Now that the weather is getting warmer it always seems that our dogs find more reasons to need a bath.
People often want to know how often their dog should get a bath. That doesn’t always mean that they want to give their dog a bath, however! It’s not always fun to give your dog a bath, especially if he’s the kind of dog who hates getting in the tub. In that case, giving your dog a bath can be a terrible experience, for you and for your dog.
But giving your dog a bath can be a good thing. Dogs don’t really like to be dirty and smelly. Dogs can’t clean themselves the way cats can. When a dog gets dirty and nasty, they simply stay that way until they shed, or rub it off on your furniture. And when they shed things are bad, too, because the hair goes all over your house.
So, what do you do with a dirty, smelly, shedding dog who doesn’t want a bath? How do you make your dog look and smell nice again? Actually, there are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about bathing your dog. For instance:
*Grooming: Grooming is not the same as bathing. You should comb or brush your dog’s coat at least once a week. This will help remove mats and it will help cut down on shedding. You should also brush your dog’s coat before a bath, especially if he has long hair.
*Coat: You should consider your dog’s coat when deciding how often to bathe your dog. Bathing your dog too often will remove important natural oils form their coat and make their skin dry and itchy.
Most dogs with double coats or soft undercoats, such as Cocker Spaniels or the Pekingese, should have a bath roughly every four to eight weeks. Dogs with a silky coat, such as the Yorkshire Terrier or the Lhasa Apso, should have a bath every three to six weeks.
Breeds of dog with a curly coat that doesn’t shed such as the Poodle or the Portuguese Water Dog should have a bath about every six to eight weeks. Smooth-coated dogs such as the Chihuahua and the Boston Terrier will do well with a bath about every eight weeks or if they are dirty. Dogs such as these need natural skin oils to protect their skin and they shouldn’t be bathed too often.
Dogs with coarse, wiry coats such as the Schnauzers and the Terrier breeds need baths about every four to six weeks. For dogs that have dandruff, this schedule can be moved up to about every three weeks.
*A Dog’s Personal Habits: There are always exceptions to these recommendations. For dogs that like to roll in the mud or play in puddles, the time table between baths may be much shorter. If your dog is removing the natural oils in his skin and coat with mud and dirty water, there is no reason to postpone a bath.
If, on the other hand, your dog is only slightly dirty, you can probably brush the dirt out of his coat every couple of days with a comb or brush. Dry shampoos may or may not help much and they can still dry your dog’s coat out, which is not good for your dog’s skin.
*Swimming: If your dog likes to go swimming whenever possible, especially in a chlorinated pool, you should bathe him afterwards with a mild shampoo. This is also true if he swims in salt water. Both chlorine and salt water can harm your dog’s coat and your dog may try to lick their coat after swimming which won’t be good for him.
*Allergies: If you or another family member has allergies, you will probably need to bathe your dog more frequently. This will help you keep the house free of dog dander and make life easier for the allergy sufferer.
In this case you should use a very mild shampoo for a weekly bath. This will be less likely to harm your dog’s skin and coat, yet it will still remove dander.
Dogs can collect an amazing amount of dirt on their skin and coat in just one week. However, dogs really don’t need baths as often as humans do. Too many baths are not good for them. It’s best to have your dog on a grooming schedule to keep mats at a minimum and keep nails trimmed, but don’t dry out their skin and coat with too many baths.
If you create a good grooming schedule your dog should stay happy and healthy for years, and you shouldn’t have to deal with too much doggy smell over the course of your lives together.
Until next time…..
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com
Wayne Booth created this blog site to give you information on dog training, behavior and health. This blog was started for his dog training clients and has grown to a blog for dog owners and trainers all over the world. Read More…
How Often Should My Dog Have A Bath?
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothNow that the weather is getting warmer it always seems that our dogs find more reasons to need a bath.
People often want to know how often their dog should get a bath. That doesn’t always mean that they want to give their dog a bath, however! It’s not always fun to give your dog a bath, especially if he’s the kind of dog who hates getting in the tub. In that case, giving your dog a bath can be a terrible experience, for you and for your dog.
But giving your dog a bath can be a good thing. Dogs don’t really like to be dirty and smelly. Dogs can’t clean themselves the way cats can. When a dog gets dirty and nasty, they simply stay that way until they shed, or rub it off on your furniture. And when they shed things are bad, too, because the hair goes all over your house.
So, what do you do with a dirty, smelly, shedding dog who doesn’t want a bath? How do you make your dog look and smell nice again? Actually, there are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about bathing your dog. For instance:
*Grooming: Grooming is not the same as bathing. You should comb or brush your dog’s coat at least once a week. This will help remove mats and it will help cut down on shedding. You should also brush your dog’s coat before a bath, especially if he has long hair.
*Coat: You should consider your dog’s coat when deciding how often to bathe your dog. Bathing your dog too often will remove important natural oils form their coat and make their skin dry and itchy.
Most dogs with double coats or soft undercoats, such as Cocker Spaniels or the Pekingese, should have a bath roughly every four to eight weeks. Dogs with a silky coat, such as the Yorkshire Terrier or the Lhasa Apso, should have a bath every three to six weeks.
Breeds of dog with a curly coat that doesn’t shed such as the Poodle or the Portuguese Water Dog should have a bath about every six to eight weeks. Smooth-coated dogs such as the Chihuahua and the Boston Terrier will do well with a bath about every eight weeks or if they are dirty. Dogs such as these need natural skin oils to protect their skin and they shouldn’t be bathed too often.
Dogs with coarse, wiry coats such as the Schnauzers and the Terrier breeds need baths about every four to six weeks. For dogs that have dandruff, this schedule can be moved up to about every three weeks.
*A Dog’s Personal Habits: There are always exceptions to these recommendations. For dogs that like to roll in the mud or play in puddles, the time table between baths may be much shorter. If your dog is removing the natural oils in his skin and coat with mud and dirty water, there is no reason to postpone a bath.
If, on the other hand, your dog is only slightly dirty, you can probably brush the dirt out of his coat every couple of days with a comb or brush. Dry shampoos may or may not help much and they can still dry your dog’s coat out, which is not good for your dog’s skin.
*Swimming: If your dog likes to go swimming whenever possible, especially in a chlorinated pool, you should bathe him afterwards with a mild shampoo. This is also true if he swims in salt water. Both chlorine and salt water can harm your dog’s coat and your dog may try to lick their coat after swimming which won’t be good for him.
*Allergies: If you or another family member has allergies, you will probably need to bathe your dog more frequently. This will help you keep the house free of dog dander and make life easier for the allergy sufferer.
In this case you should use a very mild shampoo for a weekly bath. This will be less likely to harm your dog’s skin and coat, yet it will still remove dander.
Dogs can collect an amazing amount of dirt on their skin and coat in just one week. However, dogs really don’t need baths as often as humans do. Too many baths are not good for them. It’s best to have your dog on a grooming schedule to keep mats at a minimum and keep nails trimmed, but don’t dry out their skin and coat with too many baths.
If you create a good grooming schedule your dog should stay happy and healthy for years, and you shouldn’t have to deal with too much doggy smell over the course of your lives together.
Until next time…..
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com
Why Is Obedience Training So Important?
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothTo me that seems like such a silly question however there are a bunch of dog owners out there that just don’t have a clue what the answer may be. There are many reasons that you need a trained dog and in this article I won’t be able to address them all however I do want to point out some of the very important reasons.
A Dog You Can Enjoy – Having a well-trained dog is a wonderful experience. When you have a trained dog there is a feeling of pride that goes along with it. You will also impress your family, friends and even the neighbors. Simply put everybody loves a well behaved dog.
A Dog That Can Go Places With You – When you have a trained dog he can enjoy more things in life. That can include going to visit friends, going on trips and also family outings at the beach or the park. A well trained dog is always welcome wherever you go.
A Happy Dog That Knows Its Place In The Pack – Your dog is a member of your family pack. Whether it is you and a spouse or if the pack includes children it is important for your dog to know it place in the pack. Without training a dog will just naturally assume the position of Alpha and that is where all the problems begin. With proper training you will be the Alpha and your spouse and children will be below you with the dog at the bottom. Knowing its rank in a pack will make your dog happy and content.
A Dog That Isn’t Aggressive – Aggression has actually become an epidemic. We are seeing more and more aggressive dogs daily. Why you ask? For several reasons but the #1 reason is because of the lack of training. It seems that people are so busy with work and life nowadays that they just don’t take the time to train, exercise and socialize their dogs. These three things are all important to have a happy friendly dog.
Another thing that confuses dog owners is that many of them feel that training is only for show dogs and that is the farthest thing from the truth. Taking time to train your dog will give you a genuine feeling of accomplishment and at the same time will build a strong bond with you and your dog.
So set aside 15 minutes a day and go train your dog.
Do you need help training your dog? If so visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers .
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.
How To Stop Your Dog From Eating Dog Poop
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothWe all know that dogs can be fairly disgusting at times. But there’s one behavior that usually grosses out every owner: eating fecal matter. For various reasons, dogs will sometimes wolf down dog poop in its various forms, especially when they are young.
This behavior is technically called coprophagy. Fortunately it is usually easy to stop if you give your dog the proper nutritional supplements and make some behavior modifications.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
To begin with, you need to know why your dog is engaging in this behavior. If you notice your dog eating poop you should take him to the vet if it’s something he does often. Your vet can find out if your dog is eating poop because of some kind of nutritional deficiency in his diet.
Eating poop can be a sign of several deficiencies but your vet can perform an easy blood test to find out if there is something important missing in your dog’s blood chemistry. In many cases you can simply add a supplement to your dog’s diet and it will help stop the problem.
Training Your Dog to Stop
Once you know if there is a physical problem with your dog you can address any deficiency. On the other hand, if your dog is eating poop because of a behavior issue, then you can use behavior modification to change his behavior.
Reduce your dog’s opportunity to eat poop. You can begin by reducing the number of chances your dog has to eat the fecal matter. Pick up the poop and remove it as soon as your dog, or any other dog, relieves himself. Pick it up daily or even more often if your dog has a yard that he uses.
If you walk your dog you should take him yourself to where he normally potties and don’t let him near any other fecal matter you may encounter on your walk.
Personally Supervise Outings. You should personally take your dog on his walks, if possible. This includes outings to the dog park since dogs sometimes get away on these trips and can find poop to eat. If you will spend more time with your dog so you can watch him and correct his poop-eating behavior, he will learn faster that the behavior is not acceptable.
Negative Stimuli. If you really want to change your dog’s poop-eating behavior you will need to teach your dog that it is unpleasant. You can use a noisemaker or spray him with a spray bottle to startle him when he starts to eat poop.
It is important that you add this negative stimuli immediately, as soon as your dog starts to eat the poop. You can’t delay it or give verbal commands. Your dog needs to hear the startling noise or feel the spray as soon as he starts to eat the poop so he will associate the the negative stimuli with eating the poop. Otherwise he will be confused.
Use Deterrents. You can also use deterrents such as cayenne pepper or bitter apple on the poop. When your dog eats the poop, he won’t like it, or he may not want to eat it. Another deterrent is to give your dog pumpkin with his food. Pumpkin makes the poop unpleasant so your dog won’t want to eat it.
There are also some commercially-sold deterrents but you should read the ingredients. Avoid deterrents that have chemicals or ingredients that you don’t know. Try to use natural deterrents.
Vitamins and Supplements. If your vet determines that your dog has a deficiency of some kind, you can add a good multivitamin to your dog’s diet. Ask your vet to recommend one so it contains the vitamins or minerals that your dog is missing. You may also want to supplement your dog’s diet with more fresh foods.
If your dog is eating dog poop you can usually train him to stop doing it. It’s important to help your dog understand exactly which behavior you object to and want to change. You have to be consistent and make sure your family is consistent, especially if other people in your family walk your dog.
If you can keep control of your dog’s walks, what happens on their walks, and whether they eat anything on their walks, you should be able to stop the poop-eating behavior fairly easily.
Please share your thoughts. Does your dog eat poop? How were you able to cure the problem? Don’t be shy, please leave a comment below. We can’t wait to read your response!
Until next time……
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com
Proper Etiquette For Your Dog
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothEvery good dog owner should teach their dog proper etiquette. A dog with good manners is welcome in many places while a dog with no manners is welcome nowhere. So I guess your question is how should I teach my dog proper etiquette?
Well it all starts with obedience. Without obedience your dog has no idea how to be good. Training your dog establishes the dog master relationship so it knows that you are the boss and also what the rules of the house are.
This is real similar to children in a family. Mom and dad start early to teach their children what the rules of the house are so that as the child gets older there is no confusion.
Here are just a few of the things you should teach your dog to make it welcome anywhere.
All of these things are easily accomplished however many dog owners just can’t seem to accomplish these few small goals with their dog because there pet seems to be wound up and overly excited all the time.
OK, I am going to share the secret to a well behaved calm dog with you. Are you ready for the answer? It really is easy and is called EXERCISE.
Yes now you know the secret. If you will give your dog plenty of exercise your dog will be much calmer. The problem however is how you can do that without walking for hours a day.
Again, the answer is easy. DOG DAYCARE! Yep, that’s it. Take your dog to a local doggy daycare 2 – 3 times a week and you will see an amazing result in your dog.
Don’t believe me? Then give it a try and you will see how right I am. It’s simple and it works. Give it a try.
Do you need help with training your dog? If so visit us at Canine Behavior Specialists and give us a call, or for our out of town readers .
Until next time,
P.S. Do you need some advice from a Canine Behavior Specialist? If so CLICK HERE now!
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.
The Love Of A Senior Dog
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothWhile there may be a number of reasons that potential pet owners will be looking for younger dogs to buy or adopt, there are even more reasons why it is a good idea to look into the love and companionship of a senior dog. Whenever you find that you are looking for a new pet to add to your household, you will see that a senior dog is an excellent choice for a number of reasons.
All sorts of senior dogs can end up in a shelter for a lot of the same reasons that a younger animal will. These reasons may include the owners moving, getting divorced, the death of the owner and more. Most of the time, the dogs that get surrendered to a shelter are there by no fault of their own. Simply because a dog that is at the shelter is older, it does not mean that they have behavioral issues or health conditions that will lead to hefty veterinarian bills. There are often situations where an owner will have a difficult time making a commitment to the full lifetime of a dog and will simply trade the older dog in for a younger one for the novelty of it all.
There are also times when an owner is unwilling to change their lifestyle to include an aging dog so that they can give the care and commitment that they need as they get older. Some older pets can end up developing hip dysplasia, joint problems, cataracts and more, all of which should be treated with the help of a veterinarian. These are all pets that really need the love of a caring family and have plenty of love to give in return for the perfect home.
Depending on the type of household that you have, you could have the perfect home life that will be just right for bringing in an older dog. Senior dogs will have plenty of experience with other people and in many cases you will find that they are already trained for bathroom breaks, commands and more. Many of the senior dogs that you will find in a shelter will also have several good years left if you are able to make the commitment necessary to care for them.
While the idea of a puppy is appealing for many people, a senior dog can make an incredibly worthwhile companion that will be a true asset to your family.
How can Canine Behavior Specialists help you with your new dog? Come visit our website or give us a call.
Until next time,
P.S. Please do us a favor and visit us on Facebook page and Like Us!
About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN. Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network.
Schutzhund: Creating Well Rounded Working Dogs
in Uncategorized/by Wayne BoothSchutzhund (also known as IPO) is a dog sport that test the working abilities of a dog. Originally created in the early 1900’s to serve as a breeding test for German Shepherd Dogs (dogs were not allowed to breed if they could not pass the test), schutzhund has now became a sport that welcomes all breed of dog and is less of a breeding test than it is a dog sport enjoyed by many handlers of all ages, and many breeds of dogs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTZmIFdgU2M – Young girl competing at National trial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAHJV0CqGNE – Jack Russell Terrier doing protection
Every dog that trials in schutzhund must do a temperament test, known as the BH. The BH is an acronym for the German word “Begleithund” with translates as “Traffic-Sure Companion Dog”. After completing the BH, the dog can proceed to the advanced titles of Schutzhund 1 thru 3. Each level gets progressively more advanced, culminating with the schutzhund 3. There are also titles available in only tracking and only obedience, for those who don’t wish to do the protection.
The sport consists of three “phases”:
Tracking – Tests the dog’s scenting abilities. The dog must precisely follow the footsteps of a tracklayer and find “articles” (pieces of various material with human scent). As the dog progresses through the levels the tracks get significantly more difficult. For the schutzhund 3 track the dog must navigate a 800 pace track that is an hour old. Schutzhund tracking is different from AKC style tracking. AKC style tracking using a “trailing” technique, while schutzhund tracking relies on footstep tracking. Below is an example of what schutzhund tracking looks like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg7vIMf-t0k&list=UU4pnBzx4OMAhkgjHmVRV4PQ
Obedience – Tests the dog’s ability to be obedient. The dog must show the willingness to do what the handler commands. Involved in the test the dog must know the following commands: Heel, Sit, Down, Stay, Fetch. There are two dogs on the field during this test. One dog is in a down-stay while the other dog is “working”. All obedience is done off-leash. In schutzhund, the judges want to see a happy, willing dog. Below is a dog performing a schutzhund 3 obedience routine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqiGterLuqQ
Protection – Tests the dog’s courage in protecting the handler while being obedient to the handler. This phase is important because many police and military dogs come from schutzhund bloodlines. This ensures that the dogs have the temperament to do this type of work. In the protection phase, the dog must search blinds at the direction of the handler and find the bad guy “referred to as helper”. The dog must guard the guy until the handler arrives. The dog must also do various behaviors throughout the routine that mimic real world scenarios. Below is an example of a dog doing a schutzhund 3 protection routine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPdRkSgaxW4
A lot of police and military dogs throughout the world come from the schutzhund bloodlines. It is important that there is still a test out there that can insure that these working traits stay in dogs. Many people are turned off by the protection aspect of the sport, and do not agree with it. However, schutzhund instills a discipline within the dog that makes it a reliable dog. Most schutzhund dogs are good family dogs and also double as search and rescue dogs. I like to compare schutzhund training with that of teaching a kid martial arts. The martial art teaches the kid certain fighting moves, but also gives them discipline. In schutzhund, you can always just do the tracking and obedience if you are not sure about the protection phase.
Overall schutzhund is very rewarding activity you can do with your dog. It is a demanding sport with some great people involved. It is something that has been a great influence in my life. This was a very basic description of the sport. If you are interested in learning more about the sport, please visit my website/blog dedicated to the sport @ www.highintrial.com .
John Wolf
www.highintrial.com