Love Dog

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…

In This Chapter Finding out about the Utility Dog title Understanding the link between drives and exercises The Signal exercise The Scent Discrimination exercises The Directed Retrieve exercise The Moving Stand with Examination exercise The Directed Jumping exercise After your dog obtains the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Companion Dog Excellent title (see Chapter The Companion Dog…

In This Chapter Doing the Stand for Examination exercise Transitioning to and accomplishing Heeling Off Leash Perfecting the Recall exercise Excelling at the group exercises Chapter Getting Ready to Compete introduces the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Novice class and its goal — the Companion Dog title. That chapter gives an overview of the six required exercises for…

In This Chapter The Heel Free and Figure 8 exercises The Drop on Recall exercise The Retrieve on the Flat exercise The Retrieve Over the High Jump exercise The Broad Jump exercise Out-of-Sight Stay exercises After you obtain your Companion Dog title from the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Novice class, you’re eligible to enter the…

In This Chapter Discovering retrieving basics Retrieving with your help Retrieving on his own Retrieving with distractions Most of you aren’t too thrilled about having Buddy lug your possessions about. You’d prefer he limited his retrieving instincts to his own things. Many dogs like to retrieve, or at least chase, a variety of objects. For…

In This Chapter Introducing your dog to competition Preparing for the Pre-Novice and Novice classes Getting your dog’s attention Heeling and doing the Figure 8 Participating in the Rally class Reinforcing your dog’s training If you and Buddy enjoy working together, the sky is the limit. You can participate in obedience competitions and earn obedience…

In This Chapter Understanding what it takes to be a Canine Good Citizen Identifying the tests Cramming for the tests Helping you and your dog pass the test To demonstrate that Buddy has achieved the training level that you want for him, you may want to consider taking the Canine Good Citizen test. Many dog…