give her the treat. Leave the room and wait for another opportunity.
2. Repeat the first step, as often as you can, until your puppy starts understanding that “being silent” = “delicious treats”.
3. Increase the period of silence. After you say the command, keep the treat close to your puppy’s nose for a few seconds (between 4 and 6) before releasing it. Give the treat only if your puppy manages to stay silent. Practice this exercise often and, as you go further on with the training, gradually add a few seconds to the waiting period.
4. Alternate long spans with shorter ones. Sometimes give her the treat after a few seconds, and sometimes let her wait for as long as 35-40 seconds. If you diversify the exercise instead of always using the same pattern, your puppy will stay silent for longer periods, waiting for your reaction.

How to Prevent Dog Barking

Prevention is easier than any treatment or training session, so instead of learning how to stop a dog from barking, you could try to block this behavior before it happens.

Here are some useful tricks when it comes to keeping your dog happy and in good shape, so she doesn’t develop bad behavior, such as excessive barking:

1. Keep Your Dog Tired

As you’ve already learned, too much energy can agitate your dog and make her bark excessively. That’s why you should include daily activities in your routine. Walk your dog at least 30 minutes every day and adapt all physical activities to her breed, size, and age.

Besides regular walks, introduce fun activities and games that will stimulate her mind. Dogs are intelligent animals and need to develop their abilities to grow happy and healthy. If you don’t have enough time to do everything by yourself, involve family members or hire a dog sitter.

Further Reading

• Beyond Fetch: Fun Games You Can Play With Your Dog
• 7 rainy day games to play with your dog

2. Control the Environment

You can avoid barks by keeping your dog away from things that disturb her and make her nervous. If you leave your puppy in a calm area of the house, then she won’t start barking once left alone.

Some easy ways to create a good environment for your dog are:

• Providing her with a clean crate, where she can feel safe. Add some of her favorite toys to keep her busy while you’re gone.
• Covering some of the crate’s walls, to limit your dog’s visibility outside. The fewer things that distract her, the lower the chances of her barking at something.
• Keeping her calm with classical music or special relaxing music for dogs. Some experts believe that this way you can reduce other irritating sounds that can cause your dog to bark.

3. Start Teaching Your Puppy What’s Expected from Her at an Early Age

Many bad habits start developing when your puppy is young and you let her do whatever she likes. So, if you teach your puppy some good manners right from the beginning, you’ll have fewer problems dealing with your adult dog.

Try to ignore your puppy’s whining. When you bring your new pet home, keep her crate in your bedroom, so she doesn’t sleep alone. This prevents separation anxiety and encourages the bond between you two. At the same time, it also reduces whining, which means she’s less likely to learn that barking can generate positive responses.

Teach her to interact with people and other animals at early ages. Socialization is very important for dogs, so show your puppy the world immediately after you’ve vaccinated her. If you’re able to control these first interactions, she’ll learn not to be afraid of strangers, or to bark at people and dogs when she’s outside.

Introduce her to objects that can cause fear. Many older dogs can’t handle noises made by many common objects around the house and this can cause excessive barking. So, when your puppy starts growing, gradually show her what each object around the house does. Let her sniff the vacuum cleaner, the hair drier, and any other objects that have the potential to scare her. Then, as she gets used to them, turn them on, to show her they’re harmless.

Start basic training around the age of two months. If she learns to listen to you and to follow your commands, you’ll avoid many of the bad habits developed by adult dogs, including barking.

What NOT to Do When Your Dog Is Barking

• Don’t encourage your dog to bark in any circumstance to avoid confusion. So, even if you find it useful when she announces the presence of a stranger, don’t reward her for doing it. Wait until she’s quiet to praise and give treats or other rewards.
• Don’t punish your dog. Physical punishments generally make things worse and can cause more behavioral problems, including aggression. Treating your dog badly will also make her afraid of you and you won’t be able to train her anymore.
• Don’t use a muzzle when you’re not watching her. It might seem like a good tool to keep a dog quiet, but inappropriate use can cause your dog pain. Remember that when wearing a muzzle, your dog can’t eat, drink or cool herself, so don’t overuse it.
• Don’t use anti-bark collars unless a certified professional trainer has told you to. And most probably, none of them will. These collars are forms of punishment, so you should think twice before using them. Remember that in order to stop your dog barking, you need to know what’s causing it and fix the problem. A collar doesn’t solve your issue because it can’t tell the reason why your dog is barking. As your dog can’t communicate with you, this punishment will only make her feel unsafe.
• Don’t choose the practice of debarking your dog. This surgical intervention involves removing tissue on either side of a dog’s larynx to keep her from barking. Many organizations want to outlaw this procedure because it’s painful and can cause serious complications, such as choking, breathing difficulties, and anxiety, as your dog won’t be able to communicate efficiently anymore.

When to Consult an Expert

Whenever you feel you don’t understand your dog’s behavior or when you suspect there’s something wrong with her, you should ask your veterinarian for help. A vet can check her physical condition, prescribe treatment when needed, and give you useful information about animal behaviorists or professional dog trainers qualified to work with your dog on her specific problems.

Some signs that your dog needs professional help are:

• Extreme separation anxiety: your dog starts barking immediately after you leave the house or, in some cases, when she sees that you’re getting ready to leave.
• Destructive behavior and barking: not only does she chew her toys, but also the furniture and your personal things.
• Excessive barking without any apparent reason: your dog barks in the absence of an obvious stimulus.
• Excessive fear: she is too scared to come close to you or your family.
• Growling: she is overprotective and tends to bark aggressively when you get too close to her things.

Conclusion

Dog barking can be annoying for you, your family and your neighbors, but there’s no need to quit on your puppy. Teach her to change her habit instead and enjoy all the good things that having a dog brings into your life.

How to stop your dog from barking? The first step is listening to what she’s trying to tell you and to solve the problem immediately. Then teach your puppy some basic training tricks. And remember that professional advice can make the difference sometimes.

We’re looking forward to learning some new and useful tricks from your stories, so please leave a comment. What do you usually do when your dog is barking and what works best in your case?