Giving these dogs a good home is the most important thing that you can do. But if adopting a dog is just not an option right now, there are other things that you can do to better the lives of shelter dogs. Below are several suggestions to keep in mind.

1. Visit your local shelter and spend some time with the dogs. Donating some of your time to simply hang out and play with these canine residents can make a huge difference to their lives. Most of the time, shelter staff are very busy with their work and they do not have the extra time to interact with the dogs. Shelter employees can always use the help of others to come and play and socialize with their residence. They are more than happy to show you around and figure out what you can do to help out.

As a volunteer, you can take the dogs for a walk around the block, give them a little pampering by brushing their coats, or just be there and hang out with them. Shelter dogs get very little attention, and a short visit with them does a lot to improve their well-being.

2. You may volunteer to take these dogs to an obedience class that will better their chances for an adoption.

3. Take one day of the week to help wash and groom the dogs and then bring them to adoption fairs.

4. Sponsor a fund raising party and donate the cash to your local rescue organisation. You may also ask for donations of items that you can bring to the shelter. These include blankets, food and treats, collars, leashes, toys, kennels, etc.

5. You may also volunteer to be a foster parent and keep the rescued dog at your house until he or she finds a permanent home.

6. Inform people about dog adoption and being a shelter volunteer by placing an ad in your local paper or putting up signs on bulletin boards and at dog parks.

7. And last but not the least, keep in mind that the best way to prevent shelter overcrowding is to spay or neuter your pets and to spread the word about the benefits of getting these house pets fixed.

Find out more about dog adoption.

Pay attention to your tone when you are disciplining your dog. Dogs tend to be well in tune with how their trainers are feeling. An appropriately stern tone can reinforce discipline. However, if you let your frustration show when your dog takes a long time to get a command right, you may undermine the praise you’re giving. Excessive anger can decrease your dog’s trust in you.

To teach your dog not to chew inappropriately, be sure to provide him with plenty of appropriate things to chew. Make sure they are dog toys, not cast off human belongings. Whenever your dog begins to chew inappropriately, redirect him by giving him one of his own toys and take away the inappropriate item.

Prepare your dog early on for veterinary examinations. Gently pass your hands over his entire body, praising him when he responds well. Prepare him to be more tolerant with having his paws handled and his teeth looked at. Ask your friends to help out, as well. Your dog will become familiar with the process and be less nervous when going to the vet’s office.

Research to find out if your training path fits your dog’s specific breed. Certain breeds have a tough time with retaining new things quickly or are very stubborn, and may need more time. There are several dog breeds that need your patience when training, and basset hounds and bulldogs are just two such breeds.

When potty-training, remember that an enzymatic cleaner is your secret weapon. Dogs often will return to the same spot to urinate or defecate inside the house. That is because canine urine and feces has markers that let the dog know that this is the spot to do business. Using an enzymatic cleaner stops this smell at its source, and helps your training efforts that much more.

When you are potty training a young puppy, continue training even at night. A midnight potty run might not be convenient, but it can save your favorite rug. Puppies have very small bladders and need to eliminate often. Since they are not capable of holding it, those midnight potty runs are essential.

Use cheese as a treat when you are training your canine companion. Cheese is nice change of pace for your dog from packaged treats. Dogs typically love cheese and will consider it a fine treat. Do not overdo it though, cheese can have a high sodium content. Your dog could be sensitive to this.

Practice walking your dog over to a rug and asking him to sit whenever a doorbell rings. To do this, have a friend or family member ring the doorbell. Guide your dog by his leash to a rug or spot and have him sit. Praise him and offer a treat. Repeating this exercise will help him to remain calm and appear more polite when guests come over.

Puppy proof your house to prevent cherished possessions from becoming your puppy’s favorite chew toy. Remove items, such as shoes, from the area where you keep your puppy. Many pet stores sell a bitter tasting spray that you can use to keep your puppy from chewing on electrical cords. Remember that most puppies will grow out of this stage.

One tip to keep in mind when training your dog, is to be sure to never discipline your dog for bad behavior when he is ill. This will only confuse your dog and might cause him to not respond to discipline in the future. Examples of this would be, if your dog vomits or defecates in a manner that is not typical to his normal behavior.

Nutrition

Remember how many treats you reward your dog with during the course of the day to avoid fattening him up. Many people overlook treats when considering the animals diet but they will certainly add up, especially during active training. Carefully choose which treats to give him based on quality and nutrition and if you’re finding the dog gets a lot of treats you may want to consider praise as an alternative reward.

Your dog will need a diet high in nutrition to maintain his vitality and health. This means that you should be picky about what you feed your dog. Making your own dog food can help to reduce fillers that do nothing for your pet, while increasing the crude protein to a healthy and more beneficial level.

You are now taking the first step to become a successful dog trainer. Choosing to follow some of the advice and tips in this article, will not only make you a better trainer, but a better listener, who can understand the needs of your dog. Simple advice can go a long way.

"Although prevention may be more effort for the owners, it has the best end result for their pets and often their pocketbook," said Marjory Artzer, a clinical assistant professor at the K-State Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital.

By the age of 3, about 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats already have established periodontal disease, said Jennifer Akers, a clinical assistant professor at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. Akers said preventative measures are key to identifying and stopping disease before it gets too bad.

Dogs often have more straightforward periodontal disease, ranging from mild cases of gingivitis that can be reversed with cleaning, to more advanced cases where dogs can lose teeth, Akers said. Cats more commonly suffer from issues with tooth resorption and inflammatory disease in their mouth.

Both conditions can be very painful for pets, but animals don't have to act as if they are pained for disease to exist in the mouth, according to the K-State veterinarians. Often pain comes on slowly, so the animal has time to adjust.

"A lot of times we only know it has been problematic for them after we've instituted therapy and they go back to feeling good and have a change in behavior for the better," Artzer said.

Some signs of dental problems include bad breath, bleeding from the gingiva, changes in eating behavior or pawing and rubbing faces.

Most dental pathology is best identified by a veterinarian, Artzer said, and to help identify any dental problems, owners should make sure their animals get an oral exam every year with their annual checkup.

To help prevent periodontal disease, owners should brush dogs teeth daily with a pet toothbrush and pet toothpaste. Do not use human toothpaste, Akers said, as it can be toxic to animals. Water-additives, dental chews and dental diets can also help prevent periodontal disease.

"For cats, vigilance in observing and trying to intercede as early in the disease process as possible helps to keep them more comfortable longer," Akers said. "Daily oral health care is important for preventing periodontal disease and also keeps the owners looking in the mouth on a routine basis for signs of problems."

Owners should not give dogs bones or other hard toys, as they are a common cause of tooth-breaking.

"With the best intention of providing something that owners may think is OK, it can have a very negative outcome," Artzer said. "If we provide pets with appropriate toys to chew, that is a better scenario."

Both veterinarians said owners should start dental care when pets are babies and easily trainable so that they become accustomed to daily toothbrushing. It is especially important for small breed dogs because they are most at risk for periodontal disease.

"Unfortunately, what we see is middle age older pets with really horrible disease in their mouths, and the owners, only in hindsight, wished that they had been doing something about it at a young age," Akers said.

But with preventative measures, owners can improve their animal's quality of life and prevent severe complications of periodontal disease, such as complicating factors for heart conditions, kidney problems or other dental diseases.

"Dental care can help pets live a long, happy pain-free life; but no dental care can often lead to very detrimental consequences that can be very painful for our pets and very detrimental for their long term survival," Akers said.

Oquendo has been training dogs for more than 10 years and officially started her own dog training business in 2010. She acquired her skills under some of the area's leading dog trainers and animal behaviorists, mentoring under Debbie Winkler, IAABC, CPDT-KA and receiving further education from behavior veterinarian Dr. Ian Dunbar, founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She also trained closely with Dawn Sylvia-Staswiewicz, trainer to President Obama's dog, "Bo." Now Oquendo provides in-home training services to clients ranging as far as Pennsylvania to the Washington DC.

When she first looked at different approaches to dog training, Oquendo was excited by operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training, which stimulate a dog's mind in positive ways. She found that dogs always responded with a heightened desire to please when they were offered positive motivation in the form of an edible or verbal reward rather than being subjected to choke collars, shock collars and other equipment designed to frighten or inflict pain.

For example, Oquendo once encountered a couple walking two Rottweilers. She noticed that the dogs were wearing pinch collars, so she began talking with the couple. They explained that they used the pinch collars for greater control and because the dogs would not come when called. Oquendo persuaded the reluctant couple to drop the leashes, and within 10 seconds, the dogs were following her obediently by simply using positive reinforcement rewards on the spot.

Dogs not coming when they are called is the most frequent problem Oquendo's clients ask her to solve. In fact, her neighbor became so frustrated with his Husky that he was on the verge of handing the dog over to a shelter. However, Oquendo discovered that the only time the family called the dog's name was when she was going to be punished. She had them give the Husky treats when calling her and successfully helped the dog re-associate the calling of her name with positive reinforcement.

"In a society where we are all looking at improving our mind, body and spirit, many of us are looking to do the same for our dogs," Oquendo said. "It's possible with positive reinforcement training. It really works!"

Oquendo volunteers with a local rescue group called Tails of Hope. She currently owns four rescue dogs: two Rottweilers, a Chow and a Husky mix.

Useful Resources:

Dog tips
Dog fleas
Dog training books

The advantages of doggie daycare are numerous, both for the dogs and their owners. Many dog owners struggle with pets that suffer from separation anxiety and bark too much while the owner is at work, or have dogs that become destructive – tearing up rugs, books, etc. – when left alone too long. Daycare solves these problems, in some cases enabling a dog owner to keep a much-loved, although difficult pet, instead of having to give up the dog to another person or an animal shelter. In fact, animal shelters report that the most common reason for people to turn in their pets is because the dog is too loud or destructive when the owner is at work for the day.

At many pet kennel boarding facilities that offer doggie daycare, your pet will be evaluated as to whether he or she is social enough to play well with other dogs. Also, many doggie daycare providers separate big dogs from smaller ones to help ensure safety. If you have a dog that has trouble mixing with other dogs, however, there are still doggie daycare choices available. A few dog kennels specialize in providing this service and only take in a small number of dogs during the day, or have special spaces set up for dogs that need to be separated . In those cases , the dog kennel staff normally provides play interaction with your pet.

Owners have to give proof of immunizations at most pet kennel boarding places , so in addition to making sure your pet won't be hurt during doggie daycare, they also won't get sick from being with a vast number of other dogs each day.

Dogs typically enjoy a range of activities and toys during their doggie daycare— similar to a daycare center for children! Your pet will most likely get so much exercise with other dogs, it not only meets his or her requirement for activity, it also helps the animal maintain a healthy weight.

In the case of puppies and young dogs, the doggie daycare experience will help them learn helpful social skills and become well-adjusted, avoiding difficult personality problems some dogs develop that are left by themselves all day, five days a week.

Dogs are very social animals and playing with other dogs, or just being in their company, is healthy for dogs of all ages. Older dogs benefit as much as puppies from socializing and being more active.

Whether you sign your dog up for a day or two of doggie daycare, or a schedule that coincides your full-time work week, the benefits of this type of boarding will satisfy both your lives.

Useful Links:

http://www.petspotkennels.com/boarding.htm

http://www.kenneldirectory.com

http://www.petfriendlyhotels.com

http://www.petfriendlyworld.com

http://www.dogservices.co

So here's our little tip sheet on how to remove pet odours from the home.

Remove Pet Odours

With so many products on the market that are designed to remove pet odours, it is really easy to become confused about the entire process.  For the average person it is really easy to find yourself buying a bevy of products that you do not need, while overlooking the simple things that you could be doing to control pet odours.  For the typical person, it is not so much the amount of money that is spent on pet odour cleaners, but rather the types of products and cleaners that are used.

You should keep a kit of supplies in your home to quickly treat any and all pet odours.  This should include at a minimum dish detergent, hydrogen peroxide, borax, vinegar and also baking soda.  These are some standard household supplies that most people have on hand which can be used to effectively neutralize most pet odours quickly and without a large amount of effort.

Consider obtaining an air purifier for your home as well.   This is useful not just to remove any pet odours that might be lurking but it can also help you to remove things such as dust, pollen, and even pet dander.  These are all things that can contribute to the odours in your home, and can create some significant allergy problems, as well as aggravate asthma for those who suffer from it.

Look into a good pet vacuum cleaner also, this will allow you to remove from the carpet and rugs any pet hair as well as some of the odours.  These can help you to remove odours quickly and easily without significant effort just while you are vacuuming your home.  Because of the fact that these specially designed vacuums remove pet hair so well, they are also useful for controlling allergies also.  However, you need to shop around for the best model possible so that you can be certain you will achieve a good result.

Another useful suggestion to follow is to make certain that you are keeping your pet on a steady potty schedule.  If your pet is not able to go outside on a regular basis, you will quickly find that the incidence of accidents is much higher than it really needs to be.  However, this is not something that is a guarantee, but rather only applies if you have a dog.  If you have a cat, you need to make certain that the litter box is kept clean and fresh. 

Other additional steps that you can take to combat the odour is using air fresheners around your home that actually absorb odours.  Products such as Febreeze are excellent in this respect since they only emit a slight odour and do more to neutralized the odours that most typical air fresheners do.  If all you are doing is simply masking the odours you will make it much worse due to the fact that eventually you will have a very difficult time working out exactly when the odour is removed, and what smells worse, the abundance of air freshener or the pet odour itself.  By using only an air freshener that will neutralize the smell, you will freshen your home, without adding a huge abundance of air fresheners that could ultimately worsen the odour in your home.  This could allow you to really enjoy the benefits of careful usage of air freshener as well as still ensure that your home smells wonderful.

It is extremely important that you take the time to properly learn the cleaning techniques that will be needed in order to ensure that you are on your way towards success.  Careful usage of the right techniques will be very helpful as you work towards getting your home back into order and all of the odours removed.  With proper care to ensure that you are moving in the right direction you will find that it is very easy to get everything under control and still have time to actually enjoy your pet.

Trying to determine if your dog is experiencing anger, love, or any other "human" emotion is difficult. To date, no one has been able to provide convincing scientific evidence that we can distinguish one emotion from another by what our brains or hormones do. We obviously feel differently when we're in a loving versus an angry mood; however, what our brain does to influence us to feel those very different emotions is less clear.

Nonetheless, we believe that our pets love us, they appear to be embarrassed when we dress them up in silly clothes, and they certainly look like they're feeling guilty after doing something wrong.” But do they know right from wrong, and when they do the wrong thing, do they really feel guilty?

What would it take for us to be convinced that our pet actually experiences a specific emotion? Is it possible that his appearance, the way he looks in his body language and behavior, leads us to confuse guilt with submissive, defensive behaviour? Do we think that he's experiencing guilt from the way he looks or from the situation that seems to call for guilt? Do  we think that our dog  actually feels emotions such as guilt, love, shame, hope, pride, relief, regret, or revenge? It's an interesting question, and behaviorists are still working on it. But let's look at it in terms of revenge.

When we think of getting revenge against someone who has "done us wrong," we think of doing something to get back at the person. We decide on the appropriate revenge by imagining how it would make the person feel to have such-and-such happen to him. If we think it would really make him feel bad, and it would get back at him in an appropriate way, it makes us feel good, even if we just imagine it. We don't actually need to get revenge, we just need to imagine his reaction if he were to get what he deserves.

Your dog probably doesn't have the ability to imagine how you would feel if he were to soil your bed as revenge for leaving him alone all weekend. And he probably wouldn't chew your favourite shoes as revenge for locking him in the bedroom and keeping him from enjoying that piece of chicken you had last night. The ability to look into another's psyche to imagine one's emotional response to a planned endeavour is what behaviourists call revenge. Revenge requires a "theory of mind" that dogs do not have.

Dogs see the world from their perspective. That's why arranging their daily lives from their point of view works so well. Not only would it seem strange to understand why you won't give him a dog biscuit before dinner because it would spoil his appetite, but it would seem even more strange if he is seen planning something later that evening to make you feel bad in some way for your stinginess. Yet we often find ourselves believing that this is exactly what our pet must have done when we discover that he's chewed our best shoes. In reality, our pet's behaviour is probably caused by a disruption of his routine, an increased arousal or excitement, or a way to relieve discomfort or frustration.

Now that you understand your dog's emotions, you can go about changing them to create a mood that is incompatible with the mood that drives his misbehaviour. The concept is called the principle of competing motivations: A dog cannot be angry, fearful, or depressed and happy or exited at the same time!

Put a few toys down in the room. Quickly walk away from your puppy and then observe his reaction:

*A positive response would be the puppy running happily after you, regardless of what else might be occurring.

This shows that the puppy highly desires the company of people, a trait that is advantageous. This puppy should be easy to train and should learn to focus well on you instead of distractions. Most puppies will follow a human at the expense of playing with toys, but not all.

*A different response would have the puppy ignoring you and investigating something else, perhaps a toy on the floor or a sound coming from another room. This puppy may not value interaction with humans over his own desire to investigate his surroundings.

This is not always a negative thing, but it's a perfectly nice little test to try out with very young dogs. Some dogs are not as 'locked on' to human interactions as others. But remember, dogs personalities change with age and good socialisation.

As far as I know, pets aren't smoking or drinking……not yet, anyways. But I hear they're becoming regular pill-poppers! What???

A recent report from Colorado State University noted that drug abuse among pets is becoming a serious problem. We know how dog owners tend to select pets which look like them. Now, apparently, they're trying to get their pets to act like them.

Dr. Ben Baker of the school of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State said, “We always here that we look like our dogs, and we do have a tendency to think that what is good for us – like vacations and baths – is also good for our dogs. And that is carrying over to tranquilizers.”

Drug manufacturers report that humans are popping pills in increasing numbers. There's a “tranquilizer” – both prescriptive and non-prescriptive – for every complaint; however, none of them were designed for animal consumption (and more than likely not even safe long-term for humans as well).

Billions of drug prescriptions are filled each year and hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on advertising these sedatives and tranquilizers. Right now there are at least 200,000 or more drugs on the market. A survey made by a popular consumer magazine revealed that the average household has upwards near 30 prescriptions stocked in the medicine cabinet.

What Does All Of This Have To Do With Your Dog?

Dogs have been long fed tranquilizers before travel and surgery, and occasionally during various types of training. Now, however, rambunctious and noisy dogs are given sedatives to quiet them down and turn them into docile, well-behaved animals.

Dr. Baker went on to say, “I don't think there is a serious abuse problem yet, but I'm scared that it will become one. Tranquilizers should always be a last resort in dealing with an animal.”

Veterinarians get more requests for sedatives for pets before winter and summer holidays when families are packing up for vacations. Most animals don't need to be tranquilized to travel, however. Dogs are usually accustomed to riding in a car – they enjoy it; so even on a long trip, there should rarely be a problem. Some who are sedated wind up sleeping for days – and if the dosage is inaccurate they could sleep… forever.

The craze for big guard dogs that has swept the country has put many big dogs in small apartments and condominiums for extended periods of time. Complaining neighbors who resent the barking of a dog often motivate the owner to tranquilize the dog to keep it quiet.

My veterinarian commented, “I have some serious questions about keeping a dog penned up like that; however, with training, a barking dog can be controlled. We don't have many dog psychiatrists, but its a rare dog that needs tranquilizing.”

People who pop pills day and night for any problem believe that their pets would be calm and tractable, too, if they were given sedatives. Once in a while they overdose their pet and he goes on a “trip.” Sometimes he doesn't come back. Furthermore, dogs, like people, react differently to a dosage of anything; some even become more active and unmanageable when they're drugged.

So, if your tempted to reach for that canine sedative that you got from the veterinarian whenever your pet is on some kind of rampage or seems over-excited, don't. As yet, there is no evidence to indicate that dogs can become drug addicts, but why take any chances?

Related: Can Dogs Take Human Painkillers?

Kidney ailments, ranging from too frequent urination to an affliction in which the dog retains his urine, are quite common in older dogs. A common disorder is nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys.

If your dog appears thirsty and drinks more water than usual, it may be a sign of nephritis and you should take him to your veterinarian for diagnosis.

Deafness is also common in older dogs. But precautions can be taken either to postpone or avoid it.

If your dog begins to run his head in a strange manner or paws persistently at his ears, you should suspect an infection, through his ears might only need a good cleaning. Remember, however, that you can do irreversible damage to the dog’s ear if you dig into it yourself. So, if the difficulty appears even mildly serious, consult with your veterinarian immediately.

Arthritis is another ailment from which the older dog may suffer. One way to help is to keep your aging dog away from cold, wet, or drafty places. Your veterinarian may recommend medication or injections to alleviate the pain.

Almost all dogs will have some cloudiness in their pupils as they grow older. This is called nuclear sclerosis; a natural compaction of lens fibers that usually decreases vision, though not to the point of blindness. Cataracts are a more serious problem, usually resulting in blindness or very limited vision.

If your dog hesitates to jump on his favorite chair or balks at entering a darkened room, examine his eyes. If you see a bluish discoloration he may have a cataract and professional treatment will be required.

In the male older dog, there is the problem of an enlarged prostate known as prostatitis. The enlargement of the prostate gland may lead to difficulty in urinating. If a dog cannot urinate, his bloodstream will retain toxic substances that can spread throughout his body. So if you notice your dog is having difficulty in passing urine, you should go immediately to your veterinarian.

Any abdominal swelling that is more than a collection of fat should be brought to the immediate attention of the veterinarian. The swelling may be a result of a heart of liver ailment. Or it may be the result of an accumulation of tumors. The swelling is rarely a condition that will clear up by itself. Delay in treatment may jeopardize  your pet’s chances of recovery.

If your dog has regular checkups, you can be reasonably sure of protecting him against serious ailments. And if you take him for an examination as soon as you suspect something is wrong, you will be able to bring most ailments under control.