Dog Training Can Eliminate Problems

Part of being a responsible dog owner, and in loving your pet, is training your dog. Behavior problems can be reduced or eliminated entirely when a pet owner takes the time to learn proper dog training techniques.

1. Get Advice From Professional Training Sites

Before you begin training your pet, do some research. One excellent way to gain the information you need is to review dog training sites online. There are a multitude of quality dog training sites that offer all the information you need to begin training your dog.

2. Set Realistic Goals

If you bought and brought your dog home two weeks ago, don't expect it to be trained within the month. Proper training means you're giving your pet enough time to adjust to his surroundings and to adjust to you. Once he or she feels comfortable, he or she is more open to dog training.

3. Be Patient

Once you begin training your pet, it's important to be patient. This ties into setting realistic goals. Your dog can be trained, but not all dogs are the same. Some pets learn faster than other pets. Be patient and realize that with persistence, the training will come.

4. Don't Forget About The Rewards

Whenever your dog makes progress, be sure to give a reward. One typical reward is a healthy treat that your dog loves, however an abundance of praise can accomplish the same effect for your dog.

5. Keep Track Of Your Pet's Progress

It's fun to see how far you've come with dog training. The easiest way to do that is to keep track of your pet's progress. Purchase a notebook and maintain a log of what you are training your dog to do. Record the dogs progress as well as whatever he or she has mastered.

6. Don't Forget A Proper Diet And Exercise

A dog is more amenable to training when he or she has been nourished. Don't forget to feed your dog a good diet to keep him or her sharp and alert. In addition, make sure your dog is getting the proper amount of exercise. Just like with humans, a healthy diet and exercise make for a healthy dog who is ready to be trained.

Don't forget to have fun. Dog training is serious, but don't overdo it. Reserve time to get down to business, but be sure there's plenty of time for love and playtime, as well.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Dog-Training-Can-Eliminate-Problems&id=8954132

Establish A Good Mealtime Routine

Mealtimes are an important part of the day for your dog. Since you feed your dog at a certain time each day, your dog knows exactly when he is supposed to get his food, and if you are late, he can become anxious and upset.

Dogs really like routine in their lives. It gives them a sense of order and security and they generally thrive on a regular routine. If possible, you should try to establish a good mealtime routine for your dog.

Establishing a mealtime routine

You can establish a good routine easily by feeding your dog once or twice per day. Most dogs do well on one meal a day, but some dogs do better if they are fed twice a day. Small breeds seem to do better when fed 2 or 3 times a day. Large or giant breeds that can be prone to bloat including breeds like the German Shepherd, Great Dane, or Labrador, should probably be fed twice a day as this is thought to help prevent bloating.

It is best to pick a time for feeding that you are able to do each day. This is can be once in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. Don't feed too late in the day because then your dog may need to go outside to relieve himself during the night. Remember to feed at the same time each day. Dogs have a very good sense of time and your dog will learn to expect his food at the same time each day.

You should never free feed your dog. Free feeding is where you put down a supply of food so your dog can eat whenever he wants. There can be many disadvantages to free feeding. Quite dogs that are free fed become fat. If you have more than one dog, you don't know if each dog is getting a fair amount.

Training at mealtime

You can use mealtime as a way to do some training and establish your position as the dog's leader as well as work on some good manners. A lot of dogs have horrible manners at feeding time. They jump, demanding their food, barking, and they may even knock the food out of their owner's hand. Use this time to train your dog to have good manners at mealtime.

Require your dog to do a sit before you place it's food on the floor. You will be amazed how quickly it will learn this easy exercise. You can praise him as you give him the bowl. Your dog will learn respect for you the master becomes the food comes from you.

Your dog will learn the routine and will be sitting nicely waiting for his meal. Try it and see for yourself.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Establish-A-Good-Mealtime-Routine&id=8190512

Feeding Your Dog?

There are different opinions about how often you should feed your dog. Most people agree that puppies should be fed 3-4 times per day, at least for about the first six months. As puppies get older they can be fed more like adult dogs. But, how often should you feed your adult dog? 

In the wild wolves and dogs generally eat once every 2-3 days. They may hunt and kill a large animal, such as a deer, and then feast on it. Actually, they gorge on it. Then they will lie around and sleep off their meal until they start to be hungry again. 

However, our dogs today don't generally eat according to that kind of schedule. Dogs have been living with humans for at least the last 15,000 years. They have been taking handouts from us and scavenging in our garbage piles for their food supply. Dogs today appreciate a more dependable schedule for their meals. 

Your dog's intestinal tract is not nearly as long as yours. That means that your dog can digest his food relatively quickly, depending on what you feed him. Some things will take longer to digest than others. 

Most vets recommend feeding your adult dog two meals a day. This is a good schedule for Toy dogs and other small dogs that may have their blood sugar levels become low if they don't have several small meals. It's also a good schedule for large, deep-chested breeds that can be prone to bloat (gas in the stomach which can twist the stomach and be deadly). Two small meals are generally considered better than one large meal for these dogs. 

There are, however, other options. Some people prefer to feed their dogs Free Choice -- food is available to their dogs at all times. The advantage of feeding this way is that dogs do not rush and gobble food down. Some dogs will overeat, however, but many dogs, when offered food at all times, will stop eating when they have had enough. 

If you do feed your dog regular meals you should decide how you will handle the meals. Some people use a Time-Limited feeding scheme. Food is available to your dog at each meal for a limited amount of time, say for 15 minutes. Your dog must eat his food in this time. If he doesn't then you pick the food bowl up and put it away. This is a good method to use for picky eaters since your dog learns that if he is too picky he won't get his food. Most dogs learn that they have to eat their food. 

You may also simply put your dog's food down at each meal and leave it there until your dog is finished eating, however long that may take. 

Some dogs do very well eating just one large meal per day. It will often depend on the dog and the kind of food being fed. If you have questions about how to feed your dog you should talk to your vet. Remember that the best guide to your dog's health is always his condition. If your dog is healthy and happy then you should let that be your guide

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Feeding-Your-Dog?&id=8155172