Pet Care Tips Blog

We have a long history with domesticated animals and even the nay Sayers can't deny their roll in society past and present.

There is evidence that as long as 10,000 years ago the Native Americans had domesticated dogs as depicted in early rock paintings. Apparently, the dogs in the painting look remarkably like the Carolina dogs of today.

It has been well documented that dogs and horses of past have been bred to assist us in various ways whether it be pack dog, work horse, hunter or herder. There is no doubt that they have value and have contributed to society in many ways.

There are thousands of different positive dog training tips you could try. You don't need to teach them all those fancy tricks but there are a few basic skills that every dog should learn. It's important to choose positive dog training solutions that have proven to work. These are a few of the most basic but important ones that you should be working on with your dog.

Positive dog training: “Sit”

One of the first positive dog training lessons an owner should teach their dog is how to sit. This is an extremely basic skill but one that comes in handy in a variety of situations. Positive dog training teaches your dog this skill by getting started with the dog standing. Of all the dog training tips on teaching a dog to sit the best is to begin with the dog standing.

Dogs are unendingly enthusiastic animals that love nothing more than to please their handlers all the time. Dogs are also very smart animals that given the inability to communicate to humans with words, they can easily understand and respond to what we ask them do to. It just takes a little practice to have any dog performing a wide array of tricks and behaviors that you can show your friends and family. The younger you start training your dog, the better chances for success you will have with the tricks being committed to your dog's memory in the long run. We have compiled a list of some of the more common tricks and behaviors that you could teach your dog to do.

Few times are more exciting for a family than getting a new puppy. Every member of the family wants to hold and play with the puppy. This is a fun time for everyone, but also a time when you really have to lay the foundation for socializing and training your new puppy if you do not want problems later on. Correct training and socialization is much easier than correcting behavioral problems such as aggression later on.

The time between 2 and 12 weeks of age is a crucial period for a puppy. At this age puppies are extremely impressionable and learning at a fast clip. This is when your puppy learns to trust or fear other people, other dogs and other animals. Allow your new puppy to feel safe and secure in its new environment. This can be accomplished with a lot of holding, stroking and petting at first to establish your bond as a senior leader of the pack who will care for and protect the puppy.

As a breed, boxers did not show up until the late 1800's, originally bred to be hunting dogs for use in hunting wild boars, deer and bears, boxers are a young breed of dog. Being such a young breed, boxers are known for exceptional breeding and the beautiful various shades that occur in their coats. There is an exact science that goes into breeding various bloodlines of boxers in order to achieve the unique coloring and markings that are most familiar to lovers of the boxer breed.

Yorkshire Terriers are a small breed of dog classified in the toy group. Standard Yorkies typically weigh between four and eight pounds, with the AKC's standards for show dogs being a more stringent range of five to seven pounds. You may have heard of a “teacup” variety of Yorkshire Terrier, but this is not a different version of the breed. Teacups are simply bred to be smaller versions of their particular breed, with teacup Yorkies usually weighing under four pounds at adult weight.

Many people like the teacup varieties of certain breeds for several reasons. The cuteness factor of tiny dogs certainly plays a part, but often times people want a dog that is portable and can come everywhere with them. Some teacup owners prefer their smaller pets because they live in small apartments, while many just like to have a tiny little dog.

We have all had one of those dogs in our life . . . the one who dives head first into mud puddles after a nice long bath, who drags our freshly planted begonias off into the neighbor's yard and finds our most expensive Jimmy Choos and uses them as none other than dental floss. While these examples of common behavior woes are more than enough reason to get off the couch and get to training, there are many other reasons that training your dog is not only a good idea but a vital must.

Do you have a pup that sprouts horns when you turn your head? Then read on to find our favorite four reasons to help him find his halo today.

Today we look at handling your foal and preparing him for training.

Once your foal gets a bit stronger and more independent the new world he finds opening up to him is going to be a little scary at first – so whatever you do, try to take it at his pace, and not yours. Remember that until he is comfortable with the current aspect of his training; don’t move him onto the next part.

You really need to start socializing him next. An unsocialized horse is no different from an unsocialized dog - they can become antisocial and difficult youngsters that then grow into unloved adults because they have such bad manners. Just as it’s not the dog’s fault, it isn’t the foals fault either, if the owner doesn’t take the time to help them understand how to behave properly.

Training begins when you prepare your unbroken horse to be backed and ridden. Once he is broken in, you can get him to respond to your instructions so that you can get real enjoyment from riding him.

You may find that you can take your horse further with some dedicated training if you are interested in areas such as show jumping or dressage. Do bear in mind however, that the average horse and rider do not go this far, so don’t feel this has to be your next step. If you enjoy riding, continue getting pleasure from your riding and don’t worry about what else others are doing. There’s nothing nicer than feeling the breeze on your face as you ride through the countryside.

Training your dog is a time-intensive project that requires patience and solid strategy. Most inexperienced dog owners ultimately fail at training their pet because they either lack the knowledge of what to, or they become frustrated when their dog does not respond. This failure leads many to turn to the plethora of dog training books available on the internet. There are a number of excellent resources available, but what exactly makes up a good dog training book? Here are some important things to research before buying any training product.