Victoria Stilwell's Dog Tips for the New Year

Dec 31st 2010

Whether you're ringing in the New Year with a new puppy or starting 2011 with an older pooch, we know you want to make this year the best ever. And to help you out, Victoria Stilwell, host of the Animal Planet show "It's Me or the Dog," has provided 10 terrific tips to ensure a truly happy 2011.

1. Keep training your dog. People think that once their dog is trained, there is no need to carry on. But your dog never stops learning, and training should be reinforced throughout your dog's life.

2. Think dog. Take time to think how your dog perceives the world and use this knowledge to make training easier. For example, a human's dominant sense is vision, whereas your dog's dominant sense is smell, making his experience of the world very different from yours. When you take him for a walk, allow him to smell things as much as possible, as this stimulates your dog mentally and helps to tire him out.

3. Exercise your dog. A tired dog is a happy dog, but make sure that the exercise is appropriate for the breed and age of dog that you have. Exercise releases pleasurable endorphins and is a great stress reliever for both of you.