Email Subscriptions: Animals
Subject: How to get your dog to stop barking
Hello,
Have you ever been “that neighbor” whose dog continuously barks all day or all night? Or
perhaps your dog accidentally frightens people who move in to pet him? Dogs bark for a variety
of reasons that range from warning to excitement to challenge. While you do want your dog to
warn you in the case of a threatening situation, you do not want your dog barking at the wrong
times.
First and foremost, do not yell or punish your dog when he or she barks. It might make them
think you’re joining them and encouraging the behavior. It might also lead the dog to fear you
out of fear of punishment. Instead, take away or manage the barking. When your dog barks at
something, take it away or take them away from it. For example, if you’re taking your dog for a
walk and he or she barks at a passerby, simply take them back home or change routes. Keep
your training consistent so that the two of you will only encounter passerby’s if they restrain
themselves. This way, your dog makes the association between not barking and being around
other people. Each time you get closer to a passerby without your dog barking, give him a treat.
Rewarding your dog for good behavior and gently correcting him or her for bad behavior will
take time and patience, but consistency is key to helping your dog make the necessary
associations.
Another thing to consider is that we often teach our dogs to “speak” but we often forget to take
them to become “quiet”. While teaching your dog to “speak” on command can lower the
chances of them “speaking” out of command, it’s also important to teach them what the quiet
function does. Teach your dog the “quiet” command the same way you would teach him the
“speak” command by giving them treats, belly rubs, positive feedback, and other rewards for
doing the right thing
Thanks,
Yasmine
Sub: Why dogs and puppies chew things they shouldn’t
Hello,
If you own a dog or puppy, you’ve most likely had to come home to find a chewed up shoe or a
soggy book with your dog’s slobber all over it. Before you begin to complain, think about the last
time you’ve experienced or heard someone complain about their baby “teething” or putting
things such as your fingers, their fingers and toes, toys, and other objects in their mouth.
Likewise, puppies that begin to teeth use their mouths as a way to cope with the pain. Chewing
on random objects helps puppies combat the pain that comes with growing a full set of teeth.
Owners that may not realize that there are teething toys for puppies to help them cope with the
pain, and learn what they should bite and what they should not. Without a proper teething toy or
a designated chewing toy, nothing is off-limits to your dog.
Chewing things is also a learn about the world around them. While babies have hands and feet
to help them feel and touch things, a puppy’s only hope of knowing texture and learning about
new things is by feeling them with their teeth. How else is your active beagle going to learn that
the phone you always have in your hand is hard, or know that the shoes on your feet are
rubbery.
Despite all the logical reasons dogs chew things they shouldn’t, it may also come down to the
fact that they want your attention. If you often reprimand your dog for chewing things they
shouldn’t and they stop, going back to the negative behavior might be a way for them to get
your attention. To them, negative attention is better than none at all.
I hope this email helps you realize why your dog may be chewing things they may or may not
know they shouldn’t.
Thanks,
Yasmine
Sub: How to stop puppy biting and mouthing
As puppies begin to teethe and find interesting ways to use their mouth, it’s important to quickly
teach them that biting is not a good behavior. Puppies who often interact with other puppies
may develop the understanding that thing is just part of playing. However, once in a while they
may bite another puppy too hard. The resulting cry of pain from the other puppy before they
begin to play once more is something that conditions your puppy not to bite too hard when it
happens enough times.
Likewise, when your puppy bites you, simulate being his playmate by going limp and letting out
a soft cry of pain. This should surprise your puppy and cause him to let go. Wait a few minutes
after the incident to resume playing with your puppy. If you have to repeat your action more than
four times, give your puppy a time out and try to play with him or her the next day.
Another option to curb biting and mouthing is to teach your puppy the “let go” command. Much
like teaching your puppy other commands, wait until the bad behavior ensues. Then,
continuously and firmly tell your puppy to let go. Once he or she does, reward them with a treat
and repeat the process until your puppy can follow the “let go” command.
The key advice in stopping bad behavior such as biting or mouthing in puppies and dogs is to
teach them that when bad behavior stops, they will get rewarded.
Thank you,
Yasmine
Sub: Leash training for when your dog is too excited to walk
Hello,
We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve been so busy at work, that by the time we come
home, we’re met with expectant eyes and wagging tails. When you have a dog that’s very
excited to go for a walk, it’s difficult to place a leash on them and train them on how to behave
when on a leash, especially if it’s a puppy or new dog. Leash training refers to act of actually
enjoying walking your dog rather than being dragged around your neighborhood by your over
excited dog.
If your dog is very excited before you even put the leash on him or her, try playing some games
with them first before taking them on a walk. Tossing a ball around, fetching a frisbee, and other
exercises that can be done in your backyard is a great way to get rid of any excess energy your
dog may have. This way, your dog isn’t too excited when you try to train him or her.
Next, you’d want to calmly ask your dog to sit if he or she is overexcited and standing by the
door. Do not move or open the door until your dog is seated. Then proceed to put the leash on.
For most dog, the site of a leash generates excitement, especially if they’ve been on walks
before. So make sure to take it slow. It’s one thing for them to wag their tails as you put the
leash on, but it’s another for them to sit up and become excited again. Only put the leash on
when they’re seated. If your dog begins to stand back up when you try to put on the leash, pull
the leash back and walk away.
Once you have the leash on, gently pull the leash gently so that your dog is standing up. If he or
she begins to pace back and forth, tell your dog to sit again. Do not move out the door until they
are seated. Once your dog easily obeys this command and gets to this point successfully,
you’re ready to take them outside! At any time they when get to excited, repeat the “sit”
command and do not move until he or she does.
After a few times of doing this, your dog should hopefully learn that managing their excitement
gets them a better reward than dragging you around!
Thanks,
Yasmine
Sub: How to use food in your dog training
Hello,
Like humans, dogs like food. It’s a given fact that we often reward ourselves with food by going
out to eat when finished with a large project or buying that extra-large pizza at the end of a long
and busy week. Likewise, it is to your advantage to use food, especially treats, when training
your dog. Using food as a reward will enable your dog to learn the difference between bad and
good behaviors. They will learn that good behaviors gets them good rewards and bad behaviors
get them no rewards at all.
They key to using food to train your dog is to not give them too much, or too little. That is to say
do not starve your dog so that he or she is constantly looking for treats; this may lead to bad
behaviors. You also do not want to give your dog too many treats so that he or she begins to
expect it or is not affected by it. If you had an extra-large pizza every single day, it doesn’t
become a reward anymore, it becomes normal. Use this logic to manage how often you give
your dog treats for doing good things.
An example of this would be bite training. If you give your dog a treat every time they stop biting
you, he may associate treats with biting you, then stopping. The right thing to do would be to sit
in the same place every day. If he bites you and let's go on the first day, give them a treat. The
next day, do not. The day after, give your dog treat if he does not bite you at all. If he does bite
you, give him a treat. That way, they associate treats with not biting, rather than letting go.
I hope this email gives you an understanding on how to use food to train your dog.
Thank you,
Yasmine.
Sub: Top 5 foods that are most effective in dog training
Hello,
As you begin to train your dog with food and treats, you may notice that there are some treats
your dog responds to, and some that he does not. Like humans, every dog has a preference on
what food they like and what food they don’t like. Here are a list of 5 foods that are most
effective when training a dog, and have good feedback from owners. There’s a chance that out
of these five dog foods and treats, you may find one that your dog will respond to and become
very effective in training.
1. Blue Buffalo Dog Training Treats: Chicken Wild Bits - Blue Buffalo is a great choice for
many reasons. They are healthy for your dog with their all-natural chicken, omega-3 fatty
acids and DHA. They boost your dog’s health while being a great tool for training.
2. Wellsoft Puppy Bites: Lamb and Salmon Recipe - Wellsoft Puppy Bites, like Blue Buffalo,
is a great source of DHA and vitamins. These treats are chewy so if your dog likes a bit
of texture in their food, chewy treats will be the way to go. These bites are grain free so
they are safe to consume for dogs with grain allergies.
3. Fruitable Skinny Minis: Apple Bacon - If your vet recently told you that your dog has to
watch his or her weight, the last thing on your mind would be how to train your dog with
treats. These Fruitable Skinny Minis are low in calories, yet remain remain a prime
choice when choosing dog training treats because they smell like meat to get your dog’s
attention, depending on which flavor you choose.
4. Zuke’s Mini Naturals - If you’re running on a low budget but still need some way to train
your dog with food, Zuke’s Mini Naturals are a great way to go. With all the great reviews
on Amazon (they are the #1 dog selling treats on Amazon!) you would never guess
they’re only a few dollars.
5. Rocco and Roxie Gourmet Jerky Treats - These treats are on the high-end when it
comes to pricing, but there is a reason for it. They are soy free, gluten free, corn free,
and wheat free. These treats are made out of real meat that is smoked 15 hours,
according to the package, before being packaged. If you have a picky dog or a dog that
has many allergies, this is the way to go.
Out of these five treats to try for your dog, you are bound to find one that will make for an
effective dog training.
Thanks,
Yasmine
Sub: Does your dog bark when left home alone?
Every dog has their own personality, though for the most part they’re very social. Imagine how
difficult it must be for your dog then, to be left home alone all day for an eight hour work day,
forty hours a week while you’re at work earning money. Loneliness can cause a dogs to bark
which in turn might disturb neighbors and generate subsequent bad behaviors in the long run.
If you’re not sure whether your dog barks when left home alone, ask a neighbor to listen for you
or put a recording device in your house for day and listen in. Sometimes, your neighbors might
even let you know bluntly that your dog does bark all day when left alone. Even if your dog
might not bark, look for signs of scratches on the door and other places which indicate
loneliness.
Once you’ve identified this as a problem, try to solve it. If you have a new puppy, try to get him
accustomed to being alone slowly so that they learn it’s okay to be alone. If you have a dog that
is not accustomed to being left alone, get them a blanket, pillow, jacket, or a place in the house
that makes them feel secure. Next, provide them with entertainment by providing them with toys,
edible treats and toys that make noises. Identify your dog’s favorite toy and make it available to
them only when you leave them for long periods of time. If you’re leaving your dog for a long
period of time, get a dog sitter or dog walker to play with them a few times a day.
With the simple solutions above, your dog should be able to cope with being alone until you
return from work, or from vacation.
Thank you,
Yasmine
Sub:Socializing a new puppy
It’s only a matter of time before you have to start introducing your adorable puppy to all the
other adorable puppies once you’ve adopted him. Although it may sound easy, following the
next key points may make the socializing of a new puppy painless for both you and your puppy.
The first and most important thing to make sure of before beginning to get your puppy socialized
with other puppies is to make sure that the other puppies are vaccinated. You would not want
your puppy to contract an illness from their puppies in the good name of trying to make them
friends. The next thing for you to consider is the age of your puppy. Socializing too early can
cause your puppy to become fearful or aggressive toward other puppies. Socializing too late
can lead to the same results. The generally accepted age for socializing puppies is when they
are around three to twelve weeks.
Another important point in socializing a new puppy is to go slow and be patient. Do not put your
puppy in a completely new environment with other puppies and expect them to socialize. It just
won’t happen. Instead, try taking them to a park so they can see other puppies and dogs
socialize. After they show interest in other puppies and dogs, communicate with other owners
until there’s a mutual acceptance. Once your puppy starts playing with other puppies, pay close
attention. Reward good behaviors and gently correct bad behaviors by removing rewards.
With patience and consistency, your new puppy should be able to socialize with other puppies
and humans!
Thank you,
Yasmine
Sub: Understanding dog bites
As a dog owner, there’s a good chance you’ve come across your fair share of dog bites. While
it’s important to correct this behavior and teach your dog that biting is bad, it’s important to
understand these bites and why they happen.
One of the major reasons a dog will bite an owner or a stranger is fear. If you correct your dog
and it bites you, there’s a good chance your dog is afraid of you and your correction methods.
The best way to correct any bad behavior, is to speak firmly, remove the cause and ignore your
dog for a few minutes at most. Any harsh correction will startle your dog and cause them to fear
you rather than understand and love you. If your dog sees you as a threat, they may also bite
you if you get close to a certain part of the house in order to protect their “territory”. The best
way to solve fear related bites is through patience, love and rewards. Teach your dog that you
are a friend, “part of their pack” rather than an owner or an enemy.
Another big reason a dog might bite you might be over excitement. If you’re playing with your
dog, and they get too excited, they could accidentally bite you. It’s important to correct this as
soon as it happens so that your dog learns that biting is not okay under any circumstances
when around you and others.
Sometimes, your dog may not bite you, but they may bite other people. Certain smells trigger
dogs to be aggressive. Try to find what irritates your dog and train your dog to warn you when
they encounter those triggers and manage it better.
Thank you,
Yasmine
Sub: 3 reasons why you should neuter your dog
When it comes to neutering our dog's, many of us become hesitant. However, it is important to
understand the benefits that comes with neutering your dog such as: longer life-span, less
medical issues, behavioral benefits, economic benefits and weight management.
When focusing on only three of these benefits, one of the main one would be allowing your dog
to live a long and healtire life. Like humans, dogs have disease that can take their life or make it
very difficult to live. Neutering your dog eliminates their chances of acquiring testicular cancer
and reduces their chances of having prostate issues down the line.
Another big reason for neutering your dog lives in the fact that you will be happier, and so will
your dog. While neutering is not a quick fix to behavioral issues in your dog, it might be a
solution. Dogs that are neutered do not see the benefit in urinating around the house to mark
their territory, fight with other male dogs and mount female dogs.
A third reason to neuter your dog is for the economic reasons. Neutering your dog sounds like a
way better plan than finding a litter of pups behind your house one day. Even if you don’t find a
litter of pups, you may find yourself in a discussion with your next door neighbor about whose
responsibility it will be to care for newborn pups. Caring for a set of pups can cause stress on
you and your wallet, all which could be avoided by neutering your dog.
The benefits of neutering your dog greatly outweighs the benefits of leaving them unentered.
Thanks,
Yasmine