Dogs Eating Feces Part 3

When out walking it is best to have dog that is fond of eating feces on a leash, then you can get the dog away from the offending article and some authorities suggest that a muzzle is a good idea, to prevent the dog from eating it.

Diverting a dog with a toy laced with enticing food is another alternative, and if you think that the dog may be eating feces as a result of stress then try and remove the element of stress away from the dog and medication can help this, consult your vet.

One researcher has suggested that a vitamin deficiency is a cause and to check his diet and increase the number of meals you give him (that is frequency not amount).

Dog Eating Feces Part 2

It appears that some of the habit of stool eating is a learned habit, learnt as a puppy by watching other dogs do it, some bitches eat the feces of their offspring to hide the presence of their offspring from predators.

How do we prevent them eating feces?

One of the first methods is to keep all areas free of feces (if you can!), other experts suggest mustard solution or products available at pet stores such as For-bid and Drs. Foster and Smith Dis-Tasten. These are added to the food of the dog whose feaces are being eaten, the product passes thought he animal and having been digested tastes terrible to the dog who eat the faeces.

Other approaches include putting chilli powder or Tabasco on the faeces, unfortunately some dogs discover they like the taste! The best thing is to catch the dog early!

Dog Eating Feces Part 1

A little while ago I was looking up some subjects that people search for on the internet, and the subject of stool eating came very high on the list!

The technical term for it Coprophagy literally from the Greek Copro (faeces) and phagy (eat) – it’s a subject area we find disgusting but as the saying goes “Dogs will be dogs”. It seems that stools from rabbits, deers and horses are especially attractive to some and cats stools to others! Some researchers have said that this is because of vitamin deficiency.

But why do they do it? Well there are numerous theories, some think that it’s because of a dietary insufficiency and some think not. There are some medical conditions that may lead to the predisposal of eating stools such as pancreatic insufficiency. Some experts that think that stress can bring on the condition, such as kennelling your dog or if the dog has been punished for defecation where it shouldn’t and its trying to hide the evidence!

Find out more on the subject tomorrow.

More On Dog Attacks

Dog Attacks Human!!!!

We hear of these reports in the media and the sensationalism that surrounds them. Are they to be believed?

The Centre for Disease control (CDC) has recently release a study of which breeds caused the most human fatalities from 1979 through 1998. The one clear point was that irresponsible owners are the main cause of these attacks and that the use of their studies has caused certain breeds to be labelled more vicious than others. There is no other agency or organization that records these events and much of the evidence is not “empirical” i.e. not clearly defined as observed with the human eye and not based on “scientific principles” and some hearsay evidence.

While many circumstances may contribute to a fatal dog attack, the following three factors appear to play a critical role in the display of canine aggression towards humans;

• What was the dog acquired for, fighting, protection or “image enhancement”.
• Was the dog allowed to roam loose or chained, was the dog and children left unsupervised together, was the dog encouraged to behave aggressively to humans, or was it abused or neglected.
• Unuttered dogs and bitches with puppies or a child coming between a dog and a bitch in season.

No breed of dog is inherently vicious, as all breeds of dogs were created and are maintained exclusively to serve and co-exist with humans. The problem exists not within the breed of dog, but rather within the owners that fail to control, supervise, maintain and properly train the breed of dog they choose to keep.

Remember that training is key to all aspects of your relationship with your dog.

Training to Avoid Dog Attacks

Dog attacks are in the news again. Watching the news yesterday, it came to mind that we all should be responsible citizens and aim for the best for our dogs . The American Kennel Club (AKC) have an excellent scheme called the AKC's Canine Good Citizen programme, quoting from their site: “Good Citizen programme Started in 1989, CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for owners and basic good manners for dogs. All dogs who pass the 10-step CGC test may receive a certificate from the American Kennel Club. The Canine Good Citizen Program lays the foundation for other AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. As you work with your dog to teach the CGC skills, you’ll discover the many benefits and joys of training your dog”

I think that everyone who cares for their dog and their family should investigate this programme, the British Kennel Club also have a similar scheme. Dogs need obedience training and there are organizations that offers solid and practical advice for you. If all dog owners were more responsible there should be fewer cases of these horrific attacks in the news.

Dog Breed and Training

Dog Intelligence and Training

There are some breeds that have reputations to be easier to train than others. For instance the retriever and border collie have been bred for a specific purpose, to retrieve or herd! These dogs have in the past been easier to train and therefore are good breed to start with. Other breeds that have been bred to perform one task to the exclusion of others (the blood hound or the husky or the independent terrier) are more difficult to train.

So what is dog intelligence? a dog that appears to be easy to train may not be particularly adept at performing more complex tasks such as opening latches or opening kitchen cabinets! Do we always want a smart dog! well…as a new dog owner high intelligence in not necessarily good, highly intelligent dogs also require a high level of stimulation to prevent them becoming restless and taking out their frustrations on us (in a nice way!) .

No breed is impossible to obedience train, but novice owners might find training some breeds quite difficult. The capacity to learn basic obedience, and even complicated behavior, is inherent in all dogs. Owners may need to be more patient, or creative, or both, with some breeds than with others. Research what breed will suit your personality better than another.

Bringing Home Your New Puppy

Your new puppy is home, now the fun part starts! As both you and your lovely new ball of fun get used to each other both of you have some adjusting to do to each other. Your puppy has just taken a big step away from its mum, its litter mates and it comfort zone. You will need patience and a sense of humor.

The age that most breeders recommend, that your puppy leaves its mother is 7 to 8 weeks. If your puppy is eight weeks old then be very patient with him, this is the fear period and that can mean that your puppy is very easily frightened by loud noises, take care and try to keep him settled. Fears gained at this age can take a long time to break.

If he’s is older then he will be a little more boisterous and biddable, you will be able to get his attention easily and he will want to please you, a good age to start the training. Remember your puppy is never to young to start learning and it is important to set the ground rules straight away.

What Are You Feeding Your Dog?

"Commercial Dog Food is Killing Your Dog, Hear What The Experts Have to Say..."
The wide spread disease and death of dogs from nutritionally inadequate and poison-laden commercial dog food is no secret in the world of vets and dog experts.... click here to find out more.

It is as important to know what you are feeding your dog as it is yourself. It is always highlighted in the news and press about eating healthily and looking after your diet, but what about what we feed our best friend? Do read this and discover things you never really thought, about please let us know what you think!

Dangers in cold weather

Tips for Your Dog in Cold Weather

In the recent cold weather it reminded me of some tips for the cold weather – if the snow starts piling up, do keep the paths and a bathroom area clear in your yard.

Other tips for the cold weather - If your dog insists on going out for a walk despite the cold weather, keep the walks short if it's really cold, and clean off your dogs feet when you've been walking on salted sidewalks so that the slat and chemicals don’t hurt your dog. Salt and road chemicals can burn, once eaten or licked can cause some digestive abnormalities as well!

A little while ago I mentioned antifreeze and I just wanted to repeat the warning about this and to be sure that you don’t let your dog get close to any spilt antifreeze. Because the substance is sweet tasting pets do not realise the dangers and only one teaspoon can kill! Once a dog has ingested antifreeze it may appear drunk or vomit and will probably drink more and urinate more. If this happens then call your vet immediately, it can kill very quickly, in a matter of hours!

How Puppies Learn

Handling Your Puppy Helps Them Learn!!

Handling your puppy regularly during the first eight weeks of life is essential to help them become trained and live in our home. In an earlier blog I mentioned this and that it is ideal to place them in their permanent home between 8 and 10 weeks of age, in some places it is against the law to take them away from their mother before eight weeks. They need this period before they leave their mother to learn socialization skills form their litter mates and their mother.

In addition to this puppies are innately fearful of new things during the 10-12 week period.
Puppies can begin learning tricks and commands as early as 8 weeks of age; the only limitations are the puppy'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 older and has already learned undesirable habits makes the training much more challenging.

More on Puppies

How Puppies Learn and Develop Part 2

The first two weeks of any puppy’s life is called the “neonatal period” and it is during this a time that they learn in a hap hazard way probably due to the fact that their brains, sensory and motor nervous system are still largely underdeveloped. It is therefore difficult for the puppy to learn by experience and difficult to affect it psychologically.

The next period however called the socialisation period, between 21 days and 12 weeks is thought to be the most important since it is the time in which they learn by play (as humans do) the puppy is curious it engages in play fights and a lot of body contact with its siblings and mother. This is important to develop its social interactions and relationships in life. It does learn to have interactions with us humans at this time as well, at 3-5 weeks it will actively approach strangers. However some avoidance of strangers can happen and increase till the puppy is 12-14 weeks, it is best to actively introduce strangers to them and reassure!

Prenatal Learning

How Puppies Learn!

I was interested to find there has been some research done on dogs and “prenatal learning” that is learning that the puppy gets whilst in its mother’s womb. Previously (like us humans) it had been thought that the period did not count since you could not observe the behavior of the puppy. Now with modern techniques such as ultrasound it has been seen that puppies do in fact respond to touch or pressure from outside the womb, a sense that is very well, developed after birth. Some studies have shown that the litter once born is more docile if the mother has been petted.

More tomorrow..

Having trouble with you puppy and toilet training him …click here to find out how you could stat sorting out the mess today!

Check list to go to kennels

Before you take you dog to a kennel…

Here are a few tips to prepare your dog for his stay in the kennels

• Check him for fleas and check the vaccination records, kennels will not take a dog that is not vaccinated.
• Some basic training is and idea to stop him escaping from the kennels. Some trainers recommend that the dog should be at least trained to sit or stay whilst being petted.
• Try to get your dog socialised to walk on a leash and to socialise with other dogs and strangers.
• Some kennels crate their dogs and make sure that if your dog is going to be crated that he has been acccustomised to one.
• Let the staff know, preferable in list form of any idiosyncrasies that your dog has for example health problems, hates men, dogs ,chews or any other problems.
• If the kennel doesn't feed the food you use, bring along a supply that will last until you get home.
• The more information you give the kennels the better, and remember to give your contact numbers and your Vets.

What Should I Do With My Dog When I'm Away?

How can I choose a kennel to put my dog in?

We all have been there, we want to go on holiday but don’t want our dog to feel unwanted or unhappy when we are away..

The first step is to look at the kennels that other people have recommended. Call all the dog owners you know and ask them what they do when they go away? Call the kennels and arrange a visit midweek, good kennels are very busy on Mondays and Fridays as dogs come in or go home. There are plenty of kennels so cross off any you can't see, unless of course they come very highly recommended!

When you do visit, do obey your instincts, if it feels it’s not a place for your dog, don’t send them there! “Cleanliness is next to dogliness” here ( allow some slack at busy times). The smell of the kennel is also important, no smells of urine or faeces should remain after the kennels are supposed to be clean, perhaps they are not that clean!

Here are other things to look out for

• The yard is full of garbage or debris
• Clean and clean-smelling kennel runs, hallways,
• The building is in need of serious repair,
  if the food bowls are dirty and the water bowls scummy,
• Clean bedding
• Good ventilation
• Caring staff
• Is the kitchen where the dog meals are prepared clean, is the food in barrels or in the refrigerator,
• What are the feeding schedules, do they charge extra for medications.
• If you find that kennels are booked then make a reservation at several and then take your choice, do cancel reservations in good time though!
• A list of required vaccinations (many kennels now require Bordatella vaccination against kennel cough).

Good luck!

More About Food And Training

Phasing out Food in Training

There are different schools of thought about phasing out food, some experts believe in using for every introduction of a command to the dog and others only use it for puppies. Both schools do phase out food and depend on the use of rewards such as praise and the relationship they have with the dog to control him.

It is important to use praise throughout training as some dogs will start to only work for the food not the praise and this can prove troublesome. Most trainers believe that treats can be reduced and supplemented with praise and food only reserved for the third or fourth time the dog performs the command and then eliminated.

Treats For Training

Type of Food

What foods should I use as treats?

Those treats that are used for training should be small, easy to digest and should not crumble in your hand, as this makes it difficult to handle. Pet stores have many treats available although sometimes small amounts of chicken or cut up hot dog are goodto use, Ozzy loves hot dog as it is strong smelling and tasty.

Cheese is another alternative, small cubes or strings are the most appropriate.

Avoid biscuits as these interfere with the training, they make the puppy loose concentration whilst they are chewing and then scrambling for the leftovers! Some can be cereals are useful alternatives.

Treats should be given when the dog is hungry and make sure that you are not adding to the dog daily rations, you do not want then to have to start on another problem – weight!

More About Food And Training

Kids and Snacks

Young children can find it tough when there are dogs in the house especially during meal time, the temptation to give their favourite friend a snack is almost too much to bear at some times. It is important to do this however so that the proper treat training can be adhered to. The dog that has access to any food that he wants is a poor candidate for training.

The little morsel that any child gives its favourite friend is a major distraction to the dog, why should it obey?

The ideal solution is to keep your dog away from the food, especially when there are children around! It could also result in the dog becoming aggressive and teretorial!

Food for Dog Thought!

The Rule of the Iron Paw!

Food is great, it can change a 120 pound Rotweiller cross into a docile pup, it can stop you having to push, pull and bully your dog into submission so that you can train him, a simple treat can work wonders.

With all training it pays to start early though, having to deal with a unruly dog already accustomed to his or her own way can require a lot more patience. A dog that is happy to serve the human that feeds him is an easier dog to train. If you dog is unruly, experts tell us that cutting him or her of from affection and food is necessary till he obeys your commands, don’t give in to impatience and expediency otherwise what “goes around comes around”, your dog will be your master!

The difficulties of the first few days, and there will be some (!), will soon be forgotten as soon as our faithful friend learns that the centre of their universe is their owner. Obedience will then replace frustration.

Experts give us a word of warning, if a dog becomes aggressive get straight to a canine behaviour specialist like Cesar Millan “the dog whisperer”. This is an experts job and must be dealt with immediately.

Is Training is All About Manners?

“Manners maketh man” (and dogs!) Just as we require our children to be well mannered at home as well as in public, so we should expect the same of our dog family members.

Manners for dogs – start with the very young dog. Commands only work if they are reinforced and food is very useful as a training aid, it is and excellent attention getter to focus your dog or puppy on what you want them to do! Puppies (like some people!) will do just about anything for a treat and which should always be accompanied by praise, "good boy"! spoken with enthusiasm! Some owners insist on not using food but in my experience, that it is a panacea for training puppies! The frustration of teaching the basic commands of “sit, down, come, heel, stand, etc” are lost with a little bit of food. One sniff of food and he or she is there! One article I read recently said:
“With food, there is no pushing or scooping the puppy into position and no irritation because the puppy bites at hands, wiggles away, or collapses into a pile of oozing protoplasm. With food, the action, the treat, and the praise are a package, and the puppy will respond to the praise as much as the treat as his bond with humans grows”

Some experts teach puppies to do all the basic commands without any manhandling. teaching puppies to sit, lie down, stand, and come without man-handling. For example one expert says that by holding food treat just slightly above the puppies head (this makes the puppy lookup and therefore sits) and when the dogs behind is “sat” he gives him a treat. He also touches his/her collar to get the puppy used to a hand coming to them while they are sat. This makes it easier to clip a leash onto the dog later on in training.

Further steps in the process involve holding the treat just above the puppies head, if the puppy jumps withhold the treat until the dog sits. If the puppy reverses his body back them into wall. Work with the dog so that you get the puppy to focus on whatever you want, to lie down get the treat low so that the dog has to lie down (some help may be necessary) withdraw the treat until the puppy obeys.

Once he learns down, combine the two commands by telling him to sit, go down, then sit again. Give the treat at the end of the sequence.
1. Sit
2. Lie
3. Sit – treat

Teach him/ her to stand on command by holding the treat in front of him while he’s sitting and saying “stand.” Move the treat forward so he has to stand to get it. Incorporate stand with sit and down in sequence and give the treat after he obeys a string of commands.

Puppies should always sit to be fed, get a treat, get petted, have leash attached to collar, go out of the door or get out of the crate or the car or any other time when they are told to sit. Let us know how you get on.

The Dog Whisperer

You may remember a couple of days ago I mentioned a program that I watched called “The Dog Whisperer” .........

It is a National Geographic Channel series that began showing in 2004. Central to the program is a person called Cesar Millan who rehabilitates and restores balance to dogs with problems.
His specialty is working with aggressive dogs.

Cesar's specialty is the application of rules, boundaries and limitations. He advocates the use of Pack leadership, as a means of controlling the basic instincts of the dog to exist in a content calm state. His whole theory is based on demonstrating to the owners how to obtain and maintain this.

During the show, we are introduced to difficult dogs and their owners and home movies are shown to indicate their misdemeanors. Having chatted with the family Cesar then offers suggestions how owners may alter their own behaviors to become a pack leader for their pet. In the vast majority of cases, it is the people who need training, more than the dog!

Clicker Training continued

More on Clicker Training

Having trouble potty training your dog ? Then click here for some answers….

The four messages mentioned a few days ago about the four reward markers that can be used to train your dog..

These four messages do not have to be communicated with words, and other, nonverbal signals, can be used.

Mechanical clickers are one of the options that are often used for the reward marker.
Hand signals and body language also play an important part in learning for dogs.

Repetition is the way to teach the meaning of the four signals. You must consistently give your dog a reward marker immediately before giving him a food treat. The dog soon will learn to associate the reward marker with receiving something pleasant.

Also do the same with a punishment marker before he is scolded or put outside for bad behaviour, he will soon learn to associate the punishment marker with the punishment itself.

Remember dog training is all about consitency and repetition, and therefore is very dependant on you. The most re-inforcement and repetition the better and quicker your dog will respond.

Part Three on Dog Whispering

More on Dog Whispering

Some experts believe that the healthiest environment for a dog is within a working dog pack and that most of the psychological disorders can be solved within this situation.

Dog whispering is based on using us as leaders of the dog pack modifying the behaviors of the individual dogs which may exhibit numerous disorders such as aggression, stress, anxiety, fear, weight loss, hyperactivity among others.

Part Two

“The Dog Whisperer” - Talking to Your Dog

Dog training and dog potty training can be enjoyable. According to experts there are four important messages that we can train our dog with:

“Reward marker” for correct behavior. Your dog has earned a reward. For example, the words "Free" or "Okay" followed by a reward.

“Keep going” signal for correct behaviour. You want the dog to continue and it will earn a reward. For example, "Good" or "Come on".

“No reward” marker for Incorrect behavior. You are telling your dog to Try something else. For example, "Uh-uh" or "Try again".

“Punishment marker” for severe incorrect behavior. Your dog has earned punishment. For example, a stern "No" or more specific commands like "off," "out," or "leave it."

It is important to use consistent signals or words for these messages, this enables the dog to understand them more quickly. If you sometimes says "good" as a reward marker and sometimes as a keep going signal, it is difficult for the dog to know when he has earned a reward.

It is important to note that there is a difference between a reward marker and a dog's reward. The reward marker is a sign that tells the dog that he has earned the reward. So you may say the reward marker then the reward will follow - "Free" or "Okay" is the reward marker then give him praise or a treat or food.

Many new dog owners make the mistake of using lots and lots of verbal praise as both the reward and the marker which can confuse dog and owner. Remember dogs can only retain and therefore respond to 20 to 30 words at a maximum so choose your words carefully.

More tips to follow…..

Part One

“The Dog Whisperer” - Talking to Your Dog

The other night I cam across a programme about communicating with your dog called “the dog whisperer” and I was intrigued. This programme made me think about how we communicate to our dogs.

Dog training is about communication. Unconsciously one of the owners of a dog was communicating something totally different to what they thought they were communicating and this caused the dogs behaviour to be unhelpful to say the least!

We as humans cannot help but communicate, even when we don’t mean to!! Some research has shown that nearly 93% of what we communicate, is not from what we say, but from non – verbal communication, “body language” Dogs instincts pick this up and will react accordingly.

From the dogs view we must learn what motivates the dog, if we want him to do as we say!
From our perspective we must communicate to (”tell”) the dog what behaviors are correct, desired, or preferred, in what circumstances and what behaviours are undesirable.

We also must also understand the communication that the dog sends to the handler. These signals can be that he is unsure, confused, nervous, happy, excited, and so on. We must pay attention to this because a stressed or distracted dog will not learn as well.

Tomorrow we will look at some of the important commands that we can teach our dogs.

Another type of dog training!

Clicker Training

Clicker training has its origins in training dolphins and pigeons, which are animals that, unlike dogs and don’t respond well to obedience training. The process involves using a “clicker” (technically called a conditioned reinforcer) and this clicker marks the precise behaviour that is correct.

Clicker training is the more popular term used with dogs for what is called “operant conditioning” which deals with the modification of a dog’s voluntary behaviour through the use of consequences. The dog learns that through trial and error that only certain behaviours bring rewards. Unsuccessful or unrewarded behaviours get “stamped out” or extinguished.
This way the dog becomes conditioned to associate the clicker sound with a learned behaviour.

Simple tricks to train your dog.

Training Tricks

Teaching your dog tricks can help to develop a stronger relationship with him or her, it can also be good because it provides entertainment and involves the dogs mind, and can alleviate boredom in the dog.

One trick – the popular, “shake hands trick”, involves the dog raising its paw on command. Another clever trick is teaching the dog to ring a bell to go outside and this can be useful to help the dog owner to realise when the dog wants to go out. This can be very useful when house training your dog.

There are other less useful learned habits such as begging for dinner at the dinner table, the best advice is to ignore the dog and he or she will soon get the message to stop, this should not be encouraged as it could lead the dog to be territorial about food or even aggressive.