Dog Obedience Training

How do I start potty training my son?

My son is 13 months old (too young?) and he is EXTREMELY interested in what you are doing when you are going to the bathroom. So I thought that I might be able to start potty training him but I dont know how. Can anyone help me please? Or should I wait a little longer?

Why not? I know the trend these days is to wait but my dd was ready at 14 months. I didn’t push her or anything I just got her a potty and let her sit on it. When she peed I gave her a m&m. Dont be discouraged if he loses interest just let him set the pace. Maybe if he really gets into it buy him some undies but dont scold him for accidents. Give him time and lots of encouragement.

Determine How Much Your Pet Is Worth

Has the cost of caring for your pet become too much? Exactly how much is too much to spend on a pet? The human society reported last year that there are over 73 million dogs in America, and 90 million cats. And this is only the ones that are known about and documented. A whopping 40 percent of all households have at least one dog, and 35 percent of all households have at least one cat.

Let’s assume for a moment that you bought your pet. For an average purebred dog, you might expect to pay anywhere from $400 – $1200 dollars. This is just for the puppy, and will only likely include your first puppy vaccination shots. Within a few months you will also be looking at the cost of additional veterinary visits, cost of chew toys, food, training, crates, supplies, and any repair costs for chewed furniture. A generally healthy dog will still incur on average $200 per year in veterinary bills and a cat’s average bill will be only slightly lower. But what if your dog or cat is not healthy?

The first step involves training your pets

The first things to keep in mind about your family pet is what things you can do to help lower the cost of maintenance. For starters, the first step would be to have your pets trained. You can either have your pets professionally trained, or you can choose to do this at home. There are many programs out there that will be quite effective for training all but the most aggressive canines. Unfortunately cats are not as trainable as dogs, but they still can be trained for some things like litter box usage. The better your pet is trained, the less likely they will incur potential damage to themselves or your belongings. The type and amount of training will also depend on the breed of dog you own.

Any dog owner who has had a puppy knows that they like to chew. This constant desire to chew things is often the greatest cause of property damage, next to digging, and frequently leads to a vet trip for some items that are accidentally swallowed whole. Some breeds, like golden retrievers are notorious for swallowing almost any item. Mine once swallowed an entire sock. Luckily though, this sock filled with grass was vomited up safely an hour later and did not require surgery to remove it. Make sure your puppy is trained to chew on specific items or toys. Once the puppy has learned that these items are good and others are bad, you can lessen the chance of emergency vet visits

Training your pets will also offer the benefit of pets that listen to their owners. Pets like to go for walks. Larger breed dogs such as Malamutes or German Shepherd can be quite strong and hard to control. There are wonderful training aids available to help curb your dogs of the desire to pull on his leash. One such item is often seen on a horse, and it is called a halter. First of all, when used properly, a halter will not harm your dog in any manner. I used one quite successfully with a large malamute, which is a breed of sledding dogs that are known for pulling.

The halter is designed to be placed over the dog’s muzzle and attached to a leash or collar. When the dog starts to tug on the leash, the halter will provide a slight backwards tug on the dog’s nose forcing the dog to turn his head. This gives the dog a moment of pause to let them know they should not be pulling ahead. Within a few days of using this item the malamute went from constantly strong pulling to gently walking beside the owner. The owner no longer worried about the dog running off and getting hurt.

The top issues that you will need to address for training purposes will include potty training, digging, biting, jumping, and coming when called. Training your pet will make your pet happier, and less likely to get into trouble in some manner. The pets will no longer poop in your home, they won’t jump on strangers, and you will be able to control them when you’re out in public.

Other issues besides training,

A well trained pet will considerably help to lower your overall cost of ownership. But there are also other steps that can be taken as well. One thing that we think about for ourselves is called preventative maintenance. A good number of animal owners do not think about brushing their pet’s teeth, regular pet baths, or general grooming. This is often thought of for the “show dog”, or the “high society” pet. But just like us, they can become infected with a myriad of disease or health issues due to being unclean. Regular bathing will also help control any potential problems with fleas, ticks and other parasites.

With a little time, patience, and practice you will be able to do a professional quality grooming in your own home. This does not need to be done by a vet or some expensive grooming shop. If you do not have the time to do this yourself, then make sure you shop around for a good groomer. Get recommendations from friends, family or your vet.

Pet foods are also a big concern when it comes to cost. Many people do not realize that most store bought brands of dog foods are not good for your pets. Think of this like eating fast food every day. Much of the common dog food consists of filler products. These can be ground up chicken, pork, or beef bones or other parts. Some pets may even develop allergies to commonly found ingredients in these major brand foods.

Pet foods with a high content of filler will not satisfy your dog’s daily meal or nutritional requirements. This will often lead to repeat feedings to satisfy your dogs hunger, and if your dog remains hungry it may resort to chewing other items again. Try to keep your pet on a consistent diet as well. Too many changes from one brand to another can cause problems with their stomach or digestive systems.

We often think buying a 50 pound bag is cheaper. Until years down the line and our pet is losing his fur or becomes unhealthy for no apparent reason. Make sure to ask your vet about healthier alternatives to buying these “cheap” store foods

We own pets because we love them. They have grown to be parts of our families. We take them with us when we go on vacations, we walk them everyday through rain and snow, and we do our best to care for them. Many of us would say that our pets are priceless and that we would pay any price to keep our loving pets with us a little longer. Unfortunately we often think of this when it has become too late, or too expensive, and this does not need to be the case.

If you have a pet that you love, then like any child, get them on the healthy path early on. Feed then good quality foods, take them for regular checkups, and keep your dog clean and well trained. Consider getting things like baseline x-rays for comparison so that you will know if your pet has hip or elbow problems in the future. If you think of your pet as one of the family, then please treat them like one and take care of them with preventative care. Your pet will thank you for this treatment with many more years of additional love and devotion.

Derek Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/determine-how-much-your-pet-is-worth-101038.html

When is a good age to start potty training my son?

I have heard so many different ages to start potty training from 12months to 3 years old. My son is 2 years old and 5 months. Im a first time mom and I really need help. Im so confused and I dont know if hes ready to be potty trained.. I dont know any tricks or games to help him along, I know I have to be patient. Please help me I am stressing here.

I have three children myself and they are all very different. My daughter learned at 11 months, my son 1.5 years, my youngest is 1 now and he still does not want to use it. Basically your child will learn if you teach him. Here is what I have done for all of them ofcourse get them a potty. Once you have the potty go head and get some stickers that he likes: Elmo, spongebob, spiderman whoever. With the stickers but them in the toilet. Have him stand there and squirt the character. Once he starts getting the drift he will use it on his own. Always give him a treat when he tries or when he makes it in. Once he gets the drift take him out to dinner or toy r us or something like that of his choice. Dont worry girl he will get it.

what is the best way to start potty training my 2 1/2 year old son?

My son is 2 1/2 and I want to start potty training him after the first of the year. The thing is he is my first boy (i have 2 daughters) and i’m not quite sure what the best way to potty train him is. Do I sit him down or stand him up? Any help would be appreciated.

I did both.

You want him to sit down on the pottychair, for the mess factor alone. Your pottychair should have a little guard that goes in the front of the hole. But you might have thrown it away, your girls wouldn’t have needed it.

But he also needs to learn how to stand up and "shake it off". Start him on pottychair, then after he is getting the hang of that, have his dad (or uncle, grandpa, any adult male you trust enough) to show him how a man goes. After that you can let him do whichever he prefers.

Is he showing signs of wanting to potty train? Some boys take a lot longer than most girls getting to the point where they are ready. My son was absolutely terrified of the toilet/pottychair, so it took me a while just to get him to sit on it.

Good luck, and yeah, be prepared. Your bathroom will never be the same again…

Thoughts on the Development of our Ideas Regarding Diapers and Bed-wetting

It seems that most of our ideas regarding continence related issues such as potty training and bed-wetting are passed down from our parents. Some parents take a more relaxed view of these matters whereas others are more stringent. This is also the case with pediatricians and other medical professionals. For example I saw an ad some years ago by a famous pediatrician(I believe it was T.Berry Brazleton) saying in essence that in terms of potty training parents should let nature take its course and follow the child’s natural growth process-when the child is ready the parents should then begin a training regimen.

There are differences of opinion about when a child is ready for potty training. The psychologist John Rosemond disagrees with what is called the child-centered approach espoused by Dr. Brazleton and feels that children should be out of diapers as soon as possible. According to the website www.dy-dee.com Rosemond believes it is a slap to the intelligence of a human being that one should allow a baby to continue soiling and wetting himself past age 2.

A Mayo Clinic article states that a large number of children become interested in potty training at age 2 but some don’t show an interest until 2 and years or older. As mentioned there should be reasonable parameters established for these situations to rule out physical and/or cognitive problems but we also need to take into consideration the fact that people’s bodies develop at different rates. Also some people do have physical and/or cognitive reasons for being delayed in this area. The reason for mentioning people’s attitudes regarding toilet training is that many persons extrapolate their ideas from this area onto matters of bed-wetting and diaper use. I n my opinion this extrapolation is not warranted.

For some reason our notions about potty training and when our children should attain night dryness have been linked-we feel that if the child is mature enough to use the toilet they should be mature enough to be able to sleep through the night without wetting themselves. It follows from this that if they are grown up enough to not need diapers because they have learned to use the potty,they should be grown up enough to not need diapers during the night. But we must realize that there is not necessarily a correlation between when a child is potty trained and their ability to stay dry at night. Some children might be able to be potty trained at an early age and not achieve night dryness for many years(in some cases never-there are plenty of adults who still wet the bed and have this problem their whole lives). Physical and mental capabilities of all sorts sometimes develop at different rates.

Continence and people’s conceptions of maturity have been inextricably linked in many person’s minds for a long time. I firmly believe it’s time to rethink this. There may be physical or cognitive components(or both) that can be responsible for a person being delayed in their ability to achieve continence including those with bed-wetting problems. The fact that they have these problems and might need diapers to manage them is not a reflection on their maturity. People have ailments effecting different parts of their body-their heart,liver,eyes,ears,etc. and use whatever means necessary to correct or manage the problem why should it be any different with a problem like bed-wetting?

Parents like to tell the child how much of a big kid they are for not having to wear diapers any more. I realize that parents have good intentions with this approach because children are motivated to act and behave more like adults and the parents and other relatives of the child feel this method will help in this regard. I can also understand why children are proud of each accomplishment whether physical or cognitive that moves them closer to adulthood and independence such as learning to tie one’s shoes, learning to swim without products such as water wings,being able to take the training wheels off their bike,etc. These are examples of things that demonstrate a child’s competency and their ability to learn a new skill which to the child is a great source of pride. However,the fact that a child has to wear diapers for bed-wetting has nothing at all to do with this. A situation such as this is solely about the person having the ability to control certain bodily functions. A person can be the most highly intelligent, skilled,and competent person in the world yet not have the capability to stay dry at night for whatever reason.

People reading this article might come to the conclusion that I believe a person should just use diapers for their bed-wetting due to the emphasis on these products. Nothing could be further from the truth. As mentioned earlier I don’t believe that people should just rely on diapers and not seek out various cures for their bed-wetting. It’s very important that a person seek medical advice in order to rule out a potentially serious condition. However,if after seeing a doctor and serious conditions have been ruled out,if all avenues at curing the bed-wetting have proven unsuccessful, are not viable,or not desirable for whatever reason,and if the pull-ups or Goodnites are ineffective at protecting the youngster,then the parents need to consider other diapering options such as pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants or disposable tape-on diapers. Although it might take the child or teen some adjustment wearing the diapers,I think in the long run it’s better for the child-after all it’s unhealthy and unsanitary(not to mention uncomfortable) lying all night in wet sheets and clothing.

Colin Ellison
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/thoughts-on-the-development-of-our-ideas-regarding-diapers-and-bedwetting-709463.html

How do you handle potty training a 3-yr-old who holds themselves on purpose?

I have a 3-yr-old boy who has not taken well to potty training. I’ve noticed that when I put him on the potty chair he purposely holds himself, that is refuses to release his urine or poop. Finally after 30 or so minutes when I put his pull up on he will go in his pull up. My question is how do you handle a child who is refusing to release their waste. I’ve also tried putting him on the toilet and he does the same thing. Please help. Thank you.

It helped my son to potty train standing up: not only did he want to be like his father, it also helped for him to see what was happening and connect the sensations. He used The Potty Stool http://www.thepottystool.com This stool makes every toilet kid-sized. He could easily stand at the toilet (or sit) safely and securely. My kids immediately climbed up on this stool and were very interested in using the toilet. I was shocked how easy potty training was for him.

The handles and sides make all the difference! My son and daughter felt very secure and the sides makes them feel comfortable and closed in when they use the toilet.

My kids like to use what they know mommy and daddy use. And it really is wonderful having your kids independently use the toilet on their own. The best thing is children use this stool for years. Hope this helps you.

potty training?

I started potty training my son this weekend. The problem is that my daycare requires that they be in pull ups while being potty trained. I feel that the pull ups are a waste of time and are also more expensive than diapers. I feel the pull ups are too much like diapers. He will stay dry for an hour then he will go in his pants. I have been taking him every 5-10 mins. I have told him that he would get a special treat like his favorite candy if he went in the potty but its not working. I have also let him sit in wet underwear but I don’t want him to sit in them too long as he could get a rash. The father is not in the picture to help.
My son is 2. He will be 3 in April.
My son just peed in the potty right before bathtime. I’m so excited.

Try talking to the day care that you send him to and tell them how you feel about the pull ups. I agree with you. It will just confuse the child because it absorbes the mosture and is just like a diaper. As for him not going on the potty it depends on how you are teaching him so far. If you are teaching him to stand from the start then try put food colouring or a few peices of ceral in the toliet and tell him to "aim" for them. If you are able to have a close male friend or family memeber bring your son to the bathroom with them so he can see how it is done. If not and if you are teaching him to sit from the start then make him sit on the potty until he goes. I know it sounds harsh but it works. Do not let him get up for any reason. Make sure you bring water or something into the bathroom for him to drink that way it will increase his chances of urinating in the potty. If he wants to do something just tell him that he can’t until he goes to the potty. That should work becuase he will want to play with a toy that he likes and he will know that he can’t until he uses the toliet. Also it helps if you can let him go around the house without pants on so it makes it easier for him to go when he has to. If not then just make sure that he is in clothes that he can easily pull down himself. If you keep bribing him then when he is full potty trained then he will expect a treat each time he goes to the bathroom and if he doesn’t get it then he might just go back to wetting himself again. I hope this helps you a little bit.

Dry at Night With Your Toddler

What is night time potty training? What is its difference with day time training?

These are probably the questions in your mind right now. When your child has the urge to urinate at daytime, they would probably go to the potty to urinate by now.

Talking about night time potty training, the process might be a little harder than you think. Your child uses the toilet during the day but you wish for him to get away with the diapers at night. For a number of kids this next logical step follows without much difficulty. But for others, it is not always the case.

To embark on this stage, you will probably require your child in night-time diapers or pull-ups. This reasonably reduces the anxiety due to possible failure. It also gets rid of the hassle of changing your sheets in the middle of the night.

As usual, praise him with his first night where he does stay dry or when he wakes up to go to his potty chair. If he is not yet prepared to stay dry for the night, never laugh at him. Ignore the night time accidents and move on with the process. Don’t make a fuss over his slow progress.

In return, raise his spirits by cheering him on his accomplishments before. Remind him of his daytime efforts. In addition, to help him stay dry at night, control how much he drinks before he goes to bed. Remind him to use the toilet before sleeping.

When you are ready to sleep yourself, wake him up to use the toilet once again. He may not want to get up but compel him to oblige. By doing this, you teach him the discipline to give the most effort. This reminds his body to wake up when his bladder fills at the middle of his sleep.

Is your child having nightmares? This is probably an indication that he needs to use the bathroom. Educate him to get up when he is having a bad dream. Illustrate to him that he needs to use the toilet before going back to sleep.

It is very indispensable to stand by your child throughout the process, remember this is the last part of his training with the potty.

If the dilemma with night time wetting continues without much progress, or if there are other concerns, discuss this with your doctor for advice. This is probably an issue that requires medical attention. Your pediatrician might as well advice tips on this difficult path to night time potty training.

In conclusion, your child needs your help this time, so be very supportive until the time he gets it. In no time, his sleep will be better and no more nightmares. And you will have yours too.

Paul Easton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/dry-at-night-with-your-toddler-736204.html

Here’s Help for Your Bed Wetting Child

If you have a bed wetting child, there are steps you can take to help them end this unfortunate disorder. But first, you have to be mindful of not overreacting when it occurs and you must show compassion and empathy to your child so he or she doesn’t feel guilty or shame, which can eventually lead to undue anxiety.

You know the old saying goes, “children are smarter than you think.” This is easily evidenced in toddlers when we as parents express dismay at their little accidents while potty training and they end up crying out of embarrassment, frustration, and worst of all; because you lead them to believe they disappointed you!

To help a bed wetting child get rid of their problem we must first see if we can find the root cause of the bed wetting Studies show that many children have frequent or an occasional bed wetting accident, not because they’re too lazy to go to the bathroom, but because it runs in the family!

Some kids control their bladder with much more ease than other children, and they’re able to better recognize when their bladder is getting too full, and this enables them to get to the bathroom on time.

Many parents expecttheir toddlers to keep bed wetting for a while during potty training, and they’re absolutely right; toddlers are used to having diapers on while they sleep, so during the transition, most parents allow them to sleep with diapers until they make the transition.

Sometimes a child may be suffering from some type of urinary tract problem which causes more frequent urination in children. If you suspect this may be the problem or if your child is still bed wetting between the ages of 5-7, it would be wise to consult with a physician at this point.

Orlando Gutierrez
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/heres-help-for-your-bed-wetting-child-698431.html

Does anyone have tips for potty training an uncircumcised child?

I’m looking for online resources that will help specifically with potty training uncircumcised children. If anyone has had experience potty training an uncircumcised three-year-old that would be extremely helpful too. Thank you!
Reason for asking….my wife and I are new foster parents……..

My son is uncircumcised and it was really no different then regular potty training. Everything works the same. It’s when he’s bathing that he needs special cleaning.