How to Prevent Dog & Puppy Separation Anxiety

There is an alarming number of dogs that suffer from separation anxiety, statistics show up to 14% is possible in the dog population. Not many dog owners understand what this condition is and when they try and fix the problem, they fall short because they have a different viewpoint to the cause and problem. The solution is quite simple on how to help a puppy with separation anxiety or a dog of any age. Establish that you are the pack leader and your dog will no longer be burdened with anxiety. Let me elaborate.

The first step in treating anxiety in your dog is to familiarise yourself with the behavior your dog is presently showing and if the behavior dissipates when you return? If this is the case, I can guarantee that not being present with your dog is directly linked to the cause. Now to look at the key puppy separation anxiety symptoms.

Chewing - Similar to when humans do it with gum, this releases endorphins (a chemical in the brain that makes you experience pleasure) that provide a calming sensation.

Excessive Barking, whining - This is what dogs use when they are trying to call their owners back to the pack, an example of this in a family would be if you were to call your children if you don't know they're whereabouts.

Escaping when you are not there - Often very destructive, extreme and sometimes dangerous. Your dog is looking for you. So many people are told to try and exercise the problem out of their dog but it will not solve the problem

Pulling the Houdini Act of Escaping when you're not home - Your dog is searching for you, this can often result in very destructive, extreme and sometimes dangerous behavior on behalf of the dog.

Digging, destruction - This is typical of a dog who is presenting stressful and anxious behavior

Self-harming - Chewing on themselves, licking excessively or drooling is a sign of stress and can be confused with medical conditions but are all related back to the dog being under immense stress.

Toileting - If you notice that your dog is toileting inside when normally they don't and you suspect it's a behavioral problem it's more than likely the case. If this only happens when you're away from your dog then this can be seen as key puppy separation anxiety signs.

Whilst there are lots of places that you can find advice on how to treat all these symptoms there is only one way to treat the cause of the problem. If you are serious about how to stop separation anxiety then you must become the pack leader.

There are many different sources of information on treating this condition but if you are serious about putting a stop to separation anxiety then you must become the pack leader.

The main cause for separation anxiety in puppies and dogs is they think they themselves are the pack leader and whenever you leave the house it's a member of their pack leaving! In the wild dogs tend to keep grouped together and will always make sure they are close by to each other. When you leave the house your dog's anxiety will return, however, if you establish yourself as the pack leader you will find your dog is completely calm and fine with you coming and going as you please.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Prevent-Dog-and-Puppy-Separation-Anxiety&id=9305973

Top Three Factors Why Your DOG Needs A Dog Trainer

A lot of pet owners struggle to house train their dogs due to lack of dog trainers. It is certainly true that a dog trainer is a lifeblood for training any fussy furry pal having behavioral issues. He is a wonderful resource to help pet behave in the right manner and develop techniques to help them overcome their aggressive nature or teach them good habits. Though it takes much time and at times pet may ignore the commands, your pet can benefit hugely from obedience training.

Not Listening to Owners

Not all breeds are easier to train. Some are easier, whereas some are tough shells to break. However, all canines can be trained to fall into the league to follow simple commands. Pet owners get frustrated when they command their pooch to sit and the furry pal just barks back or run away from them. If you have to shout or nag or repeatedly give them the command before they listen to you, it straightly means that they lack respect towards you. Some pet owners may be wondering that their pets obey them most of the time, but still do they need a dog trainer. If your pet doesn't give a heed to simple commands at the very first time, it is likely that opting a dog professional would be really beneficial.

Though, your furry pal listens to you, it is good to hire a dog trainer to improve the ability of your dog to always obey your commands and behave in the shell even in the presence of others.

Barking

Barking is a natural instinct of canines. This is the way of their communication through which they express their emotions and feelings such as pain, anger, fear, and excitement, to the human world. Nevertheless, this becomes abnormal when a dog's barking becomes excessive. For example, even if for a small thing like a moving car, a passerby, a pet cat, a little sound from TV or a presence of a guest, your pooch barks it seems wrong.

Excessive barking may be related to behavioral issues pertaining to separation anxiety, stress, attention seeking, barking out of boredom or loneliness. A professional dog trainer can very well understand the underlying issue of your pooch and can help in to assess out the right theory in order to correct his behavior and carries on a few techniques to help your pooch wad out of this problem.

Licking

Normally, dogs like to lick to show their feelings of love and attachment with their owner. Canines are social and playful creatures. At times, Fido may start licking aggressively on his owner's face or hand, and they may even lick to the strangers or the guests in the house. Owners may take it wrongly thinking that their dog is really lovable and is affectionate towards everybody, even those coming to the front door.

However, you need to understand that this pet behavior is not likely to be appreciated or liked by outsiders especially small kids and old people. And, if you have a large breed dog, then there is every possibility that your dog with his huge body and powerful stamina can overpower the person. A qualified dog trainer knowing rightly to handle such dogs can help your furry pal to control his excitement a little bit, and under training he can learn to greet people without licking.

A dog trainer is really helpful if you think you need to house-train your pooch or in case if he is facing some particular behavioral issue.

We love our four-legged companions but training can help them to mingle in human society very smoothly without any complaint from the outsiders or neighbors.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Three-Factors-Why-Your-DOG-Needs-A-Dog-Trainer&id=9449775

Why Is Dog Training The Best Thing We Can Do For Our Dogs?

We're always told how important it is to train our dogs, but what exactly is dog training and why is it so important anyway?

The following list explains why it is absolutely vital that we provide proper socialization and training to our canine friends.

Please read these 5 undeniable reasons why we owe it to our dogs to train them:

1. Dog training helps to build and strengthen a healthy and productive relationship with your dog.

• Dog training opens up the lines of communication between you and your dog. A real form of two-way communication is established through positive non-violent dog training. You and your dog will learn to interact with each other in a mutually respectful manner, based on co-operation and understanding.

• A well socialized and trained dog will become a fantastic life-long companion, workmate and friend. An untrained dog can quickly become a burden and an endless source of frustration. Instead of having a lopsided relationship where you are continually yelling at or reprimanding your untrained dog, why not set your dog up to succeed by providing some leadership and clear guidelines for him/her to follow?

• A trained dog is a well respected and trusted member of society who is welcomed almost anywhere. This has to be a positive thing for your relationship, doesn't it?

2. Training prevents many common "dog problems" from ever arising.

• A whole range of common dog behavior problems can be prevented through some obedience training. Dogs are creatures of habit so why not use this to your advantage by helping your dog to develop good behavior habits from an early age? If you are proactive and set up some simple guidelines and routines for your puppy to follow you may never have to deal with destructive behaviors such as digging, chewing, excessive barking and even separation anxiety.
• 
  
  

• When a so-called behavior problem does arise you and your trained dog will be well equipped to work through it. You will be able to clearly communicate with your dog that the behavior is unacceptable. You may even choose to get your dog to perform an alternate behavior in place of the existing problem. An example of this would be if your dog was up surfing your countertops for food scraps you could get him/her to "go to your spot" instead.

•  The vast majority of "bad dogs" or dogs with behavior problems eventuate because the dog has never been taught any better. A dog does not chew your expensive shoes to get back at you or because he/she is evil. They do it simply because you left the shoe lying around with a bored and stressed dog. Most probably if you provided a tasty chew toy and did some chew toy training then your dog would be more than happy to chew on the toy only.

• A trained dog is also a pleasure to take for a walk (no pulling!) and trips to your Vet or Dog Groomer are never a problem.

3. Training your dog is a necessary safety measure for you, your dog and everything that comes into contact with your dog.

• Having your dog under voice control in any situation is a very reassuring position to be in - it may even save your dog's life one day. If your dog is about to bolt out onto a busy road or pick up something dangerous it is great to be able to immediately intervene and change their behavior with an obedience training command such as "no", "come" or "leave it".

• A properly socialized and trained dog is a much safer proposition around other dogs and animals. Dog training plays a crucial role in educating your dog how to act appropriately around yourself, your children and visitors to your home.

4. A trained dog is confident, secure and comfortable with his/her place in your household.

• A well-trained dog appreciates the guidance, structure, and boundaries you provide through training. It's far better than having a nervous, anxious and confused dog who is continually being yelled at for things he/she doesn't even understand. Training relieves much of the frustration and stress that exists between you and your dog.

• Training sets up proper household etiquette for your dog to follow. It addresses such issues as bolting out the front door, chewing, jumping up on guests and excessive barking.

• Dog training provides a brilliant release or outlet for all of your dog's pent-up energy. This energy has to come out in one way or another so why not channel it into something productive like obedience training?

5. A trained dog's life takes a far different path to that of an untrained dog.

• Most dogs that end up in animal shelters arrive there because they have at least one behavior problem - many of these problems can be easily controlled through some basic obedience training. Untrained dogs often become a pest and are pushed further and further away from the family. This of course only compounds the existing problems. Behaviors such as jumping up, mouthing and cheeky barking which you considered to be cute in your young puppy suddenly become a real problem as the dog grows up.

• When we bring a new dog into our lives we are bringing a different species into a world that is completely foreign to them - our human world. We owe it to our dogs to help them fit into our way of life by clearly showing them what is expected of them and what is acceptable behavior - this is what dog training provides.

So there they are, the 5 reasons I believe every dog deserves at least some basic training - for everybody's benefit.

For just a second forget about all of the benefits listed above that obedience training provides. Would you still train your dog even if all of the benefits listed did not apply? I would, because training your dog is one of the real joys of owning a dog, it is great fun. Time spent training your dog is time well spent - for all involved.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Is-Dog-Training-The-Best-Thing-We-Can-Do-For-Our-Dogs?&id=710933

Are You Practicing Good Dog Owner Etiquette?

As a dog owner it is very important that you practice good doggy manners. What does that mean you ask? This article is going to point out some things that are important for you to be a good dog owner and to show good doggy etiquette. 

There are several things that you should be doing to show that you are a courteous dog owner. This is just four different ones that I see being abused the most. 

Jumping On People 

This is the one that is probably abused the most. Yep, you walk into a home and here comes the dog, jumping all over you. Some people say it's okay because they are dog lovers but not everyone wants a dog jumping all over them. In some cases these over exuberant dogs actually knock people down. Depending on the persons age this could be very dangerous. 

So how do you keep it from happening? Put the dog on leash so the dog cannot get to the person and jump on them. In fact teaching your dog to do a sit stay really comes in handy here. 

Excessive Barking 

If you have ever been the recipient of non-stop barking from a neighbor's dog you know what I mean when we talk about excessive barking. We should all be good neighbors and bring our dogs in the house especially during the evening so that our dogs are not disturbing the peace. If you know a neighbor sleeps during the day do the same. If necessary crate your dog and the neighbors will love you. 

Allowing You Dog To Run Loose 

Allowing your dog to run loose in most areas is not only against the law because of leash laws it is also very dangerous for your dog. Thousands of dogs a year are run over while roaming the streets. A dog owner that cares for his dog will never allow his dog to run loose. If your dog shows any type of aggression you are opening yourself to a tremendous amount of liability if your dog should happen to bite a person or another dog. 

Pick Up The Poop 

This one is a real pain in the rear for a bunch of homeowners. I know you have seen it but hopefully you have now added to the problem by allowing your dog to poop and not bagging it up. This has become such a problem in some communities that all dogs are swabbed for DNA, and waste material that has not been picked up is checked with the DNA on file and the offending owner can be fined up to $1000. So bag the poop and keep your neighborhood clean. 

I hope these items will give you something to think about so that you can practice good doggy etiquette.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-You-Practicing-Good-Dog-Owner-Etiquette?&id=8389428