There are very many reasons to love a dog. The dog is appreciative, patient with its owners, loyal and protective. Because of these, even the sternest of dog owner’s fall into the trap of pampering the dog sometimes unmindful of the effect of the temporary indulgence. Who would not? It is so difficult to refuse a dog giving you dog eyes when you are sitting at your table begging for man food. The charm though is easily lost once there are guests. It feels very nice to be welcomed by a dog with a furiously waging tail, very excited at your coming home, jumping at you, or bolting out the door to meet you. It is embarrassing though when the dog does the same when there are other people around.

On occasions such as these, the owner will attempt at stopping the dog from continuing, but when the dog is not trained, all the dog hears from its owners is just another bark, an important bark maybe but incomprehensible.

It is also a natural instinct among us to not create “fences” among those we love but if the dog is allowed full run off the house, sooner, even those characteristics in a dog that charmed us will be an irritant. Obviously and for very practical reasons, the dog needs obedience training. Little coaching like sit, heel, stop, stay, and come, goes a long way in teaching your dog manners that are very useful in situations when you would want to communicate with the dog and be understood. The dog is also likely to respect the owner more if the owner is consistent and firm with what he wants the dog to do.

Setting limits on what the dog can and cannot do is within the dog’s nature. In fact, dogs enjoy hierarchy; it wants to know who the boss is. It is its tendency that is natural to dogs. Dogs trained in obedience are not only much more enjoyable as companions; dogs also are less likely to suffer and are loved more when it knows its limits.

While mans love affair with dogs are many centuries old, dogs originally were predators in the wild. Even through all these years these instincts are not totally shed. In the wild, dogs lived in packs. As such, there has always been an established hierarchy among them that were useful if they were to survive, and so dogs instinctively obey rules. If rules are not provided and the dog is allowed to do as it wants, it starts thinking that it is the alpha male and will become dominant because contrary to our beliefs, it does not see people as people but as members of the pack where he is a part or where he should lead.

Loyalty, sociability, protectiveness, gentleness with those that the dog is familiar with, fierceness to those it does not know and sometimes meanness when there is a perceived violation of territories are real to the dog that endears him to us but these traits are natural instincts practiced within the pack which by extension is given to humans.

Dog training then is very important if these traits are to be sharpened to our benefit.

Check out some great recipes:

Doggie Biscuits

Doggie Biscuits 3/4 c Hot water or meat juice 1/3 c Margarine 1/2 c Powdered milk 1/2 ts Salt 1 Egg, beaten 3 c Whole wheat flour Mix well – roll in to small logs in your hands and bake at 325 degrees for about 50 mins.  Read More →

Cheesey Dog Cookies

Cheesey Dog Cookies 2 cups All-Purpose flour — un-sifted 1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese — shredded 2 cloves Garlic — finely chopped 1/2 cup Vegetable oil 4 tablespoons Water — (4 to 5) Combine everything except water. Whisk in food... [Read more]

Barking Barley Brownies

Barking Barley Brownies 1 1/4 pounds beef liver — or chicken liver 2 cups wheat germ 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour 1 cup cooked barley 2 whole eggs 3 tablespoons peanut butter 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon salt — optional Pre... [Read more]

Multi-Grain Dog Biscuit Treats

Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups whole-wheat flour 1 cup rye flour 1 cup cornmeal 2 cups cracked wheat (bulgur) 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk powder 4 tsp salt 2 cups chicken stock 1/4 oz active dry yeast (one package) 1 egg 1 Tbsp milk Directions: Preheat... [Read more]

Bulldog Banana Bites

Bulldog Banana Bites 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup powdered milk — nonfat 1 egg 1/3 cup banana — ripe, mashed 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 beef bouillon cube 1/2 cup water — hot 1 tablespoon brown sugar Mix all ingredients until will... [Read more]

Apple Cinnamon Doggie Biscuits

Apple Cinnamon Doggie Biscuits 1 package apple, dried 1 teaspoon Cinnamon — (I usually just shake some in) 1 Tablespoon parsley, freeze-dried 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder 1 cup ice water 1/2 cup Corn Oil 5 cups flour 1/2 cup powdered milk 2 large... [Read more]

An Apple a Day Dog Treat

An Apple a Day Dog Treat 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1/2 cup cornmeal1 apple — chopped or grated1 egg — beaten 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed 3/8 cup water Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie... [Read more]

Frozen Doggie Yums

Ingredients: 1 cup water 1 cube chicken or beef boillion (dog’s favorite) 4 small pieces of chicken or beef Directions: Disolve boillion in water and tear meat into smaller pieces about 1/2 inch squares. Freeze for about 12 hours or until solid.... [Read more]

Bulldog Brownies

Bulldog Brownies 1/2 cup shortening 3 tablespoons honey 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup carob flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Frosting 12 ounces nonfat cream cheese 2 teaspoons honey Cream shortening and honey together thoroughly.... [Read more]

Dog Pooch Munchies

Dog Pooch Munchies 3 cups Whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon Garlic salt 1/2 cup Soft bacon fat 1 cup Shredded cheese 1 Egg — beaten slightly 1 cup Milk 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. degrees. 2. Place flour and garlic salt in a large bowl. Stir in bacon fat.... [Read more]