Poodle
This miniature breed is classified under the group of toy dogs. But though they are small in stature, Poodles are also retrievers or gun dogs that can retrieve even in water. They are agile and obedient and are reliable when it comes to tracking and herding. Their intelligence and obedience makes them a popular choice for shows wherein they display and perform numerous tricks with ease.
German Shepherd
German Shepherds were originally bred and trained to herd sheep and cattle. They are known to follow their instincts and patrolling abilities. They carefully watch their boundaries all day and restrict their watch from entering or leaving a designated area.
Their herding abilities are strong that is why it is innate for German Shepherds to lead people to what it believes to be the right path or location. They even go to the extent of taking a person’s hand gently in their teeth to steer them to the right direction. Nowadays, German Shepherds are often seen as guard or police dogs.
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When they are properly trained, dogs are one of the most intelligent and most useful animals to man. You could often see dogs being used as part of search and rescue teams, surveillance teams, and police and military forces because of their keen and alert nature. They are also very dependable working creatures that could follow distinct orders from their masters.
The American Kennel Club has listed ten of the most intelligent dog breeds. The ones on the top five spot are the Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and the Doberman Pinscher. Each breed displays their intelligence in their own way, be it on performing tricks, following commands, sharp instinct, display of bravery, or extreme loyalty.
Border Collie
Originating between Scotland and England, the Border Collie was developed for gathering and fetching stock with wide sweeping outruns. When bred to develop working abilities, Border Collies are the world’s most premier sheep herding dog. They also have extraordinary instincts and the uncanny reasoning ability. This breed is most noted for its ability to work without the supervision of a master’s commands.
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With Snoopy immortalizing their breed in the famous comic strip Peanuts, Beagles have been popular choice for pets. They are gentle with children and are easily won over even by strangers. But though gentle in nature, Beagles are scent hounds. They have a keen sense of smell as they were developed for tracking rabbits, hare, and other game. This characteristic also makes them a popular choice as detection dogs.
Other breeds that join the ones mentioned above in the top ten are the Dachshund, Boxer, Poodle, Shih Tzu, and Miniature Schnauzers, though other breeds not belonging to the top ten also have their own notable capabilities and characteristics.
Every dog, regardless of breed, could be the best companion man could have. They just need to be properly trained, well-cared for, and loved for them to develop and reach their full potential.
Dogs have been around for so many years and they have been, and still are, favorite household pets. They are easily domesticated and could be trained to do a lot of things. There are numerous dog breeds classified and people have their own favorites when it comes to choosing a breed to have as their pet.
The upper five on the top ten list of the best dog breeds to have, as ranked by the American Kennel Club, are the Labrador Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, and Beagle.
The Labrador Retriever, or Lab as dog lovers fondly call them, is considered as the most popular breed in the world. It has the most number of ownership registrations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Labs are loved for their intelligence and gentle nature. In the early days, they were bred for retrieving in water environments. Today, they are being widely used by the police for their detection and working abilities. When they are properly trained, Labs are very dependable, obedient and multi-talented.
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If you catch him with a pair of shoes that he was already able to ruin, just get rid of the shoes and move on. Make sure that you do not punish him or reprimand him, as this might be damaging for him, rather than correct his behavior, although you might think that you were able to let your dog understand that he did something bad. If you see him after he has destroyed something, you could say “What did you do?” using a firm tone. Your tone should be firm enough to let him know that he did a bad thing.
Remember that young puppies teethe at around 3 to 6 months of age and chewing would be the only thing they could do to satisfy them or to alleviate the pain. Eventually, as they get all their teeth, they will have a less urge to chew on stuff. Also make sure that you play with your dog a lot. The more time you give to interact with him, the more loved and important he will feel, thus making him less bored and less interested in chewing on stuff. Patience and love for your dog is the key.
If your dog has this behavior, it is imperative for you to always be aware on what your dog is up to or is doing. For the five seconds that you have taken your eyes off him, he may have already gone off to destroy an expensive pair of shoes or a valuable piece of clothing. If you have to do something, make sure that you are able to keep him confined in a small area with the company of his chew toys.
You must also address the behavior in your own way. For example if you see your dog destroying your favorite sweater, slam a book on a table and with a firm tone, say “Bad Dog”. This would distract him and so that you can remove the sweater from his paws and give him a bone or some other toy he can chew on. If he does chew on the toy you gave him, say “Good dog” or some other kind of praise. Always do this whenever you catch chewing on something that he is not supposed to chew on.
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If you are dealing with a dog with a destructive behavior, you would first need to dog-proof your entire house or at least the areas that he spends most of his time in. Some items that you need to keep out of your dog’s reach would be sneakers and shoes, sweaters, all kinds of bags, pantyhose and socks, and children’s – especially baby’s toys.
You should not utilize any of these things as your dog’s chew toys as they might mistake an unsuspecting man’s shoe at the park as their “shoe chew toy” back at home. When trying to deal with your dog’s destructive behavior, it is basically up to you to patiently teach him to just chew on his own toys and not on other things inside the house.
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Dealing with a dog’s destructive behavior is a feat that is experienced by those dog owners who have had their dogs since they were small puppies. Puppies, as well as some older dogs, love to gnaw, bite and nibble on anything and everything. This has been proven as one of the more favorite pastimes of dogs.
This concern needs to be dealt with when your dog is still a young pup, because as he grows older, it would be harder to teach him to not do something. Although it is fine for dogs to nibble on some things, it is necessary to train or teach them on which items are acceptable to be gnawed on by them and which are not.
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5. Make sure that the flash card is unmoved. Make sure that the fingers that are holding the card are not covering the word. Stay still and wait for your dog’s reaction.
6. Once your dog is able to do what the word tells him to do (in our example, sit down), shout “Yes!” using an excited and shrill voice. Hide the card at your back and give the ball or treat you have, all the while praising him for doing a good job.
7. Repeat all the above steps three times.
On the fourth time, if your dog was able to react well to the verbal command, do not say the word anymore and just hold out the card. If your dog does not do what is expected of him, say the command. Once your dog obeys, repeat the procedure until he is able to do what he needs to do without hearing the verbal command.
Try to do this for a couple of minutes each day until your dog is able to react after just seeing the card. Once he is able to do so, give him lots of praises. Dogs love being praised and will try to do anything to be given praise.
After being able to understand one word, you can then move to another. Mastering the method of teaching your dog to read can give you the ability to eventually train your dog to be responsive to any kind of situation.
It is also inevitable that your dog, as he grows older, may lose his hearing. Some people, who have had dogs over 14 years, have experienced dealing with dogs that have lost most of their hearing. When this happens, dog owners can use hand signals as a form of communication, and if these dogs are able to read, it would even be easier for dogs and dog owners to understand each other.
Here are some techniques that would help you teach your dog to read.
1. Make a couple of flash cards. Do one card at a time. It would be best to make use of an 8 ½ X 11” piece of white paper. Write on it a word that you want your dog to be able to understand in large, block letters. For example, SIT.
2. After making a card, get your dog to pay attention to you. Have the flash card in one hand placed behind your back and have a ball or dog treat handy on your other hand.
3. Show the flash card with the word to your dog.
4. After your dog is able to see the word on the flash card, say the word. Make sure that your dog sees the word before you say it, but do not wait very long after your dog sees the word and before you say it. Do not set your eyes on your dog, as this can be a distraction. Instead, look at the flash card.
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Can you, as a dog owner actually teach your dog to read? Yes, you can. But why in the world would you want to teach your dog to read? Although your dog will surely not be reading a book or newspaper anytime in the future, giving him the ability to comprehend a word that you have written as an order may come handy sometime when faced with special situations.
You cannot tell if there would come a time when you would have difficulty speaking. It could probably be just laryngitis and you would not be able to ask your dog to come nearer. Or you could have a different condition, which is more serious.
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5. Do you have or will you be around young children who might hurt your dog?
Most of the time, children and dogs love the company of each other. However, some very young children may not have grasped the idea of respecting a dog. Young children have a tendency to kick and slap dogs, as well as pull their tail and ears. If a child treats it as a toy, a young puppy may also have its bones broken. If you have small children or will be around small children, make sure that you remind them first to not hurt the dog or puppy.
6. Will you be able to devote enough time to groom your dog?
If you will not be able to allot a lot of time to groom your dog, you can opt to buy or get a dog that has a wire or smooth coat. This way, grooming will not be too meticulous. If you will be choosing to get a dog with long locks, you need to make sure that you will be able to groom them to keep them tidy. For example, if you get a poodle, you may need to have it have a trimming regularly done by you’re dog grooming specialist, which could entail additional costs.
4. Will you be able to give your dog the amount of exercise he needs?
Dogs require exercise to keep them happy and healthy. You may need to jog with him in the park, engage in ball-playing on top of strolling around the village or the grocery on a leash. Make sure that you will be ready to devote some time everyday to play with him or take him out for a walk, whatever the outside weather is.
If you will not be able to give your dog an adequate amount of exercise, think about getting an older dog with a lower energy level, thus would require less exercise. You can visit the local dog shelter and you might be able to find one.
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Unfortunately, the holidays are not the seasons that dogs love. Since a lot of people travel or go out of town during the holidays, dogs are usually left alone. Unless you plan to bring your dog along for the trip or you have a family or friends who agree to sit your dog, then be ready to spend for a boarding kennel that your dog can lodge in.
3. Do you know how much it actually costs to take care of a dog?
This would include not only expenses in food and kennels, but also expenses for veterinary check-ups if they get sick and vaccinations. A dog, like a child, can easily get sick when you least expect it, so you need to be prepared. You may also need to purchase insurance for your pet so that you can have peace of mind.
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Before you decide which breed of dog you will buy and before you even decide if you will actually buy a dog, you need to ask yourself the more important question: Are you really ready to own a dog? Here are some questions you need to ask yourself first before officially becoming a dog owner.
1. Will you or someone be home to be with him for a majority of the day?
Remember that dogs and puppies in particular must not be left alone for long periods of time. If you will be out of the house for 8 hours because of work, then getting a dog might not be the best idea for now, unless you can arrange for someone to watch or be with your dog while you are away.
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