Breeding dogs is an exciting experience. From the time a proper mate is found to the point that the puppies are born, it is crucial to take careful steps to make this successful.
Professional breeders do not breed frequently and will only do so when a pair is found to be healthy that will ensure the birth of healthy offspring.
The ideal breeder should have the pair of dogs tested for every possible disease as well as have all the information regarding the pairs ancestors and health records on file. Should a breeder find no problem in the history of the pair, then the process can begin.
Dogs normally come into heat twice a year which is every six months. Larger dogs can come into heat every eight or ten months which usually lasts about three weeks. Vaginal bleeding is a sure sign that the dog is in heat as well as swelling in the vulva.
A dog’s pregnancy or gestation period lasts between 60 to 67 days. Most dogs give birth after 63 days.
The only way to determine the stage of the dogs pregnancy is by keeping the track of time from the day of the breeding. Keeping a record of this on file is advisable for reference purposes.
Exactly three weeks after breeding, the mother must be examined to confirm the pregnancy.
The dog must be given a formulated and premium brand of dog food for the duration of the pregnancy and throughout the nursing period preferably with strong nutritional foundation.
During pregnancy, the mother’s food consumption will almost double compared to the pre-pregnancy level so increased feeding must be given to ensure that there is enough for both the dog and the puppies.
Behavioral changes are to be expected during this time. The dog will demand for more affection or may experience a few days of vomiting.
Later on, the expectant mother will search for a secure place to deliver the puppies. So, one must ensure that a proper place is ready when the time comes. An ideal place for an expecting mother is a box. Depending on the size of the dog, it must be spacious enough for the dog to move around and must have layers of newspaper inside it that will absorb birthing fluids. This should also have low sides for the mother to look outside and for the breeder to easily check if assistance is needed to make it easy to remove soiled papers without interrupting the mother and the newborn puppies.
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Mar 08, 2010 | | Dogs
If you’re thinking about adding a member to your family, you’ll also want to consider that, that means having one more mouth to feed, and someone else to clean up after. And, this is especially true if you’re considering a pet.
According to experts its imperative to teach pets, especially puppies about proper hygiene as soon and as early as possible. But, they note that you must remain realistic and not expect too much. Remember, much like babies, puppies are still in their formative years and should not be expected to have full or adequate control of their sphincter muscle. In fact, professionals point out that it’s not uncommon for puppies up to six months old to use the living room floor or rug as a “potty”. However, they note that with proper patience, love, and persistent training, such problems can be put in the past.
Denote a spot where your puppy IS allowed to “go” and point it out, making it obvious to him or her that’s what the spot should be used for. Note his or her patterns and bring him or her to the spot soon after he or she wakes up and after eating, drinking or playing. If however your catch your canine peeing or pooping in an inappropriate spot, simply “escort” him or her to the proper area reinforcing it as an acceptable bathroom spot.
Make sure also to keep a system of proper scolding and rewarding for behaviors. Compliment your pooch verbally and rub his or her ears and back each time he or she goes to the right spot, and after a few compliments, you may also want to consider scolding when he or she disobeys. And, make sure that the “punishment” fits the “crime” and takes place immediately after the incident so that your pet can make the proper association.
Success say experts depends on repetition of action. Taking that into account, they suggest planning meals at regular times and intervals, about three times a day. And they suggest teaching your pet to ration his or her food by offering a large bowl of food and allowing him or her to figure out how often the bowl will be replenished.
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Mar 04, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog Worming.
Regular worming is essential to protect your dog against internal parasites. This involves giving it preparations in liquid or tablet form. Adult dogs should be wormed at least once a year, and at least once every six months if in contact with children. Dogs showing any signs of infection should be wormed immediately and all breeding bitches should be wormed prior to mating.
Roundworms.
Several of these parasites affect dogs but the most important are the ones that belong to the Ascarid family, and live in the small intestine. Other roundworms infest the large intestine, blood vessels and respiratory tract. Ascarids feed on digesting food in the dog’s gut, and are particularly harmful to puppies. They penetrate a puppies gut wall and pass via the blood to the liver and then to the lungs. From there they crawl up the trachea to be coughed up and swallowed, again ending up in the gut. Infected puppies may develop :-
Hepatitis, pneumonia, fits, and obstruction to the gut, so regular treatment is vital.
As the puppy gets older most of the worms travel to the muscles, where they form cysts. These lie dormant until the puppy bitch becomes pregnant. They then migrate to the puppies lungs, and this is why virtually every puppy is born with roundworm, and must be wormed regularly.
How Roundworms Affect Humans.
These worms can infect humans, and in a very low number of cases, cause disease. Good hygiene and common sense concerning children and puppies should control the problem.
Tapeworms.
The tapeworm tickle the dog’s anus and make the dog drag it’s rear end along the floor. If you see any worm segments in your dog’s faeces, treat it as soon as possible.
As a dog lover myself, I treat my own pets at least twice a year. Worming tablets can be bought cheaply at your local supermarket or petshop, so there’s no excuse for not treating your own pet on a regular basis.
Thank you for reading my article. I do hope it’s been enjoyable. Author and animal lover – John Moore…please use my link http://www.pet-dog-cat.com
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Mar 03, 2010 | | Dogs
Considered man’s best friend, dog training professionals have been disseminating more knowledge on how to make this animal live up to that title.
Here are tips that one should keep in mind in training his dog more easily.
Digging Behavior
Dogs, as social beings, consider digging as their outlet when they are lonely. Nutrient deficiency may also cause this digging. Also known as pica, they sometimes eat the dirt they dig to supplement their health. Spending more time with your dog and giving him a health check will keep his digging behavior at bay.
Potty Training
For dog potty training, a reward-based method will prove to be a very rewarding endeavor. Giving it a bit of dog food when it performs a good potty behavior will make it easier for it to remember the good thing that it did.
Repeat and Repeat
Considerable repetitions will give your dog ample time to grasp the command. Consistency is the name of the game. After doing enough repetitions, not helping him with the routine will test if the dog really got it. Three successful attempts in a row is a fine gauge in defining if it’s just a fluke or if the dog has actually understood the drill.
Direct and Correct
Communicate to the dog how the drill should be. Be clear on what you want the dog to do. Just commanding the dog without correcting him if he did it wrongly is not advisable.
Timing is Gold
Timing means that you should consider the age of the dog when considering how to deal with him. It is best to train dogs while they are still puppies. Always remember that old dogs can’t learn new tricks saying.
Be More Stubborn Than the Dog
Establishing rapport to the dog must always be in this order: you as the alpha dog (authoritative) and him as the submissive being. Show any sign of fear when he snaps back and you damage that rapport. Don’t let the dog not complete the exercise. This will teach the dog to just hold out long enough for you give in to his preferences.
Be A Good Actor
Provide your puppy with an outlet for his chewing urges. Also, you may practice yelping loudly when your pup starts to chew on you. After yelping, fold your arms and for 10 minutes consider ignoring him. That response is the thing that happens when a pup becomes too rough on other puppies. But depending on your puppy’s personality, he may react otherwise, such as biting more. In this case, use a more aggressive approach.
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Feb 26, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog training begins virtually at birth. Dogs that are handled and petted by humans regularly during the first eight weeks of life are generally much more amenable to being trained and living in human households. Ideally, puppies should be placed in their permanent homes between about 8 and 10 weeks of age. In some places it is against the law to take puppies away from their mothers before the age of 8 weeks. Before this age, puppies are still learning tremendous amounts of socialization skills from their mother. Puppies are innately more fearful of new things during the period from 10 to 12 weeks, which makes it harder for them to adapt to a new home.
Puppies can begin learning tricks and commands as early as 8 to 12 weeks of age; the only limitations are the pup’s stamina, concentration, and physical coordination. It is much easier to live with young dogs that have already learned basic commands such as sit. Waiting until the puppy is much older and larger and has already learned bad habits makes the training much more difficult.
There are some professional trainers who disagree with this idea, particularly those who train working dogs, detection dogs, police dogs, etc. They feel that obedience work shouldn’t start until the dog is at least a year old, or after the prey drive has fully developed. These trainers also take the position that spaying and neutering is harmful to the training process, again because of its negative impact on the dog’s prey drive.
Next: Dog Training part III – Communicating with the dog
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Feb 24, 2010 | | Dogs
Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behaviors in specific circumstances. Some examples are:
* Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training)
* Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts
* Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind
* Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster
* Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times
The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.
In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.
Basic training
Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makes them pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; it must be trained.
Basic training classes
Professional “dog trainers” usually do not train the dogs, but actually train the owners how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to send a dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learn what the dog has learned and how to use it and reinforce it. Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more about each other and how to work together under a trainer’s guidance. Training is most effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training to ensure consistent commands, methods, and enforcement.
Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy has completed all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainers offer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediately after being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk is minimal and puppies have receieved initial vaccinations. In most cases, basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 months old.
Next article: Dog Training Part II – Age for early training
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Feb 23, 2010 | | Dogs
A dog training career may be just right for you, if you love working with dogs. Dogs of all ages, from puppies to older dogs, need training, and their owners often dont know how to train them. They look for a professional dog trainer to do the job.
If you are thinking of a dog training career, you might want to start by practicing on your own dog. If you are good at training your dog, you might be good at training other peoples dogs. But if training your dog leaves you frustrated and drained, then becoming a dog trainer might not be the best career for you.
When you are training dogs, you are actually training the owners more than the dogs, so you need to be good with people to consider a dog training career. People are not at their best when they are frustrated or embarrassed by their dogs behavior. Will you be able to deal with these distraught owners calmly, while at the same time tending to their dogs? Give this some thought.
Consider volunteering to help out at a dog training class at your local shelter. You will get a feel for what is involved in a dog training career. If you are good, the teacher may let you teach a segment of the class. This will be your trial by fire. If you do a good job, then you can move forward with your training.
You can prepare for a dog training career in several ways.
1.Attend a school specifically for those interested in a dog training career. There are many schools and seminars available. Be sure to get lots of hands on training.
2.Become an intern or apprentice to a dog trainer in your area. This way, you can learn dog training on the job.
3.Become a certified dog trainer. Do a search on the internet for dog training certification programs.
Once you have the proper education in dog training, starting your business should be easy. Decide if you want to work with individual clients in their homes or offer dog training classes. It is a good idea to offer a combination of both. By advertising your dog training classes, people who want individual help training their dogs will hear about you too. Soon your dog training career will be off to a great start.
Check around in your area for facilities where you can hold the dog training classes. Often the local humane society will have space for classes, or you could check with dog day care facilities. In warm weather, you may be able to hold your classes outdoors.
Advertise your services by leaving brochures about your training program with veterinarians, dog supply stores, and pet shelters. This way, your advertising will not cost you much.
Congratulations! You have followed the steps above and have a thriving dog training career. You love dogs and are working with them every day. For a dog lover and a natural teacher, you have found the ideal business to be in.
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Feb 21, 2010 | | Dogs
You finally have your adorable, cuddly new puppy. You are happy to have him and he is happy to have a family. But wait – it’s just the beginning. There are 2 behaviors you need to deal with almost immediately – jumping on people and biting.
Jumping on people
This is a problem that you or others might inadvertently encourage. He is so little and cute, that little tail is wagging and, after all, isn’t socialization and getting used to people important? Of course socialization and getting used to people is crucial but allowing him to jump on people isn’t the way to do it.Imagine your cute, little puppy as a full grown 80 – 100 pound dog. Will it be so cute when he jumps on people then? No and it will be dangerous if he jumps on children or small adults because he could easily knock them down.
The best time to take care of this is, of course, when he is a puppy. When the puppy jumps up on you or someone else, gently place the puppy’s feet back on the floor. When he remains standing there, be sure to praise him extensively. Give him an alternative to jumping up. Puppies jump up on people to express their enthusiasm, so it is important to redirect this energy in a more socially acceptable direction. Try teaching the puppy to present his paw instead of jumping up. When teaching the puppy to not jump up on people, it is important to be consistent. Consistency is important in any training program, and all members of the family as well as friends must understand that the puppy is not permitted to jump on them – ever.
Biting
Biting is one of those things that every puppy seems to do, and every puppy must be taught not to do. Like many behaviors, such as jumping up on people, biting and nipping can seem cute when the puppy is small, but much less so as he gets older, larger and stronger.
Left to their own devices, most puppies learn to control their biting reflex from their mothers and from their littermates. When the puppy becomes overenthusiastic, whether when nursing or playing, the mother dog, or the other puppies, will quickly issue a correction.
Unfortunately, this type of natural correction often does not occur, since many puppies are removed from their mothers when they are still quite young. It is therefore up to you to take over this important process.
Socializing the puppy with other dogs and puppies is one of the best and most effective ways to teach the puppy the appropriate, and non appropriate way to bite, and to curb the biting response.
Many communities and pet stores sponsor puppy playtime and puppy kindergarten classes, and these classes can be great places for puppies to socialize with each other, and with other humans and animals as well. As the puppies play with each other, they will naturally bite and nip each other. When one puppy becomes too rough or bites too hard, the other puppies will quickly respond by correcting him.
The best time for this socialization of the puppy to occur is when it is still young. It is vital that every dog be properly socialized, since a poorly socialized dog, or worse, one that is not socialized at all, can become dangerous and even neurotic. Most experts recommend that puppies be socialized before they have reached the age of 12 weeks, or three months.
Another reason for socializing the puppy early is that mothers of young children may be understandably reluctant to allow their young children to play with older or larger dogs. Since socializing the dog with other people is just as important as socializing it with other dogs, it is best to do it when the puppy is still young enough to be non threatening to everyone.
It is important for the puppy to be exposed to a wide variety of different stimuli during the socialization process. The socialization process should include exposing the puppy to a wide variety of other animals, including other puppies, adult dogs, cats and other domestic animals. In addition, the puppy should be introduced to as wide a cross section of people as possible, including young children, older people, men, women and people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
While socialization is very important to providing the puppy with life lessons and preventing him from biting, it is not the only method of preventing unwanted biting and mouthing. Giving the puppy appropriate things to play with and bite is another good way to control inappropriate biting. Providing a variety of chew toys, ropes and other things the puppy can chew is important to preventing boredom, keeping his teeth polished and keeping him from chewing things he should not.
As with any training, it is important to be consistent when teaching the puppy not to bite. Every member of the family, as well as close friends who may visit, should all be told that the puppy is to be discouraged from biting. If one person allows the puppy to chew on them while everyone else does not, the puppy will quickly become confused, and that can make the training process much more difficult than it has to be.
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Feb 14, 2010 | | Dogs
Many people have begun the task of getting there dog or puppy into a dog training school. There are a lot of aspects that are gone over in dog training classes. Unfortunately, one part of dog training that is not gone over very well in dog training classes is chewing.
It is hard to go over a chewing problem in dog training classes because dogs often have nothing to chew on or destroy while in the class! If you are one of those people who are in dog training classes, but you still need help with chewing, please read on.
This type of dog training can be for dogs young and old. Many people find this part of dog training to be more common in puppies. But older dogs have been know to need this type of dog training because they love to chew things up while their owners are away!
To begin this type of dog training, you must first realize that all dogs chew. Dogs need to chew. So when you begin, make sure you have several things that are ok for your dog to chew on. Then begin your dog training by keeping all of your dogs chewing toys in one location.
This way, your dog will learn to associate this spot with his or her chew toys. You must do this in order for this type of dog training to work. Try to have the dog toys in a “toy box” for your dog.
During this dog training, never spank or hit your dog if you catch it chewing on something it is not allowed to. Instead, for effective dog training, praise your dog and pet it when it chews on what it is supposed to chew on.
It has been shown that dogs respond much better to positive praise and positive dog training. If the dog continues to chew on things that it shouldn’t, verbally reprimand it. Your tone of voice will be enough punishment and is the only punishment necessary for this kind of dog training.
Another method of dog training you can try is to put a taste deterrent on the items your dog shouldn’t chew. This Dog Training chew deterrent is called “bitter apple” and it is available at most pet stores.
These are the most effective means of dog training that will teach your dog not to chew on inappropriate things. If you follow all of these aspects, your dog training should go more smoothly.
Dog training can be a fun and rewarding experience…as long as all of your favorite things aren’t chewed up in the process! Keep calm and be patient to achieve good results.
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Feb 12, 2010 | | Dogs
House training is the first thing your new puppy must learn. The toileting process a puppy learns in the first few months as a member of your household will last a lifetime so its important to do it right the first time. House training issues are the number one reason why dogs are taken to animal shelters so lets begin.
Its important to understand that your puppy probably wont be completely trained until hes about 6 months old. Thats because young puppies lack the bladder and bowel control that they need to be reliably left alone for long periods of time.
It is also important for you to be available to supervise your new puppy but we all know that life happens. If you cant be available for a period of time, confine your puppy to a small puppy-proof room. The entire floor should be covered with newspaper or some absorbent, disposable material. At first, your puppy will go everywhere in the room. As he gets older he will favor one area. Slowly reduce the area covered in papers until the puppy eventually goes only on the toilet papers. The floor in the puppy-proof room should not resemble other floor areas in the house like carpet or hardwood. Once your puppy is used to eliminating on a particular surface, he will want to eliminate on that type of surface.
If you want to train your puppy to use only papers, your task is complete. Most owners prefer for their dogs to eliminate outside so the puppy-proof room should only be used when you arent home to supervise. If your puppy spends time in a crate, which he should at first, you can place papers in one area in the crate for your puppy to use. Dogs are naturally very clean animals and they will do their best no to soil their bed area. This really helps your puppy develop self control.
For puppies who are to be outdoor trained, take the puppy to his designated toilet area every 45 minutes. When your puppy does his business in his designated area, lavish praise on him. Dont be afraid to look like a fool when providing this praise. He is learning the most important lesson in living in your household so go overboard with praise.
Put your puppy on a consistent feeding schedule so you can anticipate his needs. While he does need free access to clean, fresh drinking water, dont give him unrestricted access to food. Likewise, until he is fully trained, do not give him the run of the house. One thing that will greatly aid in this process is putting a collar and long lead on your puppy and tying the other end of the lead around your waist. Your puppy will like being close to you and he wont have the opportunity to make many mistakes.
That doesnt mean that mistakes wont happen. When they do, dont punish or reprimand him. He wont understand the reason for the punishment and he might become nervous or agitated. He might even think he is being punished for eliminating at all. This could set your training back rather than moving it forward.
The main thing you need for house training your puppy is patience and a good sense of humor. Be calm and relaxed while being consistent in your schedule and your puppy will be relaxed and calm while learning what he needs to learn to become a well adjusted member of the family.
While you and your puppy are bonding during this training time, you can start to introduce other commands like sit, come, stay, down. See my other articles on these individual commands and be sure to join me on the web at:
http://dogsrule.hickorypublishing.com.
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Feb 11, 2010 | | Dogs