Key principles to dog training
Training your dog isn’t about using one particular method or using a specially designed, and possibly expensive, collar/leash arrangement. There are certain things that you should incorporate, no matter which method you use and regardless which collar you prefer – these five key principles for training dogs are:
1) Good Attitude
The most important thing you can do when training is to stay calm and confident. Frustration clouds judgement and may blind you to opportunities to save a bad situation – or to make it worse. When you stay calm in your training sessions, that “energy” will transfer to your dog, and they will be much happier and much more relaxed. And we all want a calm dog, at least some of the time.
One mistake many dog owners make is to use a high-pitched, upbeat voice, which will not help an excited dog to settle down, and will not sooth a nervous dog. Think about how you react to a voice that is high-pitched and excited – kind of like nails on chalkboard, isn’t it? With your dog’s sensitive hearing, imagine what that voice would do to his state of mind.
2) Manage the Environment
Choosing your time and place for training, not waiting until you have a problem and helping your dog to avoid “errors” is key to successful training. For example, don’t wait until you are in the dog park surrounded by dogs to teach your dog to come when called. Don’t wait until you are preparing a fancy dinner for the in-laws to teach your dog to stay out of the kitchen. And don’t wait until the in-laws arrive in their good clothes for dinner to teach your dog to greet company politely.
Another way to manage your dog’s environment so he can win is to put away things that might tempt him into naughtiness until you have time to train him to leave them alone. My last rescue loved my socks, clean or dirty, so I kept them out of her reach when I couldn’t pay attention to what she was doing. When I was getting ready to go to work and had a few spare minutes, we would have a “leave the socks alone” lesson – I left the socks within reach, gently correcting her when she took them and praising her when she left them alone.
The same goes for house-training – don’t wait until there is a puddle, make sure your puppy gets outside within a few minutes of eating and every hour on the hour. This way you get to praise him for doing a good job, and don’t have to scold him for doing what comes natural. It will make bonding with your dog easier too.
3) Consistency
Everyone in the household
Cat toys: What are the best cat toys?
You have wisely entered into a mutually beneficial agreement with one of feline quintessence, and in return for the precious moments of sheer and uninhibited acceptance, you want to make available a tangible tool for your pet’s enjoyment.
A cat toy will provide for your significant other’s pleasure in a manner that stimulates her most notable characteristics: agility, curiosity, touch, scent, and secrecy (all hunter sensibilities) while protecting your investment from unnecessary injury. Your feline companion will require episodes of togetherness as well as times of solitary recreation, and a preferable object of amusement will serve well in either circumstance.
Lance, a male cat I had the pleasure of acquaintance with, preferred instruments that he could utilize in sportsman fashion akin to the motions and sounds of hockey pucks: aluminum foil balls. These relatively priceless wonders produce extended periods of delight for both the feline and his trusted companions. Lance enjoyed the physical realities of a long hall and very smooth flooring – both circumstances he made thorough use of when engaging in self imposed exercises with his object of full concerted interest. The aluminum foil ball offers a feather light, textured, inflexible and round projectile that is capable of rebounding off of walls, furniture, and other firm objects (including living things) without inflicting any harm whatsoever, all the while giving off rough, slightly scratchy but low volume sounds of action and impact: pure joy!
We tried offering similar enjoyments to Kitty (a strikingly beautiful spayed female with a coat impressive of the finest cashmere to the touch), but she was rather offended. Kitty’s preferences run in the softer, quieter varieties of pastime amusements: well sewn pretend mice puffy with irresistible essence of Nepeta (catnip), which she, in perfectly unsophisticated abandon, pours out her affections upon for long minutes of biting, wrestling, and rubbing.
Aluminum foil balls and mice of Nepeta are two examples of small, safe, inexpensive, positively appreciated playthings enjoyed by innumerable felines. The one drawback to these light, mobile toys is their propensity to disappear behind, under, or into things; rendering them temporarily lost or inaccessible to you and your beloved pet. A minor disadvantage, this mandates a creative but busy companion to seek out a more sizable enjoyment to occupy the cat’s attention when the other objects are removed from accession, and we have discovered such a treasure: the play cube is light, flexible and mobile, but large enough to house your cat.
Timid and suspicious at first, Kitty has grown to wholeheartedly appreciate the versatile cube: thoughtfully designed with openings on multiple sides for entry and outlook; sturdy fabric-encased wire frames walls of thin, semi-waterproof, bright colored, taut and opaque material behind which your pet detects shadows and movement. As is customary, the cat trains the human, and such has been our learning experience regarding the cube- it is useful for a cat to hide in for predatory attacks on a favorite soft mouse toy, or to enjoy a ride provided by agreeable human powered propulsion, or for chase games with a friend of any persuasion, an energetic tumble (as affectionately as with the mouse!) and even for a quiet time of relaxed slumber.
The aluminum foil ball, mice of Nepeta, and play cube are simple, inexpensive toys that repeatedly elicit recreational times of pure joy for your beloved pet cat, rivaled only by the pleasure of chasing a moving beam of focused light. Enjoy.
Dog Behavior Training – Dog Aggression Toward Its Owners
A dog that growls at and/or bites its owner does so for some reason, even if the behavior appears to be “unreasonable” to the owner. If your dog displays aggressive behavior towards you, for the safety and welfare of you, your family and your dog, it’s important to find out why as quickly as possible.
Call your vet right away and schedule an appointment for a complete medical examination. Talk with your vet about testing your dogs hormonal balance, neurophysiologic functions and allergies. The test results may reveal the underlying cause. This has been especially helpful in dogs that have mood swings.
When growling or biting has erupted as a consequence of scolding or punishment for behavior such as chewing, jumping, general unruliness, or overprotection of food, these problems must be dealt with swiftly and firmly to correct the aggression it is initiating.
As the dogs owner, you must understand that your dog growls or bites at you as a result of defensive feelings. Even the dog that growls when ordered off the couch is reacting defensively, as it feels its dominance status has been threatened.
If scolding and punishment provoke aggression, your dog is reacting to a perceived threat to its physical safety. In either of these situations, your own threatening behavior may be producing negative results.
If the results of a medical examination show no signs of a medical condition that would be causing this behavior, you will have to examine your own behavior closely to determine what you are doing to make your dog feel threatened.
If you can’t hire the services of a professional, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Secrets Of A Professional Dog Trainer by Adam Katz for indepth instructions on dog behavior training. http://customdesigngraphics.com/dogbehaviortraining.html
Training Aids For Your Cat
Should a cat attend obedience classes? Actually, there is no need to. Cats can develop good behavior with the proper training aids.
Cat Training Aids
Food Tray The cat must be taught to eat only in their food trays to avoid begging constantly or having them steal food from the dining table. These must be situated far from the dinner table. It will also help to feed the cat before dinner. They sleep after they eat.
Scratching Posts It is part of the nature of the cat to claw, however this should not be tolerated. It can be very damaging to the furniture. This can be easily resolved by providing scratching posts for cats to claw on instead of the furniture.
Repellent Liquid repellent can also be used to keep cats from scratching on certain furniture. The taste of such repellents is so terrible that the cat will learn to stop from scratching eventually.
Yarns and Balls Cats also need exercise. They are generally playful. Kittens like to play with just anything. To avoid having them tinker with delicate things, it is good to give them yarns or soft balls to play with. Older cats can be trained to use harmless leads.
Treats Cats can be taught tricks. They can be taught to shake hands or fetch something. However, to properly train cats, it is important to give them rewards when they successfully accomplished a task. Treats are good rewards.
Litter Trays One of the drawbacks of keeping a cat indoors is dealing with their dirt. Litter trays will come in handy at this point. This is a must in toilet training an indoor cat.
Water Spray Fighting with other cats and caterwauling are also problematic cat situations. Spraying the cats with water when they do these things will eventually keep them from doing them. The water spray is a helpful deterrent for other bad behaviors.
Cat Grass Plant eating is also a habit of the cats. They do this to induce vomiting and sometimes just out of curiosity. Cat grass is a good substitute to keep your plants safe.
Nesting Spot Cats enjoy going to elevated spots to see more. It is their way of seeking company. To keep them from jumping on furniture, it is best to get a nesting spot. This should elevated and comfortable. Rub a treat into the spot to attract the cat.
Training the cat with these aids will still require patience and consistency. Still, this is worth all the efforts. The good behavior of the cat is reward enough.
Toilet training tips for cats – Part 3
Cats and litter boxes go hand in hand. Most kittens will instinctually use litter as opposed to your rug or bedding out of a natural preference for its texture and the ability to bury the “goods”. If your kitten happens to be hesitant or just doesn’t seem to get the point it usually only takes a small amount of coaxing to achieve this milestone. First off I cannot emphasize enough that rubbing their nosis in ot as you might with a puppy during housebreaking just doesn’t seem to work with cats. Thay have too much “cat-itude” to be so easily convinced. A great direct way to solve this problem is natural additives that can be found at any pet store. As the owner the brand is your choice whether it be all – natural, organic, etc. You may might to research your choices on the net and look for consumer websights that allow people to post their experiences with the products, Consumer Reports is a good basic choice for brand names. These additives that are mixed with the litter draw cats like moths to a flame. You will find all the cats in your house fascinated with their litter box for quite some time! The urge to urinate on the litter is overwhelming for them. If one additive doesnt work please dont despair and just try another. It usually only takes the right odor to draw your kitten in, some are just more picky then others. As we all know, cats have their own destinct personalities ad preferences, and this is just another preference for them. If your kitten doesn’t like the first brand of food you give him would you just say, “Well I guess food isnt working.” ? Exactly. Call your local pet stores and find out about return policies so you save some cash during this period (chain stores like Petco and Petsmart usually have some sort of return policy). Feel free to supplement the use of a litter additive with basic training, cats are smart and they know what your telling them if you tell them correctly. If you catch your kitten in the act of defiling your sofa or favorite throwrug immediately pick him up and bring him to the litter box, place him there and hold him their for a moment. The let go, when he tries to flee from the box, which is the most common reaction, you must scoop him up and put him back. Repeat that only about three or four times, cats easily get frustrated with us when we don’t do what they want,but we all knew that right? The goal isnt to frustrate him, just make sure he knows why this is being done. Of course he wount realize it the first two
Winter pet care tips
I am going to give you some pointers to help your pets deal with the cold and the snow of the winter months. Follow my guidelines in this post and you’ll have pets that are snug, warm, and healthy!
If I were to ask you what the number one issue is for pets during the winter months, what would you say? Do you think it’s owners being irresponsible, or that pets get “cabin fever” similar to humans? While there may not be a clear number one issue, clearly there are several top issues I’m going to talk about today. Pay close attention to my advice, during extreme temperatures dogs are much more susceptible to disease and complications!
* Leaving your pet outside: Although this may seem like a good idea, it is only smart to do when the weather is temperate (not too hot or cold). Leaving your pet outside in the winter is like leaving a child out there. He as nothing to keep him warm and what happens when his water freezes? What will he drink? The best thing you can do for your pet is keep him inside during the winter, only letting him out to do his business and for a walk (yes, you should still exercise your dog in the winter!).
*Walking your pet in the cold: Ok, so you may think there isn’t much to this one, but I bet there are things you haven’t thought about. In most cities and towns, it is common for salt and other substances to be placed on the sidewalks and roads. What does this mean to your pet? Well, if he walks in it then licks his paws after returning home – he will be ingesting whatever chemicals were used on the pavement. This could be incredibly harmful to him. If you are walking your pet in areas where the salt is visible on the pavement, you should have your pet wear protective booties on his feet – these will act as a barricade and you can remove them after you get back home so he can lick his paws without eating deadly chemicals.
Not only could the chemicals be harmful if he eats them, they could also damage his paws. If he gets enough of the substance on them, they could cause an infection. If you notice him walking gingerly on his paws or whining, you should take him home at once (if your pet is small enough, I suggest you carry him home to avoid further damage) and rinse his paws off. If the pain continues, take him to the vet right away, chemicals that are left on his skin will be very damaging if they are allowed to stay!
* Indoor guidelines: If you plan on keeping him indoors all winter, there are a few things
Best breeds for guard dogs – Part 1
There are so many types of popular breeds of dogs. I honestly don’t think there is a best breed of a guard dog, I believe it is a persons choice. I have 3 house dogs and they are all different breeds. I have a Rat terrier, Chihuahua, and a Doberman pincher. Dogs may be mans best friend but, are we really drawn to a preference? Of course we are.
Now it may come to your surprise that the Rat terrier is the best at protecting, she even over powers the Doberman that we have. Yes there are very well trained dogs to protect, but when it comes to a certain breed it is how you train your dog. We have an outside dog that protects just as good as a well trained guard dog.
He is basically a Heinz 57 dog, a mutt, when we lived in town he was our only dog we had, that stayed in the house with us. We acquired him as a very young puppy around 5 to 6 weeks of age, he happened to be the runt of the litter. As he began to grow he became more and more protective of his family and the house.
When people came to visit he would not let them in the door period. About 10 years ago we moved out to the country and we decided to put him outside since we lived on a dead end road and didn’t have much traffic at all on the road. When people still come to visit he won’t let them up on the front porch, he verily let them out of their car. He has never bitten anyone, he just lets them know that he doesn’t like strangers around and stands his ground.
We never had to train this dog. He even trained himself when it came to potty training. We simply just put him in a small area with an open gate where he could see us and he would wine and bark when he needed to go out. After about a month of keeping him contained he was house broke. He would hardly ever go in the house, he would wait until we go home to go. When we would walk in the back door he would be right there waiting to go out.
To this suggestion of what I have learned about my dog, you can most likely train any dog to come to love and protect its family/owners. Unless you have a dog that plain simply loves everyone and it doesn’t matter who comes to visit they just want attention. You may even come across those stubborn dogs that seem almost impossible to train.
When we first got out Rat Terrier she was one of those stubborn dogs, we had her for about 8 months and my husband decided to get a full size Doberman that was 6 weeks of age. Being a puppy they always get into trouble but, I don’t regret getting her cause she simply trained our Rat terrier. In order to choose the right dog for your family or for protection. You need to know more about what type of dog you want, or are looking for.
There are so many breeds and of course owners always thinks their pet is the best! After all, our own dog(s) wouldn’t be the best to use if we didn’t love them.
How To Choose Best Food For Your Dog?
Dog owners are concerned about making sure their pets get the healthiest options available when it comes to dog food. Owners spend time and effort reading up on the optimum nutritional values in dog food and the alternatives. Today our pets have a wide variety to meet their tastes and needs and we have our choice of what kind of food we can choose to feed them. Despite the variety, pet foods usually fall into three major categories. These categories are: Grocery store foods, these types of dog and pet foods are usually found in grocery stores and mass marketed retailers and can contain lower quality, less expensive ingredients. The second category is “premium dog foods,” which can also be found in grocery’s stores but are also found in pet stores and through your local veterinarian’s office.
These types of foods are usually made from some higher quality ingredients and are usually made evident by the expense of the food. Some of these pet foods though can contain lower quality ingredients that you aren’t aware of. The third and final category is healthy dog foods which are a relatively new addition and make use of the latest research into the best foods and blends for your pet.
So what is best for our pet and how do we choose the proper dog food?
Quality, healthy ingredients make quality, healthy dog food. Nutrition is important no matter whether you’re a person or a pet. Pets, just like humans, need good nutrition not just to survive but to truly be healthy. They need good quality protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fats. This is where premium, healthy dog food can benefit your pets.
Typically, healthy dog food contains quality protein, good quality carbohydrates and fiber, natural fats and preservatives. The protein does not come from dead or diseased animals and you will never see the word by-product on the label. By-products (feet, bones intestines, etc) are inferior protein sources that are sometimes used and can be very hard for your dog to digest. Less digestion means less nutritious and therefore not as healthy. Quality protein helps build and maintain muscle strength.
If you see corn, soy or wheat used as protein sources instead of meat, you now know your pet isn’t getting healthy dog food. Good quality carbohydrates give your pet the energy to be active. Good fiber sources help promote a healthy digestive system and colon. Quality fats from animal sources contain omega fatty acids that benefit the skin and coat.
Believe it or not dog food manufacturers that label their bags “premium food” use these ingredients as well as chemical preservatives and artificial colors that can be harmful to pets.
Benefits beyond healthy nutrition
When your pet is eating right, it feels better, giving you a happy and more playful companion, fewer trips to the vet, and less wasted food. Ultimately, giving your pet better food might seem expensive initially, but keeping your pet healthy saves you money, time and expense in the long run. Healthy, premium dog food can possibly extend the life of your pet giving you more quality years together.
Dangers of pampering your pet
Pampering your pets could mean many different things. We (as good pet owners) want to give our pets the best lives that “we” imagine they need. This unfortunately can become exactly opposite of what we are striving to accomplish. We want so bad to “take care of” our pets that we sometimes forget that they (in many cases) do not need to be taken care of. (When I say this, I am referring to more than their nutrional and emotional needs)
Pampering and giving them love/affection/daily needs are two entirely different things.
Depending on the pet, (cat, dog, bird, horse, pig, fish, reptile, etc.etc.etc) we may be talking different specifics but consider this:
Horse owners provide stalls for their horses. They want to provide a nice cozy warm and dry location for their pet to live in. Stalls have benefits in times of illness or necessary seperation circumstances. Other than that, our attempts to pamper have now transgressed into providing an environment entirely Un-natural to the horses way of life. Things to consider are circulation, air-quality, boredom, etc. As much as we want to have that beautiful and safe stall for our horse…we can not ignore the obvious. Horses are not meant to be stalled. We, the owners, want them to be.
This is just one example. I think (as a pet owner myself with horses, dogs, cats, rabbits and a bearded dragon) that we must take caution in our attempts to “provide” for our pets. It is our responsibility to teach them proper manners and socialization. It is our responsibility to make sure they have a healthy loving environment to live in. In the same token, I think we just need to make sure we allow our pets to be themselves as well. As in the case of the horse: They are incredibly resiliant creatures and many times our attempts to make their lives easier, only create more problems for them in the future.
Happy Days with Your Pets!
How to Live In Perfect Harmony With Your Dog
Dog training is one of the most important things you can do for your pet. It will greatly improve the relationship between you and your dog.
Dog training will give you a means of communicating with your dog. The most obvious way it can help with communication is by teaching your dog to respond to commands. Next time you come across your dog ripping apart your favorite pair of slippers, you will be able to use simple oral commands to stop the destruction. Dog training will also improve communication by allowing your dog to find its place within your household social hierarchy. By teaching your dog to sit and give you its paw, you are telling the dog that you are in charge. When your dog obeys your command, it is recognizing your position.
Dog training can also protect your dog. A dog that has been properly trained won’t go chasing after a bouncing ball into traffic. A dog that has been properly trained won’t take a nip at other dogs or pedestrians when you are out for walks. A dog that has gone through dog training will be a confident dog. You will also be able to give it more freedom to do things like run off the leash when you know it will return on your command.
Finally, dog training can be a fun activity for you and your dog to do together, a time for you to focus all your attention on your dog. It need not be a chore, and it should never resemble an extended punishment.
The most important concept in dog training is the reward. Rewarding your dog with treats is the fastest and most pleasant way for your dog to learn new commands. While punishing your dog has its place in most dog training regimes, it should be used sparingly. If all your dog ever receives is punishments or reprimands, your dog will quickly learn to ignore or avoid you. This will make it extremely hard to properly train your dog.
Dog training should start as early as possible. While you may not see immediate benefits, and many doubt puppy can actually be trained, it will at the very least set the stage for successful dog training later in life. The methods you use to train your dog will seem familiar and a part of its daily routine. This is not to say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. Just be prepared to put more effort into it than you would with a younger dog, and to always be patient.
While there are many resources available for you to train your dog on your own, the easiest way is to use a dog trainer. You should spend a lot of time picking a dog trainer, however, as bad training techniques could be very damaging to your dog.
Anyone can call himself or herself a dog trainer. It is therefore important to only use a dog trainer that has been glowingly recommended by someone with well-trained dogs, or by a reputable organization such as the ASPCA or other humane societies. And before spending any money, ensure that the dog trainer uses methods you are comfortable with. Visit the facility and see a dog training session in action. If you see any signs of cruelty or hostility by the instructor towards the dogs, find someone else.
