PuppyInTraining.com Voted A Finalist For The 2010 Dog Blog Award

Our website, Puppy In Training was voted as a finalist for the 2010 Dog Blog Award.  Out of 142 blog entrants our blog was voted as one of the 20 finalists.  Thank you to all of our readers, friends, and family for voting for us over the past month.

So now I bet you’re wondering what does this mean.

The 2010 Dog Blog Award

If you take a look over at the right sidebar you’ll see we are proudly displaying our award as a finalist for the 2010 Dog Blog Award.

image by kellygifford

We made it through round 1.  What happens now is TrainPetDog.com will send their newsletter out to their 600,000 subscribers on March 18th listing the 20 blog finalists.  At that point it will be up to their newsletter subscribers to vote for the eventual winner.  Here’s the exact quote from the email I received:

The voting to select the Winner of the TrainPetDog.com 2010 Dog Blog Award from among the 20 finalists starts on the 18th of March. Only our newsletter subscribers will be eligible to vote in this round.

We Need Your Help Again

How can you help us win this competition?  We need you to vote yet again for our blog PuppyInTraining.com.  Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the TrainPetDog.com website
2. In the top left corner there is a form to subscribe to the Dog Training Mini Course.  This will get you the dog training mini course and also automatically sign you up for the newsletter.
3. On March 18th after you receive the TrainPetDog.com newsletter follow the instructions on how to vote for PuppyInTraining.com!

The TrainPetDog.com website has a privacy policy:

Privacy Policy: Your email address is 100% safe. We do not Spam. You may Unsubscribe from our mailing list anytime you want.

However, I understand if you don’t want to add your email address to another list.  I have no control over the TrainPetDog.com newsletter or list and therefore you’d be adding your email address to their database at your own risk.

After all I’m just happy that I made it as one of the 20 finalists!  Only 1 of those 20 finalists will be crowned the winner.  Hopefully it’s us, but I’m not holding my breath.

If you do happen to vote for my blog please let me know in the comment section below.  Thanks!

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 3

The Puppy In Training Timeline is a series of articles chronicling my life with dogs and puppies.  Basically it’s the long version of my “About Me” page and helps to show the influences in my life that led to where I am today with my dogs, puppies, and my writings on the Puppy In Training website.

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | and beyond…

1997 – 2004 – The Dog-less years

A time without dogs.  In 1997 I left Tucson, Arizona and headed back home to Orange County leaving behind the two little puppies, Stinky and Pepper.  Maffy, our family dog was in his senior, senior years.  If you recall Maffy passed in 2002.  After a short stay with my parents I moved out to an apartment of my own.  Over the next 7 years I drudged away in corporate America and had little time to take care of a dog.  It was during this time that I was dog-less, but I still had dogs in my life…as a Dog Sitter!

I dog sat many different breeds including a Border Collie mix, Great Pyrenees, Mini Doberman Pinscher, Dachshund mix, Maltese, Miniature Poodles, German Shepherd, and Various Mutts (not too sure of the breed).  Here are a few of the dogs that help influence my decision to get my first dog.

Quincy the Miniature Poodle

image by Amy McCartney

Way back in 1997 I started working in corporate America and shortly after starting that job the CEO of our company got a Miniature Poodle named Quincy.  Back then I didn’t know too much about puppy mills and getting puppies from pet stores and neither did my boss.  Quincy came from a local pet store, but regardless of possibly coming from a puppy mill and having to live at the pet store for a short time he was and is an absolutely wonderful dog.  I’ve watched, house sat, dog sat, picked him up from the veterinarian, and dog walked him over the past 13 years.  He has a great little personality, he’s very easy going, and is very easy to take care.  Also, did I mention that he does not shed?

Every once in a while Quincy comes into the office and greets all the employees.  After watching and taking care of Quincy I new I wanted to get a dog of my own someday.  One other thing I like about Quincy is he doesn’t have that funny Poodle haircut.

Emfur the German Shepherd

image by jutuzga

Emfur was my brother’s ex-girlfriends dog. A purebred German Shepherd, he looked exactly like the K9 police dogs you see on television or working on the street.  He looked intimidating, had a deep bark, and weighed in at over 100 pounds.  I remember when he’d stay at our house my friends were sometimes scared to come in the door.  Emfur loved to bark at people at the front door and scared the poop out of people until they got into the house.  Once you were in the house he became your best friend.  The problem was no one wanted to come in the house after hearing Emfur’s roar.

Emfur was a very well-behaved dog in the house, but probably an even better watch/guard dog.  He was usually easy to walk around the neighborhood except for one time when I remember he nearly pulled my arm out of it’s socket.  However, most other times on his walk he’d do funny things like lay down on the ground when he saw some of our small neighborhood dogs.

I watched him several times at my condo and he had a fairly severe case of separation anxiety.  He didn’t bark or chew things, but when my brother’s ex would leave the house Emfur would sit at the front door for hours on end waiting for her to come home.  He was definitely a very faithful one person dog.

I’m sad to say that I heard Emfur passed away a couple years ago.  I’m sure Emfur is doing well playing with his friends at the Rainbow Bridge.

Kona the Dachshund Mix

image by jasontucker

In 2004 one of my best friends and his wife  lost their senior rescue dog, Barley to old age.  A few months later they adopted another rescue dog.  This time they got a puppy that was shaped a lot like a Dachshund, but may also have been mixed with a German Shepherd.  I was lucky enough to be a big part of Kona’s life.  In her early life I puppy sat Kona nearly every time my friends left town.

Kona was a great puppy and I believe I was a big part in her upbringing.  I remember working with her on car rides.  She used to hate the car, but today she jumps right in when it’s time for a car ride.

Helping raise Kona was one of the big reasons I decided to rescue my first rescue puppy, Linus.

Sam the Maltese

image by yasmapaz & ace_heart

Not long before I picked up Linus from the Carson Shelter I met one of my co-workers dogs named Sam.  Although Sam had a little bit of separation anxiety he was a great dog and came to the office once in a while.  I never formally watched Sam, but during his visits to the office I would keep in eye on him now and then.

Sam had a great temperament and seeing a well-behaved dog in the office made me want a well-behaved dog of my own.  After seeing Sam’s good behavior in the office I was intent on properly training my own dog to be well-behaved in all social situations similar to a dog like Sam or like the behavior of a service or guide dog.

2004 was a monumental year for me.  It was at this time that I decided to take a sabbatical from work.  It wasn’t just a break from work, but a chance to change my career.  I wanted to learn more about web development/design and internet marketing.  It was during this time away from work that I would have a chance to get a puppy of my own.

Check out Part 4 of the Puppy In Training Timeline.

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 2

The Puppy In Training Timeline is a series of articles chronicling my life with dogs and puppies.  Basically it’s the long version of my “About Me” page and helps to show the influences in my life that led to where I am today with my dogs, puppies, and my writings on the Puppy In Training website.

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | and beyond…

1991 – 1997 – The College Years

In 1991 I graduated from high school and started my adventures in college at the University of Arizona.  Arizona was a big change from my home back in Orange County – no beaches, desert weather (often exceeding 110 degrees), monsoons, and the freedom to do as I pleased.  Even though I had the freedom to do as I wanted I still didn’t want to take on the responsibility of a dog.  The extent of my personal pets in college were gold fish and an ant farm.

On the other hand several of my friends did have dogs and that was enough for me during this time in my life.

Denali – Siberian Husky Mix

image by tequilamike

Near the end of my second year of college my girlfriend had the opportunity to adopt a Siberian Husky mix puppy from her manager at one of our favorite campus restaurants, Kippy’s. Unfortunately Kippy’s and most of the other mom and pop restaurants near the University of Arizona campus have been taken over by the corporate giants.  Excited to have a dog of her own my GF jumped at the opportunity to adopt a little puppy that she named Denali.

Denali was an adorable little puppy and one of my first memories was him peeing on the carpet in my apartment.  Unfortunately, after only a couple of days playing with little Denali I headed back to Orange County for summer break.  By the  time I got back to school Denali was nearly full grown and already house trained.  He was a great dog and on occasion I helped out with his upbringing.  I last heard that Denali moved back to California with my ex-girlfriend and her son.  I’m not sure if he’s still with us, but if he is he’d be the ripe old age of 17!

Gus – the Wiry Haired Mutt

My third year of college we moved into the Bean Street House along with a wiry haired mutt named Gus.  Gus was a very shy, timid dog much like Linus only multiply by 100.  He did have one guilty pleasure and that was chasing cats.

My first memory of Gus was returning from summer vacation in the summer of 1993.  I knew we were going to have a new shaggy haired roomate, but when I got to the house I couldn’t find a soul around.  I started moving a few of my things into the house and after about an hour I decided I should look for this so called dog named Gus.  After searching every room  I heard a scratching sound in one of the bedroom closets.  Low and behold in the back of the closet was Gus shaking from fear.  I guess he wasn’t much of a guard dog.

Gus was an older dog probably somewhere between four and six years old, well-behaved, and house trained.  My role with him was strictly as part time caretaker in the Bean Street House.

Gus lived in the house for the next couple years and at the end of school year in 1995 he moved back to Denver for the remainder of his life.

Daly – A Collie Mix…I think?

That’s an actual picture of Daly!

Daly belonged to our neighbor and was probably about 6 months old when she entered our life.  A bundle of joy and energy our neighbors could no longer keep her and she was destine for the local shelter.  One of my roomates stepped forward and saved her from a possible terrible fate.

Still very much a puppy, but the size of a dog, Daly was full of joy and I think she drove old Gus nuts…she certainly drove her other roomates nuts.  Unfortunately, with puppyhood came chewing and destruction….the couches turned into white foam scattered around the house.  Our roomate Jeremy’s favorite hat became Daly’s favorite chew toy.

As I look back now Daly probably needed a little more exercise and attention during those early years which would have most likely curbed her destructive behavior.  Lucky for me I moved out of the house only weeks after Daly became a permanent fixture.  I did spend many a day backpacking, hiking, and mountain biking with her.

If Daly is still with us she is approximately 15 years old and I’m sure much calmer then those early days in college.

Stinky the Doberman Mix & Pepper the Australian Shepherd Mix

image by jilbean3

Shortly after graduating college I got a job, not a real job of course, but working part time as a skate guard at the local ice rink. The pay wasn’t good…I think I made minimum wage, but I got to play ice hockey for free. Along with the new job I moved to a new upscale house! Actually it was my friends house and was shared between three roomates. Once again dogs would enter my life.

My roomate Ryan and his girlfriend ended up getting a little Doberman mix puppy named Stinky.  Now you might think Stinky was a cruel name, but she had terrible gas and the name suited her.  Not long after the arrival of Stinky came another little puppy an Australian Shepherd mix named Pepper.

Stinky came from the pet store (hopefully not the puppy mill, but I’ll never really know).  Pepper was a stray and picked up off the street.  Both dogs were great, but not house trained and never really got the hang of it during my time with them.

As a part time worker I was home almost all the time and really the only caretaker of Stinky and Pepper.  I worked on their training.  Not very well since I didn’t know much.  I groomed and bathed them, made sure they had daily walks, and played with them in the backyard.  In essence these two little girls were my dogs.  I was not much of a dog trainer, but they loved me and they were great companions.

In the summer of 1997 I headed back to Orange County and had to leave Stinky and Pepper behind.  I seriously thought about asking if I could take them with me, but even though I took care of them they weren’t my dogs.  Unfortunately, I later found out that because of a lack of time they were given to another family.  If I was still around I would have taken them in an instant!

Today, if these two little girls are still around they would be about 13 years old.

Check out Puppy In Training Timeline Part 3

Puppy In Training Newsletter

I’m revamping the Puppy In Training newsletter and thought I’d shoot off a quick post to encourage any of my RSS subscribers or daily web visitors to join today.  In case you hadn’t noticed I haven’t had our newsletter sign up form in the sidebar for a while, but I’m working to redesign this website and make it much easier to find things like newsletter sign up form, RSS subscription counts, and all the other important information you expect to find on the Puppy In Training website.

If you have any suggestions for the website redesign or upcoming newsletters then please contact me via our contact form…or just leave us a comment in the comments section below.

In the mean time if you want to get the latest and greatest puppy training information then join our newsletter by filling out the form below:

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 1

The Puppy In Training Timeline is a series of articles chronicling my life with dogs and puppies.  Basically it’s the long version of my “About Me” page and helps to show the influences in my life that led to where I am today with my dogs and my writings on the Puppy In Training website.

Puppy In Training Timeline Part 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | and beyond…

Since I was a young boy I’d always had a love for animals especially dogs and cats.  Growing up I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have a dog, cat, hamster, guinea pig, bird, lizard, etc.  I feel like I would have been most comfortable growing up on a farm.  My life and love for animals began years before I was born.

Pre-1972 – Before I was born there was dog…

I’d be remiss to start my story without taking a little bit of time to talk about my parents and their experiences with puppies and dogs before I was born.  Well, their life as I know it that is…

My parents were married in 1969 and it’s my understanding that before they had children they had dogs.  Maybe it was an experiment to see how a family of dogs would be before a family with children or perhaps just a love for animals, but in their early years as a couple my parents had two mutts named Bonnie and Clyde.

image by FreeWine

And it doesn’t end there…before I was born (and my brother before me) Bonnie and Clyde had a litter of puppies under my parents care.  Bonnie, Clyde, and their litter of puppies were the first children (my siblings) in our family.  However, shortly after my brother was born Bonnie and Clyde had to be given to another loving family.

1972 – 1991 – The Early Years

Kiko – A Purebred Golden Retriever

image by jsmjr

I was born two years after my brother on December 5th 1972.  I suppose I was lucky considering all the practice my parents had first raising two dogs, then a litter of puppies, and finally my older brother.  I guess the challenge of two infants wasn’t enough for my parents because 10 months after I was born they brought home a Golden Retriever puppy named Kiko.

We had Kiko, a purebred Golden Retriever for the next 10 years and he was an amazing family dog.  Kiko was a very tolerant dog and was definitely a dog good with children.

Three years after Kiko came to our family  my sister Miko was born and everyone thought she looked like a monkey (just kidding…only Justin thought that).

In 1979 we moved from Culver City to Fountain Valley.  Looking back it amazes me how much trouble it must have been to move our family.  At the time I was 6 years old, my brother was 8 years old, my sister was 2 years old, and Kiko was 5 years old.  I’m guessing that even back then Kiko was no problem at all for my parents while us three bratty kids were probably their biggest concern during the move.

Kiko was a great family dog and enjoyed being around our family and even put up with us little kids pulling at his fur and trying to ride him like a horse.  He was a great retriever and loved to chase a tennis ball around the yard.  I have fond memories of him running to grab a ball off of our swimming pool cover, I’m sure much to the dismay of my parents.  If you’re looking for a wonderful family dog that is good with children I’d highly recommend Kiko’s breed – the Golden Retriever.

Remember the scene in Marley and Me when Marley passes away?  Do you remember your first pet?  Thinking back to the day I heard that Kiko had to be put to sleep because he had an inoperable brain tumor was one of the saddest days of my early life.  I guess having pets is a way for parents to teach children about death, something that we all inevitably have to face throughout our lives.  It’s a difficult lesson to learn, but one that we all experienced way back in 1983.

Maffy – Border Collie? Labrador Retriever? A Mutt!

image by shortCHINESEguy

We still had cats, lizards, hamsters in and around the house, but for two years we didn’t have a dog.  After much begging and pleading from my sister Miko and I our Dad took us on a trip to the local shelter and we saw the smartest black dog in the entire world…and he even had a name already…Maffy!  He new all of his commands from sit to down to stay to shake hands.  He looked like a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Border Collie.  Miko and I wanted him so bad, but unfortunately someone else had already claimed him for adoption and were due to pick him up later in the week.

Several days had passed and my father decided to stop by the shelter on his way home from work just to see if Maffy had been picked up yet.  Apparently, no one came to pick him up and he was scheduled to be euthanized in a couple days.  My dad quickly filled out the paperwork and got him in the car for his first ride to see his new family.

Before making a stop at home my dad took Maffy to the local park to give him a chance to stretch his legs and run around a bit.  He let Maffy off leash and he ran like a gazelle…straight into the lake!

It turns out that Maffy was very much the water dog as he learned to play with us in the swimming pool on a daily basis in the summers and even when we weren’t playing in the pool Maffy would jump in and play on his own.

Maffy was a special dog and loved to run.  In fact one of our first outings at our local school he chased his tennis ball and sideswiped me to the ground then continued to do the same to my dad and my sister.  On occasion our gardener would leave the side gate sligthly open.  Maffy, being the smart dog would nudge the gate open and run from our house to the school park to play with the kids on the playground.  If ever we noticed Maffy was missing we always new where to find him…on the school playground.

I headed off to college in 1991 and Maffy stayed home with my sister and parents.  He was two years old when we picked him up from the shelter in 1985.  By the time I left for college he was 8 years old and considered a senior dog.  However, he still acted like a puppy!

Maffy lived an amazing life and was with our family from 1985 to 2002 and passed away a couple days after my 30th birthday.  Maffy had severe arthritis and even suffered what was possibly a stroke or canine vestibular disease.  In the end, in his mind Maffy wanted to stay with us, but his body could no longer support him.  He could barely stand or walk and my parents new it was time to put him to sleep.

Check out Puppy In Training Timeline Part 2

The Importance Of Puppy Training

I read a short article today about Five Commands Every Dog Should Know and found the article on Google Alerts.  Google Alerts is a great way to find the latest news on puppy training.  Just go to http://www.google.com/alerts.  Fill out the form by adding the following:

• Search Terms
• Type
• How Often
• Email Length
• Deliver to

Here’s the form as I filled it out:

Click the “Create Alert” button and just let the emails come to your inbox.  That’s how I found the article: What five commands must every dog be trained to know?

Five Commands Every Dog Should Know

So what are the five commands every dog should know?

1. Sit
2. Down
3. Stand
4. Stay
5. Come

All of these commands are included in our list of commands we teach our guide dog puppies in training and I would agree that they are very important for not only guide dogs, but for every dog to know.

The Importance Of Puppy Training

One other item I gleamed from this article had to do with the importance of puppy training.  Here’s the statement I’m talking about:

Behavior Specialist Dayton Vance says:

“Once you get a puppy, if he grows up and isn’t trained the likelihood of him going to animal control is so much greater.”

This is something we’ve been harping on since the inception of this blog.  Puppies are adorable there’s no question about it, but it is oh so important to make sure you train your puppies so they grow up into well-behaved dogs.

A second quote from Vance:

He said being rigorous in training could even have a long-term positive effect on welfare as there would be fewer creatures in adoption and rescue centres.

One of our goals here at Puppy In Training is to try and reduce the number of dogs ending up at the animal shelters.  We believe that we can make a small difference by dispensing dog training tips and information in the hopes that our little contribution will save one dog from ending up at an animal shelter.

Are you involved in dog rescues or shelters?  We’d love to here what you think about the importance of puppy training and the impact on our local shelters.

Make A Commitment To Your Dog

I was just thinking about the many abandoned dogs and cats. The homeless animals living in the shelters and streets. It made me think of this video I posted a while back on dog abandonment.

Before you decide to pick up that adorable kitten or cute cuddly puppy remember that you need to give that pet love and attention for it’s lifetime. If you’re getting a cat or dog this can easily be a 10+ year commitment (with my dogs I hope it’s much, much longer).  Make sure you think about that…”Where will I be in the next 10 years?”

Photo by Aplomb

Give Your Dog Lots Of Love And Attention

We always had a family dog growing up.  Our dogs were outdoor dogs, but they were still a major part of the family.  As kids we tried to sneak our dogs into the house when my mom and dad weren’t looking.

Throughout my life I always wanted to have an indoor dog that could bond more closely with me and get showered with love and attention.  Five years ago I did just that when I brought Linus home from the Carson Animal Shelter  I wanted my dog to be an integral part of the family, not just a possession.  I made sure I took Linus to training including puppy kindergarten and three basic obedience classes to date.

When you take your dog to training class, work on his basic obedience, behavioral issues, and treat him like a member of your family you form a special bond.  Many dogs are turned over to shelters because of behavior problems that are manageable and could have been prevented with proper training.  Today I could not fathom ever abandoning my dogs or turning them into the local shelter.  They are family members.

The Importance Of Dog Training

I see many people falling in love with puppies because they are adorable, cute, and cuddly.  However, I also see them fall out of love with these same puppies as they grow up.  Why do so many people fall out of love with their puppies?  It’s my thought that by the time their puppies enter adolescence and adulthood they do not receive proper training and become unmanageable without basic obedience and also may manifest specific behavioral issues without early and ongoing training.

I think that dog training can be the simple fix to this problem.  Dog training can sometimes be as simple as getting the latest dog training book, DVD, or online training resource and applying the techniques to your dog on a consistent basis.  I’m also a major advocate of group dog training and believe that the socialization of your puppy is invaluable for teaching him about the world outside the home.  Private in house training is another great option for any behavioral issues you may be encountering and also gives a trainer the chance to see how your dog behaves at home.

I’m not too sure what today’s rant was all about, but I guess I just had some things I felt like expressing today.  After reading through my thoughts I guess the moral of today’s story is:

• First think about the commitment your making when you get a dog and
• Second if you do get a dog make sure you give him love, attention, and training.

What do you think?  How important is dog training for you and your dog?

Puppy In Training Blog Carnival #12

Welcome to the 12th edition of the puppy in training carnival.  There are quite a few posts in this edition of the blog carnival.  We tried to separate into categories to hopefully help you find the links your looking for.  Thanks everyone for the submissions and remember that only one submission per carnival per blog.  Thanks!

Blog Carnival #11 – Dog Training, Dog Products, And More

Photo by soggydan

Welcome to the latest edition of the Puppy In Training Blog Carnival. We have quite a few articles for you this month with the majority about dog training. We tried to categorize this month with five articles on dog training, two dog product articles, and four miscellaneous dog articles. I hope you enjoy this months Blog Carnival.

Without further adieu…here we go:

Dog Training

The Pets Central this month writes about The Best Way To Train A Hunting Dog. This is an area we were interested to see some more information. The article starts with breeds of dogs best suited for hunting and continues on a lot of basic hunting info.

Who Moved My Bone writes about Picking A Dog Trainer. This is an area we have a lot of experience and this article makes some great points including visiting a class or facility before actually attending class. We found our favorite trainer through referral. Check out this article for more information on choosing a dog trainer

The Dog Training Manual offers training advice on Introducing Your Dog to Other Pets. Introducing your dog to other pets can be a delicate situation as we find out in this article when the introduction between a dog and a hamster doesn’t go as well as planned. Check out the article to find out what happened when dog meets hamster.

Large Dog Crates Guide & Training helps with some basics on Crate Training Your Dog. This article covers the basics including some information on the kind of crate you should buy. Lucky for some this is all the information you’ll need when crate training a dog. Derby, my last Guide Dog in training had no problem with the crate and was comfortable from day 1. On the other extreme, Stetson hated his crate and it took him about 4 weeks before he’d sleep through the night in his crate. Lots of sleepless nights…

Dog Training Pet talks about Five Crucial Lessons Every Puppy Should Learn.  Yes!  These definitely are some basics that every puppy owner should learn and teach there puppy.  By the way, one hint…Point 1 is to teach your puppy his name.  Make sure you use the same name everytime you refer to your puppy.  Some people will use mutliple names such as Linus, Linie, Linikins, etc (those are names we use with Linus).  As you might have thought your puppy may get confused if you use all these different names.

Dog Products

Pet Prattle and Products sends us an article about Dog Beds. We never thought there would be so much to think about when choosing a dog bed. Check out this article to find all the options you have when choosing a dog bed. One thing they mention is the size of the bed…if you have a Great Dane might I suggest a King Size?

Home Life Weekly offers an alternative for warding off fleas with an article on How to Make Flea Powder.  We currently use frontline plus to keep fleas and ticks away.  We’ve also used Advantage, but would love to hear feedback on anyone who’s tried a home remedy like the one mentioned in this article.

Miscellaneous Dog

Veterinary Technician Schools Online puts together a list of the Top 100 Websites for Pet Ownership Advice. This is a great list of websites and actually something we’ve been looking at on the web over the past few weeks. While we haven’t visit all these sites we suggest you check out Vet Tech Schools Online’s list.

Condo Blues tells about her husbands race in Pet Promise Rescue Run.  Some great pictures and information on the Pet Promise Rescue Run.  We sometimes participate in the Vision Walk here locally in Southern California.  It’s a great way to stay in shape and make a difference for those with vision disabilities.

American Consumer News asks the question Are You Ready for a Furry Friend.  The entire article is actually three things to ask yourself then if you still are interested in a pet then two things you should do.  If you’re looking at getting a puppy just beware that it’s a lot of work raising that cute little puppy…and after a few months he will no longer be that cute little boy.

Science Blogs writes a review on the book Animals Make Us Human.  If you’re looking for a thorough review of Animals Make Us Human then look no further.  As mentioned in the review the premise of the book is “autistic people share a similar perception of the world with animals”  Check out the full review at the science blogs.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Puppy In Training Blog Carnival.  If you’d like to submit an article for our next carnival then submit a request at our contact form.

Why Would You Abandon Your Dog?

I’ve noticed lately that dog abandonment issues have become more prevalent in the news. The increase in home foreclosures and people not able to pay their mortgages have led to people not only leaving their homes, but also leaving their dogs behind as well.

It’s true that dog abandonment has shown up in the news recently, but this has been a problem for quite some time as seen by the overcrowded animal shelters. Every day of the week people abandon their dogs at their foreclosed home, at the animal shelters, and on the side of the road.

Here’s a video I came across reading through one of the many blogs. I think it came from Johann the Agility dog’s blog, but couldn’t find it when I searched through his blog. I searched the YouTube archives and luckily found the video on their site.

Dog Abandonment

A sad tale of dog abandonment:

Why Would You Abandon Your Dog?

We already mentioned one reason why people abandon their dogs…home foreclosure/money issues. Here are a few others that I’ve heard of:

• House Training Problems – It can sometime be difficult to house train your dog, but please take the time and be consistent and persistent. If you are having difficulties with house training please contact a local dog trainer or even leave me a comment and I’ll see what I can do to help.
• Veterinary Costs – Veterinary bills can be high, but if you don’t have the means to take care of your dog or puppy then you should not take one into your home in the first place.  You might consider pet insurance if you’re having trouble keeping up with vet bills.  I’ve not used pet insurance in the past, so be sure to do your due diligence before signing up with any pet insurance company.
• Barking - I used to have this issue with my dog Linus. We talked to our trainer and came up with possible solutions. He almost never barks when I’m home and I think he only barks when he hears sounds around my house when he’s home alone. Unfortunately, I can’t stay with Linus all the time and have to sometimes leave him alone. We use the Citronella Anti-Bark Dog Collar which works great in my dog barking situation.
• Hyperactivity – Hyperactivity and destructive behavior can be a problem. This can be more a luck of the draw when you get a new dog or puppy. It’s a fact that some dogs are hyperactive. For instance, my parents dogs is in non-stop motion. If you’re having issues with a hyperactive dog you should consult a professional dog trainer. My suggestion is to make sure you give you dog ample exercise. This can often times bring down their activity level and curb destructive behavior.
• Aggression - I sometimes have issues with Linus and his aggression towards other dogs. In general Linus is very easy going and gentle with people. However, he is a bit shy and timid. He’s often afraid of other dogs and shows this by being aggressive, lunging, and barking. We are right now working on changing this behavior by attending obedience class. Our goal is to expose Linus to other dogs that are well-behaved in hopes that he will be less fearful and less aggressive. Here’s the first article I wrote on Linus’s obedience training: Linus A Shy Timid Dog

Dog abandonment is an issue as can be seen by our overcrowded animal shelters. If you’re considering abandoning you dog because of one of the above behavior issues then please consult a professional dog trainer first. Most of these issues can be solved by simply working with your dog or puppy. More training and interaction with your dog will help you build a closer bond and maybe you will better understand your dogs needs and your dog will better understand yours.

What experiences have you had with dog abandonment?

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