Lets face it, dogs love to chew things. They've got a mouth full of teeth and they're not afraid to use them. Dogs, by nature, have a desire to chew. They use chewing as a way of passing the time, or for just plain fun. They also use it as an outlet for nervous energy, especially if they are not getting enough exercise and being walked properly. If your dog chews thing that don't belong to him you need to take steps to change that.
You have the power to make sure your dog does not chew your stuff. All it takes is a little effort in training, and establishing yourself as the pack leader. Try taking these five steps:
1. Make sure you dog proof your house, particularly while your dog is still learning the correct behavior. No reason to confuse your dog by leaving your stuff lying around where he can't help but notice it, then he's got to sniff it, and before you know it its in his mouth. Remember, dogs don't rely very much on eyesite. They like to examine everything with they're nose first, then they're mouth. What better way to find out what it is than to taste it?
When dog proofing your house you will need to move anything you don't want your dog chewing to somewhere that your dog cannot get it. Don't forget that your dog is pretty agile and can get to a lot of places you might not think he could. Make sure to keep your clothes in drawers, closets or hampers. Especially shoes. Other prime targets for K-9 larceny include garbage cans, and small electronics like cell phones and remote controls and eyeglasses. I hope I don't have to tell you to keep your food under lock and key(this goes double if you have kids!)
2. Keep in mind the fact that the more your dog chews outlawed objects the more apt he will be to keep doing it. This most likely will mean keeping your dog confined to a completely dog proofed area when you are not around until you are confident that he knows the rules of the house.
3. Always have lots of treats for your dog to have fun with. If he is enjoying his own stuff he will have less reason to turn his greedy nose toward your stuff. If, on the other hand, there is nothing interesting of his...
Get yourself a bunch of toys from your local pet store. Five or six should do. Then you want to give your dog two or three to play with at a time. Once a week, or so, swap out a toy with one from your reserve. Couple that with a new bone every once in a while and you cut down your dog's need to chew on your stuff to a bare minimum.
4. When choosing a toy for your dog to chew on it is important not to give him normal household objects to chew on. If you give your dog an old towel, or a discarded shoe, he will think it is okay to chew on towels and shoes. How is he supposed to know that one is fine to chew on and the other not? Try to only give your dog chew toys and bones that are specified dog treats. Be sure to consult your veterinarian before giving bones to your dog, since only certain types are good for the dog. Some bones, however, are excellent for your dog's teeth!
5. Spend a lot of time with your dog in the "chewing areas". Don't keep the dog in a dog proofed area until its time to go out, or eat. Actively supervising your dog in the problem areas is the only way to teach him. When you do catch your dog chewing something of yours let him know its wrong. Clap your hands or make a short loud noise, then get the object away from the dog. Next you should immediately give him one of his own treats and give him some hearty praise for chewing it. The trick is to make your dog associate chewing his toys with getting good attention and back scratches, but chewing your stuff with loud annoying noises.
Applying these five steps will help you and your dog to stop destructive chewing, but you must remember to be patient. Your dog will not know what you want at first, but he will learn with time. The most important things are to spend a lot of time with your dog, establish a good relationship where you are the pack leader, and not give him mixed signals as to what you want. The more time you spend with him the faster he will learn. In the meantime remember step number one... Dog proof your house!
As many people know having a proper diet can greatly improve the quality of life for both people and dogs. Just like you your dog's health is tied directly to the nutrition he gets from the food he eats. Poor nutrition has been linked to dozens of health problems in both humans and dogs. With so many different foods on the market and so much different advice it is difficult to know what to feed your pet. Here are some things to think about when choosing food for your dog.
For thousands of years during their evolution dogs have had substantially the same diet as people. This is because we have lived in such close quarters with dogs, and even hunted with them. Dogs, like humans are omnivores and need both meat and vegetables to be healthy. Now we have dog food to take care of all of your dog's nutrition needs. But will it take care of All your dog's needs? Depends on what kind of food you feed him.
Like humans dog's need different nutrients to promote health. There are certain things you need to make sure your dog is getting in his or her diet. First and foremost, especially for puppies, is ... you guessed it, protein! Protein is essential for promoting bone and muscle growth. Fat is also important to a dog. Protein and fat combined are where your dog is getting his energy from. Another important ingredient, which is often overlooked, is fiber. Fiber is important for you dog's digestion and can help keep him regular. Lastly, just like you do, your dog needs vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
It is important to keep all of these nutrients in mind when choosing a food, but it is not all that is important. The first thing you should do is to consult your veterinarian and / or your breeder. Ask what food they use, and what ingredients are most important for your particular breed. Next you should visit your local pet store and look at some of the different foods available. Be sure to check the ingredient list to see what is in the food. Just like in human food the ingredients are listed in order by weight in the package, so the first ingredient is the most prevalent. It is also important to note the difference in using all natural food. Although all natural food is a little more expensive it is a significantly superior diet. Natural foods are easily digested and vitamins and minerals are easily absorbed. A synthetic vitamin could be listed as a much higher amount on the package, but the majority of it will not be absorbed and used by your dog. Natural foods promote health far better than brands that use synthetic supplements and large amounts of preservatives.
The single most important factor in creating a healthy environment for your pet is diet. So take care in choosing the food you give your dog. He is counting on you to do whats best for him. Make sure you don't let him down.
As we all know puppies are just about the cutest thing in the entire world. Unfortunately they are a HUGE mess! And they don't seem to speak English very well because they never listen to anyone. Although training your puppy is a difficult task there are several things you can do to help yourself and your puppy.
The most important thing to remember any time you are dog training is that you are the alpha. You have to remain calm and maintain control of all situations. When it comes to dogs if you lead, they will follow. This is true for puppies as well as adult dogs. By showing your puppy that you are the pack leader you ensure that he or she will always follow your lead. If they don't look to you for leadership you're gonna have a heck of a time getting them to learn from you.
Everyone knows that trying to housebreak your puppy is one of the most trying times in your relationship with your dog. Truly, if it was always like this you wouldn't have bothered getting the dog in the first place. Of course there are a few things you can do to ease the burden. First and foremost is to begin your puppy's training outdoors from the start. Teaching them to go on the newspaper in the kitchen is a mistake. Take them out from the start and give them lots of praise and back scratches when they do it outside. If you catch your puppy going inside don't yell or lose your cool. Say something like "BAD DOG!" while near the site of the "accident" and take them straight outside. Make sure you use the same word or phrase every time you reprimand them, but don't use the same phrase for other things your dog does wrong. It will just confuse them. The last thing I will mention is also the most important. You need to take your puppy out every time he or she eats, sleeps, drinks more than a few sips, has been alone for awhile or confined. I know it sounds like a lot, but puppies go a lot. Over time try to get a schedule that you and the dog are both comfortable with, but for now going outside all the time is better than cleaning up each mess.
Many people like to use reward and punishment to train their dogs. This is a good method since puppies respond very well to operant conditioning. When training your puppy to do certain things you must make sure you, and everyone else, always use the same command word for the same action. When your puppy responds with the desired response give them a reward. The reward you give should vary. I alternate with three different types of rewards. Sometimes I go with the obvious food treat, and sometimes I will give my puppy a new toy to chew on. The third is hearty praise. I will scratch my dachshund under her chin and tell her she's "such a pretty girl". Changing the reward helps the dog to associate the action with a good response, not just food. When your dog does something wrong make sure not to just start yelling. Try to correct the behavior with your own actions, helping the dog to see what you want. Your puppy will learn over time, but not immediately.
Puppy training can be one of the most difficult times you will have with your dog. However it can also be one of the most fun and rewarding times. Showing that cute little mutt how to do everything. So best of luck to all you new pet parents out there. You're gonna need it!
