Is your dog misbehaving ?

Positive Reinforcement In Your Dog Training
By Niall Roche

Dogs are very sociable creatures - it's part of the reason why we love dogs so much. The problem is that when a dog becomes too sociable they can be become agressive and get out of control. That's why it's important to train your dog from an early age to make sure that you can control their behavior and prevent this type of behavioral problem.

The most worrying type of agression from any dog is biting as this can have disasterous consequences on both the dog and its family. Current statistics shows that over 70% of dog biting incidents happen within the dogs family. Some of these lead to the dog in question being put down to prevent it happening in future - especially where young children are involved. This is the most tragic possible outcome that could have been prevented by some effective training in the first place.

Proper dog training, from an early age, helps prevent these habits developing in the dog. The training will also allow your dog to remain more in control of their feelings towards other humans and animals. This will give them a better "social life" and allow them to integrate more quickly with their family and their new surroundings.

Actually training the dog is another story. It's not always as easy as some people make it out to be. Certain things need to be in place for the training to be truly successful. One of the most critical aspects of training any dog is something called "positive reinforcement". This is simply the system where the dog is rewarded with treats or praise (or sometimes both) when the dog obeys commands or shows positive behavior in their environment. Positive reinforcement shows the dog that they'll be praised and/or receive a treat when they obey new commands or exhibit a certain behavior that their owner requires. It's a matter of the dog associating certain good feelings (treats or praise) with obeying a command from his owner. This type of association can quickly become instinctual for the dog.

What if your dog doesn't immediately obey these new commands or shows a negative behavior? Do you punish the dog? Absolutely not! This sends the dog mixed signals i.e. that the same verbal command or request could just as easily being punished as rewarded. If your dog begins to doubt you in relation to praise or punishment then the training can become very difficult; if not impossible.

Another major mistake to avoid is training the dog into a bad habit - instead of in the opposite direction. For example, when dogs bark, it is usually because they've seen or heard something strange or unfamiliar. When dogs continue to bark, even if it includes barking at a familiar person, that becomes a problem. How do most people deal with their dog barking? They yell at the dog to shut up. Unfortunately the dog could take this action as their owner joining in the "barking experience" and the dog will then just continue to bark every time they're yelled at thus making matters worse for everyone involved.

Any dog training performed without some form of positive reinforcement is a waste of the dogs and the owners time. The sooner you adopt this technique into your training program for your new pup or older dog the sooner you'll see positive results.

Is your dog misbehaving? If so then visit DogTrainingHelper where you learn more about dog training with positive reinforcement and lots of other dog training tips for your four legged friend.

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Grooming Basics - Brushing your Dog

Grooming your dog regularly will keep his coat and skin in tip top condition so it makes good sense to groom your dog as part of his preventative health program.
Brushing removes loose & dead hair and distributes skin oils throughout your dog's coat.
A universal slicker brush followed by a steel comb is good for most coat types but if your unsure ask a professional to recommend the right brush for your dogs coat.

How often should I brush my dog!
Short haired dogs such as boxers, Labradors etc will probably need brushing only once or twice a week whilst long haired dogs such as an Afghan will probably need brushing more often, if however you own a curly coated breed such as a Poodle or a Bichon then you will need to brush him daily to prevent mats from forming.
Mats are areas of tangled hair, to remove a mat first try to untangle the hair with your fingers if you can't untangle it use a mat splitter to cut through the mat then brush again with a slicker brush, never be tempted to cut out the mat with scissors because they usually sit close to the skin making it very easy for you to cut your pet, if you have no success removing the mat yourself then consult your groomer, it may need to be removed with clippers. Remember prevention is always better than the cure and if you brush your dog regularly you will prevent painful mats from forming.

Get into a routine!
This will ensure you never miss bits, some people like to brush their dog from head to tail whilst others do the reverse, try brushing the rear legs followed by the body, tail, front legs then head.It doesn't really matter which body part you start with but a routine will help you to be thorough

Starting your grooming session after vigorous exercise should help your dog remain calm, dogs don't always enjoy being brushed but he will learn to enjoy his grooming sessions if you make it fun.

Remember always stay calm yourself, never get cross with your dog, he will learn through positive reinforcement, give him lots of praise and always end with a treat or a game with his favorite toy

Teach your dog to enjoy grooming!

Grooming isn't just about making your dog look pretty, it removes dead hair and prevents painful mats from forming, keeping your dog's coat and skin healthy. Anyone who has ever groomed a dog will tell you that it is much easier to groom a well maintained coat than a coat that is full of mats, this is true for both the groomer and the dog.
Here are some tips you can try to show your dog that grooming can be fun.

1. Start whilst your puppy is still young, this is the ideal time as your puppy's coat will still be soft and fluffy and should not need a lot of brushing, begin by sitting your puppy on your knee and stroke him to relax and calm him, then brush gently for just a few minutes after brushing stroke his feet and examine his nails, doing this a couple of times a day will help you build a good relationship and get him used to being handled, ignore any attempts he makes to chew the brush.
2. If your dog is older designate an area to groom him, a table or laundry bench top with a non-slip mat is ideal for a small dog (never leave a dog unattended on a raised surface)
3. Dogs love routine - try to establish a routine for your grooming, the best time is when your dog is a little bit tired after his daily walk or a vigorous play session.
4. Stay calm, never shout or show aggression, your dog will learn through positive reinforcement - lots of praise.
5. Give lots of praise during your grooming session.
6. Always end your session on a positive note and reward your dog with a treat or a toy.

If you practice these simple tips your dog will soon learn to enjoy their grooming sessions, this will make him easier to handle for you, your vet and your groomer

Animal Affair NEW Dog Forum

Here at Animal Affair we have just launched our new dog forum and would love you to join us and make this a really fun and informative forum, a place where you can exchange funny, sad and useful stories about your dog. Do you have cute photos of your dog that you would like to share or maybe you have seen something really interesting on the web that would benefit other dog lovers i.e grooming tips, coupons for free dog stuff, helpful doggie articles etc.

Please come along , sign in, make friends and share your dog stories here: http://animalaffair.the-talk.net/

We look forward to seeing you

The Animal Affair Team

VOTING HAS BEGUN !!!!!!

Paws & Claws Awards for 2009

Animal clubs, businesses, pet owners and animal lovers are hereby invited to nominate individuals, businesses and associations for the 3rd Annual Paws & Claws Awards.

"Celebrating the wonderful relationship between people and animals."

Vote for us as:

Snazziest Stylist - For a pet groomer who has impressed you with their new and innovative styles and consistent excellence.

http://www.pawsandclawsonline.com.au/paws_claws_awards.cfm

just click on the link and fill in the online voting form.

All you need to type in is your name, postcode, phone number and e-mail address and give your reason for voting for us.

Our details also need to be added: Our name, e-mail address (sales@animalaffair.com.au), location and reason.

Award catergory must be added or the vote won't be counted. (Snazziest Stylist or Outstanding Pet Store)