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Puppy Potty Training 3 Essential Steps

Puppy Potty Training

New puppies are absolutely adorable. So adorable that potty training gets out of hand simply because you let your puppy do whatever he wants to do from the get go.

Make life easy for you and for your puppy with 3 easy steps to a perfectly potty trained puppy.

Without following these three simple steps puppy potty training can be nothing less than frustrating. It is a bit of an exercise in patience.

Remember you just brought a baby home and like a toddler it is going to require your attention much more so in the early puppy stage then a few months down the line when you take the time to follow these guidelines the first few weeks.

Get a crib for you baby, known in the dog world as a crate.
Do not leave your puppy unattended, just like a baby.
Take your puppy out every 1-2 hours the first week. Every 2-3 hours the second week and every 3 hours the third week.

If your puppy should make a mistake it is of utmost importance you clean it up correctly! You don’t want to smell urine in your home even if a mistake happens. Your puppy will smell it for sure and recognize it as a place already established as an acceptable potty spot. Read below for more information.

Why a crate?

Notice in the list it is described as a baby crib. No one would consider you a terrible person and you wouldn’t consider yourself unfair for putting a baby in a crib to sleep or while you aren’t watching every single move. So why is it that people have an opinion that crating a puppy is a bad thing?

Get over that one and realize you can think of it and even call it a crib or the nursery in your mind and your puppy will be safe and happy about it.

Do Not Leave Your Puppy Unattended

When you cannot watch your puppy as though it is a new born baby, put him in the crib or crate, whichever you prefer to label it. It is as simple as that.

Puppies will wander off and have an accident without you knowing it. Since a puppy learns in pictures as well as led by his nose this proves to be quite frustrating to fix if the habit is established more than a couple of times.

Take Your Puppy Out Often

Ideally taking your puppy out every 1-2 hours will ensure mistakes are impossible. Your puppy may not have to go every time but if you create the picture often enough in the beginning your puppy will without a doubt learn where to go potty.

Crate your puppy to sleep overnight and plan on getting up at least once to take him out. As your puppy grows you’ll be able to let him sleep all night and stretch the day time hours out to 4-6. BE PATIENT and spend the first couple months to get this one right. It will pay off in a perfectly potty trained puppy and you’ll be well on your way to other stellar puppy training as well.

What if I can’t take my puppy out that often?

Many people have to leave their puppy longer than 1-2 hours at a time. If this is the case with you, take your puppy out as often as possible. The first thing you should do when coming home is take your puppy out. Once the pup has done the business play time outside of the crate is on! Just remember not to get distracted and let your puppy run off on his own EVER in the beginning.

Put your puppy in the crate every single time you can’t watch. Not only is it good potty training practice it’s good chew proof practice as well.

What if I feel like I have my puppy in the crate too much?

Simple answer. Make more time to spend with your puppy. One thing you can do is tie a leash to yourself with your puppy clipped to the end. This way there is no wandering off and you can spend time with your puppy other than play time.

Make sure to set an alarm on your watch or phone as a reminder to yourself. The reminder will set a precedent of where to go potty every single time.

What if my puppy makes a mistake?

Getting mad and rubbing your puppy’s nose in a mistake is a big no no. It does nothing to teach your puppy where to go to relieve himself. Puppies and dogs are very much in the moment. Anything you are reprimanding for after the fact only goes in the puppy’s mind as associated with whatever they were doing in the moment you got mad. That could have easily been playing with a chew toy or wagging a tail at you.

Simply take your puppy outside, tell him to go potty and if he does not, put him up in the crate. Take him out later and start the process over. And over. And over.

Most Important Step in Fixing a Potty Mistake

Clean it up properly!! Any old cleaner does not work. The myth of using vinegar doesn’t work for this one either. Pet urine contains enzymes that must be removed or the super duper smell system of puppies and dogs will find the spot again, figure it’s the designated bathroom and go again.

There are several enzyme cleaners out there. From experience there is one in my personal opinion that actually works!

Planet Urine Get it! It is a must for any potty training program. As a bonus there is live coaching that comes along with it!

*I’m not one to recommend anything that doesn’t work and that I haven’t used myself. Over my years of training and working with potty training as an issue this is the one thing that has made the biggest difference. One mistake could establish a built in bathroom in your puppy’s mind!

Crate
Outside potty
Play or stay with you
Potty
Back in the crate
Repeat

Have patience. Breath. Play. Take your puppy outside and most important…..enjoy all the moments. Wag more. Play more.

Maui Dogs | Most Favorite of All Time

Maui Dogs | My Most Favorite Of All Time In The History of Ever

Favorite things in the world. We all have them. Most of us don’t celebrate them enough. Unless of course you have “that dog” in your life.

Many times no matter what is going on, that certain dog in our lives constitutes, “My Most Favorite of All Time In The History of Ever.”

I’m called upon a lot for two things: Dog behavior and dog health. What to feed? What’s the healthiest thing that could possibly make my dog live longer? How much and what kind of exercise could lengthen my dogs life? Those kinds of things. Which I truly love answering and being helpful for people and their dogs.

Oh yeah and and a big question for those that live on Maui,
who’s gonna take care of my dog that I trust and is safe and

I don’t have to worry when I’m off island or away from home?

Sure, behavior can be a problem. But let’s face it. We all got issues! And sometimes quite honestly the dog’s issues are really our own issues. But what are we really worried about in life?

What quality of life do we have?

How happy are we day to day?

How long are we going to live?

Is this all there is?

Things to Add To Most Favorite Of All Time Daily List

Life is short. In the last couple of weeks I’ve had two really cool people I know diagnosed with cancer. Another dog, a Chocolate Lab went to rest forever, hopefully in some dog wonderland. He had cancer too, and he leaves behind a Dude that loved him dearly.

So, make it a commitment.

Do your most favorite things as often as possible
Be with your most favorite people as often as possible
And spend as much time with your most favorite dogs as often as possible
Exercise as often as possible
Eat whole food as often as possible
And love yourself all the time
And of course love your dog
Drink water… and sometimes wine… laugh, enjoy, live every moment to it’s fullest as often as possible
Be grateful for your health and every little thing you have

Do you ever tell your dog, “I love you more than anything ever?”

There’s a reason. Its called unconditional love. Acceptance. Do that for yourself too. Its the hugest lesson ever you can get from your dog.

Get 17 Things Maui Dog People Should Know

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

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There is a Difference Between Letting Go and Giving Up

*by Alex Woodard For the Sender Love Is (Not a Feeling)

There’s a difference between letting go and giving up.

Last year we had mudslides and a flood on the heels of a wildfire that came within feet of our house. The flood washed away shoes, lumber, and anything outside that wasn’t nailed down. And some things that were.

To most of us, a small missing soccer ball wouldn’t be a concern. But to Stella, that ball was everything, and when the water took it she searched for days in all of its usual hiding places, until she finally gave up.

Except she didn’t.

A few days ago we were running down the asphalt road, frozen in places and still bound by snow on both sides. We were a couple of miles from home when Stella suddenly took off to my right, disappearing behind the drifts of plow-pushed snow piles. She was heading towards the creek, which had a thin layer of ice still clinging to its surface.

I yelled at her, because I didn’t know just how frozen the creek really was and didn’t want her falling in. A few moments passed and I couldn’t see her, so I started to make my way over the drifts when she almost knocked me over coming back out to the road.

With that soccer ball in her mouth.

It’s the same one, I recognize the scuff marks and small tears around the seams.

I have no idea how that dog found her ball two miles from home, after a flood took it away and a season of frozen winter covered it.

But I do know there’s a difference between letting go and giving up.

*Alex is a good friend of mine. He just released a new book and album of 13 songs For the Sender Love Is (Not a Feeling) I trained Stella a few years back while we were in San Diego CA. I loved training Stella. And amazingly enough, as it turns out when I think back to those days it wasn’t about a feeling, it was about what I did. It was about what she did. Stella’s a lucky dog, her dad is Alex Woodard.

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friends and studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

10 Reasons Dogs are Better than Boyfriends

Dogs are great listeners. Whether you are dealing with a hard day at work, a jealous friend, or an over bearing mother, you always their uninterrupted attention.
Dogs are happy to skip the ball game or bar night and stay in and stay “in” and cook. While boyfriends are critical of your culinary skills dogs will lap it up and beg for more.
Dogs like you jus the way you are. You can get a bad haircut, wear your sweats all day, go lip gloss free or gain a few pounds. But to your dog you’re perfect in every way.
You can almost always teach an old dog new tricks. Boyfriends, on the other hand, can take years of coaching and still be unsuitable to take out in public.
Your mother will love your dog. (She might even call them her grandchild). There’s no approval needed when you bring home a new pup, she’ll feed and spoil them even if they cause a stink.
Dogs love your friends and they are always down to hang out with the girls. Bring along some treats and they are happy to join in on the shopping exertions. Especially if they can fit in your purse.
They love to snuggle up any time of day or night. If you’re sick, they’ll cuddle for hours and won’t say anything about your esthetic state or number of Kleenexes on the bed.
Dogs are happy to join in any exercise routine, and unlike a boyfriend, they won’t judge your technique, try to time your reps, or correct your form.
They always let you watch what you want, but you might be sharing the popcorn. Plus they won’t ask you to explain why you like sappy chick-flicks or vampire dramas. The remote is all yours.
You’re never to old for your dog. They’ll never prefer and younger owner, and they’ll love you no matter how many miles on your clock, or wrinkles around your eyes.

*image credit: Honest Kitchen

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friendsand studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Dog New Years Resolutions 2014

11 New Years Resolutions for a Healthier and Happier Dog

2014 is here and with all the intentions of resolutions are still fresh in our minds, let’s include our the dog family member in them as well. After all, they do say those who start an exercise program with their dog get results waaaay more than those who don’t. So, time to start a nutrition food lifestyle resolution process with your dog as well!

11 New Years Resolutions for a Healthier and Happier Dog

Feed your dog coconut oil: No matter the age it’s good for inflammation, skin issues, anti bacterial, and anti parasitic. Huge for all dogs. Drop a dollop of coconut oil in every meal. Vitality guaranteed!
Keep carbohydrates low in your dog’s diet: Just because a dog food or treat is “grain free” does not mean it is low carb.
Avoid sugar in all of its forms in your dog’s food and treats. This includes sugar, evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, and even honey.
Refrain from any food or treat products with chemical preservatives including: propylene glycol, all forms of glycerine including “vegetable glycerin,” BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, ethoxyquin, titanium dioxide, and all artificial colors
Make meat protein from clean sources the building block of your dog food choices.
When shopping for your dog food be wise, don’t fall into the trap of looking for the cheapest dog food or choosing the most expensive food you can buy! The cheapest is sure to have some pretty bad ingredients as filler, and the most expensive may be good but have too many grains or simply over priced for what’s in it.
Hydrate dry dog food, no matter what the quality, for optimum digestion and stomach health. Add water and allow the kibble to absorb moisture or add canned food.
You’ve started reading ingredient labels on food for yourself; learn to read dog food labels. If something doesn’t make sense or you don’t know what a certain ingredient is, don’t hesitate to call or write the manufacturer.
There is not a perfect food for every dog! Like people, different dogs tolerate different diets. I always recommend whole food whenever possible. If your dog’s coat is dull, or greasy, if you dog is itching a lot, or develops hot spots the first place to look is at the food you are feeding.
Titer Test before automatically administering vaccines: Reconsider “routine vaccines” as part of annual vet exams; instead, ask your veterinarian to do blood work and send it out for titer testing by a reputable lab.
Older Dogs Nails and traction: Again, like humans, aging in dogs brings mobility issues. Consistent activity from a young age helps. Nail trimming. HUGE for all dogs but older dogs don’t move as quickly or as much as younger dogs. Keep nails trimmed for mobility and for comfort. The click, click of dog nails may sound cute, but it feels like running downhill in shoes that are 2 sizes too small all the time. Awful. Regularly trim your dog’s nails.*this is all true for all dog ages, older dogs tend to not wear their nails down naturally the way younger dogs have a tendency to do

Looking for coconut oil ideas to add to your dogs diet?

Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes e-book offers recipes which all include coconut oil. The added bonus in health benefits of pumpkin for a dog in each recipe too.

By the way, if this is resonating with you and your dog – you find yourself lacking support and tired of listening to the vet and or doctors suggest benadryl, antibiotics, or really bad dog food they get a kick back from selling/promoting – I just want you to know that I support you.

Subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs and I’ll help however I can. If its healthy and it’s vibrant and brings joy I’d like more of that for you and for me and for our dogs.

Jt Clough lives in Maui, Hawaii and practices health, happiness, natural remedies and training for dogs and their people. Her uncanny way of communication with both dogs and people is healing and her training is effective physically and emotionally. Her work at Maui Dog Remedies is for people looking to live healthier and happier lives through their dogs and her passion for it has helped so many to find and do that thing they’ve been talking about or wishing to happen for so long. She is a dog whisperer for our best friendsand studies natural dog remedies, nutrition and communication. Her latest publications are Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes and 5K Training Guide | Running with Dogs.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

Aloha wags and Happy Halloween from Maui Dog Remedies! It’s one of my personal favorite times of the year, mainly because of the colors and the costumes and the fun my dogs and I have around it all.

There are usually treats galore around this holiday. For those of us who are doing our best to keep choosing healthy, those store bought treats can be tempting but really disgusting for our digestive tract and how we feel throughout the day. That certainly goes for our dogs’ as well!

Dogs who love treats have big adoring eyes on the lookout for a little something’ something’ all the time! Halloween can prove to find big scores on the treat acquisitions.

If you’ve looked at a dog treat label lately though, its really hard to find anything super healthy for your dog. In fact it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have some serious toxic stuff in them. Homemade dog treats is the best option and what a better time to try a new dog treat recipe than Halloween!

This Halloween pumpkin dog treat recipe has both pumpkin, which is way awesome for your dog and coconut oil which should be a staple in your dog’s diet as well as yours.

Read more on Coconut Oil for Dogs here.

Halloween Pumpkin Dog Treat Recipe

2 cups organic brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 tsp wheat-free baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered or fresh ginger
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup honey (raw is best)
1 1/2 cups organic canned pumpkin (without spice)
1/2 cup water
Combine and mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except for the water, blending well. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. The batter should be thick but pourable. Incrementally mix in the water until you have a nice consistency.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Take about 1/2 Tbsp size drops and place them on a well-oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Cookies should be firm, but still soft and chewy, just like you like your own cookies!

For small dogs make smaller cookies! Just check to make sure they aren’t over baked at 8 minutes!

Have a fabulous Halloween and Keep your Dog Safe

Keep your dog safe this halloween from open door escape due to trick or treaters, odd costumes that flip them out or might accidentally eat, and the consumption of a bunch of really crappy human treats that are bad for them!

Looking for dog boarding, dog sitting, dog walking, or a pet taxi on Maui?
GET YOUR FREE CONSULTATION

Looking for pumpkin coconut oil ideas to add to your dogs diet?

Pumpkin Dog Food + Treats Recipes e-book offers recipes which all include coconut oil. The added bonus in health benefits of pumpkin for a dog in each recipe too.

By the way, if this is resonating with you and your dog – you want some healthy options to increase your dogs’ immune system and provide a healthier lifestyle– I just want you to know that I support you.

Subscribe to ReVIBE | Dogs + Joy + Vibrance

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a Lifestyle Dog Trainer with online programs, pet industry business coach and marketing strategist, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

Training Maui Dogs

Training Maui Dogs and the Human Brain

No behavior can be changed with the same thinking that created it. It’s true of humans, it’s true of our dogs, whether you live on Maui or anywhere in the rest of the world.

Humans have 60-70,000 thoughts per day, and research tells us that at least 90% of those thoughts are the same exact thoughts as we had yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that.

To change a behavior or a habit; to get something different than you have right now takes conscious effort. It is no different when it comes to creating a new behavior in a dog.

Dogs’ brains, in many ways, look and function just like human brains.

The number of thoughts dogs’ have may not be the same, but given this fact not only do dogs understand emotion, they are functioning in repetitive habit, just like we are.

Changing Unwanted Dog Behavior

Changing unwanted behavior whether it is in your dog or in yourself means you need to stop lying to yourself!

Stop thinking that the things you don’t want, say wild barking, jumping on you and everybody else, or the dog who does not play well with others, is miraculously going to go away some day soon without doing something different. And to DO something different, you must start THINKING something different.

It’s a classic example of how we don’t get what we want in ourselves. We just keep on doing the same old thing. We come up with all the excuses in the world. Lack of time, lack of energy, or we simply don’t believe it’s possible.

The truth is we are lying to ourselves about our dogs’ capabilities and ours as well. It seems easier to just complain about it.

Do Something Different and You’ll Get Something Different

Trust me on this one. Do something different. Make the commitment to believe you can get your dog to be the well behaved dream dog. Make the commitment to get more of what you want out of life.

In other words… PUT ALL YOUR EFFORT INTO LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU WANT, instead of focusing on the things that are driving you crazy, or the things you don’t have right now.

If your dog jumps on you and everyone else all the time, show him how to sit. And then keep doing that. Look for the opportunities to have your dog sit.

You know all those times it has been a habit to jump (or fill in the blank with an unwanted action), take the 5 seconds and help your dog into a sit before the jump happens. If you miss that moment, do it afterward. Just do it. Do something different. And guess what, it’s the same exact 5 seconds you would have spent irritated and snapping at your dog to knock it off.

Remember, no behavior can change with the same thinking as created it in the first place!

Sometimes asking for a little help doesn’t hurt either! Contact me here.

Jt Clough of Maui Dog Remedies is a professional dog trainer, pet industry business coach, health fanatic, and author. She is a 9 time Ironman finisher, with decades of training dogs and their people to better lifestyles, from behavior modification to fitness and health through natural remedies, mental stimulation and lifestyle choices. She is an emotional healer through dogs. Described as a seeker, Jt has an uncanny ability to teach adaptation to change and to take inspired action.

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