Archive: September, 2010
Benefits Of Clicker Training Your K9
Clicker training is an effective and enjoyable way of training your dog. It has many benefits over more conventional training techniques such as using check chains or other compulsive methods.
How The K9 Heart Works
The heart is one of the most important parts of a dog’s body. Its job is to pump oxygen-rich blood to every living cell in his body and must continue to beat for his entire lifespan.
Operant Conditioning Your K9
Operant conditioning is a “buzz word” in the animal training world, but what exactly does it mean?
It’s fairly straightforward to understand. Operant conditioning is a way of training dogs using positive and negative consequences for their behavior.
How Your K9 Learns
It’s important to understand how dogs learn, so we can take advantage of that when we are training them. One important fact you need to keep in mind when trying to teach your dog anything is this: there has to be something in it for him. Dogs are simple creatures – if they find something rewarding and enjoyable, they’ll do it again.
Low Heart Rate In Your K9
The term bradycardia describes a heart beat which is either normally slow, or is lower than its usual rate. It is diagnosed if a small dog’s heartbeat at rest is less than 80 beats per minute or a large dog’s heartbeat at rest is below 60 beats per minute.
Heart Disease And Your K9
Heart disease can affect dogs of any age, and its symptoms can be debilitating. Coughing, breathlessness and fluid in their lungs and abdomen mean that life isn’t as much fun as it used to be .
Let’s look at the most common causes of heart disease in our canine companions.
Aggression In Dogs
Dogs show aggression for several reasons. If you aren’t familiar with dog behavior, it may appear that some aggressive behavior is unfounded. If you can learn why dogs show aggression and start to recognize the subtle signals, it may help you avoid dangerous situations with either your dog or an unfamiliar animal. Gaining some understanding of the hierarchy of the pack will also help you see things from the dog’s point of view.
Increased Heart Rate In Your K9
Your dog’s heart rate will vary, depending on many factors.
A heart rate of between 70 and 120 beats per minute is normal for healthy dogs. Smaller breeds usually have a higher heart rate than the larger breeds.
Understanding K9 Pack Behavior
Why do we need to learn about dog pack behavior? After all, our dogs are going to be living and working with us, and not with a group of dogs in the wild.
6 Common Reasons Your K9 Bites
Your dog may bite for many reasons. How you should deal with this behavior depends on why he acted in this way.
Health Check Before Breeding Your K9
It’s important that your dog and your bitch are in excellent health before they are bred. This will give you the best chance of a successful pregnancy and a healthy litter.
Training The Dominant K9
Many people speak of “dominance” when they talk about dog training. This theory suggests that because dogs in the wild live in packs, you must be the pack leader so your dog will obey and look up to you.