As an owner you want to make the whole process of taking a bath as easy and as painless as possible for both of you. Bath time should be, if not a happy time, at least not a total war zone.

Get everything ready in the bathroom before you get the dog. You are going to need to get any brushes and combs that the dog requires. Have dog shampoo and conditioner handy. Be sure you have towels, and the blow dryer, his leash, and a few treats. A change of clothes for you as well is highly recommended.

Once you have everything ready be sure that all windows and doors are closed. You do not want to be chasing a wet dog around the house. If you know your dog does not like his bath put him on his leash. It often helps to have another person around if you can arrange it, especially with larger dogs.

Always brush your dog before getting him wet. It is far easier to remove any knots and tangles when he is dry. If necessary cut out any mattes that you find, being very careful not to cut his skin.

Bathing a Puppy

Some people recommend filling the tub before getting the dog. But if your dog is really dirty you are going to have a tub full of very grimy water once the dog gets in. If you intend to use the showerhead to spray the dog be certain that you test the water . Start with his head area, but be sure not to get water in his eyes or ears and work your way towards the tail. Be certain to get all of the dog’s stomach and underside.

Once your pet is completely wet start shampooing. It is best to put the shampoo on your hands first and start lathering before moving to the dog. Work your way from head to tail. Talk to your dog throughout the process. Keep your tone cheerful and light. Give him the occasional treat. Don’t forget to carefully wash his paws, but be very gentle because dog’s paws are very sensitive. If you  are using conditioner make sure you follow the directions on the bottle.

It is very important to thoroughly rinse your pet. Shampoos and conditioners can be very drying and irritating to a dog. Once again start with his head area and work your way down. When you are certain that all the shampoo and conditioner are off, it is time to start drying.

Before he gets out of the tub use your hands to gently remove as much water as possible from his coat. Gently but firmly run your hand down his sides, his legs and his tail. Try to get his stomach if you can. Get a towel on him quickly, hopefully before he starts to ‘shake’. Many dogs shake their coats to try to remove the excess water. If you get the towel on quickly, you can prevent the bathroom from being totally soaked. Gently rub the dog all over. Hopefully you have prepared well, many dogs are going to require more than one towel.

Some dogs don’t mind the blow dryer while others are absolutely terrified of it. If you have a young dog it is important to introduce them to the blow dryer early. Once again keep things light, reward and praise while drying.  Make this a pleasant time for you and your pet. If your pet is showing real signs of anxiety around the blow dryer, STOP and try again next time. Be very careful using a dryer on your dog. What feels alright to you may be too hot for the dog. It is best to keep the heat setting on low or if possible turn it off altogether.

Once your done bathing your dog and he is dry, be sure that you reward him, give him lots of praise and a treat or two. Turn him loose, so that you can clean the bathroom.

Dogs chew for a variety of reasons. If they are young they may be teething, which any owner will tell you can be a trying time. Some dogs chew out of boredom or loneliness.  Once you have figured out why your dog is chewing you can start to correct, or at least curb the behaviour.

Make sure that your dogs has chew toys. These are his toys that he is allowed to play with and abuse.

Remember that if you do not catch your dog chewing don’t bother scolding him.  Unfortunately, if you come home and discover your shoes in pieces it is too late to correct the dog. Any reprimand at this point is meaningless to the animal. Owner’s will claim that their dog knows that he has done something wrong when they come home and find something chewed to bits. The truth is, the dog knows that the owner is angry and upset, just by the tone of voice that the owner is using. Sadly, the dog has no actual clue as to why his owner is upset.

If you have a young dog try not to give him any opportunity to chew on things that he is not allowed to. If you have to be gone, put the dog in a crate or in a run where he can’t get into trouble. When you are home you can start monitoring his habits. Leave him in a different room and watch how he behaves. If he starts chewing immediately go in and correct the problem. Leave him in different rooms and vary the lengths of time that he is there.  This will also help to train the dog to get used to not having you around all the time.
 
If you do catch the dog chewing, give a sharp ‘no’ command, or use the ‘leave it’ command.  Then be sure to give the dog one of the toys that he is allowed to chew on. Praise the dog when he chews on the appropriate thing.

If your pet has taken a particular liking to a piece of furniture, you might try rubbing something on it that your dog finds distasteful. Many people like to use bitter apple, but if this does not work try hot sauce or something else you know your dog does not like.

Most of all be patient and consistent and in no time your dog chewing problems will be a thing of the past.

Start by getting the new family member comfortable with his collar. Put it on him when he is in the house playing. Be sure that the collar fits correctly. Your dog may try rolling or pawing to try to get it off. Being able to put two fingers between his neck and the collar is usually a good measure. Watch to make sure that he cant get it off. Some dogs are real escape artists. Try and keep him distracted, and give lots of praise. Make it a positive experience.

The next step is to attach the leash. A short, light leash is the best to start with. Let the puppy smell it and get used to it. Allow him to drag it around the house. He will soon loose interest in it. Make sure that you do not leave the animal alone with his leash dragging.

Once you have gotten him used to the leash, pick it up. Remember, this is not a game of tug of war. If your puppy starts to pull, STOP. Do not move. Call the dog and get him to focus on you. Do not pull back on the leash but don’t move. Once you have the puppies attention continue moving. Keep treats handy during this stage and give lots of praise as the dog follows you around the house.

If your puppy decides to sit down, don’t start yanking on him. Call his name and reward him when he comes to you. If you have to get down to his level and have a treat or toy handy. Keeps these initial session short and fun. There should be no pulling done either by you or the dog. If he starts pulling, stop. Call his back and praise. You want him to learn that walking with a loose leash close to you is when he gets rewarded.

In order for your puppy to learn anything he has to be given clear, precise and consistent commands. This applies to everyone in the house including the children. You will also have to get everybody in the family to treat the dog the same way. You will probably find it harder to train the human members of the family than the dog. 

A perfect example of this is trying to teach the puppy not to jump when someone comes into the room. The correct method would be to have everyone who comes in the door ignore the dog’s bouncing. As soon as the dog starts jumping the person coming in turns around and completely ignores it’s behavior. When the dog settles down the person then rewards and praises the puppy. In theory this is great. It works very well until your 12 year old comes home with friends and they think it’s fun to have the dog jump up on them. They laugh and pet him. Now your poor puppy is totally confused. He is not sure how to behave when someone comes in.

Another prime example of this is when the dog starts barking in his crate when it is bedtime. Ideally everyone is supposed to ignore this behavior. But your daughter feels sorry for the little guy and goes and gets him a treat and sits with him. Your pet has just learned that if he barks in his crate, someone will come with treats and keep him company. Not exactly what you had in mind. Your dog has just trained your daughter.

Another very important factor is making certain that all members of the family use the same command words. One person cannot use the command ‘down’ to tell the dog to stop jumping when everyone else is using the command word ‘off’. This is especially important if you are using the ‘down’ command to tell the dog to lay prone on the floor. Your puppy will become totally confused by the use of the word in two different situations.

Consistency in house training a dog does not just apply to the “dog”. It applies to everybody. The whole family has to take part in the training of the animal. And everyone must be aware of which commands to use and when.

The sense of hearing is very important to dogs and therefore when you clean your dog’s ears, you need to make certain you are doing it the proper way. Both the inner and outer parts of your dog’s ears are very sensitive, so it is crucial that you abide by proper cleansing procedures. The following tips will assist you in keeping your dog’s ears clean without doing harm:

• Check over your dog’s ear flaps on a regular basis for any abrasions especially after a clash with some other dog or animal. Even microscopic cuts in these sensitive regions can become easily infected, so keep an eye out for injuries and give your veterinarian a call if necessary.
• Take away any minor debris from the fur encompassing the dog’s ears. It’s also important to clean under the ear flaps, particularly if your dog relishes running through tall weeds, bush or grass. Foreign objects can get into the ear, inducing infections or discomfort, so be sure to remove anything that you may find at once.
• Allow for regular protection against contracting water in your dog’s ears by placing cotton swabs in his ears during baths or water play.
• Cleanse your dog’s ears at least once a month. The best technique is to use a cotton ball doused in a gentle cleansing solution, such as mineral oil or diluted peroxide. Your veterinarian might also be able to make product recommendations. Employing tender strokes, carefully dab both the outer and inner portions of the dog’s ear, minding not to drive any wax further into the ear. Clean only the parts of the ear that you can distinctly see, and do not get rid of all the wax. Dogs require a bit bit of wax to protect their ear canals.
• If you have an English Spaniel or Poodle breed of dog, you should routinely crop the hair close to their ears. Unreasonable hair growth in or about the ears can encourage infection. Clipping the hair will better air circulation and diminish the probability of infection.