Free Dog Training Tips
The Internet is the best and probably the most comprehensive source of information in the world; so, if you’re looking for free dog training tips to improve the relationship with your four-legged friend, run a simple search and see what you can find out. If you’re wondering about the reliability of the free dog training tips online, there is one way to get convinced, try them and see if there is noticeable progress in your dog’s behavioral patterns. If the Internet doesn’t suit your purposes, a friend who is also a dog owner may fill you in on some free dog training tips.
It is known fact that the greatest disadvantage about applying free dog training tips is that owners often don’t have enough time to devote to their pet. However, you can practice for instance the “sit” command together with other free dog training tips at any moment; you don’t need special preparation for that. You may even turn your attention to the dog during a commercial break for instance, or when playing “fetch”. Before throwing the ball, you can apply a simple free dog training tip or command: “sit” or “down” and continue with the game after the dog obeys it.
Many free dog training tips will help you teach your dog target focus: the simplest form of the kind is paw or touch. You actually get the animal focus on a specific area and then perform a certain action afterwards. Such free dog training tips are used in competitions as well as in daily life, when you want for instance to turn the pet’s attention from you. Moving and finding a specific place are forms of targeting and they are considered to be the first step towards retrieving. Free dog training tips applied for the matter will make you improve the relationship with the pet, it will move away from the couch for instance.
People who actually apply free dog training tips find it very entertaining for both parts involved; keep in mind that the first to benefit is your pet. By sticking to some free dog training tips not only will you save money, but you’ll also avoid specific mistakes that dog owners make, thus ruining their chances of ever growing an obedient animal.
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What’s The Best Dog Training Trick?
There are hundreds of dog training tricks, some are just basic commands, and others represent complex exercises. No matter what dog training tricks you intend to teach your dog, remember that the learning place mustn’t have any distracting element that could get the dog’s attention. Any exercise must contain many rewards as raising your voice won’t make the dog understand what you want, it will just get scared. Also remember that dog training tricks require a longer time interval to be taught, as too fast learning is almost impossible for any animal. Don’t leave your dog lose interest; simply stop when you feel tired or frustrated because the teaching process is too slow.
One of the best dog training tricks that everybody knows is the “Hello”, most of the audience will be impressed when your dog presents the paw. This is one of the first dog training tricks you can teach your pet. The following steps will help the pet learn further dog training tricks: make your dog sit in front of you, lift its paw gently and shake it easily, when you shake its paw reward it somehow. Repeat this dog training trick procedure constantly and don’t let it go unnoticed no matter the results. After the dog has learned to raise the paw when you stretch your hand in front, start repeating the word “Hello” each time the dog presents its paw. Though it is a simple dog training trick it always brings a smile on the face of any visitor and especially children, they will simply love it instantly.
Another dog training trick is the “Carry” command; it is both funny and useful. Most dogs love carrying bags and though it might look like a difficult to teach dog training trick it is not. The learning process consists of three steps. First, the dog will get used to “Hold” things and not the ones it likes but any object. Each time it takes the object from your hand reward it. After it got used with this command try the “Release” order and give it a reward each time it drops the object in your hands. The last step of this dog training trick consists of teaching the dog to effectively carry a bag; this is simply learned by commanding the dog to hold an object while moving several steps. Call it and when it’s near you give the “Release” command.
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The Intelligent Poodle
The Poodle is commonly acknowledged to be the most wisely intelligent of all members of the canine race. There is a general belief that he is a fop, whose time is largely occupied in personal embellishment, and that he requires a great deal of individual attention in the matter of his toilet. It may be true that to keep him in exhibition order and perfect cleanliness his owner has need to devote more consideration to him than is necessary in the case of many breeds; but in other respects he gives very little trouble, and all who are attached to him are consistent in their opinion that there is no dog so intensely interesting and responsive as a companion. His qualities of mind and his acute powers of reasoning are indeed so great that there is something almost human in his attractiveness and his devotion. His aptitude in learning is never denied, and many are the stories told of his marvellous talent and versatility.
Not merely as a showman’s dog has he distinguished himself. He is something more than a mountebank of the booths, trained to walk the tight rope and stand on his head. He is an adept at performing tricks, but it is his alertness of brain that places him apart from other animals.
The profuse and long coat of this dog has the peculiarity that if not kept constantly brushed out it twists up into little cords which increase in length as the new hair grows and clings about it. The unshed old hair and the new growth entwined together thus become distinct rope-like cords. Eventually, if these cords are not cut short, or accidentally torn off, they drag along the ground, and so prevent the poor animal from moving with any degree of comfort or freedom.
Corded Poodles are very showy, and from the remarkable appearance of the coat, attract a great deal of public attention when exhibited at shows; but they have lost popularity among most fanciers, and have become few in number owing to the obvious fact that it is impossible to make pets of them or keep them in the house. The reason of this is that the coat must, from time to time, be oiled in order to keep the cords supple and prevent them from snapping, and, of course, as their coats cannot be brushed, the only way of keeping the dog clean is to wash him, which with a corded Poodle is a lengthy and laborious process. Further, the coat takes hours to dry, and unless the newly washed dog be kept in a warm room he is very liable to catch cold. The result is, that the coats of corded Poodles are almost invariably dirty, and somewhat smelly.
Poodle’s General appearance
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Head: Long, straight, and fine, the skull not broad, with a slight peak at the back.
Muzzle: Long (but not snipy) and strong not full in cheek; teeth white, strong, and level; gums black, lips black and not showing lippiness.
Eyes: Almond shaped, very dark, full of fire and intelligence.
Nose: Black and sharp.
Ears: The leather long and wide, low set on, hanging close to the face.
Neck: Well proportioned and strong, to admit of the head being carried high and with dignity.
Feet: Rather small, and of good shape, the toes well arched, pads thick and hard.
Legs: Fore-legs set straight from shoulder, with plenty of bone and muscle.
Hind-legs: Very muscular and well bent, with the hocks well let down.
Tail: Set on rather high, well carried, never curled or carried over back.
Coat: Very profuse, and of good hard texture; if corded, hanging in tight, even cords; if non-corded, very thick and strong, of even length, the curls close and thick, without knots or cords.
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Dog Training Videos
Dog training is the oldest and probably the most common solution to bridge the understanding gap between people and dogs as their best friends. There are plenty of solutions to help dog owners train their animals, and one of the most popular is the dog training video. Sold online or in special pet stores, dog training videos provide comprehensive techniques and tricks that can turn the most disobedient of animals into an obedience example. People often prefer dog training videos to individual trainers for a variety of reasons.
First of all, there is the money issue; dog training videos are a lot cheaper than special training classes. Furthermore, many dog owners want to be actively involved in the training process; thus, with the help of a dog training video they can exploit the two sides of the experience: the fun part and the practical one. When you’ve got a puppy, it is all the more rewarding for you to be the one to train it how to target focus or fetch and retrieve. Dog training videos come with very professional solutions that can be put to practice by people who don’t have a clue on the subject.
The lessons presented by dog training videos are gradual and take you step by step to achieve the behavior patterns you want for your pet. It is a good idea that you watch every training stage on the dog training video, several times. Then you have to put into practice with your dog. Of course results appear in time, but make sure you are persistent in exercises; skills must be used, otherwise they’re wasted. Some other member of the family may get involved too, watch the dog training video together and exchange opinions. However, only one trainer should work with the dog at a time, in order not to create confusion.
Keep in mind that all the tips presented on a dog training video need to be integrated in the special context of your house. Avoid giving your pet conflicting orders and don’t use too complex linguistic structure. As you’ll learn from any dog training video, short words like ‘sit’ or ‘down’ are most effective, not to mention that the dog is receptive first and foremost to the voice pitch. Therefore, you don’t need a dog training video to tell you that animals are susceptible to raised voice for instance and they become defensive. Good luck!
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How To Choose A Dog Training School
Who wouldn’t like to have a most obedient pet around the house, you could take it everywhere or leave it at home with someone else without worrying it wouldn’t listen. This is when dog training obedience schools come into play, as they can work a complete and essential change on your animal. After taking your pet to a dog training obedience school you will no longer come back home from work to find chewed shoes and toilet paper. Plus, there is plenty of online assistance to help people sign their pets in at dog training obedience schools.
There are other severe cases when people take their dogs outside just late in the evening or at night when the chances to meet people or other animals are minimal. Dog training obedience schools are a great opportunity to turn back to a most enjoyable life style for you and your four-legged friend. Many pet owners find choosing a dog training obedience school similar to deciding on a child’s education. Do a bit of investigation, as you will be part of the program too in order to learn to establish contact with the animal.
Let’s see the necessary criteria for you to find the best dog training obedience school. Recommendations make first-hand information; a work colleague, a neighbor or a friend may suggest the services of a specific dog training obedience school. Maybe some of the tips available on a site will help you make up your mind. Go have a look at the dog training obedience school campus, check the surrounding, talk to trainers and get familiar to the overall atmosphere of the place. Keep in mind that for maximum results your pet needs to be happy at the dog training obedience school.
Last but not least, it is highly important that both you and your pet feel at ease with the trainer at the dog training obedience school, otherwise the efforts may be a waste of time and money. Dog training obedience schools don’t target very young animals, though it is known that the younger the dog, the easier the adaptation process. Yet, this is not a rule, maybe you’ve recently adopted a dog and you need the support of a professional dog training obedience school to help you socialize the animal. With gentleness, lots of love and patience, chances of success go as high as 99%, so, no need to worry!
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Puppy House Training
Taking a puppy to your home is a big responsibility since you have to meet all the animal’s health needs and provide a loving environment. In the first month of accommodation, that may also be the first in your pet’s life, puppy house training is essential. What does puppy house training imply? First of all, as you may expect to potty train it, then you have to make sure it socializes well and is perfectly safe to leave alone in the house. This means puppy house training prevents any form of disruptive behavior and separation anxiety.
Puppy house training will teach your dog that it has to be alone from time to time. How can you avoid any nasty behavior in your absence? At the beginning of puppy house training that shouldn’t be too difficult at all. You may leave the dog in an isolated area of the house, in some sort of confinement. Don’t feel sorry for the pup as it will spend most of the time sleeping. Later when you continue puppy house training again, so make sure the dog has something to do when you leave for work, like playing with a toy or eating.
Frequent walks, particularly after meals are also an essential part of the puppy house training. Taking the pet in areas where it can come into contact with other people and even dogs is a good idea for the development of social behavior. Dog owners who don’t make time to take care of the puppy house training are very likely to have an unsocial friend with unexpected reactions. Sooner or later they would have to ask for the help of a professional trainer or would even give up the dog.
Last but not least, puppy house training is part of the family program. The training part is not limited to one family member, since the dog has to learn to obey commands in a general manner. For instance the “sit” and “down” orders are basic and puppy house training can use them when the animal is at least several months old. With very young dogs, puppy house training is somehow restricted to the potty and the food routine. This is also the time to shower lots of love on your friend and prove how important it is to the family. Positive puppy house training is probably the most effective methods of our time, so have a go!
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Foxhound
Foxhounds were the very first of the canine races in Great Britain to come under the domination of scientific breeding. There had been hounds of more ancient origin, such as the Southern Hound and the Bloodhound; but something different was wanted towards the end of the seventeenth century to hunt the wild deer that had become somewhat scattered after Cromwell’s civil war. The demand was consequently for a quicker hound than those hitherto known, and people devoted to the chase began to breed it.
Head:-
Somewhat broad, not peaked like the Bloodhound, but long from the apex to the frontal bones, eyebrows very prominent, cheeks cut clean from the eye to the nostril, ears set low and in their natural condition thin and shapely, but not large, nose large, jaw strong and level, and small dewlaps, expression fierce, and with the best often repellent.
Eyes:-
Very bright and deeply set, full of determination, and with a very steady expression. The look of the Foxhound is very remarkable.
Neck Should be perfectly clean, no skin ruffle whatever. The length of neck is of importance, both for stooping and giving an air of majesty.
Shoulders:-
The blades should be well into the back, and should slant, otherwise be wide and strong, to meet the arms, that should be long and powerful.
Legs and feet:-
The bone should be perfectly straight from the arm downward, and descend in the same degree of size to the ankles. The knee should be almost flat and level; there should be no curve until coming to the toes, which should be very strong, round, cat-shaped, and every toe clean set as it were.
Coat:-
The coat is hard hair, but short and smooth, the texture is as stiff as bristles, but beautifully laid.
Color:-
Belvoir tan, which is brown and black, perfectly intermixed, with white markings of various shapes and sizes. The white should be very opaque and clear. Black and white, with tan markings on head and stifles. Badger pied a kind of grey and white. Lemon pied, light yellow and white. Hare pied, a darker yellow and white.
Height: Dogs from 23-1/2 to 24 inches; bitches from 22 to 22-1/2 inches.
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Dog Health Problems
Any living organism is sooner or later exposed to all sorts of dysfunctional conditions, and dogs are no exception. It is true that there are plenty of dog health problems that we prevent by regular vaccination, but what can we do about the rest of the affections that may take us and our animals unawares. Let’s take for instance vomiting and diarrhea, these are the most common and frequent dog health problems. Their causes are usually very simple since no complications result from such minor dog health problems that are mainly triggered by improper nutrition.
If under routine treatment vomiting and diarrhea don’t disappear within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, it could mean there are serious dog health problems at stake and an immediate thorough examination is a must. Should this be the case, such a dog health problem is no longer the subject of home treatment, but a real medical emergency. The first thing to be done when experiencing similar dog health problems is to eliminate food and water. If you’re dog is thirsty give it some milk or an ice cube to lick several times.
Very often the recovery from a dog health problem is in the hands of the owner. The same as the cases presented above is constipation, another frequent dog health problem. It can appear as a result of deficient nutrition and inconsistent bowel movement. Don’t leave it untreated, as it may lead to self-intoxication or even worse dog health problems. Eliminate water and meat from the dog’s diet and feed it on meat broth for instance or baby food; a mixture of milk and cereal may also be of help. Return to a normal diet can only be resumed within a few days after normal stool is recovered.
In order to avoid dog health problems and diseases that could even be transmitted to man, you have to take the pet for regular checks at the veterinarian. If the animal is kept in a proper physical shape, well-fed and full of vigor, the owner has nothing to worry about dog health problems. Regular vaccination also keeps trouble away and allows you to cherish the presence of your pet without the fear that the dog health problem may pass on to you or very sensible members of the family such as children. Hygiene and perfect cleanness of the place where the dog lives or eats are the best method to keep trouble away.
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Dog Training At Home
When we talk about dog training at home we think of the rewarding feeling of being able to develop an animal’s skills, but there is a lot of work and effort involved in the process too. Dog training at home begins with potty training and continues with complex tasks and commands. However, before you start dog training at home you’ll have to find some professional information on dog health and care. The very basic “sit” and “hello” are among the first tricks of dog training at home, followed by the leash walk as an essential part of the process of dog socializing.
Many pet owners choose to turn to professional videos that teach them dog training at home. There are usually two types of approaches to dog training at home and in general: the collar treatment and the reward-based program. Studies conducted in recent years have shown that dog training at home by using very positive methods is likely to create social and highly reliable animals, that not only will listen to your commands but will always been on guard when it comes to the safety of your family. Dog training at home may not have the professional background but it surely has an emotional touch.
Once you start dog training at home don’t limit to teaching the dog how to raise the paw or sit when ordered. You can take dog training at home a little further and show the animal how to play “fetch”. It begins by using one of the pet’s favorite toys, but it has to result in the animal’s ability to bring any object. No matter the purpose of dog training at home, keep in mind that reward is the magic key to get to your dog’s mind. Every time it performs an action, the dog will need encouragement to continue; therefore an affectionate moment is welcome and appreciated as much as some goodie treat.
Dog training at home takes a lot of time and energy, and many people find it a true challenge. However, time should not be a problem as long as you can turn to your animal and lavish a little attention on it. You can even practice fetch during a commercial just like any other commands learned during dog training at home. If you don’t want to have your dog on the sofa with you, you can always order it to move, and the animal would respond. This is the very practical side of dog training at home. By all means avoid bullying the dog or raising your voice, as such manifestations develop aggression or fear.
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Collie Dog
The Collie dog makes an excellent sporting dog, and can be taught to do the work of the Pointer and the Setter, as well as that of the Water Spaniel and the Retriever. He can be trained to perform the duties of other breeds. He is clever at hunting, having an excellent nose, is a good vermin-killer, and a most faithful watch, guard, and companion.
Little is known with certainty of the origin of the Collie, but his cunning and his outward appearance would seem to indicate a relationship with the wild dog. Buffon was of opinion that he was the true dog of nature, the stock and model of the whole canine species. He considered the Sheepdog superior in instinct and intelligence to all other breeds, and that, with a character in which education has comparatively little share, he is the only animal born perfectly trained for the service of man.
At the shows this type of dog is invariably at the top of the class. He is considered the most tractable, and is certainly the most agile. Second to this type in favour is the smooth-coated variety, a very hard, useful dog, well adapted for hill work and usually very fleet of foot. He is not so sweet in temper as the black and white, and is slow to make friends. There is not a more graceful and physically beautiful dog to be seen than the show Collie of the present period. Produced from the old working type, he is now practically a distinct breed.
The skull should be flat, moderately wide between the ears, and gradually tapering towards the eyes. There should only be a slight depression at stop. The width of skull necessarily depends upon combined length of skull and muzzle; and the whole must be considered in connection with the size of the dog. The cheek should not be full or prominent.
The muzzle should be of fair length, tapering to the nose, and must not show weakness or be snipy or lippy. Whatever the colour of the dog may be, the nose must be black. The teeth should be of good size, sound and level; very slight unevenness is permissible. The jaws Clean cut and powerful. The eyes are a very important feature, and give expression to the dog; they should be of medium size, set somewhat obliquely, of almond shape, and of a brown colour except in the case of merles, when the eyes are frequently (one or both) blue and white or china; expression full of intelligence, with a quick alert look when listening. The ears should be small and moderately wide at the base, and placed not too close together but on the top of the skull and not on the side of the head. When in repose they should be usually carried thrown back, but when on the alert brought forward and carried semi-erect, with tips slightly drooping in attitude of listening.
The neck should be muscular, powerful and of fair length, and somewhat arched. The body should be strong, with well sprung ribs, chest deep, fairly broad behind the shoulders, which should be sloped, loins very powerful. The dog should be straight in front. The fore-legs should be straight and muscular, neither in nor out at elbows, with a fair amount of bone; the forearm somewhat fleshy, the pasterns showing flexibility without weakness. The hind-legs should be muscular at the thighs, clean and sinewy below the hocks, with well bent stifles. The feet should be oval in shape, soles well padded, and the toes arched and close together.
In general character he is a lithe active dog, his deep chest showing lung power, his neck strength, his sloping shoulders and well bent hocks indicating speed, and his expression high intelligence. He should be a fair length on the leg, giving him more of a racy than a cloddy appearance. In a few words, a Collie should show endurance, activity, and intelligence, with free and true action. In height dogs should be 22 ins. to 24 ins. at the shoulders, bitches 20 ins. to 22 ins. The weight for dogs is 45 to 65 lbs., bitches 40 to 55 lbs. The smooth collie only differs from the rough in its coat, which should be hard, dense and quite smooth.
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Dog Health Information
Having a pet implies an assumed responsibility: you are going to provide for the animal and look after it. Therefore, it is more than sure you will need lots of dog health information, regardless of whether you’ve got a puppy or an adult dog. Fortunately there are very many sources that you may turn to for dog health information and the first one to try is the vet or the breeder. Mention should be made that sometimes dog health information is different according to breed specificity: there may be very vigorous breeds, but there are also some weaker ones that require extra care.
Dog health information is one click away if you choose to surf the net for the details you need on how to raise a dog. If you take a puppy from a professional breeder for instance, make sure you get all the dog health information necessary for the future: vaccination and de-worming as well as any specific dysfunctions or weaknesses. All dog health information should be included in the contract you sign with the dog breeder, where you also have the pedigree warranty. Many buyers choose to have the dog health information provided by the breeder checked by a vet.
Thus, it is not uncommon practice to take the vet with you and have him or her examine the puppy before you buy it. Very detailed dog health information is crucial when it comes to breeding and raising pure pedigree and future champions. Anyone who would pay a few hundred if not thousands dollars on a pet would like to have a medical evaluation of the animal. But, getting back to regular dog owners, quick access to dog health information is very important when you care enough to provide what’s best for your pet. For instance, little do people know that processed food is not the ideal dog meal.
Specialized magazines, professional web sites, dog raising guides and so on, all provide very comprehensive dog health information. If every dog owner had at least the general picture of what it is good for the dog, neglect would be no longer such an issue. Many of those who volunteer for home fostering dogs from rescue centers use the knowledge and the dog health information any dog owner should have. Therefore, with every visit you make to the vet, try to get even more dog health information for your friend’s sake.
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Dog Obedience Training
For a solid and trustful relationship between dog and owner, a common language needs to be created. This can only be achieved by dog obedience training that opens the way to learning and understanding your pet and its needs. By dog obedience training you make sure that the animal always responds in a positive ways to your commands without losing calm and developing unsocial behavior. Exercises will help your pet create the best responses to stimuli and therefore, dog obedience training works for the benefit of both animal and adoptive family. Specific centres meet the requirements of dog owners who seek professional help in training their dogs.
There are several types of dog obedience training; let’s have a look at the very basic ones. The most common and easy to put into practice are the reward-based and the leash training types. The latter is considered to belong to the traditional dog obedience training used at first in military facilities. For such practical purposes, the leash dog obedience training has more advantages than the food reward, since it finds better adaptation to the task or mission the animal has to face. The collars bring mild or even hard correction, yet, make sure that you don’t use it ineffectively.
The leash dog obedience training teaches the animal to obey to collar control. You will need to remember that the leash is just the first step into developing the skills to get the dog obey under no matter what circumstances and relying on other tools as well. This type of dog obedience training establishes the hierarchy or the leadership in the dog’s life and the relation you develop with the dog very much depends on this aspect. Now, let’s see how the reward dog obedience training system works. Commands given to the animal and properly executed are rewarded.
Thus, the pet associates a specific positive behavior with certain rewards, caresses, a toy or usually food. Behavior patterns develop along these lines as dog obedience training pursues a mutual understanding between pet and owner. Basically teaching a trick means achieving a dog obedience training goal, lots of skills may be developed according to the matter: scent detection, fetch commands and even criminal apprehension. You may hire a professional in dog obedience training, but you have to be an active part in the process since you are the one to spend most time with the pet.
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Decorative Deerhound
The Deerhound is one of the most decorative of dogs, impressively stately and picturesque wherever he is seen, whether it be amid the surroundings of the baronial hall, reclining at luxurious length before the open hearth in the fitful light of the log fire that flickers on polished armour and tarnished tapestry; out in the open, straining at the leash as he scents the dewy air, or gracefully bounding over the purple of his native hills. Grace and majesty are in his every movement and attitude, and even to the most prosaic mind there is about him the inseparable glamour of feudal romance and poetry.
From remote days the Scottish nobles cherished their strains of Deerhound, seeking glorious sport in the Highland forests. The red deer belonged by inexorable law to the kings of Scotland, and great drives, which often lasted for several days, were made to round up the herds into given neighbourhoods for the pleasure of the court, as in the reign of Queen Mary. But the organised coursing of deer by courtiers ceased during the Stuart troubles, and was left in the hands of retainers, who thus replenished their chief’s larder.
Head:-
The head should be broadest at the ears, tapering slightly to the eyes, with the muzzle tapering more decidedly to the nose. The muzzle should be pointed, but the teeth and lips level. The head should be long, the skull flat rather than round, with a very slight rise over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a stop. The skull should be coated with moderately long hair which is softer than the rest of the coat. The nose should be black (though in some blue-fawns the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline. In the lighter-coloured dogs a black muzzle is preferred. There should be a good moustache of rather silky hair, and a fair beard.
Ears:-
The ears should be set on high, and, in repose, folded back like the Greyhound’s, though raised above the head in excitement without losing the fold, and even, in some cases, semi-erect.The ear should be soft, glossy, and like a mouse’s coat to the touch, and the smaller it is the better. It should have no long coat or long fringe, but there is often a silky, silvery coat on the body of the ear and the tip. Whatever the general colour, the ears should be black or dark-coloured.
Neck and shoulders:-
The neck should be long that is, of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the dog. The nape of the neck should be very prominent where the head is set on, and the throat should be clean-cut at the angle and prominent. The shoulders should be well sloped, the blades well back, with not too much width between them.
Stern:-
Stern should be tolerably long, tapering, and reaching to within 1-1/2 inches of the ground, and about 1-1/2 inches below the hocks. When the dog is still, dropped perfectly straight down, or curved. When in motion it should be curved when excited, in no case to be lifted out of the line of the back. It should be well covered with hair, on the inside thick and wiry, underside longer.
Eyes:-
The eyes should be dark: generally they are dark brown or hazel. The eye is moderately full with a soft look in repose, but a keen, far-away gaze when the dog is roused. The rims of the eyelids should be black.
Body: The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound of larger size and bone. Chest deep rather than broad, but not too narrow and flat-sided. The loin well arched and drooping to the tail.
Legs and feet:-
The legs should be broad and flat, a good broad forearm and elbow being desirable. Fore-legs, of course, as straight as possible. Feet close and compact, with well-arched toes. The hind-quarters drooping, and as broad and powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart. The hind-legs should be well bent at the stifle, with great length from the hip to the hock, which should be broad and flat.
Coat:-
The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be harsh and wiry, and about 3 inches or 4 inches long; that on the head, breast, and belly is much softer. There should be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind-legs, but nothing approaching to the feathering of a Collie. The Deerhound should be a shaggy dog, but not over coated.
Color:-
Color is much a matter of fancy. But there is no manner of doubt that the dark blue-grey is the most preferred. Next come the darker and lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being generally preferred. Yellow and sandy-red or red-fawn, especially with black points i.e., ears and muzzle are also in equal estimation.
Height:-
From 28 inches to 30 inches, or even more if there be symmetry without coarseness, which, however, is rare. Height of bitches: From 26 inches upwards. There can be no objection to a bitch being large, unless she is too coarse, as even at her greatest height she does not approach that of the dog, and, therefore, could not well be too big for work, as over-big dogs are.
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Dog Health Care
Dog health care is such a vast domain that you would need really specific problems to focus on in order to cover the issues you’re interested in. Among the main dog health care problems we may say that the most frequent ones are fleas, worms and poisons. If these are not professionally taken care of, other very serious troubles may be expected. Worms and external parasites waste the dog’s body of nutrients and energy; plus dog health care providers insist that neglected dogs are full of toxins because of the parasite overgrowth.
Here are some dog health care tips to be used when dealing with worms, fleas or various poisons the dog comes into contact. Puppies need de-worming as early as two or three weeks with the procedure repeated at four or six weeks of age. Dog health care specialists claim that worm immunity in puppies doesn’t appear sooner than six months of age, and the worm larvae pass from mother to puppies. In order to meet the dog health care requirements you need to remove all stools from your garden, keep the lawn cut short and make sure you feed your dog on thoroughly cooked meat.
Fleas are the next dog health care problem under discussion here, and to a certain extent they are responsible for the possible tapeworms they may carry. Fleas and lice are easy to deal with; thanks to the many shampoos, collars or special drops, this dog health care issue has become piece of cake. Do not use human shampoo to wash your dog as it will completely degrease the fur and afterwards the dog’s skin would have to secret even more oil to compensate for the deficit. Anti-flea sprays, powders, collars or any other products can be purchased from any dog health care store. However, it’s good to ask the vet in the first place too.
Make sure that you keep your dog away from any potentially harmful substances that may lead to poisoning. Dog health care specialists point out that rapid intervention in the poisoning cases is crucial for saving the animal’s life. If you think your dog may have ingested some toxic chemical, try to give it some fresh milk as a first aid measure and call your vet immediately. For more dog health care tips check out the resources below.
Dog Behavior Training
Dog behavior training is more than making your dog all obedient and safe to leave home alone, process is to complex to reduce it to this. Since dog owners have to be an active part involved in dog behavior training, they come to learn and discover the unexpressed sides of their pets. In a nut shell, dog behavior training is about getting an obedient animal around the house while also getting more familiar with the needs and expectations of a close friend that doesn’t speak the same language. You should be ready to learn about the drives behind your dog’s behavior.
The drives or instincts that make your animal react in a certain way to specific stimuli are the main focus of dog behavior training. The explanation for low sociability may be rooted in the animal’s genes or in its close environment, once you get to manipulate these drives by dog behavior training, spectacular changes are not short to appear. Therefore special institutions and centers that provide assistance for dog behavior training have a scientific background of tests and studies about the nature and flexibility of the canine drives.
Probably the most significant part of dog training behavior lies in understanding the way you can encourage or discourage certain drives, and the skills of a trainer are best reflected here. The main instincts that are targeted by dog behavior training are: prey, play, pack, defense and food. The order is not relevant for their importance, since each plays an important part in the dog’s life determining the relationships with their masters and with other dogs. However, mention should be made that the domination of a certain instinct varies from one breed to another, and dog behavior training also tackles with breed specificity in the context.
Many people are surprised to learn that dog behavior training implies teaching the animal how to play. This special drive seems to be the one that is not inherent to the genetic structure of your pet. In order to learn how to jump and wrestle it is essential that the owners help the puppy acquire the skills, normally they would be the responsibility of the mother and the brothers as its true pack, but in their absence, you need to do it. The educational side is an essential part of dog behavior training, since it actually shapes the future relationship you develop with your pet in the future.
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Dog Health Food
How many dog owners know something about dog health food when they buy their pets? If they don’t get informed about dog’s nutritional needs, they are very likely to be confronted to all sorts of health problems that result from the improper food they feed their animals on. There are special dog health food tips that a vet can tell you about, since you may not know very much about the digestive needs of your pet. First of all, in order to meet the requirements for dog health food, you have to be sure there are minerals, calcium in particular and quality protein in the diet.
As it is very comfortable, we usually feed our four-legged friends on special dog meals, but this is not always dog health food. It is usually prepared by blending hemoglobin powder, with bones and meat, all processed at very high temperatures. Then, there are flavors and vitamins added, and this is the dog health food we find in the supermarket. For all dog owners I need to say that this is not great at all for your pet. Try to combine processed meals with dog health food you prepare at home.
What should real dog health food be like? First of all, have fresh meat and boil it for around ten minutes. Thus, you destroy the unfriendly bacteria while also preserving all the nutrients intact. Then, cut it into small pieces, it may seem natural that your dog should tear it alone, but you don’t want any mess around the house. For the calcium in dog health food, you may use a natural supplement such as ground egg shells or calcium powder available in drug stores. Try to mix the pieces of meat with a little water for a better hydration of your pet.
As for bones, I know all dogs like them, but research shows they don’t make the best dog health food at all; on the contrary there may be side effects and even ailments. Thus, never feed your dog chicken or pig bones. The only ones that are fully digested and make real dog health food are the leftovers from your cooking veal for instance. Another tip many people don’t know is that for dog health food, not only proteins are necessary, vitamins are also important. A little grated carrot added together will pass unnoticed but it’ll be of great help for the pet’s well-being.
Beyond Basic Dog Training
Obedience instruction has become more accessible to common people with the publication of the Diane Bauman’s guide Beyond Basic Dog Training. This book is a door open towards the secrets of an entire training philosophy, and it has been successfully used even for the preparation for canine competitions. Beyond Basic Dog Training helps you understand the principles and patterns on which dogs learn, which is in fact a dual system of trial and error. With Beyond Basic Dog Training you will learn to apply corrections in a positive way, teaching your canine friend not to fear failure.
As Diane Bauman proves in Beyond Basic Dog Training, for a successful program you have to understand that from the two elements involved in the equation, both are thinking. There is the “thinking handler” in charge of the “thinking dog”, so don’t ignore you’re pet’s “feelings”, on the contrary stick to an effective development of the communication level. With Beyond Basic Dog Training you will come to achieve more than obedient behavioral patterns, you will understand your dog and learn to respect and listen to its needs. We’re talking about security, trust and confidence and lots of fun too.
With a guide such as Beyond Basic Dog Training you can have fun entertaining classes with your dog in the comfort of your backyard. At least you’re 100% sure of the methods used, since you are in perfect trust. With Beyond Basic Dog Training you’ll turn your dog into a great companion; therefore it is very good for puppies to benefit from a fast and very humane way of teaching. It is perhaps the time now to answer a simple question: why would anyone go beyond basic dog training? Simple methods will only leave the training process at a minimal level exploiting the specific animal drives as much as possible.
Going beyond basic dog training, means getting to understand the more complex structures that make your dog what it really is; you come to appreciate a wagging tail more than you would have done before. Books such as Beyond Basic Dog Training may prove to be the right choice and the best source of information for strengthening man-animal friendship. Being able to see your dog succeed in performing complex tasks is the reward of every owner and amateur trainer. May all your efforts be fruitful!
General History of Dogs
There is no incongruity in the idea that in the very earliest period of man’s habitation of this world he made a friend and companion of some sort of aboriginal representative of our modern dog, and that in return for its aid in protecting him from wilder animals, and in guarding his sheep and goats, he gave it a share of his food, a corner in his dwelling, and grew to trust it and care for it. Probably the animal was originally little else than an unusually gentle jackal, or an ailing wolf driven by its companions from the wild marauding pack to seek shelter in alien surroundings. One can well conceive the possibility of the partnership beginning in the circumstance of some helpless whelps being brought home by the early hunters to be tended and reared by the women and children. Dogs introduced into the home as playthings for the children would grow to regard themselves, and be regarded, as members of the family
In nearly all parts of the world traces of an indigenous dog family are found, the only exceptions being the West Indian Islands, Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan Archipelago, New Zealand, and the Polynesian Islands, where there is no sign that any dog, wolf, or fox has existed as a true aboriginal animal. In the ancient Oriental lands, and generally among the early Mongolians, the dog remained savage and neglected for centuries, prowling in packs, gaunt and wolf-like, as it prowls today through the streets and under the walls of every Eastern city. No attempt was made to allure it into human companionship or to improve it into docility. It is not until we come to examine the records of the higher civilisations of Assyria and Egypt that we discover any distinct varieties of canine form.
The dog was not greatly appreciated in Palestine, and in both the Old and New Testaments it is commonly spoken of with scorn and contempt as an “unclean beast.” Even the familiar reference to the Sheepdog in the Book of Job “But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to set with the dogs of my flock” is not without a suggestion of contempt, and it is significant that the only biblical allusion to the dog as a recognised companion of man occurs in the apocryphal Book of Tobit (v. 16), “So they went forth both, and the young man’s dog with them.”
The great multitude of different breeds of the dog and the vast differences in their size, points, and general appearance are facts which make it difficult to believe that they could have had a common ancestry. One thinks of the difference between the Mastiff and the Japanese Spaniel, the Deerhound and the fashionable Pomeranian, the St. Bernard and the Miniature Black and Tan Terrier, and is perplexed in contemplating the possibility of their having descended from a common progenitor. Yet the disparity is no greater than that between the Shire horse and the Shetland pony, the Shorthorn and the Kerry cattle, or the Patagonian and the Pygmy; and all dog breeders know how easy it is to produce a variety in type and size by studied selection.
In order properly to understand this question it is necessary first to consider the identity of structure in the wolf and the dog. This identity of structure may best be studied in a comparison of the osseous system, or skeletons, of the two animals, which so closely resemble each other that their transposition would not easily be detected.
The spine of the dog consists of seven vertebrae in the neck, thirteen in the back, seven in the loins, three sacral vertebrae, and twenty to twenty-two in the tail. In both the dog and the wolf there are thirteen pairs of ribs, nine true and four false. Each has forty-two teeth. They both have five front and four hind toes, while outwardly the common wolf has so much the appearance of a large, bare-boned dog, that a popular description of the one would serve for the other.
Nor are their habits different. The wolf’s natural voice is a loud howl, but when confined with dogs he will learn to bark. Although he is carnivorous, he will also eat vegetables, and when sickly he will nibble grass. In the chase, a pack of wolves will divide into parties, one following the trail of the quarry, the other endeavouring to intercept its retreat, exercising a considerable amount of strategy, a trait which is exhibited by many of our sporting dogs and terriers when hunting in teams.
A further important point of resemblance between the Canis lupus and the Canis familiaris lies in the fact that the period of gestation in both species is sixty-three days. There are from three to nine cubs in a wolf’s litter, and these are blind for twenty-one days. They are suckled for two months, but at the end of that time they are able to eat half-digested flesh disgorged for them by their dam or even their sire.
The native dogs of all regions approximate closely in size, coloration, form, and habit to the native wolf of those regions. Of this most important circumstance there are far too many instances to allow of its being looked upon as a mere coincidence. Sir John Richardson, writing in 1829, observed that “the resemblance between the North American wolves and the domestic dog of the Indians is so great that the size and strength of the wolf seems to be the only difference.
It has been suggested that the one incontrovertible argument against the lupine relationship of the dog is the fact that all domestic dogs bark, while all wild Canidae express their feelings only by howls. But the difficulty here is not so great as it seems, since we know that jackals, wild dogs, and wolf pups reared by bitches readily acquire the habit. On the other hand, domestic dogs allowed to run wild forget how to bark, while there are some which have not yet learned so to express themselves.
The presence or absence of the habit of barking cannot, then, be regarded as an argument in deciding the question concerning the origin of the dog. This stumbling block consequently disappears, leaving us in the position of agreeing with Darwin, whose final hypothesis was that “it is highly probable that the domestic dogs of the world have descended from two good species of wolf (C. lupus and C. latrans), and from two or three other doubtful species of wolves namely, the European, Indian, and North African forms; from at least one or two South American canine species; from several races or species of jackal; and perhaps from one or more extinct species”; and that the blood of these, in some cases mingled together, flows in the veins of our domestic breeds.
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