Writers’ Paradise

Knowing about dog breeds will help you when you choose a pet dog. Purebred dos are bred over many generations to look alike. Mixed-breed dogs are a combination of different breeds.

Terriers: Terriers are small, tough and lively- they were originally bred for hunting rats and mice. Their lively personalities make them appealing as pets, though they can be aggressive sometimes. Examples: Border terrier, Jack Russel, Yorkshire Terrier.

Toy Dogs: toy dogs are small dogs bred to be people’s companions. They have strong characters and are often noisy, but they don’t need as much exercise as the bigger breeds. Examples: Chihuahua, Pug, Pekingese.
Hounds: Hounds were bred to chase and hunt animals. These medium-to-large dogs are usually very friendly, but they need a lot of exercise. Examples: Greyhound, Beagle.
Working Dogs: Working dogs are traditional guard and rescue dogs. Although loyal and intelligent, they do not make ideal first pets as they are often large and strong, and can be over- protective. Examples: Boxer, Doberman, St Bernard.
Pastoral Dogs: Pastoral dogs are best known for herding sheep and cattle. They are intelligent, easy to train and have lots of energy. As pets they may get bored and restless if they don’t have enough to do. Examples: Collie, German Shepherd.
Gun Dogs: Gun dogs were originally bred to help hunters retrieve shot-down game. Many of them are co-operative and make great family pets, as long as they get plenty of exercise. Examples: Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever
Utility Dogs: Utility dogs have been bred over the years for different purposes. They include a variety of breeds that don’t fit into any of the other groups. Examples: Bulldog, Dalmatian, Poodle
Mixed Breeds: Mixed breed dogs ( or mongrels) are mixtures of two or more breeds. They tend to be healthier than purebreds; they are also cheaper to buy and generally make good pets. However it is often difficult to predict their final size and temperament.

Training your dog to respond to you will make your life easier and keep your dog happy and safe. I have listed a few tips below on how to train your dog. You should start training a puppy straight away, so that it doesn’t develop too many bad habits.

Puppy Potty Training: You will need to toilet train a puppy when you first bring it home. Take it outside every couple of hours, especially after sleeping, eating and drinking, At first you could let your puppy urinate indoors on newspapers. Move the newspapers nearer to the door each day, and then outside.

Socializing: Young puppies need to be taught how to behave. Introduce them to people and animals slowly, so that they are not overwhelmed. They should also learn to be left on their on for a short time, so they don’t get distressed every time you leave the time.

Positive Reinforcement Training: Simply put, it means to give your dog a treat every time it obeys you. We humans also like to be appreciated for good behavior and so is the case with dogs. You must reward your dog immediately after the good behavior so that the dog associates the reward with the action that caused the treat.


Commands: Start teaching your pet dog commands. Teach it to recognize its name and the word no, Always say no in a firm voice and back it up with a body signal, such as waving a finger. Make sure everyone in your family uses the same word and signal for each command. Be firm but don’t lose your patience. Never hit your dog.

Come: To train train your dog to come to you, crouch down with your arms open and shout your pet’s name and the the word come. When your dog comes, reward it with a dog treat. gradually increase the distance between you. Its best to keep your dog on a long, retractable lead at first, until you are sure it won’t run off.


Sit! Stay!: Teach your dog to sit by raising a dog treat over your head so that the dog has to sit down to see it. At the same time say sit firmly. When your dog sits, praise it and give it the treat. To teach it to stay, put your hand out flat towards the dog’s face and say stay slowly. Keep repeating this as you gradually move away. If your dog gets up, try again.

Clicker Training: This method makes use of Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov’s techniques. Basically it involves conditioning your dog’s behavior with the help of a clicker. A clicker is an instrument which makes clicking sound. So when your dog behaves properly and does as told, you click and then treat the dog.In this way you teach your dog to recognize what is a good dog behavior and how it should behave so that it gets a treat.

You might want to train your dog to compete in pet competitions. Agility classes are fun for both of you.

Dogs have a body language all of their own, much of which stems from their ancestors in the wild. If you make an effort to understand dog behavior, you will have a happy relationship with your dog.

Tail Talk: Tali wagging indicates excitement and friendliness. A tali between the legs is a sign of sadness or submission. An upright tail means alertness and dominance. If your dog chases its tail, it is probably bored.

Pack Pet: The way your pet dog responds to people has links with its wolf ancestry. Your dog will think of your family as a pack, with natural leader who may be your parent. A bold, untrained dog may think that he or she is the leader! When a it lies on its back to have its tummy stroked, a dog is showing you that it knows you are the boss.

Barking: Dogs bark or whine when they want your attention, often because they want to play or go to toilet. They also bark as a warning-for example when a stranger comes to the house. An excited dog will bark too. The various types of bark all sound a bit different.

Growling or Howling: Dogs display aggression when they don’t want to let go of something, or when they are afraid or in pain. They hold their tails straight and the fur on their neck stands up. If a dog growls, you should back off. Howling is a distress call. Dogs howl to let you know where they are or when they are lonely.

Senses: Dogs have acute sense of smell and hearing. They will notice someone approaching your door long before you do, and will prick up their ears with interest. Dogs’ eyes are very sensitive to movement, but they don’t see color in the same way as humans do.

Scent Signals: Dogs produce scents to communicate with each other. That’s why dogs sniff each other when they meet, and mark out territory with urine or faeces( poop). When a dog finds a strong scent it will often cover it with its own urine.