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Is Your Dog Living the Life A Domestic Wolf Should Live for Health, Happiness and Harmony?

Dear Friend, I once wrote an article entitled "What Causes 75% of All Dog Behavior Problems?". Since writing that article I have discovered scientific research which suggests that figure may be higher than I had guessed.

You see, it's important to realize that dogs are fundamentally "domesticated wolves", even the very little ones and the very big ones. What I mean by this is, despite their appearances they are genetically coded to do a certain amount of activity each day, to work for their food, to figure stuff out, to use their noses and their brains. Without this they cannot functional in full health, full happiness and full harmony with the world around them.

Dr Anders Hallgren found a marked correlation between dogs with behavior problems and dogs who were not mentally or physically active for several hours each day. The less active, the more severe the behavior problems tended to be.

It's not enough to walk your dog for 30 minutes each day. The Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan) is reputed to exercise his dogs hard in a large pack for up to 4 hours each day (nice if you have paid staff to help you accomplish this!) Most of us would not have the time or the physical stamina to exercise a dog for that many hours each day, and even if we did, our dogs would get fitter faster than we would!

Thankfully, we don't need to provide this level of physical activity if we understand what a dog really needs most to stay in mental balance.

Recently I discovered an e-book which changed the way I saw my dogs. Truthfully, I nearly cried after reading the first part of this e-book. I went out into the kitchen where my dogs were, looked them in the eye and apologized.

Click here to find out more about the book that made me apologize to my dogs

Although I write about dogs and make a firm commitment to training, exercising and socializing my dogs - I realised that most days I didn't do enough to truly satisfy them mentally or emotionally. I know, this sounds stupid - worrying about satisfying my dogs "mentally" and "emotionally" but you have to understand that (a) we don't get told this stuff when we pick our puppies up so it does sound stupid at first and (b) one of my dogs showed all the signs of a dog who lacked mental enrichment, she was like a wound up spring just waiting to explode and didn't know what to do with all her energy, no matter how much exercise I gave her

Perhaps even worse, my other dog had completely lost the 'spark' that he had as a puppy. He was more like a pile of fur on the floor than the vibrant, intelligent, kind soul I knew he was underneath the slumbering facade. It was like he had given up being a real dog.

But no more. After reading BrainWork for Smart Dogs I had a clear plan, I understood what my dogs needed most and how to give it to them. What's more, it was only taking me minutes each day to turn my dogs around!

I can highly recommend BrainWork for Smart Dogs for anyone who cares about their dog deeply, or anyone who has a dog with a behavior problem including:
- excessive barking
- digging
- chewing or destructive behavior
- lack of self control
- inappropriate herding, stalking or chasing
- signs of separation anxiety

For the growing population of city folk and apartment dwellers with dogs, this book is an absolute essential.

I sincerely thank you for reading this letter.

Regards,
Aidan
Editor
Positive Petzine