Friday, April 17, 2009

Dog Traiing - Stray Dogs

Hundreds if not thousands of stray dogs are found each year around the world with no one in sight and nowhere to go. These dogs are often in great danger whether it’s because of neglect on the owners’ behalf, or because of unforeseen circumstances causing the dog to become lost and scared.

What can be done in these situations can be a tricky choice, and a choice that will need to be done quickly. Simply driving past a suspected stray dog on the side of the road could end in the death of the dog minutes later.

What to do when you find a stray dog is different in almost every case, but there are guidelines to follow to help save the life of a scared stray, and put the mind of the loving owner at ease.

To begin you should always be aware that the dog in question may be very aggressive due to being scared, lost, and possibly very hungry, so approach with care. If you feel the dog is not a violent one then you should still be very careful not to startle or scare the dog in any way, a scared dog could easily run onto a busy road or dangerous area.

A good way to reassure the dog you are not there to harm them and to get them close is to use a strong smelling food such as tuna or other dog favourites as well as speaking gently and calmly to the dog.

When you finally get the dog under control and have no fears of aggressive behavior, reassuring the dog by stroking and talking to them will make it easier for others to deal with them. If you have leash or any other form of dog control with you then try and secure the dog with them, still being careful not to scare the dog.

When you have successfully captured the dog or if you have had other problems making it difficult to capture then you should phone for help from the local animal care or control authority to ensue the correct procedures are met and the safety of the animal will be secure.


For more information visit our dog training website at this link... Dog Training

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Dog Years Human Years

The life expectancy of any dog is commonly expressed in terms of dog years by us and it depends entirely on the dog's breed, size as well as the dog's surroundings. Various other factors affect the life expectancy of a dog. A dog's life span changes according to the diet provided to him and also by the number of medical problems the dog tends to face over the years.

The average life span of the small dog like Chihuahua is about 15 to 16 years, while medium sized the dogs like Border Collies have a life span of 10 to 13 years. It can be noticed big dogs like Great Dean live up to only 7 to 8 years. The calculation of the life expectancy of particular dog can be accurately done with the help of "size or the specific breed calculator", which is said to be one of the most accurate age measurement schemes available. The size or specific breed calculator gives approximate results about the dog's predictable lifespan based on the size as well as the breed of the dog.

It is generally assumed that, on an average, "one human year equals to seven dog years". This statement may not be appropriate, since the first two years are jointly represented by 18-25 years in such schemes and because the entire ratio cannot be generalized for all the dogs though, they belong to different sizes and breeds. An exact ratio of dog years vs. human year cannot be formulated. However, some obvious features remain similar between both aging humans and dogs.

It is generally assumed that the human equivalent of a one-year dog is supposedly fully grown by both mental and physical aspects. Dogs like humans tend to develop advance muscular features as they grow along with a similar mental development. Through a major dog study, it has been estimated for dogs of all breeds and sizes that, nearly "64 percent of dogs" were euthanized because they were affected with some kind of diseases. Only 8 percent of the total dogs live beyond 15 years and nearly 16 percent of them die yearly due heart diseases and cancer. Human lives are not terminated even if they suffer from rare and incurable diseases; and this is the main reason why the lifespan of an average human being is reasonably long.

The effects of aging in dogs is said to be dormant for several years. But like humans, dogs to undergo physical changes as well. The first sign of aging in dogs is said to be the decrease in its activity levels. The sleeping period in these dogs also becomes longer. The canines experience a drastic change in their skin condition, limb usage, appetite and they experience tooth loss as well. Their sense of hearing and vision also diminishes gradually. Older dogs tend to experience stiffness in their body. All these obvious signs of aging can even be found in humans. The human years are extended only because of advance modern medicine and various other drugs that are designed to deal with symptoms of old age.

Dogs and humans may not have the same physiology, yet some obvious similarities can be noticed when both species age. Dog years and Human years may not be directly related by some advance equation, but to the naked eye the equivalence of corresponding features of Dog years and Human years are quite visible.

Now that you know dogs grow old faster than we do, learn how to care for your dogs the best you can and give them a good life. They deserve it. Learn more at: http://www.2knowabout.com/dog/how_to_care_for_a_dog_with_a_broken_leg.php

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Winter Dog Agility Training

Yes, its cold outside, but don't stop your dog's agility training. Depending on where you live, there might be snow on the ground from November through March, but thats no reason to give up your agility training. Bring your training indoors, right at your own home.



Get creative with your training locations. Do you have a hallway, basement, or garage? Then you have a place to train! Before it snows and your equipment is frozen to the ground, store some in your garage, shed, basement, or put a tarp over it. Bring in one piece of equipment at a time, and begin your indoor training.



We do a lot of indoor training with a Pause Table. In fact, we keep one in our living room for both obedience training and agility training all the time. The Pause Table is a great obstacle for developing your obedience behaviors and teaching agility directional commands



Don't forget to work on your contacts. It's easy by having a Contact Trainer indoors. A 3-Piece Contact Trainer offers you versatility; you have an A-frame side, the Pause Table, and a Dog-walk plank. Practicing your two feet on and two feet off is convenient and quick when you have indoor contacts, only a few minutes a day to steady your dog's behavior.



Indoor jumping must be approached carefully. If you don't have indoor matting, don't jump. You don't want your dog jumping on concrete or wood floors. But you can use the uprights or posts to practice your handling. Use your Sit-stay or Down-stay and practice your lines or dogs path with no jump bars.



Weaves can be practice indoors. Are you training with a weave-chute or straight line weaves? Five minutes a day of weave training through out the winter will have your dog weaving smoothly by springtime. You can practice weave entries and weave sends or weave recalls.



There is also a variety of mini agility equipment that can be purchased, and don't require the same space as standard equipment. There are mini-teeters, mini-dog walks, and mini-A-frames. These are great obstacles for puppy training or indoor winter training.



So, during the cold winter months, don't give up on your agility training. Whether you are starting a young pup, working a novice dog, or an experienced titled dog there is always something that you can do indoors with your agility training.


About the Author: Brad Carlson is a Dog Trainer at Agility by Carlson. For more training details, visit our website at http://www.carlson-agility.com/


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

When Dog Training Really Matters

Dogs can be very sociable. In fact, they sometimes get too sociable and get aggressive. That is why it is important to train the dogs to control their behavior.



Moreover, dog trainings are important to avoid dog biting incidents. Statistics show that 77% of dog biting cases are mostly those that are within the family.



Hence, with dog training, bad habits are removed and dogs have better control with their feelings and behavior towards environmental and social variables.



However, implementing dog training is not that easy. Certain things must be employed to have positive results. The thing needed in dog training is what most experts define as ?positive reinforcement.? This refers to the way people reward their dogs with treats, praises, or both whenever their dogs show positive behavior.



Through positive reinforcements, dogs will be able to comprehend that treats and praises will come whenever he shows good behavior. For example, when the owner gives his dog some treats for obediently obeying his commands, the dog will think that obeying commands when told equals treats.



But this does not necessarily mean that when the dog did not obey the owner?s commands, punishment is needed as counter-reinforcement. This should not be the case because punishments will only make the matter worst.



What will happen is that the dog will be confused and it will begin to doubt your feelings.



The next thing that humans must remember when training their dogs is that people should avoid training their dogs into bad habit. Actually, many people are not aware they are doing this but there are instances wherein the people?s reaction towards some behavior of the dogs will inadvertently train the dog in a bad way.



For example, when dogs bark, it is common especially when they do that because they see something strange or unfamiliar things. But, when dogs continue to bark, even if it includes a familiar person, that becomes a problem.



In this case, most people have the inclination to yell and tell their dogs to shut up. This particular reaction of dog owners will confuse their dogs and will only make them understand that the reason why their owners are yelling is because they are also enjoying the shouting scene and that they are ?barking? along with their dogs.



The key point here is to avoid paying attention to the dog. In time, he will stop. It?s when the owners should reward their dogs.



Boiled down, dog training is all about positive reinforcements. And, as they say, positive reinforcements reap positive results.


About the Author: Jack Russell is a a long time dog fancier, visit his Dog Resources Blog and download his Free Dog Owners Handbook - it's Dog Gone Good! http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/dogcare/


Monday, April 6, 2009

Why You Should Never Hit Your Dog- Even When Training

Dear Adam:

I will try and make this short and include only the details I think will help. I HAVE read the entire book on line. I will pick up all of the tapes along with the book when I come to USA in May.

I live in a third world country. Most of the dogs here are wild, mixed breed or mistreated.

Dear Adam:

I will try and make this short and include only the details I think will help. I HAVE read the entire book on line. I will pick up all of the tapes along with the book when I come to USA in May.

I live in a third world country. Most of the dogs here are wild, mixed breed or mistreated.

We went to another part of the country to obtain a pure bred dog. He is bred to guard sheep... an older breed and very large. Our dog is 9 weeks old and most of the time is good... just regular puppy stuff.

My problem is that I cannot obtain a pinch collar or anything else for giving corrections until I come to USA in May. Sometimes our dog is very aggressive if wanting to do opposite of what we want. Seems he is challenging more often and with greater aggressiveness...snapping and biting. These dogs here are very UN-domesticated! Any suggestions on how to give a correction with hitting? I growl, spit in food. Don't have kennel or crate yet. Need to find materials and build one...difficult here. Help.

He is smart and I don't want to give up yet, but I feel like I am doing everything wrong without proper correction tools. Thanks in advance.

- Paula

Dear Paula:

Never hit your dog.

I have no idea why you cannot order dog training supplies from somewhere in Europe or have them shipped from America?

But regardless, hitting your dog is never appropriate.

In the meantime, you could go to a hardware store and make yourself a make-shift slip collar from either chain or rope. And improvise either a cord or rope as a leash. However, Id probably be remiss in stating that this should have been something you thought about BEFORE buying a dog.

Regardless, it is possible to train a dog without the proper tools. But its a lot harder especially for a beginner.

In the meantime, if he nips at you, you should say, No! and then grab the scruff of his neck and give a firm, quick pull and release. You may also try grabbing his ear and giving it a quick tug/pull.

Neither of these techniques are optimal. But given the circumstance, its the best I can recommend.

Also, please be aware that you should only be correcting biting and for housebreaking. Don't start formal obedience until the dog is 4 to 4 1/2 months old.

Good luck,
Adam.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): http://tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Author, Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer! which you can read more about at: http://tinyurl.com/4efaq

#BREAK#

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