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Good Puppy Habits and Dog Treats

By Brian on Sunday, August 28th, 2011 | No Comments

<p>By Kimberly Case

Dog Treats and Puppy Behavior Training

Dog treats can be a helpful tool when teaching good puppy habits. You can teach an old dog new tricks but this can be a difficult task. What a dog learns early in life will set the stage for later behavior. If not properly educated, this can lead to a number of problems from aggression to fear. Laying a solid foundation can help your dog learn how to deal with situations in a healthy way.

One good habit to begin when training a puppy is to teach him or her to stay near or around you. Dog treats can help make training more effective, although they should not be over used. Only incorporate small treats into training. Larger biscuits can be broken into multiple pieces. Treats are only intended as snacks and should never fill your pet up.

Begin by furthering the pack bond by retrieving the puppy every time he or she strays. Start in a safe, quiet place, such as a living room or other space in your home. Let the puppy play and explore within your sight. Every time he or she begins to wander away, calmly get up and return him or her to the designated area. This is really important for very small pups that shouldn’t be roaming alone.

As your pup grows, and is more capable of exploring without you, continue the habit. Every 15 to 20 minutes retrieve your pet. Each time, make sure he or she is with you. Offer dog treats on occasion to further entice your pet to return.

Any time the pup returns on his or her own, praise and offer dog treats. Make sure you are quick about it as well to reinforce the behavior. This one is easy to practice, even while you are watching television or doing something else. Just time each repetition so there is roughly 15 minutes between.

Be careful of using an actual timer. You do not want your dog to learn to associate the sound of an alarm going off as the reason for the reward. Instead, just watch a clock so your pet only knows that it is you they are to return to. The older the pup gets, the more inclined he or she will be to stick by your side, especially with the prospect of dog treats.

The idea behind this practice is to teach your canine to stay near you at all times, and to come looking for you when he or she wanders out of sight. This is a great way to acclimate your dog to staying near you even in unfamiliar environments, such as out doors or when traveling. It is important to note that a leash and collar should be used in any potentially dangerous situation, even when the dog has formed this habit. Taking your pet with you and keeping him or her safe will be far easier if they know to stay with you from the beginning.

About the Author: Article by Kimberly case of Dog Treats To Go- Where you can find a large selection of Dog Treats Online! including Turkey Dog Treats and Lamb Dog Treats

Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=526863&ca=Pets

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How To Give Your Dog A Health Check

By Brian on Saturday, August 27th, 2011 | No Comments

<p>

Giving your dog a health check at home, at regular intervals, can alert you to potential health problems. Your dog can’t tell you when he is ill or in pain except through his appearance or behavior. Pay close attention to changes in his body or behavior and get veterinary care when it is necessary to keep your beloved companion happy and healthy.

Schedule your dog’s health check during his regular grooming sessions. Start grooming your dog regularly, if you aren’t! These sessions can familiarize you with your dog’s normal physical condition so you can catch problems early

Skin and Coat

All dogs shed, some more than others, but should not have excessive hair loss with the exception of seasonal shedding periods. Poor health is often apparent in a dog’s coat. Bald patches, reddened skin, scabs, flakiness and other poor skin conditions can indicate health problems or allergies. Dogs can be allergic to many of the same things as humans are, but they react to allergens through changes in their skin, not usually with respiratory symptoms.

While you are bathing or brushing your dog, run your fingers through his fur opposite the direction of its growth. Part the fur and check for ticks, signs of flea infestations or skin problems. Some dogs are more sensitive to fleas (actually, the fleas’ saliva) than other dogs, and just one flea may cause a sensitive dog to become extremely itchy. Excessive scratching can create secondary bacterial skin infections, misery for your dog, and big vet bills for you.

Ears

Once you’ve examined the coat, begin your health check of your dog at its head, and work your way back. Using a penlight, look into your dog’s ear canals. The lining should be a healthy pink color. Redness, crustiness, scabs and swelling may indicate an ear infection from excess earwax buildup or a foreign body (usually plant matter) in the ear canal. Ear mites will create a black, waxy coating in the ear, which can be treated with veterinary OTC medicines.

Never use a cotton swab or other object to reach inside your dog’s ears, or you risk popping an eardrum. Excess ear wax may be cleaned out by putting a teaspoon of slightly warmed light olive oil in the ear and massaging the ear canal. Let the dog remove the oil and dissolved wax himself by shaking it out (but move your dog to an appropriate spot first!).

Dogs who roam in fields and woods often get bits of foxtail in their ears. It’s best to let your veterinarian remove these barbed foxtails from the ears so you don’t accidentally do further damage.

Eyes

Your dog’s eyes should be clear and bright, without cloudiness, mucous, or ulcers on the surface of the cornea. Some dog breeds have a tendency to have “runny” eyes, but the discharge should not be excessive. Squinty eyes may mean that your dog is in pain. Consult your veterinarian if you notice any changes in the condition of your dog’s eyes.

Nose

A healthy dog‘s nose will be cool, moist, and free from crustiness. However, some dogs normally have warm, dry noses. Know what is normal for your dog.

Teeth and gums

Excessive “doggie breath” is not normal and can indicate that your dog is having dental problems, or even kidney or digestive disorders. Check your dog’s teeth by gently pulling his gums back from his teeth. The gums should be a healthy pink color. Press against your dog’s gums with your finger. The spot should blanche and then return to its normal pink color in a healthy dog.

Your dog’s teeth should be white and free from sticky, yellow plaque and black tartar. Dogs don’t get cavities often, but are susceptible to gum disease and tooth loss when plaque and tartar are allowed to build up and create infection. A severe periodontal infection may even threaten your dog’s life. If your dog isn’t trained to have his teeth brushed, break him in gradually by just rubbing doggy toothpaste (human toothpaste isn’t dog-safe) along his gums with your finger. The upper back teeth are the most prone to plaque buildup, so if he only lets you brush his back teeth at first, you’re doing well to concentrate on that area of his mouth.

Feet and Legs

Rub your hands down each of your dog’s legs and feet, checking for lumps, cuts, swelling, or signs of pain. Check between the toes of your dog’s paws for burrs, foxtails, and other bits of plants, especially if your dog is allowed to roam in fields and woods.

General Body Condition

Rub your hands down your dog’s sides, front to back. You should be able to feel, but not see, his ribs through his coat. If you can’t feel his ribs, he may be overweight; if you can see his ribs, he may be ill or underweight. However, some dogs are naturally thin and are healthy even though their ribs show. Weigh your dog each time you give him a physical examination, and record it. Sudden weight gain or loss may be a sign that something’s wrong.

Lift the loose skin on your dog’s neck and let it go. If your dog is well-hydrated, the skin will feel soft and pliable and spring back into the dog’s neck. Dehydrated, the skin will feel stiff and take some time returning to its original place. Dehydration may be a temporary condition brought on by over-exercising or hot weather, in which case your dog will benefit from a cool drink of water. Take your dog to the veterinarian for an evaluation if he appears to be continually dehydrated.

Elimination

Check your dog’s anal gland for redness or swelling. Watch your dog eliminate so you’re familiar with his regular habits and what his stools usually look like. Sudden changes may mean that your dog has just eaten something that didn’t agree with him, but if the irregularities persist more than a day or two your dog may have an illness.

Behavior

You know your dog best, and you can tell when he’s just not “acting right.” Your docile companion may become snappish, or your playful, active dog won’t be enticed to romp. Sudden changes in behavior can mean that your dog is in pain or has some other medical condition, or he may just be stressed out. Dogs are just as affected as the rest of the family by major lifestyle changes such as a new baby in the family or moving to a new home. If you can’t attribute your dog’s change in behavior to any such event, take him to the vet for a checkup to rule out physical causes.

This article is written for information only, and not meant to replace the advice of your veterinarian.

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Why Dog Training Is So Important For You And Your Dog

By Brian on Monday, August 22nd, 2011 | No Comments

<p>

Now that you have your new dog, or you have been thinking that your dog‘s behavior isn’t really as good as it should be, you need to have an understanding of why dog training is so important for you and your dog. Dog training and dog obedience training isn’t really a hard thing to do, because the number one thing your dog cares about is your happiness. If you are happy with your dog’s behavior, your body language tells your dog how happy you are, and he is happy too. This point is the number one thing people forget when they are dealing with a “bad dog”…a dog’s number one goal is to please you.

Dog obedience training is definitely something you can do yourself. As the dog’s owner, you have the best relationship possible with your dog, and she will respond best to you for her pet dog training. It isn’t necessary to hire and pay a “professional” dog trainer hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to teach your pet dog obedience. There are plenty of dog training books, online dog training courses, and dog training tips available to you that will allow you to teach your dog obedience for well under a hundred dollars or so.

Many people believe that puppy training is the most important thing, and that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You can teach your dog obedience at any age, and in the case of an older dog, you will probably find that you have to train yourself more than you do your dog. Home dog training, when you are not working with a puppy, is just as much about breaking yourself of bad habits, as it is your dog’s behavior. Your dog follows your lead, so to speak, so you have to train yourself too.

Regardless of your dog’s “problem”, or bad dog behavior, there is a resource out there to correct it using home dog training methods. If you follow everything to the letter in the dog training book or dog training course you are using, you can easily get the desired result or change in your dog’s behavior. This will make you happy, and as a result, will make your dog happy. You will be surprised at the change in your dog just from you cutting back on your anxiety level about your dog’s behavior.

It may seem like a chicken or egg first situation, but it really isn’t. Dog training is just a matter of telling your dog what you want him to do, and when she sees your pleasure , she will correct her dog behavior. 

 

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5 Signs Of Canine Separation Anxiety And What To Do

By Brian on Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 | No Comments

<p>By Miss Debra Rae

If your dog has separation anxiety you’ll know by their destructive, obsessive and or anxious behavior. Typically the unwanted behavior(s) begin 10-45 minutes after their human has left the home and include:

1. Excessive barking or howling

2. Crying continually

3. Digging and scratching at doors or windows

4. Urinating or defecating on themselves in inappropriate places due to stress

5. General hysterical behavior

These behaviors typically surface when a traumatic change (from your dog’s point of view) has occurred such as moving to a new home, the loss or addition of a family member whether it be human or canine, after a vacation when you and your dog have spent a lot of time together, after a stay at a boarding facility or shelter (doggie jail) or if their human is working long hours and is absent for extended periods of time.

Even though it’s not fully understood why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and others do not, it’s clear your dog is having some sort of severe panic response to your absence. Punishing your dog for having a panic response/separation anxiety will only exacerbate an already difficult issue. You need to show your dog through training that being alone is not a threat to their safety.

Please read this information in it’s entirety before making any decisions or beginning any training and/or a de-sensitization process. You must first determine the level of your dog’s panic response before you take any action.

First, don’t get another dog to help your first dog with separation anxiety. This will not solve the problem because the anxiety is related to their human’s absence not loneliness. Don’t crate an anxiety ridden dog. This could worsen their condition. Your dog may also injure themselves attempting to escape the crate. They may howl, urinate and defecate due to their high stress level. Also, simply going to a dog obedience class will not solve the problem of separation anxiety. Training your dog is highly recommended, however it’s not a solution for your dog’s panic response.

Be certain your dog is experiencing separation anxiety by answering the following questions. If four or more answers are yes, re-conditioning is recommended.

1. Your dog detests spending time alone outside, won’t go outside without you.

2. The undesirable behavior/panic response occurs only when they’re left alone (this can be 10 minutes or several hours).

3. Your dog is overly excited, depressed or frantic while you prepare to leave.

4. Your dog follows you like a shadow from room to room when you’re at home.

5. When you arrive home, your dog is close to hysterical/frenzied when they’re greeting you.

The following method(s) are quite useful for minor cases of separation anxiety. For more acute cases, use these training methods along with the desensitization process presented later in this article.

1. When you arrive home be very calm, cool and collected. Wait 2-5 minutes before you greet and pet your dog. This will be difficult for you at first so be strong. When you do greet your dog, have a very calm monotone voice so as to add to their excitement.

2. When you leave your dog, give them a t-shirt or other piece of clothing that you’ve worn recently (the smellier the better).

3. Train your dog to know you’ll be back with a specific word or pair of words. You must use the exact same word(s) every time you leave to help assure your canine you’re coming back.

To begin training for minor cases of separation anxiety chose the word(s) you’ll be using to let your dog know you’re coming back. Make it simple like “I’ll be back” or “I’m coming home”. Next, do something simple like take out the garbage or get the mail. Before exiting, use your cue words and go out the door. At first, only be gone for very short periods of time. This is to convince your dog that you’re coming back very soon (3-5 minutes). You can also turn on the television, radio or a CD plus give them a chew toy along with the cue words to re-direct/re-focus them on something other than their anxiety.

This type of training may take only 5 times to work or it may take 25 times. Set aside time on a day off to help your dog learn that being along is not a threat to their safety. Be sure to use the same word cues and body language every time. Dogs learn through association and classic conditioning, so if you trained them with a toy, the radio and cue words “I’ll be back,” do that every single time and soon your dog will completely understand the routine thereby eliminating or at least significantly reducing their stress response.

Another way to begin work on your dog’s minor panic response is to train them to sit-stay or down-stay with positive reinforcement (this assumes your dog already knows sit or down). Choose either the sit-stay or down-stay and stick with it. Going back and forth will only confuse your dog about what you want. First, use the command “sit” or “down” (whichever one you’ve chosen). Reward your dog with a treat, belly rub or a gentle pat on the head. Next, use the command “stay” and take one step back. Reward your dog. Next, use your command “sit” or “down” and then “stay”. Take 2 steps back. Reward your dog for staying.

Continue this process until you’ve exited the room (this may take 4 steps or 10 steps). If your dog gets up from their sitting or lying down position, start again from where they faltered. Don’t punish your dog for getting up. Just go back to where there was success and build from there. Your ultimate goal is to be able to get up and go into another room (like the kitchen or bathroom) without your dog having a panic response. Be sure to use the exact same command and body language every time so your dog can make the association. Work with them for 10-15 minute intervals every day or a few times a day. Soon your dog won’t budge when you get up, use your command and leave the room.

For more acute case of separation anxiety, a systematic process is required. This takes time, effort and patience. You’re training your dog to be alright with being alone when they are completely freaked out about being alone. Go slow and celebrate successes.

There are several steps to this de-sensitization process and go as follows:

NOTE: During this process, be acutely aware of your dog’s behavior. If they begin to exhibit the panic response, go back a step and repeat it until your dog is calm. If you try to move through the steps too fast, they will not work and could worsen your dog’s separation anxiety.

• Step 1: Behave as if you’re getting ready to leave by gathering items such as your shoes, keys, coat, brief case, purse. Instead of heading out the door, go sit on the couch or in a chair and put your stuff down like you’re going to read or watch television. Repeat this process until your dog no longer exhibits their panic response. This could take 5 times or 50 times depending on the severity of your dog’s anxiety.

• Step 2: Repeat step 1 except instead of sitting down on the couch or chair, go to the door you normally enter/exit from, open it and then go sit down. Repeat this process until your dog no longer exhibits anxiety.

• Step 3: Repeat step 1 and instead of sitting down, go to the exit/entry door, open it, step outside (leaving the door open), immediately return and then go sit down. Repeat as many times as necessary to squash your dog’s panic response.

• Step 4: Repeat step 3 and instead of leaving the door open, close the door for 1-2 seconds then come back in and go sit down. Repeat as many times as needed until your dog is calm.

• Step 5: Repeat step 4 and instead of having the door closed for 1-2 seconds, leave it closed for 10 seconds then come back in a sit down. Repeat until there is no panic response from your dog.

• Step 6: Once your dog can tolerate having a door separating them from you for 10-20 seconds, begin using your training phrase like “I’ll be back” or “I’m coming back” then gather your stuff, go out the door and close it for 1 -2 minutes, come back very calmly and greet your dog quietly. As long as there are no signs of distress, repeat this step while gradually increasing from 1-2 minutes to 3-4, 5-6, etc. Do this up to 10 minutes. Take however long it takes. Speed is not the goal. No panic response is the goal. Go slow.

• Step 7: Once your dog can tolerate 10 minutes of separation without having a panic response, you can now leave for a short period of time – 30 to 60 minutes. Be sure to use the exact same cue(s) you’ve chosen (I’ll be back, I’m coming home, radio on, etc.) when you leave. Once you return, greet your dog calmly and in a monotone voice.

• Step 8: While training, it’s best to combine short periods of separation (30-60 minutes) with very short periods of separation (3- 10 minutes). Be certain you use your command cue(s) every time. Stagger these separation times (1 for 10 minutes and then an hour later leave for 60 minutes). This helps to solidify within your dog that you are coming back every time.

So now your dog is able to tolerate 60-90 minutes of separation without having a panic response. This is a dramatic improvement from where you both started. Typically this means that your dog is able to handle being alone for longer than 90 minutes and often several hours. Every dog is different and some may be able to handle 1

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