By: Gerry Ronson

Dogs naturally take a lot of care, more in fact than cats. Dogs are man’s best friends. They crave human companionship and can get quite lonely when they spend the day by themselves. Among other problems dogs can have is when they have been abused. Dogs that are abused are going to have physical scars as well as mental scars. Dogs that have been abused will take more care than other dogs. If you find yourself going home from an animal shelter with a dog that has been abused you will need to understand how they have been affected by the trauma.

By: Gerry Ronson

Semi moist food tends to taste better to your dog, but it would take twice the amount of food you supply with dry food to find the proper ingredients. Semi moist food contains about 30% water along with turkey, chicken, other meat, and vegetables in the processing. The semi food, though not as nutrient rich is often easier for older dogs to eat. It provides a soft material they don’t have to chew as much. You will also find the semi moist dog food is a little more expensive, but not outrageous.

By: Gerry Ronson

by Sarah Gladman
It's widely accepted among the vast majority of dog training experts that the most effective and humane way to train your dog is through a process called positive reinforcement training. This is a fancy phrase for what's essentially a very simple theory: using positive reinforcement entails rewarding the behavior that you wish to see repeated, and ignoring the behavior that you don't.

Positive reinforcement works with your dog. Her natural instinct is to please you .

by Norbert Frye
One of the most annoying things about pet dogs is their habit of answering to calls of nature almost anywhere they feel like it. Your bedroom rug, the drawing room sofa, your Persian carpet; everything seems as good a place as any for your little pup to go cool his bladders on.

If you have just brought your pup home therefore, buckle up and get ready to save your upholstery and carpets by means of a simple method we call Housebreaking.

by Hadassah Levy
Obesity in cats and dogs is becoming a major problem and a cause for concern. There are many health problems associated with obesity.

But before putting your cat or dog on a diet, see your vet and make sure there are no medical contributing factors. Sometimes a medical condition such as a thyroid problem can cause obesity. And arthritic pets suffer more carrying extra weight.

by Mark Rogers
One question you should be asking yourself, if you are looking at getting a new dog, or a new puppy, is "will dog training work with my new dog?". You may also be asking yourself, "how do I tell if a puppy is trainable?". While nothing is foolproof in this world, there are a couple of tricks you can use to tell if the dog or puppy you are considering will be submissive and if dog training will work. You can do both these tests in less than a couple of minutes, and they are usually good indicators of your dogs future temperment.

by Damian Cross

Despite the Pitt Bulls reputation, spending quality time playing dog games with him can be a fun experience for both. Spending time with your dog allows you to build a stronger relationship with him, which in turn improves the quality of time both of you spend together. As far as training activities that you can involve yourself with your pet, we will mention agility training as one of our favorites.

by Damian Cross

In a Letter from Trevor:

My pal Trevor, who has been a dog trainer for a few years wrote a letter to me offering me to adopt his Belgian Malinois, which is approximately five years old. The dog has received quality training in protection and answers to several commands, such as bite, release, and stay. The dog received third place in a level one protection dog competition. Currently I own two female dogs, a one and a half year old, and a nine month Labrador.

by Damian Cross
The use of praise and positive reinforcement has been accepted as the most effective means of training for pet owners, and also preferred by dogs. Praise, as opposed to reprimand and beating, is the only method used to train wild animals like lions and tigers by professional trainers in the circus and movie sets.

Dog training professionals and veterinarians alike, agree almost entirely that praise as a training technique is far more effective, and likely to produce better results than any other training method.