Having a pooch for a friend is a wonderful experience, but for best results, Rover will need some training. A well - mannered dog can truly be part of the family, and be welcomed almost everywhere, while an untrained one may be a joy to you, but avoided by everyone else. Choosing a good dog trainer can make the difference between a peaceful pup or a catastrophic canine. Here are five tips for choosing the right trainer.
1. Get references from pet owners who have previously used the dog trainer you are considering. If he or she is reputable, references won't be a problem. Ask the previous dog owners some specific questions about how this trainer deals with dogs. A dog trainer must have authority over the animal, but shouldn't gain it by physical force or loud yelling. Dogs that can't be trained by quieter, more controlled methods might need a special pinching collar. Ask the previous clients about yelling and brute force.
2. Choose a group class whenever possible. A novice dog trainer might not think of this, but there is one great advantage to training your dog in a class. That advantage is that your dog will be forced to learn how to behave around other dogs. A well behaved dog around people can lose it when it gets around other dogs!
There are other advantages to training in a group. One is that you are the one who has to walk the dog through it's exercises. If the training is all done by the professional dog trainer, the dog might behave well for them, but not for you. Working through the lessons with your dog gives you a chance to communicate and bond with your dog, too.
3. Check out the dog trainer's qualifications. Being certified or trained won't necessarily ensure a good dog trainer, but it can't hurt. A good dog trainer will know about the health and psychology of dogs. She will know how to read a dog's behavior in order to figure out the best way to convince the dog to do what is being asked of it.
4. Find out about the dog trainer's experience. Has he had experience with your breed of dog? Dog behavior and training varies according to breed, and it makes sense to choose a trainer who has a lot of experience with the kind of dog you have. Training methods for guard dogs, for instance, differ widely from training techniques for small indoor pets.
5. Sit in on a class and observe the trainer in action. Do they require the dogs to be in choke collars, or are the dogs trained in a more gentle method, using plain, flat collars or harnesses? Get a feel for this trainer's personality with both people and dogs. Is this someone you can work with effectively?
Taking the time to choose the right dog trainer can make a big difference in your dog. Pooch needs a good education, too, right? Choose that teacher for your pup carefully.
If you want your dogs to remain happy and content then you have to feed them with the best dog food. This in turn means that you will have to consider a few things that will help you pick the best foods for your dog, especially when you are planning on buying dry dog food. Though it is quite possible that your dog(s) might not have any preference between dry and wet dog foods it still pays to see which type your dog loves the most. In case of most dogs they do tend to be picky and so you have to use trial and error methods to establish which kind your dog loves the best.
Regulate His Diet
It is also a good idea to ensure feeding your dog with regulated diet so that you can choose certain dog foods that the dog will relish and eat happily. It also means avoiding feeding him with human food as this can give rise to numerous health concerns including stomach aches and obesity as too problems with behavior.
Another important consideration related to dog food is that you must ensure feeding him according to his body weight and for more information you must check the dog food label to see how much of a portion is safe for feeding your pet dog. Even when starting your pet on a new dog food it pays to start off slowly to ensure that the food goes down well with your dog and does not make him feel sick.
If you want your pet to feed on moist food you can add a little water to his dry dog food and get the desired results though be careful that by adding water to his food, it can spoil the smell of his food. And, after having fed your pet dog it is also necessary that you ensure that he gets his fair share of exercise so that he remains in shape.
It pays to also select dog food that has enough vitamin content as this will help to create a shinier coat and his nails too will grow stronger. When picking his food, you should check the major dog food brands which are well known for having a lot of nutritious content and which also come in many flavors that will appeal to your dog's senses. Some dog lamb accompanied by rice is OK for your dog.
Choosing the right dog food can often be confusing because of the different ingredients used as too because of the terminology used. There are also foods that are suited for puppies and those that are suited for larger sized dog breeds and you will also come across foods that help control your pet's weight and there are also wellness dog foods that suit pets that have allergies or some other kind of health problems.
Times have indeed changed since the beginning of the nineteenth century before which dogs generally subsisted on wheat, bread and barley and rye. Only rarely did dog owners feed their dogs with meat. During the nineteenth century feeding dogs with meat was something that signified the dog owner's status ? that is until the first dog food was introduced in the year 1860 when in England an American called James Spratt founded his own dog food company.
Since then dog food has become big business and of course many changes have taken place in what we can and cannot feed our pets. The fifties saw the advent of dry dog food and today there is much variety in the type of commercially produced dog food that is available on the market.
The bottom line is that you should only feed your dog the correct type and amount of food. For a ten pound dog it is necessary that he gets 850 calories on a daily basis; for a twenty pound dog the number of calories should not exceed 1400 per day while a thirty pound dog must not be fed more than 1800 calories on a daily basis and a fifty pound dog should get at most 2700 calories per day.
Both Terence Young & Rolf Joho are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.