Klein German Spitz

Description

A Klein German Spitz, also known as Toy German Spitz, is happy, busy, feisty, lively, curious, and devoted. It tends to become very attached to its owner, and needs to be close to him and involve in the activities of the family. It is bouncy, sunny and yearns for attention and playing. When it looks at you, it seems to laugh every time. It adapts easily and would go for long walks with you. It can also delight itself by simply snuggling at your feet. It is not the kind of dog you can put in a crate or leave alone in the yard. It wants to please you and to be close to you most of the time. A Klein German Spitz is also known to be a quick-learner that’s why it can be trained easily; however, it is not immediately obedient and needs to be rewarded and praised to succeed. It is very independent and confident, and can be willful sometimes. Though suspicious by nature, if it sees no threat with strangers, it will be friendly and warm up to them. It is protective and careful which makes it a perfect watchdog. It guards its family even if it’s generally not aggressive towards people; instead it barks forcefully and loudly to warn its owner of a newcomer. It can bark noisily and relentlessly, so it should be trained to stop on command. It is very energetic and is quite active indoors. Still, it needs chances to romp and play outside. It requires moderate exercise, which includes leashed, daily walks and chances to show off its tricks and to run freely in an enclosed area. It is an adventurous dog that needs to be constantly doing things; it loves walking on its hind legs and is an excellent jumper that excels in dog sports. It gets along fine with other household dogs and pets. It is also very protective and good towards children. It is better with responsible and older children since it may growl or snap at toddlers who tend to be too rough with it. It loves food and will try to take and hide the food from you. This dog is a very high shedder and would not be a very nice pet for those who dislike frequent vacuuming.

Features

A Klein German Spitz is nine to eleven inches tall from feet to shoulders and usually weighs eighteen to twenty-two pounds. It features a double coat that consists of a straight, medium-length outer coat and thick, short undercoat. Its color can be brown, black, gray, orange, or white.

Grooming Needs

This dog only needs occasional brushing although some people prefer brushing daily or more frequently to lessen the amount of hair that falls inside your home.

Background

Klein German Spitz belongs to a very ancient breed that descended from the Nordic herding dogs which were probably brought to Europe by the Vikings. It was developed in North Germany and evidence points that it existed since 1450. During the eighteenth century, the breed arrived in England, immediately growing in popularity along with another closely related dog; the Pomeranian, for the following hundred years. Decades after the Second World War, the dog became quite rare. In America, dogs of this breed are loosely classified as American Eskimo Dogs.

Jack Russell Terrier

Description

Jack Russell Terriers are playful, confident, loyal, loving and high-energy dogs. They want to be part of their families, need lots of attention, play and games. They are happy, friendly and outgoing dogs that can be very kind and gentle. 

A dog of this breed is absolutely fearless and strong-willed. It will eagerly take on any other dog regardless of its size! It becomes confrontational towards other dogs and might resort to aggression if not controlled. Generally, does not get along with cats and smaller pets; considering them as prey to be chased and hunted. It’s easy to train though and can prove to be very obedient; although it’s also strong-minded and must be treated firmly, disciplined and given rules to follow. Needless to say, this dog makes a very good watchdog, fiercely protective of its family as it is. It can bark non-stop when it senses strangers near. Fortunately, it can still become friendly with new faces once it’s given the chance to know them. 

The Jack Russell Terrier bursts with energy and craves playing with its toys and games; definitely not a couch potato! It requires lots of outdoor and indoor activities. It also needs daily walks, although it should be kept on a leash so it can’t chase after small animals. If possible, it must have an enclosed yard where it can play. Leaving it alone should also be avoided; when lonely or bored, it could resort to barking, digging, chewing or even jumping to escape. This dog is kind towards children, preferably older ones since it’s quite sensitive to teasing; snapping and growling when treated roughly. It’s also a medium shedder; not the best pet choice if you don’t like finding too much dog hair around the house.

Features

A Jack Russell Terrier is ten to twelve inches tall from feet to shoulders and usually weighs thirteen to seventeen pounds. It has a slightly harsh and short coat that can be tan, black, white or any combination of these, in color.

Grooming Needs

This dog only requires the occasional brushing, although some owners prefer to brush more frequently to reduce the amount of hair being shed inside the house.

Background

Jack Russell Terriers descended from fox terriers. They were developed in the southern part of England and used in hunting foxes above and below the ground.

The breed took its name from Reverend John Russell; he used his terriers in flushing animals while riding out. The English Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1989. These terriers were also already known in the United States early in the 1930s. AKC recognized the Jack Russells in 2003, putting them under another name: Parson Russell Terriers.

Shetland Sheepdog

Description

A Shetland Sheepdog, also known as the “Sheltie,” is a loving, sweet, active, busy and intensely loyal dog that is always eager to play and work with you. It is affectionate and sensitive, and seems capable of reading your moods, and has quite a powerful craving to please you. It enjoys being near you and building a relationship with you. It is kind, gentle and a devoted family companion that can easily become attached to a single person. Around strangers though, it can be suspicious and reserved; generally not delighted be being touched or petted by someone it does not know. To prevent it from growing up timid, it must be exposed to new people while it’s still young. 

This dog makes a perfect watchdog and would bark loudly on a stranger’s approach; however, it usually retreats when actually confronted with the intruder. Although it can be yappy, it’s known to bark too much at times and should be trained and taught when to stop doing so. Fortunately, the Sheltie is very easy to train, a quick learner and is eager to obey all your commands. It responds happily and excitedly towards rewards and praises; wanting more than anything to do what you want. As expected though, it can be sensitive toward harsh corrections and scolding so it would be best to be gentle, yet firm in training it. 

A Shetland Sheepdog is quick, agile and strong; always wanting to keep itself busy! Energetic as it is, this dog needs plenty of physical and mental stimulation. It loves performing tasks and greatly excels agility, obedience and herding competitions. It has a strong instinct for chasing and herding, and will herd children, adults and pets. It needs a walk each day and opportunities to play and run free, but must be kept inside enclosed areas or on a leash when outdoors since it might try herding everything in sight; even cars. Thus, you should be extra careful not to unleash it near roadways.

This dog gets along fine with other pets; even with children, as long as they are considerate. However, it can become nervous and snappy with rambunctious and younger children; it needs to be taught to refrain from nipping at heels. It’s best to raise the Shetland Sheepdog with children since puppyhood, rather than introducing it to them when it’s already an adult. Unfortunately, this dog is a really high shedder and is not the perfect pet for those who don’t want frequent vacuuming.

Features

A Shetland Sheepdog is thirteen to sixteen inches tall from feet to shoulders and usually weighs twelve to eighteen pounds. It’s got a double coat that consists of a thick, soft undercoat, and a long, rough and straight outer coat. The color of its coat is tan and white, or tri-colored; mixed with black, sable and blue.

Grooming Needs

This dog only needs the occasional brushing, although some prefer to brush it every day to lessen the amount of dead hair that falls all over the house.

Background

Shetland Sheepdogs got their name from Scotland’s Shetland Islands, and most probably descended from the Rough Collies, which were interbred with a smaller Iceland dog. Shelties were bred to herd sheep and cows as well as a great family companion. In 1909, the breed was registered in England, then later separated from the collies and designated to be a breed of its own in 1914. It was in 1911 when the very first American Shetland Sheepdog was registered, and an American association dedicated to the breed was founded later in 1929. The dog became so popular that in the recent years, over breeding it became a source of concern, prompting warning to dog owners to be more careful in acquiring well-bred and stable Shelties.

Understanding Dog Food

Dogs’ nutritional needs may differ from ours. What we deem as healthy for us might not sufficient or appropriate for them. To give your dog the best nutrition available you will have to understand their specific needs and how to address them. After all, taking care of man’s best friend does take a little preparation and know-how.

Your dog needs the essential nutrients to grow, go, and glow. If your dog does not receive proper nutrients it may result in poor health, stunted growth, lethargy and shortened lifespan.

Dogs like most animal life forms need the six basic nutrients for survival: carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients serve different functions in sustaining the health and well-being of your dog. This guide will elaborate on dogs’ need of these nutrients.

1. Proteins: the building blocks of your dog’s health
Proteins are chemicals made of amino acids. Your dog can produce some of these chemicals in their own bodies. The rest has to be supplied through food. The best sources of these amino acids are meat and its byproducts. Dogs can extract proteins from these sources a lot easier than it would with plant sources.

Choose feeds that have an adequate amount of protein in them to help your puppies and working dogs grow. Too much of this, however, may cause kidney problems and has been known to cause temperament problems.

2. Fats: delivering other nutrients to the body
Fat sound like a bad word – everyone tries to avoid it because it causes tons of health problems. Dogs, however, just like man, also have a need for these nutrients – albeit in a moderate amount.

The right amount of fat is needed to promote good skin health, and to transport fat-soluble vitamins. Fats are also essential to kidney function and reproductive health. They make food tastier too. Too much fat will result in obesity and lethargy.

3. Carbohydrates: doggie fuel
Fifty percent of your dog’s diet should consist of carbohydrates since they need it for their energy. Corn is one of the more popular sources of this nutrient, along with soybeans. If this source is clean and of good nutritional quality then that should be fine as well.

4. Vitamins and Minerals: keeping your dog healthy
It would have been easier if your dog only had to splurge on vitamins and minerals to get optimal health. However, the opposite is true. Your dog needs an exact amount of vitamins and minerals to be healthy. Although, your dog may receive these nutrients from food, vitamin supplements for your dogs could be helpful. Specially formulated commercial feeds also make it easier for dog owners to give their dogs good nutrition.

Your Dog Is Not A Person

Dogs are not people. It may seem like an obvious observation, but so many people make the mistake time and time again of expecting their dog to act and think like a person. They attribute human traits and emotions to these noble animals and thus undermine their whole relationship, sending confusing signals and stressing the dog.

Remember, the dog is an animal. Yes, even your cute little friend who curls up on the sofa next to you and loves to have his tummy tickled. He's an animal, and he MUST be treated as such to give him a healthy, fulfilling life. Small dogs are particularly prone to being treated as children or babies and this can lead to a multitude of behavioral problems, not to mention confusion and misery for the dog.

Firstly, let's look at the exchange of love between ourselves and our dogs. Most of us love our dogs and can feel a warm spot in the middle of our chests when we see them or think of them. Does the dog feel that too? We have to assume not. He loves us, but he loves us in a different way. He relies on us for his well-being and survival. He looks to us (if we are successful) as a leader of his pack and he trusts us in our decisions.

He is happy to be with you because he is a pack animal and his attachment to you may well be very deep. But he doesn't have the complicated love-psychology of a human being. He doesn't have the same concept of ethics and morality and he certainly doesn't know anything above and beyond what his animal instincts tell him. If a friend of yours enters the house and your dog doesn't like him, he's not going to “be nice” to the friend for your sake! Conversely, he doesn't misbehave or sulk to get attention or “pay you back” for something you did. These are human emotions and motives that we attribute to our dogs almost unconsciously.

We should also look at the concept of praise and punishment in training. On the whole, I advocate praising good behavior and ignoring misbehavior. I do not believe in punishing a dog for bad behavior, but sometimes a short, sharp shout can be a good reminder to a dog that is doing something he knows he shouldn't. It is essential to remember that you can only praise or give correction to your dog AT THE VERY MOMENT he is exhibiting the behavior in question. He is not a child and will not know nor remember what he did five minutes ago. This is a fundamental difference between people and dogs and if remembered, will make training a much easier task.

So the key to this is “think like a dog”. Imagine you are a pack animal like him. Don't ever think of him as a human, still less a child or a baby, whatever his size and however cute his face. You have to hard-wire this concept into your relationship with your dog and he will only thank you for it. He is a dog, an animal, and only by truly understanding this will you be able to fulfill his needs and form a meaningful, satisfying relationship for both of you.

Small Dog Hygiene

Washing your dog is important, but not as important as some people think. Healthy dogs actually don’t need to be washed all that often, but humans prefer to bathe them so that they have a more pleasing smell and appearance. Doggie bath time is a good time to spend with the dog, however. Although most of them don’t like to be washed, they will appreciate the contact and attention that they receive from their owners during a bath. It is also a good time to perform some other necessary “dog maintenance” such as cleaning the ears, checking for ticks and fleas, and brushing the teeth. Since many dogs do not like to sit still for any of these activities, it can be a good idea to do them all at once.

Brushing Dogs’ Teeth

Brushing your dogs’ teeth is just good dental hygiene. Most vets recommend that it be done at least twice a week to ensure your dog maintains healthy teeth and gums. If you’ve not been doing this (and, unfortunately, many people don’t) it’s never too late to start. The dog should have its own toothbrush and special toothpaste designed for dogs. Make sure you brush the back teeth in small circles, the same way you would your own, and brush up and down the length of the “pointy” canine teeth. Dog toothpaste is made to have a pleasing taste (for the dog, don’t try it yourself) and this should make the dog willing to let you perform this activity.

Checking for Ticks & Fleas

Ticks are nasty little arachnids (they’re eight-legged creatures like spiders, and therefore are not insects) that will latch onto your dog’s skin and make its blood their meal ticket. They are most common in wooded areas, but your dog should be checked for them regularly because they can carry a number of diseases. The best place to look for these bugs in under the collar or on the dog’s underbelly, buried in the fur. If found they can be removed with tweezers.

Fleas can be found in the same places, under the fur. The presence of fleas can be betrayed by the sight of their droppings on the dog’s coat. They look like flecks of pepper. The fleas themselves look like bits of brown rice. They’re about an eighth of an inch long. They can’t simply be picked off of the dog like ticks can, but finding them will let you know its time to start the dog on a program to control and eliminate the insects.

Cleaning the Ears

Pet supply stores sell special solutions for cleansing a dog’s ears. Dogs can easily get ear mites, small insects which live in the ears and feed of the waxy secretions there. Over time the bodies of these short-lived creatures build up and form a black, dirty substance. Using a cotton swab dipped in a bit of this solution, gently clean the inner ear. It may be difficult to hold the dog still for this procedure, but it doesn’t take long. And the result will be clean ears and the avoidance of potential infection and earaches in the dog.

Teaching Your Dog To Sit

Teaching your dog the "sit" command could be one of the most useful commands you ever teach him. A poorly trained dog is a direct reflection on you the pet owner and how much care about your dog.  In fact an untrained dog becomes a nuisance to its owner therefore the dog and owner become unhappy.  Whether it's a puppy or a fully grown dog you can teach them to sit with a little effort on your part.

Have you been putting it off because you think your dog will never be able to learn a new 'trick'? Don't put it off any longer. Start teaching your dog how to sit today.

Use some of these tips to teach your dog to sit:

You are going to need some treats; unfortunately this is always the best way to get a dog to do something you want! You can use anything you know your dog enjoys: biscuits, chewy treats or household items.

The main goal is to get your dog to sit when you use the word. One way you can gradually get your dog used to the word is by saying the word when the dog is sitting anyway. Dog sits down - you say "sit" and praise them.

You will also need to practice this every day by doing the following:

- Call your dog and offer them the treat. Let them sniff the treat and get excited first!

- Slowly move the treat until it's over the dogs head. The dog will naturally move into the sitting position.

- It's important that the dog associates the activity of sitting with the treat, the praise and the action of sitting. Try to get your timing right.

- Keep bribing the dog and gradually decrease the size of the treat. Keep enthusiastically praising the dog.

- Repeat this exercise a few times a day. Don't overdo it - you want your pet to think of it as fun.

- Try to practice around mealtimes when your dog is hungry; this will make him keener for the treats.

- Have the treats easily accessible, don't fumble around - the treat needs to happen as the dog is sitting.

- Don't push your dog’s bottom down; this won't work because your pet will associate the action of sitting with having you push his bottom to the ground. If this really isn't working you might want to consider obedience classes with other dogs.

- End each training session on a positive note.

Teaching your dog to sit using these positive reinforcement techniques will strengthen the bond between you. Consider it time well spent.

Once you have mastered the basic command 'sit' it should be quite easy to train your dog the other basic commands. "Sit-stay", "down" 'heel' and 'come are some of the most useful commands. Use the treats in a similar way. Training your dog is an ongoing process. You want to keep praising your dog regularly and never associate anger with the dog’s reaction to your command.

Make use of every new situation to train or put your training into practice. The most important part about learning how to sit - is that the dog sits under a variety of conditions. Sitting in new environments, around other dogs, around new people, when the doorbell rings etc.

Training your dog well is one of the most important things you can do for your dog. Besides having a well behaved dog you will also have an obedient dog. Dogs function as part of a pack - and you are the leader. Your dog will be better adjusted and happier if they know their place in the pack.  Your dog is by nature keen to please you. Be a great pack leader and start teaching your puppy to sit today!

Small Dog Training Resources