The Historical Mandate for Dog Adoption
The Historical Mandate for Dog Adoption
A headline in the Long Island Star, December 8, 1876, stated, “Two Bull Dogs Chew Each Other Up.” Cheered on by gamblers, the $1,000 dog fight continued for nearly four hours.
Throughout history, the inhumane treatment of dogs was scarcely noticed. Children and factory laborers were often subjected to physical and emotional abuse without scandal. So the fate of a dog was not even on the radar screen of the average person.
Unwanted or abandoned New York City dogs were frequently drowned in iron cages that had been lowered into a river.
But all that was to change with the arrival on the scene of Henry Bergh, a wealthy New Yorker. Bergh, a fierce defender of horses, dogs, and all animals against abuse he dedicated his life to the organization he founded in 1866, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA.
Henry and his ASPCA awakened the nations consciousness to the plight of dogs and animals everywhere, as ensuing years would find in the ASPCA a model for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, (SPCAs) across the land.
Preventing animal cruelty soon demanded that a program be established for the adoption of unwanted dogs to new homes giving them a second chance at life. The SPCAs would lead the way in making this a reality and are a critical component in the current effort to save dogs from abandonment and death.
Why would anyone abandon their dog today?
There are many reasons why .some understandable ( I did not say acceptable), most not here s a few :
Dog Buyer s Remorse -: A weekend trip to the pet shop, a birthday or holiday gift, geez a dog is such a great idea ! But then the reality sets in that a dog is a living being that needs food, exercise, meeical care and affection. Too much trouble? Drop the dog off at the pound or just dump the poor puppy at a park or on the road.
Change in Lifestyle or Financial Hardship: If a pet owner loses his/her job or moves to a new home where dogs are not permitted, Fido often finds his love rewarded with a new address at the local animal shelter
Death of Owner: When a death occurs in a family, it is quite common to see Mom or Dad s best friend being dumped at the local pound by family members who either can t or won t provide home and sactuary to a beloved dog.
Run Away Dog- Fido the dog runs off to play and have fun. Perhaps, the dog runs away due to abuse. If the dog owner can not or does not try to find the dog, he may well end up caged in a pound until adopted or euthanized.
Failing Health: Certain serious health conditions may make dog care an impossibility or prohibited by a medical practitioner. These otherwise wonderful dogs may be dumped at a shelter or abandoned by the owner or a family member.
Long Distance Move- When people move to another city, state or to a foreign country, the responsibility of taking a dog along may be more work than the owner is willing to endure. And in the case of international moves, quarantine laws may make the transition difficult. The easy solution for many, sadly, is to dump the dog at the local dog pound and never look back.
Allergic Reactions- Some people complain of allergies to dog fur, dander and the like. When they sneeze, Fido is shuffled off to dog prison.
Loss of Interest- A puppy or dog is brought home and everyone agrees that this new dog will be the family pet for a lifetime. When the novelty of dog gurdianship wanes, the dog is surrendered to an animal shelter
Millions of wonderful dogs are euthanized in the United States and other countries each year. Until recently, unwanted dogs in Tijuana Mexico shelters were electrocuted.
For those of us who find all this dog abuse abhorent, there are ways to help.
Educate your friends and family about the wonderful dogs that can be found at shelters. Many people believe that no good dogs are to be found at a pound.
Volunteer at a dog rescue or animal shelter and help the organization find unwanted dogs and puppies a new home.
Support no-kill efforts in your area prohibiting the killing of dogs and puppies in shelters.
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DOG TRAINING
Training Your Dog To
Eliminate Outside
Are you stuck at a point where you do not know how to proceed with housetraining your dog? Are you desperate to stop those accidents on your precious rug? Are you spending too much on room fresheners?
Smelly poops, carpet stains, unwelcome surprises and unwanted discoveries….in short, a perfect housetraining nightmare! If you are still spending sleepless nights conspiring on how to escape, STOP!
Don t be ignorant. It’s time to arm yourselves with the knowledge to deal with the problem. In today s issue, we shall try and arrive at a definite solution to stop your dog’s unwanted behavior.
How to Train Your Dog to Eliminate Outside?
Considering that your dog is properly crate trained, it is unlikely that your crate trained dog will eliminate inside his crate. Accidents generally occur the moment you take your Dog out of his crate and leave him unsupervised. It may be advisable to keep note of your dog’s potty breaks and let him out of the crate 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Take him out to the desired place and wait till he finishes potty. Reward him soon after followed by praise.
Note : To help your Dog acclimatize to potty outside, it is important that you take him to the same place everyday. This will help him build association through smell while it also conditions him to go potty at a given time of day, at a given place.
Once conditioned, it is easier to train your Dog to go on command. Continue letting your dog out of his crate before his scheduled time, however, refrain from taking him outside. Remember, association is important at every step of training. Verbal commands and physical gestures combined are helpful in most cases. So, when you teach him to go on command, accompany by pointing towards the door.
You may use commands such as “Out” or “Outside”. Repetitive use of these two words teaches your Dog to go out every time you give this command.
Note : It may be helpful to employ words commonly used in the household so that association is easy and your dog understands.
You can train him to bark, scratch the door or ring a bell each time he wants to exit. When you sense he wants to go, take him to the door and wait till he performs the desired behavior before praising him. Let him out once he s through with asking.
A dog is a creature of habit. Know that…
Since your Dog has been conditioned to go out at a certain time in day, he will let you know when he is uncomfortable.
By this time however, he is accustomed to eliminating in a particular place, therefore he will hold from eliminating inside or any other place other than his usual.
When you give him the command and let him out, he will go anyway. By repeating the same process everyday, you will help him associate between the variables……time, place and command.
Ringing the bell, to most, is a substitute for verbal commands. Instead of shouting “Out”, ring a bell (tied to your door) and open the door. Once you have done this over days, your Dog will know that ringing the bell means being let out. Soon he will be ringing the bell as a signal to open the door.
Note : Ringing the bell may not always mean that your dog wants to eliminate. If your dog feels like a walk, he will ring the bell to go outside. At least, you will avoid accidents and perhaps make a few extra miles.
It is a rarity but a possibility nevertheless…even though the aforesaid training was imparted correctly…it is possible that your Dog may not eliminate in the first instance you take him out. What do you do under such circumstances? Very simply…bring him inside, but don’t let him free as yet. Instead keep him on the leash and be more careful than usual. Constant supervision will help avoid accidents. Take your dog out at regular intervals, or when he shows the first signs of discomfort.
Note : Puppies are usually hyperactive. They need to go out:
Every time they wake up
Immediately after each meal
When they are generally active and playful
It may be a good idea keep puppy diapers handy for young puppies (1 to 3 months old). Puppies older than 3 months can be brought under the training regime.
Training should be gradual. Do not speed the training process. It is advisable to carry on with the first employed training technique even when you are absolutely confident your Dog has mastered it. Graduate to the next step with ease.
If an accident still occurs…
If you catch your dog in the act, do not surprise him or stun him by shouting in disgust. Let him know your presence as softly as possible and take him outside so that he can finish there. When you bring him inside, show him his mess and be as firm as possible and say “No” or “Bad Dog”.
It is helpful to avoid your Dog for some time after that. Show him your disappointment and disapproval by neglecting him. Nothing displeases your dog more than his failed attempts to please you. Do this every time he eliminates inside. Once bereft of love and attention, it will teach your dog that his behavior is unacceptable and he will gradually stop.
Continue training your Dog simultaneously in the correct training techniques.
Note : Puppies are generally prone to disobey. Since they have limited attention span, verbal commands rarely work with them. It is important to make eye contact with puppies while you are training them.
If you discover an accident after it occurred, apply techniques as (2). Unless you make your Dog aware of his mistakes, he will never learn to improve.
Keep in mind:
Never correct your dog too harshly or punish him severely. Your dog is prone to ‘disobey’ out of frightfulness.
Your dog spends quality time with his owner during walks. Avoid giving him the impression that the walk ends as soon as he finishes potty. Continuing walking until you or your dog grows tired.
Puppies are often in the habit of sneaking into places inaccessible to his owner and eliminating there. You may discover an accident long after it occurs or when you see that stain on the carpet or behind the sofa. The only way to deal with puppy training is to keep them under constant supervision. Negligence to show disapproval is never too successful with puppies. They keep busy with more interesting things in the house than pry for your attention all the time.
Note:
Commercial food takes longer to digest and can make your Dog poop more.
Follow a routine with your dog. Decide a time to feed and a time when you let him out. Knowledge combined you can successfully condition your dog.
Always maintain a diary of your dog’s routine, till he is properly trained. This will help you bring training activities into a pattern. Following a method is always beneficial.
To sum up, excellent management, careful supervision, loads of patience and knowledge of correct training methods combined, is your key to successful housetraining.
So gear up and start over! Cheers to a successful training session.
Nancy Richards has been a dog lover for the past 12 years. She has owned and handled dogs of different ages and have helped many fellow owners in training their dog. DogPottyTrain.com one of her sites has the aim to promote public interest in Dogs and convey by all possible means varied house training techniques for adult dogs and puppies. Anybody is free to use the article in their website as long as an acknowledgement is given Nancy Richards' and a link to the site www.dogpottytrain.com
dog adoption costs
Before you decide to bring a dog home, it is absolutely essential that you give some thought to the costs that you will be incurring in the process. It s not the purchase alone, though even that is likely to be expensive in the case of some superior breeds of dogs, but also the cost of the equipments you will have to buy to make your home habitable for your pet. Then there are the visits to the vet, which have to be regularly made, and the expensive vaccinations, which the puppy has to be given. So, all in all, you will have to make pretty sure that your wallet can take the beating before you bring your doggy home.
What then, are the costs, and how much are they? Let s start at the beginning. You have to buy the dog unless you are lucky enough to have it presented to you by a friend or a family member and the cost of this initial purchase can vary very widely. The variance will firstly depend on the type of dog you are buying. A purebred companion only puppy usually starts from around $800 but can go up to astronomical amounts for rare or exotic breeds. If you prefer to adopt a non-purebred variety from a shelter, it will cost you from around $150 to $300.
Costs also differ in different geographic locations so it is difficult for us to tell you of one fixed sum that you will have to pay for any given variety of dog. Visit the sources in your locality from where people normally buy dogs and check on the prices. And this includes the internet. After some queries on your part, you will be able to come to a fix on what your desired dog costs.
Now that you ve got your dog, it s time to look at the other costs you will have to start to incur. Let s start with the one - time costs.
One Time Costs Average Cost
Fence $300 - $1500
Bowls $25
Collar $6
Training Collar $10
Leash $12
Bed $40
Crate $100
Brush/Grooming tools $20
Shampoo/ Coat care $15
Neuter/ Spay ( Based on weight ) $300
Microchip $50
Then there are the annual costs, which you have to be prepared for. I enumerate them below:
Vaccinations $185
Heartworm Test $35
Heartworm Preventive $65
Flea/Tick Preventive $120
Food $480
Toys/Treats $45
Tag $5
And then there are other costs:
Boarding ” per day ( with 2 playtimes ) $25
Grooming ” per time $50
Training classes ( Per 6-8 classes ) $100
Individual training ( Per session ) $100
And remember, this list is for grown up dogs and not puppies. If it s a puppy you are adopting, the costs increase. There s a check up, a series of 4 sets of vaccines, worming, heartworm tests, all of which will cost you close to $300. Then there is puppy food, which will set you back around $450 and toys/treats, which will cost approximately $65.
So, as you will have counted up from the figures given above, in the first year, you will be spending approximately $1500 to $2500 over and above the cost of buying your dog. After the first year, you will spend less per year ” about $1000. Smaller dogs cost a bit less and larger dogs cost more.
Apart from all this, your dog will have lifelong healthcare needs. There will be shots and medicines you will be administering as preventive care and there will almost certainly be unexpected accidents, injuries or illnesses, however well you look after your dog.
It is therefore utterly essential that you objectively evaluate your budget and come to a decision as to whether you can really afford a dog. He will look to you for your support in all things and you owe it to him to give him, not only your love, but proper care, food and medical attention. These don t come free ” so ask yourself whether you can afford to get that dog you always wanted. If you realize that you can t, it s best to do without, both for your sake and his.
Anybody is free to use the article in their website as long as an acknowledgement is given Nancy Richards' and a link to the site www.traindogsandpuppies.com
Giant Schnauzer Puppies Ontario
GIANT SCHNAUZER
Animals, since time immemorial have always been a pleasure to possess. Ask an animal lover about the type of pet he wishes to have and out comes the desire for a dog. Dogs have been the best friends of humans and are acknowledged for their loyalty towards humans. They are used everywhere and have been popular as guards at wartimes, detectives in police raids and most beautifully as pets that bark at strangers. While one breed of dogs stands out from the rest and has been on the wish lists of many animal owners. Well, breaking the suspense, have you heard of the schnauzer ? The animal buff definitely has.
The Schnauzer or the giant schnauzer puppies was first seen in the19th century in the Bavarian and W rttemberg locations of Germany. The name originates from the German idiom for moustache since the dogs’ typically have hairy muzzles. It was a trendy herding variety, but its want for additional food than several breeds made it unpopular for farmers on tense finances or with inadequate assets. It was worked as an armed forces dog. It became sparse at a stage in the World War II, but its fame rose yet again subsequent to the combat, working as a drover and as a safeguard dog. Other prominent name gifted to this breed in early times was Riesenschnauzer , Russian Bear Schnauzer (early1900s).
The giant schnauzer puppies is sturdy, rectangular in manifestation, and drawn out; contracting somewhat commencing from the ears to the eyes, and from the eyes to the tip of the nose too. The whole length of the cranium is about one-half the length of the back. The nose is bulky and black. The lips are taut, do not overlap and again black. Lips blend with the white teeth perfectly. The jaws are dominant and well twisted. While the ears are cropped, indistinguishable in shape and extend with piercing tips. They are not blown up in length. There eyes are of an average size, dim brunette, and cadaverous. They are elliptical in pretense and eager in expression with eyelids just appropriate. Their neck is well-built, of reasonable length and with the skin fitting stalwartly at the esophagus; in synchronization with the dog’s heaviness and construct. The sound, dependable nature, craggy build, and thick weather-defiant lean outer make them one of the most valuable, potential, and long-term effective breeds.
Three types of schnauzers generally exist: Miniature Schnauzer: 15 inches Standard Schnauzer: Females 17-20 inches Giant Schnauzer 23.5- 25.5 Inches The massive Schnauzer has an unkind, tough external fleece and thick, spongy undercoat. Back remains solid and even. The Giant Schnauzer is a hefty, strong, dominant dog which desires a stiff, steady but pleasant supervisor. Calm, observant, brave, deeply devoted to kin, mischievous, likable in repose, and an authoritative stature when provoked. Needless bleakness will merely do injury. Like most outsized breeds, it needs a reasonable quantity of work out.
Early and regular working out is indispensable as the Giant Schnauzer has a tendency to be very unruly. Its talent to comprehend a command does not at all times interpret into compliance. Giant Schnauzers are very faithful and bright dogs. They frequently happen to get so close to their master that they go behind them everywhere. They may however suffer health problems if not taken care of and trained well. Some diseases they may get caught up with may be;
1. Autoimmune diseases namely AIHA - autoimmune hemolytic anemia, SLO, hypothyroidism, IMHA - Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia, Crohn’s disease, etc 2. Epilepsy 3. Incontinence 4. Toe cancer So the trainer needs to be well educated about the training methods. If not the rare schnauzer can be endangered. It is therefore important to be familiar it s nurturing and training before hand. So the Giant Schnauzer is a dog to look for if you are ready to accept the challenge of training it. If you are a know-it-all type of dog enthusiast then I am sure you will be looking to add some bit of information here. Anyways, the next time you happen to see a thief run out of hands hire a Giant Schnauzer and use this detective to get away with embezzlement. Author Bio:
Shaun Turner is a dog lover with special interest on breeding and rearing giant schnauzer puppies
Author Bio:<br> Shaun Turner is a dog lover with special interest on breeding and rearing <a href="http://www.torontowebservices.com/pets/giant-schnauzer.php"> giant schnauzer puppies</a>
The German Pointers Dog Breed History
The Origins of the German Pointer breed As the name suggests the German Pointer dog, also known as the German Shorthaired Pointer comes from Germany. Even though researchers do not have many details about the origin of this breed, the all concluded that the German Pointer breed is a mixed breed that developed in time from mixing breeds like the Spanish Pointer, the Foxhound, the Bloodhound and other hunting dogs and later the English Pointer. The German Pointer breed belongs to the European pointer dogs. There are records about the pointer dogs as well as the hunting dogs from Europe ever since the 13 th century. Todays German Pointer is an elegant and versatile hunter both in the water and on land. He is a specialist in bird hunting and is admired for his great personality. The German Shorthaired Pointer is related to the German Wirehaired Pointer, a breed of dog mostly common in Germany and less in The Great Britain or The United States. Though they are both mixed breeds and have related predecessors, the German Wirehaired Pointer does not have any Bloodhound or Foxhound predecessors. The Wirehaired Pointer however originates from the Pudel pointer, another mixed breed between the German Pudel and the English Pointer amongst others. Past records of the German Pointers breed Even if there aren’t many records that talk about the German Pointers breed but mention the hunting dogs for their proficiency in finding and tracking large and small animals as well as their dexterity in both water and on land, the breed got some recognition after it was crossed with the English Pointer in the late 1800s. The German Pointer was recognized as a breed and recorded by the German Kennel Club in 1872. In the 1920’s the German Shorthaired Pointer was taken to the United States where it became a popular breed. Not too long ago the American Kennel Club, that formally recognized the breed in the 1930, stated that the German Pointer reached the 20 th place in list of most popular breeds in the US. In 2005 a German Shorthaired Pointer dog won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the first show where a German Shorthaired Pointer participated was held in 1941 in Chicago.
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