Portuguese Water Dog Magazine

Dog training: Stop your dog from getting in the garbage

Master — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:59:39 +0000

Positive or Punishment Training for Your Dog

Let us take a moment to visualize. You have recently gotten a dog, a young puppy perhaps who is approximately 10 weeks old. Very young and easily impressionable at this point, they must be left at home for approximately 9 hours each day by the time you add up your 8 hour work day, plus 1 hour of total driving time to and from work. You decide the ideal place to leave your dog during the day is in the kitchen which you have blocked off with various objects, either a door or perhaps using a baby gate to confine the pooch to the kitchen. You leave feeling confident that when you arrive, the kitchen will still be spotless with no mess, after all, you left some newspapers or a puppy pad down for the potty breaks, and left some food and water and a dog bed for your pet to use while you’re gone.

Come back 9 hours later. Your kitchen looks like a national disaster has struck that makes a hurricane look like a walk in the park. There is trash on the floor, piles of stool everywhere, puddles everywhere from your puppy not using the pad or newspaper. Aside from that puppy has decided that chewing on the legs of your kitchen table and chairs was their favorite activity of the day and now you need to have them repaired to preserve the furniture from beingtotally ruined.

Does this sound vaguely familiar? I am sure to many it does. What comes next is the part where the owner uses either positive or punishment training. Which method you use often depends upon how you were taught, those who were taught punishment training when they were a child are more likely torevert to this method and have a very hard time breaking that habit. Those who were taught positive methods are moreprone touse their positive training and have a good learning experience from this. In the meantime, looking around the kitchen, who is responsible for the mess in the kitchen? You or the puppy?

If you guessed puppy you are very wrong, it is your responsibility to provide puppy with proper supervision and plenty of toys to keep them occupied and out of trouble. How you react when you arrive home to such a mess can have aMassiveimpact on the relationship between you and your pet. For example, if each day you come home you walk into a mess and react badly by hitting and punishing your dog, they’ll quickly learn to run from you when you come home.

If you use positive training, which means you would remove your puppy from the room and clean up the mess. The next day before you left for work you would arrange plenty of toys to keep your puppy entertained, as well as mentally stimulated so that your furniture isn’t a victim again the next day. Positive training would also include arranging for someone to come and let your puppy go for a walk and get out of the house for a while before you come home so that they’ve a nice break.

The difference in the positive method compared to the punishment method is your pet begins to learn what behavior is acceptable, instead of learning to run and hide from you when you return home. You don’t want your pet running and hiding from you, this won’t break the bad behavior that they’re engaging in. Rather you want to encourage the good behavior your pet is engaged in so that the god behavior will far out weight the bad behavior and become a thing of the past after a while.

Collect your own Obama dog

Master — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:59:50 +0000

Bo is getting his own trading card. Topps has added the presidential pup to the Barack Obama commemorative trading card series it unveiled in January. The First Presidential Pup card features pics of the Portuguese water dog and facts on his journey to the White House. The card can be found in one of every 384 packs of the 90-card series that documents moments from the president’s …

Dog training basics: The sit command – Part 1

Master — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:59:39 +0000

Training Your New Puppy To Sit: This Is A Very Simple method of Training!

Two things you must always keep in mind!

1st always remember to praise your new puppy. He/She will need lots of praise-Especially after accomplishing the task at hand.

2nd. Do not use FORCE! Force will only scare your new puppy and you may have tobegin over and this also makes the process much more difficult. Pushing down on the hind quarters isn’t needed!

To Train Your New Puppy To Sit: This is a very easy method of training your new puppy to sit. It should only take up to 4 to 5 times until he/she has already started to learn the Command Sit!

Starting this at any age is OK. I state as soon as you get your new puppy you can begin. Get your puppy, making sure he/she is standing. You can do this either inside our outside. Placing him/her down, stand right in front of him/her, a treat will be needed for this command.

Taking the treat, placing it firmly in your hands between two fingers, where puppy is unable to grab it out of your hands. He/She will be able to smell it and able to lick it but unable to get it, out of your hand. Place the treat, holding it

firmly in your hand and sticking the treat directly in front of his/her nose and then you slowly raise the treat above his/her nose, up over the eyes, at this point you’ll notice his/her head will startto lift up, as his nose will want to follow

the treat, trying to eat it. Continue moving the treat back as far as you can above his/her head toward his/her back. Saying the command Sit! Your new puppies head will startto lean so far back, starring up, that he/she will automatically sit down on his/her own. When this occurs, you must state Sit! Then give him/her the treat and lots of praise. Repeat this again for no more than 5 times in one lesson, as new puppies will get frustrated if you try to train them to much. This is in regards to anything you’re trying to instruct your new puppy. They do not have the patience for this. He/She will be sitting right away. No force should have been used, as people automatically want to push the puppies hind quarters down with there hands. Please Do not do this. Just let him/her sit on there own as you state SIT! You will see how simple it is. He/She will get it by the 5th try. keeping in mind, that a new puppies brain is still developing, so you will have to do this for a few days. It will be very simple to do. Especially if you do this with him/her a few times a day for 3 or 4 days, and then you will see that no treat will be needed any longer, just praise. You should always praise your puppy and don’t forget to state SIT! When your puppy does sit. Thats it. Very simple and it really works. You just need some patience and praise and allot of love. You will enjoy your puppy much more, when they do what is asked of you, without force. Puppies love to please there owners. You will notice this and realize that all they want, is to please you. Your puppy now sits on command!

Dog breed: Havanese

Master — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:07 +0000

Until about two months ago I had never heard of a Havanese. One day I saw a pic of the cutestTiny dog I’d ever seen and had to know more about him. That was the day I learned about this rare breed of toy dog and signed up to be a foster/rescue Mom for Havanese puppies.

A Havanese is a very small or ‘toy’ sized dog. They have long silky wavy hair and sturdy Littlebodies. They come in white, black, black and white, tan, and combinations of these. Many people have them groomed with a ‘puppy cut’ which I prefer as it shows off their sweetTiny faces. They are also groomed with a more show dog cut that grants their long, wavy coat to reach floor level. They generally weigh about ten to fifteen pounds at maturity and are between 13″ and 15″ tall.

Originally they’re said to have come from the aristocrats of Spain when they immigrated to Havana, Cuba, thus the name. When Cuban citizens fled to America, during the Cuban revolution in the 1950′s, they brought their beloved Havanese dogs with them. Their history possibly goes back to the fifteenth century and are said to be a member of the Bichon family. Artwork dating back to Ancient Greece is decorated with artwork and paintings of dogs that look very similar. For a while it was feared the breed was becoming extinct, but several devoted dog lovers managed to find a few purebred Havanese scattered around the world and bred them to the sturdy, smart, funny companion dogs we have today.

Havanese are just now becoming more popular in the United States. Sadly, because they are rare, they are expensive and money leads to abuse in the form of puppy mills. Puppy mills are horrendous places where wire cages filled with dogs kept only for breeding a commodity are stacked up in row upon row, where urine and feces rain down from the upper cages to the bottom. Puppies pile on top of one another because the wire bottoms of the cages injured their feet. Some end up with damaged teeth or no front teeth at all after months of trying to chew their way free. Females are forced to bear litter after litter until they are no longer deemed good puppy providers and are often turned lose on their own to fend for themselves.

Puppies are sold to pet stores or other breeders for Hugeprofits. In some cases the breeding barns aren’t even heated and many of the puppies and mothers freeze to death. This is why I became a foster parent for a rescue group. They are sweet, gentle dogs that deserve to be loved and cared for.

Havanese are wonderful with children and easily house broken. I recently cared for a three-month old Havanese named Tanya. After only a couple of days she was house trained and when I’d take her outside I just asked her to poop’ and she would oblige me! She now has a permanent, loving home and this makes me happy and alleviates the sorrow I felt when she left. Soon I will take in two more puppies who will be saved from a life of abuse and neglect. If you’re interested in welcoming a sweetTiny dog to your home, search the net for a Havanese rescue group, you will be happy you did!

Taking Your Arthritic Dog To The Vet

Master — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:00:34 +0000

If your dog suffers from morning stiffness, has trouble climbing the stairs, and appears to be less active now that he’s getting older, it may be that he’s suffering from arthritis. Even if he exhibits only one of these traits, it’s time to get your dog in to see the vet. Here’s what to expect on your first visit.

Your vet willstart with a full visual and physical examination of your dog. ThePhysician will check your dog’s body for swollen lymph nodes, listen to his heart and lungs, and check your dog’s ears and skin. Like any general physical exam of your dog, your vet will also inspect the dog’s gums and eyes.

After this initial examination, your vet will look for any easily detectable signs of arthritis, beginning with the spine, limbs and neck. A series of range of motion tests will check your dog’s flexibility. This process will help uncover any old injuries, any problems with the ligaments, and any obvious arthritic symptoms. It will also help uncover any fever, bacteremia, posture, gait, and signs of inflammation.

Assuming your dog displays signs of arthritis, the next step in the process will be to learn more through some diagnostic testing. This will likely involve drawing blood first. With some relatively easy blood analysis, the vet will be able to determine if your dog is allergic to the anesthesia required to take X-rays (the next step in diagnostics), and will also be able to make sure there is not anything else going on inside your dog that might not be obvious. Finally, the vet will want to use the results of the blood tests as a baseline for future testing to make sure the arthritis drug therapy is effective.

X-rays will help the vet detect the presence of arthritis in your dog and help determine the seriousness of the disease. To position your dog properly for the radiographs, most likely he will need to be sedated. X-rays can also detect any fractures or cancers that might be the underlying cause of your dog’s arthritis symptoms.

If it is determined that your dog has arthritis, the next step in the process is to design a treatment approach. New medications are now available that can dramatically assist your dog in leading a healthy and pain-free life. However, all dogs react differently to medications. Therefore, your vet will likelyadvocatea series of treatment trials. This simply means your dog will be given several medications on a trial basis to see which is most effective.

It’s always difficult to see your dog suffering with the pain of arthritis. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A trip to the vet can[ quickly | swiftly determine whether or not arthritis is the culprit, and if it is, a treatment program to alleviate your dog’s pain can be started right away.

Dog parasites symptoms and treatment

Master — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:59:34 +0000

Do you know if your dog has parasites, or even worse worms and how do you get rid of them naturally?

There is most likely a 100 percent chance your dog has parasites right this very minute, as most of the billions of people walking on this earth carry parasites and worms also.

The World Health Organization has reports indicating about 24 percent of the world’s people population are infected with roundworm, let alone the dog population. These are pretty unsightly creatures as they grow to be 14 inches long. They lay eggs of as much as 300,000 in one day and wreck havoc on your inner healthy tissue and organs.

The Symptoms of Roundworm:

One may experience flu like symptoms and abdominal stomach pains. If you ever get to the point of having them infest your intestines to the length of 14 inches you may become blocked and wish for death. In dogs vomiting is also a sign of Roundworms, and this is only one type of worm that feasts on an animal host.

Now think about your dog and how they sniff other doo-doo’s in the park, or dig and eat dirt, and generally can catch them more readily than people. Scary thought is not it- that your dog could be carrying such destructiveTiny critters inside its body right now.

Its truly astonishing how many people are not aware of this and how we are susceptible to parasites.

Where did I pick Up The Parasites:

Everywhere – they are literally everywhere you can think of as they’re in your food, the water your drinking if its not pure. Parasites are living organisms that infiltrate your body and live in your tissue thereby causing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and other illnesses. Anything you put in your mouth can cause the transmission of parasites into you – their host. You can’t even see them as they’re so minute they are invisible to your eye. The Giardia parasite or the Taenia Saginata commonly known as the Tapeworm can live in pets or people so don’t be kissing your dog. Chronic cases can last for years if you don’t know how to get rid of them.

Now that spring is around the corner or even in the fall a spring clean up for your dog or cat and even your own self you can get rid of these pests naturally and safely. Natural herbs such as Wormwood for parasites, Cloves, and Neem are natural parasite killers used for centuries to combat parasites, cleans the digestive system and get rid of these pesky parasites.

Parasite Prevention:

You can keep your hands clean with hot, soapy water before handling foods, and eating. Also wash your hands after handling pets, or diapering children or going to the bathroom. Wash, peel and cook all non – organic foods and drink only purified water even municipal water can not be clean enough. For your dog, keep food and water bowls sparkling clean and do not leave food laying on the floor all day. Pick up any food that has been sitting in front of your dog if it does not eat it.

A healthy and clean environment for your pet will help keep parasites away and your dog will enjoy a longer lifespan.

The best dogs for apartment living

Master — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:59:48 +0000

world's best dogs for apartment life must be the Havanese. The Havanese is usually:
* highly intelligent,
* clever,
* playful,
* devoted to it 's owners,
* great with kids
* and gentle with the elderly.
Best of all, the dog barks rarely or yips.

the average size of well-bred Havanese ranges from 8 to 11 inches tall at the shoulder. It 's length is slightly longer, slightly giving a "longer than tall" look. The coat can be smooth, curly or wavy, but never coarse and colors ranging from all white, black and white, a multi colored – the party mix. The tail, with it 's long skin, curls up on the back and brings attention to the dog' s strong, nearly leaping step. The eyes, almond shaped, are usually attentive, bright and quite harmful. Lastly, the ears, medium length, with long feathered skin, fall down but they react with great expression to what your current ideaTiny Havanese.

Havanese is credited with being the "hypoallergenic" dog. People who are allergic to dogs seem to dosuperior with Havanese because dogs rarely discharged, but it still creates a dander that gets made in it 's lower layer. This will be evident once a week brushing necessary. Anyone with any type of allergy to dogs should Considera short trial period with a Havanese first before reaching a committee of lifetime as a devout companion.

while theTiny Havanese is perfectly suited for apartment living, with exceptionally friendly people, quiet and self entertaining, are a dog and people still require daily interaction with their owners, going so far as to follow their site owners around the site like Littleshadows reserved. Some Havanese owners have gone so far as to state their dogs won 't eat unless the owner, whether home.

above most be said, while the Havanese dog is a people devoted to it 's owner, happy to be with children and be gentle with the elderly, is a lousy guard dog. I don 't think it' s even in the dog 'sa kind of be bad to foreigners, fickle at first, but not to the medium. In fact, if a thief walked into my house, I 'm sure the dog would lick probably bad?? No man to death before they bite.

so there you’ve it. Small in size and stature, self entertainment, highly intelligent and loving people, all these qualities make for a perfect dog breed for apartment living.

PWD Water Retrieving Absurd Comedy Video

Master — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:59:56 +0000

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd2t4J-Gihs If you want a dog that will retrieve a ball from the water, then watch this video, and then get a Black Labrador Retriever. Cocoa, a Brown Portuguese Water Dog makes a cameo appearance while he watches our Black … Continue reading →

Dog breed: Shed – Part 1

Master — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:39 +0000

Dog lovers with allergies are always looking for that special breed of dog that won’t cause an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, there are NO non-allergic dogs. All dogs can cause an allergic reaction; it hasTiny to do with how much hair they have and more to do with their diet and how they’re groomed. However, there are some breeds (in general, the female of the breed is better) which come close to being hypoallergenic and there are some breeds that are hairless or naturally do not shed hair or shed very little. What they all have in common is they require regular grooming all year round.

ABOUT DANDER AND ALLERGIES:

Allergies are not a direct result of too much hair and even dogs with fur like human hair can cause allergies. The sebaceous glands are the culprit. Dogs, like other animals and humans, secrete an oily lubricant (sebum) through their sebaceous glands, which keeps their skin supple and their coat (hair) shiny. The allergen in the secretion causes the allergic reaction and is present in dog’s saliva and dander. As the dog ages and the skin dries, more sebum is produced and the scaly bits of dried skin are released, resulting in dander (or dandruff in humans). Be careful when buying a puppy because you might not have an immediate allergic reaction. Puppy’s skin is supple and sebum is not released so they have no dander, but you might eventually get an allergic reaction as they age and dander forms.

A FEW SUGGESTED BREEDS FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS:

Basenji

ShedTiny or no hair, have no doggy smell and they groom themselves like cats; however, they do not do well with non-canine pets. They are energetic and easily trainable.

Bichon Frise

ShedTiny or no hair but must be groomed once a month. They are affectionate, intelligent and independent. They love people and kids and are easily trainable.

Chinese Crested

Shed Littleor no hair, have no doggy odor and are notlikely to ticks or fleas. They are affectionate, lovable, energetic and easily trainable. They are not barkers.

Poodle

ShedTiny or no hair and are intelligent and easily trainable. They have a good temperament, but if untrained, they tend to bark a lot. Also, be careful with the mixedbreeds.

Schnauzer

ShedTiny or no hair, are great house pets and love children. They will bark and make good watchdogs and mouse catchers.

Shih Tzu

ShedTiny or no hair and is alert and spunky. They make good watchdogs even though they are small.

Yorkshire Terrier

Shed Littleor no hair, but their temperament is that of the Terrier breed. They are good watchdogs but tend to be snappish if teased or surprised. They are simple to train, but a Littlestubborn.

Xoloitzcuintle

Hairless breed sheds no hair and the coated breed sheds very little. They come in three sizes and are very intelligent and easily trainable.

COST:

It is difficult to find a price range for any of them without going to each breeder’s site and requesting information, but suffice it to state that pure-bred dogs will cost you several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the breed. You can, however, check with the Humane Society and other dog adoption shelters because it is estimated that about forty percent of all dogs in those shelters are pure-bred dogs.

Resources:

www.consumerhealthreviews.com

www.dogchannel.com

www.dog-abc.com

www.dogs.about.com

www.angelfire.com

www.dogbreedinfo.com

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Finding a dog trainer in your area

Master — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:01:08 +0000

The good news is that it’s easier than ever to find a local dog trainer. The bad news is that it’s still just as difficult to find a good dog trainer. A good dog trainer is one that gets along with both you and your dog and knows about dogs. Unfortunately, anybody can call themselves a dog trainer because there are no government regulations for this industry. But good dog trainers do tend to join a group called the “Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Places To Scout

Don’t just assume the closest dog trainer to you is competent, even if they won trophies at dog shows and are a member of a dog trainer association, such as the Association for Pet Dog Trainers. Be suspicious of all dog trainers until they prove their worth to you and to your dog. You wouldn’t want to leave your child with any stranger as a babysitter, so why leave any stranger with your best friend?

The first places to scout to recruit the newest member of your dog’s team are with your veterinarian, your trusted friends and family who own dogs and your dog’s groomer (if your dog has one). Ask them for recommendations.

If that doesn’t work out, then next goon the webor look in the Yellow Pages or even for advertisements in your mailbox. For example, the number of dog trainers in the Philadelphia area alone has risen so dramatically that they often need to advertise and offer coupons. ManyBigchain pet stores like PetSmart and Petco offer inexpensive group dog training classes.

Selecting A Candidate

Always watch a class in progress or sit in on a class to see what kind of trainer your prospective dog trainer is. Imagine them handling the problems your dog has. If theybegin breaking out the hardware like prong collars and choke chains, leave. Also, if the dogs in the class (or the owners in the class) break out into constant fights, leave.

You also want to see adult dogs in separate classes from Littlepuppies. Puppies need their own classes because they will eventually do something to really annoy an adult dog.

Know your dog. Does your dog cringe at people with loud voices? Is your dog spooked at a person who jumps up and down a lot? Pick a trainer with a personality that your dog gets along with.

After sitting in for a class, ask to see any references the trainer has. The trainer should politely and nearly eagerly provide them. Ask if any certificate of health is required before your dog can attend classes. Also know the pricing system and if you’ve to pay for a series of classes or just pay for one class at a time. And if your gut instinctStates to go with the trainer, then do so.