10 Biggest Misconceptions about Dogs

1. When your dog looks grown up, he is.

No matter how big he is, or how mature his behavior, your puppy is still a puppy until he's at least a year old. Large-breed dogs are growing puppies for close to two years.

2. Neutering your dog will negatively affect his personality.

If your dog has always been an outgoing, fun-loving, playful dog, neutering won't change that all. If he is a little reactive with other dogs or roams the neighborhood, neutering may make him a bit gentler and more inclined to stay home.

3. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

The biggest challenge in training an older dog is helping them unlearn old behaviors. If you combine patience with sound and treat training, you’ll soon have a talented and well-trained little pal.

4. Dogs need variety in the food they eat.

Your dog thrives on routine. Changing diet frequently and rapidly will do him more harm than good.

5. Obedience training is only for problem dogs.

Yes, obedience training can help with some unacceptable behaviors, but wouldn't it be better if those behaviors never had a chance to develop?  In addition, obedience training can strengthen the bond between you and your dog and help you enjoy each other's company even more so!

6. Dogs need supplements in their diets.

If they are eating a high quality, nutritionally balanced diet, they will do fine. If you have questions, ask your veterinarian.

7. Dogs who spend the day in the yard get plenty of exercise.

Dogs are pack animals — they are not good at running or playing when they are alone. Exercise is an important part of your dog's health. It's up to you to be sure he gets it.

8. Dogs do destructive things to get even with you.

Don't project your emotions on your dog. Most behaviors that drive you crazy are normal for a dog and begin when he is bored, tired, sick or lonely.

9. It's natural for your dog to have bad breath.

It isn't. Bad breath is often, an indication of dental or health trouble.

10. It's okay for dogs to be a little plump.

Excess weight in dogs can be associated with heart, respiratory and blood-sugar level problem, skeletal distress and gastrointestinal disorders. Don't feed your dog table scraps, and make sure he gets plenty of exercise.

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Tips On How To Train Your Dog Dog Really Fast

Truth be told you are going to have to work harder than you have ever done before in order to train your dog successfully! I am telling you 99% people are just not capable of actually putting in the amount of hard work that is needed to train up their dogs. Believe me the only way to see phenomenal results that people are going to admire is to actually work your hair off on a day to day basis! Believe me patience is the most important skill that you can work to develop if you want to train your dog properly. My business is hinting right now that housetraining a puppy is simple when you're conscious just what you are doing.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you are lazy then you are just going to end up failing so you should not bother trying to train your dog. Please just stop reading right now if you are a lazy individual. Hard work is the core of all the obedient dogs that you see out there. Don't you think for a moment that people who have well trained dogs have done it by wishing for it!

I am telling you right now that the most important aspect of actually being able to train your puppy successfully is actually getting out there and becoming a more patient person. At the end of the day your dog is just a dog, so you need to be extremely patient until he understands what you are trying to teach him. Teaching him one thing at at time is going to require that you are really patient. This is going to be frustrating at times but believe me if you are able to stick it out you will see results!

The next thing you must develop is a level of consistency. Daily effort with your puppy dog will ensure that you will see amazing results. Believe me if you are not putting in the daily effort then you are going to fail in terms of teaching your dog anything. If you are actually looking to see results in the near future then you must apply what I've just told you.

Believe me I really and truly think that if you want to see success with your dog then you are going to have to go to your local bookshop and learn everything there is about this subject matter. I will tell you right now to go to your local bookshop and grab all the books that you can on the topic of training dogs. Then spend the next few weeks just studying everything you can on dog training. Believe me no matter how mundane of a task this is you must do it if you actually want to successfully train your dog.

Believe me I am telling you from experience that all you need to do in order to see success with your dogs is to just follow the advice that I've given you here! I am telling you take it slowly and enjoy the process. Remain patience and consistent and believe me you are going to see amazing results in no time. Trust me the world is going to wonder how you managed to make your dog so obedient. You are going to smile in joy.

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Dog Games - Top 5 Games That Will Tire Your Dog Out

Playing dog games with your canine pet provides your beloved with his much needed physical and mental stimulation. This also gives you the benefit of reinforcing his obedience training in a fun way as you establish a deeper relationship with him.

However, not every dog is thrilled with playing ordinary fetch all the time especially if he is very intelligent. Many dog breeders, vets, and trainers agree that the best dog games are those that provide exercise and challenge accompanied with positive reinforcement by giving the animal a reward for accomplishing what you want.

FETCH When you're dog has become tired of the basic throw-a-stick-give-it-back-to-me fetch he will refuse to play. To solve this problem, think out of the box and vary how you play the game with your dog.

Instead of using a stick, use a ball or his favorite toy then climb up the stairs. Throw the ball or toy gently then tell your dog to fetch the item.

This game is perfect for those winter or rainy days when you can't take him out of the house. Be sure though that you're dog already knows how to go up and down stairs.

BACKYARD TUNNELING Dogs love obstacle courses so this a game Fido will surely love. Not only is this a good mental exercise for him this game will also improve his agility.

You can set up tunnel in your backyard and coax your dog with his favorite treat to go through the tunnel. You can run along at the side of the tunnel or opt to wait at the other end just to convince Fido to follow you.

You can gradually add more obstacles to make it more fun. Although pre-made equipment is helpful, if you are creative enough I'm sure you can create a homemade backyard tunnel and obstacles at minimal cost.

HIDE AND SEEK This third in our list of dog games will give him a chance to put to use his scenting abilities as well as provide him with mental stimulation. You can opt to hide yourself or you can get one of his toys or a special toy just for this game and hide it at any safe place around your property.

Start easy then gradually make it more complicated for him to find hidden toys. This game is a great way to teach Fido how to find other objects as well.

FRISBEE CATCHING A modified form of the Fetch game this is a great way to teach Fido agility. Beware, this is an intensely physical game that is not recommended for old dogs.

To do this throw a Frisbee nearby until he learns that he must return the Frisbee to you. Gradually throw the thing farther and farther until he learns how to catch it.

The nice thing about this is you can opt to join Frisbee competitions with Fido if he gets really really good at this game.

SWIMMING The last in this list dog games is beneficial to his entire body not just his muscles. If you love swimming and there is someplace that you both can do this, why not swim with your dog?

Dog games not only allow you train your dog to do stuff this also helps to create a disciplined dog provided that whenever your dog does something good you use positive reinforcement and give him a reward. It's also important that you make the rules and not the other way around, one way to establish this is to stop the game while the dog is still excited and not when he is already bored.

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Tips For Socializing Your Dog

Socialization for a dog is very important and it's something that must be done when the dog is young. Quite often people think they're doing the right things when it comes to socialization but they are actually not because they don't know exactly what socialization means.

I will start off by telling you that the period of socialization for a young pup is from birth to 20 weeks of age. If your dog doesn't get socialize with other people, small children, dogs and strange environments during that period you may have a dog that never gets socialized. This is the dog that then exhibits aggression or fear sometime between 12 and 24 months of age.

Let's start off with what is socialization. Socialization means that your puppy is exposed to all types of people, kids and dogs in all kinds of environments. This isn't something to do only at home this should be done in as many areas as possible away from home.

As far as a dog is concerned kids are a different creature than an adult human being, so exposing your dog to little ones while it is a young puppy is a plus. Now that doesn't mean your children, it means other children that are not part of the pack.

During this period of socialization, your puppy should be exposed to other dogs and again not just at your home or with your current dog but with other dogs as well. Of course you want to make sure that the dogs that your puppy meets are dog friendly and are current on all their vaccinations. A good source for this type of dog is through family, friends and neighbors.

Be sure to get your puppy out of the house. Take your pup to as many places as possible. In fact I recommend that a new puppy owner take their puppy to three new places each week so that it can experience lots of new sites, sounds and smells.

Taking the time now to socialize your dog will be very much worth the effort when your dog reaches maturity. If you don't socialize your dog properly you will begin to experience aggression issues or fear usually sometime between 12 and 24 months of age. Once your dog reaches that age it may be too late for socialization and you will possibly end up with an aggressive dog.

So take the time now to take your dog to strange places meeting lots of new people and dogs so that you can have a well socialized dog that you can enjoy for the rest of its life.

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The Secrets To Training Any Dog

There is a secret to training any dog. In fact I have never seen a dog that could not be trained. However I have seen dog owners that never took the time to train their dog and then wonder why their pet is out of control.

OK, here is the secret... desire, consistency and 15 minutes a day. Yes it is just that simple.

Let's start off with desire. To get a trained dog you have to have a desire for a trained dog. If you don't have the desire or see a real need for a nicely trained dog then it just won't happen. Look around at family, friends and neighbors I'm sure that somebody you know has a real nicely trained dog. Are you envious? Don't be, instead simply decide that you want the same with your dog and go for it. A well trained dog can go place with you and make you proud of the fact that it is so well behaved.

Next we are going to talk about consistency. It is a must. For example you can't allow your dog to jump on you today and then tomorrow scold it when it does the same thing. Plainly stated consistency is something that you have to be vigilant about. When you are with your dog shoot for 100% good behavior. Your dog will learn that behaving and acting properly is something that is always a must.

OK the last secret is 15 minutes a day. If you will train with your dog only 15 minutes a day you can have the best trained and well mannered dog in the neighborhood. Yes, it only takes 15 minutes a day, how easy is that.

I think a lot of people feel that dog training requires hours of vigorous work but that simply is not true. Hire a local trainer to guide you through the exercises and it will even be easier plus you will be amazed at your progress. Keep in mind that every 15 minute session should have a goal. For example today we are going to make our sit-stay a little better. You are going to work on all your exercises however the one that you are really shooting for today is a longer more reliable sit-stay.

I have one more little secret to share with you that will make that dog of yours even better. Train in multiple places. Yes, when you start training you probably will start in the house. When the dog is doing well in the house then you move outside to the driveway. When that is working well you move to the park, and then at your vets office. I think you get the idea, your dog needs to perform wherever it goes so train in those places.

I hope that learning these simple secrets will make you want to get out there and have fun training the best dog in the neighborhood, your dog.

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What Is The Best Dog Training Method

Wow, if we as dog trainers knew the answer to that simple question we could all make a fortune. However there are as many ways to train a dog as there are trainers and each trainer has it's own opinion. It's is sort of like how do you raise a child. Everybody you talk to does it a little bit different.

There used to be a T shirt that you could buy that said "the only thing that two dog trainers can agree on is that the third dog trainer is wrong". That is actually the way that most dog trainers feel even today.

I really believe that as dog trainers we should constantly be striving to find the dog training method that we like the best and feel most comfortable with. If we as trainers feel comfortable with the method that we use it just seems to make things easy.

I have always felt that what ever method a trainer is using can work if the trainer knows how to make it work. When I meet trainers that are questioning their own training methods I always ask. "Is what you are doing working? If it is then great that is what you as a dog trainer want. If on the other hand it is not working then you need to find a different method.

So as dog trainers most of us have a favorite way to train that works with most dogs. However along comes that dog that does not respond to your methods? What now? A good trainer knows more than one method to train a dog and this dog requires you to use one of those other techniques.

New trainers usually don't have these different methods at their disposal, however with continued training and learning they will. They simply need time to get more experience and education.

If you are working with a trainer you should see quick results with your dog. However if you are trying to train your dog on your own training may be slower because you don't have the experience or knowledge on what will work with your particular pet.

One other thing I would really like to share with you today is that I have NEVER seen a dog that couldn't be trained. However I have seen people that just don't take the time to do the training. Remember that training only 15 minutes a day will give you a trained dog so go train your dog and have some fun.

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Five Ways To Enjoy A Walk With Your Dog

Walking is a boring activity. It is also a very easy activity but that doesn't necessarily make you want to walk. Here is a list of five different ways to make a walk more fun and involve your dog. Try one or more of them to kick start not only your fitness but your dogs fitness as well.

Take a camera with you when you are walking. You can use it to take selfies of you and your dog as well as things that your dog finds interesting.

Once you are used to taking pictures turn your walk into a scavenger hunt. See how early you can find and photograph the first red leaf of the season. In the spring see how many early shoots you can see. Every season will have something you can find and take a picture of making you walk less but have more fun.

Get a companion to walk with you. Finding someone who you get along with and who also wants to get in shape is a great way to make your walk fly by. If they have a dog get them to bring it along so your dog also has a walking buddy. This is also a great way to make sure you get out and walk when you say you are going to do so. Set a schedule and meet each other in a convenience place for a nice stroll with good company.

Bring your children with you. Walking with a curious dog or child will often make your walk seem like less of a chore. Children and pets alike will often take the chance to explore taking you onto paths you haven't seen before and increasing your enjoyment of the walk. This is also a great way to tire them out so you have more time to relax after your walk.

Walk somewhere you need to go. For this method you should choose something you want and will enjoy rather than something you are dreading. See it as a reward at the end of your walk and you can enjoy both the walk and the proverbial pot of gold at the end of your walk rainbow.

Finally turn your walk into a time to catch up on music, podcasts, or news broadcasts. Get yourself a good pair of headphones and listen to something while you are walking. Choose something that will put you in a good mood and make you feel productive. This might even be a good way to get caught up on all that reading you have been putting off.

Whichever of these ways you choose spicing up your walk can be really easy. Choosing to make the most of your walking time can make a difference in your walk enjoyment and in your health. You might even be surprised by how much you and your dog come to enjoy walking.

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Things Needed While Travelling With Your Dog

Are you thinking of going on a business or pleasure trip with your beloved four legged friend in tow? There is a whole assortment of items that you should take along to keep your dog comfortable and secure at all times. Here is a helpful guide towards a better and more fulfilling traveling experience:

Always carry a proper dog diaper for your trips

A must have for every pet owner on a trip, the dog diaper is immensely helpful whenever your dog needs to poop all of a sudden. This will avoid multiple embarrassing situations and help your dog stay comfortable and secure most of all.

Carrying your own dog food bowl is handy too

Do not rely on plates and bowls served up by hotels and restaurants. Decrease the possibilities of germs and infection and also make your dog feel more at home with the dog food bowl that he/she uses on a regular basis. This will be a very helpful travel accessory for your companion on four legs and will help him/her settle in faster.

Keep your dog snug and comfortable at all times

A good dog blanket helps your pet relax and snooze in absolute comfort. He/she may be uncomfortable with or have a problem adjusting to blankets and other wraps offered by hotels. Most importantly, not many hotels are attuned towards receiving pets and hence the lack of proper apparel and accessories on their part. A soft and comfortable blanket will help your dog sleep soundly and comfortably at night.

Carry proper apparel in winter

If you are going to cooler climes, make sure that you pack extra dog jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts and booties. This is a must as you will rarely find proper dog apparel at hotels and other supermarkets outside. Keep at least a sweater handy for usage whenever your pet feels a little too cold.

Do not rely on hotel meals at all!

Allowing your dog to binge on hotel meals and snacks will not be a good idea and lead to sudden stomach upsets and other ailments that will disrupt your trip altogether. Take along your prescribed supply of dog food without any hesitation. This will help you keep your dog's dietary regime in check and avoid any unnecessary incidents or even food poisoning.

Do not forget to take along a handy leash or collar

While travelling, your dog must be kept on a leash or collar at all times except night times in your room. As a result, do not forget to take along an extra collar or leash. There are many bright and attractive ones available online for your perusal in this regard.

A few toys also come in handy with regard to keeping your dog entertained especially while you're away meeting clients or simply finishing that last minute presentation!

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