Dog - Best Dog Training Program For A Happier Dog

While adopting a dog is great fun, you have to remember that it also means a lot of responsibilities added to your life. Once you are a dog owner, you have to ensure that your pet has got everything he needs: good care, a safe environment, and everything that will make him healthy and happy. Caring for a dog is a big step to take, but your reward is a loving companion and a lively home environment with a lot of fun. To provide your dog with a good life, and to ensure that he is safe at all times, the first step you have to take is to see that he is trained properly. Strangely enough, many people fail to carry out this important task; then they are left wondering why the dog will not listen to his commands or jumps up on visitors. Many a pet dog who has been labeled a "bad" dog, actually needed his owner to train him properly and give him the time necessary to carry out this task. A well trained dog will have some really amusing tricks to show off, but more importantly, it will add to his safety. In case he is getting into a dangerous situation, you obedience training will be crucial and you will be able to call him back to safety to your side. He will be well behaved at all times around visitors and family members, an obedient companion to cherish. Moreover, the training process will establish you as the master, and create a strong bond between you and your pet. You can either train your dog yourself, or you can join a training class, and get instructed by professionals. Part of your responsibility will be to see that your dog has excellent veterinary care. There should be yearly physical exams and vaccinations updated. You have to put him on the right flea, tick and heartworm medications. If any change in his behavior is noticeable, make a vet appointment right away; the smallest change in his mood, habits, eating or elimination pattern has to be checked out by the vet. You have to ensure that there are no places around where your dog can fall or get stuck in, and there should be no sharp objects like pins or nails lying around. Family members have to take care not to leave the door open for your dog to run out on to the street. Never give him food like chocolates, which can be harmful, even deadly. Grooming your dog is important for his health. His coat has to be brushed regularly, his nails trimmed, and his eyes and ears have to be cleaned. Proper dental care is important as well; his teeth should be brushed every other day, to keep his mouth clean and give him fresh breath! You should also have a plan so that your dog is taken care of in an emergency, like a fire. There has to be a responsible person to get him out of the house in such a situation. With good and loving care, some dogs live into their teens. Although this is a pretty long commitment, the rewards are great. To find out what Dog Obedience training can do for you and to Learn expert dog training techniques and advice to help with dog behavior problems, and more tips to raise an obedient dog and companion. Please go to this link: http://kcjack-trainingdogs.blogspot.com For more secrets, tips and information on online dog training program for happier dog, visit: http://dogobedience6daycourse.blogspot.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tjangu_Jack

Dog - Dog Training Devices - Simple Tools Or Substitutes?

The inventiveness of trainers and those that provide them with additional tools is never ending. To the casual or novice trainer there seems to be a dizzying assortment of devices. Although, many are highly useful, they should never be viewed as alternatives for basic training experience. Prior to using any of the devices mentioned below, be certain that your dog is in good health. Even the gentlest of training regimes or collars are capable of doing harm if the dog has a twisted dew claw or a skin sore. Clickers - Ideal for getting the attention of your pet, the clicker is a plastic and metal hand held unit that emits a noisy click clack effect when squeezed and released. It can save on the trainer needing to shout frequently, and is extremely audible, even against heavy background noises. Leashes and Collars - These is such as variety of leashes, ranging in scale from a two foot control collar, typically nylon or leather, to the 35 foot retractable nylon cord style. For close work, such as instructing 'sit' or 'stay' (for example, 'don't chase after the cat') the two to five foot collar is an ideal accessory. The extendable leash is handy for those trainers that want to obey their pet. The human (either male or female) needs to always be the 'alpha male' of the group, and the alpha will always lead. Leashes are available in several buckle, nylon, snap, leather combination. As long as the nylon and snaps are of sufficient quality they can be entirely suited for even the larger breeds. They need to be carefully adjusted, though, to ensure they don't slide off easily. The spike collars is generally opposed by many trainers, as they could easily injure a smaller dog, and seem to prompt fear in even the larger ones. In a similar way, choke collars are not encouraged. Although dogs do have powerful neck muscles, a sharp jerk on the front of the throat has the potential to bruise or even collapse a trachea. Vests - In a similar way to the leashes, a full vest or chest halter leash can aid in strengthen the dog handlers advantage while at the same time preventing undue pressure on the pets throat. A possible downside to these leashes is that the dog will not experience any discomfort from being pulled, so this can limit training entirely to positive reinforcement. Intended originally as an aid for seeing-eye and other support dogs, the chest halter can promote tugging - the reverse of the usual objective. However, for those that require additional control over an unruly dog or when the standard leash and collars won't serve they're priceless. Muzzles - For interim biting and barking control muzzles can often be useful or even essential. The flipside to using one is that the dog will not learn through other means to curb barking. The muzzle can turn into a replacement for the more complex, long term answer of obeying 'no bark' directions. There are a variety of other dog-related items: chemical sprays, electric fences, no-bark collars, head collars, etc. But these are essentially control devices as opposed to training tools. Finally, of course, there are the training devices that continue to be extremely effective and everlasting favourites: love and respect. Treat your dog with great respect and it will certainly be much simpler to achieve the desired behaviour results. Darren Lintern writes extensively for www.andallabout.com, a popular informational website that provides helpful tips, advice, and resources on many dog training topics including Clicker Dog Training, and Discount Dog Training Supplies Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Lintern

Dog - The Hot List of Canine Christmas Presents for 2006

Are you at a loss as to what to get for your dog-loving friends this year? How about all those people-loving dogs you know? We've compiled a list of six unique holiday gifts that will please both the special humans and the exceptional canines in your life. 1. Toys Galore: For dog owners with labs, retrievers, and other enthusiastic canines, consider presenting them with a selection of unique dog toys. With all the new designs (meant for people entertainment too), there is no shortage of gift options. Pet stores now carry gadgets that will leave your hands spit-free from slobbery tennis balls and indestructible rubber chew toys guaranteed not to end up in a thousand pieces on the rug. Or how about a laser pointer pen? Your girlfriend can write with it while her Jack Russell chases the red laser dot up the wall. 2. Hand-Carved Dog Furniture: If you're stumped over what to get for the friend who has everything to the aunt who never seems to like anything, consider a plant stand, Christmas ornament, or even free-standing wine rack featuring the hand-carved image of their favorite dog. You could even let their pet in on the gift, by giving them a leash holder or dog feeder displaying their mastiff or Shi Tzu in painstaking detail. 3. Puppy's First Gift Basket: Know someone whose puppy is celebrating their first Christmas this year? Put together a Christmas gift basket, complete with chewable toys (to save new shoes from certain death), a holiday-themed ceramic food dish, and for the proud mom or dad, tasty treats to coax the little nipper into behaving himself. 4. Don't Forget Your Neighborhood Vet: Most veterinarians have pets at home too, and everyone loves to be remembered during the holidays. If you know your vet has dogs of his or her own, bake up some homemade dog treats and wrap them up with a pretty ribbon in a doggie-themed coffee mug. Search for free dog treat recipes online and let the holiday bake-fest begin! You might want to include another mug filled with people treats - just don't use the same bone-shaped cookie cutters for both gifts to avoid embarrassing mix-ups. 5. Travel Fun for Dog Owners: If you have friends and family who love to travel and hate leaving their dogs in kennels, give them the gift of travel tips. There are several books available especially for those who travel with their pets. These travel guides include tips on traveling with dogs, as well as lists of pet-friendly spas and lodgings and how-to's for pet plane travel. One of these books might just be a must-have item for dog-loving globetrotters. 6. Pet and People Matching Duds: A sweater is a much appreciated gift that gives the recipient that warm, fuzzy feeling inside. To keep the wet and chilly months of winter and early spring at bay, equip your friends and their pooches with color-coordinated with matching sweaters. Since dog sweaters are harder to come by than the people variety, check out a pet store first. It may take some shopping, but that snapshot of your brother-in-law wearing the same outfit as his Great Dane will be well worth the effort. Kristen Brockmeyer is a dog-loving writer from Michigan who will be buying her husband and her Pitt Bull, Tye, matching sweaters this holiday season. To read more of her work, check out http://www.hepkittenswork.blogspot.com And for the finest in hand carved dog furniture that both you and your pet will love, go to http://www.studiodogcarver.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristen_Brockmeyer

Dog - How to Train a Puppy to Stop Biting

Puppies love to chew and your puppy will have a natural instinct to bite everything he can reach. As his instructor you WILL need to set boundaries on what he CAN and cannot bite or chew on. The pup MUST NOT be allowed to bite you! Puppy teeth are a sharp as needles, and can inflict real pain! Additionally the bacteria in a dogs mouth can cause infection in even minor wounds. PLUS the correct discipline here and now, will assist to prevent more serious injury later when an older dog may be able to inflict serious bite wounds! Even a gentle dog can get overexcited when playing. If the dog has not been taught to keep his teeth off you, he can escalate gentle mouthing to a painful bite in no time! When your puppy bites you, tell him NO or give a deep growl like a dog - they instinctively understand growling. If he does it again, repeat the process and stop him physically with your hands. Consistency is the key in all dog training. If the dog does not listen, grasp his collar, look into his eyes and shake him and repeat the NO or growl and then roll him over onto his back into a position of submission. If the puppy persists in spite of all these, it's time to use the most severe punishment, which is to put him in his darkened crate or a ventilated box to cool off. Confining your dog to his crate as a punishment is very effective - dogs enjoy the company of humans and hate isolation! If you have been clear about what the dog is being punished for, the correction will be understood and - though it may take a few visits to the crate or box, -- you WILL win eventually and the dog will stop! We've had some problem 'children' that have tested us sorely! The crate should be the most severe tool for prevention of dog problems! Do not beat the dog - no matter what you have heard, hitting the dog is cruel and unnecessary, especially since there are more effective methods. Using the crate lets him know he cannot act in certain ways. When he's not in the crate, keep the door open and let it remain accessible, he or she may also use it to retreat from the noise or disturbance. In addition, to overcome the tendency to bite or mouth things (and destroy them), it's vital that dogs are given other things that they CAN chew on. I can strongly recommend rawhide chews or a Nylabone or a large RAW bone to gnaw on - dogs love these and having them gives an outlet for the natural chewing tendency. As a bonus, it will save your furniture and other possessions too! For other dog and puppy training information and for reviews on 2 top selling dog training Ebooks, please visit my site. Steve Gaskin is an author of Dog Training Articles - he and his wife own and breed Staffordshire Bull Terriers. For more information on dogs and dog training - for Ebook reviews and a FREE Home-made Dog Food Recipe visit: http://www.dogloverstoolbox.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Gaskin