The following articles were authored by guestauthor

Pooching Around’s Indispensable Survival Kit For Dogs Infographic

By

Doggy resource site, Pooching Around has highlighted the important items you should store away for your dog’s survival kit for emergency situations. There is no telling when disaster, whether man-made or natural, could strike and therefore, it is better to be safe and prepared than under prepared and sorry.

The infographic helpfully points out in a clear and precise way, exactly what you need. Including essentials such as food, water and some kind of portable bowl to feed and water them from.

A doggy survival kit is much of the same thing as a human go-bag and an important aspect of survival, especially animals prone to stress like dogs, is having things that they are familiar with and that will help keep them calm. This may be a favorite blanket or even a favorite toy. Both are important to pack though as the blanket will comfort your furry friend, while the toy will not only provide them with entertainment, but may remind them of home.

Internet and phone services may be down in a state of emergency, so its important also to have stored away in hard-copy form, details of vets and shelters in the wider local area (as you don’t know where you might end up if you have to flee your home) and information regarding your dog’s health records and prescriptions and medications. Having this close to hand when seeking treatment or help, will save time if a vet that has never met you or your dog before is trying to workout what is best to prescribe for your dog and how best to help them.

This entry is filed under Taking Care.

8 Easy Tips to Solve Common Behaviour Issues In Dog

By

It is very common that dogs depict negative behavioural issues. These are mostly prevalent due to lack of communication. It is very surprising that humans and animals, being completely different from each other can reside in perfect harmony with each other. Since dogs are a regular part of a family now, they need to behave in a certain way.

Here’s how.

Handling an Aggressive Dog

The aggression in dogs is extremely common.  It can be attributed to a lot of reasons. The most common factors include illness, fear, possessiveness, frustration. It is very essential for every dog owner to determine the factor of aggressiveness. However, there are a couple of strategies can be implied to regulate the aggression of your dog. In order to treat aggression of your pet, firstly it is important to determine the cause of it. Secondly, you should try to avoid the circumstances that cause aggression. Lastly, you should reward him every time he behaves appropriately.

Handling a Dog that Bites

Dogs interact with the world with their mouth just like what humans do with their hands. Moreover, the mouth is their tool to analyze the world. Many reasons can be attributed to dog biting behavior. These are inclusive of anger, anxiety, fear, and self-defense. The reason can be interchangeable and confusing, but the outcome is same- Bite. Irrespective of the reason your dog tends to bite for, there is wide range of steps that can be taken for it.

Foremost, spaying and neutering your dog can help minimize the probability of biting behavior. It is important to exercise and play with your dog daily as it will mellow their energy down. Otherwise, the energy might be directed towards aggression and biting.

CAUTION: Don’t allow your dog to roam unleashed when they are the threat to people or other animals.

Stopping a Dog from Jumping

If your puppy loves running off to you or jumps at you, it’s not the sign of affection. This behavior involves barking and jumping off at door bell. It is very uncomfortable and outright frightening. However, some owners prefer to be greeted enthusiastically by their pet, but it can be inappropriate for some guests especially the ones who are frightened of dog.

This behavior can be curbed by appropriate training. You need to show cold behavior once they jump at you. Turn around when it jumps at you and don’t make any eye contact with them. Treat them when they are good and sober back at their place.

Stopping a Dog from Marking Territory

It is an intrinsic behavior of dog to mark their territory. There are the variety of reasons that can be attributed to this behavior. This most prevalent is in the case of stress. With appropriate training, a dog can be trained to mark their territory appropriately. They can be trained to mark their territory only in the case of food.

To overcome territory marking, neutering and spaying your dog can be helpful.  Moreover, making your dog familiar with an unfamiliar face can reduce the unwanted behavior to a maximum extent. Dogs love rules. If you want to control this behavior, you should establish yourself as the leader and command.

Preventing your dog from leash pulling

Dogs are intrinsically designed to pull off their leashes; it is a modulation of their historical utilization in being puller of packs. Nonetheless, the pattern of historical utilization is still so evident in some breeds that they strain their leashes extremely hard that it tends to suffocate them.

Leash prevention can be treated for a lot of reasons. Firstly, one needs to adjust their attitude. Rather than teaching your dog not to leash pull, you should teach them to walk gracefully beside you. Secondly, you can play follow me the game with your dog. Lastly, rewarding your dogs with treats have a significant impact on the leash training your dog.

Preventing dog from car chasing

It is in dog’s nature to run after something that is moving swiftly and it might look stupid to you, but it makes perfect sense to them. The visibility of something moving pass swiftly past it can boost them to chase it. This habit can be extremely dangerous; it can confuse the driver as well as put the dog at risk too.

The most important step in this regard is to ensure to keep your pup on a six feet leash.  Practice by making a friend drive by on a bike slowly. Gradually increase the speed of the vehicle and continue to practice until the dog stops chasing. Finally, reward him with a treat with positive reinforcement.

Prevent Destructive Chewing

Just like newborns, dogs are also prone to chewing as teething can be painful. Nonetheless, the grownup dogs also tend to chew things when they are bored or anxious. In some instances, chewing can be helpful to keep the teeth clean. However, there is a difference between desired chewing and unwanted chewing.

Destructive chewing can be eliminated by following a couple of steps. Firstly, you should unleash the additional energy of your dog. You should take them to exercise to let their energy mellow down. Moreover, in case of puppies, they should be provided with chew toys.

Prevent excessive guarding

It is inherited that dogs guard their food. It is very common for your dog to growl when you pass by him while he is eating. This behavior can be very harmful in case you want to get something out of his mouth in case something toxic is consumed.

The foremost thing is to never feed your dog when before or while you are eating. Intrinsically, when dogs go on a hunt the alpha dog eats first, same should happen in a human-dog pack. You should eat first and feed your dog afterward.  To limit the food guarding you should never step back from the bowl. This is actually what your dog wants. By stepping back, you are reinforcing the unwanted behavior- food guarding and growling.

By: Wendy Shore

Wendy Shore is a parent of two amazing dogs. She is very enthusiastic about pet health and welfare in general. She regularly blogs at totally goldens.

 

This entry is filed under Training Tips.

7 Amazing Tricks You Can Teach Your Cocker Spaniel

By

Cocker Spaniels are amazing learners and possess excellent obedience intelligence. For initial lessons, maintain a familiar environment and privacy for the cocker spaniel to focus on you. Usually, dogs have a short-term attention span, so it’s imperative that you keep the chances of distractions almost zero.

Training based on positive reinforcement techniques makes the trick-learning process quick. Keep in mind to consistently follow the reward and punishment method. It involves giving a treat when the dog performs the trick right and holding it back when he fails to do it perfectly. It will help your fido associate the peak performance with treats. This method is effective for the puppy’s crate training as well.

Besides the methodology, give clear and short instructions like ‘spin’, ‘roll’, ‘jump’, etc. Clickers can also be added to reinforce the perfect response.

Here are seven amazing tricks you can teach your Cocker Spaniel:

Hand Shake

For teaching the shake hand trick, give verbal command ‘shake’ and then lift up your dog’s paw. Whenever you give the command, remember to pick up the same paw for quick learning. After picking up the paw, praise the dog. He will gradually learn to associate the paw-lift with praise and will volunteer himself. When he does the trick by himself, add a treat to the praise to encourage the response. With time, you can shift between paws, teach him the high five with both hands.

Stay and Come

This trick will help you in the long run because most owners want their dog to ‘stay’ at a point when needed. For this, you have to command your pooch to ‘stay’ as you move away. Keep moving away slowly, and command the dog to ‘stay’ every five seconds. Keep your hand in an extended position. When you have moved about 10 feet away, put your hand down and command ‘Come.’ When he will master the trick and perform the trick perfectly, reward him with a treat.

Catch it

If your dog is not used to holding bigger objects like balls easily, you can start the trick with treats. Throw a treat towards your Cocker Spaniel, and ask him to catch it. It will take few tries, but he will master the trick soon enough by following your hand’s directions.

Dance

The trick will help the dog learn to balance perfectly when he jumps up on you in excitement. It’s quite easy to teach if your dog always jumps up when you return. Whenever he jumps up next time, hold his front paws and make him balance on his hind legs. Praise him and give treats before lowering down the paws. Gradually, make him move his paws while standing to add more fun and cuteness. Small or medium weighed Cocker Spaniels can easily balance on hind legs.

Bow

To make the Cocker Spaniel learn to bow, a simple trick is to hold a treat and make him follow it to the floor with your hand movements. When he lowers his head, command him ‘bow’ to make mental associations. Stay consistent unless he learns the trick.

Roll Over

Command your Cocker Spaniel to sit and lie down. Hold a treat near the pet’s chin, roll it over to the dog’s head and let him follow your hand. Say the word ‘roll over’ when the treat is near the head. It will make the dog turn to reach for the treat. Reward him at this point along with your praise to reinforce the response.

Retrieve or Find the Hidden Object

If your pooch loves his toys and carries them everywhere by holding them in the mouth, you can hide the toys at the secret corners of the room. But, don’t hide them far from his site or totally out of reach. Let him hunt for his toys by saying ‘Find’ or ‘Toy.’ When he succeeds in locating or retrieving the toy, treat him and praise him. Just beware of not praising him when he bring toys and other stuff in his mouth without your command. It will tone down his interest with time.

Have fun with your Cocker Spaniel by staying consistent with the rewards and punishments. You can teach him further jumping, staying and following tricks after he learns these seven basic tricks.

By: James Shore
James Shore is a part-time dog-trainer and dog behavior consultant. He is a professional freelancer with years of experience in dog training. He is interested in finding out fun ways to handle dog behaviors, specifically, Labradors to help dog-owners enjoy their companions at all times. His pet-passion led him to develop Labrador Training HQ to help people.
This entry is filed under Training Tips.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Treating Depression in Dogs

By

Is your dog suffering from depression? Have you noticed a lack of interest in him suddenly? Does your pooch’s emotional and physical enthusiasm drops down when he is stressed out, and unable to cope up with the disturbing or changing situations? There can be different reasons for canine depression, from loss of a family member to arrival of a new baby or pet at home.

Small dogs and hyperactive dogs like Pomeranian Chihuahua Mix, Border Collie, Labradors, etc are prone to developing depression and anxiety.

Symptoms of Depression:

Major symptoms of depression are:

  1. Excessive Licking
  2. Avoidance or Hiding
  3. Loss of Interest
  4. Changes in Sleeping Habits (Insomnia or Excessive Sleeping)
  5. Appetite Changes (Loss of Appetite or Overeating)

Treating Depression the Right Way:

There are some do’s and don’ts of treating canine depression to tackle the situation thoroughly.

Things to Do:

You should consider following things to cure depression in dogs:

1) Consult the vet:

The first step to treating a pet-related problem is identifying the symptoms correctly. Dogs can get depressed for various reasons:

  1. Arrival of a new baby or pet or visitor
  2. Death of a house pet or family member
  3. Sudden change in dog’s daily routine
  4. Change of house
  5. Depression of the owner
  6. Lack of proper social interaction

If you have failed to recognize any specific cause for your dog’s depression, then, consult the vet to identify it. The dog may be suffering from any medical issue.

2) Comfort the dog:

Dogs love discipline in life. They like staying within the comfort zone, i.e., following a routine and being familiar with the surroundings.

Changes in routine should be brought gradually, so the dog may not identify them. If you have changed home, keep the dog bowl, crate, etc. same to make him comfortable at the new place. Make good memories at the new site with the dog to rely on!

If it’s about the arrival or departure of someone new, pay attention to the dog as much as you did before. Make him experience the fun with or without the new member respectively to get used to the change. Implement treat training method to attract him into the play.

3) Physical and mental exercise:

Involve the dog into mental and physical exercises outdoors and indoors. Make use of their hunting skills and the habit of ‘completing the task’ at hand at any cost. You just have to engage the dog once, and he will play for hours. With time introduce the new member to the dog and let him take the dog out.

4) Pay attention:

This is not a warning signboard, but something important. Your dog loves to be the center of attention. So, it’s imperative that you show love and care to the pooch despite the changes in his life.

5) Medication:

If the dog fails to recover from the symptoms of depression for several months, then you can move on to giving him vet-prescribed antidepressants like Prozac.

Things to Avoid:

1) Delay in treatment:

Begin the treatment at the earliest you recognize the symptoms and change in dog’s behavior. Depression and inactivity can increase the chances of further problems, including upset stomach, obesity, and maybe heart problems. Curing prolonged depression is difficult.

2) Allow overeating:

Giving love and care to your dog doesn’t mean that you can promote the pooch’s overeating habit out of anxiety. You have to maintain the balance of food according to activity levels per day. Obesity in dogs can lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. Better to stay safe than be sorry later!

3) Show depressed behavior:

Emotions are contagious for pets. If your depression has transferred to your pooch, you have to consult the psychologist to get treatment for yourself. Moreover, you can train your pooch as a ‘therapy dog’ to aid in curing your depression, it will help both of you to walk out the door of gloom and sadness.

4) Force to perform tasks:

Forcing a dog to socialize, play, and go out with the new member will not do the job. You have to bring the changes gradually through positive reinforcement. Give him treats whenever he does something for you.

5) Change the dog supplies:

With a change of home, changing dog supplies, including the bed, crate, bowl, toys, etc. is not a positive step towards treatment. Once the dog is out of depression and acclimates to the new place, you can move ahead towards changing the supplies.

Conclusion:

Consistency is the key. Despite the changes in life, you can accustom the dog to new things. Comfort him to live with the changes, and your dog will soon overcome his depression. Positive reinforcement is the best encouragement for the dog to get excited to perform various tasks for you that will benefit his mental state.

By: Fiona Appleton
Fiona Appleton is a Labrador owner. She is the manager of Ultimate Home Life that has been developed to help people solve the troubles of pet ownership. She is an active advocate of animal protection campaigns. She wants people to understand that dog-behavior is reflective of our behavior.
This entry is filed under Taking Care.

Best Training Treats For Your Dog

By

There is no denying that dogs are intelligent creatures, they can understand our gestures, words & intonation. However, they are like our babies and children do require training. You need to patiently put in efforts to teach your dog the right behaviors. As dog-parents you can successfully train your pup by utilizing the right tools and methodologies.

Ways to Train Your Dog

There are two approaches for pet-parents who wish to train their dogs:

  • Positive Reinforcement Training
  • Aversive Training

The former is based on the concept of rewards while the latter revolves around positive punishments. Reinforcement training is a more preferred approach due to the benefits it offers. While using positive reinforcement, you treat your furry companion with his favorite brand of dog food or toy whenever he pleases you with his behaviors. It helps strengthen the bond between you and your furry friend and also makes communication easy.

Training Treats:

Treats are a great way of motivating your dog to obey your commands. Like humans dogs are also fond of delicious food hence it works as the best simulator.  However, the treats should form a tiny percentage of the dog’s diet as consumption in a significant amount may lead to severe health issues.  You can also follow some easy recipes and prepare healthy treats at home.

Single Ingredient Treats!

This is the best option for those who aren’t good cooks. You can provide your pooch with these treats which are delicious and full of nutritional goodness.

Cooked Chicken

Chicken is rich in protein which contains the amino acids vital for your dog’s health. You can boil it without any seasonings, cook it or bake it with little fat and your pup will love it. You can also add any grain to the meat to make healthy treats.

Coconut

Coconut consists of Lauric acid and albumin which boost the pup’s immune system and help prevent various illnesses. Eating coconut is also beneficial for your dog’s coat and skin health. You can use coconut water as a refreshing treat while training your pooch. Remember moderation is essential so don’t overdo it.

Pears

Pears are nutrient powerhouses. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and have antioxidant properties. They are beneficial for your dog’s digestive health and help fight diseases such as cancer as the antioxidants prevent free radical damage. Cut the pear into cubes, make sure you remove the stem, pit & seeds, and feed it to your dog when he listens to your commands.

Baby Carrots

Carrots are an excellent source of fiber. They contain carotenoids that are beneficial for the eyes and skin of your pooch. You can cut baby carrots into small pieces to feed your dog as a treat.

Oatmeal and Pumpkin Biscuits:

Oatmeal is a source of good carbs whereas pumpkin is packed with dietary fiber and vitamin A. You can combine the benefits of the two superfoods to make nutritious and tasty biscuits.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (384grams) whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup (128 grams) rolled oats
  • 1½ cups pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons water (Enough to make a workable dough)

Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Mix the flour, rolled oats and pumpkin puree in a bowl. Add a little water to make a ball of dough. Roll it out and cut cookies into the desired shape. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes.

Beef Jerky:

Grass-fed beef is beneficial for dogs; you can incorporate it into their meals in many ways. Beef jerky is one such treat that can be given to your pooch when he behaves like a good boy.

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 180⁰F. Cut the beef into ½ inch wide pieces and rub them with parsley. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Afterward, place them on a dehydrator at 150⁰F and dehydrate it for 5 hours. Once the beef pieces have dried out, your jerky is ready.

Author Bio
Jenny Perkins is an Animal Behavior Specialist and a passionate writer. She loves to write about the nutrition, health, and care of dogs. She aims at providing tips to dog owners that can help them become better pet parents. She writes for the blog Here Pup.

This entry is filed under Taking Care.

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »