Feb 17 2012

How smart are Dogs?

Dogs have been man’s pets since the Stone Age and with their close association to man, research has shown that just like people, dogs also think.

In one of the researches conducted it was established that digs have a mental ability of close to that of a child of about two years and therefore capable of thinking like one.

The findings revealed that dogs are capable of learning up to one hundred and fifty words, if signals go along with the words. Moreover, some dogs can count up to five and have a general understanding of arithmetic.

Additionally, just like little children, some dogs clearly tried to deceive their playmates. This reveals their intelligence to try and trick someone for your own advantage.

In the research different dog breeds were ranked according to their tested intelligence level. Hound dogs came last in a list of more than one hundred breeds. The winners in terms of intelligence are not too surprising: Border collies, poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers, and dobermans.

Another indicator for the high intelligence of dogs is their memory and sense of time. More specifically, if dogs live on a regular schedule, they will know exactly what to expect and what will be done at what time. They seem to memorize those schedules.

Additionally, it speaks to the intelligence of dogs that they have an acute understanding of their rank in comparison to others. More specifically, if someone is higher than them, for example the pack leader, they will follow his command. If someone is lower than them in rank, most likely they will simply ignore it.

Learning commands is natural for any dog that is well trained. He will most likely pick them up quite fast. Among the most common commands, that are easy to learn, too, are sit, down, stay, and go.

It means that they sometimes understand the moods of people. They also have an understanding of places where they are allowed to go or not allowed to go.

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Feb 14 2012

Dog Training: How to Go About It

Dogs are born with an instinct to follow their leaders. They are intelligent and dependable creatures, but not a lot of owners think so.

When our dogs are misbehaving they can just about drive us nuts: Constant barking, chewing on things, and jumping up on people can be quite frustrating and nerve-racking. One way to avoid such behavior is formal dog training.

Dog training often relies on a method that is called classical conditioning. It conditions your dog to display desirable behavior – by rewarding positive behavior and punishing negative behavior.

If you punish your dog for his negative behavior, he will come to understand that this behavior is not fun for him. This will teach him to stop doing it or simply to avoid doing it to begin with. He will do so because he associates those actions with a bad outcome for himself.

On the other hand, you can also have your dog love rewards or the sound of some words that he is conditioned to get once he does an action that pleases you.

It is best to train a dog when it is still young, for the reason that it hasn’t developed any unwanted behaviors. There is a myth that dogs can only be trained until they are six months old.

With that being said, the first 16 weeks of your puppy’s life are extremely important, since what he will learn in that time period will be the foundation for his whole life. So always keep that in mind.

Also be mindful of the fact that dog training takes time. That’s just the way it is. Some dogs are faster learners and others are slower, but all of them will take some time to train. Such is life and you should not have unrealistic expectations when it comes to that.

And one last thought: The one way to ruin all your dog training efforts is to be inconsistent when it comes to your dog. Don’t do it. Always be consistent. Use the same command every time and have everyone else use that command to. And always expect your dog to obey it – no exceptions.

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Feb 10 2012

House Training Your Dog

You are going to bring a new puppy home soon? Then one of the things you really should give some thought to is house training, because this is something you will need to teach him.

You need to train your puppy to stop relieving himself on your carpet. You should find a way to teach your puppy to hold it until it is time to go out for a walk.

There are many ways to train puppy to behave well in your house. It is not as difficult as you think. You just need a little bit patience. You don’t need to punish your puppy.

If you pay close attention to your puppy the first few days, you will find that he will give you signs before he needs to do his business. If you see one, pick him up and take him outside.

Also take him outside often during the day. He is likely to need to use the bathroom after meals, after playing session, and shortly after he wakes up. If you can, take him outside very often.

In addition, you can also purchase is nice crate for your puppy. When the puppy sleeps in the crate, he is genetically programmed to try and keep it clean. So he most likely will not soil it, if possible.

Of course, using a litter box can also work. The idea with the litter box is that you do not need to take him outside at night, because he can simply use the box without any help.

Your puppy will rather relieve in a litter box than in his crate. This is a much better solution for you than to take your puppy out late at night.

But once the sun comes out in the morning, you should definitely take him outside. And every time he does do his business outside, give him a little reward to encourage him. As with all aspects of dog training, house training can take some time. The most important thing is to be patient and keep practicing.

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Feb 08 2012

Can I Give a Puppy As a Gift?

These days it seems like most people have everything they could possibly want. So when you want to give someone an amazing gift, it can be hard to think of something. Something that shows them just how special they are to you.

So, what do you do? You browse all kinds of online shops and wonder aimlessly through malls, not finding anything that you really like. And then you might end up thinking: Wouldn’t he/she really love a puppy? Wouldn’t that be a great gift?

That’s quite a simple question, and the answer is even simpler: No! Under no circumstances, no circumstances whatsoever, should you give a puppy as a gift. And, really, this does not only apply to dogs, but pets in general.

Few things change one’s life like a puppy does. The responsibility is huge. And not only does one need to be there for the dog, the expenses to care for him are substantial too. Giving a puppy as a gift would be like surprising someone with a baby.

It’s the same thing: You can never be sure that another person is ready to accept such responsibility, and you cannot just throw it at someone else. Even when you know a person really wants a puppy, it’s still not your decision.

Furthermore, there is a special chemistry between a dog and the owner, which many people compared to love at first sight; it’s not up to you to decide which dog is best for another person.

Also, do not attempt to give a puppy to a person who has just lost a pet – we each have different grieving periods and methods, and some may even view that as an insult.

Let me finish this article off with one exception, though: Let’s say your friend has already picked out a specific puppy and has made the arrangements. If this is the case, you might like to offer paying for it.

In this case, though, the gift won’t be much of a surprise, but I am sure it will be greatly appreciated anyway.

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Feb 07 2012

Separation Anxiety: 101

One of the most difficult things when being a dog owner is to leave your dog at home alone when you need to go somewhere without him. It won’t really feel natural for you two to be apart at first, and your dog might so distressed that he destructs your home while you are gone.

It should not come as a surprise that dogs suffer from separation anxiety. When you leave, he is likely to worry, maybe even panic. He will then probably turn to chewing on everything that gets in his way, including shoes, clothes, furniture and the like.

So, should you give up your dog because of this? Well, you might choose to, but, really, there should be no need to do so. In most cases, separation anxiety can be handled, so that you and your dog can stay together.

So how do you handle separation anxiety? Usually, a lack of exercise can cause a dog to expend all that pent up energy in inappropriate ways.

Remember that a tired dog seldom causes any problems. Give your dog a good run, for about 30-60 minutes, after which it will be quietly content panting away. It may even take a long nap and not even notice you are gone.

And here is one more thing to be mindful of: Dogs are super intelligent, and they will pick up on queues that tell them you are about to leave like jingling your car key.

So as soon as they recognize this queue, they start getting excited or depressed. In such cases you need to re-condition them to ignore these queues, by repeating them without actaully leaving.

It is as simple as this: Perform the queue and stay around. Just carry on with something, like watering the flowers or so. The purpose of the exercise is for the dog to learn that the queue does not mean he will be left alone.

If you are leaving the house for a long time, make sure your dog has enough to eat and access to water. If it gets too hungry it may start chewing on just about anything and may even rummage through the garbage.

Learn more about Hund erziehen. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

Feb 01 2012

Dog Training: Stay Command

Teaching your dog the stay command is absolutely essential. The process of teaching him, however, may be somewhat difficult. But simply keep in mind that the command can be a life saver, and that once he understands and obeys it, it will have been worth its while.

In my opinion, the easiest way to teach your dog this command is from the sitting position. Have him sit and look at you. Then say the command: “Stay”. Look at him as you do so.

To make it even easier for your dog to understand the command, also signal with your hand that you want him to stay. Simply extend your arm and turn your hand so that your palm faces your dog. Say “stay,” show him the hand signal, and then remove yourself from your dog.

Especially in the beginning you need to make sure not to move too far. If you do, your dog will want to follow you. If he fails to obey the command and gets up, be firm with him, say “no”, and say “stay” again.

If he listens to you and does as you are saying, you should praise him and reward him for doing the right thing. This is the basis of getting him to understand the stay command.

The training will take time as you have to do this exercise over and over and over again. Every time you do so, you can increase the distance you are moving away a little bit.

To make it more interesting and mix the exercise up a little, you can try it in different locations. And when your dog has finally understood the command and obeys it quite well, you can even have him stay while you move out of sight.

It might be frustrating in the beginning, but in time, as you do it more and more with him, he will completely get it.

Having a dog that will obey the stay command is a great pleasure. It will make both your life and his life much easier, especially in situation where you need to trust him to behave himself.

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Jan 31 2012

How to Train Your New Dog

When you get a new pup, you want to first make sure that he gets his vaccinations. After that, enroll him in dog training classes. This is the best way to avoid having him act up and drive you nuts later on, and it will also be a great bonding experience for the two of you.

Dogs are pack animals and you need to let them know that you are the leader. You can get started at home by teaching your pet some basic commands, such as sit and stay.

You might also want to teach your dog how to properly walk on the leash. When doing so, keep in mind to reward your dog with treats regularly if he does well. This ensures that he associates behaving well with getting treats.

With that being said, never ever be cruel to your dog or discipline him physically in any way. If you are not pleased with his behavior, simply ignore him and do not look at him.

When your dog behaves as you desire, be super generous with praise and give him a treat. If you do this, he will learn that it is in his own best interest to do as you ask of him.

If your dog does not listen to your commands at all, or if you would like to teach him advanced commands, dog training schools can be a helpful option. This might also be a good idea for anyone who has an older dog that needs some extra help.

Dog training classes are also a great way to advance the socialization of your dog. At the school he will inevitably meet other dogs as well as other people. And if your dog gets nervous around others, this might make him a little bit more relaxed.

Moreover, the dog expert will surly make some recommendations for you to use at home. They will also be able to show you how to have your dog walking on the leash without tugging and pulling.

And one more thing that dog trainers are great for, besides actually training your dog, is the advice they can give you on equipment that you need to buy for your new best friend. SO, dog training classes, in my opinion, certainly are a great investment in the happy future that you and your dog will share.

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Jan 28 2012

Dog Training: Pulling on the Leash 101

One of the biggest mile stones in dog training is teaching the dog to walk on the leash properly – without pulling it.

Let’s look at the scenario from the dog’s point of view. Why does he pull on the leash? Well, most likely, because he sees something of interest to him and wants to get there quickly.

Usually, most owners simply give up fighting the dog, and give in to whatever the dog is after. The dog is smart and remembers that it gets what it wants when he pulls on the leash.

Instead of letting him get what he wants when pulling, you could do the exact opposite: Simply stop walking. Just stop and wait.

Stop abruptly the very second your dog puts any tension on the leash. The timing needs to be good here. If he starts pulling, you stop. Very simple.

When you stop your dog will wonder what just happened. Chances are he will turn around and try to get a sense of why he can’t move forward. That is a good moment for you. When he has stopped and is not pulling anymore, you should praise him or give him a treat.

Moreover, it is also a good idea to tell the dog to get in the heel position after this happened.

Yes, stopping every time when there is tension on the leash can be quite frustrating. And every walk -even the short ones- might then seem to take forever. But it will get better after a while. It is all a matter of habit, and you and your dog need to first break the old one (i.e. leash pulling is acceptable).

When you actually start doing this, you might be shocked at how often you need to stop. Yes, it can be frustrating. But consistency is the only way to help your dog figure out that pulling on the leash will not get him anywhere faster. And right now, this is the most important thing for him to learn.

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Jan 26 2012

How to Choose the Right Collar and Leash for Your Dog

When you get a new dog, there are a lot of things you need to purchase for him in advance. Two important ones are the collar and the leash. The collar, in particular, will set your dog apart from others.

Nowadays, with so many unique collars for sale, the collar can simply be a fashion statement too. The leash, though, is more of a tool, really. It will help you stay in touch with your dog and communicate with him.

All you have to do is pull on the leash and give a command, and your dog will note that he is supposed to go or supposed to stop. You can also tell him to speed up that way or to slow down.

Alright, but how to select the appropriate collar for you dog: Just ask your veterinarian. See, dogs are unique and each dog will have a collar that best matches him and his personality. SO do seek the advice of an expert, because he will find the best collar for your dog.

If your dog is well behaved and does not cause you any trouble, a simple leash and collar will do. You might just simply want to buy a regular one then. It should do.

However, if this is not the case and you often find yourself struggling with your dog, you might want to consider a slip collar. This could be potentially helpful.

If the slip collar does not seem to sort out your dog’s pulling issue, you may want to resort to an illusion collar. This may be useful if you do not get along with your dog otherwise.

In my opinion, the illusion collar can be a great help. You can be quite creative about the ways you use it to control your dog’s pulling behavior. If you put it lower on your dog’s neck, he will be more likely to pull.

If you do not want your dog to pull as much, simply put the collar on the upper part of his neck. This way he will really feel the connection to you, and he is more likely to respond appropriately. Try it, if you like, it might be a great help.

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Jan 25 2012

What a Dog Trainer Can Do for You

If you give your puppy a lot of attention, love, and training, he will, most likely, turn out a wonderful dog. In order to achieve this, getting the help of a professional trainer is highly recommended.

If your dog appears extremely smart, you might even consider having him compete in dog shows. If you so desire, a professional trainer should be consulted. With the help of the trainer, your dog will then, most likely, pick up the various commands he will need to know, even faster.

The price of a professional is relatively cheap compared to the hours and hours of frustration if training is not the master’s forte.

Please keep in mind that the time it will take you or your dog trainer to train your dog will vary depending on your dog’s personality, intelligence, etc. If you hire a dog trainer, he might want to check out your house, because it helps him understand where the pet is coming from.

This will vary depending on what the issues are for that particular pet as each animal has a different set of learning curves. Seeing the day to day environment helps the individual to get an idea on how to train that particular dog to adhere to his owner’s commands.

For some behavioral issues, the dog trainer might find it beneficial to train the dog at home. For other issues, it might be better to conduct the training at the dog school, because there will be other dogs there too.

This option, of course, is much less expensive than having the trainer come to one’s house. Even though, of course, dog trainers will excel at helping people at home.

This seasoned professional loves and communicates to each animal easily. This allows easier training so both pet and master can bond without the tensions that may come from troublesome issues.

After your dog is able to follow your commands, having him around will be even more fun for both you and him.

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