Leash Training Your Dog

Title: Leash Training Your Dog
Author: Michael Copper

Leash Training Your Dog
Dog Quote: Oh, that dog! Ever hear of a German shepherd
that bites its nails? Barks with a lisp? You say, "Attack!"
And he has one. All he does is piddle. He's nothing but a
fur-covered kidney that barks. ....Phillis Diller

Training your dog to not pull on the leash

One of the most common problems people have with their dogs
is pulling on the leash. There are many reasons why this
can occur, and quite often it is nothing more than
excitement on the dogs part. If this is the case, allowing
the dog a few minutes to simmer down before taking it on
his/her walk can often stop it.

Once again, the dogs pack mentality can come to play with
the dog assuming leadership over its owner as the leader of
the pack. This comes back to the basics of dog training
where the dog must be aware of who the master is.

Failure to get this basic dog training technique under
control can lead to all sorts of problems, particularly if
the dog gets off the leash. In the presence of other dogs,
and sometimes young children this problem becomes
pronounced.

One of the basics of dog training is for the owner to
establish him or herself as the leader of the pack
otherwise no training can be effective.

Once this has been established you can start the process of
getting your dog to walk calmly beside you with or without
a leash. And that process can only start if you are able to
get your dog to sit calmly while you put the leash around
its neck. That is the very first step of training your dog
to walk without pulling in its leash.

Once you succeed in that task, you can move on to the next
step where you can get your dog to walk beside you without
a leash and be assured that he/she won't run away.

And from there you will not be one of those people where
the dog is taking them for a walk.

Stop Your Dog Jumping on People

Dog Quote: They have dog food for constipated dogs. If your
dog is constipated, why screw up a good thing? Stay indoors
and let 'em bloat! ....David Letterman

Jumping on People

No matter how much we might enjoy our pet jumping up to
greet us, there are many people who dislike having a
strange dog coming up and jumping on them. For many people
it can be a frightening experience as not everyone is a dog
lover.

Besides that, many people just don't want dirty paw marks
over their clothing.

It can also create major problems if a large dog were to
jump up on a child or an elderly person.

Dogs will generally jump up on people because they are
overly excited and pleased to see them - even if that
person is a stranger.

Many people inadvertently encourage this behavior by
rewarding the dog with attention after the dog has jumped
up on them. The dog then seeks similar reward from other
people whether they like it or not.

This is detrimental to the proper training of the dog and
all members of the family must realize that they're doing
more harm than good by encouraging their dog to jump up on
people.

Consistency is important in all forms of dog training,
where members of the dog's family will need to exercise
discipline and accept that training will be all the more
difficult if the dog is allowed to continue with this
behavior.

Failure to do so will lead to confusion with the pet not
knowing what is right or wrong.

An alternative to having your dog jump up on you and other
people is to teach it to sit and lift it's paw when
greeting you for a handshake or similar tricks where the
dog will be rewarded with attention.

About the Author:

I'm an online publisher of web content and blogs pertaining
to the needs and wants of the public.
I'm also a business coach, and my coaching web can be found
at http://www.course-internet-marketing.com ... do check
out my latest blog about dogs at ...
http://dog-health-and-training.com/ ...consider signing up
for my dog blog articles about the latest in canine health
care and training.

__._,_.___

.

__,_._,___

Dogs That Escape

Title: Dogs That Escape
Author: Michael Copper

Dogs That Escape
Here's Today's Joke: Why did the Dachshund bite the woman's
ankle? Because he couldn't reach any higher.

No owner likes to get a call from the pound telling them
that their dog has been picked up for roaming the streets,
but even the best trained dog can escape and end up in
places where it shouldn't be.

In many towns you can find yourself in legal trouble if
your dog is found to be wandering the streets. And quite
rightly so as a dog on the loose can do quite a lot of
damage to other people's property, pets, children and
elderly folk.

Dogs that generally try to escape from their property are
usually those that have not been trained or are bored.

Boredom is most often the case, and giving your dog
suitable stimulation to ensure that he/she remains
contented on the property can prevent this. This can be as
simple as leaving toys for your dog to play with, fresh
water and a suitable place to sleep, shelter from the
weather, and anything else that the dog might need while
you aren't in attendance. Obviously a big fence and a
locked gate will go a long way to deter your dog from
escaping.

Consider the alternative of trying to catch your dog once
it has escaped, and the damage that can be done, should it
run out in front of a cyclist or a car. Prevention is
always best.

Giving your dog regular exercise will also reduce the
likelihood of it wanting to escape. Even the fact that the
dog knows it will be getting exercise when you arrive home
will eliminate much of the possibility of having it escape
during the time when you're away.

If your dog gets this exercise before you go out you are
less likely to have problems because it is more likely to
sleep after having exercised.

The Call to Come Command

Dog Quote: A dog is the only thing on this earth that loves
you more than he loves himself. ....Josh Billings

The Command to Come when Called.

One of the most basic and important commands that you will
need to teach your dog is to come when called. No matter
what else happens, if you have taught your dog this command
you will always be able to maintain control whether at home
or in public.

Should your dog ever get off it's leash or escape from your
property you will know that when you call it that it will
come back and this certainly makes life a lot easier for
the dog owner.

For working dogs, this is a vital skill as a handler needs
to know that at any time they can get the dog back beside
them and ready for their next command. When you are
comfortable that your dog knows the commands of 'stay' and
'come' you no longer have to be as concerned that it needs
to be kept on a leash at all times. This allows both the
owner and the dog to have a lot more freedom.

Generally, this command of 'come' is incorporated when
teaching the dog to stay, as these two lessons work
hand-in-hand with one another. The dog is first taught to
stay and then the owner will teach the dog to come, while
still on an extended leash.

After gaining success in getting the dog to come, while
still on a leash, the owner can then teach it to do so
without the leash. Obviously for an untrained animal this
would be better taught in an enclosed area until the dog
has learned to respond to that command.

About the Author:

I'm a business coach, and my coaching web can be found at
http://www.course-internet-marketing.com ... Sign up for
my canine newsletter at
http://doghealthandtraining.blogspot.com/ or
http://bloggingezine.course-internet-marketing.com/

__._,_.___

.

__,_._,___

Dog Rescue Adoption

Article Title: Dog Rescue Adoption
Author: Steve Evans

A few months back, I brought home a Dog Rescue Society adoption
dog.

I feel like I was allowed to rush into it without enough
cooling off time. I saw a dog rescue adoption advertisement in
my local paper, I took to one photo of one of their dogs and
the image stuck in my brain. The next day I happened to be
travelling past the kennels with some spare time in hand. I was
tempted and I took a look around and I just couldn't say no to
one dog I saw, despite the fact that he was only a mongrel of
doubful origin and and must have been greatly cross bred.

But, how could you say no to such a cute dog with such wide sad
eyes, sitting alone in a pen waiting for someone to come and
pick him up. Animal shelter rescue operations know how to pull
at your heartstrings – they can't help wanting to help the dogs
to find a home, it is human nature. Nevertheless, I should have
thought twice before I went in for this dog rescue adoption. It
really was not a wise choice for me.

You see, dog adoption rescue is all well and good for the first
week or two. The dog I got was really friendly and followed my
every move around the house.

The trouble is that it was a little bit older than I wanted.
After a week it dawned on me – I would have to take care of
this dog for the rest of its life. I already have a Doberman –
not the easiest or smallest of dogs – and I would have to train
this second dog, take care of it, and keep it out of trouble all
of its life.

Now with a puppy this would not have been daunting, but this
dog had not been schooled at all. It did not have a clue about
training, and would not even answer to its name.

One of my friends told me that I could take the dog rescue
adoption dog back, and give up on the whole thing, but I did
not want to do that. I felt like the poor dog had already been
through too many things. Although this dog was only about three
years old, it had by all accounts already been in the kennels a
year back, and had been found wandering on the road.

I think that dogs are more like humans than we would like to
think, (even mongrels!). They are affected by the way that they
are treated. If they are treated like property, shuffled around,
and not allowed to bond to anyone who owns them, they will
develop serious nervous problems. It seemed to me that if I
returned this pooch to the dog rescue adoption centre just as
it was getting used to me, I would be betraying it. I would be
damning it to a life of misery. It was already so insecure that
it would not let me out of its sight all day around the house.

However, after a while I did manage to drum some basic
obedience training into the mongrel. My Doberman Pinscher
helped. I think this was because the new dog could see the
obedient responses my Doberman gives to my command.

Then, my luck came when I met a friend while out dog walking
about three months back. We had walked together several times
since I had him, and from the start, she had really taken a
fancy to him, and him to her for some reason. However, she had
her own dog and no inclination to take on another.

I was at first surprised that this time we met she had no dog
with her. Soon after we got talking she explained her sadness
that her pet had lost all appetite and had virtually stopped
eating over a period of about two weeks. She had taken the
animal to the local vet, and he had found a cancer which was
well advanced. In only a little over a fortnight her dog had
died, and now she was walking alone and very much wanting for
canine company.

When I realised her grief - and don't underestimate the depth
of grieving which can occur for a dog - I really wanted to help
her, and I knew that I now had a much better behaved dog due to
my training of him than the animal I had taken on. That mongrel
was no longer a liability on walks or likely to run-off in an
uncontrolled fashion. He was no longer uncontrollable and at
risk of causing an accident, or misbehaving out of control.

So, I offered her the chance that she might take him on, and
she was delighted. The first while he was on loan to her, but
that soon changed, and now I doubt she would give him away for
any amount of money!

Finally, though, I would like to say that I am a quiet kind of
a guy. It takes a while for me to get to know people.

However, in handing over that mutt I got to know that lady
rather well. It created a common bond between us, which became
a friendship. Well, I have to say we are really enjoying each
other's company now. It could just be that I didn't truly get
that dog away out of my life at all. It may be I just got me a
life partner... and that dog never left at all... not bad eh!
That's dog rescue for you!

About The Author: Steve Evans is more of a dog lover than he
will tell you. He contributes to the Dog Breeds Compendium,
where you can find most things to do with dogs. Visit:
http://www.dog-breeds.me.uk The Dog Breeds Compendium web site.

.

__,_._,___

Stop Puppies Biting

Title: Stop Puppies Biting
Author: Michael Copper

Stop Puppies Biting
Puppies love to bite. They do it naturally but it is
something that they must be taught not to do. This needs to
be addressed while they are young because dog bites can
lead to all sorts of problems including legal action. It
may seem fun and funny to have a puppy biting but a
full-grown dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to
children if they are in the habit of biting. Dogs have
immense strength in their jaws and even a playful nip can
do permanent damage to a child.

Generally, puppies are taught to control their biting from
their mothers but in most cases we get puppies as pets that
have been taken from their mothers at a very young age and
it is up to us to teach them as puppies not to bite.

By letting your dog socialize with other dogs from a young
age they will quickly learn from their elders, provided
they have been taught well, that the desire to bite needs
to be curbed to avoid retaliation and an ensuing fight.

The sooner the puppy is taught not to bite by the owner or
by interaction with other dogs, the less aggressive they
will become as they grow older and the more pleasant they
will be to live with.

Taking a puppy to a dog training school will allow it to
interact with other dogs where it will quickly be corrected
for any misbehavior. Puppies should generally learn to
interact with other dogs within the first three months of
their life. The longer this is left the more difficult it
becomes for your dog to socialize correctly and they can
become dangerous later in life. As with children, the
sooner your puppy can learn correct behavior patterns the
better they will be in the long term.

It is also wise to get the puppy to behave correctly in the
presence of other animals including cats and any other pets
that they might come in contact with over their life.

There are many items that are available from the pet stores
and vets that can give your puppy suitable satisfaction to
chew and bite upon. This will allow your puppy to learn
what is right and what is not right to bite.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY AT THE VET (INCLUDING WHAT THE ONLINE
PHARMACIES DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW!)

In case you haven't noticed, quality vet care isn't cheap.
But if it wasn't-I'd be worried. Because it would be your
pet's health that had to suffer! The cost to run a
veteinary clinic is more than what many people expect and
most veterinarians retire before their college loans are
paid off.

Of course, you probably could care less about all that! You
just want your pet to receive proper health care without
breaking the bank. Understood. Let's find out how.

Tip #1: Be straight up!

If your pooch is acting sick and you KNOW he ate something
out of the garbage-tell the vet! I can't tell you how many
times we've gone through a list of expensive (and sometimes
unnecessary) diagnostic procedures to find out that the
owner knew all along what the problem might be!

"Oh yeah-I did notice that I had a sock missing . . ." Ugh!

We had one gentleman who knew his dog ate a pair of panties
but didn't want to tell us because, well . . . the panties
didn't belong to his wife.

Fortunately, the dog got better but his pocketbook paid the
price. Not sure what happened to the marriage.

We're not here to judge you-we're here to make your pet
feel better!

Tip #2: Follow your vet's recommendations when it comes to
preventative medicine (heartworm preventative,
vaccinations, blood tests, etc.). Do you think heartworm
pills are expensive? Well, the cost of heartworm
preventative is chump-change in comparison to what it costs
to treat a heartworm positive dog. Depending on the dog's
weight, a month of heartworm preventative can cost $3-8. If
your dog tests positive expect to pay $500-$1000 (or more)
to have him treated. Egads! That's a mortgage payment for
some folks. And by the way, ALL DOGS are at risk for
acquiring heartworm disease, even if living indoors. It
only takes ONE bite from an infected mosquito. I've seen
all kinds of dogs test positive for heartworm. The past few
months our clinic treated a Chihuahua, a Bouvier, a
Siberian Husky, and a Labrador retriever. There has been a
lot of discussion lately between the veterinary community
and vaccine manufacturers. Thanks to scientific advances
the immunity provided by many pet vaccines is lasting
longer. Therefore, many veterinarians are recommending
giving boosters on certain vaccines every three years
instead of yearly. That will save you money! Hopefully your
veterinarian has jumped on this bandwagon. Vaccines are
essential in protecting our pets against deadly viruses.
But the less vaccines we have to give the better. It all
depends on your pet's age and lifestyle. Talk to your vet.
Blood tests often reveal hidden health problems. If a
disease is detected early, it will be both easier and
cheaper to treat-for both you and your veterinarian.
Treating diseases involving kidney failure and liver
disease will cost you lots of money if your pet is in the
later stages. Even if your pet's blood tests are normal you
will have a baseline of his healthy values if there ever is
a problem in the future. Not a bad investment.

About the Author:

I'm an online publisher of web content and blogs pertaining
to the needs and wants of the public.
I'm also a business coach, and my coaching web can be found
at http://www.course-internet-marketing.com ... do check
out my latest blog about dogs at ...
http://dog-health-and-training.com/ ...consider signing up
for my dog blog articles about the latest in canine health
care and training.

__._,_.___

.

__,_._,___