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How to Keep Your Dog from Escaping

There are many dogs that think that the grass is greener in someone else’s garden. They will break free in an attempt to meet other dogs, chase wildlife or just find some entertainment. This is a massive problem for dog owners that want to make sure their pet is safe at all times. So, what can we do to stop them escaping?

How to keep your dog from escaping a fenced garden

Many pet owners will have some form of clear, strong boundary around the property. A fence or thick hedge is usually enough to keep animals in place. But, there are still some dogs that will test the limits of the perimeter in an attempt to escape. Some will try and dig their way out. This is where it helps to set the fence into the ground. Burying the panels means there is no inviting gap to claw and dig away at. Rocks and thorny bushes can also help.

Other dogs will try and jump to scramble over the top. The height, texture and angle of the fence could make things much more difficult. Adapt the fence so that it is too difficult to break free. Don’t do anything that makes the fence dangerous or poses a risk of injury.

How to contain your dog when you don’t have a fence

Not all properties have a fence or physical boundary around them. It might not be practical to try and erect one if your dog is a tenacious digger or keen jumper. There may also be building restrictions or neighbours that stop you from setting a fence up.

This is where it can help to set up an invisible dog fence in the garden. These fences use static, vibration or noise stimuli to warn dogs away from the boundary. A signal transmits to a training collar and offers reliable correction. Many dog owners like to use electric underground dog fences. This is labour intensive, as it involves laying wire under the perimeter. But, it can be effective with the right settings and training. Different models have different ranges, settings and additional features. Compare the best underground dog fences for the right product for you.

Always take the time to train dogs properly for the best results

Whatever type of boundary you choose, you need to put in the time and effort to train the animal. With fenced-in gardens this means plenty of behavioural training to teach dogs not to dog or jump at the boundary. Corrective measures are helpful, but must include some positive reinforcement. Work with the animal in a slow, patient manner – especially when using training collars for dog fences.

Make sure to reduce the dog’s desire to escape

Finally, it also helps if the dog has little interest in leaving in the first place. Owners that work on the desires of their animal can see a big improvement. Dogs that are spayed or neutered have a reduced desire to seek out other dogs.

Dogs that are entertained in the garden are less likely to chase smells and noises from neighbouring properties. Learning how to keep your dog from escaping isn’t just about the physical boundary of the home. Improve the fencing, but also work on behavioural and training issues too.

Is CBD Oil Safe For Pets?

Many pet owners have found the benefits of “weed” treats for their pets, especially when they suffer from different kinds of ailments. However, these are not marijuana that is used for medical treatments but treats that are infused with CBD oil.

Many might wonder what the difference is. The medical field includes several legitimate uses of medical marijuana, which are used for treating different diseases and chronic illnesses. More states are authorizing use of medical marijuana for different situations across the US. When it comes to pets the American Veterinary Medical Association is yet to take an official stance. In most cases, veterinarians cannot prescribe medical marijuana legally even if the situation demanded it. This remains as a Scheduled 1 Controlled Substance as per Drug Enforcement Agency. There is, however an alternative available that is made viable by the industry as noted with these Simply Pets CBD guides.

Hemp is part of the same plant family as marijuana. The difference lies in marijuana providing an intoxicating substance found in its resinous glands while hemp is used for making textiles and rope.

Among the key differences between these two plants, CBD produced from hemp is known to contain only trace elements of THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol which is known to create psychological effects. This however has several medical benefits, the main being it binding to the endocannabinoid system of the body through CB1 as well as CB2 receptors in the body. This system connects with the brain as well as nervous and the peripheral systems that are responsible for emotions, pain, memory, neural activity, carcinogenesis as well as development of the embryo. CBD can help in managing these conditions, from pain to seizures as well as controlling diabetes as well as cancer. Dogs are known to have high concentrations of CB receptors among mammals and hence the effects of CBD as well as THC are profound on these animals.

Hemp is legal which is another key difference to note. CDB is added in topical creams, oils, capsules and treats that can be given to pets. Industrial grade hemp is used to extract such CBD and many brands dedicated to pet welfare produce such products to help different chronic conditions and also offer CBD oil-based products derived from organic hemp.

Toxicity is another concern. Live hemp or marijuana plants can be toxic for dogs or cats, but products made from CBD derived from hemp plants are deemed safe. Dosing needs to be done as per the weight of a pet. Medical marijuana usually contains concentration of THC that might be dangerous for pet health. It could accelerate the heart rate of your pet to dangerous levels or the pet could have allergic responses; it could also go into a shock. Such effects could be due to over dosage of medical marijuana. In case of CBD oil or CBD supplements these effects need not be feared.

It is also important to keep medical marijuana away from pets; those who use such substances at home need to keep these away from their pets.

Common Senior Dog Diseases Every Owner Should Know About

Owning a dog and spending time with it as both of you age is truly a gift that needs to be cherished. Of course, the joy and fulfillment that dog brings to the owner’s life are only some of the reasons to care for your furry pal most deeply. They need constant care and love, and they will return the favor numerous times over. Therefore, when your dog starts getting older, to the point when it’s considered a senior, it’s essential that you pay attention to different signs and symptoms that may point to a certain disease. After all, just like humans, dogs are more susceptible to certain illnesses and conditions when they’re older.

Arthritis

The older your dog gets, the more prone it becomes to suffering from arthritis. In general, this condition is more common among larger and heavier breeds, but, in the end, it can affect a dog of any size. As they grow older, the cartilage between the joints gets thinner, which then can cause wearing of the bones. If you notice that your dog is getting slower than usual, has difficulty sitting down and getting up, shows no enthusiasm for favorite activities such as running, walking and jumping, or limps as it walks, you should take it to the vet because arthritis is a very probable cause.

Dementia

Unfortunately, dogs are not immune to dementia. What’s more, almost half of the dogs that are more than 11 years old suffer from some form of dementia. There are currently no solid explanations when it comes to the question why some dogs develop dementia, but it’s believed that the reason is mainly in the genetic predisposition. The disease is progressive and the first signs can be very mild only to gradually worsen. In general, disregarding previous training and self-grooming habits are very common, together with increased anxious behavior, excessive licking and general distress, sleep changes and unwillingness to play.

Cancer

As you all probably know, cancer is a devastating disease that leads to the overgrowth of cancer cells, which than prevents normal body functions. If not discovered and treated in time, it can end up in death. Unfortunately, the biggest cause of canine deaths for dogs over 10 years of age is precisely cancer. It’s essential that you keep a close look on your dog. Symptoms such as abnormal swelling, slow-healing sores, excessive lethargy, bleeding from the eyes/nose and sudden weight and appetite loss are major reasons for concern.

Heart disease

As your dog gets older, the risk of a heart disease gets bigger, too. Unfortunately, various types of heart issues are very common for senior dogs and generally tend to progress with time. In order to keep your dog and its heart strongest and healthiest as possible for as long as possible, you need to take really good care of it all the time, from its first days as a puppy. Responsible and serious dog owners will provide all the essentials for their dog; grooming, feeding and comfort necessities included. Moreover, with the ability to order pet supplies online, one can easily get multivitamins and other essentials for their dog. The risk of a heart disease can be minimized with constant care. But, be on the lookout for symptoms such as persistent coughing, moving and breathing difficulties, collapsing, no appetite and swelling.

Kidney disease

Another very common cause of death in senior dogs is kidney failure. When the kidneys fail to get rid of the toxins, they spread into the bloodstream. Kidney disease can progress gradually for a long time, which gives the owner time to react accordingly as soon as possible. Therefore, pay attention to the way your dog behaves. Strange breath odor, excessive thirst, vomiting, pale gums, blood in urine and sudden weight loss all point to kidney issues.

Your dog is your best friend. Therefore, treat it with love, respect and kindness it deserves. The owner’s actions and behavior are the only things that can make the dog’s life better, happier, healthier and longer.

The Main Reasons Your Dog Gets Stressed

You may not even be aware of this unfortunate fact, but the reality is that dogs can also feel stress. What’s more, stress in dogs can cause a range of health issues, some of which can end up really dangerous for your pup. For starters, some of the main signs your dog is stressed are sweaty paws, shedding, yawning, whining and howling, constant turning away of their head, pinned back ears, excessive sniffing and panting. In order to help your dog properly as a responsible owner and true friend, it’s important that you know the main causes of stress in dogs.

Your dog gets stressed when left alone

Separation anxiety is becoming a more serious problem for dogs these days considering the busy lifestyle most people lead. More often than not, dogs are left alone all day while their owners are at work, which can cause the mentioned stress and anxiety, but also fear in puppies. Dogs are pack animals and leaving them on their own, with no connection or time for them, can seriously affect their mood, behavior, and even overall health.

Constant change of surroundings

Just like you would be a bit stressed and anxious when switching school or a job, your dog will be upset if it changes the place of residence way too often. This is inevitable sometimes, but you should be aware that if you leave your dog at different friends, change homes, or leave them at kennels frequently enough, you can expect the dog will feel really stressed out, and even scared. This may cause the dog to withdraw and become depressed as well.

Car travelling

Some dogs love being in a car, but others can be really shaken by the whole drive. In general, it’s best that you slowly get your dog used to spending time inside a vehicle, and go for short drives at first. If you notice your dog is acting nervously during the drive as they’re constantly turning around or chewing on things, you can be sure that your pet is not dealing with this new experience properly. Remember, you should never force your dog inside a car. When preparing them for car travelling, do your best to get them to enter the car on their own.

Very loud sound/music

It’s not uncommon for dogs to get scared of thunderstorm or fireworks, and the reason for this is the sensitivity of the dog’s hearing. This doesn’t just go for thunderstorms and fireworks, but other loud sounds such as music and noise, too. Unfortunately, more often than not, you cannot make the noise go away, especially if the problem is in the thunder or fireworks. In cases like these, aside from being with your dog, effective dog supplies such as Adaptil Collar, which alleviates signs of stressful situations, can be extremely useful.

Lack of movement

Never keep your dog chained all the time! This affects both mental and physical health of dogs negatively. Even if it’s not chained, a dog still needs to move freely, or at least run around for a while when you go out. Dogs need to release energy every day. If they can’t move or get a bit hyper, the frustration will accumulate. This is not only a huge stress trigger, but may lead to aggressive behaviour as well.

It’s very important that you take great care of your canine friend, and take full responsibility for their health and happiness. Last but not the least, you should take your dog to regular vet checkups, as health issues that may go unnoticed otherwise can also lead to higher stress levels in canines, aside from possibly being a big health threat

How to Train a Dog to Heel or Walk Nicely On a Leash

As a dog owner, you can tell how frustrating it can be to walk your dog when it is pulling on the leash.  Most dog owners think that dogs just know how to walk politely on a leash. However, this is a skill that needs to be trained. In fact, it is one easy skill you can teach your puppy. You will be able to do away with leash pulling during walks when you train your dog to walk on a loose leash.

Even a perfect heel will never help keep your dog strictly by your side. Instead, it will give your dog room to explore the neighborhood and sniff around provided he leaves slack in his leash.  Below are guidelines to help you train a dog heel or walk nicely on a leash.

Introduce the Dog to a Harness or Collar and Leash

You can start by letting your dog get used to putting on a harness or a collar and a leash. You can have the dog wear a collar or a harness for shorter periods especially when in-house taking treats or when you are playing with him. It is important that the puppy gets used to wearing a collar and leash since they represent fun and food.

For instance, you will need an approximately 6-foot leash and a collar. In case your dog has a habit of pulling, he will at times slip out of the collar. In such a case, it would be advisable you use a martingale collar which is ideal for training puppies to walk on a loose leash. Martingale collar resembles a normal flat collar but instead, it has an extra loop that tightens whenever it is pulled by a dog. This will ensure the dog does not slip out of the collar.  However, this collar contains a stopping point that ensures it does not close tight as it is with choke chains.

1) Let Your Puppy Learn Commands

It is recommended that you choose a phrase or a word that will help tell a dog what is expected of him. You can decide to use commands such as “Let it go” or “with me”.

2) Teach Cue

You need to introduce your puppy to a sound cue meaning food is coming. There are individuals who like clicking and treating while some opt to use words such as “yes” while others cluck their tongues. It does not matter which cue you use provided it helps you achieve what you want. Get your dog to a quiet and distraction-free area, while the puppy is on leash and collar, make cue sound. Immediately the puppy turns towards you, reward him with a treat.  Repeat the process a number of times and you will notice the puppy will not only be looking at you whenever you make the sound but will also come for the treat.

3) Always Make Him Come to You

While the puppy is coming to you while still on leash and collar, you can back up a few steps and reward him immediately he gets to you. Continue with the exercise until when the puppy starts walking with you a few paces. However, you need to remember that puppies have short attention spans; hence, you need to keep your sessions short and end when they are still eager to instead of stopping when they are completely exhausted.

4) Practice Inside

By now, your puppy should be understanding how and when to come to you. Seeing and feeling the leash around will be enough challenge. When the puppy approaches you, offer him with treats and praise until he gets used to that. It is important that you practice inside a room where there are no distractions.

5) Take It Outside

After your puppy has got used to coming to you into a room where there are no distractions, it is now advisable that you start testing him outdoors or  use wireless dog fences to restrict his movement. You can research best wireless fence by reading through a number of wireless dog review. You will however encounter several challenges on the outside due to sights your puppy will encounter, smells and sounds.  Ensure the first walks are kept short and never be in a hurry to get the dog going. While on a walk, always make your cue sound and move a few paces away whenever your puppy gets distracted or is about to lunge towards something. Remember to reward his following you with a treat.

Use Rewarding Method

Immediately you step out of your house with your dog you will encounter lots of competition.  You will, therefore, have to make staying close to you more rewarding and fun rather than running off just to explore all the neighborhoods smells and sights.  You can achieve this by using praise, treats and a happy tone voice.

For the start, whenever your dog turns and looks at you always tell him good and offer some treats.  This is the best time when you can also decide to use a clicker in case you have tried using clicker training. Whenever the dog’s attention turns to you, always click and reward him with treats. With this, you will be teaching your puppy that paying attention comes with great rewards. You can also keep the dog’s attention on you by speaking in happy and high tone. However, in the beginning, you will have to use lots of treats in order to get your dog’s attention.

Always keep your hands by your side and offer the dog treats continuously provided he is walking next to you.  You can slowly start phasing out the treats as he gets to understand and know what you expect from him.

Troubleshooting

Getting your dogs attention can be difficult at times. There are times when he might find what is going on around being much more interesting than your happy talk and treats.  In such situations, stopping and starting will never be enough to distract him from whatever he is doing or intends to do.  When you are faced with such a situation, the best thing to do is move him away from distraction. You can achieve this by walking in a completely different direction saying let’s move or let’s go.  You don’t have to pull your puppy, just walk away holding the leash.  You can thereafter offer him treats and lots of praises. However, you need to keep in mind that this process will take time and high chances are you will not have your puppy walking on a loose leash at first.  Always be positive and consistent and your dog will learn to walk on the leash properly.

Below are important tips on what to do whenever you are having trouble with your puppy:

1) Whenever he pulls

In case your puppy starts pulling in the other direction, pretending to be a tree and stand still refusing to move until when the puppy will come back to you. Never jerk or yank the leak and never drag your dog with you. There are alternative harnesses such as head halters and front hook harnesses that are designed for dogs that pull.

2) When the dog lunges

When your puppy opts to go for something while on a walk such as a car, another dog, or a skateboarder, you can try redirecting his attention by giving him a treat before he lunges or creates a space between his target and you. Always be proactive and prepared for what’s frustrating him gets close.

3) When he barks

There are puppies fond of barking at other dogs whenever they are on a walk. In most cases, such behaviors are as a result of lack of exercise. It is important that you ensure your puppy gets enough amount of physical and mental stimulation for his breed. You can also opt to use the best dog barking deterrent. In case you are experiencing problems with that, you can apply the same tactic you applied when your dog is lunging at a moving car.  Always create distance and offer treats before the dog starts barking.

Summary

Training a puppy on how to heel is considered to be among the most important tasks for any person owning a dog. However, the process usually turns out to be not that hard as many people preserve it to be once they get started. Always keep in mind that your puppy will learn faster if the training technique is right and for the start, you can always use high value rewards to start you off.

Master each stage in training before moving on to the next and give yourself and your dog some great rewards for making progress! There are people who want to rush their puppies through the trainings and give us when they discover they are not making any progress.  In case you are not sure or do not note some progress, you can always consult a professional god trainer to help you iron out areas where you are not getting it right.