Does your dogs breath stink?  When you get home from work, do you look forward to being greeted by your favorite canine companion until you realize their breath is absolutely unbearable?  This bad breath is probably due to poor oral hygiene.  Not to worry though, there are plenty of solutions to this problem and this is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed for the sake of your pets health.

ADOPT A TEETH BRUSHING ROUTINE

Remember when you were a kid and your parents set up a tooth brushing routine at the end of the day before you went to bed?  It turns out that your dog needs the same treatment.  Without proper teeth brushing, your dog may get gum disease which can also lead to heart disease, immune system deficiencies and many other health complications.  The best way to do this is to make teeth brushing fun for your dog.  When they let you brush their teeth, give them their favorite treat as a reward.

USE HARD CHEWS AND FOOD

Dogs have a natural tendency to chew.  This is a great way for your dog to release some of their pent up stress while helping keep their mouths healthy.  Find some natural bones at your nearest pet store and let your dog go crazy chewing it!  This will help reduce tartar in your dogs mouth thus providing a healthier set of teeth!

USE SPRAYS

We are fortunate enough to have doggie dental sprays at our disposal these days!  These sprays help reduce the bacterial growth in the mouth in a way similar to the way mouthwash works for us.  There is a side benefit to the sprays as well…  They also make the dogs breath smell good!!!

PROFESSIONAL CLEANING

If all else fails, you can have your dogs teeth cleaned professionally.  Veterinarians offer full cleaning services which will get your dogs teeth shining ever so brightly.  They are able to accomplish this daunting task by putting your dog under anesthesia and using dental instruments to pick all the tartar and plaque off the teeth while also allowing the vet to clean under the gums.  This option can be costly but very effective.  Another method is through the use of Anesthesia Free Teeth Cleaning similar to that offered by Canine Care.  The cleaning your dog receives from these professionals is also very effective as long as it is not imperative that your dogs get cleaning under their gumline.

This is a very common question among dog owners.  Many people worry that their dogs are unhappy while dressed up.  The simplest answer to this question is “it depends”.  I know, not too specific of an answer right?  The truth is that you should consider your dogs feelings on the matter.  If the first thing your dog does when you put a costume on them is try to get it off, it is apparent they have some objections to being dressed up.  For these dogs, wearing a costume can create a large amount of stress and anxiety which makes everything unpleasant for all parties involved.  There are some dogs however that have no objection to wearing costumes and many in fact love to dress up.  If your dog prances around and truly seems to enjoy their outfit, let them have as much fun as they want!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Tiz the season for parties and visitors to visit your home. Does your dog bark incessantly, act aggressive toward your guests, jump up on your friends and family? Don’t believe this unruly behavior is something you have to accept. There are training techniques to deal with these issues that will make your guests enjoy their visit with you and your family. First you may need to determine why your dog is acting in a particular way. Is it nervous, anxious, defensive, playing, aggressive, or just disobedient. Finding the reason for the particular behavior will make finding the solution easier. Remember to correct a particular behavior, you need to be consistent in your correction and praise/reward. For example, if you have a dog who goes crazy when guests enter your home, teach your dog to go to a particular place (bed, carpet, kitchen). As your guests enter the home, direct your dog to the place then reward the dog when it gets in the spot. With practice and patience your dog will make the association of guests = bed = reward. I have taught this technique in the past and have had great success with it.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss training issues, please feel free to contact me.

One of the first things every dog owner should know is that although there is no way to ensure their four legged friend does not ever get arthritis, there are many things they can do to help prevent it from ever becoming a problem.  In order to do this, one must understand what arthritis really is.  Arthritis by definition is painful inflammation and stiffness in the joints.  Many times, this inflammation is caused by wear and tear on the joints.  Listed below are some treatment options that can help prevent arthritis for your pup and make their lives less painful.

Dietary Supplements:

There are a multitude of dietary supplements available that will help your dogs joints stay nice and healthy.  These supplements include Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid and even Fish Oil.  If added to your dogs diet from an early age, these supplements can help keep your dogs joints from becoming worn down and therefore can help prevent arthritis later on.

Weight Management:

A major contributor to arthritis in dogs is their weight.  If your dog is overweight, their joints will wear down faster and will become inflamed causing a lot of pain and discomfort.  Consult your vet and see if there are any diets they recommend to help your dog lose those unwanted pounds and gain a little comfort.  If you dog is overweight and is not yet exhibiting any signs of pain or discomfort but are still overweight, they should lose that weight ASAP to prevent damage to the joints!  Just remember, if your dog weighs 20 pounds but should only weigh 15 pounds, that extra 5 pounds they lose would be a 25% decrease in weight!

These are just a few options that are available.   Remember to consult your vet on these and any other issues you have with your pet as  they might have other recommendations and weigh your options carefully.

Many times, we meet many dog owners who are frustrated by their dogs apparent disinterest in the reward they are given for exhibiting good behavior.  This can be extremely frustrating and highly irritating which leads most otherwise good dog owners to give up on training entirely.  This issue is quite simple and easy to correct however it will take some time to work through.  The first thing that these owners need to realize is that dogs need to be rewarded EVERY TIME they behave properly.  This rule is regardless of whether they are new to training or are well trained already.  The reward is the key to training success.  Different dogs prefer different rewards.  Some dogs like treat while others have a favorite toy.  Figure out what your dogs favorite things are and that will be the best reward for them when they exhibit proper behavior.

With the arrival of summer, many people want to find activities they can enjoy with the company of their favorite canine companion.  Taking part in activities with your dog will result in the building of a bond with your dog that will never be broken.  If you take part in bonding activities with your dog, they will be more confident, more socialized and will also be in much better physical shape.  Bonding with your dog also provides great exercise and stress relief for you, the owner.  Below is a list of activities everyone should take part in with their dog.

• Go for a walk.  This time tested ritual of walking the dog is by far one of the best ways to bond with your dog!  It allows you to practice some basic obedience while getting outside and exercising with your dog.  The best thing about this activity is you can do it ANYWHERE!
• Take some training classes.  Summer is a great time to train your dog new tricks or practice some old ones even.  If you get your dog all set throughout the summer, they will be able to perform these new tricks at all the gatherings for the holiday season which is just a few months away.  This is also a mentally engaging for your dog which will help keep them entertained for hours!  For  great training advice, click HERE.
• Take your dog to a dog friendly park.  Dogs love to go and hang out with other dogs!  It is very important for them to do this because it helps them become properly socialized.  for a map of San Diego dog friendly parks, click HERE.
• Take a break.  When you get home from work, instead of just sitting on your couch and lounging by yourself, sit on the floor with your pup.  Relaxing together is a great way to bond with your dog.  It is very relaxing for them to just hang out with their favorite person.
• Play some fetch!  If your dog is toy driven, take their favorite toy and toss it around!  Your dog will love chasing it around and catching it!  Talk about some great exercise for your dog!
• Hand feed your dog.  Instead of pouring your dogs food into their bowl and walking away, hold the bowl in your lap and let your dog eat from it.  When you give them a treat, let them gently take it from your hand rather than the floor.  This will reinforce your dominant station in your dogs eyes but also help you both bond.

Just like us, our dogs need routine dental care to keep them healthy.  Many dogs lose teeth prematurely or develop gum disease due to lack of dental care.  One of the main reasons people avoid dental care for their dog is cost.  Many veterinarians charge near $500 just to clean a single dogs teeth!!!  They charge this obscene amount because they use anesthesia and I.V.’s to sedate your dog while they clean the teeth.  If that isn’t enough to make you want to run the other way, what I am about to tell you will.  There have been numerous instances where dogs have had adverse reactions to the anesthesia used during their teeth cleaning and have subsequently DIED.  For many of us, the use of anesthesia in dental cleaning is NOT an option.  That’s why we at Priscilla’s Grooming have partnered with Kim at Canine Care to provide anesthesia free teeth cleaning to everyone in the San Diego, Santee and El Cajon areas.  Kim is very kind and gentle and the best part is that she only charges $110 to clean a dogs teeth!  That’s over 80% less than most veterinarians charge!  Kim’s non-threatening approach eliminates the need for any anesthesia plus because she is a licensed Dental Hygienist, you can trust her to take extremely good care of your four-legged friend.  She does an absolutely AMAZING job!  If you are interested in an appointment, click HERE.

Many people believe that once they have trained their dog, the training is over and they can move on to other activities.  They then become frustrated when their dog “forgets” what they had previously been trained to do.  TRAINING TAKES TIME!  Training your dog is not a “When it’s convenient” or “I take him for walks once a week” proposition. To have an obedient dog who you can trust in public and around other animals takes a commitment, particularly at the beginning stages of training. During my classes, I give my students ways to train their dogs during the normal course of their daily activities. These training tools give your dog the daily attention they require and facilitate a faster learning curve. These exercises when done on a regular basis will enhance the bond between you and your dog in addition to the added confidence you will gain from the successes. If you are interested in learning some home exercises, please contact me at dogtrainered@gmail.com.

Have you ever been training with your dog when you felt they lost interest in what you were training them to do?  Don’t worry, this is a common issue that many pet owners face.  The first thing you need to do is find a way to get your dogs attention.  Following is a list of tools you can use to regain your dogs focus:

Treats

Toys

Leash correction

Voice commands

Once you learn what makes your dog focus, make sure you have that tool on hand every time you are training your dog.  If you use treats and/or toys make sure you eventually let your dog have the treat/toy when they complete the task otherwise they will lose interest in the tool.  If you use leash corrections or voice commands, make sure you praise your dog when they obey.

Having your dog bark can be very annoying and difficult to control. Identifying the reason your dog barks can be as important as solving the problem. Your dog may be lonely, bored, or just having fun playing. When your dog barks understand he/she is really just doing something that comes naturally. It’s probably an unrealistic goal to expect your dog to never bark. With consistent training, unwanted barking can be brought under control.
Have a command to stop barking, for example, “No, or quiet.!” When training your dog, have treats available so when your dog barks give him the command to stop barking, while holding a treat in front of his nose. Once your dog is quiet, begin praising your dog for being quiet then reward that good behavior with a treat. Over time, you should expand the quiet time with your dog before rewarding him.

If barking has been an issue for some time, don’t have unrealistic goals and expect things to be resolved right away. Maybe after a few weeks of consistent dog training, barking patterns will begin to change. Remember to remain consistent with your training and be patient.

(Article courtesy of In Total Command Dog Training)