Every pet that is loved, works for their “Pet Parents”. Don’t belittle the companionship and don’t forget the unconditional live. Many pets have important obligations and are depended upon to keep individuals safe and many more guide and help incapaciated people and other animals. At the end of the article I will give information to make sure your pet has the best and safest nutrition available for a happy and rewarding life.

Have you ever watched as a “Guide Dog” stops a blind person at a stoplight? A period of training gives a guide dog the ability to safely help someone exist in a sightless world. The guide dog also gives unconditional companionship through its bond with the owner. The owner’s safety is paramount in the working mind of the dog. These two have a relationship as great as any human relationship.

How about the safety to all of us who travel? Have you ever watched a drug or explosive sniffing dog operate at an airport? It’s a fantastic sight! Because of a dog’s super sensitive nose (approximately 400 times more sensitive than a humans) he can detect even traceable amounts of those substances. We must be thankful for the safety they afford us.

Recent studies and tests indicate that dogs can detect cancer. Remarkable and reassuring that medical science can utilize this animal ability in this day of technology.

Did you know Pets are good for your health?

Arthritis sufferers find relief from having a dog present, possibly because of more activity required to care or nurture an animal.

Cancer patients, especially children, had reduced stress in the trauma of cancer treatments. Emotional distress was also reduced.

In a test at Brooklyn College, a test was done concerning heart attack victims that found dog owners

were eight times more likely to survive beyond a year past the attack. Possibly due to the need for walking the dog whereby gaining exercise time.

Alzheimer’s disease patients also appeared more alert and had fewer behavioral problems when a dog was a resident of the facility.

Nursing homes commonly have pets to soothe and comfort patients as well as helping with exercise programs.

Numerous books are available concerning pets and their interaction with people and how they can also teach as well as nurture humans.

A passing note: Pets sleep when they are tired, eat when hungary and give love unconditionally. Maybe we can learn a lot from them!

We should consider very critically the foods we feed our pets. My investigation shows many raw materials are of questionable value and contain possible lethal ingredients. Never assume the label tells all the information. Investigate fully and make sure the pet foods are nutritionally healthy and be aware of the possible pharmaceuticals, preservatives and harmful items within. Find more information or contact Mr. Monson through:

http://www.NotablePets.smmsite.com

Copyright 2007 Richard Monson

Richard Monson
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/all-pets-workreward-them-with-good-health-and-kindness-125566.html

In a word YES!

And being an intelligent dog has its own advantages and
drawbacks.

Here are a few tips for making your Pit Bulls training
experience fun and rewarding for both of you…

Pit Bulls are quick to learn.

This also means that Pit Bulls have a mind of their own, which
would sometimes show up as stubbornness. Thus, they can be
harder to train than most other dogs due to their independence.

As an owner you must understand Pit Bull’s
intelligence/stubbornness, handle it well, and you can avoid
problems in disciplining and training this unique breed.

As owners, you must maintain respect between you and your Pit
Bulls. Respect goes both ways.

Respect their intelligence. Love them. Set the rules for
behavior. Trust them. There is no need for extreme measures to
show Pit Bulls that you are the top dog.

Handle their hard-headedness with patient and don’t give up on
their training.

And because they are stubborn, conventional obedience training
may not be the most effective way to get them to listen to you.
Utilize their high play drive for more effective obedience
training.

Conduct “play training” where by the training tasks are made
into fun games and the Pit Bull’s high play drive is used as
motivation. There are a lot of really good books available on
this type of training.

Basically Pit Bulls are intelligent and could be stubborn. So
you have to outwit them! While training your Pit Bull, you have
to make him WANT to do what you want him to. You can’t make him
do stuff unless it is FUN. Otherwise you are wasting both your
time and his.

Your Pit Bull’s favorite activities should become training, so
that training becomes his favorite activity.

Pit Bulls LOVE to play! You will have the happiest Pit Bull in
the world and most obedient if you will just spend some time,
giving them your undivided attention everyday. Otherwise they
feel ignored, bored and will tear or chew things up and will not
listen to you.

Pit Bulls have very powerful jaws. This makes buying toys that
last, not the easiest thing to do.

PawsUp Pet Supply.com has a program for choosing appropriate
toys for your dog’s size, energy level and chewing temperament
means toys last longer which saves you money. Start by
identifying your dog’s breed then click to view our
recommendations.

“They [dogs] never talk about themselves but listen to you while
you talk about yourself, and keep up an appearance of being
interested in the conversation.” – Jerome K. Jerome

Je Dunn
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/are-pit-bulls-an-intelligent-breed-3388.html

There are as many ways to raise a puppy as there are to raising a child. In fact, one way per family in general! But most of us agree that when it comes to children, certain things are universal and undisputed. Here are three things that a lot of people just do not think of when it comes to raising their dogs, however. How many times have we heard, “My dog just won’t listen to me”, or “He just won’t behave!”

1. Dogs do not understand English until we teach them.

   The thing we all love about puppies the most is the way they live for us, the way they focus all they have on us, the way our lives become theirs. in the beginning, they study us to learn our body language, our facial expressions and our language. Until we teach them the English language, it’s all they have. If we say, “Wanna go out?” one day, “Have to go potty?” the next day, and, “Hafta pee?” the third day, if they DO figure out what we want, it is because we have picked up the leash and moved toward the door with a happy face! If you want to speed up his training by three-fold, teach him YOUR language. Pick a command for EACH behavior and stick with it. Tell all in your family to use the same words and commands, and your puppy will amaze you at how much faster he learns.

2. A young puppy’s metabolism is racing along faster than we think.

   The younger your puppy is, the faster he is growing, the more food and water he needs to fuel his metabolism, and the more often he has to go potty. Do not punish your puppy when he makes a house-breaking mistake. These are YOUR fault. Your puppy’s age in weeks and his breed size determine how often he must go out. Once an hour is not too often for a large 6-week old puppy, especially if it is summertime. Dogs love the exciting smells outdoors, so there is no excuse to not have him housebroken by 7-8 weeks of age. Right after a nap, after he eats and after grooming are the key times, and he will signal you. If he is happily chewing a toy and gets up suddenly with his nose to the floor, move quickly! And every time he goes potty outside
   , praise him to high heaven! “What a good BOYY!”, “GOOD go potty!” and the like. Dogs love our happy faces, and they will do anything to get it.

3. Dogs live for our facial expressions and body language.

   Because of this, the worst punishment you ever need to give your dog is a scowl and to turn away from him. You can see his tail fall down and his face get so sad. He will learn the lesson, I guarantee it. But his attention span is only 3-5 minutes, so do not scorn him any longer. Love him up and give him your happy face again. Physical punishment is never necessary. Use consistent commands and loving praise and he will know what you want of him before you know. He will become a master of your body language and facial expressions in no time at all.

   Naturally there are many aspects of training your puppy well. Loving kindness works just as well for puppies as it does with children, creating a happy, well-adjusted and obedient dog for life. These three important tips, used consistently with confidence, will start him well on his way.

Dy Witt
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/3-things-to-remember-when-training-your-puppy-42273.html

There are many different dog training techniques that are out
there today. Many people often don’t realize that dog training
courses often utilize different dog training techniques.

Some of these dog training techniques work better than others.

Whether you are going to a dog training course or if you are
doing the dog training yourself… wouldn’t you rather know
which dog training technique is the best?

If you answered yes to that question then you should know that
positive dog training is the best technique to use.

Positive dog training is quickly becoming the preferred method
of dog training. If you would like to learn more about positive
dog training techniques, please read on.

Positive dog training techniques involve using only praise and
positive reinforcement.

This means, positive dog training rewards your dog for good
behavior or when it performs a command correctly.

The rewards used in this type of dog training can be treats,
kind words, a pat on the head, etc. It has been found that dogs
respond much better to positive dog training.

Positive dog training techniques never involve hitting,
spanking, scolding, or punishing your dog in any manner. Dogs do
not do well with any form of negative dog training.

Now we will go over some examples of positive Dog Training
techniques. Let us say that you are beginning your dog training
by teaching your dog to sit. When your dog sits, reward it with
a treat and tell it what a good dog it is.

Another example of positive dog training is to use praise and
treats when your dog goes to the bathroom when and where it is
supposed to. Dogs will soon learn to relate to doing this when
and where it should because it gets rewarded for it.

Thus your dog will be potty trained much faster. When using
positive dog training, your voice should always be happy and
pleasant. Dogs will want to do as you ask when they get rewarded
by any positive means.

This is why positive dog training works much better than any
other type of dog training.

Now that you understand what positive dog training is, you may
wish to start some of these techniques yourself. You can find
dog training courses that use positive techniques and you can
also utilize these techniques on your own.

With positive reinforcement, praise, and rewards, your dog is
sure to learn much faster and be happier doing so. You will then
be happier as well and you will also find that the dog training
will go much easier.

With that in mind, you can truly see how positive dog training
techniques will give you positive results

Amy Howells
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/positive-dog-training-techniques-3437.html

With your dog’s sharp and pointy teeth, of course all chewing are destructive but what I am referring to destructive chewing is the inappropriate chewing behavior of your dog focused on your own possessions and household items (carpets, bed, clothing, slippers, etc.) instead on his own chew toys. You need to know how to prevent the destructive chewing behavior of your dog.

It is a natural desire for dogs to chew. Some dogs chew because they find it pleasurable and some dogs chew out of nervousness, boredom and loneliness. Chewing is an outlet for his emotions and it is comforting and soothing for him. As a pet owner it is your duty to prevent the destructive chewing behavior of your dog.

Dogs are naturally intelligent creature and you can teach them to stop their destructive chewing behavior. All you need are the right techniques and a little effort. Here are some tips:

Dog proof your home. This is one way to prevent the destructive chewing behavior of your dog. Dogs naturally explore things with their mouth and it is your duty to dog proof your home. Put things (books, camera, remote controls, cell phones etc.) out of his reach. Consider if he can climb or jump to reach the desired object and place your things out of his reach. Do not leave food on the table that he can reach and always clean your plates and do not leave food scrap on the sink.

Confined him in a dog proof area. This will prevent him from destructive chewing behavior. Make him understand that shoes, pillows, furniture, etc. are off limits and illegal to chew. Confined him in his own dog proof area until he understands that there are house rules that he needs to follow and chewing your possessions is not allowed.

Do not confuse your dog. To prevent him from destructive chewing behavior, do not offer him your stuffs that you no longer use like old clothes, shoes etc. to chew and play with. He cannot distinguish the difference between your old stuffs and the stuffs you are still using. Just make him understand that all your stuffs are off limits and illegal to chew.

Give him tasty alternative to your stuffs. Buy him a few chew toys that he can play or chew. There are certain ages for dogs that chewing behavior are more pronounced especially when he is teething. Giving him chew toys and rotating different toys every few days will keep things new and exciting for him and prevent him from destructive chewing behavior.

Give signals and warnings when you caught him chewing your stuffs. Clap your hands or say “No” to stop him from his destructive chewing behavior. Then hand him his chew toy and as soon as he chew the appropriate alternative, praise him and let him feel that you are happy for his obedience.

Keep your expectations realistic. Always remember that your dog is not perfect and it will take time for him to learn everything and stop his destructive chewing behavior. You have to expect that there will be at least one or few incidents where your stuffs will be damaged by his curiosity.

Do you want to put an end to the stress and annoyance of your dog behavior problems and slash your Dog Obedience training time in half by using techniques that give you immediate results? For more information on how to stop your dog’s behavior problems like destructive chewing behavior visit Dogs’ Corner

Gerry Restrivera
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/how-to-prevent-the-destructive-chewing-behavior-of-dogs-749567.html

Learning how to train a puppy is not really that hard, if you know how to go about it, either through past experience, or by using a training guide from someone who does. The trick is to have patience, and be persisten

Your new puppy has a natural desire to please you, and just needs to have the rules explained, the same as a small child growing up. Without being told the rules, your home is just a big playground to you new puppy.

Dogs are very intelligent creatures, and will usually learn quickly. When you visit the park with your untrained dog and the person next to you is playing Frisbee with their german shepherd and a poodle across the way is sitting patiently rather than attacking joggers, it is easy to think your dog should know these behaviors too.

We tend to forget the many hours of training that have been put into these well behaved dogs.  Your dog can have these same qualities, but it will take time for these lessons to be learned.  Do not expect your dog to learn all of these routines over night. 

Dogs are pack animals and quickly decide who is the leader and who is the follower.  If you do not take the leadership role from the beginning, you can be assured that your pet will.  A dog without a master will run amok and will quickly get into trouble chasing cars and people, destroying property and making a nuisance of itself. 

For this reason, it is important to begin training at an early age, before bad habits set in. When beginning to train your puppy, choose simple commands and stick with them. Commands like, sit, stay, and heel, are simple and easy to understand. This makes it easy for your puppy.

It is easy to forget that dogs do not understand our language. If we bury the command word in a sentence, they may not know what we are asking them to do. By keeping the commands simple – like saying sit – or put their name with the command – like Sandy sit – you will get better results.

If you don’t feel confident doing this on your own, there are many books and videos created by people that specialize in this field that can be a big help in training your puppy. To read more Click Here

Being consistent is a big part of successful puppy and Dog Training. Rewarding for good behavior, and following commands is also important. Even if it is just a pat on the head, and a good boy or good girl, it is very important to your pet.

Learning how to train a puppy properly, is worth all the effort it takes. Having a well trained dog that behaves, does not jump on visitors, and that you are comfortable with in any situation, makes it all worth while.

How To Train A Puppy

Glenn Downer
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/how-to-train-a-puppy-680213.html

Many people have begun the task of getting there dog or puppy
into a dog training school. There are a lot of aspects that are
gone over in dog training classes. Unfortunately, one part of
dog training that is not gone over very well in dog training
classes is chewing.

It is hard to go over a chewing problem in dog training classes
because dogs often have nothing to chew on or destroy while in
the class! If you are one of those people who are in dog
training classes, but you still need help with chewing, please
read on.

This type of dog training can be for dogs young and old. Many
people find this part of dog training to be more common in
puppies. But older dogs have been know to need this type of dog
training because they love to chew things up while their owners
are away!

To begin this type of dog training, you must first realize that
all dogs chew. Dogs need to chew. So when you begin, make sure
you have several things that are ok for your dog to chew on.
Then begin your dog training by keeping all of your dogs chewing
toys in one location.

This way, your dog will learn to associate this spot with his or
her chew toys. You must do this in order for this type of dog
training to work. Try to have the dog toys in a “toy box” for
your dog.

During this dog training, never spank or hit your dog if you
catch it chewing on something it is not allowed to. Instead, for
effective dog training, praise your dog and pet it when it chews
on what it is supposed to chew on.

It has been shown that dogs respond much better to positive
praise and positive dog training. If the dog continues to chew
on things that it shouldn’t, verbally reprimand it. Your tone of
voice will be enough punishment and is the only punishment
necessary for this kind of dog training.

Another method of dog training you can try is to put a taste
deterrent on the items your dog shouldn’t chew. This Dog
Training chew deterrent is called “bitter apple” and it is
available at most pet stores.

These are the most effective means of dog training that will
teach your dog not to chew on inappropriate things. If you
follow all of these aspects, your dog training should go more
smoothly.

Dog Training can be a fun and rewarding experience…as long as
all of your favorite things aren’t chewed up in the process!
Keep calm and be patient to achieve good results

Amy Howells
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/dog-training-how-to-stop-the-chewing-problem-3439.html

West Highland Terrier Dogs – When setting out to find a Westie is right for your lifestyle and your family, you have to consider a few things first. Bear in mind that owning a Westie is a very special experience and the fact is that you are adding a member to your family. Therefore you are about to bring a major change to your life.

Moreover, a healthy Westie can live for 12-15 years or more, so it is important for you and your future Westie, that you give all this some serious thought. You must be prepared to invest considerable time, money and patience in training your Westie to be a good companion.

Make sure your Westie gets enough attention and exercise. Spend the money it takes to provide proper veterinary care including but certainly not limited to:

Annual vaccines
Heartworm testing
Monthly year-round preventive
Spaying/neutering.

Keep the breeder informed and updated on the Westies accomplishments and problems. Have the patience to accept responsibility for the Westie despite inevitable life changes such as new babies, kids going off to school, divorce, relocation, or returning to work.

All you need to do is just take your time and find a Westie that matches your lifestyle. Most of all, don’t get a Westie on impulse or because it is trendy. Trends just come and go, but your Westie will stay with you for a longer time.

You’ll probably see lots of adorable puppies. But try to think of your future Westie as an adult. Every puppy is a cute ball of fluff, but you need to know what it will grow up to be.

You can begin by studying the breed’s history, as it is common knowledge that all breeds were developed to perform a specific function. If you know that purpose and the history of the breed, then you will have a good idea of its needs, its temperament and personality and you will be best prepared for a long-lasting, successful relationship.

Bear also in mind that having a Westie creates responsibilities. Also make sure you will have quality time to spend with your Westie. There are many resources to help you in your search. Start at surfing the Internet, searching for more information on Westies, as well as on clubs and kennels.

Here are some other suggestions. Take a look at some of the many books, magazines, web sites and videos you have at hand. Consult with your local all breed club, boarding kennel, or veterinarian. Go to a Westie show and talk to Westie breeders and owners, when they are not busy grooming or showing.You can also test to see what Westie you should choose to match your lifestyle.

Also called the Westie, this terrier has its origins, as the name already suggests, in the western Scottish highlands.

In this sheer and rocky landscape, small robust terriers were used for the hunt on foxes, wildcats, otters and badgers. The exhausting hunt, usually in the pack, required much courage and endurance as the hard climate required. Beside the hunt, the Westies were also put into the guarding of house and yard of their owner.

It is probable that the West Highland White Terrier and all the terriers of Scotland came from the same stock. The Scotties, Cairns, Dandie Dinmonts, and West Highland Whites are branches from the same tree and its roots.

The most important branch of the predecessors of the Westie was in the 18th Century from the Poltalloch terriers of the Colonel Malcolm from Argyllshir.

As the legend goes, a reddish Westie of his, emerging from cover, was mistakenly shot for a fox. Malcolm is said to have decided on the spot to breed only white Westies that could be readily identified in the field.

The breed was listed officially as the West Highland White Terrier in 1907 at the Crufts Westie show in England. The name was chosen for the rugged character of the Westies and the area of their development.

Westies were originally bred for controlling the population of rats, fox, otter and other vermin. Nowadays, this charming terrier is mostly bred as a companion or family Westie. The Westie belongs to the Terrier group and has full recognition of the most important Kennel Clubs worldwide.

Jeff Cuckson
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/west-highland-terrier-dogs-are-they-right-for-your-lifestyle-79505.html

When we talk about a dog being part of the family, it’s usually because the family took the time to socialize the animal when he was a puppy. The term socialization isn’t necessarily training, it just involves teaching the dog what others expect of them. There are many things that a new puppy should be taught if you want to end up with a great member of the family. These include:

Not peeing in the house. The idea that certain parts of your home make an acceptable place to relieve themselves should be strongly discouraged. It’s only through learning this behavior will your new found friend ever be considered trustworthy enough to be left alone in your home.

Don’t bite. While puppies are naturally curious and playful, biting should not be allowed. It’s during those first few formidable months that the pecking order of your family becomes established. A pet should never be considered alpha dog in the family but be subservient to all humans. This means that although roughhousing and playing around is fine, biting is definitely not acceptable.

Sit. While this is a learned behavior, having control of your dog is critical to them being part of your family. You don’t need a full-grown dog to charge the door each time the doorbell rings. You may however consider it a positive thing when someone comes to the door that your dog announces the visitor by barking then sits obediently at the door. This can add a measure of safety and put the visitor on notice that a dog is also home.

While there are many other behaviors, you can train your dog to do, socialization should start almost immediately. Showing your new puppy what you expect is easy to do, provided that you are a consistent teacher. The key to teaching your dog anything new is to realize that they have a very short attention span and they want to please you. This means that even during socialization or formal training, any effort to teach a new behavior should be fun.

When you first get a new puppy, it’s important that you keep them confined and under control. There’s no point in allowing bad habits to develop that will only need to be broken in the future. This is a good reason why allowing your puppy to potty or relieve themselves in the house on newspapers or piddle pads is not the best way to house train your dog.

Crate training works because it uses your dogs natural instinct of keeping the sleeping area clean. This, along with consistent visits outside and lots of praise will result in your puppy not only getting the idea of what makes you happy, but also helps with the socialization aspect of his young life. Visit the link below for more information on how to quickly house train your dog using the very effective crate training method.

While socialization and formal training may be similar, training looks for certain reliable actions from the animal. With socialization, we give your new best friend a lot of slack in doing the behavior.

Abigail Franks
http://www.articlesbase.com/Pets-articles/puppy-training-and-socialization-108474.html

One thing that scares a lot of people away from getting a dog is having to take it for walks throughout the day. This nuisance can be eliminated by training the dog to go in a litter box. Litter box training a dog is often seen as an impossible task, but with the right tools, it is actually fairly easy. Here are the 3 simple steps.

1. You must obtain all the necessary products to begin training. Obviously, you will need a litter box so you can start showing the dog it’s new area for potty. Another necessity is dog litter or cat litter. At the pet store, they will recommend you this “new and improved” dog litter. I haven’t had any more success with this than I have with the kitty litter. You can go ahead and choose whichever you want, but personally, I could recommended either one and be happy doing so. Another absolute necessity is a spray product with a pheromone scent. Write this word down, and take it in to the nearest pet store and ask them if they have a spray with the pheromone chemical in it. This chemical is found in urine and when a dog sniffs it, it causes them to want to use the bathroom, because their “territorial marking” senses kick in.

2. If your dog is on a schedule to go outside already, this will be much easier for you than those who haven’t even house broken their Pets or haven’t put their dog on a schedule. If on a schedule, when it is time to go outside, put the leash on and get ready like you are taking them outside for a walk. But instead of going outside, bring them to the litter box and spray a little bit of the pheromone in the litter. This helps with litter box training a dog because they will then go in the litter box, and after a couple times, they will realize this is the right place to go!

3. When litter box training a dog, the litter changing is the exact same as with a cat. You remove all of the waste, or just dump out all of the litter, and then you replace the old with new litter! Best of luck to you!

Check out the resource box below to find out more information on how to train a dog to use a litterbox.

It is almost that easy to train a dog to use a litterbox… But there is one important aspect that cannot be left out. If you really want to be successful in litterbox training your dog,feel free to visit my site where I disclose the full method. View the full version of this article here.

Fil Schwartz
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/train-a-dog-to-use-a-litter-box-litterbox-training-a-dog-718375.html