Training a puppy or a dog does not mean harshly disciplining him. If you go about it properly, he will think it more fun than any game. Some dogs are more obedient than others, while few fail to recognize the “I mean it” voice. Remain calm, firm, and repeat the words if necessary, time after time until obedience is given. 

Work with a puppy alone and not too long. His capacity to concentrate is limited, so stop when you see he has had all he can take. Try to stop on some achievement, which means praise, petting, and perhaps a treat. If each session ends on a positive note, he will gladly welcome the next lesson. 

Keep him on a long leash when teaching new lessons. He cannot run off or get away with ignoring your commands. Although you should work with him without other people or dogs around in the initial sessions, as he learns you can gradually train him to obey commands as they would be given in normal surroundings. He must obey not just when you are alone with him, but in all circumstances of ordinary daily life. Learning to behave in all situations is essential.

When he is older, he will enjoy attending the obedience classes. For most pets, however, home training is sufficient. This is particularly so for the fundamental obedience of the commands “Come,” “Sit” “Down,” and “Stay!” 

Some puppies seem to take naturally to the collar and leash, while others have to be patiently accustomed to the restraint and guidance that they provide. Start yours with a narrow collar, giving as little contact around the neck as possible. Be sure it is loose enough for comfort but not so loose that he can back out of it or scratch it over his head.

Repeat the word collar always in a tone of excitement and pleasure. Some pet owners never put a collar on a pup when he is indoors. However, it has the advantage; if put on immediately in the morning and taken off at bedtime, this suggests to the puppy that he is dressed for the day. Sometimes a pup will bring the collar to his owner’s bedside to suggest that it is time to get going.

Also, a collar that is on all the time is a convenience to the owner, it is easier to grab and catch a collar, as a puppy dashes by, than soft, slippery skin! A word of warning: if your pup is turned loose in a fenced yard, be sure the collar will not catch on a post or protruding wire.

Dogs are sociable animals and it is not natural for them to be isolated from others. All domestic dogs will have to be left alone at some time in their lives, so it is important that they learn to cope with solitude while they are still young. 

If puppies are not taught to be left alone, problems can be experienced when they are eventually left by themselves, even if the separation is for only a few minutes. Dogs that become anxious when left will chew, scratch at doors, dig at carpets, race around frantically, knock things off, bark, howl, and perhaps lose bladder control. To prevent this, you need to get your puppy used to being left alone from an early age, especially if you normally spend a large proportion of the day with him. 

Puppies fear abandonment by their parent figure until they mature and become more self-reliant. Since you have become a substitute for their mother, you will need to teach your puppy gradually to be independent in a way similar to how it would happen naturally. 

Begin this process as soon as you get your puppy. Choose a time when he is tiring and is likely to settle down for a sleep. Play with him a little beforehand and take him outside in case he needs to go to the toilet. Then put him in his bed and shut him in the room alone. Puppies will often feel safer if they have a den-like area to sleep in. Putting his bed under a table or in an indoor kennel with a blanket draped over it may help a puppy to settle more quickly. 

Ignore any whining, barking or scratching at the door. Sooner or later, he will accept being on his own and will settle down to sleep. While he is very young, open the door after he is asleep. He can then come to you when he wakes up and needs to go outside. 

Repeat this exercise many times, gradually building up the time that your puppy spends on his own until he can cope easily with a few hours of separation. Teaching him to cope without you when you are somewhere in the house will help him to remain calm when he is left alone. 

Never go into a puppy that is making a fuss. If you do, you will be rewarding this behavior and he will do it more next time. Wait until your puppy is quiet before you enter, then go in and praise this behavior instead. Go in as soon as there is a quiet moment; leaving your puppy to cry for hours on end will only make him fearful of being left alone. Build up to longer absences gradually, but never faster than your puppy can cope with. 

Never punish a dog when you return after an absence, no matter what has happened while you have been away. Your dog will not be able to link the punishment with what he did a long time ago, and it will not prevent him from doing it next time. He will think that you are angry simply because you have returned. This will cause him to be anxious next time you leave him, since he will now be worried about your coming back, and this may cause separation problems later.

**Visit the Dog Care Advisor to make sure you are doing the best you can for your precious pet!

Most animals that are born in a nest have an instinctive desire to move away from the nest to relieve themselves. They will do so without being taught as soon as they are able. Dogs are no exception, and at the age of about three weeks, they will begin to leave the sleeping area to urinate. We just have to teach them that houses are our nests, and that they have to move outside when they want to relieve themselves. Take your puppy outside to the same spot in your yard or garden at the following times:

1. Shortly after each feeding, playing, exercise, and any excitement.

2. Immediately upon waking

3. First thing in the morning

4. Last thing at night

5. Once every hour

It is important to stay outside with him. Be patient and wait. As soon as he begins, say a chosen phrase to him such as “Be clean!”  When he has finished, praise enthusiastically and play a game with him. Keep the area clean by picking up any mess and flushing it down the toilet.

Puppies are easily distracted when outside, so having the patience to stay with him until he has settled down is essential. If you leave him to it, he will probably run to the back door and spend the rest of the time trying to get back in with you. Once you let him in, the stress of the separation, together with the increased excitement and exercise, will make him want to go, and you will be left with a mess inside and an uneducated puppy.

However, there is no need to stay outdoors for hours, waiting for him to go. Wait for a few minutes only, and if nothing happens, take him inside and try again a little later. If at any time of the day you notice him sniffing the floor and circling or getting ready to squat, immediately interrupt him and take him outside. Let him walk. Do not pick him up, or he will not learn the vital link in the process, which is: “When I need to go, I need to get to the back door and into the garden.”

If, at any time, you catch him in the act of going in the house, shout! What you shout is immaterial, but it needs to be loud enough to capture his undivided attention and to stop him mid-flow, but not so loud that he runs for cover. Do not punish or get angry; the distress this causes your puppy will inhibit the learning process. He will also begin to avoid going to the toilet in front of you because he knows it makes you angry and will sneak away to do it, making it harder for you to teach him the correct behavior.

As soon as you have shouted, run away from him, toward the back door, calling him happily and enthusiastically to encourage him to follow. Go outside to your chosen spot and wait until he has relaxed and finished what he started earlier. Say your chosen phrase as he goes, praise him, and play with him as usual. Take him back into the house and put him in another room while you clean up any mess.

There are three methods that can be applied to properly dry the coat, depending on the breed of dog you are working with.  These are: The fluff-dry method, the cage drying method, and the towel-dry method.

The first method and perhaps the most difficult to achieve is the fluff-dry method.  A high-speed floor dryer is used for this procedure.  This method of drying is a very important and crucial step in the proper grooming of certain breeds such as the Poodle, Afghan, Old English Sheepdog, and Maltese. 

In fluff drying, the hair is not only dried but should be straightened as well. The warm air from the dryer is directed at that portion of the coat which you are drying. The hair is brushed in an upward motion with quick, even strokes until the hair in that particular spot is dry and straight.  This procedure is carried out over the entire coat until it is completely dry.  The results of a fluff dry can sometimes determine the overall appearance of the completed grooming job.  Therefore, it is important to learn to give a proper fluff dry.  Special attention should be given to the areas of the head, ears (long-haired ears), and legs.

The second method of drying is known as cage or kennel drying and is usually used on short-coated dogs or on dogs whose coat does not require a fluffed or straight appearance.  When using this method of drying, a cage dryer is attached to the cage and the dog is put into the cage on a towel until he is dry.  It is important to make sure that the cage is properly ventilated on the top as well as on the sides.  Otherwise, the dog may suffocate.  If the dog is too large for the cage, he may be placed on a grooming table and dried with a floor dryer.

Another method of drying that is commonly used in drying small breeds is the towel drying method.  Towel drying is usually used with small, short-haired breeds such as the Chihuahua, Miniature Pinscher, and Toy Manchester Terrier. The coat is rubbed briskly with the towel until it is dry.  This method is rarely used because many owners prefer the cage drying method, which is much faster.  However, if the special equipment is not available in the home, this method is sufficient.  However, do not to take the dog out until you are sure that the coat and skin are thoroughly dried.

Grooming a dog with a curly or a wavy coat is not as simple as grooming one that has a short and smooth coat.  For example, take the “water breeds”.  They are sporting dogs with extremely harsh curly coats. Because these dogs typically spend a lot of time out in the field, retrieving items from water, flushing upland game, and serving as all-purpose hunting companions, their coats should be kept short and neat.  If not then their long and straggly curls will latch onto every stray; twigs, burr, pieces of debris, etc.

If your wavy or curly-coated dog is to be shown then their coats should be cut into a neat shape, and this precise method of scissoring the curly coat takes a lot of time and work. Owners who keep curly-coated sporting breeds for hunting and as pets are much more likely to clip them down with an electric clipper to a length of about 2 inches (with the exception of the Curly-coated Retriever, whose coat is short enough that it doesn’t require clipping).

The following are six steps to groom your wavy or curly-coated sporting breed.

1. Before bathing your dog, brush out the entire coat with a pin brush and/or a slicker brush to remove as much dead coat as possible.  This will also help eliminate tangle. Remove mats with a mat comb or coat rake, or cut through them with scissors.

2. Next, run a comb through the entire coat to make sure you have removed every tangle.  This step may take some time because you do not want to comb too fast and yank out any hair from the skin.

3. Scissor the leg hair evenly, removing excess hair.

4. Cut hair from under the foot and between the foot pads.  The foot should look rounded and should blend in with the leg hair, appearing like a powder puff over the foot.

5. Clip down torso to 2 inches, or scissor off fuzz and shape by scissoring the sides to tidy up. Shape the sides and rear to best match the shape of the breed. An imperfect form can be slightly adjusted by the shape in which you trim the curly coat. Make sure to take off just a little at a time, periodically standing back to check the shape of the dog.  It is also good to have a picture of a well-groomed specimen of your breeds in order to have a better idea of the proper way of trimming.

6. After the bath, do not blow-dry or brush the body coat. Let the curls or waves air-dry naturally in order for them to stay intact.

Although many dog owners and dog trainers have traditionally used raisins and grapes as treats, RAISINS AND GRAPES IN LARGE QUANTITIES CAN BE LETHAL TO DOGS.  As few as a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill; however, of the 10 cases reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), each dog ingested between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins.

If your dog has ingested large quantities of raisins or grapes, (s)he will immediately begin to vomit repeatedly, and will become extremely hyperactive and jittery.  After about 24 hours, the dog will become lethargic and depressed.  (S)he may experience abdominal pain and may stop urinating, drinking, and/or eating.   (S)he will also become dehydrated.  Both his/her vomit and feces will contain partially digested raisins or grapes.  His/her breathing may become irregular, and (s)he will also become hypercalcemic (high calcium concentrations) and hyperphosphosphatemic.

Ultimately, without treatment, the dog will go into renal (kidney) failure, and may die a horrible very painful death.  Of the 10 reported cases, only 5 dogs survived, & these only with early, aggressive, &  long-term treatment.

The best cure for an overdose, of course, is prevention.  Because dogs can get hold of raisins or grapes from a variety of sources—the kitchen counter, the coffee table, vines in a private vineyard, a child’s lunch box—DOG PROOF YOUR VINEYARDS & REMOVE RAISINS AND GRAPES FROM CANINE REACH.  Do not feed your dog raisins/grapes as treats so that you can avoid him/her “getting a taste for them”.  Remember that raisins are even more concentrated (and hence more toxic) than grapes—approximately 4 pounds of grapes equal 1 pound of raisins.  The APCC also warns that any substance in large doses can be toxic.

However, if you suspect your dog has eaten a large amount of raisins or grapes, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately, and have them contact the Animal Poison Control Center for assistance.  Have your veterinarian initiate decontamination measures, and administer fluids and/or dialysis to assist/restart the dog’s kidneys.   Be aware that initially your veterinarian may suspect rat poison as the above symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of rat poison.

The APCC is still unable to determine the cause of renal (kidney) failure.  Possibilities include 1) an agent in grapes and raisins themselves; 2) fungicides, herbicides, or pesticides contamination; 3) heavy metals; 4) high amounts of Vitamin D; or 5) fungus or mold contamination.

By Lauren Shifflett,  Hyattsville, MD

Whether your dog’s ears are long and droopy, or short and catlike, they require attention to make sure that they stay clean and free of problems. Ears produce wax, trap dirt, grow hair, retain moisture, and can easily develop infections when they are neglected.  Check your dog’s ears every day.  lf your dog is used to you handling his ears then he will be more comfortable with it when a professional groomer or vet has to examine them.  In addition, spend more time making sure the ears are clean during grooming sessions. 

Below are eight suggestions that you can apply to make sure that your dog’s ears are in good condition:

1. First, examine your dog’s ears. Check the outside for tangles and parasites, which often gravitate toward the ears. Check the insides for dirt and excessive wax buildup. Your dog’s ears should be clean. A little ear wax is normal, but large amounts of ear wax that looks reddish brown or streaky or smells funny should be consulted with the vet. 

2. Next, check for hair inside the ear. Ear tiny hair can trap dirt, bacteria, and moisture inside the ear canal, causing infection.  If you like, you may trim the hair inside the ears for a neater appearance.

3. To trim ear hair, pull the ear back over the dog’s head, laying it flat against the skull. This will shut off the delicate parts of the ear canal.

4. For dog ears that contain long ear hair; pluck out each hair with your fingers. If you find this difficult, dip your fingers in a little ear powder to make it easier to grasp the hairs. Don’t pluck out more than two hairs at one time because this could be painful for your dog. You may use ear hair forceps, which are small tweezers made for plucking ear hair but again, only pluck one or two hairs at a time.

5. If the hair is short and hard to pluck, or if you prefer to cut rather than pluck, you can clip each hair with a small, blunt-tipped scissors.

6. Dust the ears with medicated ear powder if they are prone to infection.  Most powders sold in pet stores will do just fine and will not cause any adverse reactions.

7. If the ears are very dirty, gently pull the ear out away from the skull to open up the ear canal and place a few drops of ear wash or mineral oil inside.  Massage the base of the ear to work the cleanser down the canal.  Hold the ear down for a minute to let the fluid enter the ear canal, then release your dog and let him shake his head a few times to loosen the ear wax.  Check ears again and clear out loosened wax with a cotton ball or cotton swab dipped in ear wash or mineral oil.

8. For dogs with droopy ears, remember to keep all hair under the ear opening and on the inside flap of the ear trimmed short. This will increase air flow to the ear and reduce the chance of infections.

The Healing Power of Dogs      New York Times

Dogs have long had special standing in the medical world. Trained to see for the blind, hear for the deaf and move for the immobilized, dogs have become indispensable companions for people with disabilities.

But dogs appear to be far more than four-legged health care workers. Over the years, data on the larger role dogs play in health has trickled out from various corners of the world. One Japanese study found pet owners made 30 percent fewer visits to doctors. A Melbourne study of 6,000 people showed that owners of dogs and other pets had lower cholesterol, blood pressure and heart attack risk compared with people who didn’t have pets. Obviously, the better health of pet owners could be explained by a variety of factors, but many experts believe companion animals improve health at least in part by lowering stress.

Dogs, in particular, also have been shown to do remarkable things to improve the health of their owners. There are stories of dogs warning their owners of imminent health threats. In 2003, University of Florida researchers published a report in the journal Seizure noting that some dogs seem to have an innate ability to detect impending seizures. A 2000 report in the British Medical Journal examined case studies of dogs alerting people with diabetes of a coming hypoglycemic episode.

More recently, some studies have suggested dogs can be cancer detectors. In 2006, the medical journal Integrative Cancer Therapies reported how ordinary house dogs could identify breast and lung cancer patients by smelling their breath. A University of Maine study is testing whether dogs can sniff out ovarian cancer.

The role dogs play in medicine is celebrated in a new book, “Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs’’ (Alyson Books, 2007), which chronicles the numerous ways dogs contribute to our health. Author Sharon Sakson is a journalist and television producer, dog breeder and American Kennel Club dog-show judge. She admits to being biased about her subject matter, and she tends to write about the mundane details of dogs and their owners. Much of the evidence surrounding dogs and health is anecdotal, although Ms. Sakson includes many references to published research. The stories of service dogs are particularly impressive, as is the nascent research into dogs’ ability to detect cancer.

Ms. Sakson said she first began thinking about the link between dogs and health while reporting an earlier book on men and dogs. A few men she interviewed who had AIDS credited their dogs with playing a role in their improved health.

While Ms. Sakson says more studies are needed to show exactly what role dogs play in health, any dog owner already knows the benefits of their relationship with their pet.

“I went into it because I loved my dogs — they can do so much for our society,’’ said Ms. Sakson. “There’s no question they give us emotional support.’’