Jenny Styles asked:


All dogs need love in order to lead happy, healthy lives. Since most breeds of hypoallergenic dogs are smaller, they will need even more love. There are several ways that you can show your dog that you love them. Spending time together, exercising, giving them healthy, nutritious food, and treating the dog with respect are all ways to show your love. In return, you will have a loyal companion that will respect and protect you, your family, and your home.

Most small breeds need to be around people in order to feel safe. Hypoallergenic breeds enjoy sitting on the couch together, curling up by their owner’s feet, and following you around the house when you are home. Spending time with your dog by playing fetch, sitting on the floor, and talking to your dog are all activities that your dog wants to do with you.

Since some breeds can get into trouble when they are left alone all day, you should keep your dog in one room of your home or you should crate train your dog. Dogs that are left alone may get angry or become anxious and nervous. As a result, they will chew on furniture, walls, clothing, or they will break items and rummage through the trash. Keeping your dog in a small room will help them stay calm.

Walking your dog once or twice a day and letting it outside to play is another way to show the dog love. Exercise is a great way to bond with your dog. Not only will the dog be able to spend time with you, you and the dog will benefit from the exercise. Even if you do not have time to walk the dog everyday, you should still let the dog run around your back yard so it gets the exercise it needs.

Making sure your dog has enough food during the day is the third way that you can show your dog love. There are dog foods for different breeds and stages of life. You should research which dog food is the best by asking the vet, reading about what your dog needs, and by reading the labels on the food. As dogs age, they will need different nutrients to keep their teeth and coat healthy. It is best not to switch dog food brands often because you may upset the dog’s stomach. If you want to introduce a new dog food, do it slowly until the dog gets used to it.

Respecting your hypoallergenic dog’s space will result in the more respect from your dog. Make sure your dog has a clean bed or blanket and they receive enough attention during the day. If your dog is sleeping, then you should not disturb it. This will only make the dog angry. Taking care of a dog also means respecting the dog’s boundaries. Some small breeds will become angry when their space in invaded during times when they do not want to be disturbed. As your dogs grows, you will learn when to socialize with the dog and when leave it alone.



FAUSTINO

John Williams Dog Training asked:


Before I begin, the ‘good boy’ name is only an example for ease of writing in this article and ‘good girl’ or any other words of praise may be used in place of ‘good boy’ throughout this article.

The god boy command is not so much a command as a general consistent learning or rewarding exercise, the aim of this exercise is to get your dog to associate ‘good boy’ with times when he has done something well and is rewarded, this will make your dog happy and glad that they have done good for you.

A lot of dog breeds actually enjoy performing tasks for their owner and it’s what they are used to and aim to achieve, these dogs are generally dog with a working background and breed past, such as sheepdogs and collies, this makes the good boy command a lot more rewarding for them and a good reason to perform well.

This exercise can be taught as soon as you get your puppy or dog and can be a natural reaction to good behavior by many already, also making the command easier to remember and be consistent with.

The good boy command is easy and is taught along with rewards you give your dog, if your dog behaves well you should praise them to get them to do the same command again, this is common sense in dog training and the ‘good boy’ command only ads to this so you are able to give your dog a different, emotional type of praise on the rare occasions when you haven’t got treats on your person or to hand (although not recommended but it does happen).

So when your dog behaves well and has deserved a treat or other form of reward, recite ‘good boy’ to them in an excited and impressed voice and give your dog cuddles and love. This over time will be seen as another form of reward that means just as much to your dog as treats do.

The good boy command gives more emotion to your rewards and gives your dog a new form of praise to aim for thus enhancing the relationship between you and your dog, making this a very important command or reward.



CORY

Dog Care Tips asked:


The life expectancy of any dog is commonly expressed in terms of dog years by us and it depends entirely on the dog’s breed, size as well as the dog’s surroundings. Various other factors affect the life expectancy of a dog. A dog’s life span changes according to the diet provided to him and also by the number of medical problems the dog tends to face over the years.

The average life span of the small dog like Chihuahua is about 15 to 16 years, while medium sized the dogs like Border Collies have a life span of 10 to 13 years. It can be noticed big dogs like Great Dean live up to only 7 to 8 years. The calculation of the life expectancy of particular dog can be accurately done with the help of “size or the specific breed calculator”, which is said to be one of the most accurate age measurement schemes available. The size or specific breed calculator gives approximate results about the dog’s predictable lifespan based on the size as well as the breed of the dog.

It is generally assumed that, on an average, “one human year equals to seven dog years”. This statement may not be appropriate, since the first two years are jointly represented by 18-25 years in such schemes and because the entire ratio cannot be generalized for all the dogs though, they belong to different sizes and breeds. An exact ratio of dog years vs. human year cannot be formulated. However, some obvious features remain similar between both aging humans and dogs.

It is generally assumed that the human equivalent of a one-year dog is supposedly fully grown by both mental and physical aspects. Dogs like humans tend to develop advance muscular features as they grow along with a similar mental development. Through a major dog study, it has been estimated for dogs of all breeds and sizes that, nearly “64 percent of dogs” were euthanized because they were affected with some kind of diseases. Only 8 percent of the total dogs live beyond 15 years and nearly 16 percent of them die yearly due heart diseases and cancer. Human lives are not terminated even if they suffer from rare and incurable diseases; and this is the main reason why the lifespan of an average human being is reasonably long.

The effects of aging in dogs is said to be dormant for several years. But like humans, dogs to undergo physical changes as well. The first sign of aging in dogs is said to be the decrease in its activity levels. The sleeping period in these dogs also becomes longer. The canines experience a drastic change in their skin condition, limb usage, appetite and they experience tooth loss as well. Their sense of hearing and vision also diminishes gradually. Older dogs tend to experience stiffness in their body. All these obvious signs of aging can even be found in humans. The human years are extended only because of advance modern medicine and various other drugs that are designed to deal with symptoms of old age.

Dogs and humans may not have the same physiology, yet some obvious similarities can be noticed when both species age. Dog years and Human years may not be directly related by some advance equation, but to the ***** eye the equivalence of corresponding features of Dog years and Human years are quite visible.



ANDY

John Williams Dog Training asked:


Dog ticks are another one of those terrible little pests that can really irritate your dog during the summer or warmer months of the year, theses creatures hid in grass and other surfaces and insert themselves within your dog’s skin in order to live off your dog’s warm blood.

Ticks are especially bad for carrying diseases and enjoy and can survive in the nice warm heat of your home, ticks get carried into the home on pets and preferably dogs and once they have had their feed, fall off and seek cover in a safe area out of site which makes theses pests hard to find and get rid of.

A tick’s life can be up to around 2 years long, and within that time the tick can live on 2-3 hosts to maintain its feeding habit, this feeding habit only happens at certain times of the year around august to November.

Ticks are a fast growing arachnid that lives and are born on long grassy areas, and climb to the top of leaves and grass to wait for a host to feed off and survive off, theses arachnids can live off many different animals and not just dogs, theses commonly include humans, birds, and mice. Ticks get and carry diseases from theses other animals and can spread them to their next host which may be your dog.

During the summer months it is important to check your dog regularly by running your hands through the dog’s fur and coat to check for small lumps, some pressure is needed to detect these pests and it is wise to check thoroughly every day during the hotter months.

If you detect a lump or suspicious area then you should part the hair or fur to investigate further, you should be able to see a brown tick digging beneath the skin if there is one there. Popular areas to find ticks is in places that do not have much fur for the tick to climb through, these include the face, paws and behind and around the ears.

If you detect a tick, you should notify and take advice from your vet or a professional; if you remove the tick yourself you may leave part of the tick still within your dog’s skin which will be irritating for the dog.



COY

ms c asked:


My dog loves going to the off-leash dog park but one of the park rules is that any dog exhibiting aggressive behavior should be removed immediately. What exactly is considered aggressive behavior?

My dog runs up to other dogs while making growly noises with no teeth bared and then trying to make the other dogs run with him and chase him. Sometimes other dogs initiate play with him and he runs with them while growling. Is this considered aggressive behavior? I just need to know where exactly to draw the line.
Bluebell: He’s a 2-year-old German Shepherd mix.

CURT

ocrenee asked:


How old do dogs have to be to have *** and can a cuple week old dog get my dog knock up shes almost a year ?

CASEY

Dogjudge asked:


There is a constant flood on this site from people who talk about hitting their dog as a training method. Alpha rolls, shaking the dog by the scruff, hanging a dog with a choke collar, etc.

You have to be leader of the pack! You have to let the dog know who’s boss. You’ve seen how other dogs discipline other dogs.

I want the people who train dogs to chime in and give people some of the consequences of that type of training!
As an aside, I’ve taught obedience for 30+ years and I’m judge for the AKC and ASCA.

I was given the opportunity to do graduate work with L. David Mech who wrote the original book about wolf behavior.

Dogs are domesticated animals. Wolves are not. Wolves live in packs. Our pets do not view our households as packs, there are TOTALLY different dynamics going on in households versus packs.

The ONLY time I’ve used physical means with a dog is to stop a dog fight situation, or in a situation where a dog went after a human.

Some breeds have extremely high pain tolerances. To use physical pain means to try to train these dogs is beyond crazy.

ARTURO

Derrick Madison asked:


Many people’s experience with dog training can be described like this; when their dog is six months to a year old, they sign up for a dog obedience class; some make it through the six or eight week course and some do not; but for many, that is the end of their dog’s education, and they describe their pet as “an obedience school dropout.”

To these people, I say, “Let’s be honest.” The dog didn’t drop out. You did. After all, who didn’t drive to the class or decided to skip the session?”

The Problem with Obedience School

But in fairness to dropouts, let’s also admit that a dog obedience class can be a frustrating experience for both dog and owner if this class is the dog’s first experience with training. Obedience classes traditionally begin with the heel command, which is actually one of the more complex things you can ask a dog to understand. It’s like expecting a child to learn algebra when they haven’t had basic arithmetic.

When you give a dog the heel command, what you’re asking him/her to do is not one specific thing. What your dog is supposed to do depends entirely on what you’re doing. Should your dog walk when you walk, turn when you turn, and stop when you stop. Add to that the fact that, if this is the first training experience, your poor dog doesn’t even understand that training is what is going on. The dog is not a bad dog, and is not a stupid dog, but he/she not only doesn’t know what you’re asking it to do, your dog also probably doesn’t even understand that you’re asking it to do something.

An Easier Way

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is a simpler way to train your dog, so relaxed that you can begin training your puppy the day you bring her home.

The “sit” command is the most universally useful command you can teach your dog. The new dog owner might wonder why. “How is this useful? The dog is not doing anything!”

Exactly! A dog that is sitting is not jumping all over your grandmother, or whatever other obnoxious behavior you want it to stop doing. And more importantly, a dog that is sitting when told is a dog that is under control and doing what you want.

The traditional method of teaching the sit command is to have the dog on leash at your side, repeat the command “Sit” while you pull up on the leash and push down on her ****. You’re forcing the dog into the correct position, but this is not enjoyable and can be stressful and frustrating for both you and the dog.

But why force the dog into position when you can coax? Start with a treat, something yummy like dried liver, or even a piece of kibble if he/she hasn’t been fed yet. Call the dog, get his/her attention, and make sure your dog knows you have a treat.

It won’t take long. Within seconds your dog will be there, his/her nose right at your fingertips. From this position, all you have to do is move the treat back over his/her nose and the top of it’s head.

Keep your hand only an inch or two over the dog’s head; too high and she’ll rear up on her hind legs. But, with the treat moving right back over her head, the nose will follow it, up and back… until… he/she… SITS!

Say good doggie, and reward him/her with a treat.

Do this a number of times every day. When you feed your dog, he/she will probably be jumping and frisking when your dog sees you coming with the food bowl. Tell your dog to sit, and when your dog sits, tell him/her is a good dog and set down the bowl.

You don’t need to give the dog a treat now every time you tell him/her to sit. But do give your dog a praise! Your dog is doing what you asked it to do, acknowledge that, let your dog know how pleased you are, and what a good dog he/she is.

These exercises are not just useful in themselves, your dog is also learning to learn. Your dog is learning that sometimes you want it to do something, that there is a word associated with the thing you want her to do, and that if he/she pays attention, he/she can figure it out.

Above all, never consider that you’re “done” training your dog. There’s always something new to learn, and new ways for you and your dog to have fun together.



DONNIE

John Williams Dog Training asked:


Bad dog breath can be a bad problem for your dog and you, at times a dogs breath an be unbearable and make bonding with your dog a chore you’d rather avoid at all costs. This may not be due to your dog and more down to the care you have not realized that your dog should have.

Dog’s bad breath like most other dog symptoms can be the cause of many different issues separately or together, this makes the cause hard to diagnose without a proper examination from a professional dog carer or vet.

Common causes of dog bad breathe –

Maybe your dog is finding it hard to eat or swallow which can lead to dog’s bad breath and other illnesses that are related.

Saliva drooling from your dog’s mouth may also be a cause of bad dog breath, as more saliva gets built up in your dog’s mouth is makes it easier for bacteria to breed resulting in bad breath.

The last and most common form of bacteria build up is from not cleaning or not properly cleaning your dog’s teeth, this enables tartar to form and make the bad odor you are forced to smell day in day out.

Many believe that food choice and what you feed your dog is a problem when dog breath is concerned, as this may be true to an extent this is more of a temporary short term problem and the reason above is more likely to be the problem cause.

There are plenty of dental hygiene products available in pet shops and online, some work better than others on different dogs but you best bet is to clean your dog’s teeth regularly to stop the bacteria build up, this is where the problem begins and where you should target your efforts.

If you fear the problem has got too far to recover or damage or the gums and teeth is visible you should contact your vet as soon as possible for help and a proper diagnosis of your pet.



CHRISTOPER