Ways to make your dog happy for life - a short guide

If you’re looking for some new ways to stimulate your dog senses or want to make sure he has a healthy, happy life, here are some tips and trick how to do it.  Remember that happy dog is a friendly and more lovable member of your family.

So here is a list of things that you can do to make your dog happy. Fist of all you can go for a ride in the car together. Dogs love to travel and be all the time with their owners. But remember to keep your dog safe during this trip and buy him special bed designed for car transportation.

Transporter - car bed for dogs

Moreover, try to exercise and play with your dog as much as you can. For example, you can go to the local park and play Frisbee with him. Dogs love it and we all get plenty of exercise.Both of you will feel better and have lots of fun. You can also take a daily walk together.

Furthermore, keep fresh water available for your dog so he has good clean water when thirsty. Keep in mind to change the water daily.

Take care of your dog health by making sure you have scheduled regular checkups in vet office for your dog every 6 months.

What is more, make sure your dog is always safe. This can be with an identification tag snapped on his collar, a microchip for locating him if he became lost or is stolen.

Feed your dog properly and say no to sweets. Even though your dog is part of your family, he does not need his own Easter basket. In fact, desserts such as chocolate can seriously harm dogs. And as we speak about eating - brush your dog teeth. Regular dental care can prevent gum disease, tooth loss, and doggie breath. It can even lengthen your dog's life.

Changing the name of your dog - how to do it

Maybe you don't know that but a dog or puppy of any age can learn a brand new name within a few days. So if you don’t like your pet name, you can change it. It's rather easy to do and it will not causes any harm to your dog. What is more dogs can have multiple names and respond to each one. For example, in many households, dog is called by his actual name as well as variations by different members of the home and he reacts to every one of it.

Changing a dog’s name doesn't require special skills and is rather easy. Here’s how you do it.
First of all, decide on any new name you wish for your dog to has. It can be little tricky because there are so many cool names. When you are looking for dog names, there are several places to get good ideas like fictional characters (from our favorite movies, books, or games), famous people, historical figures or stars and heavenly bodies (for example, if your dog loves to hunt, you may name him Rigel, which is the brightest star in The Hunter constellation).

During the first few days on changing your dog name remember to carry a pocketful of treats. Every once in a while, and also specifically when you do want your pet’s attention, say his new name and then immediately smile, praise him or  feed a treat.
Repeate this process and soon your dog will know that hearing that word means great things are coming, and he will respond to it.

By doing this you will teaches him to love hearing his new name and responding to it. Usually dogs can learn their new names within a few weeks if you do this multiple times each day. The whole proces will be faster if you avoid using the name for no reason and also avoid associating dog name with anything bad.

Why dogs that are keep outside are a little miserable?

As a new dog owner you may be considering keeping your pet outside the house. This is not a great idea as dog who’s kept outside experiences social isolation and he is animal born to be part of a social structure, a pack or a family.

The experts say many of dogs that are keep outside will never really bond with owners who interact with them so little.When cute puppy grow older, and and your children grow tired of the care they promised to provide or the neighbors complain abou the noise, people very often decide to dump the dog rather than solve the problem.

When you keep a dog outside you don't get the benefits of companionship from your pet. You don't even get much protection from outside intruders. As such dog barks at almost anything he sees. So you couldn't tell from his sound whether the dogs are barking at.

Moreover, outdoor dog often become a problem to his owners. Bored and lonely, such dog develop any number of bad habits. For example he dig craters in the yard or bark endlessly day and night. What is even worse, sometimes, without the socialization that dog need, he become aggressive, ready to bite anyone who comes into their territory.

So if you're considering getting a puppy with the intent of keeping him exclusively outside, you should reconsider your choice. For those who love pets, a pristine home is nothing compared to the pleasures of living with an animal who's really bonded to you.

Those of you who want to keep a dog outside because of home members allergies also can find solution. It won't be easy but an allergist may be able to help, along with attention to keeping the house and pets cleaner, using air cleaners and special bed for dogs that is very easy to clean.

Easy to clean dog's bed made of synthetic leather that is non-porous and does not absorb smells

You may believe - it's worth the effort. Once you have a dog you can welcome into your home and your heart, you'll start to live a different life.

Source: e-doggy.co.uk

Dogs need discipline, not punishment - how to correct your dog behaviour

Sometimes you need to correct your dog behaviour. But you need to remeber that dogs are not humans and they don’t have a logical sense of history. To dogs, a punishment relates to current activity. When your pet runs to a door to greet his owner and is punished for a mess done hours before, the pet understands only that he was punished for running to the door to greet you. He will curb the current behavior  - not the behavior for which he was punished.

There is no single dog who wouldn't want to please his owner. For example if you’ve ever gone to a pet store to view the puppies, you’ll realize that they want to please everyone. Puppies will exhibit happy exuberance for people unless they have learned through experience that punishment will be their reward for the attempt.

Dogs dont have special powers neither they can read minds. Our pets can only interpret expressions and body language. If your dog is used to having a happy owner greet him with a smile and a pleasant voice, he’ll turn himself inside out to express his joy. He will recognize mood and body language of his owner.

So now you know that when you want to discipline your dog you need to do it while they are doing the bad behavior and not after they’ve quit, because you can get different results that you want.

Here are some simple ways to discipline your dog. First of all try to distract your pet. Make a loud noise to distract your puppy from whatever they are doing. A loud yell or a slap on the table. This should startle him and focus his attention on you.

Next you can grab the fur under his ear on his neck and shake. This works best if you catch them in the act and the scruff-shake is a surprise.
Another method is to push the dog over (quickly but gently) either on to his side or onto his back and lean over him. This reinforces that you are dominant.
Last but not least - isolation. Say no to your dog and then ignore him. Dogs are very social and they won’t like it that you aren’t paying attention to them.

Teaching your dog to eliminate in a specific place

You can get rid of a yellow-spotted, burned grass lawn and reduce the odds of stepping in dog poop if you just have a designated place that your dog can treat like his own bathroom. It doesn't matter if you have a puppy or older dog, you can easily teach him to go in one area if you practice patience and consistency. You just need to keep in mind that when you’re teaching your dog where to go, you’re also teaching him where not to go.

First of all, you need to clearly define the area you want your pet to use. To do this you can use wire garden fencing, rope or even a circle of stones. By giving your dog a physical landmark will help your dog remember and develop his new habit. After you’ve created your bathroom area, take your pet on a leash directly from the house to the area every time he needs to go. Moreover you can give him a command, like "go pee" or something simillar. When he does, generously reward him.

After few weeks of taking him on the leash, try escorting your pet off leash to designed area. If he gets off track try to clap your hands to get his attention and guide him to his “bathroom”. Remember to always praise him, when he goes to the right direction.

Once your dog has mastered the way to his bathroom are, it’s time to graduate to unescorted. When it’s time for him to go, open the door, give the command, and let him go on his own.
If he doesn't go where he should, go outside, clap your hands and verbally correct him. When he gets to his designated area and does his duty, give your pet positive affirmation and reward.

To teach your dog this you need to be very patience and consistent, and always reward the positive behavior. Don’t be discouraged by initial setbacks. Housetraining your pet is a process and part of being a responsible owner.

Source: e-doggy.co.uk

How to show your dog that you love him?

It's very normal and natural that we love our dogs. We hug them, pats them on the head and cuddle them. Although we love our pets with our human love language, does that love actually translate to our dogs? Read our article to know how to show your love to dogs in a way that they understand.

First of all, lets talk about touch. Very often when we see our dogs, our first instinct may be to pat them on the head. To you, patting your dog on the head is a form of affection but to your dog, this is a sign of dominance. So instead of patting dog on the head, try something different like scratching dog under the chin or behind the ears.

Moreover, we love bringing our pets with us to pet-friendly locations. It's  great way to show our dogs we love them. Dogs are very social creatures and they love going with you to meet other people or other dogs.

Furthermore, another way to show your dog love is one-on-one time. Dogs crave your attention but it not always mean smothering your dog for long hours. Sometimes one-on-one time is just sitting next to each other or playing fetch until your arm falls off. Paying attention to your dog’s needs will really help build a strong bond.

Last but not least is playing with your dog. Whether we’re towering over dog or hiding him under a blanket, it seems like your dog is having a great time. While this type of play is fun, it still asserts dominance over your dog and sometimes can increase stress. To avoid that you should play with your dog while you’re down on all fours. When you get down to dog level it will exhibits trust and equality.

Source: e-doggy.co.uk

Does a cold, wet nose mean your pet is healthy?

A cold, wet nose is just one sign of wellness in dogs and should not be considered as a main indication of overall pet health. You may easily find a healthy dog with a warm dry nose. On the other hand a sick pet can also have a cold, wet nose. So the common belief that a healthy dog has a cold, wet nose and a sick dog has a hot, dry nose is false.

The temperatures of dogs' noses fluctuate day to day so it's very difficult to say exactly why as it could depend on environment or other factors. You need to remember that dog can be perfectly healthy and have a warm, dry nose or be really sick and have a cold, moist nose.

The moistness of your dog's nose is also not an indicator of health. According to experts very dehydrated dog can have  dry nose but dogs can have moist noses because they're healthy, and they can have moist noises when they have a nasal disease. So nose moistness is not a reliable sign.

Moreover, moist noses are also one of the ways that dogs can regulate their body temperature and cool down. Unlike humans, dogs don't have sweat glands. They secrete sweat from the pads of their feet and their noses.

Whenever your dog has a dry nose and is showing signs of illness or pain, you should take him to see a veterinarian. Similarly, unwell pets with cold, wet noses should also have a veterinary check-up.
If you notice any unusual nasal discharge it's also smart to visit your vet.

As you see dog's nose is not such indicator of his health. It's better to look for symptoms such as not eating, not drinking, or behaving oddly.

Source: e-doggy.co.uk