Dog Lover Community

All puppies chew. They need to chew on something to relieve the discomfort of teething. Well-behaved adult dogs will only chew on toys or bones, but some adult dogs will revert back to this puppy behavior when they are bored or stressed. Here are three things to do to break your dog from chewing your belongings:

1. Remove the temptation. Keep your shoes, clothes or anything else that you don’t want your dog to chew off the floor. Anything on the ground is fair game as far as your puppy is concerned.

Be sure to tape all electrical, telephone and cable wiring to the wall to

keep your puppy from chewing it. You can also use pet repellent on the

wires to keep your dog away. This is a potentially deadly situation, and it

must be done to keep your pet safe.

2. Make it taste bad. One pet product, Bitter Apple, works, and so does hot pepper sauce - it just may be a little messy on your fine furniture. Any non-toxic substance that tastes bad to your dog is fair game.

3. The water treatment. Anytime you catch your puppy or dog chewing a cabinet door or your favorite pillow, say “No!” and spray him with a spray gun with a tablespoon or two of vinegar mixed in with the water. Give him a toy to chew.

4. Leave toys for your dog to play with. When you buy your pet a new toy, be sure to play with it with him the first time. Tease him with the toy, roll it on the floor, spin it around - whatever gets his attention. Don’t have tons of toys for your dog - it confuses him if he has too much to keep track of and he may inadvertently play with something not his in the confusion - like your boots. Get him used to chewing on three toys, and then you can add more.

5. The tether technique. When you are home, clip your puppy’s leash through your belt so he has to be in your sight. Every time he looks like he’s going for something inappropriate to chew, give him a toy instead.

6. Confinement. If you are away during the day, confine your dog to either his crate or a room with his toys. Never let a dog with a chewing habit roam loose in your house all day.

7. Give frozen treats. Puppies in particular like frozen treats because the cold helps to relieve their teething discomfort. You can buy some particularly formulated for pets, or just freeze some peanut butter or some soup stock in ice cube trays.

Marilyn Burnham

Author: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’
The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!
For More Information On Dog Training

Marilyn Burnham was the owner operator of 4 successful dog grooming stores in British Columbia, Canada for more than a decade. To spend more time with her children Marilyn made the decision to sell her business in the mid 90’s. Get a copy of her book: ‘Dog Owners Boot Camp’ The How To Guide, Dog Training Secrets Professional Dog Trainers Don’t Want You To Know!

Tags: dog breeds, dog care, dog grooming, dog health, dog names, dog training, house dog trainin, pet caredog breeds, dog care, dog grooming, dog health, dog names, dog training, house dog trainin, pet care

Share This

Filed under: Dog Health | No Comments »

Are you considering adopting an older or rescued dog? Older dogs are great family members and need homes. Depending on the breed, senior dogs are often are more subdued than a puppy and therefore easier on your home. But what about behaviors learned or tolerated by a previous owner? Senior dogs can be still be trained using a few tried and true ideas! Just as with puppies it will take time and patience but the outcome is worth it. A trained dog will be a happier dog because he will know what is expected of him.

5 TIPS for Teaching NEW Tricks to Older Dogs

1. Use the proper tone when communicating with your dog:
High/EnthusiasticUse for Praising (i.e. “Good Dog!”)
Demanding/AuthoritativeUse for Commands (i.e. “Sit!”)
Growly/LowUse for reprimanding (i.e. “Bad Dog!”)

2. Give a command only once. This teaches your dog to listen the first time.

3. Hands Off when giving a command. Touching or petting distracts from training.

4. Recall (or “Come”) is the most pleasant of all commands for your dog. Never reprimand a dog that finally comes to youeven if you had to chase him through the neighborhood before he obeyed. He needs to know that you will lavish praise and pet him when he comes to you!

5. Training not to jump up on people and furniture is best done with a metal can or box with 10 pennies, stones or marbles taped inside. For convenience, it is a good idea to have several cans located in various areas throughout your home. Shake the can up and down once or twice whenever your dog jumps up. Remember to reprimand with the low tone at the same time. The noise will startle the dog and eventually the behavior will stop.

Copyright 2006 Dave Eckholm/www.olddogpaws.com

Dave Eckholm is the owner and creator of http://www.olddogpaws.com, a site dedicated to the care and comfort of our old friends. As our dog Tikki began to lose his eyesight and became grey around his muzzle, we were concerned for his quality of life. As a senior dog, he started to have special needs. We searched for new ideas, resources and products to enhance his life. Old Dog Paws shares this information with all dog lovers so your friend can enjoy wonderful senior years too!

Tags: adopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dogadopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dog

Share This

Filed under: Dog Health | No Comments »

Are you thinking of buying a dog or puppy? Before going to a dog breeder or pet shop, consider adopting a rescue dog from a pet charity or animal shelter. There are thousands of abandoned dogs and puppies waiting for a loving home and sadly many are put to sleep because they cannot find a new owner.

By adopting a dog or puppy you could save a life, and bring valuable income to the animal shelter, which they use to help feed and care for other dogs. The average cost of adopting a dog or puppy is around $150, much less than you will pay for a pedigree puppy. Animal shelters are mainly funded by charitable donations from the public. Adopting a dog not only saves the life of your new dog, but also allows the shelter to accept another dog, potentially saving another dog’s life in the future.

When you adopt a dog or puppy from a shelter it should have had the necessary injections, and be checked for diseases, parasites and minor ailments. Any urgent medical treatment will have been carried out including neutering if necessary. Its temperament and behaviour should have been assessed while it is at the shelter. New owners should be informed of the dog’s temperament and behavior with children, whether it is a noisy dog, and also whether or not the dog needs training.

The best animal shelters will give you a detailed training session when you arrive to take your dog or puppy home, when you will learn the best way to settle your dog or puppy in the first few days with his new family. Be patient, even if you think you know all about dogs. There is always something new to learn …. you may even get a goodie bag at the end of the session.

The dogs at an animal shelter are not always strays or abandoned dogs: many are handed in by the dog’s owners, for many reasons. This is beneficial for the dog’s new owner as they have more information about its history, whereas stray dogs have no history.

When you begin Dog Training, the objective is teach your dog that your are his new leader and he is a member of your ‘pack’. This is best for your dog’s wellbeing and helps him lead a healthy and happy life following you. This is particularly important for an older dog if it has learned bad habits. On a happier note, an older dog whose owner could no longer care for him is likely to be fully house trained and can settle with a new family very quickly. One word of warning before you go to the animal shelter: be clear in your mind about how many dogs you want! It is all too easy to see a pair of dogs, or even three, from the same home and be tempted to take them all. If you have children, set out the ground rules with them before you visit the animal shelter. Enjoy your adopted dog and look forward to many happy years with your new best friend.

Adrienne Davis, Internet Marketer and eBook Publisher, runs Dogs Training and Care by Kevin the Collie, offering advice on Obedience Training, Dog Breeds and Characteristics. Where to find a dog and how to care for him.

Tags: adopt a dog, animal shelter, breeder, buy a puppy, dog, dog health, dog training, dogs, puppiesadopt a dog, animal shelter, breeder, buy a puppy, dog, dog health, dog training, dogs, puppies

Share This

Filed under: Dog Health | No Comments »