Training Tips

Nipping and Biting | Chewing | House training | Excessive Barking

When it comes to training, Cavaliers are generally intelligent and willing to try whatever it is you'd like them to do. Food rewards and positive reinforcement help ensure that training goes smoothly. Cavaliers have a soft personality, so yelling at them is counterproductive and likely to send them into the sulks or hiding under the nearest chair. Instead, reward him every time you see him doing something you like, whether it's chewing on a toy instead of your favourite runners or not barking in response when the dog next door barks. He'll fall all over himself to find more things that you like.

Nipping and biting

A tiny puppy growling ferociously or chasing and nipping family members is often considered rather cute but once your Cavalier is full grown, this behaviour is no longer funny. Puppies nip and bite for a variety of reasons. In interactions between pups, nipping and biting is a way to for one puppy to indicate they don’t like what is going on and to say "no" or "stop" to each other.

To stop play nipping & biting follow these guidelines:

• Give a sharp, high pitched, “Stop”, then “No Bite” in a lower tone, without yelling or verbally intimidating the puppy.
• Immediately leave the puppy alone, don’t speak to him or touch him at all.
• If your pup continues to try to bite after you give the verbal “No Bite” try putting a few pennies or marbles in a clean tin can.
• Shake the can at your puppy immediately after the “No Bite” command. This will usually startle the puppy and will reinforce the verbal instruction.
• If the bite or nip occurred during a game, immediately stop the game and do not continue until the puppy is calm and in control.When he is calm, immediately provide attention and praise.  

Most pups will respond to this training when he realizes that he gets attention and fun when he is not biting or is practicing what dog trainers call “bite inhibition”.

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Chewing

It is very common for a puppy to chew when he is teething. The act of chewing helps his teeth break through the gums. A puppy may also chew if he has been left alone and is upset that you have left him or if he is bored. This is because he has built up so much energy, but has run out of ways to exert it. So he finds something interesting to chew. The only problem is, is that he doesn't know what is permissible to chew unless you have taught him. So the sooner you teach him, the less likely he will chew your household items.

It is your responsibility to initiate training to correct your puppy’s chewing problem.

Practice this training by placing some inappropriate objects on the floor, such as a book, a shoe, etc.
As your puppy approaches the inappropriate object, give the “leave it” command. Take the object away and replace it with a chew toy or bone.
Once the puppy starts chewing the chew toy or bone, praise him. Practice this training exercise several times a day with many different inappropriate objects.

If you return home to find that your puppy is in the act of chewing something he shouldn't be, give a sharp “no,” but do not yell. Take the object away and ignore him for five to ten minutes (this is a form of 'time out'). If, on the other hand, you start to immediately play with him or feed him, he will think he is being rewarded for the chewing.

If you don't catch your puppy in the act of chewing, don't scold your puppy, but instead ignore him. Some trainers recommend that you pick up the destroyed object and look at it angrily. However, you don't want your puppy to misinterpret that as you are upset with him even though you are.

There are some proactive steps you can take to help eliminate the act of chewing.  

• Puppy-proof your home. Even if your puppy is older, you still need to take precautions to make potentially-destructive objects out of your puppy’s reach.

• Provide a plentiful selection of chew toys available to him at all times.

• Provide background noise to help your puppy feel more at ease. Instead of turning off the television or radio when you leave the house, turn them on. This also helps him distinguish day time with background noise from night time when all is quiet and they are expected to be quite as well.

• Provide frequent exercise if possible as this will help him burn off excess energy that he could otherwise use towards items in your home. A Cavalier has no street sense and will run right in front of a car if he catches sight of a bird or other interesting prey so make sure you do not trust him off the leash away from the house. Your Cavalier will enjoy a daily walk or romp in the yard and will tailor his activity level to your own. Because he's a rather short-nosed breed, avoid walking him during the heat of the day and never leave him out in a hot yard without access to shade or cool, fresh water.

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House training

If your puppy is going to be a house pet, then the household and the puppy must get on and a few rules have to be laid down and learnt. However, if you keep your puppy on a consistent schedule, with plenty of opportunities to potty outdoors, he can become trustworthy in the home.

House training is usually relatively easy to accomplish if you remember to:

• Take the puppy outside immediately after he eats or drinks.
• Take the puppy outside as soon as he wakes up from a sleep.
• Take him out first thing in the morning and last thing at night to set up a routine.
• Wait until he goes to the toilet - preferably both sorts; praise him and let him in again. The hard part of house training is being there in the first place!
• Always watch for warning signs that he 'needs to go'. Clues include whining, pacing, circling, or sniffing the ground. If you see any of these distress signals, take your pup outside right away.

A puppy cannot discriminate between what is and what isn't a suitable area for it to urinate and defecate in. When you take your pup outside, take him into the garden in the area you have designated as the toilet-zone and give him a reward of a pat or a treat afterwards.

If your puppy does a 'widdle or a poo', you need to catch him in the act for any reaction on your part to be understood by the puppy. Say "no" loudly, and generally indicate your displeasure with body language and then mop up or dispose of the evidence. Do not hit your puppy with a rolled up newspaper or similar. You will only make him afraid of 'stick' type things, and lose the instant effect that voice chastisement has while you find the newspaper. The puppy will not make the connection between the toileting action and being chastised with the 'stick'. Instant verbal displeasure seems to work best. Some puppies learn very quickly, especially if someone is home with them during the first weeks and makes a point of being very vigilant about 'catching' the puppy before he makes a boo boo. Other puppies can be slow at being house trained. Patience is important, as most puppies don’t develop full bladder control until around 14 weeks of age.

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Excessive Barking

Dogs bark, growl, whine or even howl. It is a natural and normal behaviour and their way of communicating with each other and with their human families. It starts when they are young puppies and may include crying sounds when they are frustrated, afraid, hurt, or soft whining sounds when they are hungry or cold.  As they get older, they use barking to get attention, show excitement and other emotions. However, when humans hear continuous dog barking, it is not only disruptive but can also causes stress and annoyance to you and others, such as neighbours.                          

Unfortunately, it is the new owner who contributes to the problem because when they get a new puppy and he barks, they yell at him to stop his barking. The puppy takes this as a sign that his owner is answering them back so he continues and this eventually turns into excessive barking or inappropriate dog behaviour.  Sometimes owners unintentionally train their puppy to bark by giving him the attention he wants.  If your puppy barks to go in or out, for a treat, to play ball, for a tummy rub or other reasons,he quickly learns that barking gets results. The best way to teach your Cavalier to stop barking is by training him well when he is very young.                         

Here are a few proven  tips on teaching your puppy to stop his excessive barking:

• As amazing as it sounds, teaching your Cavalier to speak or bark on command is a simple way to teach him to stop barking. Find something that makes him bark, such as holding their toy or treat away from them.  Once he barks, praise him and keep repeating the word ‘speak’. When you do this often enough, your puppy learns that the word speak means bark and he will start barking on command. Now you teach them the word ‘stop’ or ‘quiet’.  You do this when he is barking, say the word and give him his treat or toy. When repeated often enough, it does not take long for your pup to figure out that saying the word quiet or stop, means for him to stop barking for which he receives a reward. If someone comes into your home and you tell your Cavalier ‘quiet’ and he stops barking, praise him and keep reinforcing this good behaviour.
• There will be times when you must leave your puppy alone.  To get your Cavalier used to this without barking, start by leaving the house for a few minutes.  Never make a fuss of your puppy when you leave and after being gone a few minutes, come back in.  Again, do not make a fuss of the puppy. Gradually increase the time you are away but make it seem very natural so your pup knows you will return.  This way he will not feel as stressed. Some puppies are comforted when they hear a person’s voice so try leaving the radio on low.
• Try to keep your Cavalier away from things that start him barking, such as looking out the window.  Close your curtains or blinds and if this doesn't’t work, give the command ‘quiet’ or ‘stop’, then slam a book down or shake a can full or marbles, to make a loud noise.  Once he is quiet, have him sit, praise him and give him a treat.
• Exercise and mental stimulation are extremely important and help keep pups from nuisance barking or exhibiting bad dog behaviour. Your Cavalier needs a walk or playtime daily, to run off some of his energy and keep his barking controlled. Remember that a tired puppy does not bark as much.  On a walk, your puppy smells and sees different sights, which keeps him from getting bored.  Try teaching your pup new tricks or obedience training, as the mental stimulation helps him forget barking.

It is very important to remember that dogs bark as part of their natural behaviour, just like humans speak to communicate. Never try to completely eliminate dog barking, and only use positive training methods to accomplish this.

Disclaimer

The information provided on this web site is meant to be used as a guide only and is not intended to replace trained professional advice.

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