Dog House Training Tips and Resources

HERE'S A GREAT TIP! I've been following this dog trainer for a long time (I love her books!) and was really psyched to see that she has a video up now about this. It's only a couple minutes long but it's really helpful. Click on the video to watch it. It should answer your questions...

This often becomes an important question asked by many dog lovers and dog owners.  If it is a puppy within age of the first six weeks, the puppies need to be given milk at the rate of five to seven times per day. The puppy will make some sound if it wants to feed in general.

However, the feeding frequency may be reduced when the dog becomes six to eight weeks old. By the time the dog assumes the age of four weeks, it may start taking of some solid food. Hence, mix the solid food with water in majority and feed your puppy once or twice in the beginning and if the dog develops some diarrhea, then delay the feeding.

Most of the times, it is due to trial and error but taking some basic steps in feeding, so you need to watch out.  The feeding frequency may be changed to two to three times after the assumption of age of eight weeks.  However, if the dog is seen hungry craving for food, then provide food once than the estimated numbers. This varies with different breeds of dogs.

However, avoid feeding too many times in this age group of dogs. Around three months to six months of age, the puppy will be teething. Hence, restrict the feeding to two times only but the balanced type of nutrition needs to be provided to the dogs of this age group to avoid the deficiency based symptoms in them.

From six months to one year, try using puppy food that is available commercially.  However, from first year onwards, the adult food may be given gradually.  However, when the dog becomes an elder dog, restrict the frequency of feeding since the movements of such adult dogs are highly reduced due to multiple reasons.  However, the pregnant animal may be fed an extra time depending on the willingness of the animal and restrict the quantity of the food but without compromising on the quality of food.

 

Norman Mutana is a writer for UniformHaven.com which offers cherokee scrubs, landau scrubs free shipping and lab coats as well as a host of other items.

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Why do I have to learn first aid? My dog’s vet is a neighbor. Do you have the same viewpoint? When it comes to the health concerns of the pet, a vet consultation would certainly be the best bet. However, the vet may not always be around. Because dogs are wonderful companions, these animals are taken hiking, camping and practically anywhere the master goes. A dog owner’s competence in administering first aid would be very beneficial in emergency cases where no vet is available to help the pet. First aid know how can even save the life of the pet.

To save the pet’s life, a dog owner has to act fast. To save the injured pet, a dog owner would rush to an emergency facility however, in most serious cases, the pet would expire before treatment is given. The life of the pet could have been saved had the owner thought of administering first aid. However only very few owners can recognize the symptoms of life threatening situations and not many dog owners have learned to give first aid to the pet

There is not much difference with the methods of first aid for dogs and for humans. The only difference is that with pets, an owner has to be cautious as dogs in pain tend to be aggressive. Basic first aid can be easily learned from animal shelters. Some vets are willing to instruct pet owners how to give emergency care. First aid can be learned as well from veterinary hospitals.

Learning first aid would be easier by using the ABC approach. A is for airways, B stands for breathing and C for circulation. The first thing a dog owner should do is to make sure that no foreign object is blocking the airways and to check if the dog is breathing. Blood is circulating if the heart is beating. Artificial respiration is needed if the dog is no longer breathing. Dogs usually have the ability to heal themselves thus bleeding of minor wounds will be licked. Severe bleeding has to be stopped by applying pressure on the injured area.

Dog owners can never totally prevent accidents that will injure the pet. As these preventive measures would not eliminate all the risks to the dog’s life, a dog owner had better learn first aid methods. Due to the training, vets no doubt will be able to administer appropriate treatment to an injured pet but dog owners can alleviate the pet’s pain and even save the life of the dog with first aid skill and a well equipped first aid kit.

Want to know more about first aid kit and first aid for dogs? Visit Sarah’s Dogs.

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Dogs are one of the intelligent animals among the domestic pets. They have the ability to communicate with humans, other dogs and even other animals. They do this by using body signs and different vocals. The signs are made with the help of body movement involving eyes, ears, eyebrows, head, mouth and tail. Different vocals include barks, howls, growls, whimpers and whines. Dogs do gestures whose meaning can change depending on the situation. Like if a dog pants, it can mean that the dog is feeling hot or the dog is happy or anxious.

Confident and higher ranked dogs have a high held tail. Dogs have the feeling of submission and dominance in them. This is because the dogs live in packs, in the wild. They have hierarchy within the group. The weaker dogs submit themselves to the stronger dog. That is the reason why dogs lower their tail when they feel insecure. When the dogs fight for dominance, the fur on their tail stands up. They and even other animals, do this to increase their size in front of their enemy.

When the dog is in a confused situation, it wags its tail slowly. They are in a process of figuring out whether they should accept the situation or time or else, they have still not accepted the situation completely, but are in the process. Excited dogs wag their tails very fast. If the hip moves along with the tail, it means the dog is ready for submission to a dog of higher rank.

When the dogs get aggressive they show their fangs. If the teeth are visible, it indicates that the dog is ready to bite or attack. They also show teeth when they smile and this is an indication of submissiveness. Observing the number of teeth on display can differentiate a smile. Smile reveals only the front teeth, but when the dog snarls, all his teeth and gums can be seen. Ears are good indication about the attention levels of the dog. When the ears are erect and forward facing, means the dog is concentrating. But when the dog fears something, it lays down its ears. Some dogs hold the ears in forward and horizontal direction when they are happy.

In majority of the cases, barking is done to scare away stranger and to make the owner aware of an intruder. They also tend to bark while they are playing. They use to even convey emotions such as pleasure, fear, stress and suspicion. When the dog is excited or is playing, the barks are sharp and short. When they are stressed out or anxious, they bark repeatedly in a high pitch tone. They also bark to communicate with other animals such as cat, deer, squirrel, fox and other dogs. But the sound of barking is different.

Growling is done to threaten or to show superiority. Dogs howl when they make long-range communication. A dog yawns when it is bored and needs to be left alone. It also yawns when it is sleepy, stressed out or confused. When the dog pants with a full open mouth, it is happy. When it pants with a slightly open mouth, it needs to be played with. Dogs lift one forelimb up, when it wants to play. It will stamp its front limbs when it is excited. They scratch objects they want. Domestic dogs are trained for handshake, like human beings. They hold out a paw forward and exchange a handshake. If the dog tilts it’s head in a particular direction, it means that it is trying to concentrate and recognize an unfamiliar sound.

Isreal Buckmiller is a writer for Uniformhaven.com which offers cherokee scrubs, landau scrubs mens and lab coats as well as a host of additional items.

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Dogs have been the companion of man for countless number of years. Dogs are highly attuned to the emotions of man thus it is believed that dogs can understand humans very well. Dogs though have some very weird behaviors that humans find hard to fathom. Chasing their own tail is one of the canine behaviors that humans find inexplicable.

Tail chasing, a normal behavior of dogs is most common in puppies. A puppy that is endlessly chasing the tail is certainly an amusing sight. A dog that chases its tail while playing is actually harmless and should not alarm dog owners. Moreover, dogs are born hunters – they love to run and to chase. However, tail chasing becomes a concern of pet parents when the behavior becomes excessive so much so that the dog that cannot be stopped or distracted with other activities harms himself while continuously doing the activity. A tail chasing dog would elicit laughter from the family but if this perplexing behavior causes the dog serious injuries, the family would certainly not laugh.

Tail chasing or the constant and repetitive whirling movement can be due to behavioral or medical causes. No specific cause was given for the dog’s tail chasing behavior but it is commonly believed that boredom and anxiety triggers this bizarre behavior. Dogs form a strong attachment with their humans family thus wanting to have their attention is expected. Dogs are intelligent animals and it seems that they know that tail chasing is a no-fail method of gaining the family’s attention. A dog that whirls around to chase its own tail will surely elicit a quick laugh from its audience. Realizing that it has gained the family’s attention, the dog would continue to chase its own tail.

Another reason for the dog’s bizarre behavior is boredom and anxiety. A dog will surely be bored if it is left alone at home all day. Chasing its tail is one way of fighting boredom. Anxious people waiting in line for a job interview or a dental appointment would either twirl a lock of hair or bite a nail. Anxiety will make a dog chase its tail.

A medical condition can be the reason for the dog’s odd behavior. The dog may be weighed down by discomfort from internal and external parasite infestation or an impacted anal gland. Flea bites on the dog’s tail will be extremely itchy. Worms in the anal area and impacted anal gland will make a dog uncomfortable. These conditions will make the dog chase its tail.

Sarah’s Dogs provides more information on why dogs chase their own tails as well as why dogs wag their tails.

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Dogs have an unexplainable fondness for something smelly. Dogs not only have the disgusting habit of eating poop but our furry friends can unerringly find buried rotting animals as well. Should we be surprised at the dog’s habit of detonating small bombs from the anus? Dogs, like their human friends fart and when the silent and deadly gasses are emitted, the room would be cleared instantly. Fart is not harmful to human health but let’s face it, no one would love to have a pet that fills a room with horrific smell.

Gas, farting or flatulence are one and the same. Gasses that are released during flatulence is a combination of nitrogen, methane, hydrogen sulfide, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The gas in the intestine is produced through the reaction of bacteria to the process of digesting the swallowed food. Fart develops from swallowed air and from the gas in the blood that seeps into the intestines. Excessive production of flatus is influenced by the type of food ingested, by the amount of air swallowed and the reaction of bacteria to the natural process of digesting food.

We know how big eaters dogs are. For dogs, chewing will not be necessary as they have the ability to swallow big chunks of food. The habit of wolves to gulp down the food was passed on to present day dogs. Gobbling the food was attributed to the scarcity of food in the wild that necessitates animals to eat fast so as to prevent other animals and even other dogs in the pack to steal the hunted prey. In the process of swallowing, large amount of air that is swallowed will build up in the intestines.

The natural process of digesting food and the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tracts also produces gas. Flatulence is more common in older dogs as more gas is produced due to the weakened muscular tone of the intestines. Eating some types of food makes a dog fart excessively. Some of the foods that causes excessive farting are dairy products, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and beans. Poor quality of dog food that contains more cereal fillers is another cause of bad flatulence.

Excessive farting can be reduced if the dog is given several meals of smaller ration instead of one big meal. Another remedy to lessen the dogs tendency to fart is to provide the dog with expensive but good quality dog food.

Sarah’s Dogs has more information about why dogs fart and why dogs.pant

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A playing dog that suddenly keeled over and make pedaling motions with the legs dog would be a frightful sight. It would not be surprising a for a pet parent to panic upon seeing the seizing pet especially if it is the first time. No first aid can stop the seizure and a pet owner that would rush to the side of the pet can get hurt instead.

Being calm is the best thing an owner of a seizing dog can do. However, this can be quite difficult as the dog would appear to be in the throes of immense pain. It is therefore necessary for a dog owner to understand what causes the seizure and its effects to the dog.

Some conditions would trigger an abnormal activity of the brain and a dog unable to handle the abnormality will seize. This abnormal activity in the brain can be associated with a variety of diseases. A trauma in the head that causes the brain to swell or the ingestion of poisonous substances can trigger a seizure. The pet can suffer from single episode of seizure or from cluster or repeated seizures. Repeated seizure is characterized by the occurrence of multiple or several occurrences of seizures in a single episode. A single seizure usually lasts in seconds or in a few minutes and the dog would not have another episode for the rest of the day. Single seizure may not be as severe as repeated seizure but the dog would still benefit from a vet’s attention. Single seizures have short duration thus the dog is usually seen by the vet after the seizing episode.

As mentioned, the duration of a single seizure is very short thus the dog’s seizing episode is allowed to run its course. Because of the short duration of a single seizure first aid will not be necessary. Although first aid may not be necessary to stop the seizure, the dog owner can do something to help the seizing pet.

A seizing dog would not be aware of its surrounding thus it would be the responsibility of a dog owner to prevent the pet from being injured. It would be necessary to move the seizing dog from stairways. All sharp objects and other objects that can fall off and injure the trashing dog must be removed as well. Although a seizing dog would appear to be in pain, the pet actually cannot feel anything and an owner that is trying to comfort the pet can get bitten instead. Talking softly to the pet would be a better idea as the master’s voice can help calm the pet .

Learn more about single seizure as well as first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.

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When the weather turns hot humans can remove their cold weather gear anytime they want. Our four legged friends wear their fur coats all the time thus they are more susceptible to heatstroke. Because the sweat glands of dogs are mostly found in the paws these animals are believed to have no capability to sweat. To be able to regulate body temperature, dogs would pant. Panting is of course an inefficient way of regulating body temperature. Dogs therefore can overheat very easily.

Heatstroke is an emergency condition that can happen in an instant even to healthy dogs. A dog that is left in the car with close windows or one that is left chained in the yard under the heat of the sun can succumb to hyperthermia. This condition occurs when the body can no longer dissipate the heat that is being gained. An elevated temperature can result to the destruction of the cells so that the blood will thicken and the dog will suffer from dehydration. Apart from causing the blood to clot, a dog’s temperature that reaches 106°F will have a quick and very serious effect on the heart, liver, brain and other vital organs. Death of the dog is imminent if nothing is done to quickly bring down the elevated temperature.

Heatstroke is an emergency situation thus to be able to apply the necessary first aid methods, a dog owner has to have the ability to recognize the symptoms of this deadly condition. Rapid panting is one of the first signs of heatstroke. Thick saliva will drip from the bright red tongue. The abnormal pale or red gums are indications that the dog has heatstroke. A dog owner has to watch out for vomiting, diarrhea and signs of weakness. The dog can die if treatment is not administered at once.

The dog has to be taken to a shady or cool area. First aid treatment’s objective is to reduce the elevated temperature of the dog. Soaking the dog in cool water can achieve this purpose. Hosing the dog is another way of bringing down the temperature.

Wet rolled towels can be placed on the dog’s head and neck. Temperature can be cooled rapidly by putting ice packs on the dog’s feet and by sponging the groin area. Ice cold water must not be used in lowering the dog’s temperature as the cold will constrict blood vessels making it hard for the heat to escape. The cooling efforts must be stopped when the dog’s temperature has dropped to 103°F.

Read more about heatstroke and first aid for dogs at Sarah’s Dogs.

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You want to be able to hear what’s going on around you.  You expect it.  Sometimes you even need to hear to be alerted to danger.  Dogs have the same needs, but we expect them to adapt to life without their hearing.  Some dogs can, so why use hearing aids for dogs at all?

It is amazing how many dogs live well up into their teens these days.  It isn’t surprising with all the fine veterinarians and their modern techniques.  As in humans, the older the population gets, the more certain conditions will be prevalent.  Hearing loss is one of these conditions.

It should be easy to tell if your dog has a hearing problem.  You can call him and call him and he won’t respond.  Or maybe he will, but only if he’s looking right at you.  He might even look the wrong way to find you when you call him.  You might notice that he seems to be sleeping all the time, and when you try to wake him up, you can’t without touching him.  And, just like a child with hearing problems, he might be fussing with his ears or shaking his head around.  Hearing aids for dogs can help with these problems.

One clinic in Texas offers a hearing test to dogs that come in with suspected hearing loss.  When the test is completed, the owner will know what kind of hearing loss the animal suffers from and if anything can be done about it.  The center uses hearing aids for dogs in a plan that involves getting the dog used to the aid.  This takes about a month during which the volume is slowly raised until it is at the best level.  The aids cost about $250 each.  These programs for hearing aids for dogs allow the dogs to get settled in to using them without too much discomfort.

One type of hearing aids for dogs is a contraption that is mounted on a dog collar.  The container with the aid goes on the collar and tubes go from that to a foam plug that is situated in the ear of the dog.  It is similar to a BTE, behind the ear, hearing aid in structure.  Smaller dogs seem to take to these devices pretty well, but the larger breeds don’t seem to like them as much.

Some companies offer ITE, or in the ear, hearing aids for dogs.  For these, the doctor takes a mold of the dog’s ear canal.  This is sent in to the laboratory and a human ITE is built into it.  Whether or not a dog will take to the testing and fitting and finally the hearing aids’ being put in his ears is questionable.  Some will and some won’t.  Many owners feel that it is worth the expense and the trouble to try.  In fact, there are some pet veterinary insurance companies that pay the cost for them.

Nothing is quite the same to a dog as the sound of his owner’s voice.  He will be safer because he is better able to sense danger.  He will be happier because he won’t be confused about unnatural changes in his world that hearing loss brings.  Hearing aids for dogs can make their lives so much better.  To many owners, that’s reason enough.

Takako Victory writes for Uniformhaven.com which offers landau scrubs, discount dickies scrubs and lab coat as well as a lot of additional items.

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Dogs bite! Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years but people are still intimidated by the dog’s needle sharp teeth and sharp jaws. The threat of rabies was eliminated with ongoing vaccination programs but dogs are still feared because the injuries that can be caused by their bites. Isn’t it quite laughable that the “mighty” dog can be affected by the bite of a tiny insect?

Insect bites are particularly common during the summer months. The inquisitive and playful behaviors of puppies often earn these cuddly fur balls insect bites on the nose and on the body parts less covered with hair. A dog’s body part stung by an wasp or a bee or bitten by a scorpion or a spider will be very painful.

Some dogs are tolerant of the insect bites. Apart from the pain on the bitten body part, no other reactions will be shown. Other dogs though would be severely affected and would manifest symptoms 20 minutes after the insect bite. Swelling of the eyes, ear flaps and lips are signs that the dog is allergic to insect bites. Other dogs would even show more serious reactions to insect bites. A dog stung by an insect can break out in hives and the whole face could swell. A more dangerous reaction to insect bites is when the swelling of the face extends to the throat making breathing difficult because of blocked airway. A dog can go into shock because of breathing difficulty and abnormal heart rate.

Immediate medical attention is imperative for a dog that goes into shock because of an insect bite. Other mild and non-life threatening reactions to insect bites can be dealt with at home with some first aid treatments. First aid methods would only do for the dog’s mild allergic reaction to insect bites but if the throat has closed up and the pet is suffering from breathing difficulties, it is imperative to take the pet to a veterinary facility for more aggressive treatment.

As a first aid for insect bite, the stinger of the bee or wasp must be removed and a saline solution must be used to wash the bite site. Warm compress or a paste made from water and baking soda applied in the sting area will ease the pain as the toxin is drawn out and the swelling reduced. All pet owners have to have a first aid kit to be able to administer first aid to the pet and as dogs are susceptible to allergic reaction, Benadryl and other antihistamines should be a mainstay of the first aid kit. Antihistamins are medications that can be safely given to the pet for allergic reactions.

At Sarah’s Dogs you can learn more about insect bites as well as first aid for dogs.

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The word insurance is one of these words that just makes you cringe. Next to putting gas in your automotive it looks like the largest expense you have and there is simply thus abundant that you simply need. You wish to keep insurance on your automotive (it’d are really nice if somebody would have told how huge a monetary drain that was visiting be), if you own a home you pay homeowners insurance, if you rent an apartment you have renters insurance, you struggle with the ever soaring cost of health care insurance, and if you’re a very accountable family member you’ve got life insurance. And currently you find you are hearing that you must contemplate buying a health insurance plan for your pet dog.

You love your dog, he is a lot of then a pet, he’s a valued member of your family and in all probability your best friend. However health insurance? You’ll be able to barely afford to place food on your table how are you supposed to be able to afford to insure your pet. Besides he is simply a mutt, dog health care insurance is for fancy purebred show dogs, not your rescue pet.

The shoestring you’re in all probability living on is that the very reason you would possibly wish to think about putting pet health insurance on your pet. The common dog owner takes their pet dog to the veterinarian approximately 2.three times a year and it will cost you approximately two hundred and eleven bucks per year. My guess is that every time you pay the vet bill your budget is screaming for mercy.

What happens if your dog contracts a disease, or gets hurt? It does not take abundant to rack up some pretty serious vet bills. What if you’ve got to go away town and can’t take your dog with you? Can you actually afford to depart your dog at a boarding kennel? You already apprehend how much you have got to purchase your prescriptions, do you really think {that a} dog prescription is going to be any cheaper.

Your dog is your relief and a treasured member of your family may you actually live with yourself if you had to put him to sleep just as a result of you could not afford his vet bill.

It is attainable to get health care insurance for your dog for about 10 greenbacks a month. Whereas it would possibly not cowl all your dogs vet care desires it could help. If you look around and read every arrange fastidiously you must even be able to search out a pet healthcare plan that will help pay for your routine vet visits. Some pet insurance plans will even cover some boarding expenses.

Some questions you should raise the pet health insurance company you are considering shopping for a pet health care policy from is whether or not or not your vet accepts that individual sort of insurance, if there is a cap on treatments, how much is your deductible, and how can they handle any pre-existing conditions your dog would possibly have.

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