Grooming Your Dog

Doberman Pinscher

The Dobie is an average shedder with a short, .
clean coat. Very little grooming is required of this breed.
Because many breeds beside the Doberman Pinscher have specific grooming needs, Best Friends has provided links below for the specific grooming requirements of each breed.

Dachshund

There are three different varieties of Dachshunds, the long-haired, the wire-haired, and the smooth-haired, all of which are average shedders. The long- and wire-haired Dachshunds require daily brushing. In addition, the wire-haired should be professionally trimmed twice a year. The smooth-haired Dachshund should be regularly groomed using a damp cloth to rubdown his coat. All three should have their ears checked regularly for signs of infection or inflammation.

German Shepherd

The German Shepherd has a thick, stiff outer coat and a softer inner coat. Daily grooming comprised of a quick brushing will help to keep the coat clean and healthy and help to combat shedding. This dog sheds constantly throughout the year and heavily with the seasons. Baths should be given no more than once or twice a years to avoid drying out the skin.

Great Dane

The Great Dane is an average shedder with a short, thick coat. The coat tends to be clean, with the hair smooth and glossy. To keep the coat shiny, brush daily with a firm bristle brush or body brush. This will also decrease the need for bathing, which can be quite a job, though dry shampoos can be given when needed. The nails should be frequently trimmed.

6 Tips For New Puppy Owners

You've brought your new dog home - now what! This is a question that many new dog owners may not initially think of in the excitement of bringing their puppy to meet its' new family. But it is a question that crops up when owners are confronted with a pet that chews their laundry or shoes. Or insists on relieving himself in the middle of the living room, on that lovely new rug. Or worse - on your bed!

Dogs can develop very frustrating behaviour, that can largely be avoided by correcting them straight away, at the time they actually do the wrong thing. Dogs don't relate their actions with time like we do. Thus, coming home to find a mess that your pet created hours ago, then getting angry at him, and trying to correct the behaviour then, is not going to work. Dogs won't associate being in trouble with the reason why. And because they don't understand English, we can't tell them! All they know is that they are in trouble, with no idea what they've done wrong. Worse, if you've just got home from work, they are really happy to see you. Not a very nice situation for a dog that just adores their owner and wants love and acceptance in return.

If you get your dog as a puppy, you have an advantage as you can do more to prevent poor habits forming. Here are 6 tips by Brian Killcommons:

1.Don't scold your dog after you've called him to you. He'll think he's in trouble for actually coming to you, and will associate coming to you with being scolded. So, when you try to train him, he won't come when called.

2. Don't try chasing your dog when you want him to come to you. This will seem like you're playing a game with him. It turns the dog into the leader and you into the follower. He'll think that running away from you will get you to follow him - not good for later training.

3. Get dogs used to being handled. This covers both grooming, which should be started as early as possible, even when there's no real need to. Start to check him over regularly, look at his feet, eyes, and ears. And when you are spending time with your puppy, get him used to handling different parts of his body, such as his tail, his ear, his mouth. Don't spend huge amounts of time doing this at first, and be gentle. The idea is to get him used to people touching him so that if children or visitors accidentally grab him, he won't be upset and possibly become aggressive.

4. When your dog is whining or barking, don't pet them. This reinforces the action, letting your pet think it's alright to do this. Unless you want a dog that will bark for your attention when he's older, don't encourage this now. And remember it's important to praise your dog as soon as he's done the right thing. So, when he stops barking, give him attention, and pet him then.

5. Only give your dog toys to chew, otherwise he'll think it's okay to chew everything. He can't tell the difference between your new and old shoes!

6. Don't play rough games with your new puppy. This includes wrestling, and tugging type games. It teaches your dog to be aggressive, and this may become a problem when he is much bigger and fully grown.

7 Tips to Consider When You Walk a Dog

When people go to walk a dog, they don’t consider the various obstacles that may stop them from having a pleasant walk. There are several things that can ruin a walk, but if you plan ahead of time and consider these tips it will be relaxing to walk a dog.

Tip 1: Training dog to walk on a leash
It is important that the when you walk a dog, they have been trained or are comfortable walking on a leash. Training dogs to walk on a leash is very simple because most are eager to just get outside and explore.

Tip 2: How many walks a day?

If you walk a dog a couple times a day for a half hour, they will get the energy out of them and go to the bathroom. You can turn it into a one hour ordeal, but splitting it up into morning and afternoon or early night walks allows them to get their energy out at different times of the day rather than all at once.

Tip 3: Social skills for the dog
When you walk a dog you have to remember that a walk is a social experience for them in a sense. Depending on the dog’s obedience, allow them to greet other people and other dogs to build relationships. This will help their self-esteem and better their mood.

Tip 4: Restrict the dog

As mentioned in the previous tip, it is important to let them greet others and explore. However, it is important to restrict the dog to a point and maintain some kind of authority over it. You don’t want the dog to be wandering onto other people’s yards or running wild, so that is why training dogs to walk on a leash is important.

Tip 5: Cleaning poop

To clean up after your dog, it is important to remember to bring a plastic bag or some kind of pooper-scooper.

Tip 6: Vary the walks

As mentioned earlier, when you walk a dog it is the highlight of their day. By varying the route you take, this allows the dog to venture new surroundings and keeps them interested to explore new habitats.

Tip 7: Practice obedience skills

Walking a dog is fun for them, but you can also use it as a time to practice some of their obedience skills. Reviewing the basic skills allows them to enjoy themselves and learn at the same time. You want to be careful NOT to turn it into strictly an obedience time for them though, because it is there most enjoyable time of the day.