The Modern Bark | Dog Training Tips

Supplementing Your Dog's Diet Is your dog enjoying a well balanced diet? If he eats the same dry food, day in and day out, year after year, chances are he’s missing out on a few things. Despite most manufacturer’s claims to the contrary, no one really knows exactly what constitutes a complete canine diet. The FDA, AAFCO and many vets recommend regularly rotating your dog’s diet between several brands to help maintain a balanced diet. However, changing your dog’s diet from one brand to another can result in unpleasant stomach upset and digestive issues. Here are some healthy, homemade ingredients you can add to your dog’s daily intake, without any extra effort, that will add variety and help fill in the nutritional gaps. And better yet, they won’t impact your wallet. As with any food, portion control is the key to healthy dog snacking. Kitchen Scraps That Make Healthy Dog Snacks Romaine Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is low in calories, high in protein (in fact it’s 17% pr...

Sad Lucy on her first day home from the shelter, hiding under the coffee table.  Photo by Tim Dawson Helping Rescue Dogs Adjust to Their New Families While many rescue and shelter dogs are ready to adjust to their new family lives, others can be anxious or fearful of their new environment and family members. The constant changes in their circumstances leading up to adoption are often bewildering, and can make an otherwise laid-back and eager-to-please dog, cautious or even suspicious of its new surroundings. These tips from top obedience trainers can help ease your new canine family member's transition into his new lifestyle, and quickly build bonds of trust between you and your new best friend. How to Approach Your Rescue Dog When Petting Him Research shows that dogs that are highly stimuli-reactive and those with fear aggression are most likely to bite their owners if startled when they are approached.  Before petting your new dog, first say his name, and be su...

The Paws Aboard Doggy Boat Ladder has been the gold standard for dog water safety when boating on lakes and other large bodies of water.  Now a newcomer has arrived, Pawz Pet Products Doggy Boat Ladder. We wanted to know, what's the difference and which is better? The Paws Aboard Doggy Boat Ladder in Action  Starting at $184.00 We checked with several distributors and the manufacturers of both products.  It appears that the owners of Paws Aboard decided to go their separate ways.  As a result, both owners enjoyed the intellectual property rights to the Paws Aboard boat ladder patent. This spawned a new company, Pawz Pet Products, producing exactly the same product, possibly even being produced at the same factory.  The only difference right now is the lettering on the side of the ladder. The Pawz Pet Products Doggy Boat Ladder at Work. As you can see they attach in exactly the same manner and look almost alike, right down the dog modelin...

The AKC lists 19 breeds as having hypoallergenic qualities. Do the dog breeds on this list really produce less dander and allergens? A study, based in Detroit, Michigan, sought to find out. Here's what they learned. The Coton De Tulear , a low shed dog and recent addition to the AKC registry.  Image by CVF-pfs The breeds listed below have been touted by the AKC and breeders as being hypoallergenic, mainly because they shed substantially less than other dog breeds.  However, hair itself is not allergenic; it's the dander attached to it that causes the sniffles and asthma attacks. The assumption has been, less hair in the air means less dander floating around. As a result, an industry of mixed breeds claiming hypoallergenic status has flooded the dog market. Americans are prepared to spend big dollars ($1500-$5000) on purportedly low allergy mongrels. The AKC's "Hypoallergenic" Dog Breeds List: Afghan Hound Bedlington Terrier  Bichon Frise  Chinese ...

By Dirk Vorderstraße (Amola vom Frohlinder Berg) The Labrador Retriever, A Great Family Dog The Labrador Retriever is America's favorite dog breed for 25 years and running and with good reason!  Friendly, gentle and easy to train the labrador is eager to please and a loving family companion. A member of the Sporting Group, Labradors are considered gun dogs. These athletic and powerfully built dogs are designed for endurance; they are capable of retrieving waterfowl or upland game hours on end. Bred originally to haul nets and retrieve fish in heavy cold seas, the labrador has its origins working in close cooperation with man. That collaborative spirit is evident in their ability to learn quickly, just ten minutes a day of training, can  earn you a devoted, obedient gun dog. The hallmarks of their appearance include: a sturdy frame, athletic and not cloddish; dense, short, waterproof coat; the "otter" tail; a broad back skull with moderate stop and "kin...

Did he do it? Does this dog look guilty to you? Is it a mistake to confer human emotions and motives on our dogs? Are dogs really more human than some of us are prepared to believe?  Recently, dogs have become the new darlings of cognitive science, and research exploring the range of canine emotions and cognitive abilities is mounting at an exponential rate. Among the many human characteristics attributed to dogs is the concept of guilt. It’s not unusual for a dog owner to state, “I knew he had done something; he had that ‘guilty look.’” We all know that doleful, guilty dog expression, but does it really demonstrate that dogs feel shame? If not, what’s behind it? Researchers at University Barnard College in New York set out to answer a few of these questions. The Guilty Dog Experiement In a study by Alexandra Horowitz, Assistant Professor from Barnard College, dogs were placed in a controlled environment where they and their owners were setup to make guilty...

Grooming not only keeps your dog's coat in good health, it reduces the amount of hair shed in your home and provides an opportunity to bond more closely with your dog. Whether you are wanting to keep your dog's coat in show condition or are just looking to keep it free of mats, these tips on caring for your fluffy dog will make short work of keeping your dog healthy looking and your home free of unwanted dog hair. Double Coated Dog Grooming Basics: 101 Before brushing your dog, always mist him lightly with a little water from a spray bottle. The water will eliminate static electricity  and provide elasticity to the coat to prevent breakage of hair the shafts. If you can hear the brush as it is pulling through the coat, you are brushing too hard or using the wrong style brush on the coat. Always brush out your dog and remove any mats before bathing him.  Washing a dog with loose hair or mats will only aggravate the situation, causing the mats to grow...