Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Dog Training The Benefits of Adopting a Shelter Dog
The shelter dog comes with a lot of perks, for one, they get spayed or neutered, they get all the required vaccinations, they get checked over by the vet, making sure they don't have any diseases, and we don't have to put up a lot of money to bring them home. We probably need to make a donation or pay a minimal fee.
The majority of the dogs in these shelters are of mixed breed, or mutts, making them less likely to have any underlying health problems that would affect them as they get older, keeping any future costs at the vets down to a minimal. Then again, there would be no problem in adopting a dog with a blind eye or one that maybe walks with a limp, because all they want is a home where they can spend the rest of their lives at too.
One might want to adopt a puppy and start training at an early age, or get an older dog that maybe is already house broken and knows the basic commands of sit, stay, down, or fetch. Training an older adopted dog to ones individual lifestyle or desires would not be that difficult, especially when they will be forever grateful to the one that rescued them from the shelter, and believe it, they know.
Another benefit of adopting a shelter dog, is being able to call the shelter first, this way, we could give a little insight on our background, for instance, if we have a family, live in an apartment, maybe a house with a yard, and if there are children or other pets. We could also call to see if they have any puppies, or maybe the size of a dog that we may have in mind. They would then refer a dog that would most likely fit our needs, and we can make an appointment to see that dog without going into the shelter and having to look at all the dogs making it harder to decide on which one.
Adopting a dog from a shelter is saving a dogs' life. There is no better benefit than that. We come away feeling good about ourselves. We not only save a dogs' life, but maybe we save a little of ourselves. The adopted dog, as stated before, will be forever grateful and loyal for the rest of his life when treated with respect as a dog. When we adopt a dog, it's almost as if we are asking them to give us another chance.
The majority of the dogs in these shelters are of mixed breed, or mutts, making them less likely to have any underlying health problems that would affect them as they get older, keeping any future costs at the vets down to a minimal. Then again, there would be no problem in adopting a dog with a blind eye or one that maybe walks with a limp, because all they want is a home where they can spend the rest of their lives at too.
One might want to adopt a puppy and start training at an early age, or get an older dog that maybe is already house broken and knows the basic commands of sit, stay, down, or fetch. Training an older adopted dog to ones individual lifestyle or desires would not be that difficult, especially when they will be forever grateful to the one that rescued them from the shelter, and believe it, they know.
Another benefit of adopting a shelter dog, is being able to call the shelter first, this way, we could give a little insight on our background, for instance, if we have a family, live in an apartment, maybe a house with a yard, and if there are children or other pets. We could also call to see if they have any puppies, or maybe the size of a dog that we may have in mind. They would then refer a dog that would most likely fit our needs, and we can make an appointment to see that dog without going into the shelter and having to look at all the dogs making it harder to decide on which one.
Adopting a dog from a shelter is saving a dogs' life. There is no better benefit than that. We come away feeling good about ourselves. We not only save a dogs' life, but maybe we save a little of ourselves. The adopted dog, as stated before, will be forever grateful and loyal for the rest of his life when treated with respect as a dog. When we adopt a dog, it's almost as if we are asking them to give us another chance.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
What Does It Really Take to Train Our Dog?
People who plan to get a puppy or a dog are always looking for the different ways in which to train the animal. We wonder if we can do it ourselves, so we search for the material that would teach us how to do it. There are so many resources, we even start to think if maybe we should enroll our dog in a school, or hire a dog trainer to come to our house.
Now, we know that no matter which one we choose, we have to take part in the training session, because whatever our dog learns we have to learn too. We teach them to sit, to stay, to come, we show them were to poop and pee, but what does it really take to train our dog?
1. Dedication...We practically have to devote our time and our lives around our dogs. Training, exercising, feeding, and taking them to the vet, all takes time.
2. Persistence... Especially when training a puppy or a dog with a behavioral problem.
3. Patience...Staying calm, cool and collected makes training easier. When our dogs sense that we are in that state, they don't feel rushed, giving them time, to think about what we want them to do. Dogs are intelligent, some require a little more time than others.
4. Respect...Simple, respect our dogs and they will respect us.
5. Love...If we don't know what love is, then everyone should get a dog.
We shouldn't take dog training to seriously, keep the training sessions short, so the dog doesn't get bored and have fun while doing it. Try making a game out of it. Change the scenery, go to the park, the beach, go fishing or introduce him to friends. Next thing we know, he's part of the family, doing family things.
Now, we know that no matter which one we choose, we have to take part in the training session, because whatever our dog learns we have to learn too. We teach them to sit, to stay, to come, we show them were to poop and pee, but what does it really take to train our dog?
1. Dedication...We practically have to devote our time and our lives around our dogs. Training, exercising, feeding, and taking them to the vet, all takes time.
2. Persistence... Especially when training a puppy or a dog with a behavioral problem.
3. Patience...Staying calm, cool and collected makes training easier. When our dogs sense that we are in that state, they don't feel rushed, giving them time, to think about what we want them to do. Dogs are intelligent, some require a little more time than others.
4. Respect...Simple, respect our dogs and they will respect us.
5. Love...If we don't know what love is, then everyone should get a dog.
We shouldn't take dog training to seriously, keep the training sessions short, so the dog doesn't get bored and have fun while doing it. Try making a game out of it. Change the scenery, go to the park, the beach, go fishing or introduce him to friends. Next thing we know, he's part of the family, doing family things.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Dog Training- The Perfect Dog
Looking for that perfect dog? The perfect dog would be:
1. Intelligent, attentive, and quick to learn, making him easy to train.
2. Loyal, trustworthy, and be protective of your family and property.
3. Friendly in nature, very social, great with people, other dogs and animals, and loves children.
4.Obedient, obeys all your commands, sit, stay ,down, fetch, etc..
The perfect dog would not:
1. Poop and pee on your carpet.
2. Chew on your shoes or the best seller you almost finished.
3. Drag out all your dirty laundry and scatter them throughout your house.
4. Go into all your bedrooms turning them upside down, as if on a search and rescue mission.
Some say that there is no such thing as a perfect dog. Of course, dogs need to be trained, they are not born with social skills, or have the knowledge of how to be obedient. One must put in a lot of time, must be very patient, and must be very consistent. Even after you put in all the effort to train your dog, he would still need some tweaking here and there. Every dog somehow acquires there own personality, or should I say dogonality. You then find yourself training around his dogonality.
I have the perfect dog, story goes, I'll make it short. I didn't even want my dog. One day, well not your typical day, it was 16 years ago, our island got hit with a hurricane, houses got destroyed every place a big mess, just not the perfect day. Anyway a friend comes over to my water soaked house, holding this dog, about 6 months old, asking me if I wanted her. I told her no, that I didn't have time for a dog. I explained to her about a dog I used to own when I was younger, and how I was so hurt when I lost it I swore never to own a dog again. She kept insisting that I should take this dog, and all my excuses became the more reason I should take the dog. I still told her no. Okay, she says, still trying to get a sale as if she was selling a vacuum cleaner or something, sadly saying that the puppy was tied up in a garage during the hurricane,that the owners got displaced and she was to find a good home or take it to the Humane Society where they would most likely put it down. There was no one else but me.
I looked into that dog's eyes, and the rest is history. She was the perfect dog when I bought her first collar and leash, her first bowl and chew toy. She was the perfect dog when I came home and had to get down on my hands and knees to clean up her poop, saying that's okay,we'll get it right the next time. She was the perfect dog when I had to change my lifestyle, now I'm going on long walks in the park or on the beach. She was the perfect dog when she got rattled with the sight of lightning and the sound of thunder.
Today she still is the perfect dog. I trained her the best way I could, she may not be perfect in that sense, but I think that the perfect dog can be any dog that depends on you to be there, to be patient, be consistent, and especially be loved. In return you will find the perfect dog that is loyal, friendly, protective, and devoted to you. They become your best friend.
1. Intelligent, attentive, and quick to learn, making him easy to train.
2. Loyal, trustworthy, and be protective of your family and property.
3. Friendly in nature, very social, great with people, other dogs and animals, and loves children.
4.Obedient, obeys all your commands, sit, stay ,down, fetch, etc..
The perfect dog would not:
1. Poop and pee on your carpet.
2. Chew on your shoes or the best seller you almost finished.
3. Drag out all your dirty laundry and scatter them throughout your house.
4. Go into all your bedrooms turning them upside down, as if on a search and rescue mission.
Some say that there is no such thing as a perfect dog. Of course, dogs need to be trained, they are not born with social skills, or have the knowledge of how to be obedient. One must put in a lot of time, must be very patient, and must be very consistent. Even after you put in all the effort to train your dog, he would still need some tweaking here and there. Every dog somehow acquires there own personality, or should I say dogonality. You then find yourself training around his dogonality.
I have the perfect dog, story goes, I'll make it short. I didn't even want my dog. One day, well not your typical day, it was 16 years ago, our island got hit with a hurricane, houses got destroyed every place a big mess, just not the perfect day. Anyway a friend comes over to my water soaked house, holding this dog, about 6 months old, asking me if I wanted her. I told her no, that I didn't have time for a dog. I explained to her about a dog I used to own when I was younger, and how I was so hurt when I lost it I swore never to own a dog again. She kept insisting that I should take this dog, and all my excuses became the more reason I should take the dog. I still told her no. Okay, she says, still trying to get a sale as if she was selling a vacuum cleaner or something, sadly saying that the puppy was tied up in a garage during the hurricane,that the owners got displaced and she was to find a good home or take it to the Humane Society where they would most likely put it down. There was no one else but me.
I looked into that dog's eyes, and the rest is history. She was the perfect dog when I bought her first collar and leash, her first bowl and chew toy. She was the perfect dog when I came home and had to get down on my hands and knees to clean up her poop, saying that's okay,we'll get it right the next time. She was the perfect dog when I had to change my lifestyle, now I'm going on long walks in the park or on the beach. She was the perfect dog when she got rattled with the sight of lightning and the sound of thunder.
Today she still is the perfect dog. I trained her the best way I could, she may not be perfect in that sense, but I think that the perfect dog can be any dog that depends on you to be there, to be patient, be consistent, and especially be loved. In return you will find the perfect dog that is loyal, friendly, protective, and devoted to you. They become your best friend.
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