Not a bit of it!

It's been proven by many dog trainers that certain dog names carry more weight. For instance, names that end in a strong consonant (like 'Jack' or 'Mick') tend to be clearer, more distinctive and resonate more when spoken as opposed to names that end in a soft vowel such as 'Cassie' or 'Molly'.

This doesn't mean people are choosing dog names based on their relevance to training though. According to a recent article (Most Popular Dog Names) from 2011 and 2012, it seems dog naming trends are mirroring those of humans.

The article states:

“Pets are often viewed as members of the family, treated like members of the family and, as a result, named like members of the family,” said Curtis Steinhoff, senior director of corporate communications for VPI. “Max may sleep on his owner’s bed, eat gourmet food and wear clothes to go out on the town. Rover probably does not. Max is short, yet easy to distinguish from common commands, so it is easy to understand why it’s such a popular pet name.”

See more on the most popular dog names…

What Are The Most Popular Dog Names? is a post from: K9 Online

With an international study claiming that British children are amongst the laziest in the world, the findings offer crucial information in Britain’s high profile fight against flab.

The research claims that over four in ten families have found that their kids play more actively now they have a pet. Over a quarter of those questioned reported that their children’s interest in sedentary activities such as TV watching and playing computer games had decreased since their pet’s arrival.

It is widely accepted that dog ownership leads to greater levels of exercise, however, the research shows that increased levels of active play and a decrease in sedentary activity are apparent amongst children who own dogs.

In addition, pet ownership could be the key to improving family stress levels. Over a quarter of pet owners questioned admitted that they have been less stressed since having a pet in their lives.

80% of parents believe that their pet has made their children very or extremely happy. Nearly half of all respondents think that their pet has made their child feel loved, more friendly towards others and relaxed. Whilst nearly three quarters of respondents felt that their children were more caring as a result of having a pet.

Mums as well as kids feel that they benefit from pet ownership with over a half admitting that their pet plays a crucial role in offering them emotional support and companionship.

Specialist in Human Animal Companion Bond research, Dr June McNicholas is not surprised by the results: “This survey shows that pets may help combat some of the “modern” problems of childhood, such as obesity and lack of exercise. Pets really do help motivate children to get away from the TV or the computer and take an active role in exercising and caring for their pet. The more involved children become in learning about their pet’s needs for a healthy diet and exercise, the more they can learn about keeping themselves healthy.”

Justine Hare, spokesperson for the pet food company that carried out the survey, comments; “It is clear from this research into pet-owning families that the benefits of having a pet permeate throughout the family and are tremendously positive, dynamic and more far-reaching that perhaps one would first think.”

It's not just humans who are struggling to beat the bulge. There is widely circulated data now showing that dog obesity is set to claim more canine lives than ever before.

Could Dogs Help With Childhood Obesity? is a post from: K9 Online

Going from pup to grandpup doesn’t leave much prime time under American Veterinary Medical Association labels that cats and small dogs are geriatric at 7—and large dogs at 6.

But not everyone agrees, and rescuers say those definitions can be a death sentence to older animals in need of homes.

Dr. Emily Pointer, staff internist and medical coordinator at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York, said she considers the last third of life the sunset years.

“That seems fairly crazy,” she said of the AMVA designations. “I would never consider a person in their 40s or 50s to be senior.”

The AVMA said the oldest cat on record was 34, the oldest dog was 29.

Forget the notion that seven dog years equal one human year, the AVMA said. A 7-year-old dog weighing less than 50 pounds is like a 44- to 47-year-old human; 10 equals 56- to 60-year-old humans; 15 is like a 76- to 83-year-old; and 20 is like a 96- to 105-year-old human, the group said.

Read in full

More on dog age in human years

Dog Age in Human Years (Myth) is a post from: K9 Online

Arthritis in Dogs: What Are The Causes?

Several factors contribute to this condition, including an all-cooked-food diet, lack of exercise, poor absorption of minerals, and lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

It occurs as an inflammation in bones and joints. The onset is gradual and the owner notices the dog having increased difficulty in walking, getting up, lying down, running, and moving in general.

K9 Magazine has put together what we consider to be the easiest to follow guide to arthritis in dogs.

Why Do Dogs Get Arthritis is a post from: K9 Online

The key to effective training is to ensure that your dog’s activity level remains consistently high. Dogs are not meant to lie around all day and do nothing. They need to run and work in order to be healthy and happy. Take your dog on regular walks to burn off extra energy. Dogs also make superb workout partners and can be trained to run alongside you as you jog or bike. A dog that doesn’t run gets bored and lethargic. Your dog needs to get exercise.

A helpful bit of training advice is to be aware of your dog’s taste preferences. By giving your dog this food, they will want to follow whatever you teach them. Watch how your dog responds when receiving their reward to ensure it is still the best choice.

When you are in the initial stages of training your puppy, teach him his name first to help create a bond. Call him using his name and teach him how to respond when called. This is the first set of commands you should teach your new puppy. Be sure to spend lots of quality time with your puppy, so that he will learn to know and trust you. When you set this trust early on, the puppy will be more open to the next steps in training.

Keep count of the number of treats you feed your dog because you do not want him or her to get fat. A lot of pet owners don’t think about how much weight their dogs can put on with treats.

Ensure that your dog gets enough activity. Don’t let your dog sit around with nothing to do. They won’t get any exercise that way and if they’re too bored, they might sniff around and get into some trouble. Dogs with no enthusiasm will be harder to train than active dogs. A dog that is happy, and gets the attention that they crave, will be a better behaved and attentive dog. Take your dog on long walks or runs.

Training should be fun for your dog. Keep your training sessions to a period of time that is less than 15 minutes. Reward your dog generously, when warranted. Praise your dog often when he does well and show a lot of love. Training your dog can be an enjoyable experience for both of you.

Although there are many benefits to using a harness, you will have less control over your dog than if he is wearing a cinch collar. When you use both a collar and a harness, and only tug the collar when you need to, the dog will learn that he or she must behave while they are in the harness, too.

A lot of pet owners are pleasantly surprised how canine behavior training can fit seamlessly into their lives and just how soon they can see positive effects. Try out these tips if you are having problems with your dog.

Teaching New Tricks to Dogs is a post from: K9 Online

If you are training more than one dog, remember that some breeds of dogs can be trained together, but some breeds cannot. If your dogs fight or goof off instead of paying attention, it may be wise to do a bit of one-on-one training before training them together.

Making your dog feel secure enhances his loyalty, which will make for a better trained dog who will want to please you. If dogs don’t feel safe, they will probably lash out with some kind of behavior that is bad. So this doesn’t happen, make sure your dog is always safe.

If you are irritated or annoyed about something else, do not start a training session. You need to set an example of patience for your dog. Otherwise, your dog will become impatient and training will be unsuccessful.

Use a steady and commanding tone when speaking to your dog. Dogs pick up on subtle changes in their owner’s voices. An adequate stern tone can help reinforce their discipline.

Give your puppy something it can chew to help it lessen teething pains, like a toy or a piece of rope. Keep any items you treasure out of reach of your puppy while it is teething. Replace the item immediately with one of the dog’s own chew toys. Teething pain can be soothed by a washcloth that has been soaked in water and frozen.

Make sure food and outside time are scheduled to help break your dog into being an inside dog. Then you will be aware when your dog needs to go outside to use the bathroom. Using this schedule can teach your dog how to hold their piddle until the upcoming potty break.

During your training program, keep your dog interested by using many different types of treats. Rewarding your dog with special treats during training will encourage him to obey the commands you give him. He will begin to look forward to your training sessions.

You dog needs to have a lot of attention and mental stimulation in order to stay happy and healthy. Some great activities to provide this mental stimulation could be a long outside walk, a favorite bone, or even a peanut butter-filled toy! If your dog gets bored, chances are he will find a way to stay busy, and you probably won’t like what he chooses.

When someone enters your house, do not be afraid to tell them the best way to interact with your dog. This can get your dog overly excited and confused. He may start to jump on the guest or assert his dominance.

After learning some helpful hints on how to get through to your dog and train it to behave to your expectations you simply need to follow what you have learned. After changing your dogs behavior to fit with the tips suggested you can properly train your dog.

Don’t Underestimate Your Dog’s Intelligence is a post from: K9 Online

Every dog needs a calm and confident leader to feel secure. Any dog owner can show that he is a strong leader by encouraging and rewarding good behavior. Proving to your pet that you’re a strong leader makes training easier and establishes a bond between pet and owner.

Create a bridge between the dog’s response to a command and the reward for success. By saying a bridge word such as “yes” or “good”, you will reinforce that the behavior is acceptable and the reward will follow. Keep using this bridge word even after training is complete to be consistent with your pet.

To teach your dog to lie down, have him start in a sit position. Take a treat, and place your hand on the ground. Slowly drag it away from your dog. Your dog should initially lower his nose to the ground, and then lie down as he tries to follow the treat further away. If he stands up instead of lying down, have him restart from the sit position. Make sure to praise him once he lies down.

When training a troublesome dog there are many different techniques that one can use. However a key factor is establishing that one is dominant over the dog they are trying to train. By ensuring that the dog knows who is in charge it will guarantee that the dog is listening to the person trying to train it.

Is your dog barking constantly? Excessive barking can often be related to too little exercise – try upping your walks or runs by thirty to sixty minutes each day, and you’ll likely notice a huge reduction in barking almost immediately. Giving your dog plenty of appropriate things to chew on can also make a big difference.

If you are getting a new dog, and you intend to train it, look for a younger dog. The old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is somewhat appropriate here. Younger dogs are more receptive to dominance from a pack leader and will learn quickly in an effort to please. Another plus to this is that young dogs really enjoy learning new things, much like children do.

Dogs usually respond well to physical rewards when being trained. Almost all dogs have an extremely large capacity for love. That makes them respond very well to rewards like belly scratching, back petting and brushing. Your dog wants to be loved and greatly appreciates you giving him affection. Show your happiness with his success this way.

As was discussed in the beginning of this article, puppy chewing is a problem only if you do not give him something else to focus on. Apply the advice from this article on the proper way to train your puppy not to chew up your home, and soon you will see your dog finding non-destructive ways to occupy his or her time.

I Need to Stop My Puppy Chewing is a post from: K9 Online

If you leave him to it, he will probably run to the back door and spend the rest of the time trying to get back in with you.

Once you let him in, the stress of the separation, together with the increased excitement and exercise, will make him want to go, and you will be left with a mess inside and an uneducated puppy.

This tip comes courtesy of K9 Magazine's (must read) guide to house training a puppy.

5 Second Puppy House Training Tip is a post from: K9 Online

Round worms are the ones most prevalent in puppies and they generally look like small white pieces of string of about three inches in length.
They can grow up to twice this size in a full-grown dog.

Round worms live in the small intestine of the dog and can become so concentrated that they will block the passage.
They can be passed by the bowel and this can obviously affect other dogs that are in contact with dogs that have round worms.

It only takes a matter of days for the worms to become fully developed and it is easy for them to spread quickly from one dog to another.

Read: How often should I worm my dog?

The speed by which they can breed and multiply has been one of the reasons why many people originally assumed that puppies were always born with round worms although it has since been proven that this is not the case.

More often than not the puppies have got the worms from their mother in the confines of their kennel.

There are so many different symptoms that can appear when a dog has worms that anything you notice outside of the ordinary behavior of your pet should be addressed by a visit to your vet as a worm infested dog can become a very unhealthy, unhappy dog very fast.

Left untreated worms can kill a dog so it is better to be safe than sorry if you suspect your pet might have worms or have been in contact with other dogs that might have worms.

Identifying The Symptoms of Dog Worms is a post from: K9 Online

Never give up on your dog, no matter how exhausted you are. Without reinforcement, your dog will revert to his old behaviors. The learning process for dogs is a constant one; with reminders and reinforcements needed along the way.

During inappropriate chewing training, set your dog up for success. Even more so, an inappropriately-chewing dog needs to be protected. Items like hairbrushes can cause a dog to choke or could block their airway.

If you have a puppy that likes to chew on everything when you are away from home, the easiest solution is to consider an indoor or outdoor kennel to use in your absence. If this is not an option for you, the simplest way keep him from chewing is to close the doors to rooms that have appealing items and put other tempting items out of his reach.

Interesting dog health tip: Read up on food intolerance in dogs your dog's behavior is directly influenced by their diet.

Accidents will happen sometimes when you house train your pet. Make sure to clean up accidents as soon as they happen. If the accident is left behind, the smell will make your pet think it's okay to eliminate in that spot. It will be difficult to discourage his eliminating in that spot once a habit is formed. Many cleaning products are made just to eliminate this order, you can find them at any pet store.

If you are looking to train your dog to not use the bathroom inside, housebreaking pads are counter productive. Wee-wee pads are prone to leaks, which make your dog think that it is okay to eliminate in that area due to the smell. Housebreaking pads encourage dogs that indoor bathroom use is okay; similar objects the shape and size of the pads may be used by a mistaken puppy. Always teach your pet that he must go outside to use the bathroom.

The most important part of dog training is to ensure that dog know its name. If you want to have control of your dog, you have to teach him to respond to you. Call them to you at least ten times a day. Never call your dog over to you in order to punish it, either.

Get your dog the proper nutrition required for canine health. An unhealthy diet can have several negative effects on your dog. If your dog isn't getting what it needs to stay healthy, it could really struggle to find the energy for training or may act out in other ways. By making small changes to your dog's diet, you can alter their receptiveness to the training.

If your dog has problems with destructive chewing, he may be suffering from anxiety or boredom. Enclosing him in a crate will prevent accidents from occurring and leaving him a chew toy will discourage destruction of your property.

People are often amazed about how easy it can be to train your dog and how quick they see changes. If you are having behavior problems with your dog, read on for some solutions.

A Simple, Easy Dog Training Plan For 2012 is a post from: K9 Online