Category Archives: Training

Puppy Potty Training Tips – How to Successfully Stop Your Puppy From Eliminating in the House

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Potty training your puppy can be a trying battle at times. It is much easier to accomplish when you have some dog potty training tips to follow. We want your puppy toilet training to be as painless, yet as effective as possible. This all becomes part of your general puppy training routine. Repetition is the key to achieving this, but patience is definitely needed as well.

You may need to spend some time setting the stage for this routine task. Potty training puppy should begin from the time you bring him home. Remember that a puppy aged 8 weeks old will need to eliminate more frequently than an older dog. If you cannot be with your puppy during certain hours due to work or school, the purchase of a crate for your dog should be first priority.

As a rule dogs will not eliminate in their living space and they will learn to wait until they can get out of the crate. It need only be large enough to allow your dog to turn around and lie down. If the breed of puppy you have chosen is one that will grow to be considerably larger as an adult, you may want to consider buying the large crate now and modifying it with heavy cardboard or a well sanded piece of plywood or pressed wood that you can adjust when your puppy needs more room to move.

Become aware of a few details concerning your puppy’s behavior that could indicate the need to go outside such as circling or sniffing the floor. It is also a good idea to have any needed items ready ahead of time to avoid a state of confusion when it’s time to take your puppy outside for another potty break.

This is a good time to use positive reinforcement and clicker training. When you are potty training your puppy and they associate the command with the required action, make the click and offer the reward or praise. You want to make sure you have treats and your clicker on hand before opening that crate door.

The area you want your puppy to use for eliminating should be confined to one particular place in the yard. By using the same location each time you have a potty training puppy session, he will quickly make the connection between that location and what needs to be done there. You can also use a verbal command or phrase each time your dog goes outside. By simply saying “go potty” every time you are working on puppy toilet training you puppy will associate those words with the action expected of him. Soon enough you’ll be able to open the door to your yard, say the word and watch your puppy follow the command.

The first time of the day it is important to practice puppy toilet training is when puppy first wakes up. It is an essential time since they have been crated overnight so not only do they have the need to potty, but also get a bit of exercise and stretching done. Another occasion for you to practice potty training your puppy is to take them out right before bedtime for their last potty and exercise occasion of the evening. Make sure that you continuously praise your puppy each time they correctly achieve a command. The praise they receive will be a trigger for them to willingly repeat the action.

Another puppy potty training tip is following a predetermined schedule for feeding so you will learn to anticipate when your puppy needs to go outside. Usually it will take somewhere between 30-45 minutes after eating for your puppy or dog to need to go outside. By keeping track of times between eating/drinking and eliminating you will soon have a good idea how long to wait until it’s time to go outside.

Don’t scold your puppy if they have made a mess in the house without you catching him in the act. If you do see your puppy squatting to relieve himself however, it is perfectly fine to say “No” or some other predetermined word, scoop him up and bring him directly to the outdoor potty area. He will soon understand that it is not acceptable to do his ‘business’ anywhere but the assigned location.

Potty training your puppy requires planning and a bit of patience and consistency. When your puppy knows what is expected of them and you’re able to be consistent with your requests and your rewards they will quickly catch on. Potty training doesn’t need to take months, follow these basic dog potty training tips and your puppy can be trained in no time.

Choosing Elementary School Photographers – Part I

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If you look on the wall of any mother’s home you will find cherished memories framed for every year. No matter how silly the photo, school photographs are remembered for a lifetime. Like most things that have a deep rooted tradition, technology has made elementary school pictures much more exciting. Many schools go with the traditional school pose for their fall program. But did you know a lot of schools use spring pictures as a fundraiser and have fun doing it?

Things to Consider when Choosing an Elementary School Photographer

Before you can think about how school photography can be a great fundraiser, you first have to choose the right photographer. For school photographers in San Diego, most decisions are made by the administrative staff, while others are left to the PTO or PTA. However, with school staffs being spread so thin these days, many schools are leaving the decision to the PTO.

There are so many school photographers available today that the decision to choose a school photographer can be a difficult one. A school photographer in San Diego is going to have a different program than a local company in a small town.

Listen to word of mouth. Good school photographers will have people talking about them. They will also have a good selection of experienced, professional school photographers to run your school picture day. It is always good to take a look at the company’s website to see their overall philosophy.

Something else to consider when choosing a photographer is who is actually taking the school pictures. You might want to ask for sample pictures taken by the actual photographers who will be at your school picture day. Many schools ask to meet the photographers who will be working at their school, which isn’t a bad idea. You want a photographer who will allow the kids to relax, because when kids are relaxed they take better pictures. This in turn leads to parents who are satisfied with their school pictures.

Another consideration when selecting a photography company is how much work will be required of the school. Many companies provide all the staff needed for picture day and require no volunteers from the school. When a company takes most of the work off of the school they are well valued.

Other photographers prefer teacher and parent volunteer involvement on picture day. There is a rational explanation for this, that the parents and staff know the students better. However, if your photographer is experienced in taking elementary school pictures, the kids will warm up to them very quickly. Plus, parents are not experienced in running a school picture day, that should be the job of the school photographer.