Best Dogs for Apartment Life.

Dogs can be found in many different types of homes in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the world. Within some of these different homes, some dogs live in apartments. Apartment living isn’t easy for all breeds, so if you are considering getting a dog, and you live in an apartment, this is for you. The following list is of breeds that are great for apartment life.

·         Pug. Weighing in at 10 to 25 pounds, the pug is perfect for the apartment dweller. Small and compact with a pushed-in face, the pug is a clown at heart. With a short hair coat, this breed does not need special care and is a loving member of any family. As long as he is taken for brief walks, he is happy to sleep the day away.

·         Schnauzer. The standard and miniature schnauzer are wonderful apartment pets. Eager to please and to keep the family safe, this breed usually requires regular grooming and daily exercise. They thrive on human companionship.

·         Scottish Terrier. This working dog from the Scottish Highlands weighs around 15 to 20 pounds. Most often black, the Scottie is highly intelligent and needs daily exercise. Tough and compact, the Scottie is a loyal and protective family member.

·         Yorkshire Terrier. The Yorkie is a tiny dog with lots of spunk. They are happy to spend their days lounging on the sofa, but these calm dogs require regular grooming. Weighing less than 10 pounds, this breed is well suited for apartment life.

·         Cocker Spaniel. The popular cocker with his curly hair and sad eyes is a good choice for apartment life. He needs basic exercise and usually spends his days lounging and waiting for his owner's return.

·         Welsh Corgi. At about 25 pounds, the Pembroke Welsh corgi is a popular pet. This stocky short tailed breed needs daily exercise but does not require a large living space.

·         West Highland White Terrier. This small white terrier is playful and loveable but does require some exercise to keep him happy. I know my Westie has a ton of energy to let out after a day of work. The perfect size for an apartment, the Westie is a good watch dog and faithful companion that needs some grooming to keep his coat mat and tangle free.

·         Italian Greyhound. The IG is a tiny version of the greyhound. Usually weighing around 10 pounds, the IG is fast and quick to learn. Though they do enjoy a good chase, the IG also loves snoozing on the sofa.

For a complete list of dog breeds great for apartment life, please see the following link: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/apartment.htm

Best Dogs for Security

Are you getting a dog to protect you and your home? Find out which dogs rank the best based on their breed’s natural behaviour.

Are you looking for a Guard dog?

The following are characteristics to look for:

·         A sense of the dog’s territory

·         Aggressiveness

·         Strength

·         Courage

·         Resistance to counterattack

·         Tendency to protect the dog’s adoptive family

·         Propensity to be properly trained

Another great virtue is aloofness to strangers as they will not be strayed from protecting the family. A dog guards the family best INSIDE the house during hours when intrusion is most likely. If the guard dog is outside, and the burglar is inside, the dog cannot protect the house.

The following breeds are ideal guard dogs:

·         Bull Mastiff

·         Doberman Pinscher

·         Rottweiller

·         Komodor

·         Puli

·         Giant Schnauzer

·         German Shepherd

·         Rhodesian Ridgeback

·         Kuvasz

·         American Stafford Terrior

·         Chow Chow

·         Belgian Sheepdog

·         Akita Inu

Check out the following site to find out more about these breeds: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/a-z.htm

Other factors that potential dog owners may wish to consider include gender and color. As a general rule, females of many breeds may be less aggressive, however more protective of family members.

Although a dog's color has no direct correlation to its physical gifts or temperament, a darker dog, especially a black one, appears more menacing to would-be intruders. Also if a room or yard is very dark, a dark-coloured dog may be difficult for an intruder to discern and make the intruder more hesitant.

Some dogs, such as many kinds of Pit Bull Terrier and the Presa de Canario have been used extensively as guard dogs. However, controversy surrounding these dogs have led many to distance themselves from them. Some jurisdictions have banned the ownership of these dogs altogether.

It is important to note that dog attacks are not a common occurrence and much of the source of aggression in dogs stems from abuse and mis-training by the dogs' owners.

Is Pet Insurance Worth the Money?

Whenever you bring home a new puppy, this question always crosses your mind: Is pet insurance worth the money? Truth is pet insurance is very expensive, and like house insurance you may put thousands of dollars into it and your puppy may never require any health care until they are much older. On the other hand, health insurance can also reduce the cost of shots that your puppy would normally get throughout the year. However, you don't really won’t see the investment as being worthwhile until your dog has a more major problem.

Many large breeds (particularly those with low-slung back-ends, have a very high chance of developing hip dysplasia. Examples of these breeds include boxers, grey hounds, German shepherds, etc. If this happens, then any procedure at the vet will be very expensive. Border Collies, for example are prone to eye problems, while smaller dogs can have joint or back problems as well as respiratory problems.

The main draw-back for getting pet insurance is that you have to get it before your dog gets ill with the health problem or it won’t be covered. So if your dog has to have x-rays and an operation for hip dysplasia, then you’ll probably want the insurance. However, they won't cover it because the problem is already known! If that happens, but your dog has another problem in the body then the insurance will cover this particular problem as long as the dog didn't have it before the time you got the health insurance.

To get the best out of insurance, you would ideally want to insure get your puppy covered as soon as possible, preferably when they are still puppies because companies won’t cover claims if the problem is a pre-existing condition.

Also, please read each plan carefully and be sure it's a good one for the money. Personally, I'd go "mid price" and be sure it covers emergency calls.

Take a look at this site to compare the top 3 pet insurance companies in Canada: http://trupanion.com/canada?gclid=CJGcmfLuzKwCFcZM4AodkVbtqg

How to Get Rid of Your Dog's Bad Habits

In order to stop your dog from doing something you don’t like requires consistency, attentiveness, timing and praise. You have to catch your dog in the act of doing the bad thing, and correct the dog every time he does the bad thing. Every time he gets away with doing it, it’s two steps backward in the training because then he realizes that he can get away with it.

It is extremely important that you correct you dog while he’s committing the bad thing or immediately after he does it. If 5 to 10 seconds go by before the correction comes, your dog doesn’t know what he’s being corrected for. A dog doesn’t associate past actions to the present like a human does. Five to ten seconds after a dog has committed an act, whether it was a good one or a bad one, the act is forgotten. Any praise or punishment given more than five to ten seconds after the act has been committed is useless, because the dog does not associates the praise or the punishment with the commission of the act.

A correction can be a stern “NO!”, or it can be a sharp jerk on the lead. Whatever works, but be consistent. As soon as your dog stops doing the bad thing, you should praise him immensely. The praise is more important than the correction, so remember to do it.

As an example:

You catch your dog chewing on your table leg. You give him a stern NO! Your dog stops chewing on the table leg. You tell him what a good dog he is and pet him. Your dog associates the “NO!” with the act of chewing on the table leg. He stops chewing either because he knows what NO means or he’s startled. You praise him by telling him how good he is, and he associates the praise with not chewing on the table leg.

For some dogs it may take only one or two corrections. For others, it may take ten or more corrections. But if you’re consistent, attentive, and persistent, you will be successful in stopping any bad habit your dog has.

A trained dog is a happy dog and has a happy owner.

Socializing Your Puppy

When you have a new puppy it is important to socialize them not only with other dogs and people, but also with things in their environment that might seem intimidating at first.  You should do so in a way that is not frightening to the puppy, and ensure that it is enjoyable with the use of treats and praise.

Steps to socializing your puppy:

When you’re on walks with your puppy bring treats so that when strangers approach him they are able to reward him for being calm.  At the same time, you should also reward the puppy when they calmly react towards cars, bicycles, etc.

On your walks, try to vary the surface as often as possible.  Stairs, metal grates and gravel will definitely invoke a reaction from your puppy.  Reward positive behaviour, and ignore negative behaviour.  It is important not to pet your puppy or give him treats when he is scared in order to comfort him as it is only rewarding him for being scared.

Be sure to bring your puppy with you when you go to the pet store as it will allow you to bring him around people who are also dog lovers and will ensure positive reactions upon seeing him.

Make sure you reward positive behaviour such as staying calm when others approach, walking at your pace, or waiting patiently.

It is also a good idea to enroll your new puppy in obedience classes, as it allows them to socialize with the same dogs regularly and make friends.

Take a look at this cute video of a large older dog playing nicely with a small puppy.