Hobbies

To teach a dog to jump, with your right hand hold a cane just high enough above the ground so that your dog can easily step over it, and in your left hand hold a piece of treat just in front of him, so that he will have to step over the stick to get it. As the dog grows older and understands what you want him to do, you can raise the stick a few inches at a time, so that he will be obliged eventually to jump over it to obtain the reward. Occasionally refrain from rewarding him, and thus accustom him to jumping without a reward.

After a dog will jump over a stick he can be taught to jump over your extended foot or through a hoop or your arms; in fact, a small dog can be taught to jump through your arms much more easily than over a stick, as all you, have to do is to throw a treat on the ground and hold your arms in front of him so that he will have to walk through them to gain the reward, gradually elevating your arms so that he will be obliged to jump before you allow him to pass. Always encourage your dog by saying "Hip" whenever he jumps.

Standing and walking on the hind legs are tricks that put an abnormal strain upon the muscles of the back and hind legs and most dogs require considerable practice before they gain sufficient control of those muscles to balance themselves in this unnatural position.

Before you rush into teaching this trick, bear in mind that not all dogs can do this trick, especially the big dogs such as St. Bernard or Great Dane as it is almost physically impossible for them to perform such trick. Sorry. This trick is not for you - Big dog owners!

A dog should first be taught to sit up and after he will do this well, hold a small piece of treat just above his nose and say "Up," when he will elevate himself just a trifle to get it, and should be allowed to eat it. Give him daily practice at this, making him reach a little higher from day to day until he can balance himself on his hind feet.

"On Trust" & "Paid For" for are one of the oldest dog tricks that afford as much entertainment as anything a dog can do since the early 1900s. It is not the easiest trick to be taught but can be elaborated on and presented in several different forms to impress most people.

To teach this trick call your dog to you, allowing him to stand up or sit down, as he desires, and hold his head steady with on hand, while you balance a piece of treat on his nose.

Say to him, "On trust, on trust," steadying and restraining his head from moving with one hand and holding up a threatening finger with the other and repeating the words, "On trust, on trust".

After which, release his head, saying "paid for," and give him a little chuck under the chin, that will cause him to toss the treat up and catch it. Of course, in his earlier attempts he will not be able to catch the treat, but he should be allowed to eat the treat after it land on the floor.

The shutting and opening door trick can be taught to all dog breeds. The only consideration maybe would be asking small size dogs to close large or heavy doors which are beyond their physical capabilities.

In teaching this trick select a door that swings easily on its hinges; drive a nail, or simply stick with double sided a makeshift hook on your door at such a distance above the floor that the dog can just reach it by standing on his hind legs with his forefeet resting against the door.

Open the door a few inches, place a small piece of treat on the hook and call your dog’s attention to it, saying "Shut the door." In reaching for the treat the dog will place his forefeet on the door and this will close it. If preferable the treat can be balanced on the door handle, and shutting the door will jar it to the floor, when he should be allowed to eat it and be petted and praised.

The trick of "sitting up" is easily taught to small dogs, but should try not be included in a big dog’s education, as it is difficult for them to preserve their balance.

The training of sitting up is one of the first tricks to teach and forms the groundwork for many other dog tricks. To train a dog to sit up, prepare some treats as a reward, and set your dog on his haunches in a corner, so that he cannot fall either backward or sideways and has very little or no space to lose balance.

Keep him from pitching forward by holding one hand under his chin and with the other hand hold the treat above his nose and keep repeating distinctly and deliberately say, "sit up." Do not make him sit up too long at any one time, but repeat the lesson frequently and reward him often with plentiful of praise and treats.

The performing of dog tricks, while not a necessary part of a dog’s education, is an accomplishment that offer dog owners and his friends a great deal of amusement and adds materially to the value of a dog.

All dogs can be taught tricks, but some breeds have a special aptitude in that direction. At the head of the list of trick dogs is the poodle, as he takes to the performance of tricks as if it was second nature, and he is the main reliance of all showmen dogs.

Newfoundlands, St. Bernards and Great Danes learn without difficulty, while the collies and spaniels are very intelligent; the terriers are quick learners and among the toy dog breed, the Yorkshire Terrier, Toy Fox Terrier and Toy Poodle are highly spoken of and can pick up tricks almost effortlessly.

In selecting the tricks that are to be taught a dog, the owner must show some discretion and no attempt should be made to teach dogs tricks that are not within their powers. For example, a big St. Bernard or Great Dane is sadly out of place or rather almost unachievable attempting to sit up, walk on his hind legs or dance.

When I had a Toy Poodle, I used a small beanie baby toy tied to a twenty foot long cord to exercise him for at least ten minutes at a time, twice a day. I’d throw it across the room and he’d run after it to snatch it up, fueled by canine fantasies of ripping it apart.

But he knew he wouldn’t be able to act out his warrior instincts if he brought it back to me - which is why I had it tied to a cord. As once he got hold of it, that was the only way I could get it back, unless I wanted to chase him around under tables.

Most of the time I’d start yanking on the cord as soon as the toy landed, and he’d have to pounce on it to keep it still long enough to grab it in his mouth. But frequently, I’d be too quick for him - and I was able to get it past his lightening fast paws. Then I would pull the toy across the floor as fast as I could reel the cord in, while he ran after it like a cat chasing a mouse.

My wife and I have been married for 32 years. In that time our pets, more commonly known to us as dogs, have taken a large part of that shared life together. It is no secret that these sometimes small friends are able to take the sting out of loneliness, the hurt out of bad relationships, or in our case, add happiness to an already happy time.

The first dog we had was a mix of german shepherd and black lab. The dog was a female, with mostly black, and some brown. We called her "Berny", after her long name of Bernecia Bernard the first. My wife had picked her up when we first decided to tie the knot. She showed me this small puppy when we met the next day after she received her. I was glad, for I did like dogs.

One of the biggest question asked of the discus breeder is “how do I determine the sex of my fish?” There are very few easy identifiable identifiers in this process. Here, we will discuss the methods used by some of the top breeders.

In juvenile fish, determining sex is almost impossible. It is only when they begin to pair off that an opportunity arises to help in the determination of sex. Juvenile fish, both male and female, have a rounded dorsal fin, and it is not until they begin to mature that a difference can be detected. As it is never wise to excessively handle the fish, close observation is in order to aid the breeder.

In Allnut Enterprises’ King Discus Hatchery, for example, it is an easy process to determine who is who, as we have observed these fish for a while, and can determine the sex of the pairs we own. This would be true in any hatchery. But to the uninitiated or casual observer, this would not be easy to do.

Betta fish, also called Siamese fighting fish are one of the most popular types of fish found in homes across the world. Their vibrant color and active lifestyle seems to draw in fish fanatics as well as those who have never had fish before. Betta’s are relatively easy to care for and their low maintenance is particularly appealing to people who would like to have fish but don’t have a lot of time to care for them.

Once you bring your Betta’s home you should begin to familiarize yourself with their movements and typical behavior patterns. When you look at your fish after you’ve had them for awhile you’ll know if something is wrong, if they are not feeling well, or if the water in their bowl is not in the best condition simply by being observant.

1. Make sure the jar or bowl that you keep your Betta in is big enough so that he can swim around and not bump or tear his fins or scales. Also be sure there is plenty of surface area so that he can get enough oxygen.