Training a Puppy on the Basics

It is always a joyous occasion when you first bring home a new puppy. The first thing you will need to do is to work on manners. Training a puppy can be a trying time in a persons life, but it is needed to mold your puppy into an obedient individual. It's always nice when people compliment you on how well-behaved your puppy is. Early training will help your pup grow into a well adjusted adult dog and make for an excellent companion.

Housebreaking - Housebreaking can be accomplished with less stress when a crate is used. Make sure to purchase a crate that will be large enough for the puppy when s/he is full grown. This area should have bedding and lots of toys inside. The puppy should spend no more than a couple of hours in the crate at a time, then be allowed outside to relieve him/herself. Let the pup run around the house a bit before going back in the crate. A routine will set in after you know the puppy's bathroom schedule.

Stop the Chewing - Chewing seems to be a pastime of all puppies. Some do this out of boredom, while others are trying to find relief from new teeth emerging. If it is a teething situation, place some crushed ice inside an old sock and tie a knot in the end. Let the pup chew on this every now and then, storing it in the freezer when not in use. If the pup begins chewing on an item that isn't a dog toy, take the object away while saying, "No!" and then place one of his/her toys in place of the forbidden object.

Socializing the Puppy - Puppies sometimes need to hang out with other canines, even though they are very dependent on humans. If you happen to know other puppies of a similar age, try to arrange play dates.

This will allow interaction with other dogs, as well as plenty of time to wrestle and rough house with puppies. When you take your puppy for a walk and come across other dogs, check with the owners to see if it might be alright to introduce your puppy to their puppy or dog. This can be a great way to meet new playmates.

Halt Jumping - There's nothing as frustrating as a muddy dog that jumps up onto people. Teaching a puppy to not jump up is easier than fighting with a large dog that has this habit. If the puppy starts jumping, simply turn your back on him/her until s/he calms down. Talking to the puppy, even if you're trying to reprimand him/her, only shows approval.

The words don't mean anything to a puppy, eye contact and talking seem like a positive thing to him/her. Once s/he is calm, provide a treat so that good behavior is rewarded.

There needs to be a constant routine when training a puppy. Try not to become discouraged with the whole process. Consistency also helps to speed up training, since repetition puts the idea inside little puppy brains much faster. Be prepared for some whining and crying when using the crate for housebreaking, this is perfectly normal and will pass with time.

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Dog Grooming Basics - Yorkshire Terrier Grooming

There are many wonderful breeds of dog to choose from, but the Yorkshire Terrier is by far one of the most popular and for good reason. They are lovable, friendly, and loyal dogs and they are absolutely adorable. There are a few downfalls to owning a Yorkie however, which you of course will want to be aware of before you decide on this breed for yourself.

Yorkshire Terrier grooming in particular takes a fair bit of time and effort, and so if you are an extremely busy person then you may want to go with a different breed of dog. Grooming is of course important with all dogs but Yorkies more than almost any other need a lot of care and maintenance. Especially because of their long hair, duties such as brushing, shampooing and conditioning are going to be a regular task. Performing these grooming tasks, although beneficial to the owner pet relationship, can be outsourced to a professional groomer.

One of the most important things in Yorkshire Terrier grooming is bathing. Bathing will help to keep their hair clean and tangle free, and the best idea is to give them what is known as a pre-bath. During this pre-bath you want to go through their fur and look for any snarls or tangles, and get these free before actually giving them a bath. This is because if you do it before the hair gets wet you will find it easier to get out any knots.

You also want to make sure that you get their coat trimmed on a regular basis, and you can do this yourself if you have experience or know what you are doing. Otherwise you will want to bring them to a professional groomer for this so that you do not leave them with a butchered looking haircut. You will of course have to pay a fee for this service but it will be well worth it to have your dog looking great.

Yorkshire Terriers really do make wonderful pets. Not only are they great pets but they are great friends, and every Yorkshire Terrier owner is nothing less than superbly proud of their dog. As long as you perform proper and regular grooming, including Yorkshire Terrier cuts, you should not have any problems and you will have a beautiful and healthy dog.

Take care when you are choosing the grooming products and tools that you want to get for your dog, such as shampoo, conditioner, brushes and nail clippers. You want to choose items that are going to be high quality but which are not going to be overly expensive. Check out your local pet shops, but keep in mind that there are also many specialty pet shops you may want to browse through. Shopping online for your pet products is another great idea, but make sure that you take care when shopping over the Internet.

Susan Bailey loves everything having to do with dogs, including Yorkshire Terrier history. The Yorkshire Terrier was a much larger breed in the beginning. This author is currently writing a series of articles containing Yorkshire Terrier information for interested readers.

Dog Grooming Basics - Poodles Made Perfect

Many people choose a Poodle for a pet because it is small and dainty. People who live in apartment buildings really cannot keep a big Labrador so they choose the Poodle. While this breed is very small and can easily be maintained people find it hard to do so simply because of the lack of time.

Specializing in poodle grooming will be good for your dog grooming business because there are so many of them around. Further every second dog through your doors will be a poodle!

Poodles are famous for their grooming and if you can master the art of cutting and styling a poodle's fur you are well on your way to success. These dogs are highly sophisticated little animals, very elegant and aristocratic in their bearing and you will really need to know what you are doing to do justice to their grooming.

Some of the tools you will need to groom a poodle include a brush for the fur, preferably a wire pin brush and a matt brush to remove the knots and tangles in the fur. Because of the density of their fur poodles are quite often susceptible to itch and fleas. To prevent against this, you will need to have a special anti itch and flea shampoo. You will also need clips to trim the nails, and a dryer. Finally you will need professional scissors designed to cut poodle fur.

A word of warning, poodles can get easily agitated and nervous, when they do they are quite apt to nip the hand closest to them. Always check with the owner about the dog's behavior before you stick your hand near its mouth. You should have muzzles of varying sizes to hand as part of your grooming equipment and it is no hardship to muzzle the dog.

Brushing a dog's coat to remove tangles and get rid of knots is the first step in the grooming process. Use the matt brush for the knots and be gentle as it can hurt quite a lot. Brushing needs to be done in smooth gentle strokes until the coat starts to shine.

Step two of the poodle grooming process is to clean the ears; dogs with plenty of fur covering their ears are prone to itch and infection. You can clean the ears very gently using medicated disinfectant ear wash. You can follow up with the bath and then trim the nails.

Clipping a Poodle's fur requires patience and a special skill that should be learned in advance. You can use these tips to help you in your Poodle grooming efforts.

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