dog training

Choosing a Hunting Dog that is Right for You

Choosing a puppy and picking a hunting partner is a big decision. Breed and Breeder

Most important... is what breed of dog best suits your hunting needs. Visit local breeders of the types of dogs you are considering.

Breeders don't just want to sell dogs; their reputations rely on putting the right dog with the right person and situation.

Choosing a puppy and picking a hunting partner is a big decision. While a family dog still needs to be carefully selected to fit into your home life, deciding on the right hunting dog requires a bit more forethought.
Breed and Breeder

Most important... is what breed of dog best suits your hunting needs. While some breeds crossover well, others tend to excel in one area.

Books and the Internet are invaluable research tools. This can help you understand how different breeds deal with home life or how much non-hunting exercise they will require.

Choosing a puppy Don’t skimp on this step, in-depth research should help you narrow down your choices.

Visit local breeders of the types of dogs you are considering.

Talk to them about the type of hunting you do, your home situation, and how much time you are willing to devote to training.

Breeders don't just want to sell dogs; their reputations rely on putting the right dog with the right person and situation.

Inform them what your future plans are with the dog. After meeting with breeders, you should have a good idea which dog is right for you.
Observe the Litter

While bloodline doesn't matter in a family pet, it is of the utmost importance when choosing a puppy that will become your hunting dog.

Be sure to see both parents and take a good look at their pedigrees. People who breed show dogs often select those that lack the traits useful in a hunting dog, so avoid litters by dogs bred for show. Though this is not always the case.

After finding parents that look good on paper, ask to tag along to watch the parents train, or better yet, join them on an actual hunt. An experienced breeder won't hesitate to prove their dogs' bloodline, but remember you will be paying for that heritage as well as for the individual puppy.

Choosing a Puppy

Choosing a puppy If your earlier research was thorough, you should know what traits to look for in the breed you have selected.

However, choosing a puppy goes beyond physical characteristics; proper disposition is imperative in a hunting dog.

Do not choose a pup prior to six weeks of age as their temperament can still change in that time.

As most breeders won't allow pups to leave their mother until seven or eight weeks old, this still leaves a fair window for you to select the one that meets your needs before they are sold. Some breeders prefer to wait 10 weeks.

Ask the breeder his opinion which pup might be a good match for your situation. The breeder would have spent quite a bit of time with his puppies, and has figured out the most dominate, friendly, independent, skittish, etc. Every dog has their own unique personality.

You want to look for a pup that is not shy or skittish; the one that wanders over to lick your hand is a good contender.

However, if a pup tries to lay claim to you, they are likely dominant which could be a problem later on, so be sure dominance is something you want in a dog before selecting a puppy that displays the trait.

A big issue for a prospective hunting dog is how the pup will react to noise. Get down low to the ground and make a loud sound. If a puppy runs off and doesn't come back to you, they may not be the best choice for hunting.

You also want your pup to have been physically handled by the breeder, so they are not afraid of human interaction.

If you follow these steps and make sure you pick the right breeder, litter and puppy, you will be well on your way. Remember that choosing a puppy is itself a first step; proper training once you get your new addition home is crucial.

Getting a condo while having a dog

Many condo owners also own dogs, which can be an issue when it comes to condo rules. Some condos have size and breed restrictions that can interfere with someone's ownership of their dog. It behooves the owner to find out the rules pertaining to their dog and any other pets. For instance, a condo may only allow dogs under 25 or 35 pounds and limit the number to 1 per person. If the condo has rules against dogs, don't buy it and try to sneak your dog in. If the condo board has no policies concerning pets that impact your dog, make sure that you do your part to keep it this way.

Many condo owners also own dogs, which can be an issue when it comes to condo rules. Some condos have size and breed restrictions that can interfere with someone's ownership of their dog. It behooves the owner to find out the rules pertaining to their dog and any other pets. However, it also is a good idea to see what the amenities of the condo are in regards to your dog. You may be surprised at some of the options out there.

Most condos have some kind of pet rules, limiting the size, number and species of your pets. For instance, a condo may only allow dogs under 25 or 35 pounds and limit the number to 1 per person. Others may ban certain breeds of dogs, such as American pit bull terriers and Rottweiler’s.

Carefully read the CC&Rs and ask members of the board about pet policies to determine whether you are allowed to have a dog in the building at all. It seems stupid, but many people don't fully read the CC&Rs before buying. If the condo has rules against dogs, don't buy it and try to sneak your dog in. Chances are that eventually someone will see you take the dog out and report you. This results in fines, lawsuits, etc.

Request the minutes of the last 3 meetings from the board. If there are a lot of complaints about people's pets, you may want to look at a different building. These mean one of two things: either people in the building don't take care of their dogs properly or there are a lot of dog haters in the building. Sometimes it's a little of both; an irresponsible owner can create a dog hating neighbor in record time. You may be an exemplary owner, but if you move in to this kind of neighborhood, you might be "inheriting" the canine issues.

If the condo board has no policies concerning pets that impact your dog, make sure that you do your part to keep it this way. This means obedience training, controlling your dog and picking up after it. Yes, you own your condo, but you have a responsibility to both your dog and the people you share the building with to make your dog's presence as positive a thing as possible. This will not only minimize conflict with your neighbors and the condo board; it will also minimize the likelihood that your condo will vote to ban or restrict dogs in the future.

Why doesn’t my dog like to be handled?

All dogs have different handling and training thresholds. As far as washing and brushing goes for dogs, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry: for just a small amount and fee, you can get your dog washed, groomed, clipped, brushed, and whatever else you may require by experienced professionals (again, make sure you tell them about your dog’s reaction to the experience first!)

All dogs have different handling thresholds. Some dogs like lots of cuddles, and are perfectly content to be hugged, kissed, and have arms slung over their shoulders (this is the ultimate “I’m the boss” gesture to a dog, which is why a lot of them won’t tolerate it.)

Others – usually the ones not accustomed to a great deal of physical contact from a very young age – aren’t comfortable with too much full-body contact and will get nervy and agitated if someone persist in trying to hug them.

Another common cause of handling-induced aggression is a bad grooming experience: nail-clipping and bathing are the two common culprits. When you clip a dog’s nails, it’s very easy to “quick” him – that is, cut the blood vessel that runs inside the nail. This is extremely painful to a dog, and is a sure-fire way to cause a long-lasting aversion to those clippers.



Being washed is something that a great many dogs have difficulty dealing with – a lot of owners, when confronted with a wild-eyed, half-washed, upset dog, feel that in order to complete the wash they have to forcibly restrain him.

This only adds to the dog’s sense of panic, and reinforces his impression of a wash as something to be avoided at all costs – if necessary, to defend himself from it with a display of teeth and hackles.

Can I “retrain” him to enjoy being handled and groomed?

In a word: yes. It’s a lot easier if you start from a young age – handle your puppy a lot, get him used to being touched and rubbed all over. Young dogs generally enjoy being handled – it’s only older ones who haven’t had a lot of physical contact throughout their lives that sometimes find physical affection difficult to accept.

Practice picking up his paws and touching them with the clipper; practice taking him into the bath (or outside, under the faucet – whatever works for you, but warm water is much more pleasant for a dog than a freezing spray of ice-water!), and augment the process throughout with lots of praise and the occasional small treat.

For an older dog that may already have had several unpleasant handling/grooming experiences, things are a little more difficult. You need to undo the damage already caused by those bad experiences, which you can do by taking things very slowly – with an emphasis on keeping your dog calm.

The instant he starts to show signs of stress stop immediately and let him relax. Try to make the whole thing into a game: give him lots of praise, pats, and treats. Take things slowly. Don’t push it too far: if you get nervous, stop. Dogs show aggression for a reason: they’re warning you to back off, or else! If your dog just can’t seem to accept being groomed, no matter how much practice you put in, it’s best to hand the job over to the professionals.

Your vet will clip his nails for you (make sure you tell him first that he gets aggressive when the clippers come out, so your vet can take the necessary precautions!). As far as washing and brushing goes, the dog-grooming business is a flourishing industry: for a small fee, you can get your dog washed, clipped, brushed, and whatever else you require by experienced professionals (again, make sure you tell them about your dog’s reaction to the experience first!)

Assessing Your Puppy for Dog Agility Training Potential

Not all owners of dogs found that some dog breeds that are appropriate and suitable for enhanced training for dog agility sports. Sometimes it comes to breed of the dog, but sometimes the puppy is free to be assessed the need for agility potential. Each puppy will have a different behavior inside the arena.

If you are considering buying a puppy on the basis of their ability to be trained in agility, and then you want to do more than focus on a puppy aside from testing, it often takes several tests to determine whether a puppy is to succeed in agility training.

Other factors to consider is how well the puppy jumps, skips, because it is an important factor in the agility training.

Not all dog owners will find that the particular breed they’re raising is suitable for dog agility training. Sometimes it’s the breed, but other times it’s the puppy itself that must be assessed for agility potential. Each puppy will have a different temperament within the litter. If you’re considering purchasing a puppy based on its ability to train for agility, then you’ll want to do more than focus on one puppy test. It often takes multiple tests to determine if a puppy has it in him to succeed with agility training.



Not only can a one-time test mislead you into believing a puppy does not have what it takes to train successfully, but sometimes a puppy will display a characteristic one day that makes you feel he would adapt well to training, and yet it never surfaces again. Testing for a puppy’s agility training potential has to be carried out by a trained professional who is experienced in this field.

A professional will understand how to truly assess an entire litter equally. That means giving each one the same chance to perform based on alertness, exact testing areas, hunger, and more. You can’t take one puppy who has just woken up from a nap and been fed test against a sleepy puppy who’s hungry because the attention of each dogs will be vastly different. Its best if the person giving you an assessment of your puppy’s potential for agility training is the same one raising the dogs on a daily basis.

This gives the breeder an edge in seeing how the puppies’ personalities develop. If you are the one raising a litter and want to pick out a puppy for agility training, watch their routines for signs of their potential. If there always one puppy who’s first in line for everything – the food or water bowl, the door to go outside, or the chance to get some attention from its handler. You’ll want to choose a puppy that submits to your commands easily and doesn’t fight back or make it difficult during grooming sessions. These are the best puppy tests to determine if your little dog has it in him to continue agility training.

Other factors you’ll want to consider are how well the puppy jumps, since jumping is a key factor in agility training. You can look to the puppy’s parents for signs of whether this dog will handle jumping easily. Overall observation during a period of time longer than one session is required to determine is a puppy is suitable for agility training.

Pet Reptiles Now More Popular Than Dogs

Reptiles like bearded dragons, snakes, and geckos are now such popular pets that they outnumber dogs, new research has discovered. This compares to an estimated dog population of 6.5 million.

Chairman of the Federation, Chris Newman said: "There are now, without question, more pet reptiles than pet dogs in the UK.

The popularity of Reptiles as mainstream pets has grown amazingly. Reptiles fit into a busy life as they are less time-consuming, and can also be easier to keep, than other traditional pet species.

The five most popular species are {leopard geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes, royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises| bearded dragons, corn snakes| leopard geckos| royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises.

Reptiles like bearded dragons, snakes, and geckos are now such popular pets that they outnumber dogs, new research has discovered.

Who would have thought that could ever be the case in a country, where we have always been known as a nation of dog lovers. Seems like the dog has gone the way of fish and chips, which itself has been replaced by curry as our most popular dish.

A report by the British Federation of Herpetologists (BFH) indicates that there are now as many as 8 million reptiles and amphibians being kept as pets in the UK. This compares to an estimated dog population of 6.5 million.

Chairman of the Federation, Chris Newman said: "There are now, without question, more pet reptiles than pet dogs in the UK. You only have to look at the way the market has grown. I have no doubt that there are now between seven and eight million reptiles living as pets in the UK”.

The popularity of Reptiles as mainstream pets has grown amazingly. There has been an explosion in numbers. They have moved from being niche to being mainstream.

Reptiles fit into a busy life as they are less time-consuming, and can also be easier to keep, than other traditional pet species.

Numbers is so rapid that within years they will surpass the country's nine million cats to become Britain's pet of choice.

Reptiles are fairly inexpensive to set up and look after. Most are kept in heated tanks for at least part of the day. They require less attention than other caged animals, as their waste is dry and solid.

The calculation of reptile numbers has been made from the volume of food suppliers to the market, based on things like insects and mice. Since 2004 when the reptile populations was recorded as 5m, cricket sales has doubled from 10 to 20m a week, Locusts had more than quadrupled to around a million a week.

The five most popular species are {leopard geckos, bearded dragons, corn snakes, royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises| bearded dragons, corn snakes| leopard geckos| royal pythons (ball pythons), and Hermann's tortoises.

Other popular species are the colored snake, veiled chameleon and crested gecko. This is now the fifth most commonly bred lizard in captivity.
The biggest snakes being kept as pets are thought to be Burmese pythons, which can grow up to 20ft in length, with the biggest lizards being water monitors, which can reach sizes of up to 7ft.

One of the most common reptiles is the bearded dragon, they are very sociable and are happy to sit on your lap watching TV, then run off around the room for a play, many report that they fit in well with their existing more tradition pets also. Although it is an odd sight to see a dog, a cat a tortoise and a lizard all curled up together in front of the fire!

Dog aggression cures

What’s resource guarding? Why do dogs have them?

Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs and almost all k9 breeds out there.

Let me take a moment to explain this concept to you: dogs are packed animals from the wild and its implanted ion their instinct. To your dog, the family environment is no different to the dog-pack environment just like the wolves in some forest. Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a “dominant” dog) would act aggressively in defense of resources.

Socialization doesn’t just stop with puppy preschool, though. It’s an ongoing effort throughout the life of your puppy and dog: he needs to be taken to a whole bunch of new places and environments. Remember not to overwhelm him: start off slow, and build up his tolerance gradually.

- Aggression towards family members
- There are two common reasons why a dog is aggressive towards members of his own human family:
- He’s trying to defend something he thinks of as his from a perceived threat (you).

This is known as resource guarding, and though it may sound innocuous, there’s actually a lot more going on here than your dog simply trying to keep his kibble to himself.

- He’s not comfortable with the treatment/handling he’s getting from you or other members of the family.

What’s resource guarding?

Resource guarding is pretty common among dogs.

The term refers to overly-possessive behavior on behalf of your dog: for instance, snarling at you if you approach him when he’s eating, or giving you “the eye” (a flinty-eyed, direct stare) if you reach your hand out to take a toy away from him.
All dogs can be possessive from time to time – it’s in their natures. Sometimes they’re possessive over things with no conceivable value: inedible trash, balled up pieces of paper or tissue, old socks. More frequently, however, resource-guarding becomes an issue over items with a very real and understandable value: food and toys.



Why does it happen?

It all boils down to the issue of dominance. Let me take a moment to explain this concept: dogs are pack animals. This means that they’re used to a very structured environment: in a dog-pack, each individual animal is ranked in a hierarchy of position and power (or “dominance”) in relation to every other animal.

Each animal is aware of the rank of every other animal, which means he knows specifically how to act in any given situation (whether to back down, whether to push the issue, whether to muscle in or not on somebody else’s turf, etc).

To your dog, the family environment is no different to the dog-pack environment. Your dog has ranked each member of the family, and has his own perception of where he ranks in that environment as well.

This is where it gets interesting: if your dog perceives himself as higher up on the social totem-pole than other family members, he’s going to get cheeky. If he’s really got an over inflated sense of his own importance, he’ll start to act aggressively.

Why? Because dominance and aggression are the exclusive rights of a superior-ranked animal.

No underdog would ever show aggression or act dominantly to a higher-ranked animal (the consequences would be dire, and he knows it!) Resource guarding is a classic example of dominant behavior: only a higher-ranked dog (a “dominant” dog) would act aggressively in defense of resources.

To put it plainly: if it was clear to your dog that he is not, in fact, the leader of the family, he’d never even dream of trying to prevent you from taking his food or toys – because a lower-ranking dog (him) will always go along with what the higher-ranking dogs (you and your family) say.

So what can I do about it?

The best treatment for dominant, aggressive behavior is consistent, frequent obedience work, which will underline your authority over your dog. Just two fifteen-minute sessions a day will make it perfectly clear to your dog that you’re the boss, and that it pays to do what you say.

You can make this fact clear to him by rewarding him (with treats and lavish praise) for obeying a command, and isolating him (putting him in “time-out”, either outside the house or in a room by himself) for misbehavior.

- If you’re not entirely confident doing this yourself, you may wish to consider enlisting the assistance of a qualified dog-trainer.

- Brush up on your understanding of canine psychology and communication, so that you understand what he’s trying to say

– This will help you to nip any dominant behaviors in the bud and to communicate your own authority more effectively - Train regularly: keep obedience sessions short and productive (no more than fifteen minutes – maybe two or three of these per day).

Dog aggression – what can I do about it?

It’s just pretty easy to tell when your dog’s nervy and uneasy when around strange people. The more types and different classes of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, old people, men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, the more at ease and happy – and safe around strangers - he’ll be in general. This is the secret to socializing your dog.

- Aggression towards strangers
- What is it?

It’s pretty easy to tell when a dog’s nervy around strange people. He’s jumpy and on the alert: either he can’t sit still and is constantly fidgeting, leaping at the smallest sound, and pacing around barking and whining; or he’s very still indeed, sitting rock-steady in one place, staring hard at the object of his suspicions (a visitor, the mailman, someone approaching him on the street while he’s tied up outside a store.)



Why does it happen? There’s one major reason why a dog doesn’t like strange people: he’s never had the chance to get used to them. Remember, your dog relies 100% on you to broaden his horizons for him: without being taken on lots of outings to see the world and realize for himself, through consistent and positive experiences, that the unknown doesn’t necessarily equal bad news for him, how can he realistically be expected to relax in an unfamiliar situation?

What can I do about it?

The process of accustoming your dog to the world and all the strange people (and animals) that it contains is called socialization. This is an incredibly important aspect of your dog’s upbringing: in fact, it’s pretty hard to overemphasize just how important it is. Socializing your dog means exposing him from a young age (generally speaking, as soon as he’s had his vaccinations) to a wide variety of new experiences, new people, and new animals.

How does socialization prevent stranger aggression?

When you socialize your dog, you’re getting him to learn through experience that new sights and sounds are fun, not scary. It’s not enough to expose an adult dog to a crowd of unfamiliar people and tell him to “Settle down, Roxy, its OK” – he has to learn that it’s OK for himself. And he needs to do it from puppy hood for the lesson to sink in.

The more types of people and animals he meets (babies, toddlers, teenagers, old people, men, women, people wearing uniforms, people wearing motorcycle helmets, people carrying umbrellas, etc) in a fun and relaxed context, the more at ease and happy – and safe around strangers - he’ll be in general.

How can I socialize my dog so that he doesn’t develop a fear of strangers?

Socializing your dog is pretty easy to do – it’s more of a general effort than a specific training regimen. First of all, you should take him to puppy preschool. This is a generic term for a series of easy group-training classes for puppies (often performed at the vet clinic, which has the additional benefit of teaching your dog positive associations with the vet!). In a puppy preschool class, about ten or so puppy owners get together with a qualified trainer (often there’ll be at least two trainers present – the more there are, the better, since it means you get more one-on-one time with a professional) and start teaching their puppies the basic obedience commands: sit, stay, and so on.

Even though the obedience work is very helpful and is a great way to start your puppy on the road to being a trustworthy adult dog, really the best part of puppy preschool is the play sessions: several times throughout the class, the puppies are encouraged to run around off-leash and play amongst themselves.

This is an ideal environment for them to learn good social skills: there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar dogs present (which teaches them how to interact with strange dogs), there’s a whole bunch of unfamiliar people present (which teaches them that new faces are nothing to be afraid of), and the environment is safe and controlled (there’s at least one certified trainer present to make sure that things don’t get out of hand).