Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called

Start with your dog on a six foot leash. Call you dog's name and give the command "come". You can use the leash to pull your dog towards you or use a treat to help your dog learn faster. Go crazy with praise when your dog reaches you. When your dog even starts moving towards you, go crazy with praise to encourage your dog to keep coming.

After your dog is doing well on the six foot leash, use a long line. Then, add distractions. Be patient and help your dog to learn. Always give lots of praise and never strike or yell at your dog.

Your dog should never be afraid to come to you. You must always reward your dog for coming to you, even if your reason for calling your dog is to stop undesirable behavior. Never punish a dog that comes when called.

Some dogs will come so fast that you need to brace yourself and be prepared to turn sideways to prevent being knocked to the ground. If you are small and your dog is large, you should teach your dog to sit in front of you, or circle you and sit down, rather than jump into you arms or bowl you over when called.

Dogs come to people who reward them with praise, affection, or treats. Dogs like to chase and be chased. You will exhaust yourself trying to chase your loose dog and "catch me if you can" is a fun game for your dog. If you are trying to catch your loose dog, run away from your dog, tempt your dog with a toy, or show your dog their leash.

Dogs will often run towards you when they see their leash. Dogs who go for lots of walks on leash know their leash means a walk. Most dogs do not consider that they are already loose and can go for a walk on their own without their leash and owner.

How to Bathe a Dog

How often your dog needs a bath depends on your lifestyle. A dog needs a bath when dirty. House dogs may need a bath once a month, while beach dogs may get bathed daily.

Dogs that are bathed frequently should be bathed with a gentle conditioning dog shampoo. Dog conditioner will help keep the coat from drying out. We have used several different brands with good results. Distilled white vinegar can be used to remove sap or other sticky things from your dog’s coat. After rinsing the conditioner from the coat, you can deodorize your dog by spraying the coat with diluted white vinegar. Do a final rinse to wash out the vinegar and your dog’s coat will shine.

The best way to wash your dog is in a tub with a hand held nozzle. Warm water is preferable. Some water loving dogs don’t mind a cold bath when the weather is extremely warm. You can purchase a hose attachment for your kitchen sink to wash your dog with warm water outside or use the bathtub.

Bath time gives you an opportunity to bond with your dog and look for any signs of health problems. Look in your dog’s ears and eyes. They should be clear and free from odor. Check your dog’s teeth and paws. Note any rashes, discolorations, wounds, or lumps. Report anything unusual to your veterinarian.

Brush your dog before the bath. Remove all tangles and mats. Make sure you use a gentle brush that does not scratch or damage the skin. Mats may need to be cut or removed with a comb designed to remove mats gently.

Secure your dog with a leash, a confined area, or voice command before turning on the water. Placing cotton balls in the ears helps keep water out. Be careful not to get water in your dog’s ears. Test the water, praise your dog for standing so still, and wet the coat. Apply dog shampoo to the entire coat with your hand, a bath brush, or a washcloth. Use tearless shampoo for the face. Regular shampoo can sting the eyes and cause your dog to fear face washing. Leave the shampoo on the coat for the time recommended by the directions on the bottle. Rinse well.

Apply conditioner or diluted distilled white vinegar, if desired. Rinse well. When you think you have rinsed all the shampoo out of your dog’s coat, rinse one more time to make sure. Shampoo left on the coat can cause skin problems.

Dry your dog with a towel. People who live in a warm climate can take their dog for a walk in the sunshine to dry. Do not use a hot dryer to dry the coat. This can damage the coat. People with long haired dogs and those who live in a cool climate can purchase a dog hair dryer that will not dry out a dog’s coat.

Hot Spots & Cold Tea

Hots spots or pyotraumatic dermatitis are skin infections that arise in a matter of hours. Signs of hots spots are redness, oozing, pain, itchiness, and hair loss.

Some causes of hot spots are allergies, fleas, and matted hair. These can make dogs lick and chew their skin raw. Some dogs cause hots spots when they lick and chew out of boredom or nervousness.

Hot spots should be treated immediately to prevent further infection. The way to treat a hot spot is to trim the hair and clean the area with a shampoo, cleanser, or astringent recommended by your veterinarian.After cleaning the area, applying a home remedy such as vinegar or witch hazel may dry up the hot spot quickly. Consult your veterinarian if you think your dog has a hot spot. Serious cases may require medication, such as antibiotics or cortisone.

We have applied witch hazel and vinegar to hot spots with good results. The problem with vinegar is that it stinks and can sting when applied to an open sore. Our veterinarian, Dr Weitz, taught us about applying black tea to hot spots.

Dr Weitz told us to brew some strong black tea. I use about 8 or 10 tea bags in a cup of water. Some people use more. Put the tea in the refrigerator to make it cold. Apply the cool tea to hot spots several times a day. The tea treatment can dry up hot spots very quickly. And the dogs love the way the cool tea feels on their skin.