PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her “guardian angel.” The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon.

The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as “Angela,” was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements.

Angela didn’t have to do either to protect herself and her child — a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled.

“I don’t think the dog physically attacked the man, but he went at him and was showing signs of aggression, just baring his teeth and growling and barking. It was clear he was trying to defend this woman,”

“I don’t know what this man’s intentions were, but it is very possible this dog saved her life.”

The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend.

“You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid,” Jones said. “He was like her guardian angel.”

After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene.

The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners don’t step forward within five days, Jones said, Angela and her family plan to adopt the savior she named “Angel.”

Barking is a perfectly natural and normal behavior in dogs, but can be very frustrating, tiresome and even embarrassing for the owner.

Furthermore, you can’t expect a dog to be completely silent all of the time, because it is simply not in their nature.

So there comes a time when a little intervention is needed to keep angry neighbors’ at bay and your own sanity intact.

First of all, try to work out what may be causing the barking behavior. Is your dog getting enough exercise, food and attention? Are they getting too much of a good/bad thing? Are they physically uncomfortable or would there be a reason for them to feel anxious (a bad past upbringing, a dangerous or unfamiliar surrounding etc).

Next, have your dog’s favorite treat within reach. Then use this treat to praise your dog for barking once he starts by saying ‘Good boy/girl’ and then say ‘What’s the matter?’

Next, issue a command such as ‘Be quiet.’ Make sure you use the same command each time so that your dog begins to recognize the word.

Next, wave the treat in front of your dog’s nose. Most dogs will instantly quiet down, because they will be concentrating on smelling and attempting to eat or lick the treat, rather than barking.

Keep praising the dog. Tell the dog that he is a good dog for being quiet. After 3 seconds of quiet time, allow your dog to have the treat.

Now wave another treat in front of your dog if he starts to bark again. This time, try to extend the time between treats, from perhaps 3 seconds of quiet time to 6 or 7 seconds. Your dog will begin to learn that after each successful interval without barking, he will be rewarded.

Each time your dog barks instead of remaining quiet, remember to use the chosen command word telling them to “Be Quiet” or whatever you decide. Then, each time he/she remains quiet, continue the pattern of giving a treat as a reward.

Finally, aim to increase the quiet time intervals by 3 seconds each time. After just one session, you should notice that the intervals can be stretched out to 2-3 minutes of quiet time already.

Using this technique is effective, and is the start of a well behaved and fun loving dog.

If you’d like to know even more ways to train your dog to be well behaved, play safe and respect your every command, then visit ?today and see how anybody, including you and your dog, can learn to live in perfect harmony without frustrating and aggressive episodes of bad dog behavior.

Although your new puppy will likely squirm and maybe even cry when getting his shots, it is just as important for your dog as it is for your children or yourself.
In fact, by keeping up on your dog’s vaccinations, you could be saving his life.

Vaccinations are injections of a small dose of a disease, which will prevent your puppy from developing that very disease. Just like immunizations in children,
it is required by health departments and is the right thing to do for your dog.

Two different types of vaccinations exist. They are a Killed Vaccine and a Modified Live Vaccine. A Modified Live Vaccine is the live disease being injected, while having been altered by the drug company to be unable to cause the disease it is protecting against. A Killed Vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Once vaccinations are given, your dog’s immune system will recognize the presence of a disease and will then create barriers or reinforcements (antibodies) to fight it off, should it appear. These barriers only last from six months to a year, which makes regular appointments extremely important for your dog.

A few of the more commonly heard of diseases that affect dogs are often at the top of a vaccination list. These include: Canine Distemper, Infectious Hepatitis, Rabies and Corona Virus.

Regular vaccinations can prevent your dog from contracting these diseases; however you should still be aware of what they are. Canine Distemper is caused by a virus that attacks the body and can be damaging to the dogs central nervous system. 50 percent of dogs who contract this disease will have a fatal outcome. It mainly affects middle aged dogs. Puppies and older dogs are usually safe from contracting it.

Another vaccination, which is important to your dog’s health and should not be confused with the human disease, Hepatitis is Infectious Hepatitis, which is a life threatening viral disease. It is transmitted through urine, saliva and feces. All ages of dogs are at risk for this disease. Luckily, it’s not contagious to humans.

Vaccinations for Rabies are probably the most commonly talked about vaccine. The disease itself is the most well known in animals and can quickly affect humans through saliva and bites. Aggression, excessive salivation and erratic behavior will follow the onset of rabies, although it may not be as clear as “Cujo”, the famous rabid-infected dog in the movies.

Another disease that is commonly confused and is important to have vaccinations for is Corona Virus. This disease affects young dogs and is usually mixed up with Parvo, which is a totally different type of disease. Corona Virus is contagious and is passed through feces ingested by another dog, causing trouble with the intestinal system. This disease is usually treatable before Parvo sets in.

As you can see, there are many diseases that can affect, sicken, or even kill your precious family member. Vaccinations are extremely important to yours and your dog’s health and it is your responsibility as a dog owner to have regular visits with the vet. For all the happiness he brings to you and your family, he deserves to be healthy.

Target is the dog on the right.

Here is a story of a dog who was a Hero in Afghanistan only to come to the USA and was accidentally euthanized when he got out of his yard and pick up by the local dog pound.

Click on the link to read Target’s story.