Dog Training Just For Kids

Hiya Kids!

Do you love dogs? Then how would you like to make money working with dogs?

Here are 5 Ways to Make Money With Dogs:

1) Be a Dog Whisperer (I mean dog trainer!)

If you enjoy being around dogs and are good with them, then you could become a dog trainer.

All you need to become a top trainer is a love for dogs, patience, and a few “treats” up your sleeve to make them listen to you! You could specialize in certain types of training such as potty training, obedience training, tricks, or even training dogs to be in movies or commericals.

2) Walk other people’s dogs

If you love dogs, why not offer to walk other people’s dogs for them and charge a small fee? This works best if you already walk your own dog. You’re spending that time with your pooch anyway, and if you’re confident in handling more than one dog at a time, it could be a nice little earner.

Just make sure your dog appreciates company!

3) Sell Your Dog Photos

Chances are you have some really cute pictures of your dog, right?

Stock photography websites will pay both amateur and professional snappers for their shots, usually on a per-download/per-sale basis. To get started, have a browse on Alamy, Fotolia, iStockPhoto, PictureNation or 123RF.

4) Dog Dressing

You can make serious money by turning your old clothes into one-of-a-kind dog blankets or coats. This is a home business for the sewing enthusiast.

Dog owners pump millions of dollars into the canine care industry each year. People love to buy original toys, blankets, and coats for their furry children.

To create your line of canine fashion wear you will need a sewing machine, needles, thread, your old clothes, and your imagination.

Bone up on your knowledge of sewing techniques by reading a good book on the subject. Also, study the design and materials of the dog coats and blankets offered for sale in your local pet shops. Sketch a few ideas of your own. Consider using quilting techniques to create truly original designs.

You could specialize in making personalized coats/blankets for small dogs. Think Paris Hilton’s Chihuahua with its sparkly outfits. You could make coats for every season.

Keep in mind your line of canine wear and/or blankets need to be top quality work. You wouldn’t buy a shoddy product and neither will your customers.

If you own a dog then use Fido as your model to find the right design you’re looking for. Your dog could even be your supermodel later after you have your fashion line ready to sale.

Imagine your dog parading through a pet shop in his or her one-of-a-kind coat, pausing now and then to strike a dramatic pose while wearing a cool expression while you describe the outfit to your client.

5) Sell One-Of-A-Kind Glitsy Paw Jewelry

Are you creative? Do you like making things?

You could sell fancy paw bracelets or rhinestone studded dog collars to dog owners who want to pamper their precious pooch! Dog owners treat their pets like kids and spend millions of dollars every year spoiling them. This is a very profitable business…and a lot of fun!

You could sell your doggie treasures on Etsy or even Craig’s List for very little cost.

Good luck turning dogs into dollars!
Maria

Hi!

So you just bought a puppy? And now you need to potty train your precious puppy in a hurry?

Great!

Here’s how to Potty Train Your Puppy When You Are Home

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The more time you spend with your puppy, the quicker he will be potty trained. You need to take your puppy to his “potty area” every time he needs to eliminate.

This should be about once every 45 minutes. Puppies can’t hold it as long as older dogs.

Take your puppy to go potty just after a play session; just after eating or drinking; and just upon waking up in the morning.

When your puppy goes in his potty area, praise and reward him profusely and enthusiastically!

Don’t scold or punish hime if he makes mistakes or has an accident. Your puppy is too young to understand and it can set the potty training process back drastically.

Don’t allow your puppy freedom outside of his room unless you know absolutely for sure that his bladder and bowels are completely empty. When you do let him out, don’t let him out of your sight. It is a good idea to have him on leash when he is exploring your home. He can’t get into trouble if you are attached to the other end of the leash.

Every 30 minutes return your pup to his toilet area. As your puppy becomes more reliable about using his toilet area and his bowel and bladder control develops, he can begin to spend more time outside his room with you in the rest of your home. Begin by giving him access to one room at a time. Let him eat, sleep and play in this room but only when he can be supervised. When you cannot supervise him, put him back in his room.

Good luck!
Maria

Hiya there!

So, you think your pet’s a star?  How much dough can a dog actor (& his pet owner!) make? And how do you train your dog for Hollywood showbiz?

All pets are super stars in their owners’ eyes, but it takes a special something to make it in pet showbiz.  Not to mention hours of dedicated training from you - the pet parent!

Here are 10 tips for getting your pet into showbiz from Victoria Wells, ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training. Wells has worked as a trainer on commercials for the SciFi channel, music videos (including Eve and Sean Paul’s “Give It To You”) and other exciting projects involving animals.

1.  Is my pet suited to stardom?
A great temperament goes a long way. To be an animal actor, your pet should love to be around people of all types, and should be comfortable in unusual situations and strange places. “Fearful animals do poorly in this type of work,” Wells says. “On set, animals are exposed to bright lights, music, cameras, and other new sensations.” Early exposure to all unusual things makes for the best animal actor.

As for your pet’s appearance, good looks count for animals just as much as they do for people in showbiz! Happily, there is a place for everyone—funny faces do well, too! Light-coated animals tend to get cast more often—particularly tan dogs and orange cats, because they show up better on camera.

2. How can I help my pet get a paw up on the competition?
Animals don’t necessarily have to know tricks. Sometimes they just have to fit the look a production is seeking and be well-mannered. However, in order to score more work, dogs should know at least basic obedience. A well-trained pooch is always in demand. “Take your dog to classes or get a trick training DVD,” suggests Wells.

You can watch a free dog training lesson by Dove Cresswell - Professional Hollywood North Dog Trainer - <a href=”HERE

3. What does my pet need to get started?
Just as human actors need headshots, animal actors need professional photos! These photos are like business cards for pets. Production companies use them to pick the animals for a show, movie or print job. Agencies choose the animal actors for both talent and looks.

Take photos of your dog to take to talent agencies. Try including some action shots where she’s showing off her tricks, or make a video of her performing.

4.I’m ready for the world to meet my pet. Where do I begin?
Most TV, film and print work is produced in Los Angeles and New York. “Contact animal talent agencies and trainers through www.newyork411.com and www.la411.com, two professional production referral websites,” Wells advises.

Seek out animal talent agencies in your area. Start by checking the National Alternative Pet Association Web site (altpet.net).

Submit your pet’s photos to the agencies and trainers you feel would work well with your superstar. You can do this via mail, email, or through their websites. Not all agencies will take phone calls, but if a phone number is listed, it can’t hurt to call!

5. What are the various jobs animal actors can do?
Animal acting jobs can range from print ads and photo shoots—just imagine your little one’s face on a package of pet food!—to music videos, commercials, TV shows and movies. Some animals even appear in live stage productions, like Toto the dog in The Wizard of Oz.

Sometimes the animal is asked to do little more than hang around or do something that requires little or no training, like eating from a bowl. “More demanding roles involve complicated, trained behaviors. Sometimes the animal must interact with the actors, for example,” Wells says. Dogs in particular can perform advanced tasks such as hiding, running to an object on cue, or even displaying various emotions. (Think Eddie on the TV sitcom Frasier!)

Often, we even see dogs speak lines of “dialogue!” We wonder if any pooches know how to read a script!

6. Are there certain animal welfare guidelines that production companies must follow?
Film and photo shoots are usually monitored by a representative from American Humane. The animals are not supposed to work for long periods of time without a break, and they must have shade from the heat and warmth from the cold. “There are movies I have boycotted because of reported mistreatment of the animal talent,” Wells says. “If you want to know what goes on with your animal actor, I suggest you be the handler.”

7.  Do animals need to be able to work well with other animals on set?
It’s absolutely useful if your pet gets along well with other animals. However, there aren’t always other animals on set. “I would be in trouble if that were the case,” says Wells. “Some of the huge dogs I deal with don’t like other dogs, but are the only ones in the show or video.”

If your pet has to share the stage with another animal, you might be able to distract her with a treat or toy. If filming a music video, for example, you can usually be as loud as you want because they add the music later. Wells suggests you get your dog used to being around other dogs at a distance of about five feet while feeding treats, and begin to decrease the distance when you see there is no reaction to the other dog.

8.  How can you teach an animal to work away from his handler and be comfortable with his on-stage family?
Make it fun! Have some friends come over and work with your pet on some tricks and training. This way, he will get used to taking cues from strangers. You can ask someone else to occasionally feed him his meals and walk him. The more people you expose your pet to, the better. It’s especially a good idea if he gets used to children, since many animal roles involve playing the family pet.

9.  How much dough can an animal actor make?
Most animals would be happy to work for food. Since we people aren’t so wonderfully simple, there is cash to be made in this biz!

Compensation depends on the project and the trainer. A fee or day rate is usually paid to the trainer. If you are your pet’s trainer, you keep the whole sum. But if your pet is recruited by another trainer, the animal usually gets a cut of the trainer’s fee.

An animal can make anywhere between $100 and $500 per day of shooting. (Wow, that would buy a whole lot of chew toys!) So it definitely pays to be your pet’s handler!

10.  What other pets can work in showbiz besides dogs and cats?
There is work for every animal. Birds, rabbits, ferrets, mice, rats—you name it. “If you pay close attention to what you see on TV or the big screen, animals creep up in the strangest places, and someone had to train them or at least be their handler. They don’t just wander into the shot!” says Wells with a laugh.

Happy training your dog to be a movie star!

Maria

Hi Fellow Dog Owners!

Is your dog easy to train? Is your dog a fast learner? Is it easy to teach him new commands or tricks?

According to Adam G. Katz, dog trainer…

Here Are the Top 5 Dog Breeds For Easy Training:

5. Australian Shepherd: A very smart breed, they learn new commands
quickly and are very stable and almost never get defensive.

4. Doberman Pinscher: Definitely one of the most intelligent breeds.
Find one with good ball/play drive and there is pretty much nothing
this breed can’t do.

Dobermans may be easy to train, but I wouldn’t recommend them as a best choice for kids.

3. Border Collie: One of the ultimate working dog breeds, they have
a tendency to be on the sensitive side. But if you recognize that,
these dogs have a jaw dropping ability to work with their handler/owner.

My 14 year old dog, Champ, is part border collie…and he’s smart as a whip!

2. Golden Retriever: These dogs are pretty much always happy and
simply a joy to train. Even if it’s drizzling outside, these dogs
have an eternally ’sunny’ disposition.

They are also the most forgiving of breeds, which makes them excellent for kids and the novice handler.

1. Poodle: With most dogs, it takes 5 or 6 times, before they
understand a new command. With many Poodles, you can tell them
twice and they ‘get it.’

One hundred years ago, they were used as circus dogs. Apparently, they’ve maintained much of their intelligence and trainability.

We just love working with the Poodle.

You can train any dog…but some breeds are just easier to train.

Happy training!

Maria
Kid Dog Trainer Extraordinaire

Hi!

Does your dog drive you crazy when he barks all the time? Does he bark for no reason at all?

Getting your dog to stop barking is the second most frustrating reason why dog owners want to take their dog to obedience training classes. Right after housebreaking!

But before you give up and head to expensive dog training classes, you need to understand a few simple, but important facts about why your dog is barking.

This will make it easier to understand why your dog is barking in the first place, and how you can easily get him to stop barking at everything that moves!

Understand though, your dog will never stop barking altogether. It’s in their blood!

But you can teach you dog when it is OK to bark and when it is not.

First, teach your dog a trigger word where he can bark on command, so he’ll be less likely to bark randomly. For example, train your dog to bark when you tell him “Champ, speak!”

Next, you want to be able to stop your dog from barking when he is not supposed to. Usually your dog is barking for a reason, even if you don’t “see” the reason right away!

Sometimes your dog is trying to alert you of danger or trying to get your attention to something.

The key here is to think about what it may be that is causing your dog to bark and acknowledge it (and remove it if necessary).

Then let your dog know that you understand by saying something like, “Thank you, Champ. I see the squirrel (as you point to it). Now No bark.”

Use a firm, but calm tone.

Your dog should pick up on your acknowledgment and stop barking.

This should help in teaching your dog how to stop barking. Good luck in training your dog to be a better behaved, quieter dog!

Maria

Are Mac, Buddy, and Lady the only dog names to choose from?

Not by a long shot!

Here are my favorite top 10 unique dog names and their meanings:

1) Alguya - Means white lady of the snow (a great name for a samoyed!)

2) Shiva - my cousins name - I just really like it!

3) Lupus - The latin for wolf

4) Opal - Gemstone: usually white

5) Apollo - Famous for going to the moon

6) Sirius - The dog star. And the brightest in the sky

7) Chad - Central African country

Fuji - Sacred Japanese mountain

9) Dublin - Irish roots?

10) Cosmo - From the Greek for the Universe ( I actually had a black cat named Cosmo!)

Are you wondering what dog food brand is the best for your dog? Me too!

Here Are The Top 10 Dog Food Brands:

1. Mars Petcare

Top brands: Pedigree, Cesar, Sheba, The Goodlife Recipe, Whiskas,  Greenies, Royal Canin

New products: Cesar Gourmet Filets in sauce, WholeMeals for Dogs, Multi-pack Whiskas Favourites and Fisherman’s Choice (UK)

Websites: www.mars.com; www.marspetcare.com

2. Nestlé Purina PetCare

Top brands: Purina, Friskies, Alpo, Beggin’ Strips, Beneful, Busy Bone, Fancy Feast, Mighty Dog, Pro Plan, Bakers, Felix, Go Cat, Gourmet Gold, Vital Balance, Vitalife, Cheweez, DeliCat, TBonz, HiPro

New products: Friskies dry food line: Seafood Sensations, Indoor Delights, Signature Blend, Feline Favorites; Pro Plan Dry Senior Cat Food

Websites: www.nestle.com; www.purina.com

3. P&G Pet Care

Top brands: Eukanuba, Iams

New products: Eukanuba Healthy Extras Puppy Growth Biscuits, Eukanuba Mature Care Formula for Cats, Iams Premium Protection for Dogs and Cats, Iams Healthy Naturals, Iams Digestive Care for Cats

Websites: www.pg.com; www.eukanuba.com, www.iams.com

4. Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Top brands: Hill’s Science Diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet

New products: Science Diet Nature’s Best Canine petfood, Prescription Diet Canine and Feline Treats

Websites: www.colgate.com; www.HillsPet.com; www.HillsVet.com

5. Del Monte Pet Products

Top brands: Meow Mix, Kibbles n’ Bits, 9Lives, Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Pounce, Wagwells, Gravy Train, Jerky Treats, Canine Carry Outs, Snausages, Nature’s Recipe, Alley Cat, Meaty Bone

New products: Nature’s Recipe Farm Stand Selects, Kibbles n’ Bits Brushing Bites Dog Food

Website: www.delmonte.com

6. Affinity Petcare SA

Top brands: Affinity, Ultima (UK), Brekkies, Brekkies Excel (cat), Advance, Advance Veterinary Diets, Premium Dog

New products: Special Care Urinary Tract Health, Special Care Hairball Control (both for cats)

Website: www.affinity-petcare.com

7. Nutro Products Inc.

Top brands: Max Dog, Ultra Dog, Natural Choice Dog, Max Cat Gourmet Classics, Natural Choice Complete Care Cat

New products: Ultra Large Breed Puppy and Adult; Natural Choice: Sensitive Skin & Stomach Formulas, Complete Care Indoor Kitten & Weight Management, Senior Brown Rice & Lamb Meal, Dog Healthy Desserts, Small Bites Lite & Senior

Websites: www.nutroproducts.com; www.ultraholistic.com

8. Unicharm PetCare Corp.

Top brands: Aiken Genki Gin no Sara, Neko-Genki Silver Spoon, Gaines Pakken

New products: Ginno Sara for Dogs 10 years and older, Fukkura Dry for Dogs 10 years and older, Gainer Pakken White Meat Chicken, Ginno Spoon Retort Pouch, Ginno Sara Kyono Gohobi (treats)

Website: www.uc-petcare.co.jp

9. Total Alimentos SA

Top brands: Big Boss, Big Boss Nuggets, Lider, Família Max, K&S, Nero, Equilíbrio, Supreme, Snacks

New products: Supreme Cães Sensíveis, Feitiço Bolas de Pêlos, Nero Refeição, Lançamento Big Bom, Kitute Higiene Bucal

Website: www.totalalimentos.com.br

10. Nutriara Alimentos Ltda.

Top brands: Foster, Freddy’s, Bybo, Dog Show, Blog Dog, Dog Friends, Tommy, Fulldog, Floop, Dunga, Ringo, Pitoko Mix, Pitty, Bidu, Street Dog, Pitukão Pitukinha, Gatto, Street Cat, Blog Cat, Clean Cat, Pitukats

New products: Dog Show Gourmet, Dog Friends Dry food, Gatto Meat, Fish & Mix

Website: www.nutriara.com.br

What dog food brand does your dog like best? Or do you make your own dog food?

Maria

When your dog gets excited it tends not to listen very well. Like when you have another dog over and you are trying get your dog to listen to you and obey you and he only pays attention to the other dog. I know, it can be very frustrating! But one way to get your dogs attention is to ignore your dog and pay attention to everyone and everything else but your dog. Pretty soon your dog will get so jealous that it will do everything you say. Trust me it works! I did that on my puppy, Blaze, once and it worked like a charm. So the next time your dog won’t pay attention to what you are trying to tell them, just return the favor and ignore your dog back. Pretty soon your dog will be listening and paying attention to you.

Good Luck,
Maria

Are you struggling with puppy potty training? Are you training your puppy…or is she training YOU?! Puppies are the most adorable creatures on earth! Except when they pee all over your house. Then they’re not so cute.

So what’s the best puppy potty training tricks? What should you do first?

Here’s 3 Tips for the Novice Puppy Potty Trainer:

1) The first thing you need to do is get your puppy on a schedule. Get into the habit of feeding and watering your puppy at about the same time every day. And don’t make the mistake of leaving his food out all day. This is absolutely wrong. Set his food out for 15 minutes at a time. If he doesn’t eat, pick it up. By doing this, he’ll eat right away when you feed him, and he’ll need to go to the bathroom approximately a half hour later. Remember, puppies can’t hold it for very long! That’s why you don’t want him “snacking” all day long, otherwise accidents WILL happen!

2) Be sure that you are taking your puppy to the same spot in the yard every time to go potty. And give him the same command. This will teach him that when you’re outside, it’s a potty business trip. Not a time to play! So don’t confuse him by playing with him when you want him to do his business. Otherwise he’ll get distracted and forget why you took him out. Then OOPS, he has an accident as soon as you get back in the house!

3) And finally, praise your puppy when he goes potty outside in the proper place! Your puppy wants to please you and will do whatever he can to make you happy. So let him know what a good puppy he is when he does his business outside. Shower him with affection and praise like there’s no tomorrow. Treats also work well, but there is not substitute for your attention and approval.

If you follow these 3 steps during your puppy potty training…your puppy will be completely potty trained before you know it! And you and your puppy will live happily ever after!

Maria

I was doing some research on dog food on the internet and came across this article on Snopes.

So I thought I’d pass it along to all you loving dog owners. I NEVER knew raisins and grapes could be so dangerous…and poisonous for dogs!

Here’s the article written by a veterinarian:

This week I had the first case in history of raisin toxicity ever
seen at MedVet. My patient was a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered
lab mix that ate half a canister of raisins sometime between 7:30
AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He started with vomiting, diarrhea and
shaking about 1AM on Wednesday but the owner didn’t call my
emergency service until 7AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND grapes causing acute Renal
failure but hadn’t seen any formal paper on the subject. We had her
bring the dog in immediately. In the meantime, I called the ER
service at MedVet, and the doctor there was like me - had heard
something about it, but….Anyway, we contacted the ASPCA National
Animal Poison Control Center and they said to give IV fluids at 1 ½
times maintenance and watch the kidney values for the next 48-72
hours.
The dog’s BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was already at 32
(normal less than 27) and creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of
normal). Both are monitors of kidney function in the bloodstream.
We placed an IV catheter and started the fluids. Rechecked the
renal values at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine over 7
with no urine production after a liter of fluids. At the point I
felt the dog was in acute renal failure and sent him on to MedVet
for a urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight as well as
overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet and his renal values
have continued to incr ease daily. He produced urine when given
lasix as a diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting
medications and they still couldn’t control his vomiting. Today his
urine output decreased again , his BUN was over 120, his creatinine
was at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his blood pressure,
which had been staying around 150, skyrocketed to 220.. He
continued to vomit and the owners elected to euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners who had no idea
raisins could be a toxin. Please alert everyone you know who has a
dog of this very serious risk. Poison control said as few as 7
raisins or grapes could be toxic. Many people I know give their
dogs grapes or raisins as treats including our ex-handler’s. Any
exposure should give rise to immediate concern.

Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , Ohio