Dog Training Word Of Advice For Aggressive Puppies
September 27, 2009 by
Filed under Dog Training
If you have aggressive puppies, you will want to supply pet training. When it comes to dog instruction there are no secrets. Each dog training tip is distinctive but it has been used previously and if they say its spanking new, it means tailored. The easiest of responsibilities for an skilled dog master could be the hardest of tasks for the novice. There are no magic potions, or miracle sayings that can make aggressive puppies do what you want. You have to spend time with him, loving him and educating him.
Many persons seem to “have a way with dogs” in the sense that they can invite your dog to do anything and your dog will stick to their order straight away, you try it five minutes later and your dog just stares at you perplexedly. It is true that certain people have more of a chance getting dogs to do what they say, not because of some aura around them but because of know-how and quality of voice.
One famous dog training tip is your tone of voice. Your puppy needs to know that you mean business but he has to know that you’re not outraged at him. The handler must find a tone of voice that shows control but concern. If you are continually screaming at your dog he is going to get used to it, he will not know when he is doing something incorrect because he doesn’t know when he is doing something good.
A lot of admiration and attention is another great dog training tip. Dogs wont ascertain the disparity between good and bad unless they get treated in a different way. When your dog does something bad don’t growl at him, firmly tell him he was bad and not to do it again. Then when he does it right shower him with cuddles, treats and praise. Dogs come to learn that when they do something that they are told they will get rewarded for it and then after a while it just becomes second nature to them, of course commendation is still needed!
All dog training tips are various and one dog is not the same to the next, so try them. It won’t hurt to keep trying. The most power on your dog’s life is when they are 3-16 weeks; this is the time that molds them into the type of dog they are going to be when they grow bigger. When you train your dog in these weeks this is what he will be doing for the rest of his life. Make sure you try a variety of the dog training tips presented to you, some may work some may not but at least your giving your puppy the greatest start in life.
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How I Got Rufus To Finally Obey… Dog Training
September 19, 2009 by
Filed under Dog Training
It’s unfortunate that dog training is a necessary part of our relationship with our dogs.
If only it could stop at the cuddly-cuteness, we’d all be just fine. But no! They have to disobey, and tear things up, and pee in corners, and whine, bark, even sometimes bite.
What the heck are we supposed to do?
Luckily, dogs are a lot like people. And by that, I mean they don’t ever really change, but sometimes, just sometimes, they learn a thing or two. You can teach your dog to behave in a way that you like.
Like our dog Rufus.
Rufus was always such a great dog growing up. I never had to tell him no. He just listened to me. When we walked, I could let him off leash and even if there were other dogs around, ducks, squirrels, anything - he’d never leave my side. I’d throw the ball, he’d grab it and come back. I’d call him, and he’d come. On top of being extremely sweet, loving, and gentle, he was the perfect companion.
As Rufus got older, he gained a bit of stubbornness with his age. He enjoyed wandering off on his own more than coming to my call. Suddenly, it dawned on me that Rufus never had to learn the word “no”. He always naturally followed my call, so I never had to tell him no (which is a good thing, because I don’t know if I’d have the heart to tell him “no”).
One night, I ate a snack in my bedroom and placed the plate on my night stand. Rufus stood by the night stand, and let out a loud, deep bark. Then he let out another. He was demanding that I give him the plate! I weakly told him, “No, Rufus!” and he responded with another bark.
Finally, enough was enough. Finally, I was going to teach him the word “no”.
“No!” Rufus I shouted, and stood up, standing to the very tip of my posture. I looked him square in the eyes; both of my feet were planted in the ground; and then, staring, I waited. Rufus started wagging his tail. Then he turned and backed out of my room, and laid down on the floor just outside my door.
This is how I taught him the word “no”. Since then, he’s gotten a lot better about it.
Believe it or not, dogs learn much the same way that humans do: positive and negative reinforcement. And just like humans, dogs love boundaries. In fact, giving your dog some solid boundaries can enhance your relationship, and build mutual respect between the two of you.
Does it seem strange that I’m using words like “mutual respect” while talking about dogs?
Well, dogs, like humans, know who to respect and when. For instance, when someone walks into a room, and their posture, their tone of voice, even their clothes demand respect - we talk to them in a respectful way. Like if Shaq walked into the room, you’d probably emphatically say, “Hey Shaq! So good to meet you! You’re such a great player” and so on and so forth.
That’s because we’re trained to respect celebrities and sports stars.
Now, a great way to train your dog is with “pattern breaking”.
Like people, dogs develop behavioral patterns. For instance, if every time you start cooking food your dog goes crazy, barking, whining, etc., then that is a pattern he or she has developed.
Here’s how you break that pattern:
Do something completely unexpected to your dog when they get into one of their negative patterns. For instance, you could make a loud noise by banging something, or spray him or her in the face with water. The key is to not show your frustration though, because then they’ve won! They got a reaction out of you, and that reaction reinforces their pattern. However if very indifferently, very calmly, you spray them once in the face with water, say “no” sternly but not angrily, and ignore them, that throws a major change into what they’re used to.
Do this enough times and the pattern is completely broken.
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Finding Boston Terrier Dogs For Sale
September 3, 2009 by
Filed under Dog Training
People think that finding Boston terrier dogs for sale would be a very easy task. However, people need to know that there’s more to finding Boston terrier dogs for sale than looking in the phone book or in the classified ads. For one thing, the breeder often reflects the quality of the pet.
Today, many of the Boston terrier dogs for sale are bred by “puppy farms” which exist solely to breed and sell pet dogs. These “puppy farms” are profit-oriented and are therefore natural breeding grounds for animal cruelty. It is often the case that the puppies born in these farms are taken away from their mothers as soon as they are big enough to sell. They are often malnourished as a result of the cost-cutting methods of these farms.
When you are trying to find Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a breeder who genuinely cares for the animals. This will assure you that the animal is well taken care of and will survive more than a few weeks in your care.
Another reason to look for this type of Boston terrier dogs for sale is genetics. When you buy from a puppy farm, all the owner cares about is the profits. As long as a puppy looks good enough to be sold, it is sold. A great dog breeder, however, knows that breeding goes far beyond determining the appearance of a dog. When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a breeder who knows that breeding also determines the temperament of a dog.
When you go looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a pet that would suit your temperament. While a low-class breeder would tell you to buy a dog because the puppy looks cute, a great dog breeder would tell you to buy a specific dog because it fits your personality.
When looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a seller who does not ask you how much you are willing to pay but asks you what your qualifications are. When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to find a breeder who will not push the dog towards you but will truly take the time to know if you are fit to own a dog.
When you are looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale, you need to look for a seller who would be willing to take back the dog if you somehow neglect it. Do not go for sellers who will exchange the puppy for cash and then walk away. A great breeder will leave you with a way to contact him or her in case you change your mind.
Another way to find the best kinds of Boston terrier dogs for sale is to look for the proper documentation. Often, true breeders will be able to provide pedigrees that can trace back the lineage of a puppy. Through this, you know that you are buying the best.
Looking for Boston terrier dogs for sale may seem like a daunting task at first, but with the right attitude and information, you should be able to get the best puppy for you. By following the tips in this article, you can make hunting for Boston terrier dogs for sale the best thing you have ever done.
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Alaskan Klee Kai Dog Breed
June 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Breeds
The Alaskan Klee Kai dog is very similar to the Siberian and Alaskan Huskies as the two breeds were actually used to create the dog breed. The Alaskan Klee Kai dog is a smaller version of the two huskies. They also had to breed in Schipperke and American Eskimo breeds in order to get the miniature size. The Alaskan Klee Kai has much of the same characteristics of the huskies including their intelligence, curiosity, and strength. The name of the Alaskan Klee Kai means small dog in Eskimo. This is a very rare breed as there are only about 500 that exist. Historically this breed did not come into existence until the 1970?s with an accidental mating.
The Alaskan Klee Kai is easy to care for in the grooming department. They tend to groom themselves and don?t usually require a bath or toothpaste. The Alaskan Klee Kai has relatively short hair, but they do not shed a lot; instead the shed only seasonally, but with a lot of hair at that time. You will find with the Alaskan Klee Kai that you should brush them at least once a week to help remove the dead or loose hair that has accumulated. In some cases the Alaskan Klee Kai can have longer hair that becomes matted. For other grooming needs you will need to clip their nails. They don?t tend to like water, and don?t require baths.
It is important to understand the Alaskan Klee Kai?s temperament for training and to make sure they will be a great dog for you. Most often you will find that Alaskan Klee Kai?s can be a little too much to handle for a new dog owner as they have a few obedience issues. First of all the Alaskan Klee Kai is usually suspicious of strangers. This means they are aloof and often look a little aggressive despite their sensitive and wonderful demeanor. They are not as great with children as other dog breeds, due to the fact that they demand respect from their owners. They typically return acts of aggression such as a child?s behavior towards dogs, when the child is not well behaved or doesn?t understand. You will find the Alaskan Klee Kai is best off when he or she is with their master. They like to be close to their master and often follow them about. They have a great affection for their families, and tend to be very affectionate.
The Alaskan Klee Kai like the husky has been raised for hunting and therefore they do really well as working dogs. However you will find they can be a little difficult with smaller animals like cats and birds, unless they have had the proper training. It is not wise to leave the dog alone with smaller animals. You will find that the Alaskan Klee Kai is a barking dog. They love to talk and bark so you need to train that out of them. They also tend to howl along with coyotes. The good news is they are very trainable and will listen to commands once you have asserted yourself as master.
They tend to have good obedience as long as you have trained them. You need to establish rules and be consistent during training. Remember that it is best to offer the proper respect while training. You should not let a behavior slip because that will make training more difficult. These dogs are also very agile so training with a lot of agility and different activities keeps them happy. Feeding should be on a daily basis with a routine.
By: Gen Wright
About the Author:
Malcolm Francis has owned and worked with dogs for most of his life. If you would like to learn more please visit Malcolms store dog. You can also find dog bowls at his website.
Having Fun With Your German Shepherd Dog
April 25, 2009 by
Filed under Dog Care
Games and other kinds of dog training allow you and your German Shepherd a chance to blow off steam and have a fun time together in an otherwise boring day.
Dog owners who regularly play with their German Shepherds develop a better understanding of, communication with, and respect for, their dog.
Playing games of any kind with your German Shepherd is really good for your relationship. Remember, first of all, dogs are social creatures and playing is one important element in developing and maintaining their social relationships. Playing games is a fundamental way of “modeling” real life behaviors.
One positive method of training your German Shepherd is one in which you teach your German Shepherd Dog to obey your commands by participating in fun and games that make following your instructions so much more enjoyable. When handled properly this type of learning is a very positive experience and one in which even the most boring of commands can be learned very efficiently and effectively.
To keep your GSD from getting bored, playing fun and games of any kind, whether it be while training or simple play, can be one of the best methods available to you. You originally got your GSD for companionship didn’t you - isn’t playing with your dog and playing fun and games with him one of the main reasons for getting him in the first place?
One great tip for you is that any play activity that your dog really likes (but one that you can control) can be used as a fantastic reward for good behavior. For example, a game of fetch can be a great reward for a good training session. This will make training much more rewarding and something that the German Shepherd can really get excited about.
Try using a favorite game like tug of war or fetch to reward great dog training sessions such as recalls or long stays. It will make the dog training more fun, more rewarding for the pet and the training will “stick” with your dog much better. Fun and games is very important - to your German Shepherd Dog as well as to you.
If your German Shepherd is a good swimmer, any activity mixed with water, say for example, at a lake or pond or even a small wading pool, can be so much more fun and fantastic exercise.
It is very important to know that you must establish control of your German Shepherd Dog in any and all situations - especially when he’s very excited as in the height of fun and games.
Many of the games described below can actually help effectively train your German Shepherd in many ways.
Total-German-Shepherd Dot Com
Read more about german shepherds and german shepherd dogs
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Secrets to Great Dog Health Care: Grooming Your Dog
April 21, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
Even if you’ve got the most easy-care dog in the world, she’ll still need some attention to be paid to her appearance every once in a while – so it’s worth spending a bit of time learning the best techniques for easy, stress-free grooming.
Here is some of the valuable advice I got from one of my favorite sites for dog health care solutions, The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER GROOMING MY DOG?
Not so long ago, the average American’s approach to canine grooming was somewhat cavalier. Dogs were seen as something that lived in the yard (usually in a dusty, hard-floored kennel), ate whatever was put in their bowls, and existed as a sometime-playmate for the household’s children.
Today, we tend to care for our dogs a lot more, and view them more as members of the household than the Thing in the Yard.
Ever since this rise in the estimation of our beloved pooches became widespread, grooming has been increasingly recognized as an important facet of your dog’s regular health-care. It ensures that any skin-care problems are minimized (because grooming distributes the natural skin-oils evenly throughout the coat), and assists you in monitoring your dog’s overall condition – if you groom on a regular basis, you can’t help but notice the presence of any unusual lumps or bumps.
This preventative action has saved many a canine life. Our dogs can’t tell us where it hurts, but taking just a little bit of time every so often to check them over ourselves can save a lot of grief in the long run.
The trick is getting your dog to tolerate (and even enjoy!) the process …
THE FIRST STEP IN THE GROOMING PROCESS
Something that many owners lack experience in is how to wash their dogs. Dry-grooming (brushing and ‘buffing’ the coat) seems to present little problem for most people; the rot tends to set in when water is introduced to the mix.
Most dogs have a strong dislike of being bathed, and in many cases will become utterly panic-stricken when the tub comes out.
This article is going to deal with the basics of how to wash your dog in a way that’ll keep both of you relaxed and happy.
PREPARING YOUR DOG FOR GROOMING
First of all, the absolute most important thing you can do is to accustom your dog to the grooming process. Now, starting this in puppyhood is the ideal way to handle the situation, but of course not all of us have this luxury; if you’ve got an adult dog, you’ll probably need to move a little slower, but you should still start getting her used to being touched and handled all over as soon as you can.
As your puppy or dog gets used to the sensation of being rubbed and handled, she’ll slowly come to enjoy it. Dogs are social creatures by instinct, and physical affection and contact is a big part of their lives – it shouldn’t take long before she begins to trust you, and allows herself to get some pleasure out of your touch.
All you have to do is start rubbing her slowly all over. Fondle her ears, touch her cheeks and neck, rub her back and belly, pick up her paws and – if she’ll let you – give each one a gentle squeeze (treating and praising her whenever she lets you do this, since paw touching is generally a pretty big deal for most dogs). If she has a tail, rub it between your fingers; get her to roll over on her back so you can rub and stroke her belly and hocks.
This might not seem like such a big deal, but it’s actually a really important part of the grooming process: the more your dog enjoys it, the less stressful the whole event will be for both of you, and so the more often you’re likely to groom her – which increases the health benefits for her.
HOW TO WASH YOUR DOG
Bathing always comes before dry-grooming, since it makes brushing and trimming a lot easier as well as a lot more effective (there’s not much point in brushing a tangled, dirty coat!)
You will need some basic tools: a tub, a non-slip mat, a plastic jug, some warm water, a small sponge, and some canine shampoo (not human shampoo: the pH is all wrong for dogs, and will give her dry and flaky skin.)
Stand her in the tub, on the non-slip mat. If she’s a large or unruly dog, you may want to wash her outside to minimize mess – either that, or you can restrain her by tying one end of a light nylon leash to her collar, and the other end to the faucet.
Pour jugs of warm water all over her until she’s good and wet. This breaks down the grease in her fur, and ensures a thorough shampooing.
Mix a little shampoo with another jug of warm water, and rub it thoroughly into your dog’s fur. Start off with her back and rub it into a good lather (but don’t be too harsh!)
Now you can move on to her head and face. Be very careful here – dogs’ eyes are sensitive too, and if you get any water in her ears, she’ll probably get an ear infection. (You can plug her ears with a small twist of cotton wool to help stop this from happening, if you like.)
Remember to clean under her tail before you wash her off – dip the sponge into the shampoo mixture to do this properly.
Now it’s time to rinse: using the jug and some clean, warm, shampoo-free water, carefully tip it all over her and use your fingers to help disperse the lather from her coat. Rinse her off thoroughly at least twice, since any residue that remains will irritate her skin.
Now you’ll need to dry her off: if she’s got short fur, you can use a towel (an old one will do just fine, although big dogs generally need two); for dogs with longer fur, give her a gentle toweling-off first, and then use a hair dryer to get rid of the last dampness. Be certain that it’s set on low heat, and hold it far away from your dog’s fur to prevent burning either the skin or the fur.
KEEP YOURSELF CALM
Remember that most dogs have an inherent dislike of being bathed, which can cause anxiety and even outright panic.
Your dog takes a lot of her emotional cues from you, so make sure you act like a good role model for the occasion. Reassure your dog frequently, keeping your voice well-modulated, low, and even; keep your movements slow and deliberate; praise her lavishly for good behavior, and give her a couple of treats throughout the process to make it more enjoyable for her.
The more she enjoys the process, the easier it’ll be for you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Grooming your dog is just one tiny aspect of maintaining overall health and happiness. For a complete, encyclopedic survival guide to all aspects of dog health, from preventative care to choosing a vet to doggie First Aid (even the canine Heimlich maneuver!), you should take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.
A survival guide for knowledgeable, effective, and life-saving dog care, this manual keeps your dog’s health and wellbeing firmly within your control – which is exactly where you want it to be.
It can’t hurt to look.
By: Ethan Parker
About the Author:
Review expert, Ethan Parker, helps you find what you need in self-help books: the good, the bad, and most importantly, the FREE!
Find out the best deals–and what to avoid–at his free review site, Try It Before You Buy It.
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Secrets to Great Dog Health Care: External Parasites and Their Treatments
April 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
External parasites are pretty common among dogs. A parasite is an organism that lives off the resources your dog has to offer: namely, fresh blood (which most parasites drink) and a warm place to stay (in and on the skin and fur).
What are the common parasites that might affect my dog?
There are a wide range of parasites that affect dogs:
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Mites
- Lice
All of these parasites cause adverse reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed skin, a dull coat, and bald spots. In advanced cases, your dog may develop anemia (blood loss) and become generally debilitated (particularly if he or she is very young, very old, or suffering from another condition).
In addition to this, many parasites convey secondary and internal parasites to your dog – for example, fleas usually carry the common tapeworm (which causes constipation and flatulence), and ticks can cause a variety of much more serious problems like Lyme’s disease and paralysis.
I’m going to be looking at fleas: what they are, how to tell if your dog’s affected, and how to get rid of them.
A CLOSER LOOK AT FLEAS
Fleas are without question the number-one most common external parasite affecting dogs. They’re small, jumping insects that are light brown in color, although humans generally can’t see them – they move much too quickly for that!
Fleas live off your dog’s blood. The life cycle of a flea moves very rapidly from stage one (egg) to stage four (adult flea), which means they’re capable of multiplying with staggering rapidity.
An adult flea lays hundreds of eggs per day. Each egg will then become an adult flea, which lay hundreds more eggs of its own. One flea becomes a major problem very quickly!
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS
The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable.
A dog with a flea infestation will scratch almost constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to favor: the ears, the base of the tail, the belly, and the stifle (the webbing of soft skin between the thigh and the abdomen).
It’s actually the saliva of the flea that causes the irritation, not the bite itself, and some dogs have a genuine allergy to this saliva (as opposed to a standard irritation). Dogs with allergies suffer much more significant negative reactions to a flea infestation, and usually develop “hot spots”.
These hot spots are areas of sore, inflamed, flaking, bleeding, and infected skin, caused by the flea saliva and your dog’s own reaction to it. Bald patches will sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and ongoing inflammation.
If you think your dog has fleas, you can confirm your suspicions by taking a closer look at his skin: you probably won’t be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be able to see what looks like ground pepper (a thin sprinkling of fine black grains) on his skin. This is flea dirt (poop).
If you groom him with a flea comb (which is like a fine-tooth comb), try wiping it on a paper towel: if red blotches show up on the towel, you know that your dog has fleas (on a white background like a paper towel, flea **** shows up red: since fleas subsist on blood, their **** is colored accordingly).
TREATMENT FOR FLEAS
Because fleas only spend a small amount of time actually on your dog, and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood, it’s not enough to just treat the dog: you also have to target his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard (yes, fleas lay eggs all through the yard, too. Even if it’s cold outside, you’re not necessarily off the hook: cold weather doesn’t kill flea eggs, it just puts them into a state of hibernation. The eggs will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.)
You’ll need a broad-spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas (which are the ones that bite), but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.
PREVENTION IS THE BEST (AND THE EASIEST!)
Prevention is definitely the best cure – you should keep your dog’s flea treatments up to date with the use of a calendar, and use a treatment that’s prescribed by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren’t recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites (like mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.
FOR AN EXISTING INFESTATION
If your dog already has fleas, you have two options:
1. You can ‘bomb’ the house and yard with a flea-pesticide. These come as foggers (which coat each room, and the yard, in a fine mist of pesticide) and sprays (which are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard), and although they’re very effective in killing fleas and eggs, there’s one major drawback: they’re highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. Depending on your priorities, this is probably the quickest solution to a flea problem (and will effectively wipe out the eggs, too) but if you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition – including pets! – you might want to think again.
2. A more health-friendly alternative is to target the dog with a topical anti-flea solution prescribed by the vet (like Advantage or Revolution), and to rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming each room thoroughly each day – put a flea collar in with the vacuum bag to kill any fleas that get ****** up – and wash all human and dog bedding in hot water as often as you can (once every day or every two days is recommended). You’ll be able to tell when the problem’s gone because your dog won’t be scratching, and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it.
WHAT NOT TO DO ABOUT FLEAS
- Don’t use multiple products on your dog – it’ll make him sick, since you’ll be overloading his system with toxins.
- Don’t forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time: cat and dog fleas are interchangeable, and if one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.
- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic – vets have realized that placing a toxic material directly against your pet’s skin for long periods of time (flea collars have to be worn 24/7 to be effective) is detrimental to your dog’s health.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENT…
Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites (external and internal), as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health.
This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy – just the way you want him (or her) to be!
By: Ethan Parker
About the Author:
Ethan Parker is one of the Net’s most popular e-review experts. He makes shopping easy: either buy it…or just try it!
Ethan enjoys helping to make people aware of all the free deals and quality information out there. He also enjoys alerting them to the latest discounts and promotions. Why spend more?
You can find out more about Ethan at his website, MyBuyOrTry.com.
The Great Dog Training Controversy - To Crate Train Or Not To Crate Train?
April 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Training
The Great Dog Training Controversy - To Crate Train Or Not To Crate Train?
Those in favor of crate training argue that crating a dog gives is a safe, secure place where the dog can go when it wants to get away from noise or activity and be surrounded by the familiar. A sort of home within a home, proponents call it. These same people insist that crate training makes the process of housebreaking a dog easier, since animals are loathe to soil the place where they lay down and will naturally learn to wait until taken outside to take care of their needs.
There are of course crate training detractors as well. Their view is that restricting a dog’s movement by keeping it in a cage which offers barely enough room to turn around robs dogs of the opportunity to act on their natural inclination to roam and explore its surroundings.
The no-crating crowd point to those instances where puppies will go ahead and soil themselves while in the crate, despite the arguments made by the proponents of crate training. They make the argument that crate training is really more about the owner’s convenience than it is the best interests of their pet.
Pet owners from both schools of thought of course have the best intentions and want to take good care of their pets. The research which has been done on crate training has given dog owners no certain answer one way or the other, but there is broad agreement that when done properly, crate training has little if any ill effects and can be of some benefit to the dog.
No one, not even the biggest backers of crate training would say that keeping a dog in a crate for an extended period of time is a good thing. You should never keep your dog in a crate for more than four hours ” any longer than this is really too much time to deprive an animal of the ability to move freely and to take care of nature’s call.
Care also needs to be taken to prevent injury to your dog while in the crate. The cage should be examined to make sure that there are no sharp edges or anywhere that your dog’s collar can snag on the crate. Any cage you keep your dog in should be sturdy enough that it won’t tip or break even under vigorous jostling.
Pets which are accustomed to the crate do however tend to travel better than do others. Since they are already accustomed to spending time in close quarters, they’ll be far calmer when traveling.
Of course, there are many pet owners who say that unless absolutely necessary, your pets should be left at home while you travel. Most pets will be more comfortable in the familiar surroundings of their home (with a responsible person to care for them in their owner’s absence, naturally). If you do need to travel with your pet, however, make sure to keep them in a sturdy crate which will prevent anything from getting in as well as out.
There’s not going to be an agreement on crate training in the near future; that much is certain. It’s best to decide for yourself. Try crating your dog for a couple of weeks, followed by leaving the door of the crate open and let your dog vote with their feet ” do they steer clear of the crate or do they choose it as a favored spot for their naps? Let your dog have a say and you’ll have a happier pet.
Six Steps to a Happy Beagle
April 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Dog Breeds
Six Steps to a Happy Beagle.
Can beagles be difficult? Absolutely. But they’re also incredibly loyal and loving. Couple that affection with a good training regimen, and you have a great dog to enjoy for years to come. Here are 6 ways you can assure your beagle (or any other dog for that matter) becomes the pride of the neighborhood:1. Begin training as early as you can. Especially at the puppy stage, things such as regularly scheduled feedings will get the dog acclimated to a routine, which is never a bad thing. Couple that routine with other simple things such as rewarding good behavior, and you’ve significantly reduced the chances that the dog will develop poor habits.
2. Learning simple commands early is good. “Stay,” “sit,” and “come” might seem like simple commands, but the earlier they respond to these, the easier it is to train them later. Remember, a beagle is a pack dog. It wants to be the leader. The sooner you let him know you’re the pack leader, the more readily he will respond to your commands, rather than the other way around.
3. Short and sweet. If you’ve ever owned a beagle, you know how easily they can be thrown off track because of their desire to follow smells. Keep your training sessions short, even 5 to 10 minutes twice a day can be very worthwhile. Make the sessions as entertaining as you can so he’ll want to learn.
4. Physical punishment never works. Under no circumstances should you ever use force on your dog. It will have the opposite effect and, in fact, will either make your dog more aggressive, will make him more fearful of you, or both. Fear and respect are not the same thing.
5. Positive reinforcement works. Who doesn’t like a treat? A beagle is a hound, and hounds are motivated by food. One word of caution, though. Don’t let the dog see the treat before the command is given. To him, it may be a form of bribery and he’ll only obey if he can see the treat.
6. Beagle-appropriate training methods work best. Use a beagle’s natural tendencies to your advantage. These dogs are bred to hunt and track, obviously having an incredible sense of smell. If you can incorporate that into your training, you’ll experience a higher success rate. Anything involving running, retrieving, or discovering buried objects will be much more fun for him.
A trained beagle is a good beagle, just as any breed of dog that is well-trained is a good dog. Yes, they can be a bit difficult at times. I know from experience. But if you’re diligent and stick with these 6 basic guidelines, you’ll have an obedient beagle that will bring you years of love, loyalty, and happiness.