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Training your dog to “sit” is probably the first thing you will train your puppy to do. I write puppy because you can start the training as soon as the puppy has settled in his new home. You might think this isn’t that important, a dog knows how to sit. Well, I think it is very important. Read on and you will found out why and how to train your dog to sit.

1. This first one is easy. You just start by saying “sit” every time the puppy sits itself. He learns to associate the word sit with the action. This is a tip you can use in all training.

2. Take out his favorite treat and keep it in your hand. Sausage usually works well but remember to cut it in small pieces so the puppy can swallow it fast.

3. Sit down on the floor so you get to the same level as the dog. You are less threatening when you sit. More important is that you are close to the dog so you can reward him faster. More about this soon.

4. Slowly move the treat over your puppy’s head. The intention is to get the puppy to smell the treat (he will) and follow it with his nose. He has two options. Either back still standing or sit down. It’s easier to sit down.

5 Immediately as he sits you say “sit” and give him the piece of sausage. This is the key factor to all training. The reward has to be exact in the same moment as the dog does the right thing.

6. Praise the dog. Show your joy with your voice as well as with your body language.

7. Repeat these steps 3-5 times. Not more than that though, as it has to be fun! On the other hand you can repeat the steps several times during the day.

8. In the next step you should try these steps while standing up. You can try to see if the dog reacts only to the word “sit” without your hand and the treat. If he sits down you obviously should praise him and if he doesn’t don’t care. You should never show your disappointment to your dog when you are training.

This is pretty easy for the puppy. In a day or two you will get him to sit with your “sit” command. Now you can try to make him sit down beside you. This is actually a preparation for the heel training. There you want him to sit as soon as you stop walking. If you have thoughts about obedience competitions with your dog you should consider the exact position where he sits and also how fast he sits. That is however off topic in this article.

The next level is to strengthen the word so you get the dog to sit in every situation no matter what’s going on around him. This is an ongoing process and you should never stop training. Use every new situation to train him. Make him sit with new people, new dogs and new surroundings.

It’s quite easy to train your dog to sit. If you consider not training your dog my advice is, think again. When you start training with your new puppy you get much more than the sitting part The puppy loves to do things with you. He learns to listen to his name. He gets used to training and doing things with you and on your initiative. This all together strengthen your position as the leader, and the puppy feels secure. When the puppy falls asleep in the evening his last thoughts should be: “This is really a great pack!”

People are not the only ones exposed to numerous health risks. Pets too are in danger of experiencing a variety of health problems. When pets are sick, they usually go through a lot of pain, leaving them stressed and even sleepless at night.  Resting is the most common way of recharging one’s self and doctors always advice patients to take a good rest.  The same advice is given by vets to pet owners. Studies also show that resting, specially sleeping brings a lot of relief and comfort for sick pets.

Since sleeping plays an important role in the pet’s fast recovery, owners must also give importance to their sleeping area.  The cold floor may not be suitable to their aching joints and may worsen their arthritis.  Giving them therapeutic pet beds can help them soothe their body ache as they lay on soft and comfortable mattresses.  There is a wide variety of dog beds and cat beds available today.  Pet supply manufacturers have developed temperature controlled beds that can either perform heating or cooling functions.  A correct body temperature is better for their health in cold or hot environments.  During the cold season, pets would surely love the warmth of heated dog beds and during the hot season, pets would enjoy the cooling effect of cooling dog beds.  Both these products have medicinal or therapeutic benefits to dogs of all ages.

Pets with joint ailments like old and arthritic dogs can take advantage of therapeutic or orthopaedic pet beds. These will save them from excessive moisture, heat, cold and pests. They provide comfort and support to the pressure points like the spine, hips, and shoulders.  Any pet will surely enjoy these cozy and soft foams that perfectly match their weight and shape.

There are nearly as many dog and puppy training methods as there are dog trainers; but, there are some basic elements that all successful dog and puppy training methods have in common. Follow these tips when training your canine companion and you’ll be well on the road to having a well trained dog, who is a source of great enjoyment and pride. But remember, dog training isn’t instantaneous – it is ongoing. Even when your pooch has acquired a desirable behavior it is still important to reinforce the behavior on a regular basis. Here are 10 of the most important tips to keep in mind when dog and puppy training:

1. All successful dog training programs require: patience, persistence, and consistence. This really is number one – most important – first and foremost.
2. Dogs are pack animals – use this to your advantage in your dog training
endeavor. Be sure your dog knows you are the Alpha Dog. Encourage your
dog to ‘give kisses’ (lick the back of your hand) – this is his acknowledging
you as the leader. Also rub your dog’s belly. Exposing his belly to you is a
sign of submission. It is extremely important that your dog always
remembers that you are his ‘pack leader’; and teaching him this as soon as
possible will make your dog and puppy training sessions progress much more
smoothly.
3. Remember that dogs (like humans) do make mistakes. The important thing is to correct the mistakes WHILE they are occurring – later is too late.
4. Lavishly praise and reward the behaviors you want to establish as you see them occurring during your puppy training sessions – and continue to reward whenever you see the behavior occur. This will lead to a snowballing effect: the more you reward appropriate behaviors the more they will occur – the more opportunity you will have to reward good behavior…
5. Don’t stretch dog or puppy training sessions out too long for you or your dog. Ten or fifteen minute sessions are plenty for most pups. And be aware that several short sessions are much more effective than one long marathon session. In fact, long marathon sessions are more likely to discourage you both and make you both want to give up.
6. Make your dog and puppy training time fun and positive. This should be a positive bonding experience for you and your pup.
7. Short dog training sessions are best – but sessions should occur frequently. Twice a day would be good – but once a day, every day, should be the absolute minimum for training your puppy.
8. Always end dog training sessions on a positive successful note. If either you or your dog are not in the mood for a training session, make the session short and easy that day. Only practice things you know your dog enjoys and will gladly do successfully at those times. Don’t make any session a struggle. Save the more difficult tasks for times when both you and your pup are in the proper frame of mind.
9. Reward works better than punishment. Use this knowledge to positively ‘shape’ your dog’s behavior. To do this, begin by rewarding your pup’s behaviors that come closer and closer to the precise behavior you’re trying to establish.
10. Correct inappropriate behavior from the beginning. Things that might seem cute for a puppy to do are totally unacceptable behavior for a full grown dog. Correct these behaviors from the start with your puppy – before habits form. The longer the behavior occurs the stronger the habit forms – the more difficult it will be to eliminate the behavior. Nip it in the bud!

Practice the above tips without fail during your dog and puppy training sessions. Always keep in mind that patience, persistence, and consistence are key. Throw in lavish praise and reward – and both you and your canine companion be well on your way to success. And visit http://www.e-dog-training.com for more up to date tips, advice, and information on all your dog and puppy training problems.

Small in stature, Chihuahuas are relatively fragile dogs. It is thus, important for owners of Chihuahuas to be equipped with proper knowledge and tips for caring for their Chihuahua pups. Care for Chihuahua pups covers many aspects and includes socialization, safety, nutrition and health. Responsible Chihuahua owners make a checklist on these aspects in order to ensure the overall well being of their Chihuahua pups.

As lively animals, Chihuahuas tend to come into constant contact with their owners, family members as well as other pets that its owner might have. It is necessary for Chihuahua owners to start socialization with their Chihuahua pups before they turn full grown. This is to ensure less aggressive behavior in the future when the Chihuahua pup turns into a full grown Chihuahua. Chihuahua owners should spend time familiarizing their Chihuahua pups to the surroundings and their living environments by letting the pup roam freely around the house and facilitating interaction with the family as well as other pets in the house. This would allow the Chihuahua puppy to adapt easily into its new living environment, preventing aggressive behavior in future.

Safety issues are a necessary area for Chihuahua owners to look into. Appliances around the home such as electrical outlets, cables and vases can present potential dangers to Chihuahua pups. Electrical outlets should be switched off and covered with plastic guards when not in use to prevent Chihuahua puppies from licking these dangerous areas. Cables should be shortened if possible, and kept when not in use to prevent the Chihuahua puppy from tripping over them. This is to prevent objects such as radios from crashing onto the puppy should it trip over such wires. In general, unstable objects should not be placed around the house to prevent death and injuries.

Chihuahua puppies should be given adequate nutrition with two meals a day. Dried dog food is preferable as it prefers tartar and plaque from accumulating in the young puppy’s teeth. Plenty of water should be given to ensure sufficient hydration and unfinished food should be disposed off after each meal to prefer the growth of bacteria and germs which might potentially cause illness to the Chihuahua pup. Sufficient nutrition is necessary in order to prevent illnesses and ensure healthy gum, skin and coat. Never ever feed your Chihuahua puppy with chocolate. Chocolates are harmful to Chihuahuas in any amount and may prove fatal if given in large amounts. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting and excessive thirst. Do not hesitate to bring your Chihuahua puppy to the vet if such symptoms are observed.

Chihuahua owners who have a personal preference to feed their Chihuahua puppies with home cooked food should keep in mind that all food has to be cooked and should consist of a meat protein, carbohydrates and a vegetable. All food should be fully cooked and cooled before feeding. Popular meat choices include beef, lamb, chicken and pork while vegetables include carrot and peas. Grain choices vary according to culture. Popular choices include potatoes or rice.

Chihuahua puppies should be taken to regular visits to the vet. This is to ensure that the puppies are in good health, receiving adequate nutrition as well as for vaccination against illnesses such as Parvo. Relatively inexperienced Chihuahua owners should also get advice from the vet with regards to their Chihuahua pups well being. Regular walks are also necessary to ensure healthy development of the puppy’s limbs as well as to prevent obesity.

Raising a Chihuahua requires effort and commitment. While not an easy task, the process of doing so would definitely result in wonderful memories in time to come.

What are heartworms? Heartworms are large parasitic worms that live in the hearts of dogs, cats, and some wild animals. Heartworm larvae make their way to the heart of the animal within about 70-90 days. Providing both male and female worms are present, they will produce their own larvae within 6-7 months following the initial insect bite. Symptoms Your pet will show no early symptoms once infected with heartworms. Blood tests will return normal results. In mild cases of the disease, the animal will develop a cough. Any abnormal persistent cough should be checked by a veterinarian immediately. As the disease escalates with the growth of the heartworms in both size and number, the symptoms increase as well. In cases of moderate infection, your pet will exhibit a cough, intolerance to exercise, reduced appetite, lethargy, and weight loss. A check up at the vet will show abnormal lung sounds while blood tests will show evidence of kidney and/or liver damage. Once a heartworm infestation reaches the severe stage of disease, the animal is dying. Prevention and Treatment If you own pets in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, seek your veterinarians advice regarding heartworms. Heartworms can be prevented with a once a month chewable tablet that will protect your pet from these as well as other parasites. There are a few options for treatment for heartworms. After the evaluation of heart, kidney, and liver functions to determine if the pet is strong enough for treatment, they are often given an arsenic-based compound to kill the adult heartworms in their system. For advanced infection where the animal is in critical condition, the veterinarian may opt to remove the worms with surgery through the jugular vein. This procedure only removes enough worms to restore blood flow. Following treatment, the animal will be placed on restricted exercise for an extended period of time so the animal’s body has enough time to absorb the dead heartworms without complication. Once heartworm tests return a negative result, then the treatment is considered a success. Conclusion The American Heartworm Society (AHS) states that only 55% of dogs in the United States receive regular preventative care for heartworms leaving 27 million dogs at risk for the disease. Remember, that when it comes to heartworms, prevention is more effective and a lot less expensive than treatment.