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Dog Barking: Why It Is Not Always a Bad Thing

Barking dogs have become so synonymous with danger that owners will often get nervous just hearing their hound let off a yip. In reality, dogs bark for a myriad of reasons, only one of which being when they feel threatened. It is how they communicate, not only with each other, but also with you. For example, my dogs always bark when I get home from work. It is how they show excitement and recognition. Greeting Barking As with my dogs, many dogs will bark as a greeting. If you take your dog to a dog park, for example, you will see dogs barking at each other in a very non-threatening way. They are just saying hello and acknowledging one another. Dogs may bark when friends or strangers come up to the house (keep in mind that they cannot always immediately tell which is which), or even just in excitement seeing...
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Indestructible Dog Toys: Man’s Real Best Friend

Dogs of all sizes can rip apart dog toys, but our two large breed dogs are especially voracious when it comes to digging into a toy. Before we discovered sturdier toys, we were replacing their stuffed animals every week. On one occasion, we bought our older dog a stuffed squirrel, sent her outside with it, and in less than hour, she had all of the limbs ripped off and the stuffing scattered around the backyard. It was then that we began our question for an indestructible dog toy. Here are some of the brands we found and now love! Kong If you have a dog who’s an avid chewer, you know that you need something that can survive being chewed, shook, thrown, whacked, and clawed. Kong has an entire line of rubber toys designed to withstand even the most enthusiastic dog. They even have a wide variety of designs and...
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Stopping a Dog from Jumping on People

We’ve all seen it. We open the door and our dog is so excited that he jumps up, digging his claws into the clothes of your visitor. He jumps on you when you get home from work, come back from the store, or when he’s excited about a walk. It’s a show of enthusiasm, and this is usually why people have such a hard time training their dogs to stop jumping up on people. First, because we don’t want to discipline our puppies for doing something we find adorable, and second, because once they are fully grown, it is difficult to chastise them for being affectionate. They want to say hello and greet you like they would greet any member of the pack, by licking your face. And where is your face? Much higher than his face, so he has to jump to reach it. Whether your dog is small...
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A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog

Not unlike humans, if dogs have too much time on their hands (paws) they are likely to get into trouble. Large breeds are especially likely to grow restless, bored, and anxious when they do not have enough physical activity throughout the day—that’s not to say you won’t find a smaller breed chewing on the leg of your favorite chair if she hasn’t had a walk. Of course, not all behavioral problems can be solved simply by adding more exercise into your dog’s routine, but all of the issues caused by boredom will be. It may be cliché, but tired dogs are happy dogs. They crave activity, and when they don’t get enough, our dogs will start to act out. It can even be more sophisticated than that. When you take the time to exercise your dog, they feel loved and content, having plenty of attention from their owner. How can...
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So Your Dog Chews Everything, Ways to Stop it

If you’ve ever come home from work and found the legs of your chairs and table torn to pieces, you know how frustrating it is to have a dog who chews. You leave him alone for an hour and when you return, he has destroyed three pairs of shoes. We love our dogs, but a dog with a chewing habit can be a menace. Some people will simply give up and drop their hound off at the nearest shelter, citing that he is just too troublesome to keep around the house. This isn’t fair to your dog, however, who probably doesn’t even understand that he’s doing something wrong. Whatever your dog chews on, from wooden furniture, to pillows, to clothes, to shoes, to your children’s toys, you can correct these behaviors once you understand the underlying cause and how to encourage your dog not to chew on your prize possession,...
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Welcome New Dog Owners

Welcome to NewDogOwners.com! A site where new dog owners can learn what to expect with new puppies and how to teach them the rules of your home. Many people get puppies not fully understanding how much work they really are and many (way to many) get rid of dogs within weeks of bringing them into their home. This hurts everyone involved and can give that dog issues with getting close to people and even worse, ending up at the pound, just to be put down. We are here to hopefully help you with the new member of your family and to cut down on how many dogs are given up on and passed from home to home. Plan ahead and make sure your are ready for a new dog Many people decide they want, and go out and get a new dog without much thought. This can be one of...
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