That old dog is me! I can hardly remeber what I am supposed to do and how to train a dog. Thanks to the guys at RC I found some good tips! This potty training thing may be the end of me 
Young or old, your dog can learn new tricks. Here are some basic tips and philosophy on training. For more in-depth advice and specific training questions, please consult your local training club, veterinarian or breeder.
Whether you have an adult dog or a puppy newly separated from his mother, certain rules apply right from the start. Good training early on can prevent a lot of trouble down the road.
As soon as your puppy or new dog arrives home, make sure you don’t allow him to do anything he pleases on the pretext that he is young or needs to get his bearings. Dogs quickly learn the difference between what is and is not permissible.
This is why it’s important to assert your leadership from day one. Here are some rules to follow:
- Don’t allow your dog to jump up on beds.
- Give him his own toys so he doesn’t take things that don’t belong to him.
- Choose a spot where he will eat and stop him from begging for food.
- Feed him after you eat, which is what happens in the pack when the leader eats first.
- Give him his own place to sleep – a rug or a crate – that is located away from doors and windows so that he doesn’t have the impression that he is controlling the comings and goings in the house.
- Most important, maintain consistent behavior. Don’t allow the dog to do something one day that is normally forbidden.
Dogs like knowing their place in the pack, and these simple rules will help reinforce that the dog is subordinate and that you are dominant. These rules also hold true for all dogs, no matter what their size. They can help prevent your Yorkie from becoming the household tyrant and baring his teeth whenever someone approaches his sofa.
Dog trainers believe they are really training the people first. Owners need to understand how a dog’s mind works before they can influence it. Most problems, even conflicts, stem from a lack of understanding and reciprocal ignorance of the rules and the social behavior of the other species. Owners and dogs must learn together.
The first step is to develop a dog’s motivation for an object (like a tennis ball) or food. By quickly rewarding the dog with the desired object, you can develop and quickly achieve a certain degree of discipline: heel, sit and down commands, recall and fetch.
Once the dog has mastered basic discipline, you can then teach him obedience exercises such as heeling with or without a leash, changing direction and more.
Dogs want authority in their lives. But while the dog should obey you, he should not fear you. You should work to establish a climate of trust that encourages positive growth of your relationship.
To establish trust:
- Maintain a consistent attitude; always react in the same way in a given situation. This will help your dog quickly learn what he is and is not allowed to do.
- Know how to display your feelings. Accentuate the “yes” if the dog has performed well and use a crisp, authoritarian “no” if the dog has done something wrong.
- Be patient and above all, very attentive, and know how to detect fatigue, excitement, questioning or fear. This will help you anticipate and avoid incidents.
- Finally, act like a good “pack leader” with all the fairness, authority and responsibility that entails.
Gregsby Gibbs
322 Pine Ridge Road
Chattanooga TN 37405
Arrest
We recently expanded our family to now include a Cock-A-Poo puppy named Camille! I has been 12 years since I have trained a puppy so I went out looking for information. I decided to hit the RC website first since I am feeding here Vet Early Care Puppy and here is what I found!
Your new puppy has a lot to learn, see and explore in your house. To help make that transition easier, we’ve put together some basic information and training tips. Remember that your veterinarian, breeder, local library, humane society or breed rescue group can be valuable sources of more information.
Children often don’t realize you have to be very careful with a small puppy. You should always be there to supervise children playing with or meeting a puppy. When you bring your puppy home, it’s a good idea to have the children sit down and let the puppy come to them. Explain that they should not scare the puppy by moving fast or making loud noises. They shouldn’t rush at the puppy or try to pick the puppy up. Your older, resident dog might be unhappy to see someone new in his space, or he may be easygoing and friendly. Until you know how your resident dog is going to react, you should take precautions so that your puppy doesn’t get hurt or scared. Follow these tips for introducing your puppy to your older dog:
- Introduce the dogs in a neutral area (not your home) where your resident dog may not be so protective.
- Keep both dogs leashed so you can control them.
- Do not yell at the older dog if he doesn’t react the way you want him to.
- Allow plenty of time for the dogs to get used to each other.
The right diet is critical to your puppy’s growth and development into an adult dog. Different breeds grow at different rates, so make sure to select nutrition customized for your puppy’s ideal adult size. Visit our Why Diets by Size to learn more about sized-based nutrition, or our Product Selector to find the right formula for your puppy. Here are some guidelines on feeding your new puppy.
- Give several small meals. See the chart below for more information.
- Don’t overfeed. Stick to the amounts recommended on the bag.
- Don’t give table scraps. They can upset the nutritional balance of your puppy’s diet.
- Make sure clean water is always available.
Toy and Small Breed (up to 20 lbs. adult weight)
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Medium Breed (20-55 lbs. adult weight)
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Large Breed (55-100 lbs. adult weight)
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Giant Breed (over 100 lbs. adult weight)
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As your puppy reaches adulthood, his nutritional requirements will change. It is important to provide your adult dog with a diet that will meet his new nutritional requirements and needs. When changing your dog’s diet, make sure to gradually mix the food over a five- to seven-day period, increasing daily the amount of the new food so that 100% of the new food will be provided on day 7. This gradual change will help avoid digestive upset.
Until your puppy is 3 to 4 months old, he has little bowel or bladder control. If you follow these guidelines, you can expect to limit the number of accidents.
- Most accidents happen by allowing too much freedom too soon. Confine the puppy to one or two rooms in the house where the family spends most of their time.
- Crate the puppy when you can’t supervise him.
- Have regularly scheduled feeding times.
- Take the puppy out first thing in the morning; after naps, meals and playtime; and before you go to bed.
- Reward your puppy for eliminating outside – the more immediate the praise, the better.
- Never punish a puppy for an accident. It’s better to prevent the accident in the first place.
- Don’t wait for the puppy to tell you he has to go. Be proactive and take him out on a regular schedule.
Using a food treat, hold the food over the puppy’s nose and slowly move it up and over the puppy’s head while saying the word “sit.” When the puppy follows the food with his head, he will naturally sit. When he does this, reward with the treat and praise. If the puppy lifts his front legs or jumps, you are holding the treat too high. It will take many repetitions and lots of praise before your puppy learns this command.
Once you’ve taught your puppy to sit, you can start teaching the “down” command. Have your dog in a sitting position, and then bait the puppy’s head down between his front legs with a treat. As the puppy follows the food, slowly pull it forward while saying, “down.” The puppy should lie down as he follows the treat, but if he does not go all the way down, slowly push the treat back between the front paws. As soon as he is down, reward with the treat and tell him “good down.”
Gregsby Gibbs
322 Pine Ridge Road
Chattanooga TN 37405
My boss called me the other day to tell me that Royal Canin was sending out a film crew to work with me and go through the “Day In The Life of a Royal Canin Sales Rep”. At first I was a little nervous about what to expect but the guys that came out were great!
The three of the flew in from Texas and spent the day with me. I am still waiting on the results which will be show in Jan at our National Sales Meeting in Orlando. I will post when the results are approved.
Film Crew Shoots Riverview Animal Hospital - Chattanooga
Gregsby Gibbs 322 Pine Ridge Road Chattanooga TN 37405
We are excited to announce that we have expanded our capabilities to begin working directly with you. We are able to support all aspects of your business with ROYAL CANIN®, including invoicing and taking orders.
There are now two easy ways to order ROYAL CANIN Veterinary Diets® for your hospital:
VETERINARY HOSPITALS ONLY:
- Register Now to Place an Order at the ROYAL CANIN® Online Store.
- Call the ROYAL CANIN® Order Department directly at (888) 213-4486
We look forward to this opportunity to work more directly with you.
Together, we will continue to deliver the best care and the right nutritional solutions to the dogs and cats we serve.
Royal Canin has been a forerunner in nutritional research for over 40 years. We developed our exclusive interactive Knowledge Pet™ to help you learn more about the unique physiological needs of 15 breeds of dogs and cats. You will also learn how the high-quality nutrients in Royal Canin Health Nutrition formulas address those needs.
Just click the picture below to get started…
We approach research and development with our minds wide open. “Status quo” is not in our vocabulary. “Widely accepted” doesn’t mean that we will.
What have we learned? For starters, protein is not harmful to elderly animals. Weight control is not just about losing pounds. Urinary pH levels are not the only way to prevent urinary stones. Insulin is not the only way to treat diabetes. And for all of those “nots,” we have found nutrition-based solutions.
Sometimes, of course, try as we might, we can’t solve the animal’s unique morphological, physiological or behavioral challenges with diet. Which brings us to the second unique characteristic of Royal Canin research and development:
If we don’t make a difference, we don’t make the food.
It doesn’t matter how many years, people or resources we’ve invested – if we can’t produce a diet that will make a dramatic improvement in the wellbeing of the animal, we won’t take it to market. Inside every Royal Canin bag, you will find only true innovation.
The Royal Canin R&D Approach.
Observation. We study the animal, examine the research, interview key influencers – such as international university personnel, research partners and breeders. From there, we devise new nutritional concepts.
Development. Each formulation involves a rich and complex nutritional combination. Raw materials are examined closely.
Kibble Testing. Royal Canin has a Texturometer, a proprietary laboratory tool that measures the hardness of the kibble and the force needed to crunch it.
Palatability Testing. The Royal Canin research facility is home to 120 cats and 130 dogs comprising 35 different breeds. They are the best measure of taste and smell.
Breeder Testing. We send small batches out to our network of top breeders to see how the diet performs in real-world conditions.
As District Manger for Royal Canin USA for the past 2 years it makes me proud to work for a company who looks at the pets first and keep driving to target nutrition for specific disease states and not just settle for a diet that is not designed for a specific purpose.
Gregsby Gibbs
Vet DM Royal Canin
Chattanooga, TN
ST. LOUIS, August 1, 2011 - Royal Canin, a global leader in canine health nutrition, is changing the way dog owners feed their pets, by introducing a new category of products for mother dogs and their newborn puppies. The Royal Canin® Starter for Mother & BabydogTM line bridges a critical nutritional gap, providing the most comprehensive solution for the well-being of the mother from gestation through birth and lactation, and the puppy for life. The new Birth and Growth line features five Starter products and five new puppy formulas.
Until now, pet owners in search of a consistent diet for their dogs from pregnancy through puppyhood often turned to puppy food. But nutrition formulated for puppies isn’t specific to the needs of the pregnant or nursing mother, the puppy developing in the womb or puppies transitioning to solid food.
“Most dog owners may not be aware that a mother dog produces up to 2 to 3 times her own weight in milk during lactation, which requires significant nutrients and energy,” said Dr. Brent Mayabb, veterinarian and Royal Canin manager of education and development. “It’s these kinds of research insights that drive the development of all of our products – not only our new Starter line, but for every size, age and breed formula a pet owner would need.
Essential Nutrition for both Mother and Baby
Through years of research and development, the experts at Royal Canin developed five products that meet the nutritional needs of a pregnant and nursing mother, as well as her puppies. These include a high-protein Starter Mousse and four versatile Starter kibble formulas that provide the required nutrients for growth, development and sustained energy.
Royal Canin Introduces Starter line for Mother and Babydog
The Royal Canin Starter Mousse is energy-dense and a highly digestible product that appeals to a mother dog’s decreased appetite, helping her to get the calories and nutrients she needs. It can also be mixed with dry food formulas to help transition puppies from suckling to chewing. The Starter Mousse comes in 5.8 oz. cans and is also sold in packs of three cans.
The Starter Kibble comes in four formulas based on the adult size of the dog- MINI, MEDIUM, MAXI and GIANT – providing all the nutrition mothers and babydogs need for growth, development and sustained energy. Specifically, the formulas offer pregnancy support and several texture consistencies – for the mother dog’s high energy needs at the end of pregnancy and as she begins to nurse.
Dog owners can easily add water to the Starter kibble product to create a porridge-like consistency, to help facilitate a weaning puppy’s transition to solid food. In addition, all of Royal Canin’s Starter formulas include Start ComplexTM, an exclusive combination of nutrients that promote digestive health and strengthen a puppy’s natural defenses.
Expanded Puppy Formulas
In addition to the new Starter products, Royal Canin is now increasing its product offering from three formulas to a total of five formulas to meet the needs of all puppies based on their size. Fed from eight weeks to adulthood, the new Royal Canin puppy formulas provide precise support for developing vital systems and fuel for boundless energy during this critical lifestage. The puppy formulas come in MINI, MEDIUM, MAXI, and GIANT PUPPY and GIANT JUNIOR.
The new formulas include nutritional benefits from prebiotics to aid in digestion and promote healthy intestinal function. The foods also help support the puppy’s natural defenses with a unique antioxidant complex, including lutein, vitamins E & C and taurine.
The GIANT formulas are another industry first that address two distinct growth stages of puppies, from 8 weeks through 24 months. These puppies require a different mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats to prevent obesity and control energy content for growth and skeletal development.
Royal Canin Introduces Starter line for Mother and Babydog
“The introduction of our Mother and Babydog line is more than a product launch – we’re creating a new category within the pet specialty channel,” said Harvey Millar, Director of Royal Canin’s retail business. “We’re proud to continue building on our history of innovation and to be the only brand that can truly provide pet owners with the most comprehensive line of nutrition for every dog at every lifestage.”
Royal Canin’s Starter line is the latest innovation in the company’s science-based approach to canine nutrition, which helped introduce the concept of size-based feeding for large breed puppies more than 20 years ago.
About Royal Canin USA
Royal Canin USA is a forerunner of nutritional and technological advancement in dog and cat food. With more than 40 years of experience in the animal health and nutrition industry, the company prides itself on putting knowledge and respect for the animal first. Royal Canin collaborates with nutritionists, breeders and veterinarians from around the world on impartial and relevant research to ensure dogs and cats receive the best nutrition.
The project included an array of outdoor landscaping projects — like tree planting, xeriscaping, perimeter drains and walking paths — new paint and shelving inside the building, new picnic tables, benches and bike rack, and the rebuilding of the two outdoor dog pens.
Royal Canin funded the renovation, and provided more than 2,000 free man-hours toward the project.
“We’re trying to help out and make this wonderful facility as best we can for the dogs and cats,” said Harvey Millar, director of Royal Canin’s retail business. Millar was busy Wednesday working on landscaping. “Rather than just do, as part of our national meeting, a team-building exercise or golf day, we really wanted to give back to the community in a particular way that benefited dogs and cats.”
General manager Joe Flanigan said the company started performing community service as part of its national sales meetings three years ago. The days are great for employee team-building, he said, and give the company an opportunity to give back to whatever community they’re staying in. Flanigan surprised employees Tuesday night with the news of what they would be doing Wednesday.
“It brought tears to all of our associates’ eyes last night when they all found out,” he said. “Being that we’re an animal first company, it was time to do something for the pets.”
CBST Adventures, an event planning company in Silverthorne, helped Royal Canin plan its trip and suggested the animal shelter for its philanthropic efforts.
“(The shelter) really needed the help,” said Mark Hojegian, project manager at CBST. “Basically a lot of the projects that these folks are working on are things that the current county budget does not support because of cutbacks.”
Hojegian said the project inspired numerous local businesses and organizations to contribute volunteer hours and donations, which helped make it “a dynamic community event.”
One of the most impactful projects of the day was the rebuilding of the outdoor dog pens, which were in dire need of maintenance and expansion. Lesley Hall, director of the county’s animal control and shelter, said dogs were digging holes in the dirt bottom of the lower pen, and some animals were able to climb up the sides. The upper pen, which was constructed partly of cedar, was being chewed on, and the gates weren’t closing well. Both pens were given gravel and rock bottoms to prevent digging, expanded and improved so animals can’t escape.
“It’s going to increase our ability to have more dogs out at one time, as well as help with their socialization,” Hall said.
The news that 250 volunteers wanted to help the shelter was “overwhelming” at first, but Hall said everyone at the shelter is excited to see the improvements getting done. The work will not only enhance the shelter’s ability to care for the animals, but make it more attractive for the general public, she said.
“I feel fortunate that the Summit County Animal Shelter has been chosen for this project,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for the county to make improvements that would not be possible under our current budget and manpower constraints. I’d like to thank all the people who participated.”
Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care was awarded fastest growing Vital Care 2004.
About Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care
Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care provides to service Dallas County as well as most of Wilcox, Lowndes, Autauga, Chilton, Perry and Marengo counties. Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care will be able to provide local assistance for patients that need home infusion therapies.
Med Center Pharmacy Vital Care works with existing home health care and nursing agencies, providing training, Continuing Education, and therapy-specific patient instruction. Some of the objectives of the home infusion industry include, shortened hospital stay where appropriate or mandated by insurance agencies, offer alternatives to patients who do not wish to be hospitalized just for I.V. infusion, and assist in pain management.
About Vital Care
In the early 1980’s, community pharmacist John H. Bell owned and operated highly successful retail pharmacies and home medical equipment businesses in Livingston and York, Alabama. While managing the businesses, he recognized the advantages of home infusion versus hospitalization. He began providing a number of intravenous medications in the homes of patients in the local community.
Seeing the quality of life improvement in patients treated in the home setting prompted him to form Vital Care Home Parenteral Services in 1986. He established a clinical, marketing, and billing team that established the framework for the current Vital Care franchise system. Vital Care achieved rapid franchise growth throughout the Southeastern United States as word of its comprehensive program spread.
Today, Vital Care continues to expand into new areas by adding to our growing list of successful franchise locations.
