Dog Lovers Manual

Know as coprophagy (and sometimes, incorrectly, pica), this is quite common in dogs, although it seems disgusting to us. Other animals utilize food differently from dogs, so their faeces contain nutrients that the dog finds palatable or that his body craves. Dogs usually come to no harm from eating faeces, but the habit can lead [...]

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Puppies do not have a prolonged attention span and tire quickly, so keep training session span and tire quickly sessions short. Five or ten minutes a day is plenty, and it is best if you can turn the training into a game. By doing this, your puppy is more likely to be responsive to your [...]

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There are several ways to deal with faeces deposited in your garden or out on a walk. Find out if there are local authority bins specially provided for the disposal of dog faeces nearby. If not, wrap the faeces well in newspaper or a biodegradable bag and put them in your household rubbish (check with [...]

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Remember that many sighthounds, such as Greyhounds, are likely to chase after other animals (especially small, furry ones), and kill them if they get the chance, unless they have been brought up with them. Similarly, some scenthounds are not suited to life as family pets due to their strong hunting instincts and sometimes powerful build, [...]

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Given the wrong kind of treatment and handling, any dog can be aggressive towards people. This is true no matter how docile and kindly the breed is normally. In these cases, such behaviour simply demonstrates what the dog regards as self-preservation. Some dogs are aggressive towards others of their kind, and other animals too. This [...]

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Your dog views your home and garden as his ‘pack’s’ territory. For this reason, he will sound the alarm by barking when non-pack members intrude into his/your space. While you want your dog to alert you to unwanted visitors, his barking at every person who comes to the door, such as regular delivery people, or [...]

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Usually this type of behavior indicates fear and is therefore a defence strategy. It is also a sign of lack of socialization with other dogs, or sometimes a result of the dog being attacked by another at some point so that he has become wary of all dogs. Whatever the reason for it, this behavior [...]

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You may be worrying out something that might never happen. Short of buying a house with plenty of private land on which to exercise your pet, you are bound to meet up with other dogs sooner or later. Provided your dog is well trained, will recall immediately, is under control on and off the leash, [...]

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