The Dog Owner Club

Dogs Training - Training Your Dog Not To Bite

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), dogs bite more than 4.7 million people per year. Law suits, medical bills and sometimes dog euthanasia are common results from this unwanted - and often avoidable - behavior.

As with any dog training issue, how easy or difficult it is to train a dog not to bite will vary with the breed, age and individual temperament of the dog. But there are some common techniques that will usually help suppress biting behavior.

Wherever possible, start young. Puppies have a natural inclination to mouth and nip. Though it’s often encouraged by owners who understandably see the behavior as cute, human restraint is a prerequisite to dog restraint. Good - and bad - habits start young.

Beyond about the age of four weeks, puppies can begin to learn simple commands. When the puppy moves his mouth to bite, a gentle, but firm ‘No!’ followed by a slight squeeze of the muzzle can help.

Be careful not to cause the puppy to bite its tongue, though. Be especially careful not to squeeze hard or too high up on the muzzle. Dogs have sensitive and delicate odor receptors high up inside the nose. You never want to damage a dog’s ability to smell.

The squeeze isn’t to punish, but to inform. The goal is to help the young dog associate the verbal command with something it can understand at that age - discomfort. Most dogs naturally dislike having their muzzles squeezed at any age.

Along with verbal discouragement and gentle physical restraint or reminders, socializing your dog - as young and often as possible - can help develop calm and confident dogs. Fearful dogs, not used to strangers (whether human or animal), are much more prone to biting behavior.

Expose the dog to other (non-aggressive) dogs. Differences in smell and looks are triggers that can cause dogs to become wary. Introducing them to variety at a young age can help discourage this territorial response.

Most dogs will naturally inhibit biting when playing with litter mates. They nip, but learn early not to press hard. Take advantage of this by ‘widening’ the pack to include family members, other pets and frequent visitors.

Restrain your pet at first when introducing animals from other households. Restrain the other animal as well. Let them approach slowly and sniff or carry out other natural behavior.

Look for body tension, snarling, erect ears and other indicators of oncoming aggression. Make the dog sit, stroke its back and put out your hand to the other animal then convey the smell to your pet. Then allow them to interact.

Dogs normally learn bite inhibition by four and a half months, but don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen that quickly. Breeds vary and so do individuals. Older dogs, ones not trained early to suppress biting or not socialized, will naturally be harder to train.

Some dogs will never be fully trained not to want to bite. Part of training involves training people, too. Make sure any such dog is unable to reach other people or animals. And, make sure that people are informed not to try to interact with the dog.

Gradual, persistent, patient training will usually pay off in a calmer, more playful pet. Which, despite the effort involved, is better than paying off lawsuits.

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How Much Exercise Does Your Yorkshire Terrier Need?

Yorkshire Terriers are extremely energetic dogs. They are so energetic that you may not think that they need any additional exercise. This isn’t necessarily so. While he may be energetic, he may still not be getting the proper amount of exercise. But, how much exercise does he need outside of his normal energetic activities?

Ideally, you should walk your Yorkshire Terrier at least once a day, for about thirty minutes. If you can fit two thirty minute walks in a day, it will be even better for the Yorkie and yourself. He should be walked on a leash, and you should have two or three established routes that you follow. Once he knows those routes, however, he will still need to be on a leash.

Your Yorkie needs time and space to run. Playing indoors is great, but he also needs outdoor exercise, aside from walking. If you have a fenced in yard, this is great. Otherwise, take him to a park where dogs are allowed to run free. Play chase with him, throw his ball, or throw a small Frisbee for him. Make sure that he gets time and space to run at least once a week for thirty minutes to an hour.

Many show Yorkies are taught to run obstacle courses for Rally competitions. Whether you will show your Yorkie or not doesn’t matter. You should set up some type of obstacle course in your yard and teach your Yorkie to run it for the exercise if nothing else. The obstacle course should include jumping, running, balance, and crawling. This gives your Yorkie an allover workout.

Allow him to use his keen senses and exercise those as well. Hide his toys, and allow him to sniff them out and find them. Hide and make small noises and let him use his ears and nose to find you. Senses need exercise just like the bones and muscles do.

Yorkshire Terriers are just like other animals in terms of expressing pain or discomfort. When you exercise your dog, you should be on the lookout for potential problems that he may be trying to hide. For example, he may not jump as vigorously as he once did. This could be age, but it could also be that he is feeling pain when he lands. If your Yorkie avoids exercises that he once did without a problem, you need to find out why. Take him to the veterinarian.

Yorkshire Terriers are small and cute. When many people think of these dogs, they picture them sitting in a lap, poking their head out of a purse, or riding in the car with their owner. There is a great deal more to these dogs than that. Again, these dogs have a great deal of energy, and they need exercise. Make sure that your Yorkie is getting the exercise that he needs, and discuss the amount of exercise that your particular Yorkshire Terrier needs with his veterinarian.

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Natural Dog Food from Australia

Feeding natural dog food is the best way to keep your dog healthy and fit. Natural dog food that is modestly processed is recommended for your dog. Dog food that contain artificial or synthetic components are not recommended by verinatery professionals.

Whenever you keep a dog in your house, dog food should be given the highest priority as your dog?s health completely dependent on the food it eats. You cannot afford to be careless when selecting dog food. A healthy dog is a happy dog. Your dog will remain healthy if you provide the right food.

Natural dog food Australia is highly nutritious. It contains all the natural ingredients that will keep your fit and fine. Well being is in taking natural dog food of Australia.
The main purpose of your dog is to protect from intruders. They can efficiently perform this task if they remain healthy. Your dog is guaranteed to stay fit if you re regularly giving natural dog food of Australia. Giving some other food is like killing your own dogs as they don?t supply the necessary nutrients.

Natural dog food Australia is known for their fine quality ingredients. That is why natural dog of Australia is exported throughout the world. Dog foods are not costly, hence are preferred by many.

If you have any problem in obtaining natural dog food of Australia then through the internet you can find out various retail shops that provide dog food of. Australia. Retail shops providing dog food of Australia have their own websites. You can order online and the food will be delivered at your house.

You can also directly contact the companies manufacturing natural dog food Australia. Most online companies have many years of experience in making natural dog food of Australia. Reliable product is guaranteed when you apply online. If you have any question regarding the product you can fill online enquiry. A free sample will be delivered at your house.

Natural dog food of Australia does not contain any preservatives. Hence they are safe for your dogs. Various brands of natural dog food, Australian market has many types/ brands to offer. All these natural dog foods will keep in good health. Natural dog food of Australia provides balanced which is a must to keep you r dog in good condition.

If your dog scratches frequently that means the dog has a skin problem. A dog with a dull coat does not look pretty. This food improves your dog?s skin and digestion. Natural dog food of Australia will indeed benefit your dog.

If you want to improve your dog?s quality of life then the only way you can achieve is by feeding natural dog food of Australia.

Generally, with regards to their pet dogs people prefer to give natural dog food, Australia market is taking care in keeping good products. With awareness growing about natural dog food Australia made Dog food is becoming more particular about quality.

These foods contain minerals which strengthen immune system and enhance coat quality. Your dog will no be susceptible to diseases and will lead a happy life. If you want to make your dog?s coat lustrous, shiny and beautiful then this is the chance you won?t like to miss.

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Dog Training - Stop the Begging!

Tastes among humans differ, but one thing is constant: your dog will eat just about anything off the table you give it. That may be fine when it’s just you and the family. But when you have guests over, it can be embarrassing. Here are some tips for how to get pooch to stay away during meal time.

The first step is not to start a bad habit.

Dog’s have a natural hierarchy with the alpha at the top, followed by the beta, and so on. In the wild, the alpha eats first, then food is shared by the rest - once the alpha ‘gives permission’. Permission can be denied with a growl or a snap of the teeth.

When you act as the alpha - as you should at all times where your dog is concerned - you control access to the food. But being too easy going gives the signal that it’s open season at the table. If you don’t start the habit they may start it for you, but it doesn’t pay to encourage them.

The next step is to be consistent. If you don’t want the dog to beg for food, don’t feed it sometimes, then deny it at others. The dog has no way in advance to know which times are appropriate and which aren’t. You’ll become frustrated at having to repeatedly try to make the distinction for him and order him away.

Dogs operate by scent. When they smell food, that’s a signal to approach. If you allow them to act on that, a pleasant experience (for them) becomes a bad habit (from your perspective) very quickly.

Human food is often less than ideal for dogs anyway. Most of it is digestible, but it isn’t balanced for dogs the way commercial dog food is. The ideal dog diet depends on a carefully controlled mixture of fat, protein and other categories of food. The percentages are tested and blended by commercial dog food manufacturers. There’s no way for you to duplicate that at the dinner table.

You can train your dog not to beg for food basically the same way you would train them to perform any other desired behavior. Try voice commands ‘go’, ’sit’ and the rest. This is not the time, however, to reward obedience with a treat, since that’s counterproductive. It only reinforces the link between food and behavior at the wrong time.

If voice commands prove inadequate, you can try leash training. This may require some creativity if you are already at the table. You can wrap a leash around a sturdy pole in the dining room. As you tug on the leash toward you, if it’s wrapped around the pole, it pulls the dog away. Take care not to bruise the dog’s throat by getting carried away.

If you have help, you can sit at the table and start to eat, while another holds the dog a few feet away by the leash. As the dog starts to come toward the table, you give the command and they tug the leash. Dogs learn quickly this way to associate the verbal command with the physical restraint.

As with any training exercise, patience and persistence are essential. But sooner or later, they will respond, even when they smell food. They learn in the wild, they can learn even more easily in the home.

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Dog Training - Housebreaking Your Puppy

No training is more basic for pet owners than that first important lesson: Do it outside!

Teaching your pet to eliminate outside the home, not in it, usually starts between six and eight weeks of age. Dogs as young as four weeks have been started on the program, but at that age few have the muscular control to succeed.

Like any dog training regimen, trainer patience is as important as the dog’s temperament. ‘Sit’, ’stay’ and other behaviors can often be learned in a few days. ‘Potty’ training typically takes weeks - sometimes as short as two, often a month or more.

As with other learned behaviors, it helps to watch for signs of the desired actions and enforce and direct them with a voice command followed by praise. In this case that technique works even more to the trainer’s advantage, since all dogs will naturally eliminate. The trick is to get them to do it when and where you want!

Watch for circling or squatting, then pick up the pup, say ‘outside’ and dash outside. The puppy may circle some more, but will often squat immediately. As it begins, say ‘Go potty’ (or some other unique phrase) in a clear, firm (but not angry) voice. Wait until it’s finished and praise lavishly.

You won’t always be able to catch the puppy about to begin, but don’t become angry or impatient when the dog eliminates indoors. It takes time for the dog to learn to tell you it’s time to ‘go outside’. It also takes time for the muscles needed to control bladder and bowels to develop.

Young dogs need to eliminate every 2-3 hours, on average. If you haven’t spotted pre-elimination behavior within that time, take the dog outside anyway. Issue the command ‘Go potty’ and wait. At first, usually, the dog will have no clue what you want.

Again, even when outside, it helps to wait and watch for the desired behavior then issue the command. That helps the dog associate the command with the behavior. If the dog hasn’t gone after a few minutes and a few ‘Go potty’ commands, take it back inside for an hour. Of course, if you spot the pre-elimination behavior in less time, go outside again immediately.

Dogs have a surprising ability to quickly learn what their ‘alpha’ (the leader of the pack) wants. This is almost always accomplished by associating a verbal command with behavior, followed by praise. Punishment is usually counter-productive, and nowhere more so than in waste elimination training. Never rub a dog’s nose in waste.

Paper and/or crate training is preferred by some. A pup can be trained to go on a newspaper, or on one of the chemically treated pads designed for the purpose. Some small breeds that live all day in the home may not need to go outside at all.

The technique has a couple of downsides however. Unlike cats, dogs will rarely go in a perfumed litter box. Newspapers (even with the top layer removed after the dog goes) will eventually create an unpleasant smell in the house.

Also, long before the odor becomes unattractive to humans, dogs can smell their own distinctive aroma. They don’t find it unattractive - quite the opposite. And that’s the problem.

Dogs that are paper trained will often prefer to eliminate indoors. Sometimes they’ll miss the paper by only an inch, creating a mess to clean up.

Once the odor is in the carpet, the dog will often seek that spot out as its proper ‘place to go’. This makes training the dog to eliminate outside even more difficult. Best to suffer a few accidents than to create a hard-to-overcome habit.

Patience, praise and consistency are the keys to any dog training. Elimination training is the first test for you and your dog.

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