Archive for: January 2007

January 27, 2007

Loss & Grieving For The Family Pet

Filed under: General Dog Discussion — henryteo @ 3:38 pm



When your dog passes, you may find that the sudden absence of your dog is too upsetting to bear alone. This is a perfectly natural response. If you feel you need some help getting through this traumatic period, seek professional counseling. Ask your veterinarian or the humane society for recommendations.

You should not keep a dog’s death from your children, but you may need to exercise caution in explaining what has happened. Carefully explain euthanasia to older children. If you have very young children, you will probably want to shield them from the details. Instead, emphasize that, although your pet has had a long and happy life, he is now very sick and won’t get better. Tell them that the veterinarian is going to help end the dog’s suffering.

Be very respectful of a child’s right to grieve, and keep watch over the various forms in which that grief may be expressed. Allow your child to be sad or angry, as long as the emotions do not become so overwhelming as to interfere with normal functioning after an initial period of mourning. Show that you too are saddened by the loss of your beloved pet, but concentrate on the positive, emphasizing that the terrific memories you all share of life with your dog will live on.

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January 8, 2007

3 Ways To Connect With Your Dog

Filed under: Dog Training Tips — henryteo @ 12:01 pm



boy & dogAll praise is good, but praise specially tailored to connect with the dog’s way of reacting is ten times as effective. Here are some tips to follow:

1. Use the right tone of voice. Dogs communicate with one another through sounds easily duplicated by humans. If you’re angry with your dog, for example, dropping your voice to a low rumble closely approximates the growling of a dog. For praise, use a sweet, high-pitched crooning voice: “Goooooooood, doooogggg!”

2. Tailor your petting style to your dog. Some dogs go crazy when petted; others hardly notice. Use a little chest pat or scratch for those who tend to be overly enthusiastic, and be a little more boisterous for the ones who really warm to being jollied. Don’t let the dog use petting as an excuse to go crazy - lighten up on the pats, but don’t correct him - and let your voice do most of the praising.

3. Smile. Dogs understand many of our facial expressions because they use similar ones to communicate with each other. A smiling face is understood in both species, but if you really want to get through, make the smile as wide open as you can. You’re trying to approximate that big panting grin a happy dog has.

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