Whether it is a move across the neighborhood or a move across the country, moving can be stressful. Packing everything you own in boxes and moving to a whole new place can be a daunting task. The last minute boxes, things you need that are packed who-knows-where and the cleaning of the old place can be quite overwhelming. Moving is also complicated further when you have a dog to consider during the process. While it can be an added challenge for you it is important to remember how stressful it is for your dog as well. Dogs are creatures of routine and they get used to the way things are so any major change can be a real struggle for your pooch pal. There are things that you can do before, during and after the move to ease his worried mind.

Before the move is the planning and preparation stage. During this period try to pack your belongings over time, not in one fell swoop. While you do this over a week or two span try to keep his daily routine as normal as possible. Pay a little extra attention to him, but do not coddle and baby him. Your behavior should quietly assure him that everything is going to be fine. You should also prepare a box that you pack last or carry with you including his Veterinary records and first aid items. This pack should also contain food and water so he will have a meal and fresh water on the ready upon arrival at the new place. You might also want to go have a new identification tag made with your new contact information so he can wear both on moving day. In case he gets loose or becomes lost there are two places his people can be found.

On the day of the move decide where the dog will stay during the loading process. If he is crate trained then he can stay in his carrier while the house is being packed away in the truck. If you do not have a crate; then use a bathroom. Place food, water and a toy in the bathroom with your dog and shut the door. Place a sign on the door saying keep out to make sure the movers do not inadvertently let your dog out. It is very easy for a loose dog to slip out of the house on moving day. With loads going in and out the door it doesn’t always get shut properly. Your dog also runs the risk of injuring himself or others if loose on moving day. Having a dog underfoot while trying to move a heavy piece of furniture is not safe for anyone involved. Your dog and his carrier should e the last thing loaded at the old place and the first thing unloaded at the new place.

Upon arrival at the new place take your dog out and let him explore the yard and use the potty before placing him in the new house in his carrier. If you have the time, bring him in the house, shut the door and let him explore for a few minutes. If possible, set up his crate in an out of the way area where he can have some peace and quite. If this is not possible, secure him in the bathroom and begin to unload the house.

After the move your dog will be extremely curious about all of your belongings stacked up everywhere. Be patient with him and let him explore. As soon as you can do so make sure to set up his bed, carrier, bowls and toys. Try to settle him in before you focus on the rest of the house to make him feel at home. The more at home he feels, the more relaxed he will be and the more relaxed he is, the easier it will be for you to take care of the business of unpacking. While it sounds like a lot of extra work, it will be worth it in the long run. Dogs get stressed easily and stress can lead to destructive behavior if left unattended to.

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Doggy doors can be quite a convenience for dog owners and a source of freedom for their pooches. There are a variety of doggie doors on the market including those designed for standard doors, screen doors, sliding glass doors and even garage doors. They provide a place for your pet to come and go on his own for a quick pee break or a few laps around the yard to chase a squirrel. Doggy doors are particularly convenient for owners of puppies or senior dogs who need to use the restroom more often than other dogs. They are also a welcome aid to couch potato owners who would like for their dog to have the option of coming and going as he pleases. Other owners simply feel better knowing that their dog has access to the yard as well as their comfy bed and food bowl while they are away at work.

While a doggy door sounds like the solution to a host of dog problems, it can be a nightmare for some dog owners. Some rush out to purchase a top of the line, energy efficient doggy door and then return home to carefully install it only to find that their dog refuses to go through it. This can be extremely frustrating for you and your dog, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent problem. With some training for your dog combined with some patience from you, your dog will soon be going in and out on his own in no time.

As any training with your dog, start slowly. Let your dog explore the new door upon bringing it home. Let him see you take it out of the box and allow him to sniff it and investigate it on his own terms. Upon installation, let your dog begin the investigation process again all over again without your intervention. The door can be a major road block for some dogs so before you try to get him to go through the door, try tacking or propping the door up and out of the way. Make sure that the door is firmly intact and out of the way because if it falls on your dog during his first attempt to pass he will likely be afraid to try again.

Once your dog seems comfortable with the new door and the door flap is safely out of the way try laying out a trail of irresistible treats from one side of the door to the other. Try small pieces of hot dogs or cheese, not standard treats he gets regularly. Most dogs will go through the door at this point, but if your dog does not, do not force him to do so. Simply allow him to eat the treats inside and try again the next day. Training will work best with a hungry dog so try not feeding him the morning you start training again. Once your dog has followed the treat trail through the door give him plenty of attention and praise. Next time simply try sitting outside of the door holding a treat and call your dog to come through and get it.

After a few days of this try slowly lowering the flap and repeating the treating behavior. Over the next few days repeat this process until he comes through the door flap and all. Be patient during this process. If you force your dog he will likely not want to use the door in the future. You are essentially working to gain your dog’s trust and build his confidence with a new experience. Confident and well-adjusted dogs will sometimes complete this training in a matter of minutes while the more timid variety may take a week or two to push through on their own.

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Have you ever caught yourself having a one sided conversation with your dog? You are not alone; most of us find ourselves talking to our dogs for various reasons. Some of us tell him he’s a good boy while some of us have full on conversations with our dog asking him questions like what he wants to eat that night or if he would like a belly rub. Some of the conversations are not as pleasant and we find ourselves demanding to know why our dog messed on the floor, tore through the trash or ate this season’s must have peep-toe platform pumps. While a few of us are convinced our dog does everything but speak English himself, the rest of us know that he can’t understand what we are saying. No matter how clever the dog they just can’t reason or rationalize or understand our conversations. So how can we communicate with our dogs?

Perhaps we should begin by looking at how dogs communicate with each other. Dogs communicate primarily through movements of their ears, eye, tail, mouth and their entire bodies known as body language. They also use vocal barks, whines and howls, but their primary mode of communication is body language. While there are no hard and fast rules to all body signals; there are certain signs we can look for to determine what our dogs are saying to each other. A dog’s tail can be a good indicator of mood. If the tail is held high in the air then the dog is alert and confident, but when the tail is tucked between his legs then he is afraid. When the fur on the tail bristles while between his legs he is showing fear, but is willing to defend and could possibly show aggression if provoked. A tail wag can mean two different things depending on the speed of the wag. If it is fast then your dog is excited and wants to play. If it is slow then he is assessing the situation and is unsure of how he feels about it.

In addition to the tail, ears are a great way to tell what your dog has on his mind. When his ears are up and facing forward he is attentive and open, but when he lays them back he might be frightened. He will also use his eyebrows to indicate attention levels. While your pooches’ eyebrows may not be apparent he will raise and lower his eyes similarly to a human. Raised eyebrows indicate interest while lowered indicate fear. A dog with one eyebrow up and the other down indicates confusion. While you might not recognized these subtle communications dogs use other more obvious motions to communicate with each other.

A dog can use his entire body to display his mood. When he is excited or wants something he will keep his back legs still and stamp his front feet alternating between the left and right. Some dogs will use their legs to show interest in a particular object by raising one leg and pointing. Other dogs paw at items they are interested in and offer their paws if interested, mimicking the human handshake. Another way a dog shows interest is known as play bow. This is similar to downward facing dog if you are familiar with yoga. The dog places his front legs flat on the ground while standing up with his back legs in a bowing position. This is almost always an open invitation for playtime. 

If some of these signals sound familiar to you it is probably because we use body language every day to communicate with our spouses, friends and co-workers. In fact, depending upon the expert you ask; humans convey almost half of the meaning from interactions with others through body language or non-verbal cues. Try applying this to your pooch and you are well on your way to communicating with him. Of course you can still sneak in a conversation or two from time to time; your secret is safe with us.

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Positive reinforcement is a training method in which a reinforcement is given directly after a behavior is completed in efforts to increase the probability of that behavior’s occurrence. This method of training was pioneered by B.F. Skinner and is a form of operant conditioning because it seeks to influence voluntary or, operant behavior. If all of this sounds complicated think of it in terms of consequences for bad behavior and rewards for good behavior. In terms of positive reinforcement the reward for the completion of the desired behavior becomes what is known as the reinforcer. You might be thinking to yourself, that’s great, but what does this have to do with training my dog. The answer is simple; train him by using rewards or praise when he does the right thing and not by punishment when he doesn’t.

The first step is to find out what motivates your dog. Most people use treats as enforcers when using positive reinforcement training; however, some dogs respond just as well to praise, toys or physical affection. If you decide to use food then it is best to use small nibbles of soft food like bits of hot dog or cheese. These treats are especially enticing and do not take a long time to eat so Rover will be ready for his next treat. Once you have chosen the reward, come up with a list of commands for your dog and use them every time. Commands should be no more than two words in length if possible. Sit, stay, down, come and leave it are some of the most basic. With these two basics you are ready to begin.

Start by having your dog complete a simple behavior like sit. As soon as hit sits say good sit as you give him a treat. If your dog will not sit than put the treat in front of his nose and raise your hand upwards. He will instinctively angle for the treat resulting in a somewhat seated position. As soon as he does this give him a treat as you say good sit. This is known as shaping. He may not necessarily be completing the command all the way, but you can shape his behavior by giving treats the moment he gets close to performing the command correctly. Consistently using the same commands with praise and a treat the moment the command is achieved will cause your dog to associate the two and begin to perform the commands more quickly in anticipation of the treat.

As soon as your dog masters a new trick you can begin to wean him off the treats for every correct response. At this stage continue verbal praise and the repeating of the command as done prior, but now refrain from giving a treat every time. At this stage you should be giving treats intermittently so he receives one some of the time, but doesn’t at others. Eventually your dog will have associated something positive for performing this trick and will be able to perform it with no tricks or treats, although a little treat never hurts in further reinforcement of the behavior. This is also a good stage to introduce new commands. When introducing new commands go back to start and reward him every time while praising at the exact moment the desired behavior occurred.

The theory of positive reinforcement training is simple. You want your dog to have manners and follow basic obedience commands and your dog wants to please you and eat yummy treats. When you put the two together the most important thing to remember is the timing involved when administering the reinforcer. If you get Fido in a sit and wait for him to begin to stand up afterwards to give him the treat then you are enforcing the stand and not the sit. So remember, as soon as the behavior occurs give the treat and the praise. Consistency will get you everywhere you want to be when training your dog. 

This article was submitted by the authors at pet-super-store a site featuring hidden fence, pet doors and orthopedic dog beds

The holiday season is almost here, and you know what that means: shopping. As you peruse your family member’s numerous wish lists, you will notice that Fido hasn’t created one. During the holidays, people usually have enough on their mind without having to think of items to purchase for their pet; however, dogs are vital members of the family, and deserve a few stocking stuffers this year. To help you during this busy season, a list of the top ten (in no particular order) doggie stocking stuffers has been assembled for your convenience. Take a look:

1. Doggie boots. If you live in an area where ice and snow are common during the winter months, doggie boots are a wonderful gift! They will help keep your pet’s precious paws toasty warm and protected from the harsh elements that can cause cracking and bleeding.

2. Greenies® dental chews. A package of these dental chews is absolutely perfect for your pet’s stocking. These chews are specifically designed to clean your pet’s teeth as they enjoy the delicious and tasty treat. Greenies® products are nutritious, easy to digest and are available in 5 different styles and textures to match your pet’s chewing habits.

3. Kong chew toy. These fun toys are made with a natural rubber that is known for its durability and unlimited buoyancy. Complete with holes on the ends, it allows you to place your pet’s favorite puppy treats inside for a special holiday delight!

4. Stuffed animal. Every pet needs a special stuffed animal as a friend. There are multiple kinds and varieties of pet stuffed animals available at practically any pet supply store. Pick the size and type of animal that you feel your pet will most enjoy!

5. Fleece blanket. Every pet enjoys a warm blanket to drag around throughout the day. Little fleece throws are inexpensive, warm, and the perfect accessory to your pet’s comfy doggie bed.

6. Sweater. Let’s face it: sweaters may just be the default holiday gift when someone doesn’t know what to buy for their in-laws or nieces and nephews. However, dogs can benefit by having a sweater to keep them warm and toasty throughout the cold winter months, in addition to being chic and fashionable!

7. Tennis ball or squeaky ball. Pets need a ball to play catch with, and Christmas is the perfect time to restock your pet with their favorite toys. These balls are small and fit perfectly in Fido’s stocking!

8. Bone. Again, a must have for each and every dog, regardless of how big or small they are. Every pet needs a good, solid, traditional dog bone, and they are perfect stocking stuffers!

9. Meat-flavored doggie treats. One thing dog’s love is the taste of meat. However, meat is not always the best choice of diet for your pooch. So what do you do? Give them meat-flavored doggie treats. When your pet smells you cooking your holiday ham, turkey, or roast beef, they can have a little something to chew on as well, while keeping them healthy and safe at the same time.

10. Grooming supplies. Perfect as a holiday stocking stuffer, go ahead and give your pet a new brush, shampoo, nail clippers, etc. Your pet will want to look their very best this season!

Hopefully this short stocking stuffer list has helped ease a bit of the holiday stress. Enjoy your shopping, and your pet will thank you for all of their wonderful holiday treats!

About the Author:

This article was submitted by the authors at Pet Super Store - an online pet supplies site featuring leading brands: Dogtra, Tri-Tronics, and PetSafe.