Viral Stories: Dogs

A Kelpie that may have been the oldest dog ever died in her bed on Sunday in Woolsthorpe, Australia.
Brian McLaren told the local Weekly Times newspaper that his dog Maggie lived to the remarkable age of 30.
“She was still going along nicely last week,” McLaren reportedly said. “She was walking from the dairy to the office and growling at the cats and all that sort of thing.”
According to the American Kennel Club, Maggie would have been about 164 years old in human years (the American Veterinary Medical Association said the whole 1 dog year = 7 human years thing is a myth).

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Last year, 7 News Perth did a story on Maggie, who at the time was believed to be 29 years old.
“We’re good friends,” McLaren told the station. “We’ve grown up together.”
He said Maggie was deaf, but in otherwise good health. Until two days ago.Source

When we get our puppies we often look for dog training advice but often in the wrong places. The primary focus that we need to have is on dog obedience training as it is a crucial aspect for dog owners. Dog obedience training methods are the basis for a getting your dog to be well behaved, responsive. With these methods your dog will be able to live in your home with your family, friends and other animals comfortably.

Many people make the mistake of skipping obedience training and try to correct dog behavior problems by yelling and punishing. This is not good. You will find it much harder to get your dog to be well behaved around people and other puppies without obedience training. You have to realize that the dog needs to be trained to understand that you are the leader and this happens through obedience training.

Puppies follow what is known as a pack mentality. They follow a leader and it is you who must be your dog’s leader. This is what disciplines your dog. You offer a sense of direction and authority. You must always keep your leadership role with your dog. Now I do not mean you must be this cruel military general. You can play with your pup and have fun. Just remember to constantly remind the dog that you are the authority.

Dog obedience training serves as the method that starts and develop this relationship. Without this training your dog will often feel that there is no such relationship. This will lead to more and more behavior problems and you will find it very difficult to even live with your dog much less walk around in public with him/her.
What often happens is that dog owners search for dog training advice but they are often given instructions such as make the dog do this and have the dog do that. However the dog owners are never told what this means to the dog. We never look at the dogs perspective of why he or she does what it does and why it responds well to certain methods and poorly to others. To have this understanding of the dog’s personality and will make for a much more pleasant training experience for both the dog owner and the dog.

Without proper obedience training you run the risk of a constant battle for authority especially in with dogs that are more prone to being aggressive by nature. This trait must be subdued and eliminated as quickly as possible and this can only be done with proper obedience training opens you both to the possibility of a tension filled power struggle. This attempt to dominate is a dangerous and undesirable trait in a dog, and must be eliminated as soon as possible, through obedience training.

It is always good to be at ease knowing your dog is well- behaved even though your away. Once you reach that point, you won’t have to worry about bringing your dog to other people’s houses, or having people and other dogs approach your dog.

Extra Dog Training Advice:

- Base all your training around the principle of positive reinforcement
- Correct the dogs mistakes with out scolding or punishing for a more productive training approach
- Always address bad behavior
- Use Repetition
- When bad behavior is displayed, never wait to correct it. Correct it on the spot and make sure a connection has been made.
- Keep your training periods short. 15-30 minutes tops
- You must train your own dog. It is better for you to be seen as the leader than a non family member.
Again, having a dog is not just about feeding, walking and playing. Training is a huge part of your responsibility. Do not make the mistake many people make of taking dog obedience training lightly. It is very important for raising your dog to be calm and trained to live agreeably in your home and around others. I hope you follow this dog training advice! Good Luck and say hi to the dog for me!
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