Dogs by nature are pack animals.
In the wild, dogs live their lives according to the social rules of the pack. This means that they abide by the pecking order when it comes to food and their needs. They learn at an early age to socialize with each other.
We may be able to take the dog out of the wild, but we must keep in mind that puppies need to be exposed to other puppies, adult dogs and people in order to help them develop positive behavior and social skills.
It is important to expose puppies to situations and experiences that they may encounter later in life. It is much easier to begin this task when the puppy is young. It is much more difficult to socialize an older dog than it is a puppy.
Whenever you embark on a socializing activity for your puppy, do so in an environment you can control. You need to make sure that the activity is enjoyable for your puppy. The last thing you want to do is instill fear, which can lead to aggression, instead of positive social behaviors.
Start by exposing the puppy to lots of people. Make a point to invite men, women and children to your home so that your puppy looks positively on all people.
It is just as important to expose your puppy to other dogs – young and old. Invite your friends to bring their dog to your home. A playful romp among puppies will go a long way in ensuring that your puppy is tolerant of other animals.
When introducing your puppy to other dogs, stay alert in case one of the dogs decides to become a bully for the day. Intervene if the play is too rough or if one dog shows any dominance. You don’t want an older dog to snap out on your puppy, possibly causing physical injury and a long-lasting fearful memory.
You may even want to introduce cats into the picture. The last thing you want your puppy to do is run from the house in hot pursuit of a neighborhood cat. This can lead to disaster if the puppy doesn’t stop the chase before he or she enters a busy roadway.
There is one word of caution when it comes to socializing your furry friends. Make sure that you expose them to dogs that are healthy and vaccinated. Stay away from animals that are not well or any that may not be vaccinated. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, there is a risk of contracting something from another unvaccinated dog.
This enables you to introduce new concepts to your puppy before they reach the age where they become fearful of strange things.
A little effort at an early age can go a long way in helping your puppy develop into a well-behaved pet that you can trust around others.
If you’re wondering how often to bathe your beloved pooch, you’re not alone. Many caring dog owners are looking for signs that their puppies need baths, so they know exactly when to soap, rinse and dry their canine pals. Luckily, there are some obvious (and not-so-obvious) clues that Fido is in need of a good scrubbing.
In general, you should not bathe your dog more than once a week, as his or her skin will be prone to get very dry. However, there are always times when dogs need a little more care. Once you peruse our quick guide, you’ll know exactly when the time is right to bathe your puppy or adult dog.
Wet Dog Smell – The dreaded stench of “wet dog smell” is usually instantly recognizable. Look for an earthy, musty odor that is truly unpleasant. When your dog is suffering from this symptom, it’s time to give him (or her) a very thorough bath that includes a good drying. One of the most common reasons that wet dog smell develops is due to improper drying of dogs after their baths. Any moisture left on their coats becomes a perfect breeding place for less-than-fragrant bacteria. Some pet owners blow-dry their pooches to eradicate any post-bath moisture.
Allergies – Like people, canines sometimes experience allergic reactions that make them feel very itchy and uncomfortable. If your dog exhibits signs of allergies, such as wheezing, scratching, mucous near the eyes, and sneezing, a good bath will wash off any pollens or other allergens. Some of the symptoms of canine allergy are less obvious. For example, your pooch may have a gastrointestinal upset that is related to his or her allergic reaction. However, these sorts of tummy and bowel upsets may also occur for other reasons. When in doubt, giving your puppy or adult dog a nice, soothing bath is almost always a good idea.
Dandruff – Dandruff afflicts dogs and creates the same distinctive flakes that you may sometimes see in your own hair (and on the shoulders of your shirts). Usually, this type of condition is caused by excess oil or some type of environmental irritation. The best way to deal with Fido’s dandruff is by asking a vet or pet store worker for advice about which shampoos and treatments to use.
Often, it’s possible to get your dog shiny-clean, while also clearing up any existing dandruff problems.
Occasionally, certain dog shampoos may actually cause dandruff, so it should be a priority to figure out if your current dog shampoo may be part of the problem.
Fido Rolled in Something Filthy – Dogs are usually very adventurous creatures, and they tend to enjoy exploring and trying new things. Sometimes, in the midst of new adventures, Fido may roll in something that smells nasty and looks quite filthy. Obviously, this is one of the clearest signals that your canine pal is in need of a bath.
Dog Bathing Tips
The size of your canine pal will play a role in just how easy it is to bathe him or her. Big pooches may need a couple of people catering to them during bath time, just because it’s hard to hold such a large canine steady. Smaller dogs may be bathed in the tub and then dried with a hair dryer on a low setting (be careful not to burn your dog with very hot air).
Drying a larger dog, especially one with a longer coat, will require a lot of work with a couple of clean towels, or a session with a forced air dryer. Different dog owners develop different techniques for bathing and drying their pooches, so there are no hard-and-fast rules. It may take some trial and error to find the perfect bathing routine for your puppy or adult dog.
As you can see, there are a lot of signs that your dog needs a bath. By keeping your eyes peeled for these signals, you’ll be able to give your canine friend the care and attention that he or she deserves.
Knowing the signs is the best way to avoid over-bathing or under-bathing your pooch. Once you get in a routine of checking for these signals and then bathing your dog when it’s needed, you should achieve a good balance that keeps your pet clean, without over-drying his skin.
Why Do Puppies Tilt Their Heads?
You begin talking to your puppy. He or she tilts their head as if to say, “You have my complete attention.” You have to resist the urge to cuddle the adorable little critter because that head tilt is just too cute.
Have you ever wondered why puppies tilt their head?
There are actually several reasons for this. Most are based on the need to hear better or as a means of pleasing their master who will reward them with a tasty treat for their cuteness. In extreme cases, the head tilt can actually be the sign of medical problems such as ear problems or a stroke.
Most frequently, the tilting of a puppy’s head is an effort to hear a sound more clearly. The tilting of the head exposes the ear, allowing the sound to infiltrate in a clearer manner.
Many puppies are actually inadvertently trained to tilt their heads because their owners reward them with treats for being cute. The puppy tilts his head; you open the treat jar. Dogs are intelligent creatures that are quite capable of learning behavior that yields tasty treats.
Unusual sounds can cause a puppy to tilt his or her head in question. In part, the tilting is an effort to locate the source of the sound.
Some dogs use the head tilting technique to communicate their wish to play. Have you ever seen your puppy stretch out its front legs while leaving his or her rump in a raised position? When this happens, the puppy will tilt its head up to the dog or person it wishes to play with.
The shape of a puppy’s ears and the position of the ears on the head also affect how a dog hears.
Unfortunately, not all head tilting is good. Puppy owners must learn the difference between the dog’s questioning/hearing head stance and one that is due to a medical problem.
The tilting of a puppy’s ears can be the sign that one or both ears are irritated. This can be the result of an ear infection, ear mites or an object that becomes lodged in the ear. A flea can cause a puppy to hold its head to the side.
Evidence of infection might include redness, heat, discharge and/or a foul odor.
Lodged objects might include weed seeds, grass, dirt or water. Dogs that play hard outdoors are more at risk of getting a foreign object such as this stuck in an ear.
Deafness – or the onset of deafness – can cause a puppy to tilt its head on a very regular basis. If you see such a trend starting, schedule an immediate appointment with the puppy’s veterinarian.
Some attribute canine head tilting to other diseases such as hyperthyroidism, nervous disease or muscular problems.
A titled head can be an indication that the dog has suffered a stroke. This is more common among older dogs, but there is no rule that says that younger dogs cannot be affected.
If you suspect that a stroke is the problem, get the dog to the veterinarian immediately. One sign of a stroke is that the puppy will appear to have lost its sense of balance.
Check to see if the puppy’s eyes are rapidly moving. If this happens when the dog is resting, it could very possibly be a sign of a serious neurological problem.
You’re driving down the road and you see a large dog’s head sticking out of the passenger window. He looks to be in ecstasy as his jowls flap in the wind and his nose twitches a mile a minute. You can help but smile at the cute sight.
Have you ever wondered why a dog likes to hang his head out of the window?
One obvious reason is that the cool breeze created by the moving vehicle is refreshing. Just as we humans enjoy a little wind in our faces, so do our furry canine friends.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for a dog to hang his head out of the window is the fact that a dog’s sense of smell, which has proven to be more far superior to that of humans, is a means of learning about its environment. After all, dogs are intelligent animals that use their eyes and noses to explore the world around them.
With more than a million scent receptor cells located in a dog’s nose and roof of the mouth, smell reveals a host of information to dogs that may go unnoticed by human beings. If your dog could talk, he or she could probably tell you who is cooking a steak, how far away the grill is and how soon the meat will be done.
If you have ever studied the face of a dog that has his or her head hanging out the window, you will see what appears to be an expression of sheer joy. Some experts say the dog’s expression is actually one of fierce concentration on the smells that provide information about his or her surroundings.
The fact that dogs have two systems that work to detect smells is a big reason that dogs like to be free to sniff the air. The nose system, which is loaded with scent receptors, consists of tissue known as olfactory epithelium. While this area accounts for about one-half square inch in humans, it can cover up to 20 square inches in some dog breeds. The system works in a way that the more air that moves over the tissue, the more scents your dog can detect.
Dogs also have a second smelling system that is located in their mouths. They have a specialized gland called Jacobson’s organ, which works to capture and interpret smells necessary to hunt small prey or choose a mating partner.
It is important to monitor your dog while he or she is riding in your car. You should be the one to choose when Fido is allowed to ride with his head out the window. Beware of tree branches that could scratch an eye or the dog’s face. Flying debris could take out an eye or cause serious head injury.
Also, make sure that dog cannot jump out of the window should he or she see something that excites them.
Several manufacturers make specialized goggles that protect dogs’ eyes from potential injury while riding with their heads out of the car. If your dog loves feeling the wind and smelling the scents, consider buying him or her a pair to insure the safety of their eyes.
You’re taking a moment to relax in front of the television. The family dog wanders over to you and plops down at your feet. Your furry canine friend begins to lick the exposed skin on your leg and continues until you’re all slobbered up. The licking continues until you feel that your skin has been cleaned to the point where it may disappear.
Have you ever wondered just what your dog gets out of licking you?
Most dogs are so intent on the licking process that you know there has to be a good reason for doing it.
Some people say the dog’s licks are canine kisses that prove the dog likes or loves you. Fido is showing you that he cares about you. While this may be one reason that dogs lick people, it is clearly not the only reason why they perform this act.
Another theory is that dogs lick you because they were taught to do so by their mother from birth. Female dogs that give birth lick the new puppies to stimulate them to start breathing and to clean them up. Licking is important to the survival of puppies. The licking process is a natural instinct that they quickly learn from their mothers.
Licking is also a submissive gesture. In the wild, the more subordinate dogs will lick the more dominant ones. This helps to maintain harmony among the members of the pack. By licking you, the dog is showing you that you are the dominant being and you are in charge.
Another reason that dogs lick humans is to gather information about them. Dogs use the scent receptors located in their nose and mouth to process information about a person. A person who is secreting sweat from his or her body is actually unknowingly sending information about him or herself to the dog. This is one reason why a human’s feet are so attractive to a dog. Human feet contain many sweat glands. Eccrine glands release moisture that contains salts, water and waste products. Some dogs love the taste of salt.
Sebaceous glands, which are found near hair follicles, release sebum. The combination of the sweat and sebaceous gland secretions provide a lot of detail about you to an inquisitive dog that can tell if you are afraid, stressed or happy.
Dogs also enjoy licking because the act releases endorphins that allow the dog to feel pleasure and a sense of security and comfort.
In some cases, a dog will go all out to lick his or her owner’s face, hands or legs when strangers are around. Experts believe that this could be the dog’s way of showing that you are important to them and that they care more about you than they do the stranger.
While dogs do have good reasons for licking people, some folks don’t understand nor do they care to try to grasp why they are being slobbered on. It is important to train your dog in a manner that he or she does not get carried away with the tendency to lick people.
Why do dogs get along with humans so well?
They are ‘Man’s Best Friend’; a title that stems from centuries as our companions and pets. While you may wonder why this phrase has become so popular among not only dog owners, but the general media, the answer really lies in the facts. With 39% of American households owning dogs, they definitely are the favored pet.
They’re also easily trainable, affectionate, and for many, serve as more than just a pet. Dogs are also hunting companions, guards, protectors, entertainment, helpers, guides, and best friends. They are featured in movies, book, TV and songs as being the best pet you can have.
So why is this? Why do dogs and humans get along so well? It can’t just be training, because humans have tried to train multitudes of different animals with little success. They’ve also domesticated many animals, such as horses and cats, that have not received any similar title.
It all boils down to the pack mentality that dogs have. While other animals, such as horses, will often be in a herd (or other such group), dogs have a social structure that mirrors our own. When wolves were the most common breed of canine, and mankind was still primitive and living in huts, caves and other crude homes, humans acted in a similar manner to wolves.
There was the leader of the group (occasionally a pair), which was the equivalent to an alpha wolf There were lesser members of the group, or the betas in wolf society, there were children who were looked after and treated based on their parent’s ranking until adult hood, much like wolf cubs. And finally there were omegas: the group’s scapegoat, jester or general ‘low-man’.
While this mentality is seen throughout the wild in various degrees, the similarities between man and wolf are sometimes astounding. The ‘alpha’ will often demonstrate its suitability to his position with various acts of strength, leadership and skill. The ‘omega’ will often be the one to try to cheer the group up and the ‘cubs’ are allowed to play with the adults looking after them.
Both humans and dogs are extremely social animals, relying not only on verbal communication, but body language and other forms of non-verbal communication. They develop monogomas pairs, acting with jealousy and anger when another tries to ‘make a move’ on their mate. Wolves will also occasionally ‘divorce’, much like humans will. They also have a ‘home base’, also called a den. They will protect their den, raise their young there, and go there to sleep.
Beyond the similarities in the behaviors of people and their canine counterparts, there is also the fact that dogs are so loyal. While this also stems from their pack mentality, it is one of the biggest reasons that people have so successful domesticated dogs. They see you as their ‘alpha’, or another member of their pack. They depend on you for food, protection and shelter.
As the alpha, they see it as they owe you their life. You are in charge of protecting them should danger arrive, or at least leading any potential ‘battle’ that might occur. You bring them food and distribute it accordingly.
Humans first noticed this similarities and began to domesticate dogs. Training them to see us as their alphas was the first step. Once that was established the rest became far easier, as dogs will naturally defer to their alpha for guidance.
Breeding helped ingrain the behaviors that humans liked. Dogs that were good at hunting were bred to hunt and bring food back to their master. Each dog was bred with a purpose in mind and with that purpose came a removal from their wild roots. Not in the sense of pack nature, but how much they depended on you, their owner, to provide for them.
In recent history, the shift from being companions and animal servants shifted to the dog becoming a member of the family, often times playing the role of the cub. This position as the cub enforces their loyalty, even when they begin to grow. It promotes the bond, similar to parent and child.
With other animals, domesticated and otherwise, the parent-child bond has various levels of strength, with some animals even considering their children a threat once they have reached adulthood. While wolves will leave a pack to start their own, they still maintain the same level of respect for their parents that humans will. This is one of the main reasons why dogs and humans get along so well.
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