Archive for January, 2009

Labrador Problems: Difficult As Pups

Sunday, January 18th, 2009

The Labrador is without a doubt a very beautiful creature that is also well built and sports a sturdy frame that is almost like that of an athletic animal. The breed comes in a number of skin colors including Black, Golden and Chocolate and in addition, the coat is generally thick and short and the hair is extremely straight. In fact, a Labrador Retriever has a double layered as well as dense coat. The Lab has a very intelligent bent of mind and at the same time he is docile with the elderly as well as with young children.

However, as with any other breed there are certain Labrador problems that every owner will have to look out for including those related to their health as well as their behavior. Nevertheless, the Labrador is generally a healthy animal though it can suffer from hip as well as elbow dysplasia and cataract as well as epilepsy. What’s more, if you fail to give proper Labrador training, or if you let your pet become bored, it could lead to some behavioral problems that can only be prevented by expending some extra effort, and providing better care and proper training.
There are certain Labradors that can prove to be a handful and these pets will not easily learn to behave properly unless sent to a behaviorist. This and other Labrador problems such as having a pet that always seems to be dreaming can be reason for you to become worried, though in reality these can be overcome through proper Labrador training. A typical Labrador problem that many pet owners will have to deal with has to do with a pet that chews up everything he can sink his teeth into. Such a problem can arise when the Labrador is too energetic and it also occurs when having someone or something invade his territory frustrates the Labrador.

To overcome these Labrador problems, it would pay to talk to a veterinary behaviorist or provide strict Labrador training and also ensuring that you spend a lot of time with your dog in helping him release his energy in a more productive manner.
Typical of Labrador problems is that of chasing cats and since this is more of an instinctive driven behavioral problem it can best be changed through giving your pet proper Labrador training which may require spending a lot of time and being patient so that he is taught how to stop this instinctive reaction on his part. Another common behavioral problem that your Labrador can show is that of becoming destructive and this in turn is generally due to his becoming anxious about something. Because dogs have advanced hearing capabilities, they can become aware of things even before humans get wind of these things and thus your Labrador may behave in a manner that is incomprehensible to human beings and so, this is another common Labrador problem that pet owners will have to contend with.

It is also always possible to condition your Labrador to not become skittish when he hears various kinds of sounds and a simple Labrador training step you can use is to play recordings of certain sounds at low volumes and then increasing the volume gradually to make your Labrador get accustomed to these sounds. In fact, this is an especially useful way to becalm your Labrador who could otherwise become so nervous that you may even be forced into giving him anti-anxiety medicines to overcome his fears.

Most Labradors are well behaved and enjoy good health, though if you notice Labrador problems in your pet such as chasing cats, daydreaming or chewing up things, you need to start Labrador training. To find information about expected Labrador problems, you can read dog training books that highlights a few common behavioral problems noticed in the Labrador retriever.

Labrador Training: The Best Way

Thursday, January 15th, 2009

Labrador training starts early, at twelve weeks your dog should already be learning simple things like how to associate with people, other dogs and getting into a car. Labradors are loving dogs and don’t do well with harsh training. The best way to go about Labrador training is to use lots of praise and positive reinforcement. The earlier you start the easier your job will be.

The longer you leave training the longer you are allowing bad behavior to set in and remain a habit. One of the first things you can teach a puppy is how to answer to its name or to calls. This is a very basic command but it’s an important one. Without it you will have unruly dogs that will not obey you. Make training fun and keep it short but consistent. Repeat training every day and this is the best way to make progress.
Practice the same commands everyday with your dog and make sure to have plenty of rewards with you. As Labradors are very loving dogs it’s important to keep up the praise and constant patting every time something is done right. Teaching your dog to walk to heel is important, as Labrador training should work to break the bad habit of straining on the lead. Labradors are very enthusiastic and it can be tough to stop them straining ahead of you to check out everything.

Find a quiet place to start your walking at heel Labrador training. This minimizes distractions and will make training go a lot smoother. Put the lead on and keep it close to you, don’t let the lead out too much. You should make sure that you start walking ahead of your dog. Either pull the dog back when it goes past you or walk faster so it is harder to keep up. Repeat heel the whole time and walk in zigzags and figure of eights to make it interesting.
How do you feel about a full-grown Labrador sharing your bed? Remember that Labradors shed quite a bit. If this is not an inviting prospect then don’t let your puppy sleep with you. This will only encourage your dog to sleep on your bed and cause all sorts of problems once it’s too old to be doing that. Avoiding Labrador problem behaviors means anticipating what your dog will be like, as it grows older. Keep this in mind as you decide what your dog can and cannot do in your home.

If you would not be pleased with your dog breaking the rules then don’t break the rules yourself. Allowing one thing one day and then not allowing it another will confuse your dog. It will not know how to behave or what it should do. Dogs love routine and you can provide that by being consistent and doing the same things at the same time. Remember these basics when you start Labrador training.

Once you are clear and firm, Labrador training is easy. This article summarizes dog training books in an easy to read article.

Training: Love Alone Isn’t Enough For Your Dog

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

Obedience training is one of the most important aspects of raising a dog. In fact, a well trained dog is by far a happier dog! Why? Because a trained dog requires fewer restrictions. The more reliable the dog, the more freedom he is given. Isn’t it looking great, it can be happen with review on Sitstayfetch

Obedience training also gives the dog owner the voice control necessary to prevent numerous potential tragedies. For instance, should a dog slips out of his collar in the middle of a congested traffic intersection, he can be safely heeled across the street, then given a sit command to facilitate putting his collar back on. Or should someone accidentally leave the front door open, and you spot your dog leaving, he can be safely called back to you using the recall command.

Not only will obedience training help your dog to become more responsive, but because it enables you to have immediate control over your dog’s behavior, in an emergency situation obedience training may save your dog’s life. In fact, it can ultimately save the lives of many dogs, because far fewer dogs would end up in animal shelters if their owners would simply take the time to train them.

And for those dogs who do need homes, a trained dog is far easier to adopt out to a new home than an untrained one.

Statistics also show that puppies which receive early socialization, obedience, and temperament training (aggression prevention training) are far less likely to end up being destroyed by the time they turn three years of age than those that do not receive this early training.

A well-behaved, obedience trained dog is a pleasure to own because he can go virtually anywhere without being a risk or nuisance to others.

And don’t we all want a dog who exhibits appropriate behavior in a crowd, good manners when we have guests in our home, is reliable around children, and who doesn’t threaten other dogs or passers-by? If you agree with this article then train your dog with the help of yahoo dog training directory

The bottom line is that dog obedience training truly benefits everyone.

Control Dog Biting Problem Now

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Most people have seen the signs of aggressive dogs like bared teeth, growling, and biting, yet often people do not understand the reasons for aggressive behavior in dogs. Getting a good grasp of the underlying reasons for this aggressive behavior is the first step to learning to curb them in your own dog. A well-behaved dog is often a happier dog, so getting the root of aggressive behavior in dogs is important to you as well as your dog.Do you have a dog? If yes, then surely you need help to cope up your problems relating with you canine. click here dog training mastery

The best approach to teaching a puppy or dog bite control is usually adopting the behaviour of one of the dog’s littermates. If the dog gets too mouthy and bites you too hard during play, exaggerate a loud yelp or cry and immediately stop whatever activity you are doing. Turn away and ignore your dog. Sometimes this takes a bunch of lessons, but most dogs will learn it over time. At first the goal should be getting the dog to reduce the force of the bite. Then the goal is to reduce the frequency of biting. Expect that it will take a few days to a week. Hitting a dog after a bite is the worst thing you can do because the dog’s intent was play not harm. A hit from you therefore, confuses the dog and it may even react defensively, this time biting you with intent.

In general teach the dog that playing with dog toys is better than playing with hands directly because the game lasts so much longer. Play with a frisbee, rope, Kong, ball etc. Don’t use your hands as a dog toy. Most puppies bite you accidentally and that’s how you both learn. If you have already received an accidental play bite so you know how hard it is, and you want to deliberately elicit a bite to teach the dog bite inhibition, only then should you play directly with your hands. You will probably get a bite and it probably won’t hurt that much and the puppy might learn faster. Wear long sleeves and protective ace bandages or gloves if you’re afraid.

Remember: All family members must be consistent, a bite equals a cry from you and the end of play and attention.

If your dog is regularly overly mouthy, aggressive or you feel threatened by your dog, then it’s time to seek immediate professional help. Ask your vet to give you some referrals.

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Need Help Training Your Dog? Try Shock Collars

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

Some believe that an electronic collar is not safe for their dogs and in fact, believe they are inhumane. Before you make that decision you should do your homework and you’ll quickly discover that they are not only effective, but they are safe and a perfectly humane tool for training your dog. One of the most important considerations is choosing the electronic collar that works best for you and for your dog. We are putting together some brief reviews that we hope will help you make a decision on which of these popular models is the best choice for you and for your dog.

Containment Systems (“Invisible Fence”)
There are two types of these perimeter-sensing collars for teaching your dog the boundaries of your yard: electric and wireless. Electric systems work with a buried line that you install to establish the perimeter of your yard. PetSafe is a good model for this application with an easy-to-use setup for both the fence and the collar receiver. PetSafe comes just about right to fit any standard-sized yard. To fit a larger area than PetSafe can handle, we recommend Innotek’s containment system.

The Innotek system has several advantages that might be right for you, including expandability up to 25 acres and the ability to use multiple collars with the same fence, so if you have more than one dog, you’re covered. Both the PetSafe and the Innotek are great system for hidden wire fencing.

If you’re interested in a wireless system, we encourage you to investigate the PetSafe model which offers an innovative technology with no wires. This unit works by placing a transmitter in the middle of the area that you’re dog will be allowed to be free in. This central transmitter allows you to set the total radius of freedom and offers not just an easy set up but has the added benefit of being portable (i.e. you can take it to others homes when you travel with your dog!).

BARK COLLARS
If you have a noisy dog, the anti-bark collar can help. One reputable and popular brand is Innotek. They are fairly priced and are technologically advanced. The anti-bark collar utilizes a set of sensors that can tell whether the bark is coming from the collared dog or a different dog. When the dog barks, it releases a static charge to allow the dog to feel that it is wrong to bark. Amazingly enough, it will also auto-adjust the intensity of the charge if the dog is barking incessantly. When the dog stops barking, the collar will return to its normal setting and stop the static charges. Waterproof and lightweight, this is great for dogs who live in all types of environments.

BEEPER COLLARS
Known as more of a safety collar than a training collar, the beeping collar is controlled by the pet owner. The owner can send a beep to the collar so that the dog can be located. A brand called Dogtra is very well designed, with its ability to beep steadily or at intervals, allowing the owner to easily find his dog. The beeping collar works to about a mile away, and there are types available to owners of multiple pets or dogs. More advanced ones have a lot more features, like trackers that tell you when your dog is pointing, which means stopped, and flushing, which means moving quickly.

DOG TRAINING COLLARS
These are popular field training devices, whether you’re fielding, hunting, or just out in the big open spaces. The collars from TriTronics are the best, offering many system options for optimum training of your dog outdoors. They boast up to a mile range for many models and stimulation levels with twenty settings. They are waterproof and lightweight with long-life batteries for maximum use per charge and longevity. There are a lot of useful accessories as well, including holsters for the transmitter, field chargers for collar and battery packs, and even dummy collars so your dog won’t learn to only respond when the collar is in use. A comparable, less expensive, and shorter-options version of this training collar is available from SportDog as well, boasting very long ranges.

Discuss your electronic training needs with your veterinarian and your trainer and make sure that you ask for their advice. A good electronic training collar is one that is suitable for your dogs individual needs.

All About Labrador Potty Training

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

There are few things cuter than a new Labrador retriever puppy, but that little dog quickly loses his cuteness factor when he is brought home with you and promptly makes a mess on your beautiful living room carpet. Unless you want to spend the rest of your dog’s life cleaning up these not so pleasant messes, you will want to get savvy to the finer points of Labrador potty training as quickly as possible. The good news is that there is some fairly simple techniques that will get you on the road to a housebroken dog that will leave your living room carpet for other things besides bathroom duty.

Labrador potty training will first consist of teaching your pup the appropriate place to potty. This might mean your backyard or a papered corner in the bathroom, depending on your needs and lifestyle. Once your dog has mastered where to go, he can begin to let you know that he needs to potty by barking at you, whining at the back door or simply heading to his appointed spot.
Labrador potty training often involves the use of a crate. Whenever you cannot watch your pup carefully, you can put him in his crate. Since dogs will generally not potty in the area that they eat and sleep, the likelihood is that your puppy will wait until he gets out of his crate to go outside. This will teach him how to hold it long enough to get to his potty spot, which is a good first step in learning to potty in the right place.

Keep in mind that just because your puppy won’t want to eliminate in his crate, that doesn’t mean that he can refrain wait for long periods of time. It will be well into his first year before this little pup will be able to make it as long as eight hours without heading outdoors. This means that you will need to be cognizant of how much time he spends in his crate so you can give him potty breaks as necessary.
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your puppy will have the occasional accident. If you catch your dog in the act of going potty on your carpet, offer a firm no and immediately take your pup outside to finish his business. If you find the accident after the fact, it does no good to scold your dog at this point, because he doesn’t remember the act once it’s finished. Simply clean up the spot quickly and thoroughly so your dog can’t remember the location by the smell.

For some dogs, Labrador potty training will take a couple of weeks and the process is complete. For others, the entire process may take quite a bit longer before the dog is completely accident free. Patience and persistence on the part of the owner is always the key, whether your dog catches on immediately or more slowly. No matter how long it takes your puppy to get the hang of Labrador potty training, rest assured that you and your dog will eventually find success.

It is important to arm yourself with plenty of information about the most effective methods of Labrador training, including housebreaking, before you ever bring your puppy home from the breeder. It is very helpful to collect information in articles like this one and in dog training books that will set you on the right path to effectively training your Labrador retriever.