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www.neapolitan.org/



mastiff.org/index.html



www.paws.org/cas/resources/fact_sheets_dogs/
(great site - fact sheets on everything DOG)


MASTIFF INFO
www.angelfire.com/biz4/MastiffBreeder/main1sitetableofcontents.html
(excellent site - mastiff health, temperment, training, history, stories, art and more)



www.akc.org/public_education/resources.cfm


www.offa.org/



www.pennhip.org/



www.unchainyourdog.org/Fences.htm



www.holisticblend.com/show_info.php
(this site has an ingredient dictionary for dogfood - invaluable!!)



www.puppy-names.com/



A kids guide to Dog Care
www.loveyourdog.com/

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* Puppy Personality Types:

* Investigator-This puppy is very outgoing, comes toward new stimulus, sounds, people or other animals.

* Bystander-This puppy is more reserved and cautious and would choose to let the investigator move in first before engaging with stimulus.

* Bashful-This puppy is much more cautious and non- confrontational. He/she is more of a "people pleaser" and can become confused when there's too much stimuli.

* The "investigative" puppy seems to do well with families with children, as they bond quickly and enjoy the "rough and tumble" joys that a small child can provide.
* The "bystander" also does well with children, but may be a little slower in engaging and will have a need for his "safe place." (A place where he can call his own. e.g. pillow/kennel etc.
* The "bashful" pup likes to build more of a one on one relationship and is more likely to be your constant companion and may be less inclined to be in crowds or busy environments.


Reprinted……… a great article………a story and a lesson
CRATING: TRAINING OR TORTURE?
From The Akita Club

The scenario is familiar to most dog owners: an adorable puppy is bought because it is so cute, so cuddly, so adorable... Then it starts to grow...and grow... and grow... and so, too, does its appetite. It graduates from free feeding in its early days to four regular meals a day, then three meals a day, and then (if it's a larger breed) two meals.
It's little needle teeth are soon replaced by adult TEETH! Big, pretty and white. And sharp! And soon it starts supplementing its diet with such tasty morsels as: the couch, an end table the corner of which is just the right height from the floor to allow it to fit neatly into the corner of Poochie's mouth, making it perfect dental floss for the molars. Those new drapes are great for play-attacking, as are those hand-made throw pillows. And, aaahh Lord, those really terrific feathers! I mean, are the greatest, or what?
Soon, tender expressions of family love are replaced by apoplectic wild-eyed screaming, once gently stroking hands become flailing weapons with but one intent: to grab Poochie and knock him cold! Human feet that once tip-toed across the room so as not to waken sleeping baby Poochie("Look, he's asleep. Isn't he a darlin' little guy? Couldn't you just hug him to pieces?") now attempt to kick Poochie right through closed doors or a wall.
Banished, screamed at, ignored, confined to whatever tiny space contains the least valuable of family possessions, allowed to be with the family only after being read the riot act and under threat of instant death, Poochie continues to grow: from cute puppy to gangly, discombobulated clumsy puppyhood to young adult, not quite understanding what the fuss is all about. So he begins to plot his revenge, and one night while all is silent in the house he makes his move.
Reveille, and all hands are up and about, with daddy headed for the kitchen for his coffee, when the first whiff of eau d'poo assails the nostrils. By the end of this day, or this week at most, Poochie is history with this family. And with him goes all the anger, the destruction, the weird behavior that caused such frustration and despair to his once loving owners, all of it is gone! Out, damned dog! And don't ever mention "dog" in this house again!
Poochie, of course, is salvageable and if he's lucky, really lucky, he'll end up with a Breed Rescue organization or in a no-kill shelter. And maybe, just maybe, he'll be adopted by a more understanding new owner who will take Poochie home and CRATE him until he's properly re-socialized, house-broken, and trained until he understands what is needed of him and is steady in his performance.
The above tale of woe could have had a happier ending if Poochie's original owners had crate trained him from the start. House breaking would have been swifter, with steadier results. Destructive behavior would have been nipped in the bud, before it had time to become a pleasurable (and hard to break) diversion for the pup. It all boils down to one important point: if you keep a constant watch on Poochie, you can catch and correct him whenever he thinks he'd like to... whatever! If you can't watch him because you (had to go to the toilet, answer the phone, stir the pot, go to the store, etc), then pop him into his crate! When you get back from???? he'll still be there, alive, chewing his rawhide, standing with his front feet in his water bowl and a grin on his face, or (most likely )asleep. Unless, of course, you went shopping in another country, and the above mentioned toilet was on American Airlines. Then, by time you got back to Poochie he'd again be history and you'd be under arrest!
Many people have an unfounded but understandable aversion to crating a dog. It's inhumane, they say: cruel and unusual punishment. How could you put Poochie into something that's no bigger than a bread-box, no better than a jail, and keep him there? You ought to be reported (investigated; horse-whipped; wrapped in barbed wire and rolled down a long hill; boiled in oil; denied permission to ever own another dog, prevented from having children..oh, heck, the list is endless!), they say. When pressed for their solution to Poochie's behavior they reel off a whole list of improbable suggestions, including the ever popular and totally disgusting and cruel "...rub his nose in it!". Now I ask you, is beating with the hand or a stick or rolled paper, chaining to a tree in the backyard, locking up in the laundry room, putting into the basement, confining to the outdoors never to lay at the foot of his master's or mistresses bed at night, better than a few weeks of crate training?
That's right. A few weeks... Not the rest of his life. Not day in and day out, being released only for food and a quick trip to the nearest tree before being confined again. Crating is nothing more than a training aid that helps prevent problems before they start. It will help in quickly breaking habits before they become ingrained in the nature of the beast. And if you do it with intelligence, with real conviction, and with love, Poochie isn't going to look unkindly upon it. Remember, canines are"cave-dwellers" by nature. In the wild they build dens and lairs, or inhabit natural caves. In your house a dog will often lay beneath a table or in the corner of the room, or (as my male does) on the first landing of the stairs where it is dark and protected on three sides! Properly introduced to a crate early in life Poochie will quickly look upon it as its own safety zone, its cave if you will, and will retreat to it at appropriate times or on command. For example, I have a friend who has two children (one a toddler) and three dogs: two Akitas and a miniature poodle. He introduced the Akitas to crating the day after he had run to the local grocery store for milk, leaving the dogs asleep on the living room floor. He was gone fifteen minutes at most, but he returned to find the couch shredded! Totally shredded; I mean, down to the frame, folks! A brand new $1200 couch... that was as close as those dogs ever came to dying, for he was literally going to take those youngsters out and shoot them. But wife and children came to the dog's defence, and reason prevailed. I loaned him two of my crates until he could buy his own, the couch was repaired to the tune of seven hundred dollars and he went to the local pet store and spent eighty bucks for a couple of crates to replace my loaners. Today, those two fully grown Akitas respond to the quietly spoken command "Crate" by getting into their respective "cave", laying down and going to sleep, even though there is no longer any reason to continue to crate them. The doors of the crates are left open; they are now used simply as a means to get the animals out from under foot during house cleaning or dinner parties.
Look at the economics involved: Ninety bucks or less for a crate, or five hundred bucks to repair damage to the house or its furnishings? The answer to that, of course, is obvious. Look at the peace of mind involved: when you cannot keep an eye on young Poochie because (bathroom, the phone, guest for coffee and a chat, the store... ) into the crate-- No! substitute the word LAIR for crate and it might be easier for you to accept-- and close the door. When you get back to your pet he'll still be there, alive and well and ready for "walkie-walkies".
OKAY, I'M CONVINCED! WHAT DO I DO?
1. Consider what size this little fella will attain at maturity, and pickout a crate that will accommodate the dog when full grown. An adult dog should be able to stand erect in the crate, and turn around in it without being cramped. If you make an error in judgement as to size, better it be too large than too small. Consider the distance between the bars of the cage: they should not be more than two inches apart or the pup could very well wedge its head through them. Remember, the initial cost will be repaid you with peace of mind beyond value. There are two types of crate available: the travel crate, which is enclosed on all sides except the front which is a wire grid door; or, (the type I prefer) wire-grid open all around, with a sliding pan type removable floor, which affords the dog unrestricted visibility. Both types are portable, of course, with the open-grid type having the added convenience of disassembly if you want to break it down and carry it in the trunk of your car, for example. Whichever you choose, once you get it home set it up nicely for the pup. Apiece of carpet cut to size for the floor of the crate (you can get remnants from your local carpet store) will make it cozy inside. Put it in a location that will be convenient for you to keep an eye on, and where Poochie can keep an eye on you. In my own case, I had one in the living room and one in the bedroom so my pal could always be close to me but under control in those areas where we normally hang out and relax...and thus allow me to relax!
2. In the wild, the pup is introduced to the concept of "cave" by being born into it. Later, a change of location is introduced by the bitch when she carries her litter to their new home. You, too, must introduce Poochie to its new home. Make it as pleasant as you can: put toys in there; feed the dog in the crate, leaving the door open so he can get to his food whenever he wants to eat; coax the pup inside, quietly close the door, and play with it through the bars. After a while walk quietly away and leave him alone. If he yodels and yells, ignore it or correct it with the usual "No! Quiet! Phooey!".
NEVER, EVER, USE THE CRATE FOR PUNISHMENT NOR IN SUCH A WAY THE PUP PERCEIVES BEING IN THE CRATE AS PUNISHMENT!
This canno tbe over-emphasized: if you want "Poo" to accept that crate as his own, as safe refuge, refrain from hitting him then throwing him in it and slamming the door shut with anger. For example, your attention wandered from the pup because you had to attend to supper cooking on the stove. In the meantime, Poo discovered that some houseplants taste great and have all this really terrific dirt in them that makes SUCH a nice contrast with the newly cleaned white carpet. When you discover Poo's discovery, discipline on the spot, but do NOT express your displeasure by sticking him into the crate with a show of exasperation. Clean up the mess, continuing to verbalize your displeasure (What a bad dog! Shame! Phooey!); Poo will most likely retreat to the crate without prompting, in order to find refuge from your anger. If so, great! He's doing just what you want him to do: accept the confinement of the crate as his safe haven. If not, after you calm down, coax him into the crate, or gently place him there, and close the door. Remember, his transgression was YOUR fault for you failed to follow one of the basic tenets of crating: If you cannot keep the pup under constant observation, even for so short a period as it takes to stir the soup, put him into the crate!
3. As an aid to housebreaking, the crate really shines as an investment. Just keep in mind the following general principal of pups and what they eat/drink: whatever Poochie stuffs into its face will sooner or later reappear at the other end of him, usually within thirty to forty-five minutes later! AND... an animal will rarely if ever foul where it lives or sleeps! If it does foul its crate, it's your fault because you miscalculated his ability to "hold it in". This is a given, and this is what makes housebreaking possible! It's just an extension of Poo's natural instinct, i.e. to dump outside the home. Given the pups undeveloped bladder/bowel control, you have to help him along. EXACTLY THE SAME AS TOILET TRAINING HUMAN CHILDREN!! Therefore, you should be prepared to walk Poochie thirty minutes to an hour after he eats, and immediately after a play session in the house and before you put him into the crate.
This was my routine: in the evening, around eight o'clock, food was picked up and put aside, Seiko (my Akita male) was released outside to his established "spot" for toilet. Leashed, we'd walk a ways letting him sniff and snuffle here and there, then return home. Play, groom, hang-out, then a quick trip outside to his spot before putting him back into the crate. While we were hanging out together, if the phone rang, into the crate! Taking a shower, into the crate. Run next door for a chat, into... You get the idea, right? At ten I picked up the water bowl (regardless of how hot the weather was, by the way) and immediately took Seiko outdoors to his spot. Upon return indoors, I put Seiko into the bedroom crate where he would watch me preparing for bed. Lights out, and thereafter any complaint from Seiko was reprimanded quietly.
Reveille at 0530; Seiko was released from the crate and immediately taken to his outdoor spot where he would sniff and snuffle to his hearts content while I sipped at my coffee and enjoyed the early morning calm. As soon as he finished his toilet I'd make a small party for him, celebrating his great intelligence at dumping in all the right places. Back into the house, he'd have breakfast as I had mine. Then he went back into his crate so I could finish my normal morning routine. Throughout the day his routine never changed: Period of play; outdoors for toilet; into the crate; out of the crate and immediately outdoors for toilet; period of play; outdoors for toilet; into the crate. Within three weeks, Seiko would immediately head for the door as soon as I released him from the crate and wait impatiently for me to let him out for "peepee/Kaka". Quickly onto a regular feeding schedule (early AM and early evening), his routine was soon established and adhered to.
Seiko has never had an "accident" in the house, nor has he ever put his teeth into anything I didn't give him to chew! Neither has his main squeeze "Kiku" nor their son "Ichiban". Thanks to crating, I've rarely had to punish any of them for unchecked indiscretions. So now, on those rare occasions when I do correct or discipline for some infraction, my displeasure is vented verbally and the disapproval in my voice makes them much more regretful than beating or banishment ever could.
Once you have embarked upon the crate-training journey, and have over come the pet-store-puppy-in-a-cage image conjured up by seeing cute little Poochie behind bars, then remain consistent in your routine and methods.It boils down to a very basic routine: From crate to outdoors to play to outdoors and back to crate; then start all over again. Soon enough Poo will make it to the front door without prompting from you; he'll play withyou until he's tired and will then wander into his DEN, flop down and goto sleep without having to be coaxed, or even run to the front door and ask to go out. He'll even go into his den on command (Poo... crate!) without fuss or nonsense. Within two or three months you will have achieved more with your little pal than non-crating friends with their dogs who, if they bought their pup the same time you bought yours, are by now probably into punching, kicking, screaming at or isolating their uncontrolled, thus less well-behaved pets. You will never regret your decision to give crating a try! And crating will have no adverse effect upon the dog. It isn't cruel and inhumane treatment. With your own peace of mind (no more coming home from the grocery store wondering "...what the hell the dog got into this time...") will come a more relaxed and loving attitude towards your dog, and a happier and more understanding eager to please attitude from good old Poo.

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TRAINING INFO
 

Introducing Your New Dog to Your resident Dog
Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish a social structure within the group called a dominance hierarchy. This dominance hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict and promote cooperation among pack members. Dogs also establish territories, which they may defend against intruders or rivals. This social and territorial nature affects their behavior when a new dog is introduced to their household.
Introduction Techniques
• Choose a neutral location: Introduce the dogs in a neutral location so that your resident dog is less likely to view the newcomer as a territorial intruder. Each dog should be handled by a separate person. With both dogs on a leash, take them to an area with which neither is familiar, such as a park or a neighbor’s yard. If you frequently walk your resident dog in a park near your house, she may view that park as her territory, so choose another site that’s unfamiliar to her. We recommend bringing your resident dog with you to the shelter and introducing the dogs before adopting the new dog.
• Use positive reinforcement: From the first meeting, you want both dogs to expect “good things” to happen when they’re in each other’s presence. Let them sniff each other, which is normal canine greeting behavior. As they do, talk to them in a happy, friendly tone of voice - never use a threatening tone of voice. Don’t allow them to investigate and sniff each other for a prolonged time, as this may escalate to an aggressive response. After a short time, get both dogs’ attention, and give each dog a treat in return for obeying a simple command, such as “sit” or “stay.” Take the dogs for a walk and let them sniff and investigate each other at intervals. Continue with the “happy talk,” food rewards and simple commands.
• Be aware of body postures: One body posture that indicates things are going well is a “play-bow.” One dog will crouch with her front legs on the ground and her hind end in the air. This is an invitation to play that usually elicits friendly behavior from the other dog. Watch carefully for body postures that indicate an aggressive response, including hair standing up on the other dog’s back, teeth-baring, deep growls, a stiff legged gait or a prolonged stare. If you see such postures, interrupt the interaction immediately by calmly and positively getting each dog interested in something else. For example, both handlers can call their dogs to them, have them sit or lie down and reward each with a treat. The dogs will become interested in the treats which will prevent the situation from escalating into aggression. Try letting the dogs interact again, but this time for a shorter time period and/or at a greater distance from each other.
• Taking the dogs home: When the dogs seem to be tolerating each other’s presence without fearful or aggressive responses, and the investigative greeting behaviors have tapered off, you can take them home. Whether you choose to take them in the same, or different vehicles, will depend on their size, how well they ride in the car, how trouble-free the initial introduction has been and how many dogs are involved.
• If you have more than one resident dog in your household, it may be best to introduce the resident dogs to the new dog one at a time. Two or more resident dogs may have a tendency to “gang up” on the newcomer.
Introducing Puppies to Adult Dogs
Puppies usually pester adult dogs unmercifully. Before the age of four months, puppies may not recognize subtle body postures from adult dogs signaling that they’ve had enough. Well-socialized adult dogs with good temperaments may set limits with puppies with a growl or snarl. These behaviors are normal and should be allowed. Adult dogs that aren’t well-socialized, or that have a history of fighting with other dogs, may attempt to set limits with more aggressive behaviors, such as biting, which could harm the puppy. For this reason, a puppy shouldn’t be left alone with an adult dog until you’re confident the puppy isn’t in any danger. Be sure to give the adult dog some quiet time away from the puppy, and perhaps, some individual attention as described above.
When to Get Help
If the introduction of a new dog to a household doesn’t go smoothly, contact a professional animal behaviorist immediately. Dogs can be severely injured in fights, and the longer the problem continues, the harder it can be to resolve. Conflicts between dogs in the same family can often be resolved with professional help. Punishment won’t work and could make things worse.
Developmental Stages of Puppies

0–7 Weeks
The developmental tasks of this period all involve learning appropriate social behavior with other dogs. Interactions with mother and siblings teach bite inhibition, appropriate submissive and attention-soliciting behavior, attention-receptive behavior, and general confidence with other dogs. Orphan puppies and single-pup litters are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning how to be a dog among dogs. Some of these lessons can be learned later (though how late is “too late” has not been clearly determined) under carefully arranged and supervised conditions. Orphan puppies, especially those bottle-fed from a very early age without mother or siblings, make very problematic pets without knowledgeable remedial behavior shaping.
7–8 Weeks
Ideal time for going home. This is the very best age for forming strong bonds with people. Puppies are mentally mature enough to adjust to changes, and to begin their training in manners. Research on this critical period has even pinpointed an ideal day for going into a new home: the 49th!
8–10 Weeks
Sometimes referred to as the “fear period,” the puppy is especially impressionable now. Object-associations formed during this period leave indelible imprints. It’s vital that the puppy have as many positive experiences with people, other animals, and novel situations as can be arranged. It’s equally vital to avoid painful or scary experiences until after 11 weeks. Those mildly unpleasant experiences that can’t be avoided (like puppy shots) should be turned into positive ones by your reaction: always “jolly up” a scared puppy by laughing, praising the puppy, and treating the event as a game. Never give the appropriately human empathetic response of soothing reassurance, as this convinces the puppy that it must be really awful since you’re upset too!
8–16 Weeks
Puppy kindergarten classes teach the owner how to teach and the puppy how to learn! Make sure all training sessions are fun and successful. Take advantage of the puppy’s dependence on you and strong desire to be near you to teach him to be reliable on "come."
Never punish a puppy, for any reason, if he has come to your call—or come to you at all! In fact, avoid trainers/training techniques which rely on punishment. Get the puppy out into the world and expose him to as many new things and different ages, sexes and races of people as possible. Always make sure you can control the situation so the experiences will be positive. Have the puppy on a leash so that you can intervene if anything threatens or frightens him.
4–6 Months
This pre-adolescent period is characterized by the gradual increase of independence and confidence. The puppy will venture further and further from you side, motivated by his own curiosity and increasing confidence in the world. Continue training, in a class if possible. Begin incorporating distractions into your practice sessions. Take the puppy with you everywhere! This period is very important in cementing a bond strong enough to withstand the trials of adolescence (right around the corner!) Make certain your puppy is spayed or neutered by 6 months. There is absolutely no reason to allow the disruptive effects of sex hormones to complicate his/your life!
6–12 Months
Even with the best preparation during puppyhood, things will be “hairy” from time to time during this period. The puppy/young dog’s needs for stimulation, companionship and activity are very high, and his tolerance for boredom and inactivity are low. This is the period in which sexual maturity is reached in unaltered animals. Owners will experience “testing” behaviors reminiscent of human teenagers. Avoid situations in which the dog’s occasional lapses of obedience could have harmful results—lie off-leash work in an unsecured area. Continue to provide safe opportunities for vigorous play and exercise, and safe toys to occupy teeth and mind when he’s confined. This is not the time to expect “model” behavior.
12–18 Months
Somewhere during this period, your dog will reach emotional maturity: sooner, with small breeds, and later for large dogs. At that time, dogs with tendencies toward dominance will begin to assert themselves, hoping to raise their status in the “pack” (your household!) This behavior occurs within a structure of familiar relationships and only when the animal is approaching emotional maturity. Living with a dominant dog does not mean that the owner must “conquer” the dog, or give up attempts to control him. But challenges from the dog must be recognized immediately and taken seriously. Punishment is not the appropriate method of dealing with this, and is likely to provoke a dangerous response. Consult a competent behaviorist whenever the first warnings of dominance aggression manifest.
Dealing With Normal Puppy Behavior: Nipping And Rough Play
When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or "mouth" hands during play or when being petted. With puppies, this is rarely aggressive behavior in which the intent is to do harm. Because puppies are highly motivated to exhibit this type of behavior, attempts to suppress it or stop it are unlikely to be successful unless you give your puppy an alternative behavior. The goals of working with this normal puppy behavior are to redirect your puppy's desire to put something in her mouth onto acceptable chew toys and to teach her to be gentle when a hand is in her mouth.
Encourage Acceptable Behavior
Redirect your puppy's chewing onto acceptable objects by offering her a small rawhide chew bone or other type of chew toy whenever you pet her. Rawhide and other bones should only be given when you can monitor them to prevent choking. This technique can be especially effective when children want to pet her. As you or the child reach out to scratch her behind the ears (not over the head) with one hand, offer the chew bone with the other. This will not only help your puppy learn that people and petting are wonderful, but will also keep her mouth busy while she's being petted. Alternate which hand does the petting and which one has the chew bone. At first, you may need to pet or scratch your puppy for short periods of time, since the longer she's petted, the more likely she is to get excited and start to nip.
Discourage Unacceptable Behavior
You must also teach your puppy to be gentle with hands, and that nipping results in unpleasant consequences for her. Teach your puppy that nipping "turns off" any attention and social interaction with you. After a nip, look your puppy right in the eye, and yell "OUCH" as though you've been mortally wounded, then ignore her. Leave the room if you must, but ignore her until she's calm, then try the chew bone and petting method again. It's even better if you can coax your puppy into a sitting position using food. It may take many repetitions for her to understand what's expected.
Nipping and mouthing hands can also be discouraged by loosely holding your puppy's lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger after she's taken your hand in her mouth. Don't hurt her by squeezing too hard, just gently hang on so that wherever her mouth goes, your hand hangs on. This will quickly become tiresome and she'll eventually pull away. After several seconds, release her jaw, but continue to offer her your hand. If she licks or ignores it, praise, pet and offer a tidbit. If she closes her mouth on your hand again, repeat the procedure.
A third alternative is to wear cotton gloves coated with a substance with an unpleasant taste such as "Bitter Apple." In this way, your puppy will learn that "hands in mouth taste bad." For this method to work, every time she nips your hand she must experience this bad taste. The possible disadvantage to this method is that your puppy may learn "hands with gloves taste bad and those without gloves don't."
Remember that any of these three methods will probably not be effective unless you work hard to teach your puppy the right behavior by offering her an acceptable chew toy.
Jumping Up
When your puppy jumps up on you, she wants attention. Whether you push her away, knee her in the chest or step on her hind legs, she's being rewarded for jumping up even though it's negative attention, she's still getting what she wants, your attention.
When your puppy jumps up:
• Fold your arms in front of you, turn away from her and say "off."
• Continue to turn away from her until all four of her feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat. If she knows the "sit" command, give the command when all four of her feet are on the ground, then quietly praise her and give her a treat her while she's in the sitting position.
• When you begin to praise her, if she begins to jump up again, simply turn away and repeat step two, above. Remember to keep your praise low-key.
When your puppy realizes that she gets no attention from you while she's jumping up, but does get attention when she stops jumping up and sits, she'll stop jumping up. Remember, once you've taught her to come and sit quietly for attention, you must reward her behavior. Be careful not to ignore her when she comes and sits politely, waiting for your attention.
What Not To Do
Attempts to tap, slap or hit your puppy in the face for nipping or jumping up are almost guaranteed to backfire. Several things may happen, depending on your puppy's temperament and the severity of the correction:
• She could become "hand-shy" and cringe or cower whenever a hand comes toward her face.
• She could become afraid of you and refuse to come to you or approach you at all.
• She could respond in a defensive manner and attempt to bite you to defend herself.
• She could interpret a mild slap as an invitation to play, causing her to become more excited and even more likely to nip.
Never play "tug-of-war" or wrestling games with your puppy if you're having a nipping problem. These types of games encourage out-of-control behavior, grabbing, lunging and competition with you. These aren't behaviors you want her to learn.
A Note About Children And Puppies
It's very difficult for children under eight or nine years old to practice the kind of behavior modification outlined here. Children's first reaction to being nipped or mouthed by a puppy is to push the puppy away with their hands and arms. This will be interpreted by the puppy as play and will probably cause the puppy to nip and mouth even more. Dogs should never be left alone with children under ten and parents should monitor closely all interactions between their children and dogs.
PLEASE ASK FOR HELP IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH BEHAVIORS – WE WON’T THINK IT’S A REFLECTION ON YOU AND WE HAVE LOTS OF USEFUL AND HELPFUL THINGS FOR YOU

Dealing With Dominance In Dogs

What does "dominance" mean?
In order to understand why your dog is acting "dominant," it's important to know some things about canine social systems. Animals who live in social groups, including domestic dogs and wolves, establish a social structure called a dominance hierarchy within their group. This hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict and promote cooperation among group members. A position within the dominance hierarchy is established by each member of the group, based on the outcomes of interactions between themselves and the other pack members. The more dominant animals can control access to valued items such as food, den sites and mates. For domestic dogs, valued items might be food, toys, sleeping or resting places, as well as attention from their owner.
In order for your home to be a safe and happy place for pets and people, it's best that the humans in the household assume the highest positions in the dominance hierarchy. Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. A dominant dog may stare, bark, growl, snap or even bite when you give him a command or ask him to give up a toy, treat or resting place. Sometimes even hugging, petting or grooming can be interpreted as gestures of dominance and, therefore, provoke a growl or snap because of the similarity of these actions to behaviors that are displayed by dominant dogs. Nevertheless, a dominant dog may still be very affectionate and may even solicit petting and attention from you.
You may have a dominance issue with your dog if:
• He resists obeying commands that he knows well.
• He won't move out of your way when required.
• He nudges your hand, takes you're arm in his mouth or insists on being petted or played with (in other words, ordering you to obey him).
• He defends his food bowl, toys or other objects from you.
• He growls or bares his teeth at you under any circumstances.
• He won't let anyone (you, the vet, the groomer) give him medication or handle him.
• He gets up on furniture without permission and won't get down.
• He snaps at you.
What to do if you recognize signs of dominance in your dog:
If you recognize the beginning signs of dominance aggression in your dog, you should immediately consult an animal behavior specialist. No physical punishment should be used. Getting physical with a dominant dog may cause the dog to intensify his aggression, posing the risk of injury to you. With a dog that has shown signs of dominance aggression, you should always take precautions to ensure the safety of your family and others who may encounter your dog by:
• Avoiding situations that elicit the aggressive behavior.
• During the times your dog is acting aggressively, back off and use "happy talk" to relieve the tenseness of the situation.
• Supervise, confine and/or restrict your dog's activities as necessary, especially when children or other pets are present.
• When you're outdoors with your dog, use a "Gentle Leader" or muzzle.
• When you're indoors with your dog, control access to the entire house by using baby gates and/or by crating your dog. You can also use a cage-type muzzle, or a "Gentle Leader" and leash, but only when you can closely supervise your dog.
Dominance aggression problems are unlikely to go away without your taking steps to resolve them. Treatment of dominance aggression problems should always be supervised by an animal behavior specialist, since dominant aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous.
The following techniques (which don't require a physical confrontation with your dog) can help you gain some control:
• Spay or neuter your dog to reduce hormonal contributions to aggression. NOTE: After a mature animal has been spayed or neutered, it may take time for those hormones to clear from the system. Also, long-standing behavior patterns may continue even after the hormones or other causes no longer exist.
• "Nothing in Life is Free" is a safe, non-confrontational way to establish your leadership and requires your dog to work for everything he gets from you. Have your dog obey at least one command (such as "sit") before you pet him, give him dinner, put on his leash or throw a toy for him. If your dog doesn't know any commands or doesn't perform them reliably, you'll first have to teach him, using positive reinforcement, and practice with him daily. You may need to seek professional help if your dog is not obeying each time you ask after two to three weeks of working on a command.
• Don't feed your dog people food from the table and don't allow begging.
• Don't play "tug of war," wrestle or play roughly with your dog.
• Ignore barking and jumping up.
• Don't allow your dog on the furniture or your bed, as this is a privilege reserved for leaders. If your dog growls or snaps when you try to remove him from the furniture, use a treat to lure him off. Otherwise, try to limit his access to your bed and/or furniture by using baby gates, a crate, or by closing doors.
• Always remember to reward good behavior.
• Consult your veterinarian about acupuncture, massage therapy or drug therapy.
• Obedience classes may be helpful in establishing a relationship between you and your dog in which you give commands and he obeys them (be sure to choose a trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods). Obedience classes alone, however, won't necessarily prevent or reduce dominance aggression.
A Note About Children and Dogs
From your dog's point of view, children, too, have a place in the dominance hierarchy. Because children are smaller and get down on the dog's level to play, dogs often consider them to be playmates or littermates, rather than superiors. Small children and dogs should not be left alone together without adult supervision. Older children should be taught how to play and interact appropriately and safely with dogs; however, no child should be left alone with a dog who has displayed signs of aggression.
Mtn Stream Mastiffs provides a lifetime of training assistance – feel free to contact us at anytime if you need help or support!

 

Protein requirements of dogs and cats is an important and often misunderstood aspect of pet nutrition. "You are what you eat" is a saying we've all heard and it surely has some truth to it. Every responsible dog owner I’ve talked to has real concern about feeding a high quality diet to his or her dogs. Remarkably, no two dog owners seem to agree as to which dog food is the best. A large part of the disagreement regarding the best food to feed centers on the often ambiguous, mysterious and sometimes incorrect information we all see regarding the substance we call Protein. Lets get the facts straight about the importance of protein in the dogs diet. Then we can better judge which food would be the best for own dogs.
Our feline friends are classified as true carnivores because they must consume meat in order to survive. Go here to see some of the differences between feline and canine metabolism. Canines are just slightly different from cats in their conversion of foods for life maintenance; dogs are classified as omnivores. They can survive on a diet of either plant or animal origin if it is balanced and diverse. But to thrive and not merely survive, dogs should have a source of animal protein - MEAT - in their diets. There is a huge difference between survive and thrive! Nature made the rules of biochemistry and nutrition and we mortals have no power (and no business, for that matter) to try to bend those rules. For that reason there are truly no adequate vegetarian diets for cats. For that reason dogs thrive on diets based on meat.
Every single day in practice I see dogs that are not thriving because Nature's rules are not being followed. Overweight dogs, dogs with itchy, flaky skin, dogs with coarse and brittle coats, dogs with poor energy levels and resistance to infection. . . 95% of the time these dogs will be consuming diets low in animal origin tissues and high in grain-based products. Inexpensive, corn-based diets are some of the worst.

FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN FOODS OF PLANT ORIGIN

Dogs need meat! Dogs thrive on meat-based diets. (Caution: an ALL meat diet is hazardous too!) Dogs can and do assimilate grains such as corn, barley, oats, wheat and soybean meal. Remember, though, that grains provide mostly carbohydrates and only limited amino acid (protein) profiles. Extra carbohydrate intake, above the immediate needs of the dog (which occurs often with grain-based diets) prompts internal enzyme factors to store that extra carbohydrate (sugar) as fat.
Give that same dog extra protein and it is excreted through the kidneys and NOT stored as fat. Knowing this, what do you think would make a better "weight loss diet" for a dog. . . one with grain as the main ingredient or one with a protein-rich meat source as the main ingredient?
Ahhhhhh. . . I know what you're thinking! Too much protein! Kidney damage! Well, guess what? The very early research that pointed a finger at protein as being a cause of kidney failure in dogs wasn't even done on dogs! It was done on rats fed unnatural diets for a rodent... diets high in protein. (Were we tinkering with Nature during these tests?) Rats have difficulty excreting excess protein in their diets because they are essentially plant eaters, not meat eaters. Dogs are quite able to tolerate diets with protein levels higher than 30% on a dry weight basis. Dogs are meat eaters; that's how Nature made them! Rats are not. So some of the early research on rats was assumed to be true for dogs... and the myth of "too much protein in a dog's diet causes kidney damage" was started. And just like any seemingly valid rumor or assertion, it derived a life of its own and is only recently being accepted as untrue. Here is just one of many references that recently have appeared asserting the lack of data indicating that reducing the protein level in a food helps to protect the kidneys... Kirk's Veterinary Therapy XIII, Small Animal Practice, page 861, written by Finco, Brown, Barsanti and Bartges "...restriction of protein intake does not alter the development of renal lesions nor does it preserve renal function. Considering these (research) findings, the authors do not recommend reduction of dietary protein in dogs with renal disease or reduced renal function in order to achieve renoprotective effects." They do recommend, though, that once a Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) level reaches 75, which is very elevated, that some restriction of protein intake be considered for beneficial effects unrelated to kidney function dynamics. These authors point out that Phosphorus blood levels can play a major role in the health status of dogs with compromised kidney function.

A few words about PROTEIN requirements in dogs and cats

A fable that has finally been debunked is the one that states that dogs acquire kidney problems from eating too much protein. This fable was repeated so often that it became self-sustaining and axiomatic. Finally, experts in animal nutrition have buried this myth. It simply is not true that high protein levels in dog food cause kidney problems. "The dog can digest large amounts of proteins, especially those of animal origin" stated Prof. Dominique Grandjean DVM, Ph.D., at the Fourth Annual International Sled Dog Veterinary Medical Association Symposium (page 53 of 1997 PROCEEDINGS).

The following statements are quoted from CANINE AND FELINE NUTRITION
by Case, Carey and Hirakawa,
Published by C.V.Mosby, 1995

Current, and even ignored thirty-year-old research by Dr. David S. Kronfeld and others, spells out the evolutionary need for canines to have sources of high quality protein such as is found in animal tissues. Meat (muscle tissue), organ tissues such as liver, kidneys, spleen, and heart are particularly rich in the complex molecules called Amino Acids that end up as protein. There are 22 Amino Acids involved with the dogs metabolism and of these the dog requires 10 different Amino Acids to be supplied by the diet. The other 12 required Amino Acids can be manufactured internally in the dogs liver. Grains tend to be better sources of carbohydrate, a quick source of energy. Animal-derived tissues are more easily digestible and have a more complete array of Amino Acids than do grains. Meats and meat by-products (meat by-products are blood and organ tissues and do not include hide, hair, hooves and teeth) are exceptionally high quality protein sources for dogs. (Thats right! Meat by-products are excellent sources of nourishment for dogs. By-products do not contain floor sweepings, old flea collars, gasoline or machine parts. We all need to have an open mind and take a look at what by-products really are.)
But too much protein is bad, right? you ask. Do your own research and poll half a dozen nutrition specialists (not the guy who runs the local pet shop) and here is what you will find: There is no general agreement among expert nutritionists regarding what constitutes too much protein in the dogs diet. Research shows that dogs have a high capacity for digesting and utilizing diets containing more than thirty percent protein on a dry weight basis. (Dry weight basis means the food with no moisture present. Dry dog food in a bag usually has 10 percent moisture and canned food has about 74 percent moisture.) If left to catch and consume prey to survive, as wild canines do every day, dogs diets would be even higher in protein than what is generally available commercially.
Think about it... do you ever see a stray dog grazing in a corn or bean field to allay its hunger? Nature has created a meat-eating machine in the dog and every day in practice I see the health benefits displayed by the feeding of meat-based diets. Dogs fed poor quality diets look and feel great only if their caretakers also feed table scraps such as chicken, meat, eggs, cottage cheese and other left-overs. Meat such as chicken, poultry, beef or fish should be the first ingredient listed in any dog food you judge to be the best.
But what about the older pet? you might ask. I’ve always been told that high protein diets are bad for an older dog's kidneys; even my veterinarian says so. What researchers have proven is this: In dogs that actually have kidney damage or dysfunction (regardless of their age) and that have a BUN level greater than 75, restricted protein intake may be beneficial but not because of any adverse impact on the kidneys. The protein these impaired dogs ingest should be of high quality such as is derived from eggs, poultry, and meat. On the other hand, high protein levels in a food DO NOT cause kidney damage in the normal, healthy dog or cat!
So what does that mean for the older dog? It means that you should not restrict feeding high quality protein to older dogs just because they are older. There is even some valid research that indicates older dogs may need a higher percentage of protein in their diets than they required during middle age. This shouldn’t be a surprise to us because dogs evolved through the ages as meat eaters. The grain-based diets for dogs did not even exist until seventy years ago when we humans demanded the convenience, simplicity and economy of dog food in a bag.
The bottom line is this, and it is based on fact... protein intake does not cause kidney damage in healthy dogs or cats of any age. So whatever you choose as the best diet for your dog, make certain that an animal tissue source is listed first in the ingredient list. Your older dog or cat should, if its kidney function is normal, receive the benefits of a high quality diet rich in animal-derived protein. For an excellent source of easily understood nutrition principles consider purchasing

CANINE AND FELINE NUTRITION, by Case, Carey and Hirakawa. C. V. Mosby publishes it.

PROTEIN AND HYPERACTIVITY

Most dog caretakers at one time or another have heard this pronouncement... "High protein diets can make dogs hyper!" I have searched the literature and contacted nutrition specialists regarding this myth and nowhere can I find any scientific study that proves this unfounded contention. There are no biochemical or nutritional factors that would even make this supposition appear to be credible. Hyperactivity in dogs has numerous potential motivators, including genetic temperament predispositions, but a link between high levels of protein in a dog's diet and hyperactivity has yet to be proven. I listened to a canine "expert" once tell me that Purina Hi Pro was causing hyperactivity in dogs and that he's seen it happen. I politely pointed out that Purina Hi Pro is in fact not high in protein at all... and yet the myth goes on.

Feed your dog a high quality, meat-based diet and, just as Nature set things up, your dog will thrive. Fear not the feeding of Protein.
Contrasting Grain-based and Meat-based Diets
Fed To Dogs and Cats

It is common knowledge and generally agreed upon by experts that dogs and cats are meat eaters and have evolved through the ages primarily as meat eaters. Although now "domesticated", our pet dogs and cats have not evolved rumens along their digestive tracts in order to ferment cellulose and other plant material, nor have their pancreases evolved a way to secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules, nor have dogs and cats become efficient at digesting and assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein. Herbivores do those sorts of things. That’s how Nature is set up at this time.

On the other hand, some plant material such as rice, soybean meal and corn have some, although limited, usefulness in the meat eater's diet. Corn, wheat, soy, rice and barley are not bad or harmful to dogs and cats. These plant sources are simply not good choices (we do get to choose what we feed our pets, don't we?) for the foundation of a diet to optimally nourish animals what are, have been, and for the foreseeable future will be meat eaters.

What is the difference between grain based and meat based foods for pet dogs and cats? If you don't believe that dogs and cats are primarily meat eaters, you might as well click away now because you certainly won't believe what follows. Most of what is presented next has been derived from two excellent references on small animal nutrition:

Canine and Feline Nutrition
Case, Carey and Hirakawa
Published by Mosby, 1995 Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, III
Lewis, Morris, Jr., and Hand
Published by Mark Morris and Associates, 1992

There are twenty-two different alpha amino acids that mammals need for various metabolic and energy activities. Dogs and cats are able to synthesize twelve of these internally and, therefore, are required to ingest the other ten in their diets. Because these ten amino acids are necessarily acquired only through food acquisition, they are termed essential amino acids. Refer to the list in Table 1. The word "essential" is misleading because all of these are essential for good health. Somebody a long time ago started referring to the amino acids that are not formed internally, and need to be eaten, as the "essential amino acids". Who says science is exact?!
"Non essential" (not required in the diet) TABLE 1 "Essential" (is only obtained via the diet)

Amino Acids Utilized by Dogs and Cats
Alanine Arginine Asparagine Aspartate Histidine Cysteine Isoleucine Glutamate Methionine Hydroxylysine Phenylalanine
Glycine Glutamine Tryptophan Threonine Proline Valine Leucine Lysine Serine Hydroxyproline Taurine (cats)

Herbivores conveniently have amino acids produced to a great extent by billions of microorganisms along their multi-stomached and lengthy gastrointestinal tracts. Our dog and cat friends with their relatively short and simple gastrointestinal tracts are unable to capitalize on microbe amino acid synthesis and require preformed (meaning they can't make it themselves) amino acids (in the form of larger protein molecules) to be present in sufficient diversity in ingested food. Cats have a few special needs that dogs to not have, among other things is a dietary source of a beta amino acid called taurine. (See Cats Are Different) And as it happens, the higher the fiber (plant or grain) content of the diet, the higher the level of taurine required in the cat's diet.
For this discussion, in order to simplify an extremely complex topic, let us assume a few things:
Let's assume we can design a really good diet for dogs and an equally good diet for cats.
Now we'll put one together...
Fats required are easy to acquire from both plant and animal origins and are easily mixed into the diet. Everyone agrees that linoleic and (for cats) arachidonic fatty acids are necessary. (Linolenic is synthesized from linoleic by dogs and cats). High quality fats are readily available, can be stabilized with Vitamin E and Vitamin C, and are fairly consistent in cost. There. That takes care of the fat in the diet. Nothing complicated to this.

Vitamins and minerals are inexpensive, well documented as to types and amounts, and can be added conveniently to any food product. No problem here.

Carbohydrates are useful to dogs and cats for readily burnable fuel for all kinds of muscular and metabolic activities. Cheap and easily produced sources of carbohydrates are such items as rice, corn, wheat, barley and soy. Hmmmmmmm... Sounds like what some pet food manufacturers are commonly using as their first choice for a diet’s foundation. Some even claim these plant products to be an excellent source of protein! Case, Carey and Hirakawa in their book on nutrition list seventeen plant products including ground rice, corn, wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa and others as sources of carbohydrates. In fact, one of the benefits of carbohydrates, so say the experts, is that they are protein sparing. That is, the animal will utilize inexpensive carbohydrate sources for energy if available to the animal before the animal will utilize more expensive (a human concept!) protein. So. . . let's add some plant material to our ideal food for the carbohydrate benefits and not confuse anybody by implying (or worse, stating) that the corn, rice or wheat is primarily a protein product. (The same authors list nineteen pet food ingredients used as protein sources. . . and ground corn, wheat, rice, oats, barley and alfalfa are NOT on that list.) That takes care of the carbohydrates in our diet; we know we will use some inexpensive grains, however our diet will NOT use grain as the foundation or primary ingredient. And just so you know, dogs and cats do very well on diets with minimal carbohydrates and a preponderance of fats and high quality protein. Dogs and cats differ from humans in this respect. Remember… all aspects of human nutrition do not necessarily correspond to canine and feline nutrition.

Having stated that proteins can readily be used as a source of energy for dogs and cats, that carbohydrates are of much less importance than in human diet and metabolism, we should place a major responsibility on the protein content of our ideal diet. Since we know that ten amino acids are required from dietary sources, it only makes sense that we pick a protein source that has a full spectrum of amino acids. We know for sure we are not going to pick corn as a protein source since it contains only four of the ten essential amino acids and contains no taurine, plus nutrition experts didn't even include corn on the list of protein sources in pet foods. Corn was on the carbohydrate list!

Canine and Feline Nutrition, on page 175, lists substances that provide protein… beef, chicken, eggs, fish, lamb and meat by-products. (Just so you know… the meat by-products in pet foods as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials do NOT contain hair, hide, hooves or feathers, but actually refer to organ meats like liver, kidney, stomach, heart, blood, spleen, etc.) Meat by-products are a great source of protein for a meat eating animal.

Therefore, for our diet to contain a wide spectrum of amino acids, we will choose to have it contain the best source of protein for mammals. . . eggs, or more precisely the egg whites. This substance has a wide amino acid profile and is highly digestible. In fact, egg white is considered a standard against which other protein sources are measured. Other really good choices would be meat, poultry or fish.
So for dogs and cats... our custom diet will contain vitamins and minerals, some grain for readily available energy, a proper amount and ratio of fat sources, and as a foundation,
a high quality MEAT source.
Pet food manufacturers know very well how to make a great diet just like the one we put together. The problem is that it would be expensive to produce, especially if eggs and beef and fish were in it. And to be competitive with other pet food producers, the price of the food dictates what the foundation (primary ingredients) of the diet will be.

ENTER CORN... it's cheap, takes up lots of room in the bag of food and in the pet's stomach so it will "fill ‘em up", it's a good carbohydrate source so the pet will have some energy, it has a few amino acids in it so the corn will contribute to the protein totals on the guaranteed analysis list, and there's a cheap and steady supply of corn. So the pet food manufacturer makes a corn diet, adds some "meat and bone meal" (which has been cooked at least twice before it gets in the bag and may contain too much calcium) to "complete the amino acid profile" and adds a few other calculated substances so that COMPLETE AND BALANCED can be stamped prominently on the pet food label.

The natural world was set up in such a way that, in reference to dog and cat food, cheap ingredients based on plant products and resulting in cheap pet foods always turn out to be a poor choice when attempting to nourish a meat eater. Conversely, expensive substances such as eggs, meat, poultry and fish are far better choices when designing a good diet for meat eaters. NOTE! “Expensive” and “costs” are human terms and have no relationship to what Nature set up regarding what constitutes an ideal diet for a meat eater.

Throughout each of the nutrition texts referred to in this article, the authors repeatedly stress the importance of high quality, nutrient dense, and highly digestible pet food products. Yes, these products will cost the consumer more than the generic brands. We animal caretakers have an obligation to our animals to strongly favor good quality products and to stop choosing pet foods based upon price.

Dogs and cats are livelier and healthier when meat, poultry, lamb and fish are the foundation of their diets. In other words, we should choose to feed them as the meat eaters they are and denounce the senseless practice of feeding them as if they were herbivores simply because that would be cheaper to do.

According to Case, Carey and Hirakawa in Canine and Feline Nutrition, page 174,

"In general, high-quality animal source proteins provide superior amino acid balances for companion animals, compared with the amino acid balances that are supplied by grain proteins. The protein in grains is not as balanced or available as the protein in high-quality animal sources…"
By high-quality they are referring to meat, poultry and fish products that are derived mainly from muscle and organ tissue rather than "meat and bone meals". Some types of animal-derived meals are not considered to be high quality because of the processing they undergo.

A few individuals express concern regarding feeding dogs and cats "high protein" diets. Blame is laid on "high protein" levels for a spectrum of disorders ranging from epilepsy to hyperactivity to kidney damage. Attempts to find a level of protein at which a diet becomes "high" in it are often met with a range of values; nutrition experts do not all agree what level constitutes a “high” level of protein in a dog or cat’s diet. Purina's labeling of one type of food as Hi Pro (ostensibly conveying the image of an upper level of protein) is very questionable. The data showing that excess protein causes renal damage are imaginative extrapolations of results derived from test animals that have renal deficits pre-existing and who are then fed levels of protein that induce uremic poisoning. Early studies that pronounced protein as harmful to dog kidneys were based on studies done on RATS! They weren't even done on dogs, and that research drove the pet food industry for years. As it turns out, there are major differences in how the rat kidney (is a rat a meat eater, anyway?) metabolizes protein contrasted to how the canine kidney handles protein. ThePetCenter invites anyone to produce even one scientific experiment on dogs or cats that proves normal kidneys are harmed by feeding good quality, balanced rations that contain high levels of protein.

This text is taken from the link below - there is a ton more information on dog nutrition and health