A dog would always be a most loyal and affectionate companion whose comic antics would continuously bring laughter and amusement to the family. Dogs are often considered as the “baby” in the family and anything the dog does would be well noticed and enjoyed by family members. Dogs are naturally fun to have around but dogs that can do tricks will be more appreciated. The dog’s ability to roll over, to pay dead, shake hands, to beg will certainly make a positive impression on people. A pet owner that has successfully trained the dog to do tricks would be the envy of other dog owners.

Many pet owners would baulk at the idea of training the dog to do tricks. Without a doubt, encouraging the dog to learn new things would be a daunting task. Dogs have varied characteristics. Some dog breeds would be interested with the challenges given by the owner while others would simply ignore an owner’s commands. Don’t be discouraged if your pooch looks at you as if you are speaking some foreign language that cannot be understood by the pet. Training the dog to do tricks is definitely not for a lazy person as a single trick entails countless repetitions before it can be learned by the dog.

Obedience training and teaching the dog to do tricks requires the same training techniques. Both would need constant repetitions, positive reinforcements and a lot of patience and perseverance from the owner. Dogs are pack animals and it would be necessary to establish your position as the leader of the pack to gain the dog’s compliance and respect. Uncomplicated commands given in a clear voice be can be easily grasped by the dog.

Because dogs communicate using a whole range of body language, a verbal command would be understood better if incorporated with hand gestures. For instance, holding out the hand while giving the “shake hands” command would cue the dog what must be done. Use an authoritative voice to give a consistent command until the trick is learned.

Dogs are social creatures with an inherent desire to please its people. A loving pat or a smile will make the dog understand that the master is pleased with what it has done. Treats are no-fail means that will make the dog respond to training. Apart from being energetic, dogs are curious animals as well. Training the dog to do tricks must be conducted in short sessions and in an area where there are few distractions.

How do you teach a dog to do tricks? Sarah’s Dogs has more answers to this question as well as dog first aid.

“How do you stop a dog from chewing” has long been questioned by dog owners and enthusiasts. There are numerous good reasons why your dog is likely to chew destructively on something.  To stop dog chewing, you will have to to put forward some time and effort, as well as exhibit some basic common sense and patience . Your reward will be a dog who will not chew on your furniture, clothes, shoes, and stereo wires. Putting an end to chewing can also curtail biting and aggression troubles before they turn out to be full blown, so you will not have to be concerned about how to stop a puppy from biting, and how to stop dog aggression.

The principal reasons for why your dog is likely to chew destructively on something include a natural desire to chew, curiosity, boredom, anxiety, lack of exercise, and lack of respect .

So, just how do you stop a dog from chewing?

Stop dog chewing by taking control of the situation

How do you stop a dog from chewing in this respect? By dog-proofing your residence. Don’t leave your clothes, socks, silk ties, or shoes laying around where your dog can easily access them. Make certain that any wires or chords are made invisible to your dog. Keep your dog’s jumping ability in mind when you put objects in specific places . Think about spraying something on your dog’s intended chewing targets that has a bad taste, like lemon juice or cayenne pepper .

Clearly set the boundaries of your expectations

How do you stop a dog from chewing in this respect? Another important thought to bear in mind as you are attempting to stop dog chewing is to not blur the boundaries between stuff your dog is permitted to chew on, and things that she is not . For instance, don’t expect your dog not to chew on a new thing if you have earlier permitted her to chew on an older version of that same thing, liklike a piece of clothing .

Tasty alternatives

Another effective way to stop dog chewing is to provide her with lots of tasty options to your “off limits” belongings. If the surroundings of your dog is devoid of acceptable chewing objects, then you can hardly blame her for targeting your belongings. Beef jerkey, dentastyks, or a favorite toy can work wonders .

Stop dog chewing by interrupting your dog in the act, and follow it up with some positive reinforcement

If you are still wondering to yourself, “how do you stop a dog from chewing”, a good technique to utilize is to catch her as she is in the act of that destructive chewing. Do not make a huge deal out of it, however.  Stop the chewing, take the object away, and give her something good to eat , such as Froot Loops, a milkbone, or a dentastyk. As soon as her jaws clamp down on it, heap lavish praise upon your dog . Positive reinforcement like this is a beneficial strategy to follow when stopping dog chewing . Just be certain to be really consistent in your application of it. If you reprimand your dog for chewing on an improper thing, rather than just teaching her that the object is not hers to chew, she might think you are reprimanding her for chewing something unacceptable in front of you, and that it is fine for her to chew on something inappropriate when you are not there.

Health reasons 

If you are at your wits end , and in spite of your best efforts you do not have an answer to the question, “how do you stop a dog from chewing” , consider it may be the case that your dog has a problem with her teeth and gums, which might require veterinary care .

Dog owners have a lot of “must do” to ensure the well being of the pet. Knowing how to administer medication to a sick pet is very important task that must be learned by a dog owner. Sick dogs would need pills only for a time and the arduous task will be over when the dog recovers from the ailment. Pilling the dog can be a daily routine too as similar to humans, dogs benefit from vitamins and supplements as well. So how do you give a dog a pill? 

The task is even made harder if the dog is an escape artist that would easily elude the pill being administered by the owner. Dogs are cunning animals so that even if the pill is hidden inside a treat, the treat will be eaten and the pill spewed out. Because dogs would not understand that the pill would make him well, it would be up to the owner to learn how to make pill giving a little easier.

An owner would be fortunate to have a dog that would willingly take a pill. Dogs though are cunning animals and it would be a simple matter to spew the pill once the master’s back is turned. After giving the pill, an owner must not leave at once to make sure that the pill was swallowed by the pet.

Another method of giving the dog a pill is using the dog’s favorite treats to mask the taste of the pill. Mix the crushed pill with a little amount of the dog’s favorite food. This method though can be used only if the dog is not under dietary restriction. A pet owner can take advantage of the dog’s inclination to gobble its food by hiding the pill in the dog’s favorite foods.

Sick dogs are harder to pill as they usually refuse to eat. Mixing the pill with the dog’s food would not be a good idea. The pet must be coached to swallow the pill by placing it directly to the base of the tongue. Placing the pill on the dog’s mouth would be much easier if the dog is used to being touched or the teeth being brushed. Carefully open the mouth and insert the pill deep in the mouth. Make sure that the teeth are covered by the flews to prevent the dog from biting your hand. To encourage the dog to swallow the pill gently blow on the nose.

Dogs are the best friends and protectors of humans. These animals have made a great difference to the quality of people’s life. On many occasions, dogs have comforted and manifested their affection to humans. These animals that are known to be highly attuned to the feelings of humans have been the silent sounding boards for man’s woes and misfortunes. Dogs are noted to be tough little and not so little guys that are always ready to comfort and defend the master but there are cases when these animals are the ones needing the comfort of their master. Like humans, dogs too get stressed and it is up to the master to calm the dog.

Some dogs would easily get stressed with different situation in the environment. Once a nervous dog is exposed to a certain situation, it would be tightly wound up and would bark frantically, salivate excessively and basically be a hard to control pet. Other dogs would react to a stressful environment in a different way. Some dog owners find managing a stressed dog very difficult. New situations, unfamiliar faces and places as well as loud noises like the sound of rolling thunder and firecrackers would make a dog nervous.

Repeated exposure to these kind of situations will enhance the nervousness of the dog until it develops into a phobia. A dog that is always exposed to a stressful situation can be lethargic and can even lose weight. No dog owner would want to see a pet trembling in fear and no owner would want to constantly calm the pet. Pet parents of highly stressed dogs have to find ways to calm the pet.

A pet owner can help the pet by knowing what causes the stress so that the situation can be avoided. However, it would not always be possible shield the dog from stressful situations thus it would be the owner’s task to find means of calming the dog.

Dogs appreciate being petted. Pet owners use massage to calm the pet. By slowly moving the hand in over the dog’s body, the tension is dissipated until the pet is calmed. Apart from being naturally curious, dogs are food motivated as well so that Kong toys will remove the dog’s attention from whatever is causing the stress and the efforts to get the food from the Kong toy will eventually calm the pet. Dogs are highly energetic animals. Allowing the dog to expend its excess energies is one good way of calming the pet. Are you aware that a dog can be calmed simply by yawning? Try yawning several times in front of your stressed pet and you will see that after a while the dog is already calmed.