1) Be patient: All dogs learn at different speeds and often don't grasp concepts as quickly as we think they should. Be patient with your dog and help him to be successful. 2) Plan ahead: Set your dog up to succeed. If your dog isn't "getting it" the behaviour probably needs to be broken down into smaller steps. 3) Be realistic: Don't expect your dog to perform a behaviour in an environment you haven't taught him in. 4) Be kind: Use positive methods to teach your dog what's e

Dogs are more sensitive to sound than humans are. Sounds that can barely be heard by us at a given distance can be detected by dogs that are four times as far away. So there is no need to shout. Dogs can also hear a higher range of frequencies, which means they hear sounds in the ultrasonic range that we cannot detect. In the wild, this enables them to hear small prey such as rodents, which communicate in squeaks at a very high frequency. This ability explains why dogs can re

If you do things the same way over and over, a dog learns what to expect and is reassured by this. Your dog will be happier and more relaxed if he knows that he will be fed at about the same time every day than if he expects dinner at a time he is used to, doesn't get it when he expects it, worries that maybe there won't be any dinner, and finally is fed, but only after he has felt hunger pangs and worried for a few hours. Changing the schedule once in a while won't do irrepa

In comparison with out human ability to see, a dog's sense of sight is less well- developed. Its vision is not as detailed as ours, and it recognizes objects by shape and form rather than detail and texture. Dogs are not colour-blind, but they see colour less well than humans. It is more difficult for them to distinguish between certian colours; for example, a red ball on green grass will blend in, whereas a white one will stand out. Dogs can see better at night and in dim co

Sight is our primary sense, and we learn most about our world with out eyes. In dogs, however, the sense of smell is far more important, and much of the information they gather from their environment goes in through their nose. Watch a dog and owner as they enter a new room. The human will use his eyes to find out what goes on there, whereas the dog will go sniffing around to discover what he needs to know. Dogs can detect odors in a way that we find hard to contemplate. They

Opinions vary as tot he best age for a puppy to leave it's mother and littermates. The advantages of its staying in the litter have to be weighted against the advantages of its being with the new family. The longer the puppy stays with the mother and its littermates, the more it will learn about canine communication and the better it will cope with encounters with other dogs later in life. Puppies that leave the litter too soon, such as orphaned puppies that need to be hand-r

If you have decided that you have the time and patience for a puppy, you want to make sure you choose a pup that's going to be fit and healthy. While there's no way to guarantee that your new puppy will never fall ill. you can reduce the chances by checking for certain signs before you make your choice. Skin: Pull apart his hair to check that his skin is smooth and free of parasites. Its colour will range from pink to black to spotted, depending on what type of dog he is. Che

Before becoming a dog owner, make sure that the family is willing to care for your new pet. Feeding, playing, exercise, grooming and training are all essential. Learn as much as you can about different breeds so you can choose wisely. Don't choose an active dog unless you have time and space to give him the exercise he needs. Think about grooming requirements. Long-coated dogs have beautiful thick coats but it takes time and effort to keep them that way. Short-coated dogs nee

In the dog world, you are either a leader or a follower. This pack mentality comes from the wolves that are the ancestors of today's dogs. Wolves rely on their leader for their survival. Like their wolf ancestors, today's domestic dogs are pack animals. Even if a wolf is not top dog, he is a link in the chain of command. It's the same with a dog. His instinct is to find out where he stands. Mos dogs are followers. They want to please their human pack so they can get plenty of

Dogs are expert communicators who use an elaborate repertoire of body postures, sounds and scent to get their message across to other dogs. Unlike humans, dogs do not camouflage their emotions so watching them act and react together will give you a good idea of what they are saying. When dogs meet, the first thing they do is establish rank. The anal sacs underneath the dogs' tails contain glandular secretions that vary in composition from dog to dog, so the nose-to-rear-end m