Archive for January, 2010

Tips For Choosing A Chihuahua Puppy

When shopping around for a Chihuahua puppy, there are certain things to consider, just like with any other breed. The first thing you need to do is get familiar with the breed. Do your homework and know exactly what you are getting into before you buy. Once you feel comfortable with the possibility of owning a Chihuahua, you can then begin your search. Here are some tips for choosing a Chihuahua puppy.

Where To Find One

Obviously, the first thing you are going to have to decide is where to buy your puppy. Many people turn to the ease and convenience of pet stores. If you’re serious about getting a healthy and well-mannered dog, you should forget that idea right away. Even though the puppies available are cute and seem healthy enough, many times they are purchased from breeders who care nothing for the health and quality of the dog. They are in it for no other reason than to make a profit. You should buy you Chihuahua directly from a responsible and trusted breeder.

There are certain things that a good breeder will do to separate themselves from the pack. First of all, they will not breed unhealthy dogs with one another. They will also be able to show you health records to prove it. A good breeder will also be able to trace the family line of each parent for several generations. They will also let you spend time with the parents of the litter to give you an idea of the quality and mannerisms of the puppies. Most importantly, they will also be happy to provide you with references of previous customers. Take some time to contact these people and find out about their experiences with each particular breeder.

Choosing A Puppy

Once you’ve found a breeder that you are comfortable with, it’s time to choose your Chihuahua puppy. Each different breed has certain things you should be looking for and certain things you should avoid. It’s a little more involved than just picking up the first puppy you see and running out of there. Each individual dog has a different personality, and some will match yours better than others. Take into consideration what kind of personality you have. This will determine which Chihuahua personality will be easiest for you to train. If you’re kind of laid back, then you probably shouldn’t choose a puppy with an assertive personality. In most cases, you should try to choose a puppy that is somewhere in between assertive and submissive. This type of dog will suit most personalities. A good breeder will be able to help you determine which puppy best fits your personality.

The health of the dog is the next thing to consider. If you’ve chosen a good breeder, this should not be an issue. Any breeder that cares about the well-being of the dogs, as well as their reputation, would not willingly sell you an unhealthy puppy. There are, however, certain things to look for. The best indicator of a healthy Chihuahua puppy is whether or not the dog is clean. Obviously, a healthy dog will not be coughing, sneezing, or vomiting. Other things to look for include, clear eyes, moist nose, white teeth and pink gums, and clean ears. The dog should not appear to be overweight either.

If you follow these tips, you should have no trouble finding a Chihuahua puppy that is healthy and well-mannered.

Dogs are one of the top animals usually taken in by people as pets. This is probably because they are loyal, trusting and can do us a service in one way or another. Of course, one of the services rendered to us by dogs is just keeping us company but they can be the most understanding companions you might ever need or want.

In most progressive countries, some dogs are required to be well behaved and can be easily controlled. This is a requirement if you want your dog to live with you in the city where he can be expected to meet a lot of people and other dogs. Some dog owners prefer to teach their dogs obedience based in dog training books rather than have them taught at training schools. These dog training books cover obedience and many other specific training that you might need for your dog.

Basic Obedience For Dogs

Some of the basic dog training books on obedience cover the more mundane aspects of training obedience like sit, stay, heel and fetch. Some people find teaching these commands easy while others will need the guidance of dog training books to be effective trainers for their dogs. The usual styles in most dog training books is to reward your pet with either a treat or praise to be able to make the dog understand that what he did was good.

Other dog training books may also have recommendations regarding how to groom and take care of your dog. Not all dog training books will be full of training advice for dogs, some may have chapters regarding choosing what kind of dog is suitable for you and your family or how to take care of a puppy and train it.

You must also be careful to choose dog training books that do not advocate harmful or inhumane dog training equipment. Some of the dog training equipment does not offer happy rewards for dogs instead the dogs are either spanked in the rump or electronically shocked by collars if they do not do well. The dog training books that offer these alternatives to treats and rewards may have citations for fast learning but we do not want our pets to mistrust us to harm them if they do something wrong. Instead we want them to know that they can count on us. Basing dog training on hurting the dog in order for it to remember may be faster but it might also affect the dog psychologically.

Dog Training Aids: Training Your Dog To Become A Dog Citizen

Dogs are humans best companions. They are loyal and are loving creatures who would like to please their wieners most of the time. However, dogs can be quite challenging to train too. Teaching a dog to become a good citizen requires a lot of patience, creativity and love on the part of the owner. If you are a first time dog owner and you want to have some really great times with your dog, you need to get the right dog training aids to help you train your dog. With the right dog training aids, you and your dog will be working as a team in no time.

Getting Started

There are so many dog training aids being promoted and sold in the market today. These dog training aids are developed to different purposes so you should be careful when buying training aids. If you are not very familiar with the different dog training aids, it would be a good idea for you to buy a dog training book or CD first and learn how things are done when training your dog.

Aside from buying books and CDs on dog training, it would be best for you to find someone who knows all about dogs and ask for some advice. The breeder of your dog will be able to help you a lot on this matter so give that breeder a call and ask for some advice. You may also visit the breeder and take a look at the dog training aids that he have. In most cases, breeders also sell dog training aids so you might as well buy some of your dog training aids from the breeder to save time and effort hunting for training aids.

Preparing For Training

You will need to train your dog to obey to your commands. Depending on the type of dog that you have, this task may prove to be quite a challenge. For instance, Labrador retrievers are very intelligent, even tempered and easy to train. In most cases, this type of dog follows instructions.

On the other hand, bulldogs can be quite stubborn and willful. Yes, bulldogs are very intelligent and lovable but most of the time, they would like to do things their way so you better be prepared. Buy plenty of toys and treats before you start training your dog. Dogs love treats and they will be more eager to follow your instructions if they know that they will be rewarded for their good deeds.