Should You Allow Your Dog On The Bed?

Let me start this article off by saying that there are millions of dogs sleeping in people's beds and without a problem. However there are a number of dogs sleeping in people's beds that create a lot of problems the worst of which is usually aggression. 

It's a documented fact that when you put a dog in your bed or on your furniture it becomes an equal. If your dog is an equal why should it listen to you it's just as important or has as much authority as you do? 

Like I mentioned a moment ago there are dogs that sleep in people's beds that are not a problem. This is usually a dog that has been trained or at least knows its place in the pack. 

So now back to the question should you allow your dog on the bed and the answer is generally no? Not unless your dog has been trained properly and knows his place in the pack. 

So now let's talk for a moment about those dogs that do have a problem like aggression. Usually this type of aggression is directed at members of the family which could include the kids, mom and dad, or even the other dog. So how do we fix it? 

Actually it's fairly easy. You are going to start off by not allowing your dog on the bed or on the furniture at any time for the next few weeks. That means you'll need to find a way to keep the dog off your bed during the night while you're sleeping. Using a crate to accomplish this is always an easy fix. 

Keeping the dog off the furniture can sometimes be a little trickier but it's really very easy. Each time your dog gets on the furniture simply grab it by the collar and pull it off the furniture as you give the command "off". I think that you'll find within as little as 24 hours your dog will stop getting on the furniture. 

The second part of the equation is to now obedience train your dog. Ideally you'll want to hire a professional dog trainer that can help you accomplish your goals quickly and efficiently. 

The training should include all the basics. 

· Walking on a loose leash 

· Sit on command 

· Down command 

· Sit stay 

· Down stay 

· Recall - the come command 

These exercises are actually going to establish you as the master and it will show your dog its place in the pack. 

So after the training is completed and your dog knows its place in the pack you can invited back into the bed. If there aren't any additional problems you can allow him to stay in the bed. However if your dog reverts to its old bad habits then it will have to get out of the bed again. With some dogs if you give them an inch they will take a mile.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Should-You-Allow-Your-Dog-On-The-Bed?&id=8479798

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