Pet Advice for Dogs - Behaviour
Looking for dog specific advice? Here you will find all the essential information you need to know about your dog at every life stage.
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Believe it or not, good grooming can influence your dog’s behaviour. When their coats are neatly trimmed, nails clipped, they’ve been washed and their teeth are clean they’re full of life. How often you do all this depends entirely on your dog’s breed (short or long haired) and how active he or she is.
Learn more about the characteristics of different dog breeds in the OPTIMUM® Breed Profile section of the OPTIMUM® Website.
Playing games with your dog will help develop a better understanding and establish clearer communication between you both. Whether it’s a simple ‘throw and fetch’ scenario or something more complex for well-trained dogs like hiding treats and finding them, a game requires both dog and owner to work together as a team.
Dogs are sociable creatures and playing will improve their social skills. Through games, dogs learn to obey instructions (in a fun, relaxed way). Learning to obey is important because it helps in other areas of dog training such as walking and learning to sit and stay. Whether at the park, in your backyard or inside the house you can tailor games to suit your surroundings.
Naming your puppy is fun and if you have a family it’s a great way to get everyone involved in your new arrival. It’s also important in kick-starting training and establishing a relationship with your new companion.
When selecting a name, try for something simple and avoid names that sound like commands as these will confuse your puppy. For example, ´Joe´ sounds like ´no´ And don’t pick something you will be embarrassed to use in public places – a name needs to suit both you and your pet. Once you have settled on a name, use it often and you’ll have your puppy responding in no time.
The Basenji is probably best known for its inability to bark but there are many other reasons this breed is unique.
Originating in the Congo region of Africa, the Basenji was popular amongst the Pharaohs of Egypt and is depicted in many ancient stone etchings. Although it fell out of favour with the fall of the Egyptian civilisation, the Basenji was discovered by Westerners in 1895 in Central Africa, where it was being used as a hunting dog.
The modern Basenji has changed little from the breed of ancient times and is loyal, graceful, protective and independent. And although it can’t ´bark´, the Basenji still makes many communicative sounds, most of which sound much like yodeling.
It’s no secret that a bored dog can be a destructive dog. So in the interests of you (and your plants) it’s best to keep your dog entertained, both while you are out and while you are at home. Try alternating toys, walking in different areas and at different times, hiding treats in your yard so your dog has to work to sniff them out, and taking your dog on a day out. Training is also great for stimulating dogs and can be done in short bursts to keep it interesting.
As your dog ages, you can make its mature years more comfortable by minimising change and the stress it can cause.
Try to avoid altering your dog’s routine by keeping feeding and exercise times consistent. Also try not to move household items such as furniture and feeding bowls – your dog will be accustomed to where they are and may be confused if they are moved.
If you do need to make changes, give your dog extra attention and positive reinforcement to help it cope with the alterations. If your dog becomes anxious, try to identify changes you have made that may have caused the stress.
Most working or sporting dogs are very active compared with the typical pet dog. A hard working dog can easily cover 40 or 50 kilometres in a normal working day, and over 250 kilometres every week.
A dog which is “on the go” most of the time needs 2 to 4 times more energy in its diet than a typical pet of the same breed. The age of the dog, the thickness of its coat, the type of work it does and the weather conditions also affect the energy needed by an active dog to keep up its performance and stay in good shape.
The Blue Heeler or Australian Cattle Dog was bred in the early 1800’s in response for the need for a suitable dog to assist drovers in mustering in unfenced grazing lands. The dog needed to have stamina, the ability to cope in the extreme Australian heat and be quiet in the way he worked.
The Heeler was the result of a cross between the Northumberland Blue Merle Drovers Dog and the dingo, with some later influence from the Dalmation and Kelpie.
The resulting breed had all the qualities desired in a drover’s dog, including a talent for nipping at the heels of cattle. Now a permanent symbol of the Australian outback, the Blue Heeler is a clever, hard worker as well as a loyal friend.
