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***Put away anything that you don’t want to lose. Sharp puppy teeth can cause hundreds, even thousands of dollars' worth of damage. Make sure kids keep their dolls and toys away from the puppy so they're not mistaken for chew toys.
***If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing something he shouldn’t be, make a loud noise (such as a loud clap) to interrupt him. Then give him an appropriate object to chew on. If you just hand him a bone without the loud interruption, you will be praising the behavior.
***Provide the puppy with a “toy box” so he knows what items he is permitted to have. Introduce the box to him by putting his favorite toys inside. Drop a treat in the box and encourage him to take it. This will let him know that he is permitted to take from the box. Rotate the toys regularly to prevent boredom rather than having numerous toys out all at once.
***Keep all electrical cords out of your puppy’s reach. A puppy can easily get shocked chewing on electrical cords.
***Put all chemicals, like fertilizers, antifreeze and insecticides, on high shelves or in cabinets with a safety latch.
Know what kind of plants you have inside and outside your home. Many common plants can make your puppy very sick.
***Set up barriers or baby gates to keep your puppy out of areas where he isn't allowed.
***Toilet cleaners can be toxic if swallowed, so keep the lid down.
***Consider crate training, especially at night. This will keep your puppy from roaming around the house unsupervised. Introduce to the puppy to the crate in a positive way when you are home and confine him at various times when you are home, so the puppy does not associate being confined with you leaving. The puppy should have a long-lasting bone or activity toy while in the crate and plenty of water.
***Never leave your puppy alone with an open flame or space heater. Screen off fireplaces and wood stoves.
***Crawl on your hands and knees around the house. If you see something that might hurt your puppy, put it away.
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Nolene Van Buuren
When you get a very young puppy, chances are you’ll need to train them to get comfortable with humans and other pets. They aren’t yet used to the dynamics of being a pet and all the actions that go with it, like being petted and being trained for home life. All of these can be stressful if not properly addressed.
New research shows that bringing your young pup to a puppy training class even once a week will help alleviate feelings of fear or aggression that they may have in their new environment. Lead researcher Dr. Angela Gonzales-Martinez of the Santiago de Compostela University explored the benefits of puppy training in 80 pups.
They found that puppies who went through a six-week class coped better when interacting with strangers, became more behaved, and felt less stressed in general. Usually, experts recommend doing socialization training when your pup is around four months old.
“Attending puppy class may be important for social exposure with other puppies and people, which could have an association with the dog’s long-term behavior,” says Dr. Gonzales-Martines in an interview.
Puppy socialization also benefits owners because puppies are taught to become more docile and less agitated. Socialization programs aim to expose puppies to strangers with different clothing, for example. This is beneficial when you have guests coming over.
A pup needs to get used to their environment as they grow. Training makes them feel at ease in their new home and prevents them from being too jumpy or fearful. Like people, dogs need a balance of exploration and caution in their lives to healthily go through each day.
Puppies also learn to interact with other dogs as part of their socialization training. You may want to think of puppy training classes as a more intensive and learning-inclined trip to the dog park. Puppies get to interact with other pups and practice social skills.
Socialization programs also tend to increase obedience in dogs, which benefits owners when their dogs grow up. This is because pups who undergo training classes tend to score better in command responses.
A previous study of dogs in Japan gave some evidence of this. Researchers found that attending puppy classes made dogs more receptive to commands from their owners.
A key takeaway is that this command trainability may be more beneficial when starting young. Adult dogs who attended command classes did fairly well on obedience training, but their socialization was less successful.
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Shaping The Yorkie's Personality
The first 3 months of a Yorkie's life greatly influences the dog's personality, temperament and behavior. It is the breeder of the dog who takes a great role in shaping the dog's behavior and if in their new home before 3 months old, their owner will continue the great influence during these first 3 months.
Many Yorkie behavioral problems are due to a failure to receive proper care when very young.
What element is the most important in helping to create a happy, friendly, outgoing dog?
Socialization. This is the key to shaping personality and teaching a dog what the world is all about. A Yorkie will be well adjusted when growing up with regular household noises. This will include all that a dog will encounter with their new family, from the TV to the washing machine to the doorbell ringing.
Part of caring for a Yorkie involves gradually allowing the pup to become accustomed to human voices and touch is vital. The difference between a dog raised in a wire cage with rarely a human touch to a dog raised in the living room with cuddles, kisses and play time is enormous.
When a dog is held, bathed, groomed, cuddled and played with during the first 3 months, this creates a puppy that is comfortable with people and the world around him or her.
If after receiving all puppy shots, that pup is introduced to new people, brought to new places and put in various safe situations in a gradual way, he is on his way to being a self-confident dog.
While the personality is most influenced during this very young puppy stage, a dog of just about any age can be shaped by the environment that he is in.
What type of Home Encourages a Well Behaved Yorkie?
At any age, there are elements in the home that will help a Yorkshire Terrier be well behaved and happy. The key is to provide an environment which makes the dog feel safe and allows the dog to know where they fall in the "pack".
Let's first discuss the environment. What will encourage a dog to be well balanced?
Having a daily schedule. Dogs are most happy when they know what to expect and when. This offers them security and the feeling of knowing that they are loved. A Yorkie should have each day consist of:
A Waking time (A day runs smoother when your dog wakes at the same time as you do)
Feeding times (Following proper feeding schedules keeps a dog happy and establishes you as the leader)
Grooming times (for brushing, baths, dental care and nail care)
Exercise times (for robust bursts of exercise)
Walking times (for lighter exercise and to have the opportunity to explore the neighborhood with you)
Play times (both independent with their dog toys and interaction play time with you and other family members)
Quiet time (for naps and to relax after exercising, etc)
Bed time (knowing what time they are expected to relax and retreat to their bed helps to keep everyone happy)
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Before we dive into all of the details, it may help you to have a general understanding of what will need to be in place and be done for housebreaking to work. Then, we'll get into specifics.
1. Realistic expectations. Puppies do not have full control over bladder and bowel muscles. These will develop as the pup grows. So, needs can only be held for so long. In general, a 2-month old can go about 2 hours, a 3-month old for 3 hours, and so on.
This does not mean that your 3-month old puppy will pee and then not pee again for another 3 hours. It just means that this is the maximum time that should lapse between taking the pup out.
2. A supervision method. If your Yorkie is let outside alone, there will be zero opportunities to learn. And if you are not keeping a very close eye on your Puppy while inside, there will be pee and poo just about everywhere.
3. Exact adherence to housebreaking rules. Every element that is listed is here for a reason. If you halfheartedly follow these, if just some of the household members do the steps, or if some steps are done but not others, success will be limited.
4. Proper reaction to accidents. If you follow all of these steps to potty train your Puppy, there will be very few accidents. However, some will occur, and it'll be important that you react the right way.
For the best and fastest results, we highly recommend housebreaking a Puppy to eliminate outdoors. It is canine instinct to sniff around outside and choose 'just the right spot'. And, going to the bathroom outside is much easier for a dog than trying to hit the mark on pee pads set up indoors.
This said, if you do choose the indoor method of setting up pee pads, do follow all of the same advice here. The main difference will be that the 'designated area' will be the pee pads instead of a bathroom area outside.
STEP #1 CHOOSE THE BATHROOM AREA
ONE AREA should be chosen as the designated bathroom area. Here are some important elements about this:
A huge part of housebreaking a Puppy is that the pup will be brought to this area by you. This means that you will not just open the door and let your puppy outside. Not only is this very dangerous, but it brings the learning opportunities down to zero.
The area should be easily accessible in all seasons and in all weather. What seems to work well in the summer may be hard to reach in the winter. We will also cover some things you can do to make heading outside more tolerable.
This should be at least 10 feet away from any family areas, such as the barbecue, outdoor eating spot, etc.
Step #2 Have Supervision & Containment Methods in Place
During the housebreaking phase, your Puppy should always be supervised or kept in one spot. Not doing this is the downfall of many housebreaking attempts. An owner sees that their Puppy is rather close by, they turn to tidy up the room... or prepare lunch, and the puppy pees right in the middle of the living room.
Or, the puppy is playing with his toys, so the owner looks through the mail and makes a call, and the puppy leaves a poo behind the sofa.
So, unless you have your eyes directly on your Puppy with no distractions, one of two things must be happening:
1) Tethered supervision. If you cannot give your Puppy your undivided attention but can keep him by your side as you are doing other things, keep your Puppy tethered to you via a harness and a short 6-foot leash. Note that the harness is vital; do not use a collar as this can cause neck injury. In addition, the leash should be short; 6 feet (9 at the most) and lightweight (those made of climbing rope are incredibly durable but light, and work well).
Any time that your Puppy makes a motion to pee or poo, you will immediately pick him up and bring him to the designated area.
2) Playpen. For any times that you cannot keep your Puppy right by your side or for any times that you are not home, you'll need to keep your Puppy in one specific spot.
It is not recommended to use a crate. Crates are terribly confining, and can cause both physical and emotional stress. Since a dog will pee or poo regardless of the size of his area when he simply cannot hold his needs any longer, there is no benefit to keeping a dog in such a small cage.
It is also not recommend to use a gate to give a Puppy an entire room. This not only is potentially dangerous unless the room is fully puppy-proofed, but it also opens up a huge problem with destructive chewing (many pups being housebroken are also in the teething phase). And, the pup will end up peeing and pooing all over the room.
What is recommended is a properly sized indoor canine playpen (also referred to as exercise pens).
These offer just the right amount of space, and are often used to help cure separation anxiety (it offers a secure feeling of a 'den', while ensuring that all of a Puppy`s necessities are right there with him).
Step #3 Be Prepared to Give Praise & Reward
A huge part of house training is praise and reward. This combination is how dogs learn best, and what will motivate them to keep working at something.
Once a dog carries out a particular action enough times, it becomes automatic; at that time, reward will not be a 'must'; however, it does help to reinforce good behavior.
The praise. Choose a certain word or phrase that you will always use. This should be something that you do not mind calling out in public. Just saying 'bathroom' is perfectly fine; though, 'pitty-potty' or another like term will work as well.
You will say this each time you bring your Puppy to the designated bathroom area (Let's go pitty-potty) and immediately after your dog has done the deed (Good pitty potty, good dog!).
The reward. Special treats should be at the ready, in a zipped sandwich bag, and placed near the exit door that leads to the bathroom area. You'll want to be able to grab and pocket these as you are taking your Puppy out.
As you offer praise, palm a treat and allow your Puppy to mouth it.
The type of treat that you choose as reward for housebreaking plays a big role.
Here are 3 tips to keep in mind:
This should not be a snack that would be given out regardless. it should be reserved only for housebreaking successes.
It should be be highly tasty, giving a quick burst of flavor that offers immediate signal of a job well done.
It should be small (the idea is to offer instantaneous satisfaction and not something that a dog needs to sit down to chew on).
Step #4 The Actual House Training Rules
Now that you have prepared and have things in place to allow your efforts to be successful, it is time to implement the training. Here are 8 rules to follow:
1. Take your Puppy to the same designated area every single time. Stand in the center of that area, and allow your Puppy to choose the exact spot within the diameter.
2. Do not hesitate with praise and reward as soon as your Yorkie urinates or has a bowel movement. Say, 'Good, pee-poo!' (or your chosen phrase) with lots of enthusiasm (as if your pup just did the most magnificent thing in the world), while handing over the special training reward treat.
3. Bring your Puppy there before each walk. Allowing a dog to pee or poo while out for his daily walks is a missed opportunity for teaching housebreaking.
4. Be patient. Dogs can take anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes to relax bowel muscles. Bring a chair if you must, but do give your Puppy enough time.
5. Bring your Puppy outside often enough. This should be:
Right after your pup wakes up
About 20 minutes after each meal
Right after you arrive back home, if you've been out
Every so-many hours depending on age (3 hours for a 3-month-old, 4 hours for a 4-month old, etc.)
Right before bed
6. Bring your Puppy out any time that he/she makes a motion to pee or poo. Your Puppy should be right in your sights, be tethered to you, or in his playpen. As soon as you see a leg lift or a squat, give a loud hand clap to interrupt and bring your pup right out, even if you must carry him.
7. Time meals. Most Puppies do well with 3 meals per day, 2 to 3 snacks, and with the last meal or snack about 2 hours before bedtime.
But, if your Puppy is waking up and having a bowel movement super early, you may want to try adjusting dinnertime. This may lead to a bowel movement later in the evening before bed, as opposed to 4 or 5 AM.
8. React appropriately at night. Most young puppies will bark intermittently throughout the night and it will be important to try and ascertain if the barking at night is for attention or because there is a bathroom need.
Most very young puppies do not yet know to alert you to needs, so the majority of vocalization will be to gain your attention.
Since you do not want to your puppy to learn that he's allowed to wake you up 100 times, unless you highly suspect that he needs to poo or pee, barking should be ignored and the pup will learn to self-sooth.
If you do bring him out, you will want to strongly convey that this is a serious time and not one for play. Keep lights low and do not speak at all unless it is to offer praise for urinating or eliminating in the designated area.
Step #5 Reacting to Accidents
If you are home and always have your Puppy directly within your line of sight, tethered to you, or in his playpen, there should be essentially no times of accidents.
And, if when you are not home you have your Puppy in a playpen, since this is a defined space, pee and poo will be kept to one small area, and hopefully on the pee pads.
This said, if your Puppy does pee and poo in the house, you'll want to react the right way and clean it in the right way.
Reacting:
If you see your Puppy starting to pee or poo, interrupt him via a loud hand clap and a firm 'No.' Immediately bring him out, and if you feel that there is no time to walk him out, carry him (grabbing the leash and treats on the way out the door).
If you come across a puddle of pee or a little pile of poo but did not witness it happening, reassess what lead to this in the first place. Were you following the supervision and confinement methods?
Also, do not bother reprimanding; it will do little good and being scolded or yelled at may only serve to make your Puppy afraid of you.
GOOD LUCK & HAPPY HOUSE TRAINING
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Normal Vital Signs and How To Obtain Them
In order to determine if there is a problem, you should be familiar with your dog’s vital signs. It is good practice to routinely monitor these vitals, especially before and after exercise.
Respirations or breaths per minute:
Rate:
• Normal resting rate = 12-24 breaths/min, count the number of times the chest expands in 10 seconds (either by watching or resting your hand on the ribs) and multiply times 6.
• Panting is different than an increase in normal respirations and to get an accurate count respiratory rate should be evaluated when the dog is not panting.
Effort:
• Normal respirations require very little effort.
• If the dog is breathing hard, try and observe if it is harder to breathe in or breathe out (most respiratory problems cause more difficulty breathing in)
Breath sounds:
• Normal breathing should not be associated with much noise.
• If a snoring noise is heard it could indicate a problem in the trachea or upper airway (larynx, pharynx or nose), unless you own a bulldog or other flat faced breed.
• Normal lung sounds usually cannot be heard without a stethoscope.
• If abnormal (e.g. crackling, wheezing, or popping) noises can be heard from the chest, medical evaluation is warranted.
Circulation
Heart or Pulse rate:
• Normal pulse rate in dogs is between 60 and 140 beats per min.
• Larger dogs and more athletic dogs tend to have slower normal heart rates. It is important to know your dog’s normal heart rate. The heart rate can be counted by feeling the beat of the heart at the 3-5th rib.
• The pulse rate should be the same as the heart rate unless there is a heart problem (an irregular rhythm) and can be taken in the groin (at the femoral triangle).
• A heart rate persistently greater than 160 bpm (at rest) may be associated with serious medical problems and should be evaluated.
• If the heart rate is too slow, it may lead to fainting and may be a sign of an underlying problem that should be evaluated.
Heart or Pulse rhythm:
The normal rhythm is usually regular: however in many dogs the heart rate will slow down and speed up with the breathing. If the rhythm or the strength of the beat or pulse is variable, an EKG can help identify if there is a problem.
Pulse quality:
The strength of the pulse should be similar to the strength of your own pulse; however, an even better comparison is to monitor your dog’s pulse regularly and be familiar with all of your dog’s vital signs at rest and after work.
Mucous membrane color:
• The gums of a dog should be pink and moist.
• If the gums are pigmented you should become familiar with the mucous membranes of the prepuce or vulva so you can evaluate for potential problems.
• White or pale gums can be a sign of shock or low red blood cells. Blue gums (cyanosis) are from low blood oxygen (hypoxia).
• Very dark red gums can be seen with heat stroke, sepsis (a blood infection) or potentially carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Yellow gums are a sign of either a liver problem or destruction of red blood cells.
• Little bruises on the gums (called petecchia) are a sign that the blood platelets are not working properly to help the blood clot.
• If the gums are dry it may be a sign of dehydration.
Capillary refill time (CRT):
• This test is what you do when you push on your fingernail, watch it blanch and then see how long it takes for the blood to return.
• The same test is done on the mucous membranes of the dog. Normal CRT is 1-2 seconds.
• If the CRT is longer than 2 seconds then there is a problem with getting the blood to circulate properly. Very fast capillary refill time can be seen with heat stroke or sepsis.
Body Temperature:
• Normal rectal temperature is 100.5°F to 102.5°F.
• A low body temperature may be associated with exposure or shock.
• Wrap the dog in blankets and put in a warm environment but do not use heating pads.
• Shock requires medical attention.
• Temperatures of >106°F can be life-threatening and have severe consequences even if the temperature is reduced to normal.
• In the dog with heat stroke (over-exertion or excessively hot environment), a cooling (but not cold) bath should be started.
• Once the temperature drops to 103°F, cooling should be stopped.
• The dog should been seen for immediate veterinary evaluation.
Hydration:
• Dehydration can be a consequence of activity, especially in the heat, loss of fluid (vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urination) or failure to drink sufficiently.
• Dry mucous membranes, loss of skin turgor and dull eyes are all signs of dehydration, but may not be evident until dehydration is severe.
• Prevention of dehydration is the best and safest plan.
Mentation:
• No one knows your dog’s attitude better than you.
• Changes in levels of alertness or drive may signify a problem.
• Many drugs and toxins can lead to hyperexcitability. Depressed mental states can be part of many disease processes.
• Recording your dog’s vital signs regularly will be invaluable to your ability to evaluate subtle changes and recognize problems.
• If your dog is not right or has been injured, baseline vital signs are invaluable.
• Following an injury or medical problem, obtain and record vital signs regularly during transportation to medical care.
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Curving – Dog Body Language
The deliberate dog body language of curving is used in polite greetings, negotiation, or as a calming signal. A head-on, frontal approach can be seen as confrontational. The curving could be the curving of the dog’s body (which makes a slight c-shape), or a directional curve in the path the dog walks on approach. Some have described it as a ‘banana walk’, an easy descriptive way to imagine the direction of walk, due to the shape of the path taken by the dog.
Curving of the body, however slight, results in the dog’s shoulders turning away from the other party in greeting. Keeping the shoulders square and front on could signify a bit of tension and may come across as confrontational or too direct. Turning the shoulder ever so slightly is polite. The curve, whether a curve in path or body, can be subtle and slight; on other occasions it can be exaggerated and there can also be a combination of curving of body and path.
When two dogs get close enough to greet and sniff each other’s rears, they will do so by curving their bodies and walking around each other in a curve. Normally they will take a quick sniff of each other’s rear ends and move on afterwards. Some dogs choose not to approach each other at all, but they will walk in a curve past each other as a negotiation signal, giving each other space and passing one another politely.
If a dog has a loose leash, enough leash to make choices, and the social skills, there are times when he may actually choose to curve when passing another party. It is worth bearing in mind how some equipment can interfere with the dog’s communication. There are times when we, as humans, do not realize the importance of curving in polite dog greetings and will walk directly with our dogs on a short leash towards another party. Unfortunately, the choice of curving may also not be considered when walking on a pavement where space is limited when approaching another party.
Humans can utilize acts of curving with dog interactions. To approach a dog politely, instead of walking straight towards the dog in our very human direct way, you could walk in a slight curve. On approach, turning your shoulder away ever so slightly can put a dog at ease and is polite.
To read further in more depth about curving, you could consult the following longer article reflecting on head-on and curved approaches: ‘Considering the effects of walking or running straight towards a dog’. At the end of the article there is a link to a video showing how subtly a dog may choose to curve.
For further information as to how to approach a dog politely, please read: ‘How do you greet a dog politely?’
Here are a few examples of situations where a dog may use curving as communication:
Two dogs spot each other across an open field. The one dog decides to stand still, and she faces the other dog. She looks slightly tall, with ears held up and forward, and her mouth is closed. The other dog decides to approach. He trots over towards her in a curve. As he gets closer, he slows down, still walking in a curve. He drops his head down and does a slight look away. As he gets near to her, she does a head turn and offers a lip lick. He then takes quite a sharp curve, both with body and direction of movement, in an attempt to go round her towards her rear end. She turns her head away in the opposite direction of his curve, effectively looking away from him. When he attempts to curve closer, she walks up towards him and cuts off his curve. They meet awkwardly nose to nose. His body is facing side-on to her, so his shoulder is facing her, his ears are slightly to the side, and his tail is body height. She faces him front on with a slightly lowered body, her back hunched over, her tail tucked, and her ears pressed to the side of the head. The weight of her body is balanced on her back legs, pushing her body in a slight backward direction. She drops her head and squints her eyes slightly as she sniffs his nose. His head raises slightly, ears to the side, and he gives slight head turns and fast tail wags. She does a paw lift, ducks her head, and moves away from him quickly. At this point, another dog runs up to the pair and splits the two by walking in-between them. The dog that first approached her has tried to be polite by curving, slowing his pace, and offering head turns on approach. Even with all the polite body language offered, she was already showing some discomfort at the beginning of the interaction by standing tall, facing him, and not approaching. Then, as he finally came near to her, she changed her body language drastically by lowering her body, hunching up (making herself smaller), with tail tucked, indicating her unease. She also cut off his attempt to sniff her rear end. The dog that intervened saw her discomfort, noticed she was struggling with the interaction, and came to split the pair.
Two people are walking their dogs in a wooded area; each is walking with their dog off lead. As they reach an open area, the people spot each other and approach to say hello. The dogs, unlike their guardians, choose not to stop, but both take a wider berth by curving around each other at distance and using the humans as a barrier between them. The Labrador walks next to his guardian with a loose body, tail wagging at a slow and steady pace. The German shepherd walks a little behind his guardian at a slower pace, his tail down, head slightly dipped, and ears to the side. As the two people stop to chat to one another, both dogs continue walking past each other slowly in a curve around the people. The shepherd takes a wider curve. The lab looks over to the shepherd, which avoids looking directly at the lab and gives a quick head turn. The lab then does a head turn and dips his head down to sniff the ground as he continues to slowly curve past the shepherd. Both guardians have now finished their quick greeting and carry on with their respective dogs in opposite directions from each other. Both dogs pick up pace again as they continue the walk with each of their guardians.
A person is walking his dog on a loose leash on a path in the park. As they walk down the path, another person walks towards them. The dog slows his pace and dips his head down (as if to sniff the ground) whilst keeping his eye on the approaching person. He crosses over behind his guardian as they near the person and uses his guardian as a slight barrier, walking slowly in a curve as he passes by.
These are just a few examples; there may be many more. Start observing to see if you can notice curving in different contexts. As discussed below, interpretations such as the above examples should not be attempted without careful observation and consideration of all aspects of the situation.
A few notes to consider when observing dog body language:
Observation before interpretation
Interpretations should be offered only once you have observed the complete interaction and taken note of the wider picture. To offer an unbiased interpretation of the body language, observe and take note of the situation, taking into account the dog’s whole body, the body language signals and environment first before offering an interpretation. List all the body language you see in the order that it occurs; try to be descriptive as possible without adding any emotional language. For instance, saying a dog looks happy is not descriptive and would be seen as an interpretation rather than an observation.
You could however list what you observe: ears to the side, eyes almond shaped, slight shortening of the eye, mouth open, long lips, tongue out, body moving loosely, body facing side-on, tail wagging at a slow, even pace at body level.
From the observation I could interpret that the dog seems relaxed or comfortable. I still prefer to say relaxed rather than happy, as I feel you will truly never know exactly what the dog may be feeling on the inside emotionally. It is quite likely the dog may be feeling happy, but I prefer to comment on how the dog is behaving in response to the situation rather than presuming internal emotional states.
The importance of viewing body language within context
Interpretations can vary depending on the context. It is possible for certain body language to be used in different contexts and have subtle differences in meaning within those contexts. Individual body language signals should not be observed in isolation; the wider picture should be considered. Take note of what the dog’s body as a whole is saying. Keep in mind each dog is an individual with varying skills and experiences. What may be typical for one individual may not be for another. In order to observe body language in context, consider the following: the situation, body language signals, the body language expressed by all parts of the dog’s body, the environment, and the individuals involved. It is worth noting how the body language changes with feedback from the environment or the other individuals interacting.
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Be blessed
Nolene
Importance of allowing your dog to sniff
BY MARTHA KNOWLES | MAY 14, 2018 |
I peek out the front door to check on my dog, who is sunning himself in his favourite spot in the sun. He is lying on an old moving trolley, since repurposed to give him a boost up to the sunrays, which don’t reach the ground at this time of morning. As I stick my head out the door, he lifts his nose, and I can see his nostrils gently flare in and out as he recognizes I am close. He does not see me with his eyes, as they are squinted shut due to the sun, but he sees me with his nose.
There are many more examples of my dog using his nose to see. When I return from the shops, and we greet enthusiastically, my human tendency is to reach out and touch to say hello, but he ducks away, preferring to sniff my hands first to see where I have been. (If you have not already read about the human as opposed to canine perspective of greeting, it is worth reading ‘How do you greet a dog politely’). When I return from volunteering at the dog shelter, he sniffs my shoes and clothes carefully. I get the full pat down with the nose. If I offer him something, whether it is an object or food, he does not use his eyes to examine the item further; he sniffs it.
On one occasion, when out on a walk with my dog, he stopped, hesitant to go further. I surveyed the pavement ahead. It seemed clear. I thought he was being overly sensitive and encouraged him to continue. As we passed the parked cars ahead, hiding behind the wheel of the last car was a cat. I felt very foolish. My dog was right – there was something ahead! He had seen it with his nose. I should have listened. Being human, I had immediately dismissed what I could not see with my eyes. On another occasion, he started sniffing the ground very attentively, seemingly following a trail back and forth, as he narrowed in on the direction of the scent trail. Looking ahead to see what had taken his interest, it was easy for me to quickly spot a scattering of nacho chips that had been discarded on the pavement. This time my eyesight won out against my dog’s nose, and I was able to divert him away.
Even with these simple observations, it is apparent how often my dog uses his nose and scent to make sense of and navigate his environment.
It is understandable why the use of olfaction may be the predominant sense for dogs. It is estimated that dogs have 300 million olfactory receptor cells; in comparison humans have about 5 million. Dogs have the ability of smelling with each nostril on an individual basis, allowing them to distinguish the direction of the scent. The slits on the side of the nose allow for the old air to exit at the same time as the dog is breathing in new air through the nostrils, allowing the dog to take in scent continuously. The air is separated and passes through an area at the back of the nose that has a labyrinth of scroll-like bony structures called turbinates. The air is filtered through the turbinates for olfaction, while some of the air follows a separate route down the pharynx for respiration. The air that humans take in for respiration and scent is not separated, going in and out with the air that we smell. Additionally, dogs have a secondary olfactory organ called the vomeronasal organ that allows dogs to detect pheromones and non-volatile chemicals. There are times where you can spot the dog using his vomeronasal organ, as he will display a tonguing response. The dog may chatter his teeth or drool a bit at the mouth as he deciphers the components of the scent. To interpret all this information, a larger percentage of the dog’s brain is used to process scent, with the olfactory bulb taking up more area of the brain than it does in humans. The dog can detect smells at concentrations of 100 million times less than our noses can detect....
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Nolene
What type of Home Encourages a Well Behaved Yorkie?
At any age, there are elements in the home that will help a Yorkshire Terrier be well behaved and happy. The key is to provide an environment which makes the dog feel safe and allows the dog to know where they fall in the "pack".
Let's first discuss the environment. What will encourage a dog to be well balanced?
Having a daily schedule. Dogs are most happy when they know what to expect and when. This offers them security and the feeling of knowing that they are loved. A Yorkie should have each day consist of:
1.A Waking time (A day runs smoother when your dog wakes at the same time as you do)
2.Feeding times (Following proper feeding schedules keeps a dog happy and establishes you as the leader)
3.Grooming times (for brushings, baths, dental care and nail care)
4.Exercise times (for robust bursts of exercise)
5.Walking times (for lighter exercise and to have the opportunity to explore the neighborhood with you)
6.Play times (both independent with their dog toys and interaction play time with you and other family members)
7.Quiet time (for naps and to relax after exercising, etc)
8.Bed time (knowing what time they are expected to relax and retreat to their bed helps to keep everyone happy
The Yorkshire Terrier breed is known for their independence, but this does not mean that this dog wants to live on its own, even could or would be happy doing so!
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Be blessed
Nolene
Five reasons dogs LOVE being followers
1. Follower dogs feel secure because they know someone else is in charge.
Your dog craves a leader who has everything under control. Then HE doesn't have to worry about trying to figure out our complicated world. Instead of feeling stressed as they struggle to control you and everything in their environment, they can relax and enjoy life while YOU handle all the decisions.
2. Follower dogs feel secure because everyone likes them.
Since follower dogs are so willing to listen to you, it's easy to teach them good behaviors. Their positive behavior gets noticed and praised by other people. Dogs recognize smiles and appreciative tones of voice.
3. Follower dogs feel secure because they can go more places.
Well-behaved follower dogs are easy to bring along when you go visiting and are often allowed to remain in places where a dog causing a ruckus would be kicked out.
4. Follower dogs feel secure because they know the consequences of everything they do.
Follower dogs know which behaviors bring them praise, petting, and rewards, and which behaviors bring scolding. This clear distinction helps them make good choices of which behaviors to do, and which behaviors not to do.
5. Follower dogs feel secure because they know what your "human sounds" mean.
Like anyone who learns a foreign language, dogs feel confident and empowered when they understand what you're saying.How to teach your dog that you're the leader and he's the follower
Me: "You demonstrate leadership by interacting with your dog in specific ways – small actions that equal guidance and direction.
Whenever you do anything with your dog, even just walking through the kitchen, or petting him, or speaking to him.... he is busy judging your body language, your tone of voice, and how you respond when he does X or Y.
All of those seemingly little things are very important to your dog. They're the clues he uses to draw conclusions about you, and to decide whether you're worthy of respect or not.
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