Boarding Your Dog For The First Time

For a stress-free vacation, follow these tips on boarding your dog for the first time

You’re going on an extended vacation and you’re worried about boarding your dog for the first time. After all, this is your fur baby and you want some peace of mind when leaving her behind. Boarding isn’t for everyone and perhaps in this instance, you have no other choice. You’ve done your homework and picked a dog kennel that suits both you and your dog’s needs. Here are a few ways to make the process smoother and ensure you don’t have a breakdown when you leave your dog behind.

5 Essential Dog-Friendly Thanksgiving Travel Tips

We’ve got the recipe for safe and stress-free travel with your dog this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It’s time to start making your travel plans. Are you hitting the road for a cross country car trip or are you flying to your destination? Is your dog coming along for the festivities? Whether your dog is coming along with you or staying behind, you need to plan in advance – trust us, you’ll be thankful that you did! Here are some tips for traveling tips with your dog this Thanksgiving.

Puppy House Training - The Right Way

The arrival of a new puppy is cause for great excitement in any household. It soon becomes clearly apparent that puppy house training is an urgent priority and the number one thing to teach our new housemates.

You'll find lots of puppy house training articles and theories across the net and in books everywhere, but I'm pleased to say that I've got a method that has never let me down. The potty training technique I have come to rely on and trust requires a fair degree of commitment to begin with but the rewards are quick and last forever. My veterinarian first told me about this potty training method which could be summed up as follows:

Dogs Submissive Peeing in dog

Why does my dog pee when I pet him?
Why does it happen?
Submissive peeing is a submissive gesture that can happen when a dog is over-excited, anxious and/or fearful. You cannot punish your dog for submissive peeing because your dog is not doing it on purpose and cannot help it. If your dog is young, it can sometimes be outgrown.

De-Icing Methods that Keep Your Dog Safe

As temperatures drop, many areas of the country will have to confront the same safety hazard: ice.

Whether you’re driving in your car or out for a dog walk, a patch of the slippery surface can cause serious injury for both humans and canines. Unfortunately, not all methods for de-icing are safe for your pooch. Before you head to the store for something to clean off your driveway and walkways, consider all of your options.

Crate Training dogs and this Benefits

JACQUE LYNN SCHULTZ, C.P.D.T., COMPANION ANIMAL PROGRAMS ADVISER. NATIONAL OUTREACH

A king has his castle, a child yearns for his own room, an infant is placed in a crib or playpen for safekeeping. Don’t our young canine friends deserve the very same consideration for their well-being when we are gone?

Put a Stop to Dog Scratching and Gnawing

If you are dealing with the annoyance of a constantly scratching, gnawing, and licking dog it's probably driving you crazy. One of the most common problems among dogs, which rears its ugly head during the summer is skin allergies and irritation.

The evidence of skin irritation or allergies in your dog may be indicated by their gnawing and scratching, or may even show up in the luster and length of their coat. Some cases of dog skin irritation and allergy can become so profound that the dog injures his or her own skin in an attempt to get at that itch.

So, if you think it is irritating to you. How do you think a dog with skin allergies and irritations feels? It must be a miserable feeling. Imagine if you had an itch you couldn't scratch, or scratched so hard that it became infected or inflamed. The same can happen to your dog.

Watch For In Your Dog: Excessive Drinking

Dogs cannot tell us when something is bothering them, and I doubt that they would even if they could. Dogs are just not the type to go around complaining about things.

That's why it's important that we watch for signs and symptoms of disease. Generally, anychange in your dog's body, behavior, actions or routine is telling you something. Some of the signs can be quite subtle and easily overlooked or dismissed. Paying attention to early symptoms can save your dog a lot of suffering and give him the best chance for a successful recovery.

Today we'll take a look at excessive thirst/drinking.

I was talking to a friend about post-op issues her dog was having after an extracapsular repair of her ACL. During our discussion she mentioned that in the snow they noticed that her dog's urine was clear, with no color to it at all, and she asked whether it was something to worry about.

I asked if her dog was drinking a lot. It turned out that her dog had been unusually thirsty and drinking large amounts of water since her surgery three months ago!

Excessive drinking is a symptom that should be taken seriously.

What constitutes excessive drinking?
Any change in your dog's drinking or eating habits should be noted. Drinking more than usual without an obvious explanation—such as hot weather or exercise—should not be dismissed. Do you have to fill the water bowl more often lately? Does your dog urinate more frequently? Talk to your veterinarian.

Take it seriously. Depending on other symptoms, excessive drinking can be a sign of a number of conditions, including

• Diabetes mellitus
• Cushing's syndrome
• Addison's disease
• Liver or kidney disease
• A potentially life-threatening uterine infection and other serious conditions

When in doubt, err on the side of caution. 

Early diagnosis can mean the difference between treatment success or failure.

About Puppy Training

Before you buy a puppy you must understand some basic training steps in order for your puppy to be well behaved from the day you bring him into your home. Follow the above links to find out about some of these basic puppy training steps. Most importantly never punish by hitting or harming your puppy in anyway. Bad behaviours should be ignored. This lack of attention is itself enough punishment for your puppy. Always praise your puppy for good behaviour with a treat, toy, or even just lots of attention. Puppy will soon realise why he is being praised and will continue with these good behaviours.

Puppy Maturity

Most dog breeds, puppies mature around the age of 12 months. There are breeds which take alot longer to fully mature, and who remain puppy like until the age of around 24 months. Owning a puppy takes alot of patience, you should be aware that you will have alot of puppy behaviours to deal with until they fully mature.
Maturity by Adult Weight – Although puppies grow and mature very quickly when compared to humans, it’s also important to know that not all sizes and breeds develop at the same rate. The smaller the breed, the quicker he/she will mature:

A small-breed puppy reaches adult weight by 9-12 months
A medium-breed puppy reaches adult weight by 12 months.
A large-breed puppy reaches adult weight by 18-24 months.

Bringing him home: 8- 12 weeks

Don’t Pee Where You Sleep

“Oh great, here comes Bob. I wonder what MLM he’s going to try and sell me on now?”

How many of these people do you know? Everyone knows that Bob’s going to have a different Business-of-the-Week everytime you see him. And then he’ll proceed to try and make you join that system with him. It was an impulse buy for him and now he wants to spread the news to the world. Even worse, he’s doing if first to his friends and family.

I actually went forward with something similar once, and after a month, I was still at it. Meanwhile, the person who convinced me that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, had already moved on to something else. That left a really sour feeling with me. It was as though he had made a really bad decision and was getting me to join in order to get his own money back. All of it was at my expense. It wasn’t one of my more expensive lessons, but it stuck with me.

It taught me that you should never take your friends or family for granted. They are a huge source of help and motivation throughout your entire life. Don’t jeopardize that for a quick buck.

I took the lesson to heart.

You don’t need to “sell” anything to your friends. Conversations should be a “pull” rather than a “push”.

When you’re online, you now have the ability to expand your circle of friends exponentially. The philosophy applies to them as well. Marketing should never be a numbers game. Its not a game, and people are not numbers.

I know you already know this, but like me, you probably need to be reminded every now and again.

Life throws you enough problems to deal with. You don’t want to come home and have to clean up a puddle of your own making.

Teaching Your Dog To Like The Water

Not all breeds of dogs like the water, and even some of the breeds that are supposed to be "water dogs" don't seem to enjoy getting wet at all. There are also dogs from specific breeds that don't typically go near the water that just can't wait to head out to lake for some fun in the sun. A great deal of how much or how little your dog enjoys being in the water does depend on their breed tendencies and traits, but how they experience being in the water the first few times can also make a big difference in their attitude towards swimming and playing in water. 

Breeds That Are Naturals

If you are a person that wants his or her dog to be a water loving animal, it is highly recommended that you stick to breeds where this is a characteristic. Not surprisingly all of the retrievers including the Lab, Chesapeake Bay, Curly and Flat Coated, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling and the Golden Retrievers are all typically fond of swimming and being in the water. Many of the spaniels, including the Cocker Spaniel, are also great water dogs and enjoy playing in and around water. Setters such as the Irish, Red and White and the Gordon generally enjoy getting in the water. 

What Do Hook Worms in Dog Look Like?

Hookworms are one of the most common infestations in dogs. The worm is resilient, living in an environment for weeks without food, and can pass quickly into a dog's bloodstream unnoticed. They are especially dangerous to puppies and can lead to anemia, and death.

Naked Eye

Hookworms are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Looking for the worm itself on your dog is not an accurate way of diagnosing hookworms. A vet can visually verify a case of hookworms by microscopically analyzing a dog's stool.

Can Wolves Be Trained Like Dogs?

Can wolves be trained like dogs?

A: Yes to some degree and no. I have always considered wolves very cat like in how they move, and even act in some ways, training is one of those ways. Cats are highly independent and do not like to take direction very easily, the same can be said about wolves. However give a wolf incentive to work and they will do it, some even happily so, as it gives them something to do, and works their minds to problem solve. They are capable of learning commands, however one has to use positive reinforcement such as a clicker and food rewards.

Young wolves in the wild and in human captive raised situations, look to the leaders in their canine and human pack members, for direction as they mature, however evolution has designed them, to break out of their dependence on others, and express their independence. I have found that wolves are of the most independent creatures around. You can train and teach wolves to do *some* things, however I would not consider wolves bomb proof when it comes to commands and reliability in training no matter how much time is spent on it.

Why Crate Train Dog

Used properly, a crate is an effective short-term tool for managing and training your dog. If you train your dog to be content in a crate, you’ll provide a safe, cozy place that she can call her own and sleep in at night. It also gives you a safe way to transport your dog and travel with her to motels, to friends’ homes, when on vacation, etc. Crates are especially helpful when introducing a new dog into your household. You can also use a crate to efficiently house train your dog and prevent her from being destructive.

Crates can be easily misused, however. They’re best used as a relatively short-term management tool, not as a lifetime pattern of housing. Your goal should be to work on any behavior problems and train your dog so that it’s not necessary to crate her 8 to 10 hours every weekday throughout her life. Please see our crate guidelines below, under How Long to Crate Your Dog, to avoid over-confinement and inadvertently causing behavior problems from a lack of exercise, training, socialization and companionship.

Some dogs are never happy in crates but can tolerate them when necessary. Others panic when closed in a crate (please see more information below under When NOT to Use a Crate). However, most dogs readily adjust to their crates, preferring to sleep or take refuge in them when they’re tired or things get too hectic.

Using a Crate to House Train Your Dog

You can use a crate to safely contain your dog during the night and whenever you can’t monitor her behavior closely. Dogs don’t like to soil their sleeping areas, so your dog will naturally avoid eliminating in her crate. If used for house training purposes, the crate should be sized so that your dog can lie down comfortably, stand up without having to crouch and easily turn around in a circle. If the crate is any larger, she might learn to soil one end of it and sleep at the other. If the crate is any smaller, she might be uncomfortable and unable to rest. (When you no longer need to use the crate for house training, you can purchase a larger one for your dog if you like.)

Crate Training for Adult Dogs

Crate-training is easiest in puppyhood, but at times it’s both necessary and feasible to train an adult dog to rest calmly in a crate. It’s important to note, though, that not all dogs can be crate trained. Some will panic and can hurt themselves.

It’s possible to create the panic problem by how crate-training is attempted. If the puppy or dog gets the idea that making a fuss will cause you to come to the rescue, you can accidentally create a dog who becomes hysterical when confined to a crate, a dangerous situation for the dog.

But most dogs can be crate-trained, especially when it's not a crisis and you can take your time. Plus, with a mature dog who is not a chewer, you can put bedding in the crate and make it a cozy place to sleep. That's often unwise with chewing pups or young dogs who will chew and possibly swallow bedding.

Evaluate your mature, non-chewing dog as to whether you’ll best use cool bedding or warm bedding. Blankets can be too hot under furry dogs. Cold-natured dogs, on the other hand, need warmer bedding. So customize that aspect for your dog’s body. Ideally, you want your dog friend to like the bedding enough to go in there for a nap with the door open.

Crate Training Your Puppy or Adult Dog

Most dog trainers, veterinarians and other pet professionals agree that crate training is, hands-down, the most effective way to housebreak Fido if you're teaching him to relieve himself outside. It is can also be a helpful part of an indoor potty training program for dogs who will be papertrained or litter box trained.

Crate training is a method of teaching Fido hold his bladder and bowels by confining him in a cage or airline kennel, also known as a crate, when he is unsupervised. This allows you to prevent him from having accidents by taking advantage of his natural instinct to avoid soiling where he sleeps.

Crate training is a good choice for just about any dog owner. The only people who shouldn't choose this method are those that have very young puppies and are away from home all day or those that have unusually long work hours and can't come home during the day to let the dog potty on a reasonable schedule. Occasionally, certain dogs will panic in the crate, even after the proper steps are taken to acclimate the dog to the crate (this is very rare). These dogs, obviously, are also not good candidates for crate training and should be trained using another method like umbilical cord training or dog door training, if possible.

DOG FIDO - THOU SHALT SUPERVISE FIDO'S FREE TIME IN THE HOUSE

If Fido is not housebroken, he should not have unsupervised time in your house. It takes only seconds for him to have an accident, so, in the early stages of your housebreaking program, he must be directly supervised the entire time he is in the house.

Direct supervision guarantees that if Fido is about to make a mistake, you're able to catch him, correct him, and guide him into doing the right thing. If he attempts to have an accident in the house, don't panic... as long as you catch him, it's a learning opportunity. You can teach him at that moment that going potty in the house doesn't feel as good as going outside.

It's always discouraging when Fido has an accident in the house, but there's a big difference between the accidents you catch and the accidents you don't. If Fido has an accident and there's nobody there to let him know it's wrong, it actually works out pretty well for him... he's uncomfortable because his bowels or bladder feel full and he gets relief when he lets loose on your nice, expensive rug. If he gets the same relief from pottying inside as he does from pottying outside, why should he wait? The accidents you don't catch Fido having prevent him from becoming housebroken, so the immediate goal of your housebreaking program is to catch and correct all of Fido's attempts to go potty in the house... starting NOW.

Umbilical Cord Housebreaking Method

Umbilical Cord Training is a housebreaking method that's pretty much what it sounds like... your dog is attached to you with a cord (his leash) throughout the day. It is a supervision-based program that requires vigilance but yields excellent results with just about every dog or puppy. This method works well in conjunction with other methods, such as crate training or indoor potty training. It is also an excellent alternative for those who spend a lot of time at home and prefer not to use a confinement method like crate training.

This method is an excellent choice for preventing accidents, since your dog never has the opportunity to wander off to have an accident in the house. You'll also be right there to correct him if he tries to have an accident, which is a great opportunity to teach him where you don't want him to go and to get him promptly to the right spot to finish up.

Most people prefer to use a 6 foot leash for umbilical cord training. This gives Fido a bit of room to move around, but he can't get so far away from you that you lose track of what he's doing. You will have Fido on his leash with you at all times when you're in the house with him. You can hold it, put the loop around your wrist, sit on the end of it or tie it to your beltloop. You can also tether Fido to a nearby object, like the leg of your chair or coffee table or a door handle. Make sure that whatever you tie him to is not likely to follow him when he pulls. If you choose to do this, be sure you don't walk away from him, leaving him unsupervised. Remember, the whole point of umbilical cord training is to have Fido right there with you at all times.

Dog Indoor Potty Training

Dog Indoor Potty Training
Although most dogs are trained to relieve themselves outdoors, it sometimes makes sense to teach your dog to have an indoor potty area. This method is most commonly used by people with very small dogs, people who are unable to get outside easily due to health issues or living in a high rise and people who work such long hours that their dog can't reasonably be expected to hold it and wait to go outside.

Generally, we recommend indoor potty training only for owners whose dogs will permanently be trained to go indoors, since it can be difficult to train your dog to go outside once he's been taught that he's supposed to go indoors. If you work all day and can't get home to let your young puppy out, you may be forced to do temporary indoor potty training, or at least partial indoor potty training, until your puppy is old enough to hold it for the full day. We don't want to force him to have an accident, so we'll give him an indoor option that he can use while you're at work, but you should be sure to work diligently on his outdoor housebreaking program at all times when you're at home and able to get him outside.

There are several options for creating an indoor potty area for your dog. The old standby is just several sheets of newspaper laid out on the floor, or you can use absorbent potty pads from the pet store. You can also use a dog litter box or a tray lined with artificial turf. The pros and cons of each are discussed in the article "Indoor Potty Options". The general rules for training using any of these options are the same, so in the instructions we'll just use the term "potty area" to mean newspapers, potty pads, litter box or turf pad.

Setting the House Rules for Your Dog

Setting the House Rules for Your Dog

Heel. Sit. Down. Stay. Come. That's what comes to mind when most people think about training their dogs. Training your dog to respond to obedience commands is an important part of training that builds your dog's confidence, teaches your dog to look to you for direction and gives you a means of controlling your dog when you need him to behave.

But if you want your dog to be a civilized member of your household, there's a lot more to training than teaching commands. There are decisions that you need to make about how you want your dog to behave around the house when he's not on command. These decisions should be made as early in your dog's life as possible, but it's never too late. By setting house rules for your dog, you let him know which behaviors are acceptable and which are unacceptable in your home.

The guidelines you set for your dog's behavior around the house will make a big difference in what kind of companion your dog will be. There's no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to choosing many of these house rules. They are based solely on your personal preferences for what kind of behavior you want to allow.