Owning a dog is not always easy. You will need to give them the right foods, take them out and care for them daily. So, how do you know what to do? The fact is, reading this article will give you the knowledge you need to be the best dog owner ever.
Your dog needs an annual physical exam from the vet, just as you need one from your doctor. Even the best dog owner will find it difficult or impossible to detect the first signs of health troubles, like a tooth infection or arthritic joints. A veterinary checkup can speak when your dog cannot, and it might help you to detect health problems before they become severe.
It’s a good idea to have your regular dog training sessions in your own yard or at home. Training a dog in a very populated area is never a good idea. Your dog may have trouble paying attention, and even the simplest commands could go right over their head.
If your dog does something the correct way, such as sitting before you put the leash on, make sure that you give it tons of affection and praise. By rewarding your pup when it does the right thing, you’ll be teaching it to do these behaviors more often. Your dog will soon understand that good behavior is rewarded with praise.
If your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, he needs a dog house. If his feet get wet, being exposed to extreme weather can cause health issues and stress. Keep your dog safe from precipitation and winds by providing him with a place that is spacious, with a dry floor.
A daily brush will do much more than prevent your dog from constant shedding. Brushing every day can also help your dog to have a shiny and beautiful coat. When you brush fur, you’re also spreading around the oils that help keep your pet’s coat looking shiny and healthy.
Take your dog outside so that he can get fresh air and exercise. Your dog has to be worked out to stay happy and healthy. Whether you take a dog on an extended walk or toss a ball around, your dog and you will both benefit. It also grows your bond with the dog.
Don’t feed your dog the cheap stuff. In the long term, it’s crucial to feed healthy, high-quality food to your dog. Even though you are paying more, it will save on health bills down the road.
Follow through according to your vet’s suggestions if your dog needs something special or has medicine. Your dog likely will not enjoy wearing a cone, but the vet prescribed it for good reason. Your veterinarian only has your dog’s best interests at heart, and if you don’t listen, you may inadvertently cause your dog harm.
Schedule appointments with the vet regularly. An annual check-up should include blood tests and any needed booster shots. When your dog is still a puppy, it’ll need to go to the vet more often. If your dog appears to be ill or injured, you should make a trip to the vet immediately.
After reading all of that, you should have a good idea of what goes into caring for a dog. When you use these tips, you’ll have no problems in the future. Keep this article as a handy reference, in case you find yourself wondering what to do again sometime in the future.
I just adopted a four year old dog (Jay the Yellow Lab) who is a perfect match for me.
One thing that did catch my attention during my first visit with him at the shelter was how nice his teeth were and he had no plaque. My dog has a special place in my heart and in the family and I want to provide to him all that I know for his best care including his teeth. Teeth health is one of the last thing dog owners think and pay attention to.
TIP ONE
Chewing on something hard will help dislocate the plaque. If you use a soup bone, make sure it is a hard one (soft bones are dangerous and can cause intestine perforation). If you are unsure and want to be safe, use rawhide bones, regular or beef flavor.
TIP TWO
Like humans their teeth need to be brush. I know it might feel strange, but you want to make sure your dog will have his teeth for a long time because he needs them for chewing and eating. Buy special Dog toothpaste; do not use human toothpaste, because they will swallow it. Try to brush daily or at least weekly.
TIP THREE
During your next visit to your vet, ask for a complete teeth and gum checkup. This will give you the status of your dog mouth health. Your vet will also be able to see if any tooth have been damage or are dead (teeth is usually gray color) and if any treatment need to be pursue or tooth extracted.
My intention for Jay my yellow lab is to keep him around for as long as I possibly can by keeping him healthy and keeping his teeth healthy, too
Hong Kong authorities have warned people to avoid kissing their pets, but also to not panic and abandon them after a dog repeatedly tested “weak positive” for coronavirus.
The Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said experts unanimously agreed the results suggested the dog had “a low-level of infection and it is likely to be a case of human-to-animal transmission”.
The Pomeranian’s owner was infected with Covid-19 but the dog itself was not showing symptoms, authorities said.
Medical experts, including from the World Health Organization (WHO), had been investigating the case to determine if the dog was actually infected or had picked it up from a contaminated surface. The WHO has said there is no evidence animals like dogs or cats can be infected with the coronavirus.
“Pet owners need not be overly concerned and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets,” said Hong Kong’s department of agriculture.
Authorities warned pet owners in the city, where 103 people have been infected with Covid-19 and thousands are in self-quarantine, not to panic.
“Pet owners are reminded to adopt good hygiene practices (including hand washing before and after being around or handling animals, their food, or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing them) and to maintain a clean and hygienic household environment,” the department said.
“People who are sick should restrict contacting animals. If there are any changes in the health condition of the pets, advice from a veterinarian should be sought as soon as possible.”
The Society for the Protection of Animals in Hong Kong said being infected was not the same as being infectious, and capable of spreading the virus.
“While the information tells us that the dog has a low-level of infection members of the public should note that the dog is showing no symptoms whatsoever. We have been informed the dog is currently very healthy and doing well at the quarantine centre.”
The world organisation for animal health also emphasised there was no evidence pets spread the disease, or even get sick themselves.
“There is no justification in taking measures against companion animals which may compromise their welfare,” it said.
Advertisement
The Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has been contacted for further details.
The animal was first tested on 26 February and showed low levels of the virus the following day. Tests were repeated on 28 February and 2 March, returning “weak positive” results.
It was in quarantine and would continue to be tested until it returned a negative result, and could be returned to its owner, the department said.
When I got my Border Collie mix Sam from the local Humane Society, he had very few problems, which is a godsend for a rescued dog. In fact, when I inquired about Sam through a phone call, the people at the Humane Society said he was basically the perfect dog. They informed me that the only problem he had was jumping up on people. I thought, “that will be easy to solve”.
When I brought Sam home he really was well behaved. He didn’t chew on things, he didn’t pee in the house and he didn’t bark very much. However, every chance he got he would jump up on me. When I invited guests over, he would jump up on them.
Since Sam is a fairly big dog weighing in at around 80 pounds, it scared my friends when he jumped on them. Even though I thought it would be an easy problem to fix, I was wrong. The reason why I was wrong is because I had no idea why my dog was jumping up on people in the first place, and that’s the primary problem. In order to stop unwanted behavior in your dog, you first have to find out WHY your dog is exhibiting such behavior.
The following are a few reasons why dogs jump on people and the solutions to those problems:
1) DOMINANCE: When a dog wants to be dominant it will attempt to claim things, this means people, furniture, toys, areas of the house and so on. Jumping on people sometimes means your dog wants to “claim” that person as its own, it wants to raise its status in life and wants everyone around to know that it’s the pack leader. But, you can never let your dog be the leader – you’re the dominant one, not your dog – you are the pack leader.
SOLUTION
A dog that wants to be dominant is much harder to train not to jump up on people and can sometimes become aggressive towards you as the owner when you try to correct that training. In order to stop dog jumping when it comes to a dominant dog is, not so much correct the behavior, but let your dog know that YOU are the alpha dog and to make your dog submissive to you and your commands. Here are a few ways to start exercising your dominance:
– Never allow your dog to walk through a door or narrow passage way before you do
– Never allow your dog to walk in front of you on a leash, only beside you or behind you.
– Teach your dog simple commands like sit and stay by using “positive reinforcement”, which means you reward your dog with a treat, affection or praise when it does what you want
– Practice a domination ritual three times a week for four weeks. For example, Jack and Wendy Volhard, authors of several award-winning dog-training books, instruct owners to do the following.
o Sit on the floor beside your dog without saying anything
o Place your dog in the “down” position
o If your dog gets up, put him back without saying anything
o Keep your hands off when your dog is down, and only put your hands on your dog when it tries to get back up again
o Stay still
o Practice for 30 minutes three times a week for four weeks until you can make your dog go in the “down” position from across the room.
This “domination ritual” will solidify you as your dog’s pack leader and let your dog know that you’re the boss. That way, instead of jumping up on you or other people, your dog will know “No” when it hears the word.
2) GREETING: Dogs will greet each other by smelling scent glands around the face, when it comes to people, the only way for your dog to get to know them is by jumping up! However, this is still unwanted behavior.
SOLUTION
The way I solved this problem with my large dog Sam is by placing a spray bottle filled with water by the front door. Not all dogs have a problem with being sprayed with water, but most of them find it unpleasant like my dog Sam does. So, I instructed guests to immediately pick up the spray bottle when they walked in the house. As soon as my dog began to jump up on them I told them to spray him with water. After a few times Sam stopped jumping up on my guests or me.
If your dog does not respond to being sprayed with water (like Golden Retrievers or other water-loving breeds) then you may try using a shock collar. Just fit your dog with the shock collar and, with the remote in hand, have some friends or neighbors come over and knock on the door and come in. As soon as you see your dog beginning to think about jumping, press the button and shock your dog. This is a quick way for your dog to learn that it’s not allowed to jump on people.
3) THE BEHAVIOR IS REWARDED: When you come home from work and your dog jumps up to greet you, you greet your dog back with hugs, kisses and vocal praise. When your dog jumps up on the couch next to you, you cuddle with it. However, when people come over to your house to visit, you wonder why your dog jumps on them.
SOLUTION
Stop rewarding unwanted behavior – it’s that simple. If you don’t want your dog to jump up on you all the time or on other people or even on your furniture, then you need to be consistent.
Your dog does what benefits him/her. If your dog finds out that jumping up on people gets it attention and praise, then your dog thinks it’s OK to jump all of the time.
The only way to correct this behavior is to make your dog do something in order to deserve praise or the privilege to jump on you. For example:
– When you get home from work and your dog jumps up to greet you, turn around and ignore it. Or, do as I did, and spray your dog with water or use a shock.
– Once your dog has calmed down, then you can give your dog affection and invite your dog to jump up on you. However, when you’re finished, go back to ignoring your dog. This shows your dog that, only when you give him attention is your dog allowed to pay attention to you. Also, you need to inform neighbors, family members and friends that come over to never give the dog attention when it jumps on them. Tell guests to completely ignore the dog or spray it with water when walking in. Only when the dog has understood its place can you or your guests give affection.
– When you sit on the couch, don’t allow your dog to just jump right up. Instead, make your dog sit and stay for a few moments before jumping up on the couch. Only when you say it’s OK for the dog to join you can the dog actually jump on the couch.
Again, the only way to solve unwanted behavior in your dog is consistency and discipline. Don’t reward unwanted behavior. Establish your dominance. Only when the dog is in a calm, reserved state of mind are you allowed to give it affection.
Your dog is obsessed with self-interest. It only does what it gets rewarded for and what it gets fed for. A dog will understand cause and effect. So, when you discipline your dog for unwanted behavior, you’re basically saying that the behavior warrants an unwanted affect and stopping that behavior equals a reward.
Talk about variety of dog coats for winter. My neighbor takes care of his huge pet like his own baby. Taking care, in one of many ways, means my neighbor gets sets of fashionable and yet functional dog coats for winter. Choosing the right pet snowsuits is harder that anyone thinks, especially for dog owners. I’ve done some shopping for my dog and let me tell you that it was fun but confusing.
I say fun because I got to see my baby pooch try on those cute pet snowsuits. It amused me seeing my pet put on very colorful winter dog coats. Teddy, my dog’s name, looked so cute with white winter pet coats. These dog coats for winter are my bet in ensuring that my dog stands out when go for a stroll at the park or on the boardwalk.
To ensure the best dog snowsuits are used by you beloved pet, consider looking into the following factors:
Fabric. I always choose those fleece type winter pet coats. They are comfortable and keep my Teddy warm. Fleece type dog snowsuits dry easily.
Size. When you pick new dog coats for winter, matching the right size for your pooch is important. Putting on perfectly fitted dog snowsuits adds to your dog’s comfort and eye-candy factor.
Color. It is of equal importance to also consider when buying a new set of winter dog coats. Color expresses what you think and feel. This also reveals some part of your personality. And your pet becomes the living canvas of your expression. I personally go for white and red for my pet.
Prints and Designs. Like colors, prints and designs also show part of what you want to express through our pet dog. Prints and designs range from the conservative to vibrant.
Rather than settling for what available on the racks, then again you can always ask your dog snowsuits retailer for something more customized which may come with a commensurate price.
LOVELY DOG 