DOG TRAINING EQUIPMENT

Many of you may think that our little pregnant dogs may have all kinds of strange cravings and want to eat like crazy when they're pregnant...but dog's are pretty controlled in all honesty. They may want a few more morsels than usual, but that's normal.

So, what should your regimen be when your dog is pregnant?

Well, a dog's pregnancy is typically 60-63 days long, roughly 9 weeks.

So, here is your food schedule:

1st 30 days -> The dog should be eating normally...nothing new, nothing different.

* Tip: You may supplement fresh meat into their diet on a daily basis if you are so inclined.

Last month -> The mommy dog should be eating a high quality puppy food.

Now, in my opinion, I think it's healthy to also supplement a mother dog's diet, and any dog's diet for that matter, with fresh fruits and vegetables when you can.

Now, grapes and raisins are a "no-no" for your dog, as is chocolate and macadamia nuts.

I also give my dogs a few healthy treats a day, which I bake myself, so that I know exactly what's in them.

* Tip: Don't worry if your dog doesn't feel like eating much around the 3rd-4th week of pregnancy, as they may have some morning sickness...This is normal...Make sure you ALWAYS have FRESH, CLEAN water out for your dog at all times.

* Tip: I've even started to have water in the bedroom, at night, when we sleep, so that they don't have to walk into the kitchen. You would be surprised how often you'll fill up this bowl, even throughout the day. Dogs like variety too you know!

Just because your dog is pregnant, does not mean that they shouldn't get some exercise. Other than their usual friskiness, you should be taking your dog on daily walks up until the last 3 weeks of the pregnancy.

Now, I don't mean a marathon, and I don't mean quickly either. Just a moderate walk for your dog that makes sense.

* Tip: Please put your dog on a leash with a comfortable harness, so that something disastrous doesn't happen to her or her puppies.

* You can check out getting your dog snazzy dog harnesses or some great dog leashes to make it more fun for you too!

Always be sure to bring along water for them and offer it to them a few times during your trek.

* Tip: Please clean up your feces...It's so rude not to...Just bring a grocery bag and put your hand inside of it. Pick up the feces and turn it inside out and tie it. Voila...You didn't even have to touch it or make a fuss!

If you have more than one dog in the house, as we do, and they often get rambunctious with each other, try to minimize this behavior, especially as the dog pregnancy progresses, as it could be harmful to the puppies if they play too rough.

Your dog should be feeling the "effects" of being pregnant, and may not even really feel like playing much, especially if they are feeling nauseated around 3 weeks from morning sickness.

Try to minimize your dog from jumping onto or off of high furniture. Give them a lift if you must. Just be smart!

Dogs are great companions and the most loving creatures. However, some owners make common mistakes that can lead to aggressive behavior.

The first most common mistake is spanking or whipping your pet. Instilling fear in any animal is not appropriate, and will never encourage good behavior. Always be firm with your pet when teaching new or breaking bad behaviors - but physical aggression is the worst possible mistake. Your pet should know you are the boss, but should always be taught in a loving environment.

Second, is encouraging your dog to play tug. Because dogs can be aggressive by nature, encouraging tugging can lead to biting and/or being too rough in general. Playing tug is an aggressive game to begin with, thus encourages aggressive behavior. Instead, consider taking your dog with you to run, play Frisbee or catch, or just for a nice long walk. Burning off energy for your pet will help eliminate aggressive, pent up energy, and it will be enjoyable for all involved.

Finally, keeping your animal caged or penned up constantly is another mistake. Dogs are social animals, and like to be a part of the family. They also need a lot of attention and exercise. There may certainly be times when it is important for your pet to be confined to an area, or cage, but always make sure the area is safe, clean, has fresh food and water, and never leave them in there for more than a few hours at a time.

Understanding your dogs needs, its nature, and your responsibilities as a good pet owner are important. Dogs like routines, require love and attention, proper care and nutrition, and plenty of exercise to understand that their owner and those around them care. Give your dog love and your dog will be happy, healthy, and a joy to have as part of the family for many years.

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Training your dog to sit is not complicated. The method you'll use to train your dog to sit is known as the "lure and reward" method. You'll lure your dog into a sitting position and then reward her right away. It's a popular method because it's successful, easy for you to do, and easy for your dog to learn.

A great "side-effect" of this method is that it allows a natural motion to become a visual cue... a form of sign language for your dog. This is so cool!

Dogs are very visual and they often respond to body motions better than they do to sounds. Keep this in mind because sometimes it can work against you: to your dog, your voice may be saying one thing while your body language is saying the opposite. In dog communication, body language trumps verbal language every time.

Imagine being able to use hand signals as commands for your dog when you're on the phone, or too far away for your dog to hear you. It's definitely something worth pursuing. So let's get on with training your dog to sit.

How to Train Your Dog to Sit

1. Load up your pocket, a bag or pouch with treats.  Treats like Mark & Chappell Nutri Boosters Dog Treats. These are perfect treats for puppies. They are bit size and easy for the puppy to digest.

2. Take your dog to an area where there won't be a lot of distractions.

3. While your dog is standing, put a treat in your hand, and move your hand to within an inch or so of your dog's nose. Make sure she smells the treat hidden in your hand and is focusing her attention on it.

4. Move your hand slowly backward, about an inch over her head, between her ears, toward her tail. Keep your hand low over her head so she doesn't try to leap up to get the treat.

5. As your dog watches your hand with the treat move just above her head, she will raise her chin up-and her butt will plop down into a sitting position. When that happens, immediately give her the treat and say "Good!"

6. Now move a few steps away. Get your dog to stand and follow you.

7. Repeat Steps 3, 4 and 5.

8. Did you notice you haven't told her to "Sit" yet? Don't say that until you can get her to sit consistently by moving your treat-filled hand over her head, toward her tail. Once you're sure she's going to do this properly the next time you do that, say "Sit" a split second before you start moving your hand. When she sits, immediately reward her with the treat and "Good!"

9. Repeat this process five times, saying "Sit" just before she does so.

If your dog backs up instead of sitting down as you move your treat-filled hand over her head and toward her tail, position her so that she's facing out of a corner and cannot back up without hitting the wall.

Practice this lesson two or three times each day during the week. Vary the time of day and location.

Do no more than five repetitions during each lesson. Reduce the number of repetitions as your dog learns... eventually asking her to sit just once, two or three times a day. Dogs tend to learn to sit quickly, and repeating the lesson too often will only make them bored.

After a few of days of successful "Sit" practice, start to focus a bit on your hand movement. As you move your treat-filled hand over your dog's head and toward her tail, begin to emphasize an upward sweep of your hand... less over her head, more in an upward curve toward your body.