Puppy Education

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.

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.

Adopting a pet dog is a wonderful thing to do for yourself and your family. A pet brings along love, affection and loyalty and doubles them in no time if it is treated with the same affection that it offers.

Caring for a dog is no easy task in the initial days and this is because the care is not limited to pampering, cuddling and petting them. It also extends to training them early so that they are independent and happy by the time they are ready for a life outside the dog crate.

Since technology is all around us, here are 4 top tech-savvy dog products to help train your dog effortlessly.

Invisible Containment System

A wireless dog fence or an invisible containment system is perfect for pet parents who are always on the go. It is portable and can be taken on trips and set-up wherever you want to. If you happen to live in a densely populated area then your dog is at risk of accidents, injuries or being attacked by other dogs. A wireless dog fence will be able to prevent such incidents.

Dog Activity Monitor

Your dog’s daily activities and sleep patterns can tell you a good deal about its health and well-being. With the FitBark Dog Activity Monitor, you will be able to keep a track of your dog’s progress and explain its behavioural changes to the vet if need be. You will also be able to set the right health goal for your furry friend and get a proper insight into your pet’s medical matters.

Dog Camera

Basic pet cams have their own limitations. When it comes to keeping your pet dog absolutely safe, there is nothing like the Furbo Dog Camera that goes beyond the basic pet cam. It is meant to comfort, train as well as reward your dog when they are home all alone. It is the only pet camera that is equipped with a treat dispenser that helps you to toss healthy treats to your pet even when you are miles away. If your dog is barking, it could mean that something is not really right at home and you will receive alerts from the dog camera to check-in right away. If your dog is not on the best behaviour, you could talk to your dog and train him over the camera to avoid unacceptable behavioural patterns.

Interactive Entertainment System

Why let your dog be home alone all day and feel uncared for when you can have days filled with entertainment and interaction? With the PetChatz HD camera, you can offer endless entertainment connectivity, two-way video chats, games, treats and a lot of fun times even when you are away at work. It comes equipped with a sound detector to detect unusual noises. Its treat release system dispenses one treat at a time if your dog gets too anxious. For a pet that has been newly introduced to the concept of staying alone at home, the soothing scents will help him settle down and ease out its anxiety.

Mental health problems are difficult to treat with medicine and therapy. There’s usually no cure, and mental health problems can present suddenly and without warning. People struggling with mental health disorders may need therapy for the rest of their lives, or they must rely on medication that may have little to no effect on their problems or that has uncomfortable side effects. It doesn’t help that suffering from a mental health disorder carries a stigma and can lead to isolation. Sufferers often cut themselves off from people, medical help, and reality. The difficulties of treating mental health issues are so concerning that medical professionals have adopted alternative therapies in an effort to help their patients.

Animal-assisted therapy is an alternative form of mental health therapy where patients are given a companion animal to help them recover. Companion animals, also known as Psychiatric Service Animals, are pets that instill feelings of companionship, responsibility, and accountability in patients. Companions animals are technically not service animals. Service animals are specially prescribed by doctors and therapists to help patients with specific disabilities, diseases, disorders and mental problems. Companion animals decrease loneliness, paranoia, feelings of isolation, and help patients reconnect with people and the world.  Their calming abilities allow for a mental clarity that can aid therapy and medication. Studies have shown that companion animals can also help drug addicts in recovery programs.

Any Animal Can Be a Companion Animal

Almost any animal can act as a companion animal, but dogs in particular are very effective as because of the incredible emotional bond that exists between humans and dogs. Things to keep in mind before getting a companion animal:

• Any breed of dog can act as a companion animal.
• Make sure that your home is suitable for a pet.
• Make sure the pet is size appropriate to serve the patient’s needs.
• Make sure the patient is prepared to clean, groom and take care of a pet.

Companion Animals Offer Hope to People in Need

Companion animals have an extremely calming effect on people. They can level out or increase the natural chemicals in our bodies that cause happiness and contentment. Medical professionals turn to animals when medicine fails, or to relax people so that they respond better to medications. Sometimes the animal is a final option in treatment. Companion animals can help people with:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism
• Bipolar disease
• Dementia
• Depression
• Drug addiction
• Psychosis
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Suicidal thoughts

Companion Animals Can Help With Addiction Recovery

Substance abuse can make addicts selfish, manipulative and worried about their own needs. This behavior isolates them from society, people and much-needed help. And while addiction can be difficult to overcome, researchers believe that companion animals can help a lot in addiction recovery therapy programs.

• Studies show that petting or hugging a pet has great calming effects and can reduce aggression.
• Companion animals and the comfort they provide can be used as a coping mechanism during recovery and sobriety.
• Caring for a dog can provide a model for responsibility and accountability.
• Dogs react to behavior shifts and mood change. They can act as a mirror for an addict to see what they’re doing to themselves.
• A companion animal, which needs constant care, inspires an addict to think of something besides their own needs and cravings.

In addition to being an alternative therapy, a companion animal can become a lifelong friend. The moment a pet realizes he is yours and you are his, you become instant partners without hesitation. He will be by your side the moment you need him, and always give you the benefit of the doubt.

A companion animal is not a cure-all. A person has to be motivated to get better and to care for the animal so it will care for them. If a patient accepts a companion animal as part of alternative therapy, they have a strong chance at increasing their chances of recovery.

If you have a dog that will run away any chance they get and you can’t figure out why they do it or how to stop it, you’ve come to the right place. There are many reasons behind this behavior and many ways to prevent it, so take a look.

They miss freedom

Dogs may want to run away out of habit. If you’ve recently adopted a dog that’s used to living free on the street, they might not be able to understand why things have changed now. If they can go back to their old life, they will try. In dealing with this problem, you’ll have to resort to training and a lot of positive reinforcement (maybe even a professional trainer).

They miss their old home

If you’ve recently moved, your dog might be trying to get back home. Your new house is an unfamiliar territory and they just want to go back to something they know. If you suspect that this could be the reason behind such behaviour, then try to surround your dog with their favourite toys and blankets that smell like you and their old home. Additionally, try to walk your dog around the new neighbourhood so they can develop some sense of familiarity.

Mating

This is one of the most common reasons why dogs run away and it’s especially prominent in male dogs that haven’t been neutered. If your dog wants to mate, they will usually try to find other dogs to satisfy their instinct. The best way to stop this behaviour is to have your dog neutered and that’s the only thing that will work 100%. If that’s not an option for you, then you will need to use training and a strong leash to keep your pup from breaking loose.

Boredom and loneliness

Dogs are very social beings and if they don’t have company and something interesting and fun to do, they will try to find it outside. If you don’t pay enough attention and don’t work with your dog, this issue might occur. Make sure to devote enough time to your dog’s walks and training, give them a lot of affection and simply spend time with them. Take them to a dog park where they can play with other dogs, pick up some new smells and release some energy.

They love to run

This one’s very simple. If you have a husky or a hunting dog that likes a lot of action, you have to respect their need for running. If you don’t give them enough opportunities to run and jump, they will try to find them on their own.

They are scared

If you live in a busy neighbourhood, close to the airport, railway or a construction site, there’s a possibility your dog is trying to run away from the scary noise. If there’s a way to replicate those triggers, work with your dog until they learn to accept them and not be afraid of them. If you know your pup is scared of fireworks or thunderstorms, shelter them from the noise and make them feel safe. In these situations it’s always good to get your dog a tag. You can get cheap and high-quality pet ID tags in Australia and you can leave your address and phone number on them, so your dog can be returned if lost.

They see something that excites them

If your dog likes to chase after cats or squirrels when you’re walking them, they will also like to do that when off the leash, only you won’t be there to hold them back. If you know what excites your dog, use that object in training to teach them the stay command.

Now that you understand the reasons behind your dog’s behaviour and how to correct it, all that is left to do is work with your dog, train them properly and give them a lot of love.