Exercising Your Pet   by Robin Perdue

In this day and age, physicians cannot stress enough the benefits of a regular exercise program:

Controls weight Increases energy Improves circulation Enhances lung capacity Oxygenates blood Improves heart rate Builds strong muscles Increases joint mobility Improves your mood Helps with sleep The list goes on and on...

You may not have given it a great deal of thought, yet our animals reap the exact same benefits that we do when it comes to exercise. In addition, a scheduled exercise plan can help to burn nervous energy and reduce boredom for your dog or cat, which can serve to make them less likely to destroy things. Your cat may run through your home or play with a toy on his or her own, and your puppy might chase an animal in your backyard or play with his frisbee. Yet this is, sadly, all too often the extent of their exercise program. That is why it is up to us as their owners to be certain that they are getting the exercise they truly require.

Winter Dog Agility Training by Brad Carlson

Yes, its cold outside, but don't stop your dog's agility training. Depending on where you live, there might be snow on the ground from November through March, but thats no reason to give up your agility training. Bring your training indoors, right at your own home.

Get creative with your training locations. Do you have a hallway, basement, or garage? Then you have a place to train! Before it snows and your equipment is frozen to the ground, store some in your garage, shed, basement, or put a tarp over it. Bring in one piece of equipment at a time, and begin your indoor training.

Puppy House Training Do's And Don'ts by Brandon Layne

House training a puppy is important for the well being of your puppy and for your own sanity. The lack of house training is the number one reason that dogs wind up neglected, abandoned, or in animal shelters, but it's the failure of the owner - not the puppy.

It's very important for you to house break your puppy properly. Proper toilet habits need to be established when your puppy is young, since these habits can last a lifetime, and are very hard to break once they're established. In most cases, true house training can't begin until your puppy is six months old because puppies younger than that probably lack the bowel and bladder control needed for true house training.

Dog Training – House Training Your Dog
by: Mark Bensen

One of the most confusing and anxiety-ridden areas of dog training is house training. Yet, it is one of the most important, especially for the humans involved.

The best way to understand and find success with house training is to use the dog’s own nature to help you.

Dogs are, by instinct, very clean animals. They would rather not soil any areas where they normally sleep or eat. Dogs are also creatures of habit --- they like to know where they’re supposed to go urinate and defecate. If the dog is taught to eliminate on gravel or concrete, they will tend to look for either of those surfaces to do so. If they’re taught to eliminate on grass or dirt, that’s where they will choose. Use these habits to your advantage.