Archive for March, 2009

How to Prevent Dog Food Aggression

By Sandra Scott

You must recognize the potential for a serious situation if your dog growls when you or your children approach his food bowl while he is eating. Dog food aggression behavior needs to be stopped immediately before your dog bites or injures your children.

You should take a look at your dog’s life and routine as dog food aggression is often connected to other behavior issues. There is a strong likelihood of your dog having other behavior issues that need to be resolved.

I recommend Secrets to Dog Training for all aggressive dog behavior problems. This outstanding course will help you to understand the reasons for your dogs aggressive behavior, and will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to put an end to this problem. Order your copy at Dog Food Aggression.

It is not normal for dogs to be possessive over their food. Most dogs are fine with people placing food in their dish while they are eating.

Dog food aggression is probably linked to your dog’s inherent predisposition to hunt with the pack. Your dog’s forebears most likely had to fight for every food scrap.

Solving dog food aggression problems will probably help to improve other behavior issues.

Dogs are such a wonderful addition to family life and every attempt should be made to preserve the great relationship with your dog. There are many ways to stop dog food aggression. It may require a number of tries before you find the correct answer for your particular pet. That said, all of your effort will be worthwhile. Here are some possible solutions for your dog food aggression problems:

  • Interference with his food should be associated with positive things. As an example, a small amount of food could be put into his food bowl but you could also have a readily available treat.  You should approach him after he has been eating for a short time. When he growls, you should offer him the treat.

    He may continue to protect his food or he may decide to take it from you right away. He will gradually take the treat if you persist. Additional food should be placed in his bowl as he devours his treat. This must be repeated until you can approach his food dish without him displaying dog food aggression.

  • If your dog feels that he has to guard his food, he will display dog food aggression. This is also ingrained in his genetics. This may be solved by splitting your dog’s food between several bowls and putting them in front of him. When he begins to eat out of one of the bowls, you should approach him and pick up one of the other bowls. Put a delicious treat in his food bowl and place it before him.

    Shortly afterwards, you should repeat this with the other food bowls. When your dog begins to realize that good things happen when you approach his food bowl, the dog food aggression should end.

It is necessary that everyone in your family participates in this reconditioning process. This will form a closer bond between your family and your dog. It is important to note that a dog should never be separated from his food!

If your dog is showing signs of dog food aggression (or any other aggressive behavior), I strongly recommend that you check out Secrets to Dog Training at Dog Food Aggression.

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Becoming a Certified Dog Trainer

certified dog trainer

There are many circumstances where we are forced to work to live when in reality it should be about us living our lives and doing something that we enjoy. For those who love dogs, becoming a certified dog trainer may be just the career. A certified dog trainer is of great value, especially when helping a new pet owner with adjusting to their new dog and vice versa.

Becoming a certified dog trainer begins with a love of animals. It requires patience and a desire to interact with the animal. Dog obedience training takes knowledge and a compassionate nature in order for there to be success. Most people do not turn to a certified dog trainer until there is an obvious sign of dog aggression and then the battle begins. Dog training starts when the animal first comes home and continues throughout the life-time of the canine.

Not all dogs are alike. Different breeds will require you to know how they interact with other dogs and humans. It is for this reason that basic classes in dog breeds, aggression level and physiology are studied in order to know what to expect. The basic coursework prepares you for understanding the psychological and physical aspects each different dog will require.

Once the basics of dog behavior are down, then begin the specialized coursework designed to train a dog through a variety of methods. The instruction will teach how to use a variety of instruction in order to train the dog such as through a clicker or through positive reinforcement. Other steps include teaching safety to the owners as well as the dog. It is also important to learn how to deal with dogs that are more difficult to deal with due to a past history of violence or dog fighting.

Once the coursework is complete, the certified dog trainer is ready to begin. There are a variety of places to work such as pet supply stores, kennels or even opening up a business. One great example of a certified dog trainer is Cesar Millan who works with troubled dogs and their owners on his hit television show ‘The Dog Whisperer’ airing on cable.

A freelance trainer will not punch a clock or find them working day-in and day-out within the confines of an office building. There is the freedom of working outdoors and getting to play while being paid. If you decide to work for a company such as Pets Mart then you can get benefits as well. You may never be famous but you will be important to the people you help.

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Choosing The Right Dog Breed Is Essential For Dog Lovers Like You

 

It you are a pet lover, especially dogs, you know how it feels to be taking care of your furry buddy. For some, having a dog in the house just for the sake that something is guarding everything is okay. But for avid dog lovers like you, there’s more than just having a dog to guard your property. So, you look for more resources that can teach you how to do a little dog care. If you don’t have one yet, you will go for choosing the right dog breed by searching for valuable dog choosing and dog training tips.

Right now, there are many tips and advices that you can find all over the Internet. Sites have been sprouting here and there like daisies from under the snow that share a lot of tips on how to choose breed of dogs. If you would like to know, here is one tip in choosing a dog and this is based on personal experience. If you have children, the strongly suggested kind of breed that you would be best for you would be the tiny kind of dog breed. Those type of dogs can be playful and they can be friendly with small children. Examples of good types of dogs if you have children are Akita or Shiba Inu. The a Bichon Frise or a Shih Tzu can also be the most highly recommended. If you are the sporty type, you can go for bigger dogs like the German Shepherd or a Doberman Pinscher. You also have to consider your budget, too. You can’t let your giant Mastiff eat a small portion of food. They need to eat tons and tons of food.

So, okay, it’s more appropriate that you should learn how to choose dog breed first before buying your own pet but the question is, where can you find the right place to find a specific guide that can help you out with your choosing? Why not try to follow the links above?

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A Simple Way To Stop Your Dog Jumping Up At People

If you are interested in learning how to stop a dog jumping, then you should read this article. Specially we are going to talk about why your dog jumps up at you, tips on helping you to correct this behavior, and a simple step-by-step system you can use to fix this problem for good.

Firstly, I’m going to talk about reasons why your dog is jumping up on people. Many dogs jump on people to greet them, especially if they are excited to see their owner. It can also be a display of dominance, or simply because he wants attention from you.

There are many different ways you can use to fix this behavior. If you have a puppy, you should correct this behavior as soon as possible because it will be much harder to correct when it is developed into a constant habit.

Do not punish or hit your dog  for jumping up on people, because there are other ways to correcting it, and this will only encourage your dog to do it again because he is getting attention. You should remember that any attention is good attention to your dog. You should always reward your dog for good behavior.

The key thing to remember when you are correcting a jumping behavior, is that you should use a simple, short, one word command such as “down”. Also you should say this command in a strong, dominant voice to show him who’s the pack leader.

Here is an easy 3 step system you can turn to whenever you need to stop your dog from jumping up at you or other people.

Step 1 - whenever your dog is jumping up on people, you should use a command like “down” in a strong dominate voice.

Step 2 - turn away from your dog to show him your displeasure. He will learn that you do not wish to be greeted in this way.

Step 3 - reward him with lots of praise when you have stopped your dog jumping.

Remember to give your dog lots of attention when he is behaving the way you want him to. Also remember to use this step-by-step system whenever you want to stop your dog from jumping.

In conclusion, I have shown you why your dog jumps up at you, some useful tips for fixing this problem, and a step by step system you can use every time your dog jumps up. Now that you have read this article, you should know more about how to stop your dog from jumping up on people.

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Dog Clicker Training - Training Systematically

Dog clicker training is one of the more systematic methods in dog training. The method comes from behavioral psychology research and is known as operant conditioning. But you don’t need to know scientific terminology in order to use it to great benefit.

The method was first developed with dolphins. In this case, a whistle made the sound rather than a clicker. You can imagine how difficult it is to train a dolphin compared to a dog. The whole method is based on positive reinforcement. It was very difficult to give a tasty treat to a dolphin at the instant the dolphin did the behaviour you wanted. However, a whistle could be blown at the precise moment. Then you could follow that with some fish soon afterwards.

In order to reinforce a wanted behavior, you must reinforce it at the moment it occurs or very shortly afterwards or the animal will not associate the reinforcement with the behavior. This is where the whistle or clicker makes the reward process clearer.

The first step is to positively connect the sound of the clicker with getting a tasty treat. You do this by repeating the process of clicking and following the sound with a treat. Once this relation is made, the clicker sound itself becomes like a reward because it’s so closely linked with the treat in the dog’s mind. This repetitive process is called charging the clicker by trainers.

Once the clicker is charged, you use the clicker when the dog does an action you want and you always follow the behavior with a treat. In true clicker training, you allow the behavior you want to occur naturally and click and reward. In order to do this complex behaviors need to be split up into smaller pieces. A tool which assists in this process is the target stick.

One of the first tasks in clicker training is to train your dog to touch the target stick with his nose. Once your dog accomplishes this, the stick can be used to get your dog to any place where you put the target stick. This is really useful in training other behaviors.

Getting your dog to touch the stick is easy. If you position it in front of him, he will probably touch it. Then you click and treat. Be sure to allow your dog to touch the stick: don’t touch it to his nose! Repeat this for a few of minutes. Then take a rest.

It can take a while when a dog is introduced to clicker training, especially if he is an older dog. So you need to be patient. It may take a couple of training sessions before your dog gets it. But once he’s got it, the learning will stay.

Another tool which is very useful in clicker training is a computer mouse pad or something similar that you train your dog to step on with a front foot. You can train this easily by just positioning it down on the ground near him and waiting for him to stand on it. As soon as he does it, click and treat. As before, repeat this until your dog gets it. As with the target stick, this tool can then be used to direct your dog to a particular place in further training.

Once a behavior has been trained, the next step is to add a cue. A cue means that you assign a verbal request like “sit” or “stay” to the behavior. You do this by saying the command just as you see the dog is about to do the wanted behavior. As usual you click and reward the action. Then, by repeating this, the command becomes associated with the reward, just like the clicker sound is. Please note that when you start training with the cue, you don’t reward the behavior alone any more - it has to be preceded by the cue. If the dog just offers the behavior, there is no click or reward.

This is an introduction to the way clicker training is used. Obviously there is a lot more to learn. What I particularly like about it is that it’s very systematic and all it requires is consistency and patience. Read more about dog clicker training, a review of the top clicker training manual, and also reviews of other dog training guides.

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End Dog Chewing Problems — Three Things You Need To Know To Stop Dogs From Chewing

Are you frustrated with dog chewing problems?  Why do canines engage in destructive dog behavior like this?  How can you stop destructive chewing?  Learn easy ways to stop dogs from chewing by reading this article.

Why Does My Dog Chew On Everything?

Puppies who are cutting teeth will chew on just about anything.  If you’ve ever been around a human baby who’s teething, you know how chewing on a teething ring helps soothe those sore gums.  It’s like this for puppies too.  They’re in the process of losing baby teeth while adult teeth are coming in.Chewing helps his sore gums to feel better.

An older dog may chew for many reasons.  One of the most common is that it helps to relieve stress and anxiety.  When a dog chews, endorphins are released.  These are chemicals that soothe and calm your dog.  You dog doesn’t know about endorphins, but he does know that chewing on things makes him feel better.

Chewing also helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and strong.  Remember, if your dog is chewing, he’s not digging holes or barking, so there is an upside to this.

So chewing isn’t all bad.  But chewing becomes destructive chewing when your dog chews on things other than his toys.  How do you stop dogs from chewing on your toys?

How Do I Train My Dog Not To Chew?

You may be surprised to learn that your dog doesn’t know the difference between your stuff and his.  Even if he has lots of toys to chew on, he’ll still chew on a chair leg because he thinks everything in the house is a toy.  It’s up to you to teach him two things; that everything is not a toy, and that he’s not allowed to chew on things that belong to you.

Start by teaching him which toys are his.  Play with your dog, using one of his toys.  He’ll associate the toy with having fun, both with you, and by playing with the toy.  Another way to teach your dog that his toys are wonderful is to get a toy you can stuff with peanut butter or another treat.  He gets an instant food reward when he licks it out while playing with it.

If your dog picks up something that belongs to you, use the “drop-it” command, or clap your hands and make a noise to startle him into dropping it.As soon as he does, immediately give him one of his toys to replace what he just dropped.  When he starts playing with it, reward him.  This is how you teach him that it’s good for him to chew on his own toys, but not good when he chews on yours.

You’ll still have to dog-proof your home and put anything you really don’t want destroyed away until you know you can trust him.Or you may want him to stay in one room in your home where he can’t destroy anything when you have to leave the house.

Shouldn’t I Punish Him For Destructive Dog Behavior?

No.  If you don’t catch your dog in the act, he won’t have a clue why you’re mad at him.  If you do, you’ll teach him to wait until you’re gone to start destructive chewing. 

Dogs operate on rewards.  If you reward your dog with attention (good or bad) for doing something, he’ll continue to do it, even if it’s something you don’t want him to do.Do your best to ignore bad dog behavior as much as possible, while praising and rewarding him when he’s a good dog.  A dog won’t continue doing something if he doesn’t get a reward for doing it.

Training your dog is an ongoing process that never really ends.  In conclusion, you’ll find that an investment in a good dog training course will repay itself many times over in building a great relationship with your dog, while avoiding dog chewing problems. 

If you’re dealing with dog chewing problems, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training course that will help to solve your problem.

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Dog Chewing Problem? Here’s The Solution

If you would like to know why your dog is chewing, and how you can fix the problem quickly and easily, then this post will show you how. In particular, we are going to talk about why your dog chews, how you can give him something more suitable to chew (to redirect his attention), and why you should never punish your dog for chewing. By the time you have read this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of how you can stop your dog chewing.

Before you can stop dog chewing problems, you need to know why your dog has the desire to chew things. Firstly, chewing is a natural behavior which all dogs have. However, some breeds are more likely to chew than others.

One of the typical reasons why your dog will have an inclination to chew your things is because he is feeling seperation anxiety, and he’s feeling lonely. Similar to how us humans eat food for comfort, your dog will use compulsive behaviors like chewing. To put it simply: Your dog feels comforted by chewing.

Another reason why your dog may chew is because he is under exercised. Perhaps the main reason why chewing problems develop is due to a lack of exercise.

So what can you do to stop your dog chewing? The quickest solution is to give him something more suitable to chew. If the problem is that he is chewing through your favorite shoes, you can buy him an interesting dog toy or tasty chew treat. If your dog doesn’t have a large collection of fun toys to chew, then it’s a good idea to purchase a few different kinds of toy, to find out which ones your dog enjoys playing with the most.

When you have found a fun toy for your dog to play with, offer it to him to take his attention away from chewing. You can also make a game of it and play with him for 15 minutes or so, to have some extra fun.

The key thing to remember is to make sure you give him plenty of fuss and attention so he isn’t feeling bored and lonely. Also remember to give him regular exercise to tire him out, and reduce the urge for compulsive behaviors such as chewing and digging.

Finally, it’s critical for you to understand that you should never punish or yell at your dog for chewing. After all, it’s a natural behavior which he doesn’t deserve to be punished for. Chewing is what dogs do! Instead, you need to do your best at moving is attention so your dog doesn’t develop a negative habit like chewing or digging.

Mainly, you want to ensure your dog is receiving regular exercise, and that he doesn’t have to spend to much time on his own during the day when you’re at work. Just like us humans, it really doesn’t take very long at all for your dog to start feeling bored or lonely with regular contact with other dogs or people.

In conclusion, we have talked about what you can do to relieve the dog chewing problem. We’ve covered why dogs like to chew, how to redirect his attention with toys, and why your dog doesn’t deserve to be punished for displaying a natural behavior. Now that you’ve finished reading this post, I hope you have a better understanding about why dogs chew, and what you can do to fix the problem.

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Dogs Are So Much More Than Just Pets

Dogs are unique animals because they can immediately become a part of your family.You know this question is true if you have had your dog for a long time.From prehistoric times, there has been a strong bond between humans and animals.

Just imagine, a prehistoci hunter finds a lost wolf cub and brings the cub home and cares for it.Eventually, they may have found out that the cub became a part of their family.  To top it off the hunter probably found that the wolf was helpful for practical reasons as well.

Part of the reason for this is because wolves and dogs in general have similar social systems to those in the human world.  They survive with the lead of an adult male who is dominant over all others in the pack.  If the leader oversteps his boundaries then a strong and competent female will step in.

A pack of dogs has to work together just like your family works together in a group.  There are social bonds and loyalty on both sides.Even dogs that fight will come together when them it matter the most.

Dogs possess a vast arrary of strengths.  They are incredibly alert, have a strong sense of smell and many are superior hunters.  Their ability to survive on something as small as food scraps makes them ideal to have around whether you’re referring to ancient or modern times.

Of course, the wolf pack that prehistoric man would have found isn’t quite as gentle and kind as the dogs we keep in our homes today.  Wolves had just the rough type of personality that suited the prehistoric people, just like dogs suit our families today.  It is our own domestication of dogs that makes them more and more suitable to living the family lifestyle with each passing generation of dog.

The coming together of the dog culture and the human culture created a very strong bond.No matter if your dog is primarily a companion or a working dog, he is your friend for life.

You might not use the dog as you primary means of survival like some groups did years ago, but it’s likely your dog has its own role.  Some of the roles dogs take on today are:

Herding on farms
Detecting illegal drugs
•    Helping lead the blind
•    Guarding homes and businesses
•    Rescue services

Beyond those extraordinary roles your dog can develop a special, emotional bond with you and the other members of your family.Your dog will be there to comfort you and play with you.  

In order for your dog to thrive you must nurture and care for it.As long as you give them food and attention you will have a friend for life.

Get more information about dogs.

Buy your dog supplies online.

 

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Use These Ten Tips To Stop Puppy Chewing Before Your House Looks Like A Demolition Zone

Let’s face it, puppies and chewing go together like bread and butter. Puppies learn about their surroundings by either sniffing on something or putting it in their mouths and chewing on it. Puppies chew on things, but to avoid destructive chewing, it’s up to their owners to teach them which items are off-limits. Here are ten ways to stop puppy chewing and destruction.

1. Take Time To Puppy-proof Your Home

Instead of always yelling at your pup for getting into things, it’s better to temporarily put away things you don’t want him to damage. Pick up the throw rugs, put the plants someplace where he can’t get to them, and cover or tape down electrical wires. Put trash bins in the closet, along with the toilet paper and any household cleaners. Put your clothes and shoes away. Secure anything heavy that a puppy could pull down and hurt himself.

2. Give Him Only Two Or Three Toys At A Time

If your puppy has too many toys, he’ll have a hard time learning what belongs to him and what belongs to you. Plus he’ll get bored with his toys after a couple of days. That’s when you put those toys up and give him different ones.

3. Confine Him Safely To One Place

If you’re not able to keep an eye on your puppy, it’s best to confine him to a safe area where he can’t destroy anything or get hurt. Confine him to one room by using a wire-reinforced puppy gate. You may want to confine him to a crate that’s the right size for him. Puppies often feel more secure in a small, protected den area like a crate. It also gives you peace of mind because you know destructive chewing isn’t happening in your absence.

4. Lots And Lots Of Exercise Is Essential

Your pup needs one to two hours of active exercise outside every day. Playing fetch with a ball or other toy can help to stop puppy chewing, too, as well as using up all that excess energy all puppies have.

5. A Puppy Playmate Can Help, Too

Playing with another puppy will also use up his energy, as well as teaching him how to interact with other dogs.

6. Begin Basic Dog Obedience Training Even Though He’s Still Young

Keep the sessions very short. A young puppy can’t concentrate too long, but a 30-second “mini-session” several times a day is a good start. Don’t ignore training opportunities as they arise during the day. You can keep small problem behaviors from becoming big problem behaviors in a few months by taking the time to correct them now.

7. Find An Agility Training Course For Him

These classes are a lot of fun, plus your puppy is getting lots of exercise while he’s becoming more coordinated and confident. Making it into a win-win situation for both of you is an easy step to take.

8. Use A Bitter-Tasting Spray

If your puppy just won’t leave the sofa leg alone, try spraying it with a bitter-tasting substance. You can get these sprays at any pet store; they’re very effective in making your puppy wonder what he ever saw in that chair leg.

9. Don’t Punish Him After The Fact

You can’t stop puppy chewing by punishing him for something he did several hours ago. Dogs live in the present. Your pup can’t connect the fact that he chewed up your shoe two hours ago with your being upset now that you’ve just found it.

You either have to catch him in the act of chewing, or better yet, prevent the problem in the first place. See numbers one and three above.

10. Remember that it’s up to you to teach your puppy what kind of behavior is and isn’t acceptable, right from Day 1.

You should know that making the investment in a good dog training course will pay dividends now, and through your dog’s life. Avoiding destructive chewing now is only the first step in preventing dog behavior problems throughout your pup’s life.

If you’re trying to stop puppy chewing, visit No More Bad Dogs to discover how a good dog training course will help you solve your puppy behavior problems.

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How To Stop A Dog Barking - The Step-By-Step Guide

If you’re interested in finding out how to stop your dog from barking all the time, then this guide will show you how.

Specifcally, we are going to discuss many of the most common reasons which cause a dog to bark, when you should tell your dog to stop barking, and some other useful solutions for fixing the barking problem.

Before you try to stop your dog barking, you need to ask yourself this:

Why is your dog barking in the first place?

You see, all dogs bark for a reason. Some of these reasons can be good and bad. Your dog will bark when he sees a stranger approaching your house or yard, for example. Your dog does this to notify you that someone is coming. Your dog will bark as a form of warning, or if something out-of-the-ordinary is happening.

Not all barking is a problem. Some dogs only bark because they are bored or when they want some attention. Keep in mind that for dogs, all attention is good attention whether its negative or positive. You should try and correct this behavior before it becomes a problem.

Correcting this behavior is easy when you know when to say stop. Simply follow these three steps which I’m going to provide below:

Step one - when a stranger approaches your house or yard, your dog will start to bark. You need to reward this good behavior quickly.

Step two - don’t let your dog bark any more than two times. After two barks, say stop or enough and give your dog a chew toy to distract them from barking.

Step three - as soon as your dog takes the toy, you praise them to stop barking and standing by your side quietly.

Don’t be disappointed if this doesn’t work first time round. By doing these three simple steps whenever someone approaches your house or yard, your dog should soon pick up on when it’s time to stop barking.

Spending time with your dog and giving attention when they are quiet will prevent your dog from being bored starting barking problem.

There are also a few other things you can try in addition to these steps. For example, you can use the squirt bottle filled with tap water along with the command “stop” or “enough” to help stop your dog from barking. You should try this if all else fails, but it’s better to use positive reinforcement first.

Making sure you be persistent is the key to fixing your dog’s behavior problems. It’s important that you always praise and reward your dog for good behavior.

In conclusion, I have shown you the  reasons why your dog bark, knowing when to say stop and other solutions to stop your dog from barking. Now that you’ve read this guide, you should you should know some important information about how to stop a dog from barking!

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