Wednesday 27 February 2013
Hunting Dogs
How does one choose good hunting dogs without getting stung? Many dog breeders are like horse traders—you get what you get, and that isn't what was listed. So a dog breeder's reputation, letters of reputation or phone calls, and looking at siblings or mother and father of the dog means a lot when looking for good hunting dogs. Make sure they have some form of guarantee and for how long they guarantee the puppy or dog.
But what is good for one hunter may not mean the same for another, so make sure you know what you want before going out and looking. Do you want versatile good hunting dogs for all-purpose hunting, or one that is excellent at squirrel hunting or coon hunting? Look at where they will be living the remaining time—will it it he be a family member? Make sure the breed you want is one you have information on and have done your homework on. Just because grandpa had one doesn't mean you know what you need to know regarding the purchase of good hunting dogs.
Good hunting dogs need to be disease from and have clean genetic lines, regardless the breed. Make sure routine worming has been done as a puppy—which has usually been done from two weeks. Also, look at their shot records—did they receive a two-week puppy shot series with only two weeks between them, beginning around five or six weeks? Once the puppy is weaned from its mother, its immune system becomes compromised, and it is up to the breeder to maintain that system up to eight weeks of age when it leaves the next. A breeder who sells before then is not worth his/her weight in salt. Good hunting dogs mean that—a good hunting dog, not one that is haphazardly bred to make a quick buck. Georgia is famous for good hunting dogs, as most Georgia hunters think more of their dogs than anywhere else, but make sure you don't get a bad breeder anyway.
More info http://www.hunting-pro.com
Training Your Dog - Best Tips And Tricks Revealed
As soon as you first bring home your new puppy or dog the most crucial thing that you must do is to train your dog to be well behaved. The primary thing you should have when training your dog is the correct information, it will be irritating if you have been attempting really hard to train your dog only to discover that you have been doing things incorrectly! The greatest mistake you could make as a dog owner is not training your dog. Numerous people do not even try training their dogs because they don't know how to do it correctly or because they merely can't be bothered or are too slack. If you do not train your dog then your dog will probably be likely to develop bad habits and destructive behaviors when it's an older dog.
It is highly advisable that you should prepare your self and have an idea of what is to be expected when training your dog. Different breeds of dogs have different wants so it will be helpful to do some research about your dogs breed a little bit before you start training. After some research and you're feeling that you are ready, then you can start training your dog.
There are 2 primary categories of dog training - behavior training and obedience training.
Behavior training - Teaching your dog the rights and wrongs and preventing or stopping unwanted habits which could vary from chewing on your furniture, stopping disgusting behaviors such as poop eating (coprophagy), jumping on people to digging holes or barking excessively.
Obedience training - Basically teaches your dog to grow to be an obedient dog that will always comply with your household rules and do as you want such as to sit, come when called, lay down on command and much more. Potty training and lots of other types of training are involved in obedience training your dog.
The first most important rule when training your dog is to teach your dog its name. Use it on a regular basis, call your dog by its name each time you want to get your dogs attention. As soon as your dog is aware of its name and comes when called then you are able to make the leap and start on obedience training. The next big thing on your priority checklist ought to be to toilet train and house train your dog. Do you really need to put up with your dog relieving itself all over the place in the house for more than you have to? Of course not, so it's important that you should handle this as soon as you can. Throughout the training process accidents are unavoidable, especially if you have a puppy, puppies cannot hold it in as long yet however they'll be able to hold it in longer as they get older. It is your responsibility as a dog owner to simply clean up the mess till your dog has been toilet trained.
Short training sessions which are about fifteen to twenty minutes have been proven to be essentially the most effective. Lengthy training sessions that go for hours will often make dogs bored and lose interest. Attempt to train your dog about two - three times every day. Remember to revise over old and learned training once in a while so your dog does not forget. A good dog trainer will never punish their dog because this won't do any good and won't teach your dog anything but to only be afraid of you and will trigger bad habits for you to deal with in the future. A good dog trainer will always use praise and treats to reward their dog when it has accomplished the fitting thing. Be patient with training and keep training until your dog learns what you want it to do.
With proper obedience and behavior training, you will build a stronger bond together with your dog and be a proud owner of a cheerful and healthy dog that you would be proud to walk around on with and spend time bonding with. Training your dog is the most greatest thing you can do for your dog as it's the foundation to the beginning of an amazing life for your dog.
Small dog trained through Pitbull distraction.
Dealing With Problem Puppy Behaviors
Everyone who owns a puppy or dog will eventually have to deal with and correct less than desirable behaviors on the part of their companion animal. There are a number of behaviors that should be nipped in the bud, including:
Jumping up on people
This is one of those behaviors that many owners inadvertently encourage in their animals, since jumping up, wagging his tail and the like can be adorable in a young puppy. When that puppy is older, larger and heavier, however, this jumping up behavior ceases to be cute and begins to become annoying and even dangerous.
A large, heavy dog jumping up on people can be dangerous to young children and even to some adults, since a large, 100 pound plus dog can easily knock down a child or small adult. Since you as the owner are responsible for the behavior of your dog, it is important to nip this problem behavior in the bud.
The best time to do that, of course, is when the puppy is still small and easy to handle. When the puppy jumps up on you or someone else, gently place the puppy’s feet back on the floor. When the dog remains standing there, be sure to praise it extensively.
It is also important to give the puppy an alternative to jumping up. Puppies jump up on people to express their enthusiasm, so it is important to redirect this energy in a more socially acceptable direction. Try teaching the puppy to present his paw instead of jumping up.
When teaching the puppy to not jump up on people, it is important to be consistent. Consistency is important in any training program, and all members of the family must understand that the puppy is not permitted to jump on them.
Pulling, charging and tugging on the lead
One problem you definitely want to nip in the bud is this one. It is important that the puppy learn to respect the collar and leash now, when he is still small and light enough to handle. Teaching this lesson to a 10 pound puppy will be much easier than teaching the same lesson to a 150 pound dog.
Using a good strong body harness or head collar can be a big help when training a puppy not to pull, or to retrain a dog that has already learned to pull on the leash. When first fitting a harness, it is important to allow the puppy to walk around wearing it, so that he can get used to wearing it.
The first thing your puppy must learn, and the basis of all subsequent training, is teaching your dog to heel. Teaching your dog to walk quietly at your side on a loose lead is the basis of all dog training, and until your puppy has mastered this vital skill he will be unable to move onto more advanced training.
When walking with a puppy on a leash, it is important to always keep slack in the leash. If the puppy begins to pull on the leash, the handler should quickly change directions. The puppy will then find itself lagging behind instead of forging ahead. The least will be loose except for the split second it takes to change directions. It is important for the handler to use a quick tug of the leash, followed by an immediate loosening, when teaching this lesson.
When teaching the puppy to walk properly, it is important to never allow the puppy to pull you around, or to forge ahead on the leash. Allowing the puppy to pull you around will teach him exactly the wrong lesson.
How to Puppy-Proof Your House: Safety for Your pup, peace of mind for you
The decision to bring a puppy home is just the first step towards a long commitment. The first and foremost thing to do is to get the house ready for the arrival of the new pup. Your house could be a danger zone for a puppy considering the curiosity of a new pup. You need to puppy proof your house, make sure it is safe and that all the essential puppy supplies are bought.
But how do you know if your house is safe and ready for your new puppy? Listed below is a checklist for you to take note of before you bring your new puppy home:
1. Clear your house of poisonous items - Have you cleared your house of all poisonous items and taken them out of your pup's reach? If you haven't, now is the time to put away cleaners, laundry detergents, bleach, disinfectants, insecticides, cleaning fluid, fertilizers, mothballs and antifreeze in cabinets or high up on shelves. Of course, as he grows, and if he has an adventurous streak, he's sure to jump high on to your shelves to find out what's where.
2. Secure all medications and unauthorized foods - These items will cause food poisoning or damages to your dogs' health - Drugs such as Motrin and Tylenol causes liver damage. Common household food items that are harmful include alcoholic beverages, avocado (the only "fatty" member of the vegetable family), coffee, salt, yeast dough, garlic, fatty foods - turkey, artificial sweeteners – Xylitol, potatoes, onions, nuts, chocolate, grapes and raisins.
3. Uproot all life-threatening plants - Do you have life-threatening plants at home? Seemingly harmless plants such as apricot pits, spinach and tomato vines are dangerous to your pup. You can find a detailed listing of poisonous houseplants that you might have in your family, at this site: www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm
You can also ask your vet for more such plants that could affect your pet's health and life - If your puppy has ingested poisonous plants, contact: Animal Poison Control Center at - 888-4ANI-HELP - (888-426-4435)
4. Put away dangerous objects - Position electrical cords out of your puppy's reach, so that he cannot chew them. Pick up and keep dangerous loose items such as nails if they are lying around. Put away all sharp objects such as wires, sewing needles and pins, far away from your puppy's reach. This is to prevent your puppy from swallowing them as such items can harm his mouth and internal organs.
5. Supervise your puppy's movement - Don't let your pup remain by himself, unsupervised for long, irregardless of him being indoors or outdoors. Also, remember to keep him away from balconies, upper porches and high decks or he may just slip through the railings and fall. Remember to keep your toilet cover seat down: puppies sometimes like to play in water. Frolicking in the toilet bowl is harmful for him as he may swallow the toilet cleanser. Also, don't tie ribbons round his neck because he may chew it and this can lead to digestive problems or choke himself if the ribbon gets snagged on other things.
Preparing the Essential Dog Supplies
1. Food and water bowls - Select solid and stable bowls that won't tip over when he eats or drinks out of it. Are they easy to clean? Buy one each for food and water. Initially, buy small bowls and then as he grows older, buy him larger ones. If you do this, he won't develop the habit to overeat for his age nor will he fall into his water bowl whenever he goes to take a drink.
2. Collar - There are a large variety of lightweight collars available for your puppy. No matter which one you choose, attach an identification tag, listing your puppy's name, your address and phone number.
Let his first collar be made of lightweight nylon or leather. To get a good fit, you should measure his neck properly. To do so, measure the circumference of his neck and add two inches to it. To be sure that the collar fits properly, slide two fingers between his collar and your pup's neck. If it's a snug fit, the size is right. But if there's too much space, you need a smaller collar. If your fingers don't fit in comfortably, the collar size is way too small. Your pup may take a little while to adjust to his collar, so give him time to get used to it.
3. Leash - Leashes come in many lengths and styles, such as leather, nylon and retractable leashes. If you buy a six-foot leash it would serve both as a leash for training and walking.
It is important to keep your dog leashed unless he is in a close-up area such as a fenced in yard. In many parts of the U.S., leash laws prevail, making it mandatory to keep your puppy on his leash at all times. If he's unleashed, you may be fined. If your dog happens to defecate in public places, you are expected to clean up after him.
4. Grooming supplies - Grooming him means investing in a number of tools but this will depend on the dog breed you buy and his coat length. For short haired breeds, do invest in a brush with natural bristles, a rubber currycomb or a hand mitt. Sturdy wide-toothed metal combs, flea combs and mat splitters are needed for long haired breeds.
5. Toys - To entertain and exercise your pup, buy him a few toys, as this will help him exercise and get over their cravings for chewing. Choose toys specifically designed for pups – ones that can't be splintered, torn or swallowed. What's fun and safe to have are rawhide chips, nylon chews and hard rubber balls. And, if they don't fit comfortably in his mouth, it's not right for him.
6. Recommended puppy food - Give him his essential nutritive foods and get him used to a feeding schedule. Seek advice from your breeder directly or from your veterinarian.
7. Crate or sleeping bed - A Crate is basically a big cage made of metal, plastic or wood. Available in many sizes, the crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around easily, as well as lie down in. It should be airy. It is recommended to set up your pup's sleeping area in a place where it is warm, comfortable and within your sight. A crate serves very well as a den in your absence from the house. A crate could also be a portable crate enclosed in plastic or a simple wire crate.
When you buy an adult-sized crate, also buy partitions, or place a cardboard box in the back to serve as a cozy space for him. Apart from the crate, set up a sleeping area for him, for the times when you are at home and the crate is not in used. Buy a puppy-sized bed instead of an adult-sized bed, so that he is safe and snug.
A crate when used in the right way promotes good sleeping habits, helps in potty training your dog and discourage undesirable behaviors like nuisance barking and chewing. It can also be a safe confinement for your dog when he's not supervised at home or when you are driving. A crate is so useful, every owner should have one!
8. Stain and scent remover - To take the odor away from his nose, buy a stain and scent remover. This helps in house training and the maintenance of your house cleanliness.
These are the basic essentials a puppy owner should prepare when bringing a brand new pup home. Do take the time to ensure that your house has been ‘puppy-proofed' and you will find that the preparation will make socializing your new puppy a lot easier!
DOGTV Stimulation: Dog Playing in Corn Field
16 week labrador (lab) retriever puppy dog training and tricks
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