German Shepherd Training

As you possibly already be aware of, German shepherds are large dogs that should be kept under control. Which is why German shepherd training is important from when they are puppies.

I bought Sheba, my 56 week old German shepherd, when she was just 8 weeks old.

There's no doubt about it, she was troublesome right from the start!

If I left anything lying around, I found it often half eaten or I would find it in the garden. I found out pretty rapidly that I had to train Sheba quickly before she damaged my house.

Dog Training Books Just Did Not Help

So I got a handful of books from the internet on dog training and used a couple of methods sadly Sheba just failed to do them.

Gladly, one evening I was looking through some dog training websites and learned something that would show me to specifically what I was doing wrong and why Sheba was giving me problems.

Discovery That Changed Everything

What I learned allowed me to have the knowledge to train my dog within just a few weeks and I have rarely looked back since.

The dog was very quickly obedient and I was able to leave things lying around. The dog became so well mannered and house trained as well. It banished all the frustration and made me so proud of her.

If you own a German shepherd yourself and it is causing you headaches with misbehaving then I am certainly be able to help by sharing with you what I found out.

It was almost too easy but worked literally straight away. I knew what the dog was thinking and the reasons why the dog was performing the things she did. This was so important in knowing how to train my dog correctly. 

Cockapoo Training: Preventing Dogs and Cats from Fighting

A house with a dog and a cat is not an uncommon situation. In fact, many family considered dogs and cats as extension of their family. As such, these two different species should have been become friends considering their role in the human family. But instead of living together peacefully, these pets often end up fighting each other. A cockapoo-chasing-a-cat scenario wouldn't happen if only proper introduction and cockapoo training were provided.

The moment you bring home your new cockapoo, do not force them to like each other immediately. Go slow and limit the exposure. It is better if the cat is in another room when the new dog (in a crate or with a leash) gets in. This aims to teach the dog that there are rules he must follow and cannot just do anything he wanted. Through the safety of the crate or leash, allow the cat to check or explore the newcomer. Praise the dog for being friendly around the cat, otherwise correct him by saying "no". You may also want to make the environment appear enjoyable when the cat comes in. This will eventually associate positive and pleasant feeling with the cat.

When the dog is already used to having the cat around and is not barking every time the latter gets in the room, you can let him out of the crate. If the dog starts to show aggression, correct him at once before it turns into growling and hissing. Give the command "no" in a firm manner. Reward the dog for showing friendly behavior to the cat.

Though introductions have been done successfully, you still need to take necessary measures to ensure that the peace and friendship between them will prevail. It is best to separate cats and dogs at mealtime. Dogs tend to protect everything he considered as his property, including his food. He could possibly attack the cat or toss down his meal immediately and could possibly develop digestive problems.

To lessen the risk of them fighting, keep an eye to them as often as possible. If you won't be around to supervise, do not let them stay together in one room.

To prevent hostility and rivalry between your cat and your cockapoo, make sure to provide proper introduction and cockapoo training.

Proper introduction and cockapoo training are ways to prevent hostilities and rivalry between your cat and your cockapoo.

Interesting Breeds and Facts About Dogs

Learn more about dogs – one of the world’s oldest and most popular pet animal.

1. Dogs are good swimmers but not all dogs can swim. The breed of dog that can not swim is Basset Hound.

2. Newfoundland is a good swimmer because of its webbed feet.

3. Dogs are good runners and the fastest running breed of dog is Greyhound. It can attain a speed of 45 mph.

4. Dalmatian puppies are born pure white but as they grow old, black dots start to appear.

5. The most favorite breed of dog in the UK, US and Canada is Labrador retriever.

6. The top 3 smartest dogs in the world are Border collie, Poodle and Golden retriever.

Border Collie

Border Collies are generally highly intelligent in terms of memory and learning.

Poodle

The Poodle is regarded as one of the most intelligent breeds of dog.

Golden Retriever

7. Dogs are highly intelligent animals but is believed that the dullest breed is the Afghan Hounds.

8. Three breed of dogs survived in the phenomenal sinking of the “Titanic”; a Pomeranian, a Pekingese and a Newfoundland.

Pomeranian

Pekingese

 9. Bloodhounds are prized for their ability to single out and identify a number of scents simultaneously.

10. Boxers are so named because of their manner of playing with their front paws.

11. The heaviest dog in the world is St. Bernard; the tallest on the average is Irish Wolfhounds, and; the smallest is Chihuahua.

A full grown male St. Bernard can weigh between 160 and 260 lb (73–117 kg) or more.

Generally, they can reach a height range of 85 to 95 centimeters (33 to 36 inches) at the withers in males, 50 to 80 centimeters (30 to 34 inches) for females.

Ideally, a Chihuahua weighs between 1.5 and 3.0 kg (3.3 to 6.6 lbs.) although there are much smaller ones.

12. The world’s tallest dog is Great Dane.

A dog of this breed holds the world record for tallest dog – Gibson. He was 3½ feet (107 cm) tall at the withers and 7 feet 1 inch (215.9 cm) on his hind legs.

Additional tidbits about dogs…

The rarest breed of dog in the world is the Cisky Terriers. Because of its rarity, no picture can be provided on this article.

The world’s number one health problem of dogs is “OBESITY”.

Dog’s nose prints are unique like our fingerprints that can be used accurately for identification purposes.

Only dogs and humans have prostates but dogs do not have an appendix.

Comparatively, smaller breeds get mature faster compared to larger breeds.

City dogs have longer lifespan compared to dogs in rural areas.

Dog’s sense of hearing is 10 times clearer and accurate than humans.

The sense of smell of dogs is 100 times stronger compared to that of humans.

A one year-old dog is physically mature as a 15 year-old human.

In the US, 15 people die annually due to dog bites.

It is not true that dogs are color blind. They see colors but not as clear as humans do.

Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes with age.

One of the most unusual breeds of dog is the Lundehune. It has 6 toes and can close its ears.

Never feed your dog with chocolates. Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.

Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you! 

How to welcome your new kitten

Welcoming a new kitten into your home is a great thing for you, and your family. They have many benefits, they can help keep people calm, they can help the mentally challenged, and they provide you with a long term friend. It is important that you start off on the right foot when getting your new kitten.

1. Set up a safe room: You kitten will need a safe haven for the first seven days. Somewhere where it can feel safe. If you were put in a new environment you wouldn't feel so comfortable either. So set up a cat proof room with easy access to food, water, a litter box, and a place to hide.

2. Bond with your new kitten: While your kitten is in the safe room bond with it. This is important. Unless you want your cat to completely ignore you, and not love you, you must spend time with it! Talk to it in a nice soothing voice. Pet it, play with it, and snuggle with it.

3. On the seventh day let it out of the safe room: On the seventh day your kitten should be well adjusted to the safe room, and your presence. So open the door, allowing your kitten to roam in and out of the safe room. For the first couple days your kitten may feel safer in the safe room, but soon it will be just another room.

Tips:

-When allowing the cat out of the safe room try using cat treats to lure it out of the room.

-Use a calm voice.

-Open your arms wide, like you're going to give someone a hug. This is using body language to make your cat want to come to you.

Warnings:

-Don't use a harsh voice or yell.

-Don't force your cat out of the safe room.

-Make sure you visit your cat while it is in the safe room.

I hope you and your kitten live wonderful lives together! 

Control fleas on your dog naturally

Before you start using toxic chemicals on your dog, read on for ways you can control fleas naturally.

The first thing you will want to do is get the fleas physically off of the dog. If you dog has long hair, clip it down very close to the skin. Then, give your dog a bath. You don't need a flea shampoo. Even baby shampoo will work fine. The key is to lather up the dog well. Get the lather through the hair and down to the skin, paying special attention to crevices like under the arms. Even lather up the face as fleas will go there during a bath. Let soap sit on dog for at least five minutes, then rinse dog well.


Next you need to vacuum the carpet and furniture. Remember to use the vacuum attachment and vacuum under couches, in between cushions, etc.  Wash all dog beds and loose rugs in the washing machine. It is good to sprinkle some borax on the carpet and put some borax in the washing machine, as borax kills fleas.

Get a spray bottle and fill it with water and put a few drops of eucalyptus or lavendar oil in it. You can also use lemon juice and water. Cut open some lemons, boil them and let them sit in the water overnight. Spray your dog daily with this mixture.

Buy a bottle of Brewer's Yeast. Give a few of these pills to your dog every day. After a few months it will cause fleas to not bite as much. Most dogs love these, but if your dog doesn't you can crush them up and put them in your dog's food.

If your dog continues to pick up fleas, you may have to bathe him often. In that case, I would use a gentler baby shampoo, or a gentle shampoo formulated for dogs- oatmeal being a good choice.

How to choose a good pet groomer

Finding a groomer for your dog is an important decision. There are many factors to take into account such as the size and temperment of your dog, and the ablity and love of animals that a groomer has. Find out what to look for in choosing a groomer that will be the best for you and your pooch.

The first and most obvious thing to find out from a potential groomer is if there are any restrictions to the dogs they groom. Some groomers only take certain breeds or sizes of dogs. Some only take certain temperments. Yet still, some groomers do not take badly matted pets. So, before you move on to finding out more information it is good to ask these things. If the groomer does accept the size, breed, temperment, and condition of your dog, then move on to step 2.

Find out how long the groomer has been grooming and what kind of education he or she has. There are many excellent groomers who have no formal education and some very good groomers that are just starting out. What you are looking for is someone who has gone the extra mile to have some knowledge. There are correspondence grooming schools, videos, books, apprenticeships, online learning and associations. If the groomer you are talking to truly cares about what they are doing, then chances are they will have taken part in at least two of these learning opportunities.

Another important question to ask your potential groomer is if you can have a few references. If they have some customers that are happy with the way their pets are groomed and treated by the groomer, then the groomer should be happy to supply one or two phone numbers. Ask the references if their pet appears to be treated well and if the pet has ever had any signs of abuse.

Some grooming customers may be tempted to ask to stay for the first grooming, but I would suggest to stay in the next room if you would like to stay for the first grooming. The reason for this is that pets often misbehave in the presense of their owners, whereas oftentimes they will be very nonchalant if the owner is not there. You will still be able to hear any abuse that may take place in the next room. Dogs can and will bark and whine, and that should have no ill effect on the groomer. You just want to make sure the groomer doesn't yell or hit the dog. Often, praise to the dog only takes place after grooming, as lots of exitement during grooming can lead to misbehaviour.

Also, understand that a good experience for you dog is better than perfection in grooming. If your dog is a squirmer, it is better for your dog to be safe (the groomer does have scissors and clippers!), than to have an absolutely perfect haircut. Once your dog gets used to grooming, the grooms will likely improve. Also, if a dog has mats it is much more beneficial to clip the hair completely off, as dematting is very painful, and living with mats are very painful as well.

If you follow these steps, you are sure to find the perfect groomer for you. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and don't be afraid to try a few different ones until you and your dog find a good match. Don't focus too much on pricing. If you can afford it, a more expensive groomer is worth a bad grooming experience.