Dog - Boxer Dogs

While people may differ in tastes when it comes to choosing a breed, there's no debate on what one looks for in a pet. There are three desirable traits that every dog owner should be familiar with and these are: * Low maintenance - Low maintenance means you do not have to spend so much money and effort on keeping the dog clean, healthy, and active. There are some breeds, especially long-haired ones, that require at least 2 baths daily just to keep them clean and smelling good. Others, like boxer dogs, require little more than a wipe-down and perhaps an occasional bath. * Versatility - Dogs that can do more than just play a few tricks. Dogs that do well in obedience. Agile dogs with an intelligence to match. Dogs that can do jobs like being a police dog yet remain affectionate and playful. You can see for yourself why you would want a dog that has all these characteristics. Boxer dogs are one such breed that is gifted with versatility. * Intelligence - Smart dogs are those that score well in the loyalty and obedience department. With boxer dogs, you will find little problem with that. Dog Profile The first thing you will notice about boxer dogs is its blunt face. Descended from the massive Molossian Hound, the boxer is a steady-gazed, friendly dog with incredible grace and a hint of mischief in its square, blunt-nosed face. It's a muscular breed with a short coat and a docked tail. The male members of the breed stand at approximately 22.5-25 inches at the withers with weight of around 70 pounds. Females are smaller, sixty pounds in weight and 21-23.5 inches. History The boxer's ancestor, the Molossian Hound is part of an ancient breed of Greek guarding, fighting and herding dog. From the Molossian Hound were descended Greek, Roman, European and British breeds of dogs, which in turn gave birth to a number of large breeds with characteristic square heads. These dogs assisted men in the hunt and also at war. Boxer dogs specifically came from the German line of the ancient Molossian descendants. Their direct descendant was the Bullenbeisser, which was later separated into two types - the Danzigers and the Brabanters. Of the two, Brabanters were the smaller and boxer dogs came from this branch of the family. Brabanters were royal favorites, accompanying noblemen in great hunts. However, by the end of the 18th century, the art of organized hunting has all but faded. From great manor houses and castles to butcher shops and cattle farms, Brabanters continued to trudge on with the courage of its ancestors. And somewhere along the way, they came to be known as boxer dogs. No one knows exactly how, but it could be because of the way they play, like pugilists sparring with each other. Or it could be because of their box-shaped heads. El is the owner of the dog training. Visit http://www.dog-training-reviewed.com to find out more resources and offers for dog lovers. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=El_Young

Dog - Using Dog Positive Power Training To Train Your Dog

What is dog positive power training? Why is this is the method of training that is highly recommended? What do you need to know in order to train your dog with positive power training? Basically, dog positive power training is a method that uses a reward system. This system is set up to teach your puppy not to do certain thing and to do other things in their place. By using positive techniques you will be able to teach your dog good habits and break any bad habits without using a shock collar or hurting your dog. Why would you want to hurt your dog anyway? We do not have pets so that we can feel superior. We have them so we can feel loved and it gives us something to love and take care of. It is not necessary to hit your dog or hurt your dog in order to train it. Physical contact of this sort actually makes it harder to break your dog of bad habits. You have to use good physical contact like petting, shaking hands, and scratching to train your dog. This will show your dog love and it will also teach them that they get rewarded for good behavior. It is very important to treat your dogs the right way and with respect. You will be shown more love and will gain more rewards from your dog by showing them love and training them with positive power training. Showing your dog love will only bring you closer to your pet. Are you ready to train your dog the right way? Do you want to use positive power training in order to train your dog? Go to the following website to get more information about training your dog: Train your Dog Today Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Ehinger

Dog - Your Dog - Obedient Or Monstrous

Obedience Training is the best thing you can do for your dog, puppy... and yourself. Obedience training isn't the answer to all behavior problems, but it is a good place to start for fixing just about any problem. Training allows communication between you and your dog, good communication is imperative to educate your dog. You can teach him anything from 'stay' (don't run away) to 'sit' (don't jump up) to 'fetch' (bring it back for you) to 'off' (get down). Dogs are social animals and without proper training, their behavior will be wild. They will destroy your possessions, use your house as a toilet, bark incessantly and dig holes in your yard. Almost all dog behavior problems are actually normal things for dogs to do, they just need to be taught there are a time and a place, and your home is definitely not the place. Your dog will soil on the carpet instead of outside, for example; your dog will bark all night instead of just when a stranger is around; or your dog will chew your furniture instead of his own toys. The trick to avoiding behavior problems is teaching your dog to readdress his normal behavior to things that are acceptable in your home. Obedience training is the best way to establish the social hierarchy. Your dog is showing you respect when he obeys a simple command like 'sit or come here'. Using extreme measure like the so called alpha roll-over to get your dog to recognize you as the leader of the pack is not necessary. By teaching your dog to show submission to you in a paw raise (to shake hands), hand lick (give you a kiss) or even just roll over you are teaching him his role. Nearly all dogs enjoy performing these tricks for you which acknowledges that you are in charge. "Sit Stay Fetch"- is one of the many dog training books out there, this one has easy to follow steps, to help you to determine your dog to be a role model. To be an example for any other pooches around him. A well behaving dog says many things about the master- about what kind of family is he growing in, the kind of education he receives. An untrained dog can be a pain in the ass, can embarrass you many times, and can turn your life into a living hell. Daniel Stevens the author of "Sit Stay Fetch" shows how you could prevent these things from happening, how you could turn your non-welcomed dog into one anyone would like to have, and also into a dog that you can be proud of , a dog that all your neighbors and relatives will be jealous of. I personally think this book is worth taking a look at, but with all these books they promise you quick results, but to be honest training a dog isn't easy and take time and patience so don't be misled by what they say, you will never see results in just 24 hours. Be patient and kind and you will see the results offered in books like Sit Stay Fetch. My name is Emma Everson and I specialize in providing dog training solutions. I have been training dogs for 20 years and have researched extensively in all areas of dog behavior. I have created SitStayFetchReview.Org to bring you unbiased information and helpful hints to help with your dog training needs. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Everson

Dog - Why Your Rescue Dog Benefits From Spay or Neuter

Millions of dogs are euthanized worldwide as a result of the surplus number of dogs born each year and a shortage of available adoptive homes. When you elect a spay or neuter procedure for your adopted or rescue dog, you will be making a responsible decision toward alleviating dog suffering and will also be helping your rescue dog live a longer, healthier life. For example, a dog that has been spayed or neutered will live an average one to three years longer than a dog that has not had a spay or neuter procedure. Furthermore, spayed or neutered dogs experience a minimal risk of testicular cancer, mammary gland tumors, mammary gland cancer, prostate cancer and other often fatal disorders. Spaying or neutering your dog will have the benefit of making him a more home loving, social dog. Your dogs urge to wander and roam the neighborhood will decrease which can be a safety concern. Unsupervised dogs may contract disease, may be hit by a car, and may be stolen or otherwise injured. Benefits Your Female Rescue Dog Enjoys post Spay 1.Seemingly endless heat cycles will no longer exist, keeping neighborhood male dogs away. 2.The female dog will have a reduced urge to wander the neighborhood looking for male dogs and otherwise placing her in a potentially dangerous situation. 3.Fewer unwanted puppies will be produced, reducing the burgeoning surplus dog population 4.Your female dog may live a longer, healthier life. Benefits Your Male Rescue Dog Enjoys post Neuter 1.Reduction in spraying and marking 2.Reduction in the desire to roam. This means that your rescue dog will be less likely to be exposed to disease, hurt or hit by a car; 3.Lessened risk of testicular cancer, and prostate disease 4.Lower incidents of dog aggression a variety of behavior. 5.Your male rescue dog may live a longer, healthier life. 6.Fewer unwanted dogs will be born Stray dogs may become a nuisance or cause destruction. Dogs may cause noise and other problems such as causing accidents. Aggressive dogs that have not been altered may even kill other smaller or weaker dogs and pets. Unwanted dogs can become a public health concern as well. Uncontrolled landscape destruction, dog feces and the potential danger to those frightened by potentially aggressive dog behavior to people and other animals are yet other reasons to promote spay rescue dog spay . The potential result and the ultimate goal of all rescue dog enthusiast is a home for every rescue dog and a "no-kill" policy passed into state and federal law that will benefit every stray or rescue dog worldwide Dogs 4 Life offers news, information and resources on dog adoption, dog rescue, dog nutrition and dog care at http://www.dogs-4life.com This article may be reproduced unedited and provided the hyperlink to the author's site is displayed with the article. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=M._Bruno

Dog - Behavioural Problems in Puppies and Adult Dogs (Part 3) - Pulling on the Leash

There are many reasons why a dog will strain at the leash. These vary from aggression towards other dogs and/or people, to fear of the surroundings or conditions. Probably the most common reason for this very annoying and potentially dangerous behaviour is excitement coupled with a lack of discipline and dominance on the part of the owner/handler. There are 6 basic needs that a dog has to have in order to survive. These are Food, Water, Exercise, A Pack, Leadership and Love and Affection. Without any of these 6 needs the dog will not survive for very long. The needs that concern us with the problem in hand are; A Pack, Leadership and Love and Affection. Why are these factors so important I hear you ask? Let's look at them individually. The Pack. Dogs are pack animals. In the wild, like wolves there is a strict hierarchy amongst the members of the group. The pack is normally led by the Alpha Female. She has risen to this position by a mixture of dominance, cunning and her ability to read and sum up situations quickly and accurately. The Alpha Male is next in line. He is the only dog that will mate with the Alpha Female. He has fought all comers to attain this position. He normally deals with the defence of the group. It is his job to challenge and fight other animals that want to take over the pack. All the other members of the pack will determine their own place within it by fighting, guile and alliances with more dominant animals. A few will, on maturing, try to rise to Alpha Male. So it is vital that your dog knows his position in the pack. In this instance your family is his pack. You must be pack leader and the other family members must always remain dominant to the dog. At no time from a puppy onwards must the dog be allowed to show signs of aggression to any family member. Punishment for this offence should be swift and uncompromising. Leadership. If you were going by car from your house to say the next town and you had no map, were new to the area and alone, added to that being blind as well, you would, I am sure, agree that the chances of getting to your destination would be pretty slim. Equally your dog, in the wild, would find himself in a similar position. If the pack had no leader there would be no focus to the activities. So without the pack hierarchy there would be no direction for the pack and a consequent disbanding would soon occur. Because dogs hunt as a pack this would end with the death of the individual members from either starvation or predation by other species. The lower orders within the pack never challenge the decisions of the pack leaders. Failure to behave as part of the pack will often result in expulsion. Love and Affection. You have hopefully noted that if you praise your dog when he does something good he will wag his tail and sometimes if you scold him he will roll over on to his back showing his belly and often leak urine. The first reaction is the dog's natural response to love and affection. He will react in this way when greeting other pack members. He will show excitement and will rush about, sometimes barking and whining or giving little yips of pleasure as well as showing submission to higher pack members. The second response will often be shown to the pack leaders and signifies his submissiveness to them. By exposing his belly he is in effect offering them his life because he would be unable to defend himself from attack in this position. Urination in this position emphasises his actions. The dog will naturally follow these instinctive behaviour patterns, so by using a mixture of strong commands and lavish praise he can be taught to do most things. The important things to remember are to be consistent, use the same command each time, to be persistent, don't give in and to always end your training session on a success. This last point means that no matter how long it takes you must get the response you require even if it is only briefly. As soon as you get that response praise the dog and then stop the session. Your commands should be easy to understand, one word instructions that cannot be confused with each other. They should be delivered in a firm, no nonsense voice. The commands I use are; Heel, Sit, Down, Stand, Close, Come and Stay. Each of these commands is reinforced with an appropriate hand signal. For example Sit is signalled with the right elbow bent, hand facing palm forward at shoulder height, while Down is a downward sweep of the straight arm from horizontal to about 45 degrees. So to cure the problem of the dog pulling, hold the leash in your right hand, keeping the left arm bent across your body and give the command "Heel" whilst moving off. As soon as the dog's head starts to move forward of your bodyline give the command "Heel" and at the same time smartly tug the leash to your right, returning it to its original position immediately. This will pull the dog off balance and make it transfer its attention to you. Your left hand should only be used when turning left in order to stop the dog crossing your body and causing you to trip. This is done by simply dropping the arm down to the left thigh so that it traps the leash between hand and leg. Remember it is the tone of your voice that is important. It should be a command not a request, so deliver it in a crisp manner, lowering the tone at the end of the word, rather than raising it and ending up pleading. No matter what happens do not lose your temper with the dog. Do not raise your voice and shout at him, it will only hurt his ears, or frighten him. When he is walking to heel, praise him for doing well. Use a calm, well done, sort of tone and give him a quick pat. Small dog treats or tiny squares of cheese used as bribes work wonders. Keep a piece in your left hand, where the dog can smell it. When you want to gain his attention, just lower the hand towards his face. This is easier with a big dog, but can still be done effectively even with a miniature breed. Rickie Haughton is a Kennel Club of Great Britain Good Citizen Dog Scheme registered trainer and has bred, shown and trained dogs for over 35 years. His expertise covers all aspects of breeding, rearing, showing, training and behaviour in breeds of all sizes. Together with his wife, Lesley, they own the Bassmas Basset Hound and English Mastiff Kennels in Somerset, England. Occasionally they have puppies for sale to approved homes only. They can be contacted at Bassmas@northmoor.plus.com This article can also be seen at http://www.poodle-lovers.com Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rickie_Haughton