Love Dog

In This Chapter Taking age into account Considering breed characteristics Paying attention to body type Choosing tricks that fit your dog’s personality Appealing to your dog’s likes and talents Take a look at your dog. What do you have? Big or small? Active or mellow? Clueless puppy, mischievous adolescent, or full-grown set-in-his-ways dog? Before you…

In This Chapter Recognizing the power of your approval Speaking the same language Equipping yourself with all the right tools Preparing your dog to respond to special training gadgets Before you begin training, you need to do a little prep work. Part of it’s physical; for example, you have to get all your training gear…

In This Chapter Discovering the rewards of working with your dog Looking at the basic concepts of trick training Getting an overview of dog agility I wrote this book for the fun of it — fun for me and, I hope, fun for you. Having fun with your dog usually tops the list of reasons…

In This Chapter Understanding the secret to teaching tricks Trying amusing and useful tricks Teaching your dog tricks that amaze and astound Every well-trained dog knows a trick or two that can impress friends and family alike. Tricks you can teach your dog can be simple or complex, depending on your dog’s drives and your…

This Chapter Explaining some of your dog’s curious behaviors Looking at a few behaviors you may wish they didn’t have Who knows why your dog does some of the things that he does? Or more important, who wants to know why your dog does some of the things that he does? Well, if you’re curious,…

In This Chapter Figuring out commands for your dog’s safety (and the safety of others) Mastering commands for your convenience (and the convenience of others) Remembering to never say no with your dog Your lifestyle dictates the commands most important for you and your dog, and you may not need all of them we include…

In This Chapter Knowing when more doesn’t equal better (the overvaccinating problem) Identifying when you have to vaccinate Understanding hypothyroidism Going to a doggy chiropractor Looking at homeopathy — medicine or magic? Poking around with acupuncture Adog that is fed correctly and given enough exercise and mental stimulation through training rarely exhibits behavior problems. He…

In This Chapter Meeting your dog’s nutritional needs Recognizing the connection between nutrition and growth Making your own dog food and other diet plans Your dog’s behavior, happiness, health, longevity, and overall well being are inextricably intertwined with what you feed him. Dogs, just like humans and all other animals, have specific nutritional requirements that…