Archive for February, 2012
Understanding When To Reward And When To Punish Your Dog
Posted by: | CommentsUnderstanding When To Reward And When To Punish Your Dog
There are certain things which should be kept in mind while training one's dog. There are different techniques of dog training.
Some of these techniques are quite useful, while some others can bear negative results. It is therefore quite natural to get confused with so many sides of dog training, as it is difficult to tell which one works the best.
The most common confusion, which people tend to have, is when to reward and when to rebuke the dog. If you are such a confused one, the following tips will help you.
Your dog-training instructor will probably tell you that you should always keep a positive air while dog training. But actually you would need to be stern in certain situations.
However, you must not scold your dog too frequently, as dogs always give a better response if they get a positive behavior from their trainer. So it is first important for you to realize when to praise your dog.
Your dog should get a reward every time he obeys you during the training process. You should reward him if he sits, stays, fetches, goes to toilet in the proper place, or does anything he his ordered.
His rewards can be anything - praises or kind words, treats, a rub on his belly, or a pat on his head!
Positive dog training makes the learning process quicker. What your dog actually wants is to please you, and that is why it will respond better with this kind of teaching. But make sure that you do not go on rewarding him even when he disobeys you.
Scolding is something, which should not be used unless it is necessary. You can reprimand your dog if he jumps, barks, growls, pulls at his leash, destroys anything, or excretes where he should not.
However, do not scold him unless you catch him doing something wrong.
Or else, he will not realize why you are reproving him. A quick and sharp "no!" or "bad dog!" should be enough of a scolding.
You should keep an angry condemning tone, and make sure that you are crisp and quick in your scolding. But if you are too frequent in your reproaches, your dog will ultimately start ignoring you. Do not ever hit the dog, as it will only lead to complications in future.
These are the points that you should keep in mind when you decide to praise or scold your dog. Do not forget that your pet has only started learning, and is trying to do his best. So patience is something that you must have.
If you are loving and understanding enough, your dog would find the training easy, and ultimately it will be a wonderful experience for you two!
Can anyone give me some information on any dog breeders in North Carolina?
Posted by: | CommentsIm looking into getting an inside dog. Im not really set on a particular breed, but I was wondering if anyone could give me some information on dog breeders in or around North Carolina, such as location and or what breeds they carry.
Shiba Inu (Non-Sporting Group)
Posted by: | CommentsThe Shiba Inu is a strikingly handsome and courageous member of the Non-Sporting Group. With tis beautiful variety of soft colors, this dog is physically compact with adorable short ears, a thick coat of fur, and a muscular body. They have an expression of peace and alertness, always ready for the next adventure.
The temperament of the breed is best described as bold, independent, literally brimming with self-confidence. They are one of the best all-around house dogs to have because they are active and adventurous outside, but once indoors become calm and mild-mannered. The Shiba Inu tends to bark a lot, especially at the presence of intruders, making them excellent watchdogs.
A Brief History Of The Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu is one of six native Japanese breeds. In fact, these dogs are said to be the most ancient of them all. They were used to hunt and flush out small game, gaining the nickname "little brushwood dog" in reference to its red coat which blended in with the local brushwood trees.
The precise origin of the Shiba Inu is not known, but we do know that they share common blood with the spitz. The breed may have its roots dating as far back as 300 B.C. as hunting companions throughout Japan. From hunting small game and flushing out birds, these dogs were also used to help hunt wild boar.
At one point there were three variations. They were known as the Sanin Shiba, the Mino Shiba, and Shinshu shiba. All were named after their locality. Unfortunately, they were all but wiped out during World War II, then further numbers lost by distemper during the early 1952.
In order to keep the Shiba Inu from becoming completely extinct various types were interbred. Lighter boned dogs were crossed with heavy boned dogs from the mountain areas. These breeding efforts were a success and the United States saw its first Shiba Inu dog in 1954, gaining AKC recognition in 1993.
Upkeep Requirements For The Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu cannot live a happy lifestyle without plenty of daily exercise. Although they are a small-sized breed, this dog has a never-ending amount of energy to burn. Several long walks on the leash plus laps around the yard each day is ideal. They especially love to chase and hunt small animals.
With a moderate tolerance to heat and a high tolerance to cool temperatures, the Shiba Inu can spend lots of time outdoors, but is not meant to live outside completely. If allowed to access a fenced-in yard during the day be sure to provide warm shelter as well. Grooming requirements for the breed consists of a brushing once or twice weekly.
Health Concerns
The average lifespan of the Shiba Inu is between twelve and fifteen years. The only major health concern that runs common in the breed is patellar luxation. Minor health issues include allergies and cataracts. Rarely seen is PRA, CHD, PPM, and distichiasis. Veterinarians suggest that the Shiba Inu get specifically tested for eye, hip, and knee problems.
Dog Food: 5 Types Of Commercial Dog Food You Might
Posted by: | CommentsDog Food: 5 Types Of Commercial Dog Food You Might Want To Consider
Just a few years ago, feeding your dog was so much simpler compared to today's nutritional advice. I remember when my parent's dog ate whatever the whole family would eat, including dessert! In addition to table scraps, he also ate commercial dog food. That dog had a happy life and lived well into his mid-teens without contracting any serious illness or disease.
Picking a commercial dog food was also easy back then. There were only a handful of brands to choose from and these pet foods all had practically the same ingredients, only varying in color and flavor.
Nowadays, there are so many varieties to choose from. Below is a list of some of the popular commercial foods available for your dog:
Organic Dog Food
Most dog food products found in the market today contain pesticides and other chemicals. If you want to give your dog food that is free of these chemicals, consider organic dog food. However, the term "organic" can be misleading, so read the ingredients carefully before making your purchase.
No Preservative or Natural Preservative Dog Food
Most dog foods contain preservatives in the form of artificial chemicals such as ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA. These are added for two reasons: To prevent the food from spoiling and keep the taste lasting longer. Some dog foods, however, have natural preservatives like vitamin C (often listed as ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (often listed as tocopherols).
Before you buy a dog food with natural preservatives, be sure to read the ingredients first to make sure that the preservatives are actually derived from nature instead of it being artificially synthesized.
You may also buy dog foods that are free of any kind of preservatives. These products must be properly sealed in a cool, dry, bug-free place and used promptly to assure freshness.
Vegetarian Dog Food
Vegetarian dog foods allow vegetarian dog owners to exercise their dietary beliefs with their dogs. These foods contain all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients that your pet needs, so long as they are properly made. A vegetarian diet is also beneficial for dogs that are allergic to meat.
Raw Dog Food
Many dog owners believe that a diet of raw food is the healthiest way to feed their pet because this is the way wolves and other wild dog species ate. This belief has no scientific facts to value its accuracy. However, a diet of raw food can expose both you and your pet to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
Therapeutic Dog Food
Therapeutic dog foods, along with necessary medical care, have been the growing trend in dog food products today. It is only available through a veterinarian and is usually prescribed for cases of preventive treatment, as an after-surgery diet, or for certain health problems like food allergies.
In the Yorkshire Terrier breeds, What is a Teddy Bear Yorkie.?
Posted by: | CommentsI am familiar with the tea cup and the miniature, but have never heard of the teddy bear.
Excessive Barking (Part 7): How To Trick Your Dog Into
Posted by: | CommentsExcessive Barking (Part 7): How To Trick Your Dog Into Being Quiet (Alternative Methods)
When beginning your anti-bark campaign, it must be remembered that dogs learn by associating their actions with either pleasing or displeasing results. It takes approximately one week for the average dog to learn an average thing.
The solution to the problem when creating the "trick your dog into thinking you are home" plan with so much realism that your pet actually believes you have left the area.
Dogs are like children. For example, a classroom full of a 8-old kids would most likely be on their absolute best behavior if they knew for a fact that their teacher was just outside the door in the hallway. Think back, don't you remember breaking loose and goofing off with the rest of the children in your classroom when you knew the teacher went into another classroom down the hall? Yes, your dog has the same type of mentality.
Other Methods Of "Being There" While Not Actually Being There
I have known some dog owners that recorded their voice into a tape recorder. Periodically, the recording on the tape would say loudly "STOP" or "KNOCK IT OFF." Of course the timing of these shouting commands could be way off and this is certainly not a recommended procedure, with the reasons being quite obvious.
Your dog may not be doing anything wrong when he hears these commands on tape. He may be asleep or actually just hanging around, being a good dog. Although this may work if your dog is known for constant bad behavior, he could eventually learn to ignore these commands altogether and when you are at home, he will still consider your commands to be meaningless, like a game, just like the "tape recording game" you dog has gotten used to.
Thinking Outside The Box
One dog owner was never really successful in being able to sneak back into the house without being seen or heard from his dog. So finally, one sunny morning, the owner had called a friend who lived about a half mile away. On the telephone he said, "I'm coming over but please do not hang up the phone, I'll explain in just a minute." The owner did not hang up his phone either, instead he placed the receiver on top of the window sill.
He went to the back yard, gave his dog a loving pat on the head, and said "I'll be back later buddy." He then got in his car and drove over to his friends house. He then picked up his friend's phone and sat listening for almost 30 minutes before the dog was finally convinced that he was gone.
Soon after, guess what happened - he started barking excessively! The owner then rushed in his car and drove home in less than a minute. He stormed into the backyard and immediately surprised his dog with loud shouting commands and a squirt gun. After about four of these surprise visits, his dog finally got the message and the barking had stopped.
Nutrition – The Importance Of Fats In Your Dog’s Diet
Posted by: | CommentsNutrition - The Importance Of Fats In Your Dog's Diet
An important nutrient that all dogs need and one that is responsible for furnishing energy in their body are fats. Fats supply energy for the body to use. It also has a small role in building strong cells and promoting the absorption of nutrients. However, similar to the essential amino acids, a dog's body isn't able to produce these essential fatty acids, and therefore has to come from an outside source, from the food they eat.
Dogs do not usually develop a deficiency in fatty acids because their basic diet normally provides them with sufficient amount of energy from fat. In fact, a small amount of extra fats benefit their body in several ways. It protects them from the cold; it provides cushion to their body; and it serves as a protective layer of covering around different organs in their body. Actually, dogs are very efficient in using their stored fats because their bodies have the ability to easily turn these fats into energy when needed.
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing
Fats are very beneficial, but it can become a concern when the dog eats too much of it. Too much fuel in the dog's body, regardless of where it came from, is converted into body fat, which is then stored in the body. Too much fat in the body results in obesity and other conditions that are related to obesity such as diabetes, canine osteoarthritis, and heart disease.
There is only a limited amount of fat that is used for protection against cold, cushion, covering, and extra energy. But when the maximum amount of stored fat is reached and applied for these purposes, the dog still continues to stock up fat and does so to the same degree that is equivalent to the excess energy that it consumes. For instance, every 3,500 calories that a dog eats in excess to what his body requires will be turned into 1 pound of body fat.
It is important for all dog owners to know that the only way for their dogs to get fat is if they take in more calories than their bodies use. Similarly, the only way for the dog to lose weight and get rid of the excess fat is by taking in less calories than what their body requires.
Briard (Herding Group)
Posted by: | CommentsThe Briard is a highly intelligent and devoted member of the Herding Group. With a powerful build and a hight range from 22 to 27 inches, this breed is longer than it is tall. They have an overall handsome appearance, with a coat displaying long, wavy locks of hair. The weight of the Briard dog ranges from approximately 75 to 100 lbs for the male, and from 50 to 65 lbs for females.
The temperament of the Briard can best be described as faithful and devoted, always willing to please. The are highly intelligent and maintain a confident personality. This breed is friendly towards other types of pets in the house but extremely reserved and weary around strangers and other dogs, making them excellent watchdogs and family protectors.
A Brief History Of The Briard
The Briard has its roots from France, dating back to the 1300s. The original function of the breed was as a herding dog and a dependable guardian of livestock. It was part of four other French breeds, with the others being the Pyrenean, Beauceron, and the Picardy. Of these four breeds, it is the oldest French sheepdog, depicted in artwork dating back as far as the 8th century.
These dogs did not actually go by the name of Briard until well into the early 1800s. Some people referred to them as the Chien Berger de Brie, which means "Shepherd Dog of Brie." The job of these early dogs were to protect herds as well as fight off (and win) against wolves if necessary. Human intruders were also subject to the same punishment when going up against a Briard dog when it was protecting its livestock.
After the French Revolution the breed was used less as a guard dog and more as a sheep herder. The dogs hit the show ring around 1900, and in 1897 the first breed standard was drawn up. A second breed standard replaced the original in 1909. The Briard made its way to the United States with Thomas Jefferson being one of the first owners of the breed.
Upkeep Requirements For The Briard
Like all members of the Herding Group, the Briard must have vigorous daily exercise. These requirements can be met with several brisk walks on the leash, plus long play sessions outdoors. They especially love to herd when given the chance and may attempt to herd small children if left unsupervised.
This breed can tolerate cool temperatures but does not handle hot climates very well. Briard dogs can live outdoors if necessary, but the ideal arrangement is to sleep indoors with the family at night with access to a safe, fenced-in yard during the day. Grooming requirements consist of a thorough brushing of its long coat three to four times weekly.
Health Concerns
The average lifespan of the Briard is between ten and twelve years. Major health concerns that run common in the breed are CHD and gastric torsion. Minor health issues include night blindness. Rarely seen in these dogs are heart problems and PRA. Veterinarians suggest that the Briard get specifically tested for cardiac, hip, and eye problems.
What are some good 3-legged dog exercises?
Posted by: | CommentsMy little girl Chloe, a lab mix, is a recent amputee (front left) and she is already getting around pretty well, but her other front leg is not really strong enough to support all of her front weight for more than a few minutes, so I was wondering if any vet techs out there knew some good exercises to help her without hurting her?
How can I locate/find quality dog breeders in my city?
Posted by: | CommentsI live in Orlando FL and I am trying to locate a quality dog breeder. Any good websites or other sources you could recommend would be great. Thanks
Hi! I'm Jamie and this is my site about dogs.
