When a family takes on the raising of a puppy it is not a simple process. Puppies are complex, highly impressionable creatures with a very short window period wherein the best possible effects can be engendered in their minds by interactions with all members of the household. Hillary Clinton was quoted as saying that it …
Crate training is not a novel concept in dogdom yet it is a highly important, underestimated, underutilised and fundamental education system for a long-term and short-term practical benefit for pet owners and their dogs. Many dogs suffer from claustrophobia due to their inexperience with confinement. Any dog that cannot tolerate being caged is a nightmare …
Every puppy and every pup owner should complete a basic course of training so that the ten to sixteen year relationship is based on mutual understanding, meaningful communication and the animal has the required life skills to render it a socially acceptable companion. If puppy owners are not informed about socialization, obedience and the correct …
In this category one considers rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice and hamsters which parents often bestow upon children as a foundation and grooming in the pet-owning responsibilities department. These creatures are mostly regarded in nature as prey and as vermin or laboratory animals in human society. However, these relatively inexpensive lagomorphs and rodents make the …
Any dog that jumps up at people is regarded as having bad manners, is a downright irritation and has never been recognized by its owner as a public nuisance. In most cases the individual dog has the inherent propensity to jump which is then reinforced by the human attention, whether it is encouragement or rejection, …
Bite inhibition is a very modern term, used initially in veterinary behaviour circles, for a learnt or inherent ability in a pup to bite an opponent without inflicting damage. The opponent may be another animal or a human. It is natural, normal and necessary for dogs to bite, even from the time their teeth erupt. …
Dogs live in a linear hierarchy system similar to army rankings or the human caste system of certain cultures. Dogs are, instinctively, not adapted to the democratic approach meted out by most pet owners. Doting animal lovers feel that all their dogs should be treated equally because “shame” why pat the one and not the …
Very few people fail to respond in an emotional way to the approach, presence or playful antics of a friendly companion animal. An interesting social phenomenon is the effect pet animals frequently have on the social communication between two or more people. Pets have the ability to act as ‘social facilitators’ often helping to initiate …
Preparing your dog for the eventuality of an introduction to a new baby begins long before baby arrives. It begins when the dog is 8 weeks old and with puppy socialization classes. Any single person contemplating cohabitation and marriage or any established couples who own dogs and hope to have children in the future need …