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Let’s look at a couple of specifics so you can get an idea of how to work with your dog in these situations without losing your mind and ending up with a frustrated dog to boot.

Chewing

One major complaint that dog lovers have is that they chew, especially when they’re puppies. There are a variety of reasons why dogs chew, so it helps if you can figure out why they do it so that you can address the problem.

Starting with puppies; they are like human babies. Everything has to go into the mouth. Part of this is just checking out the environment, but when they start teething then they are trying to ease the pain. You can be a big help here. Take some small, clean rags and get them wet, and place them in your freezer. When puppy starts to chew, give him one of these and it will give him something that it’s okay to chew, as well as help him feel better. Soft chew toys are also good for this, and if possible you can freeze them for a while for added comfort.

When older dogs start chewing on things they aren’t supposed to it usually means that they are tense and uptight. Chewing helps them to unwind. Remember the section on you as alpha dog? This is a perfect example of why it’s so important for your dog to know that it is you, not him or her in the power position. You also need to find out what is triggering the chewing. Have you given your dog a new selection of toys to chew on? Has something changed quite dramatically in his environment? Most behaviour can be modified, but it helps to know what is causing it in the first place.

You will probably notice that your dog will chew when you’re not at home. This is where the training for leaving and coming home is a valuable tool. If you’ve helped him view your leaving as an especially emotional event, then he is going to be a nervous wreck and want something to chew on to relieve his tension. When you come back and throw a fit because he chewed up your slippers, you’re only compounding the problem. Spend quiet time for a few minutes before you leave, then just get up and go. Learn the technique for a quiet greeting away from the door after you’ve been there for a bit once you return.

Of course there are dogs who just want to chew sometimes and they don’t care what they use. Dogs have a strong drive for oral activity, so they are really only doing what comes naturally. What you allow him to chew on is up to you to decide. Buy or use a basket or other container that will hold only his toys. Don’t put anything of yours in it, even if it’s been discarded. He needs to know that he can’t chew on something that holds your personal scent. Put all sorts of allowable chew items in the basket. Hard nylon bones are good things, and also balls and other toys made especially for a dog to chew on. Each time he starts in on something that doesn’t belong to him, give him a “no chew” command. Make him drop it; don’t just yank it out of his mouth. Then take him over to his own stash, give him a toy, and give him a “chew” command. When he takes the toy tell him what a good and wonderful dog he is.

If you have trouble making him drop something he isn’t supposed to have you can try several things. First you can try to distract him with one of his toys. You can try a treat but you don’t want to give him the signal that chewing on personal belongings is okay. Something that will probably work well is to blow on a whistle or bang on something that makes a fairly loud noise. That should distract him enough to be able to redirect him to his toy box.

Don’t play tug-of-war with him. If you do you’re just asking for trouble because it’s reinforcing inappropriate chewing. Not only that but it puts you in a power struggle and he might be vying to take your place as the alpha dog.

Jumping

Some dogs jump over the fence to escape the yard and some jump on people. Then there are those that do both. Neither option is acceptable so you will want to have some information on how to help your dog out of this problem.

Dogs jump over fences for a number of reasons. They want to see what’s on the other side, male dogs pick up the scent of a female in heat, they may chase a squirrel or a cat, or they might just want to escape from their boredom at being penned up with nothing to do.

Some of the obvious things to investigate are where and when he does his jumping. If you have an idea of when, you can secretly wait on the other side with a garden hose and give him a squirt. The plan is to have him think that the act of jumping was what got him, not his master, if at all possible. Next if your dog is getting out because the fence is too low, then you can try building it higher. Some suggest planting a hedge or bushes in front of the fence on the inside so that he can’t get a big enough lead to go over.

You may want to consider why he’s jumping in the first place. If you are gone all day and just leave him, he’s bound to get lonely and bored. Some things you could do to change that might be to get another dog so they can spend the day together or build a doggy door so that he could at least get into part of the house for a change of scenery. If you have to leave him out, be sure to leave some toys, food, and plenty of water. In between being stuck out in the yard, exercise him often by taking him for long power walks. It will help him relieve some of the pent up frustration he is likely to be feeling.

It would be a lot kinder to take him to a doggie day-care. Those facilities are springing up all over the place. It gives your dog a chance to socialize with other dogs which will satisfy his pack animal roots and also give him some human companionship too.

Another possible option if you have the time and inclination is to consider entering your dog into an agility training program. This is like a “doggie Olympics” and is a great outlet for dogs that are especially active. It can also be a treat for you as well.

Boredom

We’ve touched on boredom but I think that more needs to be said on the subject. Remember that dogs are very much like children and quickly tire of the “same old” toys. In addition to the chewing behaviour we mentioned, they may also begin to chew on their paws, chase their tails, or keep turning in circles.

Just as with children it’s helpful if you can come up with some ideas to keep him interested. For example, when you establish his toy basket, don’t put every toy in it at once. Let him play with some of them for a week or so and then exchange them for some you’ve kept behind. You can get away with this for quite some time. Make sure that his chew toys are interesting to begin with. Pet shops are loaded with so many these days that it shouldn’t be hard to find a good variety. In fact a very popular one is called the “Kong”. It has a compartment where you can hide some of his dry food or some other snack he’s allowed. Not only will it keep him busy trying to get to the treat, but the toy will be bouncing all over the place while he’s looking for it.

Another component of keeping a dog occupied is to give him lots of exercise. That way when he is by himself he’ll be more inclined to settle down for some nice nap-time. Take him for lots of walks on his lead; this will be great exercise for you as well. If you have a free run area for dogs near you, treat him to some visits throughout the week. He’ll meet other dogs to play with and it will be another chance for exercise. Introduce him to new people. For instance when friends come over, let your dog interact with them if they would like it. This should only be done once you have given him some obedience training and he is willing and able to use his company manners. You can also play games such as Frisbee with him, and as mentioned agility training may be an option.

You should also keep in mind that even though you are the leader of his pack, he shouldn’t always be dependent on you. He needs to have some self-confidence for those times when he is going to spend time alone. A good round number is to keep him separated either in his crate or a room for about 30% of the time that you’re home. This will be hard for some people, but it’s really better for his sense of independence if he isn’t allowed to sleep in your bedroom. Any contact with your dog should be controlled by you; another reminder of your dominance.

Review by JillV
I definitely recommend reading this book before bringing a new puppy into your life. There are so many puppies out there waiting for adoption. The problem is, they’re so cute and hard to resist that when we bring them home we feel sorry for them, don’t want to be “hard on them” so we let them get away with murder. Well….that cuteness doesn’t last long when that puppy grows up and develops bad habits. That’s right about the time people give up and many times wind up dropping their “new puppy” off at the shelter. This step can be prevented if we know how and this book gives us the knowledge.
How to Raise the Perfect Dog teaches us which puppy is best for our energy level and what to do from the minute we bring it home in order to become the proper leader. It teaches us how to breed respect within the family (pack) so that new puppy feels secure and confident. It is our responsibility to give our dog the best life from beginning to end. This is just one of several of Cesar’s books that tells us how to do just that.
Cesar and Melissa Jo make a great team!

Here’s what you’ll need to look after your puppy:
Bed
Crate
Food and Water Bowls
Brushes
Collar
Leash
ID Tag
Toys

Next weeks topic : Crate

Actually the ideas I’m going to suggest have more to do with common sense and above all respect for animals. They are more than just possessions; they are living beings and will be an integral part of your life and those of your family, housemates, and friends.

Ø      Before you bring your dog or puppy home, sit down with your family and discuss what’s going to happen. Explain how having a dog in your home is likely to change your lives and routines, and give each person some responsibility in caring for and sharing with the new addition

Ø      You may have decided on adopting a more mature dog rather than a puppy. This is great, but you and yours should be aware that the dog may have been traumatized or abused at some point. You would probably want your children to be a bit older and able to understand what happened and the best way to interact with the dog

Ø      Choose a dog that fits your lifestyle. For example if you’re a city dweller who doesn’t spend much time outdoors, you wouldn’t want a dog bred for hunting or herding

Ø      Schedule time every single day for training and bonding. Once you have a well-mannered animal, you still need to spend time just being with him. If you are just going to neglect him, why bother to adopt him at all?

Ø      Having enough money to take proper care of your dog is important. That means being able to feed him properly and keep up with annual vet bills and being prepared for the unexpected

Ø      Schedule time for you or someone in the family to take your dog out for a brisk walk everyday. Ideally, you’ll want to allow about 45 minutes per day

Once you’ve established that you’re the alpha dog, your family members and other pets will become members of your dog’s pack. True, dogs aren’t humans but they are pack animals. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you are the natural born leader because you are human and head of your household. You will have to teach your dog to understand that you’re his or her leader, as described above. You don’t need to be overly aggressive or large in stature, and you don’t have to battle your dog for leadership. What you do need is to come across as authoritative enough for your dog to respect you, yet light enough in tone so that the two of you can communicate with one another.

In the dog world the pack members go through a period where they are vying for positions within the group. Dogs tend to be assertive so they will try to make it as far as possible in the domination/ subordination hierarchy. When you bring a new puppy or dog home, you need to establish yourself and be prepared to maintain your role for as long as you and your dog are together.

If you were to observe a group of pack animals in the wild, you would see the adults start teaching the youngsters the rules quite early in their lives. They will hold the pups by their head or neck and push them down to the ground, keeping them firmly pinned for a bit. It doesn’t take long for them to learn that the proper way to approach an adult dog is to crouch down, keep their ears laid back, their tails down but wagging, and then lick the muzzle of the adult. It may sound as if they’re terrified, but it’s actually a way to show respect and love. The purpose of this subordination in nature is to promote harmony and peace inside of the pack.

Think like a Dog

What many of us may not think about is that dogs haven’t really changed, but their environment has. Centuries ago dogs and humans roamed the earth trying to survive by finding food and avoiding their enemies. Now, humans have become more “civilized” and the dogs are now our subordinates. At least that’s the ideal situation. It can just as easily work the other way if you let it.

We’ve all seen spoiled or ill-behaved dogs that jump all over everyone, bark when they want to, and beg from the table. That’s only because he’s been allowed to think all of those things are okay.  Just like children, they will try to get away with anything they can. Once you start training him and he gets a little more mature, you want to achieve mutual respect. Maybe he can’t read your mind, but just as you learn about him, he’s also learning about you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because he doesn’t speak human, he’s not intelligent. Your dog can learn a lot about you from your body language, your mood, and even your facial expressions. If you don’t establish yourself as a qualified pack leader, he will soon have your number and won’t respect you.

Many of us who love animals credit them with forming whole sentences in their minds that we would understand if only we each spoke the same language. As I mentioned before, there is evidence to suggest that dogs think in images. For example when we tell Fido he’s probably hungry and he starts salivating, he’s probably responding to some other cues he picked up from you. You may have looked at his food bowl or even been starting to fix his dinner. If you haven’t started working on his dinner yet, once he picks up the message that you’re thinking about it, he will prod you on with tail wagging, salivation, or hopeful yipping. Does all this mean that you guys share the same thought processes? No, but it does mean that you two can communicate.

So how do you know what is going on in your dog’s mind? We are pretty sure, and there is scientific evidence to back up the theories that dogs think in some sort of images and recall sounds and smells that they associate with certain activities. For example, let’s say you leave for work every morning at eight o’clock and arrive home at five-thirty. Within a short period of time your dog expects you to walk in the door at five-thirty and starts getting excited. It’s not because he can tell time, he has just quickly become conditioned to this behaviour on your part.

After a few weeks of reinforcing this schedule, one night you stop for dinner on the way home. You don’t actually reach your house until seven-thirty. When you walk in you find things in a mess. Your shoes may be in the living room having been chewed. You might find dog hair on a chair that you sit in but your dog has never been allowed to be on. Papers may be shredded. Well you get the picture; things aren’t as they should be.

Your first reaction is very possibly one of anger and you decide on the spot to punish the little beast. The whole time he was trying to get next to you by choosing things that had your smell, and he was also confused as to why you hadn’t come home. When you do come home and show anger, then he is really confused. If the pattern repeats often enough he will associate your coming home with unpleasantness and you will start thinking that you have an un-trainable dog that you can’t trust. If this cycle continues the dog is likely to exhibit worse behaviour such as toileting on the carpet, and by now you think you have the worse behaved dog in the world. All too often the human takes the dog away to the pound where he most likely will meet an untimely and totally unnecessary end.

So what’s to be done? If the behaviour does escalate take your dog to the veterinarian for a complete physical. The purpose is to rule out any physical problems that are health-related. In recent years dogs have been diagnosed with separation anxiety and given anti-depressants or some other designer drug. The problem is we are assigning a human condition to a dog. By all means however, listen to what the doctor says. There may be times when a dog does need medication for nervous conditions.

Here we need to go back to the basic alpha dog and pack configuration. Many times without realizing it we let our dogs rule us. They come up to us and push their heads under our hands to be petted. They whine for dinner and we serve it up. They bring us a toy to play with and we jump right into the game. Looking at things from that perspective makes it fairly easy to see why he’d feel upset when you aren’t there to obey his every wish and command. Early conditioning that teaches him right upfront that you are master can go a long way in eliminating all these hassles.

Yes, he will test you, but when he does it’s your job to ignore him. For example, you get in the habit of asking him to sit before you do anything with him he’ll know that you expect certain things from him before he will get certain things from you. When he complies, lavish him with praise and when he doesn’t, walk away. He may challenge you for as many as a few days, but if you are consistent, he’ll soon figure it out. You should also train him to follow you submissively when you’re both in the house or even better keep him in a down or lay position. This will remind him that the house isn’t his domain to rule.

In the morning when you go off to work instead of bustling around and making a big deal about leaving, sit near your dog for a few minutes without reacting to him. Then just get up and leave with no big fanfare. When you arrive back home, greet your dog quietly and calmly. If he or she is excited, ignore him until he’s calm. Then praise him and tell him you’re glad to see him, but don’t do it near the door where you came in. These simple tricks will take the emotional and confusing images out of his mind and the reality will soon become just another part of his, and your, routine.

Okay, what about the scene we mentioned where you arrive home to a big mess that the dog made. It can be chewed up things, inappropriate urination or defecation, dog on furniture, or any number of other things. This will be hard for you but you should totally ignore it and the dog for a few minutes. When five or so minutes have gone by, take your dog to another part of the house and then calmly greet him. Keep him away from the area where he misbehaved and then clean up the mess. Yes, you want to strangle him, but you’re trying to learn dog-think here. It’s not clear why this works, but it seems to create a better image in the dog’s mind of the relationship with the owner’s comings and goings.

Basically what we need to do is to reshape the images in the dog’s mind to be more structured and unemotional. He has certain jobs to do and you will show him how. It’s time to stop trying to bully your dog and build a bond based on mutual respect.

As far as breed popularity goes, Golden Retrievers are near the top of the list. Because the breed is intelligent and very eager to please, they are one of the most trainable breeds of dog in existence. Golden Retrievers, besides being wonderful family pets and doting companion animals, are employed in a variety of uses as seeing eye dogs, therapy dogs, and drug-sniffing dogs. What these retrievers were bred for, however, is hunting.

Since the breed is so popular for such varied uses, they are often bred with different traits in mind. When seeking out a new hunting companion Golden Retriever, it is best to search for a breeder who also hunts and has worked to keep traits beneficial to the task in the bloodline of their litters. A reputable breeder who has kept field work in mind for the dogs the breed will likely produce a retriever that excels in the hunting environment.

If you’ve ever played a game of fetch with your Golden Retriever, you know that retrieving comes naturally to the breed. They have a strong sense of smell and an even stronger homing instinct, returning immediately with their ball, a stick, or the fresh kill. Some people prefer hounds for hunting because they offer more varied assistance on the hunt, whereas Golden Retrievers are not flushing dogs.

Since the breed is so trainable and are not relied upon for flushing, it is considerably less difficult to work Golden Retrievers up to their full ability, unlike other popular breeds of hunting dog. Standard obedience commands are the only place to start with any training activity. Sit, stay, fetch, and release are all commands that are imperative to the hunting process. Teaching these commands will also make your life with a Golden Retriever much smoother!

Golden Retrievers can be a useful work or hunting companion, but will be happy to come home and spend time with the family as well. This is an attribute that is very much appreciated by enthusiasts of the breed. When trained properly, your dog will know which behaviors are acceptable in the home and witch are acceptable on the hunt.

While most Golden Retriever owners have their dogs as nothing more than a loving, energetic companion, the breed is still very popular with hunters – and for good reason. The ease of training and the boundless desire to please their owners makes this dog a wonderful pet and an impeccably skillful hunter.

Ever watched a documentary on National Geography?, Someone put a device on animals such as whales, turtles or birds to determine the position or movement of these animals. Now, the technology is already mass produced smaller sizes and can be purchased with affordable price.

Use of GPS in dogs not only to keep the dog does not stolen or lost, but can also be used for other needs such as hunting. Dogs used for hunting will usually go away in front of their owners. The owner of a dog can know the position accurately so it can easily find the dog. In addition, the owner can also tell if the dog is moving or still. If the dog is still moving means dogs are still seeking or chasing prey, but if the dog then the dog was still dealing with the quarry.

If your dog is stolen or lost due to lost, the GPS technology will be very useful to recover your lost dog. In Kompas.Com on April 4, 2009, written that Labradors from Vladimir Putin’s pet was put on the GPS device on his collar to avoid the things that are not desirable.

If you buy this GPS device will be accompanied by a software or website that can be used to monitor the position of the computer or PDA.

Lack of GPS technology is the loss of satellite signal if the GPS device mounted on it is blocked by something like inside buildings or under bridges. The relationship between the GPS signal with the satellite will be closed if there is anything in his way. In addition to signal a problem, GPS devices usually requires energy from the battery. If the battery is exhausted then the GPS device will die. Well, the battery for the average GPS can be used only about 6 hours.

Information about these GPS devices can be found by using search engines such as Google or Yahoo. Enter the search word “GPS for dogs” in the city that are available on search engines.