Author Archive
Disc Dogs – Dog Frisbee
Disc Dogs – Dog Frisbee
The Dog Frisbee sports (“Disc Dog”) is beeing practised in the United States for more than 25 years. It is very popular and widespread among sporty dog owners.
In Disc Dog the collaboration between animal and man is fundamental. Both therefore have to train for the sport, as a dog, no matter how talented, can only show its skills if the Frisbee is thrown correctly.
Through its variety, Dog Frisbee is really something for every healthy dog, regardless of race, gender, height and weight. As with all other dog activities, also in Disc Dog its vital that the dog has fun doing it. Therefore, here is exactly as it should be in the dog training: motivation instead of enfourcement, positive encouragement instead of punishment, and non-verbal communication instead of shouting.
The training
The dog should be slowly get used to the disc, he must learn to see the frisbee as prey, because then his natural hunting instincts arouse. Therefore one should initially roll the Frisbee across the floor. The first catch in the air for dog might be difficult. Once the dog got used to the disc, you can go to step two.
Also catching the disc in the air, must be addressed slowly. Short throws at the beginning, and then slowly start throwing out further distances. It is important to reward the dog with treats or pats and not overwhelm him!
If this is done, you can train the different disciplines of Disc Dogs.
During training however, you should consider the following tips:
Puppy Training – House Breaking
Puppy Training – House Breaking
It is a good idea to find out if possible, exactly what the puppy’s environment was before you brought him home. This will tell you what the puppy was accustomed to messing on in the early stages of life. (i.e. was it a newspaper litter box style, sawdust or shavings as in a barn or pet store, cement floor as in a kennel run, or maybe a grass bottom playpen.)
This information will help to determine what will immediately work for your puppy. The most common method of house-breaking is paper training. When using this method, you will need to spread papers, a couple layers thick in a certain area of the puppies most used room in the house. Also, you will need to spread some newspapers in the area of the yard where you want the puppy to make his bathroom. (of course weather permitting) Weight these down with rocks or bricks in the beginning stages.
Try to not allow the puppy to have access to the whole house as this is just too much territory for him to be able to handle in the early stages. This only reinforces long term housebreaking. Gradually over the first 4 months, after you have brought him into your home, you can start allowing him access to other areas unsupervised. When you catch the puppy in the act, but missing the papers, gather him up in your arms, scold him with a growling “BAD PUPPY”, outdoors, take him outside to the designated bathroom area. Read the rest of this entry »
Most Common Mistakes When Training Dogs
Most Common Mistakes when training Dogs
You probably know that dog training can be done in a variety of ways. However, most methods used in this activity nowadays have in common one key-word: positive reinforcement as the most efficient way of training dogs. Indeed, statistics show that almost all of those successful training systems are based on positive reinforcement.
But no matter what training program you chose, you are likely to commit one or more of the most common errors. You should read this information in order to avoid them, because these three serious mistakes will make training sessions tiring and ineffective.
The first one consists in the lack of constancy. As you know, regular practice and repetition is the main condition for learning. For instance, after performing successfully a certain command, the dog receives a reward; it will expect to receive exactly the same reward after accomplishing exactly the same action. This is the way your dog understands the reward approach and this is how it learns.
But if you reward it sometimes and fail to do that other times before the dog gets the chance to learn, it will get confused. So the key to success lies in remaining consistent and not interrupting training sessions for long periods of time.
Read the rest of this entry »
Dog Trainer – An Ideal Career For Animal Lovers
Dog Trainer – An Ideal Career For Animal Lovers
Needless to say, the ideal job, the one we are all dreaming of, is the one we do for pure pleasure, that makes us feel fulfilled as individuals. In other words, it is a gratifying job both financially and personally. So is dog training career: dog trainers are lucky to get the two things they want at the same time: money and dealing with dogs. What does a dog trainer do?
First of all, he offers training classes at dog owners’ request and gives owners valuable advice, teaching them all they need to know for properly looking after their dogs. He also teaches them fundamental obeying orders.
He instructs dogs how to “socialize” with other dogs or unknown persons. In addition, he prepares that kind of dogs used in rescue or search missions, as well as dogs taking part in any type of contests. Finally, they evaluate how dogs evolve during trainings.
How profitable is this kind of profession? Always ask yourself this kind of questions, because viability is an important issue before starting a business. Actually, dog training career has proved to be quite advantageous, if you take into account the number of owned dogs in the USA : around 61,000,000.
If you ever thought about starting this type of business, don’t hesitate! There are lots of training requests and you won’t need a big sum of money to begin. What you will need are skills, good knowledge and the ability to gain your clients’ trust in order to succeed.
Generally, you have no reasons to worry for your earnings. If you didn’t know, dog trainers are some of the best paid professionals. So you will be two times lucky: you will do what you most enjoy and earn enough money.
Read the rest of this entry »
4 Ways to Make Your Dogs Happy
4 Ways to Make Your Dogs Happy
Home comforts
Important allowances for pet dogs include their own personal space comprising areas where they can rest undisturbed, toys that fulfill their hunting instincts through what we view as play, and sufficient food and water to satisfy their body needs.
As most people who keep dogs as pets want their animals to be close to them for the affection and company they provide, it stands to reason that the majority are kept in the home. To make your home as appealing as possible to your pet, meaning that the relationship between you both will be as successful and problem-free as possible, you must provide him with the facilities most important to him.
Your temperament
Another consideration is how you relate to your dog. Whatever dog you choose, he will sense your emotions, so a stressed owner is likely to end up with a stressed pet. Dogs respond best to calm, consistent handling. Shouting at or hitting him will confuse and frighten him resulting in behavior problems in the future.
A good owner is patient and controlled enough not to become angry at a dog if he does something you perceive as wrong. If he does something inappropriate as far as you are concerned, then you have not trained him or catered for his needs adequately. Look at what may have caused the problem, and then rectify it. Is he receiving enough attention, exercise and so on? Find the root cause of the problem and you are halfway to finding the solution.
BE SAFE, NOT SORRY
Not taking out appropriate insurance when you get a dog could prove false economy. It could mean being faced with a massive veterinary bill if your dog needs extensive treatment, while a lawsuit against you for personal or property damage caused by your dog could leave you facing financial ruin. Shop around for the best insurance deal and ask your local vet for any recommendations; then remember to read the small print on policy proposals.
Your lifestyle
If you work all day, you should consider getting a dog that will not mind spending large periods of time on his own. (This is likely to be an adult, since it is not fair to leave puppies on their own for any length of time). Alternatively, you could arrange to have someone come and see to the dog at least once during your absence and let him out to relieve himself.
If you get a puppy, the first couple of months are going to be particularly time-consuming- you will need to spend time on house training and basic obedience training. Later, you will need to allow at least two hours every day for care and exercise. Are you able to devote this essential time to exercise, train and play with a dog? If not, perhaps you should rethink your reasons for getting one.
Dog Whisper – Making of a Strong Bond
Dog Whisper – Making of a Strong Bond
Well, it’s the dog whisper is the latest buzzword in the dog training industry. There are several dog whisperers coming up across the globe and they are really offering some good results. Dog whisper has developed like a trend and most of the people involved in this business are enjoying their accomplishments to a great extent. On the other hand dogs are now drawing proper training and making their trainers proud enough. If you also want to train your dog properly and want to make your pet one of the real active member of your family, then dog whisper is the service, which you need to look for.
Before you opt for any dog whisperer, you need to understand the real fact and the training procedures that are associated with this business. There are few people that feel dog whisper as a sneaky marketing effort that has been developed by some dodgy dog trainers.
Well, it’s not like that in any way! Dog whisper is the business that often comprises of some legitimate skill set that will pass from the dog trainer to the dog in order to make the pet more discipline and gentle with all the activities. Well, people that are looking for dog whisperer need to look for some of the quality ones so that the trainer can build up a strong bond with the dog. This is the first thing, which a dog needs to acquire during the training period so that your pet will receive all the training materials further easily. Building up a strong bond with the dog is the most important aspect for any dog whisper that want to train a dog to the max. This is a canine species and building up a strong bond will surely help both the trainer and the owner of the dog to receive some good stuff from the pet.
Normal Behavior of Your Dog
Normal Behavior of Your Dog
Dogs display a number of traits that humans find annoying, strange or even disgusting (eating feces is a prime example). Yet dogs do what they do for a reason. As far as they are concerned, they are doing nothing wrong, and they become confused when we scold them. Knowing why dogs do certain things will enable you to cope better with them as they occur.
Vocal communication
Compared to humans, dogs have a limited ability to communicate using sound and tend to rely more on body language to get their message across. The range of sounds they produce tends to be used to back up their body language rather than in isolation. Howling and growling are the least common sounds, but barking is used frequently, often in different ways to convey different meanings. These can range from guarding barks to those designed to get attention, or barking can be used just to let off steam when excited or frustrated.
Guarding and possession
Natural instinct dictates that to let another take away food will result in hunger. This principle sometimes gets transferred to toys and other items a dog possesses; to give them up is a sign of weakness. Guarding food or a toy, by growling or snapping at anyone who approaches, is a dog’s way of saying ‘this is mine and you are not having it’. However, this line of defence is inappropriate in a human environment. In pet dogs, not letting go of something must be discouraged from an early age, otherwise aggression problems may later result. It is perfectly fine to let a non-aggressive or non-possessive dog occasionally win the toy in a game to keep his play motivation high, but this should be the exception, not the rule.
The Basics of Dog Socialization
The Basics of Dog Socialization
Dogs must be well socialized from a very early age if they are to accept humans, the domestic environment in which they live and other dogs and animals without any kinds of problem behavior occurring.
Social contact
Dogs are social creatures. Different breeds of dog enjoy the company of people and other animals to different extents, but all like to live their lives in a pack with others, whether human or canine. If denied social contact, they can become badly behaved or depressed. An under socialized dog can be difficult to live with, handle and control, and should be properly socialized for the safety and contentment of all concerned.
Human contact
Dogs need to be taught to behave well around all humans. Examples of these include the following:
• Wheelchair users, people with walking sticks or crutches and the elderly.
• Babies, toddlers, timid people and people who are not comfortable around dogs.
• Energetic and noisy children and adults.
• Joggers, cyclists, rollerblades, skateboarders and people pushing prams.
• People with beards, unusual hairstyles, spectacles, headgear, uniforms or umbrellas.
Delivery people
Many dogs have a particular problem with delivery people, because of territorial aggression (a form of fear aggression).
Delivery people come to his territory, where he is most confident, and then, from the dog’s point of view, go as soon as they are barked at, so the barking has worked.
How long does it take to train a Dog
How long does it take to train a Dog
Doing too much in one session will overtax a dog both mentally and physically, and he will end up thoroughly confused. Aim to do one exercise – interspersed with play sessions for light relief – until you have perfected it; then move on to the next task. Keep daily training sessions short and fun: 10-15 minutes of concentrated training per hour is the maximum most dogs can cope with. Puppies do not have a prolonged attention span. Three 10-minute training sessions a day are better than one 30-minute session. Always finish on a good note, so that both you and your dog will justifiably feel pleased with, and good about, yourselves.
Keep a diary, so that you can see how progress is going, and note down areas of Particular achievement or difficulty, so that you can work on those exercises that your dog finds trickier than others. Above all, stay calm, be patient and make training fun.
All dogs are different
Some dogs learn things faster than others. Large breeds tend to mature more slowly, so you sometimes need to be extra patient with them. Small dogs, on the other hand, can be too clever for their own good and you will have to be on your toes. Bear in mind that working breeds, while intelligent, have an inbred instinct to chase and retrieve, guard or herd, or all three, and require disciplined handling and training to get the very best from them. Such dogs tend to thrive on agility training and training ‘tasks’, such as retrieving items for you or scent-tracking items. Making training a ‘game’ is the key to success in all cases.
Dog Clothes – Stylize You Dog
Dog Clothes – Stylize You Dog
When you enter the pet care stores you can find that these dog clothes are widely available in a number of varieties, designs and lot many pretty colors. There are a number of accessories too, available at the pet care stores, which can add up as add-ons to your dog’s clothes. As you explore the shop you can find many kinds of dog clothes. From a single piece of dog cloth to double pieces, from laced ones to the ones having buttons, from dog pants to dog tops from dog caps to dog belts every thing can be found in such stores.
When you are into one such dog care store and you are looking for some clothes and accessories for your pet dog then there are some things you need to keep in your mind. And they are- pay heed to size of the dog clothes you choose. They must be of your dog’s size and fit comfortably on your dog’s torso. Just keep in mind whether your dog is
healthy or is a little lean and then remember the length of your dog and then according to all that you need to make your selection. Get a color that suits your dog and groom it well with the dog clothes.
Read the rest of this entry »