For the Smart Money Cookie

Sugar gliders are marvelous little pets that do not take up much space and are relatively easy to care for. They are not rodents as some mistakenly think, but rather marsupials from the same family as Kangaroos and Kola Bears. They are indigenous to Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea and in the wild live in tight-knit, loving colonies. This is the aspect that makes them such wonderful household pets because the bond so completely with their new ‘colony’you and your family.

One of the most unique aspects of this curious little bundle of love, and where part of their name comes from, is the membrane of fur-covered skin that stretches from front to rear ankle on both sides of their bodies. This membrane flares out when they spread their arms and legs giving them a parachute type wingspan allowing them to glide from one place to another.

Sugar gliders have been known to be able to glide as much as 50 feet! They don’t fly like a bird by flapping ‘wings’, they simply spread their legs and let their ’sails’ carry them. It is exciting to play with your sugar glider as they jump and play and ‘glide’ about your house. You will find that they easily learn to recognize their name and come when called, and when they ‘come’ it will usually be with a great leap as they float across the room to you.

The ’sugar’ part of their name comes from their great love of sweets. Like many of us, sugar gliders have a real sweet tooth. Most of their sugar comes from the fruits and vegetables they so love to eat and that are such a vital part of their daily diet. Another interesting aspect of this delightful little pocket pet is that they have ‘hands’ rather than paws. They’re fingers work to hold food and other items much like our own complete with opposable thumbs for grasping. They are truly delightful and amazing pets that give their owners years of pleasure and enjoyment.

Be a leader, a dog will follow.

From the last two articles, remember King and his dominant dog behavior? King was the leader of his pack — Mom, Dad, 2 kids. King set the rules in the house and didn’t hesitate to enforce them, with growling, snapping, and even biting. I introduced 3 simple dog training steps to help you begin to take the leadership role back from King.

Then there was Queenie and her family (especially Mom), who gently took the leadership position. Queenie learned dog manners and wonderful dog behavior through Mom’s gentle but firm positive dog training methods and her consistency in teaching Queenie house rules. Queenie was eager to learn and to please and received lots of praise and tons of treats. With humans as pack leaders and dogs as pack members (preferably at the bottom of the hierarchy!), the whole household is calm and happy.

Let’s talk about your household. Your angel might not be as dominant or aggressive as King, and you may have worked with her some but not quite enough to have a dog similar to Queenie. Time is sometimes a factor — with our lives as busy as they are, sometimes it’s difficult to make time to for even short periods of dog training. But if you’ll give it a little effort, the payoff will be tremendous. You can change your dog’s behavior in no time at all.

I want to give you a few more new recommendations for regaining leadership in your pack. But first, I want to review some of the ones found in the first two articles. For the complete list, go to http://www.best-dog-articles.com.

SOME REVIEW STEPS

Get their attention first — say Fido’s name before you say the command.

Be kind — Use a gentle voice, give commands and direction calmly and lovingly.

Let’s play — YOU start and end all games. Keep them wanting more.

Let’s EAT — YOU eat before feeding the dog.

Praise, praise, praise – Pour on the praise for good dog behavior and good manners.

NEW STEPS

1. Are you sick?!

One of the first concerns with new or unwanted behaviors (e.g., excessive urination) is a health concern. Get a vet check to address any health concerns that might cause behaviors your dog has no control over.

2. Down every day!

Put your dog in a “down” position for 5-10 minutes every day. This reinforces for your dog that you are the leader. Beginning this program may involve many jump-ups. Just gently and firmly put the dog back down. (No need to restart time.) You will notice that the breaks of command quickly fall away. It’s fine for your dog to sleep through this one!

3. Do that AGAIN!

Dogs love routine. They have incredible internal clocks. One activity that dogs love and that routine is important is mealtime. I suggest feeding dogs two times a day (no running buffet) within an hour window each time (e.g., 7-8AM and 5-6PM). Watch your dog — if you do something regularly, they come to expect it and act appropriately. Other activities that can become routine are morning or evening walks, Saturday errands, the time you come home from work. If it’s a regular thing, your dog knows it’s going to happen.

4. Brush, brush, brush the coat!

One activity you both can enjoy is grooming. Daily gentle grooming reinforces a loving relationship with your dog. This can become prized private time for both of you.

5. Through the paces– Every day!

Obedience training is very important to do every day, even for 5 minutes at a time. Try to avoid the military commando approach. Be consistent and kind, get your dog’s attention first, praise, praise, praise for his willingness and compliance to your commands. Practicing obedience reinforces that you are the leader.

CONCLUSION

That’s it! You now have the arsenal for regaining the leadership position in your pack and getting some good dog behavior practices in place. Emphasizing the positive in your dog training efforts pays off exponentially — your dog will be your friend for life and won’t be scared of you. When you establish yourself as leader, dogs respect you and will work so hard to please you. Take the time to get these easy steps into your daily routine and watch the changes magically occur.

Wishing you a calm and happy adventure with your canine companions.

[This article is the third in a 3-part series about changing dog behavior using positive dog training methods.]

O’Neal Hendrix is a premier professional dog trainer in Atlanta, GA. For many years, she has “worked miracles” with dogs and their owners. Check out her dog toy recommendations for all dog breeds and temperaments!

A well-train dog usually leads a happier and healthier life and its owner also can enjoy a trouble-free life long companion. Dog training - basic obedience, house and potty training are therefore essential and important to a dog’s education.

The conventional method of dog training tips and guide would be to list a series of things that you should “Do” and you might even know the A-Z of dog training! But sometimes what should be done can be said best by telling what should not be done. Hope you agree with me!

This article seeks to list 18 “Don’t” when you train your dog. The reasons for the don’ts will become evident as the lessons continue and each one is based upon the distinctive psychology of the dog’s mind.

1. DON’T punish your dog while you are angry or lack control of yourself.

2. DON’T punish your dog with the lead or any instrument of training or anything he should associate with duty or pleasure.

3. DON’T sneak up on your dog or grab him from the rear.

4. DON’T chase your dog to catch him; he must come to you or run after you.

5. DON’T coax your dog to you and then turn upon him with the whip. You will regret the deception.

6. DON’T trick or fool or taunt your dog. It is cruel and inconsistent to tease your dog to come to you when he can not.

7. DON’T punish a dog by stepping on his paws needlessly. They are exceedingly sensitive. Don’t twist his ears playfully or otherwise. Never strike him on the backbone, in the face or on the ears.

8. DON’T grab your dog or reach for him quickly. He should never fear his master, should not be made nervous by his master, and should feel that punishment given is deserved.

9. DON’T nag your dog; don’t be giving orders to him constantly; don’t pester him with your shoutings.

10. DON’T praise a dog for doing a certain act, then at a later time, scold him for doing the same act. If you permit him to bite your toes today and think it fun, do not strike him for doing it tomorrow, when you are not in good humor. Consistency is a chief virtue in dog training.

11. DON’T train your dog immediately or soon after he has eaten.

12. DON’T lose patience with a puppy younger than six months. Never throw or kick a puppy nor lift him by the head or leg or skin of the neck.

13. DON’T train him in feats requiring much strength or endurance until he is at least six months old.

14. DON’T work your dog without some short rest or play periods during training. A five-minute rest for every fifteen minutes of training is desirable.

15. DON’T permit everyone to give commands to your dog. While you are training him, he must be a one-man dog, depending on you alone to feed him and care for him.

16. DON’T consider tricks the chief end or the chief part of training. Usefulness is the object sought in all instruction of the dog. Acts that spring naturally from the dog’s instincts are to be fostered.

17. DON’T expect your dog to be a wonderful dog after a few weeks of training; four months to a year may be necessary in order to make the master proud of him, but the work is worth the effort. Training never ends.

18. DON’T jump to the conclusion that your dog is dumb. He may differ with you believing that the trainer should know more than the dog.

To end, try to remember these 18 Don’ts rules, enjoy training your dog and most importantly have lots of fun along the way!

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Learning about horse breeds, common and rare, is fascinating and there’s a wealth of information available for free on the Internet.

Your curiosity about horses and horse breeds will most certainly bring you to the Internet. In fact, the Internet is literally an A to Z of horse information. Websites such as Equiseach.com are like specialized online encyclopedias with hundreds of facts and listing about horses, horse breeds and anything else remotely related to horses.

When you think of horse breeds (or bloodlines or types) it is the Thoroughbred or the Arabian that comes to mind. The Thoroughbred is an English breed bred from Arabian horses imported to England in the late 16th century. These days in America, it is Kentucky that boasts the most Thoroughbred horse farms than anywhere else in the world.

Arabian horses are easily recognizable. They are well known for their affectionate temperament and bond very well with humans, after all this breed has been living with humans since 1500 B.C . They are friendly, agile and keen to work. The first Arabian was imported into America in 1725 by Nathan Harrison.

American breeds include the Standardbred (an excellent trotter and harness racer), the Quarter horse breed (bred for races), the Morgan horse breed (and intelligent and versatile horse for riding and work originating in Vermont) and the Appaloosa breed (a popular work and pleasure horse, which has also become a popular choice of sporting horse especially in dressage and jumping. This breed of horse is known for its distinctive coat coloring, which often includes spotting and mottled colors).

The Asian breeds, influenced by Arabian or Persian breeds, are small and relatively plain horses but known for their intelligence. Such breeds include the Tartar, Kirghis, Mongol and Cossack horses.

Lesser known breeds include the Kladruber, a strong harness horse, which originates from Czechoslovakia. The Brabanon, from Belgium, is a heavy and powerful horse. The Nonius Stallion, from Hungary, is a compact horse of good temperament and is also a competitive riding horse. Fjord Ponies from Western Norway are popular in Scandanavia. They are short, but have hardy strong legs.

Even lesser known breeds are the Maremmano or the Tuscan horse originating from the coast of Tuscany. This is a good working horse, once used by the Italian Cavalry, and even nowadays quite suited to police and army work, especially because of its calm but determined temperament. The Wielkopolski is a popular competition horse originating from Poland.

There are detailed descriptions of each breed of horse online. As well as great information there are hundreds of pictures of different horse breeds.

About the Author

Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of horse-breeds-directory.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.