animal's kingdom

Dog Food Allergy

2009-02-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

What Is A Dog Food Allergy?

Unfortunately many dog food allergies normally manifest in your pet in a way that we can not see. However one way of knowing if your dog may have a dog food allergy is that their skin becomes itchy. Often this results in them scratching themselves on the feet, legs, chewing of the tail, shaking the head, loss of hair, rubbing of the face, anal itching along with recurrent ear infections and sores appearing. But more often than not a food allergy in a dog can be overlooked as it is assumed that their skin problems are being caused by other health issues. This may include fleas, mange or external allergens such as pollen and dust.

But where food allergies are concerned in a dog they may also be other symptoms apart from a skin reaction. This includes:-

1. Vomiting
2. Diarrhea
3. Flatulence
4. Sneezing
5. Asthma like symptoms (seem to have difficulty breathing and wheeze)
6. Some may even have seizures whilst other their behavior may change.

However in some cases a food allergy may not be suspected as the dog has been eating the same food for years without any reaction to it. But just like us a dog can develop a particular sensitivity or allergy towards a product that they have had not problems with before. This may occur because the manufacturer has made a change in the ingredients that is now using and so an allergic reaction may occur. What is important to remember is that a food allergy can appear at any age in any dog as well as in both dogs and bitches even if no alterations have been made to the product that you use.

One of the best ways of treating a dog who has a food allergy is by using an elimination diet. Although this will help to remove the symptoms it does not always provide your dog with nutritionally complete meal. So the best way to do this is by producing specially tailored home prepared meals. But for those of you who do not have the time to prepare such a meal then there are a wide variety of dog foods around which provide a vast selection of alternatives. So the best thing you can do is read the ingredients on the product carefully and closely observe your dog for at least a couple of months in order to determine whether the food you have selected is appropriate as well as being allergen free.

So if you are concerned that your dog may be suffering from a dog food allergy then talk to your vet and look at what sorts of alternative foods you can give them.

Mistakes Dog Trainers

2009-02-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Dog Trainers Make

When new trainers first get started, they tend to make a lot of mistakes in their techniques and how the approach the training process. There are a few mistakes that are fairly common among most trainers and we shall make these ten mistakes the subject of this discourse.

Mistake number one is expecting too much. The individual who makes this error is usually well meaning and a true dog lover. The problem steps in when they see all the tricks their neighbors dog can do, they watch the well trained pets of their favorite sitcom characters and they go to the park and see all of the pet owners there enjoying the company of dogs that are obedient and well trained. It is at this point that they tend to forget all the time, patience and money that has went into these animals and achieving the successes they have become.

Mistake number two is also quite common and falls to the other extreme. It is the mistake of giving up. These owners are also well meaning and usually started out as the group who expected too much. Unfortunately, they lack the patience or commitment to achieve the result they want and decide to take an all or nothing approach. These owners decide that their pet can't learn to play Frisbee in an hour or so, this dog just isn't going to learn at all.

Mistake number three is not being consistent. If you tell the dog not to jump on you when you are in your business suit and expect them to mind, don't let them jump on you when you are wearing your jogging clothes either. Consistent training is important if you want a well-trained dog.

Mistake number four is not using enough positive reinforcement. Many a frustrated trainer has gone home with poor results because they forget to reward the dog for doing well. Rewards must be consistent, just like the training. An animal that only receives correction and never rewards will begin to do the wrong behavior just to get some type of attention.

Mistake number five is similar to number four. It is giving too much negative reinforcement. This is the owner that spends his day looking for the dog to make a mistake so they can be corrected. This is a mistake because when you are focused on finding the displeasing behaviors you fail to recognize and reward all the good behaviors your dog displays.

Mistake number six is also quite simple to fall into. It is trying to teach a dog something it was never meant to do. This problem is more common amongst individuals wanting a sport animal for such things as hunting. They try to make a general purpose multitasking animal and instead create a confused and agitated creature. Some dogs just were not meant for some jobs. You can't ask a Dachshund to be a fox hound and you wouldn't ask a Great Dane to go into a rabbit den. Get the right dog for the job at hand.

Mistake number seven is not following thru. Dogs love to learn and will learn thru repetition and consistent lessons. However, these lessons must be followed thru with. If you spend an all day session training Fido Monday and then don't even talk to him again for two weeks, he will have most likely forgot the initial lesson.

Mistake number eight is the use of too many different techniques. While it important to glean wisdom from other trainers experiences, using everything you hear can be detrimental. Each trainer has different ideas of how things should be done and trying to incorporate all of them will frustrate you and your pet. Rather choose a method that works for you and be consistent and you will see much better results.

Mistake number nine is apathy. All too often a pet owner says I hate this or that about my pet but it's just too difficult to change it. Changes can be made and, if your dog sees that they bring rewards, he will respond much quicker to a direct and firm approach.

The final major mistake people make is thinking the training is over. Training is a learning process and it is never complete. Your dog may learn a behavior and know it well. So why stop there? Your dog loves to learn and you are a good trainer. Why would you ever want less than the best your dog could be?

With knowledge of these mistakes, you can recognize some of the common feelings might have encountered yourself and you can stem these before they become a problem. We wish you the best and also a happy adventure in training your dog.

Dog Training

2009-02-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

3 Secrets To Better Dog Training

There are virtually as many approaches to training a dog as there are dogs to train! It seems as if every day new systems and techniques are announced or older methods are resurrected. Check a bookstore shelf or do a quick internet search and you will be overwhelmed with the number of ways people may advocate training a dog.

Despite the tremendous diversity of methods, almost every successful dog training system is premised on positive reinforcement techniques. The once frequent techniques involving intimidation, humiliation and punishment have long been abandoned in the face of growing proof of their relative ineffectiveness. All of the new, more effective, recommended means of dog training share something else in common: their effectiveness can be enhanced significantly by remembering three simple secrets.

Start Young

We've all been told a thousand times "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." That popular old saying, of course, is not entirely true. Any dog, regardless of age, can learn new things. However, like most old adages, it has been remembered because it contains a kernel of truth. Dogs, like humans, are much more receptive to learning new behaviors when young. The earlier you are able to start training your dog, the more effective the training will be.

Puppies will learn at a much faster clip and do not have ingrained behaviors that must be un-learned. Thus, any training regimen is sure to be more successful when conducted with a puppy for a subject instead of an older dog.

If you weren't able to start training a particular dog when he or she was younger, don't fret. Training is still effective for older animals. However, if you do have the chance, start training early and you'll reap the benefits of increased effectiveness.

Remain Gentle

Dogs are social animals and develop a real attachment to their owners. That attachment, in large measure, is at the heart of successful dog training. A dog who trusts his owner and who sincerely wants to please his companion is far more likely to remain attentive and compliant during the training process.

A failure to act gently jeopardizes the training program by undermining the quality of the dog/owner relationship.

Of course, aggressive behavior also runs contrary to the very foundations of most dog training techniques. Dog training is premised on the notion that positive reinforcement techniques best modify dog behavior. The interjection of inconsistent activity frustrates that process. Furthermore, there are ethical and moral concerns about mistreating an animal, in addition to the practical concerns. By making a commitment to retain gentleness throughout the training process one can insure they are consistently treating their dog appropriately.

A gentle dog owner will find himself with an ally for a trainee rather than a rival. Instead of a battle of the wills, training can become a cooperative exercise. Under those conditions, training tends to take less time and be far more effective.

Emphasize Prevention

Too often, training a dog devolves into a series of constant corrections for behaviors the owner finds unsuitable. This reduces the pleasure found in dog training as well as its overall effectiveness. A strong emphasis on preventing inappropriate behavior reduces the need for correction efforts and can help spur quick progress.

The basic goal of prevention is to intervene before a problem is created instead of simply responding to the problem. Instead of waiting for the dog to make a mistake to correct, the prevention-minded owner will keep close watch to see imminent difficulties and will intervene early to prevent them from arising in the first place.

This technique allows one to avoid spending undue time on correction and to emphasize real positively reinforced training methods, keeping a program on track and accelerating its successes. It also decreases frustration throughout the training process making it more enjoyable for both the dog and the owner.

Although there is a multitude of training strategies form which one can choose, all of them can have their effectiveness increased by adhering to the aforementioned principles. By starting early, remaining gentle and emphasizing prevention, any reasonable method of dog training can garner better results. These three secrets, if always operating in the background, serve to push the effectiveness of any training technique.