Dog 360

An attorney challenging the authority of the city's police chief wants the department's police dog to appear in court as an exhibit, because he says the dog and the chief have criminal justice degrees from the same online school.

The issue gives "one pause, if not paws, for concern" about what it takes to get the degrees from the school based in the Virgin Islands, Gene Murray wrote in a court document filed Monday.

You got your new pet almost a week ago. In that time, the little beast has eaten three pairs of shoes, four of your favorite Stephen King novels ( He left Cujo alone... Maybe he is a fan too? ), gnawed the trim around the bathroom doorway, chewed thru the power cord of your laptop and, just this morning, you found him gleefully chewing up your wallet with a side order of your credit cards. This is getting expensive really fast and starting to get dangerous for the pup also. Maybe it's time we intervened?

Looking for information on preventing and avoiding dog bites?

A pair of gunmen men posing as prospective buyers of four Yorkshire puppies forced their way into a home and stole the terriers worth $2,500 each, police said.
They also fled with the family's grown terrier.

As the old song said there is a time for every purpose and the same is true for training your dog. Just as different jobs require different skills and different tools, dogs used in specialized areas require specialized training. For this discussion, we will look at the hunting dog and what specialized training is required for them to be useful members of the team.

I am certain we all remember a popular song a few years ago with the line "different strokes for different folks." Well, the same applies to the canine world. Pure breeds have been refined over the years for specialized purposes and if these purposes are considered in the training, you are assured of a much better animal that is well suited to its training. Just as you would not ask the ninety-pound clerical assistant to operate a jackhammer, you shouldn't ask a pure breed dog to do something their breeding would make them incapable of. All that could possibly result from this error would be a frustrated owner, a frustrated dog and a damaged relationship between the two.

Without agility, the most muscular person in the world couldn't win a fight against a fifth-grader. But did you know that for a dog agility is possibly even more important? With so many of a dog's happiest moments spent running, jumping, catching, and stretching, dog agility training can really help dogs age gracefully and happily.

One of the easiest training lessons you will ever encounter is halter training. Why is this? It is because your dog already knows the basics of how to function on a collar and leash system and walking is within their natural range of movement. Thus, you are not asking the dog to do anything outside of its normal field of activity. All you are doing is putting an extension on the collar and leash, which allows for more control of the animal.

Common knowledge and witticism tells a person that old dogs are incapable of learning new behaviors as is often bespoken in the adage, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". Despite the numbers of people who would proclaim this decree to be solid truth, we are here to tell you that it nowhere near the being an accurate description of the truth. While it is a little more difficult for an older dog to be trained, it is entirely within the realm of possibility if one uses patience and remains consistent in the dog's lessons throughout the process.

Many dog owners find that their efforts toward training their pet are greatly aided by the use of a training collar. There are many types of collars available and each employs a different mechanism meant to guide your pet, restrain him or discourage bad or disobedient behavior. Some training collars can harm a dog if they are not used appropriately or are the wrong size; so, you should research training collars thoroughly before choosing one and consult with a training expert if you are unfamiliar with how to use a chosen collar. Some common dog training collars are: the prong collar, the Halti, the Gentle Leader, the choke collar and the electronic collar.

The time has come to have a bit of fun with your pet. You step out the door, unhook the leash and throw a tennis ball to the other end of the yard... And your dog looks up at you like you just lost your mind. What went wrong? Looks like its time to head back to the training ground for Fetch lessons.

One of the first commands your dog learns should be the "HEEL" command. This command will be helpful in insuring the safety of your pet while out in public and will make you look like the owner of a well-mannered and lovable pet. To add to the beauty of all this, the command itself is quite simple and almost any dog can learn the meaning of the command with 30 minutes or so of effort.

Active immunization is the introduction into the body of microorganisms for the purpose of stimulating the body’s defense mechanism. This concept is also applicable to other species like cats.
Veterinary medicine has come a long way toward better understanding the potential benefits of vaccinations. Veterinary experts have formulated certain solutions so as to combat the alarming increase of death in dogs which are usually caused by viral infections.

This type of training is effective because it takes the dogs natural tendencies and just reinforces them and focuses them into proper channels. Let us now look at some of the behavior and personality traits that can be advantageous to training.

Crufts 2006, supported by Pedigree Masterfoods, attracted an audience in excess of 143,000 visitors over the four days of the show and along with the entry of 24,640 dogs from 178 different breeds from 32 different countries easily kept this annual extravaganza's place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest dog show in the world.

Do
• Practice in your home and garden first, before trying commands in public areas
• Start training with your new dog or puppy as soon as possible
• Keep sessions short (15 mins. max.) and fun
• Train him when he is hungry - before his dinner time he will try harder for his treats
• Reward or treat him on a random basis, once the new command has been learnt
• Try to use hand signals with verbal commands, as some dogs may find it easier to recognise these

In the litigious society in which we find ourselves living today, legal actions seem to be commonplace. You can be sued for millions if a cup of coffee, which common sense would tell you is very hot, does not contain a warning label to that effect prior to someone dumping it onto their lap and getting burns. Parents are brought into court because their child kissed another child at school and someone called this sexual harassment.

Producing a "finished" hunting dog, one that will perform the tasks of pointing out game or retrieving game, is not a simple matter. In some cases, it can take several hunting seasons and specialized training equipment to achieve the desired results.

SEPANG, Malaysia (AP) - Lucky and Flo, Malaysia's latest weapons in tackling rampant music and movie piracy, started work at the country's biggest international airport Tuesday, sniffing out shipments for fake optical discs.
The two black Labradors are on loan for a month from the Motion Picture Association of America, which says its members—including top Hollywood studios Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and Universal—lost $1.2 billion to Asia-Pacific movie pirates in 2006.

In this article, we shall discuss a variety of reinforcement methods used in animal training. We shall endeavor to clearly point out the pros and cons of each type and also discuss their appropriateness for given situations. Hopefully this will give you, the reader, the knowledge needed to make an educated decision on how to reward or correct your pets' behavior. To begin, let's improve our understanding of positive reinforcement.

The pure bred dog is something fine to look upon. It is an animal that has been refined over the centuries to reach its pure, unadulterated state today. These dogs have been bred for temper and bloodline from early times. Yet there is a dog that goes back in history even further.

Dogs do not come with an instruction manual around their necks. Dogs need time, patience, and understanding. Therefore new owners need information to train, and help cope with the difficulties of the newest member of the family.

Dogs have been making great companions for centuries now. They are loved by all ages. Everyone has their own preference as to what dog best suits their lifestyle. When choosing a dog, this is an important aspect to consider, especially for the elderly. Having a four legged friend can be comforting and can bring much joy to an elderly person. Studies have proven that having a dog around, improves the overall wellbeing of seniors. They can have someone to share their love with. Even nursing homes have grabbed onto the idea of having animals visiting or even living in the same venue.

When new trainers first get started, they tend to make a lot of mistakes in their techniques and how the approach the training process. There are a few mistakes that are fairly common among most trainers and we shall make these ten mistakes the subject of this discourse.

Teaching a dog a tick can be a rewarding experience for both pet and owner. It provides an opportunity for positive interaction between the dog and his trainer, which is always desirable. Additionally, it creates future opportunities for the dog to engage in approved behavior while also providing both parties a feeling of satisfaction.

Effective dog training is essential for both a pet's safety and the quality of life for both dog and master.

After struggling with training a dog, you may feel tempted to give up. Giving up on training an outdoor dog, for instance, can be a real temptation. You may believe you'll still manage to have reasonably enjoyable interactions without going through the hassles and challenges of real training. Perhaps you believe the dog will learn on his or her own, over time, how to behave. Training is difficult and can seem like such an effort that surrender may feel sensible.

There is nothing more critical to the success of dog training than the owner's attitude. The mindset of the trainer is more important than the equipment purchased, the exact system used, or the breed of dog involved. Nothing can destroy the likelihood of effective training more quickly than an owner with the wrong outlook on the training process.

When you brought him home, you just knew that cute little puppy was going to brighten your family's life in many different ways! You visualized him running with the children in the backyard, curled up at your feet on a winter's night in front of the fire, and as an always-cheerful companion for everyone in the house.

First, don't think that you are being mean to your dog by training him or her. Dogs are pack animals by nature. They need to belong to a pack. When your dog became part of your household your dog became part of your pack.

It's time to head to Las Vegas for your long awaited week of vacation. But, what do you do with THE DOG? Some people are unable to face the prospects of boarding Fido and therefore, they stay home. Others either impose on their friends or hire "pet sitters" to come into their homes. And finally, a vast number of people choose to board their pets in kennels.

How will my dog and my new baby get along? Will I have to get rid of my loyal, furry companion in order to ensure the safety of my child? These are the questions that plague many dog owners as they anticipate the birth and homecoming of their first child. The good news is that even though the process of introducing your dog to your newest family addition is a careful and cautious one, it's not impossible. With some pre-planning on your part, you can train your dog to get along with your child and can raise your child to respect and love your dog as much as you do.

The Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of two formulations of Cerenia (maropitant citrate), a new class of drug that is effective against certain causes of vomiting in dogs. Cerenia Tablets are indicated for the prevention of acute vomiting and vomiting due to motion sickness, and Cerenia Injectable Solution is approved for the prevention and treatment of acute vomiting.

Commercial dog food is a great convenience for busy caregivers. You want the best for your companion animals, but with a bewildering array of foods and claims to choose from, how do you decide what's best for your animals?

Dogs are very curious animals and as omnivores and natural scavengers, can get into and eat just about anything. However, there are many toxic substances found in your home that could potentially kill your dog. The following is a list of ten common household substances that you should make sure to keep out of your dog's reach.

Arthritis is a health problem that not only humans deal with, but so do their animals. In fact, one-fifth of dogs in the US, over the age of seven, suffer with painful DJD (degenerative joint disease) as veterinarians like to say. It is also one of the top recurring pains in dogs that they treat. Arthritis in dogs can affect their back, elbows, shoulders, hip and neck.

A 5-year-old poodle's barking woke up a mother and her five children just before a pre-dawn fire spread through their Hallandale Beach home.

When most people get a dog, they think of the fun times they will have with their new furry companion. But there are many things that aren't so pleasant that we as dog owners must consider to keep our friends happy and healthy.

The world's greatest dog show reached its conclusion last night after a fantastic final day of breed judging, dog activities and displays, celebrity appearances and much, much more.

WHEN TO BATHE YOUR DOG
Bathing your dog too often is not good for his skin, so keep it down to when he gets into something greasy, when company is coming, or when he gets to smelling just too darn doggy. If you leave mud on a dog, most of it will dry up and fall off on its own (and with his help as he lays on his back and wiggles around). Obviously, the "mud rubbing" is best done outdoors!

Anemia is a condition that is commonly caused by blood loss from wounds or parasites such as worms and fleas. Symptoms of anemia in dogs include white or pale gums, weakness, and a fast pulse. Sometimes this condition indicates a more serious illness such as toxicity that results from a drug exposure. However, the more simple and common cause of anemia which is blood loss can be easily treated with a view toward promoting the growth of new red blood cells.

If any of the following 5 statements ring true, you should re-examine your reasons for wanting a dog and your ability to properly care for one.

Because this is a newly emerging disease (discovered in 2004), almost all dogs, regardless of breed or age, are susceptible to infection and have no immunity. Virtually all dogs that are exposed to the virus become infected and nearly 80% show clinical signs of disease.

It's hard to know how an unfamiliar dog will react to your attempts to become his leader; if you catch a very self-protective dog off guard, he may bite. It doesn't happen frequently, but don't take the chance, and make your assessments in other ways instead. He's going to be a little bit out of sorts when you first take him out of his cage. Give him some time to get used to you and to work out his excess energy. Don't make loud noises or sudden moves; just let him sniff and greet you, and then take him somewhere where you can really get acquainted.

A vital part of good prevention is to know the common types of illnesses and disorders associated with particular dog breeds. For dogs, the parts of their body that are most frequently affected by congenital problems are the central nervous system, the eyes, the muscles, and the bones. For instance, the Beagle, Collie, miniature Poodle, German Shepherd, and Keeshond are more likely to inherit epilepsy.