Is your dog ever a pain in the neck

Do you ever experience those moments when your dog is a proverbial, "Pain in the neck"?

Maybe you're sitting at your desk, and your dog won't stop shoving his head into your lap... demanding attention?

Or maybe she's just restless for whatever reason. Or feeling needy?

Well, there's really three things you can do:

#1: You can put the dog in the kennel/crate. Just because your dog is demanding attention, doesn't mean that he's always going to get it. Remember: You're the Alpha dog. You're the pack leader. If you let your dog decide when to play, you're communicating an important lesson: That you're NOT the pack leader, and you DON'T make the decisions. I recommend putting the dog in the crate when you're sure that your dog has already been exercised, played with, and given attention. In other words: When you know his demand for attention is a dominance ruse.

#2: Put the dog into a formal "down-stay." Even though your dog won't be actively doing something, he will be inactively concentrating (and becoming conditioned) to hold the "down-stay" for longer and longer periods of time. How long can you expect your dog to hold a "down-stay" exercise for, while you're in the same room? How about 2-3 hours! Don't believe me? I have a drawer full of testimonials from readers of my books and dvds who regularly have their dogs hold the "down-stay" while they watch t. v., drink coffee, wash the dishes, work on the computer, etc...

#3: Even better than #1 and #2, you can use your dog's restless mood to practice active obedience exercises. Channel her need for attention into something positive. You'd be surprised at how just 10 minutes of working your dog through the various obedience routines (sit, down, heel, come, stay) can "wear your dog out," mentally. Then, finish up with a good 20 minute (or more!) "down-stay" exercise while you're going about your household chores.

That's all for now, folks!

Adam

Dogproblems. com

How to teach your dog to come every time you call him

Dear Adam:

First of all, let me just say how much I have enjoyed your book. I cannot believe the difference in the behavior of my two dogs since I started using the pinch collars and your techniques. I accomplished in about 15 minutes what two obedience classes could not - I got both of my dogs walking on loose leads. Amazing. Also, both will do a good down stay around most distractions - we're working on proofing now.

I have a 19 month old border collie cross and an 11 month old lab cross. Both are females and great dogs. My main problem at this point is having success with the recall command. I guess you could say that I feel I could use more detailed instruction here.

I've been working with a 20 foot line in a nearby park as outlined in your book. Things work fairly well when we're alone (i. e. minimal distractions) but this park is also a fairly popular off-leash area and when other dogs arrive I usually give up and take the line off - otherwise it just becomes a tangled mess. How can I introduce "controlled" distractions and how should I go about getting my dog's attention? I mean, at this point my dog becomes deaf when she comes across something on the ground that smells good, never mind another dog or person. I just want to be sure that I'm getting my timing right with the command and correction or praise. I'm hoping that you can help me with this - our Canadian exchange rate makes the cost of ordering your video rather prohibitive at this point! Just being honest.

One last thing - both dogs will walk on a loose leash when I walk them individually, but the younger one tends to want to walk ahead when I've got them out together. Is there a way to correct this, or do I need to walk them separately for a while longer? I guess that I've just asked a second question, so you can ignore this one if you want. I more concerned with the recall anyway.

Thanks so much. Your book has been so helpful and I've recommended it to several friends.

Shannon

Dear Shannon:

First, if you take the long line off the dog, then you're undoing everything you've just attempted to teach your dog. Now you have NO WAY of making the dog come back to you.

Remember... this isn't rocket science. Training your dog to come back to you reliable can be boiled down to one simple piece of advice: "MAKE the dog come back to you, every time you call him... until he becomes conditioned to do it on his own."

If you call the dog and cannot make him come... because he is not wearing the long line... THEN WHAT HAVE YOU JUST TAUGHT HIM??? You've taught him that he DOES NOT HAVE TO COME!

You are an excellent dog trainer. Whatever you end up teaching your dog (to come or not to come) ... YOU have done an excellent job of doing it.

Now... does it matter if there are other dogs in the park, and the line gets tangled? No. (True, it's a hassle... so you could use a 10' line instead of a 30 foot line) But none of this should interfere with your ability to MAKE YOUR DOG COME when you call him (UNTIL HE BECOMES CONDITIONED TO COME ON HIS OWN).

If he ignores you when you tug on your leash, then this tells me that you are not tugging firmly enough to get his attention. Make sure that you're getting slack in your line when you tug, and make sure that you've got the pinch collar fitted firmly enough.

As for walking two dogs at the same time... there are two things you can do:

1. Buy a coupler. This is a device that contains two 1 foot leashes that are attached together to your 6 foot leash. It kind of "Y"'s off at the end, so that you can reach down and correct one dog but not the other. Most pet stores carry these devices. (Each 1 foot leash has it's own harness snap.)

2. As the one dog begins to forge forward, give him the "Heel" command and give a sharp snap on the leash in a rearward direction. If the dog learns that every time he starts to forge ahead of the other dog that he will feel discomfort... quite simply... you'll notice him stop doing that behavior.

And remember... get outside and have fun with your dogs!!!

That's all for now, folks!

Adam

Learning the basic commands of dog training

Wanting a calm and obedient dog is important for a dog owner for a number of reasons. Well-trained and obedient dogs are often happier and less aggressive with other dogs and people. The law is another reason for a well-trained dog; many cities have ordinances requiring properly behaved dogs. This is true for certain breeds that are reputed to have aggression and other behavior issues, such as Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.

Training your dog well will make him a much better family companion, especially if you have children. Studies show that basic dog training can help to down the number of dog bites and other bad behaviors.

If you are thinking about training your dog or enlisting the help of a professional, there are certain basic commands that you and the dog should learn well in order for the dog to be considered trained. These basic commands are:

• Heel – it is important a dog learn to walk next to his owner on a loose leash, without pulling or being pulled

• Respond to “No” – This can save you and your dog a lot of trouble.

• Sit – This command is very basic and one of the most important.

• Stay – A well-trained dog should learn to stay where you tell him.

• Down – More than just a cute trick, down is a key element of a basic dog training program.

There is more to dog training than teaching obedience. Training your dog can help to create and strengthen your bond. Because dogs are pack animals by nature, they look to a leader for guidance. The key to successful dog training is to make sure you are the leader.

Establishing yourself as pack leader to your dog is very important. Each dog pack only has one leader, and in your case, it must be you, the human. Without this, there will be many behavior issues to deal with.

A well-trained dog will respond to all of your commands, and will not be anxious, confused, or belligerent. Any good dog training program focuses on teaching the dog what is expected of him, and will utilize positive reinforcement to reward desired behaviors.

Obedience training is not only great for you, but it helps your dog as well. It fulfills his need for physical activity, security, and trust between you and him. Dog training provides your dog with an important task, and a goal to reach.

Giving the dog a job can be crucial to his well-being. Dogs were originally bred by humans complete important tasks with them and for them. Most dogs today are merely pets, and have no important job to do. This can lead to boredom and bad behavior.

Basic obedience training, along with constant reinforcement of the commands can provide the dog with a task. This is particularly crucial for high-energy breeds such as German Shepherds and Border Collies. Conducting training sessions with breeds such as these is ideal for letting these high-energy dogs expend their energy and have fun with you at the same time.

Making your training sessions fun is a great way to prevent boredom for both you and the dog. Playing with your dog while training him strengthen the bond of love and trust between you – the pack leader – and your dog.

Hollywood gone to the dogs

There is no question that people in America love dogs. One look at popular culture in our country will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Americans have a love affair with dogs. Movies and TV shows about dogs go in and out of popularity and stories like Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows are considered timeless classics. Only in America, however, do dogs manage to achieve celebrity status.

Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin was Hollywood’s first recognizable canine star. The German Shepherd was featured in 26 films for Warner Brothers Pictures and is generally credited with having saved the studio from bankruptcy during the silent film era. The original Rin Tin Tin died in 1932 at the age of 13, but his bloodline and his fan club exist to this day.

Lassie

Ask someone to name a famous dog and you will probably get the name Lassie every time. The star of several television series, many movies, and the subject of countless books, Lassie is probably the most recognizable canine star in American TV and movie history. Interestingly, all of the dogs to portray Lassie over the years have been male. The original collie to portray Lassie was actually named Lad and was the star of the memorable original television series as well as several movies, most memorably the original version of Lassie Come Home.

Benji

In the 1970’s a would-be filmmaker named Joe Camp started pitching a “dog movie” around Hollywood. He was told repeatedly that the film would never work, so he decided to produce the film independently. Once the film wrapped Camp had new troubles because no distribution company would release the film. Again, Camp relied upon himself to distribute his family movie worldwide. Camp’s gamble paid off and Benji, starring a lovable mixed breed dog that was adopted from an animal shelter (the original Benji was the dog Higgins who had worked on the TV show Petticoat Junction) became a huge hit. Over the years there have been five Benji movies, television programs and specials, comics, and a ton of Benji merchandise.

Does your pet wear a cat flea collar

Do you believe that you are doing the best you can for your pet by buying a cat flea collar for her? I certainly do but have you noticed that most cat flea collars don't seem to work? They don't seem to last for a day let alone the three or four months that they claim they will. I've no idea why this is the case but I can suggest some different ways of dealing with the problem.

There is something else that I don't like about cat flea collars, or dog flea collars. They contain poison to kill the fleas. This poison can affect humans by causing irritation or soreness. If these cat collars can do this to humans then they might have a similar effect on your pet and we wouldn't want that would we?

So what else can you do about the fleas? You can try a shampoo that is designed to kill fleas, if your cat will let you that is. Personally I've never met a cat that likes getting wet, they turn into teeth and claw monsters, so trying to give her a shampoo is out of the question. Oh and if you do try this, don't expect your cat to talk to you again for the next few days.

My vet recommends treating cats with a product that stops the fleas reproducing. You need to apply this substance to the back of your cat's neck every 3 months for it to be effective. You have to remember that this does not kill the fleas but it does stop them multiplying so you should see a reduction in fleas after a few months and you can make this happen a lot quicker if you remove the fleas by combing them out.

If you love your cat as much as I love mine then you will find that there is nothing better than a daily use of the flea comb. I find it soothing and a great stress reliever. I think that my cat likes it too even though she will tell me off if I do it for too long. If your cat has a flea problem then you will see them on the comb. The hard part is catching and killing them before they vanish by jumping away. When you catch them you must crush them in between two hard surfaces.

Don't forget to treat your carpets and furniture. Fleas will jump off your cat and live in your carpets and furniture until another animal comes along. It's very important that you spray everything with a suitable anti-flea spray. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the label before you use it.

So if your pet has fleas then consider using some of the remedies that I've mentioned above before you go out and buy a cat flea collar.

Tips for buying dog food

It is not enough for dogs to have a full stomach after every meal. Besides a non-sedentary lifestyle, pets need proper nutrition in order to be healthy, happy and their coats soft and glossy. The cost of dog food and its brand is only important if dogs can read or pay for his meal. The easiest and best way to find out which food is best for man's best friend is to observe how their response is to the chow they take in.

The following are tips that one should remember in feeding dog any kibbles, nibbles or whatever kinds of treat.

• Chocolate is lethal to dogs.

Specifically the dark chocolate kind. The major components methylxanthine alkaloids and theobromine in a regular chocolate is digested & excreted by humans in as little as 3 hours but the same compounds when ingested by dogs stays inside them for 18 hours. This has been proven to be fatal. Symptoms of chocolate dog poisoning include vomiting, excessive urination, hyperactivity, diarrhea, followed by seizure, coma, and death.

• Read the label.

Dogs should have a diet rich in meat. When purchasing canned foods, look for chicken, turkey meat, pork meals or other animal by products as these keep the dog's coat smooth and healthy. Dogs prefer foods which contain high vegetable protein levels because these are easily digestible and are a great source of energy.

• Don’t give a dog a bone!

Contrary to the popular nursery song, feeding bones to dogs is not a good idea. Small soft bones gnawed and eaten by dogs feel like splinters inside their throat causing them to choke. Remember, dogs have short digestive tracts. They also have no saliva amylase, an enzyme that is used to pre-digest starch.

• Dog food supplements are unnecessary…

...only if one is sure that their dog receives a regular intake of complete and balanced food nutrients. Good sources of carbohydrates include rice, corn, oatmeal, wheat. However, a highly specialized nutrition is only necessary if dogs do not get enough physical activity or are currently undergoing a stressful routine change.

• Raw fish and eggs are a no-no.

Consistent consumption of raw eggs make a dog’s skin breakout. In canine terms - since eggs diminish the biotin available in their body – dermatitis and hair loss are its usual effects. Raw fish meanwhile results in thiamine-deficiency in a dog. Its effects usually are loss of appetite, abnormal posture, weakness and in some cases death.