If you know where you will place your dog inside your house, you have to make sure he will feel comfortable there. In most cases it isn't such a hard process, but some people have trouble getting this task done, so this article will help you.

The most important part of your dogs "den".

I think it is quite obvious that the most important thing you can place in your dogs den is a bed. Without a place to sleep you can hardly call are of your choice a home.

There is a great variety of beds, from simple plastic boxes with some foam to luxurious crazy looking designer beds. Thing to remember while choosing a right bed for your dog is, size and comfort. After all these two qualities are the only thing your dog will care about.

It is a good idea to take your dog with you for shopping. This way you can allow him to "try out" every bed and by observing his responses to each one, you can choose the one he likes the best.

Making your dogs "den" cozy.

Bed is just the beginning of what you should include inside your dogs den. It is important to make your dog feel like it is his personal space. So placing all of his toys in there should make him feel much more comfortable inside this area.

It is also a great thing, to ply with your dog whenever he is laying in his den. This way you will really create an association between his den and a place where only good things happen to him.

What not to include in your dogs "den".

Most of the adult dogs will not eliminate in place they think of as their home. So placing an eliminating box in this are is completely pointless. The only reason why you should do it is, when you know your dog will spend there a lot of time while you are out and you won't be able to come and take him to elimination spot.

The other thing you shouldn't include inside your dogs den are bowls with food and water. Unless you leave him alone for couple of hours it is wrong to allow your pet to eat whenever he likes. This will make him eat from boredom and won't allow you to predict when he will want to visit toilet.

I hope this article has helped you to form a vision of how your dogs den should look like. It is very important to make your dogs "house" as comfortable and cause as it only can be. This way you will make sure he feels good in your home and is happy.

If you want to discover more information about house training a dog, visit where you will find wealth of information on how to properly train your dog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Roger_Phillips

]]> http://www.housetrainingadogtips.com/house-training-a-dog-secrets/feed 0 http://www.housetrainingadogtips.com/know-your-collars http://www.housetrainingadogtips.com/know-your-collars#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:13:32 +0000 duders http://www.housetrainingadogtips.com/?p=8
Dog collars come in a variety of colors, styles and even functions. There’s the obedience or choke collar, bark control collars, flea collars, and a whole array of just dog collars. So which to choose?

Flat collar
Flat collars are commonly used in clicker training and other non-correction-based training, such as puppy kindergarten. They are also effective in training small dogs, however they tend to lift the dog off the ground when giving corrections while the dog is distracted or in high adrenal mode. They are typically made of nylon or leather, and fasten with a buckle or quick-release connection.

Slip collar
Slip collars (commonly called choke chain or check chains) are made of metal links or rolled material such as nylon or leather. A metal ring is at each end. Historically, slip collars have been used as a matter of course, mostly in North America and the UK. In the last few decades use of these collars has declined. Correctly used, the collar should make a quick clicking not zipping sound when quickly snapped and released to startle or get the attention of the dog and indicate to the handler that the technique was a swift jerk not a choke. The idea is not to strangle the dog, though this can happen if the collar is improperly used.

Martingale collar
Martingale collars (also called limited-slip collars) and are usually made of flat nylon with a smaller fixed-length section (made of either nylon or a short length of chain) that, when pulled on by the leash, shortens up tightening the collar around the dog's neck, to a limited extent. When properly fitted, martingales are looser than flat-buckle collars when not tightened, and less severely corrective than slip collars when tightened.

Prong collars
Prong collars (also called pinch collars) has the same design as the martingale collar but are made of metal links which have prongs on the inside of the collar. The collar is designed to inhibit forward movement and issue corrections by causing the dog temporary discomfort or pain. Proponents state that prong collars are gentler than slip collars. Sometimes rubber tips are fitted on the prongs to reduce damage to the fur and skin of the dog.

Shock collars
Shock collars (also known as E-collars) transmit a remote signal from a control device the handler operates to the collar. An electrical shock is transmitted by the handler remotely, at varying degrees of intensity, from varying distances depending on range frequency. It is also done automatically in the bark electronic collar to stop excessive barking, and invisible fence collar when the dog strays outside its boundary. Shock collars are widely accepted in some areas of the world and by dog obedience professionals. Shock collars are also banned in some countries, and some dog training associations, veterinary associations and kennel clubs condemn their use.