Correcting bad dog behavior and how to overcome this bad behavior

Delightful as they are, dogs can sometimes be annoying especially when they develop bad habits. Most people become so occupied with enjoying their new pet and tend to forget training which usually leads to dogs developing bad habits. Here are 3 common bad dog habits and how to deal with them.

Chewing

It is quite frustrating to come home from work and discover that your favorite rug or slippers has dog bites on it. Dogs (especially puppies) often develop the habit of chewing objects when left alone as they feel frustrated and it helps relieve their boredom. To prevent them from chewing your favorite items, it is helpful to provide them with a chew toy. Confine them in a small area for a short time such as a special dog crate with a selection of toys to chew and play with. Just make sure to give them plenty of exercise and personal attention.

Barking

Excessive barking is usually caused by boredom and loneliness. If a dog has known several homes and is left alone in the house, it would usually become nervous and may bark or howl. While at home, provide plenty of entertainment such as playing games, taking him to a walk to redirect his attention.

Urinating

Dogs usually would relieve themselves on the same spot that they have used in the past. Either they recognize these spots out of habit or they may have recognized an old smell. It would also be helpful to feed your dog in the places where he formed a habit of eliminating since they usually avoid spots where they are fed. Training your dog can be frustrating. Always remember that retribution is only a trait in primates like humans. Dogs do not misbehave just to punish their owners. Just be consistent with your words and commands until the dog is able to understand your expectations and act accordingly.

 - Tips for overcoming a dog bad behavior :

Try to understand a dogs behavior and prevent bad habits.

It is acceptable natural behavior for a dog to chew bones or toys that look like bones. Try to prevent this bad habit by never giving the dog an old shoe to chew on. Try to restrict the allowable objects the dog can play with. Ideally you should limit the dog to 3 or 4 different toys that are different from household objects. Train the pet to stay in an animal crate while your away if they chew up your house and objects relentlessly. Try to make sure your dog understands when they are misbehaving. Use a strict voice and discipline the dog when misbehaving. But try to never abuse your pet. Evaluating a dogs disposition:

Hand Shyness- Check by approaching the dog with your hands and petting under its chin and down its back.

Complying and obeying to your command- Try to determine if the animal has had any obedience training by telling the dog to sit and observe if it complies. If it doesn't obey try tucking the animal into a sit position to determine the dogs response to training.

Aggression towards other dogs- Introduce your pet to another obedient dog of the same sex to determine if it is aggressive towards other dogs.

Being fearful of children- Introduce your pet to a child and determine if your dog acts nervously.

Possessiveness- Remove the dogs food bowl, or toy, and gauge to see if the animal shows any aggression.

Pulling the Lead

Your dog may pull the lead due to dominant behavior, boredom, excitement.

One way to train your dog to walk along side you and not pull you down the street is to repeat this procedure: Begin with walking the dog on a leash on your left hand side, when the dog pulls away, draw back on the leash bringing the dog to a heel position and command it to sit. When your pet begins to understand the procedure reward it with a treat.

Some dogs may collapse and roll around while on a leash try stepping back and enticing the dog with a toy.

There are many reasons why your dog may not respond to the "come" command.

Allow the dog to sniff and then call its name, command the pet to sit, and call out "come".

One way to to stop a dog from excessive sniffing is to spray perfume under their nose to temporarily disorient the dogs sense of smell and will be less distracted.

The dog may be sexually interested with another dog and ignoring your command.

Scavenging is another dog activity that they crave. Never reprimand the dog with the leash, his will leads to fear of the leash.

Chasing is another behavior that dogs have the urge to indulge in. Many breeds of dogs also may favor this behavior like sight hounds, terriers, huskies, blood hounds, pointers, and setters. The dog considers the chase a success after it chases a car or bike and it drives off.

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Dog behavioral problems and steps to stop your dog barking and jumping the fence

One of the most common complaints dog owners make is that their dog keeps barking. Many dog owners want to stop their barking dog but don't know the first place to start.

To stop your barking dog the first thing you need to know are the reasons which causes your dogs excessive barking. Regardless of the reason, you can stop your barking dog in 4 steps.

Control Your Dog's Barking: The first step you should take is controlling your dog's barking before it becomes worse. You have to start teaching your dog that excessive barking is not allowed. Use certain commands like "stop barking" and reward your dog with praises when it quiets down. Show your dog that you like him more when he's quiet.

Reward Your Dog For Not Barking: When your dog stops barking reward your dog with a treat or praise him. You must teach your dog when he stops barking good things will follow. Reinforce The Behavior You Like: You have to be consistent in reinforcing the behaviors you want to see in your dog. Some dog owners allow the excessive barking to become a big problem before they try to solve the problem. Keep Your Dog Active: When your dog is tired the chances of them barking excessively are slim. Keep your dog active by playing and interacting with them. A lonely dog will misbehave in other ways so it's important you get your dog some toys to play with.

You should remain consistent with these steps to keep your dog from barking. Keeping your dog inside is another helpful tip to stop a barking dog.

- How to stop your dog jumping the fence :

In our popular series on common dog behavioral problems we are going to train you how to stop your dog jumping the fence. There are number of reasons why dogs do this and we have covered them all.

Unfortunately some dogs like to jump fences for a variety of different reasons and sometimes it might be something as simple as something more interesting happening on the other side. Separation anxiety is another reason. It is quite common with anxiety issues for dogs to jump fences, chew objects and anything else that relieves their boredom.

Your dog may have smelled food on the other side of the fence.

Boredom is very often a cause especially with dogs who live alone and have no other method to stimulate them.

Remember ignore negative behavior and only reward positive behavior.

You could start stopping this problem by removing any objects that your dog is using as a boost to get over the fence.

Put an obstacle (another small fence) in the way so that this will stop your dog from getting a run up.

Exercise your dog on a regular basis as this will keep him tired and less likely to misbehave.

Give your dog a chew that is filled with a treat like peanut butter as this will keep his attention.

Congratulations you have just cured one of the most common dog behavioral problems.

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The effects of boredom, loneliness and separation on your dog and how to keep it from becoming bored

Most pet owners consider their four-legged friends as members of the family. Owners tell funny stories to friends about their pets amusing antics. Some pet owners even celebrate the birthdays of their feline and canine companions. The reality is that many pets are subject to boredom, loneliness and separation anxiety just as children are. Although it is difficult to rationalize the destruction of property, pet owners should be careful not to anthropomorphize (to ascribe human characteristics to things not human) pet behavior. Pets enjoy the company of their fellow pack animals to alleviate loneliness, for example, and an owners patient and compassionate help in overcoming separation anxiety is critical.

Researchers and veterinarians are not really sure what causes separation anxiety in some pets and not in others. Lately, the theory is that some pets have experienced a traumatic separation experience and/or may be genetically predisposed to anxious behavior. Pets are creatures of habit, just as humans are.

Cats salivate when tea is made. A pet that suffers from loneliness, separation anxiety or boredom may display only one undesirable behavior. Observe your pet for signs of impending trouble as you go about your morning routine. An pet in the throes of extreme anxiety will occasionally injure himself or herself as a result of their behavior. Extreme cases may end with the death of your beloved pet. Many pet owners are fooled into thinking that cats have no apparent reaction to their comings and goings. A cat suffering from separation anxiety can also display noisy protests to his owners departure. While there is a tendency of a pet within a specific breed to suffer from boredom, loneliness or separation anxiety - often pure bred dogs and cats, mixed breeds suffer from the same emotional afflictions. Dogs and cats are social creatures. Pets that form intense attachments to their masters are the likeliest candidates to suffer from boredom, loneliness or separation anxiety. Animal experts do not suggest that you play peek-a-boo with your pets. They do, however, know that pets need to learn their owners will return. A dog that practically looses his mind with joy upon the return of his owner is likely suffering from separation anxiety. Old dogs can learn new tricks! Cats that have learned undesirable behavior are difficult to retrain. Cats are often immune to behavior modification. Curiously enough, some pet owners and experts alike swear by the use of punishment to "break" an animal of an undesirable behavior. In lieu of a pet sitter, owners should begin their campaign to reform their pet's behavior by never making a big deal out of leaving their pet alone. Although many owners themselves experience separation anxiety, especially when a pet is new to a home, it is important that owners do not reveal guilt for leaving a new pet. The coming and going of pet owners is simply a fact of life, and a pet cannot always come along. Leave your pet for short periods of time and increase to longer periods. When crate training a dog, use the same process. Contrary to what some pet owners believe, crates are not cruel devices for dogs. Dogs are den animals. Additionally, upon returning to home or upon removing a pet from the crate, owners should actually ignore their pet for a short while. In extreme cases of separation anxiety, the process of desensitizing a pet will need to be undertaken in very small steps. Using a variation of the process described above, owners of an anxious pet must approach the desensitizing procedure carefully. Repeat until your pet becomes comfortable.

Re-enter the house, reverse your actions and repeat until your pet accepts these actions also.

Research has shown that pets will often display anxious behavior soon after the departure of owners. Some dog owners have had success with a "kong". Kongs have been known to work great for some pet owners. Additionally, know that a sleeping pet is a well-behaved pet. Unlike dogs, when cats misbehave, you cannot march him off to obedience class. A bored or lonely cat may display many of the same behaviors as a cat suffering from separation anxiety. Generally, cats prefer clumping litter to clay. There certainly are options for pet owners to rid both their canine and feline companions of undesirable behavior. Changing behaviors in both cats and dogs takes patience, planning and lots of rewards. The trick is to make the offensive behavior unpleasant for your dog or cat. Doing so will make both the pets, and their owners, happier and far more comfortable.

In the final analysis, while most pets do not suffer from separation anxiety, all pets suffer from boredom and loneliness. It is an inescapable reality that pets, especially indoor pets, are alone with little stimulation for 10 to 12 hours at a time. A pet that is hampered with boredom may become restless and destructive. A pet that is lonely has a greater chance of suffering from depression.

This in turn will only benefit you as a pet owner. You will get more satisfaction of having a healthier and happier pet. 

- 5 ways to keep your dog from becoming bored :

A bored dog can be a recipe for disaster; the dog can chew up your couch, socks, curtains, shoes or anything to make time pass little faster. Your dog boredom may cause excessive barking and anxiety. It is really important to keep your dog from becoming bored. Dogs who exhibit such destructive behavior out of boredom often end up in the animal shelters. Why Dogs Show Destructive Behavior

Tips To Keep Your Dog From Becoming Bored

So you should try to keep your dog entertained and out of boredom. · Give your dog his own toys: Dogs don't like to have human leftovers, they need appropriate toys. You should walk your dog at least one time a day. If you have some friends who owns dog too then ask them to join too, it will make more enjoyable for your dog.

· Engage in dog activities: Dogs love to do any kind of physical activities like running, tracking, hunting, playing fetch, Frisbee, jogging with their owners, just anything. · Visit a nursing home: You should take your dog to a nursing home where he will meet some well socialized and friendly dogs. Researchers have proved that such type of visit will inspire your dog and new places and experience will help your dog to get socialized.

· Take your dog for a trip: You should teach your dog to ride in the vehicle and take him on a trip sometime to a dog friendly beach or some place where dogs are allowed.

These tips will certainly help you to keep your dog from getting bored.

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Liquid vitamins, minerals, toxic foods and plants for dogs

Liquid vitamins and minerals for pets are supplements that can help in sustaining their overall health. Health supplements are very good in revitalizing the energy of your pets. They also support the production of their DNA. Since your pets will not get all the essential nutrients every day, it is important that you include liquid vitamins and mineral in your pet's diet. One of the reasons for the short life span of animals is the lack of essential vitamins and nutrients that the animal really needs. One of the common causes of pet malnutrition is due to lack of proper nutrition. If you are wondering where you could find these liquid vitamins and minerals, they are readily available at any pet store online. They are relatively inexpensive. You can start your research by visiting any pet store in your area. Sometimes different supplements are combined which makes them easier to give to your pets.

 - toxic foods and plants for dogs :

There are various foods that are toxic to dogs. Below is a list of common foods that are harmful to dogs.
Toxic Foods:

Chocolate/Caffeine:

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic.

After their pet has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many pet owners assume their pet is unaffected. Symptoms include Staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, death.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat.

Onions/Garlic:

Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate.
Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet's red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. Symptoms include Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, and discolored urine.

The poisoning occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to young pets, can cause illness.

While garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness.

Mushrooms:

Mushroom toxicity does occur in dogs and it can be fatal if certain species of mushrooms are eaten. Amanita phalloides is the most commonly reported severely toxic species of mushroom in the US but other Amanita species are toxic. Symptoms include Abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarrhea, convulsions, coma, death

Grapes/Raisins:

Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.

Macadamia Nuts:

Macadamia nuts are another concern, along with most other kinds of nuts. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

NOTE: Pets owners should not assume that human food is always safe for pets. Be sure that your pets can't get into your stash of chocolates, that food scraps are disposed of carefully to prevent onion and garlic toxicity and that your dog is prevented from picking up macadamia nuts if you have a tree in your garden.

Baby Food:

Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.

Cat Food:

Cat food is generally too high in protein and fats.

Fat Trimmings:

Can cause pancreatitis.

Milk and other dairy products:

Just like some humans, adult dogs and cats are lactose-intolerant. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.

Raw Eggs:

Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.

Raw Fish:

Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.

Holiday Plants:

Pet owners need to take extra care with holiday plants. Poinsettias:

These plants are probably the most popular holiday plant and are easily recognizable by their large red, white, pink, or mottled leaves. These plants also contain a thick, milky irritant sap. Signs could include vomiting, anorexia and depression. Your Vet may recommend limiting food and water intake for 1 or 2 hours if your pet is suspected of becoming sick after ingestion of poinsettias.

Easter Lilies:

Some members of the Lilly family of plants can result in serious illness in cats. Specifically, Easter Lilies, tiger lilies, Japanese show lilies, rubrum lilies, many lily hybrids and day lilies have been known to cause kidney failure

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Essential joint supplements to relieve joint pain in dogs and their importance

Your dog's hips, joints, and other connective tissues are not immune to damage. As he grows older, he becomes more prone to disorders that commonly affect dogs, such as hip dysplasia and arthritis. The ideal supplements for your dog are those that contain chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. This is because these compounds prevent and repair damage to the hips and joints. Moreover, glucosamine helps repair joint damage and protect your dog from these diseases by helping produce joint lubricants and shock absorption required to keep the cartilage healthy and promote optimum joint function.

Moreover, hip and joint supplements for dogs may also contain antioxidants, such as Vitamin C or ascorbic acid and manganese. These antioxidants protect your dog's joints and other connective tissues from damage caused by free radicals.

With all the beneficial compounds that these supplements contain, they will keep your dog away from hip and joint disorders. 

- essential joint supplements for dogs to relieve joint pain :

In choosing joint supplements for dogs, find out what are the essential ingredients and vitamins that will significantly prevent and reduce canine arthritis and joint pain.

While conventional medications may help to treat the inflammation and joint pain, they rarely help the joints to heal.

When selecting joint supplements for dogs, the following is a list of ingredients and vitamins that have shown in studies to reduce the pain of canine arthritis and also help increase an arthritic dog's mobility and flexibility.

Not only does it eases joint pain, it also aids in rehabilitating cartilage and repairing joints that have been damaged from arthritis.

Studies reveal that animals with arthritis that were given MSM showed no cartilage degeneration, reduced stiffness and joint pain as well as improved flexibility.

In addition to the ingredients and vitamins, the following points are also important to help maximize the success of prevention and treatment of joint pain when using joint supplements for your dogs:

Supplements should be cost effective and less costly than NSAIDs.

Do you know that more and more vets are giving up aspirin for dogs and coming around to the use of safer and natural joint supplements for dogs to relieve arthritis and joint pain? Find out why vets recommend Flexpet with CM8, a natural joint pain cure that is proven 100% safe and effective and how it can help heal pet joint pain from the inside out - restoring your pet's mobility and flexibility!

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What to look for in dog vitamin and supplements products?

Dog vitamins and supplements are often incorporated into a dog's diet to make sure that they get all the things that they need in order to live a healthy life and stay clean from any illness.

More and more people are starting to incorporate these products into their dog's daily diet to make sure that their four-legged friend reaches optimal health, fitness and happiness.

There are many different products available out there however and it can be extremely confusing to separate the high quality ones from the low quality ones.

Your pet may already be very healthy and they may get all the nutrients that they need to live a healthy, happy and stress free life. If you're unsure if this is the case with your dog, contact and consult a qualified vet. Does it have vitamin A and Vitamin C? 

Does it have good reviews from dog owners?

Has any certified vet recommended the products (be wary of marketing ploys)?

Stay away from products that have too many warning labels. 

- essential vitamins missing from commercial dog food :

Common ailments are arthritis, blindness, digestive dysfunction, and loss of brain function. For the joints to work and feel right, your dogs body needs certain vitamins, the same is true for the brain, digestive tract, and other systems in the body. Unfortunately, many mainstream dog foods lack nutrients that target these functions.

As the dog ages, arthritis, and similar problems, can mean frequent and costly vet bills. They also greatly reduce the quality of the dogs life. Here, I will discuss the 5 essential vitamins and supplements that help to prevent the common ailments that occur in older dogs.

Puppies and older dogs need folic acid to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia. Probiotics are live microorganisms that are thought to be healthy for the host, in this case your dog. If you are looking for supplements for a dog with digestive trouble, these two are essential to improving your dog's quality of life.

The fourth important ingredient needed for dog's healthy aging is docosahexaenoic acid, also referred to as DHA. It promotes normal brain function and healthy eyes. Dietary supplements, intended for dogs, should specifically target arthritis and osteoarthritis because they effect the dogs quality of life so greatly.

The last, and most important dog supplement, Glucosamine. Joint diseases are also very expensive to treat, so in the long run supplementing your dog's diet can also save you money.

Many dog owners feel that feel that a dog is a dog and should not be treated like a human. Your dog probably does not get these vitamins and minerals in his or her dog food. 

- Are vitamins and minerals supplements necessary for pregnant dog?
 Are vitamin and mineral supplements that necessary for your pregnant dog? "Where should I purchase these dog supplements?"
Di-calcium phosphate tablets and vitamin/mineral supplements can be obtained from most veterinarians or animal hospitals, and even some grocery stores. "What forms do these prenatal supplements come in?"
Just like what is supplied for humans, vitamins and minerals for prenatal dogs are sold in both powder and tablet forms. A lot of dog owners get bothered over choosing the right kind of supplements for their dogs, but it is an individual choice for you and your dog. Regardless if its form, the quality of both types of supplements is the same.
"How do I know what dosage of supplement to administer to my pregnant dog?"
You will find the correct supplement for your dog by looking at the labels of the supplements. The correct supplement for your pregnant dog will be stated clearly, and there are supplements for matrons as well as puppies. Your dog may not be used to swallowing tablets, or the tablet may be too big for a dog its size.

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