In Stanely Coren’s book The Intelligence of Dogs, the author ranks dogs according to their ability to learn new tasks from humans. They were ranked as follows:

Brightest dogs

The brightest dogs were able to understand new Commands with fewer than 5 repetitions and obeyed the first command 95% of the time or better.

1. Border Collie
2. Poodle
3. German Shepherd
4. Golden Retriever
5. Doberman Pinscher
6. Shetland Sheepdog
7. Labrador Retriever
8. Papillon
9. Rottweiler
10. Australian Cattle Dog

Excellent working dogs

Dogs considered to be excellent working dogs were able to understand new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions and obey the first command 85% of the time or better.

11. Pembroke Welsh Corgi

12. Miniature Schnauzer

13. English Springer Spaniel

14. Belgian Shepherd & Tervuren

15. Schipperke & Belgian Sheepdog

16. Collie & Keeshond

17. German Shorthaired Pointer

18. Flat-Coated Retriever & English Cocker Spaniel & Standard Schnauzer

19. Brittany

20. Cocker Spaniel

21. Weimaraner

22. Belgian Malinois & Bernese Mountain Dog

23. Pomeranian

24. Irish Water Spaniel

25. Vizsla

26. Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Above average working dogs

Dogs considered to be above average working dogs were able to understand new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions and obey the first command 70% of the time or better.

27. Chesapeake Bay Retriever & Puli & Yorkshire Terrier

28. Giant Schnauzer

29. Airedale Terrier & Bouvier des Flandres

30. Border Terrier & Briard

31. Welsh Springer Spaniel

32. Manchester Terrier

33. Samoyed

34. Field Spaniel & Newfoundland & Australian Terrier & American Staffordshire Terrier & Gordon Setter & Bearded Collie

35. Cairn Terrier & Kerry Blue Terrier & Irish Setter

36. Norwegian Elkhound

37. Affenpinscher & Silky Terrier & Miniature Pinscher & English Setter & Pharaoh Hound & Clumber Spaniel

38. Norwich Terrier

39. Dalmatian

Average working/obedience intelligence

Dogs of average working and obedience intelligence were able to understand new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions and obey the first command 50% of the time or better.

40. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier & Bedlington Terrier & Fox Terrier (Smooth)

41. Curly Coated Retriever & Irish Wolfhound

42. Kuvasz & Australian Shepherd

43. Saluki & Finnish Spitz & Pointer

44. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel & German Wirehaired Pointer & Black and Tan Coonhound & American Water Spaniel

45. Siberian Husky & Bichon Frise & English Toy Spaniel

46. Tibetan Spaniel & English Foxhound & Otterhound & American Foxhound & Greyhound & Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

47. West Highland White Terrier & Scottish Deerhound

48. Boxer & Great Dane

49. Dachshund & Staffordshire Bull Terrier

50. Alaskan Malamute

51. Whippet & Chinese Shar Pei & Wire Fox Terrier

52. Rhodesian Ridgeback

53. Ibizan Hound & Welsh Terrier & Irish Terrier

54. Boston Terrier & Akita

Fair working/obedience intelligence

Dogs considered to be of fair working/obedience intelligence were able to understand new commands after 40 to 80 repetitions and obey the first command 30% of the time or better.

55. Skye Terrier

56. Norfolk Terrier & Sealyham Terrier

57. Pug

58. French Bulldog

59. Brussels Griffon & Maltese

60. Italian Greyhound

61. Chinese Crested

62. Dandie Dinmont Terrier & Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen & Tibetan Terrier & Japanese Chin & Lakeland Terrier

63. Old English Sheepdog

64. Great Pyrenees

65. Scottish Terrier & Saint Bernard

66. Bull Terrier

67. Chihuahua

68. Lhasa Apso

69. Bullmastiff

What’s your opinion on these rankings?

‘Stop Your Dog Eating Poop: The Complete Guide for Frustrated Dog Owners’ is a new e-book by Mia Montagliani, an expert dog trainer. This ebook will help long suffering dog owners finally stop their dogs eating poop! This ebook is available at http://mydogeatspoop.net.

The great news is that this annoying habit habit can be curbed.

Quiet Arrivals

You can teach your dog to greet visitors calmly. For this to occur, you must have your dog on a lead whenever you are expecting visitors. And when your visitors do arrive, ask them to ignore the dog (so your dog does not get overstimulated).

Use the lead to control how close your dog can get to your visitors. If the dog lunges, whines or attempts to jump up, then take the dog away until calm. Bring the dog back to where the visitors are and allow the dog to stay with the visitors whilst the dog remains calm.

Always remove the dog (by leading the dog away) from the room whenever the dog misbehaves. If this is not done consistently, then dogs will not learn as they will be confused as to what you are trying to teach them.

Always have a mat, crate or other resting place in your living room so the dog can have a place to settle when people are visiting.

You can allow your vistors to pat and play with yourt dog, only after the dog has remained calm for at least a short while. Make sure your visitors do not get your dog too excited with overly rambunctious play, otherwise the dog may revert to jumping again.

Are you worried that your visitors will ignore your request to ignore the dog? I have spoken about this issue with many dog owners and I find the best way to handle this is with a polite request over the phone before they arrive at your door: “I am training my dog, Fido, not to jump on visitors and I am keen to try out this new technique I have learnt. Can you help me with this?” After they agree, simply explain their role in the training process. In this way, your visitors feel they have made an important contribution.

Ignore Your Dog!

Always ignore your dog when you come home – gently greet your dog about 5 minutes after your arrival.

This may seem cruel but, in fact, it is normal for dogs in a pack to be ignored by the pack leader. In the wild, whenever a dominant dog returns back to the pack, the dominant dog would ignore the subordinate dogs and greet the other dominant dogs. Dogs actually expect their leaders to be a little aloof towards them. So, whenever you come home, show your dog you’re the leader by greeting your partner first. (If you do not have a partner, just quietly go about your business without acknowledging the dog). This way, the dog gets a clear picture of who the bosses are in the pack! Your dog will also realise that over excited behaviour will not get the desired attention.

If you’d like more information about training your dog, please click here.

1. How can I trust your company will be there when I need it?

This is a good question to ask whenever you are considering insurance. You should always check out any company you are considering. Find out if the company is well-established. Find out who owns and runs the company. Check online for good and bad reviews of the company and customer complaints. Ask your veterinary office what they have heard about different pet insurance companies. If you have friends who have pet insurance you can also ask them what their experiences have been.

2. Can I keep seeing my current veterinarian?

Many pet owners are concerned about whether they can see their current veterinarian or if they can visit any licensed veterinarian worldwide. You can ask a pet insurance company this question but pet insurance companies do not have managed care the way human insurance companies do. This means that you can always see any veterinarian that you wish to see. You will simply have to pay for the visit yourself and be reimbursed at the ordinary rate according to your policy.

Before taking your pet with you outside your country of residence, however, you should verify that your policy is in effect whilst you and your pet travel internationally.

3. Does your company have coverage that I can easily understand and afford?

Before getting pet insurance with any company you should make sure that you understand the coverage that you are getting and that you can afford the policy. Make sure that you know what will be covered in your policy, what your deductible is and how much you will be reimbursed.

The more coverage you choose for your pet, the more expensive the policy will be. Deductibles can be as low as $50 and as high as $500. Some policies will cover up to 80 percent of illness and accident costs; some policies will provide coverage for some chronic and long-term conditions that began while the pet was covered under the policy. These are all subjects that you will need to examine with each company you are considering.

Most companies will not cover chronic or recurring conditions that are pre-existing at the time of enrollment. If they do so, you can expect to pay a high premium.

Benefits may or may not renew in full annually depending on the company.

You will need to investigate all of these subjects when you consider aspects of a policy for your pet, especially if you have a pet with special needs.

4. How does your company determine claim reimbursements?

Companies generally pay 70 to 90 percent of the claim submitted, minus any deductible or coinsurance amount. You should be aware if the company has a published benefit schedule.

Premiums may increase each year but your premium rate should not be affected by your use of the policy, and your coverage should not be reduced because you submit claims. Your policy should remain in effect as taken out for the entire term of the policy. You can ask the company about these practices if you have questions about them.

5. How does your company determine premiums?

You can ask the company if they use an animal’s breed to determine the premium. You should not use a company that charges a higher premium because you have a certain breed.

Again, you can ask the company if your rates and coverage will be affected by the number of claims you file.

6. How quickly am I reimbursed?

You can ask the company how quickly they reimburse owners following a claim.

7. What is not covered?

Your policy should state what is and is not covered for your pet, but you can also ask the company what is not covered under the policy.

Fortunately, there are some good ways to keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy. Here are some things you can do to keep her teeth pearly white and her breath fresh.

1. Brush your dog’s teeth regularly. You can use a toothbrush specially designed for dogs. There are also toothpastes made for dogs. Some people prefer to use enzymatic toothpastes to clean their dogs’ teeth. The most important things are to brush your dog’s teeth at least once a week and to be sure to brush all of the teeth, including the molars in back and the teeth on the sides. These are places where cavities often occur which can lead to problems.

2. Provide your dog with plenty of safe dental chews. Owners report that their dogs love Greenies dental chews, nylabones, kongs. Dental chews made especially for cleaning your dog’s teeth and hard chews are often recommended. Cow hooves are another favorite, along with deer horns and other hard, natural substances.

3. Diet plays a role in keeping your dog’s teeth clean. Many people like to give their dog raw meaty bones, marrow bones (often with the marrow removed to cut down on fat intake), and frozen poultry such as chicken wings and turkey necks. All of these comestibles are not only good for your dog’s teeth but they can be a healthy part of her diet.

4. Feed dry food rather than canned food. If you feed your dog commercial dog food then studies have shown that hard, dry dog food is slightly better for your dog’s teeth than canned food. In either case, you will need to keep up the brushing and provide your dog chews to keep her teeth clean.

5. Use a scaler to remove tartar when brushing is not enough. A scaler is a small pencil-like tool that allows you to scrape tartar off your dog’s teeth in between visit to the vet.

6. Do ask your veterinarian to examine your dog’s teeth when you have your yearly visit. Your vet should be able to tell if your dog’s teeth are in good health. Your veterinarian can use a scaler and other tools to remove tartar if necessary. At some point in your dog’s life you may need to schedule a professional cleaning under anesthesia.

If you take good care of your dog’s teeth throughout her life there is no reason why he can’t have healthy teeth throughout her life, but it’s up to you to keep her teeth clean and to examine them regularly for signs of trouble.

If you are reading this article, perhaps you are wondering if your dog has worms. In this article, I’ll outline the tell-tale signs of four kinds of intestinal worms. Intestinal worms can include: Whipworm, Hookworm, Roundworm and Tapeworm.

How can I tell if my dog has Whipworm?
Dogs can be infected by Whipworm by eating infected poop or dirt (as Whipworm eggs can live in both). Whipworms are hard to detect; however they can cause recurring diarrhea (which may be bloody), weight loss, anemia and colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). The best way to determine whether your do is infected is to examine your dog’s poop – eggs may appear irregularly so frequent examination is required.

How can I tell if my dog has Roundworm?
Roundworms can cause diarrhea and vomiting in dogs and puppies. Dogs may also look unhealthy and have a pot belly appearance. They may also pass whole roundworms in their poop. You may be able to see these worms in your dog’s poop; they are approximately two to four inches (five to twelve and a half centimetres) long, spaghetti-like and white. Roundworm is not generally life threatening, however, they can cause discomfort.

How can I tell if my dog has Hookworm?
Hookworms can cause itchy feet, a rash on the dog’s feet, coughing and wheezing, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and bloody or black poop. In advanced cases, hookworms can cause anemia and death. Puppies are particularly vulnerable and can die if infected. Hookworms are difficult to detect, therefore consult your veterinarian for regular testing.

How can I tell if my dog has Tapeworm?
Symptoms of Tapeworm can include abdominal discomfort, nervousness, itching around the anus, vomiting and weight loss. The itching may result in your dog ‘scooting’ its bum along the ground. Segments of tapeworm can be found in your dog’s poop. The segments are small, wide and flat and look like grains of uncooked rice or sesame seeds.

The Treatment of Worms
If your dog is infected or has not being given a worming preventative, consult your vet. Treatment is very important, and any treatment of worms in dogs should be repeated over time to effectively kill all live and dormant larvae and eggs. Treatment usually involves de-wormer medication. Even if you find a de-wormer that does not require a prescription, you should still use it under your vet’s supervision. This is because doses can vary depending on your dog’s size and the severity of the infection. Your vet will be able to tell you what dosage is right for your dog.

Heartworm

What is heartworm?

Heartworm is a parasitic disease that is spread by mosquitoes, so all dogs are vulnerable. These long, spaghetti-like worms infest the dog’s heart and can grow to anywhere between 17 – 27 centimetres long. This disease can also affect cats, ferrets, foxes, wolves, sea lions and horses.

How can you tell if a dog has heartworm?

Most dogs do not show any symptoms until several years after the initial infection, by which time the disease has progressed to an advanced stage.

Chronic infection can cause loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, intolerance to exercise, coughing and breathing difficulties. Acute infection can result in shock, vomiting, diarrhea and fainting.

Cases of heartworm that are advanced and untreated can kill a dog within 3 days of symptoms appearing. If you suspect your dog is infected, take it to a vet immediately.

How can you prevent heartworm in your dog?

There are two types of preventative treatments; the first is a monthly tablet (or chew) and the second is an annual injection (given by a vet).

Annual injections do away with the need to remember monthly doses. It is important to diarise annual injection appointments, so that there is no gap in coverage. Some vets will send you a letter before each anniversary, however it is best not to rely on this as your only reminder.

3 things you must know regarding the monthly prevention of heartworm

In order to ensure complete protection, make sure you:

1. Give monthly doses on the same date each month

Irregular doses can reduce the effectiveness of the coverage. There is a margin of error, so if you are up to 15 days late, immediately dose your dog and continue with the original dosing schedule. However, if you are between 15-30 days late, immediately dose your dog and ensure doses are administered on time for at least the next two months to ensure complete protection. If you are more than 60 days late in administering a dose, consult your vet immediately.

2. Ensure the correct dose is given according to your dog’s weight

The required dosage amount per month will depend upon your dog’s weight. Therefore, consult your vet or the pamphlet provided with the drugs for the correct dosage guidelines.

3. Set reminders for heartworm prevention

Apart from diarising the dates in advance, you can take advantage of a free monthly email or text message reminder service offered by many drug companies when you buy their product.

What if my dog has never received any heartworm prevention?

Before administering a monthly dose or having your vet give your dog an injection, have your vet perform a simple test to confirm your dog is free of the disease.

Treatment for an infected dog

The course of action for the treatment of an infected dog is best discussed with your vet. Usually adult worms are killed using an arsenic-based compound or they can be surgically removed.

Have you caught any of your dogs eating poop? I have. As much as I love my dogs, I pursed my lips in disgust whenever I had caught either one of them in the act. Even when I did not catch them at it, I knew they had been eating poop when I could smell it on their breath! My dogs no longer eat their poop, but I know many owners still share this frustration.

3 reasons why dogs eat poop

There are many reasons why our canine friends engage in this habit (otherwise known as coprophagia). The three most common reasons, and what can be done about each of them, are explained below:

1. Hiding The Evidence

Problem: Dogs do almost anything to avoid angering the pack leader (you), so if you have ever punished your dog for pooping she might eat her own excrement to stop the owner from getting angry. The owner might have punished the dog for pooping inside the house, however the dog may eat the poop even if it relieved itself outside. This is because it has associated the punishment with the poop, not the act of pooping inside the house.

Solution: Never punish a dog for pooping in the wrong place. Train your dog to relieve itself outside and praise your dog when it does the right thing. Consistent positive reinforcement will eventually rid your dog of its fear of displeasing you.

2. Increase Frequency of Meals

Problem: Feeding your dog once a day can result in your dog supplementing its diet with whatever it can find, often this will be poop. Imagine only being able to eat once a day – as you can see 24 hours between meals is quite a wait!

Solution: If the dog is fed only once a day, it is likely your dog wants more meals. Try feeding your dog twice a day, in the morning and evening.

3. Your Dog Is A Copycat!

Problem: Dogs are pack animals and are hard wired to engage in allelomimetic behaviour, that is, follow the example of other pack members. Your dog watches you scoop her poop, and by doing so learns to do its own ‘cleaning’.

Solution: Do not allow your dog to observe you cleaning its excrement.

These are three of about 15 reasons why dogs eat poop; other reasons range from stress to poor diet. Approaching this behaviour from many angles at once can solve this problem for good. If you would like the ultimate guide to stopping your dog from eating poop, it’s

Fact is, separation anxiety is a genuine problem for many dogs. Depending on which study you read, 14-35% of dogs have this problem. When a dog suffers from separation anxiety she will bark, cry, whine, soil in the house, tear up furniture, clothing and other things, even if separated from the owner for a short time. They do these things because they’re distressed, not because they’re trying to get back at their owner.

Separation anxiety is usually caused by a lack of proper socialisation when the dog is a puppy. This can occur for various reasons including being removed from their dams too early, spending time in an animal shelter, being in an abusive situation or simply not getting out enough and interacting with other dogs and people. The basic cause remains the same: the dog lacks self-confidence and comes to fixate on the owner. When the owner is not present, the dog seems to fall to pieces and acts out.

Prevention is essential

This means providing puppy with good socialisation skills from an early age in order to build self-confidence and help her become well-adjusted. You can do this by taking puppy places where she can safely and calmly meet other dogs on a leash, such as pet supply stores or parks. It is not recommended to take a puppy to a dog park, however, because of the boisterous atmosphere and because many dog parks are not monitored. Your puppy could be intimidated by a larger, older dog, which would not be helpful for building her self-confidence. You can also enrol your puppy in puppy preschool classes or puppy kindergarten. She will be able to play and interact with other puppies in these classes, along with their friendly owners. She will also learn a few basic good manners. All of these early lessons will help build your puppy’s self-confidence which will, in turn, prevent separation anxiety later in life.

Re-train adult dogs

If you already have an adult dog or a dog with separation anxiety, you can start at the beginning and take your dog to quiet places where dogs are welcome, such as a pet supply store or a park. Do the same things to encourage your dog to build her confidence, such as having friendly strangers pet her and give treats. Allow her to meet other friendly dogs that are on leash.

At home you can practice desensitising your dog to the things that cause her separation anxiety. If she becomes anxious when you leave the house, for example, you can practice picking up your keys and going out the door. Then immediately return and do not fuss over your dog. It is important to keep things very low-key. Don’t give your dog hugs or kisses when you leave or return. When you leave the house you should act as calm and matter-of-fact about it as though you are simply walking into another room. Your dog takes many of his emotional cues from you. If you are emotional and worried about leaving, your dog will believe there is something to be worried about. If you are calm and relaxed, you will do much to help relax your dog.

You can continue to desensitise your dog by taking more steps such as going outside to start the car and coming back into the house. Then backing out of the driveway and coming back. You can continue until you are gone for brief periods and then until you are gone for longer periods. Your dog should gradually accept these absences without being anxious, knowing that you will always return. Be sure to always leave your dog with plenty of toys and safe things to chew while you are gone.

The best way to deal with separation anxiety is to seek the help of a specialist in dog behaviour. A plan will need to be worked out that deals with your particular circumstances and this plan will need to be followed closely.

The best way to tackle this issue is to combine training specifically aimed at reducing separation anxiety along with medication (prescribed by your veterinarian).

Each year many dogs are turned in to animal shelters because their owners say their dogs haven’t learned proper house training skills. Owners will often put up with many kinds of bad behavior from dogs, but soiling in the house often means a dog will lose her home. Yet it isn’t that hard to potty train your puppy if you follow a few basic guidelines.

Keep regular!

First, make sure that you put your puppy on a good schedule. This means that you should take your puppy outside first thing in the morning and at regular times during the day and before bedtime. Take your puppy outside as soon as she wakes up in the morning and after every nap. These are times when all puppies need to potty.

Second, your puppy will need two to three small meals at first. You should take her outside to relieve herself after each meal. Try to feed your puppy at the same times each day. The more regular your schedule, the more predictable her potty habits will be and the easier she will be to train.

Avoid little accidents

Third, young puppies sometimes have to go at unexpected times. They may feel the urge to go after they have been playing, or they may need to go again right after they have been outside. You should learn to watch for signs that your puppy needs to go out. These signs may include sniffing the floor; looking for a private spot such as behind furniture; glancing at you, glancing at the door; going back to the spot of a previous accident; and other subtle signals. As soon as you pick up on the signal, you should take your puppy outside immediately.

Fourth, do not get angry at your puppy when he has an accident. ALL puppies have accidents. Your puppy doesn’t know anything about house training when she is born. She has to learn what you want him to do. It takes time. She wants to please you but she has to learn. She will make mistakes. Stay calm. If you catch her in the act, and take her outside. If you find an accident after the fact, it does no good to yell or fuss at your puppy. She has no idea why you are upset.

Fifth, feed your puppy her dinner early so she will have time to digest it before bedtime. Be sure to walk your puppy before bedtime. Remove your puppy’s water an hour or two before bedtime. These precautions will help your puppy make it through the night without having an accident. If you feed your puppy a late dinner or leave water out at night, you will likely have to clean up accidents in the morning.

Sixth, be sure to praise your puppy and give her treats when she potties outside where you want her to go. Most people forget to offer praise and encouragement when their puppy potties successfully. You have to let your puppy know that she is doing things right.

Not all learning curves are the same

Finally, be patient. It will take several weeks to potty train your puppy. Some breeds are harder to potty train than others. Toy breeds are often harder to train than large breeds. Male dogs are sometimes harder to train than females. There are, of course, individual differences. Once your dog “gets it” and understands what she is supposed to do, she may still have some accidents or relapse once in a while. For instance, she may not want to go outside in the rain or snow. You will need to keep offering encouragement and praise for pottying outside.

A great way to potty train your puppy is by crate training – discover the steps to crate training here.

With practice your puppy will be potty trained in just a few weeks. Once successfully trained, your puppy should be trained for the rest of her life.