Teaching Dog Obedience The Easy Way

The easy way to teach dog obedience using kind, positive dog training methods.

Training a new puppy can be overwhelming. However, dog obedience training is crucial for the safety of your pet, your home, your property and other people. It is essential to you and your puppy that you use positive dog training methods. Consistency and patience are key elements in dog training. Set aside time each day to spend training your pet, usually 20 to 30 minutes in length is best, because that is the amount of time that they are most receptive. Any longer and they become bored.

When training your dog, you should always give your dog only one order at a time. If you give your dog more than one command at the same time, your dog will be confused about what order it should follow. This will frustrate both of you. By giving your dog only one order at a time, it will better understand your commands which will lead to a higher success rate.

As you begin working with your dog on their training program, make sure to pay close attention to their diet (dog nutrition guide). Much like humans, a dog gets their fuel from what they eat each day. Having a diet that is not nutritionally sound can affect a dog's behavior and make training more difficult.

When your canine has misbehaved, do not give it too much attention. In doing so continually, your dog will equate bad behavior with receiving attention from its owner(it does not matter to your pet that it is negative attention) and this will only reinforce bad habits which are difficult to break in the long term.

Make sure you and your family are consistent with your commands. If one person uses "down" to tell the dog to get off the couch while another says "off" and a third is letting him lay there, the dog is going to get mixed signals. It makes it much more difficult for him to learn the commands.

Train your dog by reinforcing positive behavior. This does not mean to punish your pet when he does something bad; instead, simply do not reinforce negative behavior. Negative enforcement might just make your dog scared of you. Positive reinforcement will ensure that your dog will want to do good things more often in order to receive treats and praise.

Give your dog plenty of positive reinforcement. Discipline isn't only about punishment for bad behavior. You should make sure to reward good behavior with lots of affection and praise. It will ensure that your dog understands when it is doing the right thing, and it will help it develop trust in its trainers.

When doing early leash training, select a nylon leash about six feet longer. A leash made of leather or other heavy material will drag on the dog's collar even when you aren't attempting to give a reinforcement, and can be extremely distracting for the dog. Once your dog is fully leash trained, however, leather leashes may look better and last longer than nylon ones.

If you are travelling with dogs, make sure to pack everything that your dog needs to eat, sleep and use the bathroom. Items like water and food bowls, paper towels and bathroom bags are essential to having a relaxing ride. Do not worry about taking a bag of their dog food with you; it is much easier to pick some up when you get to your destination.

When training a dog it is important to reward good behavior while redirecting bad behavior. Careful effort to maintain a clear distinction between good and bad behavior will go a long way towards overall training of the dog. This will guarantee that the dog knows why it is being rewarded or why it is being punished.

When you are training your dog, do not repeat commands over and over to get the dog to obey. Rather than teaching your dog to do what you say, repeating the same command when your dog doesn't listen gives them an attitude of indifference. Give your commands firmly, once, and insist the dog do what you say.

If your dog seems depressed or gets anxious when you are about to leave the house, your dog might suffer from separation anxiety. To help your dog go through the day, leave something that has your smell on it, such as an old piece of clothing. This could mean that your dog will not miss you so much.

Never yell at a barking dog. While a barking dog is sure to raise your frustration level, resist the urge to yell at them. Dogs do not understand that you are yelling at them, and often associate your raised voice as you joining in the fun of barking. If your dog is barking, calmly distract them with a toy or treat, and when the barking stops, give them their prize.

Dog Advice & Resources:

• Fasting For Dogs
• How To Teach Your Dog To Walk To Heel
• Can Dogs Have OCD?
• Normal Temperature For Dogs
• I Want To Adopt A Dog

How To Have A Well Behaved, Happy Dog

As a new dog owner, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to make sure your dog is both healthy and well behaved. This article will go into detail regarding tips specific to your situation, a new dog owner, and ways that you can successfully train your dog.

It is fun teaching your dog how to do tricks. Pick a time when he is fed, relaxed and calm. First, extend your hand to your dog's paw. You may have to pick his paw up when you first start. Regardless of how he acts, give him a treat. Pretty soon he will learn that if he extends his paw he will get a treat. In no time, he will simply give you his paw on his own.

Practice walking your dog over to a rug and asking him to sit whenever a doorbell rings. To do this, have a friend or family member ring the doorbell. Guide your dog by his leash to a rug or spot and have him sit. Praise him and offer a treat. Repeating this exercise will help him to remain calm and appear more polite when guests come over.

Do not respond to demands for attention from your dog. Training a dog to be docile and controlled, means that you control when attention is given. In the pack, Alphas will ignore these behaviors until the dog is calm and relaxed. Then and only then, should you build excitement through play with the animal.

Establish a calm environment when you enter a room that your dog is in. Play time is good to have with your pet, however, your dog should remain calm when you enter the room. Do not acknowledge the animal when you enter and by doing so you create a controlled atmosphere in which you decide how and when play time begins.

Although a well trained dog can be taught to put up with just about anything, there will be times and situations where they are truly uncomfortable with a person, another animal, or a place. Don't force your dog to suffer through more of this discomfort than is absolutely necessary. There is a reason that they are uncomfortable and you need to determine that reason.

If your dog barks and growls at strangers in your home, do this: leash your dog, make him sit, wait until his attention is on you, and hand the leash, in full view of the dog, to your guest. Then wait until the dog is calm again, with the guest giving commands as needed. This teaches the dog that your guest ranks above him in "the pack" and he must accept them. When the dog starts to react again, repeat the exercise.

Put yourself in your dog's proverbial shoes - or paws, rather. It is easy to get frustrated with your dog if they are not learning very basic things quickly or at all. Instead of giving up entirely, you might consider trying to put yourself in your dog's mindset. Imagining the world as they see it might give you a new perspective on training them.

Young puppies are prone to chewing on their owners belongings. You can address this problem by immediately stopping your puppy if he chews an inappropriate item. You should then, instead, give him the toys that he is allowed to chew. Praise your dog anytime you finding him chewing a permitted toy. Remaining consistent with this training method can save your favorite furniture or pair of shoes.

If you are undergoing chemotherapy it is common for certain foods to leave a metallic taste in your mouth. The most common foods that give this type of reaction are water and meats. You can try adding fruit to water to lighten the taste and you can substitute fish, eggs, beans, or some other type of protein to your diet instead of meat.

Don't give treats to your dog for no reason, and never feed your dog at the table (learn to stop dog begging). Feed your dog his dog food in the same place, at the same time, every day. Give treats as rewards for good work done during training time. Otherwise, praise and petting are ample indications that you are friends with your dog. Too many treats at the wrong times will produce a spoiled, overweight dog.

Many puppies like to use their mouths to play because that is how they played with their litter mates. This should be discouraged as soon as possible after your puppy comes home. It may be cute when a seven pound puppy pulls on your arm or shirt sleeve, but I assure you, it isn't as cute when a fifty pound dog does it.

Dog Health

Your dog will need a diet high in nutrition to maintain his vitality and health. This means that you should be picky about what you feed your dog. Making your own dog food can help to reduce fillers that do nothing for your pet, while increasing the crude protein to a healthy and more beneficial level.

In many cases, a dog's diet can be contributing to the behavior and health problems that he is having. Be sure that you are feeding your dog a balanced diet and he is going to thank you by adapting his behavior to be accepted, more important than that, he will be healthier for many more years.

When you are training your dog, you should make sure that your dog is not sick when it is not following your commands that it normally will follow. They also need regular visits to the vet so that he or she can inform you of your dog's health. If your dog is sick, you shouldn't push your dog for not following commands.

If you are training a high-energy dog, it may be beneficial to exercise your dog just before the training session. A dog that is overly energetic will have difficulty focusing on what you are trying to teach. (Useful: can dogs have ocd?) The exercise session can be beneficial for the human owner's health as well!

A great dog training tip is to make sure your dog gets a little bit of exercise every day. Exercise is not only good for your dog's health, it also keeps them social with other people and other dogs. Taking your dog for a daily walk is key for socialization.

Keep your dog up-to-date on his check-ups. If you are finding your dog is having difficulty with some aspects of training, or has regressed in his training, make sure he is in good health. Dogs are very adept at hiding pain and discomfort. So many times behavioral changes are the only clue that there is a health issue. For example, aggression can be a sign of pain, and sudden regression in-house training can signal a urinary tract infection.

A good dog training tip is to make sure you regularly take your dog to the veterinarian for check-ups. You never know what sudden health issue could pop up. By regularly taking your dog to the veterinarian for check-ups, you can insure that your dog stays happy and healthy.

Be sure that your canine is consuming a healthy diet. A bad diet is unhealthy for dogs for many reasons. Poor nutrition adversely affects your dog's health and can cause uncharacteristic behavior. By simply improving the diet that the dog gets, you may notice a great improvement in how receptive they will be when it comes to training.

When a behavioral problem suddenly occurs you should take the dog to the vet to eliminate health problems. There are painful medical issues which cause aggressive or obnoxious behavior in dogs. This behavior is an indicator to humans that there is something wrong.

Ensure that your dog gets plenty of exercise and stimulation. Almost all dogs have short attention spans. When a dog is bored, he will be hard to train. Your dogs will obey more quickly if you keep them well exercised. Get out for some long walks and runs with your dog.

Because you are a new dog owner, you are faced with many challenges. Hopefully if you follow the steps presented in this article, you will be much closer to being able to successfully train your new dog and will have a better understanding of what goes into dog ownership and training.

How To Take Your Dog's Pulse & Temperature

There may be times when you need to check your dog's temperature or pulse. The most reliable way of taking your dog’s pulse is to locate the femoral artery. Your dog can either be standing or can be lying on his back for this. Put your fingers inside your dog’s groin, where the leg joins the trunk. Feel around until you detect a pulse.

Another method is to press against the rib cage over the heart while your dog is standing. You should be able to detect a pulse just below the elbow joint.

Read more: http://www.dogadvice.co.uk/normal-temperature-for-dogs/feed

Bonus: 5 Life Saving Tips For Dog Owners

How Easy Is It To Adopt A Shelter Dog?

A great piece on MyDogMagazine.com called I want to adopt a dog, outlines 7 top tips for anyone considering dog adoption.

In the article:

Visit your local shelter and spend some time with the dogs. Donating some of your time to simply hang out and play with these canine residents can make a huge difference to their lives. Most of the time, shelter staff are very busy with their work and they do not have the extra time to interact with the dogs.

Shelter employees can always use the help of others to come and play and socialize with their residence. They are more than happy to show you around and figure out what you can do to help out.

Read in full: http://mydogmagazine.com/blog/adopt-a-dog/

The Amazing Rewards of Dog Training

Training a dog is an endeavor which requires a plethora of patience, but if done correctly is also immensely rewarding. In all my life I have known no feeling like companionship greater than that feeling I have with my two dogs. If you're interested in learning more, read this article.

Not showering your dog with enough positive reinforcement when he does good, will reduce the power you have over him in training. Since dogs love attention, giving them plenty of it, provides him with incentive to listen to you. If all he ever hears from you is what not to do, he is not getting any encouragement, only discouragement, so be sure to reward him with praise often.

When giving commands to your dog, never come down to their level. Maintaining eye contact and a fully erect, dominant stance imparts control to the dog. Your dog will be receptive to commands given from this posture much easier than a crouching owner who is seen as an equal or playmate.

Worth a read: Why does my dog ignore me?

Watch your demeanour when you are training your dog. You need to remain calm, but assertive at all times. Do not show anger or raise your voice. If you do this, your dog will require you to shout commands in order to follow them, if this is how he is trained.

Paper train your dog. If your dog is left home for long periods of time, he will need a place to go to the bathroom. With this housebreaking method, accidents do not occur in other areas of the house, and the dog learns the proper place to do his business.

Sometimes a dog trainer must punish their dog. Punishment does not eliminate the behaviour the trainer wants to discourage, though; it merely suppresses it. Canny trainers know that punishing a dog only encourages them to hide the behaviour for which they are being punished. It is better to entirely replace an undesirable behavior than to punish a pet for engaging in it.

If your dog is a fearful dog, you should address her confidence issues sooner rather than later. The fact is that fearful dogs can be very reactive, which spells trouble when you and your dog are out and about. Make positive associations with stimuli that make her nervous, and desensitize her to the spontaneous nature of the world around her. She will be thankful you did!

Affection makes a great reward, however, be careful not to turn it into play. During training sessions, physical rewards such as belly rubs or scratching the ears can easily be overdone and lead the dog to think you are entering a play cycle. Keep the rewards quick and allow your dog to maintain focus for more training.

If you're tired of the commands your dog already knows, try spicing up an old behaviour. A fun trick is teaching your dog to give either paw when asked. You can teach this a few ways, but try picking up the corresponding paw to your hand and treating and praising. When your dog gets the idea, treat and praise for successful raising of the right paw!

Some dogs are so scared of thunderstorms that they are literally a danger to themselves. If your dog has an extreme fear of thunder, speak to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may recommend and prescribe a mild sedative to give your dog before a storm rolls in. This is often a last-ditch effort when behavior modification cannot handle the problem alone, but it is often beneficial to a dog's quality of life if the problem is severe enough.

Don't let your dog 'own' the furniture. To a bossy dog, the furniture is his fortress, giving him much more status than sitting on the floor. If your dog becomes possessive about the furniture, deny him access until he is ready to move for any human being, including a child or stranger. Stand with an erect posture and use a firm voice. Don't use food to entice your dog off the furniture if he has already growled, as he will think he has been rewarded. Wait until he gets off the furniture on his own, and don't allow him back up.

This article hopefully gave you some tips and ideas on how to train your dog. As they are still animals at heart it does take a little work, and a little technique. However, there is a lot of useful information from this article that can get you started on training your dog.

Consider protecting your pet for life, investigate lifetime pet insurance cover.

Health related article worth a look: cataracts in dogs - what you need to know.

Article syndicated by petbuzz

Breed Profile American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog has been a member of the AKC since 1994. With its spitz-like features, this white bundle of love makes an outstanding family companion. They have the physical makeup of your classic spitz, but come in all-white and maintains a double coat. The ears are adorably short and thick, which makes them cold resistant. This breed can be seen in the toy version, miniature, and standard.

Tip, insure your dog breed.

A Brief History Of The American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog (also known as the Eskie) is often mistaken as a spitz breed. This common mistake is not without merit, however, as the breed descended from one of the spitz varieties that was created in Germany. Other influences that went into the making of the American Eskimo Dog was the Pomeranian, Volpino Italiano, and the Keeshond.

All of the other breeds mentioned above quickly became popular, leaving the Eskie to grow slowly in popularity. Essentially what happened was that the Keeshond dog came in a variety of colors but only the gray variety was accepted, excluding the white Keeshond. Then the Pomeranian standard excluded any dogs over 8 lbs.

So by the 1900s, there were these white spitz-like dogs, all white, and larger than the Keeshond breed, that had no home. It is said that European workers brought these dogs with them to the United States. In 1913, they began registering with the UKC. By the 1920s, the Americans called the dog the American Spitz, which could regularly be seen in circus shows. After World War I the American Spits had its name changed to the American Eskimo Dog, which did not gain AKC recognition until 1994.

Upkeep Requirements For The American Eskimo Dog

The American Eskimo Dog needs plenty of daily exercise, but the amount of physical activity also depends on the type of Eskie. The standard versions need a good workout in addition to several walks on the leash each day. The miniature and toy versions can get by with just a few walks and a romp around the living room. All Eskies love to run and play, especially in the cold.

As its name suggests, the American Eskimo Dog is no stranger to cool temperatures and thrive in such conditions. These dogs are definitely not meant for warm climates. Eskies should also be considered house dogs, spending the majority of its time indoors with the family, where they make excellent watchdogs. Grooming requirements for the breed consists of a thorough brushing of its double coat twice weekly.

Health Concerns

The average lifespan of the American Eskimo Dog is between twelve and fourteen years. There are no major health concerns in the breed. Minor health issues include PRA, CHD, and patellar luxation. Rarely seen is diabetes. Veterinarians suggest that the American Eskimo Dog get specifically tested for eye, hip, and knee problems.

This article has been distributed by petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.

Outdated Puppy House Training Methods be Gone!

When it comes to puppy house training old fashioned, outdated methods are not the way to go. They can in fact make the house training process harder and, worse, can have a negative impact on your dog's trust in you.

Puppies are no more prepared to be instantly house trained than human babies are. A period of development needs to be reached before the puppy is ready to follow your requests and commands.

The puppy desperately wants to please you and doesn't understand why they're being punished. The old views of punishment as a means of potty training are as outdated for dogs as they are for children. It simply doesn't work.

Tip: If you're having puppy house training problems, consider crate training your dog.

Rubbing a puppy's nose in the faeces isn't a good approach. The dog only sees you as a tormentor and doesn't understand what you do want instead. There is a very real risk of serious illness to the puppy after getting a nose full of E-coli bacteria. If you're unhappy with the cost of having your rug cleaned, wait until you see the vet bill from an illness you caused!

Another type of fear-based potty training is to swat the dog with a rolled up newspaper after rubbing his nose in the faeces. If the puppy could speak, he would say, What makes you think Im going to potty on newspaper in the kitchen after you hit me with it? I don't want anything to do with newspaper! Hitting a puppy with rolled up newspaper merely teaches him to fear newspaper.

You simply have to accept that a puppy will make mistakes. Sometimes, you're responsible for those mistakes. When you arrive home late or sleep in rather than taking the puppy outside, what you do expect him to do?

Read more and learn the correct way to potty train your puppy....

Sponsored: When grooming your own dog, make sure your equipment is up to the job (clipper blade sharpening)

Easy Dog Grooming Tips (What is The Best Dog Grooming Brush?)

Brushes & Combs: What Is The Best Dog Grooming Brush?

There are specific brushes and combs to use on dogs, all based according to what you need to accomplish. It's not too different than when people need a round brush for curling with a blow dryer versus a natural bristle brush for normal dry brushing, etc.

Top tip: If you clip your own dog's coat - ensure your equipment is full up to scratch. Find out more about clipper blade sharpening...

If you do not plan on showing your dog then there is no need to get lost in too many details on the perfect brush. For example you might use: a pin brush or slicker brush for the same purpose – or - a curry comb instead of a hound glove.

To better help you make the best choice as to what brush or comb you need to get your dog properly groomed and looking nice, below is a quick-starter guide on all types of brushes and what hair type is best to use them with. All you have to do is choose the right tools that match the individual breed type and hair texture of your dog.

Bristle Brush

This brush has soft and gentle bristles, and are usually made of all-natural material. It is a lot like natural bristled brushes that are sold for people. They result in less electricity in your dog's hair, whereas nylon will let the static electricity build up within the coat. These brushes distribute natural oil though the hair and smooth out the hair. They are an all purpose type of brush, perfect for any dog, especially the long-haired types.

Slicker Brush

This brush is made up of “teeth” type bristles that can be very harsh, but they are very close together and are essential for some dog's coats. The brush readily removes all dead hair from the fur and can remove mats when used properly. These brushes are best for curly haired dogs and long-haired dogs.

Conversely, this is great for a dog that sheds a lot in the house as you can remove lots of hair with the very little effort.

Curry Brush Rubber Types

This is usually an oval-type of brush. It simply puts a polish on the dog's coat and gets rid of dead hair which will result in far less shedding. At the same time, it does not harm the skin since it has rounded rubber type bristles. This brush is perfect for sensitive skin and smooth-coated dog breeds.

Pin Brush

These brushes are best used on really long and fine-haired breeds, or heavy-coated dogs that have double coats. The purpose of the brush is to remove tangles in the long-haired dog and with wiry coats that are tough, as it helps to give them a good brush out before stripping the hair by hand.

Combs: Fine, Medium & Wide-Toothed

Dogs with silky, soft hair or with fine-to-medium texture needs a fine-to-medium comb. The comb will remove the final remains of tangles and can often help remove flea dirt as well as the fleas themselves. You should use a wide-toothed comb on a coat that is dense and very thick. The purpose is the same - to finally remove all the tangles.

Coat Rake, Mat Comb, or Mat splitter

When you are dealing with mats and tangles use a spray detangler along with one of these tools. This is best used on curly and long-coated dogs.

Hound Glove

As the name suggests, this is a glove that you slip on and use the side covered with natural bristles to brush your dog. Smooth-coated dogs benefit from this as it helps to remove dead hair in an efficient manner, while adding a shine to the coat.

Remember, all dog breeds require grooming. However, each breed has particular coat care needs. Some individual dogs may have skin allergies or coat problems periodocially through their life, whilst others will always seem to maintain a healthy coat regardless. (Tip: dog shampoo for itchy skin)

Get more top dog grooming tips

OMG! Dog Walks on Water

You have to see this, from Ryan O'Meara's blog

So dogs really can walk on water!

I knew it.

We all knew it.

Now there's proof!!

Dog Breed Insurance Help

(petbuzz, London, October 2011) - Dedicated information for dog owners seeking individual dog breed insurance information now has a new home thanks to pet insurance lifetime cover experts VetsMediCover.

In partnership with leading pet marketing provider, petbuzz, VetsMediCover has set up a dedicated website to cover dog breed specific insurance information.

The information contained on the website is designed to make it easier for caring dog owners to research and get fast access to dog breed insurance specifically related to their own type of dog.

Speaking about the initiative, Ryan O'Meara says:

"This service has been needed for a long time. Dog owners now are much more aware of the positive aspects of pet insurance. They have a greater understanding of the various elements of policy cover, claims issues, restrictions and the different types of pet insurance cover that different policies contain. 

By launching this site with VetsMediCover, we hope we'll be able to help dog owners by providing the most comprehensive, dog breed specific pet insurance resource."

According to a recent study carried out by K9 Magazine, 90% of dog owners questioned were completely satisfied with the quality of service provided by their vet, whilst the same proportion of owners, 90%, felt their vet was overcharging them for the services provided. 31% said they would be prepared to change their vet on account of the high fees being charged rather than the quality of service their dogs received.

As vet fees look set to continue to rise as pet health treatment becomes more sophisticated, dog insurance has never been so crucial for owners looking to minimise their exposure to unexpected costs.

Find out more: www.DogBreedInsurance.co.uk

Distributed by Taylor Guerney on behalf of petbuzz.

Clicker Training to Stop Puppy Chewing

Use the clicker method for training your dog. Clicker training is a form of conditioning that can help a dog to identify behaviour that produces praise or a reward. After your dog has successfully obeyed a command, use the clicker to indicate that he will get a treat. Your dog will soon learn if he isn't following commands or behaving correctly! Certain studies have shown that using a clicker reduces training time by one third.

When you are training your dog out of chewing inappropriately, remember to set him up for success. Furthermore, a dog that chews inappropriately needs to be kept away from danger. Hairbrushes, nylons, and other common household items pose a danger to dogs and can lead to choking and obstructions.

Dog Training Made Fun

Owning a dog can be one of the greatest joys in life. Pet owners are routinely found to have higher qualities of life than their pet less counterparts, however, an untrained dog will certainly provide you with many unhappy moments. This article serves to provide you with the tips necessary to start training your dog on your own.

Run away from your dog if he gets loose. It is easy to panic when a dog breaks loose from his leash or escapes the house or yard. Resist your instinct to chase the dog. Dogs love to play chase, and going after him will only encourage him to go further away. Instead, get your dog's attention, and then run AWAY from him. This uses the same instinctual love of the chase game to your advantage. Instead of you chasing your dog, the game becomes to chase you. Be sure to praise him thoroughly when he "catches" you!

The way to train a dog is to be consistent with your training. It is important to pick one style of training and stick with it. Consistency in the method of training is just one step.  You must also consistently train your dog. Taking long breaks between training confuses your dog and training will take longer.

If there is a behaviour you'd like your dog to be able to do on command, make sure you praise him whenever he offers this behaviour. This works well for tricks that you are actively teaching, as well as actions that he does naturally. For instance, if you think it'd be fun to teach your dog to sneeze whenever you ask, simply say, "Sneeze" and treat him whenever he does sneeze. Sooner or later, he will learn the association between the word "sneeze," the action of sneezing, and the reward.

It takes the entire family to train a dog. When you have a family dog it is important that all members participate in the training. This ensures that the message of what is right and wrong is consistent. Involving children in the training ensures that the family pet sees them as alpha members of the family.

When training your dog, make sure to enforce all commands you give. Do not repeat them over and over, but issue them once firmly, and make sure your pet follows through. Do not let your dog ignore a command, or else he will think you are not serious and will disregard most of the training session.

For a happy pup, it is important to start socialisation from an early age. During the first few weeks of life, a puppy should be exposed to new situations, people, and animals. This will help him to be better adjusted and friendlier later in life. This will also ensure that he will feel less stressed when encountering unfamiliar situations and things.

Never punish your pet for coming when called. According to Ryan O'Meara (K9 Magazine) a good recall command is essential, not only for obedience, but for your dog's safety as well. It may seem obvious that calling your pet to you for punishment is bad, however when you are angry at a dog who has darted out of the yard or refuses to come for a bath, it is easy to forget. By keeping their "come" command associated with positive experiences, you can be assured that next time they get away from you, they will reliably return when called.

All pets, and certainly all dogs, can be wonderful companions. For many people, the time and patience it requires to train you dog properly may discourage them from attempting it on their own. But by applying the tips in this article to training your dog, not only will you have an obedient companion, you will save yourself many headaches and provide yourself great joy in the long run.

Article distributed by Emily Sutton on behalf of petbuzz.

Super Quick Dog Training Tips

You thought you were bringing home the dog of your dreams but quickly you find yourself wondering if you're the new owner of the hound of the Baskervilles. Never fear, we've got some super quick dog training tips to set you on your way to the perfect pooch!

When you first bring your puppy home, those first few days are the most important. You should be patient, consistent, and persistent form day one with your new puppy. Be sure not to let your puppy get away with behaviours you are not going to allow and positively reinforce the behaviours you are wanting to see.

To reduce the barking of your dog, try getting them used to what causes the barking in the first place. It can be a sound, or being face to face with other people or other animals. Your dog will understand that there is no need to bark in these situations.

Correct bad behaviour immediately. The common mistake many people make in the care for their dog is allowing bad behaviour to go unchecked until it becomes a problem. Proper training of a dog involves recognizing bad behaviour right away and correcting it. It is harder to correct a problem once it has grown out of proportion.

When training a dog to a leash it is important to keep the leash loose. Dogs are often eager to explore new territory when they get the opportunity to go for a walk. Because of their eagerness they will tend to strain on the limits of leash. The savvy owner will discourage this behaviour, instead encouraging his or her pet to walk with some slack in the leash.

Most owners are amazed at how easy it is to incorporate basic dog training into their life, and how quickly they start to notice results. So if your relationship with your pooch is feeling a bit strained, try out some of these tips. We think you'll be impressed with the results!

Quick Links:

• Why do dogs mark territory
• Why Do Dogs Yawn?
• Dog Obedience Tips

Article distributed by Elandro Viara on behalf of petbuzz.

Training a Working Livestock Dog

You are training your dog to work with live stock on your farm and want to be sure that your dog is useful, safe, and treats your live stock well.  This is important to the productivity of your farm.  This article will provide specific ways that you can train your working livestock dog accordingly.

Learning to listen to your dog will make you a better trainer of him. Animals are not robots that can be programmed and your dog has a personality with preferences and quirks, just like you. Understanding the nuances of your dogs expressions will help you decipher more in training and therefore, expand your ability to teach him.

If you are trying to prevent your dog from begging, the best thing to do is ignore the begging completely. Don't respond either positively, with a treat or petting, or negatively, by shouting. Your dog will learn quickly and remember for a long time that the begging ended up with you paying attention to the dog.

Teaching your dog a fun trick, such as "play dead" can be a fun way of distracting him.  When your dogs behaviour is bad, simply use the command you have established for his trick instead of using negative punishment.  This provides for a fun activity for your dog and creates a positive environment for you as well.

Tip: K9 Magazine's Ryan O'Meara says: "Dogs all have individual motivating factors. For some it's food, for others it's play. Before you begin to train, try to learn exactly what your dog's main motivating factors are."

Find out what motivates your dog as a training reward, and save it for training sessions to get maximum results. Some dogs love a chance to chew on a special squeaky toy or ball, while others adore a certain brand of treats or tiny chunks of fresh baked chicken. It never hurts if the dog is a little hungry so the treats seem even tastier.

Dog Nutrition Guide

Your dog will need a diet high in proper nutrition and the right type of calories to maintain his vitality and health. This means that you should be picky about what you feed your dog. Making your own dog food can help to reduce fillers that do nothing for your pet, while increasing the crude protein to a healthy and more beneficial level.

Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. Many people overlook treats when considering the animals diet but they will certainly add up, especially during active training. Carefully choose which treats to give him based on quality and nutrition and if you're finding the dog gets a lot of treats you may want to consider praise as an alternative reward.

In conclusion, it is important that you train your dog well in order to be able to work with your live stock.  As long as you follow the tips and tricks included in this article you should be able to train your dog to more efficiently and safely work with your live stock.

Having Trouble Training Your Dog? Try These Great Tips!

Getting a new dog is a very exciting time, however, it is pretty much like having a newborn baby at home.  There is a lot involved when you first get a dog.  Sometimes it could feel a little bit overwhelming.  However, the tips you will find in this article will help get you on your way to an obedient little dog.

For your dog to understand what you are punishing them for, you need to catch them misbehaving. If you reprimand a dog for something that happened hours ago, chances are your dog will not make the connection. And if you choose to ignore your dog to show that you are mad, do not ignore it for more than a few minutes.

One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is that it is a lifelong process. Many owners think that once their pet has the basics down, the training process is over. Dogs, much like people, learn throughout their lives, and consistent training will help them to be well-behaved and friendly.

To help train your dog, you must assert yourself as the dominant one in your relationship by refusing to give the dog undeserved attention or food. When you convince your dog you run the show and, in addition, let the dog recognize you can use that power to give it something it wants, your dog will obey your commands more effectively.

Listening to your dog is one of the most important steps of training your dog.  If your dog is uncomfortable or scared then you aren't going to get the result that you are looking for.  Respect their needs and the process will go a lot smoother.

After reading this article you can see that it is possible to have a dog that is both adorable and obedient.  With just a little bit of persistence and the suggestions given in this article, you will have a dog that you can be proud of before you know it.

Article distributed by Alexis Dougan on behalf of petbuzz.

K9 Magazine Editor Ryan O'Meara on Dog Attacks

Ryan O'Meara, editor and publisher of K9 Magazine, a lifestyle magazine for dog lovers, has issued a warning to dog owners about the importance of understanding canine body language to spot the warning signs of a potential dog attack.

O'Meara, who is a former professional dog trainer, has previously spoken at the National Dog Warden Association on the topic of canine aggression.

He says:

"Understanding certain aspects of dog body language, what motivates them, what scares them and gaining more knowledge about things such as territory aggression, resource guarding and nervous aggression is the key for dog owners to recognise situations where their dog may be more likely to respond to certain situations with a bite."

O'Meara explains in his much talked about article "The Anatomy of a Dog Attack" how misreading the warning signs and failing to recognise tell-tale dog body language signals is one of the key reasons why people get attacked 'out of the blue'.

He explains:

"Dogs rarely bite people. However, if you examine some of the most serious dog attacks there is very often a correlating pattern."

O'Meara's remarks ring true in the cases of fatal dog attacks in Britain.

His article "What Causes Fatal Dog Attacks" details consistent patterns in all cases:

read more from Ryan O'Meara on dog attack patters.

How to Give Pills to Your Dog

Urgh. This is one of those tasks that, depending on your dog, can be a real nightmare.

K9 Magazine's quick tip sheet: How to give tablets to dogs is a must read!

You can learn how to deal with those dogs who just refuse to eat tablets as well as get an insight in to the best methods to administer pills to dogs who wriggle and squirm.

Read it here: http://www.k9magazine.com/how-to-give-tablets-to-a-dog/

PetScreen Announces Advanced Canine Lymphoma Test

Advanced canine cymphoma blood test helps you make a more timely diagnoses.

Canine cancer screening experts, PetScreen would like to say a big thank you to all the vets that have provided PetScreen with follow up on their patients after using the LBT. With your help, we have been able to further develop and improve the test.

The company says:

"Many clinicians have asked about the identity of the biomarkers detected in the LBT. Therefore, we have been busy characterising and identifying the biomarkers used in the original LBT and found that two of them are acute phase proteins (APPs). Although APPs have been investigated individually in veterinary medicine for some time, we have continued our unique multi-marker approach to develop specific analytical algorithms which combine the relative levels of both haptoglobin and C-Reactive Protein in serum. This has enabled us to develop the Advanced Lymphoma Blood Test (ALBT), which has numerous benefits over the original LBT."

"We have tested the ALBT with 194 rigorously followed up diagnostic samples consisting of lymphoma samples, samples from healthy dogs and dogs with benign lymphoid hyperplasia and other diseases with similar presentations to lymphoma."

"By measuring the APPs using immunoassay, we are able to achieve excellent levels of performance, reproducibility and objectivity typical of such tests."

What the ALBT offers:

Differentiation between patients with lymphadenopathy due to lymphoma and lymphadenopathy due to other conditions such as benign lymphoid hyperplasia.

Same day results – lymphoma can develop very rapidly, and time is of the essence.

A simple blood test, taken as part of routine blood work. If results come back as positive for lymphoma, you might want to consider more invasive tests such as FNA or biopsy.

Reduced cost. The new same day turnaround test costs less than the original 5 day turnaround LBT.

You can request the new ALBT straight away. The submission form can be downloaded from our website, please follow this link:

http://www.pet-screen.com/web/PETSCR/index.cfm?s=2&dir=5110.

If you have any questions, please contact us at vets@pet-screen.com or you can call the Freephone number 0800 028 4811

Celebrate World Animal Day 2011

Animal lovers are being urged to get involved in World Animal Day 2011 to show their support for animal welfare around the globe.

Launched in the UK on 4 October 2003, organisations, groups, animal shelters, places of worship, schools, clubs and individuals have participated in what was to become an annual event on this special day to celebrate the relationship between man and his animal friends.

Animal enthusiasts can learn more about how to get involved: http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/get_involved.asp

Resources: http://worldanimalday.org.uk/resources.asp

Just one of the events being carried out for World Animal Day 2011 is The Kucinski Wildlife Foundation's Art and Photo Walk for Animals

Find out more: http://www.kwf-ecological.org.uk/WorldAnimalDay.html

Speaking about World Animal Day 2011, UK WAD Ambassador Ryan O'Meara says:

"Every day of every year animals have such a positive impact on the lives of millions of people. By dedicating a special day to honour that magical relationship, to organise events and to do whatever we can to help raise awareness about various animal welfare concerns, wherever they may be, is a wonderful way for us to commemorate our animal friends. World Animal Day is something I continue to be exceptionally proud to be associated with."

If you'd like to organise your own event or help promote World Animal Day 2011 - go here: http://www.worldanimalday.org.uk/get_involved.asp

Dog Arthritis a Growing Concern For Dog Owners

Arthritis in dogs is giving dog owners cause for concern. According to a study in K9 Magazine, the rise in canine obesity is the primary driver in the rising number of canine osteoarthritis cases being seen by vets in Western countries.

Canine osteoarthritis is a chronic condition which can not be cured but can be treated, managed and avoided.

Animal health care experts recommend that obesity is the key component in the onset of the disease and suggest that it is the expanding waistlines of our pets that is leading to increased cases of arthritis in dogs.

Charles Vincent, associate publisher at K9 Magazine, says:

"Our findings have shown that many dog owners are simply not sure about portion control when feeding their dogs. As a result, more and more dogs are above their optimal weight. This in turn leads to problems in their health such as arthritis, diabetes and other serious and debilitating conditions.

We are always willing and keen to offer dog owners advice on how best to avoid the common health problems that can affect their beloved animals. It would appear that unless dog owners can gain a better understanding of proper dog nutrition we can expect to see more cases of arthritis and other nasty ailments."

Canine Arthritis Awareness Month has been launched to provide dog owners with information on how to spot the symptoms of arthritis in dogs as well as what treatment plans are in place should a dog be diagnosed with this, or other common mobility and joint problems in dogs.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Health Concerns

According to an article at Insurance4Pets (pet insurance for Cavalier King Charles) - the health problems affecting the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are serious ones.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is, in fact, not a Spaniel at all and belongs to the toy group of dog breeds.

They reconstructed the spaniel over the period of just a few generations, and finally produced the original-looking King Charles Spaniel. But herein lies the problem - instead of getting to wear the original title (which they really deserved since they were replicas of the originals), they were called Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The addition of the name “Cavalier” would therefore distinguish them from what had evolved into the King Charles Spaniel of our present era.

From about the year 1926 until the present day, there are two separate breeds. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (most likely akin to the original King Charles Spaniel) and the King Charles Spaniel (far removed from what he was originally).

Cavalier's lifespan can range between 8 years on up to 15 years. Major health concerns that spring up are CHD, mitral valve insufficiency, and syringomelia. Minor health issues include entropion and patellar luxation. With regard to heath problems and syringomelia these are very grave health concerns and should require that anyone thinking of getting a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel should insist on health screening of all parents as well as a thorough questioning of any breeder who you are thinking of buying from.

Dog Ears Cropping: Is it Good or Bad?

One of the major decisions dog owner has to deal with are the cropping the dog’s ears. There are some dog breeds that are usually recognized by the unique look, especially the head area. Dog ear cropping has become a trademark for some breed of dogs such as Great Danes, Doberman Pinchers.

Nowadays, when almost everything is modernized, you would probably wonder why there is still a need or necessity for dog ears cropping. As a matter of fact, there are some other places or countries that already banned this practice in dogs.

The acts of cruelty and abused to animals have brought some arguments to many people. There are some individuals who think that improper medical and cosmetics on dogs are considered a type of abused to animals.

Moreover, others also argue the dog ear cropping will help dog’s ear canal infections in some dogs. They believe that cropping the dog’s ears will create a lesser chance of any dog ear infection or pinna trauma. Also, they believe that ear cropping in dogs is ethically similar to any optional surgery like neutering, spraying, or dew claws removal.

In contrary, it is a definite fact that dog ear infections are common regardless of the breed, whether the dog’s ears are cropped or not. Based on the studies of some veterinarians, there’s no medication explanation for cropping the dog’s ears or outer ears (pinnas). This simply tells us that cropping the dog’s ears is considerably a serious decision a dog owner must carefully take.

Dog Ear Mites: Are They Dangerous To Your Dog?

Ear mites can greatly affect a dog’s health. Though it is rare, ear mites can definitely suffer your dog. The ear mites in dogs are tiny living parasites that are flourishing food nutrients from the dog’s body.

Dog ear mites can cause various dog ear problems. These parasites are barely seen by the human’s naked eyes. It is possible for the bigger ear mites to be seen on the body of your dog. However, there are some of these dog parasites that can be seen through a microscope. It is not really necessary for a dog owner to see the ear mites in the dog’s body. What is important is learning how to detect and treat this dog ear problem.

A dog affected by ear mites suffers pain and distress. They constantly scratch their ears and can be extremely irritable for them. Furthermore, ear mites cause brown discharges in your dog’s ears. This is due to excessive ear wax production in your dog’s ears, which are caused by the presence of ear mites.

Ear mites in dogs can be fatal if untreated at the early stage. One of the common concerns regarding ear mites is that it can affect your dog’s hearing. These parasites can deeply penetrate into the dog’s ears, which may cause ear drum damage. It is indisputable that the ears are very important to the dogs. The ear mites cause disturbances of the dog’s health balance that can lead to seizures. A bad seizure may lead to death.

Furthermore, ear mites in dogs are extremely contagious. If you have many pets at home, it is critical to isolate the infected dog from other pets. This dog disease may spread out and it might be difficult for you to eliminate them away.

A proper dog ear care and hygiene would be the essential defense against ear mites. You must regularly clean your dog’s ears and groom whenever necessary. A healthy dog cannot be affected by any diseases such as dog ear mites.

Dog Ear Cancer: What is it?

Like humans, dogs can also be tormented by a number of skin tumors. Skin tumors can be evident on the dog’s ears. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the skin tumor types that can affect the dog’s ears. It is an invasive and malignant tumor, which can reside in the cells of epithelium, the tissue that protects the body. These tissue cells are commonly called as Squamous.

By definition, Carcinoma is an insistent and malignant form of cancer. It can frequently return after it has been eliminated from the body. Also, it can metastasize to other body organs.

One of the dog ear problems such as the dog ear cancer is caused by the presence of an auricular squamous cell carcinoma in the dog’s ears. This cancerous cell in the dog’s ears is caused by the excess exposure to the sun. White dogs, dog’s with white ears, and dogs with light hair coats are more likely to get afflicted by this type of dogs' ears tumor.

This tumor’s primary symptom is the visibility of crustiness and redness on the tips of the dog’s ears. Generally, this dog ear cancer can be cured if it is treated at its early stage. This form cancer in dogs is rare and oftentimes, it can be treated successfully.

The following are some of the known symptoms of cancer in the dog’s ears.

•    Crusty and red sores on the tips of the dog’s ears

•    Bleeding from sores on the dog’s ears

•    The sores slowly grow bigger in the ears

•    Ear tips may disappear, or malformed ears (when sores grow bigger)

•    Sores on the face

Dog Ear Care

Dog ear problems definitely can cause pain and discomfort for your dog. Proper dog ear care and the use of appreciate dog ear care products will help ease the pain from any dog ear problems such as a yeast infection, ear mites, or any parasitic ear infections.

A chronic dog ear infection can be treated by antibiotic or anti-infection medication. These types of dog ear products will help in eliminating the infections caused by dog ear parasites, bacteria, fungi, yeast, or viruses.

Dog ear mites and ticks bring discomfort to your dog. One of the recommended dog ear care product for these dog ear problems is the Pyrethrin. It is a type of insecticide medication that kills and eliminates ticks and mites in dogs. Pyrethrin has aloe Vera content that helps sooth the irritation and wax in the dog’s ears.

Furthermore, dog parasites such as mites and ticks can spread from another dog. If your dog’s environment is with other infected dogs and cats, all of them must be treated by eliminating the harmful parasites on them.

It really does not matter what type of ear care products you use; however, none of those products will be effective without any proper dog ear care.

Hearing Aids for Dogs: Learn How to Prevent Dog Hearing Loss

Dog ear problems are the main factors why dogs get affected with deafness. It can be frustrating when you symptoms of deafness in your dog. Though, many dogs are affected by inherited deafness, other become deaf due to an accident, old age, overdose of a certain medication, or ear infections.

Hearing aids for dogs functions the same as the human’s hearing aids. If your dog does not listen or respond to you as it used to, it is either your pet is just being stubborn or cannot hear you. A sign of hearing impairment in dogs is that they become irritable or uncomfortable when you touch their ears. Other symptoms are constant head shaking and unresponsive unless touched. These symptoms can be related to any dog ear problems. So, it is important that you determine what the problems in your dog’s ears really are. Dog ear problems such as yeast infection, hematoma, and ear mites can also result to hearing loss.

If you are suspicious that your dog is suffering from a hearing problem, you can try to use a squeaky toy to test. Try to squeeze the toy behind your dog and make unexpected or annoying noise. If your dog is not responsive to it, there’s something wrong with your dog’s hearing.

One of the major questions many dog owners have regarding hearing aids for dogs is whether it fits in their dog’s ears. Generally, dog hearing aids are custom-made by veterinarians. Most of the time, hearing aids can fit in the dog’s ears; however, there are some exceptions for that. Dogs that were born with hearing-impairment associated with a pigment cannot use a hearing aid. This means that those dogs with inborn hearing problems cannot be cured by hearing aids.

Hearing loss in dogs can be painful and distressing. We would not like that to that to happen to our dogs or any dogs. Hence, proper dog ear care is essential in keeping our dogs healthy and happy.

Dog Ear Problems: What is Hematoma?

One of the most common dog ear problems is ear hematoma. It can afflict a dog of any age and breed. Nevertheless, there is a major factor in this type of condition; dog ear hematoma is caused by permanent abnormalities in the dog’s ears. Ear hematoma can be very hurting to a dog. In result, the dog will obsessively scratch their ears, which certainly make the ear problem worse.

This condition is actually complicated because there’s no documented precise reason why this ear problem occurs in dogs. Ear hematoma in dogs is also known as auricular hematoma and aural hematoma. In simple term, it is a collection of blood or fluid in the dog’s ears. This blood in the dog’s ears is the result of ruptured blood vessel. This usually occurs between the cartilage and the skin of the dog’s ear. When a blood vessel is ruptured, there will be blood discharges from your dog’s ear, and it is extremely painful for them.

If by unfortunate chance, your dog has a history of chronic dog ear infections or allergies, your dog may have a higher risk of getting hematoma. Although the authentic cause is not yet proven, there are theories revealing that ear mites may cause it.

Hematoma in the dog’s ears is a serious condition. It is very crucial to have your dog checked by a veterinarian if symptoms persist.

Dog Ear Discharge: What are the causes and cure for it?

Dogs’ ear discharge is not actually a particular disorder. In fact, it is one of the symptoms of a core problem in your dog’s health, for example, dog ear problems or ear infections.

These dog ear problems can be tremendously excruciating. Your dog does not deserve to suffer its effects. Dog owners should be aware of the causes and symptoms of dog ear problems, as well as its prevention.

Dog ear discharge can be caused by any of the following: dog ear mites, Inner ear infection (otitis interna), and outer ear infection (otitis externa).

Ear discharge in dogs is painful to them, especially when their ears are touched. If you notice that your dog keeps on head shaking, pawing, and ear scratching, it is possible that your dog has ear problems. Also, inflamed ears and bad ear odor are some of its symptoms too.

This type of dog ear problem needs the veterinary’s attention, regardless of it is an internal or external dog ear infection. This problem may require a vet’s prescription, antibiotic cream, or ear-cleaning solutions. If it is not so bad, you can even treat it from your home; however, chronic dog ear problems may need a surgery.

Dog ear problems prevention is vital before they can affect your dog’s health. Keep your dog safe from these problems by cleaning your dog’s ears regularly, healthy diet, and clean environment.

Canine Ear Mite Problems

Canine ear mites - a nice, short little guide on identifying and dealing with ear mites in dogs.

Anatomy of a Dog’s Ear

It is well-known that dogs have the capability to hear well than humans do. The anatomy of a dog’s ear enables them to have higher sensitivity to a broader frequency of hearing any sound. In fact, the reason why dogs have survived through centuries. Unfortunately, the dog’s ear anatomy cannot save them from any dog ear infections or dog ear problems.

Ear flap - It is also known as pinna, which is the outer ear’s primary part. It can be in the shape of upright, floppy, or pointed. Pinna is composed of skin, hair, and cartilage. It can of hearing infinite amount of movement to regulate in better auditory angles and social cues transmission in dogs.

Ear Canals – Dogs have two types of ear canals: the vertical and horizontal canals. Cerumen is a waxy component that resists water. These two dog ear canals and cerumen protects the ears from water retention.

Inner Ear – It is part of the dog’s ear that is filled with fluid. Its primary function is to transmit sound to the appropriate nerves.

Middle Ear – It is where the ossicles and bulla are located. Ossicles vibrate when waves of sound smash them. On the other hand, bulla is responsible in detecting the lower sound registers.

Based on studies, the anatomy of dog’s ears are capable of hearing range up to 45,000 Hertz, while humans are only up to 23,000 Hertz. It is interesting to learn about dog ears. However, knowing the importance of it should motivate us take care of our dog’s ears. Read this Complete Guide for Dog Ear Care.

Dog Ear Care - A Way To Prevent Dog Ear Problems

One of the most common problems handled by many vets today is the dog ear infection. Surprisingly, most of the dog ear problems can be prevented by the pet owner. Clean, odor-free, pale pink color and a minimal accumulation of wax are indications of healthy ears. Check your pet's ears regularly. Prevent infections and dog ear odor by keeping ears clear of dirt, mites, and excess wax.

A few smart tips for dog ear care.

Avoid Wet Ears

Moisture is easily collected in your dog's ears often after a bath. For long-haired, or floppy-eared dogs such as Cocker Spaniel or Afghan hound dog, to help the ears dry up and to avoid moisture related infections and yeast troubles is particularly crucial. Also, consider using ear wraps to keep the ears out of water and food. They can also be used to help air out the ears.

Regular Grooming

Many pet owners do not realize that dogs can grow hair in the ear canal. Most of the grooming service includes bath and ear cleaning. Ear cleaning can be requested individually too. Keeping the hair short on and around the ear allows more air to reach the ear canal and keeps the internal ear drier. Make sure that the air is not blocked by excessive hair growth may promote better ear hygiene. Plucking hair remains controversy. The best method is to remove overgrowth hair gently, but avoid extensive pulling and plucking.

Regular ear check-ups and cleaning contributes to healthy ears, free of painful infections. When a dog shakes his or her head rigorously, it may be because of the discomfort of the ears.

Pet Insurance

There are a lot of dog insurance plans that cover dog ear infections. Check online if your dog's breed is prone to have ear issues. Hearing is one of the most highly developed senses in dogs. Keeping your dog's ear clean is extremely beneficial to maintain proper health. Check and clean your pet's ear regularly.

Dog Ear Infections – How To Treat and Prevent It?

Dog ear infection is common in dogs. It is can cause discomfort and pain for the dogs. For this reason, it is vital to learn how to determine its symptoms. Being aware of its known symptoms will help you identify if your dog is afflicted by it and how to cure it.

There are several factors that cause dog ear infections. The most common causes are yeast infections, bacteria, allergies, and ear mites in dogs. Constant scratching of ears and shaking of the head are just few of the known effects of ear problems in dogs. A brown-colored and foul-smelling ear wax discharge in your dog’s ears would also be another symptom.

If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately take your dog to the veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, there are some people who have a tight budget for such veterinary expenses so mostly likely they would prefer doing that.

Generally, dog ear infections are caused by the yeast infection in your dog, so you can initially try to treat this at home. Doing this might help you avoid having a trip to the veterinary clinic and save some money.

If you try a dog ear problem remedy at home, learn how to clean and treat your dog’s ears properly. Home remedies for dog ear problems are helpful; however, if your dog still continues to experience some discomfort and pain, you shouldn’t ignore it. Take your dog to the veterinary.

Preventing dog ear infections begin at home. Keeping your dog’s ears clean and dry especially after a shower is one major step. Also, maintain a healthy and clean environment at home to protect not just your dog’s health, but also yours and your family.

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Common Dog Ear Problems

There are quite a few common dog ear problems. The most common dog ear problem is usually caused by allergies. Your dog may get allergies because of many factors. It ranges from food allergy to external environmental factors like dust, toxic plants, or pollen. Inflamed and itchy ears are common allergy symptoms. Also, your dog may often bite their paws due to itchiness.

The environmental factors that are external can be eliminated by keeping a healthy and clean environment for your dog. This should reduce external causes of allergies such as the pollens and dust. If it is caused by the dog’s allergic reaction to food, you might consider doing some tests to determine which food you should stop feeding your dog. Once you have identified the allergic food, you should replace it with hypo-allergenic dog food. Keeping your dog’s immune system is very important. A regular exercise with a healthy diet should strengthen your dog’s resistance with possible allergies or diseases.

Dog ear infections can also be a cause of many health problems; however, such infections are more likely to occur to dogs with low immune system. The ear infection increases because of the dim, warm, and moist in the dog ears. For this reason, the bacterial and yeast growth will lead to foul odor and other symptoms that affect your dog’s behavior, habits, and health.

The best remedy is to have a veterinary check on your dog ears. The veterinary will do some tests to determine the cause of the dog ear problem, and prescribe proper medication to cure it.

Alternatively, you can prevent this through proper dog ear care.

Solving Your Dog's Ear Problems

A typical dog ear has smooth internal lining with a tiny quantity of wax build-up. When the dog ears get inflamed, irritated, and infected, the indications of dog ear wax discharge, irritation, and unpleasant foul odor will be visible. As a result, dogs will keep on scratching and shaking their heads.

Generally, those dog breeds with long saggy ears and thin ear canals, dogs that live in a warm atmosphere are particularly at risks for ear problems.

Dog ear problems that are untreated can be very dangerous. It can result to ear infections, hematomas, hearing loss, and brain inflammation. Some of the common causes of dog ear problems are ear mites, allergy, and fleas.

Although there are ear cleaners, it is best to have a veterinary check the dog for further diagnosis and treatment. Home treatment and prevention are important too.

Dog Ear Yeast Infection Symptoms

Dog ear yeast infection is commonly caused by the overgrowth of Candida Albicans, a type of yeast. It is often found around the dog's ears. If the dog has poor immune system, most likely the yeast has will multiply greatly. In addition to this, if your dog is suffering from any other disease and is on antibiotic medication, the pH balance get imbalance. The imbalance of pH level in your dog will cause the yeast growth.

There are many external symptoms for dog ear yeast infection. These known symptoms include itchiness, foul odor, and crusty skin. The yeast infection can be in certain parts of your dog's body. Sometimes, it can spread out on the entire body. The moist and warm body areas are prone to yeast infection.

Yeast infection in the dog's ears at an early stage can be cured. Hence, dog owners should be aware and learn how to determine if their dogs are afflicted by this type of infection.

Learn how to spot and avoid ear yeast infection on your dogs before it's too late.

Home Remedies for Dog Ear Infection

One of the most common dog ear problems is the dog ear infection. Veterinarians diagnose this type of infection through the sample collection of dog ear discharge, which can only be examined using a microscope. This diagnosis test will determine the cause of the infection.

Some of the known causes are bacteria, ear mites, yeast, or an occurring ear tumor. It the infection was caused by an ear tumor, a surgery may be required to ease the dog’s pain.

Veterinarians prescribe antifungal or antibiotic medicines to reduce the bacterial or yeast growth. Aside from this, an allergy treatment can be done if the dog infection is caused by an allergy.

Learn more about the home remedies you can do to treat your dog ear infection.

Dog Ear Mites Treatment

Dogs are likely to get health problems if they don’t get proper hygiene and health care. Dog ear mites are known to cause dog ear problems. 
Ear mites are tiny ectoparasites that look a lot like ticks or little spiders. 

These parasites can live in the dog’s ear canal or anywhere in the body. Dog ear mites can be very transmittable.  It can spread by being in contact with another infected dog or from a mother to her puppies.

A dog owner must treat the ear mites problem immediately or consult a veterinarian for proper medication.  Home remedies can help in the prevention and treatment of dog ear problems.

Learn how to spot and treat dog ear mites.

How To Cure Your Dog Ear Infection?

Ear infection can be a painful and annoying experience for your dog. It can happen unexpectedly. The common causes of ear problems in dogs are bacterial infection, food allergies, fungi, and improper hygiene.

A few of the known symptoms of dog ear infections are the following:

•  Redness inside or around your dog's ears
•  Inflammation
•  Foul-smelling ear wax discharges

To help cure your dog's ear infection, please check out the home remedies for dog ear problems.

Ear Problems in Dogs - What's The Solution?

Ear problems in dogs are a growing concern for the modern dog owner.

A recent US pet insurance survey has shown that dog ear problems are the single largest medical treatment being administered by vets today.

Dog ears are an area of the body that can suffer injury, wax build up, yeast infections, mites and a whole range of other issues.

Now, thanks to Total Pet Publishing, getting information on the best ways to look after our dog's ears has never been easier.

They have put together a free website dedicated entirely to the topic of good dog ear health and how to look out for ear problems in dogs.

Some of topics include:

- How to treat a dog ear yeast infection
- How to spot and treat ear mites in dogs
- How to properly clean dogs ears

Access the site at www.dogears.co

The Importance of Puppy Socialization

Puppy socialization is one of the few things we can't do over when it comes to training our dogs. If our dog develops a behavior problem in later life, we can work to fix it - but socialization of puppies is a one time deal, they need exposure early and it's absolutely crucial in their long term development.

Take a look at this fantastic guide if you want to see just why puppy socialization is so important: http://www.dogtips.co/puppy-socialization/

The long term benefits of a high quality puppy socialization plan simply can’t be stressed enough. You can’t wind the clock back after all.

Puppy Socialization Can Start Early

Proper early socialization of your puppy can have the positive lasting impact over the course of your dog’s life. It really is THAT crucial.

Read in full...http://www.dogtips.co/puppy-socialization/

How to be a Professional Dog Trainer

Great article from K9 Magazine - How to become a dog trainer.

So many people love dogs.

So many people need to feed their families, earn a living but want to do a job that they'd TRULY love. A lifestyle vocation.

Becoming a professional dog trainer is a dream job for dog lovers.

K9 Magazine has put together a fantastic guide on the steps you'd need take if you dream of becoming a full time, professional dog trainer.

Check it out here: http://www.k9magazine.com/how-to-become-a-dog-trainer/

Dog Insurance for Breeders

Dog insurance for breeders is a more common arrangement over the past decade.

As dog insurance plans have become more comprehensive and as the pet insurance has cottoned on to the fact that it is breeders who are the 'source' that is most trusted with new puppy owners.

Dog insurance for breeders explained:

Breeders will often give you a puppy care guide and recommend the food / diet that you provide your new canine pal.

A word of warning, you do NOT have to get your dog insurance just because it is recommended by your dog's breeder.

When you do decide to select your dog insurance ALWAYS choose the plan that best suits you and your dog.

This is absolutely not to suggest that your breeder may recommend bad insurance, but be aware they are quite often being paid a commission for you to purchase that particular breeder endorsed plan.

Take a look at this site if you want some general tips on selecting the best dog insurance for your particular dog.

Remember, dog insurance for breeders is something that insurance companies are relying on due to the breeder's position of trust.

Dog Dental Insurance Plans (Review)

Wanted to direct you to an interesting little article today on dog dental insurance.

You might not have considered getting a dental plan for your dog, but the article raises some good points about just how important your dog's teeth are to their all round health.

Dental problems in dogs can be serious and as far as vet fees are concerned, expensive.

So if you can find an insurance company willing to cover your dog's dental health, then what a great investment that could turn out to be!

See more: http://www.insurance4pets.com/dog-insurance-dental/

Should I Get a Pomeranian Puppy?

Should I get a Pomeranian puppy? Decisions, decisions! Pomeranian's are funky litle dogs with a lot of fans around the world. If you're thinking about getting a Pomeranian puppy, maybe our brief guide can help you decide...

The Pomeranian dog breed was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in the year 1870.

As its popularity grew, the American Kennel Club took notice and officially recognized Pomeranian dogs as a standard breed.

From that point on, these dogs were continually bred to be smaller and smaller, as well as have darker shades of color come through, resulting into the light brown Pomeranian dogs that are mostly seen today.

Housetraining your Pomeranian puppy - Pomeranians are very hygienic by character. They dislike dirtying the place where they sleep and eat. What’s more, dogs automatically build up behavior about where they do their job.

A few Pomeranian puppies prefer to go to the toilet on grass, while others have a preference for gravel. Determining what your puppy likes better early on can help accelerate the house training process.

(See this guide on puppy housetraining)

Insuring your Pomeranian

See this article: Best pet insurance for a Pomeranian

Adopt a Pomeranian: Visit www.dogsblog.com

Pomeranian puppies (video)

So, should you get a Pomeranian puppy? Hopefully our little guide has been of some assistance. Remember, always do your research and only ever work with high quality dog breeders. Pomeranians are, sadly, one of the dog breeds that are commercially produced in puppy farms / puppy mills. Don't fall victim to buying a sick Pomeranian puppy from a dog dealer.

Article published by Angelo Alonso on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.

Making Your Home Safe For Your Dog

Now this is not only fantastic advice, it's potentially lifesaving - our pals at DogTips have published a brilliant guide on how to make your home dog proof - or more pertinently, how to keep your home safe and secure for your dog and avoid disasters such as theft and straying.

In the guide you will learn:

• How to secure your garden
• How to use lighting to deter thieves
• How to use landscaping to your dog's advantage
• How to put off would-be dog thieves

If you own a dog, you'll know just how important it is to keep them safe and secure.

Avoid disaster, have a read...

http://www.dogtips.co/dog-proof-home/

distributed by Leandro Macheda on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.

What Are the Most Common Dog Training Problems?

According to an article by K9 Magazine, the top 5 common dog training problems are a mix of barking, running off and....crotch sniffing!

A nice little list today, gathered from K9 Magazine's analytics spreadsheets.

The following is a top to bottom compilation of the search terms related to dog training problems that people look for via K9 Magazine's search form.

You probably won't be surprised to see 3 of the 5 but there's a couple of surprises on the list!

5 - How to stop dog sniffing crotch
4 - Stop my dog pulling on the lead
3 - Stop puppy biting
2 - How to stop dog barking at cats
1 - How to get my dog to come back

See more: http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6721/top-5-dog-training-problems/

Dog Health From Nose to Tail

Excellent piece today from DogMagazine.net....

Today I'm reminded of this famous quote by billionaire investor Warren Buffet on looking after one's physical and mental health...

"If you were given a car and told it's the only car you'll ever be allowed to own, you'd be sure to read the manual really carefully and service it all the time."

Our dog's bodies are the only ones they'll ever be allowed to own, but they don't have their own manual and they can only do so much in terms of looking after themselves. The rest is down to us.

So I thought it'd be useful to list some resources that we can use as our working dog manual....

1. Dog teeth
2. Dog joints
3. Older dogs
4. Dog worms
5. Dog fleas
6. Dog weight

If we can keep on top of our dog's oral health, their joints, look out for them as they get older, make sure they steer clear of fleas and worms, keep their weight under control and make sure their minds are kept active - we'll be doing our bit to ensure they are well serviced and their body's are in the best hands.

Diabetes in Dogs - The Silent Killer

If you haven't yet had the chance, we strongly encourage you to download TPP's fantastically useful eBook 'Diabetes & Your Dog'.

Diabetes in dogs is a growing problem. Literally.

It seems dogs lifestyles are closely reflecting owners and, as a result, some dog's waistlines are expanding and so is their risk of getting canine diabetes.

Diabetes in dogs is a silent and deadly killer. It can take your dog's life away if you don't know how to spot the signs, symptoms and warnings.

Take a look at: http://www.diabetes-in-dogs.com/

Kidney Disease & Your Dog

Kidney Disease In Dogs by K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers Listen on Posterous

Kidney disease in dogs can be a real heartache for dog and owner.

One day you have a puppy, full of life and energy and then suddenly a trip to the vet changes everything when the news comes "I'm afraid your dog has kidney disease".

Our good friends at K9 Magazine have published a truly engaging and informative special report on kidney problems in dogs which you can download here:

http://www.k9magazine.com/kidney-disease-in-dogs/

In it you will learn:

• How to spot the symptoms of dog kidney disease
• Living with a dog with kidney disease
• Understanding the management of canine kidney problems
• The difference between kidney failure and kidney disease
• How to identify the early warning signs of dog kidney problems

From the article, you can also listen to the MP3.

Go download the report here.

distribution by Alexis Castillo on behalf of petbuzz

Daily Dog Tips Round Up

tabbloid_2011-06-06_1804.pdf Download this file

From our good friends over at Dog Tips dot co.

Access information on...

Contents

1. Dog Tips: Can Dogs Get Chrons Disease?
2. Dog Tips: Skin Problems in Dogs
3. Dog Tips: Stop Your Dog Getting Gum Disease
4. Dog Tips: What Is Hyperkinesis in Dogs?
5. Dog Tips: How to Commission a Dog Portrait
6. Dog Tips: How to Stop Puppy Chewing
7. Dog Tips: What Is Pyorrhea in Dogs?
8. Dog Tips: Is It Safe to Let Dogs Lick Your Face?
9. Dog Tips: How to Clean Your Dog’s Ears
10. Dog Tips: Tips for Moving Home With a Dog

Get more - www.dogtips.co