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Train Your Dog By Using Dog Training Treats
When training your dog you need motivators to keep them focused. Some pets are trained by giving them a treat such as throwing a ball or Frisbee for them and others are trained by receiving a pet or some sort of personal attention. The best motivator for both pets and humans is food. Teachers have known for a long time that food will motivate a student to do school work. So why doesn’t it have to be any different for your dog. Dog training treats are a great way to get your dog to do the behavior you want and learn the behavior quickly.
When you are training your dog, you will have to spend time with your dog every day reinforcing the behavior. Set a time that is convenient for you because you will have to put a lot of time and effort into the project. Maybe the best time is when you get home from work and your dog is excited to see you. Have some dog training treats in your pocket and start the training right away. The technique is simple and soon you will have your dog literally eating out of your hand.
For example, if you want to teach your dog to sit, give him the command verbally and then push the dog’s rear end down until he or she is sitting. Once sat, give the dog a treat. Repeat the command over and over, and reward the dog with a dog training treat each time it sits during the training session. Soon the dog will sit on command without the treats. Some people like to use hand signals instead of using verbal commands. This is fine until the dog gets old and cannot see your hands anymore or he is running after something and cannot see your commands.
Be careful what kind of dog training treats you buy for your animal. Too many treats that are tasty but non-nutritious can give you a very obedient, overweight dog. There are a lot of dog training treats out there that are packed full of protein and do not have all those fatty additives as some of the products carry within them. Look at the nutrition label and see what the ingredients are. Some dog training treats may make a big show about how good they are, but you once your read the label they have a lot of fat and carbohydrates in them.
When training your dog with dog training treats you need to know when to stop using the treats. One good method is to use a clicker or other signal device that will let the dog know they have done well. Slowly ease off the tricks and click the sound device and give the dog some attention. A ‘good boy’ or a pet will slowly take the place of the treats that you are giving them. Start the dog on a new behavior using the treats but once the old behavior is learned there is no need for them.
Dog Crate Beds Make a More Comfortable Resting Area for Your Dog
A lot of dog owners crate their dogs so they will be contained during the night hours when the owners are asleep or during the day when the owner does not want the animal running free in the home. These crates are made of plastic or metal and without padding they can be very uncomfortable for the animal and could cause skin irritation. Nobody wants their dog to be uncomfortable and sometimes they have to spend up to eight hours cooped up there. That is why selecting the perfect dog crate bed is important for the safety and comfort of your dog.
Dog crate beds come in many sizes and colors. One of the most useful bed is the bumper bed. This bed has three raised sides that can keep your dog comfortable not only on the floor, but will give about three inches of padding along the sides. This way your pet can lie against the side of the crate and be able to have some support for its back. Another great feature is that you can pull the bed out of the crate and you can place it on the floor for a place for your dog to lie while the family goes about their daily tasks.
Traditional beds are also one of the simple of all dog crate bed designs. This simple mattress is about four inches high and gives your animal plenty of room to stretch out and relax. The mattress is stuffed with cedar chips that not only give out an aroma of their own but also soaks in the pet sweat and smell that usually ruins a mattress and makes the rest of your car or house smell. There is a zipper on the side of the mattress where you can remove the old cedar chips and add new fresh ones that will keep the odor and the aroma under control.
Dog crate beds also come with washable fabric. The Sleep Ezz dog crate mattress is thinner than most, but it is machine washable and provides the owner with the option of cleaning it with the family laundry. Simply brush off any hair or other debris on the mattress and put in the wash just like you are cleaning a pair of dirty jeans. Do not put in the dryer but hang dry. The dryer will cause some of material to weaken and there is a possibility of shrinking.
There are many dog crate beds to choose from. No matter what size, shape, or color you choose you can be assured that your pet will be able to sleep the night or make that family trip more comfortable. Nobody wants their dog sleeping on bear metal or plastic. You sleep in a nice comfortable bed so why not your best friend. They will be healthier and happier with their new dog crate bed and most dogs will prefer over the towel or blanket that you throw in their for them to sleep on.
Your Dog’s Food May Cause Allergies
Your dog’s food can cause allergies that are painful and they take away from everyday activities like playing and just plain being a dog. Food allergies make up ten percent of all dog allergies coming in behind atopy and flea allergies. With the first two you can remove the fleas or the environmental factors, but with food allergies you have to do more than that. The food that you choose for your dog could have additives or other ingredients that will cause your dog to itch. Sometimes the itch is scratched so hard it breaks the skin and infection could creep in.
Food allergies can be found in either dogs or cats. There is no specific breed that has more food allergies than the next and the allergies are not spread through genetic material. You will first notice a food allergy before the third year of age and this may be external where the animal will scratch and bite or it may be internal where the animal has a intestinal problem. You need to look for diarrhea, blood in the stool, or strange looking fecal matter. If you notice any of these symptoms get your dog to the vet as soon as you can.
The symptoms previous mentioned can be associated with a food intolerance and not an allergy. Intolerance is when the animal cannot physically handle the break down of certain foods or ingredients. The animal may throw up or have bad bowl movements but this is not the tell all sign of a dog food allergy. The allergy will be accompanied with the scratching and biting of the skin. In either instance, both can go away with a change in the dog diet. Look at what you are feeding them and then switch the food for something natural that does not have preservatives or additives in it.
Research has showed that the offending food ingredients are corn, wheat, flour, soy, and chickens and their eggs. If you look at the ingredients of a common dog food you will see one or all of these. You might want to take your dog to the vet and have them do a scratch test to see what specific ingredient is causing the allergy in your dog’s food. The results might make it easier for you to decide which diet is right for your dog and which dog food to stay away from.
The best course is to do some testing yourself. Feed your dog a diet with a source of protein in it and a few carbohydrates. Keep this diet going for about three months and see if the allergy clears up. If it does, you then can go and select a commercial dog food that has these specific foods in them and hopefully your dog will be able to stomach it. If not start the process over again and eliminate what is making your dog sick. This could take some time, but in the end you will have a happier and a healthier dog.
 
Dog Barking Collars Can’t Take the Bark Out of Your Dog
If you dog constantly barks and does not shut up no matter what you have tried, then you may need to invest in a dog barking collar. The constant barking of a dog can drive you and your neighbors crazy. The noise can even cause the police to visit you if the barking is constant enough. Dogs bark, but sometimes they will bark and howl obsessively without letting up. A dog barking collar will remedy that situation quickly and you and your neighborhood can lead a normal existence without Fido making his presence known at three in the morning.
A dog barking collar is a simple device that the dog wears around its neck like a traditional collar. The only difference is that there is a battery and two small electrodes that position themselves under the dogs neck near his voice box. Every time the dog barks a vibration will set off the electrodes and the dog will receive an electric shock. After the first couple of shocking incidences, the dog will relate the shock to the bark. Soon your dog will be silent and you can get a good night sleep and your neighbors will appreciate the silence.
Dog barking collars can be found in most pet stores. They are usually located on the same aisle as leashes and other restraints. They come in all collars and sizes so make sure that the collar you choose will fit the breed and the size of the dog. The dog barking collar will rest next to your dog’s normal collar and will unnoticeable unless you are really looking for it. If your dog’s collar is wide enough, the dog barking collar will be virtually invisible. Simply put the collar over your dog’s neck and turn it on. Your dog will be ready to be silent in no time.
Some people are against dog barking collars because they feel that it is inhumane. This could be further from the truth. The shock is very small and is more of an irritation than pain. It is a little stronger than the shock that you feel when you put your tongue on a nine volt battery. Your dog will be more taken aback by the sensation then from pain. Your dog will act like it is hurting it, but after a couple of shocks they will realize that their barking is making the shock. Soon you will be able to take the collar off and your dog’s barking will stop. If it starts back up again after time, just put the collar back on for behavior redirection.
The dog barking collars are inexpensive. They run from eighteen to forty dollars and can be bought in a variety of styles and colors. The fancier you get, the more expensive the collar. Online pet specialty sites sell them and usually have a good selection. Remember if you buy online there is usually a shipping cost added to the price of the collar, but you will have the conveyance of not having to leave the house.
Dog Training DVDs: The Next Thing to A Professional Dog Trainer
Dog training has been traditionally done by experienced owners or professional trainers. If you were inexperienced in dog training then you probably got your information from a book. With the internet age, some computer savvy people have researched how to train their dog from the internet. Now a new innovation has come of age and you can learn how to train your dog from dog training DVDs. You could still find information on the net, but the visuals of a DVD gives you the opportunity to see how to train and to train right the first time. You can actually see a professional trainer train a dog the right way and with this extra help you are able to copy the technique yourself at home.
Dog training DVDs will show you step by step how to train your dog with the latest techniques. If you wish to house train your dog, you will be shown the proper techniques of disciplining your dog and how to reward and praise your dog when they finally ask to go outside for the first time. You can teach your dog to stay and not move until you give the signal with your hand or by voice. You can learn to teach your dog how to fetch or do any number of behaviors that will bring your pet and yourself together into a better relationship. These DVDs will give that visual addition that you might miss in books or on the internet. Seeing and copying, will lead to doing and your dog will be healthier and better behaved than it has ever been before.
If you tried to watch a dog training television show like the “Dog Whisperer,” you would have to watch it every week to get the training you need to train your dog. Some of the lessons taught may not even be what you are looking home. By buying dog training DVDs like the “Dog Whisperer,” you can go to the lessons you want to at your convenience. You can fast forward to the part you need and then just skip over the fluff. There are no commercials are other distractions. You can even bring your dog into the room and practice right in front of the television with them. It will almost be like having a one to one dog instructor right there in the living room.
Dog training DVDs are offered in pet stores or on the internet at a variety of sites. You can browse online bookstores for titles or go straight to the pet store sites. You will even find specialized dog training DVDs that deal with training your dog to hunt or training your dog for home and personnel protection. There are even DVDs that will help you learn how to train your dog to get along with your cat. No matter what training method you choose, the dog training DVD that you choose will give the best in visual training available today without actually going to a professional dog trainer.
Using Dog Nail Clippers for the First Time
Though a professional dog groomer is best when you want your dog’s nails clipped, it is cheaper if you do it your self. Dog nail clippers are easily found in pet stores, vet offices and even your local department store. The clippers are usually located in the pet section by the pet shampoos and medicines. If you want to order online, there are many pet sites that offer a full array of dog nail clippers that will fit any paw. There are several kinds of clippers out there and certain kinds will not fit the nail size of larger or smaller dogs.
Dog nail clippers are made of metal and sometimes have a plastic handle. The handles look like inverted pliers. You press the two handles together and this cause a sharp metal blade to close over the hole where you have placed your dog nails. Sometime a drivel is used to file down the nail and to make the nail more uniform across its edge. There are other models that are specialized for larger animals and some are petite for the littler dogs. The dog nail clippers are safe to use and with a little practice your dog will be looking forward to having their nails done.
One of the bad things about using dog nail clippers is the possibility that you might cut the cuticle of the nail. This is the darkened area within the nail that carries blood and other tissue. If you go too far into the nail you will hit the cuticle and the nail will bleed and you will cause substantive pain to the animal. If you do this the first time you might scare your dog from wanting to have their nails done again. Be careful and remember the longer the nail the more secure you will be from causing your dog pain.
One way you can keep your dog from being nervous or being afraid of the dog nail clippers are to maybe clip the nails while your dog is in the bath. This is only good when your dog likes their bath time. While they are sitting in the warm water and feeling calm you can slowly bring them around to the nail clipping process. Talk calmly to your dog and pet them as you clip the nail. After the clip, be sure to tell the dog how good he is and use a soothing voice. Don’t force it. Take your time and gently clip the nail.
Using dog clippers can be too much for some dog owners. If this is the case you can ask your vet to cut the nails the next time your dog has an appointment. Nail clipping is a good time to have your dog’s anal gland checked. Just like daylight savings time and battery checks on your fire alarm, a grooming or a vet visit can be dual purpose appointment. While some groomers charge for nail clipping, others provide the service free when you have your pet groomed.
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