Training for Dog Shows

It’s not an easy task training your dog for show dog competitions. This requires constant attention, perseverance and a lot of patience. If you want to enter your dog to a competition someday you might want to get them as a puppy and train them to be a people dog. Start with selecting the proper breed intended for the type of competition you want to enter him into. Typically, the most common is the Conformation show which is commonly referenced by the term “dog show”, where a dog is rated according to how well their appearance conform to a certain standard. There are also several specific dog show competitions such as obedience trial, dog agility trial, sheepdog trial, field trial, novelty shows, specialty shows, and tracking trial.

For common conformation show dogs, its best to know the standards you will bring up your dog to conform to. Keep him well groomed to maintain the integrity of his coat and keep it from tangles, train them to be comfortable with people handling them. Always keep their teeth clean, start early leash training and train them to properly walk when on leash, that is walking at your side and not ahead of you. Basic obedience training is necessary as well.


Sources: Wikipedia, Ezinearticles

German Shepherd – Featured Breed

Next on our list of featured breeds is the German Shepherd Dog which is also included in our top 10 most popular dog breeds list. The German Shepherd is a large-sized dog which originated in Germany. Also known as an Alsatian, they were known way back from 1899 as a part of the Herding group, thus the name German Shepherd, since they were used as a working dog intended to herd sheep and livestock. Today they were incorporated to police and military divisions where they play a major role in detection and protective services due to their strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training.

Profile
Breed Group: Herding
Weight: 75-95 lbs
Height: Male: 24-26 inches, Female: 22-24 inches
Color: black and tan, black and cream, black and silver, solid black, and sable

Overview: The German Shepherd was originally developed during the 19th century by Marx Von Stephanitz credited to be the father of the German Shepherd breed. This breed is very dedicated to work and is credited to be the first dog to assist the visually impaired.

Coat: A double-coated breed, the German Shepherd’s outer coat is thick and straight, with a soft and dense undercoat. The German Shepherd coats varies from rough coat and long hair to long rough coat. This breed is an average to heavy shedder.

Character: Being a highly intelligent breed, German Shepherd are highly adaptable, strong, dependable and full of energy.
Temperament: Being a member of herding group, German Shepherds are very devoted and loyal. They do not like to be left alone for extended periods of time and are exceptionally weary of strangers, oftentimes displaying their instincts of herding on anything and everything that moves.

Care: occasional bathing and daily brushing is needed to maintain the German Shepherd’s coat. This type of breed is commonly prone to health issues like blood disorders, elbow and hip dysplasia, epilepsy, chronic eczema, digestive problems, and flea allergies.

Training: Early training is needed for this type of breed. Obedient and quick to learn, they are very talented in terms of tracking, agility, obedience, and ringsport. Training must be done with respect, fairness, reward and consistency.

Ownership: This breed is not recommended for novice owners. But consult a reputable German Shepherd Breeder or Rescue Center if you are serious about choosing this type of breed.

Watch out for more feature breeds on future posts.

Sources: NextdayPets, Wikipedia

Puppy Training – DIY

OK so your new puppy has just arrived home right now he’s so cute and adorable and everything he makes, small slipups are vey tolerable. But he won’t remain a puppy for long and all those behaviors will be carried throughout his lifetime if not properly guided. This is why early training is very necessary. This will make life easier for the rest of your family and will make your puppy a very lovable part of your home, especially if he doesn’t chew, poop anywhere and destroy you furniture and leave dirt marks everywhere.

The best way to train a puppy is through a non-violent approach. Using lots of encouragement, praise, and rewards to guide him through proper behavior.
One thing to keep in mind when training your new puppy is to understand that you are dealing with a very immature your animal. Always be patient, realistic, flexible, and fair during puppy training. Your fluffball may not get it right away but just be patient as he is still learning.

So I have put up a simple checklist of essential steps you and your puppy should take in order for him to become a well adjusted and trusted member of the society.

1. Puppy House Training
2. Puppy Potty Training
3. Puppy Crate Training
4. Socialization
5. Controlling Excessive Barking
6. Coping with Separation Anxiety in Dogs
7. Stop Puppy Biting or Mouthing
8. Leash Training
9. Simple Obedience Training
10. Correcting Behavioral Problems
11. Clicker Training
12. Puppy Feeding

These are the essential phases that encompass proper training for your puppy. But if you feel you don’t have that much time you can always enroll him to a great dog training school. We will discuss more of the specifics in later posts as we have very much to talk about these phases of early puppy training.

Dog Vaccination

Vaccination for a puppy is a routine but crucial procedure done in veterinary clinics. Once a dog reaches the age of 11 – 16 weeks, it’s essential that he be given vaccinations shots. But why is it important for your dog to undergo this type of procedure?

Simply put, a vaccination stimulates the dog’s immune system to help protect itself from harmful diseases the dog might encounter in its lifetime. What is basically happening when a vaccine enters the dog’s body, since vaccines are just weaker samples of antigens or infectious agents, it will be recognized by the dog’s immune system as a foreign object and triggers the production of antibodies to stop and destroy it. The dog’s immune system then remembers it and responds more quickly the next time a similar antibody enters the dog’s body.

After a vaccines has been induced to the puppy, expect to notice some reactions for the next 24-48 hours such as reduced activity and loss of appetite. Rarely, some more severe reactions occur like hives, swelling of the face, or vomiting, but these ca be prevented by giving the dog antihistamines during subsequent vaccinations. Always remember to inform your vet if your dog has a reaction to vaccines in the past, as he will know how to make extra precautions.

There are two types of vaccines given to dogs, modified-live and killed. Modified-live vaccines provide stronger and longer lasting protection, less expensive and may only require one dose. However they have a potential to become active and may cause abortions to pregnant dogs. Killed vaccines cannot become virulent and are less likely to be immunosuppressive, but may require several initial injections and more booster shots, and these types of vaccines don’t produce local immunity.

Vaccines can be combined which they refer to as combination shots. But some researchers refer to this as the common cause of immune-mediated diseases due to administration of frequent doses of large numbers of modified-live viruses, over-stimulating the immune system and causing the system to recognize everything as foreign and leading to tissue rejection. But this theory is not widely accepted by most veterinary practitioners. Some who believe so, advice to give separate vaccinations every few days instead of using combination vaccines. The down side is that commonly after the first shot is administered, the system will create a blocking effect hampering the body’s response to second and third shots a few days later.

Combination vaccines commonly contain five antigens in one shot, but some can also have six to seven. Interesting to note though that even though you feel you made most out of your money going with the latter option, a veterinarians suggestion is still more dependable due to affecting factors such as breed types, age, lifestyle and even geographic location.
Vaccination is risky but it’s still worth the risk. It’s better to have a weakened virus and a very small chance of complication that to contract a fatal disease in the future.

Sources: canismajor.com

Labrador Retriever – Featured Breed

Every now and then we feature dog breeds so that you can truly know more about the certain dog breed that you are planning to buy, or if you already have one, this will help you understand their breed specific behavior and tend to their needs better.

Since we have the Labrador Retriever has been a consistent number one in the top 10 most popular dog breeds list based on the kennel club data’s. We’ll start with this one.

Profile
Breed Group: Sporting
Weight: Male: 65-80 lbs., Female: 55-70 lbs.
Height: Male: 22.5-24.5 inches, Female: 21.5-23.5 inches
Color: Black, yellow, or chocolate

Overview: The Labrador retriever or commonly known as the Lab is one of the several types of retrievers or gundogs, commonly bred for hunting. Once known as the Lesser Newfoundland, is widely used a police dog and other official bodies for their skill in detection and working abilities. Labs are very athletic, they love to swim and are tolerant to young children.

Coat: The Labrador retriever is a double coat breed. The outer coat is straight, short, and very dense and hard in texture while the undercoat is soft, waterproof and protects the dog from cold and outdoor hazards. They commonly come in yellow, black, and chocolate, shedding on the average.

Character: Labrador retrievers are friendly, and outgoing. Both the American and its English cousin are mostly favored for their sweet personality gaining their popularity as a perfect family pet.

Temperament: Labradors are very reliable and loves attention. They are wonderful with children and get along with other dogs easily. They make a perfect watchdog but can be destructive when left alone for extended periods of time.

Care: Labrador Retrievers, require regular attention when in comes to grooming always give special attention to the prevent mats and tangles. Bathing can only be done when necessary. Also take note that due to the size and weight of the breed, they are more prone to hip dysplasia, eye disorders, and PRA.

Training: This is a very easy breed to train. Highly intelligent, but early socialization is a must, as this can be fairly large dog and requires ample strength to control. They do not respond well to harsh treatments but can prove to be excellent in tracking, work, search, rescue, and service if trained very well.

Ownership: Always look for a reputable Labrador Retriever breeder or adopt from a Labrador Retriever rescue center. If you want to own a dog of this breed be sure to understand their behavior and requirements thoroughly and be ready to be a responsible dog owner.

Watch out for more feature breeds on future posts.

Sources: NextdayPets, Wikipedia

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Top Ten Most Popular Dog Breeds

Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds According to 2006 comparisons of popularity of dog breeds based on registrations to the UK Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club, listed below are the most popular breeds favored by dog lovers:

American Kennel Club (2006)

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Dachshund
7. Boxer
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Miniature Schnauzer

UK Kennel Club (2006)

1. Labrador Retriever
2. English Cocker Spaniel
3. English Springer Spaniel
4. German Shepherd Dog
5. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
7. Golden Retriever
8. West Highland White Terrier
9. Boxer
10. Border Terrier

Below are the list of the Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds as of 2007 based on Registrations at the American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club.

American Kennel Club (2007)

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Yorkshire Terrier
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Golden Retriever
5. Beagle
6. Boxer
7. Dachshund
8. Poodle
9. Shih Tzu
10. Bulldog

Canadian Kennel Club (2007)

1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. German Shepherd Dog
4. Poodle
5. Shetland Sheepdog
6. Yorkshire Terrier
7. Miniature Schnauzer
8. Boxer
9. Shih Tzu
10. Bernese Mountain Dog

There are much more breeds worthy of checking out but so far these figures just show which dog breeds are popular among different dog lovers throughout the world with different lifestyles.

Sources: Wikipedia, Canadian Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, UK Kennel Club

Which Dog Breed is Right for You

Before we can tackle issues regarding caring and keeping your dog healthy, you must understand the types of dog breeds that different types of individuals prefer.

If you are ready to bring in a new pup but still can’t decide what breed you want to live with, these tips can help you so you choose a dog breed that will suit your lifestyle and requirements. It’s crucial to know their behavior, requirements and needs so that you can decide if the breed you have chosen is really the one you had hoped to live with for the next 15 years or so.
I have outlined a separate list of the Top 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds according to the registration figures on some of the most popular kennel clubs here and throughout.

Just as important as the need to know the different dog breeds you will likely to take under your care are the answers to the following questions:

1. What size of dog breed do you most likely favor? – Certain dogs breeds require larger space, so you must ensure that your apartment or yard can spare the space. Also take into consideration that large dogs require more food for nourishment than smaller breeds.
2. Can you handle heavy shedders? – All dogs shed to a certain degree, but some dog shed more than others, will you be ok to spare some time grooming breeds that sheds heavily?
3. Which dog breed is more suited with kids? – Some dog breeds are more tolerant with children than others, so if you have kids at home you best take this into consideration.
4. How important is it for your dog to be well trained? – Some breeds are better at being trained than other, different breeds have different behaviors you should choose wisely.
5. Can you tolerate dogs that run around all the time? – Some dogs are more energetic than others and require more space while others are satisfied lounging on the couch the whole day.
6. Do you have other animals around the house? – Dogs are social animals but some dogs find it more difficult to get along with other animals than others.
7. Do you want a guard dog or just watch dog? – Certain breeds are more suitable as guard dogs while others are just good watch dogs which alert you of any intruders.
8. Will you be around to take care of the dog during its lifetime? – Any plans of moving where you can’t bring your pet, or who will take care of Rover when you get assigned to another location for a month or two?
9. Will your dog be an outside or inside dog?
10. Can your dog live with the climate in your area?
11. Does your chosen breed have any breed-specific health issues? – It pays to always know these problems before they arise.
12. How well do you handle dogs? – This concerns about how well the chosen breed of dog handles first-time dog owners as compared to experienced ones
13. Know the breed’s history – Some breeds were actually bred for hunting and herding or game a long time ago, this knowledge will help you determine how the dog breed you will choose will behave when he sees your beautiful flower garden.
14. Do you have allergies? – Some dog breeds are less likely to cause you allergies than others.

These questions when answered truthfully will enable choosing the right kind of breed a clear and more straightforward process. Hope this info helps you if you are still hesitant of whether you should bring in that adorable little pup the next time you visit the pet shop or dog breeder.

Sources: www.dog-obedience-training-review.com

Welcome to My Dog Care Blog

Hello and Welcome to my Dog Care Blog

This blog was setup to help fellow dog lovers take care of their beloved pet. I am a mom of two kids and a proud owner of a half-bred yorky named Maxxi. Shes a wonderful dog and we are totally in love with her. In fact this blog is dedicated to help owners realize the value of dogs not only as pets but as loyal companions.

I will be featuring tips and and advises on how to care for your dog, with regards to health, grooming, training and feeding your dog, to keep them healthy and live an enjoyable life.

Regards,
Christy