Wild 4 Pets – All About Pets

How to keep your dog entertained while you’re at work

We all hate having to leave our dog at home while we go off to work. And unfortunately, for most of us, we have to work! That means your dog will be left alone for long hours during the day. This can cause stress to your dog and to yourself. So what can you do to keep your dog entertained while you’re away from the home?

Use a Professional Dog Walking / Sitting Service

One fantastic way to keep boredom away is to hire professional dog walkers to check in on your dog and take them out for a walk. It’s easier than ever to book a dog walker. For example, dog walkers in Chelmsford, use an online managing system where you can easily sign up, schedule walks and check-ins, communicate instantly with your dog walker and much more! We highly recommend signing up to a professional dog walking service to make sure your dog is getting the attention and care they need while you’re away from the house.

Toys that Dispense Food

Dogs really love food dispensing toys. Especially if they are very active! These nifty little devices will keep your dog entertained while you’re at work which means the dog is provided with mental stimulation and therefore less likely to misbehave. That’s why food dispensing toys are highly recommended by trainers and dog behaviourists.

There are multiple benefits of using a food-dispensing toy. Not only do they keep hunger at bay, they also provide the important mental stimulation that your dog needs while you’re away. If you have a dog who is prone to getting up to mischief while left alone, these toys can be a great way to keep them busy so they won’t have time to destroy the house! In addition to this, if you have a greedy dog that eats too quickly, these toys will help them to slow down because they force them to eat one bite at a time.

So, how do they work?

You may have to teach your dog how to use one of these toys if they have never used one before. Here are some pointers:

To start with, use treats that have a strong smell and can be cut into small pieces. Your dog will instantly smell the delicious treat and this will really help your dog focus on the toy. Once your dog has the hang of things, you can begin to change up the types of treats you use,

Make it easy at first. Let your dog sniff the toy and put the treats under or next to it to start off. Do this before filling the toy with treats. Once they are used to interacting with the toy, you can load it up with treats and select the easiest setting. A lot of treat dispensing toys have multiple difficulty levels which will change the difficulty of the puzzle to be solved by the dog.

Don’t give up! Some dogs take a while to get used to the toys. You just need to persevere until they get the hang of it. Try different types of toys until you find one that you dog clicks with.

Use TV and Music to Keep Them Busy

Yes! TV for dogs actually exists! There are streaming services made entirely for dogs that offer 24 hour television that has been designed especially for dogs.

Studies show that playing music to dogs can reduce bad behaviour linked to anxiety and stress and increase relaxation. Reducing stress is especially important when your dog is left alone as they will be in a higher stressed state than usual. So before you go to work next time, put on a relaxing playlist for your dog!

Make Sure your Dog Has a Window with a View

No one would like being cooped up inside all day staring at four walls. And neither would your dog. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure they have access to a window that they can look out of. This will help your dog keep themselves busy as they become the nosey neighbour. Time will pass much quicker for them if they can watch what’s going on outside. If you have a small dog, you can help them look out the window by allowing them to sit on a chair so they will be higher up.

So now that you know how to keep your dog entertained while you’re at work, you and your dog can enjoy the day without worry and stress. By making sure that your dog is entertained while you’re out, you can decrease bad behaviour and encourage relaxation and calm.

5 Best Dog Breeds for First-Time Owners

So you’re looking for your first-ever dog? Becoming a dog owner is an incredible experience. It’s far from easy and requires a bit of effort on your part. But once all is said and done, owning a well-behaved dog of your own is well worth the effort. So how do you make this process as easy as possible?

The best way to begin is to know which breed to choose as your first dog. There are lots of breeds out there and it’s tough to know which one is right for you and your family. To help you make the best choice, here is a list of the 5 best dog breeds for first-time owners.

1) Boxer

The boxer loves to be around his people! Getting love and affection from people, especially children, is one of the main characteristics of the boxer. That’s why they are perfectly suited for families. As they love attention so much, they enjoy being trained. This means they can be trained pretty easily. Boxers need plenty of exercise so are best suited to active owners who enjoy regular walks and runs. Although they need quite a bit of exercise and attention, they don’t require much grooming at all.

2) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

This small breed of dog is very well suited to first-time owners and families. They are very intelligent so training them is a breeze. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s are open to strangers and get along well with children of all ages. They are generally quiet dogs that require a moderate amount of exercise. They do have a medium-length coat so you will need to do a small amount of regular grooming to keep them looking pretty.

3) Poodle

Poodles are very smart so they are very easy to train. They are adaptable and can do very well in households with children. The poodle comes in three sizes: toy, miniature and standard. They are all equally intelligent and easily trainable. Regular grooming will be needed to maintain their curly locks! They’re very energetic so are best suited in active households.

4) Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the world. And for a reason! They are incredibly loyal and affectionate, making them a great choice for homes with kids. Labs are friendly with strangers, easily trainable and form very strong bonds with their owners. Plus, they only need a very small amount of grooming!

5) Papillon

This small, friendly dog is a great choice for a first time dog owner. They are very adaptable so they can fit into any type of home. While they do love to play outdoors, they are also very happy to be entertained inside as well. They enjoy exercise but they also love to laze around the house, sitting on people’s laps. Papillons get along with children, but due to their small size it’s important to ensure the kids are gentle with them.

So, those are 5 breeds we would recommend to first-time owners. It’s important to remember that while these breeds are excellent choices for first-time owners, any dog needs owners who can give them the love and patience they need. If you have that, you can’t go wrong by choosing one of these breeds!

Train Your Dog To Stop Barking At Strangers

As a dog owner, there is nothing more embarrassing than your dog barking at every person they lay eyes on. Although in their mind they are just protecting us, it is never a nice feeling to be the owner of a dog that shouts at everyone they meet. So, how do you train your dog to stop barking at strangers?

In this post we will get into the basic lessons you need to give your dog so that this embarrassing habit is gone for good!

Why Does My Dog Bark At Strangers?

Dogs bark to communicate (click here to read more about why dogs bark in general). There are a few reasons why your dog barks at strangers. Here are the most commons ones:

Fear
A fearful dog is naturally scared of the unknown. So when he or she comes face to face with an unknown person the only way they know how to react is to bark and growl at the stranger. Whenever a stranger approaches you or your home, your dog instinctively barks out of fear.

Excitement
This is the opposite of fear. Your dog becomes so overwhelmed with excitement upon seeing a new face that they just cannot help barking. Usually, barking accompanied by a wagging tail and a wiggling rear end means your dog is barking out of excitement.

Not Enough Socialisation with People
Often a dog will bark at strangers because they just don’t have enough experience being around people they don’t know. They simply are not used to being in the presence of anyone who isn’t you. A poorly socialised dog usually barks at things that are not family. So when they see an unfamiliar face, the barking begins!

Territorial Behaviour
Territorial dogs can be very protective of the owner and their home. So seeing a stranger may pose a threat to their territory, causing them to bark at the stranger. A pretty good way to know if your dog is barking territorially is if they only bark at strangers when they get close to you.

So How Do I Stop My Dog From Barking At Strangers?

Now that we’ve gone through the reasons why your dog is barking at strangers, let’s look at some of the different training methods that can be used to stop this behaviour:

Distraction
A good way to stop your dog from barking at a stranger coming your way is by distracting them before they have a chance to bark. Noise is an excellent form of distraction for a dog. Snap your fingers, use a clicker, rattle your keys, make a sudden noise with your mouth. Any of these noises should distract your dog and get their attention. Now you can give them a command. For example, tell them to sit. If your dog follows your command and does not bark at the stranger, reward them for being such a good dog! You should repeat this every time a stranger approaches.

Ignoring The Unwanted Behaviour
This is another good method to stop your dog barking at strangers. Firstly, you should make it clear to your dog that they will not get your attention if they bark at strangers. You will simply ignore and carry on with your walk. To practice this training method, have someone come over to your house and ask them to ignore your dog while he or she is barking. Once the barking has stopped and your dog has properly settled, your guest should then reward them with a little treat. The more you practice this, the bigger the reward your dog should receive each time they nicely greet a stranger without barking.

Move Away
Show your dog that they will not be rewarded with attention from strangers if they cannot stop barking when they come across strangers. You do this by instantly turning your back to an approaching stranger and moving off in the opposite direction. This shows your dog that they will not get a chance to interact with people if they carry on barking. Only once your dog ceases to bark, you can reward them.

How to Teach Your Dog to Walk Nicely on a Lead

Teaching your dog to stop pulling on the lead can require a lot of time, effort and perseverance. However, all that spent energy will be worth it when you are able to enjoy peaceful, pull-free walks with your dog.

One of the main reasons why dogs pull on their lead is because in their mind that’s the quickest way to move forward. They want to get to where they want to go as fast as possible, so they believe the more they pull, the faster they will get there. You can watch a helpful video on this subject on the DogsTrust website.

In order to teach your dog to walk nicely on the lead, you have to make them understand that not pulling is actually the quickest way to get to where they want to go.

Steps to Train Your Dog to Stop Pulling on the Lead

To begin, stand completely still and quiet. Ensure there is no tension on the lead. Remain still and quiet while your dog isn’t focussing on you.

As soon as your dog pays attention to you, give them a small treat and some praise.

Now that you have your dog’s full attention, you can now begin to walk.

Use treats and praise to encourage to pay attention to you.

If your dog gains too much distance from you, stop and be still before the lead gets too tight.

Wait for them to pay attention and come closer to you.

Give them a little treat and proceed to move off again.

You should aim to practice this in short, frequent sessions.

Keep Practicing

The key is to constantly repeat these steps above so your dog really starts to understand that pulling will only slow them down. Keeping the above routine will help them understand that in order to get to where they want to go in the quickest time, they have to stop pulling and pay attention to you.