Coping With the Death of your Dog
February 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Training
The passing away of your dog is a sad time for all pet owners and a moment we all would like to avoid altogether although it is a natural process of losing a good friend or family member there are options that can make dealing with the situation better.
It is certainly can be a big shock to you when you find out your pet has passed away and the first reaction could be that of denial. Denial is a common occurrence when dealing with loss or finding out when someone your love has passed away. This is due to your body not wanting to deal with the blow of a pet’s death and it then tries to block it out like nothing has happened.
It is generally better to accept the situation of your dogs’ death if possible, this may be hard to come to terms with for many on such an emotional time, so a burial or small gathering of friends and family who knew the dog to say a final farewell may be a good idea, and it will help you accept the current situation.
Anger and blame may be a result of the shock and you may feel like this is a way to release the emotion you are feeling and pass it on to someone else. Veterinarians go through a tuff process to get to the standard of a professional vet, and for good reason, they care for the work they do. Blaming your vet should not be an option and they are always looking out for the best interest of your dog no matter what you might think when grieving your dogs’ death. Avoid this type of behaviour as it helps no one and it will only turn into guilt on your emotions start to calm down.
When the bad news finally hits home the grieving will start and your emotions will be too much to control, it’s good to let your emotional feelings out as this helps the situation greatly. Keeping yourself overly busy is not recommended like many people do, the emotions will need to come out sometime and it has to happen to stop the feeling of emptiness. Try finding groups of others in your community or internet that can relate to your problems and talk to family and friends about your feelings. The more support you get the quicker you will learn to look back on how happy you’re dog was and how much fun you had together.
Useful Ideas on Potty Training a Dog
February 25, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Training
Copyright (c) 2007 Mendy Stern
Potty training a dog is one of the first things every dog owner faces. Many times it is harder than it sounds and owners get frustrated when they really should not be. Here are a few ideas that will help you with potty training that you can start right away with.
You want to make sure that your dog is eating healthy meals with out sugar and fiber. Make sure that you do not feed your dogs treats in between meals. By giving your dog healthy food it will help them with there teeth and there coat.
When you do find the healthy food for your dog be sure you stick to a good routine for them on when they eat and go to the bathroom.
When you and your dog wake in the morning take them out to go the bathroom. Then feed your dog at the same time and put some water next to the food. After about thirty minutes take your dog outside to the bathroom.
A lot of times dogs drink to much and that is why they have accidents in the home. You dog needs to stay on a routine and it will help them know when it is time to go outside to the bathroom.
Approximately twenty to thirty minutes after your dog eats it will be ready to have a bowel movement. Again get in a routine and take your dog outside to go to the bathroom. Using this routine will prevent accidents in your home.
If you have a specific spot you want your dog to go to the bathroom in your yard just take your dog on a leash to that spot every time and praise them every time they go. That will become their spot all of the time.
One command you can use is “Go potty!” and they should go. If they do not go right away go back in your house. Do not play with your dog or get them excited at all. Then in fifteen minutes take them out again and see if they will go. Be sure and praise them when you get the results you wanted.
Hopefully you will find these ideas on potty training a dog useful. Your dog just wants to please you and by sticking with the information above it will help you potty train your dog and allow them to do just that.
3 Things You Must Know Before Adopting Husky Puppies
February 24, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
When it comes to choosing a pet dog, people always seem to have a liking for husky puppies. This is mainly due to the fact that they are by nature very active, and that they are not aggressive at all. The husky puppy is an ideal companion for you if you are looking for a dog that is friendly and “caring” towards you. As most huskies have good temperament, dog owners will have a much easier time training their dogs. All of the above reasons justify why husky puppies are such popular choices among dog owners.
After reading the above paragraph, it might seem that the husky puppy is a flawless breed of dogs. However, this might not be the case. Adopting a husky puppy is not as simple as it appears to be. Health related problems will start to surface if they are not well taken care of. You will encounter other problems such as preparing the right diet for the your husky. Therefore, there are 3 things you must know before adopting husky puppies.
Tip #1: General Health and Well-being
Husky puppies are very enthusiastic when they meet new people. Therefore, the puppies should be very active and lively when they see you. Some of the actions they will do to welcome strangers will be actions such as wagging their tails and barking softly. These puppies will appear to be very approachable and therefore, you should not have any fear of the puppies biting you. However, if the husky puppies appears to be very lifeless and looks aggressive towards you, you should have your alarm raised. When husky puppies behave in such a way, they are most probably suffering from some sort of dog-related diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to share this behaviour of the puppies with the pet shop owner and advise them to bring the ill puppies to the vet. If the shop owner insists on not doing so, you will need to source for another place to get your husky puppy.
Tip #2: Health and diet
In order to ensure that the husky puppy that you bought from the pet shop is healthy, you should consult a vet for advice and do a full body check-up to see if there is any disease that requires the vet’s attention. Another thing to take note of is that you have to look thoroughly through the dog’s fur and coating to ensure that the dog does not have any spots. As for their daily meals, it is recommended that for each meal, at least 65% of it should be protein. However, it is hard to find any dog food that contains protein rate that is as high as 65%. For that reason, husky puppies owner prefer to prepare their own food for their beloved dogs.
Tip #3: Temperament
Although husky puppies are gentle and have tolerating tempers, people are misled into thinking that all huskies are “safe” to be brought home. As such, what is true of a group might not be true for an individual. This applies to the scenario of husky puppies as well. Some puppies can have very arrogant attitude and behaves aggressively against strangers. Therefore, you should have a so called “trial period” with the pet dog before deciding to adopt that husky.
In conclusion, you should get to know the health, diet and temperament of the husky before making any impulse purchases. Most importantly, pay attention to the 3 things you must know before becoming adopting a husky puppy.
Teaching Basic Obedience Skills to your Dog
It is really challenging as well as exciting to teach the basic obedience skills to your dog when teaching is avoid of any type of punishment or humiliation. Your endurance will surely make you a good teacher and your dog a good learner.
Dogs generally get distracted pretty easily because of their short attention spans. Therefore select of a place that is free of other distractions such as other pets, children or loud noises for training is important. Remember not to exceed your training period more than 30 minutes because the dog gets restless and easily distracted. Paying attention to your commands will be the beginning of your first lesson in obedience. Start calling your dog by his name and then follow using a keyword like “watch” or “look” after your dog gets acquainted with his name. Once you find your dog going well with your commands you get the signal to step forward for the next step of your teaching. Doing some attention exercises for a short length of time will help your dog to be able to pay attention to your commands. For this you need to hold a toy or dog treat in near your mouth and then give him the keyword command. Praise him, for each time he takes the time to watch because this will encourage him to increase the time of paying attention to you. Try getting him to watch for at least a minute. Let him know that he is doing a good job by rewarding him. Dogs learn best this way.
To make your dog pleasant to be around you need to teach him the basic obedience commands that begins with the word “sit”. Help him to understand your command by gently pushing his backside down. Next basic obedience command will be “down.” this command will stop them from pouncing or jumping which they usually do to express their excitement which may be not liked by some people around. Help him to understand your command by placing their legs down if required. Next is the command of “stay” which is especially over-ruly dog. Putting something desirable on the ground and commanding to “Stay’ when you see your dog approaching toward it. Once he begins to become obedient in this area, do the same exercise by moving farther away from him and if he tries to breach the rules then tell him “stay” which will convey that even though you are moving away you expect him to continue to obey.
Frustration can lead you to cause pain to your dog if you find your dog not learning properly but remember animals are like children. They also need time, love and care to learn.
The Development of your Puppy
February 22, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
The progression of a puppy in the first ten weeks is very important. Just like a human baby, a puppy needs lots of love and care. There are many factors which can hinder a puppy’s physical & mental growth.
The First Two Weeks
A puppy is born blind and deaf, and for the first two weeks of his life, he doesn’t do a lot except sleep (around 90 percent of the time) and eat. While he can’t hear or see, he can feel and smell, and the combination enables him to find the all-important nipples on his mother. The mother dispenses milk that contains antibodies that help the pup survive for six to ten weeks. Propelling the pup to his mother are very undeveloped and weak legs. The puny legs also allow the puppy to huddle together with his siblings. The legs develop somewhat while the puppies are asleep because they twitch, something called “activated sleep.”
The puppy is nurtured by his mother, of course, which includes his mom licking his belly, which stimulates the little creature to defecate and urinate.
Depending on how the mother feels, human beings may or may not be allowed to pick up and nurture the puppies every day. When this occurs, it helps man and dog bond more easily.
The Third Week
During this week, the puppy’s other senses start to operate. He can detect light and dark, as well as movement, and will respond to large or sudden sounds. He will start to interact with his brothers and sisters, and he starts developing social skills by this interaction, i.e., feeling them with his paws and snout.
He learns to crawl, and his tail begins to wag. He can also venture from his mother to urinate on his own. In some cases, puppies, though not weaned, can be fed liquid food suggested by a veterinarian.
The Fourth and Fifth Weeks
During this period, the puppy’s muscular development increases to the point where he can walk, run, and pounce on his littermates. It is a period of endless exploration, and the puppy’s interaction with his siblings teaches him a lot, including when he’s biting too hard - which elicits a tough response from a littermate - and where he belongs in the aristocracy of the pack - he will alternately sleep at the bottom and top of the puppy pile.
If the puppy is misbehaving, Mom occasionally may get involved by growling at him. This discipline sharpens the puppy’s sense of right and wrong, which can make training easier. The human training process becomes so much harder if the puppy is not disciplined by his mother, like dogs that are orphaned.
The puppy is likely to stop suckling during this time as his teeth develop. Mom will chew, swallow and bring up food for her puppy to eat, which he is able to do in the fourth week.
The fourth week is usually the time when fear is developed: Most of a puppy’s fears are picked up by instinct from his mother, and will include growing scared of his owner if he is treated badly.
The latter portion of this time is when the puppy starts to become socialized with the human family, becoming more aware of the sights and sounds in the house, as well as interacting more with individual members.
The Sixth and Seventh Weeks
This is a time of wonder and curiosity for the young pup, but he is also very sensitive to emotional harm. His emotions will be revealed; he’ll start barking to get attention, whining to show fear, and whimpering if hurt. Take care not to scare or upset him in any way. It’s best that the dog be allowed to relate one on one with a human being, allowing trust to start to build. It is also a time of great fan. He should be given a supply of toys, because he will be very rambunctious and needs them to interact. If he goes too far when playing, his mother will put him in his place. When the puppies are weaned, have their own teeth, and can eat by themselves, the mother dog assumes the role of alpha or pack leader. The mother will show her puppies - using toys - when it’s appropriate to bite.
Puppies will also attack each other to establish dominance and to determine who the alpha is.
The Eighth Week
During the eighth week, the puppy will start to develop bathroom habits. He will use his own place to go, and it won’t be near where he eats. He will look for a place to relieve himself by sniffing about. The eighth week is also a crucial time in socialization - this is the time when fears can be established. You should take care to make sure that all the puppy’s experiences are positive ones, or he may carry around the fear for life. For this reason it is preferable to wait until after the eighth week to take a puppy to his new home. For example, if the puppy gets carsick, he may be afraid of cars, and it will take a lot of training and desensitization to get him to enjoy riding in one.
The Tenth Week
Now the puppies stop battling each other - the alpha and omega in the litter have been established. This is the best time to get a sense of a puppy’s personality. Any fear the puppy might have experienced in a strange place stops - he is ready to find a new home.
Pug Dogs Information - What are Pug Dogs?
Pug dogs are great all around dog breeds, distinguished canine and the cutuest, most lovable dog out there! Pug Dogs are small sized “Toy” Dog, tiny little-built and sweet-natured breed that are so named because of its habit of staring in the air looking clueless even for it’s pug owners.
By nature, Pugs are companion dogs, which is suitable for family and safe with children. Throughout history pugs are commonly known as:
- natural theraphy dog
- companion dog
- stubborn dog
- house dog
Pugs are definitely not trained for as:
- hunting dog
- police dog
- seeing-eye dog for the blind
- fighting dog in the once popular sport of dog fighting.
Pugs are clasified similar to Pekingese, Japanese Spaniels and Toy Poodles. Pugs are also known as Chinese Pug, Mops, Puggu, Carli and Dutch Bulldog.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorizes dogs into 7 groups of herding, hound, non-sporting, sporting, terrier, toy and working. And the largest sized registered in the Toy category is the Pug.
No doubt the Pug Dogs make for great utility dog but the greatest advantage to owning one is that Pug Dogs can be your most outstanding companion on four legs and great source of personal fulfillment.
By the way, the AKC registered over 150 different breeds totaling nearly one million dogs. To put that in perspective, the animal shelters in America rescue up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year and 25% of these are purebreds.
Devoted and glad owners of Pug Dogs have come up with a long list of attributes and traits of their favorite pet that include:
Even-Tempered
Stuborn
Strong and stable
Sturdy built (although small-sized)
Delicate (but not as delicate as other “Toy” dog)
Loyal
Expressive
Extremely Affectionate
Charming
Lively
Boundless energy
Brave
Canine clown
Drive owners to distraction
Easy going
Compliant
Courageous
Devoted
Family dog
Friendly
Intelligent
Intuitive
Keen judge of character
Loving
Loyal Patient with children
People dog
Easy going
Playfulness
Self-assured
Smart
Soulful
Spirited
People dog
Good natured dog
Wonderful pet
And you can add to the list…
The Pug Dog’s history could be traced back to the Shang Dynasty in East China, where it was solely kept by monks. That probably explained why Pug is a natural therapy dog. Pugs were then spread over to Tibet, Japan and finally Europe. Pug breeds only reaches United States in the 19th century and recognised by the AKC in 1885. Since then, pugs were widely accepted at home and show ring. The Pug Dogs as we know it today is a large round headed face in proportion to its body sized. When stand up with its four very strong, straight moderate length leg, it stays firmly on the ground with poise. It’s muzzle is short and wringkle expressed around its face. Its usually available in fawn or black coloured.
Natural Therapy Pug dog: Within the canine world, Pug Dogs are small-sized dog standing at less than kneecap height for a full-grown pugs, and weighs some 14 to 18 pounds.
It has a striking charming playful look with its short muzzle, big gigantic round eyes, short neck and muscled body, make pugs a very sturdy yet expressive silhouette. Also because of this, pugs often breath through its mouth, as much as through their nose.
The ears are cropped, and they are not shy from barking to get their owners attention. This specialy human kind of dog, perform what normal human being do, which includes snoring, grunting, growling, whinning, woofing and farthing!!
The shortened muzzle makes pug panting for breath any may cause health problem for the Pug Dogs.
The coat is short, shinny and smooth, and possesses a natural sheen that can be enhanced with rubdowns with a chamois cloth (especially after a bath).
Despite short coat, pug couldn’t protect him well from extreme elements of the weather and thus Pug Dogs should definitely not be kept outdoors. It is a housedog, sensitive to extreme temperature, and does not enjoy the summer heat or excessive exercises.
Pug Dogs come in attractive basic colors of fawn and black. The fawn coloured pug is usually chosen by pug lovers because of it enables pug lovers to distinguish its wrinkled faced with its coat color. Though, less known, the only Pug to earn Utility Dog Excellent degree from the AKC is a black Pug.
If you your home is dull and boring, you will be assured that the presence of pug will definitely stirred up the environment and bring happiness to your home with pug’s playfullness and their devotion to its owner. It can changed the moods of its master and adopting one could bring you 9 to 11 years of joyful companionship. In exceptional cases the Pug can live up to 15 years.
Pug Dogs As Pet
Pug Dogs although low-maintenance (because of small consumption of food compared to other breeds), it requires your consistent attention, exercise, human interaction, consistent obedience training and lots of love. You cannot leave them to their own design for too long or they get separation anxiety, lonely, bored and into trouble.
Although being a small but sturdy dog, as well as a highly intelligent one, Pug Dogs need both physical and mental stimulations to keep them even-tempered while still keeping their affections and loyalty in tact.
All the best!!!
Warm regards,
Ken Tan
A Pugs Enthusiast
Caring For Your Dogs Teeth
February 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Health
Similar to people, your dogs teeth need to remain clean, and free from decay and infection. When they eat, plaque can collect on their teeth. Left unchecked, the plaque can turn into tartar. Eventually, an infection can emerge causing severe discomfort and pain for your dog. Many owners, perhaps from negligence, fail to keep their dogs teeth in good condition. Below, we will describe a few measures you can take to help ensure that your dogs teeth are clean, healthy, and free from problems.
Brushing Your Dogs Teeth
Your dogs teeth need to be brushed a couple of times each week at a minimum. This helps them to remain clear of plaque, and thereby prevents the build up of tartar. When you brush his teeth, do not use the toothpaste from your grocery store. The mint taste may be pleasant for you, but it can be excruciating for your dog due to his heightened level of smell. Visit a pet supply store to purchase a toothpaste that is formulated for dogs. They will also carry special toothbrushes that are designed to reach your dogs teeth.
Chewing For Good Dental Hygiene
When dogs chew on food or toys, the process can keep their teeth clean. For example, dog biscuits are usually hard and break easily. The small bits from the broken biscuits rub against your dogs teeth, effectively keeping the plaque and tartar from collecting. Of course, chewing shouldn’t take the place of brushing, but it is an alternative for owners who are too busy to brush their dogs teeth. Ideally, you should brush his teeth a couple of times each week and allow him to chew biscuits throughout the week.
Time For The Dentist?
Occasionally, your dog will need to have his teeth professionally cleaned by a veterinarian. Even with diligent brushing and constant chewing, bacteria can build in the crevices between his teeth. With enough time, that bacteria can grow and enter your dogs body, causing harm and impacting his overall health.
Typically, a veterinarian will use an anesthesia to keep your dog sedated during the cleaning process. Then, an x-ray will be taken to examine his teeth more clearly. If the veterinarian does not find any teeth that have been damaged or have become abscessed, he will perform the cleaning. Otherwise, he may suggest that your dog receive a root canal or other procedure.
Only One Set
Your dog has only one set of teeth and can not afford to lose them. To keep them clean and healthy, brush them regularly and give your dog plenty of opportunity to maintain their cleanliness through chewing. Then, schedule a visit to the veterinarian to have your dogs teeth cleaned professionally. Through regular dental care, you can prevent your dog from enduring discomfort and pain.
Dog Training: How To Perfectly Potty Train Your New Puppy
February 17, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Training
If you have ever been the proud owner of a new puppy, chances are that you know what it feels like to step in a warm puddle in the middle of the night…on your new carpet…in your best socks. It can be a very frustrating thing when your new puppy just refuses to use the bathroom outside, and it is easy to feel like there is no end in sight. Luckily, there are some ways to perfectly potty train your new puppy, and although it won’t happen overnight persistence and some good carpet cleaner should get you through the rough spots in your potty training experience.
To help in your endeavors to get your floor back and put the carpet cleaner away for good, here are a few tips on training your puppy to use the bathroom in the right spot, all the time.
Remember: Puppies are Like People Too
First off, it is important to remember that your puppy is like a miniature four-legged person, and a young one at that. The younger your puppy is, the more trouble they are bound to have with this potty training experience and for this reason it is important to practice as much patience as you can. Getting frustrated does not help matters at all, but remembering that your pet has a personality, a will, and a learning curve all their own may help you along the way.
Punish the Deed, Not the Dog
One of the mistakes that many frustrated pet owners make when potty training their pet is to discipline their pet’s accidents by way of physical punishment. Spanking your pet is not going to be the solution to your dog’s bathroom problems and antagonizing them may only make matters worse. Remember that dogs have a tendency to be very willful actions, and while some type of negative reinforcement is in order when accidents do occur, rolling up a newspaper and swatting them with it may not always be the best idea. Also, keep in mind that someday your dog may be as big as you are; what will you do at that point?
Be Sure to Fulfill Your End of the Bargain
You cannot expect your pet to grab a newspaper and a match and head to the bathroom every time Mother Nature calls; potty training is a 50/50 responsibility between a pet who should be picking up on a bit of training, and a puppy parent whose responsibility it is to facilitate and enforce the potty training ideas and principles. No matter how well trained your dog is bound to be, refusing to let them out as often as necessary is a surefire way to get your potty training methods to backfire on you big time.
Be as Consistent as Possible
Being consistent is one of the most necessary aspects of potty training for your puppy. If you want them to learn that outside is where they need to get when the urge strikes them, you must be available to let them out or have some alternative worked out. Never allow them to get away with using the bathroom in an undesignated area; while spanking them may not always be the best idea it is important for them to know that they must always use the bathroom in the designated spot and that the floor in your home and other unauthorized areas is never okay.
Consider Crate Training
Crate training is one of the most commonly used tools between pet owners when it comes to potty training new puppies. Dogs are a bit cleaner than you think, and chances are that if they only area they have to defecate in is their living space, they will do their best to hold it. Looking into a crate is a great way to enhance your potty training methods, not to mention the fact that your furniture and houseplants will survive much longer as well.
Potty training your new puppy doesn’t have to be the nightmare that so many people make it out to be. Make sure that you are aware of what you are doing, and seek help from your veterinarian if you think there may be other problems involved. Also, it might be helpful to get to know your dog a little better so you can anticipate the best way for them to learn. Potty training can come easy, and with a little help and a lot of patience you will have your home back in no time!
Why Do Dogs Need Toys?
Dogs are just dogs right? If they still lived in the wild and weren’t domesticated they wouldn’t have dog toys would they?
Well actually it’s because they are domesticated that our dogs need toys to replace activities or replicate in part, the lifestyle they would have experienced as wild animals.
The toys we provide our dogs meet these needs and help our dogs remain fit, well adjusted animals.
I like to categorise dog’s toys into four types:
1. Chewing Toys
Dogs need to chew, for a number of different reasons throughout their life stages. So, give your dogs items they are allowed to chew, and don’t leave them to pick on your prized possessions.
Puppies chew in order to ease tension, soothe their gums and to loosen puppy teeth to make way for their new teeth.
Adult dogs Chew to help maintain their jaw muscles, dogs also use chewing to pass time when on their own or ease boredom.
In senior dogs chewing the right things as well as helping ease boredom, also helps to avoid gum disease and tooth problems
2. Activity Toys
Activity dog toys help to keep domestic dogs fit and in addition to a healthy diet help to keep our pet dogs, in good shape, burning off calories that would otherwise be unused. Used wisely activity toys will also help to strengthen a dog’s muscles, which along with diet, reinforces good bone structure.
Regular interaction with constructive play will help build good relations with your dog these activities can be used to encourage good behaviour in your pet. For example the throwing of a favourite retrieval toy can be used as a reward for sitting or staying.
The choice of activity dog toys these days is huge, with the traditional Balls, Frisbees and Fetch toys coming in a bewildering number of varieties and materials.
When not sleeping, puppies go through periods in the day when they have a huge amount of energy to burn. Care should be taken not to over exercise, but plenty of varied play will help build bonds with owners and avoid destructive tendencies showing.
Adult dogs need exercise to keep muscles, bones and organs working in top order. The right amount of active play will also help to avoid periods of boredom in a normal healthy adult. This will help to reduce the risk of destructive or attention seeking tendencies manifesting themselves in your pet.
Regular but reduced amounts of activity will help maintain healthy joints in a senior dog.
3. Reward Toys
As wild animals it would be rare for dogs to spend time on their alone, but as domestic pets most will spend time on their own at some stage. Because boredom can lead to destructive behaviour, it is essential that you provide your dog with appropriate toys that fight monotony and offer enticing play, sometimes this may be met with a reward such as carefully hidden treat.
Apart from having chew toys available, your puppy will react well to having toys that reward him by reacting with sound, movement or giving treats. This is another way of avoiding destructive behaviour.
Many adult dogs respond well to having a toy that will help them to stay alert or be challenged when left on their own.
4. Soothing or Comfort Toys
These toys are not necessarily needed by all types of dogs, however there may be many times in a dog’s life when the need to soothe and calm is required. Travel, trips to the vet, illness or noisy periods are all times when aid in calming and soothing could be beneficial.
A comfort toy can ease the separation from a mother or smooth the transition from being a litter member
In addition providing comfort toys are usually tough enough to allow adult dogs to carry them around, often adult or maturing dogs will occupy themselves with a mock kill game.
Dog Behavior Training – How Much Does Professional Dog Training Cost?
February 15, 2010 by admin
Filed under Dog Training
Dogs can be very difficult animals to deal with from time to time, some breeds and types can be especially difficult to train and control. No mater how much time and effort you seem to be putting in, your efforts give no results.
Don’t worry too much about persistently training you dog, it might not be your fault your dog is disobedient, people in different circumstances may be failing to train their dog for very simple reasons, whether it be your tone of voice, not having enough time to give your dog due to other commitments like work or hobbies, or your children throwing all the basic dog training rules out the window. Here we will try to educate you on the difference a professional dog trainer could have on your dog’s obedience, and how much it will cost.
The options available for dog training
Group dog training sessions locally - four to eight weekly 1 hour sessions for around $40 - $130 (£20 - £70).
Private dog trainers visiting your home or work place to give personal training to your dog for around $25 - $110 (£13 - £55) per hour.
Dog boarding kennel where your dog lives with the trainer for around 2 – 4 weeks getting many hours of professional dog behaviour training a day for around $1000 – $2,500(£550 – £1,300).
What you get for your money
So what do you get for your money? Many dog trainers concentrate on different areas of your dog’s obedience and you will usually get a much better service for the more money you pay. Standard training classes and trainers will concentrate on addressing the chewing, barking, biting and digging aspects of your dog’s behavior. Hand signals may also be covered in dog obedience classes along with showing you, the owner how to handle trickier situations that can only be over come at home like housetraining.
General guidelines for hiring a dog trainer are to always research the dog trainer well, find out qualifications the dog trainer has in his area of expertise and seek advice and information for other dog owners who have had their dogs trained previously. Get to know your trainer well before handing your dog over to him/her and make sure you are comfortable in the methods he/she uses.






