North Shore Dogs, has complied a list of detailed articles that we hope will assist you with your pets care.
Training Your Dog not to Weep when You Leave the House
When you leave your dog behind when going out of the house, does she cry and weep like there is it is the end of the world? Although it is sad to see, virtually everyone's pet dog becomes upset to see their owners leave home, even for a moment. “Some dogs truly go off the deep end” says Karen Overall, V.M.D., Ph.D., a lecturer specializing in behavioral medicine in the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Extreme cases of anxiety have been documented by vets that describe dogs actually chewing through drywall, bending metal crate bars, or even jumping out of windows to their death to get to their owners! While the reasons for such high levels of anxiety in dogs are still unknown, what we do know is that “dogs are pack animals. Some are utterly lost when left alone,” says Myrna Milani, D.V.M., author of The Body Language and Emotions of Dogs.
Below are 5 ways that veterinarians recommend to help ease the pain of separation:
Step (1) Leave the house without leaving the house. As simple as this method is, most dog owners overlook it. Choose a room in your house to put your dog in where you can open and close the door. Give your dog a treat and leave the room for a minute, while shutting the door behind you. After just a minute goes by, return to the room to greet your dog. In your dog's mind it will feel like that one minute was an entire week. The next time you practice this training method, increase the time away to 5 minutes, then 10, etc., until you reach the point where you can spend a couple of hours without the dog crying.
Step (2) Take short breaks outside of the home. Now that your puppy is able to withstand periods of time away from you in the room, take it to the next level and physically leave the front door of your house for 15 minutes at a time. Be sure not to make a big deal of your departure by coddling her. Just leave her a special treat and take a break from the house. This way the dog will not think it is any big deal that you are leaving and with a nice chewy treat left behind, she may even look forward to your departures.
Step (3) Repeat! As you can see it is not an extraordinary painful ordeal to reprogram your dog's mind not to be fearful and anxious when you are away. You should repeat the steps above until your pet is totally comfortable with you departing. And above all, please make sure that you take the advice of leaving something chewy and special behind when you are away. This can cut training time in half in virtually any breed.
Author: Johannes Nefischer
Choose the Right Puppy for Your Family
Purchasing a puppy for your family is a very big decision. It should never be approached casually, or lightly. A new pet becomes part of your family. You should do everything you can to educate yourself about the breed of puppy you are considering and its personality. You should also explore how much grooming or maintenance each new addition to your family requires.
The worst thing you can do when selecting a puppy is simply choosing one because you think it is cute. Most dogs are cute. Cuteness alone does not make a good pet. Even the sweetest looking dog can bring havoc to your home if you are not set up and prepared for it.
Each breed of dog should be investigated. You do not want a dog with herding instincts around small children. They may truly take to rounding up the kids and nip and bite at their heels during play. Breeds which have the hunter instinct in them may not work well in homes where there are other pets, such as cats, hamsters, rabbits and birds. Dogs which require constant grooming may not work well in a farming family, or living outside. Research the history of the breed you are considering before you purchase your animal. If you are purchasing a beagle to hang out in the house, you may be upset when he decides to take off after that aroma that is beckoning to him from the woods.
Terriers are favored choices by pet owners because this breed comes in various sizes, from large to small and they have much personality. The Cairn Terrier, for instance is wire-haired. This breed sheds very little. You should keep in mind the Carin was bred to be a ratter. You should be prepared for a pet that loves to dig and burrow. This breed is very trainable, and if you supply him a patch of ground for digging all should be well. However, if you plan on keeping a Carin in a quiet apartment complex, you should keep in mind this breed is prone to barking. Find a breed which matches the personality of your home. Be realistic and do not assume you can change a dogs nature.
When you go to observe a litter of pups, you should take in the kennel cleanliness and the health of the parents. If the kennel is smelly, dirty and unkempt, you can assume the mother dog may not be in the best of health or she probably hasn't had the best care. You should never assume because the mother is thin she is unhealthy. Most mother dogs do go through a thin stage after birth and during the weaning process. However, signs of malnutrition are obvious. If the mother dog is in bad shape, you should not purchase a pup from her litter. If she is aggressive toward you, you should also reconsider purchasing one of her pups.
Don't jump right in and start picking up the pups. When you go to choose your pet, you should observe him as he plays with the rest of his litter, first. Is there a pup that dominates his family? Is he pushing the others aside, or being rough toward his siblings? This pup should be considered the alpha dog of the litter. This dog knows who he is and what he wants. You should keep in mind these dogs tend to push their boundaries. If you purchase one, you will have to be very diligent with your training. He can never assume he is dominant over you, or the children in your family. These dogs do make wonderful pets for the family who has enough time to give them the consistent loving but firm attention he will require. However, they can be stubborn.
What about the pup who is cowering in the corner? This pup may be the runt, or the shy one in his family. If you are wanting to purchase a pet to serve as family protection, this dog is probably not for you. This dog will scare easily and will most probably beat you to the hiding place if an intruder bursts into your home! However, it should be said these pets do work well with children. They tend to be gentle, and they will come out of their shell if they are lavished with love, praise and the proper training. These dogs are lovers, not fighters. However, if these pups are not worked with, their shyness will turn to fear. This could lead to snippy dogs, or ones that actually bite. Children should not be allowed to mistreat animals, especially ones which are timid or shy by nature. Their sweet, loving pet may turn on them.
If there is a pup in the litter who is barking at your presence, you should carefully observe it. Is it barking simply because you are a stranger? Is it barking because he wants your attention? Or, is it barking because he is afraid? If he is afraid, this dog could possibly grow up to be aggressive and possibly dangerous. Fearful dogs protect themselves through barking and barring of their teeth. If the pup is aggressive, it will most probably grow up to be even more so. Just because a dog barks doesn't mean he is aggressive, though. Some dogs bark to be friendly. You should be able to tell if the pup you are observing is simply saying "hello" or "get out of here and leave me alone."
The middle of the road pups are usually the best. These are the pups which come up to you. They are friendly. They may playfully pull on your shoe strings or climb upon your lap and start licking your face. These puppies are already trusting by nature. They are willing to socialize with you and they want to make friends.
You should take each pup you are considering purchasing away from its litter to a different area for observation. How does it react away from its family? Is it jumpy and nervous? Is he confident and happy? Does it cower? Do loud noises send it scurrying to hide, or is he simply startled and then full of investigation instincts? When you talk to the pup, does he seem interested in you, or is he simply ignoring you and doing his own thing? All of these little clues will give you an inside peek as to the personality of the pup.
When you hold the pup like a baby, what is his reaction? Does he struggle, lash madly and try to nip at you? If so, this pup is probably very stubborn and will require a firm hand to get it to obey. Does the pup stare at you wild eyed and it fright? This pup is probably very skittish and will require a lot of love and coaxing. The pup who tries to right itself, relaxes, then tries again, off and on while you are holding him should be considered a middle of the line dog. This dog should be fairly easy to train with the proper care and training.
Try walking away from the pup. If he doesn't follow you and is more interested in doing his own thing, this dog will be very independent. He may not be interested in training at all, and it may be a challenge to get this pup to focus on you. If you call him, he looks up and continues about his business, this is also a sign that you have a little prince or princess on your hands who may be oblivious to rules.
Choosing a puppy for the family should be an adult decision. Children can easily be swayed to choose a pet on a whim. Parents can easily check out the litter first and choose a suitable pup or two for the children to choose from. You should also keep in mind that children will be happy with a pet you simply bring home, even if they had no say in the selection process.
Author: Ian White
Crate Training A Puppy Or Adult Dog
Many people, who unfortunately misunderstand the concept of good crate training, believe that crating a dog for any length of time is cruel and they refuse to even consider it. In fact, a crate really is a wonderful tool when used correctly. Crate training can be fun for the puppy if you make it a POSITIVE experience. I firmly believe it to be the fastest and easiest way to potty train a puppy or even an adult, previously untrained dog.
The majority of new pet owners misconstrue the purpose of a dog crate. It is NOT used to punish a puppy; the puppy should deem the crate to be his safe haven. Once you recognize this fact, you will be able to utilize the puppy's den to your advantage and build up a proper potty training plan.
When you have a new puppy or dog, you will use a crate to limit his admission to the entire house until he learns all the house rules. A crate is also a secure way of transporting your dog in the car, as well as an opportunity to take him places where it may not be appropriate for him to run without restraint.
Giving the pup special "treats" is a perfect way to introduce him to his crate. The only time the puppy receives these special treats is when he is in the crate; the treats become associated with the crate. Thus, when introduced and used correctly, your dog will think of his crate as his safe haven and he will be happy to spend time there when required. Basically, you need to think like a dog for this to work: normally, a dog never chooses a busy part of the house for his hideaway. He usually selects a dark corner off by himself where he feels sheltered and safe; maybe under a table or chair or between furniture where he is able to see anyone approaching. So, use this concept to your advantage, now that you understand the dog's purpose for the crate is that it becomes his “den” you can move forward. Remember though, repetition is essential. Your puppy will not understand what you want unless you repeatedly show him exactly what is required of him.
A dog will never make his den dirty. If a dog is correctly trained to love his den, his instinct will be to keep it clean. This is the foremost reason why a crate works in potty training. A dog should always be at ease and safe in his crate and above all he always desires to have a clean environment. A crate must be a positive place where your dog can find security and pleasure. An attractive crate makes for a welcoming den - a comfy blanket, tasty treats, and a favorite toy help to make the pup comfortable. Also very important, the crate needs to be in a place where your dog will not feel as if he is part of the family and not isolated.
Always feed the pup/dog’s regular meals somewhere close to his crate. This will also create a pleasant association with the crate. Some trainers recommend actually feeding meals inside the crate; this too is fine, but my personal preference is to keep food dishes outside. An exception to this could be with a adult dog who initially views the crate negatively; placing meals inside the crate will be a great encouragement to him accepting it. After the dog is eating his regular meals in the crate with no sign of fear or anxiety, begin moving the dishes outside.
To sum up: using a crate correctly, establishes restrictions for your dog when you are away from the house and unable to keep an eye on his behavior. A crate is also a safe area for your dog to be if you’re having company and you have a less than social dog. Another surprising advantage: dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks, often find refuge in their familiar crate/den.
Normally a puppy follows a very definite “potty pattern”: when he wakes up in the morning; immediately after meal; when he wakes up from a nap; after he has been playing, or after it has been a while since he last went potty. At each of these strategic points, take the puppy outside to take care of his business. A puppy can not hold it a long time so you must be trained to anticipate his likely needs. Look at it this way, you need to understand that the better trained you become, the better trained your puppy will be.
The last two dogs I have crate trained personally were a six week old female Dalmatian puppy and an adult rescued (badly abused) female Dalmatian. I began the baby in a comfortable, plastic travel crate, while the adult dog was put in a much larger, fold down wire crate. Both crates were situated in the kitchen/dining room which is the most occupied area of the house.
With both dogs, the following schedule was set up and followed faithfully:
Early Morning: Puppy/dog woke up in her crate; I immediately took the puppy/dog outside to the part of the yard we had designated as her “potty area”. Right from the start I began repeating “Quickly, quickly, quickly”, so that she would straight away associate the command with going to potty. Immediately she obliged, I praised her bother verbally and with lots of pats. We then returned to the house and the puppy was given breakfast and the adult dog was given a biscuit. After breakfast we both went back outside for the puppy to go potty while the adult dog went for a walk. Both dogs were then allowed to play safely for a while in the house, then back outside, potty, praise, return into the house, and nap time in the crate.
Afternoon: Puppy/dog woke up again; time to go outside. I immediately began repeating “Quickly, quickly, quickly”, and pretty soon both animals obliged almost instantly and they were rewarded with lots of praise. Back into the house for lunch. Puppy/dog ate lunch the again went outside with me and went potty; lots of praise, then back into the house for playtime. The puppy indulged in lots of activity, while the adult dog socialized with us and explored the house. I allowed this for a given amount of time, then back outside to potty, then back into the crate for nap time.
Evening: Puppy/dog woke up and straight away went outside. Verbally encouraged, then praised, they both quickly went potty and knowing that they had done what was required of them, straight away looked to go back into the house for dinner. Dinner was eaten – back outside. Family social hour – back outside.
This routine WORKS. I will tell you with absolute honesty that in both instances, I didn't have to clean up a single “accident” with either animal.
At bed time, both animals had a last trip outside then were snuggled up for the night in their crate. When the puppy was very young, I set the alarm and took her outside once during the night. This nocturnal trip depends upon the age of the puppy and some babies may need to go out more than once during the night initially. This improves with age. Remember whenever he or she wakes you up in the middle of the night that your dog is reacting to your training and is actually doing the right thing by asking. Please be patient.
If you work, don't expect the puppy to wait 10 to 12 hours while you are gone. Make arrangements to go home for lunch, or have a neighbor or friend come over and follow the same routine of potty, praise, and play. As a puppy gets older and can hold it longer, the crate becomes less necessary. Just make sure that if you allow your dog freedom, he is still limited in a safe area. Check for electrical cords and unsafe “chewy” items. Better safe than sorry.
Remember, as your dog gets accustomed to his crate routine and enjoys the security of having his own space, never leave a puppy crated for longer than three or four hours at a time or an adult dog for longer than eight hours. If you crate your dog at night, you should make sure he has plenty of uncrated time during the day.
Even when the pup or dog is no longer confined to the crate, they continue see it as their “den”, their refuge, and I keep it available to them with the entrance door propped open. Whenever they choose to go into the crate, make sure they are left alone; especially make children respect it as the pup or dog’s private place. Dogs love their crates, when they remain available to them they prefer to use them, cuddled into their favorite blanket.
Crates are also a very useful tool to employ as a puppy becomes older and is going through the stage where it is losing its puppy teeth and chewing on everything. Then, it’s a good idea to crate him whenever you are away from the house.
Proper crate training of a puppy shapes the puppy's behavior positively using his animal instincts to your advantage. Surely, this is much better than accidents on your floor. Remember above all else to be tolerant and consistent in your training. Love your puppy and give him lots of praise when he does it correctly. Dogs love praise; they thrive on it and positive reinforcement works every time.
Remember though, crate is NOT a magical solution. If not used correctly, a dog will feel trapped and frustrated. As an example, if your dog is crated all day while you're at work and then crated again all night, he's definitely spending far too much time in much too small a space. Also remember that puppies under six months of age should never stay in a crate for more than three or four hours at a stretch. They can’t control their functions for longer periods.
If your dog whines or cries when crated at night, it may be difficult to decide whether he's whining to be let out of the crate, or whether he needs to be taken outside to eliminate. Try to ignore the whining for a few minutes. If your dog is just testing you, he will probably stop whining soon. Yelling at him or pounding on the crate will only make things worse and will definitely destroy the dog’s confidence in your training. If the whining continues after you've ignored him for several minutes, use the phrase he's learnt to associate with going outside to eliminate. If he responds and becomes excited, take him outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you're certain that your dog doesn't need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore him until he stops whining. Don't give in, otherwise you will just teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what he wants. If you've progressed slowly but surely through the training steps and haven't done too much too fast, you will be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.
You need to be certain the crate is the correct size for the pup/dog. If it is too big, the pup may try to use part of it as a bathroom and this is something you definitely need to avoid. The crate needs to be big enough to allow the dog to stand up and lie down comfortably. If you know your dog is going to grow into a big dog, then consider getting a divider so you will have the proper size crate in the beginning and it can grow along with the dog!
Location is also immensely important. You must be able to hear the pup. If the pup is whining, he probably needs to go potty and should be taken out. Remember the routine outlined above. The crate should be in a room where there is activity.
Crates may be plastic (often referred to as flight kennels) or collapsible, metal pens. They come in different sizes and can be purchased at most pet supply stores as well as online. All have pros and cons, including cost, ventilation, clean-up, etc.
Author: Anne Pottinger
Common Signs of Arthritis in Dogs and How You Can Ease Your Pet's Discomfort
Unfortunately, arthritis in dogs is about as common as it is in people. It may range from mild to moderate or severe. If your dog is overweight, the extra pressure on joints can exacerbate the problem. And, as with humans, there may be joint cartilage damage.
Fortunately there are some dog arthritis medications, both over-the-counter and prescriptions, as well as nutritional supplements, that can help make your dog feel better. There are also some physical aids that can assist your arthritic pet in getting around.
Common Signs of Arthritis in Dogs
You dog may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
Difficulty in getting up
Limping, especially after exercise
Walking slower than normal or a change in gait
Difficulty in jumping or climbing stairs, or a hard time squatting to do
his business.
Treating Dog Arthritis: Arthritis Medication and Aspirin for Dogs
It is always best to see your vet to get a proper diagnosis. He or she may prescribe one or more anti-inflammatory medications or pain relievers. You can also get special non-prescription canine aspirin for dogs with arthritis to help relieve their joint pain. Canine aspirin can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Glucosamine and Other Arthritis Supplements for Dogs
Some people have found success in reducing their dog's discomfort and improving their mobility by giving them supplements of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM. Fatty acid supplements can also be helpful in reducing inflammation by helping to lubricate the joints and improve joint health.
Help Your Dog Lose Weight
Arthritis in dogs, as with people, can be exasperated by extra weight. If your dog is overweight, help him lose excess pounds by reducing calorie intake and giving him low impact exercise such as leash walks and swimming.
Physical Aids for Your Arthritic Dog
An elevated dog feeder can help your dog so he doesn't have to bend over
to eat or drink.
A pet ramp can help your dog get into the car or on the bed
A dog harness versus a collar is gentler on the neck and back
An orthopedic bed provides even support and reduces pressure on joints.
With a little extra care, your arthritic dog can still live an active life.
Author: Valerie Goettsch