Dogs Archives

Buying a puppy can be likened to buying a used car. When the cars history is not known, smart shoppers demand a Car Fax report. Whether you are buying a used car or a puppy, the less educated you are, the more likely you will have expensive problems. The only way you will know for certain how a puppys mother was cared for; before, during, and post litter is to know the Breeder. Alas, buying direct from a Breeder is no guarantee that your puppy will be healthy! Breeders are often as ignorant of how to properly feed and supplement, as is the majority of MDs and Veterinarians in this country.

Pet Store and Rescue Facility puppies are a high risk to develop weak immune systems. The greater the risk, the greater the probability they will require advanced vet care throughout their lives. Why? Most of the animals sold in rescue facilities were either abandoned, or from feral (wild) mothers. Feral females are often impregnated before they are physically mature, and often become pregnant again, while puppies (or kittens) are still on the teat! Feral mothers survive by scavenging for food. Scavenged food is likely to harbor pathogenic bacteria. At best, this bacterium causes mild diarrhea, however, more likely it will cause chronic diarrhea, which leads to dehydration and fever, quickly followed by more advanced digestive and immune diseases, which compromises the milk.

The unquenchable appetite of Empty Nesters to buy puppies for companionship has resulted in an out-of-control business known as Puppy Mills. They are Big Business, and as such are run like businesses whose prime interest is stock-holder profits. The living conditions in puppy mills has been documented, but nothing has been done to legislate and monitor their facilities. Breed dogs are often treated like feed animals. Instead of getting proper nutrition and supplements to keep them strong, so they can produce and nurse healthy pups, they are fed lowest quality food and shot full of medications when they are sick, which is most of the time. They are highly stressful environments.

Puppies must be very resilient to survive being brought into the world in a Puppy Mill. We all know that stress can take its toll on human health. Well, pups are no different. When you add up all the levels of stress they and their mother are exposed to, from the time the mother is bred until the time the pups leave, it’s amazing how many survive. Even the time at the pet store until they get acclimated to your home is stressful. All that stress adds up to undiagnosable illness and disease and shortened life expectancy.

Bringing Your Puppy Home One of the common signs of stress is diarrhea. Unfortunately, the common treatment prescribed for diarrhea is antibiotics, more complicated cases also get steroids. This is a poor treatment plan for a healthy dog, let alone a stressed out puppy. The 21st Century approach is to administer the opposite of antibiotics, or probiotics. Dogs instinctively know they are digestive aids, and eat them by pulling at the roots of grass, where soil-based probiotic organisms (SBOs) thrive. SBOs are clinically proven to quickly and safely resolve diarrhea, as well as most digestive disorders.

Contrary to what you have been lead to believe, The Best Food For Your Puppy does not come in a bag, or in a can, unless you are shopping in a holistic pet store, and even then Buyer Beware! Two important nutritional facts to know and act upon are (1) 90% of your puppy’s total immune system is located in their digestive system, and (2) 80% of all chronic disease is caused by an unhealthy digestive system.

Your puppy is a meat eater. Manufactured dog food lacks human-grade animal protein and digestive supplements any dog needs to grow up healthy, and stay healthy. If your puppy is already weaned, the best food to help their young bodies and immune systems to develop properly is food that comes as close to their wild relatives diet as possible- high-quality animal protein. People who have switched to a raw diet report improvements in health, energy, and behavior: however, no matter what diet you choose, it needs to be supplemented with digestive enzymes, soil-based probiotic organisms (SBOs) and a complement of omega 3-6 oils; all are essential to develop and sustain a strong digestive/immune system.

Much of the responsibility for the health of your puppy depends on you. The internet provides a wealth of information, as well as disinformation. It should not be hard to connect the dots between manufactured pet food convenience and the millions of dogs today suffering from poor health. Unless you personally know that the Breeder has a working knowledge of what the right foods and supplements to feed the mother and the pup are, you would be better off to avoid getting a puppy until you do.

About the Author:

Holidays with dogs

A dog owner never wants to leave his pet behind no matter where he goes. He does not want to miss out his dog even on his holiday. Though, most of the holiday companies do not allow a pet to travel with the owner, there are several holiday homes that would be more than just happy to welcome the furry friend. There are some many places that a pet owner can take his pet along with him. One of the schemes that allows for the traveling of animals along with the pet owners is The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) that was launched in the year 2000. It permits dogs and cats to enter the UK without quarantine.

There are several guidelines to be followed while taking a pet on a holiday along with the owner. The owner should first have the pet fitted with a microchip before leaving from home at a nearby veterinary surgery. After fitting the microchip, the pet must be vaccinated to prevent rabies. One must also check that the vaccine stimulates a satisfactory level of immunity against rabies by means of a blood test. The pet must be treated against ticks and tapeworms 24 to 48 hours before traveling so as not to spread any such parasites.

Having holidays with dogs is not a very complicated one, provided the holidaying is done with extra planning and perfect coordination. A pet passport having details about pet’s vaccination as well as health record is essential in many countries and demands implantation of microchip. Similarly, your pet should be taken to your vet for a checkup after returning from the holiday. In case you are going on a domestic holiday with your pet, you have to consider practical conditions such as climatic conditions as well as food and water availability.

Holidays with dogs are fun only if your dog is healthy. Terrible temperatures in summer may put dogs into a tiring condition. They must be provided lots of drinking water. Similarly, even you are traveling in a car you have to take frequent stops for your pet to drink and to get cool. Holidays with your pet is rewarding as it can avoid long wait for your presence. Subsequently, holidays with pets offers quality time to spend for you and your pet. They also love than always being confined to a kennel. They always appreciate and try to gain attention and topping all these, they love to be with you.

Astrology for dogs

Astrology plays an important part in the life of your pet. There are many people who believe that the behavior of their pet is related to their birth date and is the effect of astrology. An owner has to understand the pet and also how their behavior evolves based on the astrological sign. Owners are offered great insights into the life and also the behavior of their pet as a result of astrology. These signs provide a key so that the owners can effectively understand their dogs’ cosmic characteristics. The astrology of the dog explains a lot about the behavior of the dog during certain durations.

Chinese astrology is a bit more unpredictable than the western idea of dog. Dogs are loyal, honest and faithful and also adhere to a code of ethics. It is quite trustworthy by itself. The dog is a wonderful, loyal, discreet friend and also a great listener. The sign roots for the underdog as well as its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to its core. Dogs always go for home, admonishing on the topic that are vital for them. During these times, the narrow minded or the stubborn side of a dog becomes more noticeable.

Astrology for dogs is given importance recently. The sign of the dog is an indication of what it desires to convey. However, you can find mood swings in dogs as well as it tries to run to be alone to recuperate. It shows signs of emotion. Sometimes in anxiety and irrational fear it turns to hurt the feelings and exhibits occasional grouchiness. You have to understand the sign and gradually teach it to warm up and trust as this is the foundation for any judgment.

The sensitive nature of the dog qualifies it as an intelligent business person who can guard and pick the sense of truth instantly. Speaking of love, dogs have a difficult time in locating the appropriate match. In anxiety they exert more pressure on their partner such that the partner gets scared. Dogs of good breed will also show happy signs of being physically active and will stay relaxed to high standards. A little training regarding behavior and socializing will make these dogs the loyal companions and the well-behaved dogs. Astrology for such dogs will prove to be effective. However, you have to spend time with your dog for walking and playing. It needs lot of attention and care, besides food.

Male dog behavior

Male dog behavior is very much controlled by the urges and instincts this animal hereditary and breed specific receives at birth. The popular and very American movement to castrate the male dog as soon as possible removes some of the traits, but also removes a lot of the dog’s personality. It is important to keep stray dogs at bay, but manufacturing spayed and neutered dogs because it is “easier” and “better” just signals a spoiled and selfish society, not a health and life benefit of your pet. Thinking with your own head is again an important factor. Just because the price is right guy recommends it, it does not mean it is the best solution for your dog. It may be a good solution for you, but the best solution for your dog in such a case is to not have a dog at all.
Let us review the whole male dog behavior myth from a distance. Sexual urges are normal. If the dog has their sexual glands and testis removed, is it still a male dog at all? The dog will get no testicular cancer. Less than a 1% of all cats and dogs carry that risk. Male dogs can prevent the birth of unwanted litters. If you would perform spaying on all the females, would that not have the same effect? The relative new method of SpayVac, a single injection which works as a birth control mechanism, but leaving everything else intact, including the going into heat part, is the most humane solution as of yet.
The question here is, do you love your dog enough, your male dog, or at least so much that you will leave him be happy and male for the rest of its life? Perhaps you will follow the advice of overly rich and spoiled Mr. Barker and increase the chance or your dog by four times to develop prostate cancer? Neutering your dog has other huge disadvantages. The cognitive impairment disease is much more pronounced and happens more often to neutered dogs. Many forms of cancer happen twice as much to neutered dogs than to the intact dogs, most of them related to the urinary tract.
Just because your dog has sexual urges, do you need to condemn it to an almost certain cancerous future? The behavior of male dogs can be curtailed through obedience training and behavior modification. The few times where the dog just has to “let go”, is this really so bad, that you would rather take away its personality and shorten its life span? Think about it.

What Is Crate Training Dogs?

Have you ever read about crate training dogs? It sounds like an inhumane act to dogs that don’t do as they’re told. Surprisingly, it’s actually the contrary. Crate training is a good method of training based on the dogs’ natural need for security.

They say dogs and wolves are from the same family, sharing the same behavioral instinct for self-preservation. Dogs may very well have descended from the same line as wolves. This would mean that before they were pets,they lived in the wild. They would use safe dens and lairs to shelter them from all the dangers that abound in open spaces. This is the guiding principle of training dogs to utilize their own crates when they feel threatened or simply stressed out.

This method greatly helps in house training dogs by containing them in their own area - thus minimizing the possibility of them causing any damage to anyone or anything including themselves. Crate training not only give the dogs a haven from a busy household, it significantly decreases inconvenience and stress of their human counterparts. They can put the dogs in the crates during long travels or trips to the vets without much trouble.

Not all animals should be crate trained. Some dogs have had serious trauma in homes before and will get hysterical when placed in a confined box. It is advisable to not follow through if this is the case. Other dogs that are large will break the crate they are contained in and hurt themselves in their panic. There are some pet owners who are still uncomfortable, no matter what facts are presented to them, with the thought of putting their living pets inside a box.

Essentially, crate training dogs is dependent on the owners sentiments on it. If thinking about your dog inside a closed box just freaks you out; its alright, do not attempt to do this anymore. However, if you believe that you and your dog could do well with discipline and a little space then read on to see how to crate train your dog the best way.

Look for a good site to place the crate in. It has to be in a room where people will be in like the living area or the bedroom. Purchase a good sized crate and put the dog’s favorite play things inside. As the dog makes its way in the crate, do not immediately shut the door. Stroke him and speak to him reassuringly for a few days. Feed him while he is in the box. When all seems alright, start closing the door for several minutes. Make sure you are still in the room where he can see and hear you. If the dog cries and gets upset, wait for him to settle down before opening the door. Do not rush the process. It is a little scary for the pet so you need to be patient in introducing the concept to him.

Never use this as a form of punishment for the dog. He should associate the crate as a calming and safe place for him to be in. If the animal is not getting upset being left alone in the crate, leave the house in short periods to gauge his reaction. If everything works out, you have accomplished the important task of crate training your dog. This will free you from worrying about your pet all the time. Moreover, you have given your dog his own special space of peace from the world.

About the Author:

Common Dog Behavior Problems

There are many things that you want to be sure of when you first bring a dog into your home. Of course, you want to be sure that you have the right types of food, toys, bedding, and other things for them, so that they can be happy in your home. You also want to be sure that you have provided them with the right training, so that they can avoid many of the behavior problems that you might otherwise see. There are many different common behavior problems that you are going to have to focus on if you want to be sure that your dog is well behaved. Lucky for you, these common behavior problems are often easier to solve than you might think - and you can prevent them too, by the things that you do.

The most common behavior problem is that the dog simply doesn’t listen to you. This is one of the biggest complaints that dog owners have - no matter what they tell their dog to do, it won’t listen. This is a problem for owners and is caused simply by not being clear with the dog. Remember, dogs can’t read your mind, and if you want something that is too confusing from them, chances are that it just isn’t going to happen. Therefore, the best thing that you can do is be clear about what you want right from the start. You can do this by making sure that you address the dog clearly, and keep your tone of voice in mind.

The tone of the voice is perhaps more important than what you say. A high, happy, and calming tone suggests that you are happy with what they are doing, and that they should do whatever it is again. A low, menacing and angry tone suggests that you aren’t happy, and that they shouldn’t do it again. Remember, if you are careful about the way that you speak to your dogs early on, you’ll be able to help them avoid any behavior problems that might come up in the long run.

There are other behavior problems that you are going to have to think about as well. Begging for food is a big one, and it is another one that is easy to solve. If you give your dog food off of your plate, even once, you simply cannot be angry with them for begging for food from then on out - because they’ve seen that it works and they think that you want to share with them. The best way to discourage begging is to simply ignore them while you are eating. If they come up to you, ignore them, and don’t allow them to convince you to give them food.

There are many different types of behavior problems that might come up when you are training your dog, but if you think carefully about it and work hard with them on it, you’ll find that you can control those behavior problems right from the start - in a way that is good for both of you.

This article was written by Kelly Marshall of Oh My Dog Supplies - the only place to get high quality dog beds with free shipping.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/common-dog-behavior-problems-1048509.html

Basic_dog_training

Every puppy should learn basic dog training to ensure his or her happiness, healthiness, and well being. Basic dog training consists of teaching your puppy basics commands such as stay, sit, lie down, and come. Basic dog training also includes teaching your dog potty training, how to walk on a leash, not to steal food, and how to generally behave. Basically, basic training for dogs will teach your dog everything for him or her to be a well mannered and nice addition to your family. And, thankfully, basic training for dogs is generally fairly easy and will not require that much effort on your part. You will just have to be consistent and patient.

The best resource for basic dog training, especially for those people who have never had a dog before, will be to take a basic dog training class. Many retail pet stores offer basic dog training classes for around one hundred US dollars. These classes generally meet once a week for about an hour to an hour and half for about six weeks. In these courses, the trainer will mostly train you, the dog owner, how to train your dog. You will learn how to issue commands and how to praise your puppy when he or she does what you asked of him or her.

Do not think that just by taking your dog to basic dog training classes once a week for six weeks that your puppy will automatically learn everything you want him or her to. Realize that these courses will expect you to practice what you learned in class with your puppy every day, or at least every other day, for at least fifteen minutes or so. This is not a lot of time but it is vital to properly teaching your puppy basic dog training. These fifteen minutes daily or every other day will make the difference in you having a well behaved dog sooner than if you never practice what you learned in class.

If you do not want to pay for a basic dog training class, you can always train your puppy yourself. It is recommend that you at least buy a training book that covers all the different basic dog training topics and shows you exactly how to go about training your dog. Make sure to choose a book with a lot of informational pictures so that you can easily follow along. Additionally, try to find a book that has troubleshooting sections for basic dog training, which will help you if your dog just does not quite do what the book suggests he or she will.

Dogs for disabled

A dog is one of the best companions that a man could ask for. Dogs have proven themselves useful in almost every field today. Dogs are of the greatest help to the disabled people. A disabled person can benefit from the help of a dog that has been trained. A dog is an ever faithful companion to man. Training a dog so that it can help elders is a 24×7 job that the trainer has to effectively carry out. A dog that is trained in such a manner will help the disabled people of any age group. The training has to be carried out tirelessly by a trainer.

When the puppies are eight weeks old, they are brought to a recognized dog training center for veterinary care. The veterinary care usually includes vaccinations and also examinations. The puppies are then placed in one of the volunteer’s residence by the center for training the puppy. These are some of the important training for a puppy as the puppies have to be extremely obedient while helping disabled as they will find it difficult to control an unruly animal. Animals are a great source of help to the disabled people and many people train pets for this reason.

Dogs for disabled should be trained very well. Such dogs are given extensive advanced training when they turn to be 14 months. This training is given for six to nine months. This training teaches the dog to respond correctly. They are taken to the airport, schools, stores, doctor’s offices, and few other common places to become accustomed to such surroundings where their owners may go as a daily routine. This is done so that the dog behaves well in such public places. The dog is introduced to its owner and for few weeks both the owner and the dog are given training to work together.

The dogs for disabled are usually very alert and well trained. Such dogs undergo a perfect procedure as dog training process. A public ceremony is conducted to initiate the relationship of the owner with its dog. The training for the dog and its owners and checked on the progress and pictures are taken. The time spent with the owner is fun-filled is ensured. The dogs for disabled alter their owner’s life forever and are the true best friend. They manage their owner’s life to maximum and the owner shower their love and affection on the dogs and trust the dogs for everything than anyone else.

Dog_training

Dog training is one of the most important things a pet owner can do for their dog. Dog training not only makes your dog a more obedient, well behaved dog, but it also may save your dog’s life. A dog that knows the commands “come” and “stay” are much more likely to not be hit by a car if they get away from you on a walk than a dog that does not know these commands. Additionally, dog training will make your dog’s vet visits and grooming visits much more pleasant; your dog will walk in graciously and without any effort on your part, unlike untrained dogs that howl, scream, and fight their owners when they try to take their dogs to these necessary places.

If you have never had a dog before or have never attempted to train a dog you have before, the best bet for you is to take your dog to a dog training class. Many retail pet stores offer training classes for dogs at all different levels, from puppies to advanced dogs. Most of these dog training classes meet once a week for about an hour to an hour and a half for about six weeks. Though this does not sound like a lot, remember that in order to get the most out of your dog training classes, you must practice the training at home with your dog as well. That is, there will be homework from each training class you attend.

If you do not feel like paying for dog training classes, you can always try a dog training book. Most book stores offer a variety of different books on the subject. Most of these books are about the same content wise, so try to find one that you will not mind reading and rereading. Additionally, try to find a dog training book with a lot of pictures, so that you can fully follow the instructions while training your dog. You can also find a lot of books on training your dog at your local pet store, as well as online.

When training your dog, remember to always practice your dog training techniques in a safe environment, such as within your own home or your enclosed backyard. Do not ever practice dog training, especially lose dog training, in an open area or around other dogs. Such locations are bound to distract your dog and decease his or her training ability. Moreover, it may also lead to fights with stray dogs, which will in turn lead to high vet bills.

Types of dog behavior

To insinuate that dogs can be easily understood and that their behavioral patterns can be classified in types is simply ridiculous. Dogs have some characteristic traits and display them freely. These can be observed and recognized as such. But dog behavior cannot be typecast in simple form, just like human behavior cannot be clearly classified. Every dog, just like the human counterpart, is an individual being, with individual experiences, characteristics, disposition and personality.
Some perceive that dogs can be playful, aggressive, dangerous, calm, friendly, obedient, even intelligent and try to construe these traits into types which declare some behavior of the dog as being within a certain type. But limiting dogs to these typecasting exercises in wannabe psychology is clearly a try to generalize a wide population into a scheme, where there are clear black and white definitions, or binary definitions of canine behavior.
Aggressive behavior is being cited by many as a definition of a behavioral type, because many dogs bite or bark and there you have it. But it is not possible to define just how shallow such a remark is, and it is simply inaccurate. Aggressive behavior is not a type it is a form of response to an event or a cause which resulted in such a reaction. If you scare a dog, it will bark or even bite. It is a fact, not a type of behavior. If you flick a switch, something will go on, is this a type of behavior?
Ever since the Roman Empire invented and practiced bureaucracy people intend to classify everything they encounter. All existing species, dogs included, are being catalogued and written up, for reasons unknown, or perhaps to allow current or future generations to recognize when the same species becomes extinct. Plants have been catalogued to death, every single version of a tulip has a Latin name and a couple of common names, just for the sake of it. Who cares, it’s still a tulip. But it allows the people who are into botany to do something.
This urge to put a classification mark on everything is probably the only reason why someone started to classify dog behavior into types. The reason is obvious, the person did not know anything about dogs, and by putting up a chart, something is there which can be learned. But every single dog is an individual and charts will not make the dog love you or help you understand its needs and wishes. Dogs need to be evaluated on a personal level, and that is why dog behaviorists exist.

 Page 77 of 81  « First  ... « 75  76  77  78  79 » ...  Last »