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.
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.
Bond and Trust – The Human–Dog relation basis
Bond and Trust – The Human–Dog relation basis
Dog training is particularly based on a functional communication between the human being and his dog.
The tie between you and your dog isn’t there right from the beginning, but has to be developed with lot of love, devotion and consistency. The Puppy, having stayed with his mother till now, needs to receive this love, protection, contact and rules from you from now on, and of course his basic needs, like feeding, playing, sleeping and cuddling need to be satisfied.
The Puppy still needs to learn a lot, and gain experience every single day. Doing so he will of course face situations that might be scary or disturbing and this is exactly the point where the Puppy needs to trust in you. Together the two of you will face those troubles, find irritating objects and situations, and the trust that is built in those moments will strengthen the bonds between you and your dog a little more every day.
A good relation will further on be the cornerstone of your education, as the dog will only be following your wish if he feels motivated by you and has developed those bonds.
Now how can these ties be developed?
Dog Insurance – Puppy Insurance
Why having dog insurance is important
To have a proper insurance for the dog is a very important issue for every new dog owner.
While most dog owners firstly think about health insurance plans, good public liability insurance, covering every kind of accident or injury is much more important. Even the smallest dog may cause a car accident by running on a road, make somebody fall and break his leg, damage someone else’s property, or bite the postman to defend his home.
Make sure the maximum cover is high enough to pay even for a heavy car accident and long term rehab. Most insurance plans have a very low coverage that is no help at all. There is many insurance companies specialized on pet insurances, so take your time to compare their plans and packages.
Dog proof your Home
Provide a safe home to your Puppy or Dog
Whether you have never owned a dog and are planning on getting a new puppy, or have had dogs in the past and are considering getting a new puppy, there are a few items to consider to prepare your home for the puppy to arrive. Puppies are cute and fun to play with, but they also come with a ton of responsibility. Taking the proper precautions and actions to prepare your family and home for the new puppies arrival is key to having success and happiness with your newest family member.
Puppies love to chew. Whether your new puppy decides to chew on your shoes, furniture, cords or anything else it can get in its mouth; your puppy will chew. You need to be prepared for this and have a plan of action at hand to teach your new puppy what to chew and what not to chew. The best way to encourage your puppy to chew the right things, is to put them in front of them. Purchase dog bones and dog chews that will encourage your puppy to eat those and not your shoes, clothes and furniture. Secondly, there are dangerous aspects to what your puppy is chewing on. If your puppy decides to chew up a shoe and swallow pieces, you could have some problems on your hands. You may just be footing a veterinarian bill that you otherwise could have avoided. Another highly dangerous part of puppies and dogs with chewing habits is chewing on electrical cords and wires. Whether it’s a lamp, extension cord or computer cord, chewing on anything electrical can result in electrocution or even death. Point made, cover your electrical cords and provide your puppies and dogs with the proper chew toys and treats they will love to chew on, saving your precious belongings.
The Basics of Leadership
Leadership Basics
There are three basic aspects to leadership:
– Control of or undisputed access to resources
– Proactive intervention
– Ability to control, direct or inhibit the behavior of others
Behaving like a leader means that you must demonstrate – to the dog’s satisfaction! – that your behavior is that of a higher status animal. Each dog will have different criteria for what constitutes adequate leadership skills on your part. And his expectations may change considerably as he grows & matures, requiring that you also make shifts in your approach.
Directing, Controlling & Inhibiting Behavior
From the dog’s perspective, only someone they respect has the right to control, direct or inhibit another dog’s behavior. Turned around the other way, this means that if you can’t control, direct or inhibit your dog’s behavior (especially at critical or highly exciting times), your dog is making it quite clear that he does not consider you higher status – in other words, he doesn’t respect you, a clear sign that your leadership is inadequate for that dog (though it may be quite adequate for another dog with a different personality.)
Hunting Dogs Training
The Training of Hunting Dogs
In the long history of the relationship between dogs and humans, the idea of the dog as pampered house pet is a rather new idea. Dogs were partners in some of the most important jobs that our ancestors had to accomplish. Assisting on the all important hunt for food was one of those jobs. Until the very recent past in the time line of humans and dogs, failure on the hunt meant more than simple disappointment at a recreational activity that was not as satisfying as it could have been. It meant starvation.
Hunting is for recreation now, and the dog has become more of a companion and pet than an essential element to our survival. Yet deep inside many humans and inside their dogs is still this primal urge to hunt. There are many theories on the proper training of a hunting dog, and debate rages about such diverse issues as the best breeds and if the hunting dog can also double as the family pet. Many people claim that the training should start as early as possible while others swear that it is better the let the animal get the “puppy” out of himself before he can even begin his training as a hunter.
The Puppy’s phases of development
Phases of development
The Puppy passes through several stages of development after birth.
Vegetative phase (1. and 2. week)
In this early stage eyes and ears are still closed, and the sense of smell is poorly developed.
Transition period (3. week)
Now the palpebral fissure and outer acoustic meatus open up, still the Puppy is not able to see. Vision is not developed before the 17th or 18th week. The same applies for the sense of hearing. Did the Puppy so far solely sleep and drink, he’ll now be able to notice his siblings and adjacencies.
Filial Imprinting (4 – 7. week)
Eyes, nose and ears are fully developed. In this period the Puppy ideally becomes acquainted with various impressions like humans, noises or visual impressions. He consciously notices his environment und gets to know his social partners. While playing with his little brothers and sisters he will learn to find his position in the hierarchy and to test himself and the others. This is the period where personality and temper are stamped. Is a Puppy in this period kept isolated and without social contacts, it is very likely that there will be major problems with the dog’s socialization.
Dogs need different diets at different ages
Feeding your Dog
Dogs need different diets at different ages. Yes. This is true. For example, the puppy needs milk as the major food item while an adult dog may need beef or chicken in addition to the boiled egg and milk. So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies in reality for the dogs like any other species.
Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates than an adult dogs. Furthermore, puppies need more frequent feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. The movement based requirements of diet are more in the case of puppies, since they are often more active than the adult dogs.
Elder dogs need restricted protein but the protein needs to be easily digestible and easily assimilated in the body. The diet schedule should have ample supply of water for them. Feeding aged dogs too much protein may finally lead to over burden to the renal structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters in the kidney.
This is true especially when the immune system of these dogs is compromised due to many factors. Similarly, the elderly dogs need less food only because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.
Female dogs in the pregnancy stage need not be fed a full stomach since it may cause some discomforts to the animal. However, the pregnant animal and the nursing animal need special type of food items that deliver a balanced type of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals.
The nursing animal with puppies need to be fed with enough amounts of calcium and hence, there will not be any calcium based deficiency and the bones of the puppies will be strong without any curving.