Top 5 things to train your dog

Whether you are bringing a new dog home or currently own a dog.  You will face various challenges throughout his life that will benefit from training.  Out of the many commands that you can teach a dog, these commands are the foundation of every well trained dog.

1. Come (recall)

The come command is one of the most important commands you can train your dog.  It is a life saver.  The come command can be used when your dog accidentally exits the house unleashed or when your dog is about to run up to a strange dog.  A dog with a very good recall is a more trustworthy companion.

2. Sit
The sit command is an essential building block to advanced obedience commands.  You can tell your dog to sit before he eats, sit before a stranger pets him or sit if he is jumping at the window barking.  A dog who has been taught to sit properly, will stay seated until the handler releases him (okay or free).

3. Down
Down is another vital command to know before more complicated obedience commands can be taught.  You can tell your dog to down when traveling in the car or down when you want him to stop pacing around the house.  Like the sit command, a dog with a solid down will stay in the down position until the handler releases him.

 

4. Heel
The heel command is when a dog is paying attention to the handler and walking beside the handler so that the dog's shoulder is parallel to the handler's left leg.  A dog who is in the correct heel position but not paying attention to the handler is not heeling properly.  The heel command is what allows dog and owner to take a peaceful walk together. 

5. Place
"Place" is any mat or defined place that the dog must go and lie down on.  You can tell your dog to place into his crate or place onto a rug.  This command can be used when cooking, eating or when a visitor is at the door.  The dog is to place until you release him.

What is the most important command you've taught your dog? 

*Johanna*   

10 Canine toxins many owners aren't aware of

1. Cherry

The stems, leaves and seeds contain cyanide.

Causes brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock.
 





2. Avocado

The leaves, seeds and bark of the avocado tree contain Persin.

Causes vomiting and diarrhea.






3. Grapes & Raisins

Causes kidney failure.









4. Xylitol

A sugar alcohol found in sugar free gum and mints.

Causes low blood sugar and liver failure.






5. Aloe

While small amounts applied externally is fine, the plant contains Saponins.

Causes vomiting, depression, diarrhea, anorexia, tremors and change in urine color.







6. Apple (includes crabapples)

The stems, leaves and seeds of apples contain cyanide.   

Causes brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting and shock.





7. Azalea

This beautiful but deadly plant contains Grayantoxin.  

Causes vomiting, diarrhea, hyper salivation, weakness, coma, hypotension, central nervous system depression, cardiovascular collapse and death.  Ingesting just a few leaves can have dangerous consequences.





8. Coffee

Coffee contains methylxanthines a derivative of the cacao seed.  

Causes vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizure and death.




9. Macadamia Nuts

The toxin in this nut is unknown.

Causes depression, weakness, vomiting and tremors.

10. Hops

This commonly known plant is used in the production of beer.  

Causes panting, high body temperature, seizures and even death.

 

Help spread the knowledge, what other toxins should owners be aware of?  

*Johanna*

Source: www.aspca.org

For a complete list of toxins visit the ASPCA poison control website.

Canine Intelligence: Chaser the Border Collie knows the names of 1022 objects

Brand New: We will be introducing an Ask a Vet Q & A feature.  Please post any questions for the veterinarian to this blog or email Andrew@k9llc.com.

Chaser

A Border Collie named Chaser has accomplished the astounding feat of learning the individual names of 1022 toys.  Chaser, known as the dog with the largest vocabulary and owner John Pilley live in Spartanburg, S.C.   

Chaser has undergone four separate experiments to test her language skills:

1. Experiment one showed that Chaser had learned the proper noun names of 1022 toys. 
   
   
2. Experiment two revealed that Chaser was not only able to differentiate between the proper noun names but that she was able to tell the difference between the name of the object and the command given.  Chaser was aware that names referred to objects and that commands referred to what was to be done to those objects (see Chaser Demonstration video below).
   
   
3. Experiment three demonstrated Chasers capacity to learn three common nouns.
   
   
4. Experiment four displayed Chasers ability to learn the names of new objects by excluding objects with known names (see Chaser learns new object name through exclusion video below). 

Chaser learned these words within three years of intensive training.  Her owner explained that "no upper limit is apparent -- they stopped training the dog after three years due to their time constraints, not because the dog could not learn more names." 

Here are some videos I found on Chaser, this dog is amazing!!

Chaser demonstration video

Chaser learns new object name through exclusion video

Learn how John Pilley taught Chaser object names video

How many words does your dog know and how did you teach them?  Please let me know in the comments section below.

*Johanna*

Source: 

John W. Pilley, Alliston K. Reid. Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents. Behavioural Processes, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2010.11.007