admin answers:

The other trainer that was hired at my store teaches a training method called the compulsive learning theory. Basically it states the dog obeys to avoid punishment. If he was a real trainer who is up to date on the proven positive methods, he would know that dogs learn best by a positive based punishment rather than a physical one. In short I have seen this brut of a man hang and jerk aggressive dog via on leashes. He has even gone as fare as pinching the whisker glands on the dog to get them to obey. Some of you may not see the problem in this, but as someone who has gone to school to study dog behavior, it is insulting and honestly if I can be so bold cheating clients in thinking this is the right way into training dogs. If anyone wants to have a good dog trainer here are the list of criteria that will insure you they are good teachers:
1) Ask if they have a valid Dog training certificate from a positive training school( look up the school via google)
2) Ask if they use prong choke or shocks collars in training. They say yes to any of them DO NOT GO WITH THEM!
3) Do they use any physical correction with there hands in training? The answer should be no.
4) Ceaser Mulan or Victoria Stillwell? If it Ceaser they love, I promise you they will screw up your dog.
5) Ask where the training will be. Outside?How many dogs? Is it sanitary?

In my expeirance pet store trainers have little or no knowledge on how to properly train dogs. I have met many and have seen their classes. Best advice is to get a personal trainer who can come to your home and let your dog be in it’s own home where he will learn the best.

And in case your are wondering where my education comes from here is the school I am going to
animalbehaviorcollege.com. Same school Victoria Stilwell from ” It’s me or the Dog” graduated from. That and also I had to work on an externship for 7 months versing myself in different AKC breed groups. Am I educated? Yes. Do I know my material? Yes. Am I a dog whisper? No. I am a person who can get into about a 90% radius of what your dog may be thinking. Thank you for this question, and if you ever have training questions feel free to ask me. ^_^

Dare2howl@yahoo.com

admin answers:

They can be used instead of a chain (collar). The fabric is easier on fragile necks than the regular chain collar. When adjusted properly, it will not close around the neck like a chain collar But you still get the chain sound of the correction. I do not reccommend a flat, chain or martingale for a dog that has pulling issues. For that a prong collar used correctly is actually much safer for the trachea as it stops the pulling with the least pressure on the trachea.

I use the martingale for my two poms. Poms have delicate neck and also they have large heads compared to their necks and a regular chain collar is too long when it is long enough to get over their heads. The martingale can be adjusted after it is put on so the chain does not hang down too low. They do not have pulling issues but a quick jiggle of the chain will put them back into proper position. Plain flat collars are too damaging for small dog’s necks when training or the dog is pulling. They have no “give” and no warning “jiggle”.

admin answers:

Much older than a puppy.

In my opinion, shock collars shouldn’t be used to *teach* anything – they should be used to *proof* what has already been taught by positive training, rewards (not just treats) and corrections.

admin answers:

It can be overwhelming at first trying to choose a food, especially when you’re just starting to learn about all the stuff that goes into dog food and hearing about a bunch of brands that aren’t advertised.

But remember, it’s dog food, not rocket science. Relax and try out a few foods, see which high-quality one works for you and your dog.

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There is no food that is the *best*, different individual dog may thrive on different foods. What is best for one may not be the best for the next. And just because a food is good quality, it doesn’t mean it will jive the best for your dog.

What you want to find is the HIGH-QUALITY food that *your dog* does best on.

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Read the ingredients before you buy.

Here is my “short list” of rules when I am looking at dog food ingredients:
1) When I chose a dog food, I chose one high meat content. I want to see preferably at least 2-3 out of the top 5 ingredients be meat or meat meal (first ingredient must be!). Meal is simply the meat with the moisture removed.
2) I want to see higher quality grains, such as barley, brown rice, and oatmeal, instead of seeing wheat and corn. Or an alternative starch/carbohydrate such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.
3) I don’t want to see any byproducts.
4) I don’t want to see a lot of fillers.
5) I don’t want to see preservatives that are believed to be carcinogens (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin).
6) I don’t want to see artificial colorings such as the Red, Blue, and Yellow dyes.
7) I don’t want to see added sugars (sugar, corn syrup).
8) I don’t want to see mystery meats (meats identified only as “meat” or “poultry”.)

Here is an article about byproducts:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=ingrd

And an article on what ingredients to avoid:
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

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Here are some examples of GOOD dog foods:
* Artemis (Fresh Mix)
* Blue Buffalo
* California Natural
* Canidae
* Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
* Eagle Pack Holistic Selects
* EVO
* Fromm
* Innova
* Merrick
* Nature’s Variety
* Orijen
* Solid Gold
* Taste of the Wild
* Timberwolf Organics
* Wellness
* ZiwiPeak

Or check this website; the 4, 5, or 6 star rated foods are all good foods. Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

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Higher quality food may seem more expensive at first, but it evens out. The higher quality the food, the less fillers eaten (and therefore the less poop comes out the other end). Your dog eats more of a low-quality food to try to get the nutrition it needs, and most of the food just passes right on through. Also, higher-quality food will make your animals healthier, so you save money on vet bills in the long run.

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What *NOT* to buy:

Stay away from grocery stores brands. They are low-quality foods chalk full of fillers, preservatives, dyes, etc.. (Grocery store foods are those like Beneful, Old Roy, Alpo, Pedigree, Purina, etc.)

Beware “premium” foods. “Premium” does not always mean good nutritionally, and is not a nutritionally high quality food. Most of these foods have the same types of ingredients as grocery store foods, just a bit better quality of those not-so-good ingredients. (Premium foods are those like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Bil-Jac, Royal Canin, etc..)

Another thing to be wary of: A lot of vets will recommend what they sell in their office. They get profit from the brands they keep on their shelves, that’s why they push it. Truth is, vet schools don’t focus a lot on nutrition. It’s not saying that a vet is a bad vet because he recommends those foods, a lot of vets just are told “this is good food”, so they pass the message along without proper nutrition knowledge. Also, some dog food brands (like Hills) support vet schools, so vets have heard of it from the time they start college, which makes them think it’s good as well.

Hills company, the makers of Science Diet, are heavily involved in vet schools. “Hill’s scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine” (Source of quoted section: http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575 )

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“Big box” petstores like Petco and Petsmart rarely have quality foods. (I do believe that PetCo sells “Solid Gold” and “Natural Balance” brands and Petsmart sells “Blue Buffallo”, which are all higher quality foods, but most of the foods aren’t.)

Also, grocery stores and Walmart aren’t good places to buy food either.

Your best bets for getting quality dog food are:
– small, locally owned petstores
– dog boutiques
– farm supply stores

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When switching foods, do it gradually. I do this over about a two week timespan:
25% food A, 75% food B
50% food A, 50% food B
75% food A, 25% food B
100% food A
.

admin answers:

If you can buy it in the supermarket, it’s probably not good for your dog…the brands you mention are all literally garbage…they will provide some calories to keep a dog alive, but have very little nutritional value at all…

Not familiar with the brand you switched to (I feed Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover’s Soul at the moment) but see the source links for some info…the first is a good guide on the types of ingredients you do and do not want in your dog’s food…the 2nd is a review of a number of the “better” dog foods (better than anything you’ll find in the grocery store)…

Why are the brands you mention unhealthy??? They are loaded with fillers and animal parts there was no other use for…I shoot for a food with “human grade” ingredients…

admin answers:

Http://www.dogaware.com/ – information on commercial dog foods, ingredients to avoid, good and bad human foods, supplements and raw diets.

Http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ – in-depth reviews on dog food brands and their ingredients

Wellness & Wellness CORE, Solid Gold, Taste of the Wild, Timber Wolf Organics, California Naturals, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, Merrick, Canidae, Blue Buffalo, By Nature, Eagle Pack Holistic, Innova & EVO, Instinct and Orijen