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Grapes, Nuts, and Your Dogs Health -- Foods that Fido should Avoid
"Magoo was a big, playful Labrador retriever who often got himself into sticky situations..." So begins a story in the latest report from the ASPCA on foods that may be toxic to dogs. It turns out that Magoo got into the pantry and snagged...
History of Dogs?? or maybe Wolves???
ORIGIN Do you know that the adorable little puppy you bought home last week could possibly be a descendent of a wolf? It may well be true! In fact, many theorists believe that wolf is the direct ancestors of domestic dog. Nevertheless, there are...
Pet Insurance - A Waste Of Time?
According to a survey published by Mintel, one in three pets
needs an unexpected visit to the vet each year. This means that
you are more likely to claim on your pet insurance than on a
home & contents policy or even your car insurance.
The...
Westie Pups - How to Prepare for Your Westie Puppy
Just like when you bring home a new baby, you will need to prepare before you bring home your westie puppy. The needs of westie pups are not tremendous, but there are a few things that you must have in place to give your westie a safe, happy...
What's The Real Deal On Pet Insurance?
Even if you haven't had a run-in involving your pet of late, pet insurance has probably crossed your mind. And if you have, the bill for any non-routine care may have cost you anywhere from a cool couple hundred to nearly a grand. You might have...
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Why dogs bark
Picture this, you're walking in the park, minding your own
business when suddenly a dog comes up to you and starts barking.
You start to panic because there is no reason for this dog to be
barking at you.
Why is this dog barking?
Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark. For years our
domestication process and selective breeding has allowed our
dogs to develop their barking abilities. Wolves don't bark, so
through genetic engineering and the selective breeding process,
dogs these days have the ability to retain juvenile
characteristics. This is through the process known as neoteny.
Humans have chosen to retain the infantile traits of wolves like
large heads, flat faces, large eyes and of course the ability to
communicate, barking. Barking was further developed in dogs in
order to scare intruders or to help the master out (i.e. on
farms to assist in gathering the sheep).
Most dogs simply bark to communicate, to get attention, or
simply to show their excitement. Training and lifestyle are
important factors in teaching the dog how to communicate with
its master.
Dogs are extremely social animals. Wolves themselves always
travel in packs are usually never alone. Bringing a dog into
your family is basically like bringing a wolf into a pack. It
becomes a part of the family. Try not to leave it alone
otherwise it will feel as if it was abandoned by the pack. Dogs
are like having a baby in the house. They need love, attention,
and someone to be there to take care of them. Like people they
need a companion to blossom. Meeting your dog's emotional need
for companionship and play will allow the two of you to form a
strong bond together.
Sometimes having a second dog in the house can minimize the
barking and minimize the loneliness. Although this may be
rewarding at some
times, it can also be a pain. Your best bet
would be to maximize training of your dog when it decides to
bark. Sometimes having two dogs may cause havoc because they may
teach each other to bark more. From the example above, dogs who
bark at people are trained in a specific way. Everything boils
down to how the owner trains their dog. If you reward the dog
for barking, then the dog will understand that it's a good thing
to bark. If you don't reward the dog for barking, the dog will
understand that it's a bad thing to bark. If you are training
your dog to become a watchdog, sometimes their barking can be
very selective and discriminating with certain people. Sometimes
they may just bark at anything they see. It is important to
train these dogs by developing their intelligence level and how
they interpret various events.
Dogs who simply bark because of activity or excitement are
relatively hard to eliminate. Most of the time these dogs are
unaware of their barking and in turn becomes a process that is
hard to eliminate. You must turn to a dog trainer who teaches
the dog to debark.
Debarking can be somewhat inhumane because the dog is trained to
let out a low, raspy bark which cannot be heard from more than a
few feet away. If you consider the process of debarking your dog
you must weigh the pros and cons. It can be beneficial in the
sense that your dog will no longer be the irritating dog on the
block who barks at anything he sees but may be a problem if the
dog is in danger. As an owner you would want to know where the
location of your dog was if it was in danger.
About the author:
Cindy Frendo runs her own puppy training and dog training school
from her hometown of Ottawa, Canada. She also runs her own
website at
puppytrainingrevealed.com
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