Is barking a form of language among dogs with precise significance, or just playful noise? Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures and gestures, as well as by various scents. Dogs, who bark at night, are probably working off excess energy or announcing their presence, and this is undoubtedly the only message conveyed to other dogs within ear shot.

When a dog goes to his owner and deliberately barks, it is simply meant to attract attention. You must try to guess his general behavior, rather than from the circumstances and his general behavior, rather than from the particular form or pitch of bark he makes. The howling or baying of hunting dogs is an instinctive hunting cry informing the pack that the dog is on a trail. Barking at strange noises is a warning as well as a threat display.

A lonely dog who bowls may be sending out a gathering cry to other dogs nearby. Wild dogs on the other hand, never back, they only howl. Could the barking of domesticated dogs be a form of communication more closely resembling speech? A pet dog that shares a close relationship with his owner and has been taught to understand many words obviously makes an effort, sometimes quite successfully, to give meaning to his own utterances.

A dog who wishes to assert his importance and boldness instinctively employs all of the effects that make him look bigger and more frightening, raising his back ton increase his height and holding his head high in defiance. A dog who wants to show submission does just the opposite, making himself look small by crouching down with his tail between his legs and his ears laid back flat.

A dog who wishes to assert his dominance will take a perpendicular position with his head over the other dog’s shoulders, while nudging or pushing, with his neck arched, head and tail raised and tense. The conventional play invitation is a posture with the forehead crouched, the hind quarters high, a wagging tail, bright eye and a little yap. A rigid stance with a steady gaze and a high, trembling tail is hostile. A high, steady tail signifies self confidence, and held low indicates inferiority, fatigue, ill health, or a bad mood.

Pawing at the neck is an expression of affection, nose-nudging is another invitation to play. Paw-giving is a conventional canine gesture with two possible meanings. When he gives his paw to his owner while avoiding eye contact he’s saying “Please forgive me” or when he wants attention, he is saying “I’m here, don’t forget me.” When he offers his paw to another dog, it’s a sign of submission.

An owner, who takes the trouble to observe his dog and pay him the courtesy of listening to him, can establish a simple two-way communications system with his pet. Canine messages are generally very elementary, as he asks much less of us than we do of him. “I’m hungry,” “I’m thirsty”, “I need to go out”, or “Come with me I think something is wrong” are among the messages he manages to convey very well considering his limited means. His most eloquent utterance is the emotional gurgle of barks that means to say “I’ve missed you!”

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest fancy dog collars, dog dresses, fancy dog beds,and more for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://www.joncopets.com.

A good obedience class to train your Chihuahua is always helpful. However, you don’t have to go to obedience classes. Many classes are especially for handling big, out-of-control dogs and may emphasize force methods to try and dominate and calm these dogs. These methods are not good for Chihuahuas, or any dog for that matter. If you run into instructors and classes like this, you are better off training your Chihuahua on your own or with other small-dog owners.

Old-fashioned force-training methods are ineffective and no fun for your dog either. Chihuahuas respond best to amendable training and only the gentlest of techniques.

Some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Guide, don’t force. Chihuahuas want to please you. Your job is to show them what pleases you. If you force a Chihuahua you might bring out that notorious Chi stubborn streak.

• Punishment does not work. Chihuahuas seldom require anything but a mild correction.

• Accentuate the positive. Reward your dog for behaviors that please you.

• Will work for food. Your Chihuahua will work better for training sessions if her stomach is not full. She will be more responsive to food rewards on an empty stomach.

• Happy endings. Keep sessions short and fun, no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Begin and end each training session with something your dog can do well.

Chihuahuas are intelligent. Just because your Chihuahua lives a life of leisure does not mean she can’t learn tricks. Chihuahuas don’t hunt, herd or guard so they don’t have an opportunity to show off like some of the other breeds. Obedience and agility trials give Chihuahuas a chance to show what they can do. But you don’t have to compete in the competitions to enjoy training your Chihuahua. Training should be a fun time for both of you. Chihuahuas need to have some kind of schooling.

Clicker training works well for Chihuahuas. In clicker training you teach the dog that a “click” sound signals a coming reward. A clicker signal is used because it is fast, noticeable, and something the dog otherwise does not encounter in everyday life. Once the dog associates the click with an upcoming reward, you wait for the dog to do the behavior you want her to do. The instant she does so, you click to tell the dog her behavior deserves a reward. Then you give her the treat. If the dog makes a mistake, no treat. You just wait for her to do it right, then reward with a treat.

Connie Limon raises Shih Tzu puppies. She owns Little Guys Dog Clothes Shop. Purchase designer dog clothes and accessories for your Chihuahua and other toy breeds at: http://www.littleguysdogclothesshop.com

Electronic dog training collars are a hot topic of debate amongst many dog lovers and dog trainers. Tons of people ask if they are useful and if they are a tool that a dog owner should use. The answer seems to be yes in most circles. The one thing that everyone can agree on is that if you are to employ an electronic dog training collar you should follow a few guidelines and we have listed them here.

An electronic dog training collar should not be used as a first line of defense. If you have never attempted to train your dog before then traditional training methods should be used first. The shock collar is only meant for dogs that have behavioral problems which have not been able to be curbed with normal non-electronic training methods.

Use the electronic dog collars sparingly. This is not to say that you should not correct your dog every time it makes a mistake, you should, but if they are making lots of mistakes cease activity for the session or the day so that they are not getting zapped too many times.

Do not ever use the electronic dog collar to punish your dog. The purpose of the electronic dog training collar is to teach the dog not to punish.

Lastly speak to a certified trainer and your veterinarian to see if your dog would benefit from the use of an electronic dog collar.

For more information about electronic dog training collars or to speak to fellow dog lovers on our pet forum, visit http://www.spectacularpets.com.

The objects in the environment that cause this type of allergies are called allergens. Some examples of these allergens are the following:

· Pollen from the surrounding flowering plants

· Dusts that have accumulated in several areas in the house

· Mites and similar tiny creatures that survive and live on dust
· Molds, fungi, and other similar low forms of plants. The spores from these can be inhaled by the pets

The pets, upon exposure to the above allergens will show several symptoms. Among dogs, the major symptoms are:

· Unstoppable itching in the face and in the feet
· Other itching and irritation in several parts of the body
· Occurrence of sores and discharges
· Loss of hair

Among cats, the symptoms of inhalant allergies are:

· Unspecific itching
· Intolerable itching in the face, neck, and thighs
· Inflammation and sores in different parts of the body
· Loss of hair

When the above symptoms are displayed, especially on certain seasons, such as spring and summer, the dog or cat is most likely affected by a pollen allergy. To accurately determine the occurrence of inhalant allergies, the pet should be taken to the vet. The vet will carry out a skin test to find out if, indeed, the dog or cat is suffering from an inhalant allergies. Some vets also conduct blood tests, but the results of this type of test are often times uncertain.

The best treatment is prevention or further worsening of the allergy. That is, the source of the allergens should be removed. Sometimes, this is easy if the allergens are the dusts and the mites that live in them. A good cleaning is all that a pet owner needs to do. But sometimes, removing the allergen could be difficult. That is, taking away the flowering plant may not be feasible.

Thus, owners resort to other treatments. Two of these allergy treatments are:

· Anti-itch medicines - These medicines suppresses the production of histamines. These can be taken orally or gently rubbed on the irritated area.

· Allergy shots - These can make the pets less sensitive to the presence of allergens. Vets can provide these allergy shots.

Not all cats and dogs suffer allergies when exposed to pollen and other inhaled allergens. The reason for this is their heredity. While other pets have genetic characteristics that predisposes them to have allergies.

Peter Garant’s pet medicine concentrates on cat and dog medicine

When most people think of a purebred dog, they think of words like ideal, perfection, excellent, pretty, etc. However, these descriptions turn out to be far from the truth. Many pure breeds are racked with genetic disorders that bring much harm to the dogs. Purebred dogs may be considered extra special because their breed has been crafted over generations by the hand of man, but as with many things crafted by the hand of man, nature has proven it can do a much better job.

The reason pure breeds have so many genetic problems stems from something that can affect any species: inbreeding. All breeds can be traced back either to a specific mating or group of dogs. This means that through the generations, individuals had to be crossed with relatives to propagate the breed. So, even today if you mate two pugs chances are they’re at least distant cousins. In nature, individuals select mates based on health and ability to get resources. When they reproduce, bad genes in one get covered by good genes in the other. This way, each new generation is as strong and adaptable as possible.

So, the question you have to ask yourself is; “do I want a healthy, intelligent, well-balanced dog or do I want a specifically designed dog that may or may not have genetic disorders” However, it’s important to note that I’ve met many wonderful purebred dogs, and I even own two pure Chihuahuas myself. My point is that when you go with a purebred, you are taking a risk of the dog having complications that are avoidable in a mutt. This means more vet bills and heartbreak for you and your family. So, before you decide you must have that Cocker Spaniel or Dalmation, at least look at what dogs need a home from your local shelter or pound. If more people did this, it would be better for us and the dogs.

Grant Carroll proud father of three dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with Dog Clothes and Small Dog Sweaters.
Also visit Elizabeth Austin for Wholesale Dog Clothes and Wholesale Pet Supplies