THE RAW FOOD DIET FOR DOGS The proponents of raw feeding as promoted by Dr. Ian Billinghurst in his writings and on the internet suggest that because dogs are carnivores a diet of raw meat, bones, and organs is best for them. They suggest that the raw food diet promotes better dental health involving clean teeth and healthy gums. There is also the theory that better dental health and clean teeth improve the dogs breath. The raw food proponents also feel the digestive system of the dog is best suited for raw foods and bones, as opposed to highly processed food, resulting in better stools and nutrition. Highly processed food can lose many of its nutrients and those replaced by manufacturers of processed food may leave the dog lacking nutrition. There is the possibility that parasites and or bacteria can be a problem with feeding raw meat. These can affect the animal and may even in some cases, be spread to their human companions. Proponents of raw feeding point out that in their opinion the risk is slight if the meat is good quality. The enzymes in the relatively short digestive track of dogs permit them to handle harmful bacteria before it causes problems. Parasites can be controlled but not entirely eliminated by freezing the meat before feeding. Opponents to raw feeding state that a nutritional balance can only be achieved with a processed food diet. Studies have shown that, over time, and with a variety of meats being used the nutrition of the raw diet can be essentially the same as the processed food diet. After the 2007 massive pet food recall, interest in raw feeding took off. As a result commercial raw food became available and as it was usually sold frozen, parasites and bacteria could be controlled. The veterinary community warned that these could be a risk to the animal and the pet owners. There is some feeling that their position is influenced by the fact that many vets sell processed dog foods in their practices. The pet food industry is closely tied to the veterinary profession through academic training and support of professional organizations. An unbiased opinion is difficult to obtain. Now you have a definite choice when considering how to feed your canine companion for a long and healthy life. Raw food diet or processed dog food…the choice is yours. You can read more about this subject in Dr. Billinghurst book, “Give Your Dog a Bone…the practical common sense way to feed dogs for a healthy life.”

Problem Dogs

Many dogs have inadvertently learned incorrect behaviour from their owners and require to be educated in how to behave correctly. It would be very unusual for a dog to be simply "bad" or "untrainable", in the vast majority of cases the dog has simply learned bad behaviour - or not learned "good" behaviour!

The first step is to remain calm and in control, shouting, smacking and screaming are not as effective as consistent positive training (i.e. rewarding the dog for good behaviour - with treats initially and then just with attention, cuddles etc - and ignoring them when they behave inappropriately).

Secondly make sure the dog realises that you are the "pack leader" and not the other way around, many owners try to spoil their dogs in the vain hope of an easy life - this is far from the case, once your dog realises that it can get the attention/treats/rewards it desires by repeating patterns of (bad) behaviour, essentially the dog will be training you! This is why many people have barking problems with their dogs. Most dogs dont realise whether barking is a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes when the dog barks, it is ignored. Other times, the dog is praised (warding off possible intruders). And yet other times, the dog is shouted at (owner has a headache/is tired/is on the telephone etc). People are consistently inconsistent, especially when it comes to their pets!

When it comes to housetraining, remember that your dog is an instinctively clean animal. If the dog can avoid it, it would rather not soil itself or her usual eating and sleeping area. All the dog needs is positive encouragement when it eliminates in correct places.

A popular, modern method for dog training and obedience is "Clicker training", this is a slang term used to describe a way of training dogs that has become increasingly popular in the last decade due to its gentle and effective methods. The scientific term for it is operant conditioning. Simply put simply put, an dog tends to repeat an action that has a positive consequence and tends not to repeat one that has a negative consequence. The problem with other types of conditioning is that it is difficult to reinforce good behaviour at a distance, the clicker allows you to mark with great precision the good behaviour for which the dog is being reinforced, even if it the dog is some distance from you.

The clicker is a simple cheap and effective device, basically it's just a metal strip encased in a plastic box that when pressed makes a unique sharp clicking noise that the dog can distinguish easily from background noises. If you are having any problems training your dog this should be the first product on your shopping list.

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How To House Train Your Dog Effectively

House training is one of the most important parts of training any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to use the dog's own nature to your benefit.

The great thing about dogs, and the thing that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. Dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits regarding where they like to urinate and defecate.

For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt. It is possible to use these natural canine habits when house training your dog.

Setting up the training area
The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining.

It is important for the owner to spend as much time in the training area with his or her dog as possible. It is important for the owner to play with the dog in the training area, and to let the dog eat and sleep in that area. The dog should be provided with a special bed in the training area, anything from a store bought bed to a large towel to a large box. At first, the dog may eliminate in this area, but once the dog has recognized it as his or her own space, he or she will be reluctant to soil it.

After the dog has gotten used to sleeping in the bed, the owner can move it around the house, relocating it from room to room. When you are not with your dog, the dog should be confined to the training area.

Setting up the toilet area
The second part of house training is to set up the toilet area for the dog. It is important for the dog to have access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for the owner to accompany the dog each time until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in the toilet area. This will ensure that the dog uses only the established toilet area.

A set feeding schedule makes the house training process a lot easier for both the owner and the dog. Feeding the dog on a regular basis will also create a regular schedule for the dog's toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide the dog to the established toilet area.

Once the dog has established a toilet area and is using it on a regular basis, it is very important to not confine the dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. That is because if the dog is unable to hold it, he or she may be forced to eliminate in the training area. This habit can make house training much more difficult.

Continuing the house training process
After the dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended once you are sure of the dog's ability to control its bladder and bowels.

When you first expand the training area to a single room, let the dog eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised. When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.

Speeding up the process
If this process is too lengthy for your needs, it can be speeded up, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It is easier to take your time up front than to retrain a problem dog later. One way to successfully speed up house training is to praise and reward the dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is also important not to punish the dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process.

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