Dog Training 101: Place Training Made Easy!

For many reasons, it's essential for any dog owner to take the time to properly train their dogs. There are many tricks that can be taught that have many different purposes and benefits. The most important reason to train is to prevent your dog from becoming injured or injuring others. So this week, we're going to focus on one of our favorite commands: "Place." Place training is simple to teach and has many benefits for both dog and owner:

Benefits of Place Training

Besides it being a convenient way to keep track of where your dog is and what he's doing, there are other more important benefits to place training. So let’s talk about the benefits of the "place" command.

• It can keep him from jetting out doors
• It helps stop dogs from barking at the door by giving them a quiet place to go to
• It can keep him from running after vehicles
• It can keep him out of the way if he is constantly underfoot
• It gives him a comfortable place to be when you go somewhere else; vacation, the ball field, your friend’s house etc.

Teaching Your Dog Place Training
It’s not difficult to teach a dog the "place" command, but it will take some time, patience, and consistency. Here are some easy steps to try:

Lure Your Dog to His Place
Start off by standing close to the bed or mat that will serve as your dog's place. Give him the command "place," and then use a treat to lure him onto his spot. As soon as all four feet are on the mat, praise your dog or click the clicker and give him a treat. Repeat this several times. Most dogs will go to the bed or mat on command after a few short training sessions.

Have a Release Cue
Remember to give him a release cue, such as "Okay" or "All done," so he knows when he’s allowed to get off the bed. You shouldn’t force him off it, though – if he’s comfortable, by all means let him hang out!

Extend the Training

Once your dog is consistently going to and lying down in their place once you give the "place" command, gradually increase the distance and/or the duration until your dog will reliably go to his "place" (without a treat) and stay there until you release him. You can go even further with this training by changing up the location of your dog's place. For example, you can designate a spot in each room of your home to be your dog's place. This will teach your dog that no matter where they're at, they must still follow the same rules.

Now that you know the benefits of place training and have some easy steps to follow to train this simple, yet important command, you better get to it! Make sure you've got a place for your dog to call his own by getting a few premium raised dog beds. Our PetCots are perfect for place training and dogs love them! Not only are the comfortable and easy to clean, but they're durable as well - making them the perfect petbed choice for puppies and active chewers. Visit our website today at www.PetCot.com to order your PetCot beds and other products!

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Tips for Training and Keeping Your Active Chewer Busy

For many dogs, a few vigorous walks a day can help to keep them satisfied and prevent their destructive nature from peaking its ugly head out. But for some dogs, especially puppies, simply walking them just isn't enough to deter their instinctive nature to chew and destroy. We all know how frustrating it can be to try to stay patient after watching time and again your beloved new puppy destroy yet another pair of shoes. That's why this week, the PetCot Company is sharing with you a few tips for training and keeping your active chewer busy.

Kennel While You're Away
If you've got a stress-induced or bored chewer, perhaps it's in your (and their) best interest to keep them kenneled while you're away and unable to supervise. Start off by making sure they relate their kennel as a safe zone and not just a place for discipline. If you only use the kennel when they're being bad, they'll have negative feelings toward the kennel and you may have a very difficult time getting them to willingly go to their kennel, which could cause a whole new set of problems in itself. So use the kennel often, even while you're home, so they don't relate it as a bad experience and become comfortable spending time in it. By kenneling your dog while you're not there to supervise, you'll avoid destruction of your home and personal items, but you'll also avoid your dog chewing up something that could be harmful to their health.

Give Them Ways to Release Energy
Not only should you take your dog on walks to let out some of their pent up energy, but you should also provide them with ways to continue to release energy when they're in the house. Some great ways to do this are to create fun games that make them work for treats. As an example, you can hide treats around your home and send your beloved fur baby on a scavenger hunt to find them. You may have to lead them to the hiding spots the first few times you do this, but they'll catch on quickly and soon enough you'll be finding new hiding spots to challenge them! You can also give them durable toys to chew on that'll keep their interest for hours, such as Kongs filled with treats or peanut butter. Or go big and create a designated sand pit in the backyard that they can dig in. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that it'll keep your dog's interest, and routinely change it up to keep them from getting bored.

Teach Your Dog Right From Wrong
While it may not seem like it at first, dogs (even easily distracted puppies) love to please. So, how are you going to teach your dog right from wrong? Well, with consistency and patience, of course! But seriously. The trick is to SHOW your dog what is okay for them to chew on. How you can do this is anytime your dog is chewing on something they shouldn't be, take it away and firmly tell them "NO". Then immediately offer them something they CAN chew on. Once they take it, praise them! It's really that simple. By staying consistent and patient, your smart little pooch will quickly catch on that there are certain things they are okay chewing on, and will avoid the rest.

We hope that these tips will serve you well in the task of training and keeping your active chewer busy. Just remember, consistency and patience is the most important part of training any dog. And of course, for those destructive dukes in your life, make sure you've got a comfy place for them to rest their heads after you wear them out. Get a durable dog bed from PetCot. Our beds are one of the most durable on the market. If, however, your chewer does do damage to our premium raised beds, we offer affordable, easy to install replacement parts. Just replace the part - not the whole bed! Visit our website to order yours today!

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Tips for Training Your New Puppy

From the first day you bring your pup home, you'll train them and teach them right from wrong. With so many important things to teach them, how are you supposed to know where to start? Many people wonder when the right time to start training their puppy is, and honestly, the answer is now. Start setting your puppy up for success today, and you'll be able to reinforce those habits for the rest of their life. Here are a few tips from trainers that will help you figure out what your puppy needs to learn, and how to teach it to them.

Start with Routines
It's important to start training your puppy on the routines that they'll be keeping in the coming weeks. Teach them where their food and water dishes are, and keep them in the same places, and feed them at the same times each day. Teach them where they'll be going to the bathroom, and always take them to the same place for continuity. Most importantly, continually train them about their bedtime. Keep their PetCot bed in the same place so they know where bedtime happens, and then be sure to reinforce what time they wake up and what time they go to sleep. These routines will be just as valuable for you as it is for them.

Teach Words
The next step is to start reinforcing words in their vocabulary. "No," means stop what you're doing right now. "Good," reinforces that what they're doing is exemplary. These two words are generally introduced around 2-3 months old, and should be used when necessary. There are many other words you will want to add to their vocabulary like sit, stay, down, off, come, don't touch, drop it, go lie down, etc. These words should only be taught after "no" and "good" have been learned well.

Treat Training
While using treats can be a great incentive for your pup, it's not the most effective way to reinforce good behavior, or stop the bad. Treat training, in essence, is based solely off your pup wanting to eat or not. Suppose he goes running out the door after a squirrel, and even though you're tempting him with a treat, he wants to chase the squirrel more than eat a treat. Not only does that reinforce bad habits of not listening to you, but you're showing that if he doesn't want a treat he doesn't have to listen. It would be much more efficient to implement a training based on respect over treats.

Keep in mind that training with treats is not a bad thing, but it shouldn't be your sole method of 'bribing' your pet to obey you. Treats are initially used to help reinforce good behavior, and direct the pet to what you're wanting them to do, but as your training goes on, you should be weaning them off the treats and guiding them to do what you've asked solely based on the command and authority.

Respect Training
If your dog hears your words, understands them, and still chooses not to obey, this could be a sign that they don't respect you. It's important to establish respect in the relationship, not because you HAVE to be in charge, but because you can protect your pet better when they obey. If they are running out into the road, but don't listen to you when you say "come," they are in danger of running into oncoming traffic.

PetCot Beds Help You Train Your Pup
There are many important commands you will establish with your new furry friend, and our beds can help you to reinforce some of those commands. Many trainers use our PetCots to instruct dogs of all ages in the "place" command. Our pet beds aren't just used for training, though, our beds are kept in households all over the country to give your pet a great place to sleep, relax, and stay put when need be. You can order yours today on our website, www.PetCot.com.

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April 23rd is Lost Dog Awareness Day!

This April 23rd marks the 4th annual National Lost Dog Awareness Day - So in an effort to help raise awareness of this very important date, we've decided to write a blog about it! Did you know that many of the stray dogs picked up and taken to shelters are lost pets who got out of their yard or home, and don't have proper identity to determine who or where they belong to? In honor of Lost Dog Awareness Day, the PetCot Company has some helpful tips to prevent your dog from becoming another statistic at the shelter, and to help your dog find his/her way back home to you:

Take Proper Preventative Measures

• Walk your fenced area regularly to check for weak spots and holes. Fix any problem areas you find immediately. Get your dog acquainted with the yard and areas they are approved to be in. Teach them any "no-no" areas by constantly reminding them to stay away with positive reinforcement and redirection.  
• Spend extra time training them to sit and stay. Until they have those tricks down and you can trust them to listen, you may need to kennel them or put them in a different room when you are leaving so they don't try to follow you out the door. 
• Get your dog microchipped, and make sure to update your contact information when it changes. Make sure to also have a durable and legible name/contact tag on your dog's collar so people know how to get ahold of you if they find your pup running about. 

Follow These Tips When Your Dog Gets Out

• Put food and water out where the dog was last seen. You can also put their favorite bed or blanket out so if they happen to wander by they'll catch a familiar scent and be encouraged to come back home on their own. 
• Post pictures and contact information on social media and make up flyers to go door-to-door with. Neighbors in the area can be a great source for help in these situations. They can keep an eye out and if they see your dog running around, if they know he's gone missing, they can bring him back home to you or call you to pick him up. 
• Contact your local shelter or animal control, vet clinics and police department to see if they've had any calls about a stray dog running loose or if anyone has brought your dog in. Leave your contact information with them so they can contact you if/when your dog has been found. 
• If you've put together a "search team", instruct everyone helping out to not chase your dog if they find him. By chasing the dog, it may frighten them or they may think it's a game, prolonging the search efforts. Have them sit down calmly, call to the dog, and throw treats to entice him to come if possible - then REWARD him greatly with love and affection when he does!

The PetCot Company hopes that your dog never decides to take a stroll down the road without you. However, in the event that your pooch has a tendency to walk on the wild side every now and then, we hope these tips will help you keep your dog safe and at home where it belongs. One of the best ways we can suggest keeping your dog from getting bored and wandering off is to provide them with toys to keep them entertained, and a nice cozy place to sleep that they won't want to leave. If you're in need of a comfy bed for your beloved pup, visit our website to check out our premium raised dog beds that your furbabies are sure to love and want to come back to every night!

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All About Puppies!

Roly, poly puppies can make any day immediately improved. Their funny attitude towards life, their sense of adventure, and their love of cuddling are just a few reasons we love them so much. March 23rd is Puppy Day, and here at PetCot, can't think of a better way to celebrate than by sharing a few fun facts about these lovable balls of fur.

The Humane Society Animal League for Life claims that there are at least 70,000 puppies born in the U.S. every single day!

Like humans, puppies aren't born with teeth, however, they also aren't born with hearing, vision, or the sense of smell. They tend to open their eyes and begin to hear around two weeks, and their sense of smell comes in around three weeks.

Did you know that a puppy needs between 15-20 hours of sleep a day?

When a puppy is first born, they spend 90% of their day sleeping and the other 10% eating - sounds like a pretty amazing life to us!

Did you know that a dog's smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times better than a human's? It may not start until their three weeks old, but when they can start to smell, it makes up for it!

Because puppies are in the womb with and born with other puppies, they have a need for constant companionship, otherwise, they'll get lonely. 

By the time your puppy reaches the age of one, they are considered an adult. In human years, this is the physical equivalent of being 15 years old.

5 Commands Your Puppy Should Learn

Come

You'll want your pup to learn how to come when you call to them on the first command.

Heel

This means that your pup should learn how to walk next to you and keep stride. Stopping when you stop, walking when you walk, and not walking ahead or behind you.

Sit

Whether you're cooking in the kitchen and don't want your dog under foot or you're at the park and you've stopped to talk with someone - the sit command is one of the first and most basic commands your pup should learn.

Stay

This command can be vital, especially when your pup gets into situations where they need to stay in one place. Start training them when they are young, and do it in a quiet place where they can focus.

Lay Down

Teaching your puppy to lay down teaches them to settle into a spot that you've directed them towards. It's also the first step in teaching them fun tricks, like roll over.

Celebrating Puppies

If you're celebrating puppy day by bringing a new pup home - we're so excited for you! There are many fun-filled days ahead - but also plenty of training days, and you'll need the right tools to get you started. If you haven't picked out a pet bed for your new puppy, we would love for you to consider our raised pet bed. It's a great place to let your puppy relax, and to give them a spot to call their own. Not to mention, our puppy beds are great because they are easy to clean if they have accidents and resistant to chewing with our special chew guards. Visit our website to learn more about our premium raised dog beds for Puppy Day!

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Four Commands Your Puppy Should Learn

You've made the bold new step for your family by adding one more - only this one has four legs instead of two! As cute and furry as this new addition is, they also whine all through the night, have too many accidents on your carpet, and have started chewing up your shoes. It's time to start your new mission: train the puppy.

At The PetCot Company, we know how much of a commitment a new pet can bring to the family, but we also know how much joy and laughter they can bring as well - which makes it all worth it. Here are four commands your puppy should learn right off the bat, and how our PetCot beds can aid you in your mission.

SIT

This is generally one of the first things you'll want to train your puppy to do, and it can generally be one of the easiest. You can make it the easiest by holding a treat above their nose and raising it up and  back which should cue your pup to sit naturally without having to push their tush down. As they begin to sit, say the command "sit", and when they do, don't forget to praise them and give them the treat!

As they become familiar with that command, begin saying it before they've completed the action. You'll probably have to complete the process many times, and practice it several times a day for it to become natural.

STAY

Teaching your pup how to stay teaches them self-control, and will be an invaluable command as they get older. You can start by showing them a treat and asking them to sit. From there, you will ask them to "stay" and take one step back. If they stay put, you give them a treat and start over. This will be a step by step process - literally! As they become comfortable with one step, you can increase the number of steps until they will stay for long periods of time.

Don't forget to teach them a release command. In many situations you will want your pup to stay until called back to you, so decide on a hand motion and/or verbal command that will signify that they can be released from staying.

You can also use the PetCot bed as a further challenge for staying. Many pet owners use the "place" command to communicate with their dog that they should go to a designated spot (like a PetCot), and then they should stay until released. This is more advanced, though, and should be used after they've mastered the easier commands.

COME

This command is an important one because there are most likely going to be times when you drop their leash, leave the door open too long, etc. Start by putting their leash on them, and when you say "come" give the leash a little tug so they will come. You can then reward them for their obedience and then try it all over again.

LEAVE IT

This command can be invaluable since puppies are generally very curious. While you may be able to control your pup while they are small, as they grow up and get larger, you won't be able to control them as easily when they try to eat something they shouldn't, chase after squirrels, or even try to dig around in the trash. Teaching your pup to "leave it" can be a little more of a challenge for them, but there are some great Youtube videos to give you a head start.

Give Your Pup a Place

Every new furry friend needs a place that they can call their own. While it may start out as a kennel, eventually you'll probably upgrade them to a "toddler bed" - like a PetCot! Our premium pet beds are ideal for providing a place for your pet to call their own, and a perfect spot to relax after a day of training! Visit our website to learn more about the sizes and colors available, and if you don't know what size you need, check out our past blog: Which PetCot Is the Right Size for YOUR Pet?

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Important Steps for Training Your New Puppy

Every roly poly puppy is a big bundle of energy, and sometimes that energy needs to be directed into good habits. From the first day, you bring your pup home, you'll train them and teach them right from wrong. With so many important things to teach them, how are you supposed to know where to start?

Many people wonder when the right time to start training their puppy is, and honestly, the answer is now. Start setting your puppy up for success today, and you'll be able to reinforce those habits for the rest of their life. Here are a few tips from trainers that will help you figure out what your puppy needs to learn, and how to teach it to them.

Start With Routines

It's important to start training your puppy on the routines that they'll be keeping in the coming weeks. Teach them where their food and water dishes are, and keep them in the same places, and feed them at the same times each day. Teach them where they'll be going to the bathroom, and always take them to the same place for continuity. Most importantly, continually train them about their bedtime. Keep their PetCot bed in the same place so they know where bedtime happens, and then be sure to reinforce what time they wake up and what time they go to sleep. These routines will be just as valuable for you as it is for them.

Teach Words

The next step is to start reinforcing words in their vocabulary. "No," means stop what you're doing right now. "Good," reinforces that what they're doing is exemplary. These two words are generally introduced around 2-3 months old, and should be used when necessary. There are many other words you will want to add to their vocabulary like sit, stay, down, off, come, don't touch, drop it, go lie down, etc. These words should only be taught after "no" and "good" have been learned well.

Avoid Biscuit Training

While using treats can be a great incentive for your pup, it's not the most effective way to reinforce good behavior, or stop the bad. Biscuit training, in essence, is based solely off your pup wanting to eat or not. Suppose he goes running out the door after a squirrel, and even though you're tempting him with a treat, he wants to chase the squirrel more than eat a treat. Not only does that reinforce bad habits of not listening to you, but you're showing that if he doesn't want a treat he doesn't have to listen. It would be much more efficient to implement a training based on respect over treats.

Keep in mind that training with treats is not a bad thing, but it shouldn't be your sole method of 'bribing' your pet to obey you. Treats are initially used to help reinforce good behavior, and direct the pet to what you're wanting them to do, but as your training goes on, you should be weaning them off the treats and guiding them to do what you've asked solely based on the command and authority.

Respect Training

If your dog hears your words, understands them, and still chooses not to obey, this could be a sign that they don't respect you. It's important to establish respect in the relationship, not because you HAVE to be in charge, but because you can protect your pet better when they obey. If they are running out into the road, but don't listen to you when you say "come," they are in danger of running into oncoming traffic.

PetCot Beds Help You Train Your Pup

There are many important commands you will establish with your new furry friend, and our beds can help you to reinforce some of those commands. Many trainers use our PetCots to instruct dogs of all ages in the "place" command. Our pet beds aren't just used for training, though, our beds are kept in households all over the country to give your pet a great place to sleep, relax, and stay put when need be. You can order yours today on our website, www.PetCot.com.

Taking Comfort and Care to a New Level for Pets!

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