Saucy Pet

Archive for January, 2009

Is separation anxiety in dogs a problem for you and your canine friend?  Is it bad enough that you’re thinking of giving up your dog, or even having him put to sleep?  Don’t despair.  Dog separation anxiety training can help solve this problem.

Dogs And Separation Anxiety

The fundamental point of any dog training program is to establish that you’re the pack leader.  Doing this will nip a lot of dog behavior problems in the bud.  This is important because many dogs with separation anxiety think that they’re the pack leader, or alpha male.  In the wild, the pack leader may leave the pack for a while, but his followers never leave him.

If your dog thinks he’s the alpha male, he’ll get upset when you leave.  He feels responsible for you, and thinks something may happen to you while you’re gone. 

Another issue to avoid is allowing your dog to get too attached to you.It’s important that you’re the pack leader when interacting with a dog struggling with separation anxiety.The one who initiates the contact should be you, not him. 

You want to encourage your dog to be more independent.To keep your dog from getting too dependent on you, have others in your household feed and walk the dog too.  Don’t let your dog sit or sleep within three feet of you.  This means no sleeping on your bed.  If he is already, train him to sleep at the foot of the bed, and then in his own bed.  Eventually move his bed out of your bedroom completely.

Don’t make a fuss when leaving or coming home.  It’s very tempting to encourage your dog to jump around and get excited when you return home, but it’s a bad idea because it reinforces your dog’s notion that your return is the high point of his day.

Dog Separation Anxiety Training

You’ll want to use positive reinforcement techniques to teach your dog that being alone isn’t a bad thing.  Do this by rewarding his good behavior and ignoring bad dog behavior.

An example of this is using the “sit-stay” command.This action can be repeated many times as the day passes.The idea is to walk away from your dog and out of his sight while he’s in the “stay” position.If he’s still in the “sit” position when you come back, reward him with a favorite treat.  This teaches him that he can be in one place and be happy while you go someplace else. 

You can start this training very easily when you’re watching tv.  You get up for a snack, and tell your dog to “sit-stay.”  When you come back, reward him.As the day passes, do this as often as you can.  Gradually increase the distance between you and your dog, and the length of time he waits for you to return. 

Always reward him with a tasty treat for waiting quietly for your return.  This is the positive reinforcement he receives for waiting quietly for your return. 

If your dog follows you, return him to the “sit-stay” position and work on him staying as you walk away.  Never punish your dog during these sessions, as it will only make him more anxious. 

A Good Dog Training Course Is Essential

It’s very easy to give your dog the wrong idea during dog separation anxiety training.  Be sure to find a course that will teach you how your dog thinks to avoid inadvertently teaching him the wrong things.

Now’s the time to start putting these ideas into action.

Learn more about dog separation anxiety training by visiting No More Bad Dogs, and find a dog training course that will help to solve your dog behavior problems.

Don’t you just hate it when your dog barks non-stop while you’re gone?Separation anxiety in dogs is a common reason why dogs chew up furniture and clothing, and even claw doors and windows when they’re alone.   By using dog separation anxiety training, you can often solve this problem. 

You have two goals with this training.  The first is to make your dog less dependent on you, and the second is to teach him that being by himself isn’t a bad thing.

Basics Of Dog Separation Anxiety Training

It’s important that your dog know his place in the family pecking order.  The dog should be at the bottom of the family heap, not the top.  Even if your dog sees you as the pack leader, it’s important that he doesn’t rank himself socially above the other members of the family.  Everyone in your home should be involved in dog training so that your dog understands that he needs to obey everyone in the house, not just you.

Your dog shouldn’t get too attached to you.  We’ve all seen the 90-pound dogs who always want to curl up in someone’s lap.  It’s funny at first, but it gets old fast.  It’s best to train your dog to sit or stay about three feet from you.He needs to learn that constant contact with you isn’t needed for him to be happy.

Don’t let your dog sleep in the bed with you.  If he’s already doing this, first train him to sleep at the foot of your bed.  Then encourage him to sleep in his own doggie bed, with the eventual goal of moving his bed out of your bedroom.You want him to learn to become more independent of you.

Make sure your dog gets lots of exercise to burn up the extra energy he has.  A long walk in the morning and again in the evening goes a long way toward keeping your dog on an even keel emotionally.

This sounds harsh, but don’t make a big scene when you come home.  Encouraging your dog to jump around, barking in excitement when you return, is only reinforcing the idea that he can’t be happy unless you’re there.Don’t give your dog any attention for twenty minutes or so before you leave, or after you return.

Teaching Dogs With Separation Anxiety To Be Happy When They’re Alone

Work on teaching your dog the basic “sit,”, “relax,” and “stay” commands.  He needs to know these basic commands so you can work on these steps.

Find a reason to leave the room if you’re watching tv.  Use the “sit-stay” command, and then leave.  At first come right back, and reward your dog with a tasty treat if he stayed and didn’t follow you.  Gradually increase the time that you’re gone.  Do this many times a day, so that your dog learns that when you leave, you do come back.  He also learns that if he sits and waits patiently for you, he gets rewarded. 

You’ll also want to find a room in your house where your dog can’t destroy anything.  Put your dog in there with a few favorite toys that he only gets when he’s by himself.  Stay with him a little while, and then leave without any fuss, and close the door behind you.  Come back before he gets upset, and reward him with a food treat.  Repeat this as often during the day as you can, gradually increasing the amount of time you’re gone. Be sure to put his toys up when you’re done.

What your dog is learning now is that he gets fun toys when you’re gone, and a treat when you return.He’s learning that being alone isn’t so bad after all.

Your next step? To take what you’ve just learned and apply it.  You’ll want to look for a good dog training course, so you can avoid making mistakes as you use dog separation anxiety training to solve your dog behavior problems.

Learn more about dog separation anxiety training, by visiting No More Bad Dogs to find an effective dog training course that uses these principles.

Is your canine friend showing signs of separation anxiety in dogs?  This type of destructive dog behavior can make life an absolute nightmare for a dog owner.It’s an unfortunate fact that this problem is the second most common reason for people to either give up their dogs or have them put to sleep.  

It’s possible to avoid these bad outcomes by identifying this condition, and learning what to do about it.

Signs Of Separation Anxiety In Dogs

The severity of bad behavior can vary widely in dogs with separation anxiety.  A dog with a mild case may pace around, pant, and over-groom himself.  

A dog with a more severe case may bark frantically for hours, driving the neighbors crazy.  He may display destructive dog behavior, tearing up whatever he can get a hold of.  Your dog may urinate or defecate inappropriately in the house.  He may go so far as to mutilate himself by chewing on his own tail, yanking out fur, and licking himself until he bleeds.

If you dread coming home because you don’t know what kind of mess is awaiting you, it’s time to take action to solve this problem.

Is Separation Anxiety Really The Problem, Or Is It Simply A Bored Dog?

Is your dog is bored, or does he really have a separation anxiety problem?  Here’s how you can tell:

• Destructive dog behavior occurs only when you leave him alone.If he’s tearing stuff up just for the fun of it, he’ll do it anytime, not just when he’s alone.
• Your dog is “hyperattached” to you.He’ll follow you all around your house, wanting to sit in your lap all the time.  This is flattering for the owner, but it’s not healthy for your dog to be this attached to you.
• He’s learned what you do when you leave, and he starts getting distressed before you go.
• He begins destructive behavior within 30 minutes of your leaving home.
• He tries to destroy barriers, like a door.  A dog may go after the door he last saw you go out of.
• Your dog barks in repeated, high-pitched yips.  This is reminiscent of a puppy’s distress call when he or she is separated from mom.

Your dog may not do all of these things, but if your dog is showing some of these behaviors, this shows his problem is not boredom.

How To Help Dogs With Separation Anxiety

You may be surprised to learn that separation anxiety in canines is related to dominance issues.  In a wild dog pack, the leader can leave.  The others, however, never go away from the leader on their own.  

If your dog thinks he’s the alpha dog, or pack leader, he’ll get very upset if you leave him, since you’re not supposed to do that.In his mind, he’s repsonsible for his pack members, and he thinks something might happen to you if you go away.  Many times, once you establish yourself as the pack leader, the separation anxiety goes away.

Your dog needs lots of exercise to use up all that energy he has.  You should take your dog for a brisk walk twice a day.  You need to understand that your dog instinctively knows that the pack leader goes first.  He should be walking next to you or behind you, so that he’s following you, the pack leader.  Allowing him to pull ahead of you on his leash is telling him that he’s the alpha male, not you.  

So there you have it; now you can see how easy it is to inadvertently train your dog to do exactly what you don’t want him to do.  You can avoid this by finding a dog training course that focuses on teaching you how dogs think.  Once you understand how your dog’s mind works, separation anxiety in dogs is much easier to deal with.

If you’re dealing with the problem of separation anxiety in dogs, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training resource that will help to solve your problem.

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times: “Don’t bother the dog while he’s eating.”  This is probably good advice for small children who shouldn’t be trying to play with the dog at mealtime.  However, a dog that’s always by himself when he eats may be learning a lesson about food aggression in dogs that you’d rather he didn’t.

In the wild, the leader of the dog pack is always the first one to eat, usually by himself.You may be sending your dog the wrong message if your always leave him by himself at mealtime.  This can lead to aggressive dog behavior in the form of him snapping or growling at anyone who ventures too close while he’s eating.

Don’t Let Dog Food Aggression Get Started

When your dog is still a puppy, always feed him after you and your family have already eaten.  This reinforces the idea for him that you and your family members all rank above him in the pack.

When you feed your puppy, anyone should be able to approach him while he’s eating.  Slipping a little treat into his bowl teaches him that it’s good for someone to get close.

Four Steps To Control Food Aggression In Dogs

An older dog who is already using aggressive dog behavior to protect his food will require different training.

Spend about ten to fourteen days on each of these steps.Every time you feed your dog, do these things.  If your dog is extremely aggressive around food, you may need to keep him on a leash for your own protection.  

The first thing you’ll do is to put his food dish away for a couple of weeks.  Your dog will be eating out of your hand for a while.  Feed him just a few pieces of dog food at a time, until his meal is finished.

After a couple of weeks, you can progress to the next stop.  Get out your dog’s food bowl again, but don’t put anything in it.  After a while, walk by and drop a couple of pieces of kibble in it.  When he eats it, keep adding small handfuls of food every couple of minutes until his meal is finished.  At this point, he’ll probably be begging you to walk up to his bowl.

After ten days, you can try the next step, which is to put out a half-full bowl of kibble for him.  Walk up to him as he’s eating, and as you go by, drop in a couple of treats.  Then walk up again and add the rest of his food.

The last step is to put a full bowl of food down for him while he’s obeying the sit-stay command.Keep your control over him by not allowing him to eat until you release him from the command.  This is where the leash comes in handy, as you have control over him for this step, but hopefully you won’t need to use it.  Once or twice a week, call him over to you while he’s eating and reward him with a treat he really likes.  

Always use the sit-stay, wait, and take-it commands when you feed him so that your dog understands that you’re in charge of the food.  This reinforces your status as the alpha dog for him.

You’ll need to start again at step one if your dog reverts back to his previous dog food aggression behavior.  

Look For A Good Dog Training Course

Food aggression in dogs is a dominance issue that’s usually a symptom of other problems in the relationship between the owner and the dog.Seek guidance from a good basic dog obedience course.  

You’ll want a course that includes a free consultation with a dog trainer who has years of experience.  Check for testimonials from satisfied customers who have used the course material already.

Take this advice to begin solving your problem with dog food aggression now.

Pet adoption is the process of taking responsibility for a pet or animal. The pet or animal may have been abandoned or surrendered to a shelter because their owners are unable to care for them. 

Common places where you can adopt a pet would be in animal shelters (for dogs, it is more known as dog pound).  Pets that are in captivity without any identification and unclaimed by the owner are also adoptable pets.  There are also people who put up advertisements putting their pet into adoption.  Aside from this, the internet is a good source of adoptable pets.  There are several websites that displays information, photos about adoptable pets. 

Irresponsible owners, owners who abuse their animals continuously, may lose their pets altogether.Animal rescue groups are there that do the job of saving animals from violent and abusive owners.Animal rescue groups or organizations not only take care of abused animals, but also take care of stray or abadoned pets and.  Rescue groups are frequently run by volunteers. 

Pet adoption from rescue groups most of the times has stricter or more rigid process. Most of the times, it would include veterinary reference, background check and conducting a home visit.  There would be adoption fees but these do not cover transportation for picking up the pet, providing veterinary care, vaccinations, training and food. 

It is important for most rescue organizations to do these since pet adoption really is about knowing if the new owners of the pet will be able to handle the responsibility and care of their new pet.  This is to avoid that the same thing happen again to the unfortunate animal. 

Animal shelters on the other hand, are run by the government.  However, animal shelters are the best place for pet adoption.  Not only do they have adult animals, they also have kittens and puppies.  An interesting fact about an animal shelter is that about 25 to 30 percent of animals in the shelters are purebreds. 

Animal shelters also follow necessary procedures to ensure the proper care of animals put up for adoption.Many shelters provide excellent support in the form of adoption counselling and follow up assistance.  This process serves as a background check on the persons who will adopt but also an effort to provide good matches between people and animals. 

Animal shelters also do require adoption fees.  But adoption fees are much less than the animal’s purchase price in the pet store.  Another benefit from adopting from shelters is that the pet is more likely to be already vaccinated, dewormed and spayed or neutered. 

Even so, the new owner, most of the times, still encounter some challenges with the pet.  These cases happen mostly with animals victim of abuse and neglect.The new owners should always practice patience in order to to understand and train these animals. These will help the pets to overcome the past.

According to Kelly Connolly of the Humane Society of the United States, there is an estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year.  With these big numbers, there are just ad estimated 3,500 standing animal shelters in the United State, not including an unknown number of smaller, local and home-based rescue organizations.  These figures only show that there are not enough places that could accommodate our pets.

For people who are interested in having pets, pet adoption is a great way of saving money.  At the same time provide a life-long home and love for animals in shelters and rescue groups. 

There are a lot of great gifts that you can give to cat lovers, although photo frames are among the most popular.  Photo frames are very affordable, and make a great gift for anyone who owns a cat or other pet.  Those who own more than one cat will truly appreciate photo frames – as it gives them a chance to show off their pet. Cat lovers can also frame pictures of their pet for memories as well – and keep them forever and ever.

Before you give a cat lover a gift, you should take into consideration what type of cat the person owns.  There are several breeds out there, including tabby, pure breeds, calico, Persian, and of course the infamous Siamese breeds.  Someone may own several cats as well, which is why you should know a little bit about the breed or breeds someone owns before you get them a gift.

You should take into consideration whether or not the cat lover has an outdoor or indoor cat. Cats, unlike dogs, are more than happy to spend all of their time outdoors.Outdoor cats can be a good companion, especially if the owner spends most of his time out of his house.  Cats have a natural urge to go outside, even if the owner has an indoor cat.

Cats who reside indoors are less exposed to sicknesses and common health problems that outdoor cats are exposed to.  Indoor cats are almost always trained to use the litter box, which makes them easy to maintain for their owners.Almost all the gifts that you can buy for a feline lover are designed for those pet lovers who keep their pet indoors.

If you’re looking for a humorous yet exciting gift, you can always give the gift of catnip.  Catnip is one of the most popular treats for cats, as it’s a naturally occurring plant that has a unique affect on a cat.  Catnip gives off aromatic oils that will often make cats appear to be drunk and very hyper – which is always great entertainment for both owners and guests.  Catnip is completely safe for cats to consume, often times being included with gifts such as chew toys and play balls.

Other great gifts for cat lovers include decorative mats with cat pictures, which you can get personalized for the owner if you prefer.  You can also give cat videos, musical cat dolls, cat shaped mail boxes, toys and treats, and various other goodies that are directed towards cat lovers.  If you do your shopping on the Internet, you’ll find that the possibilities are endless.Cats are extremly popular pets- this implies that you will face no problem in your life in getting an appropriate gift for the feline lover.

You find your pet cat all too wonderful and lovable but they can make you go mad because just like any other pets, they do drop their droppings everywhere they go, unless you train him or her or them. And furthermore, honestly speaking, as a matter of fact, the truth is, cat litter are way too smelly, right? You should know this because you just love cats but you hate their droppings. Right here and now, it’s time for you to learn how to make your environs clean and cat litter-free. You can’t prevent your cat to do that but you can do something like training yourself to learn some tips on how to toilet train your cat and you don’t have to go anywhere else to learn. You just go to this toilet train your cat review site and you will find a good guide that will help you how to train your cat.

So, why approach first to review sites instead of looking for the best guides on how to train your cat to “use the toilet”? You see, the Internet is a good place to find things, to buy things, a place where you can find a good money-making opportunity and unfortunately, for both good people and bad scammers. Now, what if you try to look for something on your own, then, you sign up and pay up, and then, wait for a century for the items you’ve purchased only to find out that they are non-existent. Or maybe, you have received the item, say, a training guide to teach you how to toilet train your cat, then found out, it’s not that really reliable or something like that. Yes, they can put forward a money-back guarantee but it would be such a waste and additionally, no racketeer will ever risk to offer a money-back guarantee if he will really scam the hell out of you and blow your financial statndings to Kingdom Come.

That’s why, when you’re looking for a book guide to help you learn how to toilet train your “purrty” feline friend, go and look for a toilet train you cat reviews site and from there, you will find nothing but the best training guides and you can readily choose one which you think is best for you. Furthermore, you will learn personal insights from pet cat lovers what they have hosen and how they benefited from it.

Are you frustrated with dog chewing problems?  Why do canines engage in destructive dog behavior like this?  How can you stop destructive chewing?  Learn easy ways to stop dogs from chewing by reading this article.

Why Does My Dog Chew On Everything?

Puppies chew on things for one reason; they’re cutting teeth.  If you’ve ever been around a human baby who’s teething, you know how chewing on a teething ring helps soothe those sore gums.  It’s like this for puppies too.  They’re in the process of losing baby teeth while adult teeth are coming in.Chewing helps his sore gums to feel better.

An older dog may chew for many reasons.  One of the most common is that it helps to relieve stress and anxiety.  When a dog chews, endorphins are released.  These are chemicals that soothe and calm your dog.  You dog doesn’t know about endorphins, but he does know that chewing on things makes him feel better.

Chewing also helps to keep your dog’s teeth clean and strong.  Remember, if your dog is chewing, he’s not digging holes or barking, so there is an upside to this.

So chewing isn’t all bad.  But chewing becomes destructive chewing when your dog chews on things other than his toys.  How do you stop dogs from chewing on your toys?

How Do I Train My Dog Not To Chew?

You may be surprised to learn that your dog doesn’t know the difference between your stuff and his.  Even if he has lots of toys to chew on, he’ll still chew on a chair leg because he thinks everything in the house is a toy.  It’s up to you to teach him two things; that everything is not a toy, and that he’s not allowed to chew on things that belong to you.

Start by teaching him which toys are his.  Play with your dog, using one of his toys.  He’ll associate the toy with having fun, both with you, and by playing with the toy.  Another way to teach your dog that his toys are wonderful is to get a toy you can stuff with peanut butter or another treat.  He gets an instant food reward when he licks it out while playing with it.

If your dog picks up something that belongs to you, use the “drop-it” command, or clap your hands and make a noise to startle him into dropping it.As soon as he obeys you, give him one of his toys right away.  When he starts playing with it, reward him.  This is how you teach him that it’s good for him to chew on his own toys, but not good when he chews on yours.

It’s still necessary to dog-proof your home, and put away anything you really don’t want destroyed until you know you can trust him.Or you may want him to stay in one room in your home where he can’t destroy anything in your absence.

Shouldn’t I Punish Him For Destructive Dog Behavior?

No.  If you don’t catch your dog in the act, he won’t have a clue why you’re mad at him.He’ll just learn to wait until you’re gone to start destructive chewing. 

Dogs operate on rewards.  If you reward your dog with attention (good or bad) for doing something, he’ll continue to do it, even if it’s something you don’t want him to do.Try to ignore his bad dog behavior as much as you can, while praising and rewarding him for being a good dog.  A dog won’t continue doing something if he doesn’t get a reward for doing it.

Training your dog is an ongoing process that never really ends.  In conclusion, you’ll find that an investment in a good dog training course will repay itself many times over in building a great relationship with your dog, while avoiding dog chewing problems. 

If you’re dealing with dog chewing problems, visit No More Bad Dogs to learn more about a dog training course that will help to solve your problem.

It is natural for a 100% true-blue pet dog lover to give the best to their dogs especially when it comes to food. There are so many other things that they are not aware of. What they don’t know and if they still keep doing it, it will be dangerous for their dogs. Example, it’s not advisable to give your dog chocolates. It is not prudent, according to a local vet, to give your dog food fit only for humans. You don’t even have to give your dog those expensive commercially-available dog foods. There is a secret on what kind of food you should give to your dog. Would you like to know the secret? Well, then, you better get yourself scanning and reading this Dog Food Secrets review today and see how you can give your dog the love it deserves through the food that you give without sacrificing your dog’s health and your wallet’s health as well.

So, what can you learn in this review site? In this review site, you will learn what foods are best for your pet dog, what foods can be dangerous for them and how to really take care of them. Here, you will also get to know one of the best Dog Food Secrets Book that nobody has ever told you about, not even the contents or the articles found inside this book guide. All the secrets are revealed in here. Other book guides especially those that teaches all pet dog lovers teaches only the “tip of the iceberg” but this one is no holds barred. Every secret is revealed and that’s just only on Dog Food Secrets reviews and you still haven’t got to the book. Now, what else can you find in this review site before going to the book itself? Here you will learn that this dog food book secrets can also teach dog owners how to properly feed their respective dogs. Many people have this disillusion that feeding the dog as often as he wants to is good but that is not how it’s going to work. Dogs, just like any other pets, also need a healthy diet. It’s not only bones, bones, bones, or meat, meat, meat but a healthy and balanced eating habit and it’s up to the pet dog owner to feed their beagle.

If you think that you are really dog’s best friend, then, you should have this book guide with you in a short period of time but always remember, get first to this Dog Food Secrets reviews site to find out more about everything you need to know regarding dogs, dog care and dog food secrets.

It is always a headache when it comes to sorting out suitable care for your dog whilst you are away on holiday or even for a long weekend. It is so very important to know that they are being well cared for.

One thing to consider is would it be better for the dog to be in the company of other dogs or would it possibly be best to have someone who is prepared to house sit and look after the dog. There are quite a few people who offer this service nowadays. At least if the dog is at home there will be no upheaval from his usual routine and therefore he would feel more secure without you.

If your dog has a medical problem, for instance arthritis or diabetes then it might be a good idea to get in contact your vet to see if they have anyone that they can recommend. Ask friends and members of the family if they have anyone that they can recommend. A follow up call to find out if they were pleased with the care of their pets is always a good idea.

If using a boarding kennel always request a tour of the place before you make a commitment. Always check for overall cleanliness, friendliness of the staff and check out their knowledge of animals regarding their feeding and exercise etc.

Its best to ask to take a look inside the kennel that your dog would be allocated. Make sure that it is really clean and hygenic and that means the actual bedding etc. Most kennels nowadays have special heavy duty washing machines to help cope with the continual turnaround of the animal bedding etc. These are similar to veterinary laundry equipment which again is designed specially for heavy duty washing requirements.

If however you opt for the first choice of having the pet carer come to your home then make sure you follow up on references and it would be a good idea to introduce them to your pet before you go away. Some important points to look for are good empathy with the animal and a willingness to adapt to their schedule.

Finally make sure that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date well in advance for your holiday.