Summary

General Guidelines

    • Establish specific feeding times to give your dog a clear understanding of when it's time for meals. Consistency in feeding schedules helps them develop a routine.

    • Avoid leaving food out all day as it can lead to overeating and digestive issues. It's best to feed your dog portioned meals.

    • Consider feeding your dog once a day, as it provides a long fasting window that promotes optimal health. However, consult with your veterinarian to determine the best feeding frequency for your dog's specific needs.

    • When choosing dog food, opt for good quality brands available at pet shops rather than generic options found in supermarkets. These high-quality foods often provide better nutrition for your furry friend.

    • If you're interested in alternative feeding options, such as raw food diets, several pet stores in Cyprus offer frozen complete and balanced raw food recipes. Research raw feeding guidelines and consult with a veterinarian for advice.

    • While it's important to keep your dog clean, avoid overwashing them. In general, bathing your dog with soap up to four times a year is sufficient unless they get unusually dirty.

    • If your dog frequently visits the beach or swims in pools, rinsing them with clear, soap-free water afterward will help remove salt and chlorine without stripping their coat of essential oils.

    • Regularly trim your dog's nails to maintain their paw health. If you hear their nails tapping on the floor when they walk slowly, it's an indication that they are too long. Trim them in small increments from the top and sides, focusing on receding the quick for shorter nails and better overall nail health. Take the time to watch this highly informational video about how to clip them properly: https://youtu.be/MM4HQDb1Ef0?t=302

    • Provide your dog with bones or antlers to chew on. Chewing not only keeps them entertained but also helps clean their teeth and maintain healthy gums. Ensure the bones or antlers are appropriate for your dog's size and supervise them while they chew to prevent any accidents or choking hazards.

    • Daily walks are essential for your dog's physical and mental well-being. Even a short walk around the block allows them to stretch their legs, breathe fresh air, and explore their surroundings.

    • During walks, give your dog the opportunity to sniff and wander a bit. Exploring their environment through scent is a natural and enriching activity for dogs.

    • Aim to provide your dog with 3-5 bathroom breaks throughout the day. Two of these walks should be longer, lasting a minimum of 30 minutes, to provide ample exercise and release their energy.

    • In addition to walks, ensure your dog receives enough physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy and well-behaved. Engage them in activities such as playing fetch, engaging in interactive toys, or participating in dog sports.

    • Regular exercise and mental challenges help tire out your dog, preventing them from seeking destructive outlets or excessive barking. A tired and content dog is more likely to relax and enjoy their downtime.

    • While it's tempting to engage in full conversations with your dog, they primarily respond to commands and cues. Keep communication concise and focused on specific instructions.

    • Teach your dog a variety of commands to improve your communication and their understanding. Basic commands like sit, stay, come, and heel are fundamental for effective training and control.

General rules of training

  • What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.

training methods

  • Classic conditioning is the process by which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, resulting in a learned response.

  • Operant conditioning is the process by which the consequences of a behavior influence the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

  • Counter conditioning is a highly effective technique used in behavior modification to address and transform unwanted behaviors in dogs. The process involves pairing the undesired behavior with a new and incompatible behavior or stimulus, creating a shift from negative associations to positive ones. To begin, it's crucial to identify the triggers that elicit the unwanted behavior in your dog. Determine the threshold at which your dog starts to display a negative response, and then work with your dog just below that threshold. The goal is to gradually increase their tolerance level and create positive associations with previously challenging triggers. The key is to associate the triggers that previously caused discomfort or negative feelings with something that generates a pleasant experience or releases dopamine, such as rewards or enjoyable activities. This helps to change your dog's emotional response and create a more positive outlook. Once you've successfully raised the threshold, where your dog can respond to your cues and commands while encountering the trigger, you can introduce small tasks to further desensitize them to the triggers that were previously overwhelming. This step-by-step approach helps your dog build confidence and develop new, desired behaviors to replace the unwanted ones. Remember, patience and consistency are essential throughout the counter conditioning process. By replacing negative associations with positive ones and gradually exposing your dog to challenging situations, you can effectively modify their behavior and improve their overall well-being.

  • Luring is the process of using a treat or other attractive item to guide a dog into performing a behavior.

general care

Feeding guidelines

Keep specific feeding times, don’t leave food out for the dog to graze. Feeding once a day

Hygiene

Don’t over wash your dog. Generally you want to give your dog a wash with soap up to 4 times per year. If you take your dog to the beach often or it goes in the pool, rinsing with clear, soap-free water will be enough to get the salt and chlorine off.

Clip the nails every 2 weeks, if you can hear the claws tap on the floor when your dog walks slowly they are too long. Take the time to watch this highly informational video about how to clip them properly: https://youtu.be/MM4HQDb1Ef0?t=302

Give bones often for oral health. Clean teeth and healthy gums.

Walks

Make sure you walk your dog every single day. Even is it is just around the block. Give them a chance to sniff and wander about a little in the fresh air. Aim to give them a chance to go to the bathroom at least 3-5 times per day. With one or two of the walks lasting minimum 30 mins for exercise and energy release.

Excersise and stimulation

Give your dog enough physical and mental stimulation to tire them out leaving them happy to just sleep the rest of the time. A tired and exhausted dog will not go looking for things to destroy or listen for something to bark at.

Communication

don’t have full conversations with your dog, they will not understand you anyway. Keep the communication to a minimal and stick to only using commands or cues. Teach your dog as many commands as possible for them to understand you better.

general Rules of training

Markers

A makers marks the moment the dog will get a consequence.

Command building blocks

Command - Lure - Mark - Reward

How to use the name

Only use the name when you either want the dog’s attention (look) or want them to come. You can use a combination of the two or just on its own. Example; “Bella, Look” & “Bella, Come“ or just “Look” & “Come” or just simply “Bella“

Tugging

tug of war is the best kind of stimulation you can offer your dog.

Daily work

work with your dog daily