Are you guilty of any of those dog training don’ts?

-don’t nag your dog by repeating commands when he’s tired, as it teaches him to ignore you.
-don’t use your dog’s name and then expect him to read your mind. Communicate.
-don’t expect your dog to know what “NO” means automatically.
-don’t yell and scream at your dog. He’s not deaf.
-don’t confuse your dog with mixed signals.
-don’t try to suppress behaviors that need an outlet.
-don’t let your dog stagnate.
-don’t lock your dog up or punish him because you haven’t trained him how to behave.
-don’t isolate your dog for long periods of time.
-don’t get to serious in your training.
-don’t expect your dog to obey if you are not parent/leader.
-don’t reward undesirable actions.
-don’t make him neurotic by neglecting him or hitting him.
-don’t blame the dog.

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Here are five questions you can ask your breeder before buying a new puppy:

1. Where did these puppies come from? Ask to see the documents. An AKC or United Kennel Club paper guarantees nothing about the dog, but will tell you that the kennel has not lost its registration privileges.
2. Can I get a copy of the breeder’s certification of health, including x-rays of hips for dysplasia and inspection of eyes for disease?
3. What are the health risks common to this breed?
4. What is the breed’s temperament?
5. How much exercise will this dog need? How much grooming? Is he by nature a barker?

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DO’S
-important to ALWAYS be kind to your dog EVERY time he comes to you.
-get into the habit of using one command.
-if they don’t respond, keep reinforcing that one command.
-use your dogs name to get his attention and then tell him what to do-trust me they do the difference.
-use a normal tone of voice when giving commands- a dogs hearing is very acute.
-be consistent in your actions in your actions, much like a child, he will get confused from mixed signals and commands.
-provide an outlet for your dogs energies. Like walking him every morning and evening.
-keep your dog mentally stimulated, by training him everyday.
-socialize your dog with other people and other dogs. They need friends too.
-become your dogs parent. Lead him. Guide him.
-make learning fun. Give your dog rewards and treats when they do something right.
-spend plenty of time with your dog.

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Although other illnesses can also cause these symptoms, you should take your dog to the veterinarian immediately if he exhibits these symptoms of rabies:
* Dilated pupils
* Drastic change in demeanor
* Constant growling or barking
* Foaming at the mouth

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* very high temperature (102-103)
* signs of distress or apathetic attitude
* complete loss of appetite
* intense thirst
* fiery redness of the mouth
* swelling
* minor injuries will in turn lead to profuse bleeding and bruising

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Did you know that dogs are omnivores? This means that they require both meat and vegetables for sound health and good nutrition. In addition to meats and veggies, your dog needs to digest the correct amount of protein, fats, and carbohydrates, as well.

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Emma is a Miniature Pinscher. She obsessively hunts small animals in the yard, fights with all the other dogs, and refuses to be housebroken. However, she is devoted to my mother and shows her love in odd little ways.
At one time, my mother raised handfed birds. This meant that several helpless little parrots without all their feathers were usually sitting in small aquariums on a counter. One day, one of the aquariums fell off the counter while we were out shopping. When we walked in the door, several of the dogs greeted us excitedly, but Emma wasn’t there. When we saw the aquarium missing, we feared the worst.
I looked on the floor, knowing what I would see. Yes, the empty aquarium was there, on its side. However, there were no feathers. All four baby birds were missing completely. One of the dogs started to walk into the other room and was stopped by a warning growl. I stepped through the doorway and Emma growled softly at me.
“Mom, come look,” I shouted.
When my mother stepped into the room, Emma whined anxiously and gently nudged one of the baby birds tucked safely between her front legs with her nose. She was trembling, perhaps from being exhausted after defending the baby birds from the other dogs, or maybe from fighting her own instinct to attack small animals. Somehow, this little dog had managed to move all four of the baby birds to a safe place without harming a feather on their tiny heads. Even more amazing, she fended off three other dogs at the same time.
Although I don’t know how Emma managed this feat, I do know that she would never have done it for anyone but my mother, the only person she loves.

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The basics of puppy potty training

Who can resist the adorable gaze of an eight week old little puppy? They can give you such a cute stare with their little neck tilted to the side and tiny eyebrows looking at you with an excited gaze. But they also use your house as a huge permanent bathroom.

Training your puppy increases your joy of having a dog, and makes the relationship with your dog much stronger. An untrained dog is an invitation for disaster. It doesn’t matter if its a four pound Toy Poodle or a 100 pound German Shepard, a dog who doesn’t listen is always in danger.

Here is what to expect each day:
6 to 14 weeks old: 8 to 10 bathroom breaks
14 to 20 weeks old:6 to 8 bathroom breaks
20 to 30 weeks old: 4 to 6 bathroom breaks
30 weeks to a year: 3 to 4 bathroom breaks

CRATE TRAINING

Crate training works on the principle that puppies are instinctively clean animals. I recommend a crate large enough to shelter your full-size dog, and simply partition it off, moving the divider as the pup grows.At all times, the crate should be just large enough to allow the puppy to stand comfortably, turn around. and lie down. Otherwise, he just might go to the rear of the crate and do his business there.

A DAILY ROUTINE

You must make a schedule and stick to it . It doesn’t matter what your schedule is, your puppy will adapt to it as long as it is the same time EVERY day. For example: 9 to 9:30 A.M. take the puppy from the crate and immediatly outside, always to the same spot. Bring him in and feed him.Twenty to thirty minutes later, take him back outside.

Make sure to give your puppy both quality time and crate time before you rush off to work. By noon you will want to repeat this routine of food, outside time, and crate time, then again at 5 or 6 P.M.

And of course let your little friend outside before 11 P.M. and you retire for the evening. And don’t forget to get up at 3:00 A.M., thats right - three o’clock . This is important only for the first few weeks due to a tiny blatter.

A CATCHPHRASE

Each time you take your puppy out of the crate , repeat a catchphrase such as “Want go poddy?” Use the same door everytime you take your puppy outside. After just a few weeks stop carring your little dog and say “Want to go poddy?” He will make the connection, and run out the door.

SIX STEPS TO REMEMBER

1. Outside toilet time is no fun. Keep this very serious business (distiguish playing time with toilet time).
2. Don’t blame your dog. Remember they are only animals.
3. Use only one command. Then reinforce. (NO! SIT?)
4. A training collar will help you guide your dog and “check” your dog if needed.
5. Teach “STAY” ( for his protection).
6. Understanding your puppy and knowing what he needs both physically and emotionally will help a great deal.

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Dogs have a tendency to get involved in many situations where they might get hurt, cut, or even break bones. They are sometimes very impetuous animals, so you are going to have to help guide your dog and keep him out of harm’s way. After all, it is easier to prevent problems than to have to administer first aid after the dog is injured.

Keep the dog on a leash when you are outside to avoid having him get hit by a car or a bus. If this were to happen, there is very little chance of the dog surviving such a terrible accident. Keeping your dog on a leash will also prevent him from fighting with another dog and getting nasty bites and cuts.

Even the home can be a dangerous place for a dog to be in. Kitchens should be closed off whenever you are cooking. Just imagine how much damage to a dog’s face can occur if they reach their paws up to a pot of water boiling on the stove and the water spills on them. Large dogs are not the only ones to find danger in the kitchen. Small pets can also get seriously hurt but running through your legs and causing you to trip over them or drop something on them.

What if your dog gets hurt or sick? Is there any first aid information available? Yes, there is. First let’s talk about heatstroke. Dogs quickly overheat in hot weather because they are so active. If your dog does get heatstroke, do not immediately dowse the dog with cold water. This could shock your pet. Lower the dog’s body temperature slowly with cool water and ice packs to the back of the neck and to the head. Also, get immediate vet assistance.

If your dog receives a burn on its body from a fire, cooking oil, or by boiling water, you should immediately cool the burn with cold water. Apply a cold compress and call the vet as soon as possible.

Although there are many more types of injuries that can happen to your dog, we will end today’s article by helping you treat a dog that is choking. Since dogs are always biting things and using their mouths to play with toys, then it is easy to see that choking could be a problem

Symptoms of choking that the dog might display are violent head shaking, gagging, or even foaming at the mouth. The dog’s gums may turn gray or even blue due to a lack of oxygen before he collapses. Try to remove the object if you can see it, but be very careful that your dog does not bite you in the process. A small choking dog can be picked up and shaken carefully as well to further help dislodge the object that is choking him. If you have a large dog, then it is possible to give him sharp taps on the back of the neck between the shoulders. If this all fails to remove anything from his mouth or throat, then call the vet immediately!

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* fever
* apathetic demeanor
* loss of all appetite and thirst
* discharges from eyes and nose
* vomiting and diarrhea
* muscular twitching
* posterior paralysis or convulsions

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