Train with your dog, not at your dog.

There are a few things dog trainers hear more than others:
“He knows better”
“She’s being stubborn”
“How do I get my dog to stop (digging, barking, etc.)?
“What is the best way to punish my dog?” Very rarely is it, “What is the best way to reward my dog?” Ask yourself which way you would have asked it.

Sometimes I think, “Gee, are you really sure you wanted a dog?"

It is not the dogs’ fault that you have not trained him properly. It is of no use to get mad at your dog because your dog does not understand English, or whatever language you speak to her in. You will get much more out of your training, and the relationship you have with your dog, if you don’t make training adversarial.

One of the things we need to come to grips with for our training to become better is to get over the notion that our dog respects the fact that we are human. They have no natural respect for humans and it has to be earned and it will not be given just because we expect it or because we walk on two legs.

Dealing with your dog as an adversary, instead of being a training partner, will set both of you up to fail. You don’t like failure and neither does your dog. When you call your dog to come, and she does not, we take it personally and blame the dog for our failure. We wonder how the dog would dare not obey the command of the king, or queen, of the household kingdom. How dare they?! I am going to guess that you got your dog because you wanted a friend who would give you unconditional love. Not because you wanted someone around who would obey your every command no matter whether they understand what you want or not.

It does not have to be this way. Your dog does loves you and looks forward to your coming home so that you might have wonderful moments together everyday. Work with her so that the line of communication becomes a two-way street. Your dog will listen to you, and you need to listen to her. If you take your time to teach your dog what you want when you say something, and are consistent about what you want, your dog will meet you more than halfway. Your dog only fails to comply with your requests because they don’t understand what you want, not because they want to blow you off, or “they know better.” Dogs are not born knowing what we want them to do. They don’t know how we want them to behave in our home and they don’t understand any language on earth except woof. What dogs can do is read us very well. They do it better than any other animal on the planet including humans.

Your dog needs to be trained to understand what behavior you are looking for and not just be scolded for doing the behavior you do not want. Just think about how difficult it would have been for you to learn that 4x4=16 if you weren’t taught math and just scolded every time you got the answer wrong. You might have gotten there eventually but it would have taken a long, long time and been very frustrating and chances are you would have been resentful about it.

There are two things that you have going in your favor when it comes to dog training.
1) Your dog wants to please you.
2) You are smarter than your dog.
If you can’t figure out how to train and manage your dogs behavior how in the heck do you expect him to do it?
Give your dog a break. A little patient training from you will go a long way to keeping the two of you happy together for a long time. Just remember that you did not learn to drive before you learned to start the car. Your dog training should use that approach as well.

Finding a Vet

A few years ago I had a friend who adopted a golden retriever they named Ricki. She is a great dog and the family fell in love very fast. The dog got sick and had to go through many procedures, some of which were uncomfortable for the dog, and expensive for them. What really makes this a sad story is that when they went to get a second opinion they discovered that their original vet had been a very poor choice. The new vet questioned the diagnosis and began to treat the dog after they transferred her care to the new vets office. This was after they had spent several thousands of dollars before they made the switch. All of the dogs’ symptoms soon cleared up and except for the occasional doggie accident Ricki’s only office visits now are for routine checkups.

What I hope this story brings to the forefront of your thoughts is that you should make an informed choice regarding a veterinarian for your pet. Just because someone went to a veterinarian college does not mean they are an ethical person if they weren’t one before. After a couple of years it was discovered that the original veterinarian was an alcoholic with a gambling habit that cost him his family and finally his business. I hate to think about how many other people paid too much money for poor advice, unneeded tests and procedures.

Of course this story is an exception but it is a good example to us that we need to be as careful choosing a veterinarian for our pets as we would be in choosing a doctor for our family. We should also educate ourselves about the health of our pet so that we have a basis of knowledge when we talk to the veterinarian. There are many sources of information available to us through books and the Internet.

When you get a feeling in your gut about the veterinarian follow it. More often than not your instincts are right. Once you find a vet you are comfortable with they should always be willing to discuss what is going on with your pet. If they don’t the run as fast as you can out of the door and never come back!

Some basic things you should look for in choosing a vet are:

Patience – Your vet should take time to discuss what is going on with your pet, especially if the pet is new to you or you have never owned a pet before.
Concern for you and your pet – Does your vet give you advice regarding the well being of your pet? They should. Does the vet take time to ask questions of you regarding your pets’ health?
Does the vet listen to you – You should feel that you could ask the veterinarian anything regarding the health of your pet.
Concern – Do you feel like the vet is genuinely concerned about your pet and also your relationship with it?
Are you an ATM for your vet – Your vet needs to make a living, and they should, but they should take into account if you bring in a lot of animals because it can be very expensive. If you are doing rescue work ask if a discount is available.
Does the vet hide behind closed doors – Do you get to go into the examination room with your pet or visit while your pet is in a medical clinic?
Does the vet love animals - You might be surprised to find out that some people who practice veterinary medicine don’t have a deep affection for animals. They are just good at science and became a vet in order to make a good living. Try to find out if your vet has pets or animals at home. Does your vet display comfort and concern when around your pets?
A Referral – A referral from a friend, or someone else you trust, can be a great way to find a vet but remember that the person making the referral has to know something about animals and ask if they use the vet. Sometimes people just want to be helpful and don’t really know what they are talking about. When you meet the new vet, or after a few visits, if something does not feel right look for another veterinarian. You should feel happy, no you have to feel happy, with the choice you make.

Find a pet first aid class held in your area. This will give you a good foundation of knowledge you can use to draw from in your search for a vet and you will also have some idea of what you need to tell the vet when you and your pet make a visit to the clinic.
Your pet will give you many great moments in your life. The least you can do is find the best veterinarian you can for them.

Easy things you can do to help your local animal shelter

Animal shelters all over the country are, and sad to say almost always, at full capacity. Most are running on a limited budget and rely heavily on donations. If you take the time to make a visit to a shelter you can't help but want to do something to help those animals in need. Some shelter needs are obvious, some are not. Helping may not be as hard as you think.

1. Old blankets. They can be cut up to use in cages with smaller animals or left whole for the larger animals. All dogs and cats love things to lie on. People often throw these away, but shelters love them. Check yard sales, too. Often, people sell them very cheap.

2. Food. Dog food, cat food, or any other kind of animal food for the type of animals your shelter takes in. When the budget is stretched food is needed badly. Both dry and canned food can be used. When a dog or cat is full it helps them get through a scary situation. Mother's milk replacements are available in many pet stores.

3. Treats. Dogs and cats love to get a treat but often these items are cut back when the budget at shelters is tight, and that is almost all the time. Treats are often on sale at stores and can be purchased at a very reasonable price. All kinds are appreciated. Rawhides are a great treat for dogs!

4. Towels. When towels wear out give them a new life at your animal shelter. They love to get clean towels and the animals don’t care if they are worn or have holes in them! Animals are often brought in cold and wet and towels are needed. Sometimes, they just want something to lie on. Towels are very versatile. They can be used as blankets, be used to dry a wet animal, or be used to clean messes the animals make at the shelter.

5. Place-mats. Tired of your place-mats? Cats love to lay on them and the vinyl ones can be used under food dishes. Cloth ones can be used as small bedding. They don't care if they are worn or stained.

6. Toys. Often animals alone in a cage want something to play with. Who wouldn’t? Check with your shelter and see what kind they are in need of. Most shelters take toys but some do not. Toys wear out very fast and need to be replaced often. Again, as with treats, toys are one of the first items to be cut when money is tight. Squeaky toys, stuffed animals and even balls are favorites.

7. Food dishes. Animal shelters go through many dishes on a regular basis. They get worn out, pushed around, and broken. New ones are also something that isn't expensive to give.

8. Litter and Litter Boxes. Most shelters have lots of cats and change litter often. They can always use more litter. Litter boxes are useful because they are always getting in more cats and kittens.

9. Cat or Dog beds. If you have them, if you see them on sale, or if you know someone getting rid of theirs the shelter desperately needs them. Comfort of the animals is important. They provide a warm, soft place to sleep and relax.

10. Leashes and Collars. Shelters use them to walk animals, and sometimes give them away with adoptions. They aren't very expensive, but when you go through so many, the cost adds up for the shelters. All sizes are needed and used.

11. Laundry detergent. Towels, blankets, and other items need to be washed. Laundry detergent comes out of the shelter's budget. Fabric softener is also welcome!

12. Grooming items. Animals need to be bathed, brushed, and taken care of. Items to help groom them are needed. Brushes, combs, shampoos, even animal nail clippers are useful items.

13. Newspaper. Newspapers can line the bottoms of cages for puppies and kittens. Just save your papers and drop them off at your local shelter.

14. Time. Do you have some spare time that you can donate to go and walk animals, or play with them? Can you help care for, or feed them. You can also volunteer to foster an animal that desperately needs it. Shelters are overcrowded and the staff is in need of help. Most shelters love to have volunteers. When the staff is busy running the shelter the animals may go without the attention they need and want. If you have the time you can make a big difference for the improvement in the quality of a cat or dogs life. Even a few hours a week can be a big help to your local shelter. We all wonder how we can make a positive difference in this world. Here is your opportunity. The shelter and the animals will be grateful.

15. Cash. Every shelter could use cash donations. Every single dollar helps. They help stretch the shelter's budget. In most situations, these donations are tax deductible.

Contact your local shelter. They may need things that aren't listed here. Shelters that take in other animals may have special needs that you maybe able to help out with. Your local shelter will be happy to let you know what they need. It takes very little to make a difference in the lives of animals. It also just might make a difference in yours!

The Truth about the Dogs You See at Pet Stores

Sometimes people are determined to have a pure-bread dog and there is nothing wrong with this. However, please do not buy one at a pet shop. They will tell you what you want to hear but the truth is that the puppy is from a puppy mill. They will assure you that they are not but they are. Don't give any money to the large business of producing cute little puppies.

Dog rescue organizations, and humane societies across the county, have been trying to shut down puppy mills for years. Puppy mills are horrible places where female dogs are bred every time they come into heat. Puppies that come from puppy mills are most often low quality dogs that are prone to health problems and phycological problems as well.

If you buy a puppy from a pet store you are buying trouble, and heartbreak, for yourself. You will also be adding to the profits of the greedy puppy mill operators. Even if you buy one to help it out you will be contributing to the problem - just don't do it.

Don't be fooled, and don't let people you know be fooled. The pet stores and puppy mills put a beautiful face on an ugly problem. Dogs at puppy mills live in very small cages, sometimes many dogs to a cage. A cage, not a crate, because cages do not require as much effort to clean. The urine and feces falls through the cage and can be hosed up. These dogs have very little human contact and when they are no longer profitable they are killed.

Dogs (and all animals) deserve better than that. You know it, I know it, and frankly I think puppy mill operaters know it, they just don't care.

If you want a pure-breed dog find a responsible breeder. Go and visit the site where the dogs are kept (the mother, father, and all dogs of the litter) before you offer to buy one. Check to see that the conditions are sanitary and the breeding dogs are healthy. Look at the mother dog and the father dog to determine their general health and temperament before you consider purchasing a puppy. Traits from the mother and father are passed on to the litter. Ask if you might contact people who have purchased puppies from the breeder in the past.

If you avoid puppy mills, and encourage people you know to do so, it will be good for the new parent of the puppy and for puppies everywhere.

Now let's get busy training.

Shelter Dogs - they are not born to be one, they are made to be one

All of the dogs that you see in shelters were once normal puppy's who were eager to learn, and live in harmony with people and other dogs. The overriding reason that dogs are taken to shelters and dropped off are because of behavior issues. Far too often I meet someone with a new puppy and see a horrible future in store for the puppy because of the things I see the owner do, or not do.

The lack of training, or improper ineffective training techniques used will lead to predictable, preventable, behavior and temperment problems. It is your job to raise your puppy correctly, not your puppy's job to figure out how to be the good little doggie that you want. You MUST train them to become the dog you envision. Instead of making another shelter dog, learn how to train your puppy so you are both happy in the home forever. The time to save a dog from the shelter is when they are a puppy.

Introducing your old dog to your new one.

Do’s & Don’ts for Introducing a New Dog to Your Older Pets

Choose a dog of the opposite sex if possible. This will lessen the possibility of conflicts.

Choose a calm, well socialized dog.

The greater the age difference the better. Your older dog should be at least one year old before introducing a new dog to the pack.

Avoid competition and introduce the dogs off of your property. This will be less stressful on your older dog and help get things off on the right foot.

Do not force interactions between the dogs. Let them interact with each other at their own pace.

If the older dog growls, or corrects, the new puppy this is to be expected. The pup needs to learn their position in the pack.

Do not try to treat the dogs equally. Dogs do not like equality. They are pack animals and need to know their order in the pack. Treat your older dog as number one. Greet them first, feed them first and give them the most attention. Your new dog will not mind; they are happy to have a forever home.

Some dogs, and some breeds, are more possessive than others. If objects (toys, treats, etc.) create tension then remove the object and give it only when there is no chance of fighting. Corrections are fine but fighting is not.

Teach the dogs to eat together but do not allow them to fight over food. Remember, the food is yours and you are sharing it with the underlings in your pack. It is not the dogs and they should not fight over it.

When Skunks Attack!

Yesterday one of my friends had her two dogs attacked by a skunk and, as always, the skunk used the same battle plan that they have for centuries. And why shouldn’t they? It has shown to be effective all of my life and I am sure long before that as well.

I don’t know if you have ever seen a dog get hit by a skunk or not but if you have seen it once you will always immediately recognize it when you see it again. Imagine a dog who chases cats but does not see the invisible wall. That is how fast the dog stops pursuit after the spray. And that is when your dogs problems truly do become yours.

After it happens you have to get the dog home. If you are lucky it happened while you were walking around the block. If not so lucky, well then the dog has to ride home in your vehicle. If you don’t have a pickup with a kennel in the back I can promise you that by the time you get home you will have decided your dog is and idiot and you hope all the skunks for miles around just drop dead. Just hope that you can keep your eyes open and not gag too much. This is your first problem.

Your next problem when be when you get home. Now you have to let the stinky dog into your house. You can go to a dog wash if they have one in your area but this is not a good way to make friends. Once in the house you have to run a bath for your dog and get him into it. Now what do you do? On to your next problem.

I have never seen a dog shampoo that is worth a darn for getting rid of skunk smell. Tomato juice seems to be a urban legend that was started by companies that make tomato juice because it does no better than shampoo.

This spring a skunk hit our dogs two different times. The first time they did I found this recipe. If you are reading this write it down. Someday you, or someone you know, will be glad you did if your dog goes to battle with a skunk and loses. It would seem they always do.

Skunk Odor Killing Recipe
1-quart hydrogen peroxide
One quarter cup baking soda
1-2 teaspoons dish soap (Dawn is best)
1-2 bottle of woman's douche

1. Mix the solution together and rub down your dog with the solution being careful to avoid mouth, nose, eyes and ears.

2. This is where the douche comes in. Use it on, or around, the mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Also use the douche as a rinse if you happen to any of the peroxide solution on any of the sensitive areas.

3. Let the peroxide mixture sit on your dog for 5-10 minutes and then rinse it off.

4. Follow this up with a wash using your normal dog shampoo.

Now this is IMPORTANT: Do not cover the peroxide solution because when you make it you are in essence making a bomb, albeit not much of one but you don't want it going off none the less. Someone could get hurt. The mixture is quite harmless unless you try to contain it so after you mix it up use it then throw the rest of it away.

This recipe is not a panacea but it is the best thing I have found to remove skunk odor. If you live in an area that has a lot of skunks, or even if you don’t, you should keep the items in the recipe on hand. You never know…