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Posts Tagged ‘Pet’

Teaching Your Dog Not to Be Aggressive

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Dogs are pack animals and when they are aggressive it is often because they are unsure of their place in the pack, and this makes them want to struggle for dominance. If you constantly punish a dog for its wrong behavior then this can add to its aggression levels, as frightened dogs may also be aggressive dogs.

One of the most crucial things that a dog owner needs to know is that a dog has its place at the bottom of the pack. Because dogs are pack animals they will see the family group as their pack, your dog has to recognize that you are the leader of the pack and needs to keep in his place. Dogs that know their place in the hierarchy are usually much happier animals. In order to teach a dog its place in the pack, you will need to be calm but firm in how you handle things. Punishing aggressive behavior in a dog is actually counter productive and can make them more aggressive.

The time to teach your dog what is unacceptable behavior is when they are at the puppy stage and most experts believe that the critical age for training is before they are six months old. Most puppies nip and have to be trained not to, if your puppy is biting then you need to tell it No in a very firm voice, then put the dog in a room and close the door for about a minute. This early behavior modification helps the dog to learn what is expected. In training sessions reward your puppy when it picks up and bites the training toy, if it tries to nip your fingers, and then tell it no in a firm voice, and put the training toy in place.

If your dog has a tendency to bark and go for other dogs while out on a walk, then take a handful of treats with you and distract your dog with a treat whenever another dog appears. Treating your dog in this way helps it to associate other dogs with a pleasant experience and so inhibits their aggressive behavior. When you use the simple, behavior modification tricks outlined here, you will find that your dog will grow calmer and will come to understand what behavior is appropriate and what is not.

You need to let other members of the family in on the rules, so that they know what to do when you aren’t around. Make it clear that if you are in the room it is your job to deal with the dog, this makes it easier for them to realize their place in the pack. If the tips outlined here do not modify aggressive behavior then you may need to see a vet to see if there is an underlying health problem that is causing this.

Dogs are pack animals and when they are aggressive it is often because they are unsure of their place in the pack, and this makes them want to struggle for dominance. If you constantly punish a dog for its wrong behavior then this can add to its aggression levels, as frightened dogs may also be aggressive dogs.

One of the most crucial things that a dog owner needs to know is that a dog has its place at the bottom of the pack. Because dogs are pack animals they will see the family group as their pack, your dog has to recognize that you are the leader of the pack and needs to keep in his place. Dogs that know their place in the hierarchy are usually much happier animals. In order to teach a dog its place in the pack, you will need to be calm but firm in how you handle things. Punishing aggressive behavior in a dog is actually counter productive and can make them more aggressive.

The time to teach your dog what is unacceptable behavior is when they are at the puppy stage and most experts believe that the critical age for training is before they are six months old. Most puppies nip and have to be trained not to, if your puppy is biting then you need to tell it No in a very firm voice, then put the dog in a room and close the door for about a minute. This early behavior modification helps the dog to learn what is expected. In training sessions reward your puppy when it picks up and bites the training toy, if it tries to nip your fingers, and then tell it no in a firm voice, and put the training toy in place.

If your dog has a tendency to bark and go for other dogs while out on a walk, then take a handful of treats with you and distract your dog with a treat whenever another dog appears. Treating your dog in this way helps it to associate other dogs with a pleasant experience and so inhibits their aggressive behavior. When you use the simple, behavior modification tricks outlined here, you will find that your dog will grow calmer and will come to understand what behavior is appropriate and what is not.

How to Choose the Best Dog Breed

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Type of Breed- Each breed has its unique characteristic and has been specifically bred for a particular job. Thus, picking a sporting breed or hunting breed will show their inherent characteristics and might keep chasing cats and other pets. Other dog breeds that might not suit your modern lifestyles include herding dogs, working and guarding dogs.

Types of Sizes- Never pick a puppy due to its cute looks or size as small pups of large breeds look very tiny but grow up very large ion size. For very small sized apartments, toy or miniature dog breeds work best while those in a large apartment or middle sized house can go in for small to medium sized dogs. However, if you have a large yard and big house, large to medium size dogs work well.

Concerns on Health – Knowing all the health concerns related to the dog breed that you are interested in becomes essential. It is best to buy your pet puppy from a reputable pet dealer to make sure that your pet is healthy. However, as all dog breeds have some genetic health issues, check with the dealer before buying.

In case you have a breed of dog which is long haired and which has lots of hairs then you are aware of the problem of mats and the tangles on the skin of your dog. In case the balls of hairs are left unattended, then might lead to complete skinning of the skin coat to resolve the problem. This also leads to skin ulcers, and other skin related problems. In case you want to avoid all this, then plan for a proper grooming of the dogs skin.

Level of Required Exercise – The amount of exercise that each dog breed requires is not based on size alone. It is known that some small and medium dog breeds require heavy exercise while other large breeds are calm dogs that do not require high amounts of exercise.

Experience with dog breeds – Your experience as a dog owner can help you with many breeds as some are naturally stubborn and dominant. You can seek advice from breeders and vets to decide if the breed you are looking for is challenging to work with or not.

Child Friendly Breed- With children at home or if you are planning to have kids, it is best to pick child friendly breeds as some dogs are not good with kids around. Many dog breeds love to have children around, so keep that in mind while picking a new puppy.