Mar 05 2012

Does My Dog Have an Allergy?

Maybe you find out one day that your dog scratches himself constantly like he feels itchy all over his body. As a result raw skin is showing in various parts of his body. His skin seems to by dry and flaking. It looks like dandruff in human beings.

A lot of people automatically assume the dog is just suffering from dry skin, fleas, or other insect bites. But the truth is dogs, just like humans, can have allergies.

Something that many dog owners do not know: Dogs quite often show itchy or dry skin as the symptom of an allergy.

It is rather unlikely for a dog to suffer from some sort of seasonal allergy. More often it is their food that causes the allergy which leads them to scratch themselves or shaking their heads much more than they usually do.

All sorts of grains are the main reason for dog allergies – corn being the most common of all. As corn is the main ingredient of many dog foods there is a good chance that it is the culprit you are looking for.

Other times different types of grains or meats can be the culprit for the allergies in your dog. The best way to find the source of your dog’s allergies is to switch his food to one which doesn’t contain corn.

There is a more tricky combination of food causing allergies with dogs once in a while: Meat and rice – specifically lamb and rice in many cases. Why is this trickier? Because eliminating this food from your dog’s diet does not show immediate results.

Although it may be frustrating for dog owners, it is important that you patiently and consistently stick to the changes in your dog’s diet. Should there be no improvement after two weeks and your dog still continues scratching himself, then there is a real likelihood of grains being the culprit.

What can you do now? In this case you want to rule out all sorts of grain as the allergy’s reason. Skip all sorts of grains from the diet and go for an all meat diet. Before making these changes it would always be a good idea to ask your vet for further advice.

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Mar 04 2012

Dog Training: How to Teach the Trick “Spin”

Have you ever thought about teaching your dog a trick? If so, read on, because teaching our dogs tricks can certainly be very enjoyable.

Teaching your dog just about anything is a wonderful thing simply because it means spending quality time together. It can also strengthen your bond with your dog and even make him more obedient.

Before I tell you how to teach the trick, please beware that it will take patience on your part to. The worst thing we can do is to take this too seriously and make our dog anxious.

Be calm when you are teaching your dog a trick, and always keep in mind that if they don’t seem to enjoy doing the trick just stop and teach them a new one.

So, let’s get going: To begin you need your dog to be facing you. Have him stand in front of you. Then show him that you have an amazing treat in your hand. Let him smell the treat.

Keep the treat in your hands and tell your dog to “Spin”; hold the treat on top of your dog’s nose, and move the treat in a circle, as your dog will follow the treat. Once your dog has spun around, tell him to spin again.

And then, of course, after your dog performed the trick, give him the treat. This will increase his motivation to do so again.

Then move on to the next step: Show your dog the treat and say the command “spin,” but this time, do not guide your dog with the treat. Encourage him to turn by himself. If he manages to do so, give him another treat. If it does not work, go back to the previous step.

It is pretty straightforward, really. However, please don’t expect miracles. Like any aspect of dog training, teaching your dog a trick will also take time, effort, and patience. He will, most likely, not get it right away, so just try practicing together and you will be good to go.

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Feb 23 2012

Dog Training: How to Stop Poor Behavior

Your dog constantly misbehaves? You find it frustrating and annoying? Well, you do not have to put up with it. There are many methods created to help you deal with the bad behaviors of your little companion.

The truth is that most dogs are loving companions but many times they do some things that are not so pleasurable or acceptable for us. Dealing with bad behavior in our dogs is challenging, undesirable or straining many times.

Misbehavior comes in many shapes and forms. Barking, obviously, is a very common one – especially when the doorbell rings. And so is being aggressive towards other pets and even humans when dogs are eating or drinking.

Of course, behaving like that is not acceptable. It is no fun, and it can even be dangerous. However, when we try to find out how to change our dog’s misbehavior, it is sometimes very difficult to know where to even start.

But it does not have to be this way. Your dog must understand that she/he needs to be quiet and still and this behavior will not be accepted anymore. To do it you need a firm hand all the time.

First, you absolutely need to establish yourself as the pack leader. That is, you are the boss, and he is not. This is so important, because it is usually dogs that question the rank order that cause problems.

Another option is asking a professional dog trainer for help. This is highly recommended. In any case, you will need to be consistent whenever training your dog.

In addition, good behavior should always be rewarded. This is called positive reinforcement, and it will teach your dog what you want him to do quite fast. In order to get a treat or be praised, he is quite likely to do as he is told.

Also, a common cause for misbehavior in dogs is simply being bored. Just like kids, a bored dog can be quite creative in his ability to cause trouble. So, instead, just keep him busy, and help him stay out of trouble that way.

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Feb 19 2012

Get Your Puppy to Quit Biting Your Family

With the perfect procedures you can swiftly train your new puppy to never bite. It is essential you decide to use each of these practices and not react any other way. Retorting too aggressively can be very puzzling to a canine and can induce other unwelcome patterns in the future. The last thing you need is for your delightful little puppy to grow up into an adult dog that is still biting people.

The method I am about to present you with below is the best way you can get your puppy to stop biting. It is the optimum training technique for biting because it is instinct to them. There are not many situations for you to use your puppies very own language to coach them, so you should take advantage of this great opportunity. In addition to teaching them bite inhibition, it may help deepen the bond with your puppy. It also helps to set boundaries for where they stand in your pack.

The moment your puppy bites you, pull your hand away, or whatever they are biting. You should not jerk it away or do anything at all that appears like a game to a dog. While you are pulling your hand away, you need to generate a reasonably loud and high pitched yelp sound. Or, push the button on your Bite Breaker. In case you didn’t already know, the Bite Breaker is just a device that makes the sound for those who are unable to. The yelp noise you make has to be incredibly similar to the exact noise a puppy or dog makes when another dog bites them. In the event that you do not know what this sound sounds like, you can always research examples online or ask a friend who has had a dog for a long time. It is the same noise you hear if you accidentally step on your dog’s tail.

The following thing you should do is make sure you are standing up and facing away from your puppy. Simultaneously, when you stand up you need to also fold your arms across your chest. It is vital that you try not to make eye contact with your puppy and keep your back facing them until they calm down. These strategies eliminate your limbs, as well as let them know that you surely did not respect their hard biting.

Once they are calm and are no longer biting you, it is vital that you continue playing with them. Do not simply walk away leave your puppy hanging with zero positive reinforcement. Making use of positive reinforcement is the only way you should really train your dog. If you opt to not encourage your dog for good manners they will not have any motivation to be good in the future. People that do not use positive reinforcement do not have as good of luck with training.

These approaches work wonderfully for most puppies. Do not expect them to learn following the first time. Just like some individuals, they tend to have a selective ability to remember and will require your help reminding them in the time to come. Remember to be consistent with your training and be tolerant with your pet. It’s very difficult for them to focus with all of the excitement happening around them. If your puppy seems extra lively, you should make an attempt to offer them added exercise throughout the day. This will certainly help them focus stronger when you are trying to train them.

You can use some extra training methods to curb puppy biting habits. There are other puppy biting techniques you can implement to greaten your odds of success with training your puppy.

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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Jan 23 2012

Socializing Your Puppy: All You Need to Know

Socialization is a very important part of a dog’s life. It helps him to understand how he should be acting in certain social situations – what he is allowed to do and what he must not do.

Why is socializing important? A puppy that is fully socialized will get more out of life as an adult dog, the process is vital because it introduces a puppy to new situations and challenges.

The more people it meets and the more situations it faces the more confident the dog will be when it grows up. A badly socialized puppy will be tentative and afraid and will be more likely to be an aggressive and or anxious, dog.

Here are a few scenarios that puppies definitely need to be exposed to: Noisy children, a running dishwasher, a lawn mower, and all the other household appliances that you might use.

However, as you can imagine, you do not want to expose your puppy to all these items at once. Let him explore by himself most of the time, but be there by his side so that he does not do something silly and gets hurt. Just create a safe environment for him to explore.

To put it differently: The fact that you will let him explore and be himself, but that you are also always there to help him if needed, will mold his character and the way he goes about enjoying his life. You and he will be inseparable.

Overall, socialization has the goal to let your dog know is rank in the pack. He will need to understand that you are the boss and that he can trust you, but that he also needs to do what you tell him to do.

When dogs are born, they naturally learn the concept of being a pack animal and who is in charge of whom. His mother, specifically, will have showed him what dominance means, and you need to take over that role now.

So, when is the best time to teach him the rules of proper behavior and to socialize him? Well, think of it this way: From the day your puppy is born he will learn. This means that you can teach him from day one. In fact, the sooner you start the better. Seize the day.

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Jan 23 2012

How to House Train Your Puppy

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.

It goes without saying that relieving himself in the house or apartment is not a good thing, but he won’t know that, so you need to let him know what he should do instead.

Of course, there are innumerable ways to house train your puppy. And if you go about it the right way, it should not be too difficult either. Mostly, what you need is patience. Punishing your dog will not speed up the process.

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.

You should take your puppy outside for a walk, especially after eating, sleeping or playing. At the beginning, it would be ideal to take your puppy outdoors every 15 minutes.

Another important idea is to get a crate for him that he will really like. He can sleep in it, and he will make every effort to keep the crate clean – that’s just something dogs know to do intuitively.

You need to get a litter box for your puppy. You can teach your puppy to use the litter box at night. Your puppy should develop liking for surfaces such as dirt and gravel.

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 no matter what you choose to do, when you get up in the morning, take your dog outside. And when he reliefs himself there, make sure to reward him for the success. If you give your puppy many opportunities to do his business in an appropriate location, and if you just hang in there patiently, you and your dog will succeed.

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Jan 22 2012

Dog Training: How Important is it Really?

You will not get around obedience training when you get a new dog. It will help your dog learn that you are the boss. Once he considers you the pack leader, he is much more likely to follow your commands and behave himself properly – around you, other people, and other dogs.

There are some basic commands that you can teach your new puppy, such as sit and stay. Have some doggie treats with you and always reward your pet when it obeys you.

Whatever happens, do not punish him. Disciplining him physically will not speed up the training. In fact, it will probably slow you down, because your dog might become scared of you.

If all you do is reward positive behavior, your dog will automatically mentally link the command to a reward – which makes him more likely to obey.

And if you want to teach your dog even more and continue your bonding, attending a dog school might be useful. Taking classes there can be quite a lot of fun for both you and your dog, and he will also be exposed to others dogs and other people there.

Depending on the personality of your dog, or his prior living arrangements, before coming to you, he might be somewhat nervous. In this case, he might have a bit of a hard time in the first lessons, but he will come to understand that he can, in fact, trust people.

One great thing that obedience school is dog for is to train the dog to walk beside you without tugging on the leash, even when other dogs are around.

Moreover, your dog trainer can then give you advice on the kind of equipment you should buy for your dog (i.e. what collar and leash might be best for your needs). He is also a great resource, if you have any other questions concerning your dog.

Dog obedience training is fun for you and your pet. You will find that this investment will bring you years of happiness with your pet. After all, could you imagine anything better than a well-behaved, loyal, fun friend, like your dog will be?

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