Monday, July 26, 2010
Choosing a Dog
How To Choose A Dog That Will Make You Happy!
If you choose a purebred puppy - and there are hundreds of breeds to choose from – you'll know ahead of time how your puppy is going to turn out when he grows up. That's the benefit of choosing a purebred as opposed to a mixed-breed or hybrid dog! You can find out before you even buy him: how much he'll shed, how easy he'll be to train, how much grooming he'll require, whether he's going to be a good watchdog or guard dog, how big he's going to be, what he's going to look like, how athletic he'll be, and how he's going to behave. Of course, every dog has it's own unique personality and behavioral quirks. But in general, all dogs of a particular breed will grow up to act and behave like the other dogs of that breed. For example, you know that a German Shepherd puppy is going to grow up into a dog that striking in appearance, very easy to train, eager-to-please, athletic, protective, and intelligent: like all German Shepherd dogs are. Purebred dogs are man-made.
They wouldn't exist if it wasn't for us. Pugs, Border Collies, Yorkies - every breed - wouldn't exist if it wasn't for us humans creating them. To create a new breed someone decides what characteristics they want the breed to have. Then they only breed dogs together who have those characteristics. Lots of inbreeding then takes place. After years of selective breeding (breeding out the undesirable characteristics) and inbreeding a new “breed” is born. And when you breed dogs of that new breed together they produce puppies who grow up to be the same as the parents.
As I mentioned above the benefit of choosing a purebred puppy is that you know how your dog is going to turn out -- in advance -- even before he's born. So assuming you're going to purchase or adopt a purebred puppy or dog, here are some of the things to consider about the many different breeds: Shedding All dog breeds shed hair. They all shed different amounts of hair. Some breeds shed virtually no hair, some shed quite a lot, and some shed a lot of hair! If it bothers you finding loose hairs stuck to everything in your home then choose a low-shedding breed. Ease of Training Some breeds are easier to train than others because they learn training commands faster.
The easier the dog is to train the less time and patience you need to train him. If you want a dog who learns your commands quickly choose a breed that is easy to train. Grooming How much time you need to spend grooming your dog depends on the length of the coat and how much the coat sheds. If the dog breed you're considering has a long coat you'll need to either clip it short, or brush it often. If the dog breed you're considering sheds lot of hair you might find yourself brushing the coat every day to remove the dead hair. Because what you remove with a brush doesn't end up in the house! Want a Jogging Companion? Some breeds were made to be athletic and posses great stamina. If you want a dog who can accompany you on long walks, hikes, jogs and rides then you should choose one of these breeds.
Good With Children Pretty much all breeds are great with children. Thousands of people have small children and own Rottweiler, Pit Bulls, and other more aggressive dogs and they never have any problems at all. These owners will tell you that their dogs are the sweetest and most gentle dogs on earth. And it's true. However, which dog has the ability to do more damage to a small child: a Pit Bull or a Pug? Obviously it's the Pit Bull. So if you want to play it safe choose a breed who doesn't really have the ability to harm a child or one who doesn't have a bad reputation. And always supervise very small children and babies around the dog! Small children could inadvertently tease the dog and he could snap at them. Guard Dog or Watchdog Some breeds like German Shepherds and Rottweilers make excellent guard dogs.
They're naturally very protective and suspicious of strangers. They have the ability to intimidate and deter an intruder. On the other hand, some breeds are just good at keeping watch and raising the alarm. And some little dogs have such a loud, deep bark they can even scare and intruder away. Size When choosing a breed consider size. Small dogs are make training easier because you can control them a lot easier than a big, strong and powerful dog. The small breeds also make less mess, and they coast less to care for.
How To Choose A Dog That Will Make You Happy! courtesy of Dog Articles
If you choose a purebred puppy - and there are hundreds of breeds to choose from – you'll know ahead of time how your puppy is going to turn out when he grows up. That's the benefit of choosing a purebred as opposed to a mixed-breed or hybrid dog! You can find out before you even buy him: how much he'll shed, how easy he'll be to train, how much grooming he'll require, whether he's going to be a good watchdog or guard dog, how big he's going to be, what he's going to look like, how athletic he'll be, and how he's going to behave. Of course, every dog has it's own unique personality and behavioral quirks. But in general, all dogs of a particular breed will grow up to act and behave like the other dogs of that breed. For example, you know that a German Shepherd puppy is going to grow up into a dog that striking in appearance, very easy to train, eager-to-please, athletic, protective, and intelligent: like all German Shepherd dogs are. Purebred dogs are man-made.
They wouldn't exist if it wasn't for us. Pugs, Border Collies, Yorkies - every breed - wouldn't exist if it wasn't for us humans creating them. To create a new breed someone decides what characteristics they want the breed to have. Then they only breed dogs together who have those characteristics. Lots of inbreeding then takes place. After years of selective breeding (breeding out the undesirable characteristics) and inbreeding a new “breed” is born. And when you breed dogs of that new breed together they produce puppies who grow up to be the same as the parents.
As I mentioned above the benefit of choosing a purebred puppy is that you know how your dog is going to turn out -- in advance -- even before he's born. So assuming you're going to purchase or adopt a purebred puppy or dog, here are some of the things to consider about the many different breeds: Shedding All dog breeds shed hair. They all shed different amounts of hair. Some breeds shed virtually no hair, some shed quite a lot, and some shed a lot of hair! If it bothers you finding loose hairs stuck to everything in your home then choose a low-shedding breed. Ease of Training Some breeds are easier to train than others because they learn training commands faster.
The easier the dog is to train the less time and patience you need to train him. If you want a dog who learns your commands quickly choose a breed that is easy to train. Grooming How much time you need to spend grooming your dog depends on the length of the coat and how much the coat sheds. If the dog breed you're considering has a long coat you'll need to either clip it short, or brush it often. If the dog breed you're considering sheds lot of hair you might find yourself brushing the coat every day to remove the dead hair. Because what you remove with a brush doesn't end up in the house! Want a Jogging Companion? Some breeds were made to be athletic and posses great stamina. If you want a dog who can accompany you on long walks, hikes, jogs and rides then you should choose one of these breeds.
Good With Children Pretty much all breeds are great with children. Thousands of people have small children and own Rottweiler, Pit Bulls, and other more aggressive dogs and they never have any problems at all. These owners will tell you that their dogs are the sweetest and most gentle dogs on earth. And it's true. However, which dog has the ability to do more damage to a small child: a Pit Bull or a Pug? Obviously it's the Pit Bull. So if you want to play it safe choose a breed who doesn't really have the ability to harm a child or one who doesn't have a bad reputation. And always supervise very small children and babies around the dog! Small children could inadvertently tease the dog and he could snap at them. Guard Dog or Watchdog Some breeds like German Shepherds and Rottweilers make excellent guard dogs.
They're naturally very protective and suspicious of strangers. They have the ability to intimidate and deter an intruder. On the other hand, some breeds are just good at keeping watch and raising the alarm. And some little dogs have such a loud, deep bark they can even scare and intruder away. Size When choosing a breed consider size. Small dogs are make training easier because you can control them a lot easier than a big, strong and powerful dog. The small breeds also make less mess, and they coast less to care for.
How To Choose A Dog That Will Make You Happy! courtesy of Dog Articles
Dog Agility
Training Your Dog For Agility
Agility is the fastest-growing dog sport in North America. It appeals to lots of dog lovers and there are agility trials open to mixed breed and purebred dogs. Dogs of all sizes can compete. Most people try to find a club or team that does agility training and then train in their off time at home.
With agility training you will be simulating parts of a regular agility course, such as jumps, the A-frame, the dog walk, see-saws, tunnels and the weave pole set. You will most likely only be working on one or two kinds of obstacles at a time. When you and your class have mastered an obstacle you’ll go on to the next set. You will eventually put practice courses together so you can prepare for agility trials.
If you’re going to train your dog for agility here are some things to do to prepare for a beginner’s course:
1. Look for classes and trainers that teach with methods that appeal to you. Most trainers these days use positive reinforcement. Check out trainers and classes before signing up.
2. It helps if your dog already knows some basic obedience before beginning your agility training.
3. You should usually plan to get to your class a few minutes before the class begins. Give your dog time to relieve himself and let the excitement of being at the class wear off a little. If your dog likes to play with the other dogs, allow time for it.
4. Keep in mind that agility classes have two aims: To teach the handler how to train their dog; and to teach the dog how to go over the obstacles. You are being trained as much as your dog is being trained so during the class think how you will work with your dog at home.
5. Classes usually begin with low obstacles and gradually raise their height.
6. Remember that accuracy with all of the exercises comes before speed. You shouldn’t let your dog go too fast, especially before he has learned how to do an exercise correctly. You can always build up speed later.
7. If you’re training a puppy take special care. Keep the obstacles low and go slow. Don’t demand too much too soon.
8. Its fine to use whatever motivational tools work for your dog during training -- food, a toy, hugs.
Remember that although agility is a sport it’s also about having fun with your dog. Agility competitors can be very competitive but unless it’s fun for you and your dog, what’s the point?
There are different levels to agility so after you have mastered the beginning level and competed successfully you’ll be able to train at increasingly more difficult levels.
Agility is a great sport for dogs and their owners. It’s very addictive. If you think you may be interested in getting involved with agility check with your local kennel club and dog training center to find agility clubs in your area
Training Your Dog For Agility courtesy of Dog Articles
Agility is the fastest-growing dog sport in North America. It appeals to lots of dog lovers and there are agility trials open to mixed breed and purebred dogs. Dogs of all sizes can compete. Most people try to find a club or team that does agility training and then train in their off time at home.
With agility training you will be simulating parts of a regular agility course, such as jumps, the A-frame, the dog walk, see-saws, tunnels and the weave pole set. You will most likely only be working on one or two kinds of obstacles at a time. When you and your class have mastered an obstacle you’ll go on to the next set. You will eventually put practice courses together so you can prepare for agility trials.
If you’re going to train your dog for agility here are some things to do to prepare for a beginner’s course:
1. Look for classes and trainers that teach with methods that appeal to you. Most trainers these days use positive reinforcement. Check out trainers and classes before signing up.
2. It helps if your dog already knows some basic obedience before beginning your agility training.
3. You should usually plan to get to your class a few minutes before the class begins. Give your dog time to relieve himself and let the excitement of being at the class wear off a little. If your dog likes to play with the other dogs, allow time for it.
4. Keep in mind that agility classes have two aims: To teach the handler how to train their dog; and to teach the dog how to go over the obstacles. You are being trained as much as your dog is being trained so during the class think how you will work with your dog at home.
5. Classes usually begin with low obstacles and gradually raise their height.
6. Remember that accuracy with all of the exercises comes before speed. You shouldn’t let your dog go too fast, especially before he has learned how to do an exercise correctly. You can always build up speed later.
7. If you’re training a puppy take special care. Keep the obstacles low and go slow. Don’t demand too much too soon.
8. Its fine to use whatever motivational tools work for your dog during training -- food, a toy, hugs.
Remember that although agility is a sport it’s also about having fun with your dog. Agility competitors can be very competitive but unless it’s fun for you and your dog, what’s the point?
There are different levels to agility so after you have mastered the beginning level and competed successfully you’ll be able to train at increasingly more difficult levels.
Agility is a great sport for dogs and their owners. It’s very addictive. If you think you may be interested in getting involved with agility check with your local kennel club and dog training center to find agility clubs in your area
Training Your Dog For Agility courtesy of Dog Articles
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