Posts Tagged ‘pet’

How You Can Successfully House Train Your Dog

Wed ,10/03/2010

Widely recognized as the most popular and effective way to house train puppies the crate method utilizes your dog’s natural instincts. Dogs are naturally clean animals and will not by nature relieve themselves in the area where they sleep.

Knowing how to communicate properly with your dog lies at the heart of the house training process. Lecturing, yelling or other forms of punishment will not achieve the desired result. The key is to reward good behavior. Puppies are like babies, much too young to be held responsible for their bowel movements. Punishments are not the way to get through to your puppy. If you are going to use the crate method it’s vital that you learn about the proper, humane method to house train your dog.

Choosing the right crate

This is very important when it comes to the humane treatment of your puppy. A crate that is too small is very cruel. The puppy should have enough room to maneuver around and be comfortable inside. If the crate is much too large – the puppy might even relieve himself inside the crate.

The plastic varieties of crates are much easier to clean, durable and easier to carry around than the metal varieties.
It is also cruel to leave your puppy inside the crate for too long. Night time is crate time and often even very young puppies can go the entire night without soiling their crates.

You will want to slowly get the puppy used to the crate. The idea here is to create a positive feeling about the crate. Put a nice soft blanket inside and your puppy’s favorite toys too. You can also put some yummy treats inside to entice your dog.
Never, ever force your dog inside the crate. It is his sanctuary within your home.

Tips for house training

- Prepare the area that your puppy will spend most of its time in with a layer of newspaper.
- Designate an official toilet area for your puppy
- Supervise (or have the children do it) until the puppy has relieved himself.
- If your puppy starts sniffing or circling pick him up and get him outside fast!

Golden rules for house training your dog using the crate method:

- Take your puppy out first thing in the morning
- Take your puppy out directly after meals
- If your puppy has had an accident be sure to clean the area thoroughly. Use a product that will remove the odor.
- Never punish your puppy for accidents. You would never yell at your baby and put her nose in her mess. Rather use positive reinforcement when your puppy does her business outside.
- Take your puppy out just before bedtime and make sure he does his business.
- Give praise freely where it is due. Treats, walks and positive reinforcement will go a long way toward getting your puppy to understand that eliminating outside is the goal.

Housetraining your puppy will take time and patience. The kind of dog and your methods will greatly influence how long it takes for your puppy to be fully house trained.

There is a reason that the crate method is the most widely used house training method. It works well. Of course house training your puppy isn’t your only concern when it comes to raising a well behaved dog. You will also want to set some distinct boundaries. Puppies should not be allowed free reign of the house; at least not until they are fully house trained. Your puppy is a sponge and above all – keen to please you. You are the pack leader and the puppy will look to you to figure out what is and isn’t acceptable in your home.

By deciding early what your puppy may chew on and what furniture he is allowed on you can eliminate confusion and behavioral problems later in life.

Learn more about citronella dog collar. Stop by our site where you can find out all about obedience training for dogs and what it can do for you.

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Dog Behavior Problems: Help! My Dog Is A Nuisance When He Misbehaves!

Fri ,05/03/2010

How many times have I hear fellow dog owners say, “I hate it when he barks non stop… or he utterly embarrassed me when he mounts people’s leg”. Dog owners usually have no problems to fill in tons of their dog behavioral problems into the above statements.

I have to admit that I feel disappointed, even sad whenever I hear dog owners say that statement. Why? Because, these owners have failed to see things from their dog’s prospective! To put it simply, I should say that they don’t understand their dogs at all.

Dogs do not misbehave because they’re spiteful, or are out to annoy or anger you. They just behave in a manner which is expected of a dog!

The fact is that dog behavioral problems that we can’t stand are not problems at all to the dogs. In fact, do you know that dogs “misbehave” for a reason or two? To list a few:

1. Dogs bark because they have something to say, something to tell you.

2. Dogs dig because they smell something underneath the ground.

3. Dogs chew because they are teething and are feeling uncomfortable.

4. Dogs chase after moving objects because they are following its instinct.

5. Dogs turn aggressive because they want to protect you.

For your information, most dogs actually misbehaved (in our eyes) because of the lack of care, concern and training from their very own owners:

1. Health Issue – Many behaviorists & dog trainers believe that at least 20% of all behavior problems are related to the dog’s health in some way or another. For all that you might know. Your dog could be misbehaving because he is sick or in pain. Bring him to the vet for a thorough check-up if he misbehaves suddenly when he has always been a good dog.

2. Imbalance Diet – Feeding your dog the wrong food, with too high in protein, fat or carbohydrates is known to cause hyperactivity. Sugars, starches and many other factors in your dog’s diet can also cause behavioral problems in your dog. Always read the label of the food before you feed him, seek advice if necessary. Remember that dogs need different type of food in different stages of their life.

3. Exercise – Lack of exercise also cause plentiful of problems. A dog that doesn’t get enough exercise is unhealthy and tends to be hyperactive, and display destructive behaviors. Dogs depending on breed type need plentiful of exercises – Do consider this factor before you get a puppy.

4. Lack of Leadership -I can’t stress enough on the importance of the leadership issue. Dogs display TONS of behavioral problems when they lack a leader. Aggressive & destructive behaviors, leg lifting, marking, mounting, barking & etc… It’s very important that you assume the role of the alpha leader!

You must understand that all dog develop behavior problems. These dog behavior problems never develop in a vacuum. They are always the outcome of the interaction between a dog and its environment, including you! Most canine behavioral problems can be controlled if not solved completely. You just got to put in some effort and understand that prevention is better than cure.

Lastly, do try to see and comprehend things from your dog’s prospective the next time your dog misbehaves. You’ll soon find that you love him even more!

Want to find out more about gun dog supply, then visit our site on how to choose the best

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Dog Training – Most Dogs Need Training And Here’s Why

Sun ,28/02/2010

Your life is going exactly as planned. You have a great family, nice house, a carrier you love, and you have even gotten a dog.

You wake up a 6 am with a smile on your face. You have a whole hour to yourself to get ready for work before you have to wake the kids up. You go about your morning quietly humming to yourself as you make your pot of coffee. The aroma is filling the house and you can’t help but think how lucky you are.

Out of the corner of your eye you spot your neighbor taking their little dog out for a morning stroll. You get to thinking that maybe you should take your dog out also to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise. Just then, as if on Que, your dog springs into action and flies over to the window. The hair on his back looks like a porcupines and he lets out a low warning growl. You only have a second to respond before he really lets loose with the barking and you know he is going to wake up the whole house.

As you are making every effort to quite him the baby starts screaming like a banshee and your older children slowly emerge from their rooms. All you can do is stare at your beautiful children because you know that within minutes the house will be in chaos and you didn’t even get to drink your first cup of coffee, let alone get ready for work. Any thoughts on relaxing before the day really began have been dashed.

That’s it you think. That dog needs dog training, barking at all hours of the day has got to go.

The desire to get your dog trained has stayed with you throughout work. You are a bit on the frazzled side all through work. As soon as you pick up your children after work you realize that they are on the verge of becoming very overtired. Well, how can you blame them, they are not used to getting up that early. You make it home with as little fuss as possible and file them all through the door.

As you walk through the door your dog comes flying at you to show you just how much you were missed today. You barely manage to stay upright as he jumps on you. You have a new demand to add to your dog training, jumping has to go as well. You manage to calm your dog down long enough for him to stop jumping and then you see it… right in the middle of your living room carpet your dog has dug a big hole.

You look at your beloved dog as the kids are all crowding around him. They are all pleading with you with their eyes to please not be angry. The dog is after all very, very sorry.

All you can think is that dog is a nuisance but there is nothing you can do. The children are head over heals in love with their dog and in truth, so are you. Regardless, you have to stop your dog digging holes especially in the middle the living room floor. That is when dog obedience training comes into play. The best way to get your dog to behave is to train him to do so.

When dog training barking is most times high on the priority of behaviors that must go. Visit SafeDogObedienceAdvice.com to learn how to safely and positively get your dog trained. Dog Obedience Training

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Guidelines for Crate Training Puppies

Sun ,27/12/2009

I have owned dogs all my life, and one thing that I have recently learned that crate training puppies can be really helpful, and save a lot of stress when you are housebreaking your puppy.

When you decide you are going to crate train your puppy you need to make sure that you buy the correct size crate – he needs to be able to stand up in it (at adult size) and move around. The metal crates are the best.

One thing that you need to make sure of is that you buy the right size crate for your puppy. He must have enough room to stand up and to move around. The metal crates with a door at one side are the best ones to go for – they are nice and strong.

If you go about crate training puppies in the correct way, they will think of their crate as their own special space and be only too happy to be in it. My dog often goes and lies in her crate for a bit of peace and quiet when the family visit!

Don’t ever leave your dog in the crate for long periods of time, especially when they are puppies – they will not have very much bladder control. Your puppy will not want to make a mess in his crate, so crate training is a really good aid to potty training. But you must not leave him in there so long that he is not able to hold on and makes a mess. He will be very upset and you will set back his crate training.

Now you have started to close the door, you need to increase the time it is closed. The next step is to actually leave the room when he is in the crate, but again only do this for a minute or so the first time. You will be able to build up this time slowly over a few days.

Do this for several days and then you can begin to go out of the room for a few minutes. It will not take him long to get used to being in his crate. You can increase the length of time you are away from him, but make sure when you go back to him, and open the door you should not make any fuss of him, just a small pat. Don’t ever let him out when he is crying, or he will think that this is what he has to do to be let out of his crate.

Over a period of three days or so you will be able to leave for an hour quite happily. As your dog gets a bit older you could leave him for slightly longer than this.

Your puppy will love his crate and feel totally safe and secure in it. An added advantage of having a crate trained puppy is that is you do need to go out you can be sure that he will be relaxed and happy in his crate, so long as he has a blanket or bed and a few toys to amuse him. Often when a puppy is left alone he will become anxious and this is when he is likely to start chewing, barking and making a nuisance of himself. So if you don’t want to come home to a destroyed house (it’s surprising how much damage a small puppy can do when he is stressed), then all of your crate training will be a real asset, as he just will not feel anxious or stressed because he knows you will be coming back to him, as you always do.

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Ways To Keep Your Dog From Drowning

Wed ,23/12/2009

Estimates have the number of dogs and cats in North America at 58,000,000 and 62,000,000, respectively, and it’s a painful truth that thousands of them are victims of accidental drownings annually. Due to the fact that many people do not report these drownings, there is no way to know exactly how many pets actually die this way. Although, 99 % of dogs can swim, we have a false sense of security when we see our dogs running and jumping in and out of the water at the lake or our back yard pool. A significant percentage of dogs and even some cats are only able to swim a little while before they become fatigued. With this in mind, these animals go into a panic state when they are unable to quickly find a way to get their paws on solid ground. This panic is what causes them to drown. But it is more than just a problem for pets, for loving pet parents will selflessly and without hesitation dive into a frozen lake or rapidly flowing river in an attempt to rescue their animal.

What can we do to prevent our pets from becoming a drowning victim? These are some worthy suggestions:

1. Do not make the assumption that your dog is able to swim.

2. Keep a closer eye on a pet that is getting older. As they age, they are unable to swim as when they were younger.

3. Never toss a cat or a dog into the water. They will panic from the initial shock.

4. Purchase a canine floatation device (CFD) or pet life jacket for your dog or cat. If they are going to be near water, put it on them. Often a pet may fall off a dock or out of a moving boat without our knowledge.

5. Things like solar blankets and pool covers appear to be a solid surface for your pet. Remove them whenever possible when your pets are around the pool.

6. Put up a pet safety gate to impede a pet’s access to the pool area.

7. Be certain that your canine and feline friends cannot easily access a neighboring pool.

8. Get a pool alarm for your pool or pond.

9. Don’t let your pet play or walk near fast flowing water.

10. Keep your pets away from frozen lakes & rivers.

Seeing your pet drown and the awful guilt that is associated with it can be overwhelming and very difficult or impossible to recover from. I strongly encourage you to have a look around your property for obvious water hazards. Whether it is summer or winter, you need to drown proof your home as well as your vacation property NOW. If your pet is going to be anywhere near water, make sure they are wearing a canine floatation device or pet life jacket.

Jake writes articles on the best dog life jacket and about where to find cheap dog life jackets online.

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Dog Training Aids – Training Your Dog To Become A Dog Citizen

Sat ,12/12/2009

Dogs are human’s greatest companions. They are trustworthy and are loving creatures who would like to make happy their wieners majority of the time. Although, dogs can be pretty demanding to guide as well. Training a dog to become a good citizen involves loads of endurance, creativity and fondness on the side of the owner. If you are a first time dog owner and you want to have some sincerely remarkable times with your dog, you need to obtain the right dog training aids to help you teach your dog. With the correct dog training aids, you and your dog will be functioning as a team in no time.

Getting Started

There are so several dog training aids being advertised and sold in the marketplace today. These dog training aids are developed for different purposes so you must be careful when purchasing training aids. If you are not entirely familiar with the several dog training aids, it might be a excellent idea for you to purchase a dog training book or CD to start with and study how things are done when training your dog.

Apart from buying books and CDs on dog training, it might be better for you to find somebody who knows about dogs and request for some advice. The breeder of your dog will be in a position to assist you a lot on this matter as a result give that breeder a phone call and ask for some suggestion. You might additionally call the breeder and take a look at the dog training aids that he use. In a lot of cases, breeders additionally sell dog training aids so you might as well buy some of your dog training aids from the breeder to save time and effort hunting for training aids.

Preparing For Training

You will have to teach your dog to follow to your orders. Depending on the type of dog that you have, this task may prove to be quite a test. For instance, Labrador retrievers are extremely smart, even tempered and effortless to train. In most cases, this type of dog obeys directives.

Whereas on the other hand, bulldogs can be pretty stubborn and intractable. Fair enough, bulldogs are very sharp and lovable however a lot of of the time, they would like to do things their way so you should be ready. Buy a lot of toys and treats prior to you begin teaching your dog. Dogs adore treats and they will be more enthusiastic to abide by your instructions if they know that they will be compensated for their good deeds.

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Dog Information – Homemade Dog Food

Sun ,06/12/2009

Dogs are considered to be like best friends to many pet owners. These pet owners might not even think about the quality of the food that they serve their dogs. Many pet owners are confused by the health issues that their dogs face. A lot of times the owners have no idea why the health problems occur.

If you want a healthier dog, and are trying to improve your dog’s energy level and appearance, you should try flint river ranch dog food. Or, you could opt to make your own dog food. This can be done using the same foods you prepare for yourself and your family. For dog information, most people turn to veterinarians.

A number of people will turn to professionals for dog information. Sometimes, the first suggestion will be supplements or pharmaceuticals. However, this may be unnecessary. If you have been feeding your pet grocery store brands, all you may need to do is switch to a premium food. The results will be quickly apparent. Many dog foods contain the scraps and waste left from food processors. It doesn’t sound very appetizing, and is not considered the healthiest type of food.

There are alternatives for those dog owners that are seeking dog information regarding a healthy diet. One option is to make your own dog food. You can use the foods you prepare for yourself and your family. Simply cool the food to room temperature in the refrigerator before feeding it to your pet. However, there are several drawbacks to this arrangement.

The most important one is that unless you are well versed in dog information and nutrition, you will not be able to guarantee that your dog is getting the proper nutrients from your diet. Also, feeding an extra mouth at the table can be expensive and time consuming. It would be far preferable to discover a dog food product made with organic ingredients fit for human consumption. Flint River Ranch manufactures their pet foods under rigorously controlled conditions.

This food is digested easily and contains high degree of important vitamins and minerals. The dog food prepared by Flint River Ranch is of good quality that a person’s dog would enjoy eating. Consider Flint River Ranch pet foodstuff if you want to perk up your dog’s physical condition, liveliness levels and looks. The owners of Flint River Ranch not only offer superior product quality but also have solutions and give support to pet owners who want the most excellent, healthiest existence for their pets.

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Knowing Your Own Dog Health Symptoms Could Save His Life

Fri ,04/12/2009

Nothing is worse than discovering your pet has a serious illness, and finding that if you had gotten attention earlier, it would have been less severe. Sometimes the smallest change in personality or behavior can signal the onset of an illness, so knowing what is and is not normal for your pet can be essential. When you see something abnormal, it can be helpful to know some basic things to watch for.

Being attentive to your dog’s normal behavior can be the best thing you do in discovering symptoms of ill health. The better you know your pet the more likely you will be to see the early signs that he is in trouble. You are the first line of defense for keeping your dog healthy. For instance if you have a well trained pet who never has an accident and suddenly your slippers are soggy in the morning it could be the first indication that you need to seek veterinarian assistance.

Blood in your pets urine or feces is always a serious problem so even though it may seem somewhat gross to inspect it is a good idea to check it every once in awhile. Viruses such as parvo present in bloody stool and bloody urine can indicate kidney disease or failure. When you are talking about these types of illness time is of the essence so do not delay. Your attentiveness and quick action could very well save your pet’s life, get her to the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Another common complaint among pet owners is vomiting. Dogs will do this mildly when they have eaten something that does not agree with them. Like the time my mini-pin ate a battery. However if you notice repeated vomiting with fever or pain symptoms it is more than likely a health issue. Nausea and vomiting can be a sign of stomach ulcers or a more serious ailment. No matter the cause, the effect on your pets’ health can be devastating since she could dehydrate very quickly. In severe cases, pets have died from dehydration.

Last but not least never overlook the obvious, your dogs’ hair. A dogs’ coat whether longhaired or short should be thick and relatively glossy. If the coat looks or feels unhealthy then your pet is likely unhealthy also. Examples of an unhealthy coat would be excessive brittleness or coarseness. The only exception would be in the wirehair terrier breed. Bald patches and rashes can point to something as simple as an unbalanced diet or something more serious such as allergies. All of which are treatable when caught before complication arise like secondary infections from scratching irritated skin.

These are only a few basic health problems that your dog might be facing, so take the time to figure out what is normal for your dog and what is not; this is the best way to figure out how healthy he is!

Discover the facts about dog health symptoms and dog information to maintain your dog’s health, go to HealthierDogs.com

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Puppy Potty Training Like A Pro

Sun ,29/11/2009

Everyone loves a doe-eyed golden-haired puppy, who doesn’t? You bring them home and everyone is vying for the most puppy time. Then after a few weeks when you need to house train the little guy you look around and nobody is there. Yes, it’s time for the less than popular puppy potty training.

Potty training is the beginning of an awesome adventure you can have with your new dog (that’s how I convince myself). Sure it can be a little unappealing at times but it’s a chore much needed for the rest of his life. Here are several puppy training tips to get you started on the right track.

Understand that the young puppy has limitations that are not his fault. One of them is the inability of controlling bodily wastes well for long periods of time. There will be a couple of nights wherein you will need to wake up twice to bring him out to his toilet spot. This may be a little irritating but do not rush the puppy to go when he is not ready yet. What is important is setting of good habits he will carry as he grows older.

Schedule the puppy’s intake of food and water and follow it as closely as possible every day. You want to train his body to remember certain periods in the day when to eat and eliminate. Take him out for a walk and potty first thing in the morning and before you sleep at night. Fifteen minutes after meal times bring him outside in a designated area to do his business. As you walk around the spot keep saying a phrase you want the puppy to associate with toilet urges like ‘go potty’ until he does.

After he finishes eliminating on the right spot and with the right phrase, lavish him with praise. Let the puppy know how pleased you are and that he is the best dog in the whole world. Do the same thing again in an hour just in case another round is in order. Remember, right now the most important aspect of puppy potty training is the establishing of good habits.

Good. Now the puppy knows that going outside is what he needs to do when he wants to discharge. Now it is time to teach him how to ask permission to go out. You will need a rope, a bell and a bag of patience for this. Attach the bell at the end of the rope and hang it by the door. When you take him out for toilet activities, nudge the bell and say go potty out loud. Do this for around two weeks; at the end of this time, go to the door with him after meal times and say go potty and refrain from jingling the bell. If the puppy touches the bell praise him enthusiastically. If not, guide him to push the bell as you say go potty.

Keep doing this after meal times and each time you feel your puppy needs to go out and do his thing. He will understand after a while what you want him to do. Give him plenty of attention and play time when he does. Before long, your puppy will be tapping the bell or scratching the door on his own when he needs to unload.

When done properly and without fail, these puppy training tips will have successfully potty trained the dog. Enjoy this moment”before long its time for another episode of you and your puppys adventure!

Geraldine Dimarco enjoys watching puppy training tips that has helped her tremendously in raising her pets. Learn more about Puppy Potty Training today.

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Five Measures to a Better-Behaved Pet

Sun ,29/11/2009

Want to live a healthier lifestyle? Get a dog.

Studies indicate that pet possession helps reduce stress, lowers blood pressure and fends off feelings of loneliness and depression.

While nothing can top the love and companionship of a dog, there are some repellent behaviours that just won’t do – from barking all night to wetting the floor to chewing on your shoes when you are not looking.

If your dog is showing this type of behavior, it may be acting out due to boredom, suppressed aggression or because of lack of training. With particular life-style adjustments and enduring grooming, you’ll be on your way to have a happy, well-behaved pet. The following points will help your furry friend become more obedient:

* Spay or neuter. The Humane Society of the United States of America says that this common procedure can help your dog live longer, be healthier and have less behavior problems.

* Help your pet slacken. Just like individuals, dogs can get , agitated and upset. That is why some veterinarians suggest giving your dog a sedating product, such as Pluto Pet’s Pet Calming Spray, to help relieve hyperactivity.

Made with natural components, Pet Calming Spray acts speedily to alleviate impatience, fearfulness, jitteriness and aggression and helps nervous pets sleep through the night, according to the manufacturer.

* Have a physical exertion routine. Provide your canine fellow with regularly scheduled walks two times in a day. This will help your dog obviate boredom, which can lead to negative behaviour.

* Go to school. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Harshness to Animals, enrolling your dog in an obedience class will instruct you how to hold your dog’s behavior both safely and humanely.

* Be tolerant. Though teaching your furry friend to be more dutiful may take decision on your part, it’s worth it. After all, as man’s best fellow, your dog will value bonding with you during the process.

I have received some huge treats on nearly all dog products, including dog grooming kit, dog medications and even dog grooming kit e-books. Try the website and check out for yourself.

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