The Dogs

Dogs are social animals that have worked with humans for thousands of years. They have played an important role in various different cultures. Dogs are highly valued for their intelligence and loyalty, and it is important to train and care for them properly.

Despite the importance of dogs, owners may find that there are many challenges in training and caring for them. While many people want to own a dog, few know how to train them properly. A dog which is not disciplined will not bring happiness to its owners. Too many people allow their dogs to develop bad habits

You want to make sure you purchase quality food for your dog, even if its a bit expensive. Cheap dog food won’t give your dog the healthy look it should have. You want your dog to have a shiny coat and bright eyes. Dogs are much like their owners, and will behave in many of the same ways.

Dogs are like small children, and should be treated as such. Dogs should not be left alone for long periods of time, as they are prone to getting into trouble. When dogs are left alone at home, they need to have a designated area with boundaries. Leave chew toys and other things that will keep them occupied.

When your dog behaves properly, you should always praise and reward him. This teaches him that good behavior leads to rewards, while bad behavior does not. When you do this, you will find that your dog behaves properly on a regular basis. When your dog doesn’t behave properly, you should also discipline him, so that he understands the difference between right and wrong behavior.

There is a difference between discipline and abuse. There are some dog owners that don’t understand this, and hit or kick their dogs in order to train them. This is abuse, and is not an effective way to train your dog, and may even cause your dog to attack you. You want your dog to respect you, not fear you.

A good way to discipline your dog without hitting him is to spray water on him and give him a verbal warning. This will get the message across in a non-abusive way. How you train your dog is very important. You want a dog which you can take out for a walk without worrying about him bothering others. You want a dog that will listen to your commands.

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for Free Dog Training and Dog Care

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So you’re bringing home that cute little puppy from the best breeder after doing all that research, or you found the most adorable “mutt” at the pound, where you were just going to look, you swore. And now you realize that you weren’t as prepared as you thought. Maybe you’re planning in advance for the new bundle of joy. Either way, we’ll give you some valuable tips we’ve learned over the years of bringing home little bundles of terror - I mean joy

Learn as much as possible about potty training, and expect none of it to matter, especially when you step in their deposits at 3 a.m. in the pitch black - it WILL happen!

Buy the smallest bag of puppy chow you can find. Your dog will hate the first one, and the second one and the third one. Buying small will help you overcome the horror of the money you’ve just spent on the 7th brand of dog food in 2 weeks.

Strip naked or at the very least to a swimsuit before bathing your dog. You WILL BE WET. No way to avoid it, even in a 2 foot deep sunken bathtub. Personal experience talking here.

Prepare yourself for the fact that the toy you thought was SO COOL in the store, will be sniffed and promptly ignored until the end of time. Your dog will only like the toys that will drive you the most crazy. One of the favorites in our house (NOT purchased by us) is a big skunk with a plastic bottle inside. Inside said plastic bottle is a marble. Aaaaaargh. ‘Nuff said.

That gorgeous dog bed you bought? You know, the one that cost almost as much as the new king size bed you got to accommodate the new dog? Yeah, the dog will rarely, if ever use it. Preferred dog beds in this house? Couches, blankets dragged to the floor, pile of clothes, carpets - and of course, our bed, preferably leaving as little room as possible for the humans by stretching as wide as possible.

Training? What’s that? Mine occasionally come when called, and usually sit when told, but that’s about it. I’ve given up. Did you know that a dog can be flunked out of training school? Neither did I until it happened to ME!

Fill in the blank: my favorite ______ will be chewed to death. Expect it. Embrace it. You will live it.

I think the biggest tip I can give to a new dog owner is to become a firm believer in Murphy’s Law: whatever can happen usually will and at the worst possible time. Of course, if you’d like to avoid my jaded outlook on life with a dog, visit our website, http://www.a1-dog-info.com/tips-to-take-care-of-a-new-dog.htm for more tips to help you survive living with a dog.

Tara Pearce is the author and webmaster of A1-Dog-Info.com. Please visit us for all kinds of information about dog food, toys, health, books, supplies and clothes.

http://www.a1-dog-info.com
webmaster@a1-dog-info.com

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For more than a hundred years the Manchester Terrier, originally called the “Black and Tan” Terrier, has remained true to type. It is a sleek and elegant looking little dog, with tan “thumb marks” over the eyes and on the cheeks and black “thumb marks” in the tan above the front feet. Because of his stability of temperament and consistent type this terrier was used in the development of several breeds, among them the Doberman Pinscher, the Pinscher and the Airedale terrier. One can trace the origin of many of the breeds who have this type of tan marking in the “thumbprint pattern” back to the Black and Tan Terrier. He is generally about 15-16 inches at the shoulder with a compact appearance, his body making a square proportion when measuring from height to shoulder and back of neck to base of tail. The tail is not cropped and the ears have a natural lop at the top half of the ear.

The Manchester Terrier carries the recessive gene for Von Willebrands, which is a condition similar to Hemophilia or “bleeder’s disease” in human beings. Other than this, the Manchester Terrier is a long lived and healthy dog of great agility and endurance. Like most of the dogs of terrier origin, it is a ratter and rodent killer by nature. This terrier’s natural abilities extend to above ground work for the most part, although there are terriers who “go to ground” the Manchester is one who does not. He is great as a vermin hunter in both households and on the farm . He does need human companionship however and would not do well at all as a kennel dog.

The Manchester is not as well known as some of the other terriers in this country, he is listed as 104 in the rankings of the popularity of the breeds for 2005 in the American Kennel Club. In the United Kingdom, his country of origin, he remains as one of the favorite all time terriers.

This little terrier is a great household pet, being friendly and outgoing with children and the elderly alike. He excels as an obedience dog and in the sports of agility and flyball. One sees more Manchesters in the conformation ring however than in any other part of an A.K.C. dog show. He is not difficult to train, being willing and responsive to his human Master. As for exercise, he will do well to get a daily walk if he is an “apartment” dog but does not need a huge amount of exercise as he is not hyperactive in his behavior. The coat is quite glossy and sleek, there is of course some shedding but baths are usually only necessary when he has decided to roll in something… a brisk rubdown with a towel is enough to keep this dog clean. All in all, he makes a good companion and does not make a lot of demands on his owner. Neither is he especially dog aggressive as are many terriers.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Animals

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