Training a Working Livestock Dog

You are training your dog to work with live stock on your farm and want to be sure that your dog is useful, safe, and treats your live stock well.  This is important to the productivity of your farm.  This article will provide specific ways that you can train your working livestock dog accordingly.

Learning to listen to your dog will make you a better trainer of him. Animals are not robots that can be programmed and your dog has a personality with preferences and quirks, just like you. Understanding the nuances of your dogs expressions will help you decipher more in training and therefore, expand your ability to teach him.

If you are trying to prevent your dog from begging, the best thing to do is ignore the begging completely. Don't respond either positively, with a treat or petting, or negatively, by shouting. Your dog will learn quickly and remember for a long time that the begging ended up with you paying attention to the dog.

Teaching your dog a fun trick, such as "play dead" can be a fun way of distracting him.  When your dogs behaviour is bad, simply use the command you have established for his trick instead of using negative punishment.  This provides for a fun activity for your dog and creates a positive environment for you as well.

Tip: K9 Magazine's Ryan O'Meara says: "Dogs all have individual motivating factors. For some it's food, for others it's play. Before you begin to train, try to learn exactly what your dog's main motivating factors are."

Find out what motivates your dog as a training reward, and save it for training sessions to get maximum results. Some dogs love a chance to chew on a special squeaky toy or ball, while others adore a certain brand of treats or tiny chunks of fresh baked chicken. It never hurts if the dog is a little hungry so the treats seem even tastier.

Dog Nutrition Guide

Your dog will need a diet high in proper nutrition and the right type of calories to maintain his vitality and health. This means that you should be picky about what you feed your dog. Making your own dog food can help to reduce fillers that do nothing for your pet, while increasing the crude protein to a healthy and more beneficial level.

Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. Many people overlook treats when considering the animals diet but they will certainly add up, especially during active training. Carefully choose which treats to give him based on quality and nutrition and if you're finding the dog gets a lot of treats you may want to consider praise as an alternative reward.

In conclusion, it is important that you train your dog well in order to be able to work with your live stock.  As long as you follow the tips and tricks included in this article you should be able to train your dog to more efficiently and safely work with your live stock.

Training a Working Livestock Dog

You are training your dog to work with live stock on your farm and want to be sure that your dog is useful, safe, and treats your live stock well.  This is important to the productivity of your farm.  This article will provide specific ways that you can train your working livestock dog accordingly.

Learning to listen to your dog will make you a better trainer of him. Animals are not robots that can be programmed and your dog has a personality with preferences and quirks, just like you. Understanding the nuances of your dogs expressions will help you decipher more in training and therefore, expand your ability to teach him.

If you are trying to prevent your dog from begging, the best thing to do is ignore the begging completely. Don't respond either positively, with a treat or petting, or negatively, by shouting. Your dog will learn quickly and remember for a long time that the begging ended up with you paying attention to the dog.

Teaching your dog a fun trick, such as "play dead" can be a fun way of distracting him.  When your dogs behaviour is bad, simply use the command you have established for his trick instead of using negative punishment.  This provides for a fun activity for your dog and creates a positive environment for you as well.

Tip: K9 Magazine's Ryan O'Meara says: "Dogs all have individual motivating factors. For some it's food, for others it's play. Before you begin to train, try to learn exactly what your dog's main motivating factors are."

Find out what motivates your dog as a training reward, and save it for training sessions to get maximum results. Some dogs love a chance to chew on a special squeaky toy or ball, while others adore a certain brand of treats or tiny chunks of fresh baked chicken. It never hurts if the dog is a little hungry so the treats seem even tastier.

Dog Nutrition Guide

Your dog will need a diet high in proper nutrition and the right type of calories to maintain his vitality and health. This means that you should be picky about what you feed your dog. Making your own dog food can help to reduce fillers that do nothing for your pet, while increasing the crude protein to a healthy and more beneficial level.

Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. Many people overlook treats when considering the animals diet but they will certainly add up, especially during active training. Carefully choose which treats to give him based on quality and nutrition and if you're finding the dog gets a lot of treats you may want to consider praise as an alternative reward.

In conclusion, it is important that you train your dog well in order to be able to work with your live stock.  As long as you follow the tips and tricks included in this article you should be able to train your dog to more efficiently and safely work with your live stock.

Having Trouble Training Your Dog? Try These Great Tips!

Getting a new dog is a very exciting time, however, it is pretty much like having a newborn baby at home.  There is a lot involved when you first get a dog.  Sometimes it could feel a little bit overwhelming.  However, the tips you will find in this article will help get you on your way to an obedient little dog.

For your dog to understand what you are punishing them for, you need to catch them misbehaving. If you reprimand a dog for something that happened hours ago, chances are your dog will not make the connection. And if you choose to ignore your dog to show that you are mad, do not ignore it for more than a few minutes.

One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is that it is a lifelong process. Many owners think that once their pet has the basics down, the training process is over. Dogs, much like people, learn throughout their lives, and consistent training will help them to be well-behaved and friendly.

To help train your dog, you must assert yourself as the dominant one in your relationship by refusing to give the dog undeserved attention or food. When you convince your dog you run the show and, in addition, let the dog recognize you can use that power to give it something it wants, your dog will obey your commands more effectively.

Listening to your dog is one of the most important steps of training your dog.  If your dog is uncomfortable or scared then you aren't going to get the result that you are looking for.  Respect their needs and the process will go a lot smoother.

After reading this article you can see that it is possible to have a dog that is both adorable and obedient.  With just a little bit of persistence and the suggestions given in this article, you will have a dog that you can be proud of before you know it.

Article distributed by Alexis Dougan on behalf of petbuzz.

Having Trouble Training Your Dog? Try These Great Tips!

Getting a new dog is a very exciting time, however, it is pretty much like having a newborn baby at home.  There is a lot involved when you first get a dog.  Sometimes it could feel a little bit overwhelming.  However, the tips you will find in this article will help get you on your way to an obedient little dog.

For your dog to understand what you are punishing them for, you need to catch them misbehaving. If you reprimand a dog for something that happened hours ago, chances are your dog will not make the connection. And if you choose to ignore your dog to show that you are mad, do not ignore it for more than a few minutes.

One of the most important things to remember when training your dog is that it is a lifelong process. Many owners think that once their pet has the basics down, the training process is over. Dogs, much like people, learn throughout their lives, and consistent training will help them to be well-behaved and friendly.

To help train your dog, you must assert yourself as the dominant one in your relationship by refusing to give the dog undeserved attention or food. When you convince your dog you run the show and, in addition, let the dog recognize you can use that power to give it something it wants, your dog will obey your commands more effectively.

Listening to your dog is one of the most important steps of training your dog.  If your dog is uncomfortable or scared then you aren't going to get the result that you are looking for.  Respect their needs and the process will go a lot smoother.

After reading this article you can see that it is possible to have a dog that is both adorable and obedient.  With just a little bit of persistence and the suggestions given in this article, you will have a dog that you can be proud of before you know it.

Article distributed by Alexis Dougan on behalf of petbuzz.

What Different Types of Dogs Are There?

Types of Dogs: Dog Breeds & Types

Dogs can be defined by the job they do, for example companion dogs are those that were bred to keep us company, and guard dogs were developed to protect their owners and their property. The American Kennel Club has taken these definitions further, and grouped dogs with similar purposes and temperaments together. This means that each group can consist of dogs that vary widely in appearance, and possibly even size. Let's have a closer look at the groups and the dogs that are in each one.

•    Sporting Group – these dogs were bred to hunt and retrieve. Because they were expected to work closely with their master, they make excellent companions. They love the water, and enjoy the opportunity to swim. These dogs aren't suited to a sedentary owner because they often need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation to be truly happy. Breeds in this group include the Spaniels, the Pointers and the Retrievers.

•    Hound Group – hound breeds were also used in the hunt, to track their prey by scent, and to run them down. They are a diverse group, and include sight hounds such as the Whippet and Afghan Hound, and scent hounds like the Bloodhound and Beagle. They are amiable and easy going dogs and fit in well with family life, however they can be difficult to call back if they start to chase any potential prey.
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•    Working Group – as the name suggests, these breeds had a job to do including guarding and pulling carts and sleds. They are intelligent and reliable, and are good family dogs. However, most breeds in this group are very large, and this should be taken into account by potential owners.
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•    These dogs need training from a young age because, while they are easy to manage when they are puppies, this rapidly changes when they are a 70-100lb adult. Breeds that fall into the working group include the Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Alaskan Malamute and Bullmastiff.
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•    Terriers – the most characteristic feature of members of the terrier group is their feisty and tenacious personality. They were bred to chase and kill vermin, and the tendency to be grumpy and argumentative with other animals often persists.
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•    Size varies, from the tiny West Highland White Terrier to the larger American Staffordshire Terrier and Airedale Terrier. They need an owner who can manage their stubborn and determined nature.
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•    Toy Dogs – these dogs serve but one purpose, and that is to be a companion. They are usually small enough to fit on your lap, and don't cost much to care for. Having said that, they have big personalities inside that small body, and are very resilient.
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•     Whether you want a dog to groom and dress up with ribbons, or one with a short low maintenance coat, you'll find a toy breed to suit. They are particularly suited to apartment life. This group includes such compact and attractive breeds as the Chihuahua, the Yorkshire Terrier and the Papillon.
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•    Herding Group – these breeds used to be included with the working dogs, but they were given their own group in 1983. All of these breeds are able to move and control other animals. They are extremely intelligent, and most need a lot of mental stimulation and physical exercise. They are not a breed for everyone. Dogs that fall into this category include the Border Collie, German Shepherd and Corgi.
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•    Non Sporting Group – this group contains a wide variety of breeds, with no real common traits. They vary in size, shape and coat type. It's almost as if any breed that didn't fit neatly into one of the other groups was put in the non sporting group. Breeds included in this group are as diverse as the Bulldog, the Lhasa Apso and the Dalmatian.
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•    Miscellaneous Group – the miscellaneous group contains those breeds that are not yet fully registered with the AKC, but are part of the Foundation Stock Service. Many of these breeds are registered in other parts of the world, just not in the United States. Others, like the Chinook were developed in America, but are not yet fully registered as a breed.
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•    They will stay in this group until they are fully recognized by the AKC, when they will be placed in one of the other groups, depending on their purpose. This means that breeds in the miscellaneous groups will be unfamiliar and there may be few examples of them in America. Some breeds that are currently in this group are the Pumi, the Rat Terrier, the Sloughi and the Peruvian Inca Orchid.

While we are talking about breeds, it's appropriate to make mention of the crossbreed dog, also known as a mongrel or cur. These dogs have uncertain parentage, and come in a range of sizes, colors and coat types. They may strongly resemble one particular breed, which can give you a hint as to their ancestry.

Some people believe that mixed breeds are healthier than purebreds, because of hybrid vigor. It's certainly possible, but a crossbreed pup may receive a double dose of unhealthy genes from their parents, and may have the worst features of his parent breeds. Add to this the fact that the parents of mixed breed pups are less likely to have undergone any genetic health tests before being mated, and you can see why there is no guarantee that they will be healthy. Having said that, they can be just as intelligent, and just as good a companion as a purebred animal.

Ryan O'Meara is editor and publisher of K9 Magazine.

K9 Magazine Editor Ryan O'Meara on Dog Attacks

Ryan O'Meara, editor and publisher of K9 Magazine, a lifestyle magazine for dog lovers, has issued a warning to dog owners about the importance of understanding canine body language to spot the warning signs of a potential dog attack.

O'Meara, who is a former professional dog trainer, has previously spoken at the National Dog Warden Association on the topic of canine aggression.

He says:

"Understanding certain aspects of dog body language, what motivates them, what scares them and gaining more knowledge about things such as territory aggression, resource guarding and nervous aggression is the key for dog owners to recognise situations where their dog may be more likely to respond to certain situations with a bite."

O'Meara explains in his much talked about article "The Anatomy of a Dog Attack" how misreading the warning signs and failing to recognise tell-tale dog body language signals is one of the key reasons why people get attacked 'out of the blue'.

He explains:

"Dogs rarely bite people. However, if you examine some of the most serious dog attacks there is very often a correlating pattern."

O'Meara's remarks ring true in the cases of fatal dog attacks in Britain.

His article "What Causes Fatal Dog Attacks" details consistent patterns in all cases:

read more from Ryan O'Meara on dog attack patters.

K9 Magazine Editor Ryan O'Meara on Dog Attacks

Ryan O'Meara, editor and publisher of K9 Magazine, a lifestyle magazine for dog lovers, has issued a warning to dog owners about the importance of understanding canine body language to spot the warning signs of a potential dog attack.

O'Meara, who is a former professional dog trainer, has previously spoken at the National Dog Warden Association on the topic of canine aggression.

He says:

"Understanding certain aspects of dog body language, what motivates them, what scares them and gaining more knowledge about things such as territory aggression, resource guarding and nervous aggression is the key for dog owners to recognise situations where their dog may be more likely to respond to certain situations with a bite."

O'Meara explains in his much talked about article "The Anatomy of a Dog Attack" how misreading the warning signs and failing to recognise tell-tale dog body language signals is one of the key reasons why people get attacked 'out of the blue'.

He explains:

"Dogs rarely bite people. However, if you examine some of the most serious dog attacks there is very often a correlating pattern."

O'Meara's remarks ring true in the cases of fatal dog attacks in Britain.

His article "What Causes Fatal Dog Attacks" details consistent patterns in all cases:

read more from Ryan O'Meara on dog attack patters.