So, You Want A Bulldog Puppy?

June 2, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

When considering a bulldog for a pet, you must bear in mind that the responsibilities of caring for a bulldog will consume a great deal of your time. Bulldogs are active and need a lot of exercise, grooming, and cleaning on a regular basis. In order to make sure your bulldog has a happy and healthy life, you must commit yourself to a constant care routine.

Bulldogs come in many different types, and you should make sure that you understand the personality of the dog before you commit to ownership. English bulldog puppies may be more suitable to your lifestyle than, say, American bulldog puppies.

Many people are under the false impression that bulldogs do not need a lot of daily exercise, this is not true. Bulldogs need exercise just like any other dog needs exercise, obviously not as much exercise as you would give an Alsatian for example, but enough exercise to keep your bulldog healthy. Find the rhythm that is good for your dog and never walk him just after a meal and you will find that your bulldog will be healthy and happy.

Bulldog grooming is also very necessary to help your pet maintain a healthy lifestyle. By grooming your dog once or twice a week your bulldogs coat will stay healthy. It is normally very hard to groom a bulldog if the dog has not been trained as a puppy. When your bulldog is still a puppy teach him how to act when grooming so that it will be a lot easier in the future.

With bulldogs, it is imperative that you understand the feeding requirements. While your bulldog is young and getting plenty of exercise, he will need to be fed about for times a day to ensure that he can grow strong and healthy. Bulldogs are very muscular and it takes a lot of protein and certain fats to maintain that muscle. As the dog becomes fully grown, you should reduce the feeding schedule to twice a day to prevent obesity.

Training a bulldog puppy can be difficult if you aren’t consistent. The key is to keep correcting him until he understands what he is supposed to do. Make frequent trips outside and try not to use much physical correction with the pup, as they can be provoked easily. When lead training, it is recommended to use a lightweight chain collar. Many have found the choke chain collars are very effective with such strong-built pups.

Friendly Training Methods to Communicate with your Dog

May 17, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Many people become frustrated with a dog that just won’t listen. They want to be to understand their dog and develop communication method that the dog will understand. Fortunately, there are number ‘friendly’ training methods that you can use to help you communicate with your dog, which will help eliminate behavior problems.

Most behavior problems like biting, jumping on strangers, urinating on the floor, and barking, result from a failure to communicate properly with your dog. Basically, the dog does not understand what you are trying teach him. ‘Dog-Friendly’ methods of training means you can communicate and dog training without inflicting pain or anger. They are positive reinforcement techniques that are fun for both you and your dog.

Using friendly training methods that include positive training techniques will help you develop a trusting life-long bond with your dog. To build a strong owner-dog relationship, based on trust and mutual respect, incorporating the following techniques will help:

Kindness and Patience is Essential: Yelling, hitting, using choke collars, or electric shock, is not only cruel, but will not train your dog. He will develop a fear of you and most likely develop other behavioral problems such as aggression, trust, love, and respect, are essential to understanding and communication with your dog. Of course, your dog should know its position in the family, and that you are the ‘top dog’ so to speak, but you do not have to do this using punishing and inhumane methods. It won’t work. Friendly training helps you work with your dog’s natural instincts

Training and Play: One thing that dogs love is play. Make your training fun. Motivate the dog with treats and praise when he accomplishes a task. For instance, if your dog is jumping on you, praise your dog every time he greets you by sitting. When you meet him, assist him with sitting and then praise him or give him a treat. Repeating the sitting technique, the dog will learn he is rewarded for sitting and not jumping on you. Make sure you are consistent with the training technique and reward. You do not want to confuse the dog.

Association and Repetition: Dogs do not have the ability to learn something once. You have to associate the word with the action you want it to perform. For instance, if you want it to lie down, you can use the correct signal and you can lay down with your dog. After it lies down, you can reward him with a treat or praise. Keep repeating the method and your dog will learn to associate the word and action. Connecting words with actions in a positive way .is essential to success

Arrange for Your Dog to Succeed: Throughout your training session, make sure you incorporate easy techniques so you can reward him. The reward for succeeding will stay with him. He will be a much happier dog. Ending the session with a successful training technique will leave him feeling happy. Keep Positive: Some dogs will take longer to learn than others. If you get angry or show frustration, your dog will pick up on your negative energy. The dog will be confused and react to your negative emotions by displaying negative behavior.

Clicker Reinforcement: Use a clicker device to make a ‘click’ sound when your dog does something right. They will begin to learn that the sound means they did something right.

Dogs are never entirely trained. As the owner, you must keep up with the positive reinforcement techniques. If you don’t, the dog may forget some learned behaviors. Communication is critical to creating a life long bond with your dog. It is important to observe how your dogs react to situations so you learn its body language. Talk to your dog in a kind and loving voice and you will soon find yourself with a loyal life friend.

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7 Dog Obedience Training Tips to Help You with Your Dog

May 15, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Teaching your dog good obedience training may be the most important step you should take in order to develop desirable habits in your puppy and at the same time stop unpleasant behaviors. After all, dogs are animals, and without correct obedience training, they will indeed behave like animals. Would you not teach your youngster the difference between right and wrong? Similarly, if you’d like to develop fascinating habits in your puppy and at the same time stop unattractive behaviors, you definitely need to provide your dog with good obedience coaching.

Here are 7 dog obedience training tips that can help you along the way:

1. Firstly, you want to get your dog’s attention prior to starting the training.

2. Begin your dog training sessions as quickly as your dog arrives at your house. Whilst you can teach old dogs new behaviors or tricks, remember that what’s learned earliest is usually learned easiest and fastest. In view of that, start training your puppy near the beginning.

3. Teach your dog only 1 command at a time, and do not move on until he understands the trick you are trying to teach him. A little while of dog training everyday is all that is required.

4. Train your dog with love, kindness and respect because this method will certainly create a good relationship between you and your puppy.

5. Reward your dog for his good performance over and over again. This is a valuable approach that you must follow when you are providing training to your puppy.

6. Reward your dog by treating him with lip smacking things, and by exclaiming to him “Good dog” in a satisfied voice. Recompense your dog each time he follows your command, particularly when he is learning a new behavior. After that, you only need to reward your dog’s best behavior.

7. Have fun with your puppy on a regular basis. This could actually make it simple for you to develop a deep bond between you and your dog.

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7 Dog Obedience Training Tips to Properly Train Your Dog

May 9, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Training your dog is perhaps the most important thing you should do not only for your puppy but also for yourself. Obviously, dogs are animals, and without proper obedience training, they will indeed behave like animals! After all, wouldn’t you teach your child the difference between right and wrong? Likewise, if you want to develop desirable habits in your puppy and at the same time prevent undesirable behaviors, you definitely need to provide your dog with good obedience training.

The 7 seven dog obedience training tips below will help you train your dog like a pro:

1. Firstly, you want to get your dog’s attention prior to starting the training.

2. Start your dog training sessions as soon as your dog arrives at your home. While you can teach old dogs new behaviors or tricks, keep in mind that what is learned earliest is often learned easiest and fastest. For that reason, start training your puppy early on.

3. Teach your dog only 1 command at a time, and do not move on until he understands the trick you are trying to teach him. A little while of dog training everyday is all that is required.

4. Train your dog with love, kindness and respect because this method will certainly create a good relationship between you and your puppy.

5. Praise your dog for his good performance time and again. This is a very important practice that you need to follow when training your dog.

6. Reward your dog by treating him with lip smacking things, and by exclaiming to him “Good dog” in a satisfied voice. Recompense your dog each time he follows your command, particularly when he is learning a new behavior. After that, you only need to reward your dog’s best behavior.

7. Have fun with your puppy on a regular basis. This could actually make it simple for you to develop a deep bond between you and your dog.

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7 Dog Obedience Training Tips to Help You Train Your Puppy

May 7, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Providing good obedience training to your dog may be the most important thing you need to do not just for your puppy but also for yourself. Dogs are animals, and without proper obedience training, they will indeed behave like animals. In fact, would you not teach your kid the difference between right and wrong? Similarly, if you’d like to develop desirable habits in your puppy and at the same time stop unattractive behaviors, you definitely need to provide your dog with good obedience coaching.

Here are 7 dog obedience training tips that can help you along the way:

1. First off, you must get your dog’s attention before you start training him.

2. Start your dog training sessions as soon as your dog arrives at your home. While you can teach old dogs new behaviors or tricks, keep in mind that what is learned earliest is often learned easiest and fastest. For that reason, start training your puppy early on.

3. Teach your dog only one command at a time, and do not move on until he understands the trick you are trying to teach him. A few minutes of dog training on a daily basis is all that is required.

4. Train your dog with love, kindness and respect because this method will certainly create a good relationship between you and your puppy.

5. Reward your dog for his good performance over and over again. This is a valuable approach that you must follow when you are providing training to your puppy.

6. Reward your dog by treating him with lip smacking things, and by exclaiming to him “Good dog” in a satisfied voice. Recompense your dog each time he follows your command, particularly when he is learning a new behavior. After that, you only need to reward your dog’s best behavior.

7. Engage in recreation with your dog frequently. This will surely make it easy for you to build an excellent relationship between you and your puppy.

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Learn Basic Training For Dogs Today!

May 6, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Getting a new puppy is always a fun experience for a person. They are always so cute, fun and playful that it can be hard to remember that they will grow up to be an adult dog someday. If we want them to be well-behaved dog citizens as an adult we need to start training them while they are still small.

Housetraining is likely the most crucial training you need to finish and it is often given the most attention. However, in order to grow up to be a well-behaved adult dog you will also need to complete training on leash training, training to come, sit, stay and lie down. A well-behaved adult dog will be trained to do all of these also.

There are some consistent dog training rules that always work. All living things respond more to love and positive reinforcement than they do to criticism and negative reinforcement. Your dog will do anything to please you and make you happy but if you give him negative feedback he may develop fear and he will be less likely to respond to you and what you want.

When you train your dog be sure that you enforce the desired behaviors with treats, affection, verbal praise and more. Most often you should use verbal praise. Praise your dog almost every time but only give him treats once occasionally. If he gets a treat every time his behavior will diminish and it can affect his health and your pocketbook.

Also if you remember anything about classical conditioning and Pavlov’s dogs from your high school science classes you will recall that intermittent reinforcement was a better method of creating a behavior than consistent reinforcements. If your dog gets a treat every time he quickly loses interest and will get to a point where he does not respond as well. But if he gets a treat only once in awhile he will respond every time in anticipation of the possible reward.

When you train your dog use hand signals with voice commands. After awhile teach him to respond to just one or the other. This can come in very handy in different situations.

As a minimum, you will need to train your dog to come, sit, lie down and stay, along with leash training. There may also be some behavior training that you may want to take into consideration, especially if your dog is rather hyperactive and rambunctious. A well-trained dog is a well-behaved dog and everyone loves a well-behaved dog.

As you train your dog, the bond between the two of you will grow and it will be a joy to have him as part of your family for many years to come.

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Basic Training Tips For Your Puppy

May 5, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

Getting a new puppy is always an exciting experience for a person. They are always so adorable, playful and fun that it can be hard to remember that they will grow up to be an adult dog someday. If we want them to be well-behaved dog citizens as an adult we need to start training them while they are still small.

Housetraining is probably the most crucial training you need to complete and it is often given the most attention. However, in order to grow up to be a well-behaved adult dog you will also need to complete training on leash training, training to come, sit, stay and lie down. A well-behaved adult dog will be trained to do all of these also.

When you are training your dog there are some things that are consistent and work every time. All dogs and other animals, including people, react better to love and positive reinforcement than to negative reinforcement. Dogs inherently want to please their masters but if you react in a negative manner he may develop fear and he will be less likely to react to what you want.

As you are training your dog make sure that you enforce the good behaviors with treats, affections, verbal praise and more. Your most oft-used reinforcement method should be verbal praise. Praise your dog almost every time but give him treats only once in awhile. If he gets a treat every time he will come to expect it and too many treats is bad for his health and your pocketbook.

Also, if you recall from your high school science classes about Pavlov’s dog and classical conditioning, you will remember that constant reinforcement was not nearly as effective in replicating consistent behavior as intermittent reinforcement, meaning if your dog knows that there is always a treat at the end he is less likely to respond after awhile, but if he thinks there may be a treat but he does not know for sure, he will do it every time and the behavior will become second nature.

When you train your dog use hand signals in addition to voice commands. After awhile teach him to respond to just one or the other. This can come in very handy in different situations.

The least you will want to train your dog would be to sit, lie down, come, and stay along with leash training. You may also +want to include some behavior training if you take your dog out in public often or if he is especially rambunctious and hyperactive. Well-behaved dogs are a joy to own and in order to be a well-behaved adult he needs to be well-trained.

Training your dog will strengthen the bond between the two of you and both you and your dog will benefit for many years to come.

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Puppy Potty Training Made Simple Simple Steps to Training Your Puppy The Keys to Training Your Puppy Quickly Master the Art of Puppy Housebreaking Housebreaking Without Rubbing His Nose In It

April 21, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

A puppy can be a great joy to a household. While kisses and cuddles are the high points, I think it’s safe to say that cleaning up after a puppy can be considered one of the lowest points. During these formative years for your puppy, you’ll probably want to start the potty training lesson as soon as you deem your puppy ready.

The most important thing you can do for your pup at this time is to establish a steady routine. Without the adaptation of a routine to daily life, a puppy can become confused and may develop anxiety issues later in life. Begin by setting certain times in which you feed him, take him to potty, and sleep. Try to stick to the same general time every day.

Although some people are adverse to the idea, others find that keeping a pallet of newspaper near an exit (one your puppy will soon associate with the outdoors). Although we do our best, we don’t always pay attention or are in a position to let our dog outside-especially at nighttime. This is a positive alternative for your puppy to use until he develops better bladder control.

Understand that a puppy’s system is like clockwork. When you feed or water him, he will be ready to potty about 15 – 20 minutes later. The key is to make sure your pup has access to the yard (or wherever you’re teaching him to potty) when the time comes. Arranging your puppy’s routine to match your own is the easiest way to expect when he’s hungry or needs to potty.

Be sure that you separate “potty time” from “play time.” Puppies love to explore. It’s natural and should be encouraged, but only when it’s the appropriate time. Nothing is more frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back inside.

This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. Many people prefer “good boy/girl” and “no,” which can be still be used when your dog is older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!

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Bad Dogs

April 18, 2009 by · Leave a Comment 

When a dog is termed as bad by the owner, usually it is they who are the cause. The feeling is very irritating when a dog jumps on you and puts paw prints over everything you’re wearing. The dog next door might also prefer to leave his calling cards on your front yard.

These are bad dogs? Perhaps, but they are only as bad as the kids next door who have never been given a good upbringing. What else other than bad behavior can you expect from animals and kids when the concerned adults have no idea what they are supposed to do? Sensible owners take the help of dog trainers who teaches them proper handling methods without breaking the natural spirit.

To get to know a good trainer approach your vet or pet store; these trainers often hold private lessons with the pet and the owner but it is just as easy to solve your pet behavior problem by attending any online course on pet management.

Part of this training is to teach the owner how to handle their pet. There is a saying amongst trainers however that it is far easier to train dogs than the people that own them! Dogs need to practice when they are taught to walk with leash when they are taken out and for this they need to walk around in a yard or any other area.

One of the behavioral traits is barking; however, this will often annoy almost anyone that can hear it. Shouting or punishing your pet for engaging in this normal communication is counterproductive – as well as confusing to the animal.

When a dog needs something to eat or drink, even to be played with, they will begin to bark. Completely suppressing a dog from barking will not help to prevent a burglar from trying to enter your property! Remember not to promote barking when he is a puppy and then get all worked up when he continues to bark even more as he gets bigger.

You could learn from your trainer how to reinforce certain behaviors in a puppy, which you desire, by giving them the occasional gift for being good. You could start rewarding and motivating your puppy so he will continue with the good behavior; most animals will normally stop doing things for which they get reprimanded.

Remember that you can not coach a dog to adapt to certain behaviors which are not part of his genetic make-up. The best option for getting certain specific behavior is to acquire your pet from a breed which displays those traits. When does a dog become good? Well, when you train them with patience, resolve and of course, a great deal of affection.

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How To Train Your Dog To Play Fetch

April 15, 2009 by · 1 Comment 

So you’re the proud owner of a dog and you love him to death. Now you want to play with him in order to strengthen the bond between you two. What better way than to play fetch with your dog?

Some dogs know instinctively how to play fetch. Other dogs need to be taught. Luckily, dog training for playing fetch is a fairly simple process. You need to stick to a few simple guidelines for a couple of weeks. The three simple guidelines are listed below.

1. Your dog needs to pay attention to a ball that you want him to fetch. After all, if he’s not paying attention, he’ll never chase after it. In order to teach your doggy to become interested in a ball, praise him whenever he sniffs it or pays attention to it in any way. The objective is to teach your dog he will get a reward every time he follows the ball.

2. Once your dog has learned to pay attention to the ball, he must learn to pick it up in his mouth. It’s possible that he will do this all by himself. In this case, you simple need to praise him and feed him a dog treat. If he doesn’t pick up the ball on his own initiative, you can make the ball more enticing by smearing some peanut butter on it. Keep this up long enough and your dog will eventually learn to pick up the ball.

3. After your dog knows how to follow a ball and pick it up, it’s time that he learns he needs to take it back to you and drop it. You can do this by throwing the ball ten feet away until your dog follows it and then picks it up. Now you call him and show him a dog treat in your hand. This will make him run back to you with the ball still in his mouth. He will probably drop the ball in order to make place for the dog treat.

After you have gone through these simple steps, you are ready for a few small scale experiments. Throw the ball a short distance and say “Fetch!”. If the dog doesn’t go after the ball, you should try throwing it closer, or handing it to him again. When he does it correctly, make sure to treat and praise him.

If you repeat this whole process often enough, your dog will learn to play fetch for sure. It’s usually a matter of a few weeks. After a few weeks, your dog will have comprehended the whole game of playing fetch. From hereon, playing fetch becomes its own reward. You can still tell him is a good boy, but you won’t have to stock up on dog treats anymore. You can save those to teach him another game in the future.

Owning a dog is a great thing. Dogs are loyal pets that will love you unconditionally. It’s definitely worth investing your time and energy to get the two of you closer together. Playing fetch is a great way of doing this. So stick to the training, and before you know it your doggy and you will be having a ball!

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