The Importance of Dog Treats

If you have a dog or have had dogs in the past, you know the importance of Dog Treats. They are used for so many reasons.

TOP 2 REASONS FOR DOG TREATS

#1 - Training, then there is training, oh ya and training. Are you getting the idea? Dog Treats are one of the most important elements when training your dog. You will be using dog treats from the very earliest training times.

#2 - Rewarding. Rewarding your animal when he has accomplished what you have asked of him is like giving your son or daughter a hug. Dogs understand dog treats. The word treat will make his tail wag and put a smile on his face.

You've heard the saying "food is the way to a man's heart"... well, dog treats are the way to your dogs heart. When your dog is a puppy you will want small little treats that can easily be chewed when he is being trained. For every act of obedience you will give that pup a tasty dog treat. After a while he will get the idea of what you are asking of him and do that "trick" every single time. Before you know it he will respond to your command without receiving a dog treat. These dog treats will be used for basic training of the sit, stay, come and down commands. Your goal should be to have these commands obeyed verbally, without dog treats, by the time your pet is 6 months old and if you are very deligent in your training your dog will obey these commands even sooner.

Read the labels of your dog treats. Look for high amounts of protein and low amounts of sodium. Be especially mindful of labels that say by products (this means that if it is a chicken product they are using the beak, feet and basically everything but the feathers). And, if you can, find products that contain glucosamine, this is very good for the animals joints.

Some dog treats are very good for your dogs dental health but stay away from the rawhides. This is what my vet has told me because digestion problems. If you have ever seen a dog with rawhide you will notice that after your dog has chewed on it for awhile it becomes soft and pliable and if swallowed could be very hard to digest. We have several of the nylon bones but you also must be careful with them because once chewed small parts become jagged and could cut your dogs mouth.

There are several very good products on the market so be very selective and read the labels.

As you can see, our oldest dog, Jack loves big tree branchs that he hauls out of the woods next to our house. He then proceeds to chew them up all over the yard. Thankfully he doesn't eat them he just chews them to pieces!

And yes, in the picture above that is sweet corn that our dogs are eating. That is their preferred dog treat. At the time Jack was 2 years old and Joey was only 4 months old, but nothing has changed, they still love sweet corn.

DOG TRAINING COLLARS

The dog training collar is used primarily for hunting dogs and a good dog training collar can make all the difference to you and to the success of your dog. There are several models on the market today and you need to find the product that suits you and your dog. I am not an expert but I can tell you that we have two excellent bird dogs and we have had great success with the collar we chose.

All dog breeds can benefit from the dog training collar but before I go into the specific dog training collar lets look at some dog training ABC's. There are 5 basic steps in dog training that you should practice without fail.

***FIVE BASIC STEPS IN DOG TRAINING***

#1 - A young puppy at 8 weeks old is ready, able and more than willing to please you. So start your dog training early. You'll be surprised at how much a young puppy can learn.

#2 - You need to have perfect timing. Praise at the exact time your puppy does something correctly is when you need to pile on the praise. Get excited and let him know how happy you are. But remember, the timing has to be perfect!

#3 - Patience, I say patience is as important as anything when you are training your puppy. If you get upset and impatient your puppy won't want to spend time in training. This is not play time but he has to be enjoying the dog training.

#4 - Consistency. If you say sit one day and down the next he won't know what you want. Sit has to be sit every single time. Choose short one word commands. Say them crisp and clear.

Sit should mean sit, down must mean lay down and off must mean stay off, whether that is on the furniture or a person. Off is off. Again, I must say, use short one word commands.

#5 - In the beginning you must praise all correct behavior not only with words but also with treats and petting. Be enthusiastic, let him know how happy you are. As the weeks go by you can start eliminating some of the treats but always praise your puppy when he has correct behavior.

Now, back to the dog training collar. When you are first training your dog you will want a light weight nylon collar that snaps on and off very easily. You will also want a nylon leash. These items will help you with your dog training and one of the things you will want your puppy to do well is walk on a leash. You certainly don't want to be pulled through the park!

At about 4 months old we got a hunting dog collar for Jack. This collar would give him a shock if he needed one or it would give a beep if you needed to locate him. Your dog can easily get lost in the tall brush while out in the pheasant hunting fields. There are some collars that continually beep while on your dog but I don't favor this type of dog collar. We chose the Dogtra dog hunting collar. The controls hang on your neck, so you can easily beep or shock, whichever is needed, and you have your hands free for hunting. You can adjust the level of shock but once the dog knows that if he misbehaves he is going to get a poke you will rarely need to use that button. We have two dogs and they each have there own hunting dog collar and the one remote operates both collars. This hunting dog collar is rugged. Our dogs have been in the water, snow and mud with their collars on and they still operate like they were brand new.

THE RAISED DOG BOWLS

We have always had dogs which meant we needed dog collars, leashs, dog bowls and dog beds. And, to be honest we have never thought much about the dog bowls other than it had to be big enough. Especially when it comes to the dog bowls that hold the water. You want something that holds a lot of water so that you are not constantly refilling the bowls and the dog food bowls needed to be the right size to hold the amount of food that was needed.

Now with our little minature poodle it was an easy task finding the right dog bowls. She was a little dog and all she needed was small bowls. Of course they had to have some style but that is a different story. But now we have German Wirehaired Pointers. They are a middle sized breed and so we purchased medium sized dog bowls for both of our boys. We selected stainless steel dog bowls for both the water and the food. They are easy to clean, light weight and they travel easily with no worries of breaking if they are dropped.



Then came along our little Joey. This is his picture. He was laying down to eat!
Was he lazy? Well of course not. He was tiring us out with all his energy. Why in the world would he lay down and eat like that?

Then I got on the internet and started looking at different dog bowls. I couldn't believe the choices. Different materials, colors and styles. And then I discovered the raised dog bowls. What a wonderful concept. The little dogs like our little miniature poodle would never need to have her dog bowls raised but the German Wirehaired Pointers have long legs and being a medium sized dog having a raised dog bowl would really be helpful whether they are eating or drinking.

Of course I purchased two raised dog bowls. One for Jack and one for Joey. Each raised stand holds two dog bowls, one for water and one for food. The bowls are easy to clean and when we travel the bowls stack inside one another for easy storage.

If you have a medium to large dog and you don't have a raised dog bowl please consider it.

How to Care for a DOG!

Selecting a dog for the family is a very important step. There are so many breeds and each breed has its distinct personality. There are no hard and fast rules to follow when selecting your puppy but there are several guidelines to follow.

So that you know how to care for a dog you must pick the right dog for your family and situation. For instance, if you don't have time to spend with an energetic dog you probably will not want a German Wirehaired Pointer or Golden Retriever or any hunting dog for that matter. These breeds have high energy and love to run and need some room. To care for a dog you must be willing to spend time with him especially when it comes to training.

To care for a dog it is important to understand how and at what age a puppy develops.

Here is a schedule of DOG DEVELOPMENT which will help you care for a dog !

Birth to 7 Weeks old: To care for a dog at this age he needs food, sleep and warmth. He needs his mother for security and discipline and his littermates for learning & interacting with other dogs. Puppies learn to function as a pack and this is where they learn pack order of dominance. This is a time to start socializing the puppie with adults and children, but just for short periods of time.

8 Weeks to 12 Weeks Old: To care for a dog during this period of time it is important for him to start socializing with the outside world. His brain is fully developed and he needs to change from the canine pack to the human pack because human dominance is necessary. A fear period occurs during this time and you should avoid fright and pain.

13 Weeks to 16 Weeks Old: To care for a dog during this time you should start with his training and formal obedience. Less association with other dogs and more association with people, places and situations. Remember, this is the time your puppy is changing from a baby to an adolescent. You need to be firm but fair. His flight instinct is very prominent now, keep your eye on him. Being too lenient or over discipling can do permanent damage. Praise your dog for good behavior. Remember, he wants to please you.

4 Months to 8 months Old: To care for a dog at this time be cautious because this is another fright period. It doesn't last long but be cautious. His sexual maturity is reached (a good time to think about neutering). Your dogs dominant traits are established and he should understand these commands; sit, down, come and stay.

These are pictures of our Joey. He has lots of energy, loves to be outside and has a passion for pheasant hunting. How to care for a dog..... Training, Time but most of all LOVE. Look at that face...how could you not love this little guy!

How to care for a dog - your dog. Find a good book on the breed you have chosen. It will give you a step by step for all you need to know about your breed.