nipping

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10 Things You Should Know About Your New Puppy

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Just about everybody loves a puppy.  What’s not to love?  Okay, maybe there are a few things — like accidents in the house, chewing your things, nipping…

Here are a few things that you should know about your new puppy:

1.  When you bring your new puppy home he doesn’t know very much.  He’s spent most of the first weeks of his life living with his mother and siblings, who are dogs.  That means he knows some basic dog things, like how to whimper and bark to get attention.  He knows how to poop on papers.  His breeder may have taught him a few things but there wasn’t time to teach him very much.  Your puppy is pretty much a blank slate.  It’s up to you to teach him everything he needs to know.

2.  Your puppy is a little animal, not a small person in a furry suit.  He has animal instincts and will always react as an animal when he doesn’t know what to do.  That means that your puppy can bite and scratch and hurt somebody if he’s not supervised and trained.  He needs training while he’s young so that he doesn’t grow up to be a badly-behaved dog.

3.  Puppies need socialization.  Socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to the big, wide world and everything in it.  Your puppy needs to go places, see new things and meet people.  He should learn that new things and new people are good.  Socialization teaches a puppy to be confident and helps him later in life.  Puppies that are well-socialized tend not to develop behavior problems later on.

4.  You should begin training your puppy early.  You can train a dog throughout his life but it’s always easier and advisable to start training a puppy when he’s young.  Teach your puppy good manners and some basic obedience skills like Sit and Come.  You can take him to Puppy Preschool or Puppy Kindergarten classes where he can learn some simple obedience and enjoy some socialization at the same time.

5.  Your puppy will most likely chew on things so you should try to “puppy proof” your house as much as possible.  Put away your shoes and other things that he can reach.  When your puppy chews on things take them away.  If you catch your puppy in the act of chewing on something he’s not supposed to chew on, you can correct him (no physical punishments).  Otherwise, if you don’t catch him, you should let it go.  There is no point in correcting a puppy or dog for something that has already happened. Your puppy or dog won’t know why they’re being corrected.

6.  Puppies may nip, bite too hard when playing or simply get too raucous.  When they do, you should stop playing with them and ignore them.  If they continue, you should call a time-out.  Time-outs work with puppies just as they do with children.  If your puppy nips you, you should yelp and let him know it hurts.  If he even touches his teeth to your skin, yelp and don’t play with him.  If you stop playing with him whenever he tries to nip he will stop nipping.

7.  If you have children teach them that they can’t mistreat a puppy.  Tell them not to stare at a puppy or otherwise make the puppy uncomfortable.  They puppy may lunge at them.  And, if they run away screaming from a puppy, the puppy will chase them.  Not all kids are happy about that fact.  Children under six should be supervised when they play with puppies.

8.  Puppies may whine and bark and whimper for attention.  Sometimes you will have to ignore them, especially if you want to get any sleep.

9.  Do make sure that your puppy gets all of his vaccinations on schedule.  See that he takes heartworm preventive and flea medication if he needs it in your area.  Your puppy’s health and well-being depend on proper veterinary care.  You should also make sure that you are feeding him a good dog food with meat protein sources.

10.  Puppies are adorable and they will make you do whatever they want.

Those are a few things you should know about puppies.  Have fun with your puppy and may he (or she) grow up to be a wonderful dog.

10 Things You Should Know About Your New Puppy courtesy Dog Articles.

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History and Origin of Pembroke Welsh Corgis

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The origin of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is unclear.It is thought to have lived in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the 10th century. Its name comes from the Welsh for heeling dog. It might have been bred from the Swedish Valhund and the Welsh Cardigan Corgi. In the year 920 King Hywel Dda of South Wales declared a law that Corgis were not be abused. Another breed introduced to Wales by Flemish weavers in 1107 may have interbred with earlier Corgis. Some experts believe that the breed is descended from the old Shipperke and belongs in the same family as the Keeshond, Pomeranian, Spitz, Samoyed, Chow Chow, and Norwegian Elkhound. One legend has it that the breed was given to the people by fairies, although this story is given little credence.

Corgis were bred for herding cattle, sheep and Welsh ponies. Their low stature made it possible for them to herd chasing larger animals and nipping their heels while being too low to the ground for the herd animals to kick. If an animal were to try to turn around, the Corgi would nip its nose. The dogs were also used for guarding children and for family pets, as they are today.

Corgis were first shown in the ring in 1925 in Wales. Since Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire are only a few miles apart, there was a great deal of interbreeding between Pembroke Welsh Corgis and Cardigan Welsh Corgis until 1934 when the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom established them as two separate dog breeds, to be shown separately.

At about that time the Duke of York gave Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppies to his daughters, Elizabeth, later to become Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and Margaret Rose. Her Majesty still keeps a pack of the little dogs.

Pembroke Welsh Corgis continue to serve as cattle herding dogs on farms in Wales and as pets in many parts of the United Kingdom and the United States.

History and Origin of Pembroke Welsh Corgis courtesy Dog Articles.

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Corgi Training : Teaching Basic Obedience

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There are two breeds of Corgis, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They are both herding dogs, very intelligent and eager to please. When you begin your Corgi training, it is important to keep in mind what these dogs were bred for. The Corgi is a herding dog and thus can learn commands easily. However, when it comes to certain situations, instinct may take over. For instance if a toddler decides to run around in the yard, a Corgi may decide to herd the toddler, which may look cute, but can be harmful.

Herding behavior includes nipping at heels, barking and pulling on pant legs. Excessive barking is probably the most annoying of these behaviors. These are all things that a house pet needs to learn not to do. After all, you don’t want your neighbors hating you because of your dog. However, if you live on a farm and are using your Corgi for what it was bred to do (herding cattle, sheep and other livestock), you need not remove this instinct with training.

One of the ways to curb these herding instincts is with basic obedience training. There are four basic commands that you should instill in your pet during your Corgi training, “sit, come, stay and no”. Actually, all dog training should include these commands. Regarding Corgi training specifically, you may want to add “quiet” to their repertoire, as well as “leave it” and perhaps “gentle.” These last three commands will give you some control over their barking and their potential to focus their herding instincts on inappropriate items, animals or people.

When beginning your Corgi training, “come” should be the first training hurdle. They need to know their name and come to you every time you ask them to. You want them to want to come to you, so praise works well as a reward, but tiny dog training treats work well too. You want to start out on a leash and have your Corgi go to the full length of the lead and then say “come.” When they come to you in response to their name and the command, give them a reward. Even if they seem to get it and follow the command every time, you need to keep repeating this all the time. Corgis can often take off after things and need to come back.

As they are already quite low to the ground, the command “lie down” need not be taught, but they should know how to “sit”, and you may have to actually teach them not to jump on people. The Corgi can be a little stand offish to strangers and they should know that it is okay to be nice to those that you accept in your home. So, the “be nice” command may come in handy.

Eventually, you want your Corgi training to create a well behaved dog that will come every time it is called, sit when you ask it to, stay back when you don’t want it to intrude, leave things alone that are inappropriate, is quiet on command, and is gentle and nice to you those around you. The dog training process should be fun and is a great way to mentally stimulate and exercise your energetic little pooch.

Corgi Training : Teaching Basic Obedience courtesy Dog Articles.

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Five Corgi Training Commands to Master

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Corgis are usually easy dogs to train, having a natural ability to understand what is wanted and being anxious to please. One kind of behavior problem, however, is nipping. Corgis were bred as working dogs, and in some regions of the world they are used to herd cattle. They nip at the cows’ heels to get them to go where they are wanted. Thus, corgis like to nip, especially moving objects, such as your heels. If your puppy is less than ten weeks old, he or she cannot understand what you don’t like, so wait until the pup is at least ten weeks old to start your Corgi Training. Here are five practical methods:

1. In a wild dog pack the leader will hold the puppy’s neck or muzzle and keep it still for a few seconds to give it the idea that nipping is unacceptable. If you do the same, the dog will understand that you are the pack leader and will not tolerate nipping. As you hold the muzzle or neck, use a command such as, “No nip,” and use it consistently.

2. Another method is to hold the skin at the back of the neck and lift the puppy so that its front paws are off the ground for a few seconds. This, too, shows that you are in command. Again, say, “No nip, “ No bite,” or some other words consistently during dog training.

3. If you prefer, you can hold the puppy down, using two hands to hold it at the shoulders and lower back. Hold the pup until it stops wiggling, again saying a command that it will learn to recognize.

4. A bottle or glass of water, or a squirt gun can also be used. When the puppy nips, squirt it in the face or pour water over its head. If your puppy seems think this is a fun game, then abandon this method.

5. Distraction is another method you can use. Get a soft chew toy or rope for the puppy to chew, and substitute this object every time the puppy tries to nip your heels.

If the above methods do not work for you, then take your pup to a veterinarian or trainer before he or she gets any older. It is best to nip bad behavior in the bud as soon as possible.

Five Corgi Training Commands to Master courtesy Dog Articles.

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My Dog Won’t Stop Mouthing Me!

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Some dogs are very “mouthy.”  That doesn’t mean they talk or bark a lot.  It means that they use their mouths on everything, trying to taste things, or put their mouths on things.  Usually these dogs have not been completely taught bite inhibition.  Bite inhibition is when a puppy is taught that nipping and biting others hurts and that they shouldn’t go around using their mouths on things.  They generally learn it from their mothers and littermates, and later from their owners.  Singleton pups (one-puppy litters) may have a harder time learning bite inhibition since they don’t have littermates.

Dogs can also be mouthy as a way of showing affection.  Wolves tend to show affection to each other by mouthing muzzles, necks and paws.

Whatever the cause, mouthing people’s hands and feet, or any other part of their bodies, can be annoying.  Your dog may not use his teeth, but it does tend to cover you in dog slobber.  Having a dog grab you with his mouth is also simply not very good manners.

There are a few simple methods for teaching your dog not to mouth you.

Some people like to use Bitter Apple, a spray or cream product.  You can put this on your hands if that’s where your dog grabs you.  Most dogs hate the taste and your dog should stop grabbing at your hands.

Another method of dealing with mouthiness is to turn to stone whenever your dog grabs you with his mouth.  If your dog gets no feedback he will likely lose interest.

You can also use clicker training to teach your dog not to be mouthy.  When your dog grabs your hand or wrist being mouthy wait for him to let go.  Wait for a couple of seconds and then Click and tell him he’s a good dog.  Give him a treat.  Keep clicking and treating when he stops the mouthing behavior.  He will get the message.

If your dog is mouthing other things in your home, such as walls or furniture, you can try the Bitter Apple on them.  The bad-tasting product usually discourages dogs from mouthing and chewing things.

Remember that puppy nipping and mouthing are normal behaviors up to a point.  If you have a puppy who is nipping and mouthing you can work on bite inhibition.  When your puppy nips or mouths you all you have to do is make it perfectly clear that it HURTS when he does it.  Let out an OUCH to curl your puppy’s hair.  Leave him in no doubt that what he did really hurt you.  This is the same thing that his littermates would do if he played too rough with them.  If he does it the next time you play with him, get up and leave.  Puppies don’t play with a puppy that is too rough and you shouldn’t either.

For mouthy adolescent or grown dogs, the tips offered here should work.  Give them a try and it should stop the mouthiness.

My Dog Won’t Stop Mouthing Me courtesy Dog Articles.

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