Latest posts and advice about dog and puppies

Is Your Dog Stressed?
2012-09-03
In this article we look at some of the signs to look out for to identify if your dog is stressed and also some reasons why dogs get stressed. Finally, we touch on things you can do to help your dog achieve harmony in your household.
Posted on Dealing with Dog Behaviour Problems, Dog & Puppy Health
Games for Self-Control
2012-03-26
We all love to play with our dogs, but it is important that your dog learns to control himself when he's aroused. By making these dog training exercises fun, you and your dog will form a stronger bond and enjoy a happier, calmer life. More importantly, you will be able to keep your dog safe and take him wherever without being a nuisance to others.
Posted on Dog Training Articles, Life With Dogs
Keeping your Dog Safe this Christmas
2011-11-14
Just as our dogs have gotten through the firework season, Christmas comes along with new challenges to survive! According to veterinarians, Christmas is one of the most dangerous times of the year for our pets.
Posted on Life With Dogs
Dog flatulence and how to tackle it
2011-09-09 - 6 comments
Believe it or not, ‘dog farting’ is one of the most searched for dog related terms on the internet – even more so than ‘dog flatulence’! Anyway, call it what you like, dog flatulence can be an embarrassing problem, particularly in larger breed dogs. I have a very gentle and elderly Great Dane called Dexter, who really knows how to let his presence be known, particularly when guests are around.
Posted on Dog & Puppy Health, Life With Dogs
How do dogs drink?
2011-08-08 - 2 comments
We thought we new most things about dogs, but when dogs drink water, we had no idea this is how they do it.
Posted on Jokes & Funny Stuff, Life With Dogs
The dangerous dogs act and other dog related laws
2011-04-26 - 3 comments
Although many owners are aware that laws exist relating to dog ownership, few are aware of the details and the responsibilities they place on them. This article takes a brief look at the recent acts of Parliament, which cover dogs and their owners......
Posted on Dealing with Dog Behaviour Problems, Life With Dogs
How Do Dogs Communicate
2011-04-23 - 5 comments
Congratulations! You're on your way to having a happy, well-behaved dog. By committing time and energy to your dog's training you have taken the first step in realising that well-behaved dogs are made, not born. Weeks of learning will become years of good manners.....
Posted on Life With Dogs
How to build your puppy's confidence
2011-04-18
Developing confidence within your new puppy should start the minute they arrive home. Introducing your puppy to new experiences and situations in a controlled manner as early as possible is the best way to avoid potential fears and phobias later in life.....
Posted on Dog Training Articles, Getting a New Puppy or Dog
New Puppy Checklist
2011-04-13
Puppies are at their most impressionable during early puppy hood. It is at this time that the many good and bad habits are formed. Preventing bad habits (e.g. chewing, barking, marking, biting, jumping up, lead pulling) at an early stage is much easier than rehabilitation after a bad behaviour is formed......
Posted on Getting a New Puppy or Dog, Product Advice & News
Stop your dog pulling on the lead
2011-04-12
Nothing takes more fun out of walking your dog than being dragged every inch of the way and having a sore arm to show for it. ......
Posted on Dog Training Articles, Dealing with Dog Behaviour Problems
Dog and puppy house training - the modern way!
2011-04-11 - 3 comments
All dogs are pre-programmed to soil outside their nest, so in this respect puppies already have an instinct to move away from the nest at around 3 weeks of age to go to the toilet. With time, puppies will learn by themselves to be toilet trained. All we are doing is speeding up the process and adding a few helpful things along the way.....
Posted on Dog Training Articles, Dealing with Dog Behaviour Problems, Getting a New Puppy or Dog
How to use Gentle Leader & Halti Head collars
2011-04-10 - 3 comments
Pulling on the lead is one of the few unpleasant experiences of bringing up a new puppy or dog. In recent years dog head collars have revolutionised our ability to help train good lead walking manners, as well as being a useful training aid to help keep your dog's attention. Although fairly straight forward to use, it is important that head collars are correctly fitted and that your dog be properly acclimatised to them.....
Posted on Product Advice & News
Dog whistles and dog whistle training
2011-04-09 - 2 comments
Dog whistles were traditionally considered the domain of the gun dog and herding dog handler. They are now becoming increasingly popular with the wider dog training community as well as many pet dog owners who want to achieve better distance control of their dogs.....
Posted on Dog Training Articles
How to use a KONG Toy
2011-04-08 - 1 comment
Kong Dog Toys are widely used and recommended for therapy and prevention of under stimulation, boredom, separation anxiety and other behaviour problems. Following are some simple ways Kongs can be utilized to promote good behaviour in your dog.
Posted on Product Advice & News
Make your dog look shy
2011-04-07
I promise your eyes will glaze when your dog has mastered this one. This trick takes quite a lot of practice to get right, but you will love the result when your dog endearingly hides his eyes behind his paw.
Posted on Dog Training Articles
Make your dog look sad
2011-04-06
This one is also surprisingly easy to teach, although it always takes a few sessions before dogs fully grasp it:
Posted on Dog Training Articles
Ask your dog if his paws are clean
2011-04-05
It's hilarious seeing a huge Great Dane doing this trick, as it takes them a fair bit of practice to get their balance right. Other than that, this is a pretty easy trick to teach most dogs :
Posted on Dealing with Dog Behaviour Problems
Train your dog to say hello
2011-04-04
Really impress your guests when your dog presents his paw to greet them. This is the first trick most dogs learn and it is very easy:
Posted on Dog Training Articles
Train your dog to close the door
2011-04-03 - 1 comment
This is one of my favourite dog tricks and I was amazed how easy it is to teach! This was the first trick Dexter learnt using a clicker, but you need to build this one up in steps:
Posted on Dog Training Articles
How to make a dog carry a bag
2011-04-02
Dexter loves this one and he does this with such enthusiasm. Again, this trick is done in a number of small steps and he will learn other very useful commands whilst learning the overall trick:
Posted on Dog Training Articles
How to make a dog bow
2011-04-01
After his trick routine, teach him or her to bow to the audience. A number of approaches are required to teach your dog this trick:
Posted on Dog Training Articles
Giving medication to dogs
2011-03-31 - 1 comment
Giving medication to dogs can be challenging and somewhat stressful for animals and humans alike. The old fashioned way used to be to force a dog's mouth open and push a tablet in and hold the muzzle closed until you see that they have swallowed. These days there are much easier ways and this short article gives what we thing are some useful tips on how to do this with minimum fuss. In fact, done well, you can actually turn this into a really positive experience for your dog.
Posted on Dog & Puppy Health
Why are games and dog toys important
2011-03-30
Many people do not fully appreciate the importance of play sessions with your puppy or young dog. Dog and puppy games allow each player to discover and learn about each other and build familiarity of strengths and weaknesses, as well as general traits.
Posted on Getting a New Puppy or Dog, Product Advice & News
Teaching Your Dog to Stay on Cue
2011-03-29
Staying when told is another wonderful skill to teach your dog. It allows you to settle your dog down when you want a few quiet moments in the evening or to keep her out of trouble so you can check out a strange noise in the garden.
Posted on Dog Training Articles
how to train your dog as a smoke alarm
2011-03-28 - 1 comment
The first dog to be trained as a smoke alarm was a female Labrador in 1985. This was the work of Swedish animal psychologist Anders Hallgren who, during tests, established that a dog can smell smoke up to a full minute before conventional smoke alarms. During a fire emergency, these extra seconds save lives.
Posted on Dog Training Articles, Life With Dogs