How to Train Your Chihuahua

It is beneficial to start your dog off by teaching proper obedience through Chihuahua training. You should know that just because your dog lives a life of liberation does not actually mean that your dog is incapable of learning. Training seems to be more beneficial when preformed at home instead of at a school.

What a lot of people do not realize is that those classes are more helpful when it comes to teaching bigger dogs that are out of control. Schools are more used to force teach bigger dogs into being calm. These programs are not beneficial for Chihuahua Training. You are better off if your Chihuahua Training on your own and in your own home using an at home chihuahua training program that promotes positive and not forceful training.

Those out dated techniques use force-training which can be impractical and do more damage than good. This is bad entertainment for your dog and will negatively affect the dog. Your dog will respond better with positive guidance methods. Be sure not to force your dog into pleasing you. This should be a positive experience for the two of you. A bonding experience, not a forceful one since they desire to please you. They only need you to teach them what pleases you. Negative discipline does not work! They rarely even need anything but light correction.

Emphasize positive chihuahua training by rewarding the dog with lots of treats and complements. Lessons work better when the dog is not full, otherwise he will not be food motivated when training, in that case you could also use a toy to motivate your dog. Remember to keep lessons brief. Try not to train your dog for longer than 5 or so minutes a day on a single trick

When Your Dog is Getting Old

Signs my dog is getting older is sad and difficult but fortunately it is a slow process. The slow process allows a person time to understand that the years have passed and you need to enjoy each other for the remaining unknown time you have together.

As you sit in your easy chair petting your dog, one is mindful of all the funny antics that your puppy once did, all of the good time memories during family occasions, and all of the fun from everyday simple things that your dog does about the house.

Yes, our wonderful dog is getting older. These are the signs my old cocker spaniel is getting old and as you read and think about these signs they may also apply to your pet.

1. Hair color is changing. More white or grey is appearing in its coat.
2. The coat does not feel as soft as it once was.
3. Hair curls are flattening into straighter strands.
4. Some of the individual hair strands feel dry and loosing their luster.
5. When you look at his face he looks older and the eye expressions appear tired.
6. The eyes are taking on a blue tint indicating cataracts are beginning.
7. He catnaps more often and sleeps for longer periods of time.
8. He is not as energetic, therefore, moves slower.
9. He walks more than he runs. He takes shorter walks.
10. He has difficulty jumping into his favorite chair.
11. He does not seem to be as curious, perhaps this is because he is more mature or...
12. He seems more comfortable and happy with the world about him and accepts it.
13. He does not like sudden changes, prefers his routine and can be stubborn.
14. He is usually friendly, but occasionally cranky and lacks patience with children.
15. He is slowly loosing his hearing.
16. Skin allergies and weight problems are developing which indicates a change of diet.
17. Visiting the vet has you hearing news of heart murmurs and circulation problems.
18. You need to watch their water intake. If there is a change it may be an indicator for diseases like diabetes mellitus or kidney problems.
19. Do you have a female dog? The vet says they have a tendency to be incontinent as they age.
20. His legs are beginning to bow and he stands with a wider leg stance. Did you know that human beings do the same thing? The wider stance is for better balance.

A dog getting older is similar to our passage into the autumn years of our lives. We can still enjoy life to its fullest. We just have to move slower and experience occasional pains here and there. These irritations are warning signals to slow down and smell the roses.

We do not like seeing our best friend entering the older years of their lives, but you need to remember how much love, joy, and richness they bring into our lives and they deserve the same from us.

How to Construct Wooden Dog House

Wooden dog houses are among some of the most popular types of houses that are available. Perhaps one of the reasons why this is the case, is because they are the easiest for the common homeowner or do-it-yourselfer to build. There may be times, however, whenever you would like to build a large wooden house that is quite luxurious and perhaps contains a number of different options that make it more like a regular house than a house for a dog. Here are some things to keep in mind whenever building wooden dog houses such as this.

One of the first things to consider is whether you're going to be drawing up the plans yourself or if you are going to be purchasing one of the kits that are available. Many people will choose one of these kits, simply because it has everything that you will need in order to get the job done. The only thing that it does take out of the equation, unfortunately, is that you do not have as much leeway as far as being creative with the building project. If you were to add something such as stairs or perhaps a wooden dog house balcony, you would need to design this into the kit and then add the materials necessary in order to do it.

That is why it is a much better idea for you to build wooden houses and to plan them from the start on your own. It does not need to have some great architectural drawings in order for it to be exactly what you need it to be. Just a rough idea of the sizes, perhaps even drawn to scale so that you are able to see on paper how much room is going to be available for the pet inside. If you're adding luxury items to the inside or outside of the dog house, these should also be included on the plans and you should make room for them whenever purchasing the items in advance for the house.

A large wooden dog house is something that is probably going to be more beneficial to you as the builder that it is going to be to the dog. The unfortunate reality about these larger houses is the fact that most animals won't really spend much of their time in any more than a small portion of the house. They won't enjoy the inside and outside features that are available, but that doesn't mean that there is anything wrong with you enjoying building them.

You might even find that there is a market for these wooden dog house in your area, especially if you are able to do an excellent job on building one for yourself. A large wooden dog house is going to be in demand, and although there are always going to be freebies that are available, these will not stand against the customized jobs that you may be able to do. You might just find that you are building these houses for many dogs, not just your own.

How to Stop Your Dogs Chew on Your Furniture

Can you get your dog to stop chewing on your furniture? Yes you can. Understanding the things that contribute to this behavior will make things much easier for you. Eliminate these things first and it will make the training part much easier.

Keep Your Dog Active

Nearly all dogs were originally bred for some type of work. Boredom and too little daily exercise is a big contributor to destructive behavior. Like chewing on your furniture. If you can give your dog just 10 minutes of exercise before you go to work in the morning you would be surprised how much this would help. Not only would your dog get rid of some energy, it will provide you with some bonding time with your dog, and help her feel more secure. Secure dogs are less destructive. Less destructive dogs are much easier to train as well.

I would also recommend purchasing several different active toys for your dog. These type of toys develop a dog's intelligence and puzzle solving skills. They replace boredom with fun and treats. 

Don't Leave Crumbs for Your Dog

In the age of television it's not uncommon for the dinner table to be replaced with the couch. There are always accidents, small spills and splatters, and crumbs that can end up on the furniture. Keep a napkin handy and cleanup crumbs quickly before the odor gets into the furniture. Be sure to use soap and water to clean up any spills or dribbles especially on the coffee table or anything made of wood.

Redirect Your Dogs Chewing

Keep plenty of her favorite chewing toys handy at all times. When she starts to go for your furniture call her name and tell her no. Then offer her one of her favorite chewing toys. When she takes it from you, be sure to praise her. She will soon learn what she's allowed to chew on, and what not to chew on. During the day when you're not home, until you get her trained, its best to keep her in a confined area where she doesn't have access to your furniture.

I have shared with you a few basic ideas to help you with your dogs chewing behavior. You will need to discover other tips and advice before you find what works best for you and your dog.

The Most Important Points in Dog Training

If you are trying to train a dog then chances are you are looking all over for dog training secrets that will make your job easier. There are many dog training secrets out there, but none will be as helpful as what you are about to learn. There is one fundamental truth of dog training. That is that dog training is all about communication. Without the right communication you will never get your dog trained.

Communication in training is all about sending the right message to the dog so the dog understands what behavior he should do. There are two basic ways you can go about communicating your message to your dog. You can use positive reinforcement or correction.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is when you praise or reward your dog when he does what it is that you want him to do. Positive reinforcement includes things like giving your dog a treat when he performs the correct action or offering him praise when he performs correctly.

Positive reinforcement is all about teaching your dog that if he does what it is that he is supposed to do that good things will happen to him. He will start to want to do the requested actions because he has learned doing so gets him a reward.

Positive reinforcement is the recommended method of communication to use during training and considered one of the top dog training secrets. This is because a dog will usually respond much better to positive things than negative things. Many dog breeds will only learn through positive reinforcement because it is in their natural to rebel against or ignore negative things. In some cases using negative methods in training will make the dog afraid to try to learn at all for fear he will make a mistake and get in trouble.

Correction

The correction method of training is not about punishment. It is about showing the dog the correct thing to do when he does something wrong. It is all about redirecting. For example, if the dog does not come when called, the trainer would use the leash to urge the dog to come while saying the command. This is one of the dog training secrets that many people may not even know about before they start researching training.

Showing the dog how to do things correctly lets the dog know what is expected of him. This can be quite helpful, especially with a dog that is a slower learner or who is having a difficult time understanding what is expected. Extremely high strung or hyper dogs can benefit from this method simply because it makes them focus on the task at hand.

The Key to Effectiveness

No matter what method of communication you use in your dog training you will want to know the top dog training secrets keys to making your communication efforts effective. This is consistency.

Give Proper Nutrition to Your Dog

Man's best friend, the dog. Lovable and playful and if you are not careful it will eat you out of house and home. Yes, this animal loves nothing better than to find something to chew on. This may not sound like a big problem, but some of the foods that we take for granted can actually be very fatal.

Everybody's favourite sweet treat, the chocolate, looks good and tastes good, but baking chocolate and dark chocolate could have especially serious implications if they were to be eaten by some dogs.

There are certain chemicals inside Onions that can be fatal; this is because the chemicals can turn into a poison once it enters the animal's digestive system.

If you walk in the fields regularly with your dog then you may want to know that mushrooms can be fatal to some of them, and also in the same way garlic can be fatal. The effect of this spice in this animal can prove fatal and is very quick reacting.

Most dogs can eat food that contains seeds with just a little discomfort, but apple seeds unfortunately can prove fatal.

Another thing that can have serious repercussions if your pet gets hold of them is poultry bones. Normal bones are good for them to chew on but poultry bones are a different matter altogether. These shatter quite easily and leave very sharp points protruding out. If these should become trapped inside a dog's stomach or Intestine the consequences do not bear thinking about.

Dogs are not a canine version of a garbage can, even though they do eat almost anything. Do not leave food out for your pet or anybody else's to find; keep temptation out of their way.

Even an innocent piece of food lying around could be enough to kill either your pet or somebody else's. Just a little care and you could stop an innocent creature from losing its life.

Tips to Fulfill Your Dog Nutrition

There are four things you need to ask yourself BEFORE feeding your dog.

1. What size is your dog? Small, medium or large

The size of Fido determines the amount of food to feed him. The pet food bag will list an approximate amount to feed a certain size dog but it's only a guide. There is no way a pet food company can list every dog breed on their label. Not to mention every size! Just realize these guides aren't specifically for YOUR dog. It isn't rocket science. If he's gaining weight feed him less. If he's a little thin, feed him more. Do not go by what your neighbor feeds HIS dog!

2. What kind of daily activity do you give Fido?

Do you take your dog out for walks every day? (I hope you are if you want him to live a long life) If you have a high energy dog he will need a diet to support his energy levels. Working dogs are a great example of this. They have very active days and need more calories than a pet that just walks half an hour a day.

3. How old is your dog?

Nutritional needs depend on his/her stage of life plus their size. For example, a puppy will need a high protein, high calorie diet because he's growing. An adult needs a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. A Senior will need specific food products with just a little extra additives and immune boosters to help with their joints, their bones and their muscles.

4. Does he/she have any health conditions?

If your dog has any kind of health condition, it will definitely change his nutritional needs. Your vet can help you with this. They can make sure your pet doesn't get too much protein for a kidney condition, or too many carbs for being extremely overweight, etc. Your Vet will check over your dog first to make sure he is getting what his body needs.

You are just asking for trouble if you don't ask these questions. You could be over feeding your beloved canine and at the same time wondering why on earth he is gaining weight when you're feeding exactly what the label says to feed him.

There are many dog owners that just don't care. Please don't be one of them. By not caring and giving your dog nothing but table scraps, you could be poisoning him. They can get sick, become lethargic, have a lack in energy, etc. If you are going to feed Fido human food, you MUST feed him properly and actually make his food for him just the same as you do your family, but you must know WHICH human foods are dangerous to your dog.

Always remember that no two dogs are exactly the same. Regardless of what his special needs are there is a dog food that fits him. Your job is to find it. Just make sure if you buy from a dog food company that it is nothing but PREMIUM dog food. No by-products, additives or coloring!