Looking After Pets

Best Free Advice For Looking After Your Pets
  • scissors
    November 10th, 2010adminPets Advice

    In dog training, chewing is often overlooked. In this part of my dog training guide I want to talk about chewing and how to deal with problem chewers.

    The first thing to say is that dogs and puppies will always chew; it is part of their make up you might say that it is built in to their genes. Chewing calms them, it feels good and it is something enjoyable to do. Puppies chew for the same reason but in addition because they are teething and like human babies they use their mouths to investigate most things.

    Chewing in itself is not a problem it is of course a matter of what is being chewed that could be a problem. No one wants their expensive designer shoes mangled or their costly oriental carpet ruined.

    To a large extent you as the dog owner have control over what your dog chews! Learning what he can and can’t chew is something a dog should learn in his early years.

    Puppies

    The first rule is never to give your puppy any of your own personal items to chew on. To avoid any misunderstanding always keep your ‘toys’ separate from his toys. You must never give your puppy one of your old shoes to play with and chew on because he won’t be able to tell the difference between your old shoes that he can play with and your good shoes that he must never touch. Your puppy will see all shoes as things to play with and possibly chew.

    Adult Dogs

    If your adult dog is chewing the wrong things or destroying your home then the root cause could be boredom, frustration, loneliness or anxiety. By having active toys, dogs find other things to do besides chewing on your furniture. There are excellent active toys available like GoDogGo that allows your dog to play fetch on his own. Also, the infamous Kong and snack activity balls or squares allow your dog to seek out food in an active way. Also, there are hide-a-toy plush toys where smaller toys are hidden inside one larger toy. To prevent chewing on your furniture you can keep your dog busy by using these toys. As a matter of fact it is not uncommon for the majority of the chewing to occur just before you get home. You can side step this behaviour by training your dog to bring a a toy to the door as you open the door. This way he will pass the time looking for the toy rather than chewing.

    It is possible for your dog to learn commands like ‘Leave it’ or ‘Drop it’ to prevent him from gnawing your stuff. Use a spray bottle or a shaker device instead of physical punishment, which can often cause dogs to become more destructive in protest.

    If your dog is chewing on himself more than your home, immediately visit your veterinarian. There could be underlying psychological reasons or it could be due to a parasite.

    Finally, always remember that punishment will not dissuade a dog from chewing in fact it can increase the behaviour. More effective will always be training and redirecting. You may need to keep your dog confined while you are not there with toys for a while to discourage chewing. Also, I recommend that you spray your furniture with chewing deterrents, like Bitter Apple, that you can buy at pet stores.

    Changing your dog’s chewing habits will take time and commitment whatever method you decide to use.

    Go to my dog training guide at http://www.TrainMyOwnDog.com. As well as a dog training guide, You will find other articles covering all aspects of dog training there.

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  • scissors
    October 22nd, 2010adminPets Advice

    In this dog training article I’ll be taking a more detailed look at dog lead training specifically walking your dog on a lead (leash) without any pulling. In dog training this is likely to be the most important thing that your dog will learn.

    Walking well on a lead is something that takes some practice with your dog. Pulling on the lead is a common problem, the longer you allow it to continue the more difficult it will be to stop.

    You dog will assume that he is doing the right thing by pulling if you carry on walking without correcting him. Clearly this is not what you want to convey to your dog.

    Pulling your dog back while he is pulling will probably mean that he pulls even harder. This will be good fun for him! So he needs to be taught how to walk nicely on the leash. as with any dog training, leash training is all about encouraging the right behaviour.

    In advance of the walk have several treats ready and prior to actually walking, stand still and hold the lead with both hands. Keep your hands close to your body. Praise your dog and give him a treat every time he is standing still or just sitting or looking up at you. You need to tell him that this is good behaviour. He will soon notice that paying attention to you is rewarded.

    If he begins to lean or walk forward don’t pull but take a few steps backwards. Remain stationary with your hands by your side. Just wait if there is tension on the leash. He will eventually slacken off the lead or turn and look at you. Immediately this happens praise him, give him a treat and move your arm down to your side.

    Continue to give your dog praise until he moves forward to the end of his lead. If he starts to pull say nothing until he releases whwen you should praise him again.

    When your dog stands next to you, you should start walking. Best of all, say your dog’s name and the command “let’s go” or “let’s walk”. The actual words you use are unimportant, “Rhubarb” will do so long as you consistently use it just before the dog moves forward.

    If he continues to walk properly without pulling forward then carry on walking, rewarding him occasionally with verbal praise and treats.

    If you see that he is about to pull then stop walking and stand still. He will wonder why you stopped and will probably look back at you. Immediately he does give him praise and a treat and start to walk again. Keep doing this each time your dog is about to pull.

    In due course he will understand that you won’t follow him when his collar is tight in other words the walking stops. This will motivate him to walk without pulling.

    Your home or back yard is where you should begin dog leash training. This is so that your dog can concentrate on the task in hand with no distractions. When you are beginning to see success you can go outside.

    You should always reward your dog at every opportunity.

    Go to my dog training guide at TrainMyOwnDog.com for more interesting articles on dog training.

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  • scissors
    September 24th, 2010adminPets Advice

     

    There are some people who believe that coaching your canine generally is a complex thing to do, nevertheless, doing so is actually just so simple. All you should do is decide which greatest steps to take. I, too, experienced the identical scenario that you’re in right now. Every time I throw a ball to my canine Buddy and watch him simply scratch himself really got me helpless on what to do. This canine training information will definitely help you stop this identical scenario from ever happening again.

     

    If you are looking for the ultimate Dog training guide, then you should check out: Guide to Canine Training Secrets

     

    There are some things that you have to be familiar with, whether you wish to educate your dog easy tips or the more complicated ones. To begin with, the grasp of your canine’s attention is found in your voice and actions. Canine simply get accustomed to your voice and learn it depending on how frequent they hear it. Through this, your pet is taught on your tone and on easy methods to respond on the totally different situations.

     

    On the subject of the actions, how should it be? There’s one important tip that I discovered which you should know! Much like the tone of your voice, your actions are considered very important. In his own manner, your dog learns and tries to display whatever it is that you simply show to him. Whether you are indignant, mad, or frustrated, your dog will be able to sense whatever it is that you are feeling. Hence, we can determine that actions come as a very important factor in training your dog. For you to be able to train your dog a trick, you must demonstrate it alongside your pet, so actions do actually matter.

     

    Although you may find this a bit crazy, I assure you that that is perfect in coaching your dog. These steps will give you the results you want no matter what trick it is that you simply want to teach your pet dog. I will provide you the precise steps that I used in coaching my Labrador retriever. It wasn’t a very good start for both Buddy and I when it came to the house rules. It was an issue when he didn’t like the outside at all, and I get frustrated when he makes use of the inside as a bathroom. Nevertheless, we came up on a compromise which, I guarantee you, will benefit you on any trick abilities required.

     

    Focusing on the root cause of the problem is an effective start at any time when you are teaching your pet dog a new trick. Accordingly, your pet canine must know that he shouldn’t be repeating something which is not good by conveying it to him properly. It could take you a long period of time in teaching your dog about this. If you can decide the root cause of any downside, then you can prevent it from taking place again. A better opportunity for you to succeed shall be in your hands through this.

     

    Now you are off to an excellent start in teaching your dog some new tricks. Take some treat for your dog as you go outside to show him a brand new trick! We’ll now use the trick “shake” for an example. So now, your pet should know how to respond properly when you ask him to sit. You must do the same as your pet is in the sit position. With a treat in your hand, reach out in the direction of your dog. Get a hold of your canine’s paw, elevate it up and say “shake” then proceed on shaking his paw. For 15 minutes on daily basis, repeat the same steps. Be decided to continue with the 15 minutes.

     

    After one week is over, your pet will definitely be adept on this new trick. This canine training information of mine and Buddy’s is hopeful that you’ll drastically benefit from this, as well. Even probably the most sophisticated methods may be performed via these steps, so make it possible for your dog is taught of the tricks that have to be learned initially. Your canine should know first how to sit before shaking, and how to stand up before dancing, amongst others. In coaching your pet dog, you do not need to have a lot of money or costly books. A very good dog training information and the need to succeed are your finest necessities in having your canine master some new good tricks.

     

    For one more good dog coaching guide article, check out Secrets and Techniques to Canine Coaching

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  • scissors
    July 20th, 2010adminPets Advice

    This article serves as an introduction to my dog training guide by explaining the basic principles behind all dog training practices and some of the pitfalls that need to be overcome.

    Dogs live in the present. Dogs have very little recall memory, their thoughts are almost totally based upon association. Dogs are unable to analyse things as we do. Dogs do not think in abstract terms, it is simply action = consequence for them. As far as dogs are concerned, rewarded conduct is likely to be repeated whereas discouraged ot ignored conduct is usually avoided. This is what all dog training is based upon.

    To take a simple example, if your dog sits and you promptly provide a treat or give verbal praise then he will begin to sit on his own in order to receive another reward. Conversely, to stop your dog from repeating an action in the future like jumping up for attention you should completely ignore him when he does it.

    In order to create recognisable associations you must positively reinforce conduct you wish to encourage and ignore what you want to repress. It should be very easy shouldn’t it? So why is dog obedience training such a contentious subject?

    To make a successful association the time between action and reward cannot be more than about 2 seconds this can be a problem. This implies that it is very possible for an inexperienced trainer to make a wrong association. For example, your dog sits but by the time you give him his treat and verbal praise he is standing up – you have inadvertently praised the stand up rather than the sit. Another scenario would be to find that your dog has messed on the carpet when you come home. You pull your dog back to the mess, rub his nose in it saying ‘Bad Dog’ and then push him out of the back door. All you have done is taught your dog that going to the toilet is bad.

    In the home a dog can have too many masters who will completely confuse him by contradictory associations and opposing training methods. Your dog should not have more than one trainer and one master.

    The basics of dog obedience training have been explained in this dog training guide. They are simple on paper but not so easy to carry out. However, understanding the fundamentals will always be of help when using specific dog training routines.

    Go to www.TrainMyOwnDog.com to see more articles on dog obedience training.

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  • scissors
    June 2nd, 2010adminPets Advice

    I don’t suppose you realised that when you brought you dog into your home you had to be a leader.You were looking for a best friend but your dog needs a strong leader – that’s you.As you might expect, things to do with the ‘companion’ role have nothing in common with those associated with the ‘leadership’ role.   So if you are going to have a successful relationship with your dog you need to put the ‘companion’ role in the back seat and take up your responsibilities as a leader.Your dog will feel unsafe and try to take on the leadership role himself unless you do.This can result in several mostly undesirable behaviours.

    To stand a chance of becoming an effective leader you must see things as if from your dog’s eyes.There are three principles that you should follow to become an effective pack leader. This dog training guide outlines three principles that you should always follow.

    1 Manage your Dog’s Time

    Create a routine and do not depart from it.Routines are a dog’s best friend.Use a crate and stick to a routine with it.   The crate is the safest, most effective form of confinement.Your dog will be eager to go there and feels safe and secure.It is necessary to acclimatise your puppy to it as quickly as possible and use it for the whole of his life according to the requirements of his particular development stage.

    It is your job to provide consistency in rules and structure and set and maintain boundaries.As your dog proves himself a good leader expands his boundariesof responsibility.He also does not hesitate about removing some freedom or tightening boundaries if poor behaviours return.

    2 Direct Activities

    When your dog is not in his crate you should have an activity plan ready which is not just ‘Stay out of my way’.You dog must know what is acceptable behaviour in your home so you should actively practice obedience commands.The brightest star in your dog’s universe is praise, it is what his world is all about.Running through obedience commands provides the chance to give your dog that praise and should be a major part of dog obedience training.

    3 Be Consistent

    Without consistency your dog will be confused and frustrated.Always use the same sequence of command words every time that you require a certain behaviour or action.   Similarly, every person in your home must follow the same pattern.It is essential that when you have a stressful day you do not take your stress out on the dog.stressed outbreaks from you will cause stressful reactions from your dog.Leaders do not act in an inconsistent manner they remain in control of their feelings.

    So that’s all there is to it – If you are ready to become pack leader and do everything that it entails, you will discover that your dog becomes a wonderful companion which is what you wanted in the first place isn’t it.

    For more information on all aspects of dog training follow this link to my Dog Training Guide.

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  • scissors
    March 14th, 2010adminPets Advice

    You should start thinking about dog training even before you go selecting a new pet.A plan for helping your new pet adjust should be part of your welcome-home preparations for you new dog.Take these wonderful ideas to get you started with house training your dog.

     

    Prior to moving on, see this article on Online Dog Training Tips .

     

    1.Begin training as soon as possible.You’d be better off  with your pet soon if you start training it as soon as you bring it home with you.Pups would be better than grown dogs, too.An adult dog’s established bad habits are more difficult to undo than redirect a puppy’s animal instincts.Understandably, handling a 10-pound small dog is much easier than controlling a large, fully grown energetic dog.

     

    2.Work to be consistent.Some dog owners make the grave mistake of letting their cute little pups go unpunished for cute – but definitely unacceptable – behavior.That is a serious mistake you should avoid.Letting your dog on your bed once but not on the next occasions gives him a confusing message.It is critical to be consistent in dog training, regardless of your pet’s age or size.If you don’t fancy your dog on your bed, don’t let him on it, period.

     

    3.Be the boss.Pack animals, dogs follow a leader – whoever that is.As the dog owner, you’re supposed to be the leader.Taking care of your dog is your responsibility. Be sure they’re taken care of appropriately.It’s your job to be sure everyone follows your home doggie policies.

     

    4.Combine various training techniques and styles.Usually used are the leash training and the positive reinforcement training.Some say leash training is rough, but it is a requirement if you want to bring your dog in public.Reward-based training is a kinder approach, useful for housebreaking a new pet and establishing your role as the leader of the pack, among other things.

     

    Learn more with Best Dog Training Products.

     

    Dogs Have an Assortment of Needs.

     

    To curb the innate aggressive tendencies of some dog breeds, teaching socailization skills on young pups is more important for some than for other kinds so as to have them behave well in public.Inherently small dogs unfortunately manifest insecurity by excessive barking.Deal with that barking issue before it stirs trouble.

     

    Despite these tips and guidelines, each breed and dog is unique.Because each owner is as distinct as dogs are, their training style, effort, time input and effectivity would be different from person to person.The most useful first step when training a new dog is to get to know as much as you can about them – read up on your dog’s breed.It’s important to know what to look forward to and be equipped to handle things as they happen.Your training approach gets a better perspective as you attend training on areas you’d like to focus on.

     

    Check Dog Training Guide to read more.

     

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  • scissors
    February 11th, 2010adminPets Advice

    Consider training even before you consider which dog to bring home.Don’t bring home a pet without a solid house-breaking plan; it will only cause toubles.Here are helpful hints you can use to turn a naughty hound into a well-trained dog.

     

    To continue, check this article about Online Dog Training Information for more information.

     

    1.The earlier, the better.You’d be better off  with your pet soon if you trained it as soon as you bring it home with you.The more youthful, the more ideal, too.An adult dog’s established bad habits are more difficult to undo than redirect a puppy’s animal nature.A small puppy is easier to control than a full-grown, adult dog.

     

    2.Consistency is crucial.Don’t make the usual mistakes of dog owners; don’t allow your puppy chew your daily newspaper or climb on your bed if you don’t want him to get used to it.Don’t let yourself into doing that mistake.Don’t mind your dog jumping on your bed now and admonish him later for doing the same thing and you’ll get the dog very confused.It is critical to be consistent in dog training, regardless of your pet’s age or size.If you don’t like your dog chewing socks, don’t let him do that ever, period.

     

    3.Make yourself in charge.Because dogs are pack animals, they obey whom they acknowledge as the leader.And because you’re the owner, that role is yours.Taking care of your dog is your responsibility. Be sure they’re taken care of appropriately.It’s your job to be sure everyone follows your home doggie rules.

     

    4.Combine various training techniques and styles.The most popular methods are the leash training and the positive reinforcement training.Other people say leash training is a tough training style. It is, however, impossible to do without.Reward training is the soft method, effective in instilling obedience and housebreaking new dogs.

     

    Find out more with Best Dog Training Products Online.

     

    Dogs Have Diverse Needs.

     

    Naturally aggressive dogs need socialization training as early in their life as possible so that they’d learn to behave around other animals and around people.Dogs that don’t grow too large, can often be insecure breeds. Unfortunately, this insecurity shows in constant barking.Deal with that barking issue before it stirs trouble.

     

    Dog training should still be customized to each dog’s needs, even with these general advice and tips.And because each person is unique, too, the type of training an owner uses, the time and effort it requires and how good it ultimately is varies from owner to owner, from dog to dog.Getting to know your dog’s breed is an essential first step to training; read about your dog’s breed-related characteristics.It’s important to know what to look forward to and be ready to handle things as they happen.Your training approach gets a better perspective as you attend training on areas you’d like to focus on.

     

    To know more about this, see Dog Training Tips .

     

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  • scissors
    July 14th, 2009adminPets Advice

    You should start thinking about dog training even before you go shopping for a new pet.A plan for helping your new pet adjust should be part of your welcome-home preparations for you new dog.Here are helpful hints you can use to turn a naughty hound into a loving dog.

     

    To continue, check this article about Online Dog Training Information for more information.

     

    1.Train right away.Clearly, you’d be in better position with your dog if you begin training early on.Pups would be better than adult dogs, too.Obedience training is more effective with young pups than adult dogs with set ways.It’s easier to handle misbehaving by a 10-pound pup than control a bulky 70-pounder.

     

    2.Strive to be consistent.Some dog owners make the grave mistake of letting their cute little pups go uncorrected for cute – but definitely unacceptable – behavior.Keep yourself from that grave mistake.Let your dog chew your socks once then get mad at him next time and your dog will surely be confused.No matter how old or how big your dog is, it is of extreme importance to be consistent.If you don’t fancy your dog on your bed, don’t let him on it, period.

     

    3.Assume the head of the pack.Because dogs are pack animals, they obey whom they acknowledge as the leader.As his master, you’re your dog’s pack leader.Ownership means responsibility; you must train, feed and look after your dog.It’s your job to be sure everyone follows your home doggie policies.

     

    4.Use elements of different training styles or techniques.Commonly used are the leash training and the positive reinforcement training.Other people say leash training is a tough training method. It is, however, impossible to do without.Reward training is the soft method, effective in drilling obedience and housebreaking new dogs.

     

    Learn more with Best Dog Training Products.

     

    Dogs Have Diverse Needs.

     

    To curb the innate aggressive tendencies of some dog breeds, drilling socailization skills on young pups is more important for some than for other kinds so as to have them behave well in public.Inherently small dogs unfortunately manifest insecurity by excessive barking.Deal with that barking issue before it stirs trouble.

     

    Despite these tips and guidelines, each breed and dog is unique.Having their own styles and personal preferences, each dog owner trains their pet individually and the effort and time it requires varies in effectiveness as well.Even before you bring your new pet home, get to know them well. Rasearch on dog breeds.It’s important to know what to look forward to and be ready to handle things as they happen.Your training plans gets more focused on aspects you want to emphasize.

     

    To know more about this, see Dog Training Tips .

     

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