Finding the Right Dog Bed Sheets

By : jerrybrecken
In much the same way as American TV experience won't be complete without Oprah or CSI, your dog's bed won't be the same if not for bed sheets.

Dog bed sheets serve not only as decorative elements but also as important accessories to any dog bed you have in mind. The tandem works much like bread and butter or coffee and creamer.

Bed sheets are large, thin sheets of fabric that are normally cut into a rectangular piece of cotton or linen cloth. Generally used to cover dog beds, bed sheets usually have a center seam. It is usually put between your pooch and its bed. The very first bed sheets were made in plain white. However, you could say that today's designs, materials, and colors of bed sheets have come a long way.

The larger bed sheets can be tucked under the mattress to make it look neat and stable. Bed sheets add the complete touch to any bedding set. The material's quality is determined through the thread count. It is simply the count of the material's thread per square inch. As a common rule: the higher the thread count, the softer the bed sheet.

Sateen, linen, cotton, or other synthetic materials are the usual composition of bed sheets. The most basic patterns of which are dots, stripes, checkered, or printed. Bed sheets are either fitted or flat.

If you're planning to purchase any set of these sheets, this simple criteria may be of great help to you:

1. Machine washable.

You should check if the material used in the bed sheet can take a spin through a washing machine. This is to make the task of cleaning the sheets easy. Washing by hand is not really a bad idea. If you can do easy cleaning, why let yourself have a hard time?

2. It should be attractive, colorful, and should match your dog's “personality.”

You can choose from a wide array of bed sheet collections these days. So, remember to pick sheets with nice prints on them. They should be colorful at best. Moreover, you should opt for those that complements the kind of dog that you have. Go for the sheets with bright yellow sunflower prints if your dog has a playful and sunny disposition. If your dog is bold and strong, pick an equally bold and strong printed set of bed sheets . Your dog may never actually appreciate this element of design, but your family and friends probably will.

3. It should be reasonably priced but durable.

Remember not to go for bed sheets that are priced astronomically. You can actually buy a set for as low as $19. However, don't compromise the fabric quality. It is advised that you pick the middle-priced one that is made of of quality materials. Through this, you can save money and provide your dog a nice-looking bed sheet.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com


Jerry Brecken is a writer for dogbedsforyou.com, a website where you can choose among the popular varieties of dog bed sheets for pet beds such as the Lulu Jane designer dog beds for your beloved pet.

Dog Agility Training Requires Time And Dedication

By : Roland Parris Jefferson III
Those planning to institute a regimen of dog agility training need to be prepared to donate a lot of time, effort and praise on teaching their dog the tricks of the agility trade. Dog agility training can be common among breeds as well as size as most agility contests are based on the animal’s size and relative ability based on past competitions, as opposed to breed. Teaching the dog to conquer an obstacle course neither it nor its handler has seen before, will take a lot of dedication for the real competitor to become part of the team.

A competition of a dog’s agility goes beyond simple handling by command and begun in England patterned after certain horse competitions, dog agility training takes into account fence jumping, teeter-totter, wing jumps a tire jump and more. The idea is to have the dog complete the course, in a prescribed order with only voice commands given by the handler. The tricky part is the 100-foot square course and its obstacles are set the day of the show and the handler is allowed one walk through to become familiar with the layout.

Most believe that dog agility training should be done one obstacle at a time and once the dog successfully and repeatedly is able to overcome an obstacle, it can move onto the next one. Attempting to have the animal run a full compliment of obstacles everyday during training may cause the animal to become confused on the day of competition.

Dog And Handler Must Agree To Work Together

Similar to a dog show, the handler is not always the dog’s owner, rather the handler is the one who has administered the dog agility training and to whom the dog faithfully listens. However, the dog must be of the right temperament for agility competition and one that will not be intimidated by the obstacles. A shy or timid dog would not fare well when faced with obstacles and probably will not perform well.

In dog agility training the handler will have to know what motivates the dog to want to please the handler. The dog and the handler must both be in good enough physical condition to complete the obstacle course as, although no physical contact is permitted, the handler typically stays with the dog through the course, giving the voice commands.

The event is judged based on correctly completing the obstacles and is a timed event so speed is of the essence, as well as the dog being able to recognize each obstacle and know exactly how to meet it quickly.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com


Roland Parris Jefferson III is a web journalist operating out of Santa Monica, California. For up to date news, facts and Dog Training Tips, please visit our Hunting Dog Training Resource.

Dog Behavior Training Leads to a Positive Owner/Pet Relationship

By : Roland Parris Jefferson III
A new puppy can be cute, playful – and a furry bundle of terror if he is not properly trained. This is why dog behavior training is such an important first step in the puppy care process. A well-trained dog is a welcome addition to the family, and a source of companionship and enjoyment for many years. Training should begin from the first day that your dog enters your home, and will continue until your pet understands all of the rules of the house and abides by them consistently. The time that you spend working with your pet on dog behavior training will be time well spent indeed.

How to Complete Dog Behavior Training

When you do sit down to work with your puppy, there are some good rules of thumb to follow. First, make sure that the commands that you give your dog are always consistent. This means that if you do not want your puppy sleeping on your leather sofa, do not ever allow him to sit upon it. Get those rules of the house established early, and you won’t find yourself working overtime to try to break your pet of the bad habits that have been allowed previously. As you teach the rules to your pup, make sure that you stay calm and controlled in dealing with your dog. If you find your pet continuously misbehaving, a “time out” in his crate will allow both of you a cool-down period and show your dog that his behavior is not acceptable.

Don’t Over Train or Over Praise

Since puppies do indeed have a short attention span, keep the focused training sessions short and to the point. Ten minutes a day of intense work with your dog will be sufficient to help your pet behave properly. As your dog obeys your commands during your dog behavior training time, a response of “Good dog” and a stroke to the head is sufficient praise for a job well done. Let your pet know by your expression, tone and touch that you are pleased with his obedience and then move on to your next dog behavior training point. Dogs will respond much better to this type of approach that allows them to focus more effectively on their training session.

The most important thing to remember with your dog behavior training session is that you always bring along plenty of patience. With time and some effort, your dog will become a welcome addition to your family and an enjoyable companion for you for many years to come.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com


Roland Parris Jefferson III is a web journalist operating out of Santa Monica, California. For up to date news, facts and Dog Training Tips, please visit our Hunting Dog Training Resource.

Dog Obedience Training Opens Communication With Owner

By : Roland Parris Jefferson III
When a dog misbehaves it is not because they are bad, it is usually because they are dogs and they are simply acting like the animals they are. They will eat the furniture and everything else that strikes their fancy, jump up on things and people and even bite the hands that feed them. While dog obedience training may not solve every issue of behavior you have with your dog, it is a way of helping the dog understand what your expectations are.

In most cases, the dog will want to please its owner, once it understands just which of you is the boss, and once established will mostly do as directed. However, before the new dog will give itself over to dog obedience training, the social pecking order has to be understood. This by no means hints that harsh steps are needed to make the dog submissive to the owner. Simple commands such as sit, kiss or stay can be taught with an even, stern, not necessarily loud voice, can make the animal understand who is in charge.

By recognizing the dog’s submissive behavior with praise, the animal will become open for additional dog obedience training and additional steps can be taken. Certain breeds, however will only acknowledge one “big dog” in the house and the owner’s spouse or children may be ignored if they attempt to give the animal a command.

It Is Never Too Late To Begin Training

The old saying that it is not possible to teach an old dog new tricks is not valid as dogs can and will be open to dog obedience training, provided it is done in the right fashion. Beginning dog obedience training should start as soon as the dog arrives at its new home, regardless of the animal’s age, as it has learned behaviors that you may want it to “unlearn” before it begins to learn new ways of doing things.

Once a relationship and order has been established between you and the dog, it will be ready to start learning expected behaviors from you. Understand, however that some old behaviors may creep back into the animal’s daily routine and you must show the dog through your dog obedience training that you understand he is a creature of habit, but that the actions are unacceptable.

If you have never trained a dog before, it may be good to take you and the animal to a dog obedience class to learn the basics and then continue with dog obedience training at your home. Remember to be consistent with the training or the dog may become confused about what is expected.



Article Source: http://www.articles4free.com


Roland Parris Jefferson III is a independent writer operating out of Santa Monica, California. You'll always find current and informative Dog Training advice at my Hunting Dog Training Weblog.