Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Older Dogs Are Great Too!
The old adage that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" has given older dogs a bad rap for years, and it is entirely untrue. Of course, like people, older dogs have some habits and customs that may take some time to work out, but they can certainly still learn. Adult dogs are often overlooked when people are searching for dogs for sale. Instead, most people are only looking for puppies for sale, while there are some really great advantages to adopting an adult dog, which many people fail to consider.
Of course everyone loves puppies, which is why puppies for sale move so quickly, whether that be from shelters, rescues, or online petfinder resources. Those cute little bundles of joy are just irresistible, but what many adopting parents forget to consider, is the fact that this stage will only last a number of months before the puppy becomes an adolescent. Adolescence is that experimental high-energy stage that causes many dogs to find themselves up for adoption, because the patience of many dog owners is tested too far. If you do not have the time, energy, and patience to train an adolescent dog, then a puppy might not be the best scenario for you.
There are an abundance of adult dogs that have difficulty finding new homes. Some people think that adult dogs for adoption must have some type of behavior disorder, which is also untrue. Yes, some dogs may have a difficult behavior issue, but the majority of dogs in this situation were put there by irresponsible ownership. Perhaps the owner just didn't have time any more, or there was a divorce, new child, or relocation. There are so many reasons people get rid of their dogs. Any pet will take some time and effort, but older dogs usually have better attention spans as well as bladder control. With older dogs, training should be fun, while firm and fair. As long as the training is consistent and frequent, they will have no problem catching.
Another great thing about looking for adult dogs for sale is that you already know how big they are, what their coat is like, and some of their breed personality. There are simply fewer unknowns, and depending on your special living circumstances and family situation, this might be the best way to find the perfect K9 companion. There are so many older dogs that need good home, and adopting one is something to think about.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading provider of puppies for sale. You can find a variety of dogs for sale that would be great for families or personal companionship. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Of course everyone loves puppies, which is why puppies for sale move so quickly, whether that be from shelters, rescues, or online petfinder resources. Those cute little bundles of joy are just irresistible, but what many adopting parents forget to consider, is the fact that this stage will only last a number of months before the puppy becomes an adolescent. Adolescence is that experimental high-energy stage that causes many dogs to find themselves up for adoption, because the patience of many dog owners is tested too far. If you do not have the time, energy, and patience to train an adolescent dog, then a puppy might not be the best scenario for you.
There are an abundance of adult dogs that have difficulty finding new homes. Some people think that adult dogs for adoption must have some type of behavior disorder, which is also untrue. Yes, some dogs may have a difficult behavior issue, but the majority of dogs in this situation were put there by irresponsible ownership. Perhaps the owner just didn't have time any more, or there was a divorce, new child, or relocation. There are so many reasons people get rid of their dogs. Any pet will take some time and effort, but older dogs usually have better attention spans as well as bladder control. With older dogs, training should be fun, while firm and fair. As long as the training is consistent and frequent, they will have no problem catching.
Another great thing about looking for adult dogs for sale is that you already know how big they are, what their coat is like, and some of their breed personality. There are simply fewer unknowns, and depending on your special living circumstances and family situation, this might be the best way to find the perfect K9 companion. There are so many older dogs that need good home, and adopting one is something to think about.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading provider of puppies for sale. You can find a variety of dogs for sale that would be great for families or personal companionship. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Labels: dog rescue, dogs for sale, older dogs
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Keeping Your Dog Cool on Hot Days
Summer is now in full swing giving dogs the most opportunity to play with their owners. Frisbees are flying, dog parks are crawling, and fetch is in open season. All of this fun with our dogs on hot summer days is great for owners and pets alike, but the heat can cause some problems like exhaustion, dehydration, sunburn, and heat stroke, and humans are not the only ones at risk. Dogs are just as susceptible to the heat. Think what it would be like if you had thick hair all over your body. Take extra care of your puppy this summer by keeping them cool on hot days.
Dehydration is a simple problem to solve for humans or pets alike. The answer is water. Be certain that your dog drinks water regularly. Your dog needs unlimited access to cool drinking water. Keeping hydration is also the starting point for preventing several other heat related issues.
Heat exhaustion is common with dogs that are over exercised when it is hot or extremely humid. They are also more prone to exhaustion if they are overweight, stay outside with no shade, or suffer from lung or heart problems. The symptoms can even escalate to heat stroke, which can lead to death. There are several more specific things you can do as an owner, other than providing water, to prevent the possibility of heat exhaustion or stroke.
Especially in the summer time, try not to leave your dog in the car for any reason. Temperatures in automobiles can rise up to 120 degrees. Even if you are running an errand for a few minutes, think about leaving the air conditioner running, and if your dog spends most of its time outside in the back yard, make sure there is a cool shady spot all day long. If your dog regularly exercises with you, pay careful attention to its pace. Do not push the dog to run faster if it begins to fall behind, especially if this is uncharacteristic of your dog.
The two main cooling systems in dogs are located on their tongue and on their paws. For this reason, cool water to drink, and cool surfaces to stand and lay on can make all of the difference. Try not to force your pet to stand on sun-baked surfaces like cement, metal, or sand. Not only will this prevent them from cooling off, but it can also cause blisters on their paw pads.
Most owners never think about their dog getting sunburned, but dogs are very prone to burning on their noses, ears, and lips. The simplest solution for preventing sunburn is to keep your dog in the shade during the most heat intensive hours of the day, but if you need to be in the sun with your dog during those hours, a little sun block lotion will not hurt. A little on the nose and the ears will do the trick.
Summer is a time when pets and owners alike can stretch their legs and enjoy the great outdoors. Don't let the heat get you down. Instead, prevent any problems caused by the heat with a little extra planning and consideration. Your dog will love you for it, like they do everything else.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading provider of puppies for sale online. You can find a variety of dogs for sale that would make excellent personal or family pets. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Dehydration is a simple problem to solve for humans or pets alike. The answer is water. Be certain that your dog drinks water regularly. Your dog needs unlimited access to cool drinking water. Keeping hydration is also the starting point for preventing several other heat related issues.
Heat exhaustion is common with dogs that are over exercised when it is hot or extremely humid. They are also more prone to exhaustion if they are overweight, stay outside with no shade, or suffer from lung or heart problems. The symptoms can even escalate to heat stroke, which can lead to death. There are several more specific things you can do as an owner, other than providing water, to prevent the possibility of heat exhaustion or stroke.
Especially in the summer time, try not to leave your dog in the car for any reason. Temperatures in automobiles can rise up to 120 degrees. Even if you are running an errand for a few minutes, think about leaving the air conditioner running, and if your dog spends most of its time outside in the back yard, make sure there is a cool shady spot all day long. If your dog regularly exercises with you, pay careful attention to its pace. Do not push the dog to run faster if it begins to fall behind, especially if this is uncharacteristic of your dog.
The two main cooling systems in dogs are located on their tongue and on their paws. For this reason, cool water to drink, and cool surfaces to stand and lay on can make all of the difference. Try not to force your pet to stand on sun-baked surfaces like cement, metal, or sand. Not only will this prevent them from cooling off, but it can also cause blisters on their paw pads.
Most owners never think about their dog getting sunburned, but dogs are very prone to burning on their noses, ears, and lips. The simplest solution for preventing sunburn is to keep your dog in the shade during the most heat intensive hours of the day, but if you need to be in the sun with your dog during those hours, a little sun block lotion will not hurt. A little on the nose and the ears will do the trick.
Summer is a time when pets and owners alike can stretch their legs and enjoy the great outdoors. Don't let the heat get you down. Instead, prevent any problems caused by the heat with a little extra planning and consideration. Your dog will love you for it, like they do everything else.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading provider of puppies for sale online. You can find a variety of dogs for sale that would make excellent personal or family pets. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Labels: dogs for sale, pet finder
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Obedience: Using a Dog's Name
Unlike humans, dogs associate verbal communications directly and without context. For this reason, we can be extremely confusing to our pets by associating their name with a myriad of different desired responses. In order to produce a desired response from calling a pet's name, it is important to be consistent with how it is being used.
Dogs create strong associations with many things, like sticks, balls, food bowls, or leashes. Almost every dog gets excited be the sound of their leash, and we all know why. They're going for a walk! Similarly, dogs develop very strong associations from verbal cues, but if they are confused by the usage of certain words they might not know how to respond. Think about all of the ways your pet's name is used on a daily basis. This might include "Stay, Fido, Stay", "Fido Sit," "Fido NO," "Fetch Fido," or "Come, Fido!" All of these commands and many more like them have very different meanings and desired responses. Dogs love to please their masters, but if they are unsure about what is expected of them, they are extremely unlikely to respond correctly. How many dog owners have you heard screaming their dog's name, while Fido is trotting along, ignoring their owner completely? This is probably because the dog is either unsure that their owner is trying to communicate with them, or perhaps they have a bad connotation with their name. If a dog hears its name dropped in conversation or used casually all of the time, it becomes desensitized to it and might even think it doesn't have anything to do with them. Also, many owners give their dogs the impression that their name means they are in trouble. "Fido, STOP!" tells the dog that their name is a reprimand.
Most people want dogs to come when they call their names, and in order to accomplish this, several things must be consistent. First, their name should be associated with pleasant things like food, treats, belly rubs, and toys. Instead of using a dog's name during a reprimand, you should use specific single salable words to communicate, like "Stop." "No," and "Down." Coming to an owner should be joyful to a dog, and keeping their name associated with positive things is half the battle.
Rewarding a dog for coming to its name will also make a noticeable difference. If a dog knows it will receive a treat every time they come to their master, they will initially come for the treat, but eventually they will associate their name so strongly with returning to their master that they will do it without a treat. This, accompanied with emotional praise, will strongly influence dogs to respond well to their names.
It is important to remember that K-9 brains are much simpler than ours and cannot associate words in context, causing owners to confuse their pets. Be consistent, only associate a dogs name with the right things. Not only will it make leaving the park much easier, it might even save its life.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading online petfinder service provider. You can find a variety of puppies for sale and adoption that would be great for families or personal companionship. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Dogs create strong associations with many things, like sticks, balls, food bowls, or leashes. Almost every dog gets excited be the sound of their leash, and we all know why. They're going for a walk! Similarly, dogs develop very strong associations from verbal cues, but if they are confused by the usage of certain words they might not know how to respond. Think about all of the ways your pet's name is used on a daily basis. This might include "Stay, Fido, Stay", "Fido Sit," "Fido NO," "Fetch Fido," or "Come, Fido!" All of these commands and many more like them have very different meanings and desired responses. Dogs love to please their masters, but if they are unsure about what is expected of them, they are extremely unlikely to respond correctly. How many dog owners have you heard screaming their dog's name, while Fido is trotting along, ignoring their owner completely? This is probably because the dog is either unsure that their owner is trying to communicate with them, or perhaps they have a bad connotation with their name. If a dog hears its name dropped in conversation or used casually all of the time, it becomes desensitized to it and might even think it doesn't have anything to do with them. Also, many owners give their dogs the impression that their name means they are in trouble. "Fido, STOP!" tells the dog that their name is a reprimand.
Most people want dogs to come when they call their names, and in order to accomplish this, several things must be consistent. First, their name should be associated with pleasant things like food, treats, belly rubs, and toys. Instead of using a dog's name during a reprimand, you should use specific single salable words to communicate, like "Stop." "No," and "Down." Coming to an owner should be joyful to a dog, and keeping their name associated with positive things is half the battle.
Rewarding a dog for coming to its name will also make a noticeable difference. If a dog knows it will receive a treat every time they come to their master, they will initially come for the treat, but eventually they will associate their name so strongly with returning to their master that they will do it without a treat. This, accompanied with emotional praise, will strongly influence dogs to respond well to their names.
It is important to remember that K-9 brains are much simpler than ours and cannot associate words in context, causing owners to confuse their pets. Be consistent, only associate a dogs name with the right things. Not only will it make leaving the park much easier, it might even save its life.
About the Author: Dean Burton is the owner of MyDreamPuppy.com, a leading online petfinder service provider. You can find a variety of puppies for sale and adoption that would be great for families or personal companionship. For more information, please visit MyDreamPuppy.com.
Labels: pet finder, puppies for sale
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