Although the president’s choice of a new family pet, and whether it will be a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound has been all over the media, more importantly is the unstable future of our natin’s pets in a time when there are those who can not pay for their bills.In our nation’s hayday, it was common to see stories that made us laugh and shake our heads about how people would spend exorbitant amounts of money on their dogs. They thought that their dogs actually appreciated the posh bottled water that was served to them in a crystal doggie glass. Stories of million dollar doggie trust funds, thousand dollar doggie hotels, pearl necklaces, and other instances of doggie decadence covered the news stands daily.

Ever since economy has spiraled down,, stories of pets have evolved and are now much more daunting and saddening. The media all across our country have been reporting about local animal shelters becoming filled far beyond their capacity, often times being forced to euthanize a greater number of otherwise healthy pets simply because of space constraints. Still others have abandoned their pets in foreclosed homes or chained up in back yards of abandoned properties, left to die of starvation, often times un able to reach food and water slowly starving to death at the end of a chain. The LA times even made pets and the economy their features story of the New Year. Pets are quickly turning into the luxury that can no longer be afforded.

The current downslide follows a previous upswing seen in adoption rates of the recient past. For nearly a decade shelters and rescues have been seeing a consistant rise in the rate of pet adoptions a starke difference from the overwhelming intake and decline in new adoption applications. There is no real way of knowing if we have seen the bottom of this staggering trend or if there is more despair to come. One thing is for certain, it is not getting any better.

Any progress made in the past of educating the public on the need to adopt from rescue groups instead of purchasing from a puppy store means nothing if our hurting economy causes people to not be able to afford to own a pet or take care of the pets that they already have in their home. Vet costs alone have been a major factor in family’s decisions to give up their beloved dogs. With the average vet visit costing in the range of $200 a visit, people often have to decide whether they can spend this month’s credit card payment and unless they find a way to reduce their credit card debt, they often have no choice but to give up their pet.

Another sign of the rapid decline of the luxury pet market was the cancelation New York’s Pet Fashion Week. With all this negative news on the pet industry it is noteworthy to mention that pets have all kind of benefits. Vets across the nation have said that pets are an excellent way to lower blood pressure which helps justify spending the money spent on them.

For many of us the only solution to avoid having to make the choice of paying bills of feeding the family pet, is to get themselves in a position to weather the economic storm. For many people this could mean entering into a credit card debt settlement program or other ways of lowering their household expenses. Filing for bankruptcy is often not the best choice for these embattled pet owners who do not want to deal with the court system, paying attorney fees nor having the black mark on their credit report for up to ten years. Often times credit card counseling, which is run by the creditors, is not a realistic option since in most cases the payments are no less and sometimes more then what they are paying at the moment. Again this makes the owner struggle with pet food not to mention vet bills as mentioned earlier.

Whatever program you may decide,  should you need credit card debt relief, ensure that you educate yourself on the differences between the programs and fully aware of the pitfalls. In most cases speaking to someone who can assist you in settling your debt can be helpful and is suggested over going it alone.

This discussion over pets and how they affect our economy will probably go on as long as people are struggling in this economic crunch our nation is experiencing. The underlying issue is that we either need to deal with the debt we have and survive this recession, or resort to what many have and abandon the family pet. Where will this trend stop? Will the next crisis force us to decide whether to take care of our kids and pay for medical insurance or leave them on the side of the street to survive on their own.

Are you experiencing bad days with your Mastiff? Do he or she always get into chewing all of your shoes or are they trying to make a potty seat out of your house? How would you like to know how to train care for mastiff dogs? Surely, this is the first thing that you have in your mind right now if you want to have a happy home and an obedient mastiff dog. You remember the first time you took your pet home and thinking how cute and lovable he is although he could weigh around 200 lbs. when they are fully grown but you’re wrong. The moment your Mastiff steps into your house, he will really make himself comfortable as in annoyingly comfortable. Well, you can’t blame your dog. English Mastiff dogs are dogs. But you can somehow learn by yourself how to give them proper care and training and for now, this is the only thing you need to know first.

So, how do you care for a Mastiff? Always remember that these are enormous dogs and they need more than just the usual way in taking care of these lovely gigantic pets. According to a neighbor who has his own Mastiff, you have to make sure that you have a regular ample supply of dog food around. Aside from a very hearty eater, Mastiff dogs gets hungry easily. From time to time, they need to eat. They’re not the same with any regular-sized pet dogs which you only need to be fed two or three times a day. His own Mastiff eats all throughout the day. After breakfast, there are at least 3 in-between meals before lunch. Before the day ends, his Mastiff can be fed up to three times more and after dinner, it’s cookies once again. He also added that he had learned a lot of things on how to take care of his Mastiff with the help of a book guide which he had purchased through the Internet.

He added that it’s usually easier to train and care for these gigantic dinosaurs if they are still Mastiff puppies. As younglings, these loyal pets are just any other regular dogs with normal size. But they can grow twice or thrice as big than any other dog when they reach the age of about a year.

Crate training is the first step in house training a new puppy. Its importance in house breaking a new puppy cannot be underestimated, nor can it be dispensed with.

Crate training is an integral part of basic puppy training, and knowing exactly how to carte train is very important.

Crate training without knowing what to do is just as good as not crate training at all. In fact, if a puppy is crate trained the wrong way, there would be no advantages gained, the puppy would not have learned or been taught anything good and the puppy may have been given a bad habit or two on the other hand.

Crate training is an established program with certain do’s and don’ts. It has its set advantages if done the proper way. There is a specific purpose in crate training, and to gain those ends carte training has to be done properly.

The basic and most important part of crate training is the size of the crate. The size of the crate used has to be directly proportionate to the size of the dog.

The uppermost need for crate training is to prevent the dog from peeing in the house, or in places he is not supposed to pee in.

By nature and basic instinct a dog will not lie down or sleep in its own urine or faeces. It will never pee or make its business in a place it has to lie down in. A dog is confined in a crate to prevent it from doing these things inside the house. While confined in a crate of proper size a dog will restrain itself from urinating or moving its bowels.

The crate has to be big enough for the dog to spin around on its feet. It should be just a few inches longer than the body of the dog from the tip of the nose to the end of the rear rump, and a few inches taller than the standing height of the dog,

The size of the crate should not permit the dog to jump up on its hind legs or move from one end to the other. If for example, a large crate is used for a small dog, it would pee at one end and sleep at the other.

What to put in the crate and when not to confine the dog in the crate is another very important part of crate training.

The only thing that should be in the crate is the puppys chew toy or play toy and nothing else. No food or water should be placed in a crate.

A dog should never be confined in a crate for too long a time.

The dog should not be sent to the crate or confined in it because it has done something wrong. The crate should not be used to punish the dog. If we use the crate to punish the dog, it is going to distrust the crate and become anxious about it

The dog should regard the crate as a place of safety and security, for it to be happy in it while it is alone and its owners are away from the house.

Knowing when, where and how to release the dog from the crate is also an important part of crate training

A dog has to be released from the crate periodically in an area where it can relieve itself.

The dog will relieve itself immediately it is let out from the crate. Once the dog has relieved itself it should be praised or rewarded to reinforce that peeing iside the house is not allowed.

The type of crate is another important aspect of crate training.  Most crates are made of steel. There should be no rough or sharp edges anywhere in the crate.

After being confined for a few hours the first time a dog will get agitated and try and escape. In attempting to do so it should not scratch, cut or hurt itself on the crate.

Crate train your puppy properly and you will have it house broken in no time fulfilling your task of basic puppy training.

To learn more about crate training your puppy please visit www.basicpuppytraining.net

Puppyhood is the “formative” period for your dog. What you teach him during this time will most likely stick with him the rest of his life. One of the most important things you will be teaching him is where to potty.

Probably the most helpful tip to ease both your pup’s stress and your own is to develop a routine early on in your pup’s life. You can start by accustoming your puppy to a sleep/eat/potty routine. Try feeding your puppy around the same time every day, allowing for frequent trips outside to potty. He will soon adjust his body to the routine.

A good way to save your sanity is to admit right off the bat that your puppy will have accidents. You can help ease these by keeping some newspaper in a dedicated spot so that your pup can at least familiarize himself with going in one area if he can’t make it outside. This works particularly well if you don’t have a doggy door and your puppy relies on you to let him out.

The sooner you get to know your puppy’s “eat/potty” routine, the easier potty-training will become. A good rule to go by is to estimate that your pup will be ready for a trip outside around 15 – 20 minutes after he has been fed/watered. If you can, try to have your puppy outside at this time so he will familiarize himself with the proper “potty surroundings.”

Be sure that you separate “potty time” from “play time.” Puppies love to explore. It’s natural and should be encouraged, but only when it’s the appropriate time. Nothing is more frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back inside.

This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. Many people prefer “good boy/girl” and “no,” which can be still be used when your dog is older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!

Change Your Direction

Abruptly changing the direction you’re heading in may be enough distraction to make your dog understand that he needs to follow you. Whenever your dog tugs on the leash or begins to get ahead of you, abruptly turn and start walking in the opposite direction. When his attention is averted and he returns to walk next to you, follow up immediately with lots of praise. A small dog treat helps, too. Don’t scold your dog for pulling ahead, simply catch him off guard and redirect him.

You may have to repeat this many times , even if it means your “walk” is only a few steps at a time, back and forth. The goal is to have your dog following you, and paying attention to the direction you’re headed in. Be generous with your praise and rewards and repeat this process several times. Your dog will slowly give up the tug of war game he’s been playing with your.

If you already own a remote dog trainer that offers both positive and negative reinforcement with tones, now would be a great time to put it to use.

Always Be Consistent

Once you’ve made up your mind that you want your dog to walk obediently beside you, don’t give in! Dogs can be easily confused when the rules aren’t consistent. Treat this as you would any other training session.

Practicing your dog’s new skills in a familiar place, such as your driveway or backyard, is the best way to start to your training. Once you’re confident your dog understands what’s expected of him, begin taking longer walks in less familiar places.

Keep Up the Good Work

As with all dog training, teaching your dog to walk properly on a leash is an ongoing process. It’s not something your dog will probably “get” in just one session. You’ll want to continue to use this technique occasionally to keep your dog on his toes and reinforce his new behavior.

Don’t be stingy with the praise and treats! Dogs love being rewarded for doing the right thing. Be generous with your praise and offer rewards when your dog is doing the right thing; he will be encouraged to continue payinging attention to you.

The dogs used for these breeding efforts were often fighting breeds, some thoroughbred and some mixed. See some Akita Videos Here

To save the first Akita, the Akita-inu Hozankai Society of Japan was formed in 1918. Just over 10 years later, in 1931, the Akita was declared an official monument in Japan. The most recognized story of the Akita reproduce us about a dog named Hachiko.

Hachiko had met his owner every day at the train station after work. When the owner expired at work one afternoon, Hachiko waited for him to return, at that very spot, till the dog died nine years after.

The 1st Akita dog made its way to the US in 1937. The famous Helen Keller was the lady who brought this Akita to America when she came back from Japan that year. When WW2 was over, many Akita dogs also came back to the US with members of the armed forces when coming home from battle. The AKC officially recognized the reproduce in 1972. The Akita dog enjoys living alongside owners that have an active way of life.

As long as they have sufficient amounts of exercise, Akita dogs remain polite when inside. But like all house pets, they’re most chuffed when sleeping within with the family at night. Akita dogs have a typical life span of 10 to twelve years. The 2 major health issues that run common in the reproduce are PRA and CHD. Vets suggest that Akita dogs get tested for potential eye, hip, elbow, and thyroid issues

Minor health concerns include gastric torsion, elbow dysplasia, sebaceous adenitis, hypothyroidism, lymphosarcoma, osteosarcoma, pemphigus, and cruciate ligament rupture.

Get More Information About Akita Dogs

Dogs are quick and intelligent so it is obvious they won’t want to be dirty and they want to learn potty training quickly. Your new puppy doesn’t have a lot of time between the feeling of the need to go and his body waste being excreted so keep a close eye on him at all times. If your puppy begins going in circles and sniffing the ground it is a good sign that he needs to go to the potty area quickly. It is fairly simple to potty train a puppy once you can recognize the signs he displays when he needs to go.

It can become a chore to open the door each time your dog displays signs of needing to pee so having a doggy door can make life a lot easier. When your pet learns how to use a doggy door he can make use of it all by himself to go outside the house when nature calls.

An excellent method to help potty train your dog is to have a regular routine of going for walks both morning and in the evening. When you get to somewhere that is appropriate for your dog to pee or poop linger a little while to give him the chance to relax and if he does then you should praise him.

When he passes water at the right places give him some praise and tell him what a good dog he is. Encouraging words will help reinforce the ideas about where he should or should not go to the bathroom. Mistakes will happen when your puppy leaves it too late to try to get to the right place so show you are disappointed but do not be tempted to punish him in any way. Your dog may be nervous about what is the right thing to do so you should reinforce the good things he does and show disappointment when he does wrong and slowly you will potty train him.

A careful owner must always be on the lookout for your puppy needing to go outside when you are training him. You may find your patience tested but a dog can only learn at his own speed of learning. Make sure that you show love and affection towards your pet while he is undergoing the training.

It can be rather tedious constantly watching your dog for when it needs to visit the designated potty training area. Eventually he will get it right every time and you will know all the effort put into potty training was worthwhile. Your house will remain clean and you will avoid the stinking odour of an untrained puppy.

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Dogs generally don’t complain, and will sleep on pretty much anything. They will often curl up on old sweaters (perhaps even your favourite new one) or on old newspapers, however, as dogs get older, just like us, arthritis begins to get hold, their legs start to ache as does their back, and at this stage, it is time to think of a more comfortable bed. Orthopaedic dog beds provide a really good solution.

Memory foam is generally the main ingredient of orthopaedic dog beds, some use whole memory foam and some use crumbled foam, theu also generally have a waterproof lining of some sort. If your dog has a bad bladder or drools a lot, this can be very useful. If your dog has bad health then you should always take advice from your vetinary surgeon, and especially if he shows any signs of having back, leg or any other joint pain.

A comfortable orthopaedic dog bed will greatly aid recovery for those dogs that have recently had medical treatment, or surgery, much as it is of benefit to older dogs with joint pains. It will stop sores developing on joints, and for those dogs that have already got these sores, it will help them recover.

The orthopaedic dog bed can be placed in the position that your dog usually sleeps on his current blanket, and will be much more comfortable on a properly designed bed. But always try to keep him out of drafts. See the difference it makes by giving him and orthopaedic dog bed.

Two traits that an individual must have when they potty train a dog are patience and consistency.  If you are inconsistant with your approach, it will take a while for your dog to learn the preferred behavior.  If you have the proper mindset and dedication, training a dog can be very enjoyable.  The first choice you must make in regards to training a dog is if it will use the bathroom indoors (pee pad/litter box) or your backyard.

If you decide that you would like to train your dog to use a pee pad, you will need to find a consistent location for the pad.  If the dog is unable to find the pad, they will become unsure of what to do.  You must create an environment where the dog knows exactly what is expecting of them.  When the dog knows what the expected behavior is, there will be fewer accidents.  If your dog has chosen another location for its restroom, you will have more work to train the dog.  You must be willing to work with your dogs current behavior to properly train them.

Decide where you want your puppy potty train indoors.  Put the pee pad down and show him where it is.  Most dogs will try to please you by using the pad.  If they decide that there is somewhere else in the house, like under the table, then you have found your training start place.  Put the pad down, show him where it is, and then gradually move it to where you want him to use it on a regular basis.

Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.

Training your dog to do its business outdoors is a different story altogether.  No matter whether you train it to go indoors or out, you must be sure to restrict water and food to the dog’s meal times only.  This helps to prevent any extra accidents.  Roughly 15-20 minutes after a dog eats or drinks, you must put it on the leash and take it out into a yard.  Don’t let the dog go just anywhere, though; you ought to lead it to the place in the yard that you have approved for this procedure.  Once the dog has gone, praise it and then give it a nice treat.

Unlike the dogs being trained for the pee pads, your dog will not have a means to properly relieve itself. How to potty train a dog for going to the bathroom outside also means teaching it how to hold its bladder.

Learn more about how to Potty Train Dog here.