Tame that Free Spirit in your Pit Bull

Pit bulls sometimes get a bad rap. While there are some unscrupulous people out there who train these dogs to fight, many people have good-natured animals that just need a little obedience training. Before deciding upon a Pit Bull, you have to research the breed to ensure that they are something that you can handle. Pit bulls need an ever-ending supply of attention and love in addition to receiving an obedience training education in order for them to be the wonderful pet you want them to be. The great thing about the pit bull is that they are super smart and will catch on quick to any training you give them.

Your pit bull can be very headstrong which can be trying when it comes to training them. In other words, they can be very stubborn! They have a mind of their own and sometimes will go off on a tangent. You will have to work very hard to keep them on task. Patience is the key ingredient to training a pit bull. Becoming frustrated and annoyed does not solve any problems; rather, it just creates more when it comes to obedience training.

Starting when your pit bull is a puppy will make your obedience training go more smoothly. Eight to ten weeks of age, after being weaned from mom, is the perfect time to get started. Regardless of the age you decide to start, just know that your training will be more successful if you incorporate some fun and games into it. And most of all stay positive and focused on your goal - an obedient pet who loves you!

Integrating your pit bull with other dogs and people is an essential part of your every day training routine. Social skills are important, even with dogs. By mingling with others while he is still a puppy, your pit bull will be less likely to be aggressive. If you decide on a group obedience training class, your puppy will get plenty of socialization.

Just like a teenager, your pit bull will try and test his bounds several weeks into the obedience training. He will push you and push you to see what he can get away with. Typically, this can occur at around twelve to seventeen weeks of age. This is also the time when he will discover his teething skills. He may try and nip or nibble on you during play time. Do not allow this to happen! Assert your dominance and authority over him and immediately correct the nipping and biting behavior. Your dog will respect your position as top dog, if you pardon the pun.

Pit bulls can be loyal and loving to their families, especially with the proper obedience training. That is why you should make the time to ensure that he gets the training he needs. This breed is a very social animal and is a big attention getter. With obedience training, you will get an exuberant dog with good manners and behavior. Don’t forget though – they have forceful doggie personalities. You have to be consistent and strong. Your own reward is a wonderful pet for years to come.

Using a Remote Trainer for the Sit and Stay Command

The advantage of employing a remote trainer for modification purposes during the sit and stay command is good. You will have the ability to time your corrections accurately. That way you can clearly show your dog his mistake immediately so that it can be fixed. This results in fewer corrections with remote training than would have been needed with the conventional one on one hand corrections where you would physically touch your dog each time. In addition, correcting with a remote trainer can be accomplished even if you are not within eyesight of your dog. It cannot be stressed enough that it is less difficult for your dog to learn when they have properly timed corrections.

There are some proper ways to correct your dog during the remote training for the sit and stay commands. If your dog starts to get up or leave, you must instantaneously press the button to activate the electronic collar and say “sit.” When he sits back down, release the button so the electronic charge dissipates. If this happens, he may be in a slightly different spot than where he started. Nonchalantly, guide your dog back to the original location, put him in the sitting position and move away again.

If your dog stays distracted, call him back from it using mild electronic stimulation from the collar. When he comes towards you, cut off the stimulation and then lead him back to the original spot. You must take your cue from your dog. The remote trainer cannot be used accurately if you do not act at the same time as your dog. You must catch him in the act and respond accordingly by depressing the button that activates his remote collar.

Sometimes your dog may try and lie down. Again, if you are observing him closely, you can pick up some body cues to know when he is easing up on his stance and thinking about lying down. When you catch him starting to lie down, press the button to activate his collar. Try and do this before the elbows are touching the ground. This way, your dog can respond and get up more quickly. Do not say anything as you press the button. Sometimes, the quick shock surprises him back into a sitting position. If your dog does this, quietly commend him for acting appropriately. If your dog does not sit back up, go to him and put him back into a sitting position and say “sit” again.

You will have to repeat these processes for remote training multiple times before your dog starts to understand. It takes time and patience before your dog understands how to hold a position. If your dog is persistent in his actions to leave the area or lie down during the training for the “sit” command, you may have to review the need to intensify the shock the electronic collar emits. You must make it uncomfortable, but not painful, for him to do any other action other than the one that was commanded.

Behavior Modification for Shih Tzu Dogs

If you have a Shih Tzu that loves to jump in your lap all the time or paws at you, this does not necessarily mean that he trying to do anything bad. Rather, it may be your dog’s way of saying, “I need to play and exercise!” When this happens, go on a good walk with your Shih Tzu. In fact, to cut down that continual pawing and lap jumping, incorporate daily walks a few times a day if possible.

It is also important to try and read body cues. Sometimes, your dog is not misbehaving but rather trying to tell you that something is not right. It could something simple like your Shih Tzu needs to go eliminate or he needs more water in his bowl. Recognizing that your dog needs you is crucial. The Shih Tzu is very smart but cannot always communicate what it needs.

A Shih Tzu wants nothing better than to be by his master’s side all the time. That is all fine and good. However, did you know you are almost setting him up for failure by not attending to his needs before you get involved in a project, whether it is work or reading a book? If you take care and get him his favorite chew toy or fill his water bowl or whatever before you start something, chances are that he will not bother you or cut into your project time. He will be content just lying next to you or being in the same room.

When you sit down for a while, instruct your Shih Tzu to lie down near you. Most Shih Tzus will automatically do this. However, if they have a pressing need, they will not until it is taken care of first. Often, if you make the effort to see to their needs first, they will likely just lay down near you. Don’t forget, your dog wants nothing else except to be near their human masters.

Some Shi Tzus are naturally a bit high strung and need some time to expend that excess energy. Arrange a play date with another dog or hook a leash on him and take him for a long walk. Once your dog winds down a little, you will find that he is a lot more agreeable in his behavior.

Shi Tzu puppies appear to be little balls of fluff in perpetual motion and they are very inquisitive. They will seem like they are into everything and that is normal, just a part of being a puppy. However, as they get older, most of the Shih Tzu are content to relax all day. Of course, with behavior modification, training should start with they are still puppies. Be advised that it will take a bit longer simply because they are puppies.

Just remember that most of the Shih Tzu, while active, is not hyperactive. Don’t try to “give him something” to make him calmer. That may do more harm than good. With proper training and the setting of limits, they can catch on quick to your personal routine. They are smart and inquisitive, absorbing all the stimuli around them. Be careful though. They can be stubborn little tyrants so you have to show them right away that you are the leader.

Canine Orthopedic Braces for Man's Best Friends

“A dog is a man's best friend” is a cliché, but which dog lovers hold close to their hearts. Perhaps, it is the most quoted among quotes about animals and pets because it can't be truer. This is why dog lovers are pained when they see their dogs suffer brought about by pain and injury. It is a good thing that dogs are treated well these days so that their welfare is taken cared for. These pets need not suffer unceremoniously because there are canine orthopedic braces to support fractured bones and torn ligaments.

What are canine orthopedic braces and its functions?

These devices are designed to appropriately fit the injury and the size of the dog. These help the dog heal faster by stabilizing and supporting the damaged structures through distributing or sharing the weight of the body between the body and the brace.

There are several goals in the treatment involving injuries.

• Foster healing of the traumatized tissues (bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons).

• Reduce the inflammation and ease the pain in the affected area.

• Prevent the atrophy of the muscles in the area of injury by assisting the dog in moving around despite the injury.

• Rehabilitate and reestablish proprioception which refers to the ability of the dog to sense the position, orientation and movement of the body and the body parts.

What are different canine orthopedic braces and prosthetics that help dogs move around?

When the lower limbs (knee, elbow, hock, carpus and paws) are injured, there are splints or braces that are particularly designed to help the part heal. There are dog splints, hock splints, bootie splints and carpal splint for these injured parts.

• Dog splints are for pets with lower limb problems. These are modeled and inspired after splints that support injured foot, lower leg and ankle of humans. Thus, it is positioned on the back of the canine's leg with Velcro adjustments. Its features allow the dog to keep the leg in a normal walking form and helps in managing the weight on the injured leg. The design provides an easy access for daily treatment if there are wounds. Its cost is lower compared to casting. It s also lightweight and waterproof.

• Hock splints stabilize and provide support to the lower rear limb and the heel. This keeps the paws free.

• Bootie splints support the lower rear leg. This type of splint extends under the paw steadying the injuries on the toes or digits. It also effectively provides proper positioning when there are nerve damages. Bootie splints are available in sizes X-Small, Small and Medium has two adjustable straps while Large and X-Large booties have three.

• Carpal splints are intended for carpal joints. This is lightweight and is generally used as a post-surgery brace for the carpal joint. This type usually does not extend under the paw.

What are the important points to remember when buying orthopedic braces dogs for?

There is a huge choice of braces and splints for the dogs. It is important to work closely with a veterinarian or a specialist in dog orthopedics to get proper guidance in choosing the most appropriate brace for your dog. Since dogs have variable sizes, make sure that your dog will get the right fit. That is achieved by having it customized to get a perfect fit. Though there are sizes available in different types of splints, the measurements need to be done the right way. It is also important that these canine orthopedic braces are made out of composite rubber joints than metals, which are similarly strong, and works better with the dog's movements.

For many people, dogs are not just best friends; they are also family. We feel their pain when they are injured. Help them recover faster with these braces.

Why Is My Dog Sneezing?

Seeing a dog sneezing can be funny when it just happens once or twice, but if your pet is starting to sneeze a lot, you may begin to wonder why. Is it just a normal part of a dog's life, or could it be a sign of something more serious?

Like humans, when animals sneeze it is because their nasal passages are irritated or inflamed. This may be caused by something getting into the nose, like pepper, or it could be a symptom of a viral infection that is causing inflammation. If your dog also has a runny nose it is likely that he is going down with some kind of virus.

An infection of the sinuses is another possible cause of repeated sneezing. Sometimes this can be caused by a tooth infection. An abscess in the upper jaw can easily spread to the sinuses. In this situation you will probably realize that the dog is in pain and needs treatment.

More rarely, a cyst or polyp in the nose might cause a dog to sneeze. If this happens, the dog sneezing could gradually become more and more frequent and you might not even notice that your pet's habits had changed for a while.

Of course, sometimes dog sneezing may be one symptom of a more serious problem. In this case there will usually be other symptoms too. Consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible if your pet is panting, coughing or wheezing, or appears to have breathing difficulties.

It is also a good idea to see the vet if any viral infection lasts for longer than a couple of days, or if the dog is very tired and lethargic, or is running a fever. Some viruses are more serious than others and may require treatment.

Another sign that means a trip to the vet's office is if your pet has nosebleeds along with the sneezing. It's not unusual to have a few drops of blood when a sneeze causes a small capillary to burst, but a flow of blood could be a sign of mites, exposure to rat poison or even a tumor in the sinuses.

Of course, a canine sneeze from time to time is usually nothing to worry about. Dogs like to poke their noses and sniff in all kinds of places, so it is not surprising if sometimes they pick up something that irritates. This could be pollen from a plant, smoke, dust or a small foreign object.

Occasionally, they will get something larger stuck in the nose. If the sneezing continues and the dog is also pawing at its nose or shaking its head, it is probably trying to dislodge something. Most times, the dog sneezing will get rid of the irritant but if the problem continues, see your vet because there may be something there that needs to be removed.

Why Is My Dog Not Eating?

A dog not eating can be worrying. Clearly, a dog who does not want any food is not the healthiest of animals. But what is wrong? In this article we look at some of the possible causes of a dog not eating and what you should do.

Like children, dogs often lose their appetite when they are sick. This actually helps the body to recover because it can concentrate all of its resources on the illness without having to handle digestion of food at the same time. Any kind of minor bacterial or viral infection may cause this to happen.

If the dog is also coughing, it may have infectious bronchitis, also known as kennel cough. This is a very common mixture of viral and bacterial infection that is easily passed from dog to dog. The symptoms are a lot like flu in humans, including fever and lethargy or depression, but may last for up to a month.

There is no complete treatment for kennel cough and in most cases you just have to keep the dog home and let it rest. However, you might want to have it checked by a vet. Sometimes antibiotics are necessary to prevent pneumonia. As with flu in humans, kennel cough can sometimes be serious or fatal, especially in old dogs or those with impaired immune systems.

Lyme disease is a more serious infection that is passed on to dogs from ticks. A dog with Lyme disease will often have painful joints and may limp. It will probably also have a fever and bad breath. Lyme disease must be treated as soon as possible to prevent serious complications from developing.

A puppy not eating may be suffering from red or demodectic mange. This is a parasite that lives on virtually all dogs and many humans, but only causes problems in puppies up to one year old or adult dogs with depressed immunity. The skin becomes itchy, reddened or scaly and the puppy loses hair in circular patches.

Another possible cause of a dog not eating is that the dog has an abdominal obstruction. This means that they have swallowed something that is causing a blockage somewhere in the digestive system and will not pass out. It could be a bone or anything that they swallowed that is indigestible. These obstructions can cause serious problems and you should see the vet with your dog to check this out. Surgery is sometimes required to remove the obstruction.

More rarely, loss of appetite in a dog may be caused by rabies, heart disease or heartworms. Of course, these are serious conditions that will have other symptoms too.

In summary, there may be many different reasons for your dog's loss of appetite. It would not be possible to be sure what is wrong without seeing the dog. However, you can be sure there is something. Dogs do not stop eating for no reason at all. Therefore, it is important to take your pet along to the vet's office so that the problem can be investigated and the vet can discover the cause of the dog not eating.

Physical Therapy for Dogs

Animal physical therapy first got its start in the big-money sport of horse racing. When you drive horses hard as all that, of course, there are going to be injuries. Since there is a lot of money riding on these horses, they worked out many rehabilitative techniques to help them. Modern physical therapy for dogs draws comes from these efforts.

Rehabilitation is about the most popular elective in veterinary medicine today. There are more than a dozen veterinary schools that offer specific courses in physical therapy for dogs, and about 500 physical therapists practice this skill today.

If you're unfamiliar with how physical therapy for dogs can help, you're probably wondering at this point, how exactly physical therapy might even be needed. How does physical therapy help a dog, exactly?

When a dog suffers an injury or undergoes surgery of some kind, a little bit of physical therapy can help considerably in the recovery. But it can do other things. It can help the dog gain better flexibility and become more athletic. It can help with weight loss, too.

Let's say for instance that your pet has just had surgery for kidney stones or something. Of course, he can't go and walk about right after, because it could be painful. If you let your pet just rest it out for a week or so, that wouldn't really work, because her joints and muscles quickly become very stiff and even start to atrophy even after a couple of days of no movement. If you find this hard to believe, just think of what happens every morning, when you get up from a full night's rest. Doesn't your entire body feel stiff?

Now imagine what would happen if you were to try to rest for a whole week without moving much? You would be completely unable to move if you were asked to get out of bed at the end of the week. Your muscles would have atrophied, and your joints would have become extremely stiff. Do that for even longer, and you might permanently lose the use of your limbs.

Physical therapy for dogs is very useful when your dog is in pain from arthritis or any kind of injury, too.

Physical therapy canine rehabilitation has come a long way from the one-size-fits-all attitude that was used at first. These days, the physical therapist will work together with your dog's veterinarian to develop a program just for your dog. It works just the way it does with people.

How to Evaluate a Seizure in Dogs

While all breeds of dog have a great personality, not all tend to health in the same way. Some breeds, such as the boxer, have some particularly worrisome health tendencies. What do you do in the event of a seizure in dogs?

Usually, there are two different kinds of seizure in dogs, in general. The first is the most serious – they coll them primary epilepsy or true epilepsy. This is where the dog inherits it the tendency, from its genes. Doctors only ever entertain the possibility last of all. They always try to rule out every other possible kind of seizure before thinking of this. With dogs like boxers that are known to have a genetic predisposition to this though, doctors may be willing to call it a seizure a little early. With most kinds of dogs though, they think about it quite a lot.

They usually investigate for secondary epilepsy first. They look for anything in the dog's environment that could be disagreeing with him. But when it is a young dog though – dogs that are anything short of three years generally – seizures are quickly identified as genetic. Generally, things in a dogs environment can't bring about an effect like this in just a few years.

If it isn't the dog's environment, and if it isn't genetic, what else could it be? There are a number of possibilities.

A brain tumor is one of the first possibilities that a vet will consider. A seizure in older dogs is often very quickly narrowed down to a brain tumor. The two are often easily associated. But not all dogs are equally susceptible. Dogs like boxers that have squashed-looking faces, are the ones that have the most trouble with this.

A vet will typically be able to judge if a dog has a brain tumor, by the way he holds himself. With a brain tumor, a dog is often unsteady, and may tilt his head because it feels more comfortable that way. The vet will give your dog an x-ray and find out.

Degenerative myelopathy is another possible reason for seizure in dogs. Once the disease strikes, it gradually destroys the dog's central nervous system.

There are other ways in which seizures can occur in dogs. But no one knows how they work exactly. That's why the doctors call them idiopathic seizures. A dog can get one for all kinds of complex reasons that are never immediately apparent. Even regular loud noises can do this.

How to Buy the Best Pet Insurance for Dogs

Just the very idea makes a lot of sense to a lot of us. We do worry about what we will do come the day that our cherished pet needs expensive medical attention. The kind of treatment options that veterinarians give us these days can easily run to thousands of dollars. What is one to do when there is an unexpected illness or something? There are so many things that can very easily happen to our dog – he could lick antifreeze off a puddle somewhere, run out to the street and get in an accident or anything. Thousands of people find that when something like this happens, that they haven't prepared for it; and their savings go up in a puff of smoke. One does hear about how insurance can help, but one does tend to be skeptical. While a little bit of skepticism certainly is called for, you can follow a few basic guidelines on how to buy the best pet insurance for dogs, and you could come out in good shape.

The first thing that you have to understand is that not even the best pet insurance for dogs will pay everything that your dog will need, when he falls sick. You do have to be willing to make a hefty co-pay. How much they will reimburse you, is what sets the good plans apart from the bad ones.

Before you start looking for an insurance policy, make sure that you know what exactly you're looking for. Write down everything you know about your dog – his breed, how often he visits the vet, what kind of health problems he has had so far and so on. It wouldn't be a bad idea also, to work out how much exactly you spend on your dog's veterinary care every year. With all this information in hand, you should be in a good position to talk to the insurance companies and find the best plan for your needs.

Your dog's veterinarian should be a very good source of information on who has the best pet insurance for dogs. Since vets routinely deal with pet insurance agencies, they know which ones are the best and the easiest to deal with. If there's a particular pet insurance company that routinely gives its customers grief, the veterinarian is going to know, and he is going to tell you. You could also try talking to the vets at a multispecialty veterinary practice. They are likely to know which insurance companies handle expensive surgeries the best. Talking to every kind of vet – this is the way to come by the best pet insurance for dogs.

While pet insurance isn't usually as complex as health insurance for people, they still can be quite complicated. They all have something or the other and that they won't cover. Some will not cover accidents, others will cover treatment but not medication costs, and so on. Be sure that you really understand what each company offers you.

It can be a complex decision to make, to understand who has the best pet insurance for dogs. But just as you do go and buy something even if you don't like any of the health insurance options that are open to you, you shouldn't just put this thing off in disgust. You will thank yourself one day for it.

Bringing Home An Adult Dog

Bringing home an adult dog is quite different from bringing home a puppy. His adaptation to your way of living will largely depend on his previous treatment and environment. In most cases, firm rules and abundant kindness will win him over. Time is in your favor, so use it! If you expect the dog to adapt in a few days or weeks, change your thinking: It will be six months to a year before he is really yours.

All dogs should be kept under physical control, that is, fenced or leashed, for that period of time. Unlimited walks will help the adaptation process, especially if you walk in different directions, covering different territories. This helps your bonding with the dog, and the walk back, always leading to his new home, will help him become used to his new "den."

As with the puppy, the following guidelines should help you in conditioning the new adult dog to become socially acceptable.

Housebreaking

1. Keep the dog tied to you for the first two weeks when he is in the house. Let him loose in your yard to potty or take him on lead to where you want him to potty. Always tell him "Potty" and praise when he does so.
2. Keep a close eye on him during the third week and let him off the leash in the house for short periods of time. Let him out frequently.
3. If you have a Toy breed or Toy mix, or a dog raised and previously kept in a kennel, your time frames should be a month each for Steps 1 and 2.
4. Do not leave the dog alone to roam the house. If you leave, put him in a secured yard or pen, or in a crate in the house.
5. As time goes on, you will be able to tell if he has good intentions of seeking the outdoors to relieve himself. Depending on the dog and his former circumstances, he may be reliable from the first day you bring him home; alternatively, it may take three or four months.

Sleeping Quarters

1. Select the place you wish the dog to sleep.
2. If it is in the house, let him out shortly before you go to bed or take him for a walk.
3. Tie him on a fairly short lead to keep him where you want him to sleep. Give him his own rug and a small bowl of water, or provide a bed or crate for him.
4. If you want him to sleep outside, provide him with a doghouse or a dry, warm corner underneath a porch or a wind-sheltered corner with some type of protected covering. Make sure your yard is secure.

When Your Dog Is Vomiting

The dog vomits with ease, seemingly at will, and often without apparent cause. One thing that almost never causes a dog to vomit is eating too fast. Bolting food is the natural way for a dog.

Eating too much, however, is another matter. The capacity of a pup's stomach to hold food is phenomenal. Life Magazine once ran a story about a five-pound puppy that ate a five-pound ham, all but the bone! Such examples, of course, are the ultra-extreme. Adult dogs, on the other hand, can hold only about one and one-half ounces of liquid for each pound the dog weighs. Some dogs may even hold as much as two ounces per pound of body weight, but any quantities above this almost always produce vomiting.

Vomiting, like diarrhea, is often seen in puppies. Dogs at this age have the exasperating habit of eating such things as dirt, stones, sand, bedding, toys, foil, paper, socks or almost anything else they can get into their mouths. Vomiting also occurs in adults from eating bones, sour food, garbage, carrion or feces. In these cases, vomiting is a sign of gastritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach. Gastritis is rapidly produced by such things as garbage, carrion or caustic chemicals. Most older dogs eventually learn that the foreign materials will make them sick, and stop eating them. The same dogs never seem to realize that garbage, buried bones or sour food may do the same thing - and neither do many owners!

One of the most serious consequences of vomiting is that, once begun, vomiting can persist, even though the cause no longer exists. The usual course in such cases, if uncorrected, follows a characteristic pattern. The dog has a more or less violent seizure of vomiting that ordinarily eliminates the causative substance or object. The vomiting continues, but in a somewhat less violent nature, giving the appearance that the dog is improving.

The loss of fluids and electrolytes in the vomiting causes an imbalance and a noticeable thirst develops. Mild depression develops as well as anorexia, and the vomiting begins to become more severe. Thirst is exaggerated, loss of fluids and electrolytes is accelerated and depression becomes marked. The vomiting becomes more and more violent and the continued loss of fluids and electrolytes creates a critical imbalance. If the situation is allowed to continue uninterrupted, the dog eventually dies from electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

To help with your dog's vomiting problem, liquid foods should be fed first. Such things as beef and chicken broth not only supply a few calories, but are excellent tor establishing many of the electrolyte balances that have been disturbed by vomiting. Within 48 hours it is usually possible to finely chop a little hard-boiled egg into the broth. If this does not cause a return of the vomiting, then a little cottage cheese, some vanilla ice cream or a little toast and milk can be offered. Resumption of the regular diet can commence as soon as the bland foods are tolerated for at least 24 hours.

Dog Transport that Doesn't Alarm the Dog

It isn't an easy thing to transport an animal. Not if you want to do it in a way treats the animal well. If your problem is how to make those dog transport arrangements in such a way that your dog never has any reason to feel alarmed through the whole thing, you need to know that it can be done only if you plan ahead.

The first thing that you need to do is to prepare your dog for the trip. If your dog is going to go on an airplane for the first time now, you need to mentally prepare him for what is to come. You can do this by bringing out the crate that you wish to carry your dog in on the airplane, put him in it, and then drive him around town with him in the crate. Doing this should help him associate the crate with a safe and familiar travel experience.

On the day of your trip, before you start your whole dog transport plan, bring out a little essential oil of lavender and rub it on his paws. The smell of lavender has a calming effect on man and animal.

A lot of people worry about whether or not they should sedate their pets before they put him in the cargo hold of an airplane. The idea that your pet should be out cold for the whole trip so that he doesn't really know what's going on, is a very good one. But not using drugs is a good idea too. You can choose a natural way to knock him out. You could take him out on a long and tiring hike shortly before the trip. This way, he's going to be yearning for a little rest, and he will fall right asleep the moment you put him in his crate and take him to the airport.

When your pet is jostled about in his crate at the airport, of course, he is going to wake up and react in whatever way he knows to react. Some dogs will pee right there. Wherever you are, people do know that dogs do react in certain ways sometimes. Most people won't mind. Especially if you happen to the with a pet friendly airline or pet friendly hotel. Some hotels and airlines charge you a "naughty pet fee" sometimes, and they just take care of the problem.

When it comes to renting a car and carrying your pet in it, you don't want to do anything that could mess up the car. If your pet leaves a mess in there, the car rental company will charge a cleanup fee. You could avoid this by feeding him tiny meals ahead of the trip. That should help keep his stomach empty enough.

About Those Dog Tear Stains

We will call them "dog tear stains" so that we are in agreement over what are talking about; to let you in on a secret though, they aren't really tears. Those distressing stains on a dog's light-colored facial fur that you see sometimes, come from the kind of secretion from the dog's eyes, that aren't tears.

These stains are not really a health problem at all for the most part – they are only a cosmetic problem. People who own dogs with snow white fur, will often worry about how those dried-up tear stains don't look good on an impeccable coat of white. It could be argued that those moist patches on a dogs facial fur can foster bacterial growth, but most of the time, that's a secondary consideration.

If your dog has this problem and you want a safe way to clean it off, here's what you do.

Before you actually go and clean those dog tear stains away, wait and watch a few days to see how much moisture there is coming from your dog's eyes. If there seems to be rather too much, it's possible that it's an allergic reaction. There might be something in the environment or something in your dog's food.

With that out of the way, let's get to the cleaning part.

Those tear stains are easy enough to clean, actually. You need to mix just a little lemon juice in some warm water, moisten a clean cloth in it, and dab those stains away. As long as you don't let any of the water get into your dog's eyes, you (and your dog) should be fine.

Sometimes, even after you've removed any actual deposits from your dog's facial fur, the stains still remain. To remove those, consider a solution of milk of magnesia and peroxide. Mix equal amounts in the bowl, and put in some cornstarch in it to use as a thickening agent.

You want something that doesn't seem runny. You need to be particularly careful applying this stuff to the affected area. These are real dangerous chemicals, and you can't get any tears in your dog's eyes at all. All you need to do is to do is to let this stuff dry, and then wash it off with water.

If you wish to go a little higher end, pet stores do sell dog tear stain removal products.

It might also be an idea to put a little cider vinegar into your dog's water everyday. It just might help do away with the bacteria that grow around those stains.

The Best Flea Treatment for Puppies

Of course, any flea infestation is a problem. It can drive a dog completely insane even to get a couple of fleas on his coat. An infestation of this kind rarely goes any farther than being an annoyance. When puppies get fleas though, that's a situation that can end in a dead puppy. Puppies are small creatures, and they can't afford to just waste blood on parasites. It's important when you have a puppy, that you should be on your alert for any infestation problems. The moment it happens, you need to quickly start with some kind of effective flea treatment for puppies.

The problem of course is that most commercial flea control products are too strong for use on very young animals. You need to look for something that's safe for a young and sensitive puppy, and it still needs to get the job done. Make the wrong choice here, and the cure could be just as bad as the affliction.

Even the best and safest flea treatment for puppies can be ineffective if you give those fleas any time to settle in. You need to be on them just as soon as they get on your puppy. For this, you need to always be on the lookout.

Make it a habit to check your puppy's gums about twice a week. If they seem a little pale or even white, that's a sign that you're puppy is anemic, and that a flea infestation is at the bottom of the problem. Anemia or blood of deficient quality, can easily kill a puppy. When you see signs of anemia in your puppy, you need to rush the little things to of that right away.

If you find fleas on your puppy's coat, but your puppy isn't anemic yet, there's time to try a couple of home-based treatments.

It would be a good idea to give your puppy a thorough washing in warm soapy water. The soap you use should be pretty mild – mild dish soap would be an excellent choice.

After you bathe and rinse the little critter and give him a nice and thorough drying with a towel, it's time to reach for the flea comb. You need to go through your puppy's coat with a fine flea comb. To make sure that you really are getting all the fleas, make your puppy stand on a large, light-colored towel that will let you quickly see any fleas that pop out. You need to put them all in water to kill them, if any should come out that are still alive.

Now that you have got all those fleas out, you want to make sure that you don't just leave the door wide open for the new infestation. Make sure that you wash your puppy's bedding out thoroughly, and make sure that you keep combing your puppy, just to be safe.

How to Nurse Injured Dog Paw Pads Back to Health

Have you ever wondered how dogs manage to just walk anywhere they want and their soft paw pads give them great service all through? As tough as dog paw pads are, they still do have their limits – just the way human feet to do.

Dogs can hurt their paw pads. And they can become dry and cracked, just the way human feet can. There are a number of things that can do this to a dog's paw pads. Allergies, poor nutrition, rough weather – all the things that can affect human paw pads .. er .. feet – can affect paws as well.

As with human feet, dog paw pads that are cracked or that are otherwise in poor shape, can be treated and healed. Since those pads happen to be softer than feet, leaving them cracked or injured and not treating them, could be a bad idea. Paw pads that are not in the best shape can easily get infected.

The first thing that you need to do is to take a closer look at the undersides of your dog's paws. You can probably take a clue to which paw pads are affected by the way your dog walks. If your dog seems to tread lightly on a paw or if he seems to keep licking a paw often to try to make it better, that's your sign right there.

If you happen to be out walking with your dog when this happens, or if you happen to be on a hike, you really need to turn back the moment you notice a paw injury. Cracked paw pads can be really painful. In fact, it should always be a good idea to check your dog's paws each time you return from time outside with your dog.

Injured paws could be more than just simple cracks, sometimes. There could actually be a cut or puncture from a thorn or splinter. You need to check to see if something still remains in there. It doesn't even necessarily have to be the paw pads. Why, there could be little stones stuck between the toes, or there could be dried bits of rough grass. You neef to look closely to find out what goes on.

If you do find signs of actual injury, you may either take your dog down to the vet, or you could administer the same kind of treatment as the vet would, at home. When there is a paw injury, the vet will usually use povidone iodine to clean it up. And then, the vet will try to make sure that your dog doesn't worry his injured paw, by fitting some kind of protective device there.

You could conceivably do the same thing yourself and save yourself little bit of money. Any dressing that you put on the paws needs to be changed frequently. Dogs sweat through their paws, and bandages can get damp pretty soon.

Training Your Dog With a Service Dog Certification in Mind

Service dogs are not trained to simple general requirements the way everyday dogs are. These are dogs that need to perform to very specific demands, as they help people with different kinds of disabilities get through their day. Service dog certification doesn't come easily. Every dog that qualifies in this capacity, needs to learn to work with his handler as if they were a team.

Service dog certification is something the law takes very seriously. The law in question is the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the law does its best to make sure that people with disabilities are well-served when they get a service dog to help them.

It isn't just federal law that governs how service dogs are certified though. There are state regulations as well. If you wish to train your dog for service dog certification, you need to become intimately familiar with both state and federal laws.

Whatever you do with your dog as you train him, you need to make sure that you maintain meticulous records. Everything that goes into your training, needs to go into your logbook. This is important because the law does require detailed logs, and the degree of detail that they need isn't really clear in the way the law is written. It's really up to the certifying authorities how they interpret those laws.

One of the first things that you should pay attention to training a dog for certification, is its health. Dogs that have troubling health issues do not get certified. You should probably work in consultation with your dog's veterinarian all through the process.

A service dog needs to guide and help a person through their life. As such, the dog needs to be completely dependable in every kind of situation. Service dogs cannot afford to be the jumpy or anxious kind. They need to be thoroughly socialized, and be calm and composed in every situation. For instance, not only does a service dog need to be thoroughly familiar with all the right obedience commands, it needs to be able to follow them no matter what the situation is, or who is around.

The dog certification authorities will take a look at your logs to see how humane your methods are. You want to make sure that they are humane, or your dog doesn't get certified. Basically, they look for about four months of instruction before a dog can qualify for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.

Why Most People Don't Believe in Pet Medical Insurance

In can be a baffling situation. A lot of pet owners get into quite a bit of trouble when their pet comes to need expensive medical care. These are dedicated pet owners and they wouldn't dream of putting their pets down. They ed up having to completely wipe their savings out to provide the care needed. Why don't they just get pet medical insurance and protect themselves? There are a number of reasons why they don't do that. They are false beliefs – myths all of them. Let's look at some of them, just make sure that one doesn't make the mistake of believing these things again.

Here's a pretty impressive one – the belief that pet insurance is just too expensive and one doesn't really end up needing it anyway.

Pet owners n the US spend $15 billion every year on their pets for veterinary care. Almost all of that money is spent out-of-pocket. If there is this much money spent on pet medical attention, surely, it can't be a bad idea to get the medical insurance. Others believe that it's just too expensive for anyone to be able to afford insurance. That's hardly tenable either. On average, it costs about $350 a year. Many pet owners find that they do have to spend this much out-of-pocket on surprise vet visits for unexpected problems. If you get a good insurance policy for your pet, you can even cover the wellness visits – the routine dental visits and the flea checks and so on. If you find a good policy that covers everything you need, you might even end up saving money this way.

Many pet owners actually believe that they'll never get reimbursed for those wellness visits. This isn't true, of course. The ASPCA has its own pet medical insurance system in place for instance, and they do offer wellness coverage.

More people hate paperwork like you would imagine. People will go through anything to avoid paperwork. This is actually an important reason why people don't get pet medical insurance. They feel that they'll have to work their way through endless paperwork to get anything reimbursed.

With the good services, this is not really the way it happens. You just need to fill in a couple of Internet forms, and that's all there is to it.

And finally, many people stay away from pet insurance for the simple reason that they believe that their pet is too old for it. While this does happen to be true of many insurance companies, shopping around, you can find a couple of good ones that do offer coverage.

Is the Pet Insurance Cost You Pay Worth It

While not many pet owners have pet insurance, it's not as if they don't think about it. The idea does appeal to every pet owner, of course. It's just that they can't be sure that the pet insurance cost that the pay is actually worth it. Veterinary care can very quickly overwhelm most budgets. If you have more than one pet, it's really important that you either put money aside every month toward your own veterinarian fund, or that you get some kind of pet insurance.

What does pet insurance cost, and is it worth it? That's the question on most people's minds. Most pet insurance will cost you about $350 a year. If you have a regular, healthy pet, your vet bills for routine everyday care – the shots and the minor upset stomach, for instance – can end up costing you about just that much. Since no pet insurance policy covers routine care of this kind, buying insurance isn't going to help you with this at all. Any pet policy will only cover serious problems.

Since pet insurance doesn't cover the $350 a year that you pay for your pet's regular vet care, those expenses are going to be on top of the $350 that the pet insurance company charges. So basically, barring any serious illness that should require hospitalization, the pet insurance cost that you pay isjust going to go to waste most years. If you take the premium money and start your own pet care fund right at home, that money would never go to waste. In three years, you'd have a thousand dollars set aside for your pet. And that money would be available for all kinds of personal emergencies for you too.

When you when try to decide whether to buy pet insurance or not, you do want to think about the kind of personality your pet has. If it's a cat, for instance, they don't nearly get into many accidents or anything. Ask people who have your kind of pet, and find out for that and how often they need to get serious medical treatment. If you find that it isn't as often as all that, you could easily save enough money by just socking away money yourself instead of in an insurance policy. You could probably save $5000 in 10 years.

The idea behind any insurance venture is that the insurance companies get plenty of money from al, and they hand out money to the few members who need it. You need to carefully think about whether you can really make your money back. You must only buy insurance if you strongly believe that you will be getting more out of it than the premiums you pay.

Knowing What to Watch Out For Buying Dog Insurance

The cost of veterinary care rises faster than just about any other service these days – at a healthy 15% year on year. People are often financially wiped out when a beloved pet falls ill and treatment ends up costing thousands of dollars. It can be a smart move to buy dog insurance before your pet actually falls ill. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind to come away with the best deal.

There are two basic things that any dog insurance policy needs to offer you. It needs to be affordable of course, and it needs to give you coverage that'll actually make a difference. There are plenty of insurance policies out there that take your money, but that completely bog you down in exclusions. Some of these exclusions are things you would never even expect – like refusal of coverage for any injuries from an accident or the refusal of coverage when one is on vacation.

If there is an insurance company that seems to offer great payouts, make sure that you study their plan closely. It's possible that they will only do that if you agree to a very high co-pay.

Sometimes, you come across a plan that seems just perfect – it seems the plan doesn't cost that much, they don't seem to ask for a high co-pay, and their list of exclusions does not seem outrageous. You still can't just jump at it right away.

It's possible that they have limits on what they will pay for each different illness. The arbitrary limits they impose may make no sense for you and your pet. They might for instance, say that they will only pay $1000 per illness. Policies like this go and easily claim that they offer good protection worth thousands of dollars; they don't really advertise how that's only if your pet gets a number of different illnesses so that you can claim $1000 on each.

If possible, it would make a lot of sense if you could find a plan that doesn't charge you a per-incident the deductible. There are plans out there that will only charge you one single annual deductible for about $100 or so. It's always good to make things predictable.

Often it's a good idea to only go with a pet insurance company that will offer wellness coverage – routine visits just to check things out. You do need to take your pet in for neutering purposes, for flea problems and so on every year, don't you.

Finding Cheap Pet Insurance

When your pet comes down with something serious, you have two choices – you either have to find the money to help your pet get better, or you have to put him down. At least, those are the traditional choices. There's a third choice these days – you could get health insurance for your pets. A lot of the time though, it isn't such a great choice, because it can be expensive, and these policies don't pay for anything that might happen. Cheap pet insurance, if you can find it, is the only kind that actually make any financial sense. How do you find it though? Let's take a look.

Before you even consider investing time on finding cheap pet insurance, you have to try to find out if your particular breed of pet is excluded. Certain aggressive pets and working dogs usually are. Most of the time, they won't cover any pre-existing conditions or conditions like arthritis that your pet has already received a certain amount of treatment for. You might also want to look at the possibility that your pet is too old to be insured. For real cheap pet insurance, your dog needs to be quite young. You really need to ask around.

If you want cheap pet insurance and you really can't spend much, you should consider basic annual cover that only takes care of small injuries, minor surgery and minor health problems. They'll cover about $1500 a year worth of treatment. Top-of-the-line insurance on the other hand, will cover long-term illnesses like diabetes or cancer. A lot will depend on the breed of pet that you have. If your pet is a breed that tends to get any of these expensive diseases, top-of-the-line insurance should be save you a great deal of money over the long term. Seen this way, even expensive pet insurance would turn out to be cheap.

Whatever policy you do end up buying, be sure to check that there are no surprises. You want to learn about what their policy is on pre-existing conditions, and who pays when things are serious enough that there is no cure, and your dog has to be put down.

Most people don't see some of these exceptions coming. Who for instance would expect that a pet insurance policy would exclude any health problems during holiday travel? But some do. It would be a good idea to get pet insurance that will completely cover every kind of holiday mishap eventuality. Some of them will even cover the money you lose when your holiday is cut short because of a pet health problem.

A Dog Exercise Pen Can be the Best Pet Investment You Make

Have you ever seen a dog running – really looked closely at one? It's inspirational to see any creature deeply involved in the thing it was meant to do. That's what it looks like to see a dog in full flight. Any animal needs to move to be allowed to stretch out physically. Unfortunately, most pets don't get the opportunity to do this. They have to stay at home the whole day, and the most exercise they get is straining at the and of a leash. One shouldn't feel very bad about this, or even guilty. Just think of how people live. When they do want to exercise, they have to get access to a treadmill so that they can run in place. When you have a dog, certainly, a treadmill might be an option. But you do want to consider a dog exercise pen first.

How is a dog exercise pen better than a treadmill, you're possibly wondering. Well, to begin with, a treadmill makes a dog run on a straight, narrow belt, in a completely aimless fashion. It doesn't feel playful and happy to a dog to be able to do that. When it's given its own enclosure on the other hand, it can jump about and be more "human". That's an important reason why pet owners prefer a dog exercise pen rather than a treadmill.

When you have a puppy, a treadmill is just not an option. Not only would the puppy not "get it", it wouldn't be able to get out of it what it really needs – to explore its physical capabilities and to test its limitations. Puppies are just completely playful, and they really need something where they can explore themselves and what they are capable of. A en is exactly the right kind of equipment for this.

All you need to do is to set a dog exercise pen out in the open, and your dog can enjoy hours of fun out in the fresh air. You have to understand it isn't enough to just give up out a lot of great pet treats and a lot of affection. You need to give a pet what it was meant to do in life – explore its physical abilities. That's the best way to show your pet that you care. And incidentally, giving your pet a great way to exercise, is going to be great when it comes time to pay any vet bills. A dog that gets a good deal of exercise, is a healthier dog. It is just the way it is with humans.

Puppy Training: Leash Walking

While the previous three commands are good to start at any age, there are some things that you need to start as early as possible so your puppy can grow up with these habits. One of the first things you need to teach your young puppy is how to behave on a leash. It is a crucial skill to master for both you and your dog's future. After training a puppy to walk on a leash they are much safer and more manageable, plus it means walking is an experience you can both look forward to and enjoy.

If you follow the steps outlined below you should have your puppy leash trained within a couple of weeks. Some puppies will get it down in a matter of days and some will take much longer but just about any dog can learn the basics so never give up. Don't just expect your puppy to know this stuff! Your goal is to clearly communicate to your dog, what is acceptable behavior on the leash, and what is not.

The Three-Step Guide:

Step 1: Collar Familiarity

This first step can begin as soon as your puppy arrives at his new home. All it involves is getting your young pup familiar with and comfortable wearing a collar. A simple light weight leather collar is ideal for this task. Place it on your puppy when you feed him or as you are playing, this provides a bit of a distraction from the collar. He'll probably roll around trying to dislodge it, or try his best to scratch it off. When he is doing this it is important that you don't take it off him. Wait till he has settled down and forgotten about it before you take it off.

Step 2: Leash Familiarity

Once your puppy is happy wearing his new collar, it is time to introduce the leash. Same thing again here, you just want to get him comfortable with the leash, and to show him the leash is not to be feared. Any light weight, thin leash is fine for this step. You can buy your puppy a fancy leather leash after he is properly leash trained if you choose. All you need to do is clip the leash onto his collar, let him check it out and drag it around the house (always under your supervision). He'll forget about it after a while.

Step 3: In-Depth Leash Training

Now that your puppy is comfortable in his collar and with the leash, it is time to pick up the other end of the leash. Make these first leash training sessions short, sharp and fun. At this early stage you will probably find that your puppy loves to follow you around everywhere - use this to your advantage. To start with just walk around the house with the leash in hand, and your puppy trotting alongside you. When he is walking along on a loose leash give him plenty of praise, petting and even some treats.

When he strains on the leash, stop immediately. Don't yank him back over to you with the leash, just call him back over to you and praise him when he comes. Never ever keep walking when your puppy is pulling on the leash, this only rewards his behavior and reinforces the habit. Your puppy has to learn that when he pulls on the leash, he gets nowhere. If he wants to continue walking, it has to be by your side on a loose leash. The same rule applies if your puppy sits down when you are walking. Don't yank him forward towards you, just call him over and reward him when he arrives. Then set off walking again with your puppy by your side.

This method of training a puppy to walk on a leash is suited to very young puppies, it requires no pulling from you or your dog. The result is a nice loose leash hanging down between you and your dog. All it takes to achieve this is to follow the above steps, then apply some patience and persistence.

Training Your Dog - The "Fetch" Command

Everyone’s Favorite: "Fetch"

The fetch command, also known as retrieve, is one of the most popular commands that people want to be able to teach their dogs. A quick game of fetch is a fantastic outlet for a dog's natural prey drive and knocks the edge off even the most energetic of dogs. Plus it's one of the few interactive games you and your dog can play together - it's a brilliant way to strengthen the human-dog bond.

Most dogs love to chase a ball and return it to you, but many dogs need a little guidance to get the behavior up to a satisfactory level. You'll find your dog to be a natural or reluctant retriever at first, but after a while most dogs love playing a game of fetch. Why wouldn't they? It's great fun!

Teaching a rock solid and reliable retrieve takes a few separate steps to get just right. The following steps will teach your dog to be interested in an object, charge after it when it is thrown, pick it up, return it straight back to you and drop it at your feet. All without any skylarking, sniffing, hesitation or detours!

The Five-Step Guide

Step 1:
Let’s start out by playing a simple and fun game. In a small room free from any distractions, sit down on the floor with your dog. Have a small squeaky toy in your hand and some tasty treats in your other hand. Ideally the toy will be one that your puppy has shown interest in. Now toss the toy a small distance (still within your reach) from yourself and let your puppy pounce on it - you can encourage your puppy if need be. When your puppy grabs the toy you should reach out and take it from his/her mouth while saying "good puppy". As soon as you have hold of the toy you need to replace it by feeding a treat to your dog.

If your puppy won't let go of the toy, simply use the treat as a bribe. Hold the treat just in front of his nose and wait for him to drop the toy - praise your dog and give him the treat as soon as the toy drops from his mouth. Practice this simple game in 5 minute blocks at least a couple of times a day. This is the crucial first step towards developing a solid and reliable fetch or retrieve in your dog.

Step 2.
Now we will continue the game we played in Step 1 but this time we will add a release word or cue to the exercise. As you are taking the toy from your puppy's mouth (or when he drops it in your lap) say "thank you" or "thanks" and immediately give the treat and praise - just as you did in Step 1. Repeat this process many times, you are building an association in your dog's mind between your "thanks" cue and the act of him giving the toy to you. After plenty of practice and continual reinforcement (the treats) you will not have to grab the toy from your dog's mouth, he will give it to you upon hearing your cue word. Now we have got the basic fetch behavior we are trying to shape - we just need to build on it a little more.

Step 3.
Now we can slowly (very slowly) increase the distance of the retrieve. Start out by throwing the toy a couple of meters from you - hopefully your dog will continue to pounce on the toy and bring it back to you for his treat. Continue just as you have been, say your release cue "thanks" and give the treat for every successful retrieve. Important: If at any time your dog does not bring the toy back to you do not chase him or make a fuss. Simply sit and wait patiently until he brings it back to you - then treat as normal. Your aim is to make it clear to your dog that in order for the fun and games to continue he must bring the toy back to you. If your dog doesn't bring the toy back to you, finish up and try again later on - next time go back to the shorter and easier retrieve game as in Step 1.

Step 4.
Continue practicing this game of fetch over and over. Repetition and positive reinforcement are the keys to building and strengthening a solid retrieve. You can now mix up the distance you throw the toy and take your training sessions into different rooms within the house. When you introduce a new object such as a ball (which is what you will use for a game of fetch at the dog park) to the game you need to start out again at a short distance and increase the distance slowly. Remember to only ever treat and praise your puppy when the retrieve object gets delivered directly to you.

Step 5.
That's pretty much the retrieve behavior built in 4 steps. If you like you can now add a cue at the start of the exercise. Simply say "fetch" or "get it" just before you throw the ball. After a while when you say your "fetch" cue your dog will look straight up at you in anticipation of a chase.

You can also gradually fade the treats now. The game itself will be reward enough for your dog. Instead of a tasty treat being your dog's motivation, the next throw of the ball will be enough of an incentive for him to bring the ball straight back to you.

The retrieve is a great exercise to teach most dogs and it will only take you a couple of days to work through the 5 steps outlined above. Pretty soon you will have an eager dog who drops the ball at your feet at any opportunity!

Training Your Dog - The "Stand" Command

The "Stand" Command

The stand command is a very handy behavior for you and your dog to have in your repertoire. The stand command is a behavior you will call on in many different situations. It's great when you visit your Veterinarian or dog groomer. You'll also call on the stand command when bathing your dog and clipping his/her nails. It's also the best position for your dog to be in if you require him to stay for long periods.

As we do when teaching any new command/behavior we always start out in a familiar place which is free from any distractions. Make it as easy as possible for your dog when learning the stand command - then we can throw in some other variables.

The Six-Step Guide

The first step is to reward as many instances of the "stand" behavior as possible - through shaping it or simply letting is occur naturally.

To begin with you should teach the stand command when your dog is in a sitting position and then from the laying down position.

Step: 1. Grab a few tasty treats in your hand - this will be used to lure your dog into the stand position. Your dog's nose will target the treat in your hand. With your dog sitting hold the treat a few inches in front of his/her nose. Then slowly draw it away horizontally (parallel to the ground). There is no need to say anything to your dog at this stage. If your dog responds to this lure by getting up into the stand position you should immediately reward him with a treat and some enthusiastic praise. NOTE: If your dog does not follow your food lure you can give him some verbal encouragement, or give him a bit of a prod with your finger to get him moving.

Step: 2. Continue to repeat and practice this food targeting exercise - always reward a desired response.

Step: 3. This next step is to get the stand behavior without using food as a lure - you will be using the food only as a reward from now on. You achieve this by continuing exactly as you have been, but this time without any food in your hand. Ok so now the process is that you put your empty hand in front of your dog's nose and slowly move it away horizontally. 9 out of 10 dogs will continue to follow your hand - even without the treat. If your dog continues to follow, you should reward immediately with a treat from your other hand and also praise just as you have already been doing. If your dog does not follow your empty hand you can go back to giving some verbal encouragement or a bit of a prod with your finger. Once your dog is consistently following your empty hand you can cut back on the food reward. Put your dog on a variable food reward schedule - reward every second successful stand, then every third and so on. Mix it up to keep your dog guessing.

Step: 4. Once your dog is solid with the process in step 3 you can add your verbal command to the stand exercise. Basically we can now get the behavior we desire (the stand), now it's time to add the verbal cue which will trigger the behavior. What you do is say "stand" then continue with the same process as in step 3. The process goes like this - say "stand", use your hand signal, then praise and reward as soon as your dog gets into the stand position. Repeat this process many times - anytime throughout the day is a good time to practice. This step builds up the association in your dog's mind between you saying "stand" and the act of him standing.

Step: 5. It's now time to drop your hand signal and any other prompting and rely on your verbal cue only. Say "stand" and wait for your dog to move. It is highly likely that your dog will continue to stand just as he has been in the previous steps. He will already have made the connection between your verbal "stand" command and the act of him standing. If your dog does not move when you say "stand" your dog is not ready for this step - go back and practice step 4 some more.

Step: 6. When you have the basic stand command rock solid on verbal command it's time to add some other variables. This step is all about generalizing, strengthening and proofing the stand command. What this means is that you build on the basic command to make it effective for longer periods, in a wide range of locations and in the presence of other distractions.

Training Your Dog - The "Leave It" Command

The "Leave It" Command

The "Leave It" dog obedience training command is a very useful behavior to teach your puppy or older dog. You'll be surprised how often you find yourself calling on this command.

The "Leave It" command is great in many day to day situations. If you are out on a walk and your dog tries to eat animal droppings (coprophagia) off the grass or if you catch him in the process of clutching a cookie off the coffee table the "Leave It" command is perfect.

You can begin to teach the "Leave It" command at any time - it's just as necessary as the other basic obedience training commands such as sit, down, come, stay etc.

Follow the steps below to build your "Leave It" command. You'll end up having your dog under voice control - no need to be yanking and pulling against your dog with the leash.

The Seven-Step Guide:

First we need to build the behavior, then we'll attach our verbal "Leave It" cue and finally we'll then generalize the behavior.

Step: 1. In a familiar environment to your dog, free from any distractions (other people or animals) sit down in front of your willing dog.

Step: 2. In one hand place an ordinary "Leave It" treat (some kibble or other plain dry treat) in the other hand place your dog's very favorite "jackpot!" treat (liver, hotdog, cheese etc.).

Step: 3. With the ordinary "Leave It" treat resting on your open palm, extend your hand out towards your dog. Don't say anything. When your dog reaches forward to gulp down the treat, quickly close your hand - don't let him get it. If he withdraws his interest, immediately say "Yes!" and give the jackpot treat from your other hand. Alternatively, if he is really persistent and determined to get at the kibble treat in your closed fist, just hold it out of his reach and ignore him.

Step: 4. About 10 seconds after trying Step 3, do it again. This time if he doesn't dive straight in after the "Leave It" treat, enthusiastically say "Yes!", give the jackpot treat from your other hand and give him a loving scratch behind the ear. If he goes for the ordinary "Leave It" treat straight away, close your fingers over it again. He will probably look up at you in a quizzical, puzzled manner - which is good. As soon as his attention is off the treat say "Yes!" give the jackpot treat from your other hand and praise his good work.

Step: 5. Continue Steps 3 & 4 many times (repetition and consistency are two of the vital keys to successful dog training!). Pretty soon your dog will catch on that if he doesn't go for the boring old "Leave It" treat he will be rewarded with a monster "jackpot" treat from the other hand.

Step: 6. Now your dog understands the basic behavior it's time to attach your verbal "Leave It" cue. This is so we can request the behavior whenever the need arises. Continue practicing exactly as you have been except you now say "Leave It" just as you begin to extend your hand (the one with the ordinary treat) towards the dog. This step builds an association in your dog's mind between you saying "Leave It" and the act of him leaving an object alone.

Step: 7. Now you've got the behavior and you've got it on cue it's time to add some other variables. This step generalizes and proofs the "leave it" command so we can rely on it in any circumstance. One at a time introduce the new elements listed below - don't move too quickly for your dog, take it slowly.

• While practicing the Leave It command hold your hand in different positions - close to the ground, up at your dog's eye level etc...
• Hold off with saying "Yes" and giving the jackpot treat until your dog actually looks you in the eye.
• Put the ordinary treat straight down onto the ground in front of your dog and say "Leave It" - if your dog goes for the treat quickly cover it with your foot.
• Take your training sessions into other rooms and eventually outside.
• Say "Leave It" when you are at varying distances from your dog.
• Practice in the presence of distractions such as other people and dogs.
• Practice when you are out on your daily walk - with your dog on leash drop some treats on the ground and then walk past them.

The Leave It command is very useful and not all that difficult for your dog to learn, it won't take long to teach. The important thing to keep in mind is that you need to make leaving the object alone a more attractive alternative to your dog than going for it.

Training Your Dog - The "Go To" Commands

The "Go To" Commands

The Go To Your Spot command a fantastic behavior to teach your dog.

I find the "Go To Your Bed" command to be one of the most useful and most used of all of the dog obedience commands. It is great for practical and also safety reasons - I find myself calling on this command in many situations everyday including:
• When visitors arrive at my home. Instead of my dogs getting all excitable and jumping all over guests I use the "Go To Your Bed" command to redirect their behavior.
• If a dog is barking excessively you can call on this obedience command which acts as an alternate behavior for your dog to perform.
• When me and my family sit down for a meal I send my dogs to their spot to give us a bit of space.

One thing to always keep in mind when applying the Go To Your Spot command is that you don't want it to feel like a punishment to your dog. In other words don't always use it when your dog is in trouble, try to make it a positive, fun place for your dog to retreat to.

Follow the steps below to build the "Go To Your Spot" command slowly. Start out so it's easy for your dog to understand, then gradually make it harder by adding other variables (duration, distance and distractions).

The Nine-Step Guide:

Step: 1. Choose your designated spot (make sure it's a nice and comfortable place), attach a label to it ("Go To Your Bed" "Go To Your Mat" etc.) and stick with it.

Step: 2. Stand with your dog about 1-2 meters from the chosen spot. Say "Go To Your Bed" while pointing towards the spot. At the same time throw one of your dog’s very favorite treats onto the bed. Your dog is sure to rush over to the bed to collect the tasty treat. As soon as he/she collects the treat be sure to praise him enthusiastically.

Step: 3. Repeat step 2 many times to reinforce the behavior. This also builds a connection in your dog’s mind between you saying "Go To Your Bed" and pointing with the act of going over to him bed. At this point it's important to note that the treat is acting as a lure to entice your dog over to the bed - this will eventually change.

Step: 4. Now gradually increase the distance between where you and your dog are standing and the bed. Continue to practice "Go To Your Bed", point, throw the treat and then praise.

Step: 5. It's now time to change the job of the treat from being a lure to being a reward for the desired behavior. It goes like this - say "Go To Your Bed" while pointing towards the bed, but this time do not throw the treat. By now your dog will most probably understand that your verbal command and pointing means that you want him to go to him spot. If he responds to your command by going to him bed you then give the treat (rewarding the behavior) and lavish him with praise. If your dog doesn't "get it" go back a step by using the treat as a lure again.

Step: 6. Continue step 5 over and over again. You can practice at any time throughout the day, it doesn't have to be a set training time. Also mix up the place where you request your dog to "Go To Your Bed". Say it close to the bed, then further away and eventually even from a different room (don't move too fast though).

Step: 7. You can now add other elements to this command. One at a time you could add a distraction such as having another person in the room bouncing a ball or put your dog’s food bowl down then request the "Go To Your Bed".

Step: 8. You may choose to add the dog obedience down command to this exercise.

Step: 9. After a while you should fade and vary your rewards. You can give the treat every second or third time your dog goes to his bed, or you could throw a ball for him to chase as the reward instead of the tasty treat.

Remember to keep it fun and build the "Go To Your Spot" command piece by piece over a period of a couple of weeks. If you are consistent and show a little patience, you and your dog are sure to achieve results.

Training Your Dog - The "Heel" Command

Firstly I should say that teaching a dog to heel is a different skill than training a dog to walk on a loose leash. Training a dog to heel relies on getting and holding the attention of your dog. The heel can be called upon for short periods (like when other dogs or children are around) but is not suitable for your long daily walks.

Dog Training - The Heel

When your dog is in the heeling position it means he/she is virtually pinned to your left leg (not touching though) and must stay there until released by you. Heeling is a difficult skill for your dog to master, it must be taught slowly and built piece by piece. I find that short, sharp and intense training sessions work best with my dogs. This is because learning to heel requires heaps of concentration from your dog and lots of repetition - don't expect too much too soon. Start out simple, set your dog up to succeed and don't move too quickly.

The Comprehensive Eight-Step Guide:

Ok let’s have a go at building a good solid and reliable heel. You can go through these steps off leash (if possible) or on leash. The leash is there for security only, it is not used to drag your dog around or hold him in position. The idea is to condition your dog to want to be by your side rather than to force him to be there. This is the method I use to teach my dogs to heel - as with building any obedience command, start in an environment that is familiar to your dog and free from distractions.

Step: 1. Stand with your dog closely next to your left leg, both of you facing the same way.

Step: 2. Have one of your dog’s favorite treats in your left hand, hold it up near your waist, not directly in front of your dog’s nose. Now say "Harry" (your dog’s name) to get his attention and to gain eye contact. Immediately take two steps forward then stop. If your dog moves with you and is still in the heel position enthusiastically praise him and give the treat.

Step: 3. As soon as your dog swallows his reward from step 2 repeat the heeling process again, then do it again. Say "Harry", take two steps forward offering encouragement to your dog ("come on" or "that's a good boy"), stop, praise and treat. Only ever give the reward when your dog is still in the heel position.

Step: 4. At this point your dog will be very interested and attentive. It's important to note that you are using the treat to reward his behavior rather than to lure or bribe him.

Step: 5. If at any time your dog lags behind or forges ahead of you hold off with your praise and reward. Simply say "“No”" and start again.

Step: 6. Continue to practice your heel training and when 2 steps forward becomes easy for your dog, increase to 4 steps, then 6 steps and so on... Keep up your encouragement, praise and tasty rewards.

Step: 7. When your dog is reliably heeling for 10 or more steps it's time to

Step: 8. You've now got the very basic heel going well and on cue, it's time to build upon it and add some more variables. Introduce the following elements one at a time and make it as easy as possible for your dog to succeed. Mix it up - continue with your enthusiasm, encouragement, praise and treats.
• Walk slowly, speed up, stop, speed up etc...
• Take your training session to a new location.
• Add some left and right turns and then some obstacles.
• Practice your heeling around other people and animals.
• Increase the duration of the heel.
• Roll a ball in front of you - what does your dog do?

That's the heel training process I follow and have experienced good results with. Always remember to keep your training sessions fun and don't expect too much from your young puppies, it will take some time.

Training Your Dog - The “Stay” Command

After you and your dog have mastered the sit and down commands, the logical extension on them is training your dog to stay. Really when you think about it your sit and down commands aren't much value if your dog merely gets into those positions and then bounces back up straight away. That's why I like to add the stay command, although some dog trainers believe it to be an unnecessary extra command. Their theory being that when they request that their dog sits or goes into the down position, the dog should stay in that position until they are told otherwise. For those of you choose to use the stay command - read on.

Training a dog to stay can be difficult at first. In a way it goes against what your dog is used to (following you around) and also his/her natural instincts (being close to their pack). With this in mind keep the stay command very simple to begin with and build upon your dog’s successes slowly.

Once you have trained your dog to hold a reliable stay in any situation you will find it handy on many occasions. It's a great behavior to request when visitors come to your home, if you need to duck inside a shop or if you have a dog who likes to bolt out the front door.

Right let's get started - it's a good idea to first train your dog to stay when he/she is calm and not all hyped up - after a walk is a good time. Your first training session should be in a familiar environment to your dog, free from any distractions and should only last for a few minutes.

The Three-Step Guide:

Step 1: Position Training
Put your dog into the position you would like him/her to stay in (use your sit, down or stand commands) and stand directly in front of him. After about 1 or 2 seconds, if your dog is still in the position you requested, give him some praise and a treat. You are rewarding the behavior you are looking for which is a stay, even if it is only 1 seconds worth to start with. As soon as you give your praise and treat, the behavior is over (this is your signal for your dog to release from his stay) so it is fine if your dog moves off. Then you begin the process again from the start, this time maybe hold your praise and treat off for 3 or 4 seconds. Just take it slowly and if your dog breaks out of the stay at any time before you have given him the release command, simply say "No", don't give the treat and start the process again.

Step 2: Verbalize
The next step is to add a verbal command and hand signal to step 1. It goes like this - once again stand directly in front of your dog and place him in the position you would like him to stay in. Now as soon as he is in the desired position say "stay" and at the same time hold your hand out in front of you, with your palm facing out towards your dog's nose (like a stop sign motion). Now after waiting a second or two praise and reward your dog for staying in this position (sit-stay or down-stay etc.). As was the case in step 1 you can now repeat this process over and over, gradually increasing the time between your "stay" command and your praise and treat. What you are doing is building an association in your dog's mind between your verbal "stay" command and the act of staying in the one spot.

Step 3: Distraction Training
You've now got the stay command sorted - in its most basic form anyway. It's now time to add some other variables and build upon it. Many trainers label this proofing stage as the three D's - Duration, Distance and Distractions. Up until now (in steps 1 and 2) you have been working in a familiar environment free from distractions and you've just been standing right in front of your dog. Let's mix it up a little, adding one new variable at a time. Start out by issuing your "stay" command with your hand signal, now take a step backwards, pause, and then step back towards your dog. If your dog has remained in his sit-stay or down-stay, praise him and give him a tasty treat. Continue to repeat this process, gradually increasing the amount of steps you take back - always remember to return back to your dog before you reward him. Keep in mind what it is you are actually rewarding him for (the stay) and if he gets up to move away he shouldn't be receiving a reward or treat. The next challenge you can add to the stay command is to move your training session to a different location, possibly somewhere with a few distractions such as other people or animals. Remember take it slowly and only add one new variable at a time. Another good idea is to practice your stays anytime throughout the day. For example make your dog "stay" when you go out to collect the mail or "stay" when you are preparing his dinner.

A game you can play with your dog to reinforce the "stay" command is hide and seek. This game is heaps of fun and all you do is place your dog in a down-stay then run off and hide. When you are ready, sing out your release command and your dog will set off to track you down.

Note: When training a dog to stay do not keep your dog in a sit-stay for more than 2 or 3 minutes. If you need your dog to stay for longer periods use the down-stay.

Training Your Dog - The "Down" Command

The "Down" Command

The down command is the next lesson to teach in your dog obedience training schedule. It should be taught as soon as you and your dog have mastered the sit command. The down command is a fundamental ingredient of your overall dog obedience training program. It provides the foundation for many other advanced commands/skills and establishes you as the leader in the relationship you share with your dog. The reason for this is that the laying down position is a submissive and somewhat vulnerable position for your dog to be in, especially when you are standing tall over the top of your dog.

The down command is a very handy tool you will come to rely on in many situations. Popping your dog down into the lying down position is great for times when you need to go into a shop or for occasions when there are small children around. It can take a bit of practice to reach this level, but it is worth the effort.

General Rules for Learning The Down Command

When you are in the learning phase of teaching the down command, start out by making it simple for your dog, then slowly turn up the difficulty level.
• Move your training sessions to a public place.
• Increase the time you keep your dog in the down position.
• Bounce a ball around your dog when he is in the lying position, or scatter some food around him. The idea is that your "down" command will be so strong in your dog's mind, that none of these other distractions matter. He can only get up to chase the ball or eat the treats when you release him from the down command.

What you are trying to achieve with the down command is to have your dog quickly get down into the laying position, belly touching the ground and his front legs extended out in front.

In a familiar environment to your dog with no distractions, let’s get started!

The Two-Step Guide

Step 1: Off-Leash Training

Grab your dog’s favorite tasty treat and hold it a couple of centimeters in front of his/her nose. Move your hand straight down to the ground. Your dog should follow it down (you can praise and encourage him down). As soon as his belly hits the ground, with his legs out in front, lavish him with praise and give the treat. Repeat this action over and over in short sharp training sessions.

When your dog is "getting it" and going down right away, you can add the verbal part of the command. I use "down" other people use "lay" or "drop", just choose the one you are comfortable with and stick to it (make it a one word command only). Add your command just before you start to move the treat towards the ground. This step is all about building an association in your dog's mind between the verbal "down" command and the act of him laying down.

The idea is that eventually, after plenty of repetition and praise your dog will only require your verbal command, and not the treat in your hand to lure him down. Also, in time you will be able to start the command not only from the sitting position but from standing and in any situation you and your dog are in.
• When your dog is responding well to your verbal command, introduce some other variables which make the down command a little more challenging. Try the command as you go about your daily business, around other people or dogs and increase the duration of the command.

Step 2: On-Leash Training

Put your preferred collar and leash on your dog - I just use a nice leather buckle collar when teaching the down command.
• Place your dog into the sitting position and stand or kneel right next to him.
• Basically you are trying to guide or coax your dog into the down position. How you do this depends on the size and co-operation level of your dog.
• Always say your "down" command first, then immediately guide your dog down into the lying position. Grab hold of the leash and gently pull your dog’s head down, at the same time guide him down by pressing down between his shoulder blades with the palm of your hand. You can also lift up your dog’s front legs and extend them out in front of him, find the method which works best for you. Praise and encourage your dog all the way down. Then of course as soon as he's in the down position make it clear to him that you are happy with him and that he has done a good job.
• After lots of repetition your dog will respond to your verbal command only. Then try the command when your dog is in the standing position and in other settings. Make the command a little more challenging by adding some distractions and increasing the time he is required to stay in the down position.

Whichever method you choose to teach your dog the down command be consistent and keep at it. When you are happy with your dog getting into the down position you will probably want to add a release command to it. This means that when you issue your down command, your dog goes straight down and is not permitted to get up until you issue another command. You can use "away" or "off you go" for this purpose.

Training Your Dog - The "Come" Command

The "Come" or "Come Here!" command is probably the most important obedience command you will ever teach your puppy or older dog. At some point in time you will no doubt rely on it to guide your dog away from serious danger.

Apart from being essential for safety reasons, when your dog has mastered the dog training "come" command he/she can be allowed greater freedom in many situations. Like when you are down at the beach or out hiking your dog can go off exploring on him own but will always be alert and ready to respond to your come command. This gives you peace of mind and is very reassuring.

Your ultimate goal when teaching the dog training come command (sometimes called recall) is to receive an immediate response from your dog upon hearing your command, every time, regardless of what else is happening in the area at that time.

Let’s not kid ourselves though, this type of response is not always easy to achieve. The dog training come command can take a lot of work, and the truth is that it is very difficult for some dogs to get 100% right. For certain breeds and dogs that love to chase or have a strong scent drive the come command actually works against their natural instincts.

Don't let this put you off though, you can succeed using the techniques outlined below. Basically you can teach the fast come command as soon as you get your new puppy (the earlier the better) or older dog, and you'll be reinforcing it every time you are with your dog throughout his/her life.

Why Doesn't Your Dog Come When Called?
These are the most common reasons why our lovely dogs seemingly ignore us and don't come when we call out to them.
• Your dog does not understand what the "come" command means, he simply doesn't know what you are requesting him to do.
• Your dog may have been allowed to get away with disobeying your come command in the past and was not held accountable for him actions (or lack of action!).
• Your dog may believe that following the scent trail of a squirrel or continuing to romp around with other dogs at the park is more appealing than coming back to you.
• Maybe your dog has responded well to your command in the past but was inadvertently punished for him good behavior. This could mean that you called him over then immediately locked him in a crate, or called him over and plonked him straight into a soapy bath (which he hates!).

General Guidelines for the "Come" Command
• Never under any circumstances punish your dog when he comes back to you. Even if your dog seems to take an eternity to respond to you and you've got smoke coming out of your ears through frustration, it's important that you don't get angry with your dog. She'll associate your anger with the last action he did - which was coming to you.
• Your goal is to make coming to you a more attractive option to your dog than any other alternative action.
• Never let your dog off leash in public before you have your dog responding very well to your come command. Your dog has to work his way up to this privilege - see the steps involved in the dog training come command below.
• Your come command should be something your dog looks forward to hearing, something he has a positive association with. You do this by making it wonderful each he comes to you, make it worth his while. Certainly do not only use the command to call your dog over to snap the leash back on after an off leash run or call his away from fun.
• Incorporate the come command training into your daily activities. Use it to call your dog over for his dinner or call him over at any time just to give him a scratch behind the ear or a tasty treat.
• When you are teaching your dog the come command off leash and your dog doesn't respond, don't chase after him, first try waiting for him. If you do have to go and retrieve him don't punish him when you catch up with him, just go home or start your training session again, this time on leash.
• Never call your dog in situations you know your dog won't come to you. You don't want your dog to think that sometimes it is ok if he doesn't respond to your "come" command. It has to be every time and your dog must never get away with not respecting it.
• As with all obedience commands start your training sessions out easy, master one step then move on and build upon it. Challenge your dog along the way, but don't move too quickly. Your dog will gain confidence all the way along this process.

Depending on what level you and your dog are up to in your obedience training, you can apply one or all of the steps outlined below. I've found that if you apply repetition, reinforcement and patience to these training techniques, you and your dog will achieve great results.

The Comprehensive Six-Step Guide:
Step: 1. Young puppies love to follow you around and often bound up to you with great delight - use this to your advantage. At this early stage all you need to do is make it clear to your puppy that you are happy to see him each time he comes to you. Make it a very pleasant and rewarding experience every time.

Step: 2. The next step is to introduce the verbal "come" command so that your dog connects its use with the act of coming to you. Start inside with no distractions around, crouch down or kneel, then in a friendly and welcoming voice say "Macy come" (Macy's my little Shih Tzu puppy), you can even wave a tasty treat around to lure your dog over if necessary. When your puppy (or older dog) gets to you, immediately praise and reward him effort. Repeat this exercise many times throughout the day to reinforce the connection.

Step: 3. If you have someone else there to help, you can now introduce the "back and forth" game. Position yourself at one side of the room and your helper on the other side. Call your dog over "Macy come" (only once, but you can encourage him over), then reward when he arrives, next your helper calls him over and rewards him when he arrives. This game is a lot of fun for your dog and teaches your dog to respect the "come" command from a person other than you. You can extend this exercise into a game of hide and seek by going into a different room to your partner, call your dog and let him find you. Make it worth him while when he does track you down - most dogs love this game.

Step: 4. Now you are confident your dog understands and is responding quickly to your "come" command you can reinforce it in different environments and situations. Put your dog on a leash (just the one you take him on walks with) and head outside. Call your dog with the same "come" command and walk backwards, when he comes close to you give him a treat and a nice scratch behind the ear. Practice this at various stages throughout your normal walk, don't forget to always praise your dog's good work!

Step: 5. The next step you can take is similar to step 4 but this time clip a long line on instead. This is a lightweight piece of rope which you can buy at pet shops or from hardware and camping stores. To start with put the long line on in a familiar environment (like your yard) and then you can progress to public places (like the dog park) when you are ready. The long line just trails along behind your dog (she will forget it is there after a while), he will feel that he has complete freedom, but in reality you can catch him whenever you please. Continue to call your dog over "come" and praise him when he does, then send him on him way again. Please note that the trailing long line is not used to "reel your dog in", it's there as a precautionary measure to stop your dog bolting away from you. It's very hard for any dog to outrun you with the trailing leash clipped on, and hopefully you won't need to be chasing your dog anyway.

Step: 6. Next you can challenge your dog with a fun game. Again you should introduce this game in a safe confined area free from distractions, then progress from there. You need your helper again for this exercise. Stand about 50 feet from your helper, with your dog wandering around without a leash (you can have a tab leash on if you choose). Then throw a ball so it lands near your helper. As soon as the ball leaves your hand say "Macy come!", by doing this you are giving your dog a choice to make. he can either come to you as requested (which you would reward him for) or set off after the ball. If he decides the ball is a better option, your helper leans down and picks it up before he arrives. Your helper just holds onto the ball and ignores your dog. When your dog decides it's time to go back to you, just give him a bit of a pat, but don't make a fuss. It's a good idea to mix it up a bit and throw the ball without issuing your "come" command at times, just let your dog get the ball.

If at any time while working through these steps your dog doesn't seem to be "getting it" just take it back a step and work on an easier level.