A young, tough Norwegian woman was ready for this weekend’s start of Iditarod, the world’s major annual dog-sledding event — and she has high hopes of placing even better than she did last year. Norwegians lead famed dog sled race - 08. Iditarod next for dog-sled race winner - 07. Norwegian wins Alaskan dog-sled race - 13. Over a hundred dogs have died as a result of the Iditarod race, and many more have been injured and suffered, attracting opposition to the event from animal rights groups. read more

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According to Pyeon Jeong-hee, a mutual friend of the couple, Happy was the ”apple of the couple’s eye,” since the former President had no biological child. Rhee reportedly missed his pet and asked his friends to arrange for the dog to be sent to him secretly, when his ”visit” to Hawaii got much longer than expected. Rhee was more than glad to visit Happy, his friends recalled. Happy only understood the English language as the Rhees communicated in that language and Pyeon recalled that her English wasn’t good enough to communicate with the dog. read more

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Moses Chia

Dogs are descendent of wolves. To study the psychology of dog training and understand the pack hierarchal system of dogs, we must go back and examine their ancestor - wolves.

Wolves live naturally in packs of at least 2 and more… They live in a dictatorship system with strictly defined hierarchies of males and females. In their system, a leader - usually always a male, the biggest and toughest wolf also known as alpha leader would be in charge of the pack and will have the right to everything. The rest of the dogs in the pack would be followers and follow their leader willingly. This hierarchy system is not static and would change when another dominant member challenge the leader’s authority and win.

For your dog, your family is the pack and every member is part of the hierarchy system. From the moment a new puppy or dog is introduce to the family, the new dog will start to pick up signals and indicators to figure out his own status in the family and who’s in charge. If your dog see you as a “alpha leader”, he will follow your commands willingly and this will allows you to train him easily.

On the other hand, if your dog is very dominant (because you allow him to pick up the wrong signals) and starts to challenge your “alpha leader” position, he may refuse to follow your command and turn aggressive against you easily. This situation usually happens in children where dogs see their chain of command higher than that of them. This also explains why children suffer more dog bites than adults do.

If you would prefer to own an obedient dog that pay attention to your command, assuming the role of the “alpha leader’ and establishing control over your dog is extremely important!

Your dog must learn that he is the lowest ranking in the family, subordinate to you, to the children, and must recognize you to be the leader. If such hierarchy is not set up properly, the dog will try to take charge and assume the role of the leader. This’ll eventually lead the dog to turn into “dominant dog” and thus tend to misbehave. If this happens, you’ll face an uphill task to properly train your dog.

As we live in a democratic society, most of us will find it hard to understand the dog’s concept of dictatorship. Nevertheless, it is necessary that we adjust ourselves to understand how the dog live and think. By being dictating, you would think that this is cruel or even inhumane to the dog. If you think so, you are very wrong!

In fact, dogs are more than happy to be a follower and taking instructions from a leader. You have to give your dog directions, organize his space and activities for him, and he’ll be more clued-up and know his boundaries of life, which means knowing what is expected of him when he’s indoor or outdoor.

Your dog will be able to lead a less stressful and happy life and so will you.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of http://DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

The grim prospect of more bodies being discovered at a former children’s home on Jersey has been raised after a search dog reacted to a hidden cellar. The animal, specially-trained to find human remains, showed an “extremely strong reaction” to the bricked-up underground room, police said. The development is at Haut de la Garenne, the former care home at the centre of a child abuse investigation involving more than 160 victims over a 40-year period. Forensic teams, who have already found a child’s skull and remains at the site, believe there is a second underground chamber that they are yet to break into. He said it was in the same area where the dog reacted and added what they have found in the cellar corroborates some of the evidence they have received from victims. read more

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Geneva voters’ decision to tighten the law on dangerous dogs is likely to serve as a model for other cantons. On Sunday voters in canton Geneva agreed to tighten the leash, banning dangerous dogs and requiring owners whose dogs weigh more than 25kg to have a permit to walk them in public. Under the new measures, considered as “complementary” to the current tough regime in Geneva, 12 dangerous dog breeds will be banned and owners whose dogs weigh more 25kg will need a permit to walk them in public. The existing law already requires all dog owners to follow a complete obedience course with their animal, and people who walk dogs for other people to hold a licence. But Verena Ammann, spokeswoman for the Swiss Canine Association, felt tougher cantonal laws on dangerous dogs such as those in Geneva were unfair to the ordinary dog owner. Although the cantons are moving faster than the Swiss parliament, Maret believes there is a political willingness to find a federal solution to the dangerous dog debate in the coming months. read more

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Simon Harris

A fairly common degenerative disease in dogs, canine hip dysplasia, is often misunderstood. Many mistakenly think that the ailment is a form of arthritis, but that is simply not the case. Often, dogs that suffer from hip dysplasia will develop arthritis, but this condition is a result of hip dysplasia and not the disease itself. The condition is most common in mid to large size dogs that grow rapidly and can be a source of severe pain and limited mobility for the animal. Even when detected early, there is no “cure” for hip dysplasia; it must be treated with medication to reduce the amount of pain that the dog suffers or be corrected as much as possible with surgery.

What is Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is essentially an abnormal formation of the hip joint. This formation causes looseness in the joint that causes an array of problems for the dog. The most common results of hip dysplasia include pain and lack of mobility. Dogs that are severely affected can not move their hindquarters at all. There are many degrees of dysplasia; they range from only the slightest abnormalities in the connection of the joint to complete dislocation of the femur from the hip socket.

What Causes Hip Dysplasia?

Hip dysplasia is primarily caused by genetics. If one or both parent animals carry a genetic trait for hip dysplasia, it will be passed on to their offspring. Genetic conditions and their likelihood of being passed on are measured in terms of “heritability factoring.” Something that is determined completely by genetics, like eye color or gender, is considered to have a heritability factor of 1, indicating that the condition is 100% genetic. A condition that has absolutely nothing to do with genetics, like a sprained ankle, has a heritability factor of 0. Scientists have determined that hip dysplasia carries a heritability factor between .25 and .85, meaning that there is a 25% to 85% chance that the condition is genetic in origin. While injuries to a young pup - incurred before or after birth - can cause the condition, almost all hip dysplasia is passed on genetically.

How is Hip Dysplasia Treated?

As stated earlier, there is no “cure” for hip dysplasia. Medication can be given to control the pain and reduce inflammation of the joint, but the only way to treat the condition on any permanent basis is through surgery. The best way to combat hip dysplasia is through selective breeding. If the either of the potential parent animals show traits of hip dysplasia, they should not be bred and should be spayed or neutered to ensure they do not pass on the trait. All breeding dogs should be X-Rayed at a young age to check for signs of the condition. Many times a dog that appears perfectly healthy and has no signs of the condition can actually have hip dysplasia.

About the Author

This article courtesy of http://www.dog-problems.net

On breaks between takes, many of our stars listen to music, read books or sms but Ashish Chowdhry prefers spending time with his beloved pet Hug the pug on sets! And not just Ashish, but we saw the entire cast and crew cooing over the cute pug and playing with him too! Should FM introduce special tax breaks for DINKS? Get the replica of your favourite edition of Times of India Feel at home. Copyright © 2008 Times Internet Limited. read more

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City and county officials are increasing efforts to find a solution after several significant dog attacks in the last month - two miniature horses and at least a dozen goats were killed and a 3-year-old boy was injured by pit bulls, though not critically injured despite initial police reports. Besides strays and wild dogs looking for food, city and county officials blame the aggression of many dogs in the area on the way they were raised and say many of the loose dogs have homes. Kevin Overstreet, director of Lubbock Animal Services, said the agency gets lots of dogs, especially pit bulls, that had been involved in some type of fighting. Owners letting their dogs run loose is a major issue - one the city is now enforcing with a zero-tolerance policy, meaning all loose dogs will be picked up and the owners cited with a Class C misdemeanor. Despite low adoption rates, pit bulls remain one of the most popular breed of dog in the nation, creating problems for animal services all over the country as well as Lubbock. read more

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Moses Chia

A well-train dog usually leads a happier and healthier life and its owner also can enjoy a trouble-free life long companion. Dog training - basic obedience, house and potty training are therefore essential and important to a dog’s education.

The conventional method of dog training tips and guide would be to list a series of things that you should “Do” and you might even know the A-Z of dog training! But sometimes what should be done can be said best by telling what should not be done. Hope you agree with me!

This article seeks to list 18 “Don’t” when you train your dog. The reasons for the don’ts will become evident as the lessons continue and each one is based upon the distinctive psychology of the dog’s mind.

1. DON’T punish your dog while you are angry or lack control of yourself.

2. DON’T punish your dog with the lead or any instrument of training or anything he should associate with duty or pleasure.

3. DON’T sneak up on your dog or grab him from the rear.

4. DON’T chase your dog to catch him; he must come to you or run after you.

5. DON’T coax your dog to you and then turn upon him with the whip. You will regret the deception.

6. DON’T trick or fool or taunt your dog. It is cruel and inconsistent to tease your dog to come to you when he can not.

7. DON’T punish a dog by stepping on his paws needlessly. They are exceedingly sensitive. Don’t twist his ears playfully or otherwise. Never strike him on the backbone, in the face or on the ears.

8. DON’T grab your dog or reach for him quickly. He should never fear his master, should not be made nervous by his master, and should feel that punishment given is deserved.

9. DON’T nag your dog; don’t be giving orders to him constantly; don’t pester him with your shoutings.

10. DON’T praise a dog for doing a certain act, then at a later time, scold him for doing the same act. If you permit him to bite your toes today and think it fun, do not strike him for doing it tomorrow, when you are not in good humor. Consistency is a chief virtue in dog training.

11. DON’T train your dog immediately or soon after he has eaten.

12. DON’T lose patience with a puppy younger than six months. Never throw or kick a puppy nor lift him by the head or leg or skin of the neck.

13. DON’T train him in feats requiring much strength or endurance until he is at least six months old.

14. DON’T work your dog without some short rest or play periods during training. A five-minute rest for every fifteen minutes of training is desirable.

15. DON’T permit everyone to give commands to your dog. While you are training him, he must be a one-man dog, depending on you alone to feed him and care for him.

16. DON’T consider tricks the chief end or the chief part of training. Usefulness is the object sought in all instruction of the dog. Acts that spring naturally from the dog’s instincts are to be fostered.

17. DON’T expect your dog to be a wonderful dog after a few weeks of training; four months to a year may be necessary in order to make the master proud of him, but the work is worth the effort. Training never ends.

18. DON’T jump to the conclusion that your dog is dumb. He may differ with you believing that the trainer should know more than the dog.

To end, try to remember these 18 Don’ts rules, enjoy training your dog and most importantly have lots of fun along the way!

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

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