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Bathing a dog

May 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Dog Care Tips

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lab bathBathing a dog needs to be given more emphasis.

This is because of the fact that if you are careless in bathing a dog, the animal may end up having some infections.  For example, if you do ít to close the ears , the water may enter into ear canals and may cause some ear infections with signs like constant discharge from the ears and shaking of head.

How often should i be bathing a dog.

Frequency of bathing actually depends on the breed of the dog. If the dog is of a hairy type like the cocker spaniel, then the bathing is to be carried out once in six to eight weeks. If these breeds are bathed too frequently, then the skin and coat loose the protective characters.  However, when the dog has defecated on the skin due to the frequent digestive upsets leading to diarrhea, to avoid the bad smell, the dog may be subjected to frequent bathing some times by the owners.

Take more care in avoiding some irritant soaps or human soaps. The soap materials used for human beings are not suitable for dogs.  Similarly, many human shampoo products are having some ingredients that are not suitable in the proportions that are to be used in dogs. Hence, always try to use the shampoo products that are mentioned mainly for use in dogs. Take more care in using any new product.

Be prepared before bathing a dog.

Always allow enough time before you start bathing a dog,give your dog a good brush down,this will help do get rid of any loose fur and knots,take out any matting,because no amount of shampoo or conditioner will help to remove them,in fact this could lead to skin problems later,try doing this outside as the fur flies every where.  Dogs love the sprinkling of water, rivers, and oceans.  Even when you are using a bathtub, have everything in one place and then start bathing your dog.Start by wetting him down,avoid the head for the moment,now shampoo his chest working your way down to his tail,pay special attention to his bottom and back legs.Here comes another very important part RINSE,RINSE,RINSE,and again rinse,this can not be stressed enough, by leaving any shampoo in the coat can cause itching,and skin problems.

The finishing touch to bathing a dog.

When you have finished the above wrap a towel around him,this will stop him shaking every where.Start drying him down with the towel,you will probably need more than one towel depending on the size of your dog,a good toweling down can save a lot of time and stop your dog from getting cold.At this stage if you wanted to speed up the drying time you could use a hair dryer,be careful,do not hold the dryer to close to the skin put it on the lowest heat setting if possible.

TIP:-Try to have a leash, conditioner,a lot of towels, and shampoo in the bath place.

Conditioner can be a help to make the combing activity easier later. Bathing a dog should be a convenient activity to both the dog and the owner,try getting your dog used to being brushed and bathed at an early age. Have fun and remember bathing a dog should not be a burden.

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Dog Training Basics

May 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Dog Training

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dog ball2

Training your dog can be a worthwhile endeavor but before you start, there are some things you need to know in order to make training easier and more pleasant for both you and your dog.

The very most important thing you must always remember is that you are the boss!   By nature dogs are pack animals and adhere to a strict hierarchy with every pack having a ìleaderî.  In order to train your dog properly (and easily), you need to establish yourself as the leader early on in your relationship.

Some dogs may be more aggressive than others, some more dominant, some more easy going but no matter what your dogs personality, you must be firm in your commands.  Donít let your dog get the upper hand or he will start to think that he is the leader.  Now, I donít mean that you need to be physically abusive to your dog ñ far from it.  You need to show your leader ship with your actions.

Another thing to consider is that while your dog understands you at about the same level as a two year old, he is not a human.  In fact, your dog has many differences from humans that cause him to interpret your commands and act much differently than a 2 year old child would.  So, do not expect him to behave like your 2 year old during training.

When training your dog, you need to be consistent.  Set aside about 45 minutes or a half hour every day to work on training.  You can start training your dog as young as you want but donít be discouraged if you have an older pet as training can be done at any age.

You want to start training your dog with the basics.  The sit command is a good place to start as getting your dog to sit is the basis for many other commands.  Work on this one command every day until your dog has it down cold, then move on to the next command.

During training, you want to be firm.  Always use the same word for each command and say the word clearly.  Never punish your dog when he does not do what you want but, instead, use positive reinforcement when he DOES do what you want.  Punishing or scolding will only confuse your dog so have patience when he is not behaving the way you want ñ the best thing to do is ignore him and he will soon learn that he only gets the reward when he performs the desired action.

Try to work on training every day at first.  As your dog learns more and more commands, you can slack off a bit, but training should always be a part of your relationship with your dog.  It can be fun and rewarding for both of you to keep learning new behaviors and taking the training to the next level.

Dog training is a task that takes, consistence, persistence and patience but your efforts will be well rewarded with a well behaved dog as well as a stronger bond with your 4 legged friend.  Training your dog properly insured not only his safety, but the safety of those around him and it can also be a lot of fun for both you and your dog!dog ball

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Crate Training Basics

May 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Dog Training

11 Comments

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To a dog, a crate can be like his own special home inside your home. A safe place, a den of sorts, that your dog can go to when he wants to feel secure. Some people think that putting your dog in a crate is cruel, but it is only cruel if you do it in an abusive manner such as leaving your dog in there for more than a few hours. In fact, crate training your dog properly has many advantages for both you and your pet and should be something that you incorporate into your dog training plans.

While some dogs might take to a crate right away, others might be a little leery of this strange object that you want them to step inside of. The most important aspect of crate training is that you must never force your dog into the crate. Instead, you must make your dog want to enter it of his own volition. If done properly, you will find that your dog actually loves the crate and goes there on his own to sleep and “get away”.

Introducing Your Dog To The Crate

The first thing you need to do is “introduce” your dog to the crate. Take one of his favorite toys or a treat and “hand out” by the crate so that he simply gets used to the crate being in the room. Play with him hear the crate, repeating this for several days. You should start off with the crate in the spot you want to keep it in and this should be somewhere that is away from the traffic areas of the home but in a room that the family spends time in. You do not want your pet to feel isolated and lonely in a crate that is way off somewhere where no one ever goes!

Getting Your Dog Into The Crate

Next, you want to get the dog to go into the crate on his own. One way to do that is to “bribe” him by putting his favorite toy or a treat inside. Don’t put it too far in to begin with, just enough so he has to stick his head in to get it.

You’ll probably find that he pokes his head in and then backs out right away. That ís OK, just be sure to pet and praise him so he feels good about the whole thing.

You want to keep at this exercise every day, gradually putting the toy or treat in further and further. You also might want to be sure that you have a comfortable dog bed in there just in case Fido wants to try it out for a short nap.

Eventually, your dog will get used to going in the crate. When you see him in there, sit beside the crate and pet your dog while he is inside. This will let him know that being in the crate is “good”. Always keep the door open wide at this point.

Getting Your Dog To Stay In The Crate

Keep repeating the above steps while trying to get your dog to spend more and more time in the crate. When he seems quite comfortable with it, close the door but do not latch it. Leave it unlocked so that he can nose his way out if he feels uncomfortable.

Eventually, your dog will come to love his crate and will probably retreat there if he is feeling insecure as well as to sleep. If you are going to close the door, be sure you provide him with fresh water at all times and never leave your dog locked in the crate for extended amounts of time.

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