__________________________________________________________________________________________________MYTHS AND FACTS about dogs
January 6, 2012
Myth #1 Rubbing a dog’s nose in their mess, helps housebreak them.
Fact: When teaching a dog anything, your timing has to be spot on even if the dog’s name is Spot. Rubbing their nose in their mess is after the fact, and a big WASTE of time. The dog associates the smell with the correction and not the act of making the smell. The next time your dog sees you while the smell is in the air, your dog may give you an “I’m guilty look” or the “I’m sorry look”, but don’t be fooled! they’re only looking at you that way because that’s the look that will eventually get you to stop yelling at them, or possibly stop you from grabbing them.
Myth #2 kneeing a dog in the chest teaches them not to jump on you.
Fact: That technique went out way before the 8-track tape player. Look you may get lucky and cause enough pain to get them to stop jumping, but does that sound fair? especially since you’re probably the one who taught them to jump in the first place?. Maybe if you had groceries in your hand and you needed your knee to protect your body, But to teach them not to jump, there are much more effective and fair ways. I’ll be discussing better ways to teach this
Myth #3 Giving a puppy praise or treats after they go to the bathroom in the right place.
Fact: Treats should not be used in potty training. It’s a self rewarding act. As long as the sky isn’t falling and the dog safely eliminates, don’t reward them. Especially when it’s after the fact. If you tell a dog to sit, and when they get up you give them a treat and praise, are you rewarding the “sit”? Or them getting up? If you use any reinforcement, tell them in a soft voice “good doggy” or giving a quick pat on the head is ok, as long as it’s in the middle of the act. Another flaw in the treat theory is sometimes a dog isn’t 100% happy with the surface of the ground they are “eliminating” on such as, pea gravel, wet grass or one of those simulated grass loo’s, etc. So if you give a treat or praise after, they may think your rewarding their desire to get away from that surface. It’s very similar to myth #1. rubbing a dogs nose is after the fact.
Myth #4 Dogs chew things in your house because they’re mad at you.
Fact: Dogs chew for many reasons but being angry at you isn’t one of them. The list of why dogs chew is long. I will discuss them in another post or video.
Myth #5 Dogs eat their own or other animal’s stools because of nutrient imbalances.
Fact: With 220 million scent receptors (as apposed to our 5 million) dogs can smell each separate ingredient in a pile of poop. Many low quality dog foods don’t digest in the body, so it comes out the other side, to a dog it smells good, that’s why some dogs will eat it.
Myth #6 You cant teach an old dog new tricks. Fact # 1 It’s easy to teach any age dog a trick its just hard to break bad habits
Myth #6 You cant teach an old dog new tricks.
Fact: It’s easy to teach any age dog a trick its just hard to break old bad habits, for dog and owner.
Myth #7 Dogs scoot their rear end on the ground – because they have worms.
Fact: It’s not worms, it a dog anal glands that are irritating them. Usually when this irritation occurs, a dog will scoot their rear on the ground for relief and to try and help the sacks empty. 95-98% of the time this condition is only temporary and will naturally works itself out. The owners tells the vet or the groomer about the scooting and they recommend having the glands squeezed on a regular basis. In my experience, because it’s usually a temporary thing or an occasional scooting problem if a dog gets help on a regular basis, now the dogs own natural secretion ability can be affected.
Myth #8. Dogs eat grass when they are sick.
Fact: Grass must have a nutritional value, or it must taste good or a high moisture value (or all three?) the problem is when the grass is cut, the dogs eat the lower parts of grass, which have the many hairs that irritate the stomach lining of the dog, causing them to regurgitate. SO, they didn’t even know the grass would cause that reaction.
Myth #9. Garlic prevents fleas.
Fact: In the U.S. Around 5 millions dogs and cats are euthanized each year. Leave breeding to professionals. Spay or neuter your pet. Please read my blog on this very important subject. FIXING YOUR MALE DOG
here is a link to a site that has 102 dog facts http://www.thefoundbin.com/lost-and-fou ... about-dogs
Written by Robert
http://www.malibudogtraining.com/2012/0 ... raining%29
You like to make us think, and read stuff critically, which is good for all of us.