How to Train Your Pit Bull Puppy by Cory Hanley

Pitbull puppies are very cute and adorable. If you own a pitbull puppy, it is important to give them the proper training. Read this article to find out how you can train your pitbull puppy in a proper manner, so that they become obedient dogs later on.

It is best to start the training as early as possible. For a pitbull puppy, the exact training age varies but it is recommended to start when it is 3-4 weeks old. If dedicated attention and careful training is not given then their natural aggression surfaces and it becomes harder to train them later. Initially, it is better to start with the basics, so that the pitbull puppy understands the basic commands. If proper training is given at an early age then all future training efforts become much easier.

The most difficult part of owning a pet pit bull is their training. However, it is important to give early obedience training to pit bulls. Otherwise, there are chances that they may become aggressive and uncontrollable. A poorly trained puppy often becomes problematic for their owners and especially dangerous for small kids at home.

Pit bulls are quite intelligent dogs and respond well to commands. These puppies, at first can be trained to understand commands like 'go', 'fetch', 'heel' and also their names. Repeating commands over and over again helps the puppy to learn faster.

A pitbull puppy is known to be an athletic dog. Thus, they need stamina and strength training. The best and most common way to teach any puppy is by driving and tracking. A string and a ball can be useful for this purpose. When the ball is shown to the pitbull, it becomes curious and when thrown away from him, the puppy tries to fetch it. Using this method, a lot of other tricks can be taught to the pitbull puppy.

Also, important is the housebreaking training. Pitbull puppies have weak bladders and they require going out to relieve themselves, almost every hour. Therefore, it is advised to teach them, how to go out of the home, when they require to poop. Also, one can schedule their meal times and accordingly, take them out.

Training a pitbull puppy requires a lot of patience and dedication on the part of the trainer. These puppies are quite sensitive and they should never be hit or yelled at during training. If done, then it may have an adverse effect, as they might not respond to further training. They tend to bite or fight back, in such situations. A slight reprimand is enough. It is very crucial to train the pitbull puppy consistently, so that they learn faster and become more obedient. Introducing the pitbull puppy to as many social situations as possible can have a positive impact on the puppy. They are known to be great with humans, but not so with other dogs. So, for this reason, taking the puppy to dog parks can be great idea as there the puppy can get used to other dogs.

Besides these pointers, there are other ways to train a pitbull puppy that can be exciting for both for the puppy and the trainer. The training helps the puppy to develop into a healthy and athletic dog. Pitbull puppies, if trained well can become very good companions to their owners.



Pet Care : How to Choose a Dog

Australian Cattle Dogs

The Australian Cattle Dog - Intelligent and Hard Working

Author: Lee Dobbins

If you are looking for an intelligent dog that will act as a guard dog, then the Australian Cattle Dog may be perfect for you!

Bred in the 19th century by early settlers, the Australian Cattle Dog is a mix of Collies imported from Scotland and Australian dingoes with a few other breeds thrown in for good measure. This dog, also known as the Blue Heeler, the Australian Heeler in the Queensland Heeler is one of the best herding breeds known and gets his name due to the fact that he nips at the heels to herd.

That being said, as a pet you may find your Australian Cattle Dog exhibiting herding behavior. This dog can be a one-man dog so to speak, and may nip at the heels of your friends when they come to visit trying to herd them. Proper training needs to be done in order to have a pet that does not chase off everyone you know.

The Australian Cattle Dog is one of the most intelligent breeds and along with this intelligence comes the need to be kept busy and useful. If you a lot of time in your hands and want to work with a dog for agility training this breed might be your perfect match. He can be easily trained to be an obedient dog but you must vary the training so that he doesn't get bored.

The Australian cattle dog is a medium-size dog about 17 to 20 inches and around 35 pounds. He is a powerful, compact dog and is very agile on his feet. Ears stand up straight and pointed at the top of his broad head. He has intelligent oval eyes that are dark in color. He has a short double coat that can be either red with speckles or blue with speckles. The blue variety is sometimes seen with blue, tan or black markings.
The Australian Cattle Dog does need a lot of exercise and will do well with a house that has a large fenced in yard. If he doesn't get enough exercise you will probably see behavioral problems. This breed is very loyal to his master but can be dominant of other dogs and suspicious of strangers. He will do well with children that he's been raised with since he was a puppy but might not be so good with new children introduced after he is an adult.

This breed is easy to groom and just needs brushing with the firm brush and a bath when needed. He's a moderate shedder, shedding twice a year. Health problems to watch out for include deafness and hip dysplasia.

Just like any other dog, the Australian Cattle Dog needs love and attention from his family. Early obedience training as a must and to keep the dog interested it is advised to have activities or jobs for him to perform. Agility and ring training are perfect activities for this dog. With good quality food and proper veterinary care this dog can live to be around 15 years of age.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/the-australian-cattle-dog-intelligent-and-hard-working-71272.html
About the Author
Lee Dobbins, a pet owner and dog enthusiast, writes for http://dogs.pet-breeds.com where you can learn more about dogs and see photos of different dog breeds.

How to Train Springer Spaniels to Retrieve by Phil Marks

Training springer spaniels to retrieve is a real pleasure. This is because 'fetching' is one of their very strong natural traits. You are not teaching them anything new, just shaping behavior. The retrieve we are teaching here is not the full gundog retrieve.

The training is best done by one person in the family, preferably the dog's ultimate master. When the training is complete then the springer will be able to work with other family members with the same set of commands, but during training it is best if only one person is ivolved.

By the age of four months, you should be able to gain and hold your dog's attention and basic commands such as 'Sit' and 'Come' should be working most of the time. Also, your dog should by now be able to recognise when he has done something wrong and you use the words 'Bad Boy' or similar.

Springers are possessive (want to fetch) and submissive (eager to please and obedient) and this makes them easy to train. You will have noticed your pup carrying his toys, and from an early age you can encourage him to release his toy into your hand and then praise him. Then return his toy. This behaviour should be encouraged and praised. There are tricks for training this 'easy' release.

You do need him to understand that there are things he can carry and things he is not allowed to carry. This will minimise later problems in training the retrieve.

You may have an old sock or glove, and maybe a tennis ball that you set aside for training the fetch - ideally three or four articles to provide variety. These should be kept separate for training and your pup should not be allowed to play with them - keeping them separate gives them special meaning as your training dummies. Encourage him to carry whilst walking at your side, and then to Sit with the sock on his mouth and to come on command, with the sock.

Before you move out into the field, teach the pup to release gently. This is done by telling him to sit and then whilst facing him with eye contact, stroke him on the forehead and under the chin; bring both hands forward along his cheeks whilst saying 'good boy', 'give'. Praise him and return the sock. Don't forget to vary the dummies.

Your pup should now be able to pick up the sock or glove, carry it, come on command, deliver it to your hand and give.

We move now to the throw. This is best done in open space without too many distractions. If your yard or garden is big enough then that is good as it is all known territory to him. Your springer should be told to sit by your side (remember firm voice and eye contact). Hold his collar whilst you throw a glove or stuffed sock a short distance. His natural instinct is to hare off after the game and retrieve it, but restrain him briefly by the collar then say 'Fetch', with an excited tone, as you release him. When he returns then tell him to sit and go through the give procedure.

With some springers it may be necessary to use the command 'Wait' whilst restraining them.

He should now be getting your enthusiasm for the fetch. After sufficient repetitions over a few days and various dummies, you should be able to move away from the collar restraint. Try to avoid too much repetition in each training session.

The whole cycle of retrieval should now be working and you should both be enjoying it.

Train him further by teaching him the names of the articles and getting him to retrieve a specific article by name - be it sock, ball or glove. As with all training, don't repeat the exercises more than four or five times a day, as your springer will get bored and lose interest.

The Fearless and Friendly Boxer Dog - free article courtesy of ...

It is hard to imagine that a dog breed descended from the mastiff-type dogs of war and one whose progenitors were used for bull and bear baiting, is now one of the most popular family-oriented breeds in the world.


The popular Boxer dog is a playful clown that continues to display youthful exuberance from its puppy stage to its senior years. Boxers are a courageous, good-natured, friendly, energetic, loyal, fun-loving, and family-oriented dog breed. Boxers love children and will suffer all sorts of child inflicted indignities with stoicism. However toddlers and young children should be carefully supervised with excited adolescent and young Boxers who can accidentally knock them over. The boxer is a large and strong dog that must be socialized thoroughly and obedience trained while a puppy and that training must be continued through adolescence to control its exuberance. The Boxer can be overly protective of the children in the family when roughhousing with friends and must be thoroughly socialized and trained to minimize any aggressive tendencies. The breed is naturally suspicious of strangers and usually makes a good watchdog. The Boxer is fairly intelligent and eager to please and can be trained to higher levels for obedience competitions and even for agility competitions. Additional information on activities for dogs can be found in my article: Fun dog Activities. Unfortunately the Boxer has a stubborn streak that will show up from time to time. He will suddenly refuse to entertain commands that he has been obeying for years and look at you with an inquisitive or even a mischievous expression. However the endless hours of fun and entertainment provided by the Boxer, more than compensate for the stubborn streak.


The Boxer is a medium- to large-sized muscular dog with a blunt and expressive face and a docked tail. Male Boxers stand 22 to 25 inches tall at shoulder height and weigh from 65 to 70 pounds. Females are slightly smaller at 21 to 23.5 inches tall and weigh 55 to 65 pounds. The Boxers ears are generally cropped in the U.S. and Canada but left uncropped in England and some European countries. The Boxer's short, smooth and shiny coat is usually red, fawn or brindle in color. Some Boxers have white markings on their coats but too much white color has been discouraged. The Boxer's coat is easy to care for and requires only an occasional brushing with a soft brush and a rub down with a chamois cloth. This dog breed is a low to moderate shedder.


The early ancestors of the Boxer are thought to be the large and courageous dogs of war that were used in ancient Greek and Roman times. These ancient dogs were later called Molossians after the modern Albanian city of Molossis. When these Molossians spread across Europe they became the ancestors of many modern dog breeds including the British Mastiff, the Swiss Saint Bernard, and the German Bullenbeiser. The Bullenbeiser was a large and strong hunting dog that the aristocracy developed to hunt bears, wild boar and other large game. Later the fearless Bullenbeisers were used as guard dogs and unfortunately also for the cruel sports of dog fighting, bear baiting and bull baiting. Eventually two lines evolved - the larger Danzigers and the smaller Brabanters. The Brabanter was crossed with an early version of the English Bulldog to produce the modern Boxer. The first Boxer was registered in Germany in 1895 and the breed's numbers increased rapidly until World War I. The British Boxer Club was established in 1936 and despite the outbreak of World War II, the bloodlines survived in both Germany and Britain. The Boxer was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1915. The line has continued to evolve and most of the aggressive tendencies have been bred out of the modern Boxer. Today's Boxer has become a very popular family dog and is ranked 7th out of 154 dog breeds in 2004 AKC registrations.


Boxers need regular exercise and do best with an active family. They like lots of attention and can become somewhat destructive if bored. Boxers do not like inclement weather and are sensitive to heat and humidity and shouldn't be taken jogging or cycling during hot summer days. Boxers, being intelligent animals, like to remain in the shade or inside in air conditioned comfort on hot days. Boxers can even adapt to apartment living if they are exercised regularly.


Boxers are normally a fairly healthy dog breed that can be expected to live for 9 to 11 years. Boxers, like most short-muzzled dogs, may snore and suffer from flatulence.


Common inherited health problems include: hip dysplasia; hypothyroidism; corneal dystrophy eye disorders; cardiomyopathy and sub aortic stenosis (SAS) heart diseases; and bloat. Information on these inherited diseases and ways to help control bloat can be found in my article: Hereditary Diseases. Before you buy a Boxer puppy make sure you ask the breeder for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) results for hip dysplasia and thyroid and the Canine Eye Registry (CERF) recent ophthalmologists report for both the sire and dam.


If you are seriously interested in acquiring a Boxer then you should check with your national pure-bred dog organizations such as the American (www.akc.org) or Canadian Kennel (www.ckc.com) Clubs to look for conformation shows in your area. Make sure you talk to owners and breeders at these shows to see if your lifestyle is really suited to this breed. Additional information on Boxers and on specific shows and competitions in your area can be found by checking with the national Boxer clubs which are The American Boxer Club in the US and The Boxer Club Of Canada in Canada. Both of these umbrella organizations will point you to the local chapter closest to your home that may be able to provide you with information on reputable breeders. They should also provide you with information on Boxer rescue organizations in case you wish to obtain an adult dog.

Dog Breed Profile - Border Collie - free article courtesy of ...

History

Border Collies date back many, many years, although were given the name Border Collie around 1915. They were bred out of necessity; shepherds in the borders between England and Scotland could not have worked their flocks without the help of their trusted sheep dogs. Many herding dogs exist, but the image that most people summon when they think of sheep dogs is that of the Border Collie.

Appearance

Border Collies have a fairly broad face, with strong short muzzle. They have beautiful, big oval eyes, which are usually brown but can be striking blue in merle coloured dogs.

The most common Border Collie colour is Black and White, although they also come in red and white, blue merle and many variations in-between. Their coats can be long or short, but are dense in both cases.

Border Collies look like true athletes; strong and agile – they are so active that its rare to see an overweight Border Collie!!

Temperament

Border Collies are extremely intelligent and are the true work-a-holics of the dog world!!

They are extremely loyal to their trusted family group but generally develop an unbreakable bond with their master; no dog can make its master feel more important and loved than a Border Collie; once you have their trust, its hard to break!

They are great fun for older kids as they will play Frisbee or ball; they have endless energy and the kids will tire long before a Border Collie would!

Their intelligence does not make them ideal pets for most people; they need significant amounts of exercise and if they are not given a job to do to keep their mind active, they can become destructive and stressed.

Agility, Flyball and Obedience competitions are dominated by Border Collies because of their energy and intelligence. Some of these competitions run classes called ABC classes (Anything But Collies) to give some of the other breeds a chance!!

Grooming

A quick groom once or twice a week (perhaps more at shedding time), should keep a Border Collie’s dense coat in lovely, shiny condition.

Exercise

Border Collies require significant amounts of physical and mental exercise; they will walk and run for hours and will still want to play ball when you get home! They excel in agility, flyball and obedience because of their boundless energy and intelligence.

They will make themselves busy around the house; performing tricks and fetching and carrying newpapers and post. But if you don’t give these dogs mental workouts and things to do, they will find things for themselves, like emptying bins and generally being destructive!

Not a dog for the feint hearted!!

Health Problems

Border Collies are one of the healthiest and hardiest dogs and do not tend to suffer illness often. Some Border Collies suffer from allergies and deafness is known to affect the breed occasionally.

Dog Basics: Commitment of Love

Crate Training Your Puppy - free article courtesy of ArticleCity.com

Crate training has many huge benefits, but the biggest by far is how much easier it makes housebreaking.

Crate training works with the puppy’s natural instincts. A dog is, by nature, a den animal. He will feel comforted and safe in his crate, and he will not want to soil where he sleeps. This is your golden ticket to housebreaking. Of course, you may have to convince him that this is his bed at first.

The first few nights your puppy is home, expect he will cry and howl for you to let him out. He wants to be with you. This is natural, as is your desire to let him out. Restrain yourself. He needs to learn from the very beginning where his place is to be. If you allow him to run the house now, be prepared for the mess that will cover your floors by morning and for many mornings to come.

Crate training works very well and after the initial break-in period, his crate will be a favorite place for him to be. Once he knows it is a warm, safe place, you will often find him putting himself to bed when he is tired.

Here are some basic rules of thumb to get started:

Your puppy should be in his crate if you can’t be right with him. If you need to do something or be somewhere the puppy can’t go then put him safely in his crate.

Make sure the crate is always a pleasant place to be. Give him a favorite toy, or an old t-shirt that smells familiar to him. (Unless he is apt to destroy and eat them, then minimize what goes in with him)

Never scold him when you put him in. If he has had an ‘accident’ then scold him and put him outside, not in his crate.

You might even feed him in there so he associates the crate with good things.

Once he goes in at night, do not revisit him, he will settle down....eventually.

The reason that crate training works so well for housebreaking is that it encourages the puppy to ‘hold it’. The puppy does not really want to mess where he sleeps. Make no mistake, he will soil his bed so make sure everything that goes in is washable. The difference is that he really doesn’t want to go there. He will tend to wait as long as he can. He will start to build control over his body this way.

It is important to mention that if the crate is too big then you are defeating it’s purpose. If he can mess far enough away from where he wants to curl up, he won’t mind going there a bit. The crate area should be plenty big for him, but not so big he has no exposure to his indiscretions.

To encourage success, make sure you take your puppy out to the yard as late as possible before you go to bed, and plan to get up with the sun to take him out again. In time he will be able to hold it longer, but when he is very young you can’t expect him to go more than several hours.

He will have to ‘go’ immediately on waking up. Don’t even call him to the door, just pick him up and take him out. You will eliminate many accidents this way.

He will have to ‘go’ about five minutes after he eats. Make sure you are ready to take him out quickly and spend time out there with him until he figures out why he is out there.

Feed your puppy often and offer water frequently. You are creating opportunity to praise! Just be on your toes and try to have him in a place where he should ‘go’. The more success he has the faster he will catch on.

When he goes, praise him, praise him, praise him! Do a little dance, cheer, whatever it takes to show him you are delighted with what he did in that spot.

Conversely, fold your arms, scold, and scowl at him when he picks a spot indoors. Show him his mistake and tell him ‘No’, ‘Outside’ and take him out where you want him to go.

If you have no yard and actually want him to pick a specific area of your home for him to go on newspapers or training pads, the same rules apply except that will be your final destination and you may say something like ‘Paper’ instead.

You need to be consistent with your training for this issue and all others. The more consistent you are the faster progress you will make.

If you can spend a solid 3 or 4 days at this you will probably be able to train him in a week or so. His age will be a variable however, very young puppies simply don’t have the control over their body that they will by 10 or 12 weeks.

Once you have put the crate into play it should not take more than a week until he really understands that it is a good place. You can take his crate, or his crate pad at least, any time you take him somewhere with you. He will feel right at home no matter where he is.

A crate creates a safe place to hide during thunderstorms and windstorms. You will have a safe place to put him if you have construction going on. He will have a safe place to be when fireworks are going off. If there is any doubt as to the surrounding circumstances when you are away, you can put him in his crate and know without a doubt, he will be fine. He will be there when you get home, and your home will be intact. Frightened dogs can do a lot of damage trying to escape scary situations. It is a great relief for you and him.

For more great information on raising your puppy...
http://puppys-place.com/

Dog Training: House training a puppy or rescue dog

Buying a New Puppy? How To Avoid the Pitfalls - free article ...

Many books and articles have been written regarding the art of choosing a puppy (i.e. performing puppy tests, looking for parental OFA certifications, and so on...), but few, if any, discuss the contractual end of purchasing a puppy. I can tell you through personal experience that purchasing a quality show puppy from a famous breeder can be quite a stressful experience because no breeder would give up the pick of the litter to a competitor (for obvious reasons) or to a novice without co-ownership of the puppy. Co-ownership of a puppy entitles the breeder to many rights to the detriment of the buyer. To begin with, the breeder might also be an experienced handler and might contractually require the purchaser to use the breeder as the puppies' trainer and handler. Agreeing to this could be a monumental mistake because the purchaser might be required to pay (even though they might be co-owners) for the breeders time to train and handle the puppy. Agreeing to this can COST you THOUSANDS of dollars.

In the contract, the breeder might require your bitch/dog to whelp/stud puppies. And, of course, they would contractually want the picks of the litter (they may choose either male or a female puppies as they please). Furthermore, you as the purchaser, might be required to pay the costs of breeding and whelping the puppies (i.e. food, vet-bills, housing, AKC registrations, stud fees, breeder's time) eventhough you may not be allowed to get the picks of the litter. What's more, you may not be able to see nor be with your dog for the duration of gestation and delivery. Some breeders have been known to switch animals when they are sent away for whelping or stud service. Therefore, I would recommend that you microchip you puppy and that you get an AKC DNA ID as soon as possible after you purchase your puppy. This way, you will get back your beloved animal without concern as to the nature of its identity.

When you purchase your puppy, most reputable breeders will guarantee your puppy will be free of various ailments for the duration of two years. What they fail to mention, however, is that if your puppy becomes incurably ill, the replacement puppy would be one of their choosing and not yours; which translates to the fact that you may end up with a new puppy with a lousy temperment.

So, remember. The devil is in the fine print. Read your contract carefully, otherwise you may become the victim of your own ignorance.

Dog Training Basics for the Family