• size medium red airline approved
• top and side entry, removable liner mashine washable
• bag dimensions are 18″ long x 10.5 High x 11″ D weight of bag is 3.6 lbs
• for pets under 16lbs, and no more than 16″ in length and 10″ inches high see measuring below
• 1 year manufactuers warranty

Product Description
For pets up to 16lbs, 16″ inches in length and 10″ in height. to measure please take a tape measure from the nape of the neck or collar area and measure to the base of the tail not including the tail itself this is your length and if its under 16″ then your pet will fit fine in the lenght area. for height measure from the floor to the top of the shoulder of your pet. the height should be no more than 10″. This bag comes with a one year manufactuers warranty. It has locking zipper to prevent accidental escape, inside D ring safely to secure your pets lead, roll up flaps on three sides provide the ultimte privacy for your pet. mesh panels for ventilation, includes seatbelt security strap and shoulder strap. Top and Side entry. quited bag for the ultimate fashion statement. bag can be spot cleaned, removable washable comfort liner, side storage pockets for leash and keys, safety strap to attach to luggage or car seat belt. large accessory pocket. airline approved. acutal bag dimensions are 18″ long x 10.5 High x 11″ depth. bag weight by itself is 3.6 lbs.

The Ultimate Sherpa Bag Medium Red with Black Trim Airline Approved Pet Carrier

What could be more fun than a Labrador puppy? What could be more fun than 8 Labrador puppies?

Black Labrador puppy breeders have the joy of giving a healthy, happy start to numerous wriggling bundles of energy and affection. Yet those who set out to be Black Labrador puppy breeders take on a great responsibility with the joy. A good breeder has a responsibility both to the animals in his or her care as well as to the potential owners.

Finding Good Black Labrador Puppy Breeders

You can begin your search for good Black Labrador puppy breeders by visiting the Labrador Retriever Club (LRC) on the Internet. THE LRC maintains a directory of breeders. Black Labrador puppy breeders are listed by state. They are not guaranteed, but they have had to complete applications to get their listings.

If you cannot find a breeder in the directory, try contacting the LRC. They may personally know a good breeder in your area.

Learn before You Leap

A Labrador puppy is nearly irresistible. That is why you should take time to learn about the breed before you go to see puppies. You might fall in love with the puppy before learning how big it will become and what its needs will be. Love might blind you to possible hereditary defects. If you don’t know the official standard for a Labrador puppy, you might pay a handsome price for a dog that falls short of that standard.

You should learn about responsible breeding practices, too. Before you contact your first Black Labrador puppy breeders, understand what they should be doing with and for the puppies.

Prepare a List of Questions

Before calling or visiting Black Labrador puppy breeders, prepare a list of important questions to ask. If you want a Labrador puppy to take on hunting trips, you should ask questions about its potential as a gun dog. If you are looking for a companion, family dog, you will want to know about its temperament, and whether it has been socialized. The following are only a handful of other questions you should ask:

* Has the breeder had the parents’ hips and elbows X-rayed to be sure there are no dysplasias? A Labrador puppy can inherit a tendency for these potentially crippling abnormalities of joint formation. Breeders who try to be sure that both parents, and as many of the bloodline as possible are radiographically free of hip and elbow dysplasia are showing care for the breed as well as each puppy. The parents may not show any outward signs yet of the painful arthritis associated with hip and elbow dysplasia, but their joints should be checked by x-ray examination before breeding.

* Did the breeder invest time and money to have the parents’ eyes checked for eye defects that could lead to poor eyesight or blindness? Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), a disease that results in blindness, develops gradually. Although Retinal dysplasia seldom results in blindness, it does cause poor eyesight. Breeders should have the parents of a Labrador puppy checked for all eye problems.

* Ask if the breeder has had every Labrador puppy examined by a qualified veterinarian. Is there a guarantee regarding each puppy’s health? What are the terms of the guarantee?

Be Observant

When you do visit Black Labrador puppy breeders, keep your eyes open. Are the kennels and the yard clean? If a puppy left a stool that the breeder has not had time to scoop, look at it. It should be well-formed, and not runny.

Look at each Labrador puppy, whether or not that specific one is of interest to you. Do they all have shining, clear, clean eyes? Are their coats clean and glossy? Are they alert and playful? Even if the best puppy has been reserved for you, the health of its litter mates will tell you much about the general care they receive.

Taking Home Your Own Labrador Puppy

When you find the Labrador puppy you want, arrange to have it examined by your own veterinarian as soon as possible after you pick it up from the breeder. Have the vet assure the puppy is in good health.

Dog aggression is a fairly common problem that many owners will face at one time in their dog’s life or another. It is actually so common that there are hundreds upon hundreds of studies associated with aggression. Questions such as “Why does aggression occur,” “Why are some breeds more aggressive,” and “How can I use aggressive dog training to curb aggression in my dog,” are asked on a regular basis. Before you actually begin aggressive dog training, it is important to understand the type of aggression that your dog may be experiencing. Believe it or not, there are actually several types of aggression and each one will need to be handled in a slightly different manner. The types of aggression are:

· Dog Aggression: this can be seen in many different breeds and it is actually aggression that a dog shows to other dogs. · Fear Aggression: Many people may not see fear as an aggressive behavior but if a dog begins to bite, bark, growl or bare his teeth when he is frightened than it has moved from simple fear to fear aggression.

· Dominate Aggression: This is a very serious type of aggression since the dog has many traits that you would see in a “bully.” One of the biggest problems with dominate aggression is that it is not always seen as aggression, just an alpha personality doing what it does best, until the dog attacks someone or something. Another problem is that dominate aggression is very unpredictable.

· Possessive Aggression: To get a clear idea of this, watch your dog while he is eating and is interrupted by someone. If he is fine and continues to eat or even allows you to put your hand in the dish then there is no real aggression there; however, if he growls or bites then you know that he is being possessive about things he preserves as his. While this may seem appropriate, a dog should never be possessive.

· Pain Aggression: This is aggression that is shown when a dog is in pain. · Maternal Aggression: Seen only in female dogs, this is an aggression that is seen when a female is raising a litter of puppies.

· Territorial Aggression: There are several breeds of dogs that are prone to territorial aggression where they see an area such as the house, the yard, the neighborhood or all of the above as his. When other animals or people enter his territory, he reacts in an aggressive manner.

As you can see, there are a large number of aggressions and many dogs will experience one or the other at certain times in their life. While some forms of aggression are very serious and require aggressive dog training, some of them aren’t and really only require some patience by the owner to overcome. In the case of pain aggression, it is important to find out why your dog is being aggressive. If he is hurt, take him to the vet to have the problem looked after. When the dog heals, the aggression should go away on its own but if it doesn’t, you can move into training methods for it.

In addition, maternal aggression can be avoided simply by spaying your dog but if she does whelp a litter, the maternal aggression should diminish as the puppies are weaned and placed in new homes. In many cases, the easiest way to use aggressive dog training is to socialize your puppy and dog correctly. Many people see socialization as a process that is done when their puppy is young but socialization should be done throughout your dog’s life. Exposing him to other dogs, people, places and stimulations will help curb many different areas of aggression such as dog aggression. Remember that when you do socialize your dog, especially if he has some aggression problems, that you do so in a controlled manner.

Make sure all the dogs are on leashes and introduce him to one dog at a time. Never allow your dog to be surrounded by a group of dogs since this can frighten him and trigger his aggressive response. If at any time your dog starts to indicate aggression, simply correct him by removing him a few feet away from the other dog and then praising him when he calms down. Another way to make aggressive dog training easy is to place firm rules in your house from the moment your dog arrives home. This means that he is not allowed on the furniture and that he understands that the home is yours. To battle dominance aggression, it is important to put yourself and everyone else in the role of dominate. Your dog should never eat before the family and he should never be allowed to find food for himself.

When he does eat, take the time to place your hands in the dog’s food dish and feed him by hand. This teaches him that anyone is allowed in his dish and it will help curb some possessive aggression. Make sure that everyone in the house does this as well and never let the dog go around your hand to eat directly from the bowl. In many cases, aggressive dog training needs to start with owners. To make it easy, you need to look at how you are training your dog, how he is being socialized and what negative behaviors are being reinforced. For instance, if you nurture fright responses such as growling by coddling the dog whenever he is scared, then he will quickly learn that growling is the proper response to being scared, which may develop into fear aggression.

Ignore some behaviors and correct others with a firm “no,” which is an important command with aggressive dog training. When you are using aggressive dog training, it is important that you do not correct your dog in a harsh manner. Although it may not seem like you are being abusive to your dog, a small slap can cause a large amount of damage and if a dog is already aggressive, it will just reinforce the aggressive behavior. After you have corrected how you train your dog, it is time to start aggressive dog training and it is very easy; simply break out the basics of training. Many times, basic training on a regular basis can really help with many forms of aggression and many different types of negative behaviors.

To battle territorial aggression, start by inviting people over to your home and correcting your dog when he begins barking with a loud noise to interrupt the behavior and then a firm “no.” When your dog stops barking, praise him and treat. Increase the frequency that different guests visit as your dog becomes accustomed to people being in his space. If your dog is aggressive during walks, it is time to take aggressive dog training out on a walk. Start by taking different routes every time you take a walk. Since the route is different, your dog is less likely to imprint a route as being his.

When he meets people or other animals on the street, correct his negative behavior with a firm “no” and praise him when he doesn’t react. As the aggressive dog training is advanced, gradually begin taking him to higher traffic areas until he can walk in a busy place without reacting in an aggressive manner. Although aggressive dog training is fairly easy, it does take some time and it is very important to watch your dog’s stress levels and to take your time with training. Remember, your dog didn’t become aggressive over night and you can’t expect the aggressive dog training to work overnight either, so take your time and enjoy every success your dog has.

I can just imagine the scene at the upscale restaurant I used to work at. Dogs lying around the tables, barking and growling at dogs at other tables, while waiters and waitresses try to maneuver around them while holding piles of dirty dishes from the next table. Every once and a while you hear a crash and a scream, because some dog has gotten into a fight with another, or someone has tripped over the dogs.

I myself am a tremendous dog lover; I have three at home. Never would I consider taking my dogs to a restaurant with me. I am very diligent about my dog’s behavior and training, so I’m not worried about how they will act, I’m worried about other dogs. Take for example, a trip to the dog park. Here, many dogs are allowed to roam free and have a good (more…)

You can start training your puppy practically as soon as you get him home. You can take him to puppy training classes of course, but it isn’t so difficult to learn puppy training techniques and teach him yourself. Dogs are like children and learn quickly through games. Try to play with your puppy as often as you can, and if possible get down on the floor with him. That way a bond will be established between you and the puppy and you can strengthen it through training. When he is about eight weeks old your puppy will be old enough to start learning how to retrieve things, bring them to you and lay them at your feet. He will find this fun and enjoy playing “fetch” for the rest of his life.

The best way to teach him this game is to keep him on a 10-foot leash. Rather than using a stick, use a toy he is familiar with or a soft ball. It is important to ensure that it isn’t too small, to prevent him from swallowing it. Take the toy and wave it in the air around his head to catch his attention, and then throw it at a distance of about 5 feet. Be careful not to throw it further than that or he might injure himself when he suddenly reaches the end of the leash. Make sure you use his name, for example “Prince, fetch!”

Run after him as he goes after the toy and give him a bit of praise, especially if he picks it up, but do not praise him too much at this point. If he fails to pick it up with his mouth, shake it in front of him until he does, and then return to where you were, trying to get him to follow you. Should he drop the toy you must make him pick it up again. When he brings it back, get the toy out of his mouth saying “Out” as you do so, so that he will learn to recognize this command. After that you can lavish all the praise you want on him.

It is important when training a new puppy to make sure he always has fun with this game and that it is not a source of stress for him. Little by little he will begin to understand what you want and what he needs to do to get praise from you. Once you no longer have to move towards the toy to get him to retrieve, you can begin to throw it in other directions.

Although Labrador retrievers are good swimmers, this is something they need to learn, and they need to strengthen their swimming muscles through exercise. It is not a good idea to push your puppy into the water or make him go in. When he is about three months old you can encourage him to enter a pond or lake and he will quickly understand what to do. You can help him get started by wading in with him at the beginning, and if he sees other dogs having fun in the water that will encourage him to get in on the fun.

Puppies that are raised by the sea become great sea-lovers, but you have to be sure to protect a young puppy from big waves. Take him to the shallow part of a sheltered bay to begin with. When you throw an object make sure it does not fall into deep water as it is easy to misjudge distances and your puppy might not be able to swim back if the object is too far away, and risks drowning from exhaustion.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s safe to let your puppy swim in your pool. He might go in alone when you are not looking and not be able to climb out when he gets tired.

 

When you make the decision to get a new household member of the small fluffy furry kind there are several things you should know about taking care of a new puppy before you go and look at them.

You first of all need to decide what breed of dog you want although taking care of a new puppy of any breed requires the same attention when they are young but they do grow very quickly and you do not want to get a breed that will grow into a big dog if you feel that you will not be able to take care of it as you did when it was young.

When you bring a puppy home, he or she will usually be around 8 weeks old. Most good breeders will not allow them to leave their mother much before this date. Taking care of a new puppy at this young age requires a warm room and a warm place to sleep. You will also need to have several supplies for taking care of your new puppy. At that time, you will find that you need to make sure that you have several supplies ready. You should have a place that the puppy can be during the day, where he can play, eat, and piddle, without a problem.

Young Puppies:

If you are taking care of a new puppy that has just been born and is still with the mother you need to have an environment where you can have the puppies where you can easily control the temperature, and you have to be sure that the puppies are warm. You also should provide a place that is safe for them so that they don’t get hurt by accident. You will also need to make sure that the mother is comfortable with fresh drinking water at all times. Taking care of a new puppy at this stage must be carefully monitored to ensure that the mother does not accidentally trample on or suffocate her new puppies.

One of the best general puppy care tips in taking care of your new puppy is that you need to remember to socialize your puppy. No matter what kind of puppy you have, you will see that it is important you socialize them all of the time. Your puppy will be fine around anything you want, as long as you expose them to these things when they are young. This means that you have to let them be around children and babies and other animals to make sure that they are socialized but only when they reach about eight weeks old.

Safe And Healthy

When taking care of a new puppy there are many general puppy care tips that involve keeping your dog safe and healthy. You will need to take your puppy to the vets so that he or she can be checked over and weighed and given any appropriate medication. You will also be given advice on taking care of your new puppy with the type and amounts of food and exercise you should be giving to him or her. The vet will also advise you when its vaccinations, worming and flea treatments are due.

One of the best general puppy care tips that you can get is to make sure that your puppy has the proper amount of love. It might sound silly, but a puppy needs love to thrive on more than anything. You have to be sure that you are always being kind and gentle with your puppy, because that is the best way to have your puppy grow into the dog you want him to be. Taking care of a new puppy is hard work and it will require commitment and training from you but the rewards of taking care of a new puppy far outweigh the work involved. You must remember that one day the little puppy will grow into a dog and will be relying on you for the next 10-15 years.

Dogs play an interesting role in our society these days. Dog obedience training is now expected of our furry friends. They live in our houses, walk our sidewalks beside us, play with our children in the front yard and visit their doggie buddies at the dog park. They are expected to be on their best behavior at all times. This is a lot to ask of an animal!

Many years ago, dogs held a different role. Most likely, our parents grew up with dogs who didn’t know what a leash was! There was always the scary dog who lived in the neighborhood and children knew to petal quickly by that house on their bicycle! Dogs may have lived outside – all the time. Tell that to today’s dog who attends doggie daycare 3 times a week and wears designer collars!

Today, the role dogs play in our lives and societies has changed (that scary dog in the neighborhood is no longer accepted as “just being a dog”, now the owner would have to deal with neighbor complaints, city fines and legal issues if the dog ever bit someone). It is the dog owner’s responsibility to make sure their pup has the skills to be a good fit in our homes and communities.

Situations Where You Want Good Dog Behavior

There are some activities that you and your dog participate in where having a certain level of dog obedience training is not only convenient, but expected. Such situations are:

Daily life; walking a dog, having him or her in your house, interacting with family members and people who come over to your house.

Competition sports such as: agility, dog shows and flyball.

Volunteer programs such as visiting nursing homes, hospitals or schools.

Emergency situations, such as when outside and the dog’s collar comes off or their leash breaks or gets dropped.

Why Getting Obedience Is Sometimes Difficult

The primary reason dogs and people misunderstand each other or have trouble communicating is because we are two very different species and we do not speak the same language. The one thing we do have in our favor, however, is that we both seem to have an affinity for each other. Basing our relationship on the fact that we enjoy each other’s company means that we need to find an effective way to “talk” to each other. Because we are the people in the relationship (unless of course your dog can read and is the one reading this!) it is OUR responsibility to ensure we are being clear when we communicate with our dogs.

Before starting out dog obedience training, it is important that we recognize the difficulty involved in this for our dogs.

easons why training may be difficult for our dogs:

They are trying to read us and figure us out. As a human, we can make their job a little easier by being as consistent and clear in our instruction as possible. Reward good behavior, ignore or redirect incorrect behavior.

Dogs are under exercised and under stimulated. Asking a puppy, who has been in their kennel for a few hours while you were at work, to be calm once they are let out is an impossible task for them. It is not physically possible for the dog, therefore we can not expect it. If we want a calm dog, we need to give them exercise and energy outlets.

They may never have been taught training. Dogs become more savvy to training the more practice they get. Be patient with a dog who is a novice. If your training is clear, your dog will make progress.

Dogs do have minds of their own and we have to respect and understand that. If a dog is showing signs that training is difficult for them, analyze what may be the cause. Sometimes the dog is in physical discomfort; therefore the “sit” behavior may hurt them. Other times there are distractions such as kids, good smells, or other dogs. Imagine if you were trying to concentrate on your teacher, but someone kept waving a piece of chocolate cake or plane tickets to Hawaii in your face… it would be hard to remain focused on the teacher!

Every dog can learn. It is up to us, as the human who has specific expectations of our dog’s behavior, to help them understand what we want. We need to be patient, clear and understanding.

How to Achieve Good Behavior

If you are having trouble with dog obedience training, you will likely find that seeking the help of a professional dog trainer not only provides some great tips and suggestions, but provides a lot of fun for you and your dog! Dog training is actually a highly developed skill that involves deep understanding and the study of psychology. Just like bankers are good with numbers and plumbers are good with pipes, dog trainers are good with dogs. It is commendable that if you don’t have the knowledge to train your dog that you seek the help of someone who does. You certainly wouldn’t try to work on your water pipes if you knew nothing about plumbing! The same goes for our dogs and the way they learn.

A dog trainer who uses positive training techniques will encourage their clients to utilize treats and praise when teaching the dog good behavior. Because the behaviors being learned are brand new behaviors, it is important to give the dog rewards for doing them until the behaviors are very consistent. Once the desired behaviors are known very well by the dog, the use of treats can be used intermittently. Using positive training techniques is good for our dogs, good for us as people (the traditional ways of training where we used physical force to intimidate our dogs into acting a certain way doesn’t reflect very kindly on us!) and good for the bond we share.

Just remember, the saying that “an old dog can’t learn new tricks” simply isn’t true! Every dog can learn dog obedience training that will help them become better members of our homes and societies.

There are a good number of reasons why you should train your dog of which the following include some of the more obvious :

 

1. Housetraining: Unless you are partial to the aroma of dog poop and pee then it would certainly make sense to, at the very least, have your dog housetrained. Yup! There’s no way round it, but that cute bundle of fur otherwise known as a puppy, unless taught to the contrary will quickly and happily turn your pristine house not only into his playground but also into his personal toilet. And make no mistake, this is not a problem that is going to disappear with age; any dog that is not housetrained be it a puppy or adult will soil your residence until it is taught not to!

 

2. Socializing: An unsocialized dog is generally an unhappy dog because such an animal finds it extremely difficult to interact comfortably with strangers or other dogs (and animals). This type of dog is characteristically nervous and highly-strung, which condition manifest as a dog with a hair-trigger response to aggression at the slightest perceived provocation (usually more imaginary than real) or a dog that slinks around in a constant state of fear. It matters little which errant behavior is displayed, the fact is either existence will be detrimental to the dog’s well-being.

 

3. Bonding: A well trained dog is a happy dog. When you and your dog understand one another well your relationship is going to be that much richer for it.The only way to achieve that level of harmony in your relationship with your dog is if you both work at understanding one another; and that will only be achieved through proper training. Besides dog training should be fun for you and your pooch, especially since it challenges and stimulates your dog’s mind. As frequently happens with human adolescents, a bored dog is going to be driven to destructive behavior; this is especially true in the smarter breed of dog.

 

Types of Dog Training

 

These days there are quite a number of different dog training techniques, enough to accommodate everybody dog owner out there. Some are very popular and come highly recommended whilst others seem to be a throwback to a more primitive time and age when we didn’t understand man’s best friend as we do now. The following lists some of the more commonly used methods of dog training:

 

1. Reward Training

 

Currently a big favorite in dog training circles, this technique employs the use of treats to reinforce good and desired behavior patterns executed by your dog. When used correctly this is a pretty effective training technique but its downside is that it is fairly easy to abuse the system and thus nullify its effectiveness by giving your dog treats at times other than during dog training sessions.

 

2. Clicker Training

 

Clicker training is a classic Pavlovian technique that utilizes conditional training through sensory association. As the name suggests the clicker, which is a plastic box with an inbuilt metal strip that makes the actual clicking sound, is used in conjunction with a treat or something your dog finds highly desirable to reinforce and encourage a particular behavior. In time the treat reward is removed yet the dog still associates a given behavior with the sound of the clicker and thus performs that behavior in the absence of the treat.

 

3. Whistle Training

 

Dogs have far better hearing than people and can hear frequencies that our ears cannot pick up. It is on the basis of this premise that the ultrasonic whistle functions which means that since you cannot hear it but your dog can (supposedly) it can be a little tricky getting to grips with its use.

 

4. Dog Whispering

 

Yeah sounds a bit corny doesn’t it and most likely the name of this method is an obvious offshoot reference from the 1998 Robert Redford movie (starring amongst others a young Scarlett Johansson) titled the Horse Whisperer themed around a man who had an uncanny ability to communicate with horses. Anyway these days Dog Whispering is now a broadly accepted term and its training technique is based on understanding a dog’ body language and the many unvocalized signals that are part and parcel of dog communication.

 

These four examples above are just a few of the dog training methods available and in fact there are a whole slew of collar based  training methods that have not been listed here partly because some of them are archaic and barbaric such as electric collar training or prong collars.

In summary, this article barely touches the tip of the iceberg as far as dog training is concerned but the thing to remember is that utilizing dog training in the everyday life of your pooch will greatly enrich the relationship the two of you share.
Article on dog training written by Kayye Nynne

Get Your Free Dog Training Course

Regularly grooming your dog not only has the added benefit of making him look and smell good; grooming your dog on a regular basis also gives you the opportunity of deepening the bond you have with your pet and for checking his general health.

If you have a puppy, take the time now to help him become accustomed to being groomed. You can do this by simply spending time with your puppy and gently his entire body; examine his tail, paws, ears, and teeth etc. Talk to your puppy in a gentle and positive tone, and have some food treats with you, so as you can reward your puppy for his positive behaviour. If you have an adult dog who is not totally happy with the grooming experience, then go back to the basics, using the plan outlined here.

Although basic grooming procedures are generally the same for all breeds of dogs, the amount of time you will need to devote to grooming your pet and the tools you will use, will depend on the dogs coat quality and it’s length.

Breeds with smooth coats are quite low maintenance, and need only occasional bathing, and brushing. Short coated dogs who have a top coat and a more dense undercoat, for example German Shepherds, will require brushing at least once per day, so as the undercoat does not become matted. Curly coat breeds, for example, the Kerry Blue Terrier, will need to be brushed regularly, along with a bath and coat clipping very couple of months. Breeds that have wiry coats need regular brushing, at lead once per day to prevent matting. The longer coat breeds, such as the Such as Yorkshire Terriers, and Collies, need daily brushing and combing, along with bathing and clipping when needed, in order to keep their coats in good condition.

The tools you will need for grooming will vary depending on your dogs coat, however your dogs grooming kit should include the following:

Natural/organic dog shampoo

You can buy organic dog shampoo from a host of online vendors or large pet supply stores. Using an organic shampoo is much kinder to your dogs skin and fur, as it has the correct ph-balance, and does not contain chemicals, or atrtificial colours or preservative, that can be harmful.

Tweezers

Tick removal implement

Tick removal implements can be purchased from your local pharmacy, however, tweezers work just as well for removing ticks.

Brush, comb and or grooming glove

The brush and comb you choose should be adequate for your dogs coat. For example, for dense coats, use a comb with wider teeth, for smooth coats choose a comb that has closer teeth, alternatively a grooming glove.

Electronic clippers

Nail clippers

A small pair of blunt nosed scissors for clipping away unwanted hair from between your dogs pads, or around the eyes.

Vitamin E oil for cleaning your dogs ears.

Dog toothpaste and toothbrush

Towels for drying your pet following a bath

Organic wipes, for cleaning around your dogs eyes

Now it’s time to begin grooming your dog, so lets begin with the messy part first, bathing.

Bathing

You can do this outside or indoors, depending on the size of your dog. If using the bath, first put down a rubber non slip mat in the bath, so as your pet does not slip around. Put a large cotton ball in each of your dogs ears and place him in the bath.

Begin by covering your dogs entire body with warm water, if you are using a shower, keep the shower head close to the dogs body. Next, add small amounts of your dog shampoo to your dogs body, paying attention to his rectum and genital area, and between his paws. Once you have done this you can rinse your dog thoroughly with warm water.

Towel dry your dog to begin with, then if you wish, use a dryer, however, don’t put the dryer to close to your dogs skin, and don’t point the dryer directly into the dogs ears.

Next, let us look at the general grooming procedure you can make on a more regular basis. To begin with, check your dogs coat for dirt, and parasites such as fleas and ticks. Also check the condition of your dogs skin. When you are happy his skin appears healthy, you can move on to combing his coat.

Combing your dog

Always comb your dogs coat in the direction the hair grows, combing small section at a time. If you encounter a knot in your pets fur, use the first tooth of the comb to gently tease the knot free. Hold the base of the knot as you do this, so as not to cause your dog any pain.

Brushing your dog

The next step is to brush your dogs fur gently, but not so vigorously as you will cause ‘brush burn’. Brush your dogs fur in the opposite direction hair growth. Attend to all areas of the body, ie, body, tail, chest, legs and behind the ears. When doing this part check your dogs paws and between his pads for any lodged seeds from grass, grit and dirt etc. Clean and trim any excess fur.

Having done the hardest work, brushing and combing. The next part to concentrate upon is nail clipping. Most dog owners avoid clipping their dogs nails, many leaving it to their vet, but with a bit of practice, trimming your dogs nails will become a routine procedure.

Cutting your dogs nails

Check to begin with to see if your dogs nails need trimming. Dogs usually wear down their nails by walking on the pavement, however, they still may need a trim every several weeks or so.

To begin with, identify the quick in each nail; the quick is the blood vessel inside the nail. It can be seen quite easily in light coloured nails as a red coloured line, but impossible to see in dark nails. Care must be taken not to cut into the blood vessel, as this will obviously be painful for your dog, and will also cause some bleeding.

Cut the nail in one stroke below the blood vessel. In darker nails, make several vey small cuts. If your not sure how much nail to cut if you have a dog with black nails, less is better than more.

Cleaning your dogs ears

It’s now time to move on to your dogs ears. Wax, dirt and fungus can build up in a dogs, especially in the case of floppy eared breeds. During the grooming process check your dogs ears for signs of wax and dirt etc. Smell inside your dogs ears, a foul odour, could mean your pet has an infection, especially id he has been scratching his ears, or shaking his head a lot. To clean your dogs ears, use a natural cleanser, such as an essential oil blend. You can use the following blend to clean your dogs ears, and keep them free from wax build up and infection.Put a little of the blend on a cotton ball and clean each ear.

Ear cleaning essential oil blend

2 drops Roman Chamomile

2 drops tee tree

4 drops lavender

Mix with 20 mls of Sweet Almond or Jojoba oil. Pour into a dark bottle and keep out of sunlight or in the refrigerator. This will last several moths. Use the blend to clean your dogs ears each time you groom him.

Cleaning your dogs eyes

Finally, let us look at cleaning your dogs eyes. It is important to clean your pets eyes regularly, in most breeds this can be done during the normal grooming session, however, with breeds who’s tear ducts can become blocked easily, cleaning around the eyes will need to be done more regularly.

Check your pets eyes for signs of discharge, especially in the corner of the eye. Use your blunt nose scissors to gently clip away unwanted hair, especially at the corner of each eye. When this is done, gently clean around each eye with a wet cloth or an organic baby wipe. These type of wipes are especially good for cleaning your dogs sensitive areas, such as around the eyes, as they contain no alcohol, or other ingredient that is harmful to the dog.

Job done. The more often you groom your dog, the quicker it will seem to become. Having said this, your dogs physical and emotional well being depends on being kept clean and healthy, so make grooming an extra special and fun time for you and your dog.

Bringing a puppy home for the first time is an exciting time and an exciting feeling, isn’t it? The puppy that you hold in your hands will give you and your family much joy in the coming years. But at the beginning, it won’t be easy because of the bad habits you’ll have to get your puppy out of – like biting and mouthing.

You’ll probably soon notice that a puppy loves to nip and mouth you when you’re playing with it. This isn’t an unnatural activity; dogs sometimes mouth and playfully nip other dogs when playing with each other. Your puppy will probably do that same to you. But since you don’t have thick dog skin, this can be a painful, bad habit for your puppy that you will have to train it out of!

It is critical that you train your puppy out of the bad biting habits early. While it might be cute for a young puppy to nibble on your hand, it won’t be when he grows into an adult dog and can bite hard! Puppies usually learn to watch their biting with their mother and littermates. But since your puppy has been taken away from its mother and littermates, it’s up to you to teach it this important lesson!

Even though your puppy doesn’t have its mother and littermates to learn from, you can still teach it to inhibit its bite by having it play with other dogs. If you allow your puppy to socialize, roll, and tumble with other puppies and well-trained, older dogs, your puppy will be taught by the other dogs how much biting and nipping is too much.

It’s a good idea to let your puppy socialize with other dogs anyway. Through exposure with other dogs, your puppy will learn not to be aggressive or fearful of other dogs. Plus, playing with other dogs will work off a lot of your puppy’s energy and save you some work! If you don’t give your puppy enough socialization, it can turn into a more destructive, hyperactive dog.

Don’t wait too long to socialize your puppy and expose it to other dogs and the “real world.” The best time for training puppies is usually when they are very young – four months or younger.

An important way to prevent your puppy from getting in the habit of biting you is to gain its respect and trust. Respect and trust from your dog is the foundation of dog training and behavior correction.

Obviously, this means that you should never hit or slap your puppy. Physical punishment is the easiest way to break down the trust and respect your puppy had for you. Hitting your dog will only scare and confuse your dog.

Training your puppy to not bite people and other dogs is one of the most important components of a dog training system. If you don’t train your puppy not to bite, the problem will only get worse, not better, as time goes on, and can be a dangerous problem when your puppy grows into an adult dog.