Dog Training Mats

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Dogs Training Series First Steps in Dog Grooming

Before proceeding with clipping your dog, take care of the basic grooming needs. These important activities are essential to ensure your dog stays health on the outside. An un-groomed dog is at risk of harbouring various disease that can cause skin irritation. Dogs that are constantly uncomfortable will become irritable. Some dogs become so sensitive that they will snap or bite their owners where otherwise they would not.

Keep your dog well groomed will also help prevent your dog from getting some serious diseases like Lyme Disease.

The first steps to dog grooming are aimed at maintaining your dog's luxurious coat, keeping the ears clean to prevent infections, and clipping the toe nails to keep them at a healthy length and in good condition.

Coat maintenance mainly consists of proper bathing to remove dirt, harmful bacteria and parasites from the dog's skin. Combing and brushing brings the natural oils down into the hair to give it strength and shine as well as protection. A good healthy coat protects the dog's skin from exposure to the elements as it provides an insulation that keeps out rain and cold as well as heat. Properly maintained, a dog's coat allows air flow to the skin. This dries any moisture and dampness which can make the skin susceptible to skin eruptions and rashes.

Always use soaps that are designed for dogs as they are less likely to trigger allergies or skin irritations that are common with scented human products.

Brushing and combing can be a pleasurable time for you and your dog. It gives you a chance to interact in a non-threatening and non-disruptive manner. This personal touch helps you and your dog to bond to one another. This will prove beneficial when you are training your dog.

Use a soft brush that is designed for your particular type of dog. Thick, long-haired dogs need a brush with stronger bristles that will penetrate into the fur, whereas dogs with thin and fine hair are better with a softer brush. Be careful when brushing fine-haired dogs as heavy brushing can scratch the dog's skin and make it sore and irritated.

It's best to brush your dog every day for about 20 minutes each time. How long will be determined by the type of hair your dog has. Naturally, short haired dogs can be done in about 10 minutes while hair with a thick undercoat, such as the Chow or Husky will take longer. Yet other breeds can take as much as 30 minutes if the hair is quite long and tends to mat easily.

Some owners use a hair dryer after they bathe their dogs, but this will depend on whether it makes your dog nervous. Many dogs do not like the sound of a hair dryer. If you do use one, keep the setting on cool or cold as dogs cannot tolerate the hot settings.

Take care when clipping the dog's claws. Be careful not to catch the nerve end inside the nail which can cause bleeding and stinging. Use proper sharp dog nail clippers. This will create a clean cut, unlike dull clippers that can splinter the nail, leaving rough edges. If a dog scratches himself, the sharp edges can cause injuries to the skin.

Nail clipping and brushing are best done on a raised surface to make it easier for you.

Clean out your dog's ears with a cotton swab to remove built-up wax, dirt and any other foreign material. Check to see if any parasites or infection are present. If they are, see your vet for proper treatment.

Make grooming a priority and do it regularly and you will avoid many unnecessary problems for you and your dog.

About the Author

For more great tips and resources to help you train your dog, or puppy, visit Dogs Training Tips at http://DogsTrainingMadeEasy.com .

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Dog Training Ma

Take The Choke Out Of Walking Your Dog On A Leash

I have been thinking lately about the practice of using choke collars and jerking the lead as a "correction" that many people still use when training and handling their dog.  The most common ‘use' of the ‘jerk' correction I have noticed is when a dog owner wants their dog to ‘heel'.  Over the years, I have witnessed many dog handlers telling their dog ‘heel' as they have issued a big leash correction.  And usually the result of this ‘correction' is frustrating to the dog owner as the dog pulls even harder against the leash.  ‘Heel' is supposed to be the cue for walk in the appropriate place. Think about it.  If you were constantly jerked, pulled or tugged when you were next to, slightly in front of, or behind your owner, would you choose to be in a ‘heel' position or would you forge ahead or fall behind to escape or evade any future corrections. If I had experienced a correction like that while hearing the cue ‘heel' I would also want to head for the hills when I heard that word. Inadvertently sometimes the ‘heel' cue becomes a warning signal to the dog that a correction is coming and thus the cue evokes a   ‘move away behavior' from the owner.   It is far more pleasant and effective for a dog to learn appropriate leash manners when they are taught where to walk nicely in relation to their walking partner rather than being corrected for getting it wrong.  If the dog is reinforced for correct placement and pace then they will no longer forge ahead or lag behind. A dog training ‘cue' should be music to the ears of a dog.  A dog who has been trained using effective, efficient and pleasant methods will happily respond to a ‘cue' and training your dog  will be a more pleasant experience for all. So let's take the ‘choke' out of training and replace it with clear concise instructions that builds your dog's behavior repertoire, sets your dog up for success and rewards them when they get it right. This is a far more pleasant situation for both owner and dog. In addition to being an ineffective training method, there are real health concerns when a dog's head is jerked around.

Karen Overall (MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for small Animals) says "In a retrospective study on spinal pain, injury or changes in dogs conducted in Sweden, Hallgreen (1992) found that 91% of dogs with cervical anomalies experienced harsh jerks on a leash or had a long history of pulling on the lead. The use of choke collars was also over represented in this group. This strongly suggests that leash corrections are potentially injurious"

Robin Walker (BVetMed MRCVs) says "In 30 years of practice (including 22 as a veterinary advisor to a police dog section) I have seen numerous severely sprained necks, cases of fainting, transient foreleg paralysis and hind leg ataxia after robust use of the choke chain. In the 1970's, when the practice of slamming the dog sideways with a jerk that brought the foreparts clear off the ground and two or three feet towards the handler became popular, the resulting painful condition was known as "Woodhouse neck" in this practice. Some of these cases exhibited misalignment of cervical vertebrae on radiographs. It suggested that an existing spondylopathy renders these dogs more vulnerable to injury. My ophthalmology colleagues have decided views on the relation between compression of the neck, intraocular pressure disturbances and damage to the cervical sympathetic nerve chain resulting in Horner's syndrome.  I personally have seen a case of swollen eyes with petechial scleral haemorrhage and a number of temporarily voiceless dogs."

To learn the steps and mechanics of teaching your dog to ‘walk nicely' or to ‘heel,' contact your local DogSmith. Your local DogSmith will take you through the stages of a) teaching your dog to stand while on a leash without pulling and lunging, b) teaching you the ‘walk nicely' behavior in steps so you build on a solid foundation, and c) of introducing you to some great management tools to use while you teach your dog new and acceptable behaviors allowing you to walk and exercise your dog without reinforcing the old and unacceptable behaviors.

About the Author

Niki Tudge is the owner and founder of The DogSmith, America's Dog Training, Dog Walking and Pet Care Franchise. To learn more about joining the DogSmith visit http://www.888dogsmith.com/franchise.html Niki achieved her Canine Behaviorist Diploma in England and Dog Obedience Training Diploma in the US. Niki is an Endorsed member of the National Association of Dog Obedience Trainers and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and The Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. Niki is also certified by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. You can reach Niki via email at NikiTudge@DogSmith.com or www.DogSmith.com

Dog Training by CCS in Boston Massachusetts 3.m4v


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Dog Training Mat

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training my dog to like to be brushed?

my two little dogs HATE to be brushed. they get very matted and then i resort to taking them to a groomer, which devastates them. what to do??

Positive reinforcement. Every time you have the brush in your hand, reward them with a treat. Do that for a while then have someone feeding them while you brush them. They'll learn fast enough that a brush is a good thing. And eventually, you can do it without the treats.

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