Trim your dog’s nails about once a month. You’ll need a clipper designed specifically for the kind of dog you have. Either a scissor- or guillotine-style clipper can be used. Also purchase a small bottle of blood-clotting powder.

How to trim Your Dog’s Nails

- Have your dog sit beside you. Then place one its paws in your hand and gently pull it forward. If your dog dislikes being handled this way, slowly accustom him or her to it by offering treats and praise.  Touching your dogs paws at an early age will get him over this anxiety.
- Gradually shorten one of your dog’s nails. Be sure to stop before you reach the nail’s quick, which is the part of the nail that contains nerves and blood vessels. If you cannot see the quick clearly, stop cutting just behind the point at which the nail begins to curve downward.
- If you cut into the nail’s quick, do not panic. Put some clotting powder on a moist cotton swab and press it firmly against the nail for several seconds.

I lie belly-up
In the sunshine, happier than
You ever will be.

Today I sniffed
Many dog butts—I celebrate
By kissing your face.

I sound the alarm!
Paperboy—come to kill us all —
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

I sound the alarm!
Garbage man—come to kill us all —
Look! Look! Look! Look! Look!

I lift my leg and
Whiz on each bush. Hello, Spot—
Sniff this and weep.

I Hate my choke chain—
Look, world, they strangle me! Ack
Ack Ack Ack Ack Ack!

Sleeping here, my chin
On your foot—no greater bliss—well,
Maybe catching cats.

Look in my eyes and
Deny it. No human could
Love you as much I do.

Anonymous

Dogs were first domesticated from wolves at least 17,000 years ago, but perhaps as early as 150,000 years ago based upon recent genetic fossil and DNA evidence. In this time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. For example, heights at the withers range from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colors range from white to black, with reds, grays, and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns.

Dogs are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships. The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full fledged family members. Dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow canines. Dogs fill a variety of roles in society and are often trained as working dogs. Dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural dog skills. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions. Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique sobriquet “man’s best friend.”

Playing “fetch” games provides some good exercise for your puppy.  It also provides a good way to get those toys back so you don’t end up getting all the exercise.

In the beginning, roll the toy away from the puppy and let him get it. When he picks it up, say, “Fetch!” so he begins to associate the command with the action. Then praise him with an excited voice.

As he gets older, throw the toy a little further. When he brings it back, give lots of praise and let your puppy play with the toy for a few minutes so he gains some benefit from his effort of retrieving it. If he doesn’t bring it back, use a long lead attached to his collar. Gently reel your puppy in with the toy and praise him for coming back. Touch him, but avoid his head so he doesn’t think you’re going to immediately take the toy from him. Some puppies enjoy the chase of the toy and retrieving it and want you to throw it back immediately. Others want the toy with less chasing and retrieving.

Once he’s had a minute or so to play with the toy, puppy may drop it on his own. If he does, say ‘Drop’ to reinforce the behavior. If he doesn’t drop it on his own, get a light grip on the toy and give the command to drop. Praise him when he lets go of it and throw it again.

Puppies have 28 temporary teeth that erupt at about three to four weeks of age. They have 42 permanent teeth that begin to emerge at about four months.

Symptoms of gum disease in dogs include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along the gum line, inflamed gums and persistent bad breath.

Broken teeth are a common problem, especially among outdoor dogs. According to veterinary dental experts, aggressive chewing on hard objects, such as commercially available cow hooves, is a primary cause of broken teeth in dogs.

Cat Dental Facts

Kittens have 26 temporary teeth that begin to erupt at about two to three weeks of age. They have 30 permanent teeth that erupt at about three to four months.

Symptoms of periodontal disease in cats include yellow and brown tartar buildup along the gum line, red inflamed gums, and persistent bad breath.

Cervical line lesions are the most common tooth disease in domestic cats. Studies show that about 28 percent of domestic cats develop at least one of these painful lesions during their lifetime.

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Grim statistic … The American Humane Association estimates that 60 percent of the dogs destroyed in our shelters had exhausted their owners’ patience with their naughtiness. How sad to think that something as simple as daily exercise and training could have saved many of those lives.

• Trained dogs have more privileges, more freedom than untrained dogs…
• They are included in more family activities.
• Trained dogs are easier to live with, safer with children, and less likely to be a problem to neighbors or visitors.
• Through training, you will increase the bond between you and your dog and open the lines of communication.
• Training will help your dog learn to listen and follow directions, even in distracting situations.
• Training will broaden your dog’s life experience – the extended socialization will help your dog learn to behave calmly around people and other animals.
• Safety! – A trained dog is a safer dog.

  More on Why to Train your Dog?

• CANINE SUBMISSION/DOMINATION- done regularly, it will result in a stable, happy, obedient and pleasant dog………

  How to Train a Puppy: A puppy is a blank slate. It’s entirely up to you to instill its good habits, break its bad ones, and of course, teach it a few tricks!

  No matter what specific tasks and tricks are on your learn-to-do list, your training method is what’s going to make the difference between a pup that’s a star pupil and one that’s a slacker student. How well it performs is based entirely on how well you teach.

  With that in mind, here’s a primer on a few different schools of dog-training thought.

  Nothing In Life Is Free: The N.I.L.I.F. training philosophy works on pups and older dogs alike. (Yes, you can teach them new tricks!) In short, the N.I.L.I.F. belief is that your dog can enjoy as much attention and as many treats, tummy scratches and furniture privileges as you, the owner, want to give him, but you must make the dog earn those things before indulging him. So, a hungry dog earns its meals simply by first obeying your command to sit and wait for the bowl to be placed on the floor. The dog can enjoy a game of fetch, but must heed your “down” command before you will toss the stick. Because N.I.L.I.F. positions you, the owner, as the decision maker in all aspects of the dog’s life, it is effective training for both shy dogs and authoritative dogs.

  Clicker Training: A clicker is like a toy noisemaker that emits a short, chirp-like noise. The owner keeps the clicker on hand and clicks it when the dog exhibits positive, desired behavior, whether that involves potty training, socialization or learning tricks. By “marking” the moments of desirable behavior with clicks, the dog’s learning environment is safe, low-pressure, and positive. (Bonus: It’s also known to work on cats!)

Top 10 Reasons Why It’s Great To Be A Dog….

1. If it itches, you can reach it. And no matter where it itches, no one will be offended if you scratch it in public.

2. No one notices if you have hair growing in weird places as you get older.

3. Personal hygiene is a blast: No one expects you to take a bath every day, and you don’t even have to comb your own hair.

4. Having a wet nose is considered a sign of good health.

5. No one thinks less of you for passing gas. Some people might actually think you’re cute.

6. Who needs a big home entertainment system? A bone or an old shoe can entertain you for hours.

7. You can spend hours just smelling stuff.

8. No one ever expects you to pay for lunch or dinner. You never have to worry about table manners, and if you gain weight, it’s someone else’s fault.

9. It doesn’t take much to make you happy. You’re always excited to see the same old people. All they have to do is leave the room for five minutes and come back.

10. Every garbage can looks like a cold buffet to you.