How to Stimulate a well-trained Dog

Your adult dog needs the right amount of balance in his training. These needs include a regular dose of physical exercise, mental exercise, and the need to socialize. Providing your dog with these needs will keep him happy, healthy, and may even add extra years to his life.




Mental Needs Of Your Adult Dog



The more you teach your dog, regardless of his age, breed, and personality, the better he will become at all levels of his life. Training your dog to perform certain tasks gives him purpose, which in turn greatly improves the quality of his life. Once your dog learns certain skills, he is no longer just your pet. He becomes more of a friend, a companion, a helper, someone to enjoy more wonderful times with.



Providing your dog with knowledge gives him freedom to do more things. Having the skills to listen, to respond properly to your commands, and the ability to be trained gives him the advantage to explore more and learn more. Instead of staying inside the home all day by himself, you can take him to different places and share more activities with you.



Teach your pal something new each week. This will keep him confident and keep his mind stimulated and alert. Being able to think clearly in his adult life will benefit him when he reaches old age.



If your dog's intelligence is above average or if is an energetic working breed, you will have to train him more, even in his adult years. Highly intelligent dogs need to have a job to do to keep them entertained, prevent them from becoming bored, and also prevent them from developing destructive behaviors.



Extra training and mental activity is required if you have a working breed. Working breeds need to be worked more to keep them busy and problem-free. A few examples of working breeds are Border Collies, Great Danes, Australian Cattle Dogs, German Shepherds, Australian Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Old English Sheepdogs. These dogs need to think more and do more to stay happy.

Giving your adult dog his regular mental exercise will keep his mind clear, keep him occupied, and prevent boredom. Boredom leads to dissatisfaction, which in turn leads to negative behavior. Regardless of the amount of training and skills he acquired during puppyhood and his adolescent stage, he is likely to develop destructive behaviors again unless you give him a job to do.

The old adage "use it or lose it" not only applies to humans, but to our canine friends as well. Your dog needs to brush up on his skills and talents on a regular basis, otherwise he will forget them. It is that simple!

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Behavioral Problems of Unneutered Male Dogs

Amy Marder, V.M.D.

A few years ago, Bob and Ginny consulted me because their beagle, Max, was "doing embarrassing things." It seems that whenever their female beagle, Betsy, left traces of an oily substance where she'd been sleeping, Max would investigate it carefully, then jump on a pillow and mount it! To be sure, he had first tried mounting Betsy, but she'd snapped at him. He'd also given his owners' legs a few tries, but they'd rebuffed him, too. Bob and Ginny were puzzled; Max had been neutered when he was less than a year old. He shouldn't be doing these things, should he?



I paid a visit to Bob and Ginny's home so I could directly observe the dogs' behaviors. Max was three years old at the time. With his broad head and large chest, he looked much more masculine to me than most neutered dogs. In taking a detailed history of the dogs, I learned that Max had been obtained from a friend when he was a little over a year old. He had been neutered by the friend's veterinarian. At that time, Max had no problem behaviors. Sometime during the next year, he began to lift his leg in certain places in the house and run away every chance he got. When he was about two years old, he began to fight with male dogs. It was shortly after this that the mounting behavior started. Jumping on his pillow after sniffing where Betsy had been sleeping had developed over the past few months.



The Pillow Case

What was stimulating Max to do this? To find out, I rubbed every part of Betsy's body with a paper towel and presented the towel to Max. It was only when I expressed Betsy's anal sacs that I produced the problem behavior. Bob and Ginny confirmed that the fluid I expressed from Betsy looked like the oily substance they had been finding on their furniture and in Betsy's bed. So I had my diagnosis: an unusual attraction to anal sac secretion by a very masculine-looking, macho-acting, neutered dog!



It's not that unusual for neutered dogs to exhibit male behaviors, such as roaming, mounting, urine marking (leg lifting on objects) in the house and fighting with male dogs. Max, however, exhibited all of them, and frequently! Plus, he didn't look neutered. To verify that he had been, I drew blood to have testosterone levels run. To everyone's surprise, Max's testosterone levels were those of an intact male!



At this point, I contacted the veterinary hospital that had performed Max's neuter. The doctor who had done the surgery had left the practice, but the hospital's records revealed that one of Max's testicles had never descended. While this is not unusual, it's very important if this happens that the testicles be removed. If one or both are allowed to remain inside the abdomen, not only will they continue to produce testosterone and cause the male behaviors that Max was displaying, but they also are prone to developing cancer. But in Max's case, the records showed that rather than removing the testicle, the veterinarian had performed a vasectomy!



Peace At Last

My recommendation was to have Max really neutered. Studies show that no matter how old a dog is when he's neutered, the results are the same: testosterone-related behaviors of roaming, urine marking, mounting and same-sex dog aggression decrease or disappear. I also recommended that Betsy's anal sacs be expressed at least once a month so that her secretions would not leak out during sleep.



Max improved after being neutered. The roaming stopped altogether. However, not all of his male behaviors disappeared completely. Occasionally he still lifted his leg in the house and fought with other dogs. Keeping him confined to the kitchen when he was alone and supervising him at other times controlled the urine marking. Walking him on leash controlled the fighting. Bob and Ginny were overjoyed! And last but not least, their pillows lay unmolested on the sofa.



Dr. Amy Marder is vice president of behavioral medicine and head of ASPCA Companion Animal Services.


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How to Stop UnWanted Dog Barking

Humans are tremendously vocal creatures. Despite our own talkative tendencies, we tend not to appreciate "excessive" vocalizations from our dogs. Rest assured, your dog does not feel her barking is excessive. When she barks, she is trying to communicate with you. Learning why she barks is the key to stop your dog from barking.



Depending on the reason for barking and your own training skill level, you may need to consult with a qualified trainer/behaviorist to assist you with the training. For more on selecting a behavior professional, check out the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior guidelines for choosing a trainer.



Why Do Dogs Bark?

Just as there are many reasons humans speak, dog barking occurs for a number of reasons. Here are a few of the most common:



Distance decreasing: Distance decreasing barking can also be considered attention-seeking barking. The dog is barking to communicate with the owner - "pay attention to me!"



Boredom: Evaluate your dog's lifestyle. How much physical exercise is she getting? How much social stimulation through appropriate play with other dogs? How much play does she get with you? Is she getting adequate mental stimulation in the form of both training and problem solving? If your dog is barking because of boredom, consider more physical exercise, more positive training, and introduce new toys and games for environmental enrichment (consider Buster Cubes, Kong toys, kibble hunts, Nina Ottosson toys, marrow bones, chew toys, bully sticks, antlers, etc.).



Frustration: While some frustration barking is boredom barking, not all boredom barking is frustration barking. Often in class, dogs bark when their owners have poor timing or because the rate of reinforcement is too low, the dog is frustrated because the signals are unclear. This dogster thread will help you improve your training skills.



Dogs also bark out of frustration when they are not sure what is expected of them - if you are asking for a behavior in a new environment without sufficient proofing, your dog is communicating to you that further training is needed before she can focus on cue response in that environment.



Separation distress/anxiety: True separation anxiety (destruction to self or property) is a topic beyond the scope of this article. If your dog is injuring herself or destroying your home, please seek the assistance of a behaviorist in addressing the issue.



If you believe your dog has separation distress (limited vocalization, no injury to self or property), consider how long she is left alone - if it is more than eight hours for an adult (even shorter periods of separation are recommended for puppies), find a dog walker or pet sitter to break the day up. Provide her with mental stimulation through puzzle toys, kibble hunts, etc., when she is alone. Greetings and exits should be low key. If her separation distress worsens, consult with a behavioral professional.



Invitation to play: Some dogs bark to say, "Hey, I want to meet/play with you NOW NOW NOW!" (puppy barking frequently falls in this category). These barks are generally high pitched, and are often accompanied by wagging "propeller tails," loose/wiggly body language, play bows and jumping. Ask those who would like to interact with her to wait for calm, quiet behavior before greeting to avoid reinforcing the behavior. Also, click her for looking at people or other dogs/greeting quietly and for quiet or for focus on you despite these distractions.



Distance increasing: Distance increasing barking is a defensive behavior - the dog is trying to ward off potential conflict.



Distance increasing barks are generally low in pitch and may accompany intimidating body language including a stiffly wagging tail, rigid body posture, display of teeth, growling/snarling, snapping, kicking of back feet, etc.



If you suspect your dog is reactive or aggressive, it is best to consult with a qualified professional with experience using counter conditioning and desensitization to rehabilitate dogs as soon as possible.



A full veterinary evaluation including thyroid panel is advised for aggressive/reactive dogs.



(Barrier frustration is included in the category of distance increasing behavior and usually involves barking/lunging on leash or behind/inside of cars, fences, gates, or crates.)



Alert barking: Humans have been selecting for barking in dogs for millennia. This behavior is deeply ingrained in the dog, and is generally not a problem for pet owners unless it becomes "excessive."



As alert barking is generally very self-reinforcing, your best bet is to train an alternative, incompatible behavior ("quiet!"). Here is a great article from Karen Pryor on teaching bark/quiet as a paired cue to bring barking under control.



Can I Stop Dog Barking?

Short answer: No. Surgical debarking is never humane and rarely effective in totally eliminating vocalizations. Dogs bark! You can, however, train your dog to stop excessive barking behavior if you listen to why she barks and respond appropriately with effective, positive training.

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Georgia Man is Honored for his Efforts to Rescue 100+ Homeless Dogs

The “Very Old Stray (the Old Fella Story)”



When Richard and his wife Sue hopped into their RV and set out for a relaxing Labor Day vacation in 2005, they had no idea their lives were about to change forever. Resting at the Modoc Campground in South Carolina, the couple met their new life companion—in the form of an old, wounded stray dog. Richard and Sue took in the dog, who they named Old Fella, and nursed him back to health. A member of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owner’s organization, Richard began sharing his experiences on the organization’s RV.net forums and quickly discovered a vast following of other club members that sent him words of encouragement and monetary donations towards Old Fella’s medical bills. Through the “Very Old Stray (the Old Fella Story)” thread, the forum members eventually convinced Richard to establish his own animal shelter, Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue (OFBCAR), which has saved more than 100 dogs and placed them in good homes.



Sadly, Old Fella passed away this June after struggling for months with arthritis and bone cancer. In loving memory of Old Fella and his legacy as an animal rescue icon, Richard and his devoted animal-loving community will be erecting a statue of Old Fella in the First National Bank Park in Waynesboro, Ga. in 2009. In another remarkable story, Richard spearheaded an effort to transport a disabled dog to her new home across the country by fellow RV.net forum members. In an effort coordinated by postings on the site, Anna, a Labrador retriever who had a leg amputated, was relayed from RV to RV from Georgia to Washington State. Through OFBCAR and RV.net, Richard has not only found homes for these animals, but also blessed families around the country with lifelong companions of their own.

Inspired by his dedication and contagious generosity towards stray animals, Highways Magazine has honored Waynesboro, Ga. native Richard Daniels with the first-ever Good Sam Club’s RVer of the Year award. As a tribute to his humanitarian contributions, Highways will feature Richard on the front cover.
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How to Train a Dog to Walk on a Leash

Training your dog to walk on leash can be frustrating for many dog owners. Pulling is one of the biggest problems, learn how to get your dog to walk on leash by watching this video and following the steps in this article.


Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Things You'll Need:
Leash
Treats
Step 1.Start with your dog sitting next to you on leash. make sure you have your dog under control before you attempt walking with your dog. Dogs pull because when they feel the pressure on the leash they will pull away from you. This is called opposition reflex.

Step 2.As you step off, give your dog the command "Let's go" and start walking. Once your dog starts to pull, let out all the tension in the leash and go in the other direction.

Step 3.When your dog gets to the end of the leash you'll be walking in the other direction. As your dog comes to your side quickly praise your dog and gather up the leash.

Step 4.If your dog starts to pull, let out the leash again and go in the other direction.
Tips & Warnings
If you change direction every time your dog starts to pull, your dog will quickly learn that pulling is not pleasant. Your dog will learn that walking at your side is the best place to be....

Five years for 'armed' dog walker

The court heard how Farrell was stopped by armed officers
A man who was caught with a pistol, silencer and a live bullet while walking his dog in Glasgow has been jailed for five years.

Paul Farrell, 30, from the Maryhill area, admitted to having the items in his possession in November last year.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that he was asked to leave a flat in Killearn Street after producing the gun.

The police were called and Farrell was arrested after being stopped by armed officers in Saracen Street.

Jailing him, temporary judge Mark Stewart QC said: "The weapon you were in possession of is a dangerous one.

"You carried a loaded weapon in a public street when you were in the words of your defence counsel someone who did not know how to use it." Source: Dog News

Training your Dog

Training a dog can be enjoyable and rewarding. It’s not necessary to have formal training to teach a dog behavioral skills. It is necessary, however, to be consistent, firm and loving, while making it fun. When dogs know what to expect from their masters, they’re much more likely to comply. Here are a few tips to make your training experience a rewarding one for both you and your pet. First of all, it’s important to begin training as soon as you bring a dog into your home. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, it’s important that it knows who’s in charge. As dogs are pack animals, they need to know their role in the hierarchy of the home. Once the dog can identify its master as the leader, it will be much easier to teach it necessary commands. Some dogs may always test their boundaries, but knowing they have a set role in the family gives them a measure of comfort. Secondly, make it fun for the dog. Speaking in a soothing, encouraging voice, and lavishing praise on your pet when it follows direction helps reinforce the lesson learned. If a dog thinks sitting, staying or fetching is fun, it will be more likely to perform on command. When training a dog, it can be frustrating in the beginning if the dog doesn’t follow direction. If this happens, stop the training session. Dogs can sense stressful situations, and react accordingly. Lessons should be enjoyable for a dog. Practicing positive reinforcement goes much further than teaching a dog to fear its master. If it thinks it’s playing a game, it’s more interested in participating. Next, be consistent. If you’re teaching a dog the “sit” command, and it’s rewarded whether it sits or not, it won’t learn the lesson. Follow through is critical during training. A dog must be able to identify consequences for its actions. If it carries out the command, it’s praised. If it doesn’t do what’s been asked, it isn’t. Sending mixed messages to the dog will make training that much more difficult. Use the same hand signals and/or simple verbal commands for each lesson. If you’re teaching your dog to stay off the sofa, repeating the same word, such as “off,” each time is much more effective than using different words, like “down” and “go,” interchangeably. The dog needs simple, clear, consistent direction to best understand and carry out its duties. Also, every member of the family must commit to taking part in training the dog. If one parent enforces the rules, and someone else in the home doesn’t, the dog will quickly figure out that it can get away with misbehaving, and all the work the trainer did can unravel. Dogs can get bored with lengthy training sessions. Positive gains can be seen in just a few minutes per session. Focusing on one trick for too long can cause the dog to tune out entirely, while shorter sessions spread throughout the week can be effective and enforce lessons. As your dog learns tricks, add new ones. This way, their confidence grows when they can respond to commands they’re familiar with, but they can look forward to learning something new. They enjoy pleasing their masters, and can withdraw if they sense that they’re not doing so. Formal obedience training is also an option, for owners who would like to reinforce lessons they’re teaching at home. Generally, it’s a simple matter of spending enough time with the dog, and consistently enforcing rules. Not only is it rewarding for the dog, it’s rewarding for the master as well. Not only is a well-behaved dog a joy to be around, but training a dog can create an unbreakable bond between dog and master.

Want to know if Spot loves you

If You Want to Know if Spot Loves You So, It’s in His Tail


If You Want to Know if Spot Loves You So, It’s in His Tail - New York Times
Every dog lover knows how a pooch expresses its feelings.

Ears close to the head, tense posture, and tail straight out from the body means “don’t mess with me.” Ears perked up, wriggly body and vigorously wagging tail means “I am sooo happy to see you!”

But there is another, newly discovered, feature of dog body language that may surprise attentive pet owners and experts in canine behavior. When dogs feel fundamentally positive about something or someone, their tails wag more to the right side of their rumps. When they have negative feelings, their tail wagging is biased to the left.

Dog Lovers

The Dogs We Grew Up On - Meet Pop Culture's Most Captivating Canines

At some point in time somebody somewhere said; “Everybody loves dogs… Now how can we make money from that?”. This speculatory statement has spawned a legion of adorable, marketable and merchandisable cuddly canines who leapt, tails wagging and tongues lapping, from the popular media and through the pet flaps of our minds.



They wolfed down the meaty chunks of our monetary food bowl and rolled over to have their tummies tickled by advertising executives before settling down for a nap in the basket of our affections. Every dog, they say, has his day and some have endured for longer than others, indeed a select few have attained superstar status and become endemic in our popular culture.

However hard nosed and cynical we may be or however aware we are of advertiser’s manipulation of our affinity for the wet nosed and cuddly, nobody can deny that our childhood memories all owe a great deal of affection to these larger than life canine characters. Anyone here not giggle when an oblivious Odie stared over the precipice of a table while Garfield snuck up on him and gave him a crafty PUNT over the edge?

Anybody not tickled when Droopy stated in his laconic drawl that he was “very very happy”? I thought as much! So why not rouse your childhood affections from their slumber, put a collar and lead on them and take them for walkies down memory lane.

Name- RIN TIN TIN
Appearing in- NUMEROUS WARNER BROS. FILMS
Things we loved- The official German Shepherd of the Millennium and his decedents have entertained the world for eighty years. The original Rin Tin Tin (1918-1932) served as a Red Cross dog in World War I with his owner Duncan before going on to make 26 films for Warner Bros. His popularity is even accredited with saving the company from bankruptcy. His descendants have gone on to make numerous films and television shows and most recently Rin Tin Tin has endorsed a charity called ARFKids (A Rinty For Kids) to provide service dogs for disabled children at no cost. Quite a legacy!
Things we didn’t- The original died years before most of us were born.

Name- BRAIN
Appearing in- INSPECTOR GADGET
Things we loved- If you’re a bumbling detective with good intentions but a right arm that doubles as a giant Swiss army knife then a plucky child prodigy and her lovable highly intelligent pet dog are instrumental if you ever hope to fight any crime. Brain was a fearless and intelligent (as well as largely bipedal) canine who, along with juvenile owner Penny was often accredited with thwarting the evil schemes of Doctor Claw while Gadget engaged in half an hour of slapstick tomfoolery.
Things we didn’t- Despite impeccable loyalty and good intentions Brain would often get hurt, trampled, set on fire, caught in a bomb blast while looking after his human counterparts. Sheer barbarity!

Name- K9 (good name!)
Appearing in- DOCTOR WHO
Things we loved- Britain’s answer to R2D2, Doctor Who’s all knowing robot companion had personality, humour, a funny voice, a tartan collar, the ability to detect sonic waves and even a laser blaster on his nose. What more could any time travelling adventurer demand from a companion?
Things we didn’t- He didn’t have enough screen time and spent most of it in the Tardis “holding the fort”.

Name- ERIC
Appearing in- WOOF
Things we loved- Possibly every eight year old in Britain has read the children’s classic by Allan Ahlberg which chronicled the adventures of Eric, a young boy who wakes up one morning having inexplicably metamorphosised into a Norfolk Terrier, and his comical sidekick, best friend Roy. However many are more likely to remember the hugely popular counterpart children’s television series which serialised and expanded upon the book providing .
Things we didn’t- The creators ended up with Harry Potter syndrome i.e. puberty hit the young stars of the series who then had to be replaced. Subsequently the characters got changed and the series went rubbish!

Name- SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER
Appearing in- THE SIMPSONS
Things we loved- This slow witted but loveable greyhound has been charming audiences the world over since the late 1980s and those of you who read the Greyhound article in the last issue of K9 will know we’re all big fans. His proudest achievements include earning a degree from a prestigious canine academy, enjoying a brief stint as an attack dog for miserly billionaire Monty Burns, and fathering 25 puppies. This quintessential cartoon dog is loyal, loving, friendly and mischievous but unfortunately has yet to learn to talk… We live in hope!
Things we didn’t- During the course of the long running series the poor greyhound has had his back legs broken by the evil Mr. Burns and been abandoned for a “better model” found in trained pedigree Laddie. Still Santa’s Little Helper has maintained an air of cheerful optimism.

Name- SNOWY
Appearing in- HERGE’S ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Things we loved- The tiny, affable, brave and possibly super-intelligent canine sidekick of nosy Belgian reporter Tintin earns a well-deserved spot in this column. He has loyally followed his master from the mountains of Tibet to the bottom of the sea and has been instrumental in the incarceration of countless smugglers, pirates, terrorists etc. The plucky white terrier is the model of loyalty and bravery and his determined scowl ensure that generation after generation has fallen in love with this remarkable animal.
Things we didn’t- Nobody really cared how many times Tintin got captured, kidnapped, beaten, tortured etc. but if any enemy of the free world laid a hand on snowy juvenile hearts the world over were broken.

Name- LASSIE
Appearing in- THE BOOK “LASSIE COMES HOME” AND NUMEROUS FRANCHISES.
Things we loved- Along with Rin Tin Tin, Lassie shares the seat reserved for the most recognised dogs in popular culture. Images of the collie bounding through a field of green grass and marigolds are firmly embedded in the minds of dog lovers of all ages the world over. Currently in his ninth generation Lassie has been an irreplaceable part of dog lover’s culture for fifty years and chances are as long as dog lovers continue to own televisions, images of Lassie will endure for further generations.
Things we didn’t- Lassie’s success spawned legions of do-gooding animal imitators which in turn led to clichés of epic proportions…. What’s that boy? Bert’s trapped down the mine shaft?

Name- GROMIT
Appearing in- WALLACE AND GROMIT
Things we loved- Product of acclaimed animator Nick Park, this ponderous and resourceful plasticine dog is best remembered riding side saddle on a motorbike adorned with a ridiculous flight cap and goggles, or peering out of the port hole of a space rocket bound for the moon. Like most of the canine compatriots we remember he represents the more intelligent, thoughtful half of the dog/ human relationship as he regularly compensates (or is the brunt of) the ineptitude of his human counterpart, cheese-loving inventor Wallace. Considering his inability to talk and lack of facial features his expressions speak volumes and his deeds vary from selfless to heroic. Achievements include landing on the moon, thwarting a diamond robbery by an evil penguin and going toe to toe with a canine version of The Terminator.
Things we didn’t- Gromit’s simple but loveable image led to his becoming a merchandising phenomenon and every schoolgirl in the United Kingdom seemed to own a bag/ handbag/ pencil case/ lunchbox bearing his likeness, which somehow detracts from his charm.

Source: K9 News