Posts Tagged ‘Dog Obedience’
Dog Health Symptom: Does Your Dog Itch Like Crazy But Has no Parasites?
Many of us dog owners get really amazed to see our dogs scratching away to glory in spite of the fact that there is not a single flea on its body! This is one thing that most dog owners will know. Many a time, our dogs just keep on scratching their skin although they do not have fleas or any other parasites. This is one thing that all dog owners have to be careful about. Continuous itching without any reason might have larger health implications.
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This incessant itching can highly be an early symptom of dermatitis. Dermatitis is similar to fever in human beings. When we have fever, we just start sneezing like crazy or have congestion. But in case of dogs, their skin becomes itchy and they keep on scratching their skin. Fever in dogs happens generally when they inhale a large amount of pollen.
If you notice, you will see that your dog starts itching more during the months of August and September. This is a time when you need to take extra care of your beloved pet. Pets become especially sensitive to things around them during these months. Thus, this is the time when you have to look out for Dermatitis because your dog will be highly susceptible to it.
The other months when your dog will start itching indiscriminately are March and April. Since these two are the pollen months, dogs become very likely to catch hold of Dermatitis during this season. The grass pollen season of May, June and early July are also particularly troublesome months.
This dog health symptom is something that affects your dog particularly badly. Once your dog gets affected by Dermatitis, it will practically suffer from scratching problems throughout the year. This gives rise to another problem of increased sensitivity which means that something like dusting your sofa will also make your dog uncomfortable and scratchy.
The owners who have a dog who is less than six months old are lucky because young dogs do not get Dermatitis. It is a disease seen in dogs that are three or more years of age. Also, almost every breed of dog can get Dermatitis as it is not a breed specific disease.
However, despite of not being a breed specific disease, Dermatitis is something that affects certain breeds of dogs, like Dalmatians, West Highland White Terriers, White Haired Fox Terriers and Poodles particularly badly. Dermatitis is something that should be treated immediately because it can make your dog suffer a lot and live in great discomfort.
As for the treatments of Dermatitis, you must consult your dog’s vet. There are multiple treatments available but you have to choose one that suits your dog’s breed and age, so it is best to go for whatever your dog’s vet suggests.
Apart from the treatment, you also need to take care of the fact that your dog gets regular grooming so that its skin remains in perfect condition. If your dog is not groomed regularly, it might suffer from skin problems that are extremely uncomfortable.
Article by Kelly Marshall of www.ohmydogsupplies.com – the place to find free shipping on dog toys in over 100 different models
Article Source: Dog Health Symptom: Does Your Dog Itch Like Crazy But Has no Parasites?
Dog Leash Training – Use Food Instead Of A Clicker
Leash Training – Part 3
Though clicker training garners results with leash training, not everyone is comfortable with it. Personally, I do not use a clicker when training my dogs.
I prefer to keep the rewards mixed. A rub, praise, toy or food can be intermixed as rewards when you get the response you want.
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Food is great for luring a dog into behavior, but once the dog has the concept, humans have a hard time of getting rid of the treats. Be unpredictable in your rewards, make a game of it.
Always impress upon the dog that the fun stuff comes when the leash is slack. Learn how to use your voice and facial expressions so that your dog wants to be near you. These are training tools that you never leave at home. Practice different pitches and sounds to see which attract your dog’s interest.
Many trainers have concerns about using treats, but they must remember the significance of raising the criteria. This means asking the dog to do more before giving it a reward. Your dog may learn to walk beautifully by your side as long as you keep clicking and treating, but what happens when your pocket is empty? Try to make him do a bit more during each walk – go a bit farther between treats or ignore bigger distractions.
Despite its age, your adult dog will need the same considerations as a puppy during leash training. When the leash goes taut, help the dog understand why you stopped by using your voice to get his attention. If he is too busy barking or pulling forward something it finds particularly enticing, use treats or a toy to distract it from its mission.
Have these special rewards ready before hitting the known problem area and work to keep your dog’s attention. This will help your dog learn to ignore the bothersome barking dog or that tempting squirrel nest.
Understandably, we all would like instant results, but dog training seldom works that way. It may take weeks or even months to persuade the dog that pulling is no longer effective. Owners can become discouraged, concluding that they are doing something wrong or their dog is hopeless.
So in the end, even if the results are slow in coming, keep in mind that even 2 steps without pulling is progress, and you must praise, praise, and praise some more! Soon it will be 3 steps, then 4 steps, and so on.
The change won’t happy overnight, in a week, or even a month – it’s going to take time, fairness and consistency, which means practice almost every day, perhaps for months. Overall, it’s a relatively small investment to achieve years of benefit.
Leash training is a deceptively difficult aspect of training. Dogs learn to pull much more readily than they learn not to. For those who do dedicate the time and effort needed for leash training, the results are worth it.
Dog Leash Training – The Golden Rule
Leash Training – Part 2
The majority of dog owners address the issue of leash training only once it becomes a problem. In the beginning, when walking their dog, they initially think it’s “cute” that a puppy pulls away the entire walk to the park because, they think, that the dog “just can’t wait to play with its ball”. But once this pattern of pulling in ingrained, it take patience to retrain.
No matter what equipment and training method you choose, experts will tell you to abide by one golden rule when leash training: any pulling by the dog means all forward motion ceases.
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As soon as your puppy or dog puts tension on the leash, you stop – every time! Ah, but rather than just stand there and make this a battle of wills, we humans outsmart our clever dogs and convince them that putting slack in the leash really works on their favor. Therefore, leash training will include treats, praise and other positive payoffs.
Add A Clicker To The Leash Training Mix
Help your dog learn that it’s a good idea to stay close to you, that good things happen when you’re nearby. To achieve this goal, we suggest that you use a clicker, which is a small, handheld device that makes a “click” sound when pressed.
The click marks the desired behavior the second it occurs and is immediately followed by a treat. A clicker is a good way to cut through the environment clutter that is a part of most leash walks, and helps your dog to focus on you and what it’s doing to get “paid”.
The clicker helps teach your dog to ignore tempting distractions because you become more interesting to your dog than anything else.
Not surprisingly, a young pup that has never had a chance to develop the habit of pulling is the easiest to teach. First, gather up your training tools and snap the leash on the buckle collar. Start walking and talking to the puppy in a happy, friendly voice. As he turns to look at you and the leash goes slack, CLICK!
This interaction teaches your dog that you are, indeed, an integral part of being walked.
Note: Frequent clicks and treats while walking will help teach your dog that the big payoff usually happens within a one-foot radius around you. When leash training, most pups will begin to stick around in hopes of another reward.
Dog Leash Training – Start With The Correct Collar
Leash Training
One of the best leash training methods created today does so that encourages the dog to develop awareness of its owner. To begin, you should use a sturdy, flat or rolled buckle collar made of leather or nylon.
Although popular among obedience trainers, slip collars – which tighten and release in response to tension – are not necessarily a good choice for teaching leash manners. Most dogs are overly excitable on the leash and often pull heedlessly against this type of collar, sometimes resulting in damage to the trachea. Though appropriate in the right hands, this collar is best left to those experienced in its use.
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For the determined dog that already has a habit of pulling, the “headcollar” is the most effective training tool. This relatively recent innovation loops around the top of the dog’s neck and muzzle. The loops are attached by an additional strap on each side of the head and one below the muzzle. The leash attaches to the headhalter, the concept is based on the simple physical rule that where the head goes, the rest of the animal must follow.
The headcollar turns the dog toward the walker whenever tension is applied as it simultaneously tightens around the muzzle and back of the head, encouraging the dog to move in the direction of its owner to release the pressure.
Specifically designed to offer a gentle alternative to other collars, initial hands-on leash training instruction from a trainer who is familiar with its use is still a good idea in order to have the proper fit and more effective method.
For the standard size breed that is around six months or older, a prong, or pinch collar, may work best – and also for the adult dog that naturally pulls. Made to constrict in response to applied tension, then instantly expand again when tautness is released, this metal collar has large prongs that turn inward around the dog’s neck, creating what could be described as a blunted, teeth-like effect.
As with the headcollar, correct fit and size are important and are best judged by a trainer well educated in proper prong-collar usage. One that is too tight pinches the dog continually, which is counterproductive to training and cruel to the dog. One that is too loose loses its effectiveness.
A properly fitted prong collar should sit high on the dog’s neck, just below the ears. You should be able to slip your fingers underneath the collar when pressure is not applied, but it should not be so loose that it slips down around the trachea.
Despite its somewhat formidable appearance, the correct use of a prong collar simply gives the dog cause to stop and take notice of its owner. The prongs only pinch if pressure is applied, such as when the dog pulls. The pinch is in direct relationship to the amount of pressure applied.
The more pressure that is applied, the harder the pinch will be. Prong collars work well for leash training because the dog controls how much pressure it puts on its collar, and therefore, controls the amount of pinch it receives. This type of leash training allows the animal to avoid the pinch by maintaining slack in the lead.
The Bloodhound
Bloodhound History and origin:
This scent hound is an old breed, dating back to Roman times. He is said to have been brought to England by William the Conqueror in 1066. This dog has the most powerful sense of smell of all the breeds. In the United States, he has been used as a tracker of fugitives and lost individuals.
Description:
The Bloodhound stands 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 90 and 110 pounds. This is a large, powerful animal with great stamina and drive. The shedding coat is short and requires regular brushing with a hound glove to keep it in good condition. The color may be black-and-tan, red-and-tan, or all tan. Bloodhounds have loose, wrinkled skin and long ears.
About the Bloodhound:
The Bloodhound is known to be the best tracker of all the scent hounds. He is excellent at picking up a scent and following it relentlessly until the prey is located, but he does not kill it. This breed is a highly specialized dog specifically designed to perform a single task: tracking. Breeders have created not only a dog with the best nose in the business but also a dog with a relentless, determined mind-set. The Bloodhound will follow a scent forever and ignore everything else, including you. Choosing a Bloodhound for a family pet would be like using a bulldozer to drive to the corner store. More than any other breed, the Bloodhound needs to perform the task for which he was bred. Although most of them have a very good temperament, there have been few cases of very aggressive Bloodhounds. The relentless, determined, non-thinking mind-set that is so effective in tracking can be transformed into aggressive behavior as well. When a Bloodhound becomes aggressive, he is almost impossible to stop. Keep in mind that this is a very big dog. The Bloodhound needs obedience training and socialization early in life. He is stubborn and is easily distracted by scents that you cannot perceive.
Feeding:
Recommended feeding for the Bloodhound is 1 ½ – 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.
Ideal home:
This breed will be suitable for hunters, trackers, police departments, and search and rescue teams and is not really recommended as a family pet. He can be intolerant of children and may bite if teased or provoked. However, if you choose to have this breed as a family pet, he needs to live in the country and requires a fenced yard or kennel. The owner must be a strong, no nonsense leader and must use this breed to do the work he was bred for. Keep in mind the Bloodhound needs plenty of exercise to keep him happy and healthy.