Kristopher’s Pet Blog

Anyone who has had pets will testify to how hard it is sometimes to ensure they don’t jump all over your furniture. For some reason, pets love to lie on your beds, sit on your couch and even hide in your wardrobes. Owners probably wouldn’t mind if they didn’t do any harm whilst on the furntiure, but this is often not the case. Instead they claw at your bedding, chew up your couch and get mud all over your lovely white-wardrobes. Don’t keep pulling your hair out though, here are some tips on keeping the pesky pets off.

Training. It is only by making sure your pets are trained well that you will ensure they keep off your expensive living room and bedroom-furniture. If you are lucky enough to be able to provide training from a young age then your pets will be more receptive to new training when they are older as well. Ideally you should train your pets that furniture is for humans and not for them. But at the very least they should know which places they are not allowed and to listen to your commands to get off anything they shouldn’t be on.

Pet deterrents. If your lovely pets don’t listen to you and have no respect for your property whatsoever, you may need to be a little bit craftier in your approach. Available from pet stores are products that you spray or sprinkle on your furniture to repel pets. These products often smell quite citrusy, which is one of the worst possible smells for pets as their noses are too sensitive for it.

Discipline. If you have trained your pet then they will respond better to discipline, but any animal will learn if you go about it the right way. This doesn’t mean that you should hit your pets every time they jump on the chair or bedside cabinets, but instead be consistent with how you react when they do. Don’t tell them off one day and then turn a blind eye the next as this will just confuse.Provide a good amount of praise when your pets behave, and only tell them off using a loud voice and by moving them firmly from anywhere they shouldn’t be.

Dog Training Hand Signals should be a chapter in every dog training manual. Training your dog to respond to hand signals can be fun to teach and very easy for your dog to learn, understand and obey.

Hardly any equipment or materials apart from a hungry dog and a few pieces of choice treats are the requirements to get you started and well on your way to training him or her to obey the ’sit’, ‘down’ or ‘come’ commands issued in the form of hand signals instead of verbal commands.

The first thing to do is to choose a specific and clearly identifiable hand movement or gesture to associate with each command. Getting your dog to respond to that gesture is merely the act of repetition till you succeed.

You start with issuing the verbal command performing the chosen gesture at the same time. You reward the dog with a treat each time the command is obeyed.

When there is clear and spontaneous response to the verbal command and hand signal combination, you then drop the verbal command and start over again only with the hand signal, rewarding the dog with a treat each time the hand signal is obeyed.

Repeat continuously till there is a spontaneous response to the hand signal. Drop the food reward and continue only with the hand signal till there is a clear and spontaneous response.

Now you have mastered dog training hand signals, and will be having your dog, coming to you, sitting down, or lying down near you all on the movements of your hand.

Sit.

Begin the training session by standing your dog in front of you, with your hands hanging normally and loosely by your sides and with a treat in the hand that you have chosen to use in the signal.

Begin the dog training hand signal by bringing the hand slowly and deliberately up, folding it at the same time as if you are about to throw something over. Let your movement be gradual and reward the dog with the treat as soon as it ’sits’. Repeat till there is no hesitation by the dog in responding to the command.

Repeat hand signal without verbal command till the dog responds without any hesitation, rewarding each time with a treat. Then repeat the hand signal with intermittent rewards, then one reward every three to four commands and finally no rewards at all.

Test hand signal for spontaneous response without any reward.

Down.

Begin this session by sitting your dog in front of you, with your hands hanging normally and loosely by your sides with a treat in the hand that you have chosen to use in the signal.

The hand movement for this signal would be the raising your hand above your head. Follow the same procedure as you did in the ‘Sit’ command and test finally for spontaneous response without any reward.

Come.

Begin this session with the dog in front of you, and your hands hanging normally and loosely by your sides with a treat in the hand that you have chosen to use in the signal.

The hand movement for this signal would be raising your hand to touch the opposite shoulder. If you are using your right hand touch your left shoulder.

Follow the same procedure as you did in the ‘Sit’ and ‘Down’ commands and test finally for spontaneous response without any reward.

You are now a master of Dog Training Hand Signals.

Dog Training Hand Signals and Dog Training Hand Signals
Dog Training Hand Signals

A healthy, balanced diet is essential for a long and happy life with your pet. How do you know if your dog’s diet needs supplements? What types of supplements should you add to your dog’s diet? In most cases, your dog’s diet will not need to be supplemented. Assuming you feed your pet a diet formulated by a reputable dog food company, your dog’s food is specially designed for a healthy balance to ensure excellent health for your pet.

Just as important as what your dog eats, is when you feed your dog. Similar to humans, your dog needs to eat regularly. Nutritious meals and snacks should be monitored as part of your dog’s diet. Spacing out mealtimes and snacks or treats on a feeding schedule is a good idea.

If you have decided to personalize your dog’s diet by customizing a raw diet, cooking at home for your pet, or just want to make sure your dog’s diet is at its best, you will want to know about the benefits of other supplements. Your dog’s diet can be supplemented with whole grains, green vegetables, and nuts. These items will increase your dog’s intake of vitamin B. Other ways to supplement your dog’s diet to increase the amount of vitamin B include beans, yeast, and liver. Your dog needs vitamin B in a healthy, balanced diet to support healthy skin and muscles.Depending on your dog’s age and health, you will want to devise a feeding schedule that supports your dog’s diet and nutritional needs. Adult dogs may only need to eat at one time during the day, but two mealtimes are preferred.

To ward off immune system deficiencies, supplement your dog’s diet with additional vitamin E. Good sources of vitamin E can be found in wheat germ, bran, and vegetable oil. Vitamin K can be another important nutrient in your dog’s diet. Liver, fish, leafy greens, and seeds can provide vitamin K to your dog’s diet. This vitamin will help to enhance your dog’s blood clotting abilities.Glucosamine can be a great supplement in your dog’s diet. Glucosamine has been proven to improve joint health and ward off arthritis in your pet.Supplementing your dog’s diet can be risky if not done correctly. You may think you are providing your pet excellent vitamins and low calories by tossing your dog a few grapes or raisins. Some dogs have been known to die from renal failure due to consuming such fruit. Always seek advice from a professional before supplementing or changing your dog’s diet in any way just to be on the safe side.

Calcium supplements can be dangerous when used excessively in your dog’s diet. Although calcium is good in moderation to form strong, healthy bones, too much calcium can create trouble. Large breed pups given too much calcium may grow large bones, but these bones lack the strength they need.

Establishing a feeding schedule helps to keep your dog’s diet on track. It is easy to get in the habit of feeding your dog regularly. Plus, scheduled feeding times will help to predict your dog’s elimination schedule. When you are potty training a puppy or housebreaking an adult, it can be helpful to have an idea of when your dog needs to go out. Maintaining a healthy diet and feeding schedule will make your job much easier. This is also very useful when traveling with your pet. If you know to expect your dog’s elimination schedule, you will be able to plan appropriate potty stops. In addition, you will know if your dog is feeling stress by changes to his schedule. Try to maintain normalcy and routine as much as possible.

Dog Training Hand Signals and Dog Training Hand Signals
Dog Training Hand Signals