?Doggie on the Couch?

This is what you want? Not me!!

As a dog owner, are you perplexed with the problem of your dog always jumping on furniture, taking your own place on the couch? Think of the possibility of fleas. Think about visitors who may want to sit down but Pooch has the only comfortable seat.

How To Deal With Your Dog Jumping On Furniture

This is a common problem and the method of dealing with this behaviour is very similar to that of jumping and stealing food from the counters.

Three approaches are used:

	Consistency Your dog should never be allowed to jump on the furniture
	Counter-conditioning Create a spot for your spot near your furniture (couch), which can be a blanket or doggie bed. Put his favourite toys or special treats at the spot For the first two months, whenever you sit at your furniture, leash him to the spot to avoid him from wondering off After two months, walk your dog (on leash) to the furniture. When he does not jump up to the furniture, praise and reward him. If he jumps up to the furniture, immediately say �No� and pull him away from the furniture Repeat this exercise several times a day.
	Correction By the fourth month, your dog should learn not to jump on the furniture If he still persists in this behaviour, it�s time to apply the booby trap to correct the behaviour:

i. Put a motion-sensitive sound alarm near the furniture so that alarm will trigger and sound when your dog jumps onto the furniture

ii. Make sure the alarm does not sound when he is near the furniture; only when he jumps onto the furniture

iii. Bring your dog near to the furniture and leave the room immediately

iv. If he jumps onto the furniture, alarm will sound and you should return to the room immediately and say �No� to him followed by pulling him on his leash away from the furniture

3. If your dog is not deterred by this booby trap, it�s time to put a Scat Mat on the furniture. This device will send out a very small electrical shock upon touching it. No dog will want to repeat this behaviour after experiencing such an unpleasant zap. Rest assured that the electrical shock experience is harmless to both human and animal.

And remember to praise your dog abundantly when he does the right thing!

"Sand Skin" Dog-Shar Pei

Sher Pei does not refer to the extra, loose skin on the puppies of this dog breed. It does not refer to the blue or black tongue, either. It refers to the texture of the coat of this old Chinese breed of dog.

As puppies, these dogs have lots of wrinkles, but as they mature, the wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". The American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1991.

The Shar Pei breed come in many colors but have the same characteristic blue-black tongue of the Chow Chow. Superabundant loose skin and wrinkles cover the neck, head, and body of puppies, but adult Shar Pei dog should grow into their skin so that these features are limited to the head, neck and withers. Improper breeding (detrimental to the health of the Shar Pei) produces adult dogs with wrinkles all over the body. Small ears, a muzzle shaped like that of a hippopotamus, and a high set tail also give the Shar Pei a unique look.

Shar Pei is a strong, agile and compact-bodied dog. This coarse coat is a heritage from the Shar pei's dog fighting ancestry that was purposely selected to offer greater resistance to its opponents during fights.

The Shar-Pei is dignified, calm, and confident, aloof with strangers, and a bit arrogant. He can also be a clown with his family.

These characteristics can make the Shar-Pei difficult to train unless he is well-socialized as a pup and taught early that the human word is law in the household. Once convinced of your superiority, the Shar-Pei will accept his place in the order and be a dependable, devoted companion and child's playmate.

Although he is considered a consummate watchdog, the Shar-Pei should never be aggressive to people or other dogs.

This is a people-oriented breed, so when looking for a pup, make sure the breeder gives her dogs plenty of human contact.

A book about Shar Pei: click below

The Complete Chinese Shar-Pei

Aging in Your Dog

The friendship of a dog is something marvelous. Logically, we all wish to enjoy it as much time as possible. Although we know dogs will eventually age, we are scared when they enter old age. As he enters this phase, he will do things at a slower pace. He will not get up immediately, but think if it's worth the effort. His energy and strength decreases, he will rest more often and sleep more. As opposed to humans, a dog does not become senile. Dogs are not afraid to age. So why are we afraid when our dog becomes old?

Back in earlier days, owners tried to keep their dogs from aging. An old dog's incompetence toward work, a decrease in its ability to react quickly or the deterioration of its health was a death sentence. Nowadays, we mostly own dogs for their company. We have a strong connection and an affectionate relationship with our dogs. For any owner, it would be unimaginable to sacrifice a dog simply because he has become old. Now that we have embraced our dogs as our companions, we consider them human.

Our worry about our dog's old age comes from the attitude we take towards our own aging. Our modern view toward aging is difficult, and concern over physical illness or the diminishing of our mental capacity afflicts us. It is uncommon to see old age as something beautiful, significant or interesting. All these feelings are transmitted to our old canine friend due to the strong connection we share with him. As human beings we have the advantage of preparing ourselves by taking precautions and measures to make our dogs feel great about aging.

Some questions about dogs' aging:

How many years can a dog live? Nobody can predict a dog's age or how long it can live. We do know that small dogs in general live more years than big dogs. In addition, female dogs tend to live longer than male dogs, and dogs that live outside live shorter lives than dogs that are at home with us. These are just generalizations. There exists the possibility that dogs can live above or below their average mortality. Veterinarians believe that dogs live longer nowadays due to the knowledge their owners have about them and the advances in veterinarian science.

What is my dog's age? I'm sure you're familiar with the old belief that for every year a dog lives, it is equivalent to 7 human years. Nowadays, this comparison is no longer considered valid. At any given moment, your dog can find himself in a determinant phase of development that is only applicable to him and does not correspond to any aging statistics or charts. If we observe dogs at canine expositions, we can notice enormous differences in vitality among them.

When will my dog be of old age?
Similar to human beings, white hairs are a symptom of growing old in dogs, but there are several dogs that develop white hairs when they are still relatively young. The first white hairs appear by the whiskers, and then it spreads throughout the whole nose. Particularly on dogs that have brown, red or golden hair, the color of their heads can turn white. In general, the skin of most dogs loses elasticity and becomes greasier. The eyes become more opaque, and the dog can lose his hearing, but his sense of smell tends not to diminish. Since the dog is an animal guided by smell, having his hearing or vision malfunction does not matter as much to him.

The dog will probably jump less on the sofa, not play as much with the ball and avoid going up the stairs unless it's necessary. In addition, he will stretch more often. Since the dog will not do as much exercise as he did before, his meals should be reduced or he will gain unnecessary weight. The denture of your dog might start having problems—some teeth might be loose. His nails will grow longer, but not be as strong. In terms of reflexes, they will most likely become slower. It might be hard to notice these differences in your dog, but it is important to always be alert in order to take the right precautions.

Studies have shown that dogs between the age of nine and twelve tend to suffer from heart problems. The liver and the pancreas might cause several problems, and the incidence of diabetes increases in dogs older than eight years. A dog's immune system will become weaker, and it will increase the risk of tumors.

Several of these changes might not be as visible on certain dogs because all dogs age differently. Owners cannot predict what type of illnesses their dogs might get, but they can help them live their old age with dignity, care, respect and friendship.

Worried about your aged canine friend? Try this:

Pet Naturals of Vermont Dog Daily Senior