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Animal Lover Gift Ideas
Animal Lover Gifts come in many shapes, sizes and price
ranges. The easiest way to shop is to start with the correct
"Critter Category!" If you are buying for a varied-critter home,
try a Gift Certificate to a major Pet Superstore. This
gift...
How to Keep Your Boxer - or any Dog - Healthy...
Feed him a balanced diet. - Give an occasional yogurt treat - Ask your vet about giving Boxers calcium tablets as they could have some problems later on in life! - Keep him comfortable so his immune system can remain strong. - Boxers are...
Is Your Dog Annoying The Neighbors? How To Deal With Excessive Barking
Along with a baby's crying, the persistant barking of a dog is
one of the most annoying sounds. But is there anything you can
do as a dog owner to 'persuade' your pooch to stop barking? Here
are a few suggestions from an experienced dog...
Shih Tzu - Train Your Shih Tzu For Desired Behaviors
Teaching a shih tzu proper behavior while it is young is very
important. While playing and having fun with your new shih tzu
puppy or dog is certainly important, it is also important to
teach your canine companion just what is expected -...
Terms For The Horse Lover
Welcome to the delightful world of horses!! It is a wonderful thing to own a horse, to know the joy and unconditional love.
When first becoming involved within the horse world, it is good if you can equip yourself with some basic horse terms to...
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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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