http://dogmatters.com.au blog Thu, 23 May 2013 07:47:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://dogmatters.com.au/inadvertent-reinforcement/ http://dogmatters.com.au/inadvertent-reinforcement/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 06:39:33 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5565 When we teach a dog something new that we want them to do we reward every single time until the dog knows the behaviour we are after. Once the dog knows the behaviour we stop rewarding every time and reward randomly instead. The dog never knows which time a reward will come and if the reward has a high value to ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/inadvertent-reinforcement/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/what-a-dogs-tail-tells/ http://dogmatters.com.au/what-a-dogs-tail-tells/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 06:38:44 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5563 There are many different shapes and sizes of tail amongst the various dog breeds. This is due to selective breeding and mutations of the original wolf tail. The tail is an extension of the spinal column and also acts as a stabiliser when the dog moves, especially when running or making tight and fast turns. The tail also plays an important role in body language and canine communication.
Does a wagging tail mean a happy ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/what-a-dogs-tail-tells/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/what-is-socialisation/ http://dogmatters.com.au/what-is-socialisation/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 06:38:06 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5560 The big topic for puppy owners is socialisation – but what exactly does socialisation mean? For many people, the immediate thought is socialising the puppy with other dogs to help create dog that is dog-friendly. While this is part of socialisation, it is only a small part. We have touched on puppy socialisation in the past but this article is aimed at giving you further understanding of what we want to achieve out of socialisation and why.
http://dogmatters.com.au/what-is-socialisation/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/adotping-a-rescue-dog/ http://dogmatters.com.au/adotping-a-rescue-dog/#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:07:21 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5469 http://dogmatters.com.au/adotping-a-rescue-dog/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/keeping-your-dog-cool-in-the-heat-of-summer/ http://dogmatters.com.au/keeping-your-dog-cool-in-the-heat-of-summer/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:10:01 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5446 Doggy Ice Blocks – Freeze a large container (such as an ice cream container) with chicken or beef stock with dog treats and toys inside. Your dog has to lick through the ice to access the treats ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/keeping-your-dog-cool-in-the-heat-of-summer/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/toilet-training-troubles/ http://dogmatters.com.au/toilet-training-troubles/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:08:09 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5444 One of the biggest hurdles ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/toilet-training-troubles/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/excessive-barking/ http://dogmatters.com.au/excessive-barking/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:04:37 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5441 Attention Seeking
Excitement
Boredom
Territorial or predatory behaviour
Fear
Separation Related Behaviour
The dog has not received enough socialisation
The dog has been rewarded for barking in the past
 
Barking can become an ingrained habit because many dogs enjoy it. For this reason it is important to ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/excessive-barking/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/help-my-dog-pulls-on-leash/ http://dogmatters.com.au/help-my-dog-pulls-on-leash/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2013 05:58:25 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/?p=5439 Dogs have an opposition reflex, which means that when pressure is put on them, they will resist it. So when pressure is put on their neck when you are trying to pull them back on a walk, this will only encourage them to pull more as they will naturally want to pull against the pressure.
Equipment
There are many training tools that you can use to help train your dog not to pull. Many of these tools ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/help-my-dog-pulls-on-leash/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/is-your-dog-guilty/ http://dogmatters.com.au/is-your-dog-guilty/#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:52:09 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/blog/?p=5382 When you see a ‘guilty’ look on the dogs face and the dog shows ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/is-your-dog-guilty/feed/ 0 http://dogmatters.com.au/inside-vs-outside/ http://dogmatters.com.au/inside-vs-outside/#comments Sat, 11 Aug 2012 12:33:50 +0000 dogmatters http://dogmatters.com.au/blog/?p=5369 People who allow their dogs indoors don’t see the point of owning a dog if you’re not going to spend time with it. People who believe that dogs should stay outside often believe that allowing a dog inside will cause the dog to become soft or spoiled as well as making the home less pleasant.
Current studies in dog psychology show that dogs isolated in backyards are highly likely to ...]]> http://dogmatters.com.au/inside-vs-outside/feed/ 0