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Jed Yorkshire is a retired teacher and pet enthusiast who writes about canine health topics, specialty breeds, animal training and grooming. An avid pet lover and breeder, he owns four beautiful Giant Schnauzers. Yorkshire also works as a private pet behavior consultant.
January 29, 2008
Vaccinations are, no doubt, an important ingredient in keeping your dog or cat happy and healthy. But, as I found out with my prized pooch, Muppet, they?re not completely risk free. I thought I was being a good ?mom? by taking her to the vet for her scheduled shots, and I was, but you can imagine my surprise when she had an unusual reaction!
Within a few hours after her vaccinations, Muppet was moping around, looking forlorn and depressed ? wouldn?t eat, wouldn?t play. I assumed she was just a little groggy and left her alone. Then came the scary vomiting and diarrhea. Freaking out, I called my vet who reassured me that those reactions are not uncommon within a 24-hour period and to keep an eye on her. By the next morning, Muppet was back to her old self. Phew!
Still, having no idea that anything like this could happen, it was quite the wakeup call to me. I also found out that some pets can experience more severe allergic reactions to their shots ? like welts, facial swelling or shaking. If this happens, you should call your veterinarian immediately for instructions. Remember, these can start several hours or several days after getting the shots, so make sure you keep a close eye on your pet.
I know all this sounds scary, but don?t let the possibility of a reaction sway you from keeping your pet?s vaccinations up to date. Vaccines save the lives of countless pets every year. Besides, if your pet has a history of bad reactions, there are steps you can take to keep your pet safe during the next round of shots:
? Don?t get all his vaccinations done at once ? but don?t separate them by any more than two weeks. It not only cuts down on reactions, it also helps pinpoint which shot is the culprit.
? Don?t take your pet to a vaccination clinic. Clinics offer a streamlined service for healthy pets and are not meant to give individual attention to a pet with a history of vaccination reactions.
? Make sure your vet knows about your pet?s past reactions.
? Be prepared to pay for special pre-vaccination meds or observation in the hospital. Some medications can be used to stop allergic reactions before they happen, obviously, this will cost you more. Some vets also want to observe your dog or cat overnight in the hospital, just to be safe.
As long as you know that a reaction is a possibility, then you?ll be ready to deal with it if it happens. And remember, most dogs and cats are in and out of the vet?s office without any adverse reactions at all.
Make sure you talk to your vet about which vaccines are recommended annually for your dog or cat. You can find out more information about this and minimum age requirements for vaccinations on PETCO’s website.
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Jed Yorkshire is a retired teacher and pet enthusiast who writes about canine health topics, specialty breeds, animal training and grooming. An avid pet lover and breeder, he owns four beautiful Giant Schnauzers. Yorkshire also works as a private pet behavior consultant.
How does a puppy know that the carpet is not the right place for potty?
How do you expect her to know that a pee pad is the right place to pee
and not your bed? It is quite natural for a puppy to bark, whine and bite.
These are normal puppy behaviors and barking is the only way she knows
how to communicate. How do you expect her to understand that
excessive barking and biting is unacceptable if she is to live with
humans?
By spending time, energy and money for puppy training you can not only
avoid the aforementioned problems but also establish a bond of love and
companionship with your canine friend. Training is an inseparable
component of your puppy?s socialization. Training helps her to
familiarize with you and your house and makes her understand the
norms of living with humans and other animals.
Starting Basic Puppy Training
You can start training a puppy from about 4 to 6 months of age. It is possible to train older dogs, but it’s a lot harder. Don?t overdo these exercises, 10 minutes a day is adequate. You’ll find that your puppy tires fairly quickly, and a tired pup won’t learn anything. Be regular in your training sessions, taking him out at about the same time each day. Dress in the same shoes or jacket each training session, and the pup will soon associate those shoes or that jacket with training.
Training Your Puppy to ?Sit?
Training your puppy to sit is the basic command of obedience training.
The first step in instilling some discipline in your puppy is to make her
sit on command. The command ?sit? is very simple to teach and under
normal circumstances, your puppy can perfect this command within 4-6
weeks. Of course, much depends upon your persistence and patience.
Here are some simple steps to train your puppy to ‘Sit’:
- Stand in front of your puppy, holding a treat above her nose but
beyond her reach. The location of the treat is an important
consideration because if you hold it too high, she will tend to
jump to reach for it and if you hold it too low; you will find
yourself without a treat!
- Now, gradually move the treat from above her nose towards her
head and continue to trace this path towards her tail. All this
while, the puppy will try to maintain an eye contact with the
treat and will sit down in the process. The moment you see her trying to sit, call your puppy?s name followed by the word ?sit? in a clear and firm tone. For example, ?Fido, sit!?
The sit command is very important to control your puppy and instill
patience and discipline in her. Proper usage of the sit command can
help you prevent bad habits in your puppy such as jumping and begging
while you are eating. This will also help you in regulating her mealtime
jumping and restlessness. By training your puppy to ’sit’ on command,
you can also save her life in danger situations.
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Kevin Lynch owns http://www.puppy-n-dog-secrets.com and offers you more information on training your puppy plus a free newsletter full of all kinds of puppy and dog info at Puppy Training
January 26, 2008
Are laser pointers safe to use with dogs for training or play? Some dogs have developed serious ‘obsessive-compulsive’ type behaviors (known as a ’stereotypie’) when allowed to chase the dot from a laser pointer, yet others do not develop these behaviors. So how do we know if our dog is at risk of developing a stereotypie when exposed to a laser pointer, and is the light dangerous to our dog’s eyes?
Some breeds seem to have a greater tendency to develop abnormal behavior when exposed to a laser pointer, but these breeds are also popular as Service Dogs and many have been trained to ‘target’ a laser dot in their work without developing abnormal behaviors. So, while some people say that certain breeds should not be allowed to play with laser dots, that does not mean that your particular dog of this breed will develop a stereotypie. Conversely, it does not mean that just because you don’t have a dog of one of these breeds your dog is safe, either.
Some signs that a stereotypie may be developing are:
- pawing or scratching at the area/s where the dot was last seen for more than 1 minute after the dot has gone
- patrolling the area/s where the dot was last seen more than 1 minute earlier
- repeatedly returning to the area/s where the dot has been seen for no apparent reason other than to chase the dot again
- developing strong chasing behaviors for other light or shadow sources
If your dog displays any of the above signs then it is time to stop using the laser pointer as your dog is at risk of developing a serious behavioral problem. You should consult an experienced animal behaviorist if using a laser pointer is important to any of your training goals.
It is strongly recommended that you do not use the laser pointer to play games with your dog. Nearly every dog will enjoy chasing the laser dot, but it is not worth the risk. There are safer games to play, and dogs who enjoy chasing laser dots will probably be just as happy to chase a ball or play tug.
If you are training your dog to ‘target’ a laser dot, then approach training with the aim of minimising chasing behavior. Introduce movement slowly, and be mindful that you are teaching your dog to ‘target’ using some specific behavior that you have defined and trained. I suspect the risk of a stereotypie developing is minimised when training is approached in this manner.
Treatment for obsessive light or shadow chasing should be performed under the guidance of a veterinary behaviorist. Medications are available which may be effective. Do not under any circumstances attempt to punish obsessive light or shadow chasing.
Is the light from a laser pointer safe for a dog’s eyes? Generally, the light emitted from a laser pointer is very weak and will probably only cause temporary dazzling if pointed directly into a dog’s eye by accident. Prolonged or repeated exposure could be harmful and should be avoided.
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Aidan Bindoff is Editor of http://www.PositivePetzine.com, a free ezine for people training their own dogs. Each edition has easy to use training advice based on positive reinforcement methods. Subscribers have access to a large archive of back-issues they can consult for just about any behavior or behavior problem.
As Featured On Best Ezines
January 24, 2008
Obviously, most problems with barking dogs result from dogs that don?t have their owner around to quiet them down. In fact, the owner?s absence in many cases is what?s rousing the dog?s vocal chords.
Most of what you can do to get your dog?s barking under control is done directly by you when you catch your dog in the act. For instance, if you know that your dog is barking at, say people who walk their dogs past your house when you?re away, then it is possible to recreate this scenario with you present so you can correct the behavior. However, intermittent barking such as this may be tolerated, by you, the neighborhood, and indeed your local dog legislation, provided your dog is not menacing passers-by through a crumbling fence.
A lonely dog barking or whining can be both much more of a nuisance and much more difficult to address, but there are still some things you should be doing. Try to come home more often, or try to arrange for a friend to visit, ideally with their friendly and energetic dog. It may nip the problem right in the bud. Enough said.
If you know you?ve got a barking dog problem that has the potential to anger neighbors, a little public relations work can go a long way. If possible, ask your neighbors if there is a barking nuisance coming from your place and, if there is, tell them you?re working on it. Then work on it.
You might also try staging a false exit. Walk once around the house or whatever it takes so they think you?re gone. When your dog barks, correct the behavior with a ?Quiet? command (though your sudden appearance will likely be enough).
You can use special bark collars, that either use sonic or electric power to correct your dog. Others squirt a substance such as citronella when they bark, a scent they despise. I don?t use them, and the ones I have seen in use were awkward and not 100 percent effective. But I stay away from them less because they train through discomfort (they do not harm your pet), and more because they displace the source of authority from you to some device they don?t understand. Furthermore, they don?t differentiate between acceptable - even necessary - barking on one hand, and noise pollution on the other.
There?s also a medieval-like procedure whereby the dog?s voice-box is removed to render them barkless, or at least takes the bite out of their bark. This is simply abhorrent.
A better option for desperate dog owners is arranging some form of doggy day care, whether it?s a professional service or a personal arrangement. Some dogs simply do not get enough stimulation during the day, and they will let the world know about it until they do.
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Martin Olliver has over 12 years experience in dog training and is a proud member of the Kingdom of Pets team (www.kingdomofpets.com). For more great articles on problem barking, visit: kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/articles/barking_dogs.php.
January 23, 2008
How to stop a barking dog? Well, first it helps to know why he is barking. If you understand why he is barking so much, your problem is half solved.
Here are 10 reasons your dog may be barking. If you correct these, or eliminate them, you are on your way to a more quiet and peaceful life.
1.) Your dog has pent-up energy - He may be tied up on a leash, barricaded in a confined space or something similar. He needs to roam. He has lots of energy to expend and can’t so one outlet is to bark.
2.) Your dog is trying to get your attention. - Your normal routine might be to show an overt amount of affection with him and give it lots of attention. Then, you have to go off and do other things and leave him to himself. He may not like this and voices his disapproval.
3.) Your dog feel’s neglected - Maybe your dog is barking because he is hungry, hot or cold. We sometimes forget to check on these essentials and this is his way of letting you know.
4.) Your dog could be sick, injured or hurt. Again something inside of him may not be right. The only way of knowing this is to have him checked periodically at your vet. If none of these other 9 reasons seem to be the cause of his barking, you might want to check this out.
5.) Your dog sees something that ‘bugs’ him. For whatever reason, there are some things that just send your dog ‘ballistic’, like the door bell, the mail man, the UPS truck. Once you understand this, you can proceed from there.
6.) You trained your dog to bark. We sometimes get cute in dealing with our dog. We make a fake bark when we tell him something, or we bark when we let him do something. In time, he links the ‘bark’ with the action and starts to do it himself.
7.) Your dog is jealous - Your dog may be tied up and sees something across the yard or on the other side of the fence. He may want to join in or chase whatever, but because he can’t, he lets you know by barking.
8.) Your dog is about to get aggressive. This sometimes is a warning when he is about to show his dominance in a situation. This needs special care.
9.) It is inbred in your dog. Perhaps your dog’s breed is a known working dog and naturally has a lot of energy. He suddenly can not get exercise and release it, so he barks and becomes anxious.
10.) Your dog may simply be bored. If your dog normally gets a lot of attention and then is left to himself, he may simply be bored and voices his opinion.
Barking dogs are not fun, but then again, dogs need to bark sometimes. If your dog is a barking dog, read over these 10 items and perhaps you can discover how to stop your dog from barking.
If not, there are plenty of books and techniques for getting help on how to make a barking dog - a quite dog.
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Learn how to end the stress and annoyance of your dog behavioral problems , in half the time. Free 6 day course to get you started on transforming your dog. Visit http://www.lomist.com/HowStopBarkingDog.html
Short-haired dog breeds have many advantages over long-haired breeds. One of these is that short-haired dog breeds do not shed as much hair. While a shaggier coat makes a dog look fluffier and aesthetically more pleasing, it should be remembered that more hair means more time spent on bathing and grooming. Short-hairs are also good because pests can not hide on them very well, so they are better from a hygienic point of view.
Here are some grooming tips for short-haired dog breeds.
- Brush your dog regularly, preferably at least once a day. Make sure to brush against the hair growth direction to monitor for pests.
- Stainless steel combs are best for short-haired dogs. Slicker brushes are better for medium to long-haired dogs. Use a flea comb during the summer days to make certain your dog has not attracted those parasites. A bristle brush can be a final touch for adding gloss to the dog’s coat.
- In case you dog has a tendency to avoid being brushed because of dislike for the process, it might be a good idea to try brushing immediately after play time. Start gently by brushing in the hair growth direction. Remember that successful training means frequent rewards. Give your dog a treat after the first brushing is complete. Increase the length of the brushing sessions little by little to allow the dog to get used to it.
- Brushing is also important before giving your dog a bath. Wet matted hair is only going to create problems later on, so make sure there is no matted hair before proceeding with the bath. Water and good shampoo in a sink works great for small dogs. Note that shampoos used by humans are not good for dogs and can cause irritation that might require medication. Start with the tail and wash the head the last. No one likes soap in his or her eyes.
- Rinse as many times as required to make sure that all residual shampoo has been rinsed out of the dog’s coat.
- Short-haired dog breeds will naturally dry of faster. Usually a gentle towel rub is all that they need. Longer haired dogs need more attention and you should consider brushing the hair while it is drying to avoid tangles.
- If your dog tends to dislike baths then remember to reward it with a treat after each bathing session.
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Get all of your dog information at http://yougodog.com
Copyright 2006 @ Ann Born http://yougodog.com
No part of this article may be reproduced in any manner without including the author?s bio.
A small breeding dog is the perfect pet for all of us who live in little cubbyhole-like apartments. Larger dogs, when stuffed into such flats, usually spend their time galloping from one end of the flat to the other in less time than you can say Indiana Jones and, with time, come to dolefully detest their utter existence. So don?t bother with Retrievers and Grey Hounds, let them laze in lush green lawns of farmhouses that are ideal for them. Instead get a dear little Chihahua or a Daschund. Most small breeding dogs don?t measure any more than 10 inches in height. Due to their portable size, they are?well?portable for starters..and can also adapt to smaller living quarters more comfortably.
However, before you jump the gun and run to the nearest pet store to buy one for yourself, you had better sit down and do some research about small dogs. Not all small breeds are suitable for everybody. Many of them are what are called ?Toy dogs? and they are not the right kind of dog for everyone. Also, take into account the other people in your home before deciding on the kind of small dog that you are going to get. If you have children, take the time to select the breed will be the most suitable. Some small breeds do not get along well with children and many are too fragile for rough play with children. Small dogs can often require more care and attention than larger ones, too.
Another very important point to keep in mind when considering whether or not to get a small dog is that their food requirements are minimal. Most of them eat hardly anything compared to the mountain of food you have to give bigger dogs. And while that sounds like a good deal it is also a point of concern. This is because, despite their low consumption of food, their nutritional requirements are by no means less than other varieties of dogs. So a lot of attention needs to be paid to what they eat and how much they eat. Your level of attention will quite literally strongly affect your small dog?s health and development.
Finally, here is a brief list of some of the dogs acknowledged by the American Kennel Club as Small Dogs.
Maltese (belonging to the toy group).
Manchester Terrier (belonging to the terrier group).
Miniature Bull Terrier or Mini Bull (belonging to the terrier group).
Miniature Pinscher (belonging to the toy group).
Miniature Schnauzer (belonging to the terrier group).
Harrier (belonging to the hound group).
Havanese (belonging to the toy group).
To that, we add a few more breeds you might want to consider:
? Scottish Terrier
? Yorkshire Terrier
? Pug
? Chihuahua
? Poodle
? Dachshund
? Pekingese
? Shih-Tzu
? Welsh Corgi
. Toy Poodle
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Get all of your dog information at http://yougodog.com
Copyright 2006 @ Ann Born http://yougodog.com
No part of this article may be reproduced in any manner without including the author?s bio.
January 19, 2008
A dog whines for the simple reason that it wants to do something.
A puppy whines when it is hungry and the mother will instinctively return to her offspring for breastfeeding. A mature dog will whine if it wants its master to do something for him.
If the dog learns that whining will result to getting what it wants then it will repeat this behavior.
Perhaps the best way to stop a dog from whining is just by ignoring it. The dog will eventually become tired of whining and stop if it realizes that its action will not result in getting what it wants.
If the dog whines if it sees its master, it is advisable to block the dog’s vision. A dog will whine for attention when it sees its master.
Reprimanding the animal is not advised, as this is also one form of giving attention. This situation is one of the few cases wherein being ignorant is actually beneficial.
The pet owner should always be conscious of the reasons why a dog whines. Here are some reasons why dogs whine.
- The dog wants to play with you but is blocked by a screen or any transparent wall.
- The dog is craving what the master is eating.
- The dog wants to be placed in a crate or kennel.
- The dog wants to run around outside of the house.
- The dog wants to go outside and urinate or defecate.
It is best that the dog is in a situation that enables it to be comfortable and not bored most of the time. Rewards should be given if the dog eventually stops whining.
If the dog is well-behaved, the pet owner should spend time with it to reinforce positive behavior. Always remember that in stopping a whining dog, it is always best for the pet owner not to give in. The dog should only be attended to when it is quiet. Stay strong and be patient.
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For more tips on how to stop dog behavior problems, please go to http://www.dog-training-techniques.info/
January 8, 2008
I know that it’s important to cure bad breath in my dog when it occurs because I once lost a dog to periodontal disease, which often accompanies tartar buildup and foul breath in dogs. You see, tartar buildup on a dogs teeth fosters the growth of odor producing and potential harmful bacteria. If these bacteria become too numerous, and the gums become inflamed, bacteria can invade tissue, even travel to other parts of the body and set up abscesses and other types of infection there. The dog I lost had a deep jaw abscess that was basically untreatable. If you dog has foul smelling breath, deal with it now.
Bad breath in dogs is more common in older pets because the tartar builds up over the course of a lifetime unless you have the dogs teeth cleaned regularly. Now, when I need to cure bad breath in my dog, I know what to do. the first step is a visit to the veterinarian to have the dog’s teeth examined. A veterinarian can assess the condition of the dog’s teeth and confirm that this is where the odor is coming from (it’s important to rule out other health problems that can cause an odor on the breath). Your veterinarian can also advise you as to what steps you should take, based on the degree of tartar and periodontal disease.
I’ve found that it’s easier to prevent than to cure bad breath in my dog. The idea of brushing a dog’s teeth may seem ridiculous, but there are toothpastes on the market specifically designed for dogs and cats. they come in pleasant meaty flavors that the animals love - you can slowly train your dog to tolerate a daily brushing with an enzyme toothpaste formulated to dissolve tartar. dog owners who start this routine when the animal is quite young can often avoid bad breath in dogs altogether.
Another way to fight tartar is to give a dog chew toys and bones to literally scrape the tartar off the teeth. Over the years, I’ve found that many of these aren’t very appealing to my pet and thus they don’t really work to cure bad breath in my dog, but recently, I discovered the ‘tartar buster.’ It’s a more or less spherical piece of bone about 3 inches in diameter. My dog loves tartar busters and they work miraculously well to scrape off tartar and clear up bad breath in dogs; in fact, I avoided a costly veterinarian procedure by buying a couple of tartar busters. As with any bone, watch your dog to be sure it doesn’t swallow large chunks while chewing on a tartar buster.
If all else fails, you veterinarian may recommend a cleaning under anesthetic to remove heavy tartar. This is expensive and it can be risky for older animals, but it is well worth it to avoid a serious and possibly life-threatening illness later on - bad breath in dogs is not just a cosmetic or social problem. After losing one faithful friend already, I’d be willing to go to considerable lengths to cure bad breath in my dog.
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R. Drysdale is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. She is a contributing editor to Bad Breath Cure, a blog dedicated to the treatment of bad breath.
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