This is all something we want to do ourselves, as we obviously would rather not pay someone to do it! Here are a few pointers when it comes to cutting your dog’s nails.

1. Play with your dog’s paws from puppy-hood.
The number one reason dogs don’t like to have their nails trimmed is due to discomfort when handling their paws. If they are not used to having their paws touched, rubbed, grabbed, they will naturally resist when you try to hold them to cut their nails. If your dog is no longer a puppy, an effort to play with their paws on a daily basis is still effective.

2. Do not give in no matter what!
If your dog resists strongly when it’s nail trim time, the most important thing to remember is that you have to win the struggle. No matter how much your dog does not want to do it, giving in will only feed the behavior. You must hold your dog down until they submit to you. It may be hard the first few times, but after awhile they will know they are never going to win against you.

3. Don’t cut too short!
Your dog’s nails should only be cut up to a certain point. If you are lucky, and your dog does not have black nails, it is easy to see the pink part of their nail – cut just before this part. You don’t want to hurt your doggie!

Sometimes us dog lovers can get wrapped up in how cute our pups are, and may be inclined to spoil them with affection, or a treat. While this is great for your dog, too much of anything can be a bad thing. Too much affection can lead to jealous behaviour in the future, and too much food can lead to, well, you know.

Here are some signs that you are giving your dog too much!

1. Your dog becomes jealous when you show affection to another dog
Cause: Too much affection

2. Your dog has become territorial over food
Cause: Too much affection and treats

3. You can notice an increase in body mass
Cause: This one is easy, cut down on the treats!

4. Your dog is constantly trying to get food from you
Cause: It is best to only give your dog treats as a reward for good behaviour. Don’t let him/her think they can have them whenever they want!

5. Your dog tugs on his/her leash
This is a sign that there is a lack of leadership. Your dog should be the follower and you should be a leader. Make sure to only give affection when your dog has been good.

There are plenty of other signs that your dog is receiving too much of a good thing. As long as you only reward for good actions and behaviors, your dog will be a great, balanced pup.

One of the most important aspects of raising a good dog is developing and maintaining his/her social skills. In order to raise a friendly, outgoing, and curious puppy he/she has to be taken out on a daily basis. Daily interaction with other dogs on walks, and with other humans is imperative to creating good behavior. Here are some great ways to get your dog to socialize!

1. Walk
Take your dog on walks everyday so that they can meet other dogs and other humans regularly. Just like us humans, if we are in our homes for too long without social interaction we tend to lose a bit of our social skills, and may not be great at meeting new people after a long while. The same goes for dogs – they may be inclined to bark at a dog across the street because they are not used to normal interaction due to a lack of walks.

2. Meet-ups
Meet-ups are an amazing way to socialize your dog, as they can meet many different types of dogs and owners at once. You can find meet-ups around your area at http://www.meetup.com. My Chihuahua Bella benefited a lot from local small dog meet-ups. Her behavior towards new dogs and people has improved a lot ever since I started taking her to meet-ups.

3. Playdates
Sometimes meet-ups can be a little hectic for a dog that needs work on his/her social skills. However, you can start slow by setting up a playdate with a friend’s dog. That way, your dog can establish a healthy relationship with another dog without the distraction of other dogs around. Once a nice friendship has been established, that is a great first step towards a social pup.

The only way to ensure a very healthy and social dog is to be consistent with these activities. You wouldn’t want to be cooped up at home all the time with no one to talk to, so why would your dog? Happy socializing!

My pups, Rusty, Bella, & Lucky

So you’ve been living with just one dog, and are planning to add another to your family. Or maybe you already have more than one, and need some advice on how to lead your pack to happiness. I have three dogs of my own, and I’ve learned a lot about how to manage multiple dogs. It’s not easy at first – but if you follow these simple guidelines you will have an easier time managing your little pack.

Continue reading “How To: Manage Multiple Dogs” »

There are countless methods to raising a dog, but which one is the right one?

In my experience, I don’t think I’ve found a perfect way to raise my dog, but have discovered some simple guidelines that are helping me get there. A very important thing to remember is that dogs are not solitary animals. They are a pack animal, meaning they inherently seek companionship, love, and direction. Here are a few rules that have helped me raise my dog to be a good, obedient, and most importantly, happy pup.

Continue reading “How To: Raise A Good Dog” »