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If your dog doesn’t respond to simple commands, don’t let frustration overwhelm you. What you need to do is give your dog basic obedience training - teaching it to respond to YOU.

Of course, it’s easier when the dog receives this training earlier in his puppy life, but even older CAN learn new tricks. Dogs are intelligent so don’t sell them short when it comes to their obedience capabilities.

First, it’s good to know about the genetic makeup of your dog. Like wolves, dogs are hierarchy conscious and instinctively crave living in a pack under a leader (or alpha) dog. Your family is your dog’s pack and it needs to understand who is the alpha dog in this arrangement.

In a wolf pack, the leader likes to choose the warmest and highest spot to sleep. It also eats before others. So if your dog is allowed to sleep on your bed or get on the furniture, it may interpret that to mean he is the leader. The same could happen if it is fed snacks from the table at mealtime.

Even as a puppy, your dog can grasp the fact that it must be subordinate to you. How? Try holding your dog’s gaze with your eyes until it looks away. Also, rubbing the dog’s belly while it is on its back is a good idea, as this puts it in a submissive
position. If your dog is being mischievious and doesn’t respond to your “No,”, try ignoring it or leaving him alone in the room.

How to Teach Simple Commands

To teach your dog basic commands, you need a collar, leash, and lots of patience. One training manual recommends:

1. Give simple, one-word commands
2. Demonstrate the desired action, and
3. Immediately give praise when the action is performed properly.

Your tone of voice can be more important than exact wording and commands and praise should be given in affirmative, happy, affectionate tones.

Five Tips for Dog Training

1. Be consistent in your choice of word commands

2. Dogs like to hear their name and it gets their attention so use it when giving commands. But do not use your dog’s name in tandem with a reprimand as your dog must learn that responding to its name brings positive results.

3. As many dogs will do more for affection than for food, be free with praise as a reward.

4. Keep training sessions short and pleasurable.

5. Do not accidentally reinforce negative behavior by giving your dog lots of attention when it misbehaves. This will only result in more misbehavior.

While there are other tricks of the dog training trade, these should get you started in pursuit of a warm, friendly and faithful canine friendship.

Reggie Andersen is a small business office advocate and pet owner. Check out his dog resource sites: Dog Training Site and Dog Treats

Tags: dog training, dog treats, train your dogdog training, dog treats, train your dog

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Beagle Bagels

Beagle Bagles

Category: Breakfast
Serves: 6 Bagels
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: Varies

Healthy Hint:

Beagle Bagels are fantastic for dental health. Because they are so hard but soften a bit with the addition of a dogs saliva, their crunchy consistency helps clean a dogs’ teeth without the risk of breaking them.

Ingredients:

• 6 Super Market Bagels

Preparation & Cooking:

• If the Bagels are frozen thaw them in the microwave prior to drying them. There are several ways of achieving the proper consistency for beagle bagels, which of course, is rock solid chewable goodness.

Oven:
Set the oven to a low temperature, preferably 90C (200F) or below. Place the bagels on a sheet of foil in the middle of the oven and allow to bake. Check the bagels periodically as they can take up to six hours to dry sufficiently, depending upon the freshness of the bagels when you begin. Once they seem solid, place on a rack to cool for an hour before giving to the dogs.

Air:
This is the easiest of the three drying methods but also takes the longest. Set the bagels on a sheet of wax paper or foil in an area with good circulation. The top of the fridge often works well as it is closer to ceiling vents. Leave bagels to dry for several days, checking their consistency daily. Depending upon the freshness of the bagels when you began, they may take up to two weeks to dry completely.

Microwave
After thawing any frozen bagels, continue cooking them in the microwave for extended periods of time at a low heat level (40% or less). Check the bagels every 10 minutes for consistency, but keep in mind that even the microwave can take up to an hour to dry the bagels sufficiently.

Don’t worry about airtight containers for leftovers - the open air just helps to dry them out.

Justin Bryce is the Proprietor of http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au.
Stop by for loads of dog treat recipes and fantastic dog health and care tips plus way’s to spoil your dog.

Tags: dog, dog food, dog treat, dog treat recipes, dog treatsdog, dog food, dog treat, dog treat recipes, dog treats

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People love ‘mans best friend’ and they in turn love us back. Dogs become part of our families. They live with us, sleep with us, eat with us, protect us and give us unconditional love. We treat our dogs like children. Just hearing dog owners calling their pets at the park, and the affection they show them make you realize just how devoted they are. Many dog owners have special names for them such as ‘baby’ and call themselves mommy or daddy when talking to their pet. It is amazing how huge the market is for dog food, toys, treats and even clothing and jewelry. Nothing is too good for our dog companions.

Special treats

Dog treats are a great way to show our dogs how much we love them. We use treats to reward our pet for doing something special. Many dogs are like children and behave better because they want a treat.

Dog treats are available at pet stores, grocery stores, department stores and specialty shops just to name a few. There are dog treats flavored like beef, chicken, pizza, chocolate and almost any other food you can think of. They come in the shape of people, sausages, bacon and steak bones plus hundreds of other shapes. There are dog Christmas stockings and birthday baskets stuffed with dog treats. People take pictures of their pooches and put them on their Christmas cards. People love their dogs and in turn, their dogs love them back.

Gourmet dog treats have become very popular. Some people make their own while others buy them. Some of the reasons people are now turning to gourmet dog treats are:

Overweight dogs - Making your own gourmet dog treats lets you control the ingredients in the product. For overweight dogs, making low calorie treats helps the dog stay healthy while shedding a few excess pounds. Instead of commercial dog cookies with sugar and salt added, making or buying gourmet cookies and treats means you can choose a treat with no sugar or salt added, or sweeten a cookie with just a touch of honey.

Dog Allergies - Just like humans, many dogs have allergies to certain foods and ingredients. Some vets carry gourmet dog treats that are great for dogs with allergies or you can get a recipe to make gourmet treats without using the ingredients your pet is allergic.

Sickness- Some dogs have diabetes or other health problems so they are not able to eat regular dog treats and cookies. There are dog treats available for dogs with health problems.

Natural Treats - Many people, when they read what is in commercial dog treats, are not happy about the fillers and preservatives used so they choose to make or buy gourmet dog treats with only natural ingredients.

People nowadays are very health conscious and feel the same way about their pet’s diet. They want them to live long, healthy lives and providing gourmet dog treats is one way to help.

Love your dog with treats today! Learn how to make dog treats at home and find out more about dog treats at Home-made Dog Treats

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