By V Brown 

When it comes to owning a dog there’s a lot more involved than just having a new playmate for the kids, companion for the older person or security for your home.

Are you ready for all your dog will need? The messes in the backyard (and occasional accident inside) the cost of the food, toys and training equipment, do you know where the closest vet is? Do you mind seeing your favourite shoes or morning paper used as a chew toy? These are just the first things you need to consider.

Then you have to start thinking about what type of dog you want: Big or small, short coat or long, do you want a puppy or older dog, pure-bred or mutt?

If you’re planning on introducing a new dog into your family those items mentioned above are just part of what you need to take into consideration before making your final decision.

You need to make sure all family members are prepared to care for your pet: whether that means delegating who feeds the dog, who walks it and who cleans after it etc. If it’s going to be left for one person it may put a strain on your family. You also want to take into account the true cost of owning a dog; aside from the weekly food bill you will also need to pay vet bills, buy worm and flea preventions, possibly pay for training, and you’ll need things like collars, leads, food bowls and perhaps toys (just to save on the expense of having to buy new shoes,) that’s not taking into account particular requirements for certain breeds: some require professional grooming, others may have special medical considerations etc.

Depending on your housing situation you may need to spend time exercising your dog, cleaning the backyard up after your dog has done his business, making sure your dog has adequate toys to keep him entertained if he gets left alone for long periods at a time (while you’re at work etc)

You will also want to consider whether you want a male or female dog each have their pros and cons – then too comes the cost of neutering if you don’t plan on breeding, or if you don’t have your dog neutered dealing with the behaviours and problems this can cause.

While owning a dog can truly be a delight, before you take the step and purchase or rescue one (or give one as a gift) please take into account all that dog ownership entails.

Please visit the World Of Dogs if you’d like to know more about what’s involved in having a dog as a pet or regular updates can be found at the World Of Dogs Blog

Most dogs I know will eat just about anything off the human table that you give them, some may want a quick sniff, others the treat won’t touch the sides. I prefer to eat my meals with my family without a dog hanging around waiting for titbits. If you want to avoid dogs hanging around the food table the best approach is to start as you mean to go on.

In the dog world there is a hierarchy that you may already be aware of, the alpha is at the top with others in a pecking order underneath. In the wild the alpha will eat first, with the more junior members of the pack eating when given permission. This is why even when giving your dogs their own food it is a good idea to make them sit and wait for a few moments, before allowing them to approach their bowl. This reinforces your position in the hierarchy, letting them know they only eat when you give permission.

When you act as the alpha there must be a firm rule that you control access to Food.

As with other areas of dog training it is important to be consistent, never give your dog a treat at the table, don’t allow friends or family to indulge “it was just a small one”. Dogs don’t know which times are appropriate and which aren’t.

A dog’s main sense is the sense of smell they use scent to hunt and scavenge for food. It is natural for a dog to approach when they smell food. A dog will very quickly learn if you indulge them, that the smell of food means they will be given something to eat.

A good habit to get into is to ensure your dog knows to go to set place at your meal times. It can become a relatively stress free routine for your dog to go to its bed when you are eating. A little bit of patience in the early stages will reap rewards. I never mind a couple of cold meals when my new dog is learning to go to its bed when we eat.

You can train your dog not to beg for food by using the same techniques you would use to train them to perform any other desired behaviour. When you have identified a place for them to go, use voice such as commands ‘go’, ’sit’, ‘stay’ or ‘bed’. However don’t be tempted to reward obedience with a treat, since that’s exactly the opposite message you’re trying to get across.

You dog’s health is a good reason for not allowing feeding from the table, one of the major causes in obesity in dogs is the additional food given around human meal times. Many owners that indulge in the practice of feeding from the table or giving scraps do not make a compensating reduction in a dog’s main food portion.

As with any dog training, when teaching good behaviour around food, consistency, patience and persistence are the main ingredients (no pun intended). If you persevere you pet will respond they way you want, even when they smell delicious food.

Terry King runs Parcel Pets, a leading UK pet supplies web site and has had pets all his life. He lives with his wife Louise, dog Sam, Cat Sabrina and 5 fish!

Dehydration is a simple problem to solve for humans or pets alike. The answer is water. Be certain that your dog drinks water regularly. Your dog needs unlimited access to cool drinking water. Keeping hydration is also the starting point for preventing several other heat related issues.

Heat exhaustion is common with dogs that are over exercised when it is hot or extremely humid. They are also more prone to exhaustion if they are overweight, stay outside with no shade, or suffer from lung or heart problems. The symptoms can even escalate to heat stroke, which can lead to death. There are several more specific things you can do as an owner, other than providing water, to prevent the possibility of heat exhaustion or stroke.

Especially in the summer time, try not to leave your dog in the car for any reason. Temperatures in automobiles can rise up to 120 degrees. Even if you are running an errand for a few minutes, think about leaving the air conditioner running, and if your dog spends most of its time outside in the back yard, make sure there is a cool shady spot all day long. If your dog regularly exercises with you, pay careful attention to its pace. Do not push the dog to run faster if it begins to fall behind, especially if this is uncharacteristic of your dog.

The two main cooling systems in dogs are located on their tongue and on their paws. For this reason, cool water to drink, and cool surfaces to stand and lay on can make all of the difference. Try not to force your pet to stand on sun-baked surfaces like cement, metal, or sand. Not only will this prevent them from cooling off, but it can also cause blisters on their paw pads.

Most owners never think about their dog getting sunburned, but dogs are very prone to burning on their noses, ears, and lips. The simplest solution for preventing sunburn is to keep your dog in the shade during the most heat intensive hours of the day, but if you need to be in the sun with your dog during those hours, a little sun block lotion will not hurt. A little on the nose and the ears will do the trick.

Summer is a time when pets and owners alike can stretch their legs and enjoy the great outdoors. Don’t let the heat get you down. Instead, prevent any problems caused by the heat with a little extra planning and consideration. Your dog will love you for it, like they do everything else.

A very good relationship between you and your pet consists of mutual understanding, but how can you achieve that? By means of dog training methods, of course, though you should not be alarmed if you encounter different methods and different experts because the outcome is the same: getting your dog to listen to you, not to damage any goods in your house, to behave correspondingly to your commands and so on. Some special dog training methods are required when you desire to teach your dog not to be aggressive and to cease barking when unnecessary, because it is general knowledge some dogs start barking at most inappropriate times, when you would like them to follow your commands instead.

As you should expect, a well-known dog training method is the one that suggests offering rewards to the pet in case he behaves accordingly. It is a token of your appreciation towards him, and indicates that you accepted his behavior. It is a slow process, since you must clarify the command to the dog and repeat it until he finally acts correctly: when you make a “roll over” command for example and he behaves in the manner you told him, you have to give him a treat and praise him; otherwise the command is repeated, the dog must be guided in order to understand and if it’s successfully followed, the reward is given.

picture from : www.k9training.info

Different Dog Training Methods, Different Aids

Aids are required in many dog training methods, such as whistles or special tool you can find at any pet shop near your house. These tools facilitate the progress of understanding, they signal to the dog that a command has been made: the clicker method is one of these, of which experts in the field think the world. It consists of positive response from the trainer and never negative response: if the pet obeys, he’s given a treat, otherwise he never gets punished; when you learn to master a clicker, bought from specific shops, this technique will definitely work for you.

This clicker system of training has thrived especially in the whale-training field, and its success is proven with dogs, too: as long as the owner is persistent in making a click when the animal’s behavior is the one desired, and he gives him the reward every time, the pet learns to develop a conditional instinct in connection with the sound of the click, and he will emulate the wishes of his master to hear that sound again and to be, thus, rewarded.

There are downsides to every method, but techniques that call for negative response from the trainer, if inappropriate behavior is involved, seem to bear quite a few risks. In other words, if the owner has the dog punished in case it eats the cherry tarts, the animal understands it’s an undesired behavior, but just in the strict presence of the master. If you leave home, it will continue on eating the cherry tarts made especially for you perhaps. Consequently, this dog training method is not very good for the owner, nor for the pet. However, it is recommended that you devise a list with what you think your dog should learn, when searching for an expert trainer, to give him important guidelines.

Dogs are children’s best friends. Every child wants a dog to play with and love.

“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.” – Robert Bechley

The question though is what breed of dog is best for your children?

There are many breeds of dogs that are good with children. Some have a great rapport with children like the Golden Retriever. Some love to play with kids like the Labrador Retriever. Beagles are patient and love to play with children.

Most small breed dogs are not good with children especially small children. One exception is the Bichon Frise who is great with well-behaved kids.

Some dogs are too big to be around small children but with older childrens they can be wonderful companions.

Besides choosing what dog would be great for your child there are other considerations to take into account. For instance, what kind of time do you have to take care of a puppy or dog if your child is to small to help? What is your lifestyle? Where should you purchase a dog? What are the health concerns of different breeds? These are just a few considerations you should look at.

Therefore, research different dog breeds before you decide on what dog to get your children. Your child and his “dog” will become great companions and have lots of fun if you do your homework first and get the right dog for him or her.

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself” – Josh Billings