Be Your Pet Dog's Best Friend

To have a really great relationship with your pet dog, you need to work on that relationship constantly. It's not enough to build a few foundations and expect your relationship to blossom with little or no extra effort. Time spent reinforcing the bond between you and your pet dog is time well spent, and will enrich your relatonship providing you both with the fun and rewards that pet dog ownership brings.
Make sure that you spend quality time with your pet dog. As pet dog owners we are all aware of the need to exercise and train your pet dog. The time spent on these activities will vary according to your pet dogs needs, however, this time should be rewarding and enjoyable for your pet dog. When walking with your pet dog, make sure that you talk and interact with your pet dog. Play a game of fetch or chase. All pet dogs love to chase, and taking an active role in this game will not only keep you fit, but will help you engage with your pet dog in a fun and simple way.
Be animated when you communicate with your pet dog. During the day, your pet dog will hear you converse with many different people, either on the phone or in person, and will generally filter out most of the conversation. With your tone of voice you can communicate to your pet dog that something is interesting or fun, or that something is undesirable or naughty.pet Dogs have extremely sensitive hearing and are very much attuned to your moods and tone of voice, use this to your advantage. Attract your pet dogs attention by using a friendly voice that is slightly higher pitched than your normal speaking voice.
Never forget the importance of physical contact. When your pet dog is near, make the effort to stroke their head or neck and talk in a soothing voice. If you are in the park, and your pet dog bounds over to you, make a fuss of them, make being near you a rewarding experience for your pet dog. This will not only reinforce the bond you and your pet dog have, but it will also aid recall. If you have problems recalling your pet dog, practice this when they are off the lead. Several times during the walk, call your pet dog to you and reward them for coming with a treat or a cuddle, and then let them carry on with what they were doing. If you only recall your pet dog when they are naughty or to put them on the lead, your dog will associate punishment or the end of the walk with coming when called. If you have been out, greet your pet dog properly when your return - being away from you is never enjoyable for your pet dog. Make the time to cuddle or play a quick game to celebrate your return. This is very natural for pet dogs, they will do this to other pet dogs they know and like, so this behaviour is something they understand.
Ask yourself, if you were your pet dog, would you enjoy the time you spend together. Try to be fun for your pet dog. We all have busy days, bad days and sad days, but your dog relies upon you to provide the love and support it needs, and will give you loyalty and friendship in return. Your pet dog doesn't need or understand your stress, but they are affected by it. On a bad day, make a point of having a game or cuddling with your pet dog, and you'll probably find it helps you too.
By: Jane EarleyAuthor Bio

Jul 29, 2008

Boxer dog

So are you ready for a Boxer Dog?...
An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness.

This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or from a pet shop that get their animals only from known breeders.

Exercise prudence if you are getting your Boxer puppy from pet stores, which often get their supply from breeders of unknown reputation.

These "puppy mills" as they are called are not known to put much emphasis on the quality and health of pups they are producing.

Reputable breeders would adhere to the accepted standards for Boxers in terms of uniformity in the breed, good health, temperament, size and color.

Reputable breeders would be able to show the pedigree and registration papers and/or pictures of the parent dogs that may reside somewhere else.

Professional breeders are also there to produce dog show champions or prospects.

Even if you are not looking to raise a show champion Boxer, known breeders can provide you with some "best buy" puppies because not all the puppies in a litter are show prospect/champion materials.

But the full litter would have had benefited from the same proven bloodlines, nutrition and medical care. So you can choose from among the good-looking brothers or sisters of potential champion for a bargain.

Your other source option is animal shelters that in the US alone receive up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year, and about 25% of them are purebred. Paying the adoption fee is a lot cheaper than the price you will pay to a breeder or pet store, and you will be saving a life.

The definition of good stock or purebred must include beauty, and in a Boxer good look means the coat is fawn and brindle, with the white markings or "flash" covering not more than one-third of the entire coat.

Sometimes the distribution of the "flash" alone may make the difference between a show champion and just a pet Boxer.

The all-white Boxer or "check" is prone to blindness and deafness, and the American Boxer Club members are not to register, sell or use the "whites" for breeding.

When it comes to choosing male or female Boxers, there are not much clear-cut differences in their personalities.

At times, the male is calmer, more tolerant of other dogs, willing to hold still for those hugs than the female. But at other times, the female can be so. One owner said the female Boxer is hyper and more aggressive especially toward other females, and that the aggression has increased as the female gets older.

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