Dogs with no exercise subjected to overcrowding and confinement in cages for prolonged periods, often their entire lives, develop a great variety of physical and emotional disorders.

How Much Exercise?

How much exercise is enough depends on your dog’s age, breed, and health. A 10-month old Irish Terrier puppy is going to need more than a five-year old Whippet (you could appropriately sing, “Wild thing, you make my heart sing” as your puppy races around the house and yard). A sight hound needs short bursts of exercise; guarding dogs don’t need as much overall as sporting breeds who like to hunt all day. Even within a breed, the need varies. A highly energetic eight-year-old Golden Retriever could easily need more exercise than a calm three-year old Golden. And geriatric dogs still need to go for walks–just shorter ones than they used to enjoy.

Generally speaking, a leashed walk around the block isn’t going to cut it. Most dogs need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. Your canine pal needs enough that he’s slowed down by the time you stop. Some general rules of thumb:

• Active breeds need a minimum of 30 minutes of hard aerobic exercise most days of the week, preferably daily.
• Not all toy or small breeds get enough exercise inside the house (contrary to popular belief). Pugs, for example, are prone to obesity and need much more exercise than they usually get.
• It’s not safe to go out in extremely hot or cold weather. During such periods, stay inside and teach tricks to engage your dog’s mind, throw toys, or run up and down the stairs together.
• Good exercise uses both mental and physical muscles. Exploring a new hiking trail, for example, engages your dog’s mind as well as his body.
• Live by the philosophy that a tired dog is a good dog.

Remember, our dog like exercise like us. Don’t leave him/her alone. Bring it out and could live healtier!

Plan Your Photo Session

Your pictures will turn out better if you plan your photo session, plan your composition and use the right photo editing software. Using a digital camera can save you quite a bit of money over using an analog camera.

Get everything you need ready before you involve your Poodle in the process. Load a fresh memory card in your digital camera, replace the batteries in your camera and carry an extra set of fresh batteries with you. Choose a setting for your pictures. For an indoor setting, be sure the light is adequate. If you are working in an outdoor area, secure the area for your Poodle’s safety. A fenced back yard makes a great outdoor setting because you won’t need to worry about your dog getting away and being hit by a car or attacked by a loose dog.

Choose someone who gets along with your dog, and whom your dog likes, to be your assistant. This is a fun task for an older child who likes to work with the Poodle. Taking pictures together can be a fun adventure for the three of you. Thank your assistant after the session is over by sending a thank you gift personalized with one of the Poodle pictures you took together. A coffee mug or mouse pad makes a great gift.

Choose Backdrop and Poodle Accessories

The Poodle, with its dense, curly coat, looks best photographed against a smooth, solid colored background. Dark poodles usually look best against light backgrounds and vice versa. Velvet or canvas fabrics make great backdrops for Poodle pictures. Consider using a chromatic green backdrop, available for a reasonable price at any photography supply site. With a chromatic green backdrop, you can change the background in your photos and add any digital background you like. These varied backdrops add interest to your Poodle pictures. Whatever backdrop you use, it must be uncluttered so all the attention is focused on your Poodle.

Props and accessories help enhance your dog’s appeal in a picture. Props work especially well with poodles, to put the dog in scale so the viewer knows whether the animal is a toy poodle, a miniature poodle or a standard poodle. Take pictures from you dog’s eye level. Sit or kneel to photograph a standard poodle, and move a toy dog up to a tabletop or counter top.

Follow these suggestions, and you will soon be taking professional quality pictures of your Poodle. Kindly share your poodle photo with us ?
[photo by Ken.Lam]

还记得当初决定要养狗狗的决心吗？？？

你还依然紧紧记得当初与狗狗的约定吗？？？

最近看了一部日本戏，戏名叫“10 promise to my dog(与狗狗的十个约定)”。

这部戏叫人好感动哦～

尤其是Akari妈妈知道自己时日无多，决定送一只小狗陪伴Akari度过孤单的童年时，她一字一字的口述Akari需要向狗狗做出的10个承诺：

第1.请给我一点时间，让我了解你对我的要求是什么。

Give Me Time To Understand What You Want Of Me.

第2.“信赖我”，那对我非常重要！

Place Your Trust In Me. It’s Crucial To My Well-Being.

第3.你要知道，无论你如何对待我，我将永远不会忘记。

Be Aware That However You Treat Me I’ll Never Forget It…

第4.当你责骂我不合作、固执或懶惰之前，请先想想，是否有什么正困扰着我。

或许我沒或得我应有的食物；或许我已经很久沒在温暖的陽光下奔跑；又或者我的心臟已经太弱及太老。

Before You Scold Me For Being Lazy, Ask Yourself If Something Might Be Bothering Me.

第5.请偶而对我说说话，纵使我不懂你说的内容，但我听的懂，那是你的声音在陪伴我。

Talk To Me Sometimes. Even If I Don’t Understand Your Words, I do Understand Your Voice When It’s Speaking To Me.

第6.当你打我时，请记得，我其实拥有可以咬碎你手骨的尖锐牙齿，我只是选择不咬。

Remember Before You Hit Me, I Have Teeth That Could Hurt You, But That I Choose Not To Bite You.

第7. 在我年老时，请好好照顾我。

Take Care Of Me When I Get Old.

第8.请别对我生气太久，也别把我关起来当惩罚。 你有工作、娱乐、朋友，但你却是我仅有的。

You Have Your Work, Your Entertainment, And Your Friends. But I Have Only You!

第9.我的寿命只有10~15年，你的离弃，会是我最大的痛苦。

My Life Is Likely To Last 10 To 15 Years. Any Separation From You Will Be Painful For Me.

第10.当我要面对死亡时， 请千万不要说「我不忍心看他这么痛苦」或是「让我不在场时才发生」，因为只要有你和我在一起，所有的事都会变得简单容易接受。

Go With Me On Difficult Journeys. Everything Is Easier For Me If You Are There.

看了Akari妈妈的口述，我不停反复问自己：与狗狗的这十个约定，我做到多少了呢？？当初决心收养它，决心每天陪伴它玩耍、决心好好教养它与它相处，今天我依然遵守我的诺言吗？？？

每一次宝贝看到我就兴奋无比的拼命摇着小尾巴，我就深深知道在狗狗心目中，主人就是他们的全部！

我不停提醒自己，无论我有多忙、无论我有多累、无论我有多不开心，都要停一停，摸摸它、温柔地对它说几句话、甚至抱抱它。

因为狗狗只要有主人陪伴在它们身边，让它们感觉得到主人的重视，它们就很满足了^_~

所以请善待你们家的狗狗，不要忘了当初对他们的宠爱和热心，要不然你家狗狗会若有所失，郁郁寡欢地度过短短的一生哦^_~

Chihuahuas have a reputation for being a bit difficult to train, but as long as you are consistent with your Chihuahua obedience training, he will eventually learn to obey your commands. It will take patience and persistence on your part, so make sure that you are armed with both if you want the training session to be effective. It is also important to use plenty of praise to encourage your Chihuahua in his training sessions, and a cookie or two will not be a bad idea either!

How to Train Chihuahua ?

The most important commands for your Chihuahua to learn during Chihuahua obedience training are sit, stay, come and down. Even if that pup is merely jumping up and down at your kneecaps, dogs that jump are not well-trained dogs. Another important command that your dog needs to learn is “no”. This command should always be given in a firm, low voice with a stern facial expression, so that your puppy learns right away that no means no! It is also important to give the command when your dog is in the middle of an infraction, like when he wraps his chops around your designer sandals. If you do it minutes or even seconds after the offense, your dog will have no idea what you are talking about.

Once “no” is a part of your pup’s vocabulary, begin working on the commands like “come” and “sit”. With plenty of praise and cookies, your puppy should be able to learn these commands fairly quickly. Make sure that you offer simple, one word commands with plenty of positive reinforcement when your dog does your bidding.

Before you ever head to the breeder to pick up your puppy, you should be well prepared for the Chihuahua obedience training that lies ahead. If you need additional help with the task, you can find plenty of books and Internet sites that can get you started, or you can enroll you and your puppy in an obedience training course. These classes are designed to teach dog owners how to teach their dogs, and can be a highly effective method of Chihuahua training – as long as you and your puppy faithfully complete the homework every week.

大部分幼年时期的狗狗都有爱咬东西的习惯。有的狗狗甚至已经成年了，都还是喜欢咬东西，恶作剧。

为什么狗狗会有这样的癖好呢？？

原因有几个：

1. 这是因为狗狗天生就有‘好管闲事’、‘好奇心重’的天性 。东西没玩两下，就把东西咬得稀烂了。
2. 狗狗在出生后3-6个月里，正是换乳牙的时候，由于牙床发痒，所以特爱咬东西。
3. 精力太过旺盛，没得发挥，于是就乱咬东西。

以前我家宝贝3-8个月大的期间里，也超爱咬东西的。什么打呀、骂呀。。。都不管用:p

不过，有管教始终好过没管教啦～

宝贝过了‘叛逆’期后，这个毛病就慢慢改善了^_~

其实，当狗狗犯‘咬癖’时，主人是能够做一些事来给狗狗纠正的哦。。。

• 当面制止

当狗狗一咬它不该咬的东西时，主人就该马上当面制止，大大声说“不可以！”

这样，狗狗渐渐就会明白这样的行为是主人不喜欢的了。

当然，有时候不是每次都那么巧可以当面抓个正着的。

所以，主人能够做的是：制造机会让它‘犯罪’ :p

刻意放些东西引起狗狗的注意，狗狗一旦中招，主人就可以马上施行管教了。

（呵～我不是教你诈，只是制造机会教导罢了:p)

•  限制狗狗的活动范围

如果狗狗是因为换牙或‘劣性未除’而乱咬东西的话，建议在无人看管的情形下，最好限制狗狗的活动范围。

不要让狗狗习惯，在没有主人的监视下，咬东西咬得不亦乐乎哦^_~

• 买狗狗玩具

狗狗是一定会咬东西的，既然一些属于主人的物品是狗狗不能咬的，那么就要另外补偿它的‘咬瘾’了。

市场上有卖各样形形色色的狗狗玩具，是被设计成可以让狗狗咬个够本的。

好像什么，牛皮制假骨头（这个还有洁净牙齿的功效哦）、硬硬的小球、咬下去会发出响声的玩具。。。。。

这些都能满足狗狗爱咬东西的欲望^_~

• 消耗狗狗多余的精力

增加狗狗的运动量或散步时间，让狗狗尽情挥洒旺盛的精力，这样狗狗就不会那么爱恶作剧了。

好像我家宝贝也一样，每天晚上的时间，老公都会拼命跟它玩耍，跟它玩‘抢布游戏’、‘捉迷藏’、还有各样动作的训练。

每次游戏结束后，宝贝都很快就呼呼入睡，不要说乱咬东西，连乱吠都减少了呢^_~

•  把东西收好

如果不是要刻意‘引诱它犯罪’的话，那些不想让狗狗咬的东西，最好都放高或收藏起来。

在狗狗还未调教好之前、又在没有主人监管的情形下，主人乱放东西让狗狗能够触及甚至是咬得稀烂，那就是主人的责任了哦~_~

不知道你们在管教狗狗不让它乱咬东西方面又有什么心得呢？？

柴犬也可以称之为日本犬。因为它们从以往就在日本各地生活，非常热衷于狩猎鸟或兔子，是日本猎人的好助手。它们虽属小型，但是勇猛果敢，充满气魄！

柴犬虽然天性警觉性强可是对待主人却非常忠心哦～但来到面对其他人或其它狗，柴犬就会很害羞，不大擅于交际。这也是为什么柴犬自小就急需培养社会化，否则就会很害羞、不懂得和其他人相处了^_~

柴犬有一项常见的困扰问题：警戒心过强！

警戒性强且害羞的性格令柴犬很容易对其他狗狗引起挑战心 ，对客人也会出现不停吠叫的情况。甚至有时候会不喜欢被人家抚摸，进而对饲主展示攻击性的动作。所以饲养柴犬的饲主要有接受其天性的心理准备，并且严加管教哦～

柴犬小小档案：

性格：勇敢、活泼、明锐的感觉、对饲主忠心，对他人却很小心。

运动：成年的柴犬不止要散步、跑步更要一起游戏！

居住环境：室内或室外均适合。

容易管教度（满分为5颗星）：

运动量 [rating:4]

性格温和度 [rating:2]

乱吠多寡度 [rating:4]

亲和度 [rating:2]

你们觉得柴犬它样子可爱吗？？

真的，什么idog、宠物闲情、dog news我都有～不过个人较喜欢idog 杂志。因为里头狗狗的资讯多，广告少，访问也没有这么多。idog杂志的原文是日文，出版后才被翻译成华文的。

至于宠物情缘，现在是可以到网上阅读了。。。 可是，我还是比较喜欢idog

昨天，特地到书店逛逛希望搜罗到新的狗狗杂志。可是真的少之又少哦～

idog、宠物闲情、dog news都没有最新的。我已经注意好几个月了，就是没有新出版的。有的都是2007年甚至是2005年版的。。。

为什么会这样呢？？

1. 难道是题材都写完不知道要怎么写了吗？？

2.还是没有市场需求（我已经很努力的买了），所以不出版了？？

3. 连宠物情缘也没有卖了，该不会是因为已经放在网页上供人阅读了，所以就不出版了？？

4.书店觉得宠物杂志销不出，所以不进货了？？？

噢。。无论什么原因，好希望出版商赶快出货，店主赶快进货，这样我就有得update自己了:)

Before Choose Your Dog Breed

Ok, come back to the question. How to choose dog breed easiest to rare and train? This is a question by one of the reader in my guest post yesterday. As I mentioned always, don’t ever rare a dog or pet if you are not able to bear the responsibility. I really don’t like some master love their dog very much only within few months. Then just keep them away or don’t border them at all after that. Take care them like your child or baby.

We must accept that animal is just like human. Not a specific breed has same characteristic for all. Each individual still have their own characteristic, so must keep continue to train them as they grow up. But I would like to list down dog breed that I think is easiest to rare and train in average. Please be rational to the breed type.

How to Choose Dog Breed?

Its depend on your interest. Ask yourself, what type of dog breed you like? What is the purpose you rare pet? Is your house size convenient for your dog size? How many hours you able to spend for your dog everyday? All these sample question above will help you to choose the correct breed for yourself.

I am not going so details on each factor. I’ll just recommend 3 types of dog breed for first time potential dog master. They were  divided into 3 categories:

Large size -  If you rare dog to guard your house and your house compound is big enough. You might consider to rare large size dog. The easiest to train large size dog such as Golden Retriver, Labrador and German Sherpard are good choice! These dog breeds are high obedience and suitable as a guard dog. Also, these breeds are easier to find. Of course, Dalmations also in my recommend list, but not so easy to find here in my country.

Think twice, is your house compound big enough for them to exercise? Are you affordable to fulfill their big stomach? Do you have enough time to take bath for them? If yes, they might be very good choice for you.

Medium size - Medium size dog is flexible to rare in house or outside the house. Its easier to train and maintain their hair cut or food compare to large size dog. The easiest training breeds are Miniature Poodle, Beagle and Schnauzer. Although schnauzer is “not so easy” to train type, it is still a smart breed. Remember, this is just an average view. Each dog still have their own characteristics.

Small size -  Normally people rare small size dog in house. Definitely not for guard house. More like a pet or playmate. I would recommend Toy Poodle and Chihuahua. If you really want rare in house, make sure you do all preparation before you do so! If not, it might be terrible experience for you.

My two cents

In my opinion, I like toy poodle the most. I think it is the easiest to train breed of all time. Also, smaller size easier to take care. What do you think? Which dog breed you recommend? Please put in comment below

The Relation Come First

Your relation with your dog affect the training progress! Yes, the relation come first. Normally we define a success training by looking at the dog obedience to their master. Of course, a good trainer or master must have well relation with their pet before talk about obedient. A dog will listen to the people it love, even though they are not its master. Why? Their relation. So, you see how important is your relation with your pet before training them.

So, next question. How to improve your relation with your lovely dog? Maybe different people have their own opinion. I have some suggestion for who that have not do so.

• Time - Spend time with them daily. Play with them, feed them, and train them to obey everyday at fixed time. Also, talk to them like a child. According to some animal scientist, a mature dog’s IQ similar to a 3 years old human. It means they can understand what you say and what you mean. Talk slowly, clearly and show them what you mean. This is another type of training. I rather say it is a door to better relation. Hence, don’t expect to success your training tricks with once a week training schedule. It won’t work!

• Environment - If you are staying in a big family, your dog might not know who is their master. Other than time, you should provide an environment just for you (as a master) and your dog. The purpose of the environment is for your pet to know more about you and your life. Such as ask your pet to sit down and listen to your singing Ask them to stay with you when you are surfing the net. Ask them to watch you when you are washing your car. All these environment is to let your pet know more about your life. I think it should build up their trust on you. What do you think?

Basically I think that’s 2 simple things that we can do for our lovely “son” and “daughter”. How you improve your relation with your pet? Please put in comment  below

我家宝贝也常这样。每次罗厘停在家隔壁的商店要下货时，由于墙壁挡着，宝贝只看到罗厘那高高的货柜而没有见到任何人 ，她害怕得很呢！一边声张作势吠得很凶，一边就躲进她的小小狗窝里。。。所以说我家宝贝真的很胆小。很多时候吠叫都是因为对方已经侵入她的‘安全距离’范围，宝贝觉得很没有安全感哦~_~

其实人类也会有这样的倾向哦～好比如在搭巴士或公共交通工具时，大部分的人，如果有得选择的话都会独自坐或坐在离陌生人较远的位子。这就是为了要与陌生人保持‘安全距离’啦～

那如果去到朋友家时，家里有狗狗；抑或在路上走路，突然迎面走来一只陌生狗狗时，要如何表现自己绝对没有要侵犯她的意思呢？？

在狗狗的社会里，陌生的人或狗狗若正面盯着对方看，有着“要不要打架啊？”的挑衅意味哦！

所以当接近狗狗时，最好先保持一定的距离，然后慢慢后退。这样狗狗可能会停下留意观察。过后在慢慢的接近狗狗，这时狗狗可能就会马上逃走了。事关这对狗狗来说，是“逃跑距离”，实行“三十六计，走为上计”

无论如何，当遇见陌生的狗狗时，为了不引起他的警戒心，记得不要老盯着他，也不要突然走近他哦～

花点时间慢慢缩短彼此的距离 。如果环境许可，可以先绕到狗狗身后，然后横向接近。这是接近陌生狗狗的上上策 ^_~

[image source: y-its-mom]