Posts Tagged ‘dog training’
Healthy Dog Food
The desire for healthy food seems to apply equally to humans and their pets, since many pet owners prefer to buy organic foods to feed their four-legged friends. One could be forgiven for being surprised at the large amount of organic dog food on offer on the market. Just as for humans, there are a lot of pet illnesses that one could cure or even prevent in the first place by the use of organic pet food.
For example, organic dog food could reduce the chance of the pet developing skin diseases and allergies. The reason for the positive health effects is the absence of additives, chemicals, colourants and pesticides. Instead there are only grain extracts and high quality proteins for ingredients in organic dog food. Organic dog food also provides more nutrients, which is reflected in the higher levels of energy and the normal weight of the pet.
Normal dog food can cause diabetes and excess weight with all the concomitant problems that accompany these illnesses: back ailment, organ failure and decreased mobility. How can organic dog food help here, then? Well, because organic pet food does not contain bulk filler; they are nutrient-packed products that create energy not fat. Moreover, it is far better and definitely a lot easier to prevent health issues than try to cure them later.
A better digestion and a stronger immunity system are the other main benefits that come with the use of organic pet food. Because of the lack of chemicals normally present in ordinary pet food, your dog will no longer vomit or experience wind or diarrhea. A more efficient is what you will achieve with a healthy diet. Furthermore, the quality of the nutritional substances in organic dog food, boosts the immunity functions, thereby reducing the risks of infection and all sorts of specific diseases that affect dogs on an everyday basis.
Many veterinarian experts claim that organic dog food significantly increases the life span of any animal, not to mention the fact that it will go through old age a lot better. It is quite common that pet owners who choose organic dog food, are also interested in applying the same health rules to their own diet, sticking to clean natural products that enhance bodily functions and avoid toxins and disease.
Ask your local dog food supplier about organic dog food and if there isn’t any in your local shop, try to buy it online. There are plenty of web sites that offer such foods at pretty decent prices.
One last piece, be very, very wary of dried dog food like biscuits, no matter what the label says. I used to have a dog called Becky that remained at home alone during the day, while I went to work. I didn’t like to leave tinned food, because of flies, bacteria and vermin, so I bought dry food, which would not deteriorate during the day. However, within six years she had contracted diabetes, which meant that I had to inject her with insulin every morning. The veterinary said that it was very common for dogs fed only on dry biscuits to get diabetes, so check with your vet first of all or feed organic tinned food.
If you enjoyed reading this piece on organic dog food and you want to read more about dogs in general or dog training, please visit our website called Dog Training
Trendy Dog Names
Fashion seems to dictate everything these days. From what you wear to what you call your dog, everything you do is dictated by the need to be cool. Cool dog names are hard to come by and even harder to choose. This is because as soon as something is in fashion, than it is out again.
Who would want to choose a cute dog name that may not be fashionable tomorrow? People tend to play it safe as a result, hence why the same names have been so popular for so long. To try and break that cycle, five cute dog names are listed below with our reasons why you should choose one of them for your dog.
Phoenix: What could be cooler than a bird that goes up in flames, but then rises from the ashes? Phoenix is one of the cool dog names that will never go out of fashion because it is based in mythology. It has a timeless air about it, which has somewhat surprisingly failed to increase its popularity.
Star: Star is one of the cute dog names because it has so many connotations that you can have a hard time finding out where to start. A star in the sky is a phenomenon and a star can refer to someone that excels in a particular field. It is a high form of praise and thus is definitely a cool dog name.
Lady: Lady is one of the most popular dog names but it is also one of the cool dog names because of the Disney cartoon film, Lady and the Tramp, which was a massive hit. The film made the name popular but also gave it some credibility. In this case, popularity comes second to coolness.
Elvis: The coolest of cool dog names. Elvis Presley was undoubtedly cool and remains cool today even after his death. It is infinitely cool to name your dog after such a tremendous star who never goes out of fashion himself.
Shadow: There is a dark and ethereal quality about Shadow that makes it a cute dog name. It would be best used on a big breed of dog however, because it wouldn’t have the same strong effect with a small one.
Whatever cool dog names you use for your mut, it is one sure way to give your dog an identity of their own and make your dog unforgettable to others.
Does your dog need training? If you need further information on dogs in general, then visit our website entitled Successful Dog Training
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What’s in a Dog’s Name?
Dog owners will explain that there is no proven formula for selecting a good name for a new dog or puppy. Whether they need to come up with girl or boy dog names, they will normally choose a name that sounds trendy or a name they like rather than putting some thought into what the name really means. Popular boy dog names have meanings, as do human names, so more often than not the meaning will not suit the dog it is given to. Here we give a list of the top five boy dog names and what they actually mean.
Undoubtedly, one of the first things you do when you get a new dog or puppy is choose a dog name for him or her. For most dog owners, this actually requires little thought. They just choose a dog name at random and that is the name by which the poor mite will be known forever. However, there are certain issues that ought to be taken into consideration when going through dog names in order to make sure that you choose the right one.
Firstly, dogs can sense attitude and tone of voice better than we can. If you choose a dog name for comedy value or after someone you dislike, your dog will see straight through you. As a result, their attitudes may change or they may refuse to respond to your commands. Dogs’ names should mean something but should not be detrimental to their development so you should really take the decision of the dog name seriously.
While dogs are very intelligent animals, they can’t process the same amount of data that we can. Therefore, dog names should not be more than two syllables long. If they are more than that, most dogs will not respond. Max, Sam, Becky, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the names are easily heard. They respond to these dog names and that will improve your probability of training them successfully.
However, dogs’ names should assist them form a character of their own. Common names don’t really help them to do that, so finding something simple but unusual can help their characters grow a great deal without damaging their ability to respond to a command.
Max: This is probably the most popular boy dog name and the meaning is surely the reason why many people pick it for their hound. It literally means “the most”. After all, every dog owner thinks that their dog is the ‘most’.
Jake: Jake is short for Jacob, which means “champion”. This is a suitable boy dog name, if your puppy has taken over the whole house within a short time of getting inside it!
Buddy: Buddy is a familiarization of Budd, which means “messenger”. This boy dog name would be apt for a farm dog or one you might possibly train to retrieve the newspaper from the porch in the morning. It is a very popular boy dog name throughout America.
Bailey: The boy dog name Bailey is French and means “steward”. This is pretty apt if your dog is responsible and sensible, so it is probably suitable for a Labrador or collie puppy, for example!
Sam: Sam seems to mean “an answer to prayers”. This is a good boy dog name for sedate dogs that are easy to train and are largely quiet!
Few new dog owners consider a name’s meaning when choosing a boy dog’s name, so instead of just going ahead with your first idea, it may be worth taking the time to choose a dog’s name that is actually suitable for your dog. After all, it doesn’t cost you anything to spend some time considering your dog’s name.
Does your dog need training? If you need further details on dogs in general, then go over to our website called Successful Dog Training
How to Keep Your Dog Motivated
Keeping the attention of your dog while training is not always an easy task. Dogs can be very easily distracted, and it is important to not allow the dog training sessions to be sabotaged by boredom. Making dog training fun for the dog and the human alike is vital to creating a happy, well-adjusted and well-trained dog.
You should provide random positive stimuli throughout the day in order to keep the attention of the dog. Doing things the dog like, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, are good ways to keep the dog’s attention, but you must reward him for small successes.
For instance, in order to reward the dog for coming to you when you call him, ask the dog to come to you, without giving any clues about going for a walk, a car ride, or other treats.
After your dog has come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start the reward. This can be either the afore-mentioned walk in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog enjoys doing.
Providing some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a tickle behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want him to, is a good way to keep your dog’s motivation while you are dog training.
If the dog knows something good is going to occur every time he follows your commands, he will be more motivated to do want you tell him every time.
Distraction training.
When training a dog, it is important to not let distractions spoil the training. The dog must be taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught These types of distractions can also be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.
For example, if your dog like romping with other dogs, whether it be in the park or with the neighbour’s dogs, let him play with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard and call your dog.
When he comes to you, give him lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to go back to playing with his pals. Repeat this a few times and praise the dog each time he comes to you.
The dog will quickly learn that coming to you means good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being removed from the park).
This so-called distraction training is one of the hardest things for your dog to learn, because dogs are naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one of the most difficult things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably unwilling to leave their canine companions, but it is vital to persist in dog training.
Training the dog to come to you when you call can take some thought on your behalf at first. For example, waving one of his favourite toys, or a lure, is a good way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator too in dog training.
Once the dog starts to get used to coming when called, you can begin to reduce and then stop the visual cues and focus on making the dog obey just your voice. It is important that the dog obeys voice commands alone, as you will not always have a toy or lure to hand.
Does your dog require training? If you require further information on dog training, then visit our web site called Successful Dog Training
Why Do Dogs Snore?
We all know that it is not unusual for pet owners to allow their pets to sleep with them on their beds at night. In fact, one third of pet owners have at some time, allowed their pets to sleep on their beds. Dogs readily provide a companionship that can’t be shown by any other kind of animal. However, this doesn’t mean to say that cat owners do not let their cats or another pets sleep with them too.
It is facilitated too by dogs having a sleep pattern which is rather similar to our own. Dogs usually have complete trust in their masters, which makes them a lot more relaxed during the night. This goes a long way to explaining why most dogs fall asleep easily and even go into a deep sleep where REM sleep activities can occur. In deed, once a dog goes into this stage, the owner often needs to call them several times before they can be woken up completely.
Certainly, many of us have witnessed a dog ‘running’ during sleep and barking while asleep too. These dogs are believed to be dreaming. Breathing patterns can also be observed among dogs while they are asleep. For example, there are breeds which breathe heavily and there are breeds which breathe more lightly. The dogs that are heavy breathers are much more likely to snore than those which do not breathe quite so heavily.
Dogs which snore can be rather a nuisance during the night, depending on the degree and frequency of the occurrence of this phenomenon. Like with humans, there are various reasons why dogs snore. Most though have to do with the obstruction of the passage of air in the throat caused by the collapse of certain areas along the throat. The same as in humans.
A snoring dog should be checked for various issues to determine which treatment can be best provided. Some dogs are especially prone to specific allergic reactions that cause constriction in the airway. It may also be that there is some excess tissue in the areas that are preventing proper breathing. It is best if a veterinarian checks on different factors through careful evaluation of the dog’s anatomical features and general physical symptoms.
Is you dog overweight? I ask this because, as with humans, obese dogs are more likely to snore than thin ones. This is because they will have more flesh surrounding their throats. Therefore, they have excess fat hanging around their throats, which can cause blockages. Once this problem has been fixed, the chances of snoring will be reduced. This would not only be good for your dogs, but you may eventually enjoy a decent night’s sleep too.
The general facial features of the dog affect the amount of snoring too. Some dogs seem to have pushed-in faces which narrows their air passages to a greater or lesser degree. The construction of their nasal passages also largely contributes to their problems of breathing. They are pretty much like humans with the flu, who are forced to breathe using only twenty-five percent of their nostril capacity. Dog breeds with shorter faces need to expend lots of effort to breathe properly. It costs them more effort to breathe and they are also more prone to snoring.
Minor surgery can give your dog great relief. However, be certain that, before you take any decision, you are well informed about the potential risks and consequences of surgery to stop your dog snoring. Most procedures are irreversible, so careful thought must be given to any operation you permit. In fact, it is best to follow the recommendations provided by your veterinary surgeon.
Does your dog require training? If you require further information on dogs in general, then visit our website entitled Successful Dog Training