You want a nice, disciplined dog, who doesn’t chew on anything and everything in the sight and doesn’t deafen you with his needless barks. These are one of the most common dog problems and can be really irritating at times. They can, however, be corrected by proper training. Here are a few effective ways of bringing in correction in your dog’s habits:

Barking
Barking come naturally to them, and what use is a dog that doesn’t even bark. However, at time dogs overdo it and keep barking without a reason and sometimes even after their barks have been taken cognizance of and the offending element removed. Then, it is high time he had his lessons in “barking habits.”

Most often dogs bark to tell the owner what they feel he must know, like an intruder, any unusual moving object, any unusual activity or sound. They feel that it is important for them to inform you at the earliest. This kind of warning bark is perfectly alright, but if your dog keep barking even after having been told not to, he needs to be trained about it.

In such situations take a squirt bottle filled with water, and every time the dog barks unnecessarily squirt the liquid right in his face after telling him not to bark in a loud “No”. The liquid or the squirt wouldn’t harm the creature but he wouldn’t like it and would get the message eventually. This is disciplinary action and must be adopted only when the dog doesn’t respond to your verbal commands. Keep it as a second option and not the first.

Chewing
Chewing is not only destructive but is potentially dangerous to the dog as well, because they might ingest pieces of plastic or wood or any other harmful object that could block their intestines, which could be life threatening. Puppies’ chewing is acceptable because that’s part of teething, but if the habit is retained into adulthood, it needs to be corrected.

It is better to start early. So, you need not wait till the dog grows up to teach him not to chew on things that are not meant for his chewing. The strategy for the pup as well as for the dog remain the same. Get some toys for the dog to chew on, and train him to restrict his chewing to them. Watch him carefully and if he chews on things other than his chew toys, look into his eyes at close quarters and say in a loud voice, “No!” and then offer one of his chew toys. He would get the message as to what has to be chewed on and what not.

Begging for food
Never give the dog to eat from your dinner table or your plate. Make him learn that he gets nothing by begging for food but gets to eat at the proper time. And if, unfortunately you already have a dog who has such a habit lock him up in another room while you eat.

You want dogs to behave well, but good behaviour is not something one is born with. One– be it a human or a dog– has to learn to behave. So, right training is the key.

Best dogs for children … So many myths, legends, and fear surround many things when knowledge is lacking. This is very evident as I hear parents cry: “My child wants a dog. What should I do? What are the best dogs for children? What do I teach the children? Help!” Parents want information on the fear of dogs. How does a child overcome the fear of dogs? How do you prevent a child from developing a fear of dogs in the first place? It all begins with the selection process.

I was asked this question by a couple who had a little fear of dogs in general, because neither of them had any dogs when growing up. Their children had requested to have a dog, so the parents wisely stepped forward for help: “What should I do?” Both wanted their children, then ages four and seven, to grow up comfortable with dogs and without the fear that plagued them. First, though, they needed to understand certain guidelines for children and dogs.

So I sat down privately with the parents and explained some key points that could make or break this effort. “Understand! You children must be made to understand what they can and cannot do with a dog. If the child is too rough and you don’t correct him, the dog WILL.”

“Secondly, if your dog shows disrespect to your children, FORGET IT! You are not experienced dog people, and the animal will take advantage of this. The specific dog must have the right personality to start with.”

“Third, let me show you how to discipline the dog properly. Your children will imitate you, and you want this done right.”

The couple had agreed that they wanted a Rescue Dog. They also wanted a medium size and moderate energy dog. I was told there was no preference of sex.

At the shelter, I looked at many of the dogs who were leaping eagerly at the doors of the kennels. Their over-excitement was NOT going to work around children - or inexperienced adults.

I was drawn at last to Belle Lady, a very small Lab cross. She was almost all black, and greeted me with a sweet wiggle when I neared her kennel. I allowed her to smell me. Then I put her leash on. I walked her a good distance. I tested her on pulling, and tested her behavior around cats, cars, distractions, people, and her tolerance level. After all, the best dog for a child is not a particular breed, but an individual dog’s sweet, gentle personality which is responsive to and respectful of your authority and that of the children, and whose exercise and attention needs are conducive with the family’s lifestyle.

With Belle, I was sure that I had found the perfect match for this family. Homework is important, though. So I had a long conversation with one of the people who had worked with Belle at the shelter. Her conclusion was identical to mine.

The next day when the children were out of school, we all went to the shelter to get Belle. The children obeyed their parents and listened intently to my every word. Belle was allowed to smell them first, then they walked Belle behind them.

The family had to work hard, but they gave Belle the boundaries that she needed. She spent the rest of her days happy, healthy, and loved!

This family did not know the breed or breed mix that would be best. They did not know much of anything to do with dogs starting out. But they did know to get help, and had the wisdom to listen and to do as they were instructed. They learned that children and dogs DO mix if done right, with any breed! The best dogs for children? Just about any breed. Just do your homework on the individual dog, introduce him properly, take your leadership position, and DO IT RIGHT!

Cats have a natural instinct that will lead them to climb and scratch. If you are not providing the proper tools for the cat to use, they will use what they can find to scratch. For most, the times it will be furniture, drapes, counter tops or any thing that they can scratch.

Why does a cat need to scratch? Scratching is an enjoyable activity that a cat likes to do. Helps remove old layers of nails on the cat’s claws. Cats do scratching also to mark their territories in the home, so if there are other animals or cats in the house that is a way of telling them this is their area.

Lets look at what can we do to help the cat learn good behaviors for scathing. First, do not spray a cat if they are scratching on the counter as they will jump off, run, and think it is a game. Take them off and let them know that this is not acceptable for them to do this. A firm voice can accomplish this. Alternatively, use some ways like a pop can secured with tape with coins in the can this will makes noises to let them know you do not want this done and they should not be up there.

Providing a scratching pole or tree for the cat would be the best solution. With a scratching post, they are able to do this and not have your furniture ruin. There are many different types of scratching post on the market to get for the cat. Some are standing alone with carpeting on them to deluxe kind that the cat can scratch and climb with cubbyholes for them to nest in, nap, or hide. Also when purchasing a pole or tree for the cat, watch the carpeting on them as the cat will hook their claws on the loop if that is the type of carpeting that is on there.

Teaching a cat to scratch on a pole or tree does not come easy. You will have to show the cat what the pole is for and what options that can do on it. You yourself will have to scratch at the pole to show them that this is ok to do there. Providing good playtime with a cat with the pole will show the cat that they are able to use this. With rewarding the cat with a massage or healthy treat when they do use the pole. This will let the cat know that the behavior is acceptable.

Another thing that you could consider to help a cat not to scratch at your furniture is wrap the furniture in aluminum foil. Cats do not like the feel or the touch of aluminum foil. Putting netting or some type of woven fabric over it can help also, as cats do not like to snag their claws.

Making an environment when the cat is at home its self is a good idea to do, especially if they are still scratching at furniture, climbing the drapes or jumping on and off the counters and tables. This way you know the cat is safe and they can learn that they have to use only the items that you allow them to play with when you are gone or when you are at home. The environment should contain the only items that the cat able to play with. Scathing pole, toys, strings, balls, most important cat litter dish. One thing we do not want to forget is do not leave the water or the food out for the cat to get too as they will need to use the litter box and if you have not trained them yet you could have a surprises when you get home.

Cutting the cat claws to a proper length is another thing that will help. Cutting them to much down to the pink area will hurt the cat and could cause them to get infection. There are plenty of trained pet groomers to do this for a very small reasonable charge. You could ask the vet for a good groomer in your area.

I would love to share my cat training secrets with you and my new special articles on
cat training do
just that! Everything you need to know to train your cat is included in these special reports: See our Special section on Cat Breads.

Learning cat behaviors before you start training them would be an good idea
for anyone that is going to train a cat’s behavior.

A cat can jump and land on its feet as this is a natural instinct for a cat.
When a kitten is born the cushion in its paws are not developed with the cushion
to land on its feet. It takes about 7 weeks to develop the cushion in a kittens
paw for landing. A cats bone structure is unique to other animals as the bones
are flexible, cats have no collar bone, which enables them to twist and bend
their bones. A cat can jump a great distance without sustaining any injuries.

With this behavior, you will want to teach the cat to jump hoops, sticks, or off
the scratching tree. Letting a cat jump from extreme heights will cause injury
to the cat.

Cats have a unique hearing ability; they are able to hear high tones and
pitches, like opening a door or a can of food. Cats also have unique smelling
abilities. The reason a cat will scratch or urinate on the floor , rub its self
up against a door or furniture, is the cat is leaving their scent in those areas
so they will be able to come back and know they were there, in other words
marking its territory. In addition, if another cat or animal comes along in the
area a cat will know this. Cats can also smell with their mouths. There is a
gland called Jacobson’s organ, it is a sac in the cats upper mouth filled with
blood, as the cat smells the scent and the slightly opens their mouth and upper
lip, this allows the scent to be carried in and to the sac, which it will carry
the scent goes to the cat brain. This mostly happen to male cats when a female
has urinated.

Knowing these natural instincts and behaviors can give you some insight training
your cat. With behavior training you will want to make sure that you allow your
cat the ability in some way to play out its natural instincts and behaviors.

When training a cat for behaviors there are some things you need to take into
consideration. Aggression, especially in older cats, can be caused from illness
or other cats in the home. You may want to contact your vet to have your cat
checked out to see if it’s alright at this time to train a cat.

Depression and anxiety can play another part in trying to train your cat. If a
cat is separated by a recent owner the cat can become depressed. Stress is not
uncommon for a cat. If you think that your cat has depression or high anxiety,
this would be a good time to take him to the vet. Vets can talk to you about
some of the things that may be causing this. There are also medications that a
vet can prescribe for the cat to help with depression and anxiety.

Never hit a cat for punishment, he will learn to fear you, and fearing will be a
behavior you will not be able to control or retrain. When they do something that
is not right, ignore the problem unless you catch them in the act, you can
associate a noise with that behavior you don’t like, or in a stern voice tell
them “NO”.

If a behavior is becoming impossible, you may have to resort to the baby proof
home, all containers that have food in them have a lid on it. Make sure that the
counters are clean and have nothing that a cat would want to play with.

You will want to start training your cat or kitten almost immediately after you
get them. This will stop many unwanted behaviors and hopefully not let any new
bad behaviors to start.

Healthy cats need healthy relationships with their owners. Good Luck!

J. Brian Keith is a Cat Training author. Please visit my other sites for Product
Reviews and Free Photo Sharing

In The UK we are fast approaching Fireworks Night which in our multi-cultural society heralds a sustained period of celebrations including Diwali or Deepawali coming to an end around New Years Eve.

Around the world the Firework has for hundreds of years formed a key part of celebrations.

I thought it might be useful to outline some tips for dog lovers like me about how to keep your dog calm during what can be a scary couple of months for our faithful friends like our mutt Sam (a Black Lab/ Springer Cross).

There’s nothing new here and I can’t claim to have invented these but they’ve worked for Sam I hope they work for you.

On particularly noisy nights Sam likes to have a safe hiding place, he uses a small alcove at the side of the Settee; it’s in his favorite place (other than the cat litter tray!) next to us in the living room; I know someone who uses an animal carrier with the door open.

We also do the obvious stuff like close the curtains and turn up the Television to drown out the Firework noise, but we don’t shut the doors as I was once told this would make him feel trapped.

We always try and make Sam tired so in the afternoon we try and take him for a long walk and a play with his Friends, Sophie, Honey and Snoopy.

Like you and I Sam feels sleepy after a big meal, so before the Fireworks begin give him a big meal preferably high in Carbohydrate, try rice or mash Potatoes.

There are also a number of products on the market including a natural remedy called Serene-UM. I understand that this product works best if given to a dog over a period of time so now’s the time to start. Apparently people often make the mistake of only giving there animal Serene-UM a few days before and this reduces the effectiveness. I found a Website that will deliver Serene-UM to your home http://www.pets2home.co.uk/ and it’s on special offer!!

If you’re worried all this won’t work speak to your Vet about Dog Appeasing Pheromone. It comes as a plug in diffuser and I’m told has really calming influence on Dogs.

Terry King

kinterry@googlemail.co.uk