Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are friendly and playful, and have beautiful silky coats. It’s no surprise that they’re one of Australia’s most loved and most wanted dogs. Be that as it may, all dogs need proper socialisation and the right training program.
In this article, we will provide you with a few tips on proper training practices.
Socialisation is a key part of the process in any dog training program. It teaches your Cavalier King how to behave in different situations and interact with other people and dogs. Many dog owners have Cavalier Kings as therapy dogs or like them to participate in dog sports that need agility and obedience. Dog training or obedience classes will especially be useful for these dogs.
Cavalier Kings’ friendly and agreeable nature makes them very easy to train. They are relaxed and don’t need the high stimulation of other breeds.
Socialisation training isn’t the only type of training needed. Most people leave their pets home for 8-10 hours a day. You should train your puppy to be alone for long periods. Dogs who are not used to being left alone can develop separation anxiety.
It’s necessary to teach your puppy the routines they follow on a day-to-day basis. This includes knowing eating times and where and when to go to bed. Teaching your puppy basic commands like “no” or “sit” will also be useful.
Housetraining is essential for keeping a clean home. This training process is fairly simple. It may require some micro-managing until your puppy learns where to go.
A Cavalier pup, just like other dogs, only gains full control of its muscles at around 4 months old, but housetraining should begin right away. Their small bladders and bowels can’t hold much for long, so in the first 4 months, your puppy may have a few ‘oopsies’ around the house. It may be frustrating, but it will stop soon with some patience and persistent training.
Toilet training your Cavalier puppy doesn’t have to be a pain, especially if you follow these simple steps.
Your Cavalier King should get into the habit of going to a particular area of the house to relieve themselves early on. Don’t change the toilet spot for the first couple of weeks. Have this spot in your home, and set them down on the floor where you’d like them to ‘go’.
A great way to remind your Cavalier pup where they should do their business is to take them to their toilet spot frequently
At 2 months old, Cavalier Kings can hold their bladders for around two hours. Take them to their bathroom spot every one and a half hours or 30 minutes after feeding them and after they wake up from a nap.
The frequency will decrease with age, and you should gradually increase the time until you reach 4-hour intervals at 4 months old.
A rewards-based technique works best with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The more you reward them with praise and treats, the more they’ll want to please you by doing the desired behaviour. When your dog relieves itself in the correct spot, encourage it by rewarding its good behaviour.
Keep an eye out for any indications that your dog needs the toilet. They might sniff furniture or slide against a wall, getting ready to lift their leg. When this happens, stop them immediately and take them to their toilet spot.
Accidents are inevitable when training puppies and your response is important. Anger and yelling create fear, which isn’t conducive to a good relationship. Instead, ignore the accident and clean it up using a strong detergent. This will eliminate the urine smell, preventing the dog from using that area as a toilet.
Many dog owners find crate training cruel. However, it can be beneficial if done correctly. Here’s how you can successfully crate-train your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Crate training is important when introducing your puppy to your home. These enclosed areas provide your puppy with a space to relax in and are great to use as training tools or in emergencies.
Breeders might start crate training in small increments from three weeks of age. This makes housetraining and separating from the litter easier. You shouldn’t wait too long to continue crate training in your home. You can start from 8 weeks old.
Making the crate a comfortable area will give your Cavalier King a space they enjoy. Your Cavalier King should be able to lie down with its legs stretched out and have enough room to stand. Put a toy in there to make it more interesting. A bowl of food and water, a dog bed, and treats will encourage your Cavalier to head inside.
You should allow your puppy to enter independently and sometimes feed them or briefly shut the door while they’re inside. Gradually increase the time you leave them in, and give them positive reinforcement. Don’t use the crate for punishment; don’t let them think that crying will get them out faster.
You need to leave the crate in a quiet and fairly undisturbed place. You can leave your puppy in the crate once they’ve settled and stopped crying. Remember to set an alarm every 2/3 hours to let your dog out to use the bathroom.
When your puppy can be there for 30 minutes, slowly increase the length. Dogs younger than 3 weeks old can only be left for 1-2 hours. Older dogs can handle up to 3-4 hours.
You can leave your Cavalier King in the crate when they get comfortable with being alone. Only leave your dog in the crate for over 4 hours when it’s sleeping at night.
Yes! Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are playful dogs and love pleasing their owners. They are also very intelligent and can pick up tricks in no time.
For your dog to associate a certain action with good behaviour, it must be constantly reminded. Keep practising and rewarding your pet until you get the desired behaviour. Positive reinforcement will work better than punishment.
A training clicker is a technique that makes the dog associate a clicking sound with a reward. It’s a great way to reward good behaviour without overfeeding treats.
The Cavalier King is an easy dog to train and responds best to reward-based training. Training will help your pup respond to commands, learn tricks, and develop new skills. Not to mention, training will also help you avoid any potential accidents further down the line with your pup.
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