By: Gerry Ronson

Need A Good Hunting Dog

Coonhounds are names because they are used to hunt, especially raccoons. The name was derived in the North American in the southern states. Coon hunting is very popular in that area, which makes the use of coonhounds important. For those who do not live in the southern states you may not understand what wonderful dogs the coonhounds can be. They are powerful, hardworking, and affectionate creatures making them one of the best pets you could have. You will find out about their temperament, characteristics, grooming, and general care in the article below.

First the coonhound is a medium to large dog. They are typically 55 to 75 pounds and 23 to 27 inches in height. Their bodies are sleek, but well muscled in the legs as well as shoulders. Their heads are usually a little large for their bodies with a thick long muzzle. They have floppy ears and no tail. Typically they have medium sized paws that are tan in color with the rest of the fur coat being black. They do have a little tan around their muzzle. The coat is short and very dense. This helps keep them cool while they are out working and is easy for you to groom. Grooming is often checking for ticks and other insects, checking to make sure they have not hurt their paws or gums, and once a week making sure to brush the dead and loose hair away. They don’t usually require baths, but if it is necessary it is okay with a mild shampoo. They do need to have their toenails cut every six months.

Despite some jokes and of course stereotypes you will find the coonhound is actually an extremely intelligent dog. They are hard working in coon hunting as well as other jobs. They are dependable, loyal and affectionate. You will also find they are one of the most obedient dogs. They have stamina and a tenacity that makes hunting with them rather fun. They tend to roust the hunted for you to catch. You will also find they do better in a home with older children rather than infants, but they are quite the family dog. They like attention as well as being outgoing and pleasant to be around. Typically they bark as a watchdog or to alert you to an animal. They do not do well with smaller pets because of their instincts. You will find they are reserved with strangers.

Care of these dogs is usually on a medium scale. They need a lot of exercise and interaction so having a small home and backyard is often best. You can leave them to roam the backyard during the day and spend about an hour walking them daily. You will also find that they don’t require leashes as long as you are in the country they will follow you and come when called. Training should be entered into at an early age to give them proper socialization as well as obedience training. They work best with trainers who are firm and consistent. They can take advantage of a meek owner and develop some unpleasant stubbornness. The coonhound does best when they are given tasks especially hunting, tracking, and as a watch dog. They should not be left alone for long periods of time, especially if you do on vacation. They rely on their owners for attention, but can develop emotional problems if ignored.

Gerry Ronson writes for the website Dog Beds about general Dog Supplies.

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Your Dog Must Understand You Are The Master…

It is always a lot easier to teach a puppy the right things to do when they are young, but it is not impossible to eliminate the bad habits of an older dog.

The first step obviously is the need to make sure the dog understands that you are the master so you can gain it’s respect and then you can start the process of training the dog so that it no longer performs the unwanted actions.

It is important to address only one thing at a time and not try to change the way your dog responds to different things all at once.

The way you will get an old dog to change is to show it that there is a better outcome from the new behavior pattern than the old one.

This is easiest to do if the dog learns that it will get a reward for making any behavioral changes.

The clicker technique works well with old dogs and is not something that is restricted to the training of puppies alone.

Be prepared for any training to take longer than it would if you were working with a puppy, however there are other benefits in that an older dog will generally have a longer attention span than a puppy and if you have had the dog for many years they will be more likely to want to please you.

Be assertive but always remain positive and encourage the dog to change.
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Stop Puppy Biting…

Puppies love to bite.

The do it naturally but it is something that they must be taught not to do.

This needs to be addressed while they are young because dog bites can lead to all sorts of problems including legal action.

It may seem fun and funny to have a puppy biting but a full-grown dog can do a lot of damage, particularly to children if they are in the habit of biting.

Dogs have immense strength in their jaws and even a playful nip can do permanent damage to a child.

Generally, puppies are taught to control their biting from their mothers but in most cases we get puppies as pets that have been taken from their mothers at a very young age and it is up to us to teach them as puppies not to bite.

By letting your dog socialize with other dogs from a young age they will quickly learn from their elders, provided they have been taught well, that the desire to bite needs to be curbed to avoid retaliation and an ensuing fight.

The sooner the puppy is taught not to bite by the owner or by interaction with other dogs, the less aggressive they will become as they grow older and the more pleasant they will be to live with.

Taking a puppy to a dog training school will allow it to interact with other dogs where it will quickly be corrected for any misbehavior.
Puppies should generally learn to interact with other dogs within the first three months of their life.

The longer this is left the more difficult it becomes for your dog to socialize correctly and they can become dangerous later in life.

As with children, the sooner your puppy can learn correct behavior patterns the better they will be in the long term.

It is also wise to get the puppy to behave correctly in the presence of other animals including cats and any other pets that they might come in contact with over their life.

There are many items that are available from the pet stores and vets that can give your puppy suitable satisfaction to chew and bite upon.
This will allow your puppy to learn what is right and what is not right to bite.

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History of Pit Bull Terriers…

By: Tracy Pridemore,

One of the most misunderstood dog breeds is the American Pit Bull Terrier. People tend to love the animal or hate it; in some cases this is based on experience in others only rumor.

During the nineteenth century Bulldogs were crossed with Terriers in hopes of creating a dog with the gameness of the Terrier and the toughness of the Bulldog. This combination created a versatile dog which became a favorite of farmers and ranchers in Europe and the United States. Uses for the animal included hunting, moving livestock, protection, and family companionship.

The Pit Bull us a medium sized dog with full grown adults weighing in from twenty-two pounds to potentially one hundred pounds, and stand eighteen to twenty-two inches high. The dog is very solidly built and has very well-defined musculature.

The coat if the Pit Bull Terrier has a glossy sheen, is short but very thick and is smooth but stiff to the touch. To rid the coat of loose hair occasionally brush with a firm bristle brush. Also regularly rub down the coat with a chamois cloth to clean the coat as well as buff the glossy shine. The coat colors for the breed can be as simple as black or white or a variety of color combinations.

Despite the reputation the Pit Bull breed is one of the most loyal, devoted, good-natured, affectionate dogs available. The animal is extremely fun and intelligent with the energy and enthusiasm for frisbee and ball games. They are also big lovers of people and early socialization is needed to teach good manners. With older children the dog does very well, but smaller children do not mix well with them. With other animals in the home they do very well with ones they were raised with, but they will show aggression to other dogs and smaller animals. Though they are very protective of their family, the breed does not make a good guard dog due to their social tendency with people.

Pit Bulls are very active dogs which need to be exercised vigorously every day. Play time of chasing a ball, hiking, catching a frisbee, or running with a mountain bike are some of the activities that dog thrives with. If exercised sufficiently the dog can live in an apartment with no problems. Otherwise a yard will be needed for more exercise time.

Pit Bull ownership is not for everyone though. The breed has a reputation for being overly aggressive and in some cities ownership is regulated and even not allowed. This reputation is not necessarily deserved, as the dog is not at fault as much as the owner. The dogs tend to be aggressive with strange dogs and they possess a high prey drive. A responsible owner who can properly care for, train, and exercise them is needed to have a great dog/owner relationship. Vigilance is needed to ensure the dog does not roam unsupervised and remains on-leash when in public places. If aggression is ever shown toward a human being, which is actually uncharacteristic, the dog should be evaluated by a professional to determine the problem that needs corrected.

If you are considering a Pit Bull as your next pet, you can search for Pit Bulls for sale online from the top breeders at Find A Pet Online. If you breed American Pit Bull Terriers and would like to advertise your pets for sale please check out our affordable pet classifieds and consider listing your kennel.

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