For years, scientists theorize that dogs might not have descended from wolves at all.  Then there are many who believe they did.  Many people also believe wolves are scavengers living amongst human societies.   Perhaps it was the animals who were able to get closer to humans, who  had better access to their food supply and that is why they were the ones to survive the best.   Dogs, centuries ago, were not hybrids, mixed breeds or purebred.  They were simply wild canid that probably descended from some original proto-canid that is an ancestor to every dog we know of, today.

Sometimes a mixed breed dog will resemble a wolf and sometimes your dog may remind you of a wolf with the way they behave or act.  It has been largely debunked, the notion that humans plucked wolf cubs out of a den and domesticated them.  It is much more likely that the first dog types decided to start living around humans because their food supply was easier to obtain.   It is also doubtful that our ancestors took the time to socialize wolves and put so much effort into raising dogs as we do in today’s society.  More than likely dogs of yesterday were tolerated and played with.  Some may have even run away after they grew up.  People back in the day did not put so much emphasis on their canine pets as they do today.

In the 1950s,  a Russian geneticist by the name of Dmitri Belyaev,  proved that within 20 generations, Russian silver foxes that were kept in captivity on a fox farm, developed traits that very closely resembled dogs.  They had floppy ears; Piebald coats and had a tendency to bark entirely more than wild canine.

The history of dogs is a hotly debated topic.  So much so that there are literally forums where people do nothing but argue in circles.   Sort of like which came first?  The chicken or the egg?    Although your Goldendoodle may not realize what all the commotion is about,  he or she has come quite a long way since the early 1990s.   “Designer mutt” isn’t really the correct way to think about the Goldendoodle.  They aren’t designer dogs.   They certainly are not a mixed breed dog.   They are hybrid dogs that come from two different purebred dogs even if both parents are a Goldendoodle.  All Goldendoodles originate from the Poodle and the Golden Retriever,  when all is said and done.

The Goldendoodle dog has been evolving since early 1997.   With the first known mixes coming out of Australia,  it is hotly debated whether the first known Goldendoodle mix came from Canada or Australia.  But there is no need for argument.   I am very positive Golden Retrievers have bred to Poodles since both purebred dogs have been in existence.  They just didn’t have a cutesy “doodle” name attached to them.  Dogs themselves have been evolving for thousands of years.  Why purebred fanatics become so angry over the idea of the Goldendoodle dog,   is beyond me.  Every purebred dog known today began as a mixed breed dog.

They had  been perpetuating themselves based on survival,  but dogs of mixed heritage are actually closer to the original dog than purebreds.   In the wild,  dogs and wolves do not chose to breed to each other on their own.  They are, after all, a different species.  While I am not sure why many people believe the wolf came first,  I am sure all dogs can eventually be found to come from a common ancestor.  Whom that ancestor is…well,  that’s a big question isn’t it?  We will never know for sure which came first.  We will never know for sure who that original common ancestor is.

Over 10,000 years ago,  small wolf like canine ranged far and wide.  Some scientists have named these small wolf like creatures “Canis Lupus”.   According to Janice Koler-Matznick,  she says the only reason they were named “Canis Lupus” is because no one thought the dog  could be that old.   Fossils from early canine are approx. 25,000 to 100,000 years old and they are entirely smaller than wolves.  Koler-Matznick believes one or some of these fossils may even belong to a domestic dog.  She believes that there are a lot of ancestor candidates out there that we have yet to investigate.

**About the author:  Dee Gerrish has been writing about the Goldendoodle dog since 1999.  She is one of the founding breeders for the Goldendoodle in the southern region of the United States.  This article is copyright protected March 30, 2010.  It may not be copied, redistributed or changed for commercial or private purposes without the written expressed permission of its author,  Dee Gerrish.

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About the Author:
Dee Gerrish has been a private, professional breeder for 14 years as of Jan. 2010; She was a respite and foster care provider in Mannheim, Germany and won many community awards for her dedicated service. Dee has written very popular Goldendoodle articles that are listed across the internet.
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To learn to stop your puppy biting the easy way you should understand the reasons puppies bite and nip in the first place. When puppies are young, playing with their litter mates and their mother, they communicate with each other with little bites and nips. If they bite too hard their litter mate tells them by yelping and squealing and they immediately stop playing. This is how the puppy learns what is called bite inhibition.

This is one of the main reasons you should not take a puppy away from its mother until it is at least 8 weeks old. When you adopt your puppy it is important to continue to teach your puppy bite inhibition as you will soon find that you will get hurt much easier than his litter mates did, so it is important to let your pup know this.

Biting, Nipping and Mouthing are natural behaviours for puppies. It is simply up to you to teach your pup what it is appropriate to bite, such as chew toys, and what it isn’t such as your hands, your shoes, your clothes etc. Once you are consistent with your corrections your puppy will learn very quickly and will grow up with this knowledge.

If you are inconsistent when correcting your puppy, as in, you let him mouth and nip your hands when you are rough housing and you correct him when he nips them later on he will get confused and he will not learn anything.

To learn to stop puppy biting the easy way takes time and patience and you can expect to have a few marks on your hands before you are finished. If you follow the right training methods you will be wondering what all the fuss was about in a few weeks. If you want to teach your puppy to be well behaved and obedient, you can get a comprehensive dog training handbook at http://www.thedogtrainingsite.info covering all aspects of dog ownership, from understanding your dog to problem-solving to complete obedience work.

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About the Author:
Eoin McDonnell is an engineer who has had several dogs and cats over the years. He has learned the importance of obedience training with dogs as a benefit for both the owner AND the dog and establishing a happy relationship with your dog which will last his/her whole life.     
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Dog crates are an important part of responsible dog ownership. They give your canine companion a nice safe place to call his own. These crates also give your dog a place where he can be if you need to secure him for any reason. Dog crates not only come in fixed and folding styles, but also have many accessories that can be added. Let’s take a closer look at some of the different options.

As a pet owner myself, the favorite thing I like about dog crates is that when I need to put my dog somewhere where I know he will be safe, or out of the way, his crate is easy and convenient. My dog is not aggressive, but if yours is, then having somewhere like a crate becomes increasingly important when people come over to visit. Nobody likes how it feels to arrive at someone’s house only to be met by a barking dog who “has never hurt anyone”. Yeah right, I’ve heard that one before. Out of courtesy for others, just put Fido away if you know someone is coming over.

There are many sizes of dog crates on the market to choose from. It is always better to have a larger, rather than smaller, dog crate. Just use common sense when choosing one. If you have a small dog you obviously don’t need a monster sized crate. However, if you have a Wolfhound or a Dane then you need a huge crate. What’s important to remember is the comfort and safety of your dog. Dogs like to den by instinct. If the crate is just the right size they will feel safe and protected.

Dog crates that fold are wonderful. They allow you to store the crate away when not in use. When these are assembled and in use they do take up quite a bit of space. So, being able to collapse them and store them away flat is really convenient. When we got our last pup we bought a folding crate that we used to house train him. This particular dog crate had a plastic tray as the base. This was wonderful when it came time to clean it. Easy spray off and that’s it. After the pup was grown we no longer used the dog crate for housing as we had other arrangements. We simply folded it up and slid it behind some other things in the garage.

One accessory for dog crates that many people don’t even think about is a divider. These allow you to buy a larger crate when you first get your pup. You simply insert the divider, which in effect, makes a smaller useable space for your pup. Having a smaller space in the crate makes puppy training much easier. Another accessory that is good to know about is a replacement crate pan. These come in plastic and metal and make cleaning much easier. They come in a wide variety of sizes, so if you already have a crate and just need to replace the pan, it should be no problem to find just the size you need.

Dog crates make for both happier dogs and even happier dog owners. I wouldn’t go without one. It’s not like you need to put your dog in it all the time. It’s just that when you do need a convenient place to have your dog stay for awhile, dog crates are ideal. Easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store.

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About the Author:
MJ writes for ClickShops Inc., which offers a great selection of dog crates to make life easier for your dog at www.dogkennelsandcrates.com
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It is important to know how best to train a puppy to stay in a crate to minimise the possibility of him or her getting anxious or scared when he or she is left alone. The more comfortable you can make your puppy when crate training him the better so you should make sure he has a comfortable place to sleep, a selection of his favourite toys and a constant supply of fresh drinking water.

For your puppy, he should see his crate as a safe haven, a place to go to take a break from the excitement of his world and have a rest without interruption. He should never be teased or harassed while in his crate so it should be positioned somewhere out of the way in a quiet part of the house.

To get your puppy used to crate training, start feeding him at the entrance of the crate and gradually move his food bowl towards the back of the crate as time goes on. As your puppy gets used to the crate and is eating comfortably you can begin closing the door for a short period, maybe 10 minutes at first and as time goes by you can start lengthening the time you leave the door closed until he is completely happy in his crate.

You should know that a puppies bladder is quite small when he is very young and he will want the toilet as often as every hour so he should be taken out of his crate regularly and taken to his designated toilet area. As he gets older he will learn to hold it longer and longer until the time he can last through the night.

Remember when you are learning how to train a puppy to stay in a crate that the most important thing is patience. If you want to teach your puppy to be well behaved and obedient, it is important to make sure he/she understands your commands. You can get a comprehensive dog training handbook at http://www.thedogtrainingsite.info covering all aspects of dog ownership, from understanding your dog to problem-solving to complete obedience work.

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About the Author:
Eoin McDonnell is an engineer who has had several dogs and cats over the years. He has learned the importance of obedience training with dogs as a benefit for both the owner AND the dog and establishing a happy relationship with your dog which will last his/her whole life.     
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Sick and tired of your dog barking at other dogs? Wondering how to stop your dog from barking at other dogs? Dogs bark for a lot of reasons, some of which are to warn you of a danger but most often it’s just a nuisance to our ears.

Be aware of the fact that you just can’t stop your dog entirely from barking and also understand the fact that some barking is actually good for you as it might be to warn you of a danger to your property or to you. Before you start training your dog to stop barking, decide on how much barking is okay with you and what types you are going to allow. Listed below are a few tips on how to stop your dog from barking at other dogs -:

- Learn to recognize the different types of barking your dog does when other dogs are around. The bark may be based on apprehension, thrill, hostility or alert/warning. Once you spot the reason you can treat the symptoms in a better way.

- Familiarize your dog with as many other dogs as you can. This is essential for dogs your dog is going to see frequently, such as your family member’s & neighbor’s dogs.

- Firmly say “NO” to your dog when you want him to stop barking, but do not yell. If he stops on your command, give him a treat, however, don’t reward him when he doesn’t obeys you.

- Make sure you stay calm and relaxed while you are training your dog because if you are not you are going to make your dog tense. Practice with your dog by putting him in situations where other dogs are around him so that you can make him more used to them and if he barks you can get him used to stop barking on command.

As you can see here stopping a dog from barking at other dogs can be a frustrating issue to deal with. When trying to learn how to stop your dog from barking at other dogs, a good dog training course can be very useful. You will want to look for the one that includes a free consultation with a skilled dog trainer.

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About the Author:
Gary Price worked at a vet clinic and an animal shelter, and has had lots of experience with dogs. Visit him at, Train My Doggie, to know more about how to stop your dog from barking at other dogs. Discover which dog training course he recommends at http://TrainMyDoggie.com/Barking.html
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