Training a Dog That Is Itching: A Common Dog Problem
A dog itching can become a challenge when the owner wants to perform the dog training techniques. To train a dog, it is necessary to have his full attention, and when a dog is itching and scratching, this is almost an impossible task. That is the reason why a dog owner should make sure that his dog is free of allergies, fleas, ticks or anything else that could cause the dog to itch. It does not matter if you are teaching the best dog training tips to your pet, if he is not paying attention you will not be successful at training him.
Incessant itching is a prevalent phenomenon among dogs. If a part of them is itchy, they scratch it, they lick it. When a dog owner sees this, worry sets in and he scrambles to search for the cause of that itch.
Like us, dogs can also suffer from having skin problems. It can tick off the dog who has to go through the itching and scratching, and even the dog owner who can’t make heads or tails of the cause. A flea, probably. But the owner didn’t find one. What could the cause be? If fleas are a common cause of dog itching, and a flea can’t be found, maybe there’s another cause. The dog maybe has a skin problem.
It’s awful to see a dog stretch and reach for that itchy spot. They’ll do it over and over again, sitting in one position and twisting to reach that spot, trying the other side. All dogs can do is react to the itch and try to relieve it by scratching it. It doesn’t know that constantly clawing their fur eventually breaks their skin. When that happens, a wound starts and could get infected. Dirt and a lot of microbes aren’t standing still on this; they’ll get in that wound eventually. Still, the dog scratches on that spot, even though it wounds itself more. As a decent owner, you simply must take your dog to your vet to get checked up.
Do’s and Dont’s of Dog Training
There are different approaches to dog training and these methods are proven effective in training your dog to be the well-mannered dog you always wanted her to be. There are some do’s and dont’s of dog training that you must know before training your dog. These do’s and dont’s of dog training are important to be taken note of so that you may identify the positive and negative factors that can affect how your dog is responding to training.
The do’s and dont’s of dog training are not really something so complicated and these can be easily understood by even the simplest pet lover and dog owner trying their hand at dog training.
First to take in consideration are the dont’s in dog training. You must remember that dogs are living things and like humans, they have different attitudes so training different kinds of breeds may differ slightly. Generally, when training dogs, you should not put your dog nor yourself in a situation where both of you are not ready to handle, so that you avoid any mishaps or frustration from happening. Also, if you are training your pup in your house with lots of older dogs, you must not allow them to mingle especially if the adult dogs are intolerant of the younger ones.
In relation to this, you must not expect that your dog will like all the dogs she will meet. Moreover, you must not allow your dog to become overexcited because the tendency for dogs when overexcited is that they will have no control over how they act. As owner, you must not allow other dogs to be rude to your dogs so it is best to keep a watch on them. You should also not ignore your dog when you feel that she is trying to tell you something especially if you notice something amiss in her behavior. Never impose your training goals to your dog and never punish a dog for doing something wrong.
Now, let us look at the do’s of dog training. First in line is to recognize that dogs need personal space. You must be able to respect this fact so that in turn the dog will respect you as well. It is also important that your dog must socialize with other dogs so that she will be aware of the presence of other creatures like her. Sometimes, when dogs have extreme dislike of another dog or thing, you must be able to understand her for having this type of attitude. Also, you must be able to build your dog’s tolerance levels by putting her through positive and rewarding experiences.
Make sure you make your dog feel that you as owner and trainer also serves as her protector. An important thing to recognize when training your dog is that sometimes you will not see eye to eye as to your training goals, so if it takes time for the dog to be in the same boat as you are, then you must be very patient in understanding this fact. An effective way into positively reinforcing your dog during training is to put your dog’s needs, fears and concerns first on the list. Since you want your dog to learn, then it is important for him to feel that you actually care about them by showering them with much attention.
The do’s and dont’s of dog training presented above will help you into training your dog at home.
A deep investigation of your dog’s itchy problem is needed. Your vet will do several runs of test just to check the cause of that itch, and rule out some theories. Often, the cause behind skin problems in dogs are allergens or microbes. This means most of your dog’s or any dog’s skin conditions are bound to happen some time. The usual manifestations of doggie skin problems are flees, having allergen, fungi, and flaky skin. Other time, medical conditions of dogs cause their skin problems.
If your dog claws himself incessantly, part of his skin could have been already infected by a lot of parasites. Fleas and ticks, the usual suspects. They drain blood from your dog. You find them by slowly running your fingers’ tips through your dog’s fur, to reveal the skin underneath. Small lumps and bumps mean you got the suspects. But this is not always the cause.
Severe itchiness, termed pruritus, is caused by allergies. The underlying cause of that is often the environmental conditions where the dog lives. That dog’s skin is simply reacting to his surroundings. If you can remove the source of allergen and keep things in the home tidy, especially where the dog sleeps, the itchiness could go down. Or, move the dog to another place.
If you chance upon patches on your dog’s skin, and even scars, go take your dog to your vet about this. It’s possible it’s already fungi or even bacterial infection that’s causing the itching. Antifungal solutions are often available for this condition.
Observation is always key, especially when you’re not sure what causes the itching. List down the signs you observe. Take that dog and that list to the vet. that list will help. Soon you and your dog will be rewarded with a good night’s sleep. No scratching involved.
Most importantly, do not get mad at your pet if you do not pay too much attention to the dog training lessons, as you saw above itching could be cause by some serious problems, that might need your immediate attention.
Have a great "dog training" day,
Dr. Alfonso
