Owning a Dog From A to Z

Tips For Leash Training Your Dog

2008-12-09T20:39:00.001-05:00

When it comes to leash training your dog, it can appear to be quite intimidating, but it's not! In reality, you can get your dog to walk side-by-side with you in as little as 5 simple steps. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's going to happen overnight, because in general it won't. However, with a little patience and determination on your part, it WILL happen!

Taking your dog for a walk should be an enjoyable experience for both the dog and you. By providing you with the steps to leash train your dog, you will experience what thousands of dog owners' experience every day, the confidence of knowing that the dog won't be walking you!

Now, what are some of the benefits of being able to walk your dog, instead of the other way around? To start with, it's much safer for your friend. You absolutely, must have your dog on a leash when taking him for a walk outside. Outside of the safety factor, it's just a much more enjoyable experience for both. The dog is not pulling you in every direction, and you're not constantly pulling on the dog, or in a lot of cases, choking the dog.

You will probably find a lot of different resources on how to leash train your dog, but in the end, the best advice I can give is that you find a method that you're comfortable with and stick with it.

Good luck!

Choosing The Perfect Puppy

2008-12-08T22:58:00.002-05:00

Choosing the perfect puppy is the most important thing you will do as you journey through pet ownership. Choosing a dog that fits your personality and lifestyle is an important decision, and one you don't want to take lightly.

Factors to consider when choosing your puppy is breed. What type of breed best suits your lifestyle? If you are like me, and prefer to sit on the couch and watch TV, then a Border Collie is probably not the best choice, you'd probably be best suited for a lower energy dog, such as a Saint Bernard. However, if you lead an active lifestyle, then a Border Collie might be the perfect fit for your family.

Another factor to consider when choosing a dog is where you get it from! Getting a dog from a pet store, is probably one of the worst decisions you can make! In my experience, I got my first dog from a pet store. I can't say that I regret my decision, because he was one of the smartest, most loyal dogs I've ever had. However, it took A LOT of training to get him to be a well behaved dog. Pet stores in general get their dogs from what are called puppy mills. The only purpose in these puppy mills is to churn out dogs, with no regards to health or temperament. Buying a dog from a pet store is just supporting this awful practice.

The final point I'll make in choosing the perfect puppy, is to make sure you meet the parents of the puppy. The sure fire way to do this is to get your puppy from a reputable breeder. By going to a reputable breeder, not only can you meet the mommy and daddy of the puppy, but you will also get the support from the breeder in terms of health guarantees.

In the end, bringing home a new puppy is a very rewarding experience, and one you will cherish for a long. Remember though, that as soon as the puppy enters your family, line up some proper training to ensure a good relationship between human and dog.

A Natural Diet For Your Dog

2008-12-08T21:35:00.000-05:00

Considering a natural diet for your dog? The benefits of a natural diet are compelling to drop the off the shelf commercial products.

Common benefits to a natural diet for your dog:

Fresher breath: The soluble carbohydrates in dry kibble are producing bacteria in your dogs mouth, that is causing that awful doggie breath. These same bacterias can spread throughout your dog, particularly the kidneys and heart.

Less Yard Stains: Dry dog food leads to a more concentrated urine level from your dog, thus causing more yard stains.

Less Doggie Gas: Clear the room! Fido just passed gas! Seriously, a raw, natural dog diet can lead to less gas in your beloved pooch!

Great Health: In general your pooch will enjoy greater health, from the inside out. Their coat will be in much better shape, as will their internal workings.

Cheaper Cost for Food: Making your own natural dog food diet can be considerably less expensive than buying the off the shelf products.

If these reasons are not compelling enough, then consider this...You are potentially feeding your dog with chemical preservatives that have been shown to cause cancer! Also, would you willingly and knowingly feed your dog Sodium Pentobarbital? I certainly wouldn't. To save you a little time, Sodium Penobarbital is what is used to euthanize animals. Why is this important information? Because it is not uncommon for euthanized animals to be sent to the food processing plants, and placed in your bag of dog food!

Do something about the health of your dog, and take the time to prepare and feed your dog a natural food diet. You'll be happy in the long run!

Owning a Dog is a Lifetime Committment

2008-12-08T21:13:00.001-05:00

Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment, one not to be taken lightly. With owning a dog come a lot of responsibilities, and the biggest of those responsibilities is making sure they are properly trained and socialized. Taking the time to do this will lead to a healthier, happier dog.

The goal of this blog will be to provide proven resources that will help you attain your goal of having a well behaved, healthy, and happy pooch! All it takes to achieve this a little patience, and the proper knowledge.