PeeWee the Ratshi Terrier

My mom takes taking care of me very seriously, she says that dogs are social animals that have worked
with humans for thousands of years, thats a lot of doggy years!  They have played an important role in various different cultures. Dogs are highly valued for their intelligence and loyalty, and it is important to train and care for them properly.

Despite the importance of dogs, owners may find that there are many challenges in training and caring for them. While many people want to own a dog, few know how to train them properly, or the importance of doing so. Sad to say that a dog which is not disciplined will not bring happiness to its owners. Too many people allow their dogs to develop bad habits, and I have had my share of discipline from my dad.

My mom wants me to tell you that you want to make sure you purchase quality food for your dog, even if its a bit expensive. Cheap dog food won't give your dog the healthy look it should have. You want your dog to have a shiny coat and bright eyes, I think thats why my mommy likes to cuddle with me, she says I am so soft. Dogs are much like their owners, and will behave in many of the same ways, for example I am loving like my mom and feisty like my dad.

Dogs are like small children, and should be treated as such. Dogs should not be left alone for long periods of time, as they are prone to getting into trouble, Guilty! When dogs are left alone at home, they need to have a designated area with boundaries. Leave chew toys and other things that will keep them occupied.

When your dog behaves properly, you should always praise and reward him. This teaches him that good behavior leads to rewards, while bad behavior does not. When you do this, you will find that your dog behaves properly on a regular basis. When your dog doesn't behave properly, you should also discipline him, so that he understands the difference between right and wrong behavior.

There is a difference between discipline and abuse. There are some dog owners that don't understand this, and hit or kick their dogs in order to train them. This is abuse, and is not an effective way to train your dog, and may even cause your dog to attack you. You want your dog to respect you, not fear you.  
A good way to discipline your dog without hitting him is to spray water on him and give him a verbal warning. This will get the message across in a non-abusive way. How you train your dog is very important. You want a dog which you can take out for a walk without worrying about him bothering others. You want a dog that will listen to your commands, like me.

Ideal play or training sessions with your dog end with the dog feeling both tired and successful.  One method that accomplishes creating a sense of accomplishment in both you and your dog, as well as enforcing obedience, is doing a session or two of doggie sit-ups. It helps to have a lot of small treats on hand for these. At first, you may have to give a tiny bite after each part of the exercise.  Eventually, your goal will be to complete the entire set before a treat is given.

Start by having your dog sit.  Once sitting, have him lay, then sit again and finally stand.  This is one sit-up.  The ideal session will be to have your dog repeat this sequence of moves a total of ten times, but at first you may only be able to get him to cooperate for one or two.  That is fine.  Every few days add an additional turn before he gets his treat until he is doing the full ten.

This exercise reinforces the basic commands of sit, down and stay.  If your dog has yet to learn these commands, you will have to work on them at the same time.  This allows you to accomplish two things at the same time. Keep in mind, however, that trying to learn a new command is tiring in itself.  Adjust the number of sit-ups accordingly or you are bound to have a very frustrated dog.

Dogs love to feel they have made their people happy.  Allowing your dog to combine some of the simplest commands into your play session will make him feel he has accomplished this task and he will be all the more eager to do whatever else you have in store for him during this time.

Let me start by introducing myself, my name is PeeWee... and thank god for that, it was about to be Fluffy! Thank goodness my mommy, her name is Miry, put her foot down!