Dog Training: Teaching Your Dog Self-Control
July 23, 2008
Is your dog one of those that pulls at his leash constantly whenever there is a distraction? A child walks by, or he sees another dog? If a cat or small animal scoots by, or if a car wooshes in front of him, does he tug to get closer? Is he hard to manage while visiting the vet, or when you have visitors?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then your dog training needs to include self-control measures. A child is taught similar things when they are growing up (don’t put your hand on the stove, or you can’t have a cookie unless you ask, first), a dog requires the same kind of love and attention, too. Just as you would teach a dog how to sit, speak, come when called or stop, you also need to provide dog training related to self-control.
A few simple guidelines are all that are required for owners to follow. Join me here as I briefly discuss them.
Teach Commands, Not Actions
Using Dog Leash Training to Control Your Pooch
July 22, 2008
Many pet owners don’t like using a leash, for a wide variety of reasons: "My dog stays right next to me." "He pulls the leash too much." "My dog wants to explore on his own terms." "I feel like a leash restricts my dog, and I don’t believe in that."
However, in order to keep your dog safe, you require control of your pet. Your dog also needs to know this, to ensure he’s aware who the boss is. And, once you train your dog to not pull on his leash, or other bothersome behaviors (take a course through a local dog obedience school), you’ll figure out just how fantastic dog leash training really is.
A dog that doesn’t have any boundaries, such as a leash and an owner, doesn’t realize that others have boundaries that he is required to respect. Proper dog leash training will show your pet what is expected of him at all times, no matter what is thrown at him. You cannot control if another dog attacks your pet, runs out into traffic, gets distracted by a wild animal or is so excited that he’s not paying attention to his surroundings if your dog is unleashed. But with some dog leash training and a few commands he recognizes, you’ll have the utmost of control in almost any situation.
Dog House Training: Straightforward Advice
July 21, 2008
Making sure that accidents don’t happen in the first place is the focus of this article about dog house training. Training is far easier and faster then getting upset with your dog every time they eliminate in an inappropriate place. The methods discussed in this article are effective for both puppies and older dogs that are new to living inside.
First of all, you’ll need to purchase a crate for your pet. Talk to someone at the pet store to get an idea as to what size you’ll need, as it will depend on the breed, temperament and size of the animal. And don’t think of this crate as being a punishment, even before you bring it into the house. Instead, think of it as your dog’s special resting place when you are unable to protect your house or furniture from his temporary inability to control his bladder. Since dogs don’t like to eliminate where the rest or sleep, this is an effective, easy way of training.
Put the crate in an area that isn’t far away from the action in your household. The purpose here isn’t to segregate your dog into a separate living space, but rather to use the dog house training methods to teach them the appropriate place to take care of business.
Dog Behavior Training: Methods of Working with a Shy Dog
July 20, 2008
Shy dogs are more common than most people think, but unfortunately many dogs who suffer from this affliction are never seen by the general public because of their impairment. Shy dogs range from those who scurry away when someone walks by, to those who bite when approached. No matter how vehement their behavior, however, there are ways of not only managing it, but solving the problem.
Symptoms of a Shy Dog
Most shy dogs will exhibit several different behaviors that show you their true nature. They can display flattened ears, glassy eyes, pant oddly, tuck their tail between their legs, and refuse to make eye contact. They may run away scared, urinate inappropriately (also called submissive urination), bare his teeth, bark, growl, or perhaps bite.
Why is He Shy?
Dog Crate Training: The Basics
July 19, 2008
Dog crate training is one of the most effective ways of modifying your pet’s elimination habits. If your puppy or new pet has decided that they want to leave puddles or other unsightly messes around your house, then taking a closer look at this method may be in order.
Dog crate training is based around the premises that most dogs will not eliminate where they sleep or rest, provided that they are given options to release elsewhere. Therefore, owners will temporarily confine their pet to a cage of some sorts, in order to change negative behaviors. However, the confinement is only one aspect of dog crate training; the other, more important aspect occurs when the dog is released from it’s cage, is brought outside to go to the bathroom, and is instantly praised.
It is important to note that this method is used only to temporarily confine your dog when you are crate training him, or when you are away from your home for shorter periods of time (i.e. going to work). This method is meant to teach your dog bladder control, helping them to learn when and where it is, and is not appropriate to do the deed.
Practical Advice for Adopting a Dog
July 18, 2008
If you are thinking of adding a dog to your family, consider adopting your new best friend from an animal shelter or humane society. You’ll not only get a good feeling from helping a homeless pet, you’ll get an outstanding companion. Many fantastic dogs end up in shelters through life circumstances that have happened with their original owners, and the staff at these organizations carefully check the animals for sound health and good temperament. In addition, some shelter animals have had the benefit of training to develop good manners while they’ve been waiting for a new home.
You can find just about any age, size and breed of dog at an animal shelter. From entire litters of puppies, to young dogs, to older housebroken dogs too.
When a new dog first arrives, shelter staff carefully evaluate it for physical and behavioral soundness. They make note of quirks, and work with specialists to eliminate negative behaviors. Most shelters even have adoption counselors who interview potential adopters to understand their needs and lifestyle so they can make the perfect match.
The Basics of Dog Obedience Training for Your New Pet
July 18, 2008
Dog obedience training starts even before you get your puppy in your home. Instead, it starts originally with the person that you purchased the dog from. Ask the breeder or salesperson what type of training, if anything at all, was provided before your dog came into your care.
Puppies until the age of 21 days are like infants; they are only able to find Mom, eat, sleep and go to the bathroom. Anything else is pretty much beyond their abilities at this time. That fourth week, however, is crucial to any dog obedience training because this is when your animal becomes more aware of his surroundings. Any positive or negative experiences that occur during this time will affect your puppy for life, so make sure that any stimuli is in the right direction.
At the four week mark, puppies can be introduced to crate training while still at the breeder’s. A wire cage, well padded and large enough for the entire litter, is placed in the whelping box at this stage. Newspaper is placed all around the floor space, so that the dogs can get used to sleeping in the crate and eliminating on the paper.
Dog Potty Training: Can I Get My Dog to Stop Eating It?
July 17, 2008
Okay, so it’s not the cleanest or most appealing of dog behaviors, but it is a serious problem with most dog owners ? how do I start dog potty training so that my dog stops eating poop?!
Well, there are no guarantees here, unfortunately. However, this article will detail some ideas you can try, so that your dog stops this disgusting habit.
Avoid ‘It’
One of the best dog potty training methods is avoidance. Don’t let your dog see anything he shouldn’t be eating, and he won’t. However, this is almost impossible when talking him for a walk, or really anywhere outside for that matter. For starters, at least make sure you are cleaning up after your own dog before he can get into it, and avoid places that you know are more ‘infested’ than others.
Keep Careful Guard
Six Dog Training Tips to Modify Negative Behavior
July 16, 2008
Almost every dog owner will have to use some sort of behavior modification techniques at one time or another when training their prized pet. If you are able to ‘get’ why your dog does what he does, when he does it, you are one step closer to solving the problem. This article will detail ten ways of doing just that, in a general fashion that can be used for a wide variety of issues.
Dog Training Tip #1: It’s All about Control
Let your dog know who is in charge, and you’ve alleviated a lot of problems. It’s not about fighting for control, it’s about knowing who has it. So when it’s time to train your dog, put on his training collar so he’s fully aware of what time it is. Alternatively, use a leash when walking your dog, so that he knows who is boss all of the time.
Dog Training Tip #2: Reframe the Negative
Instead of telling your dog, "NO!" for something bad he’s done, try and reframe the negative into something positive instead. For instance, if your dog decided to run after a chipmunk running across your lawn, try, "Sit" instead of whatever you’d normally use. Now you can praise him as well for his good behavior, instead of yelling at him because he didn’t stop.
Feeding Your Pet Stingray - The Essentials of Maintaining a Varied Diet
July 15, 2008
Stingrays will eat a wide variety of foods. Maintaining a varied diet is extremely important in captive animals, as monocultural diets incur a risk of nutritional deficiencies. Stingrays are very active, and should be fed at least once a day, preferably twice or even three times daily. The daily diet can be varied in order to create some environmental enrichment as well as balanced nutrition for the rays.
First Foods First foods for newly acquired rays should be blackworms or tubifex worms. These foods seem to be the most readily accepted, and are small enough to be inadvertently ingested either by mouth or through the spiracle, thereby giving the ray an opportunity to taste these possibly unfamiliar foods by chance. Foods that have been used for very small specimens, such as the teacup rays, are small insect larvae such as mosquito larvae, small shrimp known as ghost shrimp or glass shrimp, live adult brine shrimp, and blackworms. Chitinous foods such as shrimp provide less nutritional value than do soft-bodied foods, and so should not be used as sole food items.
