Vinegar - a Dog Owner's Best Friend

Dogs apparently hate the smell of vinegar. When I took Toby to puppy class, our trainer recommended using vinegar to help train him. Just mix a few tablespoons of vinegar in with water and put it in a squirt bottle. When your dog gets into something he's not supposed to, give him a squirt. Make sure to dilute the vinegar way down so it doesn't irritate the dog's eyes. You just want a little of the smell. This can be used when he's chewing on stuff, getting into the garbage, barking, biting, and other training situations were you want to discourage the behavior. Squirting vinegar directly on an item will also discourage the dog from chewing on that item.

It's also great for pet messes! Once you've cleaned the mess, squirt vinegar on the spot. This will discourage the animal from re-soiling the same spot.