Browsing the blog archives for October, 2008.

How Do I Get My Dog To Stop Digging?

basic

Dog Digging Habits - Be Their For Your Dogs Digging

Puppies love to dig! It’s in their blood and it is quite often their favorite pastime. This is especially true for young puppies that stem from the sporting group, the terrier group, and the Nordic group.

Digging is also a dog’s way of relieving stress and “letting it all out” so to speak. If a puppy is experiencing anxiety levels due to a new baby in the house, a recent move, strange people, or lack of attention, then he is going to dig in order to help himself feel better.

Fortunately there are ways in which you can help diminish your puppy’s digging behavior so that it is less destructive to your belongings while at the same time giving him a place to dig without being punished for it.

Training a dog not to dig his claws into areas that are not allowed requires a few steps to accomplish but when it is all said and done, the amount of destruction will be minimized.

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1. If you see your puppy digging in any area other than his digging spot, be sure to correct him with a firm “NO!” And then guide him to his proper digging location. This is the same protocol that you would use when housebreaking a puppy after he makes a mess in the house. Eventually, your dog will seek out his digging area when he feels the urge to dig away.

2. Every day, go back to your dog’s digging area and instruct him to start digging by giving him a command. This command could be as simple as “Sparky, Go Dig!” After a while he will immediately begin clawing at the dirt in wild anticipation for the fun that lay ahead.

3. Make it fun for your puppy to dig by burying some of his toys and bones underneath the dirt. Now play with your dog and start digging with him so you can both play the game of looking for his toys while digging. It becomes a lot of fun to watch your puppy dig along with you in search of his hidden treasure.

4. For starters, you need to find the spot in which your dog loves to dig more than anything else. This digging spot could be inside of your home, at a park or even in your back yard. Knowing where your dog loves to dig can help you to remedy the digging issue.

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Common Dog Health Questions: Essential Dog Care Guide

Basic Care

One of the most common dog health questions that people ask is how to know when your dog is ill and needs veterinary care. Most people don’t want to continually take their dog to the vet, especially as the charge can be high. Many veterinarians suggest that after you get to know your dog fairly well, it might be best to go with your gut feeling regarding a visit to the veterinarian office.

Some dogs, especially large breeds are very good at disguising their pain and it may go unnoticed by the owners. If you have one of these tough dogs, a sign that he might be feeling very ill is if he refuses to eat or if he eats much less than usual. A significant loss of appetite is an indication to take your dog to the veterinarian.

Typical Questions from the Veterinarian
Spend some time with your dog and see if he looks or behavesacts as if he is depressed. If his appearance has changed, if he is drinking more or less water than usual or perhaps you notice a change in his attitude or his lifestyle you might want to take him for a check up. Some typical dog health questions your veterinarian could ask you about your dog might relate to persistent vomiting, a drop in weight and very little desire to play as well as urinating more frequently or having constant diarrhea.

Another typical dog health question asked by dog owners is whether they should have their dog neutered. Male dogs that are neutered generally become less aggressive and the procedure also decreases the possibility of your dog acquiring prostate cancer and reduces the risk of your dog from acquiring testicular cancer. With female dogs it significantly lowers the possibility of acquiring mammary cancer as well as preventing them from getting womb infections and obviously you don’t have to be concerned about your dog getting pregnant.

Healthy Diet
What type of food should your dog eat is another commonly asked dog health question. You should provide your dog a diet that features quality meats and either no or very little artificial preservatives and which provides quality fats and grains and vegetables. Buying natural or high quality dog food products will improve his health and may extend his life.

Another dog health question veterinarians frequently are asked is how to prevent dogs from eating grass. Unfortunately, some dogs often eat grass and then afterwards vomit. Dogs that live in the wild eat various types of vegetation when they eat the contents from the stomach of their prey and your dog might be eating grass as some type of instinctive behavior. In some cases, the grass may not be the cause of vomiting due to the dog already being sick before he ate the grass. If you have dog health questions there are numerous websites that can provide answers and your veterinarian can also provide you with the information you seek.

Other dog articles
how to crate train a dog
how to housebreak a puppy
Puppy litter training a great house training method
these articles are full of practical advice on the best methods of toilet training a puppy or dog. Take the stress out of this important duty.

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Cheap Pet Insurance: Practical Pet Care Help

Insurance

Most pet owners think that buying pet insurance is a waste of time and money. More so when they think that they take good care of their pets and provide them all the possible comfort they require. Before you agree or disagree with this statement, let us first see what a budget pet insurance would offer for your pet and whether indeed it has any use or not.

What The Cheap Pet Insurance Buys For You?
Statistics say that in all probability about one in every three or four animals will have an accident during their life time (which is preciously short as it is) and would require intensive medical care. The odds quoted here may seem quite high. Now add to that that most animals can develop plenty of complications in their old agediabetes, obesity, cancer and so on. The odds look even worse now.

When animals are ill – they may require specialized diagnostic tests, x-rays, medications, consultations with specialists and so on. All this costs a lot of money. Sometimes the pets may need to be hospitalized and that would add a hefty sum to the medical expenses.

A a budget pet insurance would be able to absorb much of this money drain and let you treat your pet without worrying about money. You could get the best health services available and feel at peace that you are doing the best possible to save its life and ease its pain. Without the benefits of the cheap pet insurance you might not be able to afford the medical treatment needed and you would be miserable thinking you have failed your pet in its time of need.

You Can Get More For Less With The Cheap Pet Insurance
You need not pay too much to have the luxury of enjoying mental peace. There are lots of cheap pet insurance policies offered online and offline which would cover your pet for all major emergencies and thereby absolving of any type of guilt. As long as your pet would be covered by the cheap pet insurance, they would be protected to a very large extent against any major mishap.

Picking the right insurance for your pet should not be done at random. Research well regarding the benefits it offers and the price quotes available in the market. You would also have to read the small print closelyso you would not have any unpleasant shocks in your hour of need.

Other dog articles
house training dogs
House training puppies
house training puppies
these articles are full of practical advice on the best ways of toilet training a puppy or dog. Take the stress out of this important task.

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Various Tricks Of Training Your Dog

Puppy Training

home or may be|Do you have a dog at home or[/spin] are you thinking of buying a new dog? One of the most tedious tasks in keeping a lovable puppy is to train him/her correctly. Nobody wants their to spoil your equipments or bite the friends who come to your home. So you have to make sure that you train your pet correctly.
Before you buy a dog or puppy, you should know that it is always better to start at the earliest. In fact start puppy training when your puppy is around five to seven weeks of age. Although it is never too late to train a pet, starting early will definitely make things lot easier. So what is the best system to train a dog? There are many ways and methods with which one can train their puppies. But most of the dog owners will agree that reinforcing positive behavior is the best way to choose.

Give Rewards Not Punishments
Let me explain this further. Much like our children, puppies also respond better to encouragements and treat than punishments. Whenever your dog obey your instructions correctly, give him small rewards. It is interesting, when you think of the fact that you can speak to kids in a language they can understand. Yet, the kids disobey our suggestions. But when a dog disobeys your commands it is mostly because the puppy didn’t realize what exactly you need from him. That means, you have to train your dog properly.
Many times it is found that people hit the dogs nose with magazines or newspaper whenever the dog makes a mistake. This is completely wrong. In fact this could end up in negative results. Your pet might have accidentally made a mistake and if you punish him for something which is not his mistake, then the dog will not be motivated to follow your directions anymore. Another common mistake found in the dog owners is that, they shout at the pet. This will confuse your dogs. Are you shouting because you are happy or are you yelling because you are angry? Be firm in your tone, but do not shout. Most of us who dealt with kids knows how to be firm in their commands yet friendly. This holds true for puppy potty training as well.

Barking Dogs..
Some times you will find that your dog is unnecessarily barking. Before you run to the nearest pet shop to buy a barking collar, please understand that a dog can bark due to many reasons. Your dog can bark if he is hungry, thirsty or if the weather is really hot or cold. Pets are like us and they feel hunger and Thirst. During extreme they also need to be able to stay indoor. Learn more about puppies here.

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Dog Training Collars Helps Modify Behavior

Electronic Dog Collars

Dog Sexual Behaviour can be modified by many methods, but the three tools most often used are a dog training collar. They are most often used for barking, confinement or general behavior and each dog training collar is designed with each different behavior in mind. For example, for barking, a small box built into the collar will give the animal a slight shock when it barks. It does not take long for the dog to realize that when they do not bark, they do not get shocked.

This aversion to pain, although the shock is slight are will not cause physical harm to a Healthy Dog, it does get the dog’s attention that it is doing something unwanted. Similarly, confinement training with an invisible fence, will give the animal a shock once it passes a certain boundary in the yard. The dog training collar is placed on the dog and a wire buried underground emits low-level electricity much like an above-ground electric fence used for cattle.

When the fence is buried, many people place flags in the ground marking the boundary helping the dog to recognize the invisible line that when crossed will result in an electric shock. Over a short time, once the animal learns where the boundary is located, users can generally turn off power to the fence and even turn off the dog training collar. As long as the dog feels the collar the typically will not cross the boundary line, having learned where the invisible line is located.

Off-Site Behavior Modification Methods dog training collar

There may be reasons when an invisible fence is not possible, such as living in an apartment or and electrical connection is not available for the fence. Another dog training collar is equipped with a remote control that sends out a signal to the collar to jolt the animal whenever behavior does meet the owner’s expectation.

For example, if you take the dog for a walk without a leash and the dog is to stay within certain confines, whenever it strays from the area a push on the remote control sends out a light shock to bring the dog back into the desired area. This type of dog training collar can also be used for other behaviors, such as digging in the yard or jumping up on neighbors or guests. When the animal begin unacceptable behaviors, the light shock can cause them to stop.

The owner should never use the remote for “fun” or allow children access to the remote as inconsistent use, or unnecessary use can cause the dog to misbehave and even rebel against the user of the collar.

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Chihuahua Training Problem Behaviors

Small Dogs

Chihuahuas are big dogs in tiny bodies. This makes them prone to two common Chihuahua behaviors – aggression and using the house as a toilet. Both of these two problems are serious, but curable. The first thing you need to do is get your Chihuahua to the vet to be sure the aggression or the lack of being able to “hold it” is not due to a medical condition.

If the vet cannot find a medical reason for your Chihuahua’s problem behaviors, then your dog needs some Chihuahua training, which is basically the same as any kind of dog training. Do not hit your Chihuahua for any reason – they physically cannot take it. Yelling is more than enough of a reprimand. Some hate getting squirted by a water pistol. The Chihuahua is not purposefully trying to drive you insane. They just haven’t gotten the message of how to behave properly yet.
Chihuahuas will almost always act tough when strangers come calling, whether the strangers are animal or human. If you are not sure how your Chihuahua is going to behave, supervise the interaction, keep the Chihuahua on a leash or keep the Chihuahua in another room when visitors call. The goal of Chihuahua training is to teach the Chihuahua to let you make all the tough decisions. When you are boss dog, this actually relaxes the Chihuahua.

Don’t hit your Chihuahua, don’t scream for hours on end and don’t make an incredibly big deal of each and every bark. You need to act calm, cool and collected. You need to reinforce good behavior. For aggression, you need the help of a professional dog trainer. You can practice what you learn with dog training books and videos. Patience, persistence and practice in short sessions will help make you and your dog get along better.
Make sure your Chihuahua is not being overfed – this can lead to hyperactivity, which leads to barking and aggression. Also, make sure your Chihuahua gets regular daily exercise. Remember – a tired Chihuahua is a good Chihuahua. Since they are so small, they don’t need hikes in the woods. Also, get your dog neutered. This will help your dog trainer considerably in dealing with your Chihuahua problem behaviors.

When your Chihuahua is relaxed and lets you be the top dog, they will also bark less. Dog training books can help you get your dog to bark less. Remember – your dog thinks barking is helping you out. But Chihuahuas are intelligent enough to adjust. Never hit your Chihuahua (even if the little monster deserves it), because the Chihuahua may die from the injuries. A scolding is usually enough to make your point. Only get your Chihuahua debarked by a professional vet as a last resort.

Those who dedicate themselves to Chihuahua training know that they are really training the owner. A lot of quality information can be found by watching Animal Planet and reading many dog training books.

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Pomeranians Will Defend Their Masters

Small Dog Breeds

The Pomeranian is a cute and courageous animal that will win your heart not only because of its affectionate and adorable nature, but because it is a great watch dog as well and despite its small size, it is not going to back down when confronted with danger. However, it is not so easily housebroken and Pomeranian potty training is something for which you need plenty of patience and also a great deal of perseverance, especially in the first few weeks when a new puppy comes into your home.

The first step in Pomeranian potty training is to keep it in a playpen that also has clean newspaper down and where its food and water are kept along with a comfortable bed where it can sleep. It is a good idea to begin its potty training by taking it out when he wakes up in the morning and show him the area where he should go. The same can be done after each meal and when he does the right thing you should always reward him to reinforce the training. There is no doubt that accidents will often occur, but with patience and perseverance you should be able to see things through. However, make sure not to physically punish or rub its nose in an accident, as these won’t do your pet any good.
Pomeranian training requires a good deal of effort on your part and it involves teaching your pet more than just showing it where to go out and poop. What’s more, when it does mess up within the home, you need to clean up the mess so thoroughly that there is no smell of remaining. You can, on the other hand, use products that smell just like urine and put them where you want your Pomeranian to poop. The smell of urine will immediately mark it as being the right place to eliminate.

Another notable feature of proper Pomeranian potty training is that you should never strike your Pomeranian even if it is caught pooping in the wrong place. It is much better to clap loudly and make a negative sound, which your Pomeranian will be able to associate with having done something wrong. Your voice and the clapping sound should make it realize the error, and should not repeat the action again.
There is not much to Pomeranian potty training if you address it in the proper manner ensuring that your pet pick it up quickly. However, remember that if you catch your pet having an accident and more than a few seconds have passed since the act, there will be no sense in punishing it because pups can only understand what has just taken place. And if you attempt to correct the problem well after it has happened, it will only end up confusing and instilling fear in your Pomeranian. Dogs tend to have short memories and may not be able to link your reaction to any specific action, especially an accident.

What is important is that Pomeranian potty training means being successful in getting your pet to associate a place or places (preferably outside the home) where it should do his potty. It is through positive reinforcement that the best results will come about making a happy and harmonious home for both you and your pet.

Pomeranian training exercises can be made considerably easier with lots of patience. Dog training books are meant to provide more information about Pomeranian training and particularly potty training.

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Bulldogs Are Easy To Potty Train

Housebreaking

There are some Bulldog problems that are easily solved and there are some that require very specific concern. This is not unlike many formerly rare breeds that have ostensible survived only because of our direct intervention as a higher life form than the dog itself. As a pet owner it is important to remember that in order to train a dog successfully it takes patience. This is particularly true with Bulldogs.

Bulldog problems stem from their stubbornness. They are fairly lazy dogs and their one mission in life is to become your loveable companion. There is nothing wrong with that except that this one focus will breed an innate disdain to being trained. As an owner, you must demonstrate control and perseverance in order to train your Bulldog. Patience, consistency and supervision are the key to training your dog. Your Bulldog problems down the line will be very small if you demonstrate this ability with your dog. If you are the proud owner of a Bulldog you should be prepared to deal with his stubbornness. It is very true that Bulldog training problems can be overcome with complete understanding of the temperament of the dog.

Training for Bulldogs should begin when the dog is a very young puppy with the goal of establishing you as the master of his or her kingdom. Potty training is the first Bulldog problem you will have to overcome and a consistent feeding schedule, play schedule and a good crate is the answer to this Bulldog problem. Once your Bulldog puppy is potty trained, then it is time to immediately begin his obedience training. This training is considered the biggest of the Bulldog problems to overcome simply because the Bulldog is very stubborn. But training your Bulldog will provide you with a way to avoid problems with your Bulldog in the long run. Through acknowledging your dominance, even a strong independent dog like a Bulldog can be controlled. Consistency, supervision and patience are the key to training your Bulldog. Providing a regular training routine daily will help your dog realize what is expected of him.
The history of the Bulldog is most intriguing. Historically butchers to bait bulls used them. Hence the name, Bulldogs. To tease bulls one must have a stubborn streak and to this day these dogs are extremely stubborn. Bulldog problems are few and far between and basically only have to do with their stubbornness. It takes a lot of love and tenderness to train a Bulldog. Following a routine schedule is the best way to train your Bulldog and in the end your Bulldog will love you for it. He makes a faithful companion and a very happy lap dog. This is one of the most popular breeds on the planet because of its lovable nature. These short, small and stocky dogs are adorable if not rather strange in the looks department. They make great pets, especially if children are involved. Owning a Bulldog can be one of the best pet owning experiences.

Many times Bulldog training can be very difficult because of the dog’s innate stubbornness. Dog training books on Bulldogs should include information on the dog’s stubborn nature.

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Pet Help

Advice

Commonly, particularly in small spaces, male dogs are claimed by some dog owners to be more hostile and destructive. Female dogs, or ‘bitches’ are said to be easier to train and more loving. These stereotypes may be true from one type but may not be true to another. There are lots of things that you should be aware of when you want to choose a female dog such as the need to neuter so that unwelcome birth will be avoided or simply manage your dog during the times of being in heat. Doggie birth control is an essential issue that you have to deal with since it will prevent additional litters of pups, but if you just wont take the initiative to do so, then you better continuously find homes for those.

Don’t ever think that female dogs have the change of life, so unlike the human female, dogs can have puppies practically all their lives. You’ll spend weeks every year trying to guard your female from males who can catch the scent from blocks away. On the other hand, it would become a financial gain to have a female dog, if that particular dog is a pedigree that you just can type.

You just can’t stop male dogs from marking their so-called “territory” even if their inside your house or outdoors. They do the marking of their “spot” by peeing on that part so that they won’t have the difficulty finding it again. You can try to school a dog not to mark his territory, but you’re asking him to go against his instincts. If you already have a male dog in your household and you have add another, then a fight on who becomes the boss is likely to be witnessed between those dogs. The dominance over the home is something that even the smaller dogs would fight for against the larger male dogs in order to insist who among them got there first.

Dogs of opposite sexes tend to get along better than dogs of the same sex. Male dogs tend to be tough against other male dogs unlike female dogs, sharing their place with another dog is not something that some female dogs would love to do. Usually, when it comes to house training, female dogs are easier to handle than male dogs and they adhere to the rules more sensibly, although that can vary by type and by the skill of the dog trainer. Male dogs are considered as more lively and active, still, the “highly strung” temperament are evident to some breeds may it be with their males or females. Many of the regular individuals who are shopping for a dog would definitely look for a female dog. Maybe because they think that female dogs are less hostile than male dogs and that when it comes to training, female ones are not difficult to deal with.

About Your Pets

But, being highly temperamental is a fact with most female dogs that those people tend to forget. Breeders tend to favor male dogs as an easier pet to handle. You can’t totally rely to what the sex can tell you when it comes to predicting the possible behavior of the dog since it cant be reliable enough. There are breeds that set aside the sex since some of their features are likely to be retained such as being calm and tolerant whether the dog is a female or a male. But males and females of breeds which are energetic, nippy and difficult to manage usually have those characteristics within them.

Dog Troubles

Given that no scientific proof is presented that can make the guessing of the features of males and females and comparison for each gender possible, then, deciding what gender of the dog would be best for you is likely to depend to your own subjective choice. Chances are your memories of a childhood pet or a friend’s pet that you wish you had is what’s influencing your choice now.

Fish Tanks

Maybe you recall the gentle female Collie who lovingly cared for litter after litter of pups as the ideal dog. Or maybe you can imagine a rough and tumble large male dog that can carry on playing and running inexhaustibly with children of so much curiosity and energy. It would be fine to follow your instincts in making the decision of picking out what dog is best for you to have that could either be a female or a male dog. Making the right choice for you will greatly depend on your individual decisions.

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Dog Training Aids: The Art Of Training Your Dog With A Whistle

Dog Whistles

One of the most commonly used dog training aids is the whistle. Historically, the whistle was used to train hunting herding dogs. The whistle creates the least noise and it sound reaches far compared to the human voice. Besides, when you are out there herding or hunting, shouting commands to your dog from a distance is not advisable. Note that the human voice is very scary to animals especially in the wild. On the other hand, the sound of the whistle often easily blends with the other sounds of the place thus it does not cause so many disturbances. Furthermore, the dog’s ear is more tuned to higher frequency sounds like that of a whistle. Since high frequency sounds travel a greater distance than the human voice, the whistle works well for dogs that are used for herding and hunting.

In our modern times, many handlers prefer the whistle as part of their dog training aids to avoid dog health problems. The use of the whistles as dog training aids is no longer limited to those dogs that are used for hunting and herding. Many pet owners prefer to use the whistle to call their pets or to issue commands from a distance.

Training Your Dog With The Help Of A Whistle

Using whistles as dog training aids require skills and knowledge on your part. If you have no idea how to use the whistle as part of your dog training aids, it is best to ask an expert to help you. You can’t just simply use a whistle randomly as part of your dog training aids. Always remember that you dog need to be able to understand what the tone of the whistle means in order for it to follow accordingly. Dog trainers have developed some standard whistle commands over time. For instance, a whistle command to sit can be issued by one long whistle blast together with a raised hand open hand. On the other hand, if you want to direct the attention of the dog, you can make two short whistle blasts and point the new direction with your hand.

On the other hand, different types of whistles may be used for different commands. Dogs can be trained to respond to different sounds and pitches of the whistle to avoid Dog Injury. However, these rules on how to use the whistle as part of your dog training aids are not absolute. You can always improvise when dealing with your dog so do not limit yourself to whistle commands that others have set.

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