Intestinal Parasites In Your Dog

Statistics show that one in three dogs at some time can be infected with intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. Taking care of
our canine friends not only stop at grooming, but also checking for parasites which can be detrimental to their health. The following is a list of the common intestinal parasites that infect your dog, what they are, how your dog can possibly acquire them, its harmful effects to your dog and to you, and of course, how to get rid of it.

ROUNDWORMS (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonine)

Description
Most common to infect the animal kingdom, roundworms grow 2 – 4 inches long, tan or white creatures with tapered ends that look like spaghetti.

How they are acquired
Puppies are usually born with them. Those infected with roundworms have a potbelly or a bloated look and dry, scaly coat. When your pets are in unsanitary conditions, don’t be surprised if your dog becomes infested. Unlike hookworm eggs, roundworm eggs are very resistant to drying, sunlight or antiseptics. They can last for years in soil and still be infectious.

Harmful Effects to your Dog
If in huge numbers, a dog may vomit these worms or discharge them all as a whole in the fecal matter. Roundworms can cause diarrhea – the infestation’s effect is evident on your pet’s general appearance. They can also cause intestinal blockage and stool cannot pass if they become too many.

Harmful Effects to Man
Since roundworms are zoonotic, they can be transferred to humans. They cause an infection known as “Visceral Larva Migrans”, which result in inflammation of muscle tissue. Young children are susceptible to transfer and can experience eye inflammations leading to blindness.

Treatment
Usually used to treat roundworms are pyrantel pamoate, fenbendazole and piperazine, both classified as Anthelmintics or dewormers.

TAPEWORMS (Dipylidium caninum)

Description
Tapeworms can be seen unlike other parasites. Tapeworm segments, usually white in color, can be seen after in the dog’s feces or rectum after elimination that broke off from the adult.

How they are acquired
Fleas can carry tapeworm eggs, so the ingestion of parasite eggs is the only way to infection.

Harmful Effects to your Dog
Although they don’t cause much harm to our canine friends, tapeworms cause pet owners to squirm at their ghastly sight. Dogs experience cramping and sometimes gas.

Harmful Effects to Man
Children can accidentally swallow fleas that have eggs, causing intense discomfort. Fish can also be an intermediate host – so be careful in eating raw fish.

Treatment
Antiparasitic agents, praziquantel and epsiprantel are both used both by oral medication or injection.

HOOKWORMS (Ancylostoma caninium)
Description
Hookworms are blood-sucking intestinal parasites and are invisible to the naked eye.

How they are acquired
Puppies can acquire hookworm eggs from their mother and unhygienic surroundings or soil. Heat and dryness kills hookworm eggs quickly.

Harmful Effects to your Dog
If your dog is infected, their feces look abnormally blackish and loose. In the first week of infection, they may look healthy, but extreme infections in injured or young dogs can be lethal. They can cause intestinal bleeding leading to anemia and bloody diarrhea.

Harmful Effects to Man
In humans, hookworms can also cause intestinal bleeding especially to children. In adults, they can cause an infection known as “Cutaneous Larva Migrans” or “creeping eruption”. Lesions that can be really itchy are caused by hookworm larvae nestling into the skin usually in the feet. More so, when severe, they can cause abdominal pains and eye problems.

Treatment
Hookworms can be diagnosed by the examination of the pet’s fecal matter. Dewormers include pyrantel pamoate and fenbendazole. An example of a product is Heartgard.

WHIPWORMS (Trichuris vulpis)

Description
Another unseen freeloader is the whipworm, which is the most difficult to exterminate. They do not need to leave the intestines to complete a life cycle.

Eggs are passed in the dog’s stool and after 2-4 weeks in a warm, moist environment, they become infective to another dog. The eggs hatch and the worms mature in the cecal area of the intestine where they can cause chronic bowel inflammation.

How they are acquired
Most common in adult animals especially those housed in groups or kennels because they can become infectious to other dogs after a few weeks in a warm environment.

Harmful Effects to your Dog
The symptoms may include severe diarrhea, flatulence, loss of weight and general overall condition. Whipworms can cause chronic bowel inflammation.

Harmful Effects to Man
Luckily, these parasites only adhere to our canine friends.

Treatment
Fenbendazole (Panacur) is usually prescribed after diagnosis. To regulate these parasites, give doses of milbemycin oxime every month, a heartworm preventive medication.

Processed Dog Food... The truth revealed!

See their shocking, research-supported claims in this report.

Also in this report, I show you a simple solution proven to increase the lifespan of your dog by up to 134% and save you up to $10,000.

To discover these amazing secrets just click here and your reward is a super-healthy, incredibly-happy dog that stays by-your-side for up to 8.3-years longer than statistically predicted. Click here for more...

Senior Dogs

Senior dogs are the best. They know you well, you know them well, they are smart and seasoned and worth their weight in gold. They’re also worth special care to keep them well and happy for as long as possible.

The age your dog hits senior status varies by breed and other factors, so discuss this with your veterinarian. The checkups your dog needs change at this time of life, and you’ll want to keep a good schedule.

One particularly wise and simple precaution is to take a look at pertinent blood values whenever your veterinarian thinks helpful information could be gained. Normal results are great news, meaning a wide range of treatments and medications are available for your dog if needed. Abnormal results are good in a way, too, because they guide your veterinarian in making appropriate treatment choices for your dog’s individual situation. Drawing blood is simple for most dogs and relatively inexpensive: a bargain.

X-rays, urine checks and other tests can bring huge benefits too. When you and your veterinarian know what’s going on in the dog’s body, you can adjust things that often make a world of difference in how the dog feels and behaves. The veterinarian’s role is to make the services available, and your role is to make decisions about what is best for your dog. Doing this well requires good communication so you’ll understand the pros and cons of the options.

Changes with Age

Some inherited medical problems take their greatest tolls as dogs reach the senior years, especially if they have not been previously treated. Some common ones are:

1. Hip dysplasia that may not have bothered the dog noticeably in younger years now may bring some bad days. Depending on the dog’s age and other factors, medication will likely help and surgery may be an option. You can restructure the dog’s environment and daily routine to eliminate the need to walk on slick floors, jump up to vehicles or furniture, or climb any substantial number of steps.

2. Other orthopedic problems due to orthopedic defects, injuries or osteoarthritis may require similar measures to those needed for hip dysplasia. Work closely with your veterinarian to learn and stay current on just what movements are healthy for your dog and what movements are not.

3. Hypothyroidism undetected in younger years can cause serious problems in the geriatric dog. When in doubt, this is one blood test you want. Thyroid medication is a safe treatment with extremely gratifying benefits for those dogs who need it.

4. Senior dogs are the most prone dogs to cancers, so have any lumps or other symptoms checked promptly. Many cancers can be cured if caught early and in most cases you can at least have some good time with the dog to say a loving good-bye. Sometimes treatment can provide a normal lifespan or nearly so. Usually there are ways to relieve pain and other symptoms at least for awhile. Any way you look at it, you need to know as early in the course of the cancer as possible.

5. Eye defects that progress over time may reach the point of blindness. Dogs can cope well with blindness if it’s not treatable, but you will want to make sure the condition is not causing the dog to be in pain.

Normal Aging

Old age is not a disease, and any change needs to be checked. Most things can be helped, at least to the extent of making the dog more comfortable and sometimes a great deal more than that. Some things can be completely cured.

Some dogs get cognitive dysfunction, evidenced by mental confusion. This could be compared to changes that happen in some humans. In dogs as in people, it doesn’t happen to all of them. For those who do experience it, medication can help.

If a dog has not been spayed or neutered by the senior years, infections become common for both males and females. Cancer of the reproductive organs is common, too. Avoid these risks by having spay/neuter done either when the dog is young, or when the dog’s breeding career is over. Intact female dogs can have estrous cycles lifelong, but they stop being fertile at some point, as do the males.

Some degree of change in housetraining is normal with aging, too, for a variety of reasons. The dog with cognitive dysfunction may get confused about housetraining. Medication may help. The dog with orthopedic problems may find the elimination posture painful and put it off until control is lost and the dog has an accident. It may also be too painful for the dog to make the trip outside. Medication often helps these dogs. You may need to modify how the dog gets to the elimination area to make it less painful (or ideally not painful at all).

Changes in the kidneys, liver, and other organs as well as medications needed by the dog can shorten the length of time the dog can hold bowels and bladder. Never blame a senior dog for housetraining accidents. Never expect that because a dog could hold it a certain number of hours in past years, the dog can do it for life. People change with age in these same ways. Senior dogs need and deserve extra care for their elimination needs. The necessary adjustments may be simple once the problem is identified.

Coping Skills

Senior dogs can keep learning, and they love to learn! Many of them are the smartest dogs on earth. Now is the time to turn their intelligence toward improving the quality of their lives.

Teach your senior dog signals if the dog’s vision is still good. This will serve as a back-up if hearing fails, which it often does. Signals are fun for dogs and are a more natural language for them than words. Hearing loss can be moderate or profound.

Grooming will help your dog cope with loss of vision as well as hearing. Handling your dog gently and thoroughly every day will give you a language of touch together. Your touch will help guide your dog. Also during these daily sessions you check your dog for any body changes, keep skin and coat in top health, and keep your relationship with your dog close and loving. Grooming done every day won’t hurt, because the dog won’t have tangles. Start this as early in your dog’s life as possible.

Teach your senior dog composure, with Stay and Settle exercises (Downs without Sits—Sits can hurt) and training that gives the dog safer targets for human affection than jumping up. It’s quite simple to teach a dog to go to people’s knees for petting, by putting your hands at your knees when you call your dog, and instructing everyone else who pets the dog to do the same.

Re-teach any risky games you are accustomed to playing into formats that take away the danger. One example is throwing toys high in the air for the dog to jump up, catch the toy, and land on just the hind legs. At any age, this risks injury to the dog. In the senior years, the risk goes up.

Restructure this game by throwing items low, and teaching the dog to hold position until the item has landed and you give the cue before the dog runs after it. This uses the dog’s brain more, builds more happy anticipation, and will be more fun and exciting for the dog, as well as far safer.

If your dog needs help getting up or walking now and then, there are various devices available. A simple one when only moderate help is needed is a padded nylon chest harness. This must be a nonrestrictive harness, NOT a harness designed to prevent a dog from pulling on leash. To aid the dog using the harness, keep steady pressure on the leash—changes in lead tension throw the dog off balance. Do not use this method without your veterinarian’s approval, since different conditions are sensitive to pressure at different points of the body.

Work closely with your veterinarian when your dog is on a special diet for a medical condition. Your veterinarian needs to know if the dog won’t eat the food or has other problems with it. The dog’s weight needs to be checked and regularly noted in a medical log. Every single bite that goes into your dog’s mouth is part of the dog’s “diet,” so be sure not to ruin the benefits of a special diet with off-plan dog treats or people food.

If your dog has had a job, find a graceful way to retire the dog, possibly in stages. Make good memories for yourself and others who are involved with the dog’s work, and let the dog’s final months of work be happy and successful. Try to avoid having your dog go out with an injury or failure that could have been avoided. Then give your dog a happy, well-deserved retirement with no regrets.

Saying Good-Bye

There is no good day to lose a good dog, but time to say a loving good-bye is a blessing. Try to make the decision the dog would want, if the dog could know what you know. That leads to the best decisions in these matters.

Think carefully about the timing of a new dog. Ending your senior dog’s life happily is top priority. Some older dogs will enjoy the company of a dog a few years younger or a pup, while others would hate it. You don’t want the care of the senior to keep you from doing a good job of training the newbie, or the training of the newbie to keep you from giving the senior the good care so richly deserved.

If at all possible, try to avoid getting your dogs too close together in age. Losing them close together is even harder on you. Be kind to yourself when you lose your senior dog, and seek the company of people who understand this kind of loss.

Most of all cherish your dog’s senior years. They pass too quickly, and they are wonderful times. Senior dogs are the best. It’s the time in a dog’s life when the love ripens, the intelligence blossoms, and you have the companionship of a wonderful friend. Make every day count.


src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1343479259655120168&hl=en" flashvars="">


Processed Dog Food... The truth revealed!

See their shocking, research-supported claims in this report.

Also in this report, I show you a simple solution proven to increase the lifespan of your dog by up to 134% and save you up to $10,000.

To discover these amazing secrets just click here and your reward is a super-healthy, incredibly-happy dog that stays by-your-side for up to 8.3-years longer than statistically predicted. Click here for more...

Ken Mathie
DogSecrets.com

Do Dogs Get Hepatitis?

Do dogs get hepatitis? People obviously do. But do dogs get this disease? And how does this affect them?

Hepatitis is actually a very broad term. It will signify an inflammation of the liver, although the causes may actually differ. Since the liver is a very complex and vital organ a disease that incapacitates it will prove to be fatal. The livers primary functions are the detoxification, metabolism, the storage of glycogen and the synthesis of plasma protein. It also produces the bile that aids in digestion. The good news is, the liver is a large organ with plenty of reserves. The bad news is, since it has a large reserve, it won’t show apparent symptoms unless the liver is seriously damaged.

Although dogs do get hepatitis, it may be different in cause and effect from human hepatitis. There is what is called Infectious Canine Hepatitis. This disease is caused by a virus, and may prove to be a fatal disease in some dogs.

What is It?

This disease is caused by the CAV-1 an adenovirus. Dogs typically acquire this virus from contact, either through inhalation or ingestion of urine, eye secretions, and nasal secretions of infected dogs. This type of virus does not affect humans or other animals, only dogs.

The virus will attack the liver, eye, kidney, and blood vessel cells upon entry into the system of the dog. Fortunately, not all of these infections are fatal. Some dogs, after acquiring this virus, will manifest a cough, lethargy, loss of appetite, moodiness and low grade fevers. In some cases, they do not show any symptoms at all.

Some will develop blue eye. Blue eye is a bluish discoloration of the cornea of the pets eye. Dogs that go through these become immune to re-infection from the disease. This will usually be the case in healthy, mature dogs with a healthy immune system.

However, there are some dogs especially puppies that will become very ill due to the virus. These dogs will develop internal bleeding, liver disease, tonsillitis, and general inflammation of the eyes and mouth. If left untreated, this condition could quickly deteriorate to shock and death. The virus is also known to attack the dog’s spinal cord and brain.

After infection the virus will take about five days to a week before manifesting openly. By this time the dog will be secreting the virus through its stool, urine, saliva, and nasal secretions.

In two weeks time, the dog either succumbs to the illness or develops chronic hepatitis coupled with cirrhosis of the liver. This will seriously impair the dog’s capacity for converting glucose, and absorbing toxins.

This condition will reduce the liver’s capability to perform functions necessary for life. These functions include filtering harmful and toxic elements from the blood, storing blood sugar for conversion into usable energy, and creating many proteins that are necessary in the system.

Unfortunately, there is no way to destroy the virus after it has entered the dog’s system. Veterinarians will treat the disease by good supportive therapy intravenous fluids, good diet, rest, medicines to lighten the liver’s workload, and good care all aimed to strengthen the dog’s ability to recuperate. They will also give antibiotics to treat secondary infections.

There is a vaccine for this disease. It is a routine part of a puppy’s vaccination plan. And partly due to its efficiency, the cases of canine hepatitis in the United States are low. Therefore, the best way to keep your dogs free from this disease is a proper vaccination plan, and prompt and periodic visits with the veterinarian.

Canine hepatitis can prove to be a troublesome disease that, if unattended, will surely result in a dog’s death. With proper information about this disease dog owners will be able to take preemptive steps to assure themselves that their pets are safe from this debilitating diseases.

Chronic Active Hepatitis:

As opposed to the previous disease, this form of hepatitis is harder to treat and the prognoses are not very promising. This usually occurs in dogs of advanced age. The disease is caused by other factors such as toxins and molds in the dog’s diet. Infectious Canine Hepatitis can also cause this.

The symptoms of this disease are hard to pinpoint, but generally they will include lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, swollen abdomen, jaundice (or yellowing eyes, gums, and skin). This disease could advance into the nervous system and render the dog blind. Seizures, coma and death usually follow.

To avoid this disease, good health habits including a good diet that emphasizes foods screened for toxins and molds should be exercised.




Processed Dog Food... The truth revealed!
See their shocking, research-supported claims in this report.

Also in this report, I show you a simple solution proven to increase the lifespan of your dog by up to 134% and save you up to $10,000.

To discover these amazing secrets just click here and your reward is a super-healthy, incredibly-happy dog that stays by-your-side for up to 8.3-years longer than statistically predicted. Click here for more...

Ken Mathie
DogSecrets.com

What breeds are prone Hip Displasia?

Usually, large breeds of dogs are more prone to hip dysphasia. Labradors, Great Pyrenees, Great Danes, Retrievers, German Shepherds, Saint Bernards, Rottweilers and Sporting Dog Breeds are examples. However, small dogs can also acquire this. If your dogs belong to any of the mentioned breeds, the following information might help you.

What is Hip Displasia?

Hip Displasia, a degenerative condition, is an abnormality in the expansion of the hip joint, where the ball joint of the dogs hips are misshapen, caused by too much laxity in the joint. This in turn results to wear and tear of the abnormal arthritic bones causing extreme pain. Not only can this cause pain, the joint can also come right out of the socket.

How did my dog acquire this?

Hip displasia is a genetic disease, meaning the pup can inherit it from its parents. Note that not all dogs inclined to get this disease will acquire it. Other factors also contribute, like environmental factors, rapid weight changes and other genetic factors as well. Tracing your pet’s family lineage will help you determine if your dog is prone to this disease. If there is no incidence of hip displasia in your pet’s family, then your dog will not get it.

What are its symptoms?

It is difficult to diagnose because it may or may not show clinical signs. Common signs exhibited are lameness on one or both rear limbs, difficulty in standing or walking, hopping like a bunny, and decrease in mobility. After the joint’s growth period, many pups display pain sporadically even before arthritis begins to exhibit. It can lead to severe arthritis, in which your pet can be in extreme pain. Rarely, puppies as young as 5 or 6 months can show these symptoms.

What is the treatment?

If you suspect your dog has hip displasia, bring to the clinic and have your pet X-rayed. There are two methods to see if your dog has hip displasia – the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) testing uses a standard view and another developed by the University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHip), which shows to be more effective in detecting Hip Disphasia in puppies.

There are two treatment plans based on the time the disease has occurred – before and after the growth of the hip joint. Triple Pelvic Osteotomy, the surgical reconstruction of the hip joint, is recommended for puppies less than a year of age. Be careful though – clinical symptoms related to hip dyspasia can be caused by other illnesses such as osteochondrosis, strain or sprain in one of the joints, or back and pelvis injury.

However, dogs that show symptoms after the growth, it is best to first find out of it can be treated through medication or surgery. Medical treatment includes aspirin, phenylbutazone or glycosaminoglycosans. Narcotics can be used to eliminate pain. There is a strong connection between the administration of glycosaminoglycans and a considerable decrease in the dog’s arthritis.

Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications can be used, different dogs have varying reactions to medicines. That’s why it is best to consult your veterinarian on which medicine works well for your dog. If this proves to be unsatisfactory, you may resort to surgery.

Total Hip Replacement is most excellent, especially for severe hip displasia. This is very effective because the hip joint is replaced with artificial parts to eradicate pain. Femoral Head Ostectomy or Femoral head and neck excision is also an option wherein just the femoral head is removed, which can be performed at any age. It eliminates most of the pain associated with hip arthritis because there is a reduced contact between the bones, but not all dogs are cut out for this method. Surgery is more costly primarily, but in the long run, it will save the dog owner on pain relievers. Once the surgery has completed, a recuperation period of about 3-6 months will be commended by the doctor.

Any more advice?

This illness is very painful for your pet. Thus, measures should be taken to alleviate pain such as medication and giving them a warm and comfortable place to rest in, especially for older dogs. Regular walks and physical exercises can reduce weight, which can decrease the dog’s discomfort. For young pups, gradual introduction of adult dog food is recommended for gradual gain weight.

What is Canine Distemper?

Canine distemper is a serious disease caused by a highly contagious virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs. The virus also infects foxes, wolves, coyotes, raccoons and other wild animals in the canine family. Juvenile dogs are most prone to infection. Older dogs can also be infected although with much less frequency.

More than 50% of dogs that acquire the disease die from canine distemper. An even lower 20% survival rate is present for puppies. And even if the dog survives the disease, it is very likely that its health will be permanently damaged.

A case of canine distemper leaves the nervous system impaired with little to no hope for total recover. Partial or complete paralysis is common as well as other effects on sense of smell, and hearing and sight acuity. Infected dogs are more prone to other diseases such as pneumonia. The canine distemper virus (CDV) is not transmissible to man.

Canine distemper virus is transmitted most often through getting in contact with mucous and discharges from the infected dogs' eyes and noses. Exposure to the urine and feces of dogs with this infection can also cause it. Even without coming in contact with infected dogs, a healthy one can still contract the disease through exposure to kennels and other areas where infected dogs have been in. These areas can still harbor the virus since it is airborne and can stay alive outside a host for long periods of time.

It is almost impossible to prevent your pet from exposure to the virus. Some scientists predict that every dog living for 12 months has had contact with the virus at one point in time.

The symptoms of canine distemper are not necessarily easily detected. And it is because of this that immediate treatment is rarely given. The disease is commonly disguised as something like a bad cold with most of the dogs with the infection running a fever and a stuffy head. Complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis and severe inflammation of the stomach and intestines can also develop from the disease.

What an owner should be on the look out for in watching for signs of distemper such as squinting and/or a discharge from the eyes. If this occurs in tandem to loss of weight, vomiting, coughing, nasal drips, and diarrhea, there is more cause for concern.

The virus then affects the nervous system in more advanced stages of the disease, which can cause nervous ticks and twitches as well as partial to complete paralysis. Infected dogs may also display listless behavior and have poor to no appetites. There have been cases when the virus causes sudden growth of the footpad's tough keratin cells, which results in a hardened pad.

Prevention

Canine distemper is so well-spread and the symptoms so varying that if your pet displays any signs such as those mentioned above, a visit to a veterinarian for a diagnosis should be made promptly.

Similar to some viral diseases, surviving an infection usually develops the sufficient immunity needed to protect the dog from distemper infection for the rest of their lives. However, lots of dogs (especially pups) do not survive infection.

Vaccination is still the safest and surest protection. And until scientists develop a distemper vaccine that guarantees life-long immunity with a single series of inoculations, veterinarians recommend vaccinations for your dog every year.

Puppies who have been born to dogs that have survived the disease acquire a certain amount of natural immunity from the colostral milk produced by their mother during the first few days after birth. The amount of immunity a puppy acquires differs with the amount of antibodies its mother has. Nevertheless, it is never complete and will diminish quickly to about half by 8 days old and then nearly three-fourths by 2 weeks’ time.

It is impossible for a pet owner to know when his pet should be vaccinated since the proper time for vaccination varies from one animal to the other. The veterinarian can determine the most proper time to begin vaccination basing this decision upon his experience and your dog’s general health.

To maintain and assure this general good health and condition, regular care and close observation of hints of ill health are required. Experts suggest consulting immediately with your veterinarian if your pet shows signs of:

- Abnormal eye and/or nose discharge

- Loss of appetite

- Fluctuating weight losses and gains

- Excessive water consumption

- Abnormal and uncontrolled stool production

- Abnormal viciousness or lethargy

- Abnormal limping

- Difficulty getting up or lying down

- Constant head shaking, scratching, licking or biting of body

- Loss of hair, open sores, ragged or dull coat

- Foul breath

- Excessive tarter deposits on teeth

It is possible that even with these symptoms, CDV infection may not be the case. But it is still better to be sure to bring these concerns to an expert so that the problem can be addressed right away. Even with a disease this serious, you can turn the tide of canine distemper to your pet’s favor with prudence for your pet’s health, taking the correct actions to symptoms observed and being in constant consultation with your vet.

Ken Mathie

22,000 products, great prices, and free shipping via Prime, Super Saver, or standard shipping.

Premium Pet Supplies.. 22,000 Products, Great Prices!

How to Keep Your Dog Calm Outside His Crate

It is hard to teach a young dog how to be calm inside the house. They often have so much energy and they are often all too pleased to be in our company that they just can't seem to help their bad behavior. Patience, training, and more patience are key when working with any animal. Here are some easy steps to help you along the way.

Steps

If it is at all possible, enroll your dog in doggie obedience school. Many pet stores such as Petco offer affordable weekly training sessions for pets and their owners. These meetings merely give owners the tools with which to train their dogs. Owners must work with their dogs outside of the classroom to see results.

If obedience school is not an option... you will have to make the committment to work with your dog on your own. You can find basic training tips in books and online.
A great book I discovered titled 'Sit Stay Fetch' is available online here.

A dog that is crated all the time is not properly socialized. He has not learned what behavior is acceptable and what is not. Instead he is often so relieved to be out among people that shows his exuberence in all the wrong ways.

At first you should work with your dog on a leash. Inside and outside. A leash will give you any easy way to correct bad behavior and at the same time allow your dog just enough freedom to start to figure things out for himself.

It is important that your dog understand some basic commands such as sit, down, stay and heel. Teaching him such behaviors establishes you as his alpha dog and teaches him to respect you and listen to you. (This is where the doggie obedience schools come in handy)

When you have your dog on the leash in the house you can alternate between asking him to perform a behavior such as sit or stay and completely ignoring him.

If your dog disobeys you or is busy trying to run off or otherwise wreak havoc, a sharp tug on the leash will serve as a correction. Be sure that you are not pulling him with the leash, you need the correction to be sharp and quick--like a jerk. Also understand that the jerk on the leash is punishment for his bad behavior. Once he responds to the jerk by coming back to you or stopping whatever he was doing...reward him with praise and maybe a treat. If you must use the word 'No' make sure that it is timed with the jerk on the leash. It is imperative that there be a release from punishment once your dog responds to you, hence the praise 'good boy' or a nice doggie snack.

You must establish 'groundrules' with your dog. He should have boundries. For instance, your leash training should teach him that rough-housing is not an indoor behavior.

Over time your dog should learn that when indoors, he should not run around and create mayhem. This means that you must discourage rough playing with your dog indoors. Avoid playing with him in such a way that he migh become overexcited. Instead offer him a bone or a favorite chew toy to enjoy while he is indoors. (Chew toys are great because they generally have to be enjoyed LAYING DOWN.)

The more time you spend working with your dog, the happier he will be and the happier YOU will be. For all the time spent you will have a lovely friend and companion for you and your family.

Tips

A retractable leash is not reccommended because it is difficult to discipline your dog in a timely manner if the leash extends and contracts to such long lengths on its own.

It takes time! Keep at it!

Take your dog for walks...exercise for you and it helps rid your puppy of excess energy.

Invest in obedience training and you can look at a long and healthy relationship with a loving companion. With obedience training, dogs will surely be on their way to happier and more enjoyable stay with their masters and the people around them.

"Put an End to the Stress and Annoyance of
Your Dog Behavior Problems!
...AND Slash Your Dog Obedience Training Time in Half by Using
Techniques That Give You Immediate Results!!"
Click here and take control starting today!

Ken Mathie

Processed Dog Food... The truth revealed!

See their shocking, research-supported claims in this report.

Also in this report, I show you a simple solution proven to increase the lifespan of your dog by up to 134% and save you up to $10,000.

To discover these amazing secrets just click here and your reward is a super-healthy, incredibly-happy dog that stays by-your-side for up to 8.3-years longer than statistically predicted. Click here for more...