Are long-lasting dog chews good for mental enrichment? Learn how chewing helps reduce boredom, calm dogs, and provide a natural outlet for energy.
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Think your dog is just being naughty? They might actually be bored. Learn the key signs of dog boredom and what it really means—so you can fix the behaviour properly.
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Struggling to tire your dog out indoors? Discover simple ways to keep your dog busy at home using mental stimulation, enrichment games, and long-lasting chews—perfect for rainy days or busy schedules.
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Out with the old and in with the new... positive reinforcement is always a winner over punishing bad behaviour when training your dog. It's all about "Do" rather than "Don't"and we're big fans of this over at PetBuddy.
There are often very many different undesirable ways for a dog to behave. Dog training through reinforcement enables us to be very selective, and to chose the exact behaviour that we want.
What exactly is reinforcement? It simply means encouraging good behaviours to continue and not punishing the bad. Reinforcement is a great training tool if you purposefully reinforce good things your puppy does.
If something you do carries a benefit, then it makes sense to do it again, right?
Positive reinforcement enables you to train your dog while keeping the dog’s confidence and enthusiasm at an all time high. It is the only method of training suitable for young puppies, and the quickest and best way of nailing those good behaviours .
Positive reinforcement strengthens the bond between you and your dog too, and there's not much better than that.
We want our puppies to know that the positive reinforcement we are giving them is linked to their behaviour, we wouldn't tell our puppy to sit then reward them five minutes later and expect them to understand the correlation.
If you are using training treats, you should have them to hand and reward your puppy quickly if you want his behaviours to be reinforced. High value training treats work best and our range of Pure Pates are perfect, they are totally pure and natural and trainer recommended.
We call this positive reinforcement, because it involves adding something positive to your pup's environment.
There are many different types of reward for your dog which you can use when practicing their training. Not every dog is treat driven, some prefer retrieving a ball or a toy, some prefer having a fuss made of them or verbal reinforcement, a good enthusiastic "yes, good boy/girl" can go a long way.
Positive reinforcement training is the future of puppy and dog training, it builds bonds, rewards your dog, makes them feel good, is amazing for building their confidence as well as yours and is perfect for enriching their lives. A well trained dog is a confident, social and enjoyable dog to have in your family.
Puppies are a cute bundle of energy but they do require quite a bit of guidance, discipline, and training. This is to ensure that they develop into well-behaved, happy and obedient dogs. Early interactions in a puppy’s life are extremely important for their development. Here are 5 ways in which you can encourage good behaviour in your puppy.
Establishing a routine for your puppy will help them to understand what is expected of them and when. This can include their regular meals, toilet breaks, walking times, playtime, etc. Establishing a routine is especially great if you have quite an anxious puppy, try and keep things as normal as possible in their day-to-day life. Creating a routine and a nurturing, safe environment for your puppy is the best way to get them to trust you. Once they trust you they will be more open to engaging in good behaviour.
Rewarding your puppy when they do something good will help you to reinforce good behaviour. You can reward their good behaviour by giving them healthy and natural treats or verbal praise. When it comes to rewarding their good behaviour, do not just limit it to treats that they can eat based on their age. Our Pure Training Treats are perfect for puppies over 4-weeks. Be sure to reward their good behaviour with positive verbal praise, cuddles, petting them etc. If you reward your puppy every time they do good behaviour then they will repeat this behaviour, dogs are very intelligent animals and can pick up on things and routines quite quickly.
Similar to humans, releasing energy is important so try and encourage your puppy to relax. If your dog gets enough exercise then the relaxation time afterwards should come naturally to them. However if your dog has excess energy, reward the times that they stay calm in order to reinforce this behaviour. Schedule relaxation time into their routine so they know what to expect everyday. Getting your dog into a regular relaxation routine ensures that they can be adaptable in any situation.
If your puppy is exhibiting bad behaviour, then it is important to redirect their attention to something that is more appropriate. This can be done by providing an alternative activity or by redirecting their focus to something else. If they are behaving badly try and ignore this behaviour, for example, if they are barking too much or they nip at you then turn and walk away. If your dog is chewing on something that they shouldn’t be, do not yell at them instead replace the thing that they are chewing on with a long lasting treat or a toy. If you do this then you are showing them that you don’t want them to chew on something but you are also redirecting their attention to something else instead.
Exercise is essential for puppies and dogs. Exercise helps to keep them healthy, and helps to tire them out. Regular exercise can help to keep their minds active and curb bad behaviour. Exercise and training is so important for your puppy in order to keep them in a positive state of mind. If your dog has some pent up energy and isn’t able to release that energy this could result in some destructive and bad behaviour which is something that we do not want as dogs can get bored and restless very easily. Thus it is important to occupy your dog by taking them out for regular walks and playtimes.
Encouraging good behaviour in your puppy does take time and work, however if you execute these tips you will have a well behaved pup in no time. At PetBuddy we sell a lot of dog supplies such as dog treats, leads, harnesses, toys, etc. If you are interested in treating your new pup then please feel free to visit our website.
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You know the saying, "A well trained dog is a happy dog", well it's true, but it goes way beyond this. A well trained dog is a great family member, a brilliant play mate for other dogs and a trusted companion.
A well trained dog can be trusted to listen, play well with other dogs, be off the lead, and be an obedient friend. What's not to like about that?!
Training my own dogs was all new to me, I had trained dogs in the past but Mila was my first own dog and training her with the emotions that go with the dog being my own was a challenge. Mila was a typical puppy, bitey, a little naughty, totally not aware of what a lead was and how to walk on one. She was oblivious to the difference between going to the loo inside versus outside (am sure sometimes she would hold it in outside and empty her bowels as soon as we got back in on purpose) and my little baby Mila chewed through not one, but two, mac cables.
The good news is that training is possible and here are a few top tips to make it that bit easier.
Consistency - It's key folks, keep it up! Repeat, repeat and repeat again. consistently reward the behaviour too when your dog gets it right.
Praise - Praise is a big one, Mila absolutely thrived off the praise, she loved when she knew she got something right, kisses, fur ruffles, good boy/girl, cuddles, ALL THE PRAISE!! Positive reinforcement is a must. Your dog will pick up on your frustrations if you focus on their negative behaviours rather than rewarding the positive, and this will only create stress which makes learning harder.
Treats - Having the right treats to hand is a must! Sadly some high street treats are full of additives, preservatives and derivatives, take a moment and read the ingredients of some treats and you'll be shocked at the poor quality and how little meat or fish is in them.
High value treats like our Pate Sausages work amazingly well, they are 100% pure, natural, trainer recommended and delicious. They contain absolutely nothing else but meat or fish so no nasties at all!
Our Pate Sausages are so versatile. You can slice it and dice it and it makes the perfect on the go training treat and it's perfect for pups from 4 weeks old!
Fun - Make learning fun too, training is brilliant for building relationships and bonding. Training as part of a walk or play session is perfect!
Remember that training is an ongoing process and it is important to keep the training up. It can be easily forgotten so use it or lose it! keeping up with even the most basic tricks and commands will help them stay fresh in your dog's mind!
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