.

Despite the progress in training methodology some people still choose to listen to old myths about training their animals.

This is a big mistake when it comes to training an animal–especially when it comes to puppies.

Although puppy training is different from training older dogs (they have puppy brain which essentially means the attention of a gnat) it is best to begin training what you want right away.

The big problem is consistency.

For instance, my friend’s teenager just acquired a chihuahua/dachshund mix (being marketed by some as chiweenies). Chihuahua’s can be difficult to house train and dachshunds are distracted by their noises…this pup is no exception.

The pup is smart but there is so much inconsistency that things are not getting better.

It snows in this area and grandma’s household uses pee pads for their small dogs instead of attempting to dig paths in the snow for their animals.

Although you should teach what you want, when visiting grandma’s house the pup has not been monitored and so often pees and poops in the house but not on the pads.

The teen discourages the use of the pad.

Instead of teaching the pup various substrates and proper toileting practices, the idea behind not encouraging the use of the pad at the other home is because the teen wants the dog to only toilet in the back yard.

Unwittingly, she has confused the dog and trained the dog to only choose to eliminate in the back yard and not on walks.

Also, the problem is that the pup is confused when at the other home where the dogs are allowed to use the pads.

She looks up to these pets and mimics their behavior. Since she is discouraged by her “mom” to use the pad, she goes into another room to pee and poop if she has to go.

Clarity for this pup doesn’t exist.

Another complicating factor is instead of picking up the food when the pup visits–she gets to munch on the dog food at grandma’s house–which also does not help with house training practices especially when the teen is so distracted that she doesn’t watch the animal.

Raising a pet is a family affair and everyone should be on the same page of what is to be taught when.

There are about six people around this animal giving commands–which is a normal situation but they haven’t agreed on what is actually to be accomplished.

Also, older dogs help to train puppies by example, by setting limits, and keep the pups under their paws.

In this case, the older dogs are scolded for disciplining the pup or while attempting to teach limits.

This is a big mistake that can result in disastrous consequences down the road.

Fortunately, the teen is reviewing my house training booklet and we are also beginning to clicker train the pup–who is proving to be a tough study.

If you are seeking to get good behavior out of your pet–start early. Set your goals and start teaching the animal what the rules are as soon as it arrives into the household.

If you are struggling with puppy potty training check out my series on the topic which discusses a variety of topics including house training aids and dog potty training system reviews.

You can also order my house training booklet from our shop.

I’ll have more updates for you on the chiweenie–you can be sure of that!

If you have an animal training question for either a wild or domestic animal be sure to subscribe. I tackle training issues once a week here.

Diana L. Guerrero’s Ark Animal Tracks: January 2009
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Volume 7, Number 1
Publisher: Guerrero Ink
Online: http://www.guerreroink.com
Copyright © 2009 Diana L. Guerrero. All rights reserved.
Content may not be reproduced without permission.
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January News & Tips
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
2. Discussion for the Month:
3. Monthly Roundup
4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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1. Tales from the Trips (Latest News)
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Happy New Year to all of you out there. I hope you are enjoying the fresh start of a new year.

I know I am. Here in the So. Cal Mtns we got over 5 feet of snow and it is storming lightly again outside promising more ice and snow.

The upside is that I like it–but the downside is that absolutely everyone in Southern California is trying to come up to Big Bear! It is bumper to bumper traffic on both sides of the highway unless you leave early or late.

For a few days the highways were closed because of the mess caused by unprepared motorists.

Last year ended less than happy when the “computer tech” who was working on my computer screwed up big time. I’ll save you the story except to say that I’ve spent days attempting to recover some data and files that were destroyed.

Yes, I back up but some of my info is stored in the programs I use and he tossed those.

So, the new year means I’ll be starting totally fresh–I started a system restore today since the idiot also downgraded my operating system.

*sigh*

Lucky I have another laptop and pals to help me out. Everything will work out fine…

So, I just want to take a moment to wish you a great year and may all your resolutions be good ones that actually materialized.

Finally, I need to ask for your help this year and will be discussing that below.

Happy Tails to Your & Yours,
Diana L Guerrero
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2. Discussion for the Month: New Year Resolution
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Many of you took the time to respond to the survey I did last year concerning what you might want to see at http://www.arkanimals.com so I am getting ready to get going on the three main topics you selected plus those I think that might be of value.

My New Years Resolution is to bring you more of what you are wanting to see.

In the meantime, I am looking for some clever titles for the focus of each day.

That is where you can help…and if you do I think the best responses will need to be awarded some prizes!

There are seven days a week to blog–I intend to use at least five but will strive for more.

Your assignment, if you choose to accept it, is to come up with clever titles for each area of focus as tied to a day of the week.

For instance, Training on Tuesdays might be a good idea for articles about training featured every Tuesday. This year I’d like to stick to a specific topic for each day of the week.

The topics for you to be creative about:
animal training
animal behavior
animal careers
product reviews
breaking news
wild animals and conservation
videos & podcasts
pet parenting
dogs
cats
…anything else?

So, have a go and I’ll be digging through my goodie bag so I can list prizes that will go to those who have their suggestions picked–once I get my computer back up and going!

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3. December Article Round Up
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Traffic has lightened up over at my blog during this holiday season but I am listing the articles featured this month so you don’t miss a thing.

Feel free to use the “tell a friend” link at the end of each post to email your friend the article link or to bookmark your favorite posts.

New Years Party Animals
Are You Killing Your Pet?
New Years Pet Noise Phobia
One Thing for Animals (Video)
Merry Christmas From Santa Paws
Santa Paws 2009 Starts Now!
Pet Airways: Pet Travel Reaches New Heights
Jet Paws Pet Airline Travel Program
Christmas Dogs (Video)
New Species Discovered: Greater Mekong
Animal Lover Holiday Gifts
Cat Playing in Snow (Video)
Animal Welfare Scandle Exposed by BBC (Video)
How to Travel Safely with Pets
Humane & Sane Holiday Giving
Petiquette For Beastly Guests
Silly Cheetos Pets (Video)
Holiday Pet Care
Many New Species Discovered in Tasmania
Holiday Pet Tips & Hints
Going Green: Sheep Poop Paper
Snow Play Is Dog Gone Fun!
Cats Protection: Cat Cabins
Feeding Pets of the Homeless
Ark Animal Tracks December 2008
We All Love Our Pets: WALOP

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4. Schedule of Upcoming Events & Appearances
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My calendar is now live online. I am still not scheduling much at the moment during my recovery but you can access it at http://www.arkanimals.com/calendar/

Teleseminar Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/yukf8d

If you would like an animal behavior or training appointment just call (800) 818-7387 or you can book an appointment online. Don’t forget that I also do phone consultations.

Thanks for your continued support and suggestions
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Have a great month and stay tuned!
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ARK ANIMAL TRACKS
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Copyright © 2008 by Diana L. Guerrero
PO Box 1989 PMB 215
40729 Village Drive Suite 8
Big Bear Lake, CA 92315
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I thought this video was pretty entertaining despite the advertisement embedded in the message. Enjoy!