Hello all! I am sorry I've been gone so long, but college has officially started and I've been very busy. Here's a quick little post for you.
I heard of a dog once that knew over 60 commands. I've seen Dobermans trained in Dutch. My dog Lilah doesn't know Welsh, but she knows quite a few words. Here's the ones I'm sure she understands:
Sit
Down
Drop It
Leave It
Take It
Go Get It
Bring It Here
Catch
and Cookie.
As for a tip, when teaching your dog a command, make the word sound like the action you want them to perform. 'Sit' should be very short and precise, but not too sharp or your dog may think they are being scolded. Use a solid, short hand signal too.
'Down' should be flowing, and the pitch of your voice may lower as you say the word, with a downward sweeping motion of the hand.
Remember to always praise and reward your dog for doing an action right, and they will want to keep learning commands and performing the ones they know, because now they associate it with something pleasurable.
That's all I have for now. Have fun training your dog, and always make it fun for them! It's a great bonding tool, and all dogs should know at least the basic obedience commands.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Teddy Bears and Roman Candles
Happy (day after the) 4th of July, everyone! My sisters and I had a great time shooting off our fireworks. And I just have to tell you the story about getting them.
We drove out to the tent, and because Delilah (my dog) is spoiled rotten, she got to hop in the SUV and come too. Immediately upon getting there she was trying to pull the leash from my hands to go see the family running the register. The mother and daughter were absolutely smitten with her, and the son dubbed her my 'low rider'.
Confused by her enthusiasm to crawl under the woman's lawn chair, she informed me they had a dog as well, and I was introduced to Izzy. Izzy was a young, puppy-cut Maltese. He was so small and so soft, I was struck by the image of a white teddy bear. Once he realized Lilah didn't want to eat him, they began to play around the check-out table. Mom wanted me to come look at fireworks, but everywhere I went, Lilah was tugging me past the selections in search of Izzy, who the daughter was walking around on his leash too. Finally, the mother offered to hold Lilah for me so the dogs could play and I could pick out pyrotechnics.
By the time we got done, Lilah was laying in the gravel beside the family's son as if she were his dog. I'm always excited to see people who love my dog as much as me, but there is always that pang of jealously really avid pet owners get when you're afraid your dog may become attached to someone else, even if it is absurd.
Izzy barked his good byes and the family was impressed by Delilah's ability to leap into the back of Mom's car. We started lighting fireworks just before dark last night, and even though Lilah was thrilled to shop for them, she was not excited to hear them go off. She was, however, very fascinated by the small ones that spin on the ground and spark, and the smoke bombs, and she joined in when we chased down the parachutes. I tied one to her collar and it flapped around when she ran. We laughed hysterically. She didn't even care.
I'll close by saying we had an extremely fun Independence Day. But remember, often dogs and fireworks don't mix. If your canine friend is frightened of the fiery devices or too curious to stay away from the truly dangerous ones, please take great precautions to keep him/her safe.
We drove out to the tent, and because Delilah (my dog) is spoiled rotten, she got to hop in the SUV and come too. Immediately upon getting there she was trying to pull the leash from my hands to go see the family running the register. The mother and daughter were absolutely smitten with her, and the son dubbed her my 'low rider'.
Confused by her enthusiasm to crawl under the woman's lawn chair, she informed me they had a dog as well, and I was introduced to Izzy. Izzy was a young, puppy-cut Maltese. He was so small and so soft, I was struck by the image of a white teddy bear. Once he realized Lilah didn't want to eat him, they began to play around the check-out table. Mom wanted me to come look at fireworks, but everywhere I went, Lilah was tugging me past the selections in search of Izzy, who the daughter was walking around on his leash too. Finally, the mother offered to hold Lilah for me so the dogs could play and I could pick out pyrotechnics.
By the time we got done, Lilah was laying in the gravel beside the family's son as if she were his dog. I'm always excited to see people who love my dog as much as me, but there is always that pang of jealously really avid pet owners get when you're afraid your dog may become attached to someone else, even if it is absurd.
Izzy barked his good byes and the family was impressed by Delilah's ability to leap into the back of Mom's car. We started lighting fireworks just before dark last night, and even though Lilah was thrilled to shop for them, she was not excited to hear them go off. She was, however, very fascinated by the small ones that spin on the ground and spark, and the smoke bombs, and she joined in when we chased down the parachutes. I tied one to her collar and it flapped around when she ran. We laughed hysterically. She didn't even care.
I'll close by saying we had an extremely fun Independence Day. But remember, often dogs and fireworks don't mix. If your canine friend is frightened of the fiery devices or too curious to stay away from the truly dangerous ones, please take great precautions to keep him/her safe.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Which Dog Breed Are You?
I found this and thought it sounded like fun. There's probably a million others out there, but I want to share this one with you. Here's my result, and a link to the quiz so you can take it yourself. It's short, 5 questions, and you don't have to have an account so ignore the login terminal. I'd love to see your results. Feel free to post your breed in a comment!
Which Dog Breed Are You?
Which Dog Breed Are You?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Bathtime Tips
OK. Time now for my first excerpt from Dog Fancy. I am a DF subscriber (for this year anyway, we'll see how it goes), and I think it'd be good to share some of their ideas to help promote the magazine and give you non-subscribers a look.
This month, we'll take a look at DF's 5 tricks to a good doggy bath. Every owner should be able to groom their own dog, or at least bathe them. Hopefully, these tips will help dog owners all over. I'll try them out too.
The 5 Steps of Bathing
by Eve Adamson
1. Brush First: A good brushing, plus combing for long coats, helps loosen shed hair and dirt so they are more easily washed away, and stimulates natural oils in your dog's skin.
2. Get Ready: Have everything you need within reach before you get your dog wet. Put a nylon collar and leash on your dog to keep control of him/her.
3. Wet Your Dog Down: Whether you choose to bathe your dog in the tub, sink, or outside in warm weather with the hose (check water temperature first), get your dog thoroughly wet before applying shampoo.
4. Suds it Up, Rinse it Out: Apply shampoo and massage it in, avoiding getting any in your dog's eyes or ears; don't forget the belly, feet, and rear. Then rinse, rinse, and rinse some more.
5. Dry Off: When your dog is clean, wrap him/her in a big towel and blot the coat thoroughly. Even in warm weather, wet dogs like to dry themselves by rolling in grass or dirt - and that means another bath!
Hope this helps anyone having trouble keeping their puppy clean. Or gives you some new methods to try.
For the full article, please check out Dog Fancy June 2009.
This article (c) Eve Adamson, Dog Fancy June 2009
This month, we'll take a look at DF's 5 tricks to a good doggy bath. Every owner should be able to groom their own dog, or at least bathe them. Hopefully, these tips will help dog owners all over. I'll try them out too.
The 5 Steps of Bathing
by Eve Adamson
1. Brush First: A good brushing, plus combing for long coats, helps loosen shed hair and dirt so they are more easily washed away, and stimulates natural oils in your dog's skin.
2. Get Ready: Have everything you need within reach before you get your dog wet. Put a nylon collar and leash on your dog to keep control of him/her.
3. Wet Your Dog Down: Whether you choose to bathe your dog in the tub, sink, or outside in warm weather with the hose (check water temperature first), get your dog thoroughly wet before applying shampoo.
4. Suds it Up, Rinse it Out: Apply shampoo and massage it in, avoiding getting any in your dog's eyes or ears; don't forget the belly, feet, and rear. Then rinse, rinse, and rinse some more.
5. Dry Off: When your dog is clean, wrap him/her in a big towel and blot the coat thoroughly. Even in warm weather, wet dogs like to dry themselves by rolling in grass or dirt - and that means another bath!
Hope this helps anyone having trouble keeping their puppy clean. Or gives you some new methods to try.
For the full article, please check out Dog Fancy June 2009.
This article (c) Eve Adamson, Dog Fancy June 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Dog Blog
Hello! My name is Aly and I am absolutely in love with dogs. You could call me "crazy for dogs" (all you other Inubaka fans). I own one dog right now, but someday I hope to own a rescue or be a breeder. I also own a cat, so I am open to the love of all pets.
I was thinking the other day about my passion for animals, especially dogs, and how I could use it to raise awareness, practice my writing skills, and have some fun. And so this blog was created! Here I will talk about my experiences and opinions on pets and owners. I will hold polls and quizes. I will also feature an article or two from Dog Fancy each month and have my very own Breed Spotlight, so that viewers can learn about new types of dogs and how to take care of them. Through my blog, I hope to promote rescue, fair treatment of animals, and maybe help some people find out that a furry new family member is right for them.
Today, I just wanted to give you guys a rundown of my objectives. I would love comments, maybe pictures of your pets, espeically questions about me or dogs, from dog owners, dog lovers, and the dog-wary alike. And if I don't get questions, I'll have to make some up and answer them anyway (and trust me, you don't want that). Just as a warning, this stage in my life is quite hectic. I may not have a new post for you every day or even every week. But I will try my best.
Hope you all enjoy getting to know me and the animals I love. I know I will love getting to know you.
I was thinking the other day about my passion for animals, especially dogs, and how I could use it to raise awareness, practice my writing skills, and have some fun. And so this blog was created! Here I will talk about my experiences and opinions on pets and owners. I will hold polls and quizes. I will also feature an article or two from Dog Fancy each month and have my very own Breed Spotlight, so that viewers can learn about new types of dogs and how to take care of them. Through my blog, I hope to promote rescue, fair treatment of animals, and maybe help some people find out that a furry new family member is right for them.
Today, I just wanted to give you guys a rundown of my objectives. I would love comments, maybe pictures of your pets, espeically questions about me or dogs, from dog owners, dog lovers, and the dog-wary alike. And if I don't get questions, I'll have to make some up and answer them anyway (and trust me, you don't want that). Just as a warning, this stage in my life is quite hectic. I may not have a new post for you every day or even every week. But I will try my best.
Hope you all enjoy getting to know me and the animals I love. I know I will love getting to know you.
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