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

Sep 23, 2008

Exercise for Dogs

Most veterinarians will caution pet owners not to exercise a dog right after feeding him. This is certainly true of strenuous exercise, which can make a dog throw up and can lead to gastric torsion. A recent study by the Divisions of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University proved that exercise after eating seems to burn up more calories by raising the body's rate of metabolism.
After eating, many dogs will lie down to digest their food. While sleeping a pet will burn up a few calories in just keeping his heart and lungs going. This sluggish behaviour can only encourage the animal to put on weight and to put on fat. It now makes sense to take your dog for a walk not more than a half-hour after his big meal of the day. This very gentle exercise will also stimulate his digestion. Then after a few hours have gone by, you can put him through a more demanding regimen of activity.
For smaller breeds, simply taking a dog outdoors to relieve himself constitutes a certain amount of exercise. Exercise assists but does not cause defaccation and a dog does not need exercise to loosen his bowels unless he is ill.
RUNNING The cheetah is the fastest land animal known and has been clocked in short bursts up to sixty miles an hour. Dogs in the wild do a lot of running but mostly when they are hunting or chasing prey. Taking a dog on a daily run is not necessarily in its best interest. Dogs should never be run on hard surfaces like pavements or paved roads but on earth. If you insist on having your dog jog then make certain that the pace is a fast walk or trot rather than a run, of course this should never be allowed in hot weather. Always check the dog's feet after a run for cuts and rawness.
DANGERS OF HEAT A dog can sweat through his feet pads, anus and tongue. He does not have the heat releasing mechanisms of many other animals. Dogs are susceptible to heatstroke and other related problems. Dogs that were bred for cold climates such as Huskies, Akita's have been transplanted by people to warm climates this is not natural and one can expect behavioural and health problems.
Dogs react to heat by panting or digging holes in the earth under shady trees or bushes. Locking dogs in closed cars can be fatal because a car heats and and so do dogs. Exercise raises your dog's metabolism and boosts his temperature, which in turn can turn to heatstroke. For obese dogs the problem is worse. Never exercise a dog in the heat of the day and keep his weight under control. It also a good idea to give your dog his water dish to enable him to drink before a walk.

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