courtesy of ihasahotdog.com

This puppy owner thinks they have it all covered, but maybe this little guy has other ideas!

Newspaper Puppy is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Crate training

Does Crate Training Dogs Work?

www.obediencetrainingfordogsblog.com

A dog crate is a cage made of wire or molded plastic. The purpose of crate training dogs is to provide confinement for reasons of security, safety, housebreaking, protection of household goods, travel or illness. You may think that putting your pet in a crate is mean or inhumane and might cause your pet to resent you or to be psychologically damaged. However, dogs view the world differently than people.

As your dog sees it, the crate is a room of his very own – a “security blanket”. The crate helps to satisfy the “den instinct” inherited from his den-dwelling ancestors and relatives. Your pet will feel secure, not frustrated once accustomed to his crate. Your pet wants to please you and you want to enjoy him. The crate can help you achieve a better relationship with your pet by preventing unwanted behavior when you aren’t available to supervise him.

Read the rest of this article.

Does Crate Training Work? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

courtesy of www.factoidz.com

Since our beloved dogs become such a big part of our families, we want them to live as long as they possibly can.  Find out more about how you can help.

How to Help Your Dog Live a Healthy and Long Life

by Brenda Nelson, www.factoidz.com

Although we know that our beloved dog will probably die before we do, there are many things an owner can do to help their dog live a longer life.

Dog Selection

Right from the start, the dog you buy, and the place you buy it from, can have a huge impact on how long it will live.  Pups sold in pet stores come from mass breeders, places who only breed for profit.  As such these pups may typically have genetic health problems or predispositions to some problems.  Of course, most owners know that small dogs live longer than big ones, and most pets stores sell only small breed pups.

Back yard breeders also tend to disregard breeding for health, rather they breed for cuteness.  If a person wants a long lived purebred dog they are best off to select one from a reputable breeder.  Sadly many people in the market for a puppy have no idea how to determine if a breeder is reputable.  Quite simply put, a reputable breeder takes their dogs to shows to prove their worth as breeding animals and has them tested by a veterinarian against any genetic health problems.  They do not breed any dogs where problems have been shown to exist.  They do not advertise puppies for sale, rather they get waiting lists before they breed.

Read the rest of Brenda’s article.

Helping Your Dog Live a Long and Healthy Life is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

courtesy of www.dogstardaily.com

If you are thinking about getting a dog, or perhaps adding another one to your household, you might want to read this article to see if you have done your homework on figuring out just what type of dog is really right for you and the best methods for training your dogs to fit in with your lifestyle.

An Un-Tapped Resource

by Marie Finnegan, January 17, 2010

Dog Star Daily

As dog trainers we regularly see people who have chosen to add a dog to their home that isn’t always the best match for them. Our job is to teach them how to live together in spite of the challenges a mismatch may bring with it. Most of the time we can help, but sometimes sadly the dog ends up in rescue instead, despite our best efforts.

What I don’t understand is why more people don’t ask trainers their opinion in finding the right dog for them. We see and work with more breeds and shelter dogs regularly than they will ever meet in a lifetime. Some of us even live with multiple breeds in our own homes. Not to mention the fact that dog trainers know about dog behavior and breed traits because it is our job to know this information.

I know some people end up with a puppy because they are cute and people can be impulsive, but that isn’t everyone. There are also people who go to shelters, or try to find breeders, that do have an idea what they want. Unfortunatly looking at a dog in a shelter can bring up emotional responses and people can then make a bad choice based on that emotion.

Or maybe people don’t know how to find a reputable breeder that will tell them the truth about any negative traits of the breed they choose to share their life with. Those breeders also conviently say nothing of the health issues that their breed may be prone to. Non-reputable breeders, who don’t do any health testing nor care about temperment, only care about making a sale.

Read the rest of Marie’s story.

Is Your Dog Right for You? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

So, you’ve got a new puppy, and you may have experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed with the new responsibilities and demands on your life.  Here’s an article that lets you know you are not alone.

Great Expectations

by Gillian Ridgeway, January 13, 2010, Dog Star Daily

You think you are alone.  Everyone else sees your new little bundle of fluff as fun and exciting.  As the neighbors ooh and aah in delight over Oscar’s antics, you heart starts to sink.  What have you done?  How did you ever think that getting this puppy would add delight to your life?

It all starts with an image.  The image that we focus in our heads is one of the loyal, faithful companion.  The companion that is willing to dole out unconditional love to us after a hard day at the office.  We visualize ourselves tossing a stick on a beach just as the sunset is approaching.  We visualize ourselves sipping coffee at an outdoor café with our dogs patiently waiting at our sides and we visualize just how cool this dog will be as he lopes around the dog park, with only eyes for you.

And your journey begins.  You start to look for the breed of dog you think will suit your lifestyle.  You search for breeders and you comb the local pound in search of the ideal dog.  You decide on a set of criteria and you are determined to stick to it.  After all, if you stick to your criteria, the outcome should be great.  You hunt around for information at every place you stop.  The other dog owners are thrilled for you and more than happy to give out the name of their Veterinarian and trainer and your sense of elation gets even higher.  You are prepared, so this venture should be perfect.

Read the rest of Gillian’s article.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Bob Schieffer Says Humans Would Be Better Off If We Let Dogs Be Our Teachers

(CBS) I have no idea where this came from or who wrote it – if I did I’d give them credit – but a friend who knows I love dogs e-mailed the following, which I pass along today only because it seems a nice thing to share at the beginning of a new year.

It’s a list of what we would learn if dogs were our teachers. Such as:

Always run to greet loved ones when they come home.

Never pass the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

Recognize the ecstasy of fresh air and wind in your face.

Take naps. (I do that!)

Stretch before rising.

Read the rest of the CBS article.

Lessons We Can Learn From Our Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Courtesy of myseattlepets.com/delta society

While we love our dogs, most of us, at some point consider how uncomplicated our lives might be if we didn’t have our four-legged companions.

Here’s a humorous look at just what we might be missing!

Posted by Lori Moak-Kean  at December 30, 2009
MySeattlePets.com

If I didn’t have cats or dogs……

“I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of fur.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk ‘baby talk’. ‘Eat your din din’. ‘Yummy yummy for the tummy’..

My house would not look like a day care centre, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, T-R-E-A-T, B-I-K-E, G-O, R-I-D-E

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I would not have to answer the question ‘Why do you have so many animals?’ from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!”

(author unknown)

Read more about Delta Society

Life Without Dogs is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

This article addresses some of the similarities, but also the differences.

Dogs are like little children

by Roberta Baxter, Eugene Dogs Examiner, December 19

When we leave the home, unless we have a video camera, a pet owner does not know everything that goes on while they are away. Even if the camera is set and ready to record, don’t bank on it telling you everything. The mind and brain of a dog can be sneaky.  Do you wonder if they know what is right and wrong? Just remember the canine is a dog and is not human. Pet owners sometimes think of their dogs as children, but they are dogs, folks.

Some similarities of dogs and children ring a familiar bell.  One such event that comes to my mind is putting things in the mouth.  Puppies chew on EVERYTHING even if it not palatable.  Try to imagine a jumping bean alone in the house with your pain meds by the bedside table, conveniently left so you will take them for comfort.  The caps are tamper proof, but not dog proof. Dogs cannot read.  The bottle might have your scent on it, or the dog could have viewed you eating from that prescription bottle at one time.

Read the rest of Roberta’s story.

Is Your Puppy Like a Child? is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

The Life of the Party: Holiday Entertaining Success for Dog Owners

by Casey Lomonaco KPA CTP

The holidays are here and many of us are expecting to welcome company into our homes to celebrate the season.

While the holidays are a wonderful time, they can also be stressful for dogs and their people.  When we entertain, we hope to enjoy a nice, relaxing time and provide our guests with the same enjoyable experience.  A significant contributing factor to the likelihood of accomplishing this goal is the behavior of the family dog.  At our holiday parties, our dogs can be a significant source of pride if they are well-behaved, or can turn the fun quickly into a nightmare if they are behaving at their worst.

Read the rest of Casey’s article on successful holiday entertaining.

Holiday Entertaining and Your Dog is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog

Courtesy of www.Yeepet.com

With so many people needing to find ways to cut back on expenses these days, affording a dog groomer can be expensive.  But, it doesn’t have to be.  With some dog training and a little experience, you can get your pooch clean and spiffy all in the comfort of your own home.

posted by daisyd on 12/22/2009

Get salon treatment for your pooch in the comfort of your own home.

How to Prepare Your Dog

Prior training will be very helpful if you are trying to groom your pet at home by yourself.  They should be able to do basic commands like sit, lay and stay.  It’s also helpful to get your pet used to having someone touch his feet and ears so that he doesn’t flinch so much during the grooming process.  Have plenty of treats available to reinforce good behavior, like listening to commands and tolerating having his hands held.

Equipment You Need

Brush: This depends on the type of fur your dog has.  Long, flowing fur needs a steel pin brush.  Short, silky hair needs a rubber brush mitt.  Curly hair needs a fine wire brush.  Medium length, wavy hair needs a steel comb.

Shampoo: So many to choose from!  Try some with oatmeal if your dog has itchy skin.  Or try some specifically made to get rid of fleas if bugs are a problem where you live.

Clippers: If you’re just trimming around the feet and doing minor touch ups, you can probably just use inexpensive clippers.  Go ahead and invest in some sturdier clippers though if you’ll be doing some serious fur clipping.  Make sure you have lubricating oil to keep the clippers working well.  And use plastic guide combs to determine how short the hair should be.

Pet ear wash and cotton balls.

Nail scissors or electric trimmers: Depending on how antsy your dog is, the electric trimmers are better for squirmy dogs.

Toothbrush and pet toothpaste: Dog toothpaste is flavored like meat instead of mint.

Read the rest of daisyd’s article about grooming your dog at home.

Grooming Your Dog at Home is a post from: Dog Obedience Training Blog