Dressing your dog for winter....

  



     Most people might think that a dog might not need to put on some winter clothes but this could save the dog's life, or the very least give the dog frost bight.  There are some dog's like a St. Bernard or a Labrador retriever can go out into the snow even on days when it well below freezing.  Other dog's don't have this ability like built in cold protection.  The one sure thing I know is when your dog is shaking, there is a need for some protection from the cold.  dog's just like humans can develop hypothermia to the point of death.  The best protection from this is to get a coat that is suited to the thickness of the dog's body hair, and be sure it covers the ears because this is where dog's loose most of there body heat.  You should get some boots also because this is the 2nd place where a dog looses heat from the body.  The boots will keep the paws from getting cuts from the road salt used to melt the ice on the roads and sidewalks.  You don't need anything fancy for the dog just something to help keep him warm.

Weight pulling for dogs.....

The one thing I find amazing is how strong dogs are.  I went to a dog pulling contest in the north west suburbs of Chicago a few weeks ago and watched a 20lb Boston Terrier that is 4 years old pull 635 lbs!! and also saw a 60lb Pit Bull pull 3500lbs.  The tradition of weight pulling goes back to the 1890's when owners bragged and bet on how much there dog could move during the Klondike Gold rush.  Today all breads can participate in weight pulling.  This is an organized competitive sport with rules that are designed in the best interest of the dog.  This sport prioritizes the dogs health, safety and sportsmanship between the owners.  Every club has different rules like in the United Kennel Club and the International Weight Pull Associations competitions for example, they have the dog do qualifying scores for pulling weight 16' in 60 seconds.  The dog must know basic obedience commands like sit, stay, and come.  Training would involve pulling trees or chains to build up stamina, and you will know if the dog likes it or not with just one look from her saying "pull this stuff your self"  This is lots of fun for the dog and the whole family and is done all year round indoors and out.

This weeks tip.....True or False?

True or False a dog will show warning signs of stress before biting?

False,  A dog will learn to mask the signs of stress such as growling and/or showing there teeth because of all the times the dog was corrected for this behavior.  This has taught the dog to suppress the warning signs and not necessarily the bite.  This type of bite is called "out of the blue", and because of this the owner needs to be aware of the approach ,body posture, and general communication that are likely to be interpreted by the dog.  Some of the signs are direct eye contact with you and the tail standing straight up and its chest thrown out.  The dogs legs are apart with the ears up and a low rumbling growl.  The dog could also have its teeth showing by raising its lips in the front.

You want to learn these warning signs to assess the dog could be having a good day or not.  If you can talk calmly, keep hands low and nonthreatening and avoid eye contact. 

Don't move quickly or tower over the dog or yell or shout.  This will only stress the dog more and could get you bit by the dog.  A can recommend a book called "The art of raising a puppy" and look on page 144-150 for a discussion on dominant dogs written by Monks of New Skete,  I sell this book on my web page www.bgoodk9training.com.  This is a good book for everyone who loves dogs.

next weeks tip....?

Dog of the week is.....Bulldog

The Bulldog is listed in the  non-sporting group.  The Bulldogs origin comes from bull bating that originated in England around the 13th century.  The dog would grab the bull by the nose and had no intention of letting go, the people who did this with the dog thought that the bull would taste better if it was baited before it was butchered wile others found it entertaining!? In 1835 bull baiting was outlawed.  Now that the dog had no cause it should have gone extinct, except the dog had gained so much popularity with the people that it was set out to rescue the dog.  The people where so successful at rescuing the dog that it became the national symbol of England.  This dog has a personality not at all like its sour mug would make you believe.  The temperament of the dog is comical, amiable and the most docile and mellow of the dog family.  Willing to please but have a stubborn streak and is generally good with other dogs.  The Bulldog needs short walks on cool days but on hot days overexertion can be dangerous.  Bulldogs can't swim without a life jacket and even then should be supervised at all times.  The cleaning of the dog is easy and coat needs little brushing.

Something fun for the summer!

If you want to keep your dog cool in the summer and have family fun in the process...try dock diving.  This is a great way to keep dogs cool when the summer heats up.  Dock diving is fun for the dog because the dog can skinny dip and fetch their favorite toy at the same time.  This is a fast paced and gravity defying competition.  The dogs compete for speed and distance jumping into a 40' long pool while getting there toy from the water.  The dogs love the action and the family will love it to.  At Paw Law in Hanover park IL is specialized in agility training and dock diving.  She told me that her dog could jump 21+ feet in competition, I found this amazing because my family room is 24' long!  I believe her about her dog because on one wall that is about 35' long and 18' high at the training center their are competition ribbons all over the wall, congrats to her!  At the events any size mix or purebred dog may compete and have to be at least 6 months old.  If you think that you would like to give this a try you can visit these sights:  www.dockdogs.com or www.pawlaw.com and www.splashdogs.com and go have some fun!!    Please note that dogs need training for this sport because there are procedures and rules to follow.  Remember this is for fun for you and your family.  

This week...Dominant or Aggressive dog?

Some trainers classify all dogs in the leadership roll as being "dominant" or "aggressive" because of a misunderstanding of the dogs actions.  A dominant dog is assertive, interdependent, and sometimes controlling. A aggressive dog is hostel, combative, and/or defensively antagonistic.  Try to remember that the words dominant and aggressive are not the same, because a submissive dog can become aggressive if the situation is provoked.  I see a dog that is out of control with the owner present ether in the yard or on a walk and I see the owner using confrontational methods to get the dog to stop.  When this happens the owner needs to stay in control of his/her anger because the dog is feeding off of this and just repeating what you are doing.  this sounds easy but it is not, and this is what I mean when I say a dog needs a leader or roll model for there dogs.  In the last 25-30 years dog behaviorists have observed that dogs have a definite pecking order and this is where confrontational training training methods came from.  At one time it was thought that the alpha roll over and direct eye contact where thought to be the natural way to exert your dominance over the dog.  I hope that everyone understands that using these methods are only going to get you bit by the dog or someone else. When the dog starts acting crazy, remain calm and change the situation to distract the dog from the unwanted behavior.  Just "think before you do" and you and your dog will get along fine.

Remember there are consequences that come with a dog that is aggressive if the problem is not dealt with in a timely matter....

what does this picture mean to you?

This picture means to me that people really do have a good side and can say a lot without saying a word, and the dog is saying a thousand things to this man with the touch of his head on his shoulder.