Think Twice!

A puppy can add so much joy to the household that it is unimaginable. However, it is something that I would recommend only if one has the time, patience and will make, almost, as much of a commitment to raising that puppy as they would to raise their children.

A puppy is a living, breathing and sensitive creature that offers something that most humans cannot. “Unrequited Love.” It is not something that should be brought home with the thought, “If it doesn’t work out we’ll get rid of it.”

Before going out to find that perfect pet.

Before going out to find that perfect pet, sit down, with your children, if they will be involved, and discuss what having a puppy will entail. This is probably the most important thing you should do before making that final decision. Give this “a lot” and I repeat, “a lot” of thought. In fact, if you have never had a dog before, it is even more important for “you” to know what is involved.

Having a new puppy in your home is not an easy task. Unfortunately, most people have no idea how much work it takes to raise a dog. I was one of those, many years ago; I was “totally clueless” and ended up returning my first dog because I was ignorant as to what it entailed.

The next most important part of your job.

The next most important part of your job, before you even start looking, is deciding upon what kind of a dog to get.

How large a dog do you want when it grows to full size? Remember a dog like a Yellow Lab, which can be a great family dog, can grow to 70 to 80 pounds and more. Can you handle a dog that size and do you have the room for him/her to run around?

What kind of dog is best suited to the family with young or infant children? Young children, yes, I know they are your little angels and can do no wrong, can be very hard on a puppy, pulling their ears or tails, hitting the dog, etc.

Think about the temperament of the dog that you will be getting. Some breeds are much more tolerant of children and will put up with a lot of abuse, whereas others do not have the patience to tolerate the kids and could be a little snappy. If you have young children, it behooves you to do your homework.

Where do you go to find your new family member?

Before going anywhere, go online, research what type of dog will fit into your family. Either look into adopting a puppy from an Animal Shelter, or, if you want a specific breed, look into the specific breed rescue organizations. There is a rescue organization for almost all breeds of dogs. This way you will be saving a dogs life.

Do you have the time to house break your puppy?

Once you get your puppy home, what are you going to do with him? Without going into extensive detail about training and raising your puppy, you can write volumes about this, in this article, we will just discuss the basics of house breaking your puppy.

Your puppy will come home with an extensive knowledge of how to do four things without being taught. Peeing, Pooping, Chewing and Eating. Without your knowing how to control things from the very beginning, your little poop factory will be doing it all over the house in addition to trying to chew whatever he can get his teeth into, that includes children’s toys and your expensive furniture too.

House breaking your puppy takes time, and if you don’t do it correctly from the start, all you will do is to prolong the agony. Don’t blame the dog. He is only doing what is natural. He doesn’t know the rules of the house yet, that’s were you come in. You’re the teacher.

If you work, the best thing you can do is take a few days off. That doesn’t mean you can go shopping, that means spending time with your puppy.

Be prepared to take the little guy out every hour or so. This may sound like over kill, but believe me, in the end, the time you put into it now will pay off in the future. When you take your little buddy out don’t take him/her for a walk. Go out your door to a particular spot and just let him sniff around that same spot each time you go out. If he eliminates, praise him by making a big fuss about it. “Good puppy.” Pet him, give him a treat, etc. At that point if you want to take him for a walk you can. If he doesn’t do anything, just go right back in. Don’t go for a walk, give a treat or anything else.

You want to make a big deal about going out to do his business. Once he learns that going out to do his business is a big deal, he will want to go to that spot to eliminate, as opposed to doing it in the house. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be accidents. It means that it will take a lot less time for puppy to learn not to go in the house.

One last thing about taking your puppy out. “Pick up the poop!” If there is anything people can’t stand and don’t have patience for, are inconsiderate pet owners that don’t pick up.

This is only the beginning. Bring home that puppy only if you are willing to make that long term commitment. Oh yes, don’t depend on the kids who promise you that they will take care of the puppy. That lasts about two days, then it falls on your shoulders.

Dog Training

Dogs, like kids, need a loving, consistent environment to learn good behavior. Dog owners (like moms and dads) need to teach them and guide them to learn appropriate and acceptable behaviours without sacrificing their self-confidence.

What kind of dog would you like? A dog that is afraid and submissive, or a happy, well-adjusted, well-mannered member of the family?

Teaching your dog good manners is one of the best things you can every do for your dog and yourself. Studies have shown that dogs are highly intelligent animals that want to please their owners. There is a clear link between how owners treat their dogs and how their dogs behave. Research shows that most dogs can learn to be well-behaved. However, this strongly depends on the time and effort the owner puts into training them.

Teaching your dog good manners is beneficial to both you and your pet. A well-trained dog learns to respect the people around it, and makes a shy dog more sociable and confident. Owners that engage with their dog and take responsibility for their training and socialization tend to experience less behavioral problems from their dogs.

The owner’s attitude in training their pets is of utmost importance. Focusing on positive reinforcement and rewards while training your pet will help you get the best from your dog, have fun and helps ensure that living with them is easy, enjoyable and emotionally rewarding – all the things you want from man’s best friend.

Dogs are learning all the time. Owners need to teach their dogs appropriate and acceptable behaviour as early as possible, and in a variety of different situations. This means that the dog is confident and well-mannered even in challenging circumstances.

Training you dog in basic manners benefits everyone; you, the pet owner, and your happy, loved and well-behaved dog.

When To Reward

There are certain things which should be kept in mind while training one’s dog. There are different techniques of dog training.

Some of these techniques are quite useful, while some others can bear negative results. It is therefore quite natural to get confused with so many sides of dog training, as it is difficult to tell which one works the best.

The most common confusion, which people tend to have, is when to reward and when to rebuke the dog. If you are such a confused one, the following tips will help you.

Your dog-training instructor will probably tell you that you should always keep a positive air while dog training. But actually you would need to be stern in certain situations.

However, you must not scold your dog too frequently, as dogs always give a better response if they get a positive behavior from their trainer. So it is first important for you to realize when to praise your dog.

Your dog should get a reward every time he obeys you during the training process. You should reward him if he sits, stays, fetches, goes to toilet in the proper place, or does anything he his ordered.

His rewards can be anything – praises or kind words, treats, a rub on his belly, or a pat on his head!

Positive dog training makes the learning process quicker. What your dog actually wants is to please you, and that is why it will respond better with this kind of teaching. But make sure that you do not go on rewarding him even when he disobeys you.

Scolding is something, which should not be used unless it is necessary. You can reprimand your dog if he jumps, barks, growls, pulls at his leash, destroys anything, or excretes where he should not.

However, do not scold him unless you catch him doing something wrong.

Or else, he will not realize why you are reproving him. A quick and sharp “no!” or “bad dog!” should be enough of a scolding.

You should keep an angry condemning tone, and make sure that you are crisp and quick in your scolding. But if you are too frequent in your reproaches, your dog will ultimately start ignoring you. Do not ever hit the dog, as it will only lead to complications in future.

These are the points that you should keep in mind when you decide to praise or scold your dog. Do not forget that your pet has only started learning, and is trying to do his best. So patience is something that you must have.

If you are loving and understanding enough, your dog would find the training easy, and ultimately it will be a wonderful experience for you two!

Stop Dog Barking

Having a barking dog is not easy to deal with and it can put the dog owner into embarrassing situations. You don’t want to be known as the neighbor whose dog keeps everyone awake at night. There are many other negative side effects of having a dog bark all through the night (and day). No matter how much dog owners love their dogs, loud and constant barking becomes irritating.

One way to stop a dog from barking is to use a barking collar. It’s a gentle and humane way to correct the barking problem. But before you begin a barking collar treatment, you must understand why your dog is barking in the first place.

Things to be Aware of Before Beginning a Stop Dog Barking Treatment:
A dog can bark for several reasons. If you keep your dog in a fenced off area that has a clear view of the street, loud cars, animals or noisy children, the dog will inevitably bark. If a neighbor regularly walks by and yells at the dog or scares him, your dog will bark even more. If this happens, you should try to talk to the neighbor and request that he treats your dog with respect. You can also fence off the area of the yard that offers a view on these people, animals or things.

Your dog can also bark if he is hungry, thirsty or excessively hot or cold. Dogs are like us and they need food and water. During extreme weather they also need to be able to stay indoor. If your dog has physical needs such as those just mentioned, he will keep barking until his needs are met. If your dog keeps barking after you’ve checked and dealt with all of the above possibilities, you may have to get a barking collar.

3 Types of Barking Collars to Solve Your Dog’s Barking Problems:
We’ll talk about three types of barking collars, some of which may be considered humane or inhumane.

The first one is called a spray barking collar and it is one of the most popular types of barking collars. They consist of a regular collar with a device attached in the front, directly beneath the dogs’ chin. Whenever the dog barks, an unpleasant scent is sprayed. Dogs don’t appreciate being sprayed in the nose, and the sound made by the device when it sprays may also startle them. That being said, there is no pain associated with this treatment and it is considered humane.

Choke barking collars are a different type of collars that may scare your dog, but they are considered safe to use. The collar is designed to automatically constrict the throat whenever the dog barks. This type of collar has a sensor that detects the proper width at which to close. Although not typical, bruising has been reported in some cases. There is also a serious problem associated with collar malfunctions. Should the collar be defective, it could choke your dog to death.

Shock barking collars are the third type of collars and they are considered inhumane and cruel. They are therefore not commonly used today. In addition to giving shocks, these collars force the dogs to develop an association with the barking cause, whether it’s a thing or a person. For example, if the presence of a child causes the dog to bark, the dog associates looking at the child with receiving pain. The dog doesn’t know that it’s his barking that gives the shock, he thinks that it’s the presence of the child near him. Should the collar be taken off, the dog will remember the child and associate looking at him with the pain he received.

A Few Final Words on Barking Collars:
You already know that people don’t like barking dogs. If your dog barks too much and you’ve already tried other techniques to stop your dog from barking and all those techniques failed, then you should consider investing in a humane barking collar such as the spray barking collar. These collars won’t cause physical harm to your dog. Keep in mind that it’s in your dog’s nature to bark, so don’t punish him for barking, simply help him correct his behavior.

Getting rid of your dog’s barking problem can be done once and for all. The spray barking collars used in combination with the owner treating his dog in a proactive way can help put an end to incessant barking.

Hypoallergenic Dog

If you suffer from allergies, you are not alone. Even though most people suffer from some type of allergy, whether it is food, plant, or pet, they can usually find a way to enjoy their lives, which in many cases, includes having a few pets. Depending on the severity of your allergies, you will be able to bring a dog into your home as long as you take the time to find the breed that is right for you.

Hypoallergenic dogs are specific breeds that shed less hair and dander than other dogs, and produce fewer allergens in their saliva and urine. You should keep in mind that all breeds carry a certain amount of allergens, but hypoallergenic dogs carry less. Allergens can become stuck in carpets, on walls, and in bedding and clothing. This is why people have allergic reactions to their pets. In order to have pets, these allergens must be removed through frequent house cleaning, designating certain spots in the house for your pets to sleep, and by finding pets that have shorter hair and do not shed their skin cells as often.

When looking for a hypoallergenic dog, you should research breeds that have short hair, shed their skin cells (dander) every few weeks rather then every few days, and do not product as much saliva. Since allergies can occur at different times during your life, you should spend some time with the breed of dog you are thinking of adopting. Visiting a dog breeder or a friend who has a dog will give you a better idea of which dog to adopt.

You should also consider your current living conditions. If you live in a small house or apartment, you may experience more allergy attacks because the dander and hair is confined to a small space. Adopting a small hypoallergenic dog is the best way to remedy this problem. If you live in a larger home, you should be able to purchase a larger dog. Letting the dog outside to run in the yard or by taking it for frequent walks will also help because your dog will be able to shed outside instead of inside on your carpeting and bedding.

Once you bring your new dog home, you should give it a few weeks for your body to adjust. Your allergies may become worse before they get better, but after a month, you should see a difference. A hypoallergenic dog does not need any special care unless the breeder has specific health advice about the breed you are buying.

Taking of your home by cleaning often and invest in a quality vacuum that will thoroughly clean your carpeting. If possible, you should replace your carpeting with hardwood flooring. This will keep allergens from piling up and causing an allergy attack. Wipe down the walls once a week and try to keep your new pet off your bed. These precautions will help reduce allergy attacks and help you have a fun, loving relationship with your dog for many years to come.

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