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Dog and Puppy Biting, Mouthing, Teething Keeping your pets safe with Fireworks House Training a PuppyHow to handle Dog BarkingLearn Animal CPR
Dog and Puppy Chewing
Chewing, ripping,
shredding, tearing up and generally
destroying stuff is as normal for dogs
as tail-wagging. If you have a dog,
expect chewing. Provide him with his own
toys and teach him to use them or he
will destructively chew anything
available, such as your furniture,
carpet, clothing or shoes.
Dogs do not chew
and destroy your house and belongings
because they are angry, jealous or
spiteful. They do it because they are
dogs. They may be lonely, bored,
frustrated or anxious, but they are not
malicious, vindictive or petty. Active
dogs can become restless when
left alone
for long periods. Many dogs experience
separation anxiety when left alone. We
often unintentionally train our dogs to
behave this way because whenever they
throw this kind of tantrum when we
leave, we quickly come back to reassure
them, give them attention or even a bone
or biscuit. If you do this, your dog
will soon learn that he can control you
with emotional blackmail. The dogs'
chewing is a form of occupational
therapy to relieve stress and release
energy. If you come home and find that
your dog has destroyed something, do not
punish the dog.
Passive Training to Prevent Chewing Problems
Until
your dog
can be
trusted
not to
destroy
your
home and
yard, do
not give
him
free,
unsupervised
run of
your
house.
Give him
a
pleasant
area or
room of
his own
where he
can
enjoy
himself
and
relax
when you
are not
home or
are
unable
to
supervise
him.
Literally
litter
his room
with a
wide
variety
of toys.
Since he
will
have no
other
choice
of
things
to chew,
he will
learn to
chew and
play
with his
own
toys.
Make the
toys
enticing.
Soak
rawhide
and long
marrow
bones in
different
flavored
soups.
Let them
dry and
give a
different
flavor
to the
dog each
time you
leave
him
alone.
Sterilized
marrow
bones
and Kong
toys can
be
stuffed
with
liver
treats
or
cheese.
The dog
will be
entertained
for
hours
trying
to
extricate
the
treats
from the
toy.
Active Training to Prevent Destructive Chewing
When
you
are
home,
take
time
to
teach
your
dog
to
play
with
her
toys
and
to
seek
them
out
whenever
she
feels
like
chewing.
Always
lavish
your
dog
with
praise
every
time
you
see
her
playing
with
or
chewing
on
one
of
her
toys.
Teach
your
dog
to
"find"
her
toys.
Scatter
several
toys
in
different
rooms
throughout
the
house.
Tell
her
to
"find
it,"
then
immediately
lead
her
from
room
to
room
encouraging
her
to
pick
up a
toy
when
she
sees
one.
When
she
does
so,
reward
with
praise,
affection,
play
and
even
a
food
treat,
then
continue
the
game.
Anticipation
Chewing
Most
destructive
chewing
occurs
just
before
the
owner
returns
home.
The
dog
is
anxiously
anticipating
the
owner's
return
and
this
energy
is
released
by
chewing.
You
can
prevent
your
dog
from
indiscriminately
chewing
whatever
is
handy
and
instead
chew
her
own
toys.
Whenever
you
return
home,
insist
that
your
dog
greet
you
with
a
toy
in
her
mouth.
At
first
you
will
have
to
help
her
by
telling
her
to
"find"
her
toy.
Do
not
give
your
usual
home
coming
greeting
until
she
has
a
toy
firmly
in
her
mouth.
Within
a
few
days,
your
dog
will
realize
that
you
never
say
hello
unless
she
has
a
toy
in
her
mouth.
Now
when
your
dog
starts
anticipating
your
return,
she
will
automatically
begin
looking
for
a
toy
with
which
to
gain
your
greeting
and
approval
when
you
do
return.
If a
toy
is
already
in
her
mouth,
she
will
be
likely
to
chew
on
it,
rather
than
on
the
furniture,
to
release
tension.
Chewing
Deterrents
If
you
catch
your
dog
in
the
act
of
chewing
a
forbidden
item,
you
can
sternly
scold
her
with
a
verbal
warning.
Immediately
direct
your
dog
to
one
of
her
own
toys
and
praise
her
for
chewing
it.
This
will
teach
your
dog
not
to
chew
forbidden
items
when
you
are
present,
but
it
probably
will
not
discourage
the
dog
from
investigating
these
items
when
you
are
not
there.
The
only
way
to
prevent
your
dog
from
chewing
these
things
is
to
make
them
inherently
unattractive.
There
are
many
products
in
pet
stores
that
are
designed
to
apply
to
furniture,
etc
that
are
safe
but
repulsive
to
dogs.
Why
chew
on
something
that
is
boring,
distasteful
or
unpleasant
when
there
are
plenty
of
fun,
exciting
and
tasty
things
to
chew
on?
Common Sense and ChewingBy far the simplest way to keep your dog from chewing on forbidden items is to prevent access to them. Put your shoes in the closet and shut the door. Place the trash outside. Keep doors closed; keep valuables out of reach. Praise and reward your dog profusely for chewing her own toys.
Keeping your pets safe with Fireworks Fireworks, which may be fun and exciting for humans, can panic pets and cause them to bolt. Follow these simple tips to keep your pet safely confined and be sure all pets are wearing current identification tags. Many household Pets get very nervous the week or so before our village festa, as the streets and fields nearby ring out with more and more fireworks. To put your pet more at ease, consider the following:
Biting and mouthing
is common in young
puppies and dogs
especially in play
and while teething.
It's up to you to
teach your puppy or
dog what is
acceptable and what
is not.
Inhibit Biting
First of all, dogs
must learn to
inhibit their bite
before they are 4
months old.
Normally, they would
learn this from
their mother, their
littermates and
other members of the
pack. But, because
we take them away
from this
environment before
this learning is
completed, we must
take over the
training.
Lack of
Socialization Causes
Biting
Lack of
socialization often
results in fearful
or aggressive
behavior. The two
major reactions a
dog has to something
it is afraid of are
to avoid it or to
act aggressive in an
attempt to make it
go away. This is the
most common cause of
children being
bitten. Dogs that
are not socialized
with children often
end up biting them.
The optimum time to
socialize is before
the dog reaches 4
months.
Use of Reprimands
and Biting
Never hit, kick or
slap your dog. This
is the quickest way
to erode the dog's
trust in you. Yes,
he will still love
you. Even abused
dogs love their
owners. A unique
characteristic of
dogs is their
unconditional love.
You don't have to do
anything to acquire
your dog's love. But
you must do a lot to
gain your dog's
trust and respect.
Another area where
we destroy our dog's
trust in us is when
we scold or punish
them for
housesoiling
mistakes and
accidents. When
housetraining your
puppy,
there is never an
appropriate time to
punish or reprimand.
If you catch your
dog in the act, just
head for the towels
and cleaner. You
have no right to
scold him, because
if he is going in
the wrong place, it
is your fault, not
his. If you find an
accident after the
fact, just clean it
up
Summary Tips on BitingJust a few tips:1. Reprimand alone will never stop biting. 2. If no respect exists, the biting will get worse. If you act like a littermate, the dog will treat you as one. 3. If trust is not there, the dog may eventually bite out of fear or lack or confidence. 4. Inconsistency sabotages training. If you let the dog bite some of the time, then biting will never be completely eliminated. 5. Don't forget follow up. The dog must understand that it is the biting that you don't like, not the dog itself. Make up afterwards, but on your terms, not the dog's. Most owners wait until a bite just "happens to occur" before trying to deal with it and are therefore totally unprepared when it happens - and do all the wrong things, thus making the problem worse
What To
Expect During the House
Training Process
Unless you can monitor your puppy 24 hours a day, don't expect the house training process to be completed until your puppy is at least 6 months old. It's normal for a young puppy to be a little 'input-output' machine. Since puppies are growing and developing rapidly at this stage, they eat more food, burn up more energy and seem to need to eliminate constantly! They also have not yet developed bowel and bladder control, so they can't 'hold it' as long as adult dogs. House Training When You Are Not HomeConfine your puppy to a small, 'puppy-proofed' room and paper the entire floor. Put his bed, toys and food/water bowls there. At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. He will go every where and any where. He will also probably play with the papers, chew on them, and drag them around his little den. Most puppies do this and you just have to live with it. Don't get upset; just accept it as life with a young puppy. The important thing is that when you get home, clean up the mess and lay down fresh papers.
While your puppy is
confined, he is
developing a habit of
eliminating on paper
because no matter where
he goes, it will be on
paper. As time goes on,
he will start to show a
preferred place to do
his business. When this
place is well
established and the rest
of the papers remain
clean all day, then
gradually reduce the
area that is papered.
Start removing the paper
that is furthest away
from his chosen
location. Eventually you
will only need to leave
a few sheets down in
that area only. If he
ever misses the paper,
then you've reduced the
area too soon. Go back
to papering a larger
area or even the entire
room. Once your puppy is
reliably going only on
the papers you've left,
then you can slowly and
gradually move his
papers to a location of
your choice. Move the
papers only an inch a
day. If puppy misses the
paper again, then you're
moving too fast. Go back
a few steps and start
over. Don't be
discouraged if your
puppy seems to be making
remarkable progress and
then suddenly you have
to return to papering
the entire room. This is
normal. There will
always be minor
set-backs. If you stick
with this procedure,
your puppy will be paper
trained.
House Training When You Are Home
When you are home but
can't attend to your
puppy, follow the same
procedures described
above. However, the more
time you spend with your
puppy, the quicker he
will be house trained.
Your objective is to
take your puppy to his
toilet area every time
he needs to eliminate.
This should be about
once every 45 minutes;
just after a play
session; just after
eating or drinking; and
just upon waking. When
he does eliminate in his
toilet area, praise and
reward him profusely and
enthusiastically! Don't
use any type of
reprimand or punishment
for mistakes or
accidents. Your puppy is
too young to understand
and it can set the house
training process back
drastically. Don't allow
your puppy freedom
outside of his room
unless you know
absolutely for sure that
his bladder and bowels
are completely empty.
When you do let him out,
don't let him out of
your sight. It is a good
idea to have him on
leash when he is
exploring your home. He
can't get into trouble
if you are attached to
the other end of the
leash. Every 30 minutes
return your pup to his
toilet area. As your
puppy becomes more
reliable about using his
toilet area and his
bowel and bladder
control develops, he can
begin to spend more time
outside his room with
you in the rest of your
home. Begin by giving
him access to one room
at a time. Let him eat,
sleep and play in this
room but only when he
can be supervised. When
you cannot supervise
him, put him back in his
room. The most important
thing you can do to make
house training happen as
quickly as possible is
to reward and praise
your puppy every time he
goes in the right place.
The more times he is
rewarded, the quicker he
will learn. Therefore
it's important that you
spend as much time as
possible with your pup
and give him regular and
frequent access to his
toilet area.
Key to Successful House TrainingConsistency and Patience. Never scold or punish your puppy for mistakes and accidents. The older your pup gets, the more he will be able to control his bladder and bowels. Eventually your pup will have enough control that he will be able to "hold it" for longer and longer periods of time. Let your puppy do this on his own time. When training is rushed, problems usually develop. Don't forget, most puppies are not reliably house trained until they are at least 6 months old.
Barking is a perfectly
natural canine behavior.
Birds sing; frogs croak;
and a dog barks, whines
and howls. If you have a
dog, you better expect
some barking, whining or
howling. It is
unrealistic and unfair
to think you can train
your dog to stop barking
altogether. However,
you, your neighbors and
your dog will all be
much happier if the
barking is under
control.
Dogs who are socially isolated or confined for long periods without supervised exercise need some outlet for their pent-up energy. A dog who is left alone all day is likely to take up barking as a hobby because no one is there to control him. In no time at all, barking becomes an enjoyable habit. And for many dogs, once they start barking, they tend to continue barking for the sheer fun of it.
Your dog may be barking
excessively because you
unintentionally trained
her to do so. Poochie
speaks and you obey.
"Woof" and you open the
door to let puppy out.
"Woof" and you open it
again to let her in.
"Woof" and she gets a
treat, "woof" for a
tummy-rub . . . you get
the picture. Your dog
has learned to get
attention through
barking. It is easy to
fall into this trap
because the very nature
of barking gets your
attention. For the same
reason, it is easy to
forget to praise and
reward your dog when she
is not barking.
The first step in obtaining peace and quiet is to realize that lots of barking is caused by the dog being lonely, bored, frustrated or frightened. These are all situations that you can help to alleviate. A well-exercised, happy dog is more likely to sleep all day while you are not home. Spend time playing with, training and exercising your dog. Obedience training is great mental exercise. Thinking is a tiring activity for dogs, as it is for humans. Most dogs really enjoy a rapid paced, exciting "game" of Come here, sit, heel, sit, heel, down, stay . . . come here for hugs, a massage, a celebration of praise and treats. Don't allow training to be a boring, tedious routine. If your dog lives in the back yard most of the time, she probably needs "social exercise." She needs walks around the neighborhood, so she can investigate all the sounds and smells that tantalize her while she is in the yard. Bring her into the house when you are home. She needs to feel that she is part of your family. Having a large yard is not equal to having a well exercised dog. You may see your dog dashing madly around your yard, but he is not exercising. He is doing the doggy equivalent of pacing, fidgeting, or other human forms of nervous activity. Provide your dog with fun things with which to occupy himself, such as a digging pit or special chew toys. Dogs are social animals. They need friends and companionship. Take your dog to the same dog park daily or weekly and let her make doggy friends. Dogs romping around and playing together tire rapidly and will sleep happily while recovering from the good, hardy play session  Nuisance Barking
Until you have
re-trained your dog
about her barking
habits, she should be
confined to a place
where she will cause the
least disturbance.
Closing the drapes will
help muffle the noise
for the neighbors. In
addition, confining the
dog to the back of the
house (away from the
street) will keep
disturbances to a
minimum. Leave a radio
playing to mask noises
from the street. You may
also want to have
disconnect switches on
the telephone and
doorbell if these set
off a barking spree
"Stop Barking"It's no wonder people have barking problems with their dogs. Most dogs have no clue as to whether barking is something good or something bad. Sometimes when the dog barks, he is ignored (owner in a jolly mood). Other times, the dog is encouraged (owner sees suspicious stranger outside the house). And yet other times, the dog is yelled at (owner has a headache). Humans are consistently inconsistent.In order to help your dog know your rules, teach him what they are. Here is a good rule to start with: Barking is OK until the dog is told to "Stop Barking." Think of "Stop Barking" as an obedience command rather that simply an unpredictable reprimand. Each time your dog barks, after two or three woofs, praise her for sounding the alarm. Then tell her, "Stop Barking." Simultaneously, waggle an especially tasty food treat in front of her nose. Most dogs instantly stop barking because they can't sniff and lick the treat while barking. During this quiet time praise her continuously - - "Good girl, stop barking, what a good quiet dog you are, good dog . . ." After 3 seconds of no barking, let her have the treat. The next time she barks, require her to stop barking for 5 seconds before she gets the treat. Each time she is told to stop barking and succeeds, she will be rewarded. If she barks even one little wooflet after you've given the command, scold her immediately. Timing is everything. As training proceeds, the required period of silence is increased gradually; at first "Stop Barking" means: No barking for the next 3 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 10 seconds and so on. Within a single training session, you can teach your dog to stop barking for up to 1 or 2 minutes. This is major progress, because whatever set off her barking in the first place is history, and she is likely to be quiet until the next disturbance. The Consequences of Barking
When your dog stays
quiet for the required
period of time after
you've asked her to
please, "Stop Barking,"
she is rewarded. When
she makes a mistake,
your unsuspecting
poochie's very next
wooflet should be met
with a cataclysmic,
earthshaking 120 decibel
"STOP BARKING!!!" Most
dogs are so totally
shocked and amazed by
this horrendous outburst
that they will stare at
you in disbelief (and
silence). If this
outburst makes your dog
more excited, then you
might try an ice-cold
I-mean-business tone of
voice. Sometimes a
splash of water in the
face will do the trick.
You must find something
that will instantly make
your dog stop barking.
As soon as your dog
stops barking, even for
just a tenth of a
second, you must
immediately and
instantly reward her.
After enough repetitions
your dog will learn the
meaning of the command,
"Stop Barking," and you
will no longer need your
training props (water,
treats, etc.) Substituting the Barking Habit If your dog's excessive barking has already become a habit, don't expect the barking to get under control overnight. It takes weeks of repetition to replace an old habit with a new one. If you keep up with these procedures, you will see a new pattern of barking develop. Instead of barking relentlessly at the insignificant, your dog will be barking appropriately and for a reasonable length of time. It is important that you maintain this new good habit through practice and praise or your dog may revive his old annoying barking habits again
Save a Life:Learn Animal CPR
For the EMS
Provider and
Pet Owner
HOW TO GIVE YOU DOG CPR Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR, as it is called, is a version of artificial respiration that includes assisting the HEART to BEAT. The purpose of CPR is to keep oxygen moving to the lungs and blood circulating throughout the body. The directions contained here APPLY TO DOGS. While these instructions may be good in an emergency, it is wise to check with your VET to establish the procedure that is best for your DOG. How To Administer CPR If your DOG is NOT breathing use a finger to clear any mucus or other objects from the mouth. TILT the head back to straighten the airway passage. Hold the mouth shut with one hand, and place your mouth over the DOG'S nose and mouth making sure the seal is tight. Blow into the nose while watching to see if the chest expands. If the chest DOES NOT EXPAND start over again by clearing the mouth. If the chest DOES EXPAND release your DOG'S mouth so it can exhale. Repeat the breathing procedure once every five (5) seconds until your DOG is breathing normally, or until your Vet or other Emergency technician is available to begin treatment. IF YOU CANNOT DETECT A HEARTBEAT YOU MUST PERFORM ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH CARDIAC RESUSCITATION. PUT your DOG on its right side. PUT the heel of your hand on the ribcage just behind the elbow. PUT your other hand on top of the first hand. Firmly press on the ribcage in quick, smooth movements. Depending on the size of your DOG press down 3-4 inches using both hands. The compression should last no longer than 1/2 second. The smaller the DOG the fewer inches of compression and less force are needed. At all times try not to damage the ribcage. Repeat this procedure a total of 10 times. Then, if your DOG is not breathing, perform CPR as described above. Alternate between the chest compressions (10 in a row), and one breath into the DOG'S nose. GET YOUR DOG TO A VET!!!!!
Traffic Accidents A traffic accident is probably the most common cause of serious injury to a cat or dog. Alwaysapproach the animal with caution, it may react aggressively because of the pain. Move the dog as little as possible, but if you must move it, it is probably best to use a blanket, sliding it underneath the dog. Seek the assistance of another person and lift the dog gently to safety. Check for heartbeat and any hemorrhaging. Attempt to stem excessive bleeding by holding a clean pad or clean handkerchief over the wound, binding it tightly with a makeshift bandage. Call the nearest vet's surgery to warn of your arrival.
Burns The only recommended first aid is to clean off the offending substance and immerse the body part under cold running water for as long as possible. Seek professional advice immediately.
Heat Stroke
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