Did You Know

DID YOU KNOW....?

- That ONE mosquito can cause heart worm disease in your precious dog?  Then you are looking at a vet bill of up to $1,500 or your dog may die.  Now that monthly pill doesn't seem so expensive, does it?  
 

 - That wiping a dog's nose in it's own waste will NOT teach the dog to go outside?  The dog isn't going to make the connection of what he did before on the floor and what you are doing to him now.  That's just abusive to the dog.  Effective potty training is achieved by taking the dog out every couple of hours at first; also take him out when he wakes up, after eating and when you come home.  When the dog 'goes' outside, make a big, happy deal over it and maybe even give a treat.  Eventually the dog will make the connection to potty out.  After you've done this for awhile, upon reaching  the door, try to get him to 'speak' or at least get excited before you open the door to let him out.  That way he will begin to learn to actually go to the door and hopefully made a sound, alerting you that he needs to go out.  Of course when you reach that point, be sure to take him right out or you may be starting all over again.  If your dog starts to potty in the house, firmly tell him 'NO' and say "potty out" or "out" and quickly get him out the door.  Again, make a big, happy fuss over his pottying outside.  Eventually you will have a well trained dog who will enjoy going outside to potty.  And everyone will be happy.
 

- When a dog 'humps' another dog, it is usually not a sexual action.  It's actually a dominance action.  Even females dogs do this in an attempt to show dominance over the other dog.  The it's sexual usually when you have unaltered dogs and a female who is in heat. 

  - That when your dog is aggressive with someone or another dog and you hold him, coddly him to calm him down, that you are actually REINFORCING that bad behavior?  Most people think they can calm their dogs down and stop the unwanted action but you are actually rewarding the dog for what he just did.  He doesn't understand that you are simply calming him, he thinks you are rewarding him and his behavior WILL be repeated.  This holds true for other unwanted actions as well.  When you dog is jumping on you, do not give him attention.  Simply turn away from the dog, stand still, don't look at him and don't give him any attention.  When he calms down, then turn and give him affection.  If he gets ignored enough, he will make the connection that he cannot do that behavior.  Now when he stops the unwanted behavior, be sure to give him praise and love immediately, thus reinforcing the positive behavior you want.
 

 - That you need to brush your dog's teeth?  Keeping your pet's teeth clean is important to it's long term health and well-being.  Dogs can get gum disease just the same as humans and it can affect their kidneys, heart and liver and shorten their lifespan.  Even if a dog is in pain from a bad tooth or infection, you may not know it because the dog will continue to eat food and act normal.  It's important to get their teeth professionally cleaned under general anesthesia once a year in addition to regular brushing.
 

MORE HELPFUL TIPS COMING SOON!