by Jolene Oh

Dogs are remarkable animals capable of learning a variety of complex behaviors if owners commit a little time each and train in small steps using patience and understanding. In this article, we have listed 15 dog Training tips which will help you to achieve this goal.

1. Don’t be cruel to your dog. If you strike your dog out of frustration, it will only learn to fear you. Give it love, nourishment, and a healthy diet and exercise. This will ensure that your dog is at its peak, both mentally and physically.

2. Positive reinforcement establishes “good” behaviors faster, and creates a love of learning and a great relationship. Positive reinforcement doesn’t create confusion and stress or any bad behaviors (unless you reinforce “bad” behaviors.

3. Determine what you want to teach your dog. Once you know what you want to teach, get some treats or toys. When ever your dog does something you like quickly reward your dog. Timing is crucial when your Training. If your timing is off Training will take a little longer. With a little bit of effort and practice you can teach your dog to do just about anything.

4. If the dog does something great, reinforce within a half second. If the dog does something less than desirable, wait for a full five to ten seconds after he stops doing the unwanted behavior, redirect to a better behavior, and then reinforce.

5.The key to success is to know how to break each behavior down into its smallest components so that your dog can understand the behavior

About the Author:

Visit http://www.squidoo.com/sit-stay-fetch and put an End to the Stress and Annoyance of your Dog Behavior Problem!…AND Slash Your time in Half by Using SitStayFetch techniques that give you Immediate Results.

by Kim Fleming

Dog chew toys are some of the best gifts you can get yourself and your dog. Dogs have the natural inclination to chew. Toys for chewing are the best solution to stop them from gnawing on your shoe, sofa, bags and clothes. At the same time, chew toys can help decrease pet anxiety and prevent accidental swallowing of foreign objects. Your dog’s enjoyment, safety and satisfaction, however, depend on finding the right toys.

Proper Size

Different dogs are in different sizes, and you should choose just the right size toy for your dog. If the toy is too big, many dogs do not want to play with it at all. On the other hand, however, if the toy is too small, you dog might accidentally swallow it and choke on it. So, you really should know about your dog’s breed and size very well to pick the right toy size. Fortunately, many reputable dog toy manufacturers often have detailed description on the toy label to help you decide if the toy is for your pet.

Make Sure the Toy is Safe

Your dog’s safety should always be your number one concern. Dependent on your dog’s breed, a chew toy that is too hard can damage his teeth. If the toy is too soft, it could lead to accidental ingestion of torn or chipped parts. As a general rule, you should avoid chew toys with small beads, buttons, strings, wire, bells and fake fur. Even if your dog is mild mannered, he could rip off small parts and swallow them. Such accident will in turn result in choking, mouth wounds, and damage to the intestines and constipation.

Pick a Variety of Toys

It would not be such a good idea to have a whole box of dog chew toys but you should at least have a handful of them. Dogs do eventually get bored if they only have one kind of chew toy. To avoid this, you should rotate chew toys. It would also be a good idea to occasionally give your dog chew toys with edible treats in them. This will encourage your dog to play with them.

Durability of Toys

Even with the best kind of toys, you should still keep one eye on your dog. Accidents could happen. You could save yourself and your dog a whole lot of trouble and pain if you could immediately bring him to a vet.

From time to time, you should check the status of the chew toys. A defective or partly damaged toy could become a health risk for your dog. Replace toys that have tears, partly dislodged parts or extremely worn out surfaces.

Your Veterinarian Counts

You may like to consult your veterinarian when you are not certain whether a chew toy is suitable for your dog. A veterinarian sometimes is even able to recommend good toy brands and retailers.

As said, dog chew toys can bring enormous benefits to a dog’s physical and psychological health. With all the tips discussed in this article, you are certainly able to pick up toys that are not just enjoyable but also safe to your pet.

About the Author:

Have you alexplorey got dog chew toys for your pet? You can explore more about dog toys from our site. You can also watch some interesting dog videos while you are there, or simply enter your video search. Enjoy!

by Kurt Schmitt

Cat health problems are a challenge for cat owners, partly since your cat can’t tell you when she’s ill. There are many possible illnesses that your cat may face througout her life. The symptoms of these feline illnesses often overlap, just as in people.

Stress is an important risk factor for contracting illness. Your cat may be stressed by pre-existing health problems, or a life change of some kind. Examples of some stressors would be a recent injury or illness, or a recent medical procedure. Keep in mind that moving residences, or the addition or removal of a family member or other pet may put stress on your cat.

Your cat can catch the flu or a cold in same way you can. Cats may also get heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and are subject to parasite infestation. Some of these cat health problems will require treatment.

If your cat is not acting right it may turn out to be nothing. Even so, if you see any of these signs, call your veterinarian and get instructions on the best course of action. If things get worse, your vet will already be engaged. Below are some problems to watch out for.

General signs — Your cat may exhibit some of the same signs that you’d expect to see in people if she has the flu, a cold, injury, or infection. General symptoms of cat illness include sneezing, coughing, lethargy, and nasal discharge. Your cat may experience excessive drooling if she has an infection or the flu, and may also have a fever.

If at any time you notice that your cat faints or falls down, has difficulty walking, jumping, or breathing, contact your veterinarian immediately. You should also be concerned by rapid weight loss or gain, or a bloated appearance or tightness in the abdomen. Other signs of serious feline illness are excessive vomiting or blood in the vomit, signs of pain, or signs of worms.

Behavioral changes — A dramatic change in behavior or routine in your cat may be a sign of illness. Excessive scratching or licking behavior, a change in sleeping habits, or unusual aggressive tendencies may be signs that something is wrong. If your cat is normally social, but decides to hide in a room all day, that is probably a sign that something is wrong.

Eating and drinking — Loss of appetite is very common in sick cats, as many animals will refuse to eat when they’re not feeling right. Also on this list would be difficulty in chewing or eating. Failure to drink or excessive drinking are indicators as well. Dehrydation, which can be life threatening, results from failure to drink. Refusal to drink while leaning over the drinking bowl is a definite sign of a problem, and increased thirst is a symptom of a number of diseases, including diabetes.

In order to stay alert to cat health problems, you’ll want to be alert to your cat’s typical patterns of behavior. This includes habits related to sleeping, eating, drinking, using the litter box, and levels of activity. If you see a change, keep a closer eye on your cat to see if there’s a problem. Remember that cats are very good at hiding discomfort, so you’ll have to be very observant.

You should groom your cat at least once a week. Take the opportunity during these sessions to examine your cat for some of these warning signs. You can get a feel for how your cat is reacting to being handled, and easily check all the body parts, the mouth, and so on. Checking your cat regularly will help you work with your veterinarian to keep on top of any cat health problems that may arise.

About the Author:

Kurt Schmitt has created a 150 plus page website for cat lovers. Once there, you’ll find many articles on cat health problems, as well as cat care information, and funny cat pictures too.

by Susan Thixton

The U.S. is experiencing the largest beef Recall in history. Major television networks and social websites on the Internet have provided a hidden camera video provided by the Humane Society showing downer cattle - animals that are sick or diseased and unable to stand - being prodded with fork lifts and beaten in attempts to move them to the slaughter area. If you can stomach it, the link to the video is below. The video is very difficult to view and alarming to know that any meat processor would disregard the safety of U.S. citizens and process diseased animals into human food. Pet owners should be aware that even though it is illegal to process downer cattle into human food, it is legal and common to process these downer animals into pet food.

The FDA classifies downer cattle as SRMs - Specified Risk Materials - specified as risk materials to spread mad cow disease. FDA regulations clearly state that it is illegal for SRM animals to be introduced into human food as well as being illegal to be processed into ruminant (cattle, sheep, pig) feed to prevent human exposure to mad cow disease. What most pet owners are not aware of is that it is legal and common practice to process SRM animals into pet food. Sick, diseased, or dying cattle that are classified as Specified Risks to humans - are not allowed to be processed into cattle or pig feed - are legally processed into pet food. Mad cow disease is known to have crossed species into cats in Europe and mink worldwide. Are U.S. pets next?

In 2004 the FDA considered changing the current regulations adding that no SRM materials be allowed in any food - human or pet. The proposed changes were approved by some and opposed by others.

A letter dated August 13, 2004 from the Humane Society of the United States wrote in favor of a ban of all SRM material in all foods - human, ruminant, or pet foods.”As the country’s largest animal protection organizationwe are deeply concerned about the potential impact of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) on animal health.The removal from animal feed of downers, dead stock (animals that have died on the farm), cattle showing signs of a CNS disorder, and cattle who appear rabies-suspect but test negative would add another important layer of protection since these animals have a greater incidence of BSE than the general population.There is strong evidence that cats are susceptible to BSE and we therefore urge the FDA to prohibit immediately the use in pet food of any SRMs, downers, dead stock, or cattle showing signs of a CNS disorder or testing negative for rabies.There have been confirmed cases of Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy in approximately 100 cats in Europe.Since the FDA is charged with ensuring the safety of the food cats consume, we feel it would be reckless not to prohibit the inclusion of the high risk materials enumerated above in pet food.”

On the opposing side to ban all SRM materials for use in pet food was Garth Merrick of Merrick Pet Foods. From his letter to the FDA dated July 28, 2004″ ANPR’s proposed rule to prohibit SRM’s from all animal food including pet food and prohibiting materials from non ambulatory cattle and dead stock from all animal feed creates the below listed consequences of disposal of pounds that previously could be manufactured into animal feed. SRM’s in cattle under 30 months of age have been estimated to be 20 pounds per head. In Texas there are four packing houses processing approximately 100,000 head per week times 20 pounds equals 2,000,000 times 52 weeks equals 104,000,000 of product that no one has discussed what to do with. If you cannot render it for feed to be fed to chickens, swine or pet food, then you have destroyed a system that currently works. We are the original recyclers. These numbers are only for Texas; when you consider the other lower 47 states, the consequences are inconceivable as to what the health hazards could be if these products are not processed the way they are currently being done.”

The FDA has taken no action to ban SRM materials from pet food or pet treats.

Do you think SRM cattle - diseased or dying animals should be processed into Dog Food or cat food? The Humane Society’s hidden camera video of downer cattle - available for the not so weak to view at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmAJlwLnQI shows the health conditions of these SRM animals.

I doubt any pet lover would consider sick, diseased, dying animals would be safe to feed to pets. Personally, I don’t care who has the expense of properly disposing of SRM animals - just don’t dispose of them into pet food. Pet food should not be the profitable disposal method - providing the only revenue producing avenue to dispose of an otherwise un-sellable product. SRMs are not profitable to pets.

Pet foods and pet treats that could contain SRM animals would contain the ingredients by products, meat and bone meal, meat meal, animal digest, and/or animal fat. Please read your pet food and pet treat labels.

About the Author:

Before you put your pet at risk, learn the Truth About Pet Food. Subscribe to the Truth About Pet Food free newsletter and stay informed on the latest pet food news. pet food, beef Recall, Dog Food, cat food

by Susan Thixton

You might have heard of this story in the national news, it happened this week - the day before Valentines Day - in a neighboring city to where I live.A small shard of metal was found in a child’s Valentines sucker - a Pokemon Valentine sucker - and the product was quickly Recalled.As soon as the story broke here on local news - before they even announced where the product was made - I knew where it came from.It was made in China.

We don’t know when or if China will ever get their quality control practices up to better standards. Pet owners need to be painstakingly aware and avoid any pet food, treat, toy - anything that your pet consumes - that is made in or has an ingredient produced in China. Or be willing to accept the consequences.

My objective is not to frighten you - instead my intent is to motivate you to take notice of and find out where everything you give your pet is from. Chinese imported wheat glutens and corn glutens caused the largest and deadliest Pet food recall in history one year ago this month. I subscribe to the FDA’s Recall email list - and I receive announcements almost every single day about a new Recalled product (human products and pet products). Better than 60% of all of these new Recalls are from imported products or an imported ingredient.

The point heredo not get complacent about what you feed your pet!Don’t get comfortable thinking that the gluten issue is resolved and somebody is testing it and all is well.Recalls are continuing from dangerous Chinese imported products or ingredients - and you do not want to be feeding your pet the food or treat that is next on the recall list because it contains ingredients from China or Taiwan or some other country that has far less quality control (maybe better worded would be quality concern!) than the U.S. or Canada or a handful of other countries that do the due diligence to provide safe products.

I’m by no means 100% happy with the FDA or the CVM and their efforts to protect our pets (and our kids, and us!) - but we are head and shoulders above China.I think the FDA has a long way to go - and I am very hopeful they will continue to make changes to protect us and our pets. The one thing that is certain - for right now - the risk from Chinese imported products and ingredients is much higher than that of U.S. ingredients.

Do your due diligence and find out where every ingredient in every food, treat or toy your pet consumes comes from. All it takes is a quick phone call to the manufacturer, maybe ten minutes of your day for each manufacturer. Those ten minutes could prove to be a life saver for your pet. Become pro-active for your pet.

When you call a pet food or pet treat manufacturer - ask them if they use all U.S. ingredients.You might get an answer like’yes, we use all U.S. suppliers’.Nope, that’s not the information that you need - the supplier or distributor might be a U.S. company, but the actual ingredient could come from China.This is exactly the case with the contaminated wheat and corn glutens from a year ago.If you hear the ‘U.S. suppliers’ response, ask more questions’Do any of the ingredients in your pet food or pet treat originate from countries other than the U.S.?’Tell them you want to know if any ingredient in the pet food or treat is made in or grown outside the U.S.From my experience in asking over 30 different pet food/treat manufacturers these questions for Petsumer Report - you can tell pretty quickly which manufacturers are using all U.S. ingredients and who is not.The companies that use all U.S. ingredients - with the few expected exceptions like lamb and venison from New Zealand - are quick to tell you.The ones that don’t - the companies that might purchase minerals, vitamins, or glutens from China - take you on an investigative journey before they finally give up the information you deserve to be told.

Not all Chinese imported ingredients or products are dangerous to your pet. However Chinese imports have a proven on-going history of being recalled and potentially dangerous - and there are no signs of improvement. For the health of your pet, find out if you are feeding a food or treat that contains imported ingredients.

About the Author:

Before you purchase another bag of pet food, learn the secrets to selecting the safest, healthiest for your pet. Register for the free Truth About Pet Food newsletter and read from a library of pet food articles in Paw’s Club. pet food, pet food safety, Dog Food, Dog Food safety, cat food, cat food safety, imports, Chinese imports, risk from Chinese imports, Pet food recall

by Adrian Fletcher

The Boxer breed makes a great family pet but is often mistakenly thought to be slightly fussy and skittish at times. The reality is that they are a breed that needs lots of attention and only when they do not receive this do they become shy and skittish. Indeed, if you have a busy job and think you will not be home much then a boxer dog is not the right breed for you.

With that out of the way, here are some details on the Boxer dog breed, their characteristics and best Training methods. It will cover selecting a puppy and some things to look out for.

It’s prudent to do a bit of research before you go for a puppy. Good advice is to view the puppies parents if this is possible or at least get some information on them. You will gain an insight into their temperament and how the puppies may turn out in the future.

It is also a good idea to find a boxer from a non commercial breeder who does it for the love of it rather than to make money. This means the dogs are likely to be well cared for and be more sociable.

According to the American Kennel Club the Boxer breed is in the top ten of purebred dogs in terms of popularity. They are a medium sized dog that are energetic and very inquisitive. Consequently they will require more attention and cost more than a small toy breed of dog.

You should consider that food bills, dog toys and treats will be greater than many other breeds of dog. They are short haired dogs so grooming is minimal. They don’t seem to like water either so bathing may be interesting.

On the plus side, they are very social creatures. Ideally, they need to have the energy and stimulation that comes with living in a family unit. Work at keeping them active and with things to do. Without this stimulation they will get easily bored and lonely. Like most breeds of dog this can lead to bad behavior and antisocial tendencies.

A Boxer needs room to move. It is not wise to keep such a breed in an apartment. It should have a back yard where it can move around and keep itself busy. You can also hide treats in the yard so that it will hunt around and keep busy. Plenty of toys will also keep it busy. They love to play and toys appeal to that part of their nature.

Over exuberance may make your pet hard to train for obedience. It is hard to keep the Boxer focused so positive reinforcement Training is seen as the best method for obedience Training because you demand the dog’s attention each time and keep it focused.

Start the Training early, when they are puppies. This includes socializing them with other family members and animals. A well adjusted dog is generally happier and more open to Training methods.

Given their exuberant nature you may want to limit the distractions when obedience training your pet. This means they may not be best suited to group obedience training classes where distractions abound. Whilst it might seem like a big task obedience training your Boxer dog, it is certainly worth the effort. They are an intelligent animal that will respond well to the proper obedience training and develop a stronger bond with their owner throughout the training.

About the Author:

Get great dog training tips, including reviews of best selling in home dog obedience training programs and dealing with diabetes in dog

by Susan Thixton

The pet food Recall that began in March of 2007 was the worst in history. No one can tell you for certain that a pet food will not be Recalled, but there are things to look for and avoid that can improve your chances to locate a healthy, safe food for your dog or cat.

Start by ignoring the advertising, the price, and the front of the bag of a pet food. The signs to look for are found on the back or side of the bag or can in the Ingredient Listing. Dry foods can contain 90 different ingredients and canned foods can contain 50 or more different ingredients. But don’t despair, you don’t need to learn all of them. Just be aware of a few key ingredients that have the potential to be risky.

‘Wheat Gluten’, ‘Corn Gluten’, or ‘Rice Gluten’. These are the ingredients that were responsible for the Pet food recall of 2007. While glutens have been used in some pet foods for years, the problem last year was the source of the products. The tainted ingredients were imported from China - a country with a history of poor quality control. The imported glutens were found to contain added chemicals that caused crystals in the kidneys of pets.

It is important to avoid Dog Foods and cat foods that contain imported glutens. And pet owners should be aware that glutens provide no real nutrition to their pet’s food. Glutens can be used as a thickener and as a protein boost for a pet food. Adult Dog Foods must provide a minimum of 18% protein and adult cat foods must provide a minimum of 26% protein. Sometimes, when a pet food does not provide sufficient actual meat in a food - glutens are added to boost the protein to the required percentages. A better protein source for your pet comes from meat - not from glutens.

‘By Products’. By-products have never caused a Pet food recall, but an understanding of this common pet food ingredient is required to understand the controversy that exists about it. To explain by-products, I am comparing it to pies. There are apple pies, cherry pies, chocolate pies, meringue pies, meat pies, mud pies, pie in math, cow pies, and so on. Imagine if you purchased a pie without knowing what type of pie it was - no clue if it was an apple pie or if it was a cow pie. The same holds true with by-products in pet food.

AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials - the organization responsible for all animal feed manufacturing rules and regulations) defines by-products as “meat by-products is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth, and hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animal food. If it bears name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.”

The pet food ingredient by-product is a catch-all ingredient. Any or all left over animal tissues left over from human food are clumped into this one pet food ingredient. Pet owners have no guarantee of what they are feeding - intestines or liver. By-products can be listed in many variations on the pet food label - Chicken By-Products, Beef By-Products, Chicken By-Product Meal, Beef By-Product Meal, and so forth.

‘Meat Meal’, ‘Meat and Bone Meal’, or ‘Animal Digest’. These ingredients are very similar to by-products with a similar AAFCO definition. A catch all pet food ingredient using various left-over parts of animal tissue not used in human food. Again, no certainty of what your pet is actually eating.

‘Animal Fat’. In 2002 the FDA released a report with a list of many popular pet foods that contain the drug pentobarbital. This is the drug that is used to euthanize dogs, cats, cattle, and horses.

Controversy still exists as to how a drug that is used to euthanize animals could be found in pet food. Definitely pentobarbital ends up into pet food from rendered (cooked) euthanized animals - end ingredients from the rendering process are sold to pet food manufacturers. Some pet food safety advocates say that rendered pets - euthanized and removed from animal shelters and veterinarian offices all across the country - is the source of the pentobarbital. Others say that the source is from euthanized cattle and horses. The FDA did develop testing methods in an attempt to find a definitive answer - but to date, no results have ever been released to the public - to confirm or deny the possibility that rendered pets are in pet food.

However, the one thing the FDA/CVM has determined through their testing is the pet food ingredient ‘animal fat’ is the most common ingredient to contain pentobarbital. In other words, if you are feeding a Dog Food or cat food (or treats) with the ingredient ‘animal fat’ in the ingredient listing - you are (more than likely) feeding your pet euthanized animals. Not every batch of pet food tested that contained the ingredient ‘animal fat’ has proved to contain pentobarbital - but why would any pet owner want to take the chance? Avoid dog foods, cat foods, and dog and cat treats that contain the ingredient ‘animal fat’.

‘BHA’, ‘BHT’, ‘TBHQ’, and ‘Ethoxyquin’. These pet food ingredients are chemical preservatives that have a long controversial history. There is much scientific evidence that links these chemicals to tumors and cancer. All of these chemicals are rarely used to preserve human food and if so, are used in a far less quantity than is approved for use in pet foods.

‘Corn’, ‘Wheat’, ‘Soy’. There is no clinical evidence that these common pet food ingredients are dangerous to pets, but they have been associated with pet food Recalls of the past. Grains such as corn, wheat, and soy (and all their variations) are prone to a deadly mold called aflatoxin. According to AAFCO regulations, pet food manufacturers are not required to test ingredients for safety or absence of mold.

There is more to selecting a true healthy pet food for your dog or cat than avoiding the above mentioned ingredients. This is just a start - based on pet food history, AAFCO ingredient definitions, science and opinion of many pet food experts including myself. There are many quality pet foods available that do NOT use the above ingredients and that add health promoting ingredients to their foods and treats. Continue to learn as much as you can about what you are feeding your pet and ALWAYS read the labels!

About the Author:

Before you feed your pet one more meal, visit TruthAboutPetFood.com to learn how to select the best, safest food for your dog or cat. Make sure you visit the Paws Club library of pet food articles and learn how Petsumer Report provides pet owners with information the pet food packaging doesn’t tell you.

Tags: Recall” rel=”tag”>pet food Recall, dog food recall, cat food recall

by Jenny Lindston

If you are like most people you are having problems with your dog or your are wishing for a calm, relaxed, happy and obedient dog? Having that faithful and happy dog is the first step to having less hassles and more fun and comfort with your dog and other dogs. There are communities who want your dog to be well trained as well. This is especially true for pit bulls and rottweilers who are a lot more aggressive than other types of dogs.

And of course, Training your dog well will also make he or she a much better family companion, especially in households where there are young children. Many studies have shown that proper dog Training makes a big impact when it comes to cutting down the number of dog bits and other behavior problems encountered by dog owning households.

If you don’t want a professional dog trainer to do the job for you then Training it using basic commands is something you must do. This is needed for your dog to be considered a fully trained dog.

Here are some basic commands:

* Heel - your dog should not lag behind and absolutely follow their owner in a calm and confident manner.

* Respond to the word No - the word no is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.

* Sit - Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.

* Stay - The command stay should be used to ensure your dog is staying when it’s about to run off and is obviously very important.

* Down - Making your dog lie down with a command is a powerful tool and not only a “cute trick” like many people think. It’s a vital component for most dog training programs as well.

Training your dog successfully is not only a way to create an obedient dog, but it’s helping a companion and friend. It will increase the bond you have to your dog and it will also help increase the strenght of your relationship, really, really well. To successfully train your dog to follow your lead it’s vital to establish yourself as the pack-leader, because dogs are pack animals and are forced to follow a strong lead, much like humans.

be the pack leader and maintain the power and control is a dog trainers most vital concepts to understand. If you are the dominant animal in the pack you are the leader since dog packs only have one leader and you have established yourself as the leader you’ll experience a much more fulfilling dog ownership. Missing this can result in TONS of behavioural problems!

A properly trained dog will respond properly to all the owner’s commands, and will not display anxiety, displeasure or confusion. A good dog training program will focus on allowing the dog to learn just what is expected of it, and will use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

In addition to making the dog a good member of the community, obedience training is a great way to fulfill some of the dog’s own needs, including the need for exercise, the security that comes with knowing what is expected of it, a feeling of accomplishment and a good working relationship with its handler. Dog training gives the dog an important job to do, and an important goal to reach.

Giving the dog a job is more important than you may think. Dogs were originally bred by humans to do important work, such as herding sheep, guarding property and protecting people. Many dogs today have no important job to do, and this can often lead to boredom and neurotic behavior.

You may want to look into basic obedience training and have a lot of ongoing training sessions to make sure the dog always stays alert and has an important job. If you have a german shepherd or border collie this is even more important. Having multiple training sessions each week helps your dog gain more energy and has a time to enjoy themselves.

Incorporating playtime into your dog training sessions is a great way to prevent both yourself and your dog from becoming bored. Playing with your dog helps to strengthen the all important bond between you - the pack leader - and your dog.

About the Author:

To instantly recieve 5 free dog obedience reports visit Jenny’s Freedog training tips Now!

 

Tags: dog training commands, dog training

by Missy Matheson

Getting a new dog is a very exciting experience, and sometimes it is easy to overlook some important things in all of the excitement. One thing that is often overlooked by many dog owners is Training for aggressive dogs. In fact, it often never crosses their minds until their dog’s aggression has become a major problem.

If you have a dog, it is your responsibility to properly raise them and provide them with dog Training for aggressive behavior when it is needed. You must be able to recognize early signs of aggression in your dog, and take the necessary steps to stop it. Here are four things that you must do to keep your dog from becoming aggressive.

1. Talk to Your Vet

Before you begin any type Training for aggressive dogs, you should first make an appointment with your vet. It’s quite possible that there is something physically wrong with your dog, and the aggression they are exhibiting is the result of pain. If there is something medically wrong with your dog, you want to find out and have them treated as soon as possible. Veterinarians are also an excellent source of information, and can often provide you with helpful advice on how to treat aggressive dog behavior.

2. Get Your Dog Fixed

Aggression is just one of many reasons that it is a good idea to spay or neuter your dog. Training for aggressive behavior is much easier and more successful with dogs that have been fixed because you aren’t having to battle with their hormones.

3. Let Your Dog Socialize With Other Dogs

Socialization is crucial to a well-adjusted dog. Keeping your dog at home in the backyard all the time is not how to help an aggressive dog, it’s how to create one. Dogs that aren’t used to being around other dogs and people will become fearful of them, and act aggressively when they come in contact with them. You need to properly socialize your dog by regularly taking them to places where he can interact with other dogs, like a dog park.

Keep in mind that you are responsible for your dog’s behavior at all times. If you know that your dog’s aggressive behavior could result in danger to others, then you must take precautions to ensure that they do not harm anyone. Use a muzzle and keep your dog on a leash until you are confident that they are relaxed and will not attack. You might even want to have someone that specializes in Training for aggressive dogs accompany you on these outings until you feel that your dog’s aggression is under control.

4. Praise, Don’t Punish Your Dog

Praising your dog for good behavior and never punishing them for bad behavior is how to help an aggressive dog change their behavior. Positive reinforcement and loving praise is the best way to train a dog because dogs want nothing more than to please their humans. Negative reinforcement like yelling, spanking or punishing does nothing more than create fear and anxiety, causing them to act aggressively.

Remember, it is your responsibility to raise a healthy, well-adjusted dog. Training for aggressive behavior is part of this responsibility, and something that you should work at diligently. If you are unable to correct your dog’s behavior on your own, you need to get help. There are many helpful resources on training for aggressive dogs available, you just need to take them time to find what works best for your dog.

About the Author:

Is your dog aggressive? Visit abcsoftrainingforaggressivedogs.blogspot.com today for the best resource on training for aggressive dogs and get your FREE Dog Training Mini-Course!

 

Tags: agressive dogs, dog training

by Amy Nutt

Training a dog vs. Training a horse are two different animals (no pun intended!) but the do in fact bear a lot of similarities to each other. The ultimate goal of Training any domesticated animal is having the animal be compliant to our wishes and attentive to our commands. Whether you are setting out to train a dog or a horse, that concept should be your end game.

One important similarity dogs and horses share is that in the wild they tend to travel in fixed groups with one dominant leader (the “alpha”) clearly in charge. In both dog and horse packs, the leader establishes his role via physical dominance. That can range from posturing and body language to harsher physical interactions, even attacks.

As horse and dog trainers, we want to establish that we are the alphas in relation to our animal companions. But that doesn’t mean you should beat up your dog or horse! Dogs and horses both respond best to gentle, firm and consistent Training that helps them realize we are in charge. We can do this by conditioning them to allow us to touch them, by not tolerating aggressive behavior towards us, and by teaching them to follow commands with a system of rewards and punishments.

One difference between dogs and horses is that while dogs are good at detecting our moods and attitudes, horses are excellent at it. Horses are much more likely to respond well to Training when you approach them with confidence, focus and clarity. They can sense your emotional state, and they will often push boundaries if they feel like they can. Thus, it is critical to remain calm and focused when training your horse, and to show true leadership. If a horse senses your vigilance waning, it will become subtly more disobedient over time.

By saying that, I don’t mean to denigrate dogs and say they’re incapable of sensing how we feel. Dogs are very attuned to their masters’ moods. But as long as you keep from becoming angry and abusive toward your dog, you should be able to train the dong without issue. Dogs absolutely adore their owners by nature, and it is this adoration that becomes the best training motivator. Historically we think of training dogs with treats, but the best dog trainers will tell you don’t need to do that. In fact, it’s best if you don’t. The most effective way to train a dog is to remain cool and not overly affectionate with them, and then reward them with affection when they perform desirable tasks.

Like horses, dogs establish a hierarchy of dominance and you will have to establish yourself as the alpha. You can do this with firm authority, patience, confidence, and unwavering consistency. You want your dog to respect you, not fear you. Gentle yet firm physical reminders like a tap on the nose will work a lot better then screaming at or hitting your dog.

Another thing dogs and horses have in common is that they will take advantage of lapses in your firmness. You must always be vigilant and not let your dog or horse get away with undesirable behaviors.

About the Author:

We offer in-home dog obedience solutions across Canada for all dog breeds and ages. See how we get remarkable results with our puppy training in less than three hours and can give you a written lifetime guarantee.

 

Tags: dog training