Archive for guides
March 13, 2009 at 4:15 pm · Show more about: guides, tips
Tip #2: Always provide positive reinforcement.
It is too easy to fall into the habit of saying “no” for bad behavior instead of saying “yes” to good behavior. In order to help train your dog, look for easy things he can do, like “sit” or “stay” or “lie down.” Practice these behaviors, and praise your dog for compliance. After he is able to do a few things, when he is misbehaving, you can tell him to perform a command. For example, if your dog likes to jump on people, you can tell him to “sit.” By giving him something to do, he will do that instead of the negative behavior. This way, you can break him of his bad habit.
See more Dog Guides and Dog Tips.
Show more about: guides, tips · Share on Facebook
February 3, 2009 at 11:10 am · Show more about: guides, tips
One of the most common reasons why dogs have problems is because they’re not getting enough exercise. You see, when you leave, your dog can’t read books, watch TV, or play video games. So, he gets bored and has no outlet for his energy. And, when your dog has lots of energy, he will look around for things to do. Those “things” he finds to do are what we consider “behavior problems.”
So, one of the best things you can do to correct problem behaviors is to make sure your dog gets lots of exercise. A tired dog is a good dog.
See more Dog Guides and Dog Tips.
Show more about: guides, tips · Share on Facebook
January 17, 2009 at 12:17 pm · Show more about: guides, Pug
I little while back, I asked what your most common pug problems were. I took those problems to Chet from The Dog Training Secret, and he responded, giving us a few tips for house training. Disclaimer: The Dog Training Secret is an Urban Pug sponsor.
Anyway, here’s what he has to say:
“Here are 3 quick Pug house training tips to have your pug stop peeing all over your home.
The first thing you need to understand about house training pugs is what’s actually going on inside your pug that’s causing the behavior. And then how to use a training & management program that quickly puts all those things back in check.
Here’s the most common reasons Pugs aren’t house trained yet:
1. Your Pug Isn’t Neutered – About 60% of Pug house training problems can be fixed by neutering your pug early in life, around 6-9 months. The older you let your pug get, the less likely neutering will help your problem.
2. Your Pug Has Too Much Unsupervised Access To Your Entire House – Most pugs won’t pee in their OWN territory, like their home. And it’s hard for pugs who are given access to your whole house early on, to ever realize it’s all theirs and they don’t need to mark it. Most successful pug house training routines first start by leaving unsupervised pugs in a crate, which they won’t eliminate in.
When your pug stays in his crate without peeing, then switch to putting him into a slightly larger area of your home that he seems to NEVER pee in. And continue to gradually enlarge the area of your pug’s environment until he stops marking in it. If he starts marking when you give him more space, you’re giving him too much space too quickly.
If you’d like a more detailed step-by-step action plan of how to do this with your pug, you can access a 60 minute step-by-step interview on how to do this inside my Hands Off Dog Training Program.
3. Your pug Doesn’t See YOU as a Leader of your Home – Most pugs who mark up their owners homes do so because of a dominance issue. And when you fix the dominance issue, the problem goes away. And you do NOT do this by YELLING, hitting, or punishing your pug.
Your pug learns to respect you as its leader in subtle ways. I recently did an interview with a Dominance expert on 15 subtle things dog owners accidently do to tell their dog’s they aren’t in control of their home. And I was shocked when he told me how things like letting your dog sleep in your bed at night, letting your dog walk through doors before you, and letting your dog bark when strangers come to the door, if allowed, are ways you’re telling your dog he’s the boss and not you.
And if you use training to regain control over your pug, the house training can go MUCH faster.
If you’ll follow these three guidelines, and also make sure you clean up any of your pug’s accidents with a cleanser specifically designed to eliminate pet urine odor, and NOT a normal household cleaning product, your pug’s house training will be MUCH more successful.
Hope this helps,
Chet Womach
TheDogTrainingSecret.com
Show more about: guides, Pug · Share on Facebook
April 12, 2008 at 10:30 am · Show more about: guides, Pugs, puppy
53
Are you looking for a free Pug puppy? Or, are you just looking for a cheap pug? Either way, you need to read the rest of this post.
First, you are incredibly unlikely to get a free pug. Like it or not, there are expenses involved in breeding healthy puppies. Unless you happen to get about as lucky as winning the lottery, you’re not going to find someone who will just “give” you a free pug. However, there are people who want to sell you a pug, for cheap — but should you buy a Pug from a “cheap” breeder?
First, you must understand that all Pugs are not created equally. Getting a good price on a Pug is not the same thing as getting a better price on a new camera, TV, or new car. Different breeders are selling you different things — from one, you might get a Lexus and from another you might get a Yugo. What makes it a little bit more complicated is that price does not always indicate whether you are getting a good dog. You could find a disreputable breeder who sells their puppies for as much as possible. On the other hand, you may find a very good breeder who is only trying to cover her costs and would be willing to sell their dog for less than it is worth. You might also find a good breeder who charges a fee only to make sure that they give their dogs to good homes, on the theory that people who are interested in a free pug do not have the dedication or resources to take proper care of a dog. However, you are more likely to find a breeder who is selling you a cheap dog because the breeder is set up to produce a large number of puppies without regard for the health and quality of those puppies.
68
They are running a fast food joint. Just as burger places serve cheap food that will cause you health problems, breeders selling large numbers of cheap pugs will sell you dogs with health problems.
You will get very attached to your puppy, I promise you. Pugs, especially those from puppy mills, are prone to health problems, and it can be very painful to lose a pug early because of this. Also, health problems are EXPENSIVE. While it might save you a small amount of money now, getting a cheap pug will cost you a lot more if you end up with one that has serious health issues. Finally, in the long run, the difference in price between a pug from a reasonably priced reputable breeder and from a puppy mill will not be that much, relative to the cost of regular vet visits, heart worm pills, dog food, and dog toys you will buy.
Also, you should definitely consider a rescue pug. They are definitely not free most of the time, but they are a good way to get a dog. I will talk more about rescue pugs in a future post.
To learn how to tell a good from bad breeders and for more about why it is so important, you absolutely need to read my earlier article on pug breeders.
P.S., If you agree with what I’ve said here and you have your own blog, please link to this post.
Show more about: guides, Pugs, puppy · Share on Facebook
March 31, 2008 at 8:53 pm · Show more about: breeders, guides, martine, Pug, puppies, puppy
2009
If you are looking for a local pug puppy breeder or if you’re trying to figure out if the one you’re talking to is reputable, you need to read this post. It’s extremely important to get your Pug puppy from a reputable breeder. Pugs, like many other pure bred dogs, are susceptible to certain disorders. Good breeders will be less likely to sell you a dog that has problems common to the breed. Therefore, you need to find a reputable breeder.
Why do certain breeders produce better Pug puppies than others?
From the Pug Dog Club of America’s Code of Ethics:
Breeders shall exercise great care when selecting stud dogs or brood bitches. Breeders shall use stock of characteristic type, exhibit soundness, stable temperament, be in good health and condition and be free of communicable diseases and serious genetic defects. Breeders do not breed just for the pet market and believe the only justifiable reason to breed is to improve the breed.
Reputable breeders generally show their Pugs in dog shows, and they are interested in winning the shows by producing better dogs. Because they’re interested in winning shows and improving the breed more than making money, they want to produce the best looking dog possible. Their stated goal is to improve the breed by selecting high quality dogs to breed. They also want to build a reputation in the dog show community for producing high quality dogs. Part of the way they improve their “line” is to work with other breeders, selectively choosing the dogs they wish to breed. If their “line” develops genetic problems, the other breeders won’t want to work with them. Nobody wants their line to develop problems.
Their picky nature benefits you. Many times, they produce more dogs than they wish to show. When this happens, they pick the best looking ones for themselves, and sell the others as ‘pets.’ Most of the time, the dogs sold as pets could easily be considered “show dogs,” but the breeder has chosen to show only one. Other times, a dog might be sold as a pet because he has a teeny-tiny problem that nobody will ever notice except the judges. For example, the puppy’s legs might be a little bit too short, or her body might be a little bit too long. She might have a splotch of white fur on her paw, while the breeders and judges want a solid color coat. Dog show standards can be very strict, and even the slightest fault can cause a dog to be ill suited for showing, but absolutely perfect for being a pet. Therefore, getting a dog as a “pet” from a “show” breeder is the best way to be sure to get a higher quality pug puppy. For more about the pug dog standard, see the Pug Dog Club of America’s Standards Page.
How to find a good pug puppy breeder?
First, you should try to find a member of the Pug Dog Club of America in your area. The PDCA has a breeder referral list. If there is not a member of the PDCA in your area, the breeder should at least be a member of the AKC. Second, your breeder should show pugs competitively in dog shows, for the reasons listed above and because breeders who show dogs will, through competition, improve their line.
What should I expect from a breeder?
- You should be allowed to have your puppy examined by a vet.
- You should be given instructions for care.
- You should receive medical records.
- Your breeder should be willing to accept the pug back should you be unable to care for the dog or should the dog have serious medical problems.
- Your breeder should ask YOU questions. Do not be offended. Your breeder wants her puppies to go to a good home. She knows she is a good breeder, but she doesn’t know about you. Expect a lot of questions about your ability to take care of your puppy. If you are not asked questions, consider this a sign that the breeder is more interested in money than breeding quality dogs.
- You should be allowed to visit the dogs free of charge. It is inappropriate to require a deposit in order to visit with the puppies. Breeders who do this are attempting to “hook” you into a purchase, sight-unseen. This is unethical.
- Your breeder’s premises should be clean.
- Your breeder should be willing to provide references.
- Your breeder should provide legal documentation for the sale.
- Your breeder should provide AKC registration papers and a copy of your pug’s pedigree.
- Your breeder should require you to spay or neuter your dog. The Pug Dog Club of America’s code of ethics requires that pugs sold as “pets” be sold on the condition that the dog be spayed or neutered.
- Your breeder should not sell pug hybrids. While Puggles, Brugs, and Pugapoos are certainly cute, you are more likely to get a higher quality dog from a breeder that does not engage in such practices, as reputable breeders are dedicated to improving the breed. Puggles, Brugs, and Pugapoos are not a breed. Creating a new breed takes decades of work. Without that work, mixing breeds can create all kinds of problems. You don’t know what you’re getting. If your breeder creates hybrid pugs, this is an indication that he is interested more in money than producing a high quality dog.
Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.
Show more about: breeders, guides, martine, Pug, puppies, puppy · Share on Facebook
. They work great!
are great for cleaning up messes, and are reusable.