UNDERSTANDING YOUR PETS

Have you ever wished to know what makes your pet behave the way he does or what makes him feel happy, or fearful. Experts believe that we can make our dogs respond to us willingly without causing any fear in them by learning to understand and communicate with them.

First of all, we must know something about their senses, how they see, hear, touch, taste and smell. As we all know, the dogs of many shapes and sizes that we see now have evolved to various types from the wolf since approximately twelve thousand years. So when next you look at your dog, remember that you are actually looking at a 'wolf in dog's clothing'. This is why all dogs, though very domesticated still have the natural instinct to hunt, explore and go on off-the-lead runs. No matter what the breed, a dog loves adventure and fun games especially retrieving and pleasing its master.

So, how do you train your puppy since young to be sociable yet well-behaved and most importantly grow up in an environment which is new to him? He should be able to understand simple commands which are fun and easy to learn. Blaming your pet for common acts such as marking territory or digging up the garden is not fair on him, since he has not been trained in the first place.

Most dogs are naturally territorial and like to protect or even control certain areas by marking them. The next time do keep in mind that your dog needs time to adjust to its new surrounding and he should not be punished for this kind of behavior. Let him know that it is certainly not acceptable. You should also allow your dog some freedom as he learns about the household rules and adapts himself properly in a family unit.

While your dog tries its best to understand his new 'family', you should pave the way for him to learn as much as he can, so that any behavior problems can be nipped in the bud for your puppy's physical and mental development.

Behavioral problems are usually bad habits that can be prevented with proper training. For example, jumping at you, barking and biting is caused by lack of training. Stress can also be another factor. This might be due to environment annoyance by children or mistreatment by family members.

When you closely observe your dog, you will learn a lot more about him and will be able to build a satisfying relationship with him. Get ready to discover this long and rewarding trail with him! We hope these few articles will provide you the answers you are seeking in the importance of positive training methods for your dog.

Sense of sight

Dogs have an extraordinary sense of sight and are able to notice the slightest movement over a wide area. They are more interested to notice ground-running animals rather than tree-dwelling creatures, because it is easier for them to kill animals on the ground. So, dogs are not interested in birds, aeroplanes, telegraph wires or other objects which they can't reach. This is why dogs bark at almost anything that they see or passes by, for example the local postman and also the familiar sight of the neighbourhood cat!

The sense of hearing

Have you noticed how dogs quickly react to high, sharp, sounds such as the gate latch, a key in a lock, or the sound of scissors cutting up slivers of meat. This is why dogs will be interested in similar voice signals and will readily respond to them. Try using high-pitched voice signals rather than low, commanding ones during training.

Hearing is measured in cycles per second (c.p.s.) or hertz. The human range is from a base tone of 20c.p.s. to a high-pitched sound of approximately 20,000 c.p.s. Any sound over 20,000 c.p.s. is referred to as ultrasonic. Compared to humans, dogs can hear noises ranging from 20c.p.s. to an amazing level of at least 35,000 c.p.s.

Experiments have shown that dogs are able to pin-point a sound within five degrees when it is placed anywhere in a circle of 360 degrees. Puppies on the other hand, take a longer time to locate the sound and look around them in bewilderment when you call them. It takes them some time to locate you, particularly if you are standing still. The experienced adult dog will not have this problem unless its hearing has deteriorated with old age or disease.

The sense of touch

Pets owners love patting their dogs basically for three reasons. First of all, the pleasure derived from stroking a warm fur coat, secondly to pacify the dog and to influence its behaviour as much as possible. We get an enormous amount of satisfaction by patting them but just how much effect does our touch have on them?

Dogs use their upper or forelimbs just for basic survival techniques such as running after prey or finding a mate. They do not, for eg. point or beckon with their legs, or scratch or caress one another with their paws. Dogs do not congratulate each other by patting each other on the back or shaking paws! The most elaborate responses are those between the mother and her young. Otherwise dogs only use their sense of touch when mouthing in greeting or play, sniffling, bumping one another, or engaging in sexual activity. Due to a permanent cover of hair on a dog's body it is less sensitive to pressure or temperature changes.

After years of observing dog behavior experts conclude that domestic dogs suffer from pain as we do, but do not use touch like human beings to show care, attention, and approval of each other. This may explain why dogs can take many knocks and bumps in their stride, and why they wag their tail when patted, but dismiss us quickly for another more meaningful stimulus like food!

Sense of smell

Dogs have the most unique sense of smell. They are incredibly capable of pin-pointing the exact place where a person is buried even under several feet of rubble, they can even sniff out drugs and can be trained to detect gas leaks underground. Why then do many dogs who stray become lost, and are unable to find their way home? Wolves provide the answer. In their vast area of almost virgin territory, a wolf is not exposed to human smells, but simply to the trails of other animals. Even a wolf would get lost in suburbia. His sense of smell was not developed to cope with the numerous odours created by human beings and their urban lifestyle. This is the reason why wandering dogs easily hone in on rubbish bins! The food left in accessible places around the house or the garden will quickly disappear and we all know where.

Take a dog for a walk in the bush and without fail, it will find some dead animal and expect you to be delighted with its discovery.

The sense of taste

The sense of taste in dogs is not used until it has been stimulated by another sense such as smell, hearing or sight. For eg, a wolf hears a sound, looks up to investigate and sees a small animal running along the ground. He then chases and captures the animal using his senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell and then eats his prey. Therefore, the sense of taste is the last to be stimulated.