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How to Calculate a Dog's Age in Dog Years

A popular misconception is that dogs age 7 years for each calendar year. In fact, canine aging is much more rapid during the first 2 years of a dog's life. After the first 2 years the ratio settles down to 5 to 1 for small and medium breeds. For large breeds the rate is 6 to 1, and for giant breeds the rate is 7 to 1.
Thus, at 10 years of age a Great Dane would be 80 years old while a pug would only be 64.

Dog Ages

How To Train Your Dog To Stop Barking

There’s this one older lady on the street that has a dog who barks all the time. Believe it or not, the dog is not the problem. Every time the dog barks, she yells at it, so it goes, “Bark,” “Hush,” “Bark,” “Hush,” “Bark,” “Hush.” Everybody should know by now that shouting at a dog serves no purpose. It just frightens the dog or ticks it off and the dog never understands the connection between his behavior and the shouting. A chronic barking problem cannot be blamed entirely on dog behavior in some instances because some breeds bark more excessively than do others, including Yorkshire Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Fox Terriers, Beagles, and Miniature Schnauzers.

Why do dogs bark?

There are a number of reasons
Guess which one is the most common? You’ll never guess it, so I’ll just tell you. Problem barkers do so because they are bored. Yes, even dogs get bored. When a spoiled dog that is used to getting a lot of attention is left alone, he barks as a way of complaining that he’s not got somebody there to give him a treat or brush or love on him. If your dog is going to left alone for a long period of time, such as when you’re at work, you can decrease the likelihood of his barking out of boredom by leaving him with plenty of toys, food, and water to keep him entertained and happy.
Ask any policeman and he will tell you that more crime is committed in the summer than in winter. The strange thing is that dogs bark more in warmer weather than they do in colder weather. Go figure!

The next reason a dog might bark is because he might need something.
If he’s indoors and you haven’t let him outside for several hours, he might need to go to the bathroom. If he’s outdoors and you haven’t checked on him in a while, he might need water or it might be raining.
Dogs often bark when something unusual happens, such as a car pulling up in your driveway or a rabbit running across the lawn. That’s nothing to be upset about as it’s a natural reaction to an unexpected stimulus.

Okay, now for some ways to train your dog to stop barking when it’s not appropriate to bark.
Sometimes barking is a good thing, such as when the dog is guarding or protecting you.

       Without yelling, firmly tell the dog, “No!”
       Walk over to your dog when he’s barking; don’t call your dog over to you
       If your dog doesn’t stop barking when you tell him to, squirt him in hindquarters with a squirt bottle of water.
       Never hit your dog and never spray the water directly in his face.

If training doesn’t work or you have an aggressive dog that isn’t a good candidate for no-bark training, there are alternatives. Electronic collars, also called no-bark collars, send a battery-powered little shock to him every time the collar sense that he has barked. Just keep in mind that the collar doesn’t actually teach your dog not to bark, it just punishes him for doing so and so therefore he avoids barking when wearing the collar, but will bark when the collar is taken off. The collars aren’t supposed to be worn more than ten hours out of each 24-hour day. While muzzles are intended to keep dogs from biting while out in public, they would also prevent a dog from barking because it keeps the dog from being able to open his mouth beyond a certain point big enough to bark.

From Pet Super Store, featuring - Pet-Gates and Elevated Dog Feeders

Basic Dog Care

Owning a dog means dedicating the proper care and attention to meeting that dog’s needs. The majority of people who decide to get a dog genuinely want to provide the best care they can for their pet and for them, there is nothing more emotionally satisfying than owning a happy healthy dog.

To ensure that your dog is happy and healthy you should try to provide him with the best care you possibly can. Different dog breeds have different needs and you should carefully consider this when choosing the breed of dog you want as your pet. Each breed has its own characteristics and personality and while some dogs make great family pets, others are more suited to a one master household.

If you already own a dog, you already proper put the proper time and reflection into deciding on the right breed for you, but if you don’t have a dog and would like to get one, you should put some time into researching the different breeds of dogs to determine which breed is best suited to your particular lifestyle.

You should never even consider getting a dog unless you are sure you have the time to spend with your new pet. It is cruel to get a dog only to leave him alone most of the time. Dogs are social animals that crave and require interaction. If you are a sedentary person, don’t get a highly active dog such as a Dalmatian for example.

Consider the basics your new dog will need, such as a safe sleeping area, food and water. A dog’s diet depends largely on the dog’s size, age and physical activity. Dogs also need veterinary care such as annual vaccinations as well as emergency care when they are sick. You should be able to afford to take your dog for regular veterinary checkups to make sure all is well with your pet. If you travel a lot, perhaps you shouldn’t consider getting a dog; think about how your lifestyle will impact a dog and vice versa. Owning a dog can be costly as well as time consuming so give that some thought before you take the leap.
Dogs also require grooming, especially long haired breeds. Decide if you would like to groom your dog or if you will enlist the services of a professional dog groomer. Most responsible dog owners opt to have their dogs spayed or neutered to avoid unwanted litters, this costs money.

Never buy a dog on impulse, dogs bought on impulse are usually abandoned or neglected. Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment, as long as the dog is alive, it is your responsibility to provide for his every need. Dogs are not toys that you can put away when you’re too busy for them; they require daily attention and care if they are to thrive. Your heart may melt at that doggie in the window, but resist the temptation to take him home with you unless you’re absolutely sure you can give him a good home!

Tips from Pet-Super-Store, find dog beds and invisible dog fence.

How to Have Fun While Exercising Your Dog

A healthy body equals a healthy mind. This expression not only applies to us, it also applies to our four legged friends as well. Dogs need daily exercise to thrive and be mentally stimulated and exercising your dog will reduce the likelihood of him developing destructive or aggressive tendencies as well as help keep you fit too!

Walking your dog daily will ensure he gets the exercise he needs but there are also other activities you can do with your dog that will not only satisfy his physical needs, they will also help him build a strong bond with you.

Fetch: Dogs love playing fetch; it satisfies their innate hunting instinct. Retrieving breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Spaniels love to play fetch and may do so instinctively with no training. The majority of dogs can be taught to retrieve objects such as balls and Frisbees and you will soon discover just how much fun your dog (and you) will have playing fetch.

Bird on a Wire: This game is played by attached your dog’s favorite toy to a string and pulling it around to entice your dog to chase and catch it. If you play this game with a puppy, make sure you stop pulling the toy as soon as your pup grabs hold of it or you could risk hurting his mouth and teeth. Smaller breed dogs are especially fond of this game and will play it endlessly.

Obedience Training: While exercise may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of obedience training for dogs, it does actually exercise their mind and body. Learning to sit, stay, heel and run on command takes some physical effort on the part of your dog as well as stimulating him mentally. Advanced obedience classes can be very physically demanding as your dog will have to tackle a series of obstacles and ramps.

Hiking: if you enjoy hiking you should take your dog with you as dogs love to explore new terrain. Hiking with your dog will enforce his pack instinct with you as he follows you. Dogs always follow their leader and a good long hike is a great way to let your dog view you as his alpha. Jogging with your dog if he is physically fit enough to do so is another great way of exercising your dog. Dogs in the wild state are very mobile as they are originally scavenging animals and hiking is an ideal way to exercise your dog.

Swimming: Most dogs are natural swimmers and if you live in a warm area and enjoy swimming you should take your dog with you. Some breeds such as Portuguese water dogs, Newfoundlands and retrievers enjoy swimming and this is a great way to exercise these dogs, especially in hot weather. Some dogs enjoy retrieving things from the water but always make sure you dry your dog thoroughly after a swim to avoid skin infections caused by humidity.

Training: Teaching your dog new tricks is very mentally stimulating for a dog and can help prevent boredom. Training your dog to climb obstacles and ramps is physically and mentally challenging and dogs love to learn new tricks and please their owners. Breeds such as beagles and collies in particular love tackling obstacle courses but always remember to be gentle and patient in your training methods and to never lose your temper with your dog, exercise should be fun!

From Pet-Super-Store, featuring dog gates and dog training collars

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