Doggy Mentor

Archive for September, 2009

There’s nothing more aggravatingthanworking to get your dog house trained effectively.Once you purchase a dog and learn how you’re going to train it, it’s then necessary to start house training.One positively effective method is crate training, so be sure to keep it in mind.

Choosing the right crate involves a lot of factors.Get one that’s the correct size for your puppy, and that will still fit it when it ages into a full grown dog.  To maximize the dog’s comfort level, be sure to get one that’s the best material as well.

Placement of the crate in a quite, well lit and warm area will also prevent the dog from feeling depressed. If you lay it in an isolated, dark area, the dog will be anxious and frightened, which is not good.
Let the dog think well of the crate!
If you ever need to confine the dog for any reason, the crate is an ideal place to do it, as he knows and feels comfortable and safe in there.

Anytime you are concerned for the dog’s safety or want to stop it from getting into trouble, or just messing up the house, it would do you well to get a crate to put him in safely.
That feeling of safety will be conveyed to the dog, and they’ll like the crate.
Consequently, you can stop it from getting into trouble and hurting itself, as well as keeping your home in great shape!

People house training their dogs swear by the crate, so it’s  definitely something to consider.
As a rule, dogs hate having their bed and their bathroom in the same place, which is where it comes in.
Because of this, your dog will not defecate in the crate, and learn to hold in its bodily movements until it can leave the place it sleeps.
However, you also need to make sure your dog isn’t holding it in longer than required.
Younger puppies early in their training will have a lower ability to hold it in, so be particularly considerate.

Make sure that your dog feels good about the crate, so that it doesn’t feel trapped by itsconfinement, and will be happy. Place items it adores, like food and toys, in the crate. As a result, your dog will relate the crate with things it enjoys, and will feel a lot better about remaining in there.
Crate training is something that works a lot better the younger you start it in the dog’s life.
Your dog will better be able to stay in the house without messing things up, as well as eating items that are healthy for it, allowing you to leave the house.
While there’s some effort involved in getting your dog used to the crate, the end result is well worth while.

Although dogs are great at not complaining, it is just as important for them to have a proper sleeping surface as it is for you. This is especially important with an older dog, prone to arthritis, which makes moving just after waking up quite painful. It’s kinder to your dog to get an orthopedic dog bed than just pumping him or her full of pain killers.

What Makes Them Special

A dog bed is normally a huge pillow like object. It’s actually much too soft to give the support needed for any aching joints and limbs. An orthopedic dog bed is more like a smaller version of your own mattress and usually a lot more colorful and easier to clean. These orthopedic dog beds are much firmer and tend to keep their shape longer than the usual pillow-like dog bed.

Perhaps you’ve slept on a lumpy or far too soft mattress. Although a really soft mattress can be a novel treat for the first couple of nights, by the end of a week, your back is usually aching because it can’t get the support it needs from a really soft mattress. Your spine winds up doing all the work of supporting your body in sleep instead of the mattress. That's the reason why many dogs could benefit from an orthopedic dog bed.

Why Not Sleep On The Floor?

A firm orthopedic dog bed can help a dog with arthritis, hip dysplasia or other mobility problems, but more is not better when it comes to firmness. Some people then come to the mistaken conclusion that the best orthopedic dog bed is the floor. Dogs won’t complain if they are given no alternative other than to sleep on the floor.

But it's not good for them. Floors are okay for the occasional afternoon nap, but they not only get cold, they’re far too firm for a dog to get comfortable enough to get healthy sleep. If you’ve ever slept on the floor or in a tent, then you know how stiff and sore you are the next morning.

They Cost How Much?

Some people balk over the thought of paying for an orthopedic dog bed, but then they go out and splurge on movies, a new car or clothes they don't need. If you are taking on a dog, then you are responsible for doing what is best for your dog. In the long run, it's cheaper to get an orthopedic dog bed rather than keep running your dog back and forth to the vet.

About Author: David Hueber is a Green Geeks Hosting expert. He also offers top Dog training and puppy training tips online.

Beyond teaching your dog how to respond to various commands, it’s imperative to understand that some
situations might make your dog anxious. This anxiety can damage the potential of your dog to live an
happy life, and it can prevent training.

Departure causes anxiety in a few dogs.They’re disturbed when their owner leaves
them alone.They will act out in a harmful manner when you desert them. Keep in mind that dogs relish the company of people, or other dogs, and don’t like to be left by themselves.

Naturally, you aren’t expected to be with your dog all the time.You want to work towards making your dog comprehend that although youoccasionally leave, you will return.Make your dogfamiliar to this by leaving and then immediately returning.This means you should only go as far away as right out side the room, and then come right back.Eventually, you will be able to increase theduration of time you aredetached until your dog no longer experiences anxiety.

An additional hint is to avoid making a largeproduction when you leave.If you spend too muchenergy petting and talking to the dog, he will only be more vexedwhen you leave. It’s vital for him to understand that it’s not a monumental occasion when you leave, because you’ll come back.It’s definitely important for both of you to acknowledge this, even if it’s hard for you to do if you know you’re going to miss your dog.

Some dogs might get anxiety when they are in touch with people or other dogs.There isn’t an easyapproach to cope with this, since the miscellaneous situations require various methods.Regardless, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your dog feels secure and safe, and that you are in close proximity so he won’t beapprehensive.

Take your dog to the veterinarian if you sense severe anxiety troubles; It’s possible that
they will be able to diagnose a cause that you might overlook.Other than that, it’s simply a matter of keeping track of the situation and assisting your dog to feel as free from harm as you can.

Think about on the issue at hand, and keep yourself informed enough to help your dog reduce its
anxiety. This is one more reminder that your dog has intricatethought processes.It is sometimeshard to be a dog owner, but it’s absolutely vital for your beloved dog.

Puppy mills can leave a disastrous emotional (and sometimes, physical) mark on your dog. The puppies are often abused, neglected, and given poor shelter in a mass-breeding organization. They often live in cages, deprived of human tenderness and companionship, and spend their entire lives breeding. It is a given that these pups do not receive ongoing care from a veterinarian.

When you get a dog that lived in a puppy mill you will need to take special care to assimilate him into your household. He may not trust you in the beginning because of how others have treated him previously. Use patience when dealing with him. He’ll learn to not only trust you, but look forward to being with you. Here are some tips that will help you care for your new puppy or dog

Provide Plenty Of Room

When you bring your pooch home for the first time, give him an area in which he can spend time alone. Remember, he has likely learned to dread contact with people since that contact often led to abuse in the past. Let him eat his meals and relax in his new sanctuary. Give him treats. He may need time to understand that he can roam your home freely without fearing consequences. Check in with your dog, but give him plenty of space.

Give Him A Lift

It's likely that your puppy mill dog has never jumped up on a couch, climbed stairs, or leaped into a car. He’ll likely need your encouragement (and more than a little patience) to make the attempt. He might be held back by his fear in some cases. In other cases, his muscles and limbs may not be able to withstand the impact. Be gentle and help him when he needs it.

Introduce Him To His New Environment

A dog who has spent his whole life in a puppy mill will need some time to adjust to things that are unfamiliar to him, like appliances and small children. The sounds of your television, toaster, and vacuum can frighten him (it’s unlikely he has been exposed to these things). Also, if you have young kids in your home, instruct them to avoid rushing up to your pooch. It can take weeks before he is comfortable around strangers.

Visit A Veterinarian

As noted, puppy mill dogs receive very little (if any) care from a veterinarian. There is a high likelihood that your canine is suffering from dental and eye problems, diseases, ticks, and other issues. Make an appointment with a veterinarian as soon as you bring your new pooch home (it’s a good idea to let your vet know your canine’s past).

Adopting and caring for a puppy mill dog requires a lot of attention, patience, and tenderness. He’ll need time to become comfortable with his place in your life. Before long, he’ll see you as his trusted friend and companion.

Boredom is probably the number one cause of dog shenanigans, as anyone who has left their pet at home to return to a totally annihalated house with household refuse spread about from one end of the place to other and a chewed up rug can tesitify to. Or that 2 foot deep hole under the fence, or the shredded curtains, or any number of instances of ruinous and seemingly vandalistic chaos and destruction!

Fact of the matter is, Fido is bored to death and acting out. Probably a bit miffed at being left at home again too. Thats why he has been barking for 8 hours straight and the neighbours look daggers at you when you come home from work. The thing about most dogs is that they simply dont have enough mental stimulus when they are home alone, however the easiest thing to do is to appeal to his most active need apart from the need for human companionship ~ naturally what I mean is food!

There are very few dogs who are not obsessed with food, the eating of it, the finding it and the playing with it. Here are a few ideas that will keep your dog mentally engrossed during the day.

Another neat idea is freezing various kinds of foods. Get a hollow dog toy, maybe a ball or a Kong, fill it with your dog’s favourite food, throw something smelly in there like pilchards and put it in the freezer over night. The look on his face when you give it to him is kinda worth it too, once he has had a good look at it. He knows its food, but he can’t quite get to it; as it gradually defrosts, more and more morsels become available. Trust me, he wont go that distant from it and will be chewing at it all day.

Does your pet drink Milk? Try freezing some and putting a block of it in his bowl. This also works well with soup.

Try hiding a few treats around the yard under rocks, in flower beds and so on.

Make sure he has some things to chew on other than the tyres of your Harley. Pig ears are pretty good.

Train your dog! There are plenty of on line training courses available, covering various tried and tested techniques. Uncover one that suits you and your dog and start a regime. It will educate your dog, keep him mentally alert and controllable.

Let him have his head and allow him to run from time to time. Dogs love exercise with their owners, you cant just leave them confined in a yard with a bunch of toys for weeks at a time. Try to walk him everyday, and take him to an off leash park or an area where he can run his legs off. The more exercise and freedom a dog gets, the happier he will be. There are some dogs that are really working dogs, and they absolutely need to be, well, worked. If exercise is not your bag, then maybe another breed of pet would be better suited to you.

Having some doggy company can help too, but still all the above principals apply, unless you want to have two paranoid noxious barking messengers of chaos and anarchy on your hands instead of just one. Give them things to play with, hide food treats, give them things to eat which are hard to get at; have a look at some dog training courses and give them plenty of excercise and freedom and your dog will be happy and well adjusted.

Depending on your dogs age, he can react in a certain way to your obedience training depending on what stage of development he is at. It is well established that immature dogs and puppies get the most benefit from training delivered after their initial six weeks of life and longer.

If you try it sooner than this, the training won’t work, and putting it off too far into their life will make it harder to cement their behavior.

Some dogs need, indeed must have several months of life experience before you should even contemplate training, so make sure you know enough about your dog to know when to start.

There are a few concerns that younger puppies won’t benefit from formal training sessions, and could even get hurt in the end. Fortunately, you can go lax on their training, just spending a little time every day doing it, even a few times daily. If you do this, your dog will be more susceptible to training as it grows up, and the obedience training will work-imprint itself.

You’ll be better fitted to formally train your dog once it gets older and is able to take it.Your bestavenue is to spend the money on a trainer or instructional courses that teach you how to train dogs professionally, as they’ll glean the best results. Even without prior training experience, the courses can give you hands-on education on what to do, so you can be sure you have the ability!

Sometimes, people get a dog that is older, and worry about the training receptiveness of the dog.Thankfully, there are ways you can gradually train the dog so it obeys you.However, it will be harder than training a puppy, because it will involve breaking the dog of already set up patterns of behavior and bad habits.You have to ensure before anything else that your dog is comfortable, as well as informing yourself on the best methods for obedience training available.

It’s a important aspect to your ownership to undergo obedience training.It’s certain that you know the numerous kinds of training for your dog, including crate training.Once you decide on a training regimen, learn as much as you can about it, and do your best to train your dog in a safe manner.

While the chances of training your dog well may seem small sometimes, you’ll have them obeying your commands in no time and enjoying your time together.You’ll have a new pet and a new best friend, especially when they’re sufficiently trained to work well with you.
It’ll be difficult for you if you hold off any longer than necessary, so get a move on and train your dog.Train yourself on obedience training so you can learn what works, and display it to your puppy to formulate a good relationship.

Does your dog’s energy outlast yours when you are playing fetch?  And as a result, is your dog not running enough to make it a good exercise session?  I cannot count the number of times that I overused my arm and shoulder playing fetch.  I noticed as I got more tired, my throws would get sloppier and sometimes I almost overextended my elbow or my shoulder.  I look forward to playing golf on the weekends, and I did not want to risk getting injured by playing too much fetch with my dog.  I needed to find a better way for us to play fetch.

Then one day I was throwing the tennis ball for my dog, and I was getting tired and wondering how I could throw it farther so he would be the one getting the workout, and it finally occurred to me how to throw a tennis ball farther… by not throwing it!  I ran into my garage and grabbed an old tennis racquet and started to lob the ball for my dog to catch.  And our game of fetch was instantly transformed.  Why didn’t I think of this before?!  Within minutes, I was offering him a medley of ball distances, speeds and trajectories, all with less effort on my part.  I could alternate the arc of the ball depending on how much I wanted him to run, and I was astounded at how far I could hit the ball with just a gentle underhand stroke.  It was also amusing to launch the ball high and watch him try to figure out where it was going to land.  And I always get a kick out of him trying to catch a high-bouncing ball.

To my dog’s delight, we are now playing fetch for as long as he has the energy.  This kinder, gentler way of playing fetch has preserved my arm and shoulder integrity so my golf game is no longer in peril.  And it has added the variety necessary to keep our fetch playing interesting and fun.

So go grab a tennis racquet and some balls and begin putting a new spin on playing fetch with your dog.  And if tennis isn’t your game, then grab your baseball bat, your racquetball racquet or anything that will launch a ball will less strain from you.  Your dog will love this!

Make sure to visit my blog MyDoggie.org for helpful dog tips and advice on Eliminating Barking, Leash Training and much more!

If your dog is running rings around you and you are feeling like a fool standing in the middle of a park calling ‘Come here boy’ to no avail, you may need to consider a remote trainer. A humane breakthrough in dog training, a remote trainer is a package deal where you get a remote dog training collar and an owners device, which is the control unit. This simple idea allows you to train your dog from a distance, without the need to put it on a leash.

The dog has to wear the remote trainer collar when you want to train your dog; of course, you should also remove the normal collar, because otherwise it’d be uncomfortable. The collar includes in its design a small box with two electrodes that have to be in conctact with your dog’s skin. If your dog has extremely long hair, you might need to cut it a bit before making it wear the collar.

The remote trainer owner unit is a small remote control that enables you to send different levels of static shock into the collar to reinforce commands should the dog break concentration and stop obeying you.

How to Start Training

Training your dog with the remote trainer starts just like any regular training, but with an added correction. For example, if you have taught your dog to associate the action of sitting with the word “sit,” you can correct it with a small static shock with the collar whenever the dog doesn’t obey the command word.

When you think your dog has understood the command or activity that you’ve been teaching it, then it’s time to try the remote without the leash. You have the start with the lowest level of correction available, and increase it if your dog doesn’t obey or the stimulation is simply not enough for your dog to feel.

In addition, you can also use remote trainers to teach your dog a variety of tricks or safety features, such as calling it back to you when it runs after running cars. It also makes walking with him a more pleasant experience as you can say goodbye to endless shouting, and look forward to a bouncing dog, tail wagging as he returns.

electronic dog training collars are the innovative means of saying goodbye to the hussles involved in training your pets. These collars allow dog owners to train their dogs at home, and often save them money and time by not requiring them to take their dogs to training classes anymore.

Different Electronic Collars

Depending on how they correct dogs, electronic dog training collars are classified in three different types. These are electric collars, sonic collars, and citronella spray collars.

Electric Dog Training Collars

These collars operate by offering a harmless, mild static electric shock when the collar senses the vibrations of the vocal chord of the pet. Some of these collars work with the operation of a control remote that the owner uses to activate the collar.

The main advantage of this type of training collar is that it’s very effective in training the pet and making it understand that barking is not allowed in some situations. It is also a very easy to use tool. The challenge that is associated with this type of collar however, is the ambiguity regarding the usage of static electric shock to train dogs.

Sound Collars

The other type of electronic training collars involve the use of sound. These sonic collars emit a sound that only dogs can hear and which prevents them from keep barking. Irrespective of whether it is to tranquilize him from barking or to contain him within preset boundaries, these sonic collars prove innovative possibilities in ways of imparting behavioral training to pets.

Spray Collars

This type of collar offers yet another approach. They are equipped with a canister which sprays the citronella when it detects the vibrations caused by barking. This is considered by some the best type of electronic collar available, although it requires some extra work, such as constantly refilling the spray canisters to keep the collar working, and taking the canister off at night so the dog can rest.

According to your dog’s personal needs, you need to ensure that your dog is kept physically trim and mentally exercised through Labrador training. Labradors are highly intelligent dogs that will need good stimuli at home whether or not they have their handlers-trainers with them at home.

Interactive games that bring the two of you together are a fun way to train your dog in accomplishing basic and routine tasks. These can also give the dog that mental simulation it may be sorely missing. Take a look at these guidelines for an easy-to-follow retrieval exercise which can be tried in your own backyard:

The first exercise, called Fetch, starts by getting the dog to sit, and throwing the dog’s pet item—like a treat or toy—some meters away from both of you. Get your dog to fetch, if it runs, follow by a few meters behind.

Give and Take is another activity; as the dog gets and runs away with the toy, run away from the dog to get it to go after you. When the dog catches up, turn to it and put one hand out to get it to give up the toy. If the dog does so, give it a treat with the other hand.

Keep up the practice and play with the dog over the weeks, bit by bit adding to the distance that the dog has to bring the bone over. If your dog gets shows signs of not enjoying the game anymore, stop in order to sustain the motivation of your dog. The next time the dog is ready for play, try throwing things for discarding like an old shoe or a slipper. But this time, you need to call out “Fetch the slipper” as you throw the item. You also should not change the items too fast, otherwise the dog will not have a reasonable amount of time to learn what are the name of the items. Due to your Labrador training, soon enough your dog may be able to retrieve items for you as you name or call it.

Before we end, we ought not to forget food as really helpful for giving your dog’s everyday routine a change. If indeed you need a new twist to how you feed your dog, try using a Kong. These are toys effective at keeping your dog preoccupied for hours and hours with food puzzles. Activity balls work the same way as kongs. Place a handful of treats inside so that they fall out as it rolls along the floor.