Labrador Kennels

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Check out Your Labrador Kennels Before Handing Over Your Money!

There are several top-quality Labrador kennels across the United States but did you know that some kennel owners are 'stealing' the names of top kennels? According to Woodhaven Labs their name has been copied by at least two other breeding kennels. Woodhaven is a well-known and respected kennel in this country and others may be trying to cash in on their good reputation.

Woodhaven Labrador kennels has been using the name since 1974 but that isn't stopping potential clients from being fooled. People who are looking for a good breeder should not be taken in by these kennels who may not offer the same standard or quality. To make matters worse these breeders claim to sell 'Woodhaven Labradors' a brand that has taken years to garner respect in breeding circles.

Not only is this unfair to the Labrador kennels who have taken time and patience in building up their reputation it is also unfair to the buyer who may not be getting the same quality Labrador retriever.

While it isn't illegal to use the same name as other Labrador kennels many well-established breeders have taken offense to this blatant disrespect for their businesses. Some might choose to hyphenate the name but this hardly makes a difference in the minds of the public.

I am almost sure that if the roles were reversed, breeders who choose to hijack the names of others would not appreciate the same treatment. The names of Labrador kennels serve much the same purpose as the names of, say, your favorite breakfast cereal. You have probably been eating it for years, have many good reasons why you do and rely on its consistent quality. What would happen if a rival company fooled you into buying an inferior product by using the same name?

In the case of Labrador kennels, it is this name and not the personal name of the owner that holds far more importance in breeding circles, and for this reason it is critical that its quality is upheld.

As a courtesy it is suggested that Labrador kennels looking for a name perform a search to establish whether the name is already in use. Good resources are: http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/labkennels2.html and Wiscoy Labradors http://www.wiscoy.com/kennellinks.html . http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/kennelnames.html

You can also search the American Kennel Club's resources to find out if a kennel name is already in use. Labrador kennels do not have to be registered with the AKC but even if it isn't and somebody else is using it you might want to think about being respectful and choosing another name.

Labrador kennels worth their salt will take the time to build up their own good reputation, avoid causing confusion in the industry, and give established breeders the credit and respect they deserve. Lastly, Labrador kennels who use these names are generally not given respect by those in the know - you may very well be doing your business great harm in the long run.

Today's Labrador Kennels Articles

Akita attacking children and strangers
This breed is prone to being teased by children and what makes things difficult is that they are not sporting about it and end up attacking the children in retaliation. If an Akita bites, the most likely target would be a child visitor. The Akita is not used to interacting with outsiders, nor is it friendly with people who are strangers or irregular visitors.

The Akita is a very private dog, and as has been observed by an expert on Japanese breeds, he owes this trait to his upbringing in the typical Japanese setup.

Thereâ€™s further explanation that says that the Oriental homes in which the Akitas are generally brought up, are much smaller by Occidental standards, and thus social gatherings are always held in public places. This explains the wary attitude of the dog where visitors, especially children are concerned.

Although famous for being trusted by Japanese mothers, who often leave them alone with their children, the Akita can often be very aggressive towards unfamiliar children and might even bite them when driven wild thanks to their incessant teasing. Children should be taught to treat these dogs with patience and kindness.

One positive aspect to their temperament, however, is the fact that they can eventually be made to grow tolerant towards strangers. They often make the first move towards a visitor if they are used to seeing him on a regular basis. This holds true, especially if the stranger happens to have something with him, some tidbit that might be of interest to the dog.

Their reticence comes from an innate dignity, which is quite rare in other dogs and thus they can be tamed with reason and proper tutelage.

One major flaw in these dogs is that they are extremely unfriendly towards non-family children. They cherish their own family kids but visiting children and adults lie in the danger zone and face the brunt of their tantrums. These dogs often ignore indifferent strangers, which is in a way better than their hostility.

The Akita is very food-possessive but with patient training, they can be fine pets, otherwise they tend to get bored easily and often end up going untrained.

A plausible solution to this breedâ€™s hostility towards unpleasant strangers is training them outside of home or taking them to training classes to socialize them with unknown children and adults. One cannot expect each and every individual that happens to drop in, to be friendly with the household dog and in such a situation it is best to train the dog to be adaptable with different people.

There could, however, be a worst-case scenario when the dog does not really appreciate the training procedure and may growl at the trainer. In such a case, the trainer may even try to discipline him with a smack or a jerk of the collar.

If visiting children donâ€™t go down too well with the dog, which is majority of the time, there should be someone to monitor his attitude towards the former. He should be made to sit and watch the family kid play with that of the neighborâ€™s, and thus, eventually made to get accustomed to all strangers in general.

This process is referred to as desensitization. It should be done repeatedly and with different children. The dog gradually tries to be at home with non-family kids and even when left alone without any supervision, learns to behave.

This should, however, not ideally be the scene. An Akita should not be left to be with a stranger, kid or adult, without an overseer. This would not only decelerate the training procedure, it might even backfire. The presence of the owner always makes things easier, both for the owner as well as the dog.

The bottom line is that if one happens to own a typically private Akita that does not really gel with strangers, especially child visitors, and reacts to teasing with a bite, like most Akitas do, he should take measures to train him into obedience.

All said and done, the final responsibility lies with the owner, who should make sure that the training process turns out to be successful. He should not merely impose rules upon the dog but make sure that the children and adults visiting are on their best behavior, or at least neutral towards the dog, if not overtly friendly.

Learn all about Dog
Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and
Puppies.

If you are searching for dog breeders, learn how to choose the right dog breeder.

Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog

adotion of a dog or puppy
Spay and Neuter surgery has long been regarded as an extremely useful method of controlling the pet population. Naturally, no one wishes to have a very large number of puppies which finally end up in animal shelters for adoption or worse, for euthanisation. And neutering or sterilizing the pets ensures that this unhappy process does not occur. Many shelters make it a policy to neuter the animals under their care before they make them available for adoption and some others which do not do so, nonetheless require that the puppies which are supplied by them are sterilized by their owners after they take them home.
There are advocacy groups which have been demanding that all dogs be neutered/spayed unless the owners buy permission from the authorities not to do so. And there are less radical forums who, to avoid unwanted litters, advocate that dog shelters necessarily sterilize each and every dog that they send out into the wider world.

Then, of course, there are the opposing factions who are vocal in their insistence that legislation requiring sterilizing on a large scale is an infringement of the rights of pet owners. That they must be left to decide for themselves whether their dog requires to be spayed/neutered or not. Many others think that sterilization is cruel. They project their own feelings about the loss of reproductive capacity on their pets. Many male dog owners have problems in dealing with the neutering of their male dogs.

So where does one turn? Is it a good policy to sterilize your dog or isn't it? One can't but pay heed to the anti-sterilizing brigade who, apart from the views expressed in the last paragraph, also forward the notion that neutering a male dog turns him into a sissy. And as for the females; they turn fat and lazy if they are spayed and lament their lost capacity.

Let's attempt to cut through the layers of pros and cons in viewpoints to see if we can come to a rational conclusion about this issue.

Generally, it has been found that a pet owner would have an easier time of it with a sterilized animal rather than an unneutered/unspayed one. A dog that has been sterilized will live a longer life, more free of illnesses than one which hasn't. Naturally, the benefits to his owner are immense. He will not be beset with problems regarding the health of his dog as frequently as he would otherwise have been. And the pressure on his wallet would consequently be much less as he would not have to visit the vet as frequently as he would have to with an unsterilized dog.

A dog that has been sterilized has been found to be more affectionate and loyal and to also show less of a tendency to roam or run away. Obviously, these characteristics make them much more desirable to keep as pets. Which pet parent wouldn't like his dog to reciprocate the deep affection that he feels for his adopted doggy friend? And which owner would want to constantly be in a state of tension fearing his dog might run away at any time.

The other positive that emerges from sterilizing a dog is that he displays far fewer behavioral and temperamental problems than an unsterilized dog does. Psychologists have been delving into the phenomenon as to why sterilized dogs tend not to mark, bite or growl as much as unsterilized ones do. There is obviously a link between these two circumstances but dog psychologists haven't, as yet, been able to work out why.

We will now talk about the different ways sterilizing affects male dogs and females. Male dogs, once neutered, will generally not get into fights with other males. Therefore, the chances of their getting injured become considerably less just as the possibility of injuring someone else's pet also becomes remote. They will be less prone to embarrass everyone in sight by mounting people, other animals or furniture. And a bitch in heat in the neighborhood won't send him into a paroxysm of frustration. They will be far easier to train largely because they will not be interested in every passing dog as they will be more keen to please you.

As for the female of the species, they will obviously not get the heat cycles for three weeks every six months as intact females do. This is better than it sounds because you will not have to bear the constant whimpering and fussing that normally accompany these periods. There will not be the mess of blood everywhere nor the stink which accompanies it and you will not have all the male dogs of the neighborhood come visiting. Spayed females will never be stricken with ovarian or uterine cancer as both the ovaries and uterus are removed. And, strangely enough, spayed females will develop a "mothering" nature and will adopt another dog or even a child and become very attentive to them.

These then are the basic reasons for spaying/neutering your dog. While some forums will keep protesting about the infringement of their rights, all said and done, it is better to spay/neuter your pet and have him/her lead a far happier and trouble-free life than if they were intact.

Learn all about Dog
Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and
Puppies.

If you are searching for spaying and neutering, learn how to do it the right way.

Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog.

Behavior Training for Your Dog
It is highly recommended to have your dog trained immediately after acquiring it, or to simply adjust some deviant part in its behavior. Behavior training is not about teaching your dog tricks or field trials, but it rather refers to those methods that teach your dog good manners towards the other dogs or people around. They learn not to leap on people anymore, nor to overly bark or dig. Behavior training makes your dog stop tearing and gnawing at personal objects or furniture. How to Achieve the Best Behavior As far as dogs are concerned, good behavior must be taught, as this is not an innate quality. Luckily enough, dogs are opened to behavior training starting form a very early age. Although the training can begin when the dog is only a puppy, usually from 4 to 12 weeks of age, dogs are strongly influenced by their environment. This is as well, the point when the abilities to socialize with other dogs or with people start to develop. Some dogs are very receptive to behavior training since six weeks of age, while others only around three months of life. At first, don't chasten too much your dog for its mistakes, because excessive aggressiveness coming from the owner or the trainer leads to a shy or violent dog. What you could do instead is to try to obtain a pet training practice through healthy admiration and positive support. All you need for achieving the best behavior for your pet is a consistent and full of patience dog training program. There are many methods and practices used in behavior training, but still not all of them are appropriate for all dogs. Parts of a program may be changed according to the pet's behavior and the dog owner's personality. Dogs have behavior problems that are sometimes beyond the owner's competency. In such cases it is advisable to look for the help of a qualified dog trainer. Guidelines in Behavior Training Your Dog Here are some tips that are useful in training your pet dog: The behavior training techniques must be consistent; you have to spend alot of time with your pet and show patience towards it. The training program should start at an early age and must be structured according to the dog's breed. If the behavior problems persist, seek for the guidance of a competent trainer. Large dog breeds are part of your family and because you live with them, it is important for your pet to have a good behavior. Through proper behavior dog training, any of your canine's problems can be removed.

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Crate Training Your Dog. How to provide Successful Crate Training for your Canine Companion
Generally, it is believed that crate training your large dog is an act of unkindness. I would rather state that this technique of training is extremely successful. It also teaches your dog to keep the area where you live squeaky clean. By crate training the dog, the owner can offer his pet a sheltered place to retreat to when he is tired, or when you have no time to play. This way, your entire house will still be functional and livable. Don't forget that crate training your dog is not only efficient but it is also an act of caring. What is Crate Training? The entire procedure, actually lays on the fact that when the dog's owner is not around as to care for the pet, he is not going to relieve himself somewhere else. The crate may be of different forms or made from different materials: wires, plastic or even a cage that fastens. You can purchase these crates, also known as kennels from any pet shop where you will find different sizes and shapes so that it can be properly used for your dog. The prices are different, being very dependent on the superiority and the fabric used in making the crates. Even if a small crate is cheaper, it is necessary to buy a crate as large as your dog will be, once it is completely grown. A kennel will be the perfect and desired place for your dog when your away. If you are skillful enough, you could construct yourself a kennel for your pet. You should keep in mind that the crate must have no sharp edging or holes so that he cannot pull his head out and eventually get stuck. The kennel should be considered as a second home for your pet, so you can make it more comfortable by placing a covering inside and bottle of water directly outside the kennel. Thus, your dog will have everything it needs when you are not around. The crate is indeed a relief for the dog owners, because they can simply put their dogs inside and leave. The Wonderful Results of Crate Training Crate training is efficient because dogs do not like to have their own place of living a mess. As soon as the dog gets used to the crate, the dog will feel more comfortable in his new atmosphere and be able to sleep a lot better. The fact that there is an innate tendency in dogs to keep their living places clean, actually makes the crate training method a successful one with practically every pet. Potty training is not too difficult, due to the wait your dog will have to undergo, he will to have to hold off until you open the crate. Traveling with your lovely companion will be a great pleasure due to the fact he is comfortable in his crate in which later the dog will develop other habits that will be beneficial to your relationship. Crate training your dog is a worthwhile experience not only for dog owners, but also for their pets. Most all the large breeds enjoy their crates, so you should not worry about the negative reactions from your dog. A large enough kennel will be the perfect place for your canine companion to live in while your away.

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5 Tips To Easy Puppy Potty Training
The sooner you potty train your puppy the better. You want to establish good habits from the start. And, a dog who has never gone potty in the house will never consider the house a place *to* go potty. Iâ€™ve always found the puppies we purchased from actual working farms (NOT puppy farms) were the easiest to house-train. They only ever wanted to go potty on grass or hay â€" as they had only ever gone in the barn or outside. They frequently wouldnâ€™t even go potty in a parking lot â€" weâ€™d need to find grassy areas on the way home for them to go potty.

Here are some house training tips that will help â€" as long as you follow them consistently:

1. Closely supervise your pup while potty training. Do not let your puppy out of your sight while he is loose in your house! Watch him as though you were babysitting a very young child who could/would get in trouble if you didn't watch them. A puppy is the same as a toddler in this respect. Keep your puppy in a crate to keep him out of trouble when you canâ€™t attentively watch him.

If you see your puppy starting to sniff around, take him outside (or to the selected potty area) right away. If youâ€™d like the potty area to be outside â€" try to make the area outside from the start; and if for any reason you canâ€™t make the area outside from the start at least make the area near the door. This way when you are ready to house train to outside you can bring your pup outside whenever you see him beginning to sniff around near the door. *When you can't supervise your un-trained dog, keep him in a crate*. Be sure you have the proper size crate too. Your pup should be able to stand up and turn around â€" but no larger. If you bring your pup with you to purchase the crate, the store personnel should be able to help you select the correct size. Some people have tied their dog's leash to their waist while potty training - but you still need to *pay attention*. (I once told my daughter that her puppy potty training problem was that she wasnâ€™t paying enough attention. She phoned one day to tell me that I must be right â€" her puppy had two accidents that day â€" both on her foot!)

2. If you find your puppy going potty in the wrong place interrupt him by saying "NO!" in a sharp tone of voice- then immediately take him to the proper place to finish. (If you donâ€™t catch him â€" you arenâ€™t watching closely enough.) It could help to put the paper towel you clean the mess with where you want him to potty- so that he will have the scent there. Be sure to *thoroughly* clean and de-odorize the area where he pottied in the house. Use special products made for this purpose - or he will go there again. In fact, watch him *extra closely* and/or take him to his potty place when he starts sniffing around those areas.

3. Pick a potty place that is free of distractions. No playing of any kind until the pup has gone potty. Do NOT turn potty time into play time until after he goes potty. When he does go potty give him a treat and then PLAY with him. Reward him lavishly and immediately!

4. Set a schedule. Keeping a routine will help to establish good habits. Control when your puppy eats and drinks. Feed your puppy 3 times a day when you first bring him home (or as your breeder recommends). You can decrease this to one or two times a day as he gets older. Be sure he always has fresh water to drink. Take your puppy to his potty area about once an hour â€" and always take him to his potty area within 10 minutes after he eats or drinks, wakes up, and after exercise or play. Permit absolutely no playing or distractions until he has â€˜done his businessâ€™. Once he has gone potty you can begin to take him outside about once an hour for a very young puppy â€" and extend the time between â€˜potty breaksâ€™ as your pup gets older and firmly forms good house training habits. But be sure to *watch your pup carefully* whenever he isnâ€™t either confined or in an â€˜OK to pottyâ€™ area.

5. Reward your puppy as soon as he does go potty in the appropriate location. Give him a bit of a very tasty special treat. Tell him, â€œYes! Good boy!â€ And play with him! Make the moment he goes potty the moment the fun and good stuff begin. Dogs love good stuff; and they will usually do whatever they need to do to get it. So all you really need to do is to make sure your dog knows what you expect of him â€" what it takes to get the â€˜good stuffâ€™.

This is a lot of work at first until the habits are formed. But really, it is the most effectiveâ€" and sometimes the only- way that it can be done. Be sure to take your puppy outside as much as possible to increase his opportunity to eliminate outdoors. If he doesn't go outside do NOT take your eyes off him when you bring him in. Most importantly: lavishly praise, reward, and play with him when he does go outside. With the use of patience, persistence, consistence, and lavish reward - you will both succeed! For more free dog training information, advice, and tips, as well as free information on dog care, puppy care, dog health & nutrition, and free canine cuisine recipes visit: http://www.e-dog-training.com.

Please visit our site for FREE helpful tips, information, and advice on dog and puppy training, puppy potty training, dog care, dog health and nutrition, and more. General Puppy Training Tips available at: http://www.e-dog-training.com/Top10PuppyTrainingTips.html Also see our article on 5 Steps to Easy Puppy Potty Training at: http://www.e-dog-training.com/5TipsToEasyPuppyPottyTraining.html - Copyright 2007 - May be reprinted and distributed with credit/link to: <http://www.e-dog-training.com>

dog adoption costs
Before you decide to bring a dog home, it is absolutely essential that you give some thought to the costs that you will be incurring in the process. Itâ€™s not the purchase alone, though even that is likely to be expensive in the case of some superior breeds of dogs, but also the cost of the equipments you will have to buy to make your home habitable for your pet. Then there are the visits to the vet, which have to be regularly made, and the expensive vaccinations, which the puppy has to be given. So, all in all, you will have to make pretty sure that your wallet can take the beating before you bring your doggy home.

What then, are the costs, and how much are they? Letâ€™s start at the beginning. You have to buy the dog unless you are lucky enough to have it presented to you by a friend or a family member and the cost of this initial purchase can vary very widely. The variance will firstly depend on the type of dog you are buying. A purebred â€œcompanion onlyâ€ puppy usually starts from around $800 but can go up to astronomical amounts for rare or exotic breeds. If you prefer to adopt a non-purebred variety from a shelter, it will cost you from around $150 to $300.

Costs also differ in different geographic locations so it is difficult for us to tell you of one fixed sum that you will have to pay for any given variety of dog. Visit the sources in your locality from where people normally buy dogs and check on the prices. And this includes the internet. After some queries on your part, you will be able to come to a fix on what your desired dog costs.

Now that youâ€™ve got your dog, itâ€™s time to look at the other costs you will have to start to incur. Letâ€™s start with the one - time costs.

One Time Costs Average Cost
Fence $300 - $1500
Bowls $25
Collar $6
Training Collar $10
Leash $12
Bed $40
Crate $100
Brush/Grooming tools $20
Shampoo/ Coat care $15
Neuter/ Spay ( Based on weight ) $300
Microchip $50

Then there are the annual costs, which you have to be prepared for. I enumerate them below:

Vaccinations $185
Heartworm Test $35
Heartworm Preventive $65
Flea/Tick Preventive $120
Food $480
Toys/Treats $45
Tag $5

And then there are other costs:

Boarding â€" per day ( with 2 playtimes ) $25
Grooming â€" per time $50
Training classes ( Per 6-8 classes ) $100
Individual training ( Per session ) $100

And remember, this list is for grown up dogs and not puppies. If itâ€™s a puppy you are adopting, the costs increase. Thereâ€™s a check up, a series of 4 sets of vaccines, worming, heartworm tests, all of which will cost you close to $300. Then there is puppy food, which will set you back around $450 and toys/treats, which will cost approximately $65.

So, as you will have counted up from the figures given above, in the first year, you will be spending approximately $1500 to $2500 over and above the cost of buying your dog. After the first year, you will spend less per year â€" about $1000. Smaller dogs cost a bit less and larger dogs cost more.

Apart from all this, your dog will have lifelong healthcare needs. There will be shots and medicines you will be administering as preventive care and there will almost certainly be unexpected accidents, injuries or illnesses, however well you look after your dog.

It is therefore utterly essential that you objectively evaluate your budget and come to a decision as to whether you can really afford a dog. He will look to you for your support in all things and you owe it to him to give him, not only your love, but proper care, food and medical attention. These donâ€™t come free â€" so ask yourself whether you can afford to get that dog you always wanted. If you realize that you canâ€™t, itâ€™s best to do without, both for your sake and his.

Anybody is free to use the article in their website as long as an acknowledgement is given Nancy Richards' and a link to the site www.traindogsandpuppies.com

Wobbler's syndrome
The Doberman Pinscher, bred to be an outstanding guard-dog, is very energetic. The Doberman, unfriendly and ferocious as it might seem, loves to be physically close to its family members.

Highly intelligent, fearless and loyal, the Dobe needs an owner that is willing to discipline him without being afraid of him. He needs to be properly socialized to prevent over-protectiveness.

This breed needs consistent mental stimulation through positive reinforcement to stay happy and in good health.

The Doberman is generally healthy. You would hardly ever find him giving in to temperature differences or to mild ailments. All it takes are quick medication and appropriate exercise to get him back on his feet.

However, cervical spondilytis due to fusion of neck vertebrae and compression of spinal cord, commonly referred to as the â€œWobblerâ€™s syndromeâ€ might affect this dog. This disorder is rampant among these dogs and starting with the hind legs, it might even lead to complete dysfunction of all four limbs.

The common symptoms are a wobbly gait, (which gives the disorder its name), a stilted manner of walking on the front feet, a dragging of the hind feet, severe neck pain and the neck hanging in a downward position.

These symptoms might even grow into the worst possible situation where the dog would be rendered completely motionless.

Commonly seen in older Dobermans, from 3 to 8 years of age, it is known to have affected smaller dogs as well. The younger dogs may often die as a result of this disorder, as they are less capable of coping with it. The spinal cord compression occurs mostly in the vertebrae c5, c6, and c7.

There are treatments to take care of this disorder but it depends on the severity of the spinal compression. Cortisone treatment helps reduce inflammation of the spinal cord, while acupuncture is said to work as a pain relief. Chiropractic adjustment too cannot be ruled out but it might lead to severe complications in certain cases.

In severe cases, surgery would be the most plausible resort, but one is advised to always to go in for a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) before doing a surgery.
An alternative to surgery is Gold Beads Implant, when magnetically charged gold plated
Beads are implanted in the dog wherever pain needs to be relieved.

The major cause of Wobblers Syndrome is yet to be known but some of the causes are
genetics, conformation of the neck, malnutrition, or injury.

Preventative breeding can be an option but because dogs donâ€™t show symptoms before their breeding age, it cannot be entirely relied on. Therefore, one can only gather complete information on Wobblers in Pedigrees and thus, breed responsibly, so that one can get a perfectly healthy Doberman later.

Learn all about Dog
Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and
Puppies.

If you are searching for WOBBLERS SYNDROME, learn about it here.

: Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog

AgreSsion in Boxers
There are certain breeds of dogs that tend to be more aggressive than others. We all have heard stories of pit bulls, chow-chows, and boxers that show aggressive behavior, growling, snarling, and even biting people and other animals. Signs of hostility in a dog include bared teeth, flattened ears, erect tail, stiff legs, and bristling back hair; the dog may growl or bark. If you see these behaviors, you should keep your arms at your sides and slowly back away, while firmly saying "No." Why do certain breeds tend to be aggressive? Letâ€™s look at boxers as one breed that can behave aggressively under certain circumstances. Why do boxers tend to be aggressive? Sometimes Boxers are aggressive just because it is part of the breedâ€™s specific instinctual behavior. It is not learned, but inbred over time. Boxers also tend to become aggressive when they have not been socialized adequately as puppies. A lack of exposure to â€œthe world,â€ including other animals and people causes boxers to fear the unknown. They show aggression toward other animals and people because they are unsure and afraid. Boxers are strong-willed dogs; they have minds of their own and they donâ€™t hesitate to act on their own. Boxers need confident owners who can take charge of the animal, train properly, and maintain control at all times. Be aware that sometimes aggression can be caused by thyroid problems. Always have your dog checked by a vet when it shows aggression to rule out medical problems. Understanding Your Boxer Sometimes Boxers are aggressive just because it is part of the breedâ€™s specific instinctual behavior. It is not learned, but inbred over time. Boxers also tend to become aggressive when they have not been socialized adequately as puppies. A lack of exposure to â€œthe world,â€ including other animals and people causes boxers to fear the unknown. They show aggression toward other animals and people because they are unsure and afraid. Boxers are strong-willed dogs; they have minds of their own and they donâ€™t hesitate to act on their own. Boxers need confident owners who can take charge of the animal, train properly, and maintain control at all times. Be aware that sometimes aggression can be caused by thyroid problems. Always have your dog checked by a vet when it shows aggression to rule out medical problems. Understanding Your Boxer Many Boxers have protective instincts toward their owners when strangers are near. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal, non-threatening behavior of family members, friends, and neighbors. Then they are able to recognize the differences when someone acts threatening. Without extensive socialization from an early age, they are suspicious of everyone, which can lead to biting, snarling, growling, and aggressiveness or are so fearful of being harmed that they become aggressive in their own defense. Many Boxers are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs, especially those of the same sex. Some have strong instincts to chase and kill cats and other animals. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, or care of this breed, it is capable of injuring or killing other animals. If a Boxer puppy is removed from its mother before seven weeks of age, it will not learn canine social signals such as bite inhibition, which are taught by the mother dog and siblings during this time. The puppy will be â€œmouthyâ€ and nip, resist being handled, and act aggressively and fearfully toward other animals. Conversely, if a puppy lives with its mother or siblings for more than 12 weeks, his position in the "pecking order" may be so ingrained that he will always act dominant (if he was at the top) or submissive (if he was at the bottom) toward people or other dogs. How to Control Aggressive Boxers? Socializing Boxers The best way to begin socializing your Boxer is to bring him home at seven or eight weeks of age and get him out into the world daily. Yes, daily is what it takes to establish a strong bond with your dog so that he will trust, respect, and obey you. This is â€œsocializingâ€ your dog, i.e.; getting him used to people, other dogs, other animals, and the world. This has an incredible impact on your dogâ€™s behavior as he grows into adulthood. Itâ€™s also crucial to socialize your adolescent dog, between the ages of six and nine months old to three years old. This is a difficult time of life for dogs; they are changing physically and learning constantly. They must be taught how to behave around people and other animals. Continuing to socialize your Boxer during adulthood will not change the attitudes your dog has developed as a puppy, but can help to control his behavior so that he doesnâ€™t act afraid or aggressive. Socializing begins early and continues throughout your Boxerâ€™s life. Take him for rides in the car. Take him to pet stores and other stores that allow dogs. Expose him to other animals at dog parks and as you take walks. Visit friends with him and have friends come to your home. Teach the dog to greet visitors. Use praise, praise, praise and affection constantly to encourage good behavior. Build a strong relationship with your Boxer; you are the leader and as the leader you must be calm, strong, loving, and consistent. Touching has a powerful emotional effect on many dogs. It is part of the bonding process between the owner and the dog. Your dog must be willing to accept touching so that you can groom him, care for injuries, and put leashes and collars on him. Also, touch will help develop a strong, loving relationship between you, leading to his desire to please you. A daily â€œtouchâ€ session of five minutes or so is invaluable. Training Boxers Most puppies are ready to begin obedience lessons at six to eight months of age. The first lessons should be brief, 10 to 15 minutes a day (in addition to socialization activities), and gradually increase to 30 minutes. Training works best with lots of praise and a stern "no" for corrections. The trainer should always be consistent in reinforcing good behavior and correcting bad behavior and should never strike a dog. Many trainers use a leash and chain-link collar, known as a choke collar. In spite of its name, the collar is never meant to choke a dog, but is used to deliver quick snaps to gain a dog's attention. This training collar is useful in teaching basic obedience commands, such as sit, stay, heel, come, and down. You must establish yourself as the leader of the dogâ€™s pack. If you donâ€™t, you will never have your dog under control. You must be strong, calm, firm, and respectful of the dog. Your behavior will determine whether your dog will obey you and respect you. The well-trained dog isnâ€™t ultimately trained by treats, collars, or demands; he is trained by his love and respect for you. Conclusion In training Boxers to be non-aggressive, the owner must commit to daily socialization and training sessions for the duration of the dogâ€™s life. The respectful and loving relationship between the Boxer and the owner is the most important factor in the Boxerâ€™s acceptance of and non-aggression toward people and other animals. The owner must be the pack leader â€" firm, loving, consistent, and in control at all times. Learn all about Dog Adoption from the unique e-book Super Dogs and Puppies. If you are searching for dog AGGRESSION, learn the right reasons and solutions.

Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog

5 Tips To Successful Puppy Potty Training
The sooner you potty train your puppy the better. You want to establish good habits from the start. And, a dog who has never gone potty in the house will never consider the house a place *to* go potty. Iâ€™ve always found the puppies we purchased from actual working farms (NOT puppy farms) were the easiest to house-train. They only ever wanted to go potty on grass or hay â€" as they had only ever gone in the barn or outside. They frequently wouldnâ€™t even go potty in a parking lot â€" weâ€™d need to find grassy areas on the way home for them to go potty.

Here are some house training tips that will help â€" as long as you follow them consistently:

1. Closely supervise your pup while potty training. Do not let your puppy out of your sight while he is loose in your house! Watch him as though you were babysitting a very young child who could/would get in trouble if you didn't watch them. A puppy is the same as a toddler in this respect. Keep your puppy in a crate to keep him out of trouble when you canâ€™t attentively watch him.

If you see your puppy starting to sniff around, take him outside (or to the selected potty area) right away. If youâ€™d like the potty area to be outside â€" try to make the area outside from the start; and if for any reason you canâ€™t make the area outside from the start at least make the area near the door. This way when you are ready to house train to outside you can bring your pup outside whenever you see him beginning to sniff around near the door. *When you can't supervise your un-trained dog, keep him in a crate*. Be sure you have the proper size crate too. Your pup should be able to stand up and turn around â€" but no larger. If you bring your pup with you to purchase the crate, the store personnel should be able to help you select the correct size. Some people have tied their dog's leash to their waist while potty training - but you still need to *pay attention*. (I once told my daughter that her puppy potty training problem was that she wasnâ€™t paying enough attention. She phoned one day to tell me that I must be right â€" her puppy had two accidents that day â€" both on her foot!)

2. If you find your puppy going potty in the wrong place interrupt him by saying "NO!" in a sharp tone of voice- then immediately take him to the proper place to finish. (If you donâ€™t catch him â€" you arenâ€™t watching closely enough.) It could help to put the paper towel you clean the mess with where you want him to potty- so that he will have the scent there. Be sure to *thoroughly* clean and de-odorize the area where he pottied in the house. Use special products made for this purpose - or he will go there again. In fact, watch him *extra closely* and/or take him to his potty place when he starts sniffing around those areas.

3. Pick a potty place that is free of distractions. No playing of any kind until the pup has gone potty. Do NOT turn potty time into play time until after he goes potty. When he does go potty give him a treat and then PLAY with him. Reward him lavishly and immediately!

4. Set a schedule. Keeping a routine will help to establish good habits. Control when your puppy eats and drinks. Feed your puppy 3 times a day when you first bring him home (or as your breeder recommends). You can decrease this to one or two times a day as he gets older. Be sure he always has fresh water to drink. Take your puppy to his potty area about once an hour â€" and always take him to his potty area within 10 minutes after he eats or drinks, wakes up, and after exercise or play. Permit absolutely no playing or distractions until he has â€˜done his businessâ€™. Once he has gone potty you can begin to take him outside about once an hour for a very young puppy â€" and extend the time between â€˜potty breaksâ€™ as your pup gets older and firmly forms good house training habits. But be sure to *watch your pup carefully* whenever he isnâ€™t either confined or in an â€˜OK to pottyâ€™ area.

5. Reward your puppy as soon as he does go potty in the appropriate location. Give him a bit of a very tasty special treat. Tell him, â€œYes! Good boy!â€ And play with him! Make the moment he goes potty the moment the fun and good stuff begin. Dogs love good stuff; and they will usually do whatever they need to do to get it. So all you really need to do is to make sure your dog knows what you expect of him â€" what it takes to get the â€˜good stuffâ€™.

This is a lot of work at first until the habits are formed. But really, it is the most effectiveâ€" and sometimes the only- way that it can be done. Be sure to take your puppy outside as much as possible to increase his opportunity to eliminate outdoors. If he doesn't go outside do NOT take your eyes off him when you bring him in. Most importantly: lavishly praise, reward, and play with him when he does go outside. With the use of patience, persistence, consistence, and lavish reward - you will both succeed! For more free dog training information, advice, and tips, as well as free information on dog care, puppy care, dog health & nutrition, and free canine cuisine recipes visit: http://www.e-dog-training.com.

Please visit our site for FREE helpful tips, information, and advice on dog and puppy training, puppy potty training, dog care, dog health and nutrition, and more. General Puppy Training Tips available at: http://www.e-dog-training.com/Top10PuppyTrainingTips.html Also see our article on 5 Steps to Easy Puppy Potty Training at: http://www.e-dog-training.com/5TipsToEasyPuppyPottyTraining.html - Copyright 2007 - May be reprinted and distributed with credit/link to: <http://www.e-dog-training.com>

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