Living with a Dog: News and Views
Tips and guidance on sharing your home - and your existence - with your best friend.


March 8, 2009

Start From Here To Learn How To Choose The Right Dog For You

Filed under: News and Views - 08 Mar 2009 from author

 

So, there you are, under your shady tree in the middle of a Saturday afternoon and you’re thinking about getting a dog but what? For some people, choosing breed of dogs is really that easy. You just follow what pops out of your head and voila, off you go to a pet store and buy a mutt only to find out that it’s not for you. You might have chosen a breed that is too big for you and its meals are way too high for your budget. You might have bought a small mouse of a dog but you found out you need something to guard you 24/7.

With this in mind, choosing dog breeds are not that easy. You have to consider so many things. Financial constraint or low budget is the number one concern. Do you have a budget for buying an expensive dog? Does your budget fit in with the expenses in making or buying a dog house, the food that it requires and do you have the budget for training it and make it the most obedient dog in the world? There are some of the things you have to consider and if you’re really serious and would want to instantly decide to buy one, here is one tip you might want to consider: go through the Internet.

Online, there are hundreds of guides in choosing a dog breed and they come in different sizes and forms, just like dogs: from CDs, to DVDs, to e-books to online tutorials and such. What you just need is to view them out, maybe get some reviews about all products pertaining to how to look and decide for the dog breed that is right for you and from there, determine what you want. And furthermore, with a guide, you might even realize that you don’t want a dog but a monster. You might even decide to go for the smallest or the funniest. Whatever you want to choose from different varieties of dogs, be sure you have the right guide with you.

March 7, 2009

DIY Dog Training Guide

Filed under: News and Views - 07 Mar 2009 from author

 

As a pet dog lover, you always see to it that you give all the best in the world for your furry best friend. Some even would go through the extreme of enrolling their dogs to an obedient school for weeks or months. Well, that would be a great thing if you have the money. They can also choose a trainer who can train their beagles right in their own homes. If you have the financial resources, go ahead. But unfortunately, most dog owners can’t seem to manage to invest in these things. That’s why, they would resort to going through the Web, browsing for an online dog training course and help them learn how to train their own dogs.

If you would want to train your dog on your own, this is also what you should try to look for. There are many advantages in learning how to train your dog. To begin with, you can make a sturdy relationship with your pet dog. Among all people, you are the only person or your children, for that matter, knows the personality traits of your pet dog and training him on your own can be much easier as compared to employing a dog trainer. A dog training course that you can do on your own is much cheaper. For instance, you might find a software or a book guide which you will only pay for a lowest amount and you can train your doggie love with it and you can even apply your knowledge from what you’ve learned from that book guide on other dogs.

Lastly, training your own dog won’t really be a hindrance to your time and your other important obligations. You can set out your fixed schedule on when to train your dog effectively. But the question is, where can you find a good training course guide? If you go to the Net right now, you can come across some dog training reviews site which has compiled several guides on how to train your dog. From there, you can get to learn the different system and after reading them, that’s the time for you to decide to choose from among those options which you think will work best for you and your furry friend.

How To Keep Your Dog Free From Boredom

Filed under: News and Views - 07 Mar 2009 from author

Ever get home after a long day at work to find your dog has been digging in your favorite flowerbed or chewed up the sofa?  If this has happened to you, no doubt you want to avoid it happening again.  Separation anxiety could be one reason why this kind of behavior happens.  However, it may be that the cause is simply that your dog is suffering from boredom.

Like humans, dogs are sociable animals and like companionship or need ways to amuse themselves.  Almost any dog will get bored if left all alone for a lengthy period of time.  If you don’t provide stimulation for your dog, he will find his own activities and these could involve chewing up your possession, digging up your garden, barking or whining constantly. 

Four hours is the maximum time that any dog should be left alone for.  If, because of your lifestyle, you must leave your puppy dog alone for long periods, here are some ideas that may help:

•    Consider hiring a dog walker.  Find a friend, neighbor or professional walker who can spend between 15-30 minutes a day with your puppy or dog.  Walks allow your dog to keep his brain stimulated with all the interesting sights, smells and sounds.  The exercise is great for him too

•    Just as being an only child can be lonely, so can being an only puppy or dog.  It could be well worth considering getting a second puppy or dog.

•    Create a specific place in your garden where your dog can ease his boredom.  You could make a sandpit where he can dig as much as he likes without ruining your lawn.  At the beginning it is important to reward him repeatedly with a treat left in the sandpit so that this has positive associations.

•    Keep a variety of chews and toys for him changing the ones you give him daily to keep his interest high. Dispensing toys that contain treats are particularly useful since they have a high fascination for a dog. Also, make sure that you keep anything you do not want chewed out of reachI.

•    Hiding treats around the house is one way that you can stimulate your dog’s interest.  Make sure that you hide the treats in easily accessible places, but that provide some challenge for them.  In old socks, under an upside down bowl - these are examples of hiding places.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful in relieving boredom in your dog.  Obviously when you are with your dog, make sure that you take him out for regular walks and play games with him.  It is essential that you puppy dog is given the correct training.

Read more about separation anxiety in puppies and dogs and about the emotional life of dogs.

March 5, 2009

The Basics of Labrador Puppy Care

Filed under: News and Views - 05 Mar 2009 from author

Labradors are among the most popular breeds of dogs in the United States nowadays, mainly because their friendly temperament makes them an fantastic selection for a family pet. This dog originally was bred in Newfoundland, Canada, and fishermen used then to jump into the frigid waters and bring up their nets. The retrieving instincts of the breed were heightened in the 1800's when they surfaced in England. Besides being a popular family dog, the Labradors are also frequently used as service dogs for disabled people, as well as drug sniffing dogs with police. If you are looking at this type of dog as your future family pet, there are a few fundamentals that you need to know about Labrador puppy care.

The Cheery Temperament of the Labrador Retriever

This breed of dog is highly social and energetic, so a large part of your Labrador puppy care will be to provide your dog with a great deal of room for running, as well as plenty of playtime with you. A large fenced in yard is the most effective place for this type of pup to play, and you’ll want to have some toys on hand that you will be able to use to play fetch with your pup. Another really important part of caring for your Labrador puppy is giving him plenty of exercise, but always safely on a leash. Since Labrador retrievers have so much energy, the more activity you offer to your pup, the easier it will be to train him.

Labradors are really bright dogs, so you will want to statr training your puppy as soon as you bring him into your home. It would be a good idea to include a dog obedience class as part of your Labrador puppy care, and the earlier, the better. House training your puppy is among the first types of training that you will do, and will necessitate plenty of consistency and patience on your part for the best effect. For more specific info about house breaking as a part of your Labrador puppy care, you can contact your breeder, veterinarian or look up internet sites.

About Socializing our Labrador Puppy

Labradors are social and friendly animals naturally, so most do great with families who have children and even other pets. Bear in mind that although this dog may bark if a stranger draws near, it may not make a particularly good guard dog. Because of their social nature, these dogs can get bored and become destructive when left to their own devices too frequently. If you are considering a Labrador retriever as a family pet, it is important that you are prepared to spend quite a lot of time with your new pet as a part of your Labrador puppy care. This will help you and your puppy start off on the right foot - or paw - from the beginning.

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