Training your dog to high jump is not as hard as you may think that it is. After all, dogs love to jump around and have fun; and by doing the high jump they will certainly be having fun!

Artificially intelligent Dr. Doolittles can understand dog barks as well or better than humans do. These findings suggest computers might significantly help people comprehend animal communication. Scientists tested artificially intelligent software on more than 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs.
After analyzing digital versions of the barks, overall the computer program correctly identified the kinds of barks the dogs made 43 percent of the time - about the same as humans' 40 percent, said researcher Csaba Molnar, an ethologist at Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary. The software identified 'walk' and 'ball' barks better than people, although people identified 'play' and 'alone' barks better than the software.

The small group of veterans gathers at Riverside's March Field Air Museum once a year, traveling from all corners of the country, to mourn forgotten heroes of battle. They come to honor the dogs that saved lives by detecting booby traps and watching over military camps, dogs that became trusted friends in times of loneliness. The meeting point is the 16-foot-tall West Coast War Dog Memorial, which holds a bronze statue of a soldier and his German shepherd. For years, veterans have sought to have the contributions of war dogs recognized with a national monument. The West Coast memorial, designed by Denver-area sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg, was to have been placed at Riverside National Cemetery, but a national Veterans Affairs advisory committee argued that doing so would be disrespectful. The museum agreed to take it, and the veterans to meet there every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day.

Who says camping in the great outdoors is just for humans, taking your dog camping with the family is one of the best experiences your canine can have. After smelling the same smells and hearing the same sounds, they too get tired of the monotony. Who doesn't benefit from fresh air and new experiences?

Dogs are smart, but they don't naturally know what you want them to do, just because you tell them to do something. They're kind of like children, they just want what they want without regard to whether it is right and wrong. If you really want a well-trained dog, then you've got to train them to become your perfect canine companion. Simply telling them to do something isn't sufficient. Commands and words sometimes may sometimes work, but if you truly want to see some amazing results then you should consider clicker training.

Summer is usually a time of rest, relaxation, vacations and fun activities for the whole family - which often includes the family dog as well. However, just like any other season, summer has its own hazards which you need to look out for such as sunburn, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. These are specific hazards that can threaten not only humans, but animals as well. Unfortunately, many dogs are exposed to these serious dangers all too often. Dogs often get locked up in cars while their owner just "runs into the store for a minute". That "minute" (which is usually more like 10 to 20 minutes) can mean the difference between life and death for your pooch. Don't be regretful after something horrible happens. Take some simple precautions and actions to prevent these hazards from happening to your pet.

Spring is fading gradually into summer, and a lot of us love to spend time outdoors with our dogs. This means exposure to illness, but the most dreaded for dog owners is parvovirus. it strikes hard and kills fast-often within two to three days of dogs showing symptoms. But there's a lot of conflicting information on the web: some say it's airborne, some say it's only through feces. (Experts say it's through feces, even in trace amounts.) Some say it can stay in the environment for 6 months, others a year, some say indoors it will survive for only a month. Some say humans can be affected to some degree, others say not at all.

You are the center of your dog's universe. It is a weighty responsibility. You probably give your dog food, medical care, exercise, shelter and affection. But have you ever considered what your dog may truly need that you neglect? I think we love our dogs so much because they seem so like us in so many ways. We can see them feel joy and pain just like us. Things that we so admire in humans such as loyalty, trust and a boundless joy are so abundant in our dogs that we cannot help but love them. But loving our dogs means more then simply showering them with treats and kisses. We must respect that in being so like us humans that they need purpose beyond living for food and shelter.

Shih Tzu dogs are highly intelligent creatures and many pet owners do not give them enough credit when it comes to the way they can read and understand our body language. Some people have no idea that the body language that we display has a major impact on how well a Shih Tzu dog will listen to us and obey our commands. Using the correct form of body language can also quickly stop your Shih Tzu dog from displaying an improper behavior. Let's use a very common example, such as the overexcited Shih Tzu dog who likes to jump on every guest that comes to your door. We all go through this with our puppy or adult Shih Tzu dog at some point in time. As soon as the guests arrive your Shih Tzu is overwhelmed with happiness and excitement about who is at the door and whether or not they are going to play with him.

'If you do what you love, you'll never 'work' another day in your life," says Connie Pinkerton, who left a corporate job after 22 years to become a dog trainer. The first step toward Pinkerton's career change began four years ago when she became a volunteer at Human Haven Animal Shelter (HHAS) in Bolingbrook. Bark Busters, a company comprised of dog behavioral therapists and trainers, demonstrated their training methods to HHAS volunteers and Pinkerton was sold on their mission to enable clear communication between owners and their dogs. Shortly after the demonstration, Pinkerton enrolled in the Bark Buster "boot camp" and became a certified trainer. Pinkerton's training makes her a valuable resource as an adoption counselor at HHAS, since she is able to provide assistance if problems occur after a dog is adopted. She uses non-physical training methods in the owner's home that teach the owner how to "talk to your dog in a dog's language," ...