Okay, so maybe naming your Boxer, Jimi, during your Hendrix phase wasn’t the best idea, and letting the kids name your bloodhound, Fanny, was even worse. If you don’t like your dogs’ names, why can’t you just change them to something different? It is not like Jimi and Fanny understand English; it is not like they would notice, right?

While the argument that Jimi and Fanny do not speak English does have some merit, that doesn’t make it airtight. Your dogs would notice if you changed their names. In fact, there are a whole slew of reasons not to go about renaming your dogs whenever the whim strikes you. These reasons can be sorted into two categories: the ways it would affect them, and the ways that it would affect you. You may be surprised how much of a difference renaming your pooch can make.

The Effects On Them
The biggest problem with changing your dogs’ names is that it is confusing to them. Learning a new name is just like learning a new trick. It takes time, effort, and training – for both of you. The likelihood that this process of adapting Jimi to his new name will be stressful for the two of you is very high indeed. No one, neither human nor canine likes to encounter stress, so why add more to the relationship between man and beast?

This can be especially true for dogs that have a harder time learning tricks due to breeding, attention span, or other factors. Boxer can be hyperactive, and a bit slow on the uptake. It could take Jimi months to learn his new name and incorporate it into his human vocabulary. So, you will have effectively spent months fixing something that is not broken. Renaming Jimi or Fanny would be possible with training, to be sure, but you would want to have a very good, important reason for doing so.

Also, once you’ve successfully changed your pup’s name once, what’s to stop you from changing your mind again, and renaming him again – which would cause even more stress for both of you.

The Effects On You
The biggest effect that it will have on you is that it will damage your relationship to Fanny to rename him. Renaming your dog takes away the identity that you associate with his name. To you, Fanny is not just some bloodhound whose name happens to be Fanny, but rather, she is your bloodhound Fanny. Rename her Droopy or whatever you feel like, but understand that he will become some bloodhound named Droopy for a while before he becomes your bloodhound Droopy.

Many people who pick out dogs from shelters want to rename them because they “don’t like the name that their dog comes with.” What they don’t understand is that the very first time they learn their dog’s name, they create a sort of identity for their pet in their mind. This paradigm creation of your dog is forced to shift and change as new information about their pet becomes available. Changing your pet’s name is not just another shift in this paradigm. It is a complete alteration of your identification of this paradigm.

If you haven’t noticed by now, the effects that changing Fanny and Jimi’s names have on them also affect you, and vise versa. The names, “Fanny” and “Jimi” are the fulcrum point of the special relationship that you share with them. Don’t fix what isn’t broken. Just like you wouldn’t rename your children on a whim, you shouldn’t rename your dogs. Fanny and Jimi are the perfect names for Fanny and Jimi, because it is who they have always been and will forever be.

You love dogs and you have always wanted one. So you pick up little Mikey from the shelter. He’s an adorable and lovable little terrier who puts a smile on your face. You get him home and find out that Mikey is less a little angel and more a troublesome terror. He rips up the toilet paper, gets into the garbage, and pulls like mad on his leash when you go for walks. You love your new little guy, but his habits are a real pain. It’s time to learn to train your new buddy, but you are deaf and mute and you’ve been told that you will be unable to teach him commands. What if you want to try anyway? Little Mikey isn’t aggressive; he just needs some obedience. Can you do it? The answer is an emphatic yes!

There are many qualities that a good dog trainer should have and none of them are the ability to hear or speak. Many a deaf dog has learned obedience through the use of hand signals and other kinds of body language. There is no reason you can’t use the same techniques with Mikey.

Qualities of a Good Trainer
Deafness in no way should prevent anyone from training their dog. A good dog trainer is someone who is patient. Dogs don’t learn in an instant. It takes time, consistency, and patience to teach a dog tricks or obedience. A good trainer is also someone who is calm. It can be very frustrating when little Mikey refuses to acknowledge your sign for sit. You must remain calm. Throwing a tantrum will only disrupt and set back the training process.

A good trainer has knowledge and skills. You can’t expect to train Mikey successfully simply because you think you know how to do it. You need to go out and do some research. Read books about training techniques, watch shows about training, or take a class with a professional dog trainer. However you learn about training, take those lessons home and use them on Mikey.

Using Hand Signals
Even dogs and people who can hear can learn obedience by hand signals. Using hand signals works just as well as using vocal commands. In fact, many trainers combine spoken commands with hand signals when training dogs. You and Mikey can learn some signals and will be able to communicate with each other with ease.

Introduce Mikey to a hand signal and the behavior that goes with it using basic positive reinforcement training. The trick is to catch Mike doing what you want him to do and to give him your signal and a reward, such as a treat. For example, your signal for sit could be pointing at the floor. Get Mikey’s attention and point at the floor. Wait for him to sit and when he does, give him a treat. It could take a long time when you first introduce a new signal and behavior, but eventually he will begin to associate a pointed finger with sitting and getting a treat. This is basically what trainers who use vocal commands do to introduce a new behavior. The only difference is the signal.

You and Mikey have the potential to have a great relationship with each other. The more you train him, the more you will bond and communicate. He will understand what you expect of him and that makes dogs very happy. A happy Mikey means no more trash on the floor or chewed up shoes. When Mikey is happy, you’re happy. Be patient, consistent, and calm and you and Mikey will be successful.

With Halloween quickly approaching, you might be scrambling for something to make your pooch look festive. The most important thing is to be considerate to them. If they appear to be frightened, don’t push them to wear an item. If they are laid back, you are likely to have better luck. They might not wear the costume for an entire evening, but at least long enough to get some fun photos taken, so at the very least, you can plaster them all over Facebook.

Basic Guidelines
The guidelines are similar to those to bear in mind with costumes for children. Masks are always best avoided when possible. If anything could cause a tripping or falling hazard or impair vision, it should be removed from the costume. Many costumes can be altered to suit your dog’s needs. Costumes often involve some sort of hat that goes over their ears. Many are fine with this. If there is anything that wraps around their chest or stomach, be sure that it’s not too tight. You want to be sure their breathing is not restricted, which could cause them to panic.

Homemade Costumes
If there’s nothing at your local pet store that really suits your dog’s personality, or you can’t find something to properly fit your large dog, you might try making them a costume. When making your own costume, you can use velcro, which is a lot easier than buttons, snaps or zippers and definitely safer for your pooch should they decide to remove the costume. If they do, you can always pop on a festive bandana. Most dogs are OK with this, as it feels similar to their collar.

Trick or Treating
If you decide to take your dog along and make trick or treating a family affair, be aware of your dog’s behavior. There will be lots of stimulating activity, noise and sights they aren’t used to. Even the most well behaved dog can act out when they are frightened or over stimulated. There will be lots of children tempted to pet your dog. If you have any doubts at all about whether your dog will be OK with this, you should leave them at home, which is the safest option. If your dog has been in such situations before, be sure that they have reflective tape on their collar and part of their costume so that they can easily be seen.

If you have a dog that is particularly shy or skittish, you might find them a safe place to stay while trick or treaters are visiting your house. All of the commotion with door knocking and doorbell ringing might be too much for them. Create a safe haven for them with some food, water, a bed or blanket and a favorite toy. Be sure to check on them every hour or so to be sure they don’t have to go out.

Halloween Treats
Pet stores often have special treats for different holidays so that your furry family members can be included as well. It is especially important to keep candy away from your dog or even anywhere they can even potentially reach it. Chocolate is especially dangerous, as it contains not only caffeine, but also theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. If you see any nausea or vomiting in your dog, and suspect they may have eaten some chocolate, get them to the vet immediately.

Another danger that might not come to mind as quickly are the shiny wrappers candy comes in. They are crinkly, shiny and make fun sounds when they’re chewed on. Unfortunately, they can wreak havoc on your dog’s digestive tract, especially if they’re made of foil. Plastic wrappers can make their way through and out without incident, but can also cause problems. Best to be sure all wrappers are disposed of properly.

Halloween can really be as fun for your dog as it is for you and the family. By following these simple guidelines, your dog may even look forward to next year.

It is a wholly natural feeling if you love the dog you own to want to breed her. There are millions of reasons pet owners give for thinking about breeding little Fifi. Accidents aside, which should have been prevented by responsible pet owners, none of the common reasons for breeding a pet are very good. Difficult as they may be to swallow, once you read what is to follow, the earnest attempt of this article is to discourage you from breeding either for your own pleasure or for purposes of turning your dog into a business.

Some of these you may have considered and others you may not have but it’s a good idea to debunk all the reasons people give for wanting to breed their dogs.

“I just love my little Fifi so much; I want another just like her.”
Dogs are complete individuals. While it is true that if you breed two purebred dogs, you will get a dog of the same breed, there is absolutely no insurance that you will get a dog just like “Fifi.” In fact, the chances are slim to none, because what makes little Fifi special are personal traits unique to her.

“I want my children to experience the joys of birth.”
There are many, many safer and better ways to teach your children about the birthing process. What you’re more likely to teach them about is the pain of the breeding process, the loss of their favorite pet due to a birthing complication and/or the illness or death of one or more puppies. You can teach your children about responsible pet ownership by adopting a less sought after, but highly appreciative dog from the shelter. This message will stick with them well into adulthood.

“I’m not in it to make money…”
That’s fabulous! Because as a serious breeder, you’re not going to make any, but as a pet owner playing around without concern for or awareness of genetics, your experiments and dabbles in the breeding world are likely to cost you quite a bit. Without the proper research into your dog’s genetic background, health testing and the same for the sire (father) of the puppies, you’re very likely to be breeding little time bombs that will become seriously ill or disabled as they get older.

A note on the aforementioned health tests: Just because you have taken little Fifi to the veterinarian for a yearly checkup and he’s said she’s fine does not mean she has been health tested. Both Fifi and Fido (the sire) should be tested for any hereditary disease specific to that dog. And thanks to selective breeding over the last 200 years or more, all dogs have many and most of them are very unpleasant. Some are debilitating, others are horrifically painful and still others are fatal. All breeds, regardless of breed should be tested for cardiac problems, hip dysplasia, and eye problems. These tests can be enormously expensive.

“My dog isn’t a purebred, I just want to have a few puppies and all my friends want one so I know they’re going to a good home.”
If you have already placed more puppies than you can possibly expect from a breeding, you’re one up on the game, but the problem is many of those people will back down when it comes time to pick up little Fifiette. Even if they don’t, do you really want to give people you care about, or even people you don’t, a puppy that you don’t know anything about genetically, and may be hiding serious genetic diseases? That’s no fun for your friends, the little Fifiettes and in turn, it won’t be fun for you.

The Truth About Breeding That Few People Discuss
If you were to trace where every puppy that was purchased from a breeder ends up, you would find that a good percentage end up in the very same shelters you are avoiding adopting from when you breed dogs. What oftentimes occurs is that the dog ends up being too much for the inexperienced owner. People fall in love with a certain look of a dog and have no clue what the breed’s typical temperament is. The result is ending up with an overly protective, highly intelligent, in desperate need of copious amounts of exercise German Shepherd, for example, who doesn’t fit in with two people whose livelihoods depend on being away from home 10 hours a day.

Before you think about breeding little Fifi, visit your local animal shelter and find a little dog who desperately needs a good home. Very little replaces the feeling of saving a dog from an otherwise miserable life.

You are what you eat; this age old adage is just as true for our furry friends as it is for us, which is why choosing the right food for your dog isn’t as simple as picking off the shelf whatever happens to be on offer.

Working out a healthy nutrition and exercise for your pooch will help them live a longer and happier life. Of course, alongside this most pet owners now choose to take out pet insurance for their animals in order to help ensure their long term health. If you are looking for insurance for your pet, make sure you conduct research by searching for UK dog insurance quotes at Pets at Home.

The first factor that will determine the choice of food you buy for your dog is the age of your pet. Puppies and young dogs require specialist food to help supply them with the high levels of protein, calories, vitamins and minerals required for growth and development. They are also likely to eat smaller portions of food on a more regular basis than their older counterparts. Similarly, you may find that older dogs require a diet suited to their specific needs such as foods that are more easily digested or strengthen bones.

The second decision for you to make is to choose between dry, wet or semi-moist food. There is some controversy concerning which of these food types are better for different breeds and many dog owners choose to feed their pet a diet that includes all three types of food. If you are in doubt which to choose you may want to ask for recommendations from your dog breeder, alternatively the process is likely to be a trial and error process. However, one point that is important to remember is that dogs don’t respond well to dietary change. With this in mind any alteration to your pet’s diet should be made gradually over a couple of weeks.

Does this sound like you? “I feed Gigi very well. She gets two squares a day and I even add my baked chicken and rice to her already nutritious kibble and she still eats our cat’s poop!” “No matter what I do, Winston just knows when Ezra has done her business in the litter box and makes a bee line for it!” Much as this is going to disgust you to hear it, this is not only normal – yuck! – it’s also a universal complaint of nearly every single dog owner. So universal, there is a name for it: coprophagia. Coprophagia is defined as the deliberate ingestion of fecal matter. Consider Winston and Gigi in great company. Some 80% of dog owners at one point or another find their dogs returning from the litter box smacking their lips.

Why Do Dogs Engage in Such a Disgusting Ritual?
There are actually several theories behind this question. Theories of course suggest that animal behaviorists are split on why canines love feline feces. One theory suggests that dogs are supplementing their diet with something – mainly protein – they are deficient in, which evidently exists in Ezra’s excrement. Indeed it is true that a cat’s diet consists of much higher levels of protein than does a dog’s; you need only read the ingredients in their respective kibble bags to confirm this. However, with many dog owners supplementing their pups’ dry food with extra chicken, beef or lamb (whether raw or cooked), suggests this theory is lacking some validity – or perhaps it’s outdated.

Another theory lies in the “Monkey see, monkey do” adage. Winston sees you cleaning out Ezra’s litter box and carting the goodies off to either your toilet, garbage or in baggie. Winston, the oh so practical, helpful and obedient observer that you have raised him to be, figures he’ll cut out the middle man – the toilet or the baggie – and give mom or dad a little helping paw. “I’ll take care of that for you!” Mouth wide open, tail wagging and lips are smacking! In this author’s eyes, this might seem the plausible.

One other even less plausible theory suggests that both Winston and Gigi are begging you for attention. Not sure about you, but if you have ever observed your dog’s urge to vacuum up the “goodies,” this isn’t around your dog’s schedule but rather when Ezra does her business – which is usually not on a timer. Whether it’s during dinner, at 3:00 in the morning or just after a long hike you’ve just been on with your dog, the moment their feline sister or brother does the business, it’s as though there’s a bell ringing and off they go to the litter box. Often they’ll return, not only with the evidence still clearly caked in their teeth, but oh so happy to give you a big doggy kiss, tongue and all. Does this sound like an-attention seeking dog?

If It’s Normal, Does that Mean It’s Okay?
Unfortunately, for all its normalcy, it’s not healthy – that is physically. Unfortunately, there are a few thousand reasons you should do your best to persuade Gigi from eating cat poop. Cats, although slightly more discriminating eaters than dogs – after all they are too dignified to eat another animal’s poop – can have parasites. Some are visible, like those white ones you may see from time to time, those are whipworms. Sometimes they aren’t always because the colors might blend with the feces making them difficult to detect. Gigi eats up the goodies and bang! She too has parasites, which means a costly trip to the vet for a 3-day dose of antiparasite medicine.

Now That You Know That Your Dog is Normal, How Do You Get Him or Her to Stop?
This might be a much easier said than done. As with anything when you are training your dog, there is the 3-second rule. You have literally three seconds to catch Winston in the act if your admonishment is going to be effective. First of all, remembering that he very well might be mimicking your behavior, chastising him and then returning to clean it out another day or hour later will only confuse him. What you could do is the following:

• As soon as you see Ezra on her way to the litter box, waiting around the corner, because you know she’s got shy about pooping in public, wait till she’s done and for the one-dog parade to follow in behind her. Before he even gets his jaws clamped on the goody, say loudly, “No, Winston! Leave it!” Of course this will take a few times before it sinks in. This habit didn’t start overnight, and it surely will take some repetition to break it.

• When you go into whatever room you keep Ezra’s litter in, don’t allow Gigi or Winston to follow and watch you scoop it. Keep a little trash bin next to the litter box and dispose of the “yummy treats” and remove them at another time, after his or her mind is no longer fixated on them.

• Another solution, although this will require both time and a financial investment on your part is to create a hole in the wall or door and install a cat door for Ezra – large enough for her, too small for her canine sister or brother.

Breaking your dog of this habit won’t be easy, but with a little patience and perseverance, you can stop him or her from feasting on your cat’s feces.