Crate training your puppy should happen in phases depending on your dogs age. For example, very young puppies should be socialized into the crate slowly over a period of time, even a few weeks, before the door is shut. Once your dog  can hold the urge to go to the bathroom all night,  you can then shut the crate door for a few hours a day to begin with. Remember, your daily routine is key. You should always give your dog lot’s of walks, exercise and hang time with you, as well as crating time even when your home. This is really important to realize. Many  people crate their dog only when they leave and the crate is associated with abandonment when it really should be thought of as the a plush condo. The length of crate training will depend on your lifestyle, work habits, age of your dog, and training that you have given while raising your dog. Obedience training ( heel, sit , stay , down and come) creates a language and allows you to develop trust. The rest takes time just like any other relationship. How do you know when you can stop crate training your dog? You’ll know. There will be no accidents for months, nothing chewed up during your dogs free time loose in the house and you’ll just know!

Yesterday, I received a call from a former client telling me her dog has begun growling at her outdoors in the evening. Strangely, this new behavior began when she was ready for bed and asking him to come indoors. She wanted me to come over and correct this odd new behavior. I asked her to describe the issue. She said that her dog seemed spooked and would sort of hide in the back of the yard and as she approached him he began to growl. I asked her to describe what she did prior to leaving him in the yard. She confidently said that all she did was give him a bone while she was out and let him outdoors to enjoy the summer evening for a few hours. Bingo! Hello?

Giving a dog a bone outdoors can create problems like digging and territorial behaviors. Some dogs hide the bones and in the evening it can draw other animals to it. Not a good idea!

If leaving your dog in the yard for a few hours, exercise him first, then leave hard rubber toys or a ball to enjoy, instead.

I was at the vets office and a man walked in with his new rescue dog, excited for a new beginning. He asked me about housebreaking his dog, he was planning to keep his new dog outdoors until she became trustworthy. He wondered if that would have any downsides to training his dog that way.

Here is the scoop on leaving your dog outdoors 24/7. Leaving your dog outdoors all day and all night can have a huge downside. Behaviors like excessive barking, destruction, boredom, digging, barking and sometimes (territorial) aggression, can develop overtime. Of course, this depends on where you live, the age of your dog, breed and other factors. Especially with new adopted dogs and puppies the training involved should include housebreak your dog. This means teaching your dog to hold the urge to go to the bathroom you must teach him inside and take him outdoors to go. Not the other way around. All dogs love to spend time out doors, just make sure is not too many hours in length! Just don’t keep them outside in the yard excessively. Know that dogs are very social creatures and will get lonely if left alone in the yard too long. They are den animals and should be thought of as a member of your family!

If you’re thinking Labradoodles or Yoshons or Puggles, think again. I have been training dogs and people for many decades in Los Angeles and have seen a rising trend among my celebrity clientele. Years ago the trend in dogs was high priced pedigree pups. Now the pedigree pup can officially move aside and Labradoodles are yesterday’s news. The plain old pound puppy prevails! This is the new recycled cost effective choice of the Hollywood elite. What could you have in common with my clients Mandy Moore, Ryan Adams or Will Ferrell? Well, they all own rescue dogs! They are among many celebrities that would have it no other way.

The dog trends have favored many different breeds over the decades. In the 1950’s the Poodle rocked. The Afghan hound took the 60’s with flower power. The 1970’s hit with an overwhelming number of stray dogs. A serious crisis hit the dog world. In L.A County alone the number of animal euthanasia’s hit 100,000 in 1974 alone. The 80’s popular favorite was the Jack Russell; then came the 90’s which held firm on the Chihuahua as a popular pocket dog breed.

I think the Mutt is here to stay in our hearts.

I get this question so often that it saddens me. Many people wonder if it’s “better” for a dog to have a litter or so of puppies. Or they have such a cute dog that they want to breed her just once. Or they wait too long to get their pup spayed or neutered and an accidental litter happens! Spaying and neutering your dog is 100% the right thing to do! Yes, spay or neuter your puppy!!!

Fixing your dog early is better for their health, makes training easier, and allows them to socialize in dog parks without problems.

The number of homeless dogs is astronomical. The ASPCA states that it is impossible to determine exactly how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States, but the estimate for cats alone ranges up to 70 million. Do your part to help control this problem by having your dog (and cat!) spayed or neutered. I had no problem with getting my female dog spayed. However, some people project their own issues onto their dogs, and feel they would not want to be spayed or neutered themselves. O.k. this I have to say is ridiculous and really kind of hilarious. It’s a really easy, simple surgery. Ask your vet.

Having puppies is a lot of work. If you don’t believe me, go read a book on how to breed your dog: it isn’t pretty. I also suggest going to your local shelter to see some of the thousands of homeless dogs and cats waiting to be killed, due to humans’ lack of responsibility. The figures are staggering. Approximately 6-8 million animals enter shelters across the nation each year, and 3-4 million of these are destroyed.

These numbers are driven by puppy mills and backyard breeding, but are mainly driven by owner irresponsibility and a lack of education. If you’re still not convinced about neutering, ask your vet about the many health risks, such as testicular cancers and a host of behavioral issues, including potential dog aggression, which can develop in unneutered dogs.

Many people have also asked me if spaying or neutering will make their dog fat and lazy or change his/her personality. I would like you to look at my lean, 110 pound German Shepherd Dog (who was neutered at the age of six months) in the eye and tell him that he is fat or lazy. The only things that will make your dog fat are overfeeding and lack of exercise.

I urge you to please take responsibility and get your dog fixed. Do research and educate yourself! Leave breeding to professionals.

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Meet this Disney-like puppy. A one of a kind, to die for cutie. Designer dog? Labradoodle? Nope, she is called a pound puppy. She is 5-months-old and comes with a normal bill of health and a bubbly personality.

How did she get into the shelter? Not sure. She was found on the streets and has been in the shelter for over 10 days! How can this happen? An array of ways. Leaving puppies in yards untrained and unattended, for one. Not having proper identification on your dog, or not realizing caring for a puppy can be costly in the beginning is another.

It makes me crazy. Anyway, the moral of this story is do NOT go into a puppy store or on the internet to buy a dog! This little dog has clones all across North America. Where? In your shelter, petfinder.com (located to the left of this post) and rescue groups. Ask your vet, Google your local animal shelter and go see some great dogs. It’s a great way to save money when looking for

a pet. I went to four local animal shelters recently, and saw purebred puppies of almost every breed. Tell your friends who are looking for a new dog where they can find an array of perfect pups in all shapes and sizes– the shelter! Spread the news. Together we can make a difference!

Yes, she almost came home with me… but I can’t do three dogs right now. She did get a home, though!

The main reason I created this blog and website is to help dog owners get through the rough spots of puppy raising and other issues so that this doesn’t continue to happen!

Trouble keeping Fido out of Fluffy’s litter box? I’ve witnessed and heard complaints of this dreaded situation countless times. Thankfully, The Refined Feline has come up with this innovative product to keep your dog out of your cat’s bathroom! Super chic, this hardly looks like your average litter box and can easily blend into any room in your home. A perfect example of how to Feng Shui with Fidoâ„¢! I love this product! Bravo.

The Dog Proof Refined Cat Litter Box has an 8 inch by 10 inch entrance hole on the top rather than the sides, allowing your kitty to come and go as they please. Made of ply with wood veneer, the box comes in your choice of Honey, Mahogany or Espresso. The bottom tray slides out for easy cleaning.

Not a dog owner? The Refined Feline also makes a model with a side entrance, allowing you to disguise the litter box as a trendy side table! Check out more of their phenomenal ideas at The Refined Feline.

Dear Inger,

Willie, my 5 year old 17 lb Yorkie, has begun to bark to protect his territory. We moved to a neighborhood about a year ago and he will bark at people passing by, walking down the street, and in other yards. We live in New Hampshire on a quiet road and he has always been let out without a leash. Before this we lived on 40 acres of land – so no need to worry about a leash, a tie-up, etc. How can I best train him to stop the barking? My nice neighbors are getting fed up – which I totally understand.

Annie H.
New Hampshire

Dear Annie,

It seems to me that you have a member of “Barkaholics Anonymous.”  I get it. This is a common bad, annoying dog owner problem. Barking in general is a normal function of a dog and a way to communicate. It becomes problematic when it is associated with triggers or territorial behavior. Triggers can be people, other dogs, noises or movement. A doorbell, for example, is a common trigger for a dog. It sounds as if you lived in a somewhat remote area before this neighborhood, therefore, Willie was not socialized to all the activity that he is exposed to now. How do you get the barking to stop? A couple of ways:

You need to do several exercises. Many people come home from work or errands and open the back door to let the dog out, and the barking begins. By merely opening a back door at a busy time (such as when the whole neighborhood is walking their dog) can trigger barking. Keep a leash by the back door and a jar of treats. Ask him to sit, give him a treat and put on the leash. Say the word, “Outside” (meaning go potty) then after he learns to go potty potty on command, participate in an activity together in the yard such as fetch. Don’t just leave him there alone for hours at a time.

Incorporate the following tips into your daily life for a few minutes a day:

1. Change the manner in which you let him go outdoors. In other words, use a leash to escort him outside to go potty. Many dogs who are just let out on their own don’t go potty right away, they smell, bark and guard their yard instead. If he barks while on a leash, then you are on the other end of the leash and can give a quick tug and say a firm, “No!” Then say “let’s go” in a happy voice and begin walking in the opposite direction of the distraction he is barking at. This action of a tug will create eye contact and connect the gesture of the tug to the word no. Your dog will associate your displeasure to the barking. The timing of this correction is essential. Saying, “No” from a distance usually happens after the barking has already occurred. Therefore, using the leash and saying, “No” for a few weeks will help break this cycle.

2. Take him on more walks! Tire him out and then limit his free time in the yard to non-busy neighborhood times. This will re-condition him to relax in the yard, instead of trigger barking. If your dog is in the yard for 2 or 3 hours at a time it’s too long. Boredom will set in and the hobby of barking will occur.

3. Use the backyard for fetch. Let him relax indoors. Learn my easy game of fetch here!

4. Limit his yard time to 20 minute increments, several times a day. Do so after a walk. Then, if he continues to bark you can take a coffee can, empty the coffee, put a handful of pennies in the can and put the lid back on. When Willie barks, shake the can once and say,”No!” The key to this correction is to shake the can once while out of sight. For all of you out there who feel that this correction is mean–hear this! The shake can represents a sanction, like a policeman pulling you over for blowing a red light. In some cases, if excessive barking is allowed to continue without being corrected properly, then it could turn into aggression. Best to try the above to stop it. After the correction of the shake can and a firm voice correction of the word no,  in a positive happy voice say the word “come” and call your dog indoors.

Barking can become a habit and if it occurs from your yard it can be due to boredom, lack of exercise and possibly socialization. Taking your dog on errands and walks will help him get used to cars, people and other dogs. All of the above has to work together to solve this problem.

Keep me posted on your progress!

Inger

Oh… and stay tuned in the coming days: Find out what common dog owner mistake can create aggression! Many dog owners don’t even know they are contributing to creating this behavior. Could you be doing it too?

Click above to play Inger’s Paws For A Minuteâ„¢ Quick Tip!

An inspiring trip south of LA to the Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA) in Downey, California, made me aware of a wonderful initiative to reduce euthanasia rates in animal shelters.

I was a bit confused at first as to what “The Modpawd” could possibly be at first glance. After a tour of the shelter by the friendly staff of SEAACA and Found Animals, I learned that this was the first live media webcast studio and adoption annex ever built at a municipal animal care facility! How cool is that? Every afternoon at 4:00 pm Pacific, a live “PawdCast” is broadcast via the internet, showcasing adoptable animals that otherwise would never have a chance to let their personalities shine. Viewers can also log on 24/7 to view the antics of the latest residents in the community cat room in the adoption annex.

This is such a fantastic way, along with posting videos on Petfinder.com, to bring attention to the millions of beautiful cats and dogs in shelters who may have just been having a bad day (or a bad angle!) when their picture was taken for the shelter website. (I’m sure everyone can relate to this!)

Paws For A Minuteâ„¢ gives two big thumbs up to Found Animals and SEAACA, who is striving to make a difference for the 6 to 8 million animals that enter shelters every year (and the 50% that are euthanized).

Check out the PawdCast every day at 4pm PDT and the residents of the cat room 24/7 here!

Learn more about the programs that Found Animals has designed for reducing shelter intake, euthanasia rates, and encouraging adoption.

If you live in the LA area, I encourage you to visit the ModPawd and the other sweet, adoptable cats and dogs in the SEAACA shelter. Click here to see a list of their adoptable pets!