Thinking of getting a dog?  Great choice!  But there are some things you need to know before you go out and get a dog.

1.  Dogs cost money. No, not just when you get one.  Dogs cost money AFTER you get them.  They need a never-ending supply of dog food.  They need vaccinations, heartworm preventive and trips to the vet.  They need toys and bedding.  Your dog is going to dip into your wallet every single week.  In hard economic times some people have had to give up their dogs.  If this isn’t a good time for you financially then you should postpone getting a dog until it’s a better time.

2.  Dogs take time. When you bring a dog home, whether you’re getting a puppy or an adult dog, you’re going to have to spend time on things like housetraining, teaching your dog the rules of the house, working on any behavior issues (such as jumping on people, digging, barking), trips to the vet, and all of the playtime that your new dog is going to want.  Whether you’re getting a pup or a rescue dog you can count on spending some time trying to socialize your dog.  All of these things take TIME.  You can’t bring a dog home and let him fend for himself.  You basically get the kind of dog you’re willing to develop.  If you don’t put time into your dog then you’re going to end up with problems.  If you don’t have time for a dog right now, wait to get a dog when you have more time.

3.  Dogs are messy. Your new dog is going to come into your house and make a mess of it.  He’s going to chew on things.  He’s going to drool.  He’s going to slobber water.  He may not be housetrained.  He will have accidents in the house.  There will be dog hair in your home.  If you’re a perfectionist or you have OCD then you are in for a shock.  If you want a real dog these are things you will have to accept to a certain extent.  Your dog can be housetrained.  He will stop having accidents.  He may stop chewing on your things.  But he’s always going to be a dog and do dog things like shedding and drooling and slobbering.  If that bothers you then you may want to think about getting a stuffed animal instead of a real dog.

4,  Dogs need training. It’s great to meet a well-mannered dog — a dog that walks calmly next to his owner without pulling.  A dog that doesn’t jump up on people or bark too much.  A dog that might know a couple of tricks.  You may think that all dogs come this way.  They don’t.  If you want your dog to be polite and well-mannered then it takes training.  If you get your new dog and he behaves like a hooligan that’s not really all that unusual.  Many dogs start off acting like knuckleheads.  You can teach your new puppy or adolescent dog to behave but it takes some work on your part.  Make training fun and your dog can learn just about anything.  But, if you’re not willing to train your dog then you get the dog you deserve.

5.  Your dog depends on you. As crazy as a dog may be when he’s playing or as tough as he may seem when he’s protecting you, your dog will depend on you for all of the important things in his life.  He will depend on you for every need and comfort.  You can’t forget to feed him or ignore him when he needs to go outside.  Having a dog is fun and wonderful and very rewarding but it’s also a serious responsibility.  Make sure you’re ready for that responsibility before you get a dog.

Until next time…..

For anyone who loves dogs canine body language is always interesting.  If you’re new to dogs you can learn some important things from studying your dog’s body language.  Here are some body language signals that will help you be more attuned to your dog.

Most people first look to see if a dog is wagging his tail.  This is often a good indicator of your dog’s mood — but not always.  In fact, tail wagging has lots of different meanings besides happiness.  Your dog can show lots of different moods with his tail, from happy wagging to holding it stiff and straight out from his body, ready to attack.  A fast wagging tail, lowered, with the dog’s head down, may mean that your dog is being submissive,  A tail up, wagging in big, broad wags, with the dog’s head up, mouth open, tongue lolling, usually means the dog is relaxed, happy, ready to take part in play or petting.

You can tell a lot about your dog’s mood by his facial expression, too.  What do his eyes look like?  Are they wide open or narrowed?  Is he showing his teeth defensively or is he showing his teeth in a friendly grin or smile?  (Yes, dogs do smile!)  What is he doing with his ears?  Are they up in an alert position or are they flattened against his head submissively?

Some signs are seemingly unmistakable, such as when a dog stands with his hackles raised (hackles are the guard hairs over your dog’s neck and shoulders).  This is a definite warning sign that your dog is alert, guarding or ready to fight.

Most people can recognize a snarling dog, of course, but it’s surprising how many people think a dog that’s standing tensely, staring at them with a stiff, slow-wagging tail is being friendly.  He’s not.  If a dog is watching your every move like you’re an intruder, chances are you’re not welcome.

When a dog is standing tense, growling or starting to crouch, you should take the situation very seriously.  Do not attempt to touch this dog at this time.  Even if the dog is not directing his attention at you, chances are that he is so focused on what he’s feeling that he could bite you without thinking.  Many people are bitten each year because they try to intervene in dog fights.  Unless you have physical control of your dog it’s best to back away until the event is over.  Even if you manage to get your dog away, you have no control over the other dog and could still be bitten or injured.

Even if you have a small dog you should take the possibility of a dog fight seriously.  Many small dogs seem to be unaware that they are small and they will try to tackle much larger dogs.  If you are out walking your dog, regardless of his size, do keep your dog leashed and under control at all times.

Dogs have a great range of vocalizations that go along with their body language.  In addition to barking, which has many different causes and expressions, they also whine, cry, howl, whimper and make many other sounds.  You can learn to interpret these sounds and see how they fit the body language that your dog is using.

For lessons in canine body language you can take your dog to a dog park for a morning or afternoon of play.  Here you will be able to watch many different dogs, as well as your own, and see how they display different kinds of body language.  Most of the body language will be used in play but you will see a wide range, as well as some examples of more serious body language.

What about your dog?  Can you ready the body language?

Until next time……

As much as many of us love dogs there are some dogs that have jobs to do.  These are dogs that are not satisfied with being couch potatoes or love bugs.  They need work and things to keep them busy.  They need work to occupy their minds.

You may have seen dogs acting as service dogs for the disabled or as therapy dogs.  Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and some other breeds take to this kind of training very well, becoming helpers for people who need assistance.  Training for service dogs begins when the dogs are puppies and they are placed with families who are willing to teach them basic training.  This involves a great deal of socialization and taking them out to places they would go as adult service dogs.  They will learn that when they are wearing their service dog vest they are working and they shouldn’t look for petting.  When the vest comes off they are pets again.  When the dogs become adults they go to school for more intensive training and to meet the disabled person they will be paired with so that the two of them can learn together.  Service dogs usually remain in service until their age begins to catch up with them when they may be retired and live out their years with their disabled partner or be placed in a home with someone who wishes to adopt them and take care of them.

Therapy dogs usually begin as someone’s pet.  These are dogs who may display a great deal of empathy with people.  Any dog can be a therapy dog including mixed breeds.  Therapy work requires that the dog have good manners and social skills.  It helps if your dog knows a little obedience.  Organizations such as the Delta Society train volunteers and screen owners and their pets for therapy work.  Dogs become approved, with their handlers, so that they can visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, schools and other facilities.  Therapy dogs and their owners bring a great deal of comfort and happiness to people’s lives.

Other dogs have much more athletic jobs, such as hunting dogs.  Dogs such as Pointers, Setters, Beagles, Coonhounds, Salukis and many other breeds were originally bred to hunt various game.  Although these dogs make wonderful pets many dogs of hunting breeds still have strong hunting instincts.  If you have a dog from hunting bloodlines your dog may not be completely happy unless he has the opportunity to do some field work.  Many people still field trial their dogs or go hunting on the weekends.  As soon as their dog sees them getting out the hunting gear the dog is at the door ready to go to work.  Hunting is a deep instinct in dogs that survives despite all the generations of domestication.  Many breeders still try to breed superior hunting dogs.  If your dog shows an interest in hunting or you are curious about it try to take your dog out and let him enjoy it.  If you are no good with guns your dog can still enjoy some aspects of field sports with events like hunt tests or lure coursing which simulate hunting conditions.

Other dogs perform jobs that are very important to our society today such as police work, bomb and drug sniffing, war service and detective work.  A dog has many abilities that can be trained for these necessary jobs, from using his nose to his guarding instincts.  Some police forces are beginning to breed their own dogs for this work but many of the finest law enforcement dogs still come from Europe — dogs such as German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois.  These well-bred, highly trained dogs excel at the skills required for tracking, obedience and protection.  War dogs have been used by armies for centuries.  The U.S. military currently employs many K9 teams in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are in the process of developing a breeding and training center for their future canine needs.

If you have a dog who seems bored at home he may need a job.  Perhaps there’s something he was bred to do or something that he excels at.  Maybe there’s something enjoyable that the two of you can do together.  Look into the things he’s good at doing or consider his heritage.  You may find that your dog needs a job.

What kind of job does your dog have?  Tell us about it in the comments section below.

Until next time…..

As any owner knows, sometimes there are communication problems when it comes to knowing when your dog needs to go outside for potty reasons. Even with older dogs your dog may not always give you a signal that you recognize. Sometimes it takes a definite “nudge” or a paw slapping to get your attention. There’s a very good way to teach your dog to let you know when he needs to go out and the message will be clear as a bell.

When you’re housebreaking your dog it can be very easy to teach him to ring a small bell next to your door to let you know that he needs to go outside. All you have to do is follow the same procedure for regular housebreaking — watch your puppy closely for signs that he needs to go outside. Signs may vary slightly from puppy to puppy (or dog to dog) but they usually include sniffing the floor and looking for a private spot. When you see your puppy looking like he needs to go out you should quickly, but calmly, stop him and lead him outside. Don’t descend on him like a screaming banshee! If you frighten him you will probably literally scare the poop out of him. Plus, you don’t want to make bathroom duties something traumatic for your puppy. That will simply set your housetraining back.

Once you are leading or carrying your puppy outside you should stop for a second by the door and touch your puppy’s paw to the small bell that you have installed next to the door. This bell can be some chimes, a bell from a hardware store or a thrift shop, a cowbell. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s something that makes a bell sound that you can live with. It should be loud enough for you to hear it in another room. The bell should be hanging at a height that will be easy for your puppy/dog to reach with his nose or paw when you aren’t with him. Let your puppy touch the bell and then go on outside with him so he can take care of his potty needs.

Continue this routine each time you take your puppy outside, making sure that you praise your puppy and reward him for using the bathroom when you take him out. Your puppy will associate touching the bell with going out to potty. In fact, your puppy may be very smart and begin to associate touching the bell with simply going outside. He may start ringing the bell whenever he wants to go outside and get a treat. You will have to take him outside every time he rings the bell but you should only reward him when he goes to the bathroom. Your puppy will eventually figure out that he’s not going to get treats and rewards for ringing the bell unless he actually has a potty situation.

Of course, you can teach a dog who is already housebroken to ring the bell, too. You simply incorporate ringing the bell into letting your dog go outside. When your dog indicates that he needs to go outside take his paw and touch the bell then reward him when he completes his pottying. Do this each time and your dog will soon learn that ringing the bell is part of letting you know that he needs to go out and that he will get a treat when he follows the routine.

It’s very helpful to have a dog ring the bell to let you know he needs to go out. It saves you running around watching your dog to see if he needs to go out or wondering if he does. Your dog can communicate with you directly, telling you that he needs to go outside. And, it’s a fun little trick to teach your dog.

Until next time…….

This is a problem I see quite often with my dog training clients so I thought I would write an article about how to deal with a jealous dog.

We value our dogs for many reasons, including the close relationship we can enjoy with them. Dogs are loyal, devoted and loving. They are often our best friend. So, it’s not surprising that many dogs can be very attached to one person even when that person is part of a couple. You may find yourself asking at times why your dog is jealous of your spouse.

Your dog can be jealous of your spouse for many of the same reasons that a child would be. Your dog can feel bonded to you. He may feel that you are his “special person.” He may look upon you like a substitute mother or, at the very least, like a pack leader. Any other relationships that you form threaten to distance your dog from you and reduce the amount of time you spend together. Your other relationships may reduce the importance of your dog in your life and your dog instinctively knows this.

If you prefer more concrete reasons for your dog’s possible jealousy, your dog may be jealous of your spouse for reasons as simple as the time that your spouse spends with you. It could also be because your spouse gets the best place on the bed. Maybe your dog used to be able to sleep on the bed before you were married and now he’s not allowed to do so anymore. Your dog may be jealous of your spouse because he sees you lavishing affection on your spouse and your dog feels left out.

Although it can be a bad idea to anthropomorphize your dog too much, when it comes to jealousy, it’s likely that your dog gets jealous for many of the same reasons that people do. He may look upon you as someone special to him, and him alone, and he doesn’t like to see your spouse intruding on your relationship together.

There are plenty of tales about jealous dogs and how they can act out in the home. They range from dogs that may ignore your spouse to dogs that may pee on your spouse’s belongings. Some dogs may set out to destroy things that belong to your spouse. In extreme cases a dog may wage a battle with your spouse for your attention, inserting himself between the two of you both literally and figuratively. He may try to sit between you on the sofa, for instance, or interrupt kisses by jumping up on you. If your dog is jealous he will probably give some not very subtle clues about his feelings so your spouse knows that he or she is not welcome.

If your dog is jealous it can make things difficult in the home. Your spouse may try to win your dog over but, depending on the dog, this may or may not be successful. Some dogs may become friendlier to the spouse but some dogs won’t. With time most dogs will eventually accept that the spouse is not going to go away and some kind of détente can be worked out.

If your dog is jealous of your spouse you should support your spouse and let your dog know that you expect him to respect your spouse in the home. For instance, if your spouse wants to sit down and your dog is occupying the space next to you, it’s a good idea to back your spouse up and make your dog get down. You want to send your dog the message that he needs to obey the spouse, if for no other reason than because you say so. The same goes with your bed. Make sure that your dog understands that your spouse belongs there and has higher status than the dog.

On the other hand, you should also make time to spend with your dog. Do not ignore him or leave him out. Make sure that he gets plenty of your time and attention. His role may be different with your spouse in the house but he should still feel loved and wanted. If you find ways to include your dog in your activities, along with your spouse, then you will have fewer problems with a jealous dog.

Do you have any jealous dog stories to tell us about?  Use the comment area to tell us about your experiences.

Until next time…..