The Dog Site

The Dog Whisperer,Cesar Milan, says, “There are no bad dogs. Only bad dog
owners.” So You need to ask am I ready for the responsibility of owning a dog?
No matter what breed you bring into your home, in the end, you are the one
responsible for your dog’s behavior. Learn all you can about the dog you hope to own.
Even the feared Pit Bull is a sweet loving dog in the right hands.

Most people like cuddly puppies and grown-up dogs. But before you welcome a new dog into
your home, there are some things you need to think through to be sure both you and your new best friend are happy and healthy.

Remember that dogs, no matter what they are today, were predators in the past. Wolves,
hyenas, dingoes, and foxes are carnivorous creatures who hunt to survive. Dogs were most
likely domesticated from their canine ancestors from 20,000-30,000  years ago. In fact, the many dog breeds have only proliferated in the last 200 to 300 years. Before that, a few breeds existed to meet their masters’ needs for work.

When you own a dog, remember that the wolf is somewhere in there hiding. Depending on its
breed and the way you treat it, that wolf could surprise you with a quick snip or a more vicious attack. Careful selection and training of your dog will assure that your best friend remains a best friend.

Before you select a dog, do your homework. Become familiar with dog breeds and personality
traits, and compare these to your personal reasons for having a dog. Do you want a cute,
cuddly friend to dress up and carry around? Do you want a champion at dog agility competitions or a champion show dog? Do you want a companion for your children? Or do you want a body guard and home protector? Do you need support to cope with a disability?

Each breed has characteristics that indicate what your life with your new friend will be like. If you aren’t very patient or don’t like a lot of noise, you probably shouldn’t adopt a small, energetic dog with lots of demands for attention. If you want an affectionate loyal companion, you might want to consider a Golden or Labrador Retriever or a Collie. If you want to protect your property, you might take a look at a German Shepherd, a Rottweiler, or a Doberman Pincher.

If your household includes young children, your choice should be a careful one. Your new dog
will have to be patient and tolerate with kindness having its tail pulled, being jumped on, and
engaged in wrestling for hours on end. Bulldogs, American Eskimo dogs, Beagles, Retrievers,
Setters, Sheepdogs, and many Terriers are among the many breeds good with children.

Want a dog you can dress up and put in cute clothes? Then look for a dog that has plenty of
hair (for those fancy hair-dos) and is small enough to carry around. “Designer dogs” like
Poodles, Yorkies and Westies, Bichon Frises, Pomeranians, and the more exotic Shih Tzu are
excellent candidates for this.

If you’re looking for protection, be sure to look at breeds that aren’t too friendly to strangers. Great Danes are huge and intimidating, but they will likely to fall in love with the first burglar they meet! Bulldogs are another breed that look fierce but come out kissing. German Shepherds are probably the most familiar and trainable guard dogs. Other breeds also protect your home and family: Rottweilers, Boxers, Doberman Pinchers, and Giant Schnauzers are among them. There are a few breeds that were created for their ferociousness. Rottweilers and Pit Bull Terriers are notorious for vicious attacks. So if you are considering these breeds, you must be very clear about what to expect and very careful in training a well-behaved dog.

When you decide to bring a dog into your home, you need to be educated about what you need, what you want, and what breed will most likely fulfill your goals. When you adopt a dog, you are adding a member to your family – one for which you will be responsible for a lifetime. You should be committed to working through all the behavioral and training kinks and providing a stable, loving home. You’ll not only have to train your dog, but you’ll have to be trained in how to handle that dog.

No matter what breed you think you want, you should know about the specific dog’s parentage, personal history, and temperament before making the commitment to be his lifetime caretaker and friend.

Dan Lund — The Yellow Ads.com

Water Safety for Dogs

Many people love their dogs and take them with them everywhere they go. People that take their dog to the beach or out boating should seriously consider buying him or her a dog life jacket. For many a dog owner, their beloved pet is treated just like one of the family. If you would never consider allowing your child near deep water without a life jacket, then it stands to reason that your dog should be wearing a dog life jacket too.

Dog life jackets look like a waterproof dog coat, and allow your dog all of the freedom of movement that a regular dog coat allows them, so they can swim, or ride your jet ski or partake in whatever water activity you both enjoy. Dog life jackets also have a handle built in on the dogs back so that you can grab hold of it and pull your dog out of the water in an emergency.

Having a life jacket for your dog could be the main factor in saving their life one day and for that reason many recommend its use at beaches, boating or anywhere near deep water. Many dogs become distracted easily and this can create problems if they are on a boat or even a wharf, pier or jetty. It is very easy for a dog to be distracted by a bird or a bright object like a windsurfer, possibly causing them to fall off your boat or the dockside. If that happens and they have a life jacket on, then you will be able to bring them to safety easier and faster or it will give them a better chance to swim to safety.

Dogs that love water also love to play in it and can get very excited while playing in or around it. Many dogs have drowned when playing in the water with a ball or some other item in their mouth. They can get too tired without noticing it because they are keenly focused on playing with you or the toy. A tired dog can very easily fall victim to a strong current or a rip tide.

Wearing a dog life jacket will give you the time you may need to rescue your dog from a current or rip tide, or allow him to remain afloat to ride the tide back to shore. You can get a good dog life jacket by searching the internet for such items or you can even order one special from your local pet store if they do not already carry them in stock. Dog life jackets are available in sizes to fit all dogs.

Three Principles on Dog Obedience Training

Dogs, even when their breeding is maximized and well-adapted to human needs, will always need some basic obedience training as they would never figure this out on their own. To be successful in obedience training you need to understand the differences between effective and non-effective training techniques. They are the following:

First Principle: CONSISTANCY

Consistency is the first basic rule in effective dog training. You need to be consistent in the words you use, the tone they are spoken in and the actions that accompany them. Before you begin training you will need to come to an agreement with the dog owner on what it is they are wanting the dog to learn and how to accomplish it.

For example saying the word “come”, does not make any sense to a dog. It is only reasonable to conclude if he does not understand the way humans are, then he does not understand our language. It is important to make the training effective, by being very consistent in attaching the same voice tone, body movement or hand jester with every command that is given to your dog.

Another example would be, if you are using the command “come”, make sure that everyone in the household use it in a same type of manner. When using the word command, “Come”, you should work with the dog to understand this means to approach the giver of the command. So if you are using this command make it a point not to do actions that would make the command confusing for the dog.

If he does not come to you, do not force the dog to come to you and then punish him for doing so. If you punish the dog over and over after giving the command they will begin to associate the word with the punishment. The dog will not want to follow the same command because in his mind it leads to punishment.

Consistency also covers the use of the same dog commands by all people. For instance if you are teaching the word “come”, others should not use the words, ’come here boy’ or ’here’, because this will only confuse the dog.

Second Principle: Keep It Short

The hours devoted to training and the words used as command should be kept short. Keep in mind that the attention span of dogs is very short and that getting them engrossed with a specific activity can be very hard, if not impossible. For example, puppies love to explore and play with something for awhile, then soon they are off again to explore the next new thing that may catch their attention.

They simply don’t possess the same amount of interest they had when they started the activity and they become easily bored. They also often become board during training and that is why it’s best to limit the time to 10 – 15 minutes a day.

Third Principle: No Punishment or Force Allowed

A trainer should never hurt the dog in any way, you should make it a goal to have the training be a positive experience for all involved. You should absolutely never punish a dog just because he did not do something he wasn’t prepared for, nor force a dog to do something he does not understand.

Make sure not to over do it when training your dog. A good trainer realizes dogs do not learn things instantly and so they are very patient and show understanding towards the animal they are working with. All he knows is that you are mad.

You must avoid negative experiences related to training so you should not force your dog to obey your commands. If he knows that he is praised when he does something right, he should not be praised when he does not follow a command.