You are viewing entries tagged 'Puppies'.
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Do not let a puppy bite you anywhere, ever. Puppy teeth can really hurt and the only way to teach a puppy to keep them off of you is being consistent in saying “Nooo” in a commanding voice and substituting a favorite toy. This will help the little pooch understand that biting is not a habit that is worth taking up.
Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter. |
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When deciding on a location for your dog’s bark-day party, it’s important that the space is accommodating. Dogs love room to play, but will also appreciate a time-out from their party pals.
So choose a place that allows you and your dog’s paw pals to run and roughhouse, has ample space for participants to take a party break and relax from the pack, and room to chase balls and play fetch. But most importantly, choose an area that is safe for pets to explore without fear of a dog escaping and leaving the festivities too early without a guardian. If you are having the party in your backyard, make sure the area is fenced-in and away from traffic. PawLux.com is a leading provider of all natural and eco-friendly products for dogs. Feel free to read our blog at http://www.pawluxury.blogspot.com or follow our popular Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/pawluxury. |
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I was just at a dog “rock fest” which had dozens of rescue group booths. Most of them were for pit bulls and one had a “pay a dollar, get pit bull kisses” booth and sure enough, one buck and you could stand there for hours while Pig the pit bull showed you how much he loved you.
I’m prejudiced, not against but FOR pits, because I own three and they’re wonderful. They’re not ALWAYS wonderful and this is where many pit groups make a mistake – they sometime claim Pits are the best dogs there are and are never any trouble. Not true at all. They’re plenty of trouble but the loyalty, empathy, and fun you get with them makes it worth it. A few rescues are: www.outofthepits.org, www.pittieloverescue.com and www.pbrc.net. Pits make great family dogs, therapy dogs, search dogs, agility dogs – you name it. Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
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Some people bemoan the fact we’ve started to bring stray dogs from Puerto Rico to the U.S. to find homes. Their argument is that we have enough trouble here. My feeling is a homeless animal is a homeless animal and that, especially since Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S., it’s our obligation to try to help them.
There are over 50,000 stray dogs in Puerto Rico and one group that is doing something practical about it is Save a Sato. “Sato” is a slang term for street dogs. Sato dogs come in many colors and mixes but tend to be smallish and make good family pets. Sato hooks up people who are going to Puerto Rico with dogs that need to be flown back. So the next time you plan a trip to a beach, consider Puerto Rico. You could save a dog’s life and have a great time! Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
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Meeting the parents of your puppy doesn’t have much practical application since the parental traits that are passed down to one or all of their offspring are random and unpredictable – as is true for many animals, people included. Man O’ War’s parents didn’t have any more foals like him and none of Mozart’s children were musical geniuses. Take a deep breath and accept fate – anyone who hopes that researching the daylights out of a puppy’s heritage will help to produce an amazing adult dog may just be barking up the wrong tree. |
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Want to see what a puppy’s reaction is to having you in control of her? If you want to test how a puppy reacts to gentle restraint, sit down and hold her on her back in your lap, then stroke her belly, speaking reassuringly. An ideal puppy will struggle briefly then relax. A dominant puppy will thrash around to get off his back and may vocalize or bite. |
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If you want more than one dog you need add them to your life one at a time – even though you may want two dogs so they can keep each other company. The best way to get things off to a successful start is to first get one puppy – or one older dog you rescue – and concentrate on molding that dog into a delightful companion who respects your rules and learns the rhythm of your world. Wait at least six months before you get another dog – if you want to have them both start with you as puppies, then consider waiting a year for the second puppy, the age at which the small or medium breed puppy enters adulthood. The first dog will show the ropes to the younger one, who will learn by example. Turn your first dog into a stellar role model and take half the work out of raising the second puppy. |
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Don’t think of the crate as “puppy jail” or the puppy will pick up on your negative emotions. There’s no reason to feel sorry for him because a crate is actually a real safe haven, once he gets used to it. When the pup feels comfortable with it and is happy to go there, it will be his own, private, cozy little den. Don’t treat it as a punishment place. |
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If puppies are neutered young, their risk of cancer of the prostate (and of the anus) is reduced dramatically. It’s yet one more good reason to neuter your dog. |
