Archive for April, 2009

Dog training: 'Come' command

When you first set out to teach your pet dog or puppy to come, there are a few tips and tricks that Im going to share with you, to make it more successful!

I have adapted these free techniques from the outstanding ‘Secrets to Dog Training‘ by Daniel Stephens. Check it out here if you wish to read more now.

“Come dog”

Firstly, and possibly the most crucial, is that you should never call your dog over if you are going to do something that he might class as ‘negative’ to him.. Some prime things include leashing him, washing him (if he doesnt like that!), telling him off, locking him up, smacking him etc..

Dont call over and discipline your dog for things such as running off, when he comes over. You dont want your dog to learn that doing as you say, is a punishment. If your dog already knows negative associations when you call come, such as he thinks it means 'run asap!' or if he has started to ignore it, you might have to try a new command that means 'come' but sounds different. 

Forget your old come command and teach this exercise using a new, clear word. 'Here' 'Oi' or 'Hey' are popular alternatives, but its your choise to use any one that suits you.

In the perfect world, your dog should hear this new command, stop what hes doing and come sit in front of you, ideally that is! For best results, you should master teaching this exercise as two seperate pieces.

The two processes can be taught seperate till the dog has them both mastered, when this happens you can bring them together.

“Come sit in front of me”

Start with putting your dog on a short ish leash. Get your dogs attention, hold a favourtie treat of his/hers in your hand and take 3-4 quick steps backwards with the treat held in front, around nose height.

With your waiting dog in front, you can hold up a tidbit of food so that he is motioned to sit and wait.

Command your dog to sit and if and when he does, reward him with the treat, by lowering it to his mouth. Dont reward him if he jumps to get it!

Next time round try the process holding you place instead of moving backwards. Now try to phase out guiding with food or treats and change to simply reinforcing a correct 'come, sit' command. Doing this helps your dog to accept your praise as a reward.

You can read part two of this article, for free, as my website (that has hundreds of other free dog training tips) here, at dog commands.

Comments

A Guide on Housebreaking Your Canine

When you bring a new dog or puppy into the home, the first thing you will generally have to worry about is how to potty train a dog. While some people luck out and get their dogs from breeders who took the time to potty train their dogs, this is not always the case. In fact, most of the time the new owners are going to be the people responsible for the training. This can be a scary thought for a lot of people but training a dog is a lot easier then it seems.

Two traits that an individual must have when they potty train a dog are patience and consistency.  If you are inconsistant with your approach, it will take a while for your dog to learn the preferred behavior.  If you have the proper mindset and dedication, training a dog can be very enjoyable.  The first choice you must make in regards to training a dog is if it will use the bathroom indoors (pee pad/litter box) or your backyard.

The  most important thing when you potty train your dog is to provide a sense of consistency so that it knows what to expect. That means that if you decide to use a pee pad, then you have to leave it in one spot, and one spot only.  Your dog really needs to know where it can be found at all times, because this way the amount of accidents will be reduced.  In the event that your dog is showing a distinct preference for some other location, such as the kitchen floor, and is foregoing the pee pad altogether you need to start your training based on what the dog is already doing.

Do not shout about where the dog has done its business; just put the pee pad on that place.  This way, your dog will start to go on it and then you can give it praise.  After several days, move the pee pad several feet towards the preferred location for it.  Then, every few days, as the dog keeps using the pee pad, move the pad again in the direction of the place where you’d like it to be.  Sooner or later, you’ll have the dog going just where you would like it to go.

Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.

How to potty train a dog to go outside is another story. Whether you are training a dog to go inside or outside you will want to make sure that you are restricting the food and water to meal times only. This will prevent extra accidents from happening. About fifteen to twenty minutes after the dog ate or drank you will want to place your dog on a leash and lead it into the yard. Do not let your dog go wherever though as you should be leading it to the spot in the yard you approve for such procedures. Once your dog goes, praise it and give a treat.

A plan of action is required when the individual is away from home. His/Her dog may not know how to relieve itself if not trained for the pee pads, similar to other trained dogs. Training a dog to go to the bathroom outside requires teaching it to hold its bladder, hence crate training is useful. If the dog is kept in a safe crate while the person is sleeping or is not at home, it may not go to the bathroom. It is very important that when he/she returns home, the dog has to be taken out immediately.

Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.

Comments

Back Problems in Dachshunds

Like any breed, Dachshunds are at risk for a number of conditions and diseases.Due to their short legs and long bodies they are most at risk for spinal problems.One of the most common forms is a condition called IVDD (Intervertebral Disk Disease), actually an umbrella term for an abundance of problems.

Vertebrae are the hard bones that make up the spinal column support.They encompass the spinal cord and are separated by soft tissue called intervertebral discs, which provide a buffer between the bones.  IVDD threatens a Dachshund’s health in several different ways.

Excess jumping and other forms of back stress can cause a rupture of one or more discs, usually toward the rump.  IVDD and other back problems occur most frequently by age four but can happen earlier, sometimes as young as two.  Simple age can cause the disc to decrease its fluid level, making it less elastic.That furthermore increases the odds of herniation or rupture.  Often the vertebrae become more brittle.

An abundance of serious possibilities exist if that happens.

As a portion of the spine loses vital support, the spinal cord can be put in jeopardy.If compression happens, paralysis is not far behind.Impediment of spinal fluid can have similar effect.Loss of circulation leads to nerve death, as the nerves are cut off from necessary nutrition.

Look for any instance of incapability to raise the rear end off the ground or lowering near the tail.Other signs include loss of bladder control or weakness in the rear legs.

In these extreme occurrences, medical care - usually surgery - within 24 hours is critical.The consequence is frequently permanent disability if left untreated.

Even in less serious cases back pain is evident.It can be difficult to identify when a dog is in pain but symptoms include difficulty walking up stairs, lethargy and similar signs in an otherwise active dog.

Treatment with corticosteroids (such as Prednisone) is occasionally recommended but entails risks.  Apart from the usual risks of long-term steriod use, it is possible to overdo care.  Lessening pain is desirable, but if it is eliminated the dog can become too active again, leading to more injury.Adequan injections can aid in promoting disc healing.

Whether treated with steroids or just Rimadyl, it is advantageous to cage your Dachshund or otherwise keep him calm, reducing physical activity.Given the Doxie’s confident and active nature that is difficult, but it is essential.

Do not permit the dog to stand on its hind legs, which constricts the spine.Do not allow the dog to leap down stairs.Yard games should be restricted until the dog has completely healed.Also, always support the complete length of the spine when picking up your Doxie.

With the right kind of care many Doxies recover completely to lead active, healthy, normal lives.But correct diagnosis as soon as possible is essential to improve the odds.

More tips, information and dog supplies can be found at LuvUrDog.com, just for Dog Lover’s

Comments

Article About Training My Dog For Agility

Dog Agility training can be an enormously rewarding, fun activity for both you and your dog. People lack patience when it comes to dog training. They feel it will be too difficult a task or take too much time to properly train a dog. It’s a snap to teach your pup to love the agility courses.

Many dog trainers and instructors will agree that during dog training exercises it’s the owner who requires more training – not the dog. It is normal for us to scold someone when they do something wrong, but dogs don’t understand our language and they won’t know what they’ve done wrong.

Dogs of all ages, always like to please their owners. If they do not know what makes you happy, then they obviously can’t do what you want them to.

This means you as the master must learn a little about effective rewards for when your dog does something you like and effective punishment for when your dog isn’t behaving well.

Dogs understand rewards and praise even when they’re very young puppies. If you find the puppy going to the bathroom in the yard by himself, and give the action a name, the puppy will learn to associate the action with the name. When the puppy has done his business where you like it to be done, offer him a treat, a cuddle and plenty of praise.

That puppy will learn very quickly that it feels nice to do his business in that particular place every time and so you’ll find him learning to go there automatically.

The same principle of praise and reward is true for every action you want your dog to achieve.

Training a Dog with Correct Punishment

Dogs respond very well to praise and affection, often trying to perform all the ‘good’ behaviours that have commanded your affection in the past.  Unfortunately if all a dog hears is “NO” and sees you rushing at him, he’s also going to learn that these bad actions also get your attention.

A way to tech your dog that the action is unacceptable, simply turn your back to him or her and cross your arms. The dogs feel the worst form of punishment from not getting attention, so they realize bad behavior is not worth it.

Agility and how to train my dog.

As with any other time you’re training your dog, praise and reward are vitally important. Dogs love to play. Dogs are naturally curious and have playful natures.

If you show your dog that an agility course is a good way to have fun, earn rewards and praise, your dog will love leaping over all the different kinds of obstacles in any agility course.

You need to have patience when doing agility training. At first, try to take your dog to a local dog training class that offers an agility course. You should be sure your dog is over 12 months old and out of the important growth stages, as agility could potentially cause injury in young dogs that are still growing and developing.

Learn more about Training Dog for Agility here.

Use the agility course like a game and run around with your dog. If you can, lower the bar so your dog is not threatened. Food awards are used for when he does something correctly, also praise him when he has completed a goal.

If you see this course as fun your dog and you will enjoy agility better. He’ll soon be racing around the course like a pro waiting for his reward.

Learn more about Training Dog for Agility here.

Comments

Puppy Barking is the Way a Puppy Communicates

Puppy barking is perfectly natural for canines. It is normal that puppies bark, whine, and at times howl, just like it is normal for birds to sing. If you are one devoted dog owner, you’ll know you will experience barking, whining and howling at any time. It would be totally impossible and unfair to wish to train your puppy to stop barking at all. However, it is really ideal for you, your neighbors, as well as your dog, if barking fits can be placed under control.

Here are the Reasons for Why Barking Begins

Dogs who are confined or alone a lot without exercise store up energy and need an outlet for it. If there is nobody with your dog all day, then they may bark just to hear itself and nobody tells them to stop. Before you know it, your dog will be barking just because it is fun. And for a great number of dogs, once they start barking, they continue to do so just for the sheer fun of doing it.  

Unintentionally, you may have trained your dog to bark excessively. You always obey when you hear your dog speak. They bark and you let them out.  Then they bark and you let them in. If he barks, he gets his tummy rubbed; therefore, barking is a behavior that is rewarded. When your puppy barks you give it attention, so early on they know that if they bark you will give them attention and that is what they want. You need to reward your dog when they are not doing any barking.

Barking and Exercises

It is important to realize that when your puppy barks there are many reasons for this, like boredom, being lonely, mad, or scared. These entire situations can be eased and improved when you spend more time with your puppy. While you are away, a puppy will generally spend most of the day sleeping as long as it is content and well-exercised. Try to take the time to give your puppy exercise, playtime, and proper training.

Puppy obedience training is just as boring mentally for dogs as it is for their owners. Most puppies and dogs enjoy, wild rapid paced and exciting games such as “come here,” “sit,” “stay,” “heel,” but you can make it more rewarding by saying come here for a hug, a massage and other praise and treats. Try to think of new training ideas for your puppy so it won’t get bored.

For dogs living in the backyard for the majority of the time, they probably need some “social” exercises. Puppy barking will lessen if you walk them around your neighborhood. Puppies find daily walks an adventure because of all the exciting sounds and smells they can investigate when they are outdoors. Pet dogs and puppies may dash madly around your backyard but this is not a form of puppy exercise. Your dog is pacing and fidgeting in the same way you would when nervous. Some fun things to entertain your puppies with are chew toys for puppy biting and digging pits.

Canines are social animals. Like humans, they also seek friends and companions. Your dog needs to be taken for walks and exercised every day or every week as well as to let them socialize with other dogs. Romping, playing, and dog training together all day will tire them out easily and will help them sleep happily while recovering from the hard play and great exercise session.

Comments

Now, Where Can You Put Little Doggie While You Are Away?

 

People nowadays tend to become very busy with their work or with their respective businesses and they can’t simply find the time to spend some time with their family. Why, they can even ignore their pets especially their dogs. You know how it is with dogs, right? A loving and loyal dog can suffer pet separation anxiety when everyone in the house is gone, maybe at work or at school and they will feel afraid and so lonely. Now, what if everybody decides to spend a vacation at grandma’s house far, far away? Well, there’s no problem about it. You might want to put your dog in some dog boarding kennels while you are away.

Dogs nowadays are no longer like their predecessors that were wild. Not like them, they need to be always taken care of and their daily maintenance is an important thinga must. Given that these two factors are lacking, the dog may become too unhealthy and susceptible to the variety of diseases that abounds. However, dog boarding is now rising in popularity and is designed to provide your pet with sufficient care in case you are not around and he needed to be with someone else.

So, Instead of having your pal stay alone in your home, it is a better option if you would enter him in a dog boarding program. Wherein he’ll be properly taken care for and you will be assured of your peace of mind that your dog gets expert dog guardianship. The problem is, however, where to find a dog boarding kennel wherein he can still feel at home with other dogs and professional, able and competent dog caretakers, right? What if there are no dog boarding kennels near you area? No, that would be impossible. Because of the popularity of this place, there will always be something near you. What you need to do is go to this site called dogboardingdir.com and here, you can find the top dog boarding house and for sure, you will find one near or within your area. And here’s one tip: try sending your dog to a boarding kennel bringing along familiar things like a toy or his usual blanket to provide familiarity to the new place and make your goodbyes short so you won’t give him a hint that you’ll be gone for a long time.

Comments

Frontline Plus- best way to kill fleas and ticks of your pets

Pets are always regarded as the top friends of human. Just as we convey our affection, even our pets have their own ways to express their affection. They can also fall sick due to numerous reasons and they necessitate childlike attention to handle them properly. The highly specialized vet doctors check the pets and analyze them for their infection and then advise the required medicine to heal them properly from their physical troubles. Pet medications is distinctive from the human pets require exclusive pet meds which are not obtainable in every pharmacy. For the best pet care of your pets, they necessitate great mind of their pet owners. Thus for the well being of the pets, you requisite to offer a regular health check and pet meds to them based on their requirements. However, pets generally fall unwell due to the incorrect calamities such as the unhygienic food or the direct contact with other pets. They also have various types of illness and vet doctor is the only source to check the correctly and impose right medications. The most ordinary pet problems mainly caused by hazardous parasites like fleas and ticks. Parasites are those organisms which solely relies on the host for their survival. They grow and arise feeding their hosts. Our pets become their paramount hosts unknowingly by providing them shelter and nutrition. Fleas cause acute infection and make them totally helpless and this wants a perfect solution.

Thus the Frontline plus acts as the basic pet med for your pets that relieves him form the dangerous clutches of parasites. With the application it affects instantaneously to recover the pet and proffers 100% positive result. Advantage flea is the most set down pet med for the dogs. It is a fast solution to execute the risky fleas from the body of your loving pet. To get rid of those nasty fleas, the topical drug essentially requires to be applied on their body. Pet med is highly accepted amongst the pet owners and proffers assured results within the shortest time interval.

Apart from Advantage, the heartguard is also a powerful pet med that avoids the disease caused by the heartworm. The disease is more commonly seen in the cats and the dogs as they come in contact with the other animals and thus get themselves unhygienic. Mosquitoes are also being a carrier for heartworms and they pass on them with every bite. Thus, once the worm enters into the body, they start abating your pet by sucking their health day by day and start spreading soon. Thus to reduce the heartworm from your pets body, the Heartguard is the greatest solution that also clears out the larva. It could be smeared to the dogs of all the breeds. But, while taking the medications, you should take nursing that the medication should not exceed the dose as it could be lethal for your pet.

Comments

Housebreaking Your New Puppy

Housetraining

No training is more basic for pet owners than that first important lesson: Do it outside!

Teaching your new dog to eliminate outside the home, not in it, usually starts between six and eight weeks of age. Dogs as young as four weeks can be house broken, but at that age few have the muscular control to succeed.

Like any dog training plan, trainer patience is as important as the dog’s temperament. ‘Sit’, ’stay’ and other behaviors can often be learned in a few days. ‘Potty’ training your puppy sometimes takes weeks - maybe as short as two, often a month or more.

As with other learned behaviors, it is helpful to watch for signs of the desired actions and enforce and direct them with a voice command followed by praise. In this case that technique works even more to the trainer’s advantage, since all dogs will naturally eliminate. You want to train them to do it when and where you want!

Observe for circling or squatting, then pick up the pup, say ‘outside’ and dash outside. The puppy may circle some more, but will often squat immediately. When he starts, say ‘Go potty’ ( or some other unique phrase) in a clear, firm (but not angry) voice. When the puppy has finished the deed, praise him lavishly.

You won’t always be able to notice the puppy about to begin, but don’t become angry or impatient when the dog eliminates indoors. It takes repetition for the dog to learn to tell you it’s time to ‘go outside’. It also takes time for the muscles needed to control bladder and bowels to mature.

Puppies need to potty every 2-3 hours, on average. If you haven’t spotted pre-elimination behavior within that time, take the dog outside anyway. Issue the command ‘Go potty’ and wait. At first, usually, the dog will have no clue what you want.

Again, even when outside, it helps to wait and obseve for the desired behavior then issue the command. That helps the dog associate the command with the behavior. If your puppy still has not relieved himself after a few minutes and a few ‘Go potty’ commands, take him back inside for an hour. Of course, if you see the pre-elimination behavior in less time, go quickly outside again.

Dogs have an astounding ability to quickly learn what their ‘alpha’ (the leader of the pack) wants. This is almost always accomplished by associating a verbal command with behavior, followed by praise. Punishment is usually counter-productive, and nowhere more so than in waste elimination training. Never rub your pup’s nose in the mess.

Paper and/or crate training is preferred by some. Your pup can be trained to go on a newspaper, or on one of the chemically treated housebreaking pads designed for the purpose. Some small breeds that live all day in the home may not need to go outside at all.

The technique has a couple of downsides however. Unlike cats, dogs will rarely go in a scented litter box. Newspapers (even with the top layer removed after the dog goes) will eventually leave an unpleasant odor in the house.

Also, long before the odor becomes perceptible to humans, dogs can smell their own distinctive odor. They don’t find their smell unattractive - quite the opposite. And that’s the problem.

Dogs that are paper trained will often prefer to potty indoors. Sometimes your puppy may miss the paper by only an inch, creating a mess to clean up.

Once the smell is in the carpet, the dog will often seek that spot out as its proper ‘place to go’. This makes training the dog to eliminate outside even more difficult. Best to suffer a few accidents than to create a hard-to-overcome habit.

Providing patience, praise and consistency are key factors to any dog training. Elimination training is the first quest for you and your dog.

Get more tips and advice on housetraining or dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining

 

Comments

Why you have to feel about gifting dog clothes to your dog

When it comes to gifting clothes, I must say it’s a tough situation to be in. If you must give clothes this season, there’s one gift on your list who’s sure to look great in any outfit you buy him. He’ll wear your gift with pride and appreciation; head held high and tail wagging. You are guessing right it’s your dog or your best friend’s dog. It’s so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it before. Dogs love any kind of attention you lavish on them.

 

Dog clothes shopping for are a lot like shopping clothes for babies. Unless you’re going for practicality, cuteness is what counts. And that is done easily, given that any dog wearing clothes looks pretty cute. Choices in dog clothes range from winter sweaters to football jerseys and summer tees. You can get a set of sweet sleep pajamas for bedtime or a terry robe for after bath. There’s even an entire line of Happy tails Cowboy or Cowgirl costume for dogs, complete with leather cap and collar. Dog costumes made for parties and holidays and picnics are simply cute for words.

 

If you really want your gift to be a hit with admirers, accessorize. These include a designer dog collar and maybe a cool pair of sunglasses, they make them now for dogs. Also on the list are Dog necklaces and Dog hats. If you have a mischievous sense of humor? Making the baby look silly might be a no-no, but its fun when it comes to dressing up a dog. There are some really creative art work for doggie costumes out there that are good for a laugh. There are really only a couple of rules you’ll need to keep in mind when shopping for dog clothes:

One is that if the dog in question is an avid chewer, you should avoid buying him anything tempting. Shiny buttons, fringe, and feathers are examples that come to mind. An object that can easily be chewed off and swallowed is a choking hazard and can get stuck in the dog’s digestive tract. The other rule is that any dog, no matter how understanding, will be more relaxed wearing clothes that fit. Proper fit typically requires measuring from the dog’s collar to the base of her tail for length. Most dog clothes girth can be adjusted with Velcro tabs, but could still be an issue with a barrel-chested breed such as a bulldog. Measurements are usually in inches.

 

Now, if you’re shopping for your own dog, you’re all set. But if you’re buying clothes for someone else’s dog, I’ve got a few more tips for you. Surveys conducted on the subject of gift preferences of men and women have shown that men prefer gifts that are more playful or practical. So, if the dog’s owner is male this might translate into a doggie Happy Tails Cowboy & Cowgirl Costume, a funny costume, or a reflective hunting vest. Women, on the other hand, generally prefer gifts that are beautiful, memorable, and have a personal touch. It shouldn’t be hard to find an item of clothing for a woman’s dog that’s either beautiful or memorable or both, and it will of course be personal! All these dog clothes and accessories are available online at right price right now.

Comments

Where To Find Akita Training Modules

 

Akita dogs are the cutest of all pet dogs but with untrained pet Akita, it could be a threat and not a treat for next door neighbors. Leaving your dog running around the neighborhood could end up with angry folks. These cute beagles would sometimes find themselves in the front lawn of somebody else’s house and before you could blink your eye, your dog is sitting in a potty position on your neighbor’s grass. Now, you wouldn’t want that to happen. So, if you ever get to thinking about getting a Akita for a pet, you have to teach yourself first some helpful advices like an appropriate Akita training on how to care and train him. There are a lot of training book guides you will find on World Wide Web can be applied. So, instead of heading out to your vet, why not try some of these virtual pet stores and conveniently shop for the things you need to properly train your Akita and properly care for him?

But while you going at it, why not try to read on and get to know more about Akita dogs? To begin with, here are some little tidbits about the Akita. It belongs to the working breed group and its weight range from 75 to 120 lbs. for males and for females, it’s between 75 to 110 pounds. They can grow to as tall as 26 to 28 inches. Although they are temperamental, they do hunger for human attention. Maybe that’s why, if you don’t want it to be hot-tempered and annoyed, you always need to pat it often, put more attention to it and learn how to take care of it.

According to vets, it’s best to buy them when they are still Akita puppies. In that way, training Akitas would not be that hard. You don’t have to hire some dog trainers to do the task. In all honesty, you can learn how to train and care for them with the support of nothing but a guide on how to train Akita dogs. Try to find one on the Internet today and you will really have a good time doing it on your own. Your kids, if ever you have them, can help you out with the training. Akitas are gentle animals toward children and they don’t bark that excessively but if you’re a stranger and you are about to step inside somebody else’s house and they have an Akita, you better watch out. They are very good and attentive guard dogs.

Comments

« Previous entries