Your Dog’s Behavior – Why You Should Never Let Your Dog Beg For Food & Attention

What is wrong with a begging dog?
Everything! Begging is another form of demanding and it gives your dog an aspect of control within the family "pack". I describe a family as a pack because that is exactly how your dog sees it. While it may seem cute when Rex rolls over on his back expecting a belly rub every time you enter the room, or just sits all teary-eyed staring straight at your hero sandwich when you're eating during the Super Bowl game, this behavior has the possibility to gain momentum and become hostile.
Just how hostile can a dog actually become?
If you do not think that your dog could ever actually bite your hand because he expects you to give him a fun snack every time he begs, think again. For years a friend of mine would hand feed his dog pieces of food at any time of the day he was eating. If it were breakfast, his dog would get a two pieces of toast. At lunch time my friend would hand feed his dog a few bites of his Rueben sandwich. The same went for super.
Months later, his dog matured and grew larger, and my friend did not realize that he was reinforcing a dominant leadership role into his dog every time he gave in to begging. Once he decided to alter this behavior with his dog, he learned very fast just how dangerous the situation was. At one of his meals, my friend refused to feed his dog anything and the begging and crying turned into hostile barking. Then without suddenly his dog jumped up onto his plate and snapped at his cheeseburger, taking a little bit of my friend’s finger along with it.
Begging can be eliminated with proper training
The example of my friend may seem a bit extreme and you still probably could never imagine you're cute dog biting you in the attempt to get a meal that he was wanting. This can develop into a real problem and you must start early in your dog’s life with instilling the rules when it comes to begging.
During meal time, you need to train your dog to sit and stay in a separate area when the family is eating food. This may take some time but eventually he will remain in a sit position until after your dinner is over and then of course you should praise his actions by offering him up a delicious meal that he can eat in his “own” food bowl, and only after everybody else is finished eating their meal.About the AuthorWritten by Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies - your source for luxury dog carriers online

Dog Nutrition Doesn't Just Mean Premium Dog Food

More and more, we have become aware of the premium dog foods that are available and the positive affect it can have on our pets’ health. What we are less aware of is the availability of premium dog treats. It does not make a lot of sense to give them high quality foods and then give them a doggie treat equivalent of junk food. The idea is to give them a healthy diet all the way around to make sure they are able to have the best quality life possible.
The idea of premium treats is to provide a healthy alternative to the typical treats you find in most stores. Premium treats should be loaded with vitamins, minerals and other health promoting ingredients. What they shouldn’t contain is fillers, binders, artificial ingredients and colors, chemical preservatives etc.
Rawhides are animal hides that are cured, pressed and molded into bone shapes and sold as inexpensive chew treats for dogs. Many manufacturers cure the hides with harsh chemicals; such as, an ash-lye solutions, lime and/or bleach. If the curing process is not enough to help you decide whether or not to feed your dog rawhide, consider the digestive problems of rawhides. Prolonged chewing can cause rawhides to become stringy or break off in small pieces, which can lead to a choking hazards or throat irritations. Rawhides are digested very slowly and can cause intestinal problems, even blockages. There are safe and healthy alternatives to rawhide that can give your dog hours of chewing pleasure.
Dental bones stimulate the teeth and gums to keep them clean and well massaged. This will promote all around, good dental hygiene for your dog. Dogs shouldn't be given any treat or bone that is not digestible and that doesn't break down well in the GI tract because it could cause problems. This is essential for the dogs' complete health and nutritional needs. They deserve nothing but the best from us and that means not only premium dog food, but premium treats as well . If we give them one and not the other, we short-change our pets.About the AuthorLori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit premium dog food and treats by Lifes Abundance for more information.

Dog Food - Teaching Your Dog Better 'Tricks'

Dogs should have a minimum of 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be a minimum of 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs.
Generally, commercial pet food is made according to the appropriate guidelines, but care should be taken if significant amounts of other food is added to the diet, and it is high in fat.
But whether you're feeding your dog commercial dog food, or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don't end up with a fussy dog:
* dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full.
* feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full.
* Don't stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and won't eat.
* Don't give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as he's effectively training you and not the other way around!
* There's nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don't keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won't eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether it's been eaten. If it hasn't, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isn't eaten. This way you'll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour.
Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of 'yummy' noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasn't interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.
* If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.
* Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesn't get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food.
* Don't feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. It's not good for them.
References: Brian Kilcommons, Good Owners, Great DogsAbout the AuthorFor more information on feeding your dog a natural dog food diet, see this article: http://www.thedogsbone.com/articles/36/1/Guide-To-Feeding-Your-Dog-A-Natural-Dog-Food-Diet For information on commercial v's non commercial dog food that might shock you, see this article: http://www.thedogsbone.com/articles/35/1/Commercial-Versus-Non-Commercial-Dog-Foods Rebecca Prescott runs the website, http://www.thedogsbone.com/