Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Incredible Dog Training Tips That Work!

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In dog training, the most simple acts often produce the best results. In any dog pack, the alpha sets the rules and the rest follow. Therefore, by establishing yourself as the alpha, you can be sure that your obedience training sessions will be that much more productive. The following is a list of 8 simple things you can do to teach your new puppy or unruly dog that you are the alpha in your pack.

1. Never feed your dog from your plate while you’re eating. A dog must learn that your are the alpha and that it can only eat when you are finished with your meal.

2. Never allow your dog on the sofa or on your bed. And if your dog sits on your path, gently shove it out of the way with your foot. By setting boundaries, you will instill in your dog that it must obey the alpha.

3. Never allow your dog to chew on your towels, socks, shoes, or clothing. Use bitter apple to discourage these behaviors.

4. NEVER HIT YOUR DOG FOR MISBEHAVING. Instead use the tone of your voice and a collar/leash to teach and make corrections.

5. Never allow a puppy to chew on your fingers. Otherwise, it will become a habit that will be very hard to break when it becomes an adult. Spray you hands and fingers with bitter apple and then allow the dog to proceed. The dog will learn not to bite your fingers without associating any negative thoughts about you as the alpha.

6. Never leave a hyper dog unexercised. Playing ball before you leave for work and after you return can help alleviate your dog’s pent-up energy.

7. Never keep your dog alone in a yard for days at a times. Without proper socialization your dog will become aggressive towards other dogs as well as other humans. A dog needs contact with its own species in order to learn how to behave in a dog pack equally as well as it must learn to behave in a human pack. A dog left alone for long periods of time will believe itself to be the alpha and try to dictate to its master instead of the other way around.

8. Never allow your dog to jump on you or your guests. Its fun when your dog is a puppy, but it isn’t fun when it becomes a 100lb behemoth. Practice with a collar and leash and set up situations where a neighbor rings your doorbell while your dog awaits their entrance. Make a sharp correction and command your dog to “sit” when as your neighbor enters the house. And, of course, don’t forget to praise the dog as soon as it follows your command. Once the dog knows what to do, try the same thing off leash, but this time use a water spray bottle and spray your dogs face with water as punishment for jumping with a stern vocal correction of “NO”. Proceed to praise your dog once again when your dog obeys your command. This way, it will learn to associate praise with correct action.

By following these steps, you will establish yourself as the alpha. And, you will have a head start in training your dog because it will have already learned to respect your authority as its leader.

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Article Source: Incredible dog training Tips That Work!

Dog Health Symptom: Does Your Dog Itch Like Crazy But Has no Parasites?

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Many of us dog owners get really amazed to see our dogs scratching away to glory in spite of the fact that there is not a single flea on its body! This is one thing that most dog owners will know. Many a time, our dogs just keep on scratching their skin although they do not have fleas or any other parasites. This is one thing that all dog owners have to be careful about. Continuous itching without any reason might have larger health implications.

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This incessant itching can highly be an early symptom of dermatitis. Dermatitis is similar to fever in human beings. When we have fever, we just start sneezing like crazy or have congestion. But in case of dogs, their skin becomes itchy and they keep on scratching their skin. Fever in dogs happens generally when they inhale a large amount of pollen.

If you notice, you will see that your dog starts itching more during the months of August and September. This is a time when you need to take extra care of your beloved pet. Pets become especially sensitive to things around them during these months. Thus, this is the time when you have to look out for Dermatitis because your dog will be highly susceptible to it.

The other months when your dog will start itching indiscriminately are March and April. Since these two are the pollen months, dogs become very likely to catch hold of Dermatitis during this season. The grass pollen season of May, June and early July are also particularly troublesome months.

This dog health symptom is something that affects your dog particularly badly. Once your dog gets affected by Dermatitis, it will practically suffer from scratching problems throughout the year. This gives rise to another problem of increased sensitivity which means that something like dusting your sofa will also make your dog uncomfortable and scratchy.

The owners who have a dog who is less than six months old are lucky because young dogs do not get Dermatitis. It is a disease seen in dogs that are three or more years of age. Also, almost every breed of dog can get Dermatitis as it is not a breed specific disease.

However, despite of not being a breed specific disease, Dermatitis is something that affects certain breeds of dogs, like Dalmatians, West Highland White Terriers, White Haired Fox Terriers and Poodles particularly badly. Dermatitis is something that should be treated immediately because it can make your dog suffer a lot and live in great discomfort.

As for the treatments of Dermatitis, you must consult your dog’s vet. There are multiple treatments available but you have to choose one that suits your dog’s breed and age, so it is best to go for whatever your dog’s vet suggests.

Apart from the treatment, you also need to take care of the fact that your dog gets regular grooming so that its skin remains in perfect condition. If your dog is not groomed regularly, it might suffer from skin problems that are extremely uncomfortable.

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Article Source: Dog Health Symptom: Does Your Dog Itch Like Crazy But Has no Parasites?

The Afghan Hound

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Afghan hound History and origin:

Often referred to as the “Dog of Noah’s Ark”, the Afghan Hound is one of the oldest, if not the oldest breed in existence. He was used as a herding dog, a guard dog, and a hunting dog. The Afghan’s long coat allowed him to stay warm in the harsh climate of Afghanistan, something that his faster, short-haired cousin from Egypt, the Greyhound, would not have been able to do.

Description:

The Afghan Hound stands 25 to 27 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 50 and 60 pounds. He possess an athletic body that is capable of supple and agile movement. The shedding coat is long, silky, and hard to maintain. It absorbs moisture and odors and requires daily brushing and regular clipping to prevent matting. The feet and ears are feathered, and there is a topknot of long silky hair. The color may be silver, cream, black, brindle, black-and-tan, or a combination of shades.

About the Afghan Hound:

This fast, graceful sight hound is aloof, dignified, and somewhat snooty with all but his close family. He is very elegant and aristocratic by nature who is also reserved and suspicious toward strangers. Though warm and affectionate to his owners, the Afghan is a hunting dog who is very independent and will not tolerate boisterous children or uninvited attention. He may shy away from the unwanted petting hand of a stranger. This breed is very laid-back at home, happily curling up on a sofa idling the day away. However, he also needs plenty of exercise and free running to keep him fit. Training is difficult with the Afghan. Sensitive and not overly bright, he will balk if pushed too quickly. He processes information more slowly than other breeds. Training technique must therefore be clear, slow, and precise. Overbearing methods will only to panic the breed and possibly bring on fearful snapping. As with most sight hounds, the Sit and Come commands take an especially long time to teach. The Afghan needs to be socialized from an early age so as to limit his aloof, distrustful nature. This is not a breed to spoil or pamper, despite his beauty and his elegance. Spoiling will enhance a dominant attitude and increase the chances of aggression. Because of his hunting nature, this breed can also be small dog-aggressive and has a very high prey drive toward smaller animals.

Feeding: Recommended feeding for this breed is 1 ½ -2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with added biscuit in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete dry food.

Ideal Home: The owner of an Afghan Hound should be an easy-going person who does not demand constant attention and affection from the dog. A hunter by nature, the Afghan Hound needs a big place for him to be able to run free and is therefore not suitable for apartment living.

Personality And Behavior Of An Active Dalmatian

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Behavior and personality are two qualities which are hard to standardize within a breed, even the Dalmatian.  Although generalizations are difficult to make, most Dalmatians are alert, extremely energetic and affectionate toward their owners.  They make great working dogs because they have the capacity to be loyal and determined and have the stamina to work all day long.  This is not a breed to be cooped up in a house all day; this is not the breed for the hectic family with no time for the dog; this is not the breed to be tied in the backyard to serve as a watchdog.

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Behavior and personality are incredibly important in dogs and there seem to be quite evident extremes in the Dalmatian. The earliest of the breed were bred for guard work and that did not make them ideal house pets.  They were considered as working dogs.  Today’s Dalmatians seem far removed from their earliest ancestors.  Still, they are high energy dogs and dog owners need to provide a channel for that energy.

The ideal Dalmatian is neither aggressive nor neurotic but rather a loving family member with good self-esteem and acceptance of position in the family “pack.” Because the Dalmatian is a powerful dog and can cause much damage, it is worth spending the time when selecting a pup to pay attention to any evidence of personality problems.  It is also important that all Dalmatians be obedience trained.  Like any breed of dog, they have the potential to be vicious and unruly without appropriate training; consider obedience classes mandatory for your sake and that of your dog.

Although many Dalmatians are happy to sleep the day away in bed or on a sofa, most enjoy having a purpose in their day and that makes them excellent working dogs. They need long daily walks or runs and as well as events that involve family members.  Do not let Dalmatian pups run unrestricted because it can increase their risk of developing orthopedic disorders.  All Dalmatians owners are encouraged to enroll their pets in obedience classes to learn limits of unacceptable behaviors.

As a pet owner, there are several activities that you can share with your Dalmatian. They not only make great walking and jogging partners but they are also excellent community volunteers.  If properly trained, the loyal and loving Dalmatian will be your personal guard dog.  For Dalmatian enthusiasts who want to get into more competitive aspects of the dog world, conformation showing, road dog trials, obedience, utility, agility, hunting, guarding, tracking, herding and search & rescue are all activities that can be considered.

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