IDEAS, TRAINING TECHNQUES, GENERAL INFO
Playing and Bonding with your Aussie; Grooming your Aussie!
There are so many different kinds of dog food on the market that it is hard to determine what to buy for your beautiful Aussie. To keep him beautiful, give him a quality dog food.
You will want to look for a protein in the 1st four ingredients of your dog food. It shouldn't be a by-product. If the 1st 4 ingredients are grains, you do not have a quality dog food. Grains are carbohydrates. Humans can use them for energy but dogs need protein for energy. All grains do is fill them up and pass right through them. You will find you have a lot of manure to clean up and an unhealthy dog.
Signs your dog food isn't doing what it should are: loss of glossiness to coat, constant shedding, loss of energy, weight loss or gain, no sparkle in their eyes. If your dog food is a good quality, you will feed your dog less as he obsorbs more of the nutrients and has less manure cleanup. Your dog will glow, the shedding will stop and your dog will have a gorgeous coat. So moneywise, you come out the same by feeding a good quality dog food verses a bad quality. Their health will be better, less trips to the vets, lots of energy and an Aussie you can be proud of because he has a beautiful coat. Because of the recalls pertaining to dog food, I use only grain free dog foods (Canidae). Grain is the culprit for contaminated dog food as the grain furments and molds, causing bad affects in our pets.
If you think about it, your pet spends a lot of time laying on your floors and ground. It is important not to use harsh chemicals around your pets in the house and outside.
9 WAYS TO PREVENT YOUR DOG FROM GETTING CANCER: CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
NOW IS THE TIME OF YEAR TO KEEP YOUR AUSSIE COOL . ONE WAY IS WITH DOGSICLES! BUY A BOX OF 3 OZ DIXIE CUPS. HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS BUT YOU CAN USE YOUR IMAGINATION:
CHICKEN SICLES
1 QUART CHIKEN BROTH
1/2 POUND CHICKEN BREAST
1 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED, MINCED
PUT THE CHICKEN BROTH, BREAST AND GARLIC IN A SAUCEPAN. BOIL TIL CHICKEN COOKED AND SOFT (20 MIN). REMOVED FROM HEAT. CUT CHICKEN VERY SMALL. RETURN CHCKEN TO BROTH. DIVIDE INTO DIXIE CUPS, COOL AND FREEZE.
YOU CAN MAKE BERRY-SICLES USING YOGURT, BERRIES, FENNEL SEED AND HONEY. USE BANABAS, PEANUT BUTTER, APPLE JUICE AND CREATE A FROZEN SMOOTIE FOR THEM.
I often get asked about the best way to train an Australian Shepherd. Every breeder and dog owner has his own method. I have been around and owned dogs for over 50 years. I have seen many different types and tried many different approaches to training up a dog. I have never agreed with training any animal by force or abuse, using fear to control him.
You have to first understand that a dog is not a human. Trying to force your dog to be human will cause both you and your dog to be unhappy. You have to train a dog by using simple techniques and few words.
Look at the way a wolf behaves in a pack. How does the Alpha wolf control his pack? You have to be the Alpha to your dog. You don't do this by yelling at them or abusing them. You do it in the same way the Alpha wolf does it.
If you notice your Aussie starting to jump at or nip at people when they approach you, you have an Aussie trying to be Alpha. This can create many problems and really stress your dog out. When you see these signs, you need to reinforce your Alpha stand with him. Here are a few simple rules of thumb to prevent your dog from become an Alpha and having you worry about him getting into trouble because of it.
I often tell folks, when they feed their dog, it should be AFTER you feed yourself. This is a simple way to let your dog know your are the Alpha. My 6 Aussies all lay at my feet while I eat dinner. When I am done, I get up and tell them, "Time to eat". They all walk to their feeding room and sit and wait to be fed. If you are feeding your dog out of your hand while you are eating, you are telling your dog he is equal to you.
When you are walking your dog on leash and he is pulling you this way and that, you are telling him he is Alpha. To stop this behavior, simply stop and wait for him to quit pulling. Don't say anything. He is getting attention when you talk to him so just stop and wait for him to quit pulling and look at you. When he does, start walking again. You will have to repeat this for awhile until your dog figures out what you want him to do. He needs to know you are walking him, not he walking you.
If you would like to learn more about training your dog so both of you are happier and your dog is well controlled, pick up a copy of "The Dog Listener" by Jan Fennell.
Dogs can get depressed just like humans can. You are the best one to be able to brighten his spirits. Learn the red flags for depression:
1. Lack of appetite, 2. lethargic behavior, 3. weight loss, 4. change in personality.
A depressed dog may become clingy and suffer from separation anxiety. He may exhibit destructive behavior, repeaded house soiling, excessive sleeping, whining, and/or barking. If your dog is showing these behaviors, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your vet to rule out illness.
If his health checks out, your dog may very well be suffering from depression. Depression in canines can easily heal with love, attention and exercise. In extreme cases, the dog may be treated with medication or therapy. What causes depression in dogs?
The loss of a friend can easily do this. Canines are pack animals and are greatly affected by the loss of a family member. If this is the case, you may want to consider getting another pet. (see page 2-on left)
BEING A COUCH POTATO ISN'T COOL. IT ISN'T GOOD FOR YOU OR YOUR DOG. WHAT CAN YOU DO?
THERE ARE TONS OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR BELOVED PET TO KEEP ACTIVE, BOND AND JUST HAVE A TON OF FUN. HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS:
RALLY OBEDIENCE, AGILITY, LURE COURSING, MUSICAL CANINE FREESTYLE, FRISBEE, FLYBALL, HERDING, DOCK DIVING, TREIBALL, SEARCH AND RESCUE, WEIGHT PULLING, SLED PULLING, DISC DOG, CARTING, SKIJORING, BIKEJORING, HIKING, CAMPING, JOGGING, AND MORE. SO DON'T JUST SIT THERE, GO PLAY!
