August 2008

Quite often my clients ask if their dog is smart. Here is some information about what breeds are considered the smartest. I hope you enjoy it. Let me hear your opinions!

Scientists set out to find which breeds of dogs are the smartest out there and you may be curious too. If your dog’s breed is not on the list, don’t worry, this is a generalized list made about general breeds and their abilities to learn new commands, not their abilities to be a good pet or to love you and your family.

10. Australian Cattle Dog - The Australian Cattle Dog is an Australian herding dog bred to control groups of cattle. They are very energetic and have minds as active as their muscular bodies. They are naturally curious and left to their own devices without proper exercise can be quite destructive.

9. Rottweiler - The Rottweiler is a very large herding dog originally from Germany. Rottweilers are strong, smart and self-assured. Though they have recently gotten a negative association in the media, an aggressive or misbehaving Rottweiler is almost always due to irresponsible owners, lack of socialization, abuse or neglect. Rottis are affectionate, loving and eager to please.

8. Papillon - The Papillon is a friendly, graceful toy breed. Known for their butterfly-like ears (Papillon is French for butterfly), Papillons are hardy and smart and it is not often known that they have great athletic ability. Great dogs for living in the city, they are quick to learn, making them easy to train.

7. Labrador Retriever - The Labrador Retriever is one of a few kinds of retriever, a kind of gun dog. The Lab is the most popular breed of dog in the US and in the world. It is also the most popular breed for service dogs. Affectionate, gentle, energetic and intelligent, Labradors are one of the most obedient and reliable breeds in the world.

6. Shetland Sheepdog - The Shetland Sheepdog (or a sheltie) is a small breed from the Shetland Islands of Scotland. Very loyal to their owners and willing to please, Shelties have thick double coats that come in many different colors and marking patterns. Shelties are vocal herding dogs and for this reason can be trained to be excellent guard dogs!

5. Doberman Pinscher - The Doberman Pinscher is energetic and intelligent and often trained to be guard or watch dogs. Though they have gotten a bad rap about their temperament, with a good owner they make excellent family dogs and will even get along with cats.

4. Golden Retriever - The Golden Retriever is a type of gun dog bred to help in hunting. One of the most popular breeds for families, the Goldie is an affable and obedient pet. They are often found as working dogs used for search and rescue, police or as a guide dog. Trusting and energetic, Goldies can get along with just about everyone.

3. German Shepherd - The German Shepherd is a large herding dog from Germany. You often seen German Shepherds used as police dogs as they are smart and obedient. They were specifically bred for their intelligences and can learn commands very easily.

2. Poodle - The Poodle is a gun dog that may have originated from France, though the exact origin is unclear. Poodles come in a variety of sizes from toy to miniature to standard. Poodles are recognizable for their thick curly hair that is often cut into distinctive clips for aesthetics or show. Very athletic dogs, poodles are energetic and good family dogs.

1. Border Collie - The Border Collie is considered the most intelligent breed of dog. Herding dogs originally from England or Scotland, the Border Collie is energetic and eager to work. Border Collies prefer to have a job to do and are best suited for living on farms with livestock or with someone devoted to working them. Loving and devoted, Border Collies are not necessarily suited to households with small children and work best with one handler.

If you haven’t subscribed to my mailing list yet, why not try it out today.
Click Here and enter your name and email address to subscribe

Adopting a puppy and having a child are two very similar things. Both bring a new family member into your household and both come with major responsibilities. Both babies and puppies must be fed, bathed, cleaned up after, trained to behave well and loved. Both require much time, effort, money and affection. When bringing a baby into your house, your pet can be very similar to a sibling in that he may feel deprived of attention or jealous.

Your dog is more than likely used to being the baby of the family, so bringing a human child into your home may be difficult, but the transition can be made much easier if preparations and adjustments are made.

To begin with, you must be sure that your dog is trained months and months prior to the baby’s arrival.

Babies are very delicate and vulnerable beings and there should be no question in your mind about whether your dog will listen to your commands. Your pet not listening can not only be annoying and a time or energy drain on you when you should be spending time and energy on the baby, but it could also be potentially dangerous to your child.

Another tip is to begin weaning your dog from you. Prior to the baby’s arrival, you may be spending plenty of time with your dog and the immediate drop in attention when the new baby comes may very well stress out your dog and cause behavioral problems for you to deal with. What you must do prior to the new baby is to slowly get the dog used to spending less and less time with you. Reduce the amount of attention you give to him slowly over time until he is comfortable functioning mostly by himself in the household (excepting, of course, walks, baths, feeding, etc). Another good option is to have someone else in the household take up the most of the responsibilities of the dog as you progress in your pregnancy. Making someone else the primary care giver to the dog will make him feel less lonely when the new mom has to spend less time on him and more time on the baby.

After the baby is born, but before he comes home, have a family member bring home a blanket or piece of clothing the baby has worn. Allow the dog to smell the baby’s scent so that he can become accustomed to this new family member’s presence before meeting him.

After the baby is home, you may want to put your dog on his leash to meet the new family member so that you have physical control over your animal should anything happen or he react poorly to the baby. Do allow your dog to meet the baby, keep a watchful eye on him as he sniffs and gets to know the new little person.

Remember to include your dog in daily activities you do with your new child and reward and praise him when he is calm and well behaved around the new baby. This way he will associate the baby with good things and will begin to develop a positive bond with the new family member.

Growing up in my household as a child, every fourth of July was a big deal. Our neighbor was big into buying fireworks from a local stand and we would sit outside and pop them all off after an afternoon of grilling steaks and burgers. The whole neighborhood really enjoyed the tradition and we all looked forward to the fourth every summer.

Well, our whole family enjoyed it with the exception of the family dog, Landa. She spent the whole night terrified hiding under my parents’ bed.

Many dogs have a fear of loud noises. Fireworks, vacuum cleaners, storms, blow dryers, trains or lawnmowers can send some dogs cowering in the corner, but why?

Several reasons could be the culprit to your animal’s anxiety. It could be that your dog experienced something traumatic that happened to him at the same time as the noise, thus he may associate that sound with the traumatic event he experienced.

Another possible reason is that dogs have much more sensitive ears than humans do. It could very likely be that it is physically painful for your dog to endure these noises and when he hides from them he is really just seeking refuge from the pain.

It could also be possible that your dog is learning from you that loud noises should be reacted to with fear. Do fireworks bother you as well? Do you get anxious or fearful during thunderstorms? Dogs are very empathetic animals. If you are communicating to him (verbally or non-verbally) that a certain sound is something to be feared, then he may be taking your cue and reacting by being afraid.

The most likely cause for your dog’s fear of loud noises, however, is how you treated him as a puppy. A young puppy is easily frightened by big or intimidating things, noises included. A human reaction to a child being frightened is to coddle it: to hold it or otherwise show affection to assure that things are alright and to comfort it. While this reaction may be appropriate in humans, dogs are pack animals and you are sending the signal that this booming noise is something the pack should huddle together for. Huddling together, in a pack mentality, is something that is done when there is genuinely something to be afraid of. Thus by petting and holding your puppy when you feel it is afraid you are reinforcing his fear and telling him “Yes, this is worthy of your anxiety”.

Once you have set this precedent in a puppy, you have cemented this anxiety into your adult dog’s mentality. While it sounds bad, there is a way to reverse this.

Desensitization is an exercise used to make a dog comfortable and unconcerned with these fear triggers. To desensitize your animal to the noises it is afraid of, you need to first get a recording of these noises. Find a recording of fireworks or thunder or trains or make one yourself. Everyday, you should take your dog into a quiet room with the recording and play it, at first at a very low (barely audible) level. Have treats to reward your dog with and pet him and praise him while doing this. Each day, you should slightly increase the volume of the recording that you play while praising and rewarding him. Eventually, you should get to the point where you can play the recording of the startling noise at full volume without your dog being afraid. Your dog will by now associate the noise with calmness, affection and treats and should no longer be concerned with it.

Whatever you do, be sure to provide a safe place your dog can get away from loud or high pitched sounds and do not punish or abuse him for reacting fearfully.