Dog Blog

Dog Lover's Blog - Training Your Yorkshire Terrier or Small Breed Dog

This Blog is devoted to dogs and dog lovers everywhere. I believe that dogs are the most wonderful creatures in the world and deserve the best that we as humans can provide for them. To learn more about training your Yorkshire terrier or other small breed dog, visit Yorkshire Terriers Are The Best.

  I found out that my dacshund, Jack, has diabetes about one year ago. I will now be focusing more on how to care for a diabetic dog and sharing my findings with my readers.   

Micah and Sarah

                                                                         Jack

4th of July Fireworks And Your Small Dog

In the United States the fourth of July marks the national holiday of Independence Day. For your dog, this can mean a day that is not very pleasant at all. If you are thinking about leaving your dog alone on the 4^th of July, here are some things to think about that might change your mind.

Fireworks can be loud and frightening. Your pet needs some extra care and attention to ensure this day is not damaging, either physically or emotionally. The booms, cracks, and pops of fireworks, even from distances far away from your home, may have a strong effect on even the most docile of dogs.

Dogs can get so anxious that they become frantic, and they can then start becoming very destructive. Some dogs jump through plate glass windows, tear up drywall and doors, and look for anything to destroy. The destruction of property is in addition to the injuries they can sustain during this time.

Many veterinarians prescribe sedatives to pet owners to help their dogs remain calm.  These sedatives lower the dog’s blood pressure and help to mellow them out. But drugs are not always the best solution to this situation.

Your dog may attempt to jump the fence in a panic just to escape the noise, and many dogs go missing when they run away out of fear. Another option is to

Natural Dog Food Recipes - Does That Help With Oral Health?

This is a guest post by author Barbar E Underdown.

Is it really important to provide natural dog food recipes or just buy commercial pet food?

Is this your dog? You walk through the door and your dog is so delighted to see you that he has a smile on his face and his tail is wagging so hard you think it is going to fly off? What about his smile? Are his teeth and gums healthy and pink or are they disgusting and smell foul?

If your dog is having challenges with fresh breath and a nice healthy mouth, then this is probably due to his diet. Natural dog food recipes and general diet can help improve it immensely.

Like humans, dogs too have similar problems with bad breath and unhealthy teeth and mouth. We clean our teeth and gums regularly and we need to pay special attention to our best friends mouth too.

Have good natural dog food recipes can relieve any problems that may otherwise mean have teeth extracted and the chore of physically cleaning his teeth all the time. You will find when your dog's diet is nutritionally sound and contains all the essential nutrients including enzymes, then your dog's health will be at its peak.

Dry dog foods like kibble is better than the canned moist varieties. The hard surface of the kibble rubs against the teeth and removes and reduces plaque and tartar.

Raw dog bones are

Yorshire Terrier Training Tips

I think Yorkshire terriers are wonderful pets, but they do have a personality that requires more attention than some other dog breeds. In fact, your Yorkie is almost like a small child when it comes to needing love, affection, and attention from you. Here are some ways to make sure you spend enough time with your dog.

If you have more than one dog at your house, see if you can arrange to have time with each one alone. Particularly your Yorkshire terrier will look forward to this daily time that you will spend only with her. You can take turns spending time with each dog so that neither one feels neglected.

I let each of my dogs spend about 15 minutes alone with me each day. During that time I hold them, rub their tummies, and talk to them in a soft voice. It is my way of showing them how much I love them and giving them my complete attention without having to compete with the other dogs.

You can also look for ways to spend more time with your Yorkie. Going to the park, walking in the neighborhood, and watching television together are some great ways to spend quality time with your dog. She will feel loved and appreciated when you do this, Dogs do not understand why people go away. They believe that everyone should stay together all of the time. By sharing your life with your dog you are acknowledging these feelings. This will also make the training process so much easier.

Aging Pets - 9 Signs Your Pet May Have Arthritis

This is a guest post by author Tina Clark.

We love our pets and treat them just like family members. And the adoration and attention we give to them is beyond reciprocated, as any pet owner will attest. When we walk in the front door, Fido greets us with more focused energy than the most ambitious doorman at the Ritz Carlton and with an equal amount of enthusiasm, whether we've just gotten back from a ten-minute jaunt to the post office or returned from a 21-day Mediterranean cruise. Moreover, studies have shown that pet owners live longer than their "petless" counterparts.

One of the saddest truths of pet ownership, however, is seeing our furry friend come to the end of its life much sooner than we expect and, certainly, much earlier than we care to acknowledge. It's crucial that we, as caretakers of our beloved pets, do our utmost to ensure that the health and happiness of our animals is maximally tended to during their short stay in our homes and hearts.  One very common ailment that our pet may experience during its lifetime is arthritis.  According to the Arthritis Foundation, here are 9 signs that your pet may be suffering from this degenerative disease:

1.  Difficulty sitting or standing

2.  Favoring a limb

3.  Weight gain

4.  Decreased activity or less interest in play

5.  Sleeping more

6.  Hesitancy to jump, run or climb stairs

7.  Being less alert

8.  Attitude or behavior changes

9.  Seeming to have stiff or sore joints

If you feel your pet is exhibiting any of these signs or symptoms, a visit to your veterinarian for an arthritis evaluation would be well-advised. The best thing you can do for your pet is to get a diagnosis and begin a recommended treatment plan as soon as possible.  In so doing, you just may be extending the life and/or quality of living for your pet.  And for that, they will be eternally grateful.

To learn more about how you may help your pet achieve better health, visit http://www.healthypet.mobi

Stop Barking Now - How To Train Your Yorkshire Terrier To Stop Barking

My Yorkshire terrier, Sarah, used to bark at every sound. Whether it was the sound of me turning on my computer or a truck passing by on the road below our house, she would begin to bark and just not stop.

 

She is three years old now, so I knew it was up to me to make it stop. The training I have used suggests comforting her when there is a loud noise, so I pick her up when there is something that scares her and this seems to work fairly well.

 

Yorkies will also bark when they are hungry, tired, or alone. I have other dogs, so she is rarely alone, except when I am giving her some one on one time away from the other dogs. I do this with each of them for about fifteen minutes each day, just as you would do when you have several children in your home.

 

In the beginning I would call her name loudly when she began to bark. This seemed to only make the problem worse, so now I just go over to her and sit down on the floor next to where she is. In a soft voice I talk to her about what is going on. Again, you will find that this is much like what you would do with a frightened child.

 

Over time your Yorkie will begin to understand and trust you to keep her safe and to meet her daily needs. Incessant barking is uncomfortable for everyone, so it must be stopped, or at least kept to a minimum. Training on a regular basis will work very well. I found this training program that was easy to implement and successful with stopping the incessant barking.

Finding A Solution To Dog Barking

This is a guest post by Jimmy Fisher.

Solving your dog barking can be one huge mystery that a dog owner will not find until their dog gets older. I know that for some people it might be easy as taking their dog to a different area than where they normally go and get them used to new noises, but for others it could be even more complicated. For those who have the more complicated dogs I found this great tip that helps me out more than anything else.

The tip that I would have is not getting rid of your dog because of their barking which some of my friends have done in the past, but it would be to take your dog to some form of training to find out if it is a behavior issue that can be corrected. Now this might end up costing you some money, but it is worth it if it ends up solving your dogs barking problems.

However, you will also want to do some research on the breed of your dog because some breeds have a tendency to bark more often than others. I know that for me one of my dog breeds actually ends up barking all the time at anything that was until he got trained, but my other dog without even being trained will just sit their and stare at the one that does bark all the time like he is crazy!

While the dog breed can help

Clicker Training - Help! My Dog Won't Come When He Is Called

This is a guest post by expert Lauren McMullen. Be sure to visit her site after reading this post.

 

Has this ever happened to you? Your dog gets away without a leash by jumping out of the car door or by sneaking between your legs when you answer the front door? Maybe you have house guests and they let him out by accident.  Now he is running around the yard and your guests feel terrible.

You are already late for an appointment but you must stop to try and get him in. You call his name and pat your leg and one of three things happen. If you have heard of clicker training and done your homework, he hears your voice and runs back to you licitly split. But if not, he either trots off in the other direction to sniff all the wonderful smells or he sits down, cocks his head to the side and stares at you as if to say, “Do I know you?” How infuriating!

Because you are late and dressed in good clothes your patience is wearing thin quickly. If you are like most people, you call him nicely once or maybe twice and then you get aggravated and start marching toward him glaring and shouting his name. It’s time to teach him a lesson. You will prove who the boss is. If only you had known about clicker training.

Your dog begins to get worried. This started out as a fun jaunt in the yard but now he is confused. He really wants to come to you but you look awful angry. So he does the only reasonable thing, he runs away with his tail between his legs. The madder you become and the harder you chase him the faster he runs until you corner him next to the garage and grab him by the back of the neck. Then you scold him and spanking his butt.

Now he is sure of two things. First, you become a raving maniac for no apparent reason when you are outside of the house and when you call him something bad happens. A smart dog will never make that mistake again. If you call a dog and then punish him for not coming you are teaching him that coming to you is a bad thing.

So what should you do instead? Prevention is always best in the first place. Your dog should never be loose in an unsecured area until he will reliably come when he is called even with distractions. But if it has already happened, here is what to do. In a dangerous area, you have no choice just catch him. You can tackle him, corner him, or offer food, do whatever it takes so he does not get hurt. When you catch him don’t scold him because he will already be scared, just love on him to let him know he is safe.

If the area is safe then try to coax your dog to come to you by calling in a cheerful tone of voice. Running the other way clapping your hands sometimes works or you can try ignoring him and sitting on the ground and waiting for him to come to you. If you go inside and leave the door open he may become curious and come to you.

I can’t stress this enough, if your dog does not come when he is called and you must capture him, do not punish him no matter how mad you are. If you do, that will be his reward for allowing you to catch him. Just  take him inside without a fuss and try to act as if nothing happened.

How do you make sure this never happens to you again? The best way is to start teaching your pet to come when he is called as soon as you get him. In the beginning, practice in a controlled place such as a fenced yard or inside your house.  Use positive reinforcement every time he comes. You can either give him a pat and “Good Boy” or a small treat. Also remember even if he comes reliably in the house or in your yard it does not mean he will come reliably with distractions so you must set yourself up for success by only calling him when you are sure you can win and then gradually increasing the distractions.

Would you like to have a dog that always comes when he is called no matter the distraction? If so I invite you to check out clicker training. This is the scientific method of animal training used by marine biologists called operant conditioning. They discovered it when trying to teach tricks to dolphins and whales.  Clicker Training will help you train your dog to be both obedient and exuberant just like those dogs that run the obstacle courses that you see on Animal Planet TV. It is tons of fun for both you and your pet and it can be quite addicting.  So go to Clicker Training Your Pets and give it a try and I am sure you will be pleased.

 

Training Your Yorkshire Terrier To Stop Barking

Yorkshire terriers are a popular breed of small dog for many reasons. My Yorkie is sweet, cute, and cuddly, but she is also very stubborn and set in her own ways. If you need help training your Yorkshire terrier to stop barking, follow directions, and not go to the bathroom inside of your house, here are some of my recommendations.

First of all, remember that you are dealing with a dog, and not a person. Dogs receive information from humans in a very different way, mainly because we do not speak the same language. Also, dogs are not as intelligent as some people believe, so you need to be aware of that when you are training your Yorkie.

This means that you will need to start slowly when you begin to teach your dog anything new, or when you are reviewing something like housebreaking. Speak slowly and be aware of the tone of your voice. Dogs are most in tune with the tone and speed of our voice than of the actual words we use. If you think about this it makes complete sense.

When your Yorkshire terrier will not stop

Dog Food Recipes - Healthy Organic Dog Food Can Reduce Risk Of Diabetes In Dogs

Do you remember the olden days when we fed our dogs table scraps? Nowadays most people believe it is a bad thing to feed your dog food from the table. Many now believe that this idea was originally encouraged by the makers of commercial dog food, as a way to sell more of their canned and dried pet food.

Lately, especially after the pet food scare of early 2008, when hundreds of cats and dogs died after eating pet food tainted with poison, more and more people have returned to feeding their dogs more foods eaten by humans. It made me search for my own healthy dog food recipes, which I found through this site.

If your dog has special dietary needs, such as being diabetic or obese, the commercial dog foods simply do not offer good choices that are healthy and nutritious and meet the needs of your dog. They tend to be filled with ingredients that are not healthy at all, and also have many preservatives to extend their shelf life. We do not know for sure where the ingredients have come from because the government does not regulate packaged and canned pet food as it does food for human consumption. This alone is

Yorkshire Terriers - Recipes For Healthy Eating

Is your Yorkie overweight? You may be tempted to share your food with your Yorkie to soothe her tender tummy, but remember that dogs will eat as much as you put in front of them, so obesity and overweight may also be a problem. There are many ways to control your Yorkie or other small dog’s weight, and I will give you some suggestions on exactly how to do it.

• Feed your dog three small meals throughout the day, instead of feeding her just once a day. Just like with people, keeping the blood sugar level at any even rate, instead of allowing it to spike at different times, will keep your dog at a healthy weight. Also, the stomach acid will not be able to accumulate if you are feeding more than once each day.
• Do not give any dog treats, except on rare occasions. If you feed your dog several times each day they will not be hungry or require any additional food.
• Consider preparing