Dog Training Basics – Common Commands
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A calm, obedient and faithful dog – it’s what we all want, right? To begin with, obedient and trained dogs are happier dogs, less likely to get into tussles with people or with other dogs. Another reason is that many communities require that the dogs living in their neighborhoods be well trained. This is especially true for many breeds thought to have aggression and behavior problems – large dog breeds such as german shepherds and rottweilers to name a couple. And of course pit bulls are almost synonymous with aggression in many people’s minds.
Now, I have a rottweiler myself, and she’s the soppiest thing out. So I don’t personally subscribe to the view that particular breeds are necessarily aggressive. But nevertheless, large dogs certainly do need to be adequately trained, just because of their size. Larger dogs can be very intimidating to people.
And of course, training your dog well will also make he or she a much better family companion, especially in households where there are young children. Many studies have shown that proper dog training makes a big impact when it comes to cutting down the number of dog bits and other behavior problems encountered by dog owning households.
When considering training your own dog, or having someone else help you train it, there are certain basic commands that must be mastered in order for a dog to be considered truly trained. These basic commands include:
No – The word No is one word that all dogs must learn. Training your dog to respond to this important word can save you a ton of trouble.
Sit – Training your dog to sit on command is a vital part of any dog training program.
Down – Lying down on command is more than just a cute trick; it is a key component of any successful dog training program.
Stay – A well trained dog should remain where his or her owner commands, so Stay is an important command in dog training. (The Stay command is not used by all dog trainers. Some are of the view that the command to Sit means “Sit, and stay there until you’re given another command” – this makes a lot of sense. But many people do like to use the Stay command).
Heel – it is important that any dog learn to walk beside its owner on a loose lead, neither pulling ahead nor lagging behind
Dog training does much more than just create an obedient, willing companion. Training your dog properly actually strengthens the bond that already exists between dog and owner. Dogs are pack animals, and they look to their pack leader to tell them what to do. The key to successful dog training is to set yourself up as that pack leader.
Establishing yourself as pack leader is a very important concept for any potential dog trainer to understand. There is only one leader in every pack of dogs, and the owner must establish him or herself as the dominant animal. Failure to do so leads to all manner of behavior problems.
A properly trained dog will respond properly to all the owner’s commands, and will not display anxiety, displeasure or confusion. A good dog training program will focus on allowing the dog to learn just what is expected of it, and will use positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.
In addition to making the dog a good member of the community, obedience training is a great way to fulfill some of the dog’s own needs, including the need for exercise, the security that comes with knowing what is expected of it, a feeling of accomplishment and a good working relationship with its handler. Dog training gives the dog an important job to do, and an important goal to reach.
Giving the dog a job is more important than you may think. Dogs were originally bred by humans to do important work, such as herding sheep, guarding property and protecting people. Many dogs today have no important job to do, and this can often lead to boredom and neurotic behavior.
Basic obedience training, and ongoing training sessions, provide the dog with an important job to do. This is especially important for high energy breeds like German shepherds and border collies. Training sessions are a great way for these high energy dogs to use up their extra energy and simply to enjoy themselves.
Incorporating playtime into your dog training sessions is a great way to prevent both yourself and your dog from becoming bored. Playing with your dog helps to strengthen the all important bond between you – the pack leader – and your dog.
Brigitte Smith runs two websites dedicated to dog training, dog care and dog health:
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Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
- ISBN13: 9780307337979
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
“I rehabilitate dogs. I train people.” —Cesar Millan
There are at least 68 million dogs in America, and their owners lavish billions of dollars on them every year. So why do so many pampered pets have problems? In this definitive and accessible guide, Cesar Millan—star of National Geographic Channel’s hit show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan—reveals what dogs truly need to live a happy and fulfilled life.
From his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show to his roster of celebrity clients to his reality television series, Cesar Millan is America’s most sought-after dog-behavior expert. But Cesar is not a trainer in the traditional sense—his expertise lies in his unique ability to comprehend dog psychology. Tracing his own amazing journey from a clay-walled farm in Mexico to the celebrity palaces of Los Angeles, Cesar recounts how he learned what makes dogs tick. In Cesar’s Way, he shares this wisdom, laying the groundwork for … More >>
Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
what are common dog health problems
www.poochtips.com When a dog’s temperature goes above normal it is like millions of tiny fires are burning faster. When fires burn faster, they need more fuel. Fuel for the body’s fires can come from only two places, the food taken into the body, or from the body itself. Fevers ordinarily occur during illness. Illness is a time when every calorie of fuel is needed by the dog for recovery. Any increase in fuel consumption due to fever should always come from a dog’s food rather than from its body.
Learning About Two Common Symptoms of Dog Skin Problems
If your dog is having any skin problem, never ignore it. Your ignorance can lead to an extremely sore skin of your beloved pet made by its biting and scratching. Moreover, if not paid heed to for long, the skin disease can intensify and spread to other members of your household, even you.
The basic symptoms of dog skin problems are itching and reddening of the skin.
If you find your pet constantly scratching a specific part of its body, be sure, it is caused by terrible itching. Itching can occur due to attack of parasites like tick, mites or lice. If you examine carefully you may also be able to discover bacterial sores i.e. small reddish spots in already inflamed areas.
There are basically four causes for this problem:
? Ear disease
? Parasite infestation
? Contact dermatitis which is indicated by redness on the stomach
? Affected anal sacs, which is indicated by dog licking inflammations at the base of his tail
The treatment of course, is cause specific. If it’s caused by parasites, an antiparasitic bath is the best antidote. For minor bacterial problems, use antibacterial wash. If your pet is suffering from severe bacterial sores or ear problems or infected anal sacs, don’t take a chance! Consult a vet immediately!
For reddened skin, there are still four possible causes:
? Allergic dermatitis
? Contact dermatitis
? Fleas
? Anything that causes irritation such as lice, ringworm, or bacterial sores
If the reddening is limited to one particular region of your pet’s body, try applying calamine lotion. But if it is more extensive, wash out the infected part with lanolin baby shampoo. This will cool down the affected skin of the patient. After the dog is dry, you may even use a good flea spray. In case nothing works and the problem remains after 24 hours, do consult your vet.
Do Older Dogs Tend to Get Fat?
The answer is YES. Too much pampering tends to overfeed your dog. Older dogs develop loose muscles owing to lack of exercise and over feeding.
How Does a Dog’s Hearing or Sight Change, as He Gets Older?
Both hearing and sight are negatively affected with age. Even when the dog is medically fit, we see that dogs aged between 9-15 years often lose their power of hearing. Deafness occurs so gradually that often it’s impossible for the owner to detect it properly until the dog has become totally deaf.
Blinding, however, is a much rarer problem in dogs although partial clouding of the lens may occur with advancing age. Dog’s eyes contain no cones but only rod cells. So they are color blind i.e. can see only shades of black, white and gray. They do not have the power of a colored vision.
To learn more about dog behavioral and other pet-related problems, check with your local vet by phone or in person. You can also surf the web for many dog articles to help you and your furry friend become better at knowing one another.
Take care!
Article by Kelly Marshall from Oh My Dog Supplies – to find ceramic dog bowls to match any decor, go to http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-bowls/
Do You Make These 4 Common Mistakes In Dog Training?
Everyone begins training a dog with a number of unknowns. First, no one can truly know how a dog will react to training and even if you know the breed, there can be differences with each individual breed. Another unknown is the type of dog training that you use. Some dogs do well with food based reinforcement and some do not and owners will need to learn as they go along. While most of the unknowns with dog training can be overcome quickly, many owners make some pretty common mistakes while they are training your dogs. To avoid those dog training mistakes, it is important to be aware of them and that is exactly what I will be doing in this article; alerting you to common dog training mistakes that every owner has or will make at one time.
Mistake #1: Not Setting Firm and Consistent Rules: One of the most common mistakes that owners will make actually has nothing to do with the physical act of dog training and is actually a daily occurrence that usually plays in the background. As every parent will tell you, children require rules and dogs are no different. There should be rules set in place the moment that a dog is brought home. This means that if you have a rule for no dogs on the furniture, then you need to stick with it, regardless of how cute a puppy is. Not establishing those rules right from the beginning can lead to long term behavior problems and your puppy will quickly learn that he can ignore the rules and eventually simply ignore you. It is important that you avoid this dog training mistake right from the start and make sure that everyone in your house will follow the same rules with your dog to ensure the best success.
Mistake #2: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat: Okay, this may be a little confusing since dog training consists of the repetition of an action but while repeating an action over again is fine, repeating a command is not. When it comes to dog training mistakes, I would say that this is the biggest mistake that owners will make and I have been found guilty of this little offense myself. It is only natural to repeat a command when a dog doesn`t listen but it is something that you should train yourself not to do. When you repeat a command, you are teaching your dog that he doesn`t have to listen to a command every time. This means that a command stops having any affect on the dog and you end up having to retrain with a new command, which can take time and can be very frustrating for both you and your dog.
Mistake #3: Rewarding Bad Behavior: Although there are several types of dog training available, most trainers and owners will use positive reinforcement training, which consists of treating your dog, usually with food, whenever he does something positive. While this is an excellent way to train your dog, many owners make the mistake of treating the wrong behavior and end up reinforcing bad behavior. Bad behavior in dog training is anything that you don`t want your dog to do. So, for instance, your dog is in the kitchen while you are cooking a meal. At first it may not seem like he is doing anything but spending time with you and that may have been the case in the beginning but when you drop your first bit of food, or you toss him a little snack, he will quickly learn to beg whenever you are in the kitchen. Fast forward a year and you have a full grown dog under foot whenever you go to the kitchen simply because you have reinforced that begging in the kitchen is okay. To avoid rewarding a dog for a bad behavior, don`t praise him, comfort him or treat him when he is doing something you don`t want repeated. So if he barks at the door, don`t praise him for being a good guard dog and if you drop some food on the floor, pick it up yourself and take it to his dog bowl if you want to give it to him. By controlling the environment, you can quickly stop yourself from rewarding his bad behavior.
Mistake #4: Saving it for a rainy day: The last common dog training mistake that I am going to mention is the desire to put off training. Many owners feel that dog training should be done after a certain age but it has been shown time and time again that the longer you wait, the harder it will be to train your dog. Dog training should begin as soon as you bring your puppy home. It starts with establishing rules and house training first and then it quickly moves to basic training such as sit, down, stay. Puppy socialization class usually begins around 11 weeks of age and from there you will quickly start dog training. Never leave training until your dog is 6 months of age or older since many negative behaviors are established by that time. In the end, if you are aware of the dog training mistakes that you can make, you will find that you are less likely to make them and your dog will quickly respond to dog training with only a small amount of fuss.
Nancy Richards has been involved with dog training for several years. Her website gives step-by-step instructions on housebreaking, obedience training, companion dog training, grooming, diet and care for all dog breeds.
Canine Skin Diseases – a Look at Four Common Dog Skin Problems
Canine skin diseases are among some of the most common health problems. Diagnosing them accurately can sometimes prove to be difficult as many other diseases imitate their symptoms. Some of the most common dog skin problems include hot spots, Cheyletiella, mange, and ringworm. This article will take a look at some of these skin conditions.
Hot Spots
Hot spots are areas of skin that have become inflamed. These areas are usually infected also, and the infection can only be superficial in the skin or deep. Symptoms include oozing, redness, and hair loss in the area. Hot spots are usually caused by fleas, mites, injury, or insect bites. Treatment options include topical medications, special shampoos, or oral antibiotics. You should also clean the area daily and apply a cool compress at least twice a day.
Cheyletiella
One of the next common canine skin diseases is Cheyletiella. Cheyletiella are mites that infest your dog and cause skin problems. Although there are three common species of these mites, the one that usually affects dogs is Cheyletiella yasguri. These mites can also transfer from your dog onto you. This usually results in an itchy rash.
If these mites infest your dog, you will notice redness, swelling spots, crusts, and itching. The most noticeable symptom is the so-called “walking dandruff”. If the infestation is advanced enough, you can notice the white mites walking along your dog’s skin. Cheyletiella is treated using shampoos containing pyrethrin, lime sulfur, or selenium sulphide. You should also treat the environment so your dog doesn’t get reinfected. Use a vacuum throughout your home and a flea control spray.
Mange
Sarcoptic mange is one of the next dog skin problems. This disease is characterized by an infestation of Sarcoptes mites. These mites cause severe itching. This causes your dog to scratch himself badly enough to cause sores to develop. Diagnosis of this disease can be difficult as the mites can prove difficult to find. The veterinarian will have to take a skin scraping and examine it under a microscope. Once successfully diagnosed, special shampoos can be used to treat the condition.
Ringworm
Ringworm may be something you’re already familiar with as it can infect humans. Ringworm can be caused by an infection from several species of fungus. An infection causes symptoms such as crusts, scale, and hair loss. Your dog may also experience mild itching. This fungal infection can be treated using oral medications or shampoo with lime sulfur.
These are some of the most common dog skin problems. As a dog owner, it’s important that you learn about a variety of dog illnesses that can affect your precious pet. So, stop by dog-illnesses.com today to learn about some of these diseases such as canine pancreatitis.