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House training older dogs is a more delicate process than with younger dogs. If you are looking to adopt an older dog that was not previously exposed to any house training at a young age, it is going to bring along its bad habits such as chewing, excessive barking, making holes in the yard or "marking" the territory.

Furthermore, you will also experience more difficulties in house training older dogs as they tend to respond and progress much slower to most training methods and commands than younger dogs.

Here are 3 useful tips that can help you in house training older dogs successfully.

* First and foremost, a complete check-up at the vet is necessary in order to eliminate any existing health problems or complications such as urinary tract or flea infections. Older dogs may also experience some form of diarrhea if there is a sudden change from their previous dietary habits. Do not punish him for these "mistakes". Instead be patient and allow your dog a week to adapt to the changes gradually. If conditions did not improve, consult your vet.

* Always establish a routine schedule for eating and drinking for your dog. This helps you to easily monitor your dog's toilet habits and decide when to bring your pet out for a walk every time he or she finishes its meals. Most adult dogs tend to eliminate 30 - 45 minutes after eating or drinking. Learn the signs and watch out for clues of circling and sniffing the floor.

* Older dogs have shorter attention spans therefore more repetitions are needed during the house training process to reinforce the desired habits. Never use violence on them if they make a mess in the house. Scolding the dog is pointless unless you actually see it eliminating indoors. Use a firm voice command "No" and guide the dog to its designated spot. Praise or reward your dog when it relieves itself outdoors.

Therefore, house training an older dog successfully depend a lot on your consistency, discipline and perseverance. Treating the dog with patience and understanding, using the appropriate house training methods are the main ingredients to developing a well behaved adult dog with good toilet habits.

Your dog's body has a remarkable immune system of antibodies, which are protein substances produced by cells called lymphocytes, that destroy antigens that invade the body, such as viruses and bacteria.

This system can become supersensitive to such foreign particles as flea saliva, pollen, house dust, and wool, however, and this super sensitivity can produce chemicals that cause an allergy, a severe inflammatory reaction. Allergenic inhalant dermatitis has been well documented in dogs. It is caused by a super sensitivity to certain particles in the air, such as pollen from trees, ragweed, grass, and other plants, house dust, feathers, and wool.

The allergy follows a predictable history:

1. It is inherited, so if the parents had it, the offspring probably will too.

2. It is seasonal - the signs appear about the same time every year.

3. The signs begin between six months and three years of age.

4. The signs include severe biting and scratching, licking the paws, sneezing, rubbing the face, and generalized redness of the skin.

Home treatment is directed toward symptomatic relief and avoiding the foreign particle, or allergen. Bathing your dog with a mild shampoo, (such as baby shampoo) will soothe any skin inflammation and remove any allergens on the hair coat. Calamine lotion can be applied to the irritated skin, and hydrogen peroxide (3 percent), and antibiotic ointments are also helpful.

Your veterinarian will take time to get a good history. He or she may be able to identify the allergen in your pet's environment. If allergic inhalant dermatitis is the problem, most veterinarians at this time use a low dose of steroids to relieve the signs. However, steroids, even in low dose, should mot be given for long-term treatment because they have some very serious side effects.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns do not be afraid to contact your veterinarian.

If you're an ordinary person who loves dogs and has one or would like to have one, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of information on dog ownership, training and nutrition available to you online and elsewhere.

A well trained and healthy dog is one of life's great pleasures. In fact, after family and friends, dogs are the most important creatures in our lives In fact, dogs are our best friends! My family always had dogs when I was a kid; I remember them all well. One of my childhood's saddest memories was when our corgi Taffy, a pretty fiery little fellow, got run over on Guy Fawke's Nite. My father and I tended to his injuries, but he died from them.

The point is that dogs may not be human, but they may as well be, for the emotions they arouse and the love and devotion they give us if they are well treated. Don't they deserve the best we can give them?

Some of the things I believe everyone who has a dog should understand are very simple to apply to ensure you have a healthy, well-trained dog who loves you and will be your best friend for life:

#1. Treat your dog as you would treat any other member of your family; dogs respond to love, care and attention just like the rest of us. Our Marty is a Shitszu-Fox terrier cross, absolutely adorable, and the poor little bloke gets hugs and kisses all day long. He sleeps on our bed!

#2. Be sure your dog knows who's boss: be firm but not physical. Dogs are like children - they need to know limits but they do not respond well to physical violence. In fact, Marty as a puppy received (unknown to us at the time) some very rough treatment from a dog groomer we took him to. He still reacts if we try to trim his feet.

#3. Feed your dog food that it likes to eat but is also good for it. There are plenty of dog foods available but make sure the one you choose for your dog is as natural as possible and not full of preservatives or additives that can and do cause ailments such as cancer. We have recently carried out an exercise in comparing dog foods, and the results were pretty bad. Good food is more expensive, but generally you need less of it, and its certainly better for the dog.

#4. Exercise your dog according to its needs. A big dog requires big exercise, a smaller one not so much. Exercise will enable your dog to burn off the energy they will otherwise spend on things they shouldn't. We find with Marty that, if we can't get him out for a walk, throwing and getting him to return a tennis ball gives him plenty of exercise. (He also tends to hoon around when the mood takes him ,which cracks us up!)

#5. Do not leave your dog at home all day alone. Dogs are social animals and need your company. On their own they get frustrated and bored (just as humans do). We take Marty where we can. Be very careful, though, that you don't leave your dog in a car for long in summer - they get heat-stressed very easily and can really suffer.

Some easy things I recommend you do for your dog (and you!):

Start training and good eating habits early! Take your puppy to a training school for basic tips and socialisation with other dogs and humans. Basic commands such as "sit" "stay" "heel" etc are very important and not difficult to implant if done properly;

Pick a pecking order of command givers in your family and stick to it. Dogs are pack animals and look to the alpha male;

Get a good vet and stick with him or her if you can. They will give you good advice on nutrition, vaccinations etc and will get to know your dog's history. This is really important if special treatment is needed at any time;

Unless you plan to breed, have your dog neutered at about 6 months; he will not wander and will generally lose any aggressiveness he might have. If your dog is a female and un-neutered, you will have to lock her in when she's on heat!;