You have decided to take the plunge and get a puppy. What you do not know is that puppies are like children. They have to be taught what they can and cannot do. Yes, they are all cute and cuddly, but they will grow up and what is cute for a puppy is not necessarily cute for a full-grown dog.

If you have your sights locked on a boxer, take a few moments to find out about boxer puppy training. One of the essential things you’ll need to remember is that you’ll need to teach your puppy to listen to you. This is at the core of most trouble. If you have a dog that does what he pleases and doesn’t listen or understand that he needs to help and participate in the process.

In order to make the relationship between you and your puppy the best it can be, you are going to have to start early. A puppy will listen if he is rewarded and as time gradually passes, he will keep listening even if it is because he thinks he will be receiving a treat.

It is fine to start out with treats, but as your puppy learns more, you won’t want to give him a treat each time. When you take your puppy outside and walk around the neighborhood, give him a chance to explore and learn. Take him to meet the neighbors, their children and others so that the puppy gets used to being around people.

Establishing the rules and then enforcing them is the key to good boxer puppy training. If you stray from his normal routine, know that he will have the same reaction as children have when distracted. He will tend to forget what he is supposed to be doing.

One idea is to establish an area in your home that only belongs to your puppy. It will be the spot he’s sent to for time outs when he misbehaves. It will need to be some place that is quiet and private where you keep his toys and bed. It will also be a haven where he can retreat if need be. Keep his toys in a container that you can put away when he is in time out.

Chewing on inappropriate things is one of the main problems that puppies experience when being trained. Everyone knows that puppies love to chew on things, and given half a chance, they will chew on the wrong things. This is another reason for establishing a place that is the puppy’s area. It should be free of anything that isn’t the puppy’s things. Everything located in this area is his to chew on to his heart’s content.

If the puppy inadvertently starts chewing on your favorite shoes or sweater, stop him immediately and scold him for the behavior. Replace the inappropriate object with something that he is allowed to chew on like his toys or a bone. Follow this up with praise to let your puppy know that you were displeased when he was chewing on your shoes or sweater, but that his chewing on his own stuff is perfectly fine. Establishing boundaries for your puppy will build a special bond and give you a relationship that will last a lifetime.

For anyone that has the slightest doubt that Chinese imported pet food ingredients are still dangerous, I urge you to read the New York Times online article titled Impact of the Heparin Drug Scare. The most compelling Chinese import fear factor is within the photo included in the article of a heparin lab in China.

The Times photograph speaks a thousand words. The FDA has linked 19 American deaths to the drug heparin – a popular drug used as a blood thinner in surgery and dialysis. Anyone would assume that the manufacturing of an FDA approved drug would be performed in a sterile lab by scientists in white lab coats and masks. However, the Times photo proves otherwise. Knowing these conditions for manufacturing a human drug, imagine the manufacturing conditions of pet food ingredients in China. It sends chills up your spine.

One of the most important things you can do for the safety of your pet is to find out if any ingredient in their food or treats comes from China. The risk of tainted or poor quality Chinese imported products is proven. Recalls continue of all types of imports from China affecting every industry. There is no quick fix for China. There is no quick fix of importing regulations and FDA testing requirements of imports. The ONLY fix for pet owners is to call the manufacturer and ask if any imported ingredients are used in their pet foods and treats. Chinese imported pet food ingredients are a known risk all pet owners should avoid.

When you call the manufacturer of your pet’s food, ask if any ingredient is made in or originates from China. Most pet food manufacturers don’t like telling pet owners the ‘C’ word – insist for an answer. This is vitally important information that could be life saving for your dog or cat.

There’s something new about pet food advertising – now television commercials and pet food packaging proudly state ‘Made with Real Beef’ or ‘Made with Real Chicken’. I guess that is opposite of fake beef and fake chicken. Yes, when it comes to pet food – there are many fake ingredients! Many pet owners have gotten wise to some inferior pet food ingredients, so I guess it seems the marketing wizards have had to change their strategy. They know we know.

Pet food manufacturers are counting on we don’t learn more. They are counting on pet owners won’t read the ingredient list of the food or treats to see if it contains chemicals preservatives or by-products – fake meat! They are counting on AAFCO and the FDA to keep the current pet food regulations as they are. They are counting on pet owners don’t learn existing regulations allow them to “include an unqualified claim, directly or indirectly” on their labels (AAFCO regulation PF7(a)). ‘Unqualified claim means stating ‘real beef’ on the label doesn’t have to mean real beef inside the pet food.

Ok, so they know we know and now they are directing their advertising to what they think we want to hear. Sowe raise the bar and we know more. Our pets are far more important than any marketing trick or the few seconds it takes to read a pet food ingredient list. The pet food ingredient by-product and all of it’s variations such as chicken by-product meal, beef by-product meal, meat and bone meal, and so forth are left over animal parts not used or allowed for use in human foods (chicken feet, intestines, spleens, and worse). By-products are just a start, but an important start to keeping your pet healthy. Read the ingredients for every food or treat you give your dog or cat!

If you’re a Pug dog owner, then you need to be particularly attentive when spring rolls around and ticks become a real threat. Ticks are technically called “Rhipicephalus Sanquineus”, but more importantly these blood-sucking bugs can carry germs and diseases that can make you or your Pug sick. In fact, ticks can give people diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and ticks can pass on diseases that can even be fatal to Pug dogs!

Quite simply, ticks are parasites that live on the blood of their victims. Ticks have been blamed for causing the spread of disease among both people and dogs. In fact, they were shown to be behind the famous mass deaths of military dogs during the Vietnam War.

Although it’s really true that a bug is a bug, it’s also true that there is some variety in the specific kinds of ticks such as the brown tick, the wood tick, the black tick and several more. One of the things in common is the fact that all ticks are very resistant to typical insect poisons, and this makes them very hard to control.

This can really gross people out, but it’s absolutely true that a female tick can produce several thousand eggs – yuck! They usually lay their eggs under the carpet, in a little whole in the baseboard, or some other dark and out-of-the-way place. Ticks lay their eggs in a safe place but never on the body of their victim. Once the eggs hatch after a month or so, they turn into larvae. Tick larvae seek out their first host, where they’ll suck down some blood and then detach to go find a place to hide out.

A few weeks later, the tick larvae transform themselves into nymphs, which are sort of like teenagers. These nymphs looks for another host to grab some more blood, then fall off to rest again. Then, after another few weeks, the nymph transforms into an adult tick. Of course, now the adult tick is ready to seek out another host like a Pug, where it will fill up on blood and mate.

It’s pretty amazing but an adult tick can last for three years inside with out sucking the blood of a host. That’s pretty alarming and can be sad news for Pug dog owners, as this means you can have ticks lurking in ambush in the house or in the yard.

A tick outside will look for a hunting ground, which means getting up into some low-hanging branches or into a pile of leaves. This becomes the launching pad for the tick when an unsuspecting Pug dog comes along for a potty break or just running by in play. The tick will literally launch itself and jump up to several feet to land onto its victim.

A tick inside a home will hang out in dark, hidden places awaiting a chance to latch-on to a host. Here’s a shocking fact, but a tick inside the house can hang out for up to three months lying in wait for a Pug or person to walk by. And when the trap is sprung, and your dog or you walk by, the tick can instantly “wake up” and spring onto the victim in a blink of the eye.

Starting to feel like learning how to train dogs is impossible and better off left to the pros? Don’t quit yet. There are several effective ways to train your dog the key is to learn which method works best for you and your dog.

I know that spanking a dog with the rolled up newspaper is the dog training method of choice for some but this just doesn’t cut it for many dog owners. (Not to mention that poor dog!) Many dog experts will tell you that you’ll get far better results with positive reinforcement than any other method. Plus your dog will love you for it!

Learning how to train dogs is really not as hard as you think. Your dogs loves you and wants to make you happy. The tricky part comes in relaying to your dog exactly what you want him to do.

The positive reinforcement method can help you train any dog. Contrary to what you’ve heard you can teach an old dog new tricks. This method is great for dogs of all ages so whether you’re learning how to train a new born puppy or an older dog it’s extremely quick and effective.

When you start training your dog, start by making sure that you give him a cue. Whether this is a word or gesture, make sure that it is consistent. This will signal your dog to perform the trick or action that is desirable, so make sure that it is very clear.

As an example you may choose to train your dog to sit down. Start out by telling him in a clear, moderate tone, “sit.” You follow your command by assisting him in that task by pushing his back legs down. Once the task is completed be sure to lavish your dog with lots of praise. You may even want to give him a little treat. Your dog needs to know you’re happy with what he’s done.

It’s crucial that you remember to only reward your dog when he’s done something on your cue. Do not give him praise when he does the task without first being prompted. This will cut down on confusion and let your dog know to only perform on cue.

When you’re learning how to train your dog using positive reinforcement it’s important to keep in mind that dog training does take time and focused effort. Don’t lose control and start yelling at or hitting your dog. Don’t forget that your dog loves you. If he behaves badly reprimand him firmly but don’t be so harsh that you make him afraid of you.

Training a dog does not have to be a chore. It can be a great way to learn more about your dog and to get to know him well and for the two of you to work together. Take advantage of this opportunity to do just that while training your dog to follow basic commands!