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By Matt Kush, May 13, 2011

The best thing about Twitter is that you can do a quick search to find like-minded people. Teachers, writers, photographers, celebrities, Susan Boyle lovers, all are tweeting away and just waiting to have another follower. Oh yeah that’s the other thing. On Twitter you get to follow and be followed. Its great fun to see how many people you can woo in 140-characters or less.

Of course I did my usual search for dog lovers and was not disappointed. A long list of dog lovers came up, some promoting businesses and services and some just promoting their dog. It’s a great resource for free advice on training, feeding, breeding and generally caring for your dog. Here are some of the best dog-related Twitterers I’ve found:

@ EcoPup: Boasts Eco-friendly clothing and accessories for your pawsitively posh pets!

@ Dogfessions: Its Nikki Moustaki, author, TV/Radio personality, dog trainer, pet industry expert. She also runs www.dogfessions.com and www.dogvice.com.

@Petigreeworld: On Twitter to educate, inspire and create a world of entertainment for you, your lifestyle and your trusted pet. Can be found at www.petigreeworld.com

@Bluebeagle2: Just a cute beagle who checks in.

@TheHusky: The life and times of Misty The Siberian Husky.

@TheDogExpert: Sheryl Matthys, The Dog Expert, Dog Trainer, CEO of www.leashesandlovers.com. Lots of fun tips on behavior.

@dogdiaries: Its a social community for dog lovers. Check them out at www.dogdiaries.com/au.

@sylviedog: Chicagoan Sylvie whose hobbies include sleeping, eating cookies and yelling at Mugsy. www.sylviedog.blogspot.com.

@iPuppyCam: all about puppies!! Gotta love it! www.ipuppycam.com.

@Woofcp. Pet gifts. www.bigpawdesigns.com.

Like I said, these are my favorite Twitters. Each one has something I love to check up on even if its just an adorable picture of Sylvie sleeping on her doggie bed. What can I say? I really REALLY like dogs. So if you get a chance, give these people a look and see what they can do for you and your dog. Twitter them! I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to tweet back!

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By Jim Navary, March 2, 2011

The companionship of a dog can truly be one of life’s under appreciated joys. However, that joy can be seriously diminished if your dog exhibits excessive behavior problems. Aggression, inappropriate barking, jumping up on you or visitors, destroying household items and other unacceptable behavior can usually be eliminated through effective obedience training.

As pack animals, dogs are most content when they know their place in the social hierarchy of the pack, be it as a leader or as a subordinate.

If the dog’s perception is that you are not a strong leader, he will most likely assume the role of “alpha” dog. Bad behavior will worsen since, as the pack leader, he will believe that he can do as he pleases without regard to your wishes.

Until you establish yourself as the alpha member of the pack your efforts to teach proper behavior to your pooch are doomed to fail. By providing high quality obedience training you will teach your dog that you are the leader and that he must follow comply with your wishes.

Dog Training

When you begin obedience training try to make it a fun activity for your dog. Be sure to reward your dog for correct behavior. Rewards can take the form of tasty treats, petting, giving him a favorite toy or  vigorous praise.

Never punish your dog while teaching obedience as it will make him associate training with negative feelings. When you need to correct your dog’s behavior make it a penalty rather than punishment. A penalty can be anything from a quick tug on his leash, a “time out” by simply stopping an enjoyable activity, or simply ignoring him.

For training purposes you should keep in mind that rewards are more effective than penalties. Find out what your dog really enjoys and use it when training. The old “using a carrot or a stick” adage should be forgotten. Instead, try to use many different types of “carrots” and throw away the stick.

If you are not sure about specific training techniques you may benefit from studying the tactics used by professional dog trainers. There are several terrific training courses and guide books available online that you may want to consider to help you in your quest for the obedient dog.

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By Terry Zinndell, December 3, 2010

There is still some disagreement about whether or not crate training dogs is the right way to go. Crating a dog involves keeping them in a cage just slightly larger than themselves, usually a plastic or metal one for a time, either at night or during the day.

Those in favor of crate training argue that crating a dog gives is a safe, secure place where the dog can go when it wants to get away from noise or activity and be surrounded by the familiar. A sort of home within a home, proponents call it. These same people insist that crate training makes the process of housebreaking a dog easier, since animals are loathe to soil the place where they lay down and will naturally learn to wait until taken outside to take care of their needs.

There are of course crate training detractors as well. Their view is that restricting a dog’s movement by keeping it in a cage which offers barely enough room to turn around robs dogs of the opportunity to act on their natural inclination to roam and explore its surroundings.

The no-crating crowd point to those instances where puppies will go ahead and soil themselves while in the crate, despite the arguments made by the proponents of crate training. They make the argument that crate training is really more about the owner’s convenience than it is the best interests of their pet.

Pet owners from both schools of thought of course have the best intentions and want to take good care of their pets. The research which has been done on crate training has given dog owners no certain answer one way or the other, but there is broad agreement that when done properly, crate training has little if any ill effects and can be of some benefit to the dog.

Of course, common sense has to be exercised. Keeping your pet in a cage for many hours on end is not healthy for your dog. Four hours is the maximum length of time you should crate your dog. Keeping your dog cooped up longer than this is a serious strain on their ability to hold back from eliminating and of course, most dogs are far too active to be happy sitting still for this long.

Care also needs to be taken to prevent injury to your dog while in the crate. The cage should be examined to make sure that there are no sharp edges or anywhere that your dog’s collar can snag on the crate. Any cage you keep your dog in should be sturdy enough that it won’t tip or break even under vigorous jostling.

There is one benefit to crate training which bears mentioning here. Pets that have been crate trained tend to have far fewer problems with travel. They’ll be used to staying in a small space and they’ll also have familiar smells when in their crate which goes a long way towards keeping them comfortable during the somewhat stressful experience of travel.

Another school of thought holds that pets should be left at home while their owners travel anyway. However, if it is necessary to travel with your pet, use a well built crate which prevents any foreign objects getting in, as well as falling out.

There’s not going to be an agreement on crate training in the near future; that much is certain. It’s best to decide for yourself. Try crating your dog for a couple of weeks, followed by leaving the door of the crate open and let your dog vote with their feet. Do they steer clear of the crate or do they choose it as a favored spot for their naps? Let your dog have a say and you’ll have a happier pet.