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.

Chew Toys for Your Dalmatian Puppy

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Chewing is normal for all Dalmatian puppies.  It is their hereditary way of communicating within the litter.  You should have some chew toys for the puppy to use in order to replace undesirable chewing tendencies. If your Dalmatian puppy goes for the TV knobs, give him a 1/4in diameter composite chewing log.  Any Dalmatian is incredibly efficient at destroying chew toys.  The only one that is apparently indestructible is the beehive-shaped rubber toy, which lasts for years around both pups and adults, and they enjoy chewing them.  An inexpensive thing that puppies will play with for days before they start to wear it out is a plastic pop bottle.  If you keep the cap on, the container is too large to get a good grip on and the puppies will use it as a giant hockey puck whenever they see it.

Another caution with regard to chewing has to do with house, yard, and garden plants.  Identify the vegetation you have and call your vet, a plant expert, or maybe even do your own research and find out whether your plants are toxic to dogs.  They will chew on rocks, too, especially ones about as big as your thumb that are fun to toss around in their mouths.  If you catch them doing this, take the rock from them and get rid of it, telling them “No!”  Some Dalmatians will get carried away with sloshing them around in their mouths and before they know it, they swallow them.

There are also foods that are toxic to dogs. Teaching a Dalmatian what is and is not permissible to chew is generally a process that lasts the lifetime of the dog. They are constantly discovering new things to chew. As a final note on chewing, though it is cute to have the puppy untie your shoelaces or clamp surprisingly sharp puppy teeth on your fingers, it is not cute for a sixty-pound adult to do the same things.

If you want a well-behaved adult Dalmatian, do not allow your puppy to continue his “chewing communication” with you.  When he comes up and puts his mouth on anything that you would not allow an adult to bite or chew, catch him in the act of starting to bite the object and snap him on the end of the nose with your index finger, and tell him clearly out yelling “No!”  This  kind of correction will startle the puppy  more than anything  else, and you will find  that he will direct his attention somewhere else almost immediately.  Be generous with your praise  when he changes his focus of activity.  If you are consistent with this form of correction at an early age, you will wind up with a very well-mannered Dalmatian.

Grooming The Nails On Your Poodle

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At least once a month for an adult Poodle and once a week for pups, you must tackle the grooming chore of nail trimming. Failing to trim your dog’s nails can result in sore, splayed feet. How can you tell if your Poodle’s nails are too long? Well, simply listen. Do you hear a click-click when she walks across the tile or linoleum floor? If you do, that means the nails are touching the floor – and they shouldn’t be. Or, take a look at your Poodle s feet while she’s standing. Do you see the nails touching the floor? The idea is to keep your Poodles nails trimmed back short enough so they don’t touch.

There are two basic types of nail clippers: the scissors and the guillotine. You also can use a nail grinder, but it may take some time to get your dog used to the noise. If you use scissors or guillotine clippers, keep them sharp and clean. Dull clippers won’t make a clean cut, and rusty, dirty ones can infect your dog if you cut too quick and your pet bleeds. The objective when clipping nails is to trim as close to the quick as possible without accidentally nicking it. Dark nails are more difficult to cut than light-colored ones, since it is impossible to see the pink vein.

Remove the dry looking hook at the tip of the nail, cutting off small bits of nail at a time. As you cut the nail shorter, you’ll notice it becomes softer and you’ll see a small grayish-white dot under the nail, which is the end of the quick. When you reach this point, the nail is short enough; you can now move on to the next one. Keep in mind that the more often you trim, the shorter you can get the nail, since the quick actually recedes with frequent trimming. Cut each nail as quickly and cleanly as possible; cutting slowly tends to pinch the nail and cause your dog discomfort.

To trim your Poodle’s nails, hold one paw firmly in your left hand (if you’re right-handed) and place your thumb on top of the foot. Place your fingers underneath the pads so you can spread the toes. With the clippers in your right hand, clip each nail right below the quick with short, decisive strokes. Don’t forget the dewclaws if they were not removed when your Poodle was a pup.

Finish trimming the first paw, then file each nail with a metal file to remove sharp, rough edges that could scratch your legs if your Poodle is naughty and jumps up on you. DO NOT file any nails that have bled. Work your way to the next paw, trim each nail, then file.

If you accidentally cut too close, don’t panic. Apply a styptic powder to staunch the bleeding and continue clipping the other nails. Don’t stop and make a big fuss over your mistake, as it may make your dog even more apprehensive the next time you attempt to clip his nails.

A word of advice: start early. Poodles, like all dogs, must learn to accept new experiences. Begin nail trimming while your dog is a pup and do it every week. Between trimmings, handle the dogs feet to accustom her to being touched. The Poodle doesn’t usually make a fuss about trimming, but it’s still wise to-teach your dog to accept it from a young age. Before attempting to clip your Poodle s nails yourself, you may want to observe your groomer or veterinarian the first time.

Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (4)

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Dog Training 101

When it comes to obedience dog training, there should be no “half-way action” accepted. In other words, it’s all or nothing from your dog.

And a crooked sit must be considered as something less than your dog giving  his full potential.

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Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

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Not only does it look shabby, but it also prevents the dog from accomplishing his full measure of discipline and character. You can prevent your dog from developing the bad habit of crooked sits simply by using your free left hand while heeling.

As you prepare to stop during a walk, make sure that your left hand is in a position to place on the dog’s rear in such a way as to prevent him from moving around in front of you after you have come to a complete stop. If your dog succeeds in sitting in a crooked way, hold back the praise until you have straightened his sit. As your left hand drops to his rear, keep your left thumb pointing toward your left leg. This will ensure that you do not accidentally place your dog in a crooked sit.

You do not have to push down heavily on your dog’s rear. You need to simply press lightly to help guide him into the proper sit position. It is more the right hand pulling the leash upward than the amount of pressure on the dog’s rear that will place him easily and quickly in the proper sitting position. Putting heavy pressure on your dog’s rear may stimulate him to resist, which is an unwanted action.

In these learning steps, the less resistance you have, the better off it will be, both for you and your dog. Also keep in mind the importance of a positive attitude.

Recap Of The First 10 Days Of Correct Heel Dog Training

Your first ten days of obedience training should consist of proper leash introduction, getting your dog to walk confidently and happy. This is achieved without lagging or straining as he walks at your left side in the response to the command “Heel”. The first ten days of obedience dog training also consists of the introduction of the command “Sit” in which you place the dog in the sitting position each time you stop.

Once you are confident about placing your dog in the sitting position, which took one full week, you are now ready to bring your dog to a higher level of discipline, intelligence, and response.

You must decide to never place your pet in the sitting position again. You have spent one full week showing him exactly what sit means, and it only takes four days for the average house dog to learn the average thing.

Now, it’s time during your next dog training session to show your dog that he must do it for himself and that you will not be leading him by the hand all of the time.

Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (1)

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Dog Training 101

Once you have reached the level in training your dog where he is not fooled by distractions or temptation, you are then ready to proceed to the next level of dog training – how to heel correctly.

If your dog cannot walk comfortably at your side, there is no way you’re going to teach him anything about being obedient. He must learn to heel properly and focus his full attention to you.

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Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

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You will be using a six-foot leather training leash for this phase. During this stage of training, you will teach your dog to walk beside you like a gentleman. He will learn to automatically sit at your side when you stop.

A Dog Training Must – No Punishment Needed

The right attitude cannot be achieved if your dog is mistreated or abused. To restrain or choke the dog on a short, tight leash, to hit him in the chest, or to smack his face with the end of the leash while trying to teach him to heel will result, among other things, in a completely negative attitude in the animal.

Your Starting Position When Dog Training

To begin, you will notice that your leash has a loop in one end. Place your right thumb through that loop. With your left hand, grab the leash at the middle section and place it in your right hand. Notice that the dog is on your left side, but that the leash is held in your right hand. This will seem a little awkward at first, but your left hand will be doing other things.

Do not form the habit of trying to restrain your dog at your side by holding him up close with the left hand on that leash. Remember, you want to train your dog, not restrain him. Forget about everything that you were told or read about restraining a dog tugging at your side in the hope that he will get the idea that this is where you want him to walk. That idea will never occur to him.

There is an important characteristic of an untrained dog on a leash that will become obvious to you during this stage of training. This dog wants to feel a tight leash! If there’s a slack in the leash, he has no way of calculating its exact length. On a tight leash, he can lunge and pull and go through all kinds of twists and turns, because he has the security of feeling where the other end of the leash is.

Therefore, it is very important from a dog training perspective that you don’t give in to your dog’s wishes by walking him on a tight leash.

Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (4)

by Leave a Comment

When it comes to obedience dog training, there should be no “half-way action” accepted. In other words, it’s all or nothing from your dog. And a crooked sit must be considered as something less than your dog giving  his full potential.

Not only does it look shabby, but it also prevents the dog from accomplishing his full measure of discipline and character. You can prevent your dog from developing the bad habit of crooked sits simply by using your free left hand while heeling.

————————————————————–

Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

————————————————————–

As you prepare to stop during a walk, make sure that your left hand is in a position to place on the dog’s rear in such a way as to prevent him from moving around in front of you after you have come to a complete stop. If your dog succeeds in sitting in a crooked way, hold back the praise until you have straightened his sit. As your left hand drops to his rear, keep your left thumb pointing toward your left leg. This will ensure that you do not accidentally place your dog in a crooked sit.

You do not have to push down heavily on your dog’s rear. You need to simply press lightly to help guide him into the proper sit position. It is more the right hand pulling the leash upward than the amount of pressure on the dog’s rear that will place him easily and quickly in the proper sitting position. Putting heavy pressure on your dog’s rear may stimulate him to resist, which is an unwanted action.

In these learning steps, the less resistance you have, the better off it will be, both for you and your dog. Also keep in mind the importance of a positive attitude.

Recap Of The First 10 Days Of Correct Heel Dog Training

Your first ten days of obedience dog training should consist of proper leash introduction, getting your dog to walk confidently and happy. This is achieved without lagging or straining as he walks at your left side in the response to the command “Heel”. The first ten days of obedience training also consists of the introduction of the command “Sit” in which you place the dog in the sitting position each time you stop.

Once you are confident about placing your dog in the sitting position, which took one full week, you are now ready to bring your dog to a higher level of discipline, intelligence, and response.

You must decide to never place your pet in the sitting position again. You have spent one full week showing him exactly what sit means, and it only takes four days for the average house dog to learn the average thing.

Now, it’s time to show your dog that he must do it for himself and that you will not be leading him by the hand all of the time when dog training.

Dog Training: Correct Heel Methods (1)

by Leave a Comment

Once you have reached the level of dog training in which your dog is not fooled by distractions or temptation, you are then ready to proceed to the next level of training – how to heel correctly.

If your dog cannot walk comfortably at your side, there is no way you’re going to teach him anything about being obedient. He must learn to heel properly and focus his full attention to you.

————————————————————–

Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

————————————————————–

You will be using a six-foot leather training leash for this phase. During this stage of training, you will teach your dog to walk beside you like a gentleman. He will learn to automatically sit at your side when you stop.

Correct Dog Training Employs No Punishment

The right attitude cannot be achieved if your dog is mistreated or abused. To restrain or choke the dog on a short, tight leash, to hit him in the chest, or to smack his face with the end of the leash while trying to teach him to heel will result, among other things, in a completely negative attitude in the animal.

Starting Position When Dog Training

To begin, you will notice that your leash has a loop in one end. Place your right thumb through that loop. With your left hand, grab the leash at the middle section and place it in your right hand. Notice that the dog is on your left side, but that the leash is held in your right hand.

This will seem a little awkward at first, but your left hand will be doing other things.

Do not form the habit of trying to restrain your dog at your side by holding him up close with the left hand on that leash.

Remember, dog training, do not restrain him. Forget about everything that you were told or read about restraining a dog tugging at your side in the hope that he will get the idea that this is where you want him to walk.

That idea will never occur to him.

There is an important characteristic of an untrained dog on a leash that will become obvious to you during this stage of dog training.

This dog wants to feel a tight leash! If there’s a slack in the leash, he has no way of calculating its exact length. On a tight leash, he can lunge and pull and go through all kinds of twists and turns, because he has the security of feeling where the other end of the leash is.

Therefore, it is very important throughout dog training that you don’t give in to your dog’s wishes by walking him on a tight leash.

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