Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tips on Stopping a Dog From Jumping

A dog jumping on a guest is annoying, and it is also dangerous; a large dog can knock someone down and cause injury to elderly people or small children. And what about the mud smeared all over your clothes if it is a rainy day? It is easy to tell which dog has been really well trained - he won't jump on you to greet you when you visit someone's home.
When a dog jumps on people, it is a signal that he thinks he is the pack leader. If you watch dogs when they are together, you will see the same sort of behavior on display.
For these dogs jumping on people is also a way to get attention and to be petted. You have to teach him to unlearn this, in a positive way.
* When you are expecting guests, put your dog on the leash. When he starts jumping on the visitor, pull the leash, command "Off!" and take him away to another side of the room. Praise him when you have lead him away.
* When the doorbell rings, or the visitor knocks, tell your dog to sit. If your dog has been fully trained with the sit command, this should be enough to stop dog from jumping on your visitors.
* You can make this method more effective, by asking your visitor to bring a small food reward. When your dog goes on sitting obediently when your friend has entered, your friend should reward him with the food treat. This will teach him that he is rewarded when he doesn't jump on visitors.
* As a dog owner, you may also find it bothersome and tiring when you come home and your dog jumps on you in greeting. While it is his natural reaction to jump up and lick your face when you come home, you can teach him not to do this.
* When you arrive home or when you are leaving it, ignore your dog. Give up the habit of the goodbye ritual and the loving greetings when you meet him. When you get home, don't greet your dog for at least five minutes, to help him break the habit of dog jumping.
* If he jumps on you, grip his paws firmly while he is standing on his hind legs. Go on holding them till he begins to squirm, and then firmly say "Off!" If his front paws are held for a few minutes, it won't hurt him and it will do the trick.
If you have tried this for a week or more, and it has not weaned him from his dog jumping behavior, you have to try other methods and may be go for professional dog training if you have a large or medium sized dog.
About the Author
Vincent Y is a passionate animal lover and dogs especially infatuate him. His love for dogs has given him a wide experience and practical knowledge regarding their various aspects of rearing. For more useful tips that really work visit his dog's website at http://dogloverclubs.com

Dog Training and Dog Comfort

Dog comfort is a big issue for your dog and getting it wrong can cause your dog to be grumpy, aggravated more easily, and in a worse state of health than if they sleep in a more adequate place, but what is perfect sleeping conditions for your dog?
Much research has been done on the way dogs sleep and what they find more comfortable and where it is best for it to be, but in this article we will only cut out the uninteresting bits and give you the best requirements for your dog.
Your dog will sleep an average of 11-12 hours a day, and as they get older that number will increase more because older dogs need more time to regain their energy back. If your dog isn't getting enough sleep it may be because you're not doing one of the following requirements of a dogs sleeping comfort.
To begin, the chosen area needs to be well away from drafts and doorways which could cause drafts and cold air to circulate around your dog, if your dog is cold any muscle and joint pains they have will worsen and make it hard for your dog to sleep.
For padding, you should ensure a really soft space that will help to support the body fully. Use a cushion or lots of blankets to make the padding, to again help any aching joint problems and give maximum support and sleep comfort to your dog.
The last issue is the placing of your dogs bed, dogs need to be easily accessible for the family to care for them, but they don't like to have their routines broken all the time so keeping the dog bed in the same place is essential to keep you dog happy, if the dog bed is always moved it will cause them to be uncomfortable in their new surroundings and be overly aware of unfamiliar noises.
About the Author
John Williams website owner
For more information on dog behavior training visit the dog-behavior-training.co.uk website at this link...Dog Training.

Dog and There Teeth

The one thing about dogs they are your very best friend. Every time you walk through the door your dog is so happy to see you that he wags his tail and virtually smiles at you. How can you show you're pet how much they mean to you? Well, one way is to think about that smile for your pet. Did you know that your dog's diet can influence their oral health and teeth?
Humans need to brush and floss their teeth regularly to keep their teeth, tongue, and gums in good condition. Research has recently shown a link between good oral health in humans and a lower risk of heart disease. If good oral health can have such a profound affect on people, then it only makes sense to consider the impact it can have on man's best friend.
It is important to brush your dog's teeth frequently to keep plaque and tartar from becoming an issue. Even wiping his gums with a clean, damp cloth can be beneficial.
Your dog's diet also plays a role in your pet's oral health. Do you typically feed your dog canned or dry dog food? What kind of treats and toys do you provide for your pet? All of these things can affect the likelihood of trouble with your pet's teeth.
When your dog's diet is nutritionally sound, containing essential vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes, your pet's oral health will be at its very best. Feeding dry dog food rather than a moist canned variety is best for your dog. The tiny kibbles' hard surface rubs against the teeth to remove and reduce plaque. The simple act of moistening the dry dog food with water or gravy eliminates this property from dry dog food.
The treats you give your pet are part of your dog's diet just like snacks are part of a person's diet. As humans, we tend to want to overlook our snacking habits, so it can be easy to overlook the treats you give your dog. This is not a good idea. Carefully consider any and all items your dog will consume.
Do you give your dog bones, rawhides, jerky treats, or dog biscuits? Maybe your pet prefers greenies or corn starch chews. You may not have considered it, but tossing Spot a rawhide chew is like giving him a candy bar. The rawhide, for example, contains calories and is often provided between meals.
Many of the treats and snacks you provide in your dog's diet can be just empty wasted calories. Some treats, alternatively, provide excellent opportunity to improve their oral health and teeth. Greenies, rawhides, bones, and hard dog biscuits all help to keep tartar at bay. The softer snacks, such as jerky treats, do not provide much relief from plaque. The healthy treat, on occasion, will also prevent your dog from having bad breath.
Your dog's diet must be healthy to ensure good oral health. Dry dog food is best whenever possible. Don't forget to select treats for your pet that will enhance your dog's diet. Consciously monitoring your dog's diet will positively influence your best friend's teeth and oral health.
About the Author
Article Written By Cindy Kable, for more information on keeping your dog healthy with a proper diet hop over to http://www.dietdogfood.tips-7.com/

Training Yourself Before Bringing a Puppy Home

Many dog owners make the mistake of giving commands in long sentences that only another human being would understand. You get certain inflections in the dog's bark or whine, but only another dog understands "dog talk." Why should you expect your dog to understand all the words you use? True, your pet will love to hear you talk. Still, it is your tone that reaches and pleases him.
In his lifetime a dog comes to recognize many words, but he can be a well-trained, obedient pet by knowing just a few. He must know: "Come!," "Out!," "Stop it!," "No!," and "Down!" To them, add "Walk?," or "Want to go for a walk?," "Get in your chair!," "Go to bed!," or some such command to direct action, usually taught with a gesture or by actually lifting the dog to the indicated spot. Of course, he soon knows "Good dog!" or "Bad boy." If you think though that he "understands every word," try bawling him out some time in a honey-sweet tone. That little tail will wag madly; it sounds mighty nice to him!
The most important word is his name. You may decide what you will call your puppy before you get him, or his name may come out of the blue, but do not delay choosing it. Use it every time you speak to him, over and over again, until he knows it as well as you do. Once he knows it, he will rush to respond because of your affectionate tone, or hang his head, ashamed, because your voice carries reproach.
He will soon learn your name, too, and those of other members of the family. To these, he will add the names of friends, neighboring children, and their dogs - names which will be useful in his daily life as your friendly, well-mannered pet.
The capacity to learn is born in every puppy, to a greater or lesser degree. Your puppy starts learning the moment he enters your house. (He starts learning about you and soon knows whether you or he will be the boss.) His capacity to learn grows as he does and is fully developed at the age of about a year. Although he eventually stops growing, he never stops learning.
One way to train the puppy, and prepare him for more formal training when he is an adult, is to play with him. This may sound simple, but in our busy lives we often fail to play with a new puppy as much as we should. At first he is a novelty, but it becomes "too much trouble" to give the time to him, and we tell the eager, bouncing little fellow to "be a good dog and lie down." He'd much rather be a good playfellow and later lie gladly at your feet for a snooze.
The game of fetch-and-carry, for instance. . .running after a ball or a stick, catching it and then bringing it back. . .is a chance for obedience training. The command "Go fetch!" may later be useful. Vary the game by substituting other items for the ball or stick. At first all these toys should be hidden in some place that is easy to find; then make it harder. Identify objects by word until he associates the word with the object - your slippers, the newspaper, etc. Fetch soon becomes a known word, and so does find, when you use them often for the same purpose.
About the Author
Jane Saeman loves dogs and strives to keep other dog lovers informed. A whole world awaits other dog lovers. Find out how cute the dog in your life is at my website which is at http://www.PicturesOfMyDogs.com

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Children And Dogs

Children and dogs - the relationship should not be lightly taken as the urban jungle is slowly engulfing us. The dog is the only direct contact with Nature. The toddler romping with the puppy gets the feel of fuzz and understands the bark. It is another form of vital education that no school can give.
The fur in the nose and food is good for immunity. The bond between children and dogs is good for all round human development. Dogs are being used as a therapy for depression but unless the story starts from childhood it is difficult to be effective.
Man and dog have been inseparable from time immemorial. But today certain medical precautions have to be taken where dogs and children are concerned. The first thing is that of dog-child matching. All dogs are not for all children and vice versa.
Dogs that have genetic programming of aggressiveness are no-go inside children's homes. Big dogs out of boisterous playfulness might knock over the child and cause serious injury. Exposure of too much of barking is not good for green ears.
The pairing is not children and dogs but the triad of children, dogs and parents. Busy parents of young children who already have their hands full with the child should think twice before bringing in another puppy.
No decision should be taken on the spur of the moment on the general assumption that a dog is must for a child. If anything happens to the contrary the poor canine is unfairly blamed. Ultimately the parents of course are the guardians of the dog.
Before bringing the puppy home make the home puppy proof against accidents. . The puppy will need time to adjust and so it is best to tell the child to avoid too much attention for the moment. It is best that the dog learns to sleep on its own bed from day one to avoid later behavioral problems.
There is another twist to the story of kids and dogs. What happens when the newborn child enters the house after the dog? In the beginning the dog will be curious. Soon it will accept the newcomer as a part of the scene but do not neglect the dog.
Go out of your way to fuss over the old member and just like other siblings things will work out fine. Trouble will start when the toddler will invade the doggy area. Here again firmness, love and rules of the individual homes work better than any professional advice in children and dogs relationship.
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Vincent Y is a passionate animal lover and dogs especially infatuate him. His love for dogs has given him a wide experience and practical knowledge regarding their various aspects of rearing. For more useful tips that really work visit his dog's website at http://DogLoverClubs.com

Dog Behavior

Dog behavior is not to be perplexed with human because their is absolutely far apart from human behavior. Dog behavior is formed by a combination of factors, it is not the simple abc or 123 that people assumed or believed. The usual slip up is that most people always thought dog behavior as either good or bad where actually it is normally be both. These challenges are as normal with dogs as they are with human.
Just like people, where behavior can be shaped and changed, dogs can be altered by modification programs. These modifications engage assessment, and alteration of behavior through reward and punishment programs carried out time and time again which at times can last for weeks or months. The belief that you cannot train an old dog new tricks is definitely mistaken. Although there is no guarantee that training will solve all behavioral challenges, they do build a solid foundation for solving just about all dog problem.
Understanding that behavior changes rapidly from time to time, regular training and consistency is therefore important in shaping these new characteristics. Since dogs are unlike human being who take their many qualities from their ancestors, people have the psychological capacities to self-alter their behavioral instinct with a better ones by way of thinking which are not available with dogs.
However since behavior is generally shaped from where they stay and who has owned them before, it is certainly likely that the change of owner attitude, treatment and environment where the dog is living could change their traits. There again, once you understood the reason following each of the nuisances, then you can solve it by modification programs, does not really matter if these nuisances comes from separation anxiety, territorial aggression, health issues or awful previous owners.
These grounds are as valid as the grounds sometimes we as human being misbehave, like littering, throwing tantrums, and other behavior nuisance that we normally felt as a turned off in a society. For example, your dog might be misbehaving due to separation anxiety, and then you know how to precondition your dog to your absence by providing a safe toy and by adding the absence of your presence gradually.
While if your dog show violence due to territorial defensiveness, then you can condition him to more public places so that your dog can be used to more people and show less aggression due to his territorial defensiveness. For as long as you start your modification programs with the right mindset that there is nothing unusual about your dog behavior nuisances, then you will have a much special affiliation. Beginning with this right mindset and attitude is the one thing you need to have in order to be a responsible owner.
Then again, to be more successful in training, it is recommended that you know what kind or method to be used based on the reason behind their nuisances and this is where knowledge is important. You should get a good training manual that can help you conclude which the modification programs to be carried out.
At the end of the day dog training should comes with a fruitful and meaningful relationship between your dog and yourself. The sweat spent on training your dog will definitely worth it. Do it right and do it well and you will reap the rewards.
For Free Information and Tips To Stop Your Dog Behavior Problems, Leo Enoch recommend that you visit: http://www.DogTrainingSolution.com

Dog Training

What a frustrating thing it must be to come home after a long day at work, expecting to relax and instead having to deal with the sordid mess that a frustrated puppy has left behind for you to clean up. Instead of relaxing, you get to re-clean your whole house. Does this sound like the story of your life? Even better-this is the life of a brand new dog owner.
This sounds like a horrible quandary, and it really is. It seems that puppies are programmed to deposit waste in the worst possible spot and to chew up everything that ever meant anything to you. Take heart in the fact that with proper training and a bit of maturation on their part, your pet will grow out of this destructive behavior, but what about in the meantime? This is where crate training comes into play.
There are several reasons why crate training is a good, solid step in properly training and housebreaking your dog. To begin with, here are three of the more understandable reasons why you should bother crate training your dog.
Reason #1: Crate Training Can Ease the Pain of Potty Training
Potty training your new puppy can be a big deal; with all the accidents it can be a frustrating time and easy to feel like you and your dog aren't getting anywhere. After a while, puppies get very good at hiding their mess as well, and sometimes they can do that in the worst of places.
To prevent this from happening to you, get a small wooden crate or a wire crate for your pet or one with a movable gate where you can adjust your pet's living space. This prevents them from going to the bathroom in one corner and sleeping in the other. You may not think so, but your dog is much more finicky than you think, and they won't want to wallow in their own filth; if they must hold it, they will.
Reason #2: Crate Training Can Ease the Pain of Separation
Many destroy property simply because they are bored, or due to the fact that they want to 'get back' at their owners, so to speak, for leaving them alone for so long. If it seems that your dog is tearing up your home out of spite, that isn't just something you are thinking-it is the truth.
Having a wooden crate or some type of wire kennel established where your pet can go complete with a comfy bed and some durable toys for diversion can help ease the pain of separation between you and your pet. Separation anxiety is real, but having a comfort zone for your pet is a good way to make things better, and a dog crate is a great way of doing so while confining your pet to one area at the same time.
Reason #3: It Can Help to Prepare for Non-Pet Friendly Places and Circumstances
One of the pains of pet ownership is when you come across a place where your pet is not welcome. If you are traveling with your dog and your host is not comfortable with is or her presence or you are looking into involving your pet in any type of travel via airplane or train, it is always a good idea to have your pet comfortable with and acclimated to a crate. There are specific requirements for how your pet must travel, and most all public transportation requires that your pet be confined to a kennel or dog crate. Of course, having some type of kennel training established can make this a much more comfortable, smooth experience for you and your four-legged friend.
In general, there are several attitudes toward crate training. Some pet owners feel like it is cruel to confine a pet to such a small space and other people feel like it is a necessary step in training. For a well-behaved and well-rounded pet, crate training is always a must, for these three reasons and many more
-Lisa Failla writes for Pamper Me Puppy, an online luxury dog supplies store featuring various styles of dog crates as well as accessories. Her online pet store can be found at Pamper Me Puppy