Dog Training Archive

Why Training Your Dog Could be the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Pet

2009-04-18T14:15:00.002-07:00

Most dogs enjoy listening and are proud of the knowledge and skills they acquire. Untrained dogs are seldom as happy as trained ones, and lead much less interesting lives. Many dogs also get a sense of security from obedience and discipline, especially the more intelligent ones.

Every observant dog owner can see for himself that his dog gets greater satisfaction from the praise rewarding a well- executed command or good behavior than he does from the momentary excitement of disobeying, which is usually followed by the evident guilt feelings, (ears back and avoiding eye contact), even when he has not been punished.

Owners vary in their training talents just as dogs vary in their train ability. Some people are born animal trainers and accomplish remarkable results with little effort. But even the best trainers are seldom equally successful with every breed of dog. The training procedures that are highly successful with one type of dog may be totally ineffective with another.

A basic mental affinity, even a certain type of personality seems to be necessary when training a dog. All good trainers possess authority, patience, and self-control. Brilliant ones possess an additional indefinable "x" quality that is probably a combination of love and respect.

Dog training techniques have been so well systematized in recent years that the least gifted owner can achieve reasonable good results with effort, persistence, patience, and understanding. Dogs have a much higher understanding intelligence than most people give them credit for. They can and do learn, but we have to give them our time and patience.

All pet dogs should be given basic obedience training as a matter of course, and not only when they develop bad behavior. Today s dogs live in a much faster paced world, just as we do. Even though we may be with them when they are out in public, they can still "stray" or disobey. While training cannot completely compensate for poor breeding, a bad environment, or poor upbringing, it can surely help. They world will teach them how to misbehave, but it's up to us as pet parents to teach them how to behave.

Specialized training isn't necessary unless the dog is to perform or be seen, such as the purebred show dogs. This level of training and behavior requires much more time and labor and usually requires a higher aptitude on the part of the dog, and much more skill and patience on the part of the trainer. Training of so called "champion" show dogs usually begins when they are puppies and continues through most of their lives.

Training your dog is the basics of behavior and communication with you can be very rewarding. What you may lack in experience, equipment, facilities, etc. is usually compensated for by your dogs desire to please the person he loves and lives with, which is his strongest motivation.

Your Dogs Diet - Feeding Fables That Every Dog Owner Should Know

2009-04-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

Canine nutrition hasn't become as laden with diet fads as have human meal planning. But it has accumulated a number of myths which survive the ridicule of the veterinary profession. As you acquire a dog, your more experienced friends will shower you with advice, which may include some of the following affirmations:

- "A clove of garlic keeps worms away" Garlic has enjoyed a reputation for centuries in the folk medicine of many cultures as an antiseptic, a treatment for high blood pressure, etc. But if your dog really does have worms, (and most of them do at one time or another), the quickest way to get rid of them is to have your veterinarian give him a specific worming medicine under his supervision.

- "Raw meat makes a dog vicious" Raw or cooked meat is essential to a dogs nutrition. Fifty percent is the standard ration, and it may compare as much as 75 percent of his diet. If he is fed only meat, he may become high strung, not because the meat is raw, but because he is being given an unbalanced diet.

- "A sugar cube dipped in coffee is good for a dogs heart" It is particularly good for his morale, because it probably means that he is sharing your after dinner coffee with you. Give it occasionally as a harmless treat, but not as a regular "medicine", and not as a heart remedy.

- "Dogs cannot digest starch" They cannot digest uncooked starch, but they can cope with most cooked ones such as rice, whole wheat bread, and macaroni. However, dogs do not receive much nourishment from these foods.

- "Sugar causes worms" Sugar is quick source of energy for dogs, as it is far us. Worms are caused by worm larvae. A puppy may get worms from his mother, and an adult dog may get them from infected food or drink, from the saliva or feces of an infected dog, or from swallowing fleas and lice which act as hosts to tapeworm eggs- but never from sugar.

- "Raw eggs improve dog's coat" A raw egg yolk from time to time enriches a dog's diet. Cooked eggs are an acceptable substitute for meat in an emergency. But the best coat conditioner is far, especially unsaturated fat, rich in vitamin E, such as linseed and wheat germ oil. The eggs reputation as a coat conditioner is probably due to the fact that yolk is mostly fat.

- "Milk causes diarrhea in an adult dog" Milk is healthy for all dogs. A bowl of milk with a beaten egg yolk and a couple of pieces of whole wheat toast or dog biscuits is a standard supper dish in many kennels. There are various causes for diarrhea, including internal parasites, indigestion, a change of diet, food poisoning, certain contagious diseases- and sometime, but not always, milk.

Knowledge and concern are important in feeding a growing puppy whose nutrition is the foundation of his future health. But common sense is all you need to feed an adult dog correctly, as his own experience will help guide you most of the way.

You Can Build Your Own Doghouse!

2009-04-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Anybody who owns a dog will know that they can be expensive. Vets bills and food supplies soon mount up and this is why so many dogs end up abandoned in rescue centers or put out on to the street. Responsible dog owners are aware of the costs which a pet incurs and so go into it with their eyes open. However, an unnecessary expense is that involved with the purchase of a doghouse.

Many dog owners allow their pets to sleep in the home with them, thus eradicating the need for an exterior doghouse. But others prefer to distance themselves somewhat from their pets, preferring them to sleep outside at night. For these owners, the need to buy a doghouse is essential. These can range from budget buys which are little more than a wooden shell, to hugely extravagant constructions complete with a porch and stairs to make their kennel into a luxury home. Obviously, the cost rises proportionately to the quality of the doghouse. However, there is an alternative option.

You could build your own doghouse. You would still be required to pay for the supplies and you would have to do the work yourself but it means that you can tailor the doghouse to your pet. A doghouse should be large enough for your pet to comfortably turn but no bigger than that in order for it to retain the dog’s body heat and so self-insulate to a degree. Most readily available dog houses that you can buy from pet stores or similar places are a fairly standard size. Given that your doghouse should be sized in relation to your specific dog, you may find that, if you have a particularly large or small dog, that the shop bought ones are not ideal. Therefore, building your own can solve this problem.

There are a few things to remember when buying the materials for your doghouse. The first is to ensure that the doghouse is raised from the floor slightly to prevent moisture from seeping into the wood. The second is to ensure that you purchase exterior grade plywood and not pressure treated plywood. Exterior grade is slightly harder to come by as the majority of hardware stores sell pressure treated. However, this is treated with chemicals which may be harmful to your dog if they chew it.

These are the main things you need to adhere to when building your own doghouse. As long as these three areas, the size, raised from the ground and use of correct wood, are correct you can pretty much do what you like in terms of design and build. Why not decorate the finished doghouse to suit your pet’s personality? That is what I call a designer home!

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