Dog hair (called chiengora)can be spun into yarn, much like sheep’s wool, alpaca, or any other animal fiber. The process is the same. Dust and oils can be washed out of the spun hair, so there is no “doggie odor.” Amazingly, the spun yarn is warmer than wool, easy to care for, and has an angora-like fluffy texture. Until recent times, most dog owners didn’t realize the beauty of the colors and texture of their dog’s hair could be used in the manner of sheep’s wool.

It’s really as easy as brushing your dog. There are some guidelines to getting the best and softest yarn possible.

When brushing your dog, be sure to collect from the parts where the hair is the longest and softest. This is undercoat. Hair must be 2 inches or longer for best results. Hair should be clean and dry, with no grass or debris in it. Brush the hair from the longest, softest parts of the dog, saving only this hair. It is the undercoat you want, not the coarse top coat. Clippings will not work well for spinning with dogs that have double coats. There is too much guard hair, and the yarn quality will not be as nice as the pure undercoat.

Remove dog hair from the brush and save it in a paper bag. Save hair that is completely dry, and as clean as possible. (Do not attempt to clean it once it is brushed off the dog!) Bathe your dog first, and brush when the hair is dry.

Paper allows the fiber to “breathe” and not be trapped with oils in a plastic bag. The best way to store the hair from brushings, is in a paper sack, or cloth bag, such as a pillowcase. Despite what your mother or grandmother used to do, NEVER USE MOTH BALLS! Moth balls contain a toxic chemical that is dangerous to breathe, and it is impossible to remove the mothball smell from the hair.

How much do you save? It depends on what will be made with the finished yarn. Most small projects use about 6 ounces of hair.

Transforming dog hair into yarn takes much time and care. First, the yarn is evaluated for spinning. Depending on length, and how the yarn will be used, I determine if the hair needs blending with a soft merino wool. Blending minimizes shedding out, and produces a more durable yarn. Although most people want 100% of their dog’s hair to be used in a product, this isn’t always possible. The dog’s color can still be seen and the fluffy texture is still present in the finished yarn.

From this point, the process is the same as spinning sheep’s wool. I use a drum carder for the blending process. This carder has metal teeth on it, that comb the wool, so the fibers are lined up and ready for spinning. The fiber is lifted off the drum carder, loosely rolled up, and set aside by the spinning wheel.

The yarn is spun into single strands on a spinning wheel, and then plied for strength. The yarn is then cleaned by hand, using a mild conditioning detergent or dog shampoo, and air dried. It is then wound into balls or skeins and is then ready to be knitted or crocheted into a scarf, hat, ornament, and many other things.

Because it is handcrafted, and personal, a chiengora gift makes a sentimental remembrance. It is better to begin collecting hair while your pet is healthy and younger. People have often told me that it is comforting to have a soft, “pettable” scarf, hat, teddy bear, or other item made from their dog’s hair, and it brings back happy memories.

Dog trackers help dog owners to keep a track of their animal and help in locating a dog that has gone astray, having drifted away outside their nominated safe area. GPS dog tracking is increasingly becoming the most popular products that help dog owners to quickly track their pets and bring them back home safely.

GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking system was originally developed by the US army. It is extremely accurate, satellite based system that typically pin points a location within few meters.

A GPS dog tracking system will make sure that the pet is not able to stray away far from home, thereby protecting them getting hit by vehicles or attacked by other animals. According to Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, 80 per cent lost dogs are never found. Since most dogs are recovered using tags, micro chips or tracking technology, it is essential that most dog owners, in order to increase the probability of finding their lost dogs, must invest in a tracking aid like the GPS dog tracking system. It may seem a little expensive, but it is a definitely something that a dog owner must have for the safety and security of their own animal.

There are two kinds of GPS dog tracking system. The one which works with the cellular carriers, generally transmit the location information of the pet through cell phone transmissions, enabling the owner to track their dog by the help of their phone or by checking the Internet. However, this tracking methodology does not work where cell coverage is not there and would require continuous service charges.

The other tracking system is through the standard radio waves. In this, the GPS tracking system uses the radio waves available freely, but the transmission area is often limited, thereby working as a constraint. A handheld device receives location information sent through radio waves which demonstrates real-time information on the position of the pet.

It is important to note how this satellite technology based global positioning assists in tracking and locating missing dogs. The pet wears a collar where the transmitter is fitted and which sends an alert to the owner, about the pet having strayed from the stipulated safe area. The owner is then able to find the dog via a transmission. The GPS system of dog tracking works almost similar to the automobile tracking system. What it typically does is, it informs the owner of the pet having strayed and then starts sending updates on the dog’s where about till such time the owner has been able to retrieve the animal. In some of the GPS systems you are required to send for assistance through a helpline once the alert has been sounded. It is then the turn of the service representatives to track down the dog and relay back the information to the dog owner.

Ask a pet owner what it is to lose his favorite dog and the importance of keeping his dog safe. It is equally important to find them quickly before they are hit by a running car or attacked by another animal or even may get stolen. With the GPS dog tracking system becoming more and more and popular, it is increasingly becoming affordable too. It can not only save a pet owner ample amount of time and energy and frustration but also heartache. The GPS dog tracking system not only helps pet owners but also benefits society at large by reducing a large population of strays.

However, before buying a GPS dog tracking system, one needs to do a thorough research. The two critical things to keep in mind are extended battery life and the coverage area suitable to your needs. There are other things which one would also have to consider like weight, waterproofing or the ability to withstand varied temperature variations. The one other critical point to consider is the size of your dog. If your dog is very small, it could be very painful for the pet to wear a GPS tracking system that is heavy leading to neck or back injury, if worn for an extended period.

There are many areas pertinent to dog wellness but the one that is beneficial to having an obedient dog is obedience training. Obedience training is an essential ingredient to a good dog-human relationship, and creates a happy, healthy relationship between dog and owner. Before we get into the secrets let me share with you the positive aspects of training.

1. Training will establish a safe and non-confrontational way for you to establish control. This is especially necessary for a dominant dog personality.

2. Pushy dogs that get on the furniture or nudge their owners for affection or petting are less dominant but still need to obey rules. Training keeps them under control and lets them know their owner is the dominant one.

3. Dogs descend from wolves, which live by rules and have a social structure. The pack operates under a single leader, with clearly defined lines. Although dogs have allowed themselves to be domesticated by man they still hold the natural instinct to test their position. Training lets your dog know that you are the single leader and he must respect and obey your position in the pack at all times. No matter the breed or how small your dog is he is still a dog, and must know his place in the family. This understanding is what makes for a happy owner and dog wellness.

4. Training will strengthen and build a healthy relationship between you and your dog.

5. Opens a clear line of communication between you and your dog.

6. Sets rules and boundaries that educate your dog on becoming a dependable member of your family and society.

7. Prevents the growth of unwanted unacceptable behavior such as nipping, growling, jumping up, chewing, and digging to name a few.

8. Eliminates confusion because your dog will know his place and will come to respect yours.

9. Obedience training gives your dog the crucial needs of exercise, mental stimulation and a bonding relationship with his owner. Another vital component to dog wellness.

10. A dog or puppy with obedience training is a much safer dog.

11. Gains trust and mutual respect with your dog.

12. Well behaved when you have visitors to your home or take him out.

13. Helps to avoid stress and anxiety in the dog and the owner

14. Reduces the risk of becoming locked in a dominance struggle with your dog.

15. Training promotes a happy, healthy, confident dog eliminating problems such as separation anxiety which is serious and very common, often causing pet owners to give up their dogs.

It is important to remember that obedience training is a step by step process that you build over time with your dog. It doesn’t happen overnight. Begin training your dog as early as possible, even as early as 3 months of age.

Secrets For An Obedient Dog

Never under estimate the power of positive reinforcement. In the work place we aware of 2 types of managers. There is the manager that uses fear, loud vocals, and threats to get his employees to perform, and then there are managers that use a positive, good natured, calm approach. I personally have worked for both types of managers and let me tell you – there is no comparison! A positive approach is not only less stressful but creates a happier, more productive employee, not to mention, an employee that will sincerely give more than 100% productivity and feel good doing it. Positive reinforcement in obedience training contributes massively to dog wellness and has a high success rate.

Your dog acts as your employee, and offering a positive environment with positive reinforcement will get you faster, more productive results, while at the same time building a strong and trusting relationship.

Timing

Giving your dog a treat for his good behavior is a great idea but the timing of it is most important. If you wait too long, your dog is not able to associate the treat with his good behavior, which means your efforts are lost. This same understanding applies to punishment for poor behavior; The punishment needs to be immediate or your dog will have no idea why he is being punished, and too of this can cause you other problems later on. When it comes to punishment, you must catch your dog in the act for the scolding to have a positive effect on his behavior, otherwise the punishment will not work toward your intended desire.

Dr. Nicholas Dodman (a wonderful veterinary behaviorist) gives us these principles toward effective training:

1. Training should not involve any negative or punishment-based components. There should be no yelling, no hitting, no chain jerking, no hanging, and absolutely no electric shock. Each session should be upbeat and positive with rewards for jobs well done.

2. Remember that the opposite of reward is not punishment; it is no reward. If you ignore unacceptable responses, your dog will not be rewarded for his failed response. Most dogs want to please their owners or, at the very least, to obtain highly valued resources such as food, toys, or attention.

3. Reward good behavior immediately. The reward needs to be immediate so the dog associates the reward with the behavior.

4. If praise is used as a reward, deliver it in high singsong tones, which are most pleasing for the dog. Use an enthusiastic voice. If petting is to be used as a reward, it should be in a way that the dog enjoys, such as stroking the dog’s hair on the side of his face in the same direction that it grows, or scratching him on the chest.

Methods and Consistency

There are several approaches to obedience training.

1. Only Trainer and Dog. You can hire a professional trainer who will house your dog, train him, and hand him back to you. The pet owner will be taught the commands and the basic rules around the commands in order for the owner to carry out the consistency of pattern that the trainer has used and so your dog knows that you are now the one he must obey. But the hard work and time is taken up by the trainer.

2. Private or group training – dog and owner. You and your dog can attend private or group training classes in which you, along with your dog, learn the different commands and the owner learns how to handle his dog. Most of these training courses go on for 4-6 weeks; however take note that a dog is not fully trained in this frame of time and still requires that you further his training at home when the sessions are finished-especially if you are training a puppy. This method is a great way for you to also get your dog socialized around other people and other dogs which is another major area to dog wellness. A well socialized dog makes for a well rounded dog and a happy owner and contributes highly to dog wellness.

3. Just you and your dog. Nowadays there are plenty of wonderful pet sites that will guide you through the individual commands, and give you tips and tricks on how to best handle your dog. Pet owners can also investigate this same method by the breed of dog they have in order to get tips on handling that particular breed. This is also effective because different breeds have different personality traits. Many of these sites give free information – all you have to do is follow the method and be consistent.

Whichever method you chose it is important and pertinent to your success that you remain consistent and on track. If you have older kids, it can be very helpful if you train them on the procedures and allow them to help you out when you are busy or overwhelmed with other responsibilities. The other benefit of this is that your kids will learn how to conduct obedience training, get closer to and earn respect from your dog. It is vital that everyone in the family knows the command being taught and practice with the dog. This will build a good relationship between the dog and other family members.

Obedience training with positive reinforcement, along with timing and consistency are keys to having a well behaved, happy, healthy dog which means your life as a pet owner will be much enjoyed and well worth the work. Remember that obedience training does not happen overnight and is a continuous process over a period of time. Start training as early as possible. Puppies are not too young to start learning the rules and in fact, they should begin their training as soon as possible, with age appropriate measures that will expand and grow with age. These tactics will contribute highly to your dog’s wellness and will have you as a dog owner barking to a happy tune.

TIP: Did you know that patting a dog on top of his head is usually disliked by most dogs?

Have you ever wondered if your dog understands you more than you think? There are a number of clues your dog reveals to you that will make this apparent. Dogs use body language to communicate with the humans they live with. Your fury friend also use various vocal sounds to communicate what they are thinking.

These signs of communication become very apparent especially if they haven’t seen you in a long time such as when you come home from work or even after you have played a round of golf. Typically a dog will greet you and often jump up and look for a sign that you understand that he or she needs to be touched. The jumping action often means that their front paws will touch you. This is a good thing. This may also mean they want to go for a walk. Your dog may also bark at you. This means they are anxious for your attention. Providing attention to them is good for their mental health. Taking them for a walk is also good for their health and will be good for yours as well.

You pet dog understands that you will respond to such actions, such as jumping up and barking when you return home from a long day at work. Perhaps you will need to sit with them on the couch and cuddle. This could be done as you wait for your dinner to cook in the microwave or as you read your mail. This could also lead to taking your fury friend for a walk. Your dogs wanting you to cuddle with you could mean they are trying to communicate with you about going for a walk. They will understand that cuddling means ultimately you will be taking them for a walk. Going for a walk is very important for them as they will be able to use the full range of their senses. Of course means their very well-developed sense of smell. When talking them for a walk let them enjoy the use of their sense of smell.

Your dog uses his sense of smell a form of communication with other dogs and as a way of understanding where they have been before. They might even been trying to communicate where you should taking them for a walk. This could also mean they understand that after you are taking them for a walk you will eventually give them a treat suck as a milk bone.

Best Regards

All good dog breeds have a great deal of importance with the specific. The following top 10 dog breeds list we are having a look at all varieties of puppies from the small to the large. We are selecting favorites based on their attitude and ease of training as well as their cuddly and cute elements. But to be clear we love all breeds, now grab your leash.

10- Saint Bernard

Named Cujo although excellently featured in the Cujo (horror film) which is based on the novel of Stephen King Saint Bernard is a big creature with friendly nature whose true character is perhaps better portrayed in the friendly family jerk Beethoven named after the greatest.

Cujo has roots as far back as 980 AD and while he didn’t carry barrels of brandy. He was actually created for rescue work and life in the Alps. He was nearly vanished owing to serious winters in the early 1800s. But he was happily crossbred with Newfoundland dog to reinstate and maintain his numbers nightly.

9- English cocker spaniel

He has been a fixture in the arts in some way for almost half a century first valued as a quality hunting dog in both wet and dry conditions. The Cocker Spaniel was created to hunt game birds especially one game bird which is called the Woodcock is where their name comes from the cocker spaniel. The English cocker spaniel is highly playful and lovable personality endeared it as a greeted member of a lot of families now. We think Prince George is certainly sweet in his photo. But one of our favorite things must be the family’s cocker spaniel Lupo as a good friend to the kids as it is driving out the cocker spaniels of Woodcock. He has intelligent nature also allows it to be employed regularly as a sniffer dog in Cuban airports. So overall the cocker spaniel can make a good pet if he is bought from a reputable breeder.

8- Siberian Husky

This dog was originally bred in Russia to be one of the most powerful working dog breeds. This large dog looks like a wolf and is really friendly and surprisingly light eater, smart and greatly trainable. The Husky is playful with kids and rarely let’s loose his signature howl but he makes poor watchdog breed. He just likes people too much, he known for his icy blue eyes. The Siberian husky may also have amber or brown eyes and may even have one brown and one blue eye. Meanwhile, his fur can be white, black, red, silver grey or brown and keeps him warm in temperature as low as minus 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

7- Boxer

The boxer is like a 3-year-old child that’s it he did not grow up past three a common fur baby. The boxer was originally bred and intended for bull baiting, dog fighting, and even cart pulling obnoxiously pleased and greatly-spirited. The breed is intelligent and quick learner that appears to be similar to a cat of all dogs when he grins. He is happy, you really know if he is integrated into most dog loving families easily as he gets on well with and plays well with children. He may make a good relationship with cats over a shared dislike of birds. The breed may have got his name from its boxing like poachers. Although many in his native Germany dispute that claim meets John and his boxer with a 17-inch tongue which is the longest of any dog.

6- Yorkshire terrier

He is one of the cutest very tiny but brave and remarkably loyal. The Yorkshire Terrier is protective of his adoptive family and can take over the house effectively if he is allowed good fella noted for his long silky hair. The Yorkie is offspring of the sky terrier and Paisley and was literally bred to be a mouse hunter in north of England where he is usually utilized in clothing mills and mines. He may have a big bark but there is not a lot of him to back it up. He is small but is still a terrier at home meanwhile the Yorkie is quite content as an indoor dog. The breed can be excellent watch puppy due to his suspicious behavior towards strangers. He loves teasing and messing with other dogs way bigger than him so keep his leash handy.

5- Bulldog

Even very high beauty requirements are like beauty sleep. You would have to sleep for like month you are really a typical dog whether French, British or American. Bulldog at present has roots as far back as 1500 but the breed as we know it did not really come to be till the old English Bulldog was crossbred with the Pug. This will not work sweetie that look won’t do work on him now considered as one of Britain’s national animals. In past, the Bulldog was bred and utilized for the sport of bull baiting rather than taking down bulls. Today, Bulldog thrives on attention and is pretty affectionate breed.

4- Beagle

This breed is found in different colours ranging from lemon, black, white, red and orange. The Beagle was recorded in ancient Greece and is even present in the work of Shakespeare Daisy. Of course, the modern beagle, however, can be kept track to the 1830s when the Reverend Philip honey would be established. The beagle was praised for his hunting ability in the first modern pack of the past and is valued today as a sniffer dog due to his amazing sense of smell.

3- Golden Retriever

The golden retriever is patient, devoted, charming and trainable and is an incredible choice for a family or a childhood friend. He came to be in the late 1800s in his quest to possess a retrieving dog that performed well on land. In water, it is fun to swim for him; he is a well-suited dog to drug enforcement, rescue and search work, and servicing the disabled community.

2- German Shepherd

He is perhaps well-known as the German Shepherd dog. He was known as the Alsatian wolf dog for much of the 20th century and developed around 1899. The German Shepherd is very often utilized as a Scout in military, rescue and search teams, police services and is very much capable actor in dog terms.

1- Labrador Retriever

The lab is friendly and may be yellow, chocolate or black. This is all one dog breed and can be found in a single litter famous worldwide as a friend. The Labrador retriever is also eager to help out in the world of hunting, security and police work. This affectionate dog is also used as a guide and service dog.

He will be there by your side, as your loving companion – he will offer you protection if ever the need arises. Pet dog owners in turn must know how to look after their pet dog, and be responsible for it. The dog’s needs are simple and easy to follow. When puppies come home they need lots of love and attention. They may stress a little at first, as this is probably the first time they are away from their mother and their littermates. It is important that you begin the process of socialization, generally integrating your new pet into your family and teaching it to relate to people and other animals through gentle play, interaction and having pleasant encounters with family friends and pets

A stress free environment for your puppy

Try and avoid sudden loud noises such as children screaming or doors slamming. Also limit the visitors your new puppy has – gradually allowing it to get used to more and more strange faces.

Provide a warm comfortable bed – or alternatively a cardboard box with many layers of newspaper and a washable blanket on top. Make sure your puppy will still fit into it as it grows. Place the puppy’s bed where you want it to sleep as an adult or grown dog – usually the best place would be a quiet, private corner. For the first few nights – settling period – a fluffy toy and a warm (not hot) water bottle placed beneath the bedding will help. The puppy may be noisy and stresses at night immediately after separation from its littermates. A low radio or ticking clock can help sooth it.

When the puppy is awake during the day – give it lots of body contact and talk to your puppy in a soft voice to express friendship and a gruff voice to express disapproval of any of its unwanted actions.

Keeping your puppy safe

The following are things to consider when preparing for the arrival of a new puppy. Lock away household and garden chemicals.- Make sure electrical cords are out of biting reach.

Be extra careful when using lawnmowers, skateboards, roller blades or any other similar thing.

Make sure the puppy cannot get through’ any swimming pool fencing.

Teaching your puppy the house rules

The newest member of the ‘family pack’ must learn that you are the pack leader and that it is the bottom dog in the pack. Once the new puppy recognizes its place in the family hierarchy it will be happier and easily trained to obey commands. The puppy will look to its pack leader to protect it and make decisions for it.

Nutritional needs

It is best to start by feeding your puppy the same diet it ate before it joined your family. You can introduce any changes slowly over several days to avoid causing digestive upsets. Commercial puppy foods are recommended and later commercial adult food – a well balanced good quality dry food is essential. A constant supply of fresh clean water should be available. A deep stainless steel or earthenware bowl will keep the water cooler and in summer ice can be added to the water.

Play time with your Pet Dog

Puppies love to play and this helps them to grow and learn. In the early days when they play among their littermates, it gives them exercise and is the way in which they compete for their order in the pack. Don’t be rough with your puppy – but it’s also important in these early stages that your puppy learns that family members are dominant. Chewing helps puppies through teething – but it is also a way of investigating their environment. This need is easily satisfied with chewable objects and toys. Make sure they don’t resemble objects that you don’t want chewed, for example how does the puppy distinguish between his old shoe and all of the other shoes in the household?

Puppy Dog Potty Training

Anticipate toilet needs. Take your puppy outside as soon as it wakes up, as well as before and after every meal. Go right outside with your puppy – this is very important. Take it to a specific area of the garden and wait until it has finished – always praise the puppy afterwards.

The importance of Exercising your Pet Dog

A retractable leash is ideal for a puppy, in this way you can’t force the puppy to over exercise. Adult dogs also need exercise and play – walking a dog everyday is great, or play in the park with a ball or stick. If everyday is too hard to manage, try at least four times a week.

Grooming your Dog

Get your new dog used to being groomed, handled and examined as soon as possible. Your grooming equipment should include a dog brush and comb. Establish a daily routine where you examine your dogs mouth, teeth, eyes, ears, abdomen, paws and other parts of its anatomy, and although it may not need grooming do it anyway. If your dog is regularly groomed you will only need to wash it if it gets really dirty or smelly. It is best to use lukewarm water and give the dog a brush out first. Use a proper dog shampoo and dry it off with its own special dog towel, before it gets cold. Nails should be clipped as needed depending on the breed of the dog and the surface that the dog usually walks on. If it’s a hard surface they walk on the nails will wear down naturally. Special dog nail clippers are available – if you are not confident with this process ask your vet or a dog groomer to show you the process.

Following these simple steps will ensure you, your family and the newest edition to the family will have a happy, healthy and rewarding time together.

http://www.pet-library.com

(c) By Katharine Logan, 2005

A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans

By: W. Bruce Cameron

Publisher: Forge Books

Publication Date: December 2016

ISBN: 978-0765388117

Dog lovers have always known that dogs are smart, loving animals that are deeply devoted to “their humans.” Author W. Bruce Cameron has taken this knowledge and added a unique twist that builds on it – a novel that imagines one dog, who lives several dog lives, and remembers each life, and the lessons learned in that life.

A Dog’s Purpose opens with a puppy describing his life. It soon becomes clear that the puppy, along with his three siblings and his mother, are feral. Eventually the puppy, along with his mother and one brother, are captured by a dog rescue. They are placed in a backyard with many other dogs and while the puppy, who is soon named Toby, adjusts well, his mother can’t handle the human interaction and manages to escape. Toby grows, makes friends and is eventually reunited with his sister. But trouble comes when the rescue is shutdown by the authorities for having too many dogs. Toby soon finds himself in a bad situation…

When Toby’s life comes to an end, he is reincarnated as a beautiful Golden Retriever. Now the puppy is part of a healthy litter, kept with a breeder. When he sees other puppies, from other litters, being adopted and disappearing into the great beyond outside the yard, he wants to go. He remembers watching his mother from his first life open the door handle, and he works to copy her. It works and he escapes from the breeder and wanders around until he is scooped up by a kindly man who takes him for a ride in his car. Unfortunately, the man stops at a bar and leaves the puppy in his hot car. Once again the puppy is rescued, this time by a woman who breaks the car window just in time before heat stroke kills the dog. She takes the puppy home to her young son, and this is where the bulk of the story is – between “Bailey” the dog and “Boy.”

After “Boy,” Bailey comes back a few more times – once as a K-9 Search and Rescue German Shepherd and again as a black Lab. His final reincarnation as the Lab brings him full circle with a very satisfying conclusion to the story.

Told from the dog’s point of view, A Dog’s Purpose is a delightful story that immediately drew me in and kept me reading until the last page was turned. The author has a true gift of capturing the thoughts of a dog and it truly felt as if the dog was sharing his life with me. Toby/Bailey/Ellie/Buddy was a loving dog who knew that his purpose was to do what his human wanted/needed him to do, whether that was save a child from drowning, or go for a car ride to make a boy happy. Like every dog, this dog picked up words – “kennel,” “bed,” “sleep,” etc. and basic concepts such as “Merry Christmas” that to him meant people coming to the house. He would be sitting at the feet of his owner and pick up a word from the humans talking – for example, his name – and get all excited, not knowing what the rest of the conversation was about. The author did include a minimum amount of dialogue from the humans to give readers a hint of what was happening, but even without that assistance, it wasn’t hard to follow. Much of what the dog did was pick up on emotions of those people around him – sensing joy, fear, pain – and reacting accordingly. The writing style definitely worked quite well, and I look forward to diving into the sequel, A Dog’s Journey.

Quill says: There’s a reason Hollywood came calling and made a movie based on this book! If you love dogs, do yourself a favor and read A Dog’s Purpose.

Most dog owners think once their puppy reaches a certain age; they don’t have to be as concerned about everything that goes into their mouth. Not true! Even though puppies and younger dogs are the most common victims of intestinal obstruction, older dogs can also be at risk.

Be aware, if your dog’s vomit smells like stools, your dog is in a serious, life-threatening situation. What you smell is feces, that has backed up, and cannot pass normally, due to a blockage!

Most Common Causes of Intestinal Blockage

The major cause if this symptom is an obstruction or severe trauma to the lower gastrointestinal tract. The larger or sharper the obstruction, the more risk your dog faces of perforation, rupture and peritonitis.

Veterinarians have removed an extraordinary array of objects from our canine companions gut! They include, but are not limited to, coins, hearing aids, retainers, marbles, socks, T-shirts, batteries, rawhide, unchewed biscuits, bones, plastic wrap, tin foil, children’s toys, rope, twine, bully sticks, balls (including a whole golf ball!), towels, wood, blankets, toy stuffing, cat litter, yarn, pins, jewelry, and nails/screw,

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear within 7 hours after ingesting the item However, it may take days in some cases, before the you notice there is a problem. The most common warning signs indicating something is wrong are intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, lack of appetite, pale gums, bleeding, weakness, lethargy, electrolyte imbalance, shock, and possibly death.

Owners often get a false sense the obstruction has passed if their pet has diarrhea. Don’t be fooled. Diarrhea can work itself around a blockage.

As a rule, upper gastrointestinal obstructions usually cause projectile vomiting.

Lower gastrointestinal obstructions commonly cause a distended abdomen and vomit that smells like feces.

Intestinal strangulation blocks the flow of oxygen and blood, causing gangrene of the intestines.

Death can occur in a matter of hours.

Diagnosis/Prognosis

The sooner your pet is examined and the object is removed, the sooner the recovery process will start. Your veterinarian will exam your dog by palpating the abdominal area to check for distension and tenderness. They will examine the gums to see if they are pale. They may suggest an x-ray, to identify the item, and locate the blockage.

Depending on the severity of the obstruction, or if there are factors that complicate the situation, such as perforation, rupture, peritonitis or necrosis, most dogs recover fairly quickly.

Treatments

The treatment usually depends on the size, shape, how long the item has been ingested, and whether there is any rupture or perforation. Treatment to remove the object could be as simple as your veterinarian inducing vomiting, or retrieving the object with an endoscope. Do not attempt to induce vomiting yourself.

Most likely, your dog will be dehydrated. Your veterinarian may use IV therapy to rehydrate and antibiotics, to prevent secondary infection. They will also most likely recommend rest, and a liquid or soft diet, before moving on to your dog’s regular diet.

If the object has passed your dog’s pylorus (where the stomach connects to the small intestines), surgery is required. Post surgery requires rest, IV therapy, antibiotics, and observation for leakage, followed by liquid diet, to soft food, to regular diet. They probably will have to stay at the animal hospital for a day or two following surgery.

Bottom line: Always check what your puppy or dog has in their mouth! Supervise what your dog is chewing, especially if they are aggressive or obsessive chewers. If the object is small enough to get caught in their throat, throw it out! If you know they are sneaky thieves, make sure objects they should not have access to are well out of their reach. Do not take any risks, if their vomit smells like poop, get help immediately!

Welcome the Dog to the Human World

Have you ever watched The Dog Whisperer and thought, ‘Wow, that guy is amazing! What a great way to train a dog!” I know I have many times. Cesar Milan teaches one basic principle about dogs – a dog is a pack animal by instinct. According to Cesar, your job is to become the pack leader, a dominant Alpha male/female with ‘balance’. I guess by ‘balance’ he means you should treat the animal fairly, as they would expect to be treated in a wild pack. He gets very good and fast results with this method. I won’t say it’s a bad method, but it’s not the way I choose to train my dogs and here’s why.

There’s one thing very wrong with the ‘you’re the pack leader’ concept – it assumes the dog inhabits a dog’s world, and for you to control it, you must behave as a dog would, the Alpha male or female of the pack. For the majority of dogs who are family pets this means the owner will treat the animal as though it had only instinctual processes going on in its head, no rational thought processes. To refute that thinking go and watch these two short videos of Lucy’s behavior: Lucy Remembers Her Ball and Lucy and The Vacuum Cleaner (links appear at bottom). A dog does not inhabit a dog’s world unless it’s in a pack of dogs, roaming the wilderness like a wolf, bringing down prey and sharing its kill. This is not your dog. Your dog wouldn’t chase its supper if it went hungry for a week! It would no more kill a raccoon and rip its flesh apart than would your six year old child! If you do have such an animal it’s a sure bet that it’s a dangerous dog, one that causes people in your neighborhood to cross the street to avoid.

If you become the pack leader, you’ve descended into the dog’s world. Having done so, the dog will integrate well with other dogs, live in a pack happily, know its place in the human pack, and generally behave well, but it won’t reach its full potential. When you adopted the dog into your family, you didn’t decide to become a primeval growler, (which can work if you have the cahones to back up the threats), you decided to introduce an animal into the human world. As the two videos show, Lucy is an animal with human-like tendencies developed to the full potential of her smaller dog brain. She, like 99 percent of dogs today, belongs to a family, has been introduced to human concepts, and lives in a human world. It’s better that you train your dog to live well in your world, rather than you in its, for the sake of the dog and yourself. You will have a much better companion, and so will the dog. The dog will learn to love humans above dogs.

Lucy is a thinking dog. Lucy will position herself at the ready depending on where a person places their foot behind a ball. She correctly anticipates which way the ball will be propelled by the positioning of the foot. She also cheats quite badly, arriving at the destination of a tossed toy before it gets there. Her brain has computed where you’re likely to throw or kick an object. Lucy knows which way you will kick a ball simply by shifting your weight from one hip to the other, without even moving your feet! Better than a goalie in football (soccer).

Lucy knows several hundred concepts and commands, from Jump In The Boat, to Don’t Go In The Street. She rarely plays now but when she was younger I would throw her ball into the street (a rural highway) and when she realized the ball had gone out of reach, rolling into forbidden territory, she would put on the brakes and stop before crossing an imaginary line. That line used to be a piece of yellow rope lying across the driveway about 20 feet from the street. After she learned the concept the rope was taken away, she was allowed to go out to pee on her own; I could trust her not to go past the imaginary line. That concept, Don’t Go In The Street, is central to a dog being able to live happily in the human world. It’s the difference between a deer or a raccoon crossing the road and your pet’s thinking. It has learned that highways (a human construct not appearing in the dog pack vocabulary) are very bad.

Dogs have rational thought processes. Dogs have emotions. Dogs also have a conscience. Dogs learn to love. Dogs have language skills and can understand about five hundred human concepts with words. None of these things are in a puppy when you get them, they are learned behaviors.

A dog cannot do differential calculus, that’s obvious, but it can reason out how to manipulate an owner into giving it food. Lucy was given a treat every time she asked me to go pee outside. If she gets slightly hungry, she has learned to ask to go outside, wait for thirty seconds and then come back in the house to get her reward. She will do this every hour or so until I’ve clued in and watch her. If she doesn’t pee, the rewards stop, and so does the manipulative behavior since it’s now a waste of time. But that shows you a dog can manipulate people. It isn’t surprising really; a dog manipulates its owner many times during the day. If you rattle its leash, it will waken from a dead sleep and circle, pant and bark at the thought of going for a walk. That is doggy manipulation. The dog is saying how happy they would be if they went for a walk, and you’re feeling guilty already if that wasn’t your plan.

So higher reasoning aside, what can a dog do? It can learn. A dog can learn so many things you’d be surprised. If you simply teach it what it needs to know to function well in a human world, it would knock your socks off. Every day that Lucy and I wake up, we tell each other with hugs and kisses how happy we are that we have each other. Lucy loves humans, so much so that she almost ignores dogs. Can they make her food for her? Can they throw her ball? Her stick? Her little teddy bears?

There’s a Border Collie in Germany that can remember any one of two hundred and fifty toys. Alan Alda of Mash fame visited this dog for Nova on PBS. The dog has all her toys in a big pile in one room. In another room she is shown a miniature sample of the desired toy (about one fifth scale). The dog leaves, enters the room with the massive pile of assorted frogs, teddy bears, squirrels, puppets, dolls, devils, Muppets, rummaging around and returning quickly, and surprisingly, with the correct toy. She does this flawlessly, even when it’s a new toy that she’s never seen before.

But once you’ve taught that dog human concepts, it’s no longer a canine – it’s a Canine Sapiens, a hybrid between dog and Homo Sapiens (which is Latin for Thinking Man). It cannot happily go back to the pack. Without wishing to conduct such an experiment, I went to England for two weeks and Lucy went to the kennel. The kennel belongs to a reputable breeder and Lucy had her own ‘penalty box’ (cage) placed inside a three by six foot kennel. There were other dogs there so you’d think she’d be fine, but these were ‘Pack Dogs’, dogs that the breeder keeps solely for breeding. One barks, they all bark. One runs around the yard, they all run around the yard. Lucy was having none of it, and their primitive antics had her stressed out. When I returned to pick her up she went wild with joy! She ran around the truck about ten times barking, crying, tail wagging, face licking, and all manner of expressions of love. I began to speak with the breeder about England but Lucy jumped into the truck through an open door and barked her head off so loud that she could not be ignored. “I guess I’m being summoned,” I told the breeder. Man, was she happy to get out of there!

This is why several universities in the U.S. have stopped teaching gorillas and other primates American Sign Language in doctoral theses. Once the studies are over the animals are returned to cages in the zoo. No more riding around in cars for you! No more ice cream cones for you! The animals, now capable of reasoning to a degree, are back in cages languishing for the good old days with their human friends, unable to relate to the other primates around them. The universities have decided that it’s unethical behavior to abandon them once they’ve formed attachments to their trainers. You need a PHD in behavioral psychology to figure that out?

It can be frustrating to try teaching a dog an advanced concept. If you find yourself yelling or getting frustrated with the dog simply back off. Stop. The problem is too complex for her present state of understanding and she doesn’t know what you want. The solution is to break the problem into smaller steps. You didn’t learn algebra before you learned to count, add, subtract, divide and multiply. You didn’t learn to multiply until you learned to add the same number three times to itself. Dogs have similar minds to humans, except that they’re somewhat limited in potential. But if you give the dog credit for being able to think with the ability of a three year old child, you’ll be surprised at what they will learn.

Your dog has a conscience. How do I know this? Your dog dreams, which is a sure indication of a bifurcated mind with a conscious and a subconscious. The dog dreams after having a good day, or a bad day. When they’ve had a good day, they fall asleep and within five minutes enter the REM phase of their sleep pattern. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement, and it happens almost right away in dogs. In humans it takes about an hour and thirty minutes. During REM sleep the dog can be whining, barking, chasing, wagging its tail, eating, chewing, swimming. You’ll recognize a dog who is dreaming when you see it, trust me, but what that dream indicates is that it has a subconscious mind that’s free to relive the experiences of the day. If it has a subconscious mind then it must have a conscious mind, because you can’t have one without the other, unless it’s in a coma.

The conscious mind contains the rules construct – the things I’m allowed to do, as well as the things I’m not allowed, but want to do. The subconscious mind contains the entire spectrum, desires, memories, emotions, autonomic functions, but it’s missing one important thing – the rules construct. It’s ungoverned. If you accept this, then you accept that a dog’s brain is constructed similarly to ours and is capable of many of the same things our brain can do. To love, to feel guilty, to think, to desire, to reason, to manipulate, to trust, to obey, to not break certain rules. A dog learns within four months of age not to pee in the house. Amazing when you consider that it spent the first 10 weeks at its mother’s breast. How then, if it did not have a conscious mind with a rules construct? By instinct? By pack mentality? No, from learning, which you will be responsible for.

So that’s where it starts: by giving the dog some credit for being able to think. If you don’t you’ll be treating her just like The Keller parents treated their deaf and blind daughter Helen. Helen Keller became a successful author and public speaker but only after a miracle worker, Anne Sullivan, decided to credit her with a brain that worked. Her parents had written her off as backward. That’s your job, to be the miracle worker for your four legged Helen. Don’t credit the dog with thinking ability and it won’t learn anything useful.

Your dog is handicapped in several ways. The first is that it devotes ten times more of its brain to odors than we do. It devotes one tenth of its brain to visual information than we do. A dog can have a cookie right in front of it, but when it’s searching for it using scent, it can’t see it. A dog seems to shut off its visual memory in favor of olfactory memory. When they are sniffing you can hear the nose whoot, whoot, whoot, as they sample quickly for a trace. They also move their heads when sampling so they know which direction to go. You’ll learn to redirect the dog’s brain to become a listener and a watcher while giving your lessons. They’ll learn faster when they know they’re being taught something. With a visual and verbal clue, your dog will pay attention, “Aha, the Master is trying to show me something important.”

Your First Lesson: The Binary Method

I have always had it easy training my dog – I live alone. If you have a family, all of whom suddenly are doggy experts from watching the Whisperer, tell them all to take a hike. If they won’t go, then take the dog out for a walk in a private setting. Be alone with the dog, period. No distractions. No other dogs or people. You are the only sensory inputs that the dog will have to deal with. This makes the job much simpler. When you’ve taught the dog one simple thing, make sure that all family and friends use the same method of communication. The dog has a limited capacity, which is high enough, but it will be wasted if it has to learn three ways to sit, six ways to come here, and so on. If it’s your dog, take responsibility and get other people to address the dog in your manner or leave the animal alone.

Your dog learns very quickly and easily using the binary method. With the binary method, the dog learns quite a lot and quite fast. They also learn by association. The binary method is how we begin a dog’s training and it works wonders with puppies or new dogs. The association method is for later, when your dog has learned the basics and is ready for more. We’ll talk about the binary method first, and association in later parts of this article.

What is the binary method? Binary means two. There are two things that your dog has to learn from you. That’s all, just two. Everything else follows from there. Once they’ve learned those two things, you’ve got it made in the shade. Your dog will become the most obedient, happy little fur creature on the street. And she’ll be ready to learn more. Once a dog has picked up the binary method, there’s no going back, she now thinks like a human.

On my walks with my dog, I show her off to people and tell them about the binary method. “There are two things your dog must learn and once it has, she can learn everything else. Do you know what those two things are?” I ask them. I’m amazed at the responses I get, and have yet to hear the correct response. “Patience and humility,” one guy says. I haven’t taught my dogs humility yet, so I have to refrain from laughing at some of these stabs at a very simple concept. Does he think I’m prepping her for Divinity College?

What are those two things you must first teach your four legged Helen Keller? Here we go – Yes and No. Yes, you are allowed to do something. No, you are not allowed to do something. That’s the first lesson to teach your dog. Once he/she has learned these two concepts, everything else you’re trying to get it to do will be very much easier to accomplish. Two things, hence the binary method.

How do I teach the dog these two seemingly simple concepts? First, replace the word Yes with the word Okay. The word No remains No. So that’s what you want to teach the dog. Okay, and No.

If you have a dog that doesn’t like food, take it back, get a refund, it’s probably not a dog. If your dog does like food and is attracted to a certain treat then have a bag of those treats at the ready. The smaller the treat, the better. Small treats permit you many repetitions of the lesson until the dog catches on. It can take many repetitions of a lesson before the dog learns, but it will surprise you how few times a dog must be shown something to learn it completely. Usually, a simple concept is learned in under ten repetitions.

Tell the dog the following, “Lucy! Watch!’ and point to your eye with your finger touching your face under the eye. Do this every time you begin a lesson. Repeat it a few times and then begin the lesson. At first, it’s meaningless to the dog, but it will pay off later, because the dog will have learned YOU ARE TEACHING SOMETHING.

Now place the dog in the sitting position on the floor or ground. Say ‘Lucy, Sit’ clearly and distinctly as you do it. The simpler the command the better. One syllable, how much simpler can it be. When the dog is sitting and only when the dog is sitting, put at least one small treat on the floor about one foot in front of her. Give her a treat for sitting. Leave the other food in sight close by.

Always, always preface an action command with the dog’s name. “Lucy, Sit”, “Lucy, Come Here.” There’s a very good reason for this. The dog learns its name firstly, but more importantly, she learns that she is being addressed at that moment. When you are with a group of people and don’t use her name here is what the dog perceives: “… bla bla bla bla bla bla bla – sit – bla bla bla bla bla.” The ‘Sit’ got lost in all the bla bla. The dog has tuned you out because you’re all talking gibberish and boring her to death. Give the dog a warning that something is coming. First pause your talking and say ‘Lucy!” Pause until you notice her react, then give her the command – “Sit!”, making the hand gesture as you do.

All dog training is to be done with ‘theatre’. I believe the dog responds to signals first, and since they’re accompanied by voice commands, they will respond to the latter on it’s own at a later date. Always, always give a command with hand signals or other types of visual clues to start. I call it ‘theatre’. I have a ‘Come Here’ signal which my dog can see and responds to even when she’s too far away to hear: I flap one arm up and down by my side.

So going back over the ground already covered, tell your dog to ‘Sit’ by placing her firmly but gently in the sitting position. Give her a treat when she sits. When you say ‘Lucy, Sit’, make a hand gesture by putting out your outstretched hand. Any dog that is worth its salt will not immediately obey this command, he/she will lunge for the food on the floor. That’s instinctual behavior, to eat. Dogs, especially Labs, can write the book on ‘There is food, therefore I eat’. This is what you’re hoping for the dog to do. There are few things that motivate a dog more than food, especially a pup.

Wait a moment. When the dog lunges from the sitting position to reach the food, this is where you jump in. Place your hand, palm and fingers outstretched firmly, right in front of her face and say in a loud, unmistakably officious tone ‘NO!” Like a traffic cop. No, means no, you twit, and if you move that car one inch more I’m hauling your idiot behind to jail. That’s what I mean by theatre. The hand is thrust forcefully, the tone of voice is severe and stentorian, and the look on your otherwise pleasant face is mean and ugly. You could also preface the whole charade with a ‘Psssshhhht!” which distracts the dog momentarily and has her focus on the source of the strange noise.

Once you’ve given her this very theatrical admonition, sit her back down, and say “Wait until I say OKAY,” emphasizing the word OKAY by pointing to your lips. The dog at this point is merely confused. After three or four attempts to lunge for the food she will sit back down and wait. She won’t go for the food. Make certain that she doesn’t get food until she does what you wish. This is key. It isn’t cruel. You’re using positive stimuli to get a desired result. Your boss does it to you each week with a paycheck.

The dog has learned by association to sit. It’s from pleasurable stimuli. Every time I sit he gives me a treat. The best thing to do is to sit so he’ll give me a dog treat. I don’t know what the hell he wants but I do know to sit. I don’t know why he’s blocking me from getting that food over there, but he’s nice enough when I sit down, so I’ll sit down.

Once the dog has learned to sit and stay quiet without lunging for the food, then you will permit her to get it. You will say in a soft and light tone, ‘Lucy, Okay get it,” and point to the food.

Here’s what the dog is thinking. If I go for that food he’s going to yell at me and put me back here and say “Sit’ again. I’m not going for it. I’m sitting here. If I sit he gives me treats. If you’ve waited until the dog is unsure of what to do at this point, you’ve done the right thing. Your dog is afraid to go for the food and won’t lunge at it. It will ask permission with head movements toward the food. At this point it hasn’t a clue what OKAY means.

So now you’ll show your dog what okay means, and gently lift its bum off the floor and allow it to approach the treats, all the while saying ‘Okay, Lucy, get it’ in sweet tones and pointing to the food. You may even move the food closer until it’s within reach for the first few iterations.

When he says OKAY and pushes me toward the food, he seems to be saying it’s quite alright if I go get it. So that’s what OKAY means. Eureka, I get it!

With about five repetitions of this exercise your dog will have learned the difference between Okay, I’m allowed and No, I’m not allowed. It actually learned the two concepts using the association method, but it now has a tool, called the binary method, in which all other behavioral concepts are learned. Everything, from Come Here, to Heel, to Don’t Go In The Street will be so much easier to teach. Many things must be learned by a dog. No pooping or peeing in the house. No jumping on people or other dogs. No barking when not called for. Come Here, Sit, Inside, Outside, Go to Sleep, Get Up, Get down, Stop That, Be Quiet, Get In, Get Out, Heel, Lie Down, Stay Here, Wait… the list is quite long.

All learning must be reinforced. When you start to learn multiplication in math, your teacher will thoroughly review addition first. She will also teach the advanced concept of multiplication by using the addition lessons as a stepping stone. “Add ten plus ten. How much is that? Twenty. Right. How many times did we add ten? Twice. We added ten two times to get twenty. How much, therefore, is Two times Ten?” Teach furry Helen, the Okay and No commands every lesson before teaching her to Come Here, or to Wait Until I Say Okay (Stay). Furry Helen will be as quick to learn this concept at three months of age as a child of eight can learn the times tables.

A dog is very much like a human in intellectual developmental abilities. In this one lesson, your four legged Helen Keller has learned very many important things. One, you are in charge of everything. Food, most importantly. Two, cooperation means positive stimuli such as love and food, defiance means negative stimuli, such as disapproval and denial of food. A dog, as a member of a family seeks approval and positive reinforcements and avoids negative stimuli. If it prefers negative stimuli you’ve got a neurotic on your hands. Neurotic dogs, like people, are made, not born, and now is the time for Cesar to do his magic because this is where his method outshines all others, rehabilitating a neurotic dog. Thirdly, your dog has learned when you’re trying to teach it something to help it fit into a family of humans. Lastly but most importantly, the dog will have learned the binary method and will even learn to ask permission like Lucy does when she wishes to sleep on the couch. She stops and waits for an OKAY before jumping up.

Remember, if a lesson goes badly, don’t allow yourself to become frustrated with the dog. Step back, break up the problem into two or three steps. Above all, give the dog some sweet love, treats and a play period after a training session, no matter how it went. If the dog is play obsessed like Lucy is, use the play sessions for training as well.

Keep watching this space for Training Your Dog Humanely: Part Two. And give me some feedback in the comments section, please. For more interesting videos of Lucy go to my FB page and browse my public videos.

If you’ve ever made costly trips to the vet, then home remedies for dog ear infection have most likely crossed your mind. We all love our dogs and want to give them the best care, but sometimes it becomes necessary to see if we can treat our dog with natural treatments and spare the expense of costly vet visits and medications with side effects.

Types Ear Infection

Before you consider dog ear infection at home remedies, you need to know a little background. First, there are two types of ear infections in dogs just as there are in humans. Your dog could be suffering from otitis externa which is a fancy way of saying an outer ear infection or he could be suffering from otitis media which is an infection of the middle ear.

Symptoms of Infection

It won’t take long for you to notice something just isn’t right with your dog. When he has an ear infection, he will most like shake his head as if something is bothering him. Other signs include scratching at his ears and whimpering when petted in the ear area. You may also notice that his ears are red and there could be an odor with a smelly discharge.

Home Remedies for Dog Ear Infection

There are several remedies that you can try to rid your dog of his infection. Some of these include using apple cider or balsamic vinegar, different oils, alcohol, garlic. Before you begin to treat your dog, you need to gently clean out your dog’s ears. You can do this by wetting cotton balls and gently removing any dirt and discharge that is in his ears. Once you have his ears clean, you can begin using your home remedies.

Vinegar  

One of the most common home remedies is using Apple Cider Vinegar or Balsamic vinegar. These two vinegars seem to work best. To try this remedy, use a solution of equal parts vinegar and clean water. Dampen a cotton ball in the vinegar mixture and gently swab the mixture into the ear. Do not “flood” the ear with the mixture. Dog’s have trouble draining fluid from their ears and is one cause they get infections in the first place. Leaving fluid in the ears will lead to a worse infection.

Vinegar works for fungal infections and yeast infections.