• Can A Dog Tell When You’re Sad?

    Posted on April 12th, 2013
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    Dogs are much more perceptive than we think.  You may not be able to talk with him about your bad day at work but when he lies next to you with his nose on your lap, you can tell he just gets it.

    Did you know a dog’s mind is roughly equivalent to that of a human two-year old’s and they have the social consciousness of a teenager? The following are emotions dogs can sense you are feeling:

    Sadness: When you are down in the dumps, your dog will probably act extra-tame. Why do you think they use dogs for therapy for sick and elderly people? Scientists are still a few steps away from saying dogs have true empathy for humans but they are optimistic. In a study published in the journal Animal Cognition dogs would lick all around sad people’s hands or faces and some sweetly brought over toys.

    Unfairness – Your dog may notice if you play favorites with other pets. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that when dogs saw other dogs getting treats for a trick they’d been performing unrewarded, the uncompensated dogs became visible distressed. In the study, as long as both dogs received a treat, one with a piece of sausage, the other with a piece of bread, both dogs were happy.

    Priorities – When a baby comes home from the hospital and your pet is not longer the focus of your attention, he’ll pick that up pretty quickly. In some cases it can even lead to depression. Make sure you show love to your dog as well as your baby. A good suggestion is to bring an extra swaddling blanket to the hospital, wrap the baby in it, then bring it home and put it where your dog sleeps. This way your dog gets used to the scent from the very beginning and associates it with something he likes.

    Annoyed or mad – If you’re angry with your dog, he’ll act submissive. That’s where the puppy dog look comes in. Interestingly enough, dog owners who scolded their pets whether or not they acted up, found the guilty look didn’t necessarily correspond to the dogs that actually had been naughty.

    Fear – If something is menacing in your home, say a rat or intruder, as soon as you give off scared vibes, your dog will pick up on them. Unless you have a breed of dog that acts more as a guardian, your dog will most likely be just as scared as you are in that frightening situation. Your dog will usually mimic your emotion you put out. For example if you act cautiously and shy away, your dog probably will too.

    Generosity – Did you know dogs watch and listen to your social interactions with other humans? In a study done out of the University of Milan, researchers had dogs observe two actors: one who kindly shared his cereal and sausage bits with a beggar, and another who shooed off the beggar harshly. Scientists found that, more often than not, dogs approached the more generous person when prompted—and it seems that a friendlier tone of voice made a difference. So beware: Your dog may judge your personality while you yell at your husband or kids.

    Sickness – Believe it or not, it is not an urban legend that dogs can sniff out sickness. A fascinating research shows that many diseases, like lung cancer and prostate cancer, cause the body to give off odors that dogs are able to detect. In certain situations, a dog’s nose is between 1,000 and 10,000 times better than a human being’s. Dogs may not necessarily know if something is wrong, but they can tell something is definitely different.

    Attention – Your pet is most likely sneakier than you think. In a study, researchers put treats on the floor in front several dogs, forbidding them to eat the food. The dogs behaved as long as the person watching them stayed in the room. When the person left, the dogs ate the treats within 5 seconds.

  • How To care For Your Dog’s Teeth

    Posted on March 25th, 2013
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    Caring for your dog’s teeth.

    Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to caring for your dog’s teeth. Avoid disease with these helpful tips:

    Starting a dental care routine as early as possible in your dog’s life will help him get used to the feeling of having his teeth brushed and inspected. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth that typically fall out by about six months of age. By this time, your dog should be getting his teeth brushed regularly.

    Here are some important tips to keep in mind when brushing your dog’s teeth:

    • Use a “finger brush” or special long toothbrush designed for use on dogs. When starting out with brushing, the finger brush can help ease your dog into it, as these do not feel as awkward as hard brushes.
    • Don’t ever use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth – it can make your dog sick. Use special enzymatic toothpaste made especially for dogs. The same goes for oral rinses. You can pick these up at The Country Feed Store.
    • Plaque begins to turn into tartar / calculus within 24-48 hours, so daily brushing is recommended. Work your dog’s tooth brushing into your own routine – consider brushing his teeth around the same time you do yours so it will be easier to remember.
    • Before you begin, ask your veterinarian to show you some techniques to make tooth brushing easier on you and your dog.

    If you are not able to brush your dog’s teeth, there are other options. Consider using oral rinses made especially for dogs. You can also purchase special dental treats. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastrointestinal upset, they may also cause tooth fractures.

  • Crazy Facts About Dogs

    Posted on March 20th, 2013
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    Great Dog Facts!

    Check out some of these dogs facts we have compiled together. Do you have some crazy dog facts? Share them with us by commenting on our blog!

    • Boxers were named after their habit of playing. At the beginning of play with another dog, a Boxer will stand on his hind legs and ‘box’ at his opponent.
    • The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.
    • Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.
    • Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet.
    • A dog’s nose has over 200 scent receiving cells.
    • 21% of dogs and 7% of cats snore.
    • Newfoundland’s are such great swimmers because of their webbed feet.  Basset Hounds cannot swim at all.
    • All dogs are the descendant of the wolf that lived in eastern Asia about 15,000 years ago.
    • Dogs are natural pack animals and they are naturally submissive to any dog with a higher pack status – human or canine.
    • 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave them messages on an answering machine.
    • A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the sent glands in its anal region which a very vulnerable part of the anatomy. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs, the tail between the legs action is the dog’s equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
    • A dog’s nose print is as unique as a human’s finger print and can be used to accurately identify them.
    • Soulmates: More than half of us say we share characteristics with our dogs!
    • During the Vietnam war 4500 working dogs were sent to aid the troops.
    • The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be the Border Collie, the Poodle, and the Golden Retriever.
    • A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a humans.
    • Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star… and he really signed his movie contracts, all 22 of them with a paw print!
    • A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human.
    • Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.
  • How To Potty Train Your Dog

    Posted on March 13th, 2013
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    Potty training tips for your dog.

    Do you have a new puppy learning how to potty train? Clear the Air works great for eliminating odors from your dog’s accidents in the house. Plus, it is non-toxic and completely safe even if ingested.

    Click Here to learn more about eliminating dog urine and feces odors.

    Check out some helpful potty training tips for your dog:

    1. Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
    2. Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
    3. Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
    4. Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
    5. If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
    6. Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
    7. Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.

    Be consistent and use lots of praise while controlling his environment and soon your dog will be happily going potty outside. Do you have potty training tips you’d like to share? Please comment on our blog.

  • Tips To House Train Your Puppy

    Posted on January 9th, 2013
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    How to House Train Your Puppy. The following is an article from the ASPCA about house training your puppy.

    If you have accidents in your home from your puppy, please remember to use Clear the Air’s Carpet and Furniture Odor Eliminator. We guarantee it will work 100%.

    House training is accomplished by rewarding your puppy for eliminating where you want him to go (outside) AND by preventing him from urinating or defecating in unacceptable places (inside the house). You should keep crating and confinement to a minimum, but some amount of restriction is usually necessary for your puppy to learn to “hold it.”

    How Long It Will Take – Some puppies learn where and where not to eliminate at a very young age, while others take longer to understand. Most puppies can be reasonably housetrained by four to six months of age. However, some puppies are not 100% reliable until they are eight to twelve months of age. Some puppies seem to catch on early but then regress. This is normal. Keep in mind that it may take a while for your puppy to develop bowel and bladder control. He may be mentally capable of learning to eliminate outdoors instead of inside, but he may not yet be physically capable of controlling his body.

    How Often Your Puppy Needs to Go Out – All puppies are different, but a puppy can usually only hold his waste for the same number of hours as his age in months. (In other words, a four-month-old pup should not be left alone for more than four consecutive hours without an opportunity to go outside.) He can last longer at night, however, since he’s inactive (just like we can). By the time your pup is about four months old, he should be able to make it through the night without going outside.

    House Training Steps

    1. Keep your puppy on a consistent daily feeding schedule and remove food between meals.

    2. Take the puppy outside on a consistent schedule. Puppies should be taken out every hour, as well as shortly after meals, play and naps. All puppies should go out first thing in the morning, last thing at night and before being confined or left alone.

    3. In between these outings, know where your puppy is at all times. You need to watch for early signs that he needs to eliminate so that you can anticipate and prevent accidents from happening. These signs include pacing, whining, circling, sniffing or leaving the room. If you see any of these, take your puppy outside as quickly as possible. Not all puppies learn to let their caretakers know that they need to go outside by barking or scratching at the door. Some will pace a bit and then just eliminate inside. So watch your puppy carefully.

    4. If you can’t watch your puppy, he must be confined to a crate or a small room with the door closed or blocked with a baby gate. Alternatively, you can tether him to you by a leash that does not give him much leeway around you (about a six-foot leash). Gradually, over days or weeks, give your puppy more freedom, starting with freedom a small area, like the kitchen, and gradually increasing it to larger areas, or multiple rooms, in your home. If he eliminates outside, give him some free time in the house (about 15 to 20 minutes to start), and then put him back in his crate or small room. If all goes well, gradually increase the amount of time he can spend out of confinement.

    5. Accompany your puppy outside and reward him whenever he eliminates outdoors with praise, treats, play or a walk. It’s best to take your puppy to the same place each time because the smells often prompt puppies to eliminate. Some puppies will eliminate early on in a walk. Others need to move about and play for a bit first.

    6. If you catch your puppy in the act of eliminating inside, clap sharply twice, just enough to startle but not scare him. (If your puppy seems upset or scared by your clapping, clap a little softer the next time you catch him in the act.) When startled, the puppy should stop in mid-stream. Immediately run with him outside, encouraging him to come with you the whole way. (If necessary, take your puppy gently by the collar to run him outside.) Allow your pup to finish eliminating outside, and then reward him with happy praise and a small treat. If he has nothing to eliminate when he gets outside, don’t worry. Just try to be more watchful of him in the house in the future. If your puppy has an accident but you don’t catch him in the act and only find the accident afterward, do nothing to your pup. He cannot connect any punishment with something he did hours or even minutes ago.

    Additional House Training Tips

    • Clean accidents with an enzymatic cleanser to minimize odors that might attract the puppy back to the same spot.
    • Once your puppy is house trained in your home, he may still have accidents when visiting others’ homes. That’s because puppies need to generalize their learning to new environments. Just because they seem to know something in one place does NOT mean that they’ll automatically know that thing everywhere. You’ll need to watch your puppy carefully when you visit new places together and be sure to take him out often.
    • Likewise, if something in your puppy’s environment changes, he may have a lapse in house training. For example, a puppy might seem completely house trained until you bring home a large potted tree—which may look to him like a perfect place to lift his leg!

    House training does require an investment of time and effort—but it can be done! If you’re consistent, your hard work will pay off. Hang in there! If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact a qualified professional, such as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT), a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB or Associate CAAB) or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Dip ACVB).

    What NOT to Do:

    • Do not rub your puppy’s nose in his waste.
    • Do not scold your dog for eliminating indoors. Instead, if you catch him in the act, make a noise to startle him and stop him from urinating or defecating. Then immediately show your dog where you want him to go by running with him outside, waiting until he goes, and then praising and rewarding him.
    • Do not physically punish your puppy for accidents (hitting with newspaper, spanking, etc.). Realize that if your puppy has accidents in the house, you failed to adequately supervise him, you did not take him outside frequently enough, or you ignored or were unaware of his signals that he needed to go outside.
    • Do not confine your puppy to a small area for hours each day, without doing anything else to correct the problem.
    • Do not crate your puppy if he’s soiling in the crate.
    • If your puppy enjoys being outside, don’t bring him inside right after he eliminates or he may learn to “hold it” so that he can stay outside longer.
    • Do not clean with an ammonia-based cleanser. Urine contains ammonia. Cleaning with ammonia could attract your puppy back to the same spot to urinate again. Instead, use an enzymatic cleaner. You can find one at some grocery stores or any major pet store.
  • New Year’s Eve Pet Safety

    Posted on December 31st, 2012
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    Keeping Your Pets Safe On New Year’s Eve

    When you are welcoming in the New Year tonight, keep in mind your pets and other animals may not be so enthusiastic about the noise.

    Pet’s ears tend to suffer from the noise made by firecrackers blasts, causing them to tremble, bark excessively, refuse to eat food, hide or run away and sometimes even lose bowel control. Besides the noise, fireworks also produce plumes of smoke that may harm animal’s respiratory systems.

    Follow these helpful tips from PETA on how to keep pets and other animals safe during New Year festivities:

    • Keep cats and dogs indoors in a room where they feel safe during fireworks displays and, if possible, stay with them.
    • Act happy and calm around scared animals in order to reinforce the idea that they don’t have a reason to be afraid.
    • Leave your animals at home during the celebrations – never take them with you to watch firecracker displays.
    • Never leave animals tethered or chained outside.
    • Close your windows and curtains. Turn on a radio that’s tuned to a classical music station, or turn on the TV to help drown out the sound of the fireworks.
    • Watch for stray animals who may be distressed. If you see an animal injured by fireworks, call your local Humane Society.
  • Why Do Dogs Chew?

    Posted on November 28th, 2012
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    Do you have a dog who loves to chew at home? Read our blog article:

    We can’t believe it has been over a year now since we acquired our youngest addition to the family, Zimba.  While it has been so much fun watching him grow into his over-sized body and bumble around, he sure has caused some minor destruction with his need to chew.

    Bill’s nook has been chewed so it no longer can be turned off, shoes have been chewed, furniture, etc.  But, of course we still love the big guy.

    We are sharing an article on Why Dogs Chew from the ASPCA.  If you are looking to get a puppy or even adult dog for someone this Christmas, these tips on why dogs chew will definitely be useful reading material.

    Do you have a chewer at home?  Please share with us by commenting on our blog.

    It’s perfectly normal for puppies and dogs to chew on objects as they explore the world. For young dogs, it’s a way to relieve pain that might be caused by incoming teeth. For older dogs, it’s a way to keep jaws strong and teeth clean.

    But sometimes natural chewing can become destructive for dogs seeking to combat boredom or relieve mild anxiety or frustration. Dogs who chew to relieve the stress of separation anxiety usually only chew when left alone or chew most intensely when left alone.

    So what can you do if your best friend’s chewing turns destructive? Puppies and adult dogs should have a variety of appropriate and attractive chew toys. However, just providing the right things to chew isn’t enough to prevent inappropriate chewing. Dogs need to learn what is okay to chew and what is not.

    What to Do If Your Dog Is a Destructive Chewer

    • “Dog-proof” your house. Put valuable objects away until you’re confident that your dog’s chewing behavior is restricted to appropriate items. Keep shoes and clothing in a closed closest, dirty laundry in a hamper and books on shelves. Make it easy for your dog to succeed.
    • Provide your dog with plenty of his own toys and inedible and edible chew bones. Introduce something new or rotate your dog’s chew toys every couple of days so he doesn’t get bored with the same old toys.
    • Discourage chewing inappropriate items by spraying them with chewing deterrents.
    • Do your best to supervise your dog during all waking hours until you feel confident that his chewing behavior is under control.
    • Provide your dog with plenty of physical exercise (playtime with you and with other dogs) and mental stimulation. If you have to leave your dog alone for more than a short period of time, make sure he gets out for a good play session.

    Full article can be viewed at: http://blog.aspca.org/content/why-does-my-dog-chew

  • Keep Your Dog Warm This Winter

    Posted on November 9th, 2012
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    Keep your dog warm this winter with our winter tips.

    We’re getting into the colder months of the year and don’t you love to be able to go home out of the cold and curl up with your pajamas and sit by the fire. What about your dog? Don’t you want to make sure he is as warm and cozy as you are when you’re at home?

    Certain breeds of dogs are affected by cold weather more than others. If your dog is older and has certain health conditions, such as arthritis, it is important to make sure your dog is warm and comfortable.

    Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to keeping your dog warm this winter:

    Keep them indoors. This is the surest way to keep your pets warm. Dogs, while they enjoy outings, are often happier indoors as well so they can dote on their owners.

    Get them jackets and sweaters. If your home is a little chilly, cute jackets and sweaters can keep them warm. If they are going outside with you into the snow (dogs more than cats), it’s better to choose something that has a waterproof nylon covering.  Make sure the sweater or jacket fits them properly and they are comfortable enough to maneuver in it.

    Check the temperature before going out. In winter, as in summer, the temperature can feel worse than what the thermometer reads. Check the temperature and the wind chill factor to keep your dog from getting a chill.

    Proper outdoor housing. If your dog spends a lot of his time outdoors, make sure he has the right housing. His doghouse should have a sloped roof, insulation and even a heater if he is expected to live in there.

    Bedding. His bed should be at least 3 inches off the cold floor to avoid drafts. Low platforms made of a light wood or aluminum frame with canvas stretched over it suit these pets just fine.

    Booties. Your dog regulates his temperature through the soles of his feet (as well as his tongue, of course). When walking in the snow, booties can help keep him warm. This will also protect him from salt and other products used to melt ice.

    Increase feeding. Dogs use up more calories in the winter trying to stay warm. Feed him a little more in the winter months, especially if he spends a lot of time outside.

    Use a hot water bottle or snuggle disk. If your home is chilly, you can keep your dog warm by using a hot water bottle under his bed or even a snuggle disk, which is a manufactured disk that is heated in a microwave oven and can maintain heat for hours.

    Don’t forget the occasional special treat and the belly rub. Nothing warms your dog’s heart more than special food and attention, so give him both.

  • Vacation Tips For Your Pets

    Posted on November 6th, 2012
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    We would like to share some helpful tips to prepare your pet when you and your family decide to go on vacation.

    With all the packing and travel planning that accompany a vacation, it is easy to forget that the most lovable members of the family usually have to stay behind. Although they may be staying at home, pets should be properly prepared for vacations as well.

    Most pet owners know to leave emergency numbers for the veterinarian and a trusted neighbor, along with detailed pet-care directions. Pet owners should take a few simple steps to preserve their animals’ daily routines and to ensure that their pets feel safe and comfortable while they are on vacation.

    Choose a familiar face as the pet sitter: Pets are more likely to stick to their usual routines if they feel comfortable with the person providing their care. Extended family members, close friends, and friendly neighbors make great pet sitters, because they already know the pet’s disposition, habits, and quirks. If a professional pet sitter or other new face will be coming in, schedule a few meetings before leaving, so that the pet can acclimate to the new person.

    Maintain routines regarding food and water: Ensure that food portions remain the same size with electric pet feeders, which are available for weekends or even full weeks. Both pet and caregiver will appreciate this step: not only will steady, regular portions curtail the pet’s stomach upset, but the pet sitter won’t have to worry about measuring meals accurately. Automate pet care even further with a pet water cooler, which will provide fresh cool water for several days. If your pet waterer uses a filter, be sure to change the filter before long vacation trips.

    Make sleeping arrangements comfortable: Wash any pet beds and place them in the usual location. If the pet sitter will be staying in a guest room, provide a heated pet bed there, as well. This is especially important for older dogs; they often prefer to sleep in the same room as their caregivers, but may also suffer from stiffness or arthritis, which makes sleeping on the floor painful. The heat is especially therapeutic, and has been shown to ease separation anxiety in pets. For the warmer months, simply unplug it or consider an all-season pet bed, which can cool them down and warm them up. For both dogs and cats, place a t-shirt or other article of clothing in or near the pet bed. The familiar scent is calming if the animal gets distressed or anxious while you’re on vacation.

    Ensure easy outdoor access: For pets that are used to having a dog or cat door, be sure to check that the door is unobstructed. Remove any items that could become dislodged, fall, or otherwise become a pet-door blockade, such as dangling tree limbs or stray outdoor toys. Electric pet doors give both cats and dogs greater freedom to go in and out, if the pet sitter cannot stay home or must be gone for long periods of time. They also prevent other garden pests and neighborhood pets from entering your home.

    Make cleaning up a breeze: The least appealing part of pet sitting is the clean up. The kitty’s litter box can have a strong, off-putting odor, and picking up after the dog is equally unpleasant. An automatic litter box means that the pet sitter does not have to worry about daily scooping while you are on vacation.

    For a truly carefree vacation, it is critical to make pet care stress free for both the pet and its caretaker. By preserving routines and providing easy-to-use tools, pet owners can rest assured that pets will be comfortable and safe in their absence.

  • Zimba, One Of Our Beloved Family Members

    Posted on October 22nd, 2012
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    Here at Earth Care Products our staff consists of many valuable employees.  Today we would like to tell you about Isis and Zimba.

    Isis is a rescued standard poodle, she of course has all the brains of operation.  Zimba is a 110# Rhodesian Ridgeback, and he is our office clown.  Recently we attended Pest World and sent them to be boarded by Dane Lightfoot.  Dane takes his charges out for various activities several times a week.  In the picture you can see Zimba is going horseback riding among many other various outtings.  Dane takes pride in what he does and when we picked up Isis and Zimba, he kindly sent this wonderful write up Z and some suggestions on where he can improve.

    Zimba

    Zimba is a very intelligent and teachable dog. He responds quickly to voice commands and he has a strong desire to please. He does not have very much self-control and is underdevelopled emotionally. He needs extra help to mature properly and he needs to be discouraged from acting like a clown. When a dog does not feel the weight of family responsibility they create their own set of responsibilities and many dogs like Zimba choose the role of class clown because it is entertaining and at first everyone is laughs at first.

    Continuing to Grow

    Zimba must be offered challenges and they must be varied and have an element of uncertainty in the outcome. You must also train your reactions to reward him emotionally for good thoughts and behavior. He must also be exposed to the world around him on a larger scale so that he has a new place to try new reactions because it is much easier to get a dog to start acting differently when they are in an unusual environment. He must also be given a chance to make mistakes; they are where real growth happens.

    • Emotional Challenges – Zimba’s primary means of dealing with a problem is silliness and clowning around. He is very large so when he bounces around he can break things or hurt people and the more he reacts this way the more difficult it becomes to build the self-control to stop and think. At the same time he must be offered constructive opportunities to have the type of fun that he enjoys like wrestling with Isis.
    • Social Stimulation– He must have time with other dogs and people so that he can develop the social skills he needs to meet new friends. He is not an overly active or overly driven dog but he feels the lack of social time very intensely and it is a source of pent up emotion.
    • Enforcing Rules– Dogs do not feel the same way people do about rules. For people rules can be a constriction, a limitation to our actions. For dogs rules are the structure by which they mold their behavior and adept communication of the rules is the primary guideline for their understanding their responsibilities. Everyone in the house must provide a single, clear message about what is expected of him

    Untrustworthy Behavior When Unsupervised

    Just like children, immature dogs follow the rules because they believe that you will punish them if they do not. In order to make the transition to behaving even when you are not around they must build character and maturity. Maturity comes from being challenged and character comes from failing at those challenges and having a healthy attitude about it. Zimba must be given tasks that push the limits of his abilities and he must be allowed to fail sometimes. Intelligence toys are one good way to provide this type of growth as well as training him for obedience. Many people have very busy schedules and find difficulty setting aside time for obedience lessons but they can be worked into every-day life. If you are sitting at the desk doing work, have him lay beside you. It is not difficult but he should not be allowed to get up until you do. Alternately when you are doing chores around the house make him walk at a heel, the simple exercise of you controlling his thoughts and actions will build his self-control, his maturity and his respect for you, it is also enjoyable for him and very rewarding.

    Walks

    When Zimba is out on a walk he faces different challenges than other dogs, most dogs will not want to meet and greet a dog his size. He is intimidating in both his size and posture, the only way that he will be able to overcome this is to be encouraged to ignore other dogs walking entirely. In order to accomplish this you must be in control of the walk by doing the following things.

    • Do not let him walk out in front of you, this puts him in a command position and forces him to make decisions for you.
    • Do not let him stop every time he wants to sniff something. If you want him to potty, then tell him so and let him sniff around, but you must make the decision about where and when to stop.
    • When you do encounter another dog, keep him beside you and encourage him to ignore the other dog completely. In the beginning you are going to have to tell people that he is in training and is not allowed to meet any new friends right now and as he progresses and can ignore the other dogs properly then he may begin to meet others. You must always greet the other dog before he does though. He must see how you react to the dog so that he has a guideline.
    • Do not ever leave his leash taut, this is what creates the idea of being restrained in the dogs mind. Keep the leash slack and only use short, sharp tugs to stop him from doing something you don’t want. Remember that every leash message should be accompanied by a verbal message to reinforce that you are trying to tell him something not just pulling on the leash because you like it. He must also be told that he is good when he is walking politely. The greater the disparity in your attitude between his good behavior and his bad behavior, the more quickly he will learn and understand what you are asking for.

    Final Thoughts

    Zimba is a good dog that has a very high desire to please but he has too little self-control. He will be a happier dog when he understands how to really make people happy and how to build healthy relationships with new friends both dog and human. He will also enjoy the greater level of freedom that he would be allowed if he were more reliable. Encourage him to behave the way that everyone would like at all times and he will quickly understand what you want from him.

    Dane is really unique in his care and entertaining of the dogs.  He can be reached at 760 500 5284 or greatdanesgreatdogs@gmail.com.