Points to Know if The Westie is the Ideal Dog For You
On sight, the handsome and bright but small west highland white terrier may not look like the best family pet for homes with active, growing kids. Below, the most important and basic pros and cons of a westie pet are examined. Small children and small breeds like the west highland white terriers apparently have not been good matches, largely due to the natural tendencies of either.
A sense of territory and property is also a strong trait among westies, and is noticeable when it comes to the dog’s food and toys. A child may not be able to grasp the idea of “property” and, in getting too close to the dog, may earn its ire. Westies can also be protective of their family. The innocent wrestling between your child and his friends may result to a westie rushing out, teeth bristling, to find out how it can help. Should the worst happen and your westie does end up biting, certain procedures need to be followed, among which include informing the local police and the health department, or animal control division. Medical bills will also need to be covered by the dog owner.
Obviously, all these points are too-wide generalizations that miss out on important details. Not every dog is the same, or will fall into these headings. A lot of westies have matured with their families, or met new additions in the family with no complexes. But for things to work out, everybody at home needs to know what is going on and what each is expected to contribute. Eventually, for westies and children to be in harmony at home, what is needed will be considering your westie as a full member of the family, socialization, and good obedience training.
Westies are pack animals in their most inner core. This is is useful remembering, since the westie considers himself as a full pack member. Thus think of the role that the needs—like westie training–and personality of your westie will play in thinking of new additions to your family. Obedience training and good socialization skills need to be learned by the dog as soon as he can, and westies will benefit a lot from growing up skilled in good manners, mature and responsible. Socialization at an early puppy age will aid the westie in even comprehending the complexities of behaving around people of varying ages, and learning friendly body language. Teaching the limitations of westie behavior is very much a part of obedience training.
Stop Your Puppy Biting Fast
The incredibly sharp teeth that puppies have can cause you some pain. You want to attempt to prevent your young dog from forming this practice of biting. In order to stop your puppy biting different techniques might have to be attempted. Any little irritating or unacceptable habits shouldn’t receive a reward. If you would like your puppy to grown up into that amazing family pet, you will need to take responsibility for helping him. Dog behavior is rarely “good” or “bad” it’s just behavior. It is going to take a little time, but putting a stop to a puppies nasty habits should be done and just requires using these dog training tips.
The boisterous behavior for a litter of puppies involves lots of nipping and biting. Nipping and biting their new owners is very normal for any puppy and will most likely be the first problem they must overcome. All new puppies take a role in this behaviour, but as a new member of your folks actions will have to be brought to control it.
When your puppy nips you, quickly give him a sharp tap on the nose and say “NO”. If you flick the nose gently the puppy is only going to think that you are playing. A timid correction is a meaningless correction. One stronger tap on the nose, that gets the puppies attention could stop your puppy biting. Another way to go is, straight after he bites, grab his muzzle with one hand, point at him with the other, and resolutely say “NO”, this could at last let him know that biting is the incorrect behaviour. Your little dog may pick it up rather swiftly, or it could take a little time, just do not forget to show some patience. You will finally be able to correct your pup verbally when he understands what is going on. This oral “NO” order is going to turn out to be very handy when he starts gnawing on your shoes, socks, newspapers or anything else laying around for him to check his teeth on.
An alternative way of moving him away from biting you and your private items is doggy bones and gnaw toys. When the teething stage hits he is going to need something to chew and bite on so the gnaw toys get to serve another purpose. Whatever chews you choose have to be appropriate, they will need to be in a position to stand up to the intense chewing by pointy teeth for an lengthy period. Be cautious about toys that are to little or poor quality because they will be able to break off into s miniscule pieces and get trapped in their throat.
While playing with your little dog, don’t inspire him to bite and play rough or it may become a bigger challenge to stop puppy biting, it’s best to elude any unpleasant behavior characteristics at this stage. It is going to take a little time to mend the issue regardless of what strategy you choose to use. All puppies go thru certain stages in their life and puppy biting turns out to be one of them. Do not be disturbed though, you’ll be able to get thru the biting stage, just stay firm and patient and employ these dog training tips.
Labrador Puppies - A Famous Dog Breed
The Labrador puppy is one of the most popular famous and widespread breeds in the world. It belongs in the retriever group of dogs which is one of several types of gun dogs. A Labrador puppy is the ideal companion for people of all ages as they are considered~seen as unthreatening, sophisticated, vigorous, easy and good natured. They make excellent working dogs and with training they are known to be one of the most dutiful and multitalented breeds in the world.
A Labrador puppy will grow to be a very large dog weighing between 55 to 80 pounds at a height of 21 to 25 inches. They also have a strong muscular body plus a coat that is meant to be water repellent that helps them survive the winter. The usual colors of Labrador puppies are black, yellow and chocolate. On average a Labrador puppy’s life expectancy is between 12 to 13 years, however puppies should not be brought home until they are 7 to 10 weeks old.
Before getting a Labrador puppy it is invariably crucial to take into thoughtfulness the ingredients and responsibilities that come with caring for this particular breed of dogs. A substantial amount of time is required to train the dog especially if it is required to be a working dog. They are also known to be a voracious breed which means they will require a lot of physical exertion especially since they are known to be gun dogs that are physical animals. If you want to carry your Labrador puppy here and there in the car, dont worry about it for they usually are not prone to car sickness. The finance to groom and handle for it is another factor that has to be taken into thoughtfulness before having a Labrador.
The safest way to acquire a Labrador puppy is through a recognized breeder. The breeder should be a true source of service before and aftermost having the puppy as the owner and the pup adjust to life together. You should also check for vaccination details and any other health concerns before getting the puppy. Don’t also forget to check the personality type of the Labrador you are about to buy.
A Labrador puppy is a handful to care, so make sure you realise the obligations that arrive with it. read on each single detail about the breed to provide it the perfect environment when it gets home.
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The Yorkie And Bichon Mix - Assuredly Loyal And Faithful Family Dog
Yorkie and bichon have been America’s sweet heart dogs for many years now. It is as if they are the cutest things on earth, which many young women and children prefer to have them as the number one choice as a pet.
But similar to many other cases of mixes, yorkie bichon mix will also have their drawbacks. The outcome is fairly unpredictable. One thing for sure is that cross breeding these dogs could back fire you at times if the ancestors of the dogs have been mixed before. This could lead to a poorer outcome.
With the history of yorkie bichon mix the outcome is believed to have a better chance of being the cutest thing you have ever seen. The chances for a huge failure are almost zero, but there have been cases of such failure. No one can expect the entire history of the breed to run over hundreds of years, hence the predictions made are more than likely to be wrong. It is most likely that a yorkie bichon mix will be having the same qualities equally shared from their two breeds of parents.
It would be fairly heartening to observe the characteristics of a yorki bichon compared to their parents. The dog is almost assured to be faithful and loyal to you while the mannerisms are set to take more to the yorkie’s side.
Yorkie Bichon mix is supposedly more fashionable than their father or mother. They tend to develop a rich and smooth hair unlike their parents. However the smaller size will hardly be changing as expected. These cute little yorkie bichon mixed dogs are more than likely to make a better spirit around the house and be as playful as their parents. But this does not mean that they need any excessive exercising like. Their lower built will make sure that only a little amount of activities will provide them with the daily stretching they need. They are easy to carry with whenever there’s a family trip and they are easy to handle at home.
For you to get cheered up for the whole day at home, it would be a smarter option to pet or adopt a yorkie bichon mix. and finding one is as easy as it is with the help of internet. One thing for sure is that your yorkie bichon mix will be more than your best friend.
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A Teacup Chihuahua - A Very Popular Dog Breed
There are huge dogs such as Retriever’s and Boxers, then there are the more smaller type of dog breed such as the Teacup Chihuahua. A Teacup Chihuahua, although is very small and not recognized by major kennel associations, is loved by many people for many reasons.
Nevertheless, majority of people have adopted the Teacup Chihuahua as a pet for their homes. Even though the Teacup Chihuahua is a very much lively dog and is great to have as a pet, they are small in size and hence have a higher fragility level compared to other dogs. For this reason, the Teacup Chihuahua needs special attention by the owner, more than other dogs.
Are you a busy person? If so, do not go to adopt a Teacup Chihuahua. All dogs need love and attention. But a Teacup Chihuahua needs more of that. Their need for companionship can become a misery for you if you are unable to make time for it.
One of the first things you could do is check up on your schedule. Are you a very busy person? Will you be unable to commit yourself in to taking care of a Teacup Chihuahua? If so, refraining yourself from adopting such a dog would be better. Socializing is very important to Teacup Chihuahua’s. Owners not having the time to socialize with them on a regular basis could result in your dog lacking self-discipline and being indifferent for everyday occasions.
Having children in your home could be bad for the Teacup Chihuahua. Their size is the main reason for this. Being small means that they can be stepped upon by mistake.
Since the teacup Chihuahua is very small, they have a likelihood of getting various diseases. They too come with a number of health problems such as high blood sugar, dehydration, thyroid and liver problems as well as respiratory problems.
Keeping a clean home is important if you have a teacup Chihuahua around. If there are cleaning agents and other chemicals lying around, a teacup Chihuahua could lick it off and then end up getting sick.
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Recognzing Aggressive Dogs
When I took my daily early morning walk with my dog today at the local park, we ran across a loose dog. Normally, that in itself is no reason for alarm. But,because I already was pretty experienced in recognizing aggressive behavior in dogs, I could easily tell something about this dog’s approach was wrong. As he got closer I could tell at a glance that he meant trouble. He was heading for us with a serious look and body language that was anything but friendly. Although he wasn’t yet barking and growling, even before this dog got close to us, it was easy to tell by his aggressive body language that his intentions were not friendly ones. I was able to change my path and thus avoid having a problem with the aggressive dog because I could read the other dog’s aggressive body language.
Your ability to recognize the body language of aggressive dogs will help you in being able to avoid the possibility of a dog fight from happening. You have probably noticed how dogs will usually demonstrate to each other who is the dominant dog and who is the submissive dog. A dog fight normally only occurs when one of the dogs refuses to become submissive to the other dog and when both want to assert their own dominance.
Here are some ways to learn how to recognize aggressive body language in dogs so you can hopefully avoid encounters that could lead to a dog fight. If you see these signs of aggression, with your own or another dog, you should be ready to defuse what could turn into a dangerous situation by taking immediate action. That may be as simple as calming and controlling your own pet, or finding a way to avoid a close encounter with the other dog by leaving the area.
- The body language of an aggressive dog is something that everyone has seen before. The more dominant dog may hold his head above the other dog’s head, and perhaps might jump up and put his paws over the other dog’s shoulders. When you see one male mount another it is for displaying dominance, not for a good time. These dominance displays can cause some problems if one of the dogs does not feel like being submissive .
- .If the dog that is acting dominant (or perhaps both of them) starts to growl and snap his teeth he has moved to a very dangerous stage of aggression, and clearly wants to fight. Make sure you control the situation and avoid any chance of the two dogs fighting.
- You can also spot an aggressive dog through his very intense stare and tense body movements. You’ll also notice the aggressive dog holds his tail up without any wagging (unlike a happy and friendly dog) and will also be holding his ears back . It is pretty obvious, even from a distance, that this dog is not in a good mood.
- The easiest and most familiar sign of dog aggression to spot from a little distance is when the aggressive dog raises up the hair on his back-his “hackles”. On my walk this morning, that was the first thing I noticed about the aggressive dog at the park.
When you think about it, you can see that you have observed aggressive body language lots of times, even if you didn’t always recognize what it meant. You can now spot aggressive behavior and you are also aware of the danger that this aggression can lead to, so be pro-active in keeping your dog from getting into a fight.
Until I took the time to better train my own dogs, I had occasional problems with my dogs aggressive tendencies, and I was reluctant to take them out in public (and then only on their leash). If you take an aggressive dog of your own with you to a public place, you must be responsible for making sure he doesn’t cause any problems.
By recognizing and understanding what the aggressive postures mean, you can take steps to avoid possible problems before they happen. If there is another dog in the area that is acting aggressively, because you recognize the aggressive dog’s body language in advance you can prevent your own dog from coming in to close contact with that uptight dog. By going in a different direction you can probably avoid having to go through a potentially problematic situation with the other dog. If the aggression problem is with your own dog, you can solve that problem by paying a lot of attention to his training (especially training dealing with aggression) so that your dog really obey your commands. You won’t be able to control your dog’s aggressive actions until he recognizes you as the boss of the relationship, and will listen to you when you want him to calm down and not be aggressive.
If you want to learn to train your dog at home, I recommend strongly that you check out my review of the very best dog training program. I use their tips and advice and have had great success using them to train my own dogs, using these positive reinforcement training techniques.
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Quick Tips for Dog Agility Training
One of the biggest difficulties dog trainers have when they begin a dog agility training course is getting their dog to stay. The command ‘stay’ is simple but is not necessarily easy to implement. Neither show dogs, nor ordinary dogs, obey the command easily, mainly because it is not in a dog’s nature to remain still. So, how does one teach their dog to stay exactly where we want them to stay?
Dogs are no different from children; they keep on testing the surroundings. I know how hard it can be to resist the extreme cuteness of the classic puppy dog eyes but if you don’t stick to your guns, your dog will see you as weak and consistently disobey. You absolutely must correct your dog every time they move after you have given the stay command. During a dog show it is very awkward to have a dog that does not remain steady after being told to do so.
The inability of a dog to remain still has both positive and negative connotations. It is a negative because it makes it difficult to teach your dog to stay still, but it is a positive because it can be harness as a reward. Your dog can be rewarded with treats for not moving after the order and it can be permitted to run as a bonus.
Agility traing for dogs has some major benefits for both owners and their dogs, regardless if they are show or family dogs. A lack of exercise accounts for the number one reason why dogs misbehave. By agility training a dog gets its required quota of exercise, and by walking it out, its master also gets the exercise he needs. That does not mean that the dog owner should keep pace with the dogs in running, and agility training might actually even be more suitable for those who do not have much outside exercises because after all it is the dog which will be running and not the master.
Being a dog owner myself, I know that the regular old walk isn’t very exciting, but taking your dog to the park to engage in some agility training can be an excellent motivator. Agility training is a very pleasant way of connecting with your dog, by watching it jumping and frolicking in the natural way, rather than being dragged around the town by its excited master who lacks sufficient exercise.
In short, whether as an ordinary dog lover, or as a dog trainer, agility training is a good way to get started with training dogs.
How To Stop Dog Digging
I want to tell you about a great way I learned to prevent your dog from digging up your yard or garden. A few days ago I ran into town with my friend. When we returned to his house about 3 hours later we couldn’t even drive through the gate. That’s because his pack of dogs had dug an enormous hole over 5 feet wide and a couple feet down. Because we are living at the beach the digging is pretty easy for the dogs. This was not the first time my pal’s dogs have done something like this. My friend didn’t have a clue how to prevent his dogs from digging up his yard.
There could be several reasons why your dog may be digging up your yard. Some of the reasons for digging are boredom, an attempt to escape the yard, trying to dig down to cooler soil in times of hot weather, or because your breed of dog may have a predisposition for digging . I will mention some ideas for stopping your dog from digging in your yard or garden. Because my neighbor’s dogs had dug up right in front of the gate, it was probably a mass escape attempt. His dogs are not picky where they dig their holes-probably just randomly digging out of boredom. At other times, his dogs would dig up any areas that were wet from watering to escape the heat of the sand. It was obvious my friend need to learn how to stop his dogs from digging his whole place up.
Using the advice I found in my best dog obedience training book, we decided to build his dogs their own play area where they were welcome to dig all they wanted to. My friend’s yard is all sand, so it was only necessary to enclose the desired area with fencing to make the acceptable digging area. It’s a good idea to make sure there is some shade above the enclosed area for protection form the summer sun. My neighbor even put in a wading pool and some chew toys. He obviously loves those dogs. Since the dogs only dug up the yard when he was away he has now learned how to prevent the dogs from digging up his yard using a win-win type of solution.
Although your yard may not be a natural sandbox like my friend’s, you can still easily make a special area and stop your dog digging up your yard. Inside the area that you have chosen to enclose just put in a sandbox with some loose soil mixed with sand. Inside the enclosed and partially shaded area with the sand box, you can also place some fresh water and some chew toys to play with, so he won’t get bored too much.
Besides stopping your dogs from digging up the yard, it also gives them a cool place to hang out while you are gone. If you later notice your dog is only digging in his new area, you can try letting him loose again even if you are not at home, and it is quite possible he won’t dig up the lawn. If your dog is digging to escape, though, he should probably stay in the enclosure while you are away. If you follow this tip, you’ll have stopped the yard from ever getting dug up again.
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German Shepherd Dog Training
German Shepherd dogs are highly versatile. A properly trained and correctly bred German Shepherd dog could turn out to be the type of dog that dreams are made of, they can be; a wonderful family pet, a highly trained obedience dog, they keep you from harm while you are sleeping and they are pretty to look at. These dogs are and always will be the top all-around utility dog. German Shepherd dog training will need to be taught to make all of this happen.
The teaching process can begin with these noble dogs at around seven weeks old. By this age the pups’ brain is able to take in some of the simple commands, their bodies are going to take quite a bit longer to catch up though. Try to teach your puppy games that will improve his skill for later on in his life.
Exercise will help your dog improve physically and mentally. It’s enjoyable to teach tricks and fun, too. Your dog will be more self assured with more learning. Learning new commands and signals can be helpful later in his teaching sessions. Using treats while teaching tricks is best. When the puppy is older, he will love doing tricks for praise.
German Shepherd dogs train best by using positive training methods. The positive training method doesn’t involve any kind of punishmet. You will reach your goals faster by using this type of training. Using positive training doesn’t allow your dog to do whatever it wants to do. They must show proper behavior to get the reward. Positive training produces a dog that is happy and eager. Trust is one of the ways a dog will obey. This method will make the two of you a team.
Leash Training
Your dog might want to carry the leash in their mouth, in the beginning. Carrying the leash is permitted for awhile, but they aren’t allow to chew on the leash. Try to keep the dog on your left side and hold the leash in your left hand. The dog should always be trained with short lessons. Remember, things don’t happen over night, it could take some time.
The Sit and The Down
Teaching a dog to sit. When teaching the sit it’s best to use treats. The treat is held in front of the dog’s nose, then lift it up and back. This lets the dog fold his legs under himself for the perfect sit. You’re your using the treat to get him to sit, don’t forget to say “sit”. When the dog sits, reward him.
It’s best to have the dog in the sit position when teaching the down. Slowly move the treat down and forward in front of the dog. The dog will lower his front legs. While lowering the treat don’t forget to say “down”. After the dog lays down reward with the treat and lots of praise.
In Closing
German Shepherd dogs careers have been ruined by bad training or no training at all. The experience that you have in training these dogs will be very exciting. Your well trained German shepherd dog will feel you’re your “Gift of a lifetime”.
Tips to Control Dog Barking
Some types of dog barking episodes-from too much excitement playing; from seeing you come home; from feeling the need to protect the property; or from an attempt to bully for for attention, are easily corrected by using your voice to calm your dogs down-and not really problems to worry about. You will have some work to do to correct any of these dog barking problems from the list below if your dog has one of them. It is too bad, but the excessive barking will not just go away on its own accord.
Here are some examples of barking problem behaviors and some ways to correct these types of dog barking problems-use the tips that are appropriate to your own dog’s behavior problem.
- To correct the problem of dogs barking upon seeing a stranger or another dog somewhere within their visual range, it is necessary to block your dog’s view out of his yard. Moving your dog to behind a solid type of fence would be a perfect way to block his view. As an alternative to a fence (if you have none) try moving your dog to an area of the backyard with no view of the street -you will need to put him on a lead to keep him there. For dogs that stay inside, make sure the curtains are shut in order to block his view.
- One method of solving the problem of your dog barking in response to neighborhood dogs, is by taking the matter into your own hands-literally. To do this, you will need to use your hand to shut your dogs mouth, and to keep it shut until your dog has submitted and is calm. Your dog won’t love this, so it will probably be necessary to use your other hand to hold onto your dog’s collar to prevent him from running off. Spraying him in the face from a small spray bottle of water will startle your dog, and make him stop barking for the moment. A can of pebbles is also good for startling your dog into stopping the barking for a bit. Any of these 3 tricks should work for stopping the barking temporarily-at least while you are actually applying them. At the same time you stop the barking, you should also command your dog to “stop barking” or “be quiet”-whatever command you have chosen. The end result should be that just by saying “quiet” you should have the ability to control your dog’s barking problems.
- In order to correct a dog that barks for reasons of being stressed and feeling insecure it requires a lot of attention from you through training, exercising and playing with your dog. All the activity should make your dog a happier, more confident dog, who won’t need to express his anxiety through barking.
- Once again, to correct a bored or lonely dog’s barking issues, will mean giving him much more exercise, playing and training. A dog that is often left alone all day, without plenty of playing and exercising, is definitely more likely to develop this behavior. Therefore, be sure to give your dog the minimum one and one half hours daily of activity he needs by exercising him, training him and of course, playing with him.
- In order to deal with the problem of your dog barking excessively at you as he tries to get your attention (whether for food, play, or affection) you should say “no” firmly, then turn your back towards him and ignore your dog. You should not let your dog get away with bullying you. There is a good reason for this-in addition to the annoying barking, you need to be the Alpha dog here-not him. You will not be seen as Alpha by your dog if he can boss you around when he wants by barking at you. You must be seen as the Alpha dog in order to be able to successfully train your dog.
You can also find some types of barking prevention collars at the pet store. The Citronella oil collar works through the activation of a fine mist sprayed into your dog’s face when he starts barking. The second collar works through emitting a very high pitched sound that is activated by the dog barking . Either the smell or the noise is designed to stop the barking through aversion therapy.
There is even a collar that prevents barking through the application of electric shock. These collars have proven to be quick and effective ways to correct behavior problems when regular methods have failed.
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