It follows recent reports of dogs being shot and killed because they were worrying livestock in parts of the UK where lambing begins earlier. As Cumbria’s season prepares to get into full swing, says Ingrid, owners fear that their pets will be next in the firing line if they chase sheep.

“Farmers are entitled to act if they see an uncontrolled dog pursuing animals on their land - and they are defending not just their livestock, but also their livelihood,” said Ingrid. “With the increasing financial pressures being put on farming enterprises, they can’t be blamed for trying to prevent their sheep being savaged or killed.”

“Increasingly, this means having a zero tolerance approach to dogs running wild, even if the owners are present and frantically trying to recall their pets,” she added.

Ingrid says that this year she is using her own flock of sheep to cure dogs of their sheep-chasing habits which could put them into the farmer’s firing line.

She defends her use of electric collars for training, and says that they are the kindest and most efficient way of achieving a remedy which will last the dog’s entire life.

After just one 90-minute session, claims Ingrid, most dogs can then be safely taken in the presence of sheep without fear of them being overcome by an instinct for the chase:

“It’s just an exciting game for the dog when it sees a flock fleeing in fright, and few would actually go as far as attacking a sheep,” she says.  “But the farmer doesn’t know whether the game will end in bloodshed or simply a field-full of distressed stock - and some will prefer to act first and ask questions later.”

Conventional training rarely work for sheep-chasing, explained Ingrid. The crime is often committed a long way from the owner, and the dog is unlikely to understand why it is later being reprimanded.

The remotely-controlled electric collars she uses deliver a brief jolt the second the dog begins to chase - usually bringing the it to a complete standstill, says Ingrid.

It is then summoned back to the owner, lavished with praise, and given a small doggy treat.

Most dogs, said Ingrid, learn extremely quickly - and maintains that her methods are much kinder and more effective than metering out a pointless punishment when the dog is retrieved.

As one of the UK’s best-known trainers, Ingrid is currently working with the University of Leicester in a research study into the use of electric training collars.

More information on the training courses run by Ingrid Grayling is available from 01931 715282, or see her website at www.ingrid-grayling.com.

It was rather ironically, whilst delivering leaflets door to door offering a reward for the return of my beloved kitten, Nelson, I got bitten by an Alsatian!  It wasn’t the type of attack that saw me pinned to the ground having my arm torn off - it was more of a nip through the letter box - but boy what a nip!

As I dragged my hand back through the letterbox to safety I was confronted with the full horror of this ‘nip’.  Across my fingers now lay an impressive imprint of canine dentistry!   My fingers had literally been punctured by its teeth, blood was oozing, layers of skin were hanging and the pain was searing.

Somehow I managed to drive myself to the nearest ‘non emergency’ hospital, where I was jabbed up for Tetanus, cleaned up and bandaged.

“Did the owner apologise,” asked the nurse.  I hadn’t even considered this being the fault of the owner, as far as I was concerned - I walked on to their property and stuck my hand through their letterbox - my fault surely?

Not according to the law - I had a case to sue the owners, but chose not to go down this route - after all I have to live on the same street as these people.

The whole incident got me wondering about many dog owners are actually aware of their responsibilities when it comes to such incidents and how many, if sued, would have adequate pet insurance to cover the legal costs of a claim.

Here are a few tips to becoming a responsible dog owner

• If you have a volatile dog, make visitors aware of this by putting up a ‘Beware of the Dog’ sign
• Install a post box on the outside of your property for people delivering post
• Make sure that when out walking your dog, you always have them on a secure lead.
• You may want to consider fitting a muzzle if your dog is particularly aggressive
• Small children should not be left alone with dogs in the home - or when out walking.  They don’t have the experience or strength to deal with a dog should it become aggressive.

Pet Insurance can be not only prove invaluable when paying for life saving veterinary treatment but the right cover can give you legal protection too.  You can compare Dog Insurance policies at http://www.moneysupermarket.com/petinsurance/ to ensure that you receive the correct cover for you and your dog.

Fireworks displays will be taking place across the country around  Guy Fawkes night, causing many cats and dogs to experience high levels of fear, anxiety and apprehension. Just as it is the herbal supplement of choice for many anxious flyers, valerian could also help cats and dogs over come their Fireworks Night nerves.

The herbal remedy, which is extracted from the roots of a riverside plant, was used by ancient Greeks for its calming properties and continues to be popular today as it helps relax the body without any of the side effects associated with pharmaceutical sedatives such as valium. And pet owners today are increasingly seeing the benefits as they realise that when it comes to calming down Fluffy, valerian really is the cat’s whiskers.

Valerian is available from Boots, Waitrose and all good independent health food stores and pharmacies.

Different types of dog aggression are:

Dominance aggression

A dog may show aggression because the animal lacks obedience to its master. This is better known as dominant aggression. The dog prefers to be the most dominant animal of the household. Due to this behaviour, the dog often disobeys the command given by its master. It will start getting aggressive whenever it is ordered to do something. It will even get aggressive if patted or cuddled. These are the symptoms for aggressive behaviour.

Territorial aggression

A very common aspect of dog aggression is territorial aggression. Dog will get violent if someone intrudes into its personal space or territory. In this case, the animal will be centrally guided by the instinct of protecting its territory and will attack both owners and other animals. This is more common for male dogs as they are more possessive about space and territories. This type of aggression is virtually nil in female dogs.

Aggression due to fear

A lot of times dogs try to look aggressive in order to hide their fear, nervousness or even their insecurity. It may arise due to a lot of factors like bringing a new dog into the house or not giving attention to the dog. In such circumstances, the dog will try to grab attention by showing aggressive behaviour.

Predatory aggression

It is a very dangerous type of aggression shown by dogs. The aggression shown by the dog is triggered due to some sort of movement that he thinks is a potential prey. This characteristic can mainly be seen in the street dogs that frequently chase moving vehicles. The dogs may in certain cases chase children, joggers and also common pedestrians.

Maternal aggression

It is seen in female dogs and especially dogs with new born pups. When the dog is feeding its pups it might instinctively show aggression if anyone approaches the pups in its whelping area. The dog might think that the intruder will attack its pups and it will charge in order to protect its pups. The dog owner should understand that aggression in dogs is inevitable and manage the dog in the right way.

As you eat a good and healthy diet, your dog too needs the same nutritious food which he can get through the dog food. Healthy living can prevent any illness and you won’t even require visiting the vet in regular basis. However, if your pet is only confined to one place or is inside a cage, you should provide him with lots space and also with things to do, like to explore or to climb. This can encourage exercise activities in him. You should also reserve treats for him like keep dog biscuits or such scraps for special occasions. For instance, if he retrieves a stick that has been thrown, you can present him with a treat.

Each and every thing ends up in his mouth

For your dog, each and every item, like the electrical chord seems to be a chewing toy. You have to keep this in mind that your dog can chew on anything and to avoid this; you have to be prepared by not keeping such dangerous and health hazard related items near him. You should also encourage him to chew on toys which are offered to him. Further, you have to give him new toys if there is no appeal to the old ones.

Clean environment

A clean environment can make your environment clean, tidy and healthy too. Dogs tend to be dirty and they do need lots of attention with their cleaning department. So, on weekly basis, you should brush his teeth, wash out his water and food bowls in regular basis etc. IF you don’t regularly clean these areas, then your dog would certainly be a victim of bacterial and parasitic infections which also includes painful tooth decay.

Tight security can save your dog’s lives

You should keep your dog in a place where he will be safe. You should install escape proof fences and cages and try to walk your dog on a leash. The outside world can be cruel sometimes with speedy vehicles, unfamiliar animals and with pet thieves and pesticides too. So, you should make sure that your dog is having a sturdy collar with a tag which is micro-chipped.

Homeless animals

There are already lost pets who are without tags and they end up at the shelter where they are put to sleep when they lose their way home. Worst still, there are pets who never had their own homes where they will be loved and cared. These dogs do not have good homes and they frequent on the road sides. So, you should keep your pet sprayed or neutered which can make it impossible for them to breed.

Whenever in doubt, you can look to the nature

When you are confronted with a dog problem, you can find out how your pet would have lived if he was to stay in the wild forest. You can research upon his natural habitat and try to copy. Also, you can know what keeps your dog from fighting and read up on the pack behavior in the wild. These animals have actually evolved as they have lived in the wild and you can understand their natural environment, social behavior and needs.

Dog obedience training is not easy as it might seem, but can get nasty than may have ever expected. Most of the populace is under the misconception that dog obedience training is mere shouting out the commands that will easily be followed and obeyed by their dog. As a matter of fact there are various training systems that train your dog to stop barking, jumping up, digging, chewing and other behavioral concerns that may bother you.

The basic dog obedience training techniques are crafted to enable you an easy process for you as well as for your dog. Implementing standard process does not indicate that you will have to spend on a trainer; it’s just that you will have to spend some quality time to acknowledge yourself for betterment of you and your dog.

Obedience training for your dog

Your dog should know his/her name

It is important to that your dog must know his/her name in order that he/she respond in a proper way. This can be done by calling him by his name on repeated occasions with the name assigned to him or just by having a casual talk with him which is obvious. Make sure that you insert his name in each and every conversation you carry out with him. This step may require plenty of efforts, but once you dog achieve this ability to positively respond for his name, the later commands that you give will get relatively easier to carry.

Housebreaking

Housebreaking in simple terms means training your dog to avoid relieving himself in the premises of your house. For individuals who have experienced this are aware that this is not an easy task. In case of puppy, the logic seems simple, “I need to go. I will go there”. Making your dog housebreak may build a rule dynamic among you for your dog’s entire life. Daily routine of course is the way for housebreaking. Initially, you may need to take your dog once in an hour. Making habit to your dog by taking him out, the first thing every morning and before bedtime will be useful. You need to be preparing yourself with accidents though. Screaming and yelling at your dog is scaring as well as pointless and in turn, the frequency of accidents may increase. You should train your dog about when and where to go and if your dog is asking you for going out do not ignore.

Conclusion

Dogs admire impressing their owners; this is the reason why they are trainable. Your dog will learn the obedience training basics and if rewarded properly he will co-operate more. However, some useful advice and tips should be taken from experts. Your vet or retail stores will recommend you with professional trainers within your area.

There is a great number of online assistance which is provided to the person on the search engine. Through this site, the person can get immense details on the dog illness diagnosis. One can get online veterinary knowledge which would also provide him with confirmation of the dog illness diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. For the same, the person can fill the clinical signs which he may have found during the examination of his dog. There are also provisions of a complete updated prognosis and therapy on the site for the person.

Helpful site links

The person can get a lot of information on the site which can help him with knowledge on dog illness diagnosis. Such sites are unique, instant and also provide latest and up to date system with convenient search options. These include the symptoms of certain diseases. Such sites also offer the person with assistance to find and to confirm his dog illness diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. There are also specific evidence-based details which are totally on dogs in a reliable way. One can search for further assistance to find and to also confirm his dog illness diagnosis.

What does the site provide the person with?

These sites can provide the person with loads of information on pet care and on dog illness diagnosis. There are a lot of details on the canine thyroid disease, dog kidney disease, on dog health and also on dog illness symptoms. There is also information on the dog illness warning signs and how to diagnose and treat the dog on the site for the person. One can also know the symptoms and the frequently asked queries which can help him to know well in advance of certain illness which his dog might be facing.

Dog symptoms sorter

Through the dog symptom sorter, a person can know the most common diseases which dogs are prone to get during their initial growing stage or during their old age. One can easily know what is wrong with his dog the moment he goes through the sites which can tell him the actual signs of a specific disease. Through the site, the person can know what is wrong with his dog, and whether he has any record of any disease from his family. On the site, the pet owner can also get to know about the health of his dog, certain health issues and dog sickness. There is also information on the site with reference to canine health and dog vomiting problems. Further, the person can also know why his dog is not eating and certain medical problems in dogs.

Dog helpful links

There are also other helpful links which are provided on the site for the person which are directly related to the dog illness diagnosis. Further, he can also get information on the symptoms of the diseases in the dogs, pet dog, and dog boarding kennels and on wholesale dog supplies apart from the dog illness diagnosis information.

Dogs need to be trained and the best time to train them is when they are puppies. It is not necessary that you have to train them when they are puppies you can also train them later on as they are capable of undergoing behavioural training. If your dog is doing some thing bad it will be a wise decision to reprimand him as soon as possible. If you continuously reprimand him he will eventually understand that he is doing some thing wrong and will stop. But do not forget to praise him when he shows good behaviour.

One of the major behaviour of a dog which terrifies its owner is when the dog starts to chase moving objects such as motorbikes and cars. Such behaviour is not only dangerous for the dog but as well as the motorcyclists. If you want your dog to get rid of such behaviour try out the scenario in a safe environment. Ask one of your family members or friends to cycle past him and as he tries to repeat such behaviour distract him with something. Make sure that the distraction method you use is in limits or he would go against you. Teach him to stay close to you when a cyclist passes by and if he manages to get better at it always remember to treat him.

One of the major problems is that most dogs become aggressive when they are confronted by other dogs. The most important thing that a dog owner should do is not to panic or get anxious. This is solely because the dog looks forward to you to take the lead and if you get scared the dog will eventually become aggressive and attack the dog. If a situation comes when the dogs have started fighting never try to break them up your self as you may end up hurting your self. Always try and distract the dog if such a situation arises.

There are many dog owners who complain that their dog growls over food, this is the moist common problem amongst dogs. The basic reason why dogs end up growling over food is that they try and protect their resources. One of the most effective ways is put down three bowls off dog food and keep some thing tastier in your hands. As he starts to eat from one, pick up another one and add the food you kept in your hands to the other bowl. Such repeated acts will make him feel that you are not there to steal his food. Never push your dog away from his food, as you are calling for physical face off with the dog.

Unpredictable Dogs

However, there’s no need to worry, for all those newly turned dog owners. Unpredictability is one facet of behavior which is shown by dogs at a young age. Once they start growing up, it slowly diminishes, and finally disappears, when your small little puppy grows into a big dog, age-wise. Dogs are usually the most adorable, and popular pets, but they have a lot of problems which need to be dealt with tender care and patience. Treat them like you would treat your kid, with the same love, care and patience and try and analyze their behavior.

Starting Lessons

The keyword is to train them. Once they turn three to four months of age, it’s time for training school! They have to learn and grow into independent, mature and responsible souls, and training is extremely essential for your beloved pet. Training not only makes them understand the do’s and dont’s of the house, but also makes them more intelligent and responsible around the house. The common problems faced by dogs are growling on their masters, digging in your precious garden, jumping, car chasing, and the breaking and tearing of materials in the house, car chasing, the list is simply endless. It is essential that at this point of time; you have to understand your dog’s mentality, like you would be with a child, and are firm and not-so-resilient with your doggie friend.

Be Firm With Your Doggie Pal

It’s important to make a dog understand his limits and boundaries, and the reward and punishment phenomenon works a great deal. When your doggie pal obeys your commands and listens to you, it’s necessary to provide him with a tit bit as a reward. He’ll understand that when he commits that particular act, or does not commit that particular act, he gets appreciation in the form of a reward. At the same time, when your dog commits a folly, it’s necessary to punish him in a way, which is not too harsh, yet it should make your pooch understand that the act which he performed is undesired by you, and he’ll make sure the next time, he won’t commit the same mistake again. Do not forget, dogs are intelligent creatures, and fast learners. Sometimes, naughty ones pretend to not have understood, however in reality, they totally do understand. Smacking your dog slightly with a rolled newspaper is helpful and effective, and it doesn’t really hurt your pooch, but makes him understand his flaws.

It’s definitely true that it’s a tough job to understand and analyze your pet dog’s behavior, but treat with love, firmness, kindness and lots of attention, and he’ll turn out to be a dutiful and good pet!