Most people will associate the word ‘pounce’ with cats and not with dogs but our canines can pounce on toys, tumbling leaves, birds and their unsuspecting owners just as impressively as the felines.

The problem is not every single individual in the world is going to appreciate your dog saying ‘hello’ to them in quite the same way as you do, believe it or not there are those amongst us who do not take kindly to dogs, I know it is hard to comprehend to you and I but alas it is none the less the truth!
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The two basic components to keeping your faithful friend happy are diet and exercise, very simple but also very important. Now if the choice were left to our canine chums they would probably choose to eat everything in sight and run around playing to their little heart’s content! Luckily the decisions are not left for our dogs to ponder over as we make the choices for them.

One of the main decisions to make is the type of food you feed your canine chum, this can be very daunting and especially so to new dog owners as there are so many different brands and types of dog food available.
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As the weather warms up for the summer months ahead our thoughts start to turn towards our weight, hiding under the layers of winter clothing is not possible now so we begin to think of ways to lose weight. Now our canine chums are much the same as us, obviously not literally as they do not wear clothing in the first instance but they will find any excess weight a burden in the hot weather.

The first thing to ascertain is whether your dog is actually overweight and the easiest way to do this is to look down on your faithful friend when he/she is in a standing position, you are looking for your dog’s natural body shape to slope inwards at their waist to show that they are not overweight.
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I am going to be completely optimistic now and say that the rain outside my window will shortly turn to brilliant sunshine and that we will actually experience a summer, when we do it is important that we remember our faithful friends need to keep cool as much as we do.

There are numerous ways to help your canine chum remain calm and cool during those hot summer days. The initial one which we are reminded of on a regular basis and have no excuses to forget is do not leave your dog in a car during the summer months, even on an overcast day the temperature will still be high and deadly to your dog.
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As dog owners most of us have probably encountered the term ‘hierarchy’ either through training classes, literature or the good old television shows concerning all things doggy. Many problems seem to be blamed on the hierarchy being misplaced; trainers very often like to say that the owner needs to reaffirm their position of hierarchy with their dog, which loosely translated means that the said dog is ruling the household and walking all over their traumatised owner!

According to the English dictionary the term ‘hierarchy’ means, ‘system of people or things arranged in a graded order’ so basically a pecking order.

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The initial point to comprehend when it comes to training puppies and adult dogs is the basic fact that they are all different from one another, I know this sounds like common sense but a lot of dog owners simply assume because their breed of dog is supposed to be ‘intelligent’ it should learn quickly.

Just because you may have acquired a Border collie for instance do not simply think that he/she will instantly know what is expected and to learn in turbo speed, not only are different breeds of dog different from each other but so are the same breed. You can place two of the same breed side by side and they will learn at varying speeds. Allow yourself the opportunity to become accustomed to your puppy’s/dog’s individual personality and character prior to beginning too much intense training.
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When you mention the word grooming many people instantly just think about the brushing side but a full ‘groom’ should actually include nail clipping, teeth cleaning and bathing.

Young puppies are often not bathed by their owners for fear of hurting or upsetting them too much and they often wait until their pup is 6 months or even older, the truth is that puppies under the age of 6 months should be groomed and given the opportunity to grow accustomed to the sensation. Puppies love to wriggle and whilst it will undoubtedly prove to be a bit awkward to groom them it will prove even more awkward when confronted with a fully grown adult dog which has not been groomed very much at all! The secret, as with all puppy training and handling, is an abundance of patience and a sense of humour.
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New puppies love attention and it goes without saying that new owners love to offer their new bundle of fluff heaps of attention and love, now the problem arises when the pup begins to demand this affection all of the time.

Puppies are skilful at numerous things and one of these happens to be having the ability to be vocal when required! They enjoy nothing more than whining, squeaking and even howling for the attention they desire until you, their dear owner, will relent and smother them with hugs and kisses.
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There is nothing quite like the bond between a child and their dog, it can be a wonderful relationship to observe as they both grow together. More and more families are welcoming dogs into their lives these days which is great and usually in a ‘typical’ family environment the children will spend the greater amount of time with the new dog.

So how do you teach them about their new friend’s care? The best method is to allow them to become involved in the dog’s routine, let them watch you feed your new puppy or dog and then let them do it the following day. Offering your children responsibility in this way will teach them the importance of caring for their new pal properly and how they must adhere to a firm routine of feeding times.
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A dog’s natural instinct will always tell him/her that they should guard their food; if you think about wolves in the wild they have a specific pack order when it comes to eating and whilst they each eat they also guard their food from other members of the pack.

Now dogs will guard their food from other canine companions and from us but as their owner you should still maintain complete control over the feeding time situation. Most issues with food guarding are also associated with dominance. Your dog needs to learn that you are the ‘dominant dog’ and you will see this when he/she allows you to pick their food bowl up.
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