Golden Retriever Training Archives

The Benefits of Older Golden Retrievers

If you have decided you want to get to procure a Golden Retriever, and know that you either don’t have the time or desire to deal with the struggles of raising, and potty training, a puppy, than a better option would be to adopt an older dog. The benefit of doing so would mean the dog would be more mature, and possibly already house trained. Older dogs, especially Golden Retrievers, would be better off in a situation where they would need to be left home alone for long periods of time during the day.

At times, breeders may be looking to find a home for an older Golden Retriever. A few reasons for breeders wanting to re home one of their older dogs can be that they have decided to retire a female from breeding, or that they have a show dog that, for whatever reason, cannot be primitive for shows anymore. Of course, they may just be trying to find a home for a dog that belongs to a friend, or it may be another reason all together.

Golden Retrievers that have passed the puppy stage of their life, may have been through training, such as general commands or house training. When you bring an older dog into a new home, they might not understand what is going on at first. They may be wondering why they are with you and not their original owner, and might take some patience and reassurance before being completely comfortable in your home. As long as you are patient and loving, the fresh addition to your family will learn that you are his new owner, and will be just as happy to be with you as you are him.

Once you have decided you want to adopt, and you know what dog you want to adopt, you should look into it’s history if you can. Learn everything possible about the dog, such as his medical history, what commands he knows, and what his temperament is. You will need to let everyone in your household know that you are looking to adopt a dog, to ensure they are OK with it. If you have small children in your home, than a rambunctious dog that is full of energy may not be right for you. Learning what type of food he eats, as well as how often and how much he eats is another important thing you should gawk into.

An older dog is going to take time to relax and learn the ways of your house. He will need to be introduced to his bed, or crate, as well as his food and water bowls. After a few days your new dog will become accustomed to how things are in your home, and should fit in dazzling. Some dogs may assume longer than others so you will need to be patient.

If your adopted dog already knows some commands, you may want to keep teaching him them, and new commands. This will strengthen your bond with him, and ensure that he knows that he needs to listen to you now. You should wait at least a month to do this though. Giving your dog enough time to regain comfortable will make it easier to continue with his training and teach him new commands you want him to know.

When you bring a Golden Retriever into your home, make sure you can provide lots of like and attention. No matter how old your new addition is, they will always desire your attention. If you do adopt, you may come across medical troubles. Whether you knew about them before you adopted or not. However, this is not something that should determine your adopting. As long as you are financially able to take care of the dog, and can provide the treasure it needs, you will be impartial as happy with one that is sick, as you would with one that is healthy.

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Does this spot sound familiar… You’ve unbiased brought a new puppy into your home and now you are standing in your local pet supply store wondering which collar and leash system to purchase for training. Or perhaps you’ve adopted an older dog that has had absolutely no training and their leash manners are wearing your arm out, not to mention your nerves!

Well, as the dozens of shimmering options on the leash isle seem to sob out “buy me”, you should carefully assume a few things before grabbing any venerable collar and leash for your pet. Having owned and trained several different breeds over the years, through trial and error, I’ve developed a few tips for choosing the most effective lead for your pet.

Step One: Research Your Breed

Knowing the history of your breed can be very helpful in figuring out which collar and leash system to choose based on their characteristics and original breed intent. Do you have a working breed that was intended for pulling carts or sleds such as the Husky or Malamute? If so, then it wouldn’t make much sense to purchase a body harness for a dog bred for pulling power. Strapping a chest harness to a Husky will only intensify pulling and make them much harder to control as they were bred to have strong chest muscles.

Step Two: Consider Your Dog’s Body Shape

With all of the options out there, you want to choose the one that fits your pet best. Look for products that work well with your pet’s body shape. Take the Greyhound for example: they were built for speed and have a strong prey drive, making it very primary to keep a handle on them. But do a normal collar on a Greyhound and they’ll be gone in a second. The reason? Greyhounds’ heads are much narrower than their necks, unlike most dogs, and normal collars can slip right off. So you might want to go with a non-slip, nylon, adjustable, choke-like collar called a Martingale. These collars have a small adjustable section of nylon (or sometimes chain) that tighten slightly on your dog’s neck as you pull the leash, making it impossible for the collar to slip off.

Step Three: Identify Your Dog’s Pulling Activity

This is one of the most vital tips- identifying your dog’s problem. Is your dog so strong that he’s pulling you all over the place while using a normal collar and leash system? Is this a small dog with limited pulling strength or a young puppy with a short attention span? Do you just want more control or assurance your pet won’t hobble his collar and run away? Knowing the problem can wait on it choosing the correct device.

Step Four: Know the Benefits Each Product

Regular buckle collar- these are the ones that work like a belt with various notches to fit for comfort. These work best with pets that have little to no pulling problems.

Body Harnesses- these advance in two accepted styles, one clips the leash to the top of the harness right above the dog’s benefit and the second style clips towards the front or side. The first style gives control over many breeds, particularly smaller breeds. The second style gives the most control for dogs that pull (and are not from a working breed of course!) because when you or the dog pulls against the leash, it has a strap that forces the dog to turn in the opposite direction. Training with this one takes patience, but the dog will eventually stop pulling once he learns he can’t go the direction he chooses.

Head Harness- Also called a Halti, this is my personal favorite for horrible pullers. The nylon head harness fits over the head and muzzle and works like a halter for a horse. The leash clips to a loop under the chin and when the dog pulls, the strap tightens against the nose and closes the mouth. It gives you full control of the head and the nose pressure will often discontinuance the pulling within minutes. This style works on the principle that no matter how big the animal, if you control the head, you control the body. I’ve had success using the Halti while training a very rambunctious one year old, 90 lb yellow lab as well as with my 40 lb beagle. The head harness is great for multiple breeds and some are shaped specifically for definite breeds with shorter muzzles, such as the Boxer or Pug.

Choke Chains, Muzzles, and Pinch Collars- These types of restraints need to be used only after you’ve had proper training from an expert. If you are dealing with dog aggression, narrate with your local dog trainer or vet for suggestions on using such devices. If used incorrectly, you can damage the dog’s neck, muzzle or cut off his air supply causing serious nerve damage or death.

Step Five: Fit and Training

Once you’ve picked out the product that’s right for your breed and dwelling, you need to make sure it is the proper fit. Ask an associate at your local pet store if you can open packages and try on the various harnesses or collars for friendly fit. You don’t want your harness or collar to be too big or your pet will slip out and it will not be effective. You also don’t want collars too tight that they affect breathing or rub sore spots on the muzzle or neck. Finally you will need to be patient and work consistently with your pet’s training until he or she understands the concepts of walking properly with your chosen lead system.

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Also known as the Alsatian, the German Shepherd is a ‘young’ breed, having only been recognized as a distinct breed in the last 90 years. The German Shepard can trace its roots succor to a range of shepherding dogs in Germany, and some groups tried to informally breed this dog. This effort failed but in 1899, a modern group formed. Der Verein fur Deutsche Schaeferhunde was founded by Max von Stephanitz, who wanted to breed an all purpose working dog.

The German Shepherd came to the United Sates in 1908 with soldiers impressed by the courage and abilities of this dog. German Shepherds will reach an average height of 22 to 26 inches, weight of 77 to 85 pounds and live an average of 13 years. There are a wide variety of coats in this breed. Some German Shepherds are longhaired and some are shorthaired. The color is most often sad and tan, but can also be sable, all sad, blue and liver and white.

The one thing all German Shepard coats have in common is that they shed profusely, and shed worse during their shedding season. Daily brushing usually helps combat the shedding, and German Shepherds should only be bathed occasionally. Almost all German Shepherds are described as self-confident and loyal.

German Shepherds are highly shimmering and often times used as police dogs, rescue dogs and guide dogs. German Shepherds make excellent guard dogs and are very loyal to their family. They make excellent protectors, barking when someone unfamiliar is approaching. German Shepherds do make good family pets and will guard the children of ‘their’ family. They will tolerate the poking and prodding children are prone to do. However, they are sometimes unaware of their size and power relative to a small child and may indiscriminately knock them over.

A German Shepherd and child should always be watched to avoid this. German Shepherds can survive apartment living if given enough exercise regularly and given enough activities. If left alone too long or not stimulated enough, German Shepherds will become bored and destructive. They appreciate being in the company of their human family but not other pets. As a working dog that likes to please, a German Shepherd will do very well with obedience training. German Shepherds are prone to some genetic disorders including hip and elbow dysplasia, blood disorders, digestive problems, epilepsy, chronic eczema, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), dwarfism and flea allergies.

There is a website that has great information on German Shepherds and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts

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You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

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Whether you are introducing cat to dog or dog to cat, several factors will resolve if they will be a wonderful match. The first thing you should purchase into consideration before brining a dog home to your cat or vice versa, is the breed of the dog and the dogs training as well as age. It is a good understanding to peek more into the breed of your dog and it’s natural traits. An obedience trained dog will make this process much easier to work through. If your dog is not trained or is a puppy your best bet is to do the training first. Puppies are full of energy and curiosity. Without training they lack self control. If you have a puppy, you may want to reconsider brining a cat into the home until he or she is a little older. However, if you are bringing a kitten into the home, most established family or house dogs will easily accept the new comer as part of the family much faster than and older cat. Cocker Spaniels, Beagles, Bassett Hounds, and Dachshunds do very well with other house pets. In this article you will find some resourceful sites relating to dog breeds explaining their traits and temperaments as well as some other helpful sites with more tips on introducing your pets to each other and the family.

If bringing a cat into the home, execute sure that he or she will have his or her possess hiding places to run for security. Tall scratching posts that they can climb work well as long as the dog can’t reach the top platform. Having seperate rooms the cat can hide in are also helpful in giving the cat a region to tranquil down and relax. Compose clear that the cat always has an flee route to his or her safe place. Also having a space that your dog can be confined to like the kitchen blocked off with a baby gate can give them both an easier time as they won’t have direct contact but can still explore one another through sniffing which is a natural way of becoming familiar. If your dog is a jumper, you can use two gates, stacking them one on top of the other.

For the first initial introduction you should take your dog for a walk or out to play with is or her favorite toy to tire him or her out. A dog full of energy is not a qualified idea for meeting a new feline friend.

When your dog is ready to head home bring him into the largest room in the house still on the leash to preserve control of him or her. Have your dog sit or lay down and vow him or her to stay. Then have someone bring the cat into the room at the opposite destroy, giving the two plenty of space between each other and maintaining control of the dog.

Do not try to focus on the cat’s behavior and controlling what it does. Keep your focus on the dog. The cat’s reaction will vary and hissing, spitting and growling at your pup is very approved and normal behavior. Don’t let this make you dejected or nervous. Keep authority and confidence. Your animals can sense this and will react to it. If your cat goes to attack the dog, intervene. Generally, if the cat runs towards the dog to attack, have your dog sit and this usually reduces the threat to the cat and the cat will cessation and probably run off.

Each introduction should be encouraged to last a slight bit longer each time with the first only being 5 to 10 minutes in duration. If the cat runs out of the room let it. It is expected. However, do not for any reason, let your dog chase after the cat. This is where your authority comes in with the dog again as well has his or her training. Tell your dog to sit/lay down and finish, still keeping your pup on the leash. You may even want to work with your dog on unique hiss commands that apply to correct behavior towards the cat. This can be a long and slow process, but done right they will both feel safe and secure around each other.

While not working on introducing one another directly hold them supervised. With cats, physical space is most well-known where as with dogs, socializing is most well-known. If you notice the two socializing in positive way, don’t forget to praise them. Let them know that you are pleased with them and they are being worthy. Always encourage worthy behavior. Do not punish poor behavior, ignore them. This will expressionless the process down because they are acting on natural instinct. Only get enthusiastic with this behavior if one or both might get distress. Keep your dog under control with voice commands as much as possible. You do not want to have to get directly in between them and take a chance of getting hurt.

Having plenty of toys for both animals is very helpful. Dog tails can be too much fun for the cat to play with and result in the dog not being very blissful with the cat.

With the excitement of a new family pet in the house they both need equal attention. Try not to favor the new pet over the long time friend. They need to feel equal love from you and this will help with jealousy issues that can make the novel transition even more difficult.

When not home, try to keep them in separate places while still adjusting. During this time of isolation from each other, spot something that smells like the cat with the dog and something that smells like the dog with the cat. This helps with getting to know each other with out direct contact or supervision and allows them to remain detached about their explorations.

Keep in mind that litter boxes are not capable for dogs to eat out of and can make them very sick. Cat’s don’t always chew their food completely so their feces smells like pure protein to dogs and that is why they go for it as a tasty treat. Put the litter box in a place that the cat has access to that dog cannot interfere with while the cat is using it or after he or she is finished. A good concept for this is to purchase a litter box that has a cover on it. This will allow the cat to use it and not be bothered by intruders while taking care of business.

Feeding your cat and dog should be done in separate rooms in the beginning. Stress on the animals during meal time could result in them not eating, as well as steal effect on their digestion tract making them very sick.

Things to remember:

*Focus on the dogs behavior.

*Know what is expected of the breed of dog you have.

*Work with your dog’s obedience training.

*Keep your dog on a leash while introducing to help control the situation and safety of the two.

*Remain in the authority position at all times.

*Keep your confidence during introductions.

*Don’t forget to praise good behavior consistently.

*Special treats for each is a wonderful way to reinforce your praise for apt behavior.

*Ignore poor behavior. Do not give a reaction.

*Only get involved if there is a potential of one or both getting hurt.

distress sure both animals have their safety places.

*Treat both animals with the same amount of love and affection.

*Do not let your dog have access to the litter box.

*Keep the animals separated if unsupervised during the introduction period.

*Have plenty of toys for both pets.

*Meals should be served in separate spaces.

For more information there are many wonderful sites on line you can check into for more tips and information.

Sites of interest for more on this topic:

*www.thecastsite.com

*www.paw-rescue.com

*www.sfspca.org

*www.cuhumane.org

*www.petplanet.co.uk

*www.leerburg.com

If you care about your animals and want a elated environment for them and you, take the time to research. It’s not very time consuming and generally the sites are laid out to navigate them very quickly and efficiently. There are many sites out there dedicated to house pets with an abundance of free information including obedience training for your pup that you can do on your own at home without having to pay sometimes costly prices for something you can do on your own.

Do you want to find a dog that is already comfortable with cats? Check out your local humane society and animal shelters. They have many animals that are up for adoption and needing a agreeable loving home. Not to mention, most dogs have gone through obedience training or are in the process. All their dogs have gone through trials with the cats and they can tell you if they would be a good match for your home or not based on what you are looking for. There are a lot of dogs out there that have already become accustomed to living with cats and cats that are accustomed to living with dogs. Not to mention, you would be giving a great dog or cat a new home. They will be able to tell you which cats they have, grown or still kittens, that react well to dogs and other animals as most have histories from their previous owners. The organization will also help to give you tips and information on how to make the transition easier and possibly faster as they know the animals personally and temperament since they have been their primary care givers. Most shelters also offer a trial in home visit. This allows you to bring the animal home to see if they will be a good fit without the obligation of adoption. Trial periods usually last a couple days to a week. At the slay of the trial period you decide if you want to adopt the animal or return it. Adoption fees are most always cheaper than that of breeders and all adoption money goes to a good cause.

Take the time and do it right. You don’t want a house of chaos. Think it through and take into consideration if you have small children in the house. Children can sometimes gain training and acquainting difficult. Discuss with your child or children about the animals happy space and when not to play with the two and when it is okay. Relate your children the animal’s signals for wanting to be left a lone. Children love to explore and are very attractive much like puppies. Like the two new comers, the kids need to be supervised around them while getting to know each other. Explain to your child or children how the current pets are getting to know each other and how it works and that they need to be left a lone until they become friends. Remind them that the kitty is disquieted and could afflict them on accident and suggest that they expend the cat’s toys as a diagram of interacting with them in case the dog decides to get involved the child is not stuck in the middle. This should also only be done under your supervision. The more you include them in the process the more they are going to want to help and can beget to be a very clear and fun experience for everyone.

Explore, research, and ask questions. Everyone has different tips and stories that worked for them and may work for you. Sometimes it is trial and error or both animals fit right in together like they have always known each other. Everyone’s status is different and so are their animals including yours. The above information is what I have found through my research to be the most accepted and effective way for introducing your new cat or dog to the opposite to accomplish for a great friendship between the two.

References:

www.thecatsite.com

www.paw-rescue.com

www.cuhumane.org

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The Life of a Guide Dog Puppy

My name is Lux, I am a five year old black lab and I am the laziest puppy you will ever meet. I met my parents five years ago when I was only eight weeks old. I flew to Florida from Smithtown, NY. I was a guide dog puppy in training, so I was very special. I don’t really remember what was going on in the first few hours of getting off the airplane; I couldn’t keep my eyes open. When I got to the vets office I saw my parents for the first time. They gave me hugs and kisses. They kept talking about my velvety soft ears and my big paws. They were teasing me about my paws, I couldn’t back that it was going to bewitch me awhile to grow into them.

Being a guide dog puppy was awesome. I got to go to restaurants and hide under the table. I consider I was supposed to be sleeping, but I just couldn’t fall asleep when I could smell food. I tried to be perfect, but it was honest too hard, so I would occasionally stick my nose on my mommy’s lap, trying to examine as cute as possible in order to score unprejudiced a little treat. I also got to go to grocery stores and shopping malls. I made so many people smile.

Obedience classes were a lot of fun. I got treats all the time. I learned at a very early age that if I did something good I would get a treat, so if nobody had a treat I didn’t have to listen. I realized later on though that this wasn’t the nicest thing for me to do to my parents. I was one of the best behaved puppies in school. I never pulled when I walked on a leash and I did everything mommy asked when there was food.

Home life was the worst. I wasn’t allowed on the furniture and I wasn’t allowed to eat people food. I was so sad sometimes. There were a few good times though; we have an wonderful swimming pool in our back yard. It’s very chilly, but it feels proper in the summertime.

Mommy was crying when we drove to the airport. I didn’t realize what was happening at the time, but when we walked into the airport I knew I was never going to see them again. I didn’t want to go; I opinion I was being punished for something, though I didn’t know what.

When I got off the airplane I was in Fresh York. It was freezing; my paws were getting icicles in them. I got into a car and some nice people drove me to my kennel and then I got dinner. It seemed like a nice place, I even made a new friend. His name was Buddy; he was a thirteen month old Golden Retriever.

Guide dog training was easy, but it was a lot of work. I wasn’t getting the amount of rest I required. I had heard a rumor going around the kennels that if you fail some of the training you score to go home. It really worked; I was so exasperated to go support to the airport.

Home life is now awesome. I get to eat everything that mommy drops on the floor in the kitchen. They feed me hot dogs, carrots and homemade dog treats. I go to dog parks and the doggy beach. My favorite thing about home is sleeping on the couch. I nap all day long.

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