A common problem dog owners eventually run into is shedding. Most of our fury friends dogs and cats alike, will shed their coat throughout the year but more so during the spring. Some breeds have thicker coats and will shed in higher quantities. It can become a very big nuisance when you house is covered in a layer of unwanted hair. While it is unlikely that we will ever be able to stop dog shedding completely, these tip’s will help reduce loose hair and also remove the hair before it becomes a problem in your home.
One of the best ways to prevent dog shedding is simply to brush your pet on a regular basis. Daily brushings are the most effective way to keep your home free of hair. Brushing will make your dogs coat softer, cleaner and less likely to shed. Simply brushing your dog will help keep the house clean and may also help with any allergies you may be experiencing due to loose hair around the house.
What you feed your dog has a lot to do with shedding. Believe it or not your dogs coat reflects what their diet consists of. High quality food is always preferred because of easy to digest protein sources. A healthy diet will keep your dogs coat strong and shiny for years to come.
This next piece of advise is more common sense than anything else. Bathe your dog a least once a week using a gentle oatmeal shampoo. Oatmeal shampoo will clean without drying the skin and also rejuvenate your dogs coat. The formula contains vitamins A and E which are very beneficial for a healthy coat and you could buy it in different scents. Just in case you were thinking your dog was going to be walking around smelling like oatmeal.
While it is true that dog shedding is a very big nuisance with a steady routine and some time you will find yourself worrying less and less about dog hair on the couch. Hope this was helpful. Good Luck
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Training Your Dog to Sit
One of the most basic training tools to teach your dog is training him or her to sit. Fortunately, it is also one of the easier tricks to teach. Even a pup could pick this trick up rather easily. If your dog is a quick learner they may pick it up in a matter of minutes. In dog training learning to sit is one of the most important tools you can use.
When starting off you want to find a nice quiet spot, away from things that may distract your dog and take their attention elsewhere. Your dog should be focused on you and your commands. Be sure your dog does not have to relieve himself or need to be fed, this could also cause distractions. Nobody wants to learn something if they’re hungry and have to use the bathroom, right?
After you are sure you have your dogs full attention a small treat or some sort of praise is in order. All dogs love to be praised and dog training in this fashion could make things very easy. Just remember to be consistent when rewarding your dog. Inconsistencies could cause confusion and make the process harder than it need to be.
If you are using a treat as a reward, hold the treat over your dogs nose. When their attention is on the treat slowly move it above their head. Your dog will follow the treat with it’s eyes and nose and will most likely sit down by himself. Repeat this motion a few times while saying “Sit” and reward him every time he gets it right.
After your dog learns how to sit we want to phase out the treat little by little so he does it just by recognizing the command. Eventually your dog will hear the command and know exactly how to react. If you decide to give your dog a treat or snack just cause you love’em and they’re giving you that puppy dog look, be sure to use the sit command. This will help reinforce the training.
You may want to break this training up into small sessions. If you feel you or the dog is getting frustrated or the attention just is not there. Take a break and try again in a few hours. Also it’s a good idea to try using different parts of the house as well as outside. Get your dog used to sitting in different situations and different environments, around people, around other dogs. If your dog could do this you have successfully trained him to sit. Hope this has been helpful. Good Luck!
When starting off you want to find a nice quiet spot, away from things that may distract your dog and take their attention elsewhere. Your dog should be focused on you and your commands. Be sure your dog does not have to relieve himself or need to be fed, this could also cause distractions. Nobody wants to learn something if they’re hungry and have to use the bathroom, right?
After you are sure you have your dogs full attention a small treat or some sort of praise is in order. All dogs love to be praised and dog training in this fashion could make things very easy. Just remember to be consistent when rewarding your dog. Inconsistencies could cause confusion and make the process harder than it need to be.
If you are using a treat as a reward, hold the treat over your dogs nose. When their attention is on the treat slowly move it above their head. Your dog will follow the treat with it’s eyes and nose and will most likely sit down by himself. Repeat this motion a few times while saying “Sit” and reward him every time he gets it right.
After your dog learns how to sit we want to phase out the treat little by little so he does it just by recognizing the command. Eventually your dog will hear the command and know exactly how to react. If you decide to give your dog a treat or snack just cause you love’em and they’re giving you that puppy dog look, be sure to use the sit command. This will help reinforce the training.
You may want to break this training up into small sessions. If you feel you or the dog is getting frustrated or the attention just is not there. Take a break and try again in a few hours. Also it’s a good idea to try using different parts of the house as well as outside. Get your dog used to sitting in different situations and different environments, around people, around other dogs. If your dog could do this you have successfully trained him to sit. Hope this has been helpful. Good Luck!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Advice on House Training Your Dog or Pup
When first starting to house train our dogs most of us just assume that accidents are going to happen. Well this technique of house training your dog is targeted more toward stopping accidents rather than waiting for them to happen. We want to make it easy for the dog to do the right thing the first time.
House training your dog in this fashion is faster, easier and more effective than scolding and punishing your dog for past mistakes. The success or failure of your dog is all up to you. This method requires patients, determination and reliability in order for it to work. This technique works well for adult dogs and pups alike.
A dog crate will be needed when using this method. If you don’t have a dog crate, a small confined area will work just fine. Basically any spot where your dog can rest, stay safe, secure and out of trouble when they cant be supervised. This will make the job a lot easier.
When house training your dog it is important to remember that adult dogs and pups can be house broken in the same way. If you are training a pup keep in mind that puppies have limited bladder control and might require a bit more attention than an adult dog.
First off provide your dog with a clean area to sleep like a crate or small confined area. It may be hard to believe but dogs do like to be clean and have an area that is not stinky and dirty.
Scheduling is essential when house training. Dogs could be very routine animals and they usually “need to go” when they wake up in the morning, after a nap, within ½ hour after eating and before they go to sleep. Accidents will happen if your dog is not allowed to relieve himself at those times. Better yet just assume that your dog “needs to go” and let them outside.
When using a crate for house training the size of the crate is very important. If the crate is to big your dog or pup might just use one end as a bathroom instead of showing you that they need to go outside. Remember dogs wont use the bathroom where they go to sleep unless they have to. If you feel your dog has a bit more room in their crate than necessary put down some newspaper on one end so they can use the bathroom when you’re not home to let them out. The crate is intended to be their sleeping and eating place and since dogs like clean sleeping areas they wont dirty their crate if they can help it.
Developing a schedule with your dog is very important when house training. This helps establish control of the times they have to go and also helps prevent accidents. Remember, first thing in the morning then breakfast in the crate. They should have to relieve themselves within ½ hour after eating so put them outside to do so. For the first month or so you probably will feed your dog 3 to 4 times a day following the same routine.
So here’s the breakdown, First thing in the morning right when you wake up, then wait about an hour to give him breakfast in his crate, after let him out to relieve himself. They should need to use the bathroom about every hour after that especially after naps and meals.
House training your dog could be very simple just remember that patients and routine are very important. I hope this has been helpful. Good Luck!
House training your dog in this fashion is faster, easier and more effective than scolding and punishing your dog for past mistakes. The success or failure of your dog is all up to you. This method requires patients, determination and reliability in order for it to work. This technique works well for adult dogs and pups alike.
A dog crate will be needed when using this method. If you don’t have a dog crate, a small confined area will work just fine. Basically any spot where your dog can rest, stay safe, secure and out of trouble when they cant be supervised. This will make the job a lot easier.
When house training your dog it is important to remember that adult dogs and pups can be house broken in the same way. If you are training a pup keep in mind that puppies have limited bladder control and might require a bit more attention than an adult dog.
First off provide your dog with a clean area to sleep like a crate or small confined area. It may be hard to believe but dogs do like to be clean and have an area that is not stinky and dirty.
Scheduling is essential when house training. Dogs could be very routine animals and they usually “need to go” when they wake up in the morning, after a nap, within ½ hour after eating and before they go to sleep. Accidents will happen if your dog is not allowed to relieve himself at those times. Better yet just assume that your dog “needs to go” and let them outside.
When using a crate for house training the size of the crate is very important. If the crate is to big your dog or pup might just use one end as a bathroom instead of showing you that they need to go outside. Remember dogs wont use the bathroom where they go to sleep unless they have to. If you feel your dog has a bit more room in their crate than necessary put down some newspaper on one end so they can use the bathroom when you’re not home to let them out. The crate is intended to be their sleeping and eating place and since dogs like clean sleeping areas they wont dirty their crate if they can help it.
Developing a schedule with your dog is very important when house training. This helps establish control of the times they have to go and also helps prevent accidents. Remember, first thing in the morning then breakfast in the crate. They should have to relieve themselves within ½ hour after eating so put them outside to do so. For the first month or so you probably will feed your dog 3 to 4 times a day following the same routine.
So here’s the breakdown, First thing in the morning right when you wake up, then wait about an hour to give him breakfast in his crate, after let him out to relieve himself. They should need to use the bathroom about every hour after that especially after naps and meals.
House training your dog could be very simple just remember that patients and routine are very important. I hope this has been helpful. Good Luck!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Dog Training - First Things First
Dog Training - Establishing your Leadership
When dog training it is important to remember that dog’s, being pack animals, look towards a leader for guidance and instruction. You wanna be that leader that your dog looks for. Establishing your leadership helps you dog find his place in the family social order and makes him easier to train.
Consistency
The first thing we want to focus on is consistency. When dog training consistency helps with establishing your leadership. Good leaders are constant enforcers of rules and regulations. A dog will notice if you maintain the rules and might even test you a bit to see how much they could get away with.
Respect
Respect is also a key factor to being a leader. A respectful leader makes for a respectful follower. A leader should be firm with the dog but never enforce the rules with violence or punishment. Simply enforcing your will on the dog will not work.
Interacting with your Dog
The way you interact with your dog also establishes your leadership. When dog training Make eye contact! Dogs look for cue’s in their leaders eyes. Command Attention! By commanding your dog to heel and look at you, you reinforce your position as pack leader.
House Training
After establishing yourself as pack leader, house training will be a piece of cake. Here are some tip’s on house training your puppy or dog.
House Training is a very universal problem with a simple solution. Before you start house training you should always have you dog checked for bladder infections just to be safe.
Your Doggy’s Diet
Start them off with nutritious and good quality food. Never overfeed or make sudden changes in your dogs diet. This could upset the stomach and possibly create problems controlling the bladder.
Scheduling Meals
Running a tight schedule is also very important when house training. You should feed your dog regularly 3 to 4 times a day. By giving them scheduled feedings helps you predict the time when your dog might have to go.
Opportunities to Go
Give your dog plenty of opportunities to go outside. You should start in the morning when they first wake up and every hour when they are awake. After they eat and drink water you should let them out to relieve themselves.
Repetition and Cue’s
When dog training repetition is key. Every time you let your dog out use cue’s, say “lets go outside” or something that helps them relate a sound with going to the bathroom.
Accidents
When house training your dog, accidents are inevitable. When it happens just clean it up and consider adjusting your dog eating schedule. Punishing your dog will only make them wary of you and they may continue to relieve themselves behind your back. If you catch them trying to relieve themselves, stop them, lead them outside and help them find their spot where they usually use the bathroom.
Dog Training could be very simple but it does require a lot of patience. Dogs are our loyal companions and the best thing an owner could give his dog is time.
When dog training it is important to remember that dog’s, being pack animals, look towards a leader for guidance and instruction. You wanna be that leader that your dog looks for. Establishing your leadership helps you dog find his place in the family social order and makes him easier to train.
Consistency
The first thing we want to focus on is consistency. When dog training consistency helps with establishing your leadership. Good leaders are constant enforcers of rules and regulations. A dog will notice if you maintain the rules and might even test you a bit to see how much they could get away with.
Respect
Respect is also a key factor to being a leader. A respectful leader makes for a respectful follower. A leader should be firm with the dog but never enforce the rules with violence or punishment. Simply enforcing your will on the dog will not work.
Interacting with your Dog
The way you interact with your dog also establishes your leadership. When dog training Make eye contact! Dogs look for cue’s in their leaders eyes. Command Attention! By commanding your dog to heel and look at you, you reinforce your position as pack leader.
House Training
After establishing yourself as pack leader, house training will be a piece of cake. Here are some tip’s on house training your puppy or dog.
House Training is a very universal problem with a simple solution. Before you start house training you should always have you dog checked for bladder infections just to be safe.
Your Doggy’s Diet
Start them off with nutritious and good quality food. Never overfeed or make sudden changes in your dogs diet. This could upset the stomach and possibly create problems controlling the bladder.
Scheduling Meals
Running a tight schedule is also very important when house training. You should feed your dog regularly 3 to 4 times a day. By giving them scheduled feedings helps you predict the time when your dog might have to go.
Opportunities to Go
Give your dog plenty of opportunities to go outside. You should start in the morning when they first wake up and every hour when they are awake. After they eat and drink water you should let them out to relieve themselves.
Repetition and Cue’s
When dog training repetition is key. Every time you let your dog out use cue’s, say “lets go outside” or something that helps them relate a sound with going to the bathroom.
Accidents
When house training your dog, accidents are inevitable. When it happens just clean it up and consider adjusting your dog eating schedule. Punishing your dog will only make them wary of you and they may continue to relieve themselves behind your back. If you catch them trying to relieve themselves, stop them, lead them outside and help them find their spot where they usually use the bathroom.
Dog Training could be very simple but it does require a lot of patience. Dogs are our loyal companions and the best thing an owner could give his dog is time.
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