Cattle

Archive for September 8th, 2011

You’ve picked out the perfect puppy. You spent hours on the internet, researching the right breed for you and your family. Then you went from breeder to breeder or humane society to humane society, meeting and greeting pups until you find just the right match.

Now what? He needs a name!

Over the course of its life, you will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times. So be sure you’re picking a name you can live with and love.

With these seven simple steps, the key to finding the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips!

? Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.

? Your puppy’s name shouldn’t sound like any commands. “Stacy” and “stay” are too close for comfort. Such a name will only confuse the issue.

? Remember, you’ll be using your pup’s name in public. “Boner” may be cute among your fellow fraternity members, but it won’t go over well at the veterinarian.

? Make your kids part of the decision process. Kids like it simple, too, so if calling your Champion Cavalier King Spaniel “Bootsie” works for them, consider keeping the hoity toity name strictly for AKC purposes.

? You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle Norbert. Naming your baby after him may keep you in the will, but naming your puppy after him won’t.

? If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with the name it already owns. Can’t stand it because “Barney” was the first boy who broke your heart? Then stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. “Barney” morphs into “Farley” easily.

? Once you’ve chosen a name, try it out for a day or so. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, there’s always more puppy names on your list!

Take a look around you. All around are terrific ideas to inspire you.

At first glance, a couple things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy him or her for a day or two and take these into consideration.

? Appearance. What’s your dog look like? His color, size, and personal style inspires a variety of name choices. “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup. Or you may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy.”

? Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will really shine through. Try “Cuddles” for the sweet little guy who loves to get cozy or “Puddles” for the pooch who can’t seem to find the doggie door.

If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog names or foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.

? Celebrity puppy names. Today, pooches have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.

? TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.

? Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs. Or try “Bodie,” from the weeper Steel Magnolias.

? Comic dogs. “Snoopy” will always be a favorite, but also consider “Daisy” or “Odie.”

? German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”

? Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”

? French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

The choices are endless. However, with these simple tips and some thought, before long, you’ll have found the perfect puppy name!

Using reward-based training, the whole family can be involved as the methods are fun and easy. Follow these simple principles of reward-based training. These are the golden rules for teaching your dog.

Start now The best age to start training is now. However young your puppy is, however old your dog is, it is never too early or too late.

Learn from your dog Training should be a two-way communication. You must be willing to learn from your dog. The more you learn about him, the easier training will become.

Have short sessions Do not expect your dog to concentrate for long. Like us, the more difficult something is, the shorter the time he can concentrate. At first, aim for sessions of between half a minute and two minutes. As you and your dog begin to understand each other better, the time can be extended so long as you are both enjoying it. Lots of short sessions throughout each day will help your dog learn much more quickly than one long session where you both become tired, confused and bored.

Have fun Dogs are like us in that they learn best when something is enjoyable. Make sessions fun and rewarding, and you and your dog will want to learn together. If you start, then realise that you or your dog is simply not in ‘the mood’, expect less and end the session early.

A stressed dog will not learn If your dog is feeling anxious, he will not be able to learn. especially if you are expecting too much of him. If he is in an environment that worries him, such as close to a bouncy dog, heavy traffic or too many people, he may find it difficult to cope with.

Begin and end on a good note As your training sessions become a little longer, always start with something familiar to your dog, to help him settle. Similarly, do something easy or enjoyable before finishing a session.

All the family should be involved In the days of old, only one person was advised to train a dog to avoid confusion. However, we need a pet dog to respond to all members of the family. Therefore, everyone should be involved to whatever extent is appropriate, under close supervision when necessary. If someone in the family is not involved with training the dog, do not be surprised if the dog does not respond to them.

Be consistent Dogs cannot learn what we want if we do not teach them. If we vary the words we use, and different people have different expectations, our dog will simply become confused and disinclined to play this training game with us. He will begin to make his own decisions or try to guess what we want. We owe it to him to make it as easy as possible for him to understand.

Teach – do not expect him to know Dogs do not understand English, therefore they cannot know what we mean unless we have taught them. If you feel that you have taught something and your dog is still not responding as he should, instead of blaming him for being naughty, ask yourself how you can teach him more effectively He obviously has not learned what you wanted, so start again to help him.