Terriers are known for their distinctive fiesty personalities. Naturally tenacious, these lively little dogs require owners who are willing to provide lots of physical and mental stimulation

The dog breeds that are included in the Non-Sporting group vary greatly in appearance and abilities.

Dear Adam:

[Note to readers: These questions are follow ups from issues discussed in my book, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm ]

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book:
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

For more dog training information, visit the following links:

Main site: Dog Training
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer Book–
http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm
Dog Training Articles: http://www.dogproblems.com/articles.htm
Dog Training products: http://www.dogproblems.com/products.htm
Dog Training Discussion Forum: http://www.dogproblems.com/dogtalk/

Hi Adam,

[To read about the book he’s referring to, take a look at:
http://www.dogproblems.com/newvideos.htm ]

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book:
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

For more dog training information, visit the following links:

Main site: Dog Training
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer Book–
http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm
Dog Training Articles: http://www.dogproblems.com/articles.htm
Dog Training products: http://www.dogproblems.com/products.htm
Dog Training Discussion Forum: http://www.dogproblems.com/dogtalk/

Dogs bark for a number of reasons. Sometimes these can be good reasons such as to warn of an intruder or to express fright or pain. Sometimes these can be “bad” reasons as far as humans are concerned – attempts to sound menacing or simply to get attention fall into this category. Whatever the reason for a dog’s barking, it can often be considered a nuisance by the dog’s owners and their neighbors alike. Because of this there are several methods employed to control a barking dog.

Training

By far the best method of controlling incessant barking is to train the dog not to bark or, more specifically, to bark only at the appropriate times. There are several ways to accomplish this, but dog trainers usually agree that traditional reward and reprimand systems are the most effective and the kindest to use.

Some people opt for an electronic “bark collar” as a shortcut to training the dog themselves. The collar contains an electronic device which is activated by the action of the dog barking. The device issues a small electric shock which pains and startles the dog. Eventually the dog is able to associate the negative stimulus with the barking and stops doing it.

The problems with these systems are multiple, however. Some dogs simply don’t learn that the barking is the cause of the negative stimulus, and continue to bark despite the discomfort it causes. Particularly hairy dogs may not even feel the shock or activate the device because its metal points must contact the skin directly in order to deliver the shock. Also, the collar itself is not enough and must be backed up with training anyway. It is a bad idea to use the collars for an extended period of time.

Some owners find the concept of delivering an electric shock to the dog to be “cruel.” While that may be a matter of personal opinion, the collars are proven to provide only minor discomfort for a short time and will not actually harm the dog. Another type of collar that operates on the same principle delivers a mist of citronella in front of the dog’s nose. Dogs hate the smell and soon realize that it is caused by the barking. Success rates for citronella collars are comparable to those of the electronic variety.

Surgery

By far the most extreme method of controlling a dog’s barking is to have it undergo debarking surgery. In this procedure a small fold of tissue is removed from the larynx of the dog, rendering it unable to bark. Some find this procedure to be inhumane and, since the dog’s bark may return after a few months anyway, it is certainly a less than perfect method which few vets will recommend.

About the Author

This article provided courtesy of http://www.dog-health-guide.net

Of course, we humans use shoes to protect our feet. We insist on it! But dogs usually don’t have that luxury, and routinely walk over ice, rock, grass, cement and soil on their bare paws. Their paws’ thick pads give them protection we don’t have, and that’s why they’re less susceptible to cuts and grazes. But this doesn’t mean a dog’s paws are indestructible. In fact, the areas between the pads are very sensitive and can suffer from cuts, burns, and other ailments.

One of the clues to a paw problem is when your dog comes back limping or favoring only one of its legs. The only way for you to narrow down the issue is to check his paw for any visible and physical signs of bleeding, swelling, redness or blisters.

Some dogs are very protective of their paws and don’t like people touching them — and they’ll let you know! Keep persisting. One of my dogs, who just hates having her paws touched, will usually relax when I gently reassure her that I’m only trying to help. Although dogs don’t understand many of our words, they do just fine at detecting our emotions, and sometimes intentions, from our actions and tone of voice.

If your dog has a cut, wash the wound with an antiseptic solution and apply a layer of antiseptic cream. Check the wound again the next day to see if it’s getting better. If it looks infected, you should bring your dog to the vet. I was once shocked to discover maggots wiggling inside a paw wound on my dog — ugh. Needless to say, we went to the vet immediately (she was fine after treatment).

In certain breeds, hair mats may grow between the pads, which can cause irritation. In these breeds, it’s essential to trim regularly between the mats to keep the paws in good shape. Even in other breeds, dogs that run outdoors can get mud trapped between the pads. Again, this will irritate the paw, so it’s best that you clean up with soap and water when you see mud between the toes.

Just as we humans get dry and cracked heels, dogs also experience dry and calloused paw pads. The solution for them is similar to ours — apply moisturizers. In fact, you can even use your hand moisturizer on your dog! But there’s a challenge involved: stopping your dog from licking it away after you apply it. A good trick is to apply the moisturizer right before your dog has his meal. This way, you can allow a little time for the moisturizer to settle in. Otherwise, you can play with your pooch to keep him occupied and restrain him if he starts licking his paws.

Finally, you probably have seen dogs in dog boots and wondered if these boots would effectively protect your dog’s feet. But your dog may be better off without them, as they can easily walk out of these boots — active, athletic dogs in particular. In the end, your dog will enjoy himself more walking on his own paws, with some occasional care and maintenance from you.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free toy dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog. http://www.poodle-oo.com/

Bringing home a Pug can change our life, but it is also a big responsibility. When you become a Pug owner, it is up to you to make sure that your pet’s needs are met including, proper care, a safe environment and lots of love! Caring for a dog is a commitment, but has many rewards.

One of the most important things you can do to make sure your Pug has all the tools he needs to stay safe is to give him obedience training. A dog that is not properly trained will be a nuisance to others, while one that has the appropriate obedience training is a pleasure to be around. Many a dog has been considered a “bad” dog when all he really needed was the owner to take the time out to train him properly.

If you train your dog properly, not only will he have some cool tricks to show off, but it will also add to his safety. If your dog is properly trained, then you will be able to call him back to you should he be heading towards a dangerous situation. A well trained Pug Will be well behaved around strangers and the family – an obedient companion. Plus the training process can help define you as the master and act as a bonding experience for you and your pet.

The Pug is a very sociable dog as well as being extremely smart and quite stubborn. They are sensitive so yelling at him will not help you in training. Since Pugs are very smart they will train easily but can get bored with the same old lessons so you must always be showing them new tricks.

Also important for the health of your Pug is to provide your dog with excellent veterinary care. He should have a checkup every year and please make sure all vaccinations are up to date. Anytime you notice a difference in your Pugs behavior, schedule a vet appointment right away. Even a subtle change could be a sign of trouble and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Have your Pug neutered or spayed - they WILL be much happier.

Providing a safe environment for your Pug especially when he is a puppy, can help eliminate unfortunate accidents. Make sure every room your dog has free access too is “dog proofed” and there are no sharp objects or small pieces laying around that he could step on or eat. When guests come over, or if the kids are running in and out, make sure they know not to leave the door open so the dog can get out. Refrain from feeding your Pug food from the table as some of it can be harmful.

Grooming your Pug can help your pet look and feel his best. Cleaning his ears, brushing his fur, trimming his nails – these all contribute to the overall health and happiness of your pooch. Proper dental care is the most important grooming task you can do for your Pug. Without regular brusing, bacteria can build up in your dogs mouth. This bacteria can break away and cause serious health problems for your dog. Make sure you brush at least a couple of times a week and have a dental check up every year!

Hopefully you’ll never need to act on it, but you should have a plan for the dog in case of emergency. Your dog may be helpless in an emergency such as a fire or gas leak, so you need to plan on someone in the family being the one who is responsible for getting the dog out. Also, it is a good idea to make sure you have a “babysitter” you feel safe leaving your dog with in case an emergency takes you out of town suddenly.

Welcoming a Pug into your home as a pet, you are making a lifetime commitment to provide everything he needs for a healthy and happy life. Some Pugs can live well into their teens with good care – hopefully yours will live at least that long and the rewards you get from the loyal companionship of your pet will far outweigh the commitment you make to his health.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins, a pet owner and dog lover, owns http://www.epet-center.com where you can find out more about pugs as well as other dog breeds, cats, birds, fish and ferrets. Learn more about the Pug at
http://www.epet-center.com/pugdogs.html

Just as humans allergies can show up as a sneeze or rash, your dog’s allergies can manifest as itchiness — or even ear infections. In fact, if your dog’s allergic to his food, it can cause him to scratch himself constantly, even with no obvious parasite problem.

Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention. Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your dog’s scratching habit.

Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let them help “clean up” the kitchen after a meal. Little do they know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it’s best to let dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they clearly adore and want what we’re eating!

Narrowing Down the Problem

To determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you’ll notice the effects. And if you still haven’t found the right (and wrong) ingredients, you’ll have to repeat the process all over again.

So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes — give your dog a brand or type of food he’s never eaten before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of protein source he hasn’t been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog food that doesn’t contain any of the ingredients you saw listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison — great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common proteins.

Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog’s allergies is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you’ll know exactly what he’s getting and what he isn’t — something that’s extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag. Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets. To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb — so long as your dog isn’t already eating lamb and possibly displaying a reaction to it.

Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic reactions don’t disappear overnight, you’ll need lots of time and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem — but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will probably make it all worth it.

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo: Fashion for Toy Dogs. Stop by for toy dog couture and home decor, free toy dog postcards and the Toy Dog Blog. http://www.poodle-oo.com/

Whether you are an amateur and have bought a puppy recently or have an unmanageable dog at home, don’t feel that his training can wait till you find a professional dog trainer, or that you are to inexperienced to train him. Your dog needs training and so do you. Training develops a sense of mutual respect between you and your new pet. You are always training your dog - whether intentionally or not, your dog is always learning from you.

Often there are several benefits if a dog is trained by his owner.

1) Bonding – A training phase means more communication with your dog. This means more understanding and mutual respect. When you start training your dog, start by doing very little correction at this stage. Instead of putting him in restrictions (like keeping your dog tied to a chain), use toys or food to motivate.
Remember you are training your dog to obey you. Too much restriction will result in making him adamant. Your dog should understand exactly what you want him to do and that takes time. So be patient when your dog disobeys at the initial stage. It might be simply because of 2 reasons.
a)Your dog does not understand you. Be patient in this case and repeat your instruction with body language.
b)The second is more typical, your dog does not find a reason to do what you say. Use a variety of methods of motivation by giving him toys or food.

2) Obedience – A good trained dog is an obedient dog. Proper training initiates respect from your dog. When your dog respects you, he is easier to manage. This will also mean that you will have to use less force or restrictions (like always keeping your dog chained up, or locking him up.)

3) Acceptance – You and your dog is more accepted in society and other places if he is manageable. A trained dog is easier to take along anywhere without being a nuisance.

4) A trained dog is a happy dog - A misbehaving dog can cause trouble not only to others and his owner and but also to himself, since if a dog misbehaves, he is bound to be chained up or locked up and thereby giving him less freedom. This causes anguish both on your side and your dog’s leaving you both strained up.
If your dog obeys you it is easier to give him more freedom and leave him unchained and that results in more fun and happiness. It is easy for you to leave your dog unlocked or even taking him out to play if he obeys you.

5) Training saves your dog’s life – Imagine anyone adopting or looking after a bully dog? On the other hand a trained dog can easily be given for adoption or to be looked after if you are moving to a different place or going out for a few days.

I would like to recommend “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” by Adam Katz. http://dogtraining.dotpacket.net . One of the reason I personally liked this book, is Adam methodically explains each stages of the training process, which according to him can be divided in 3 important phases - The Learning Phase, The Reinforcement Phase and The Proofing Phase.
Another thing that he mentions in the book is ‘consistency’ in training. In other words, insisting on a certain behavior every time. Once the dog has learned what the command means, he needs to be “re- taught” the command in a variety of different settings. Because he will more likely only associate response to the command in the initial setting you’ve trained him in, he needs to “relearn” the command in different types of areas.

The methods mentioned here are workable and easy to understand, although I do not say that this can be your complete guide book – you may not agree with a few methods and find a different approach better, I recommend that you read his arguments and then take your own decision. After all you know your dog and environment better, but the basic training methods and information I found in this book is priceless.

Check out other Dog training sites
Online Dog Training Site : http://dotpacket.net/dogonline
Step By Step Dog Training: http://dotpacket.net/dogstep
Potty Train your dog in 7 days : http://dotpacket.net/pottytrain

About the Author

I have found these sites very useful;
“Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” : http://dogtraining.dotpacket.net
Online Dog Training Site : http://dotpacket.net/dogonline
Step By Step Dog Training: http://dotpacket.net/dogstep
Potty Train your dog in 7 days : http://dotpacket.net/pottytrain

Opening your heart to a Pomeranian can be fun, but you must be willing to take on the responsibility of dog ownership. When you become a Pom owner, it’s up to to do everything in your power to make your pet’s life a happy one, the proper care, environment and companionship. If this sounds like a big commitment – it is! But rest assured, the rewards of pet ownership far outweigh the work you have to put into it.

An often overlooked, but very important step in caring for your Pomeranian is to insure that he is properly trained. A properly trained dog will be a pleasure to both strangers and his master, but a lot of people do not take this important step and then wonder why their dog is not “well behaved”. Many a dog has been considered a “bad” pet when all he really needed was the owner to take the time out to train him properly.

Proper training isn’t just about performing cool tricks, although that is one side benefit. A properly trained dog will be safer than one who is not trained. A properly trained dog will be obedient and come to your side should you need to call him out of harms way. A well trained Pomeranian will not be a nuisance to guests and training your dog is also a bonding experience and will enforce the fact that you are the “master”. You can train a dog on your own, or you can join an obedience training class and get instruction from professionals.

The Pom is an active dog who is intelligent courageous and a loyal companion. The Pomeranian may not interact well with small children and due to its small size can suffer abuse from children . The Pomeranian can make a good watch dog but can become to yappy if you do not train him to avoid excessive braking. The Pom may be hard to housebreak but are very smart and can be trained very quickly.

Another important part of Pomeranian ownership is to get regular vet checkups. A yearly check up is a must and he should have all his vaccinations kept up to date. Also, if you notice anything different in your Pomeranians behavior schedule a vet appointment right away. Oftentimes animals hide the fact that they are feeling sick and even a small change could indicate something more serious. Have your Pomeranian neutered or spayed - they WILL be much happier.

Providing a safe environment for your Pomeranian can eliminate unfortunate accidents in the home, especially for puppies. Be careful to pick up small objects your dog could ingest and make sure there are no unsafe places in the home. When guests come over, or if the kids are running in and out, make sure they know not to leave the door open so the dog can get out. Refrain from feeding your Pomeranian table scraps as some of it can actually harm your dog. Chocolate, in particular, can be lethal.

Grooming your Pomeranian not only helps him look his best but is also important to keep him in the best of health. Cleaning his ears, brushing his fur, trimming his nails – these all contribute to the overall health and happiness of your pooch. Proper dental care is the most important grooming task you can do for your Pomeranian. Without regular brusing, bacteria can build up in your dogs mouth. This bacteria can break away and cause serious health problems for your dog. Make sure you brush at least a couple of times a week and have a dental check up every year!

Finally, you need to have a plan in case something goes wrong. What if there is a fire or some other disaster? Make sure someone is responsible to get your pet out of the house in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to have a neighbor or friend that can take your pet on short notice should you be called away in an emergency.

When you let a Pomeranian into your home as a pet, you are making a lifetime commitment to provide everything he needs for a healthy and happy life. Some Pomeranians can live into the teens so consider your commitment carefully – in the end I think you will see that the rewards far outweigh the work involved in caring for a pet.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins is a Pomeranian lover and writes for http://www.pomeranian-pages.com. Find out more about this wonderful breed and how to best care for your Pom at http://www.pomeranian-pages.com/pomeranian-dog-care.html