Browsing the blog archives for April, 2009.

Helpful Natural Dog Food Tips

Organic Dog Food

People should know that commercial dog food is killing our pets. You don’t hear about dog food recalls until you go to make a purchase of your preferred brand and find it’s been recalled. Do you know what you’re really feeding your dogs? Commercial brands of dog food don’t even come close to the health benefits of natural dog food.

If you knew that natural dog food would improve your pet’s health would you alter it? You probably would after you finish reading this article.

Below please find natural dog food tips and also at advantages of natural dog food.

Out of the hundreds of ingredients (more than 500) used in commercial dog food, 68 ingredients are potentially lethal. Most of these dangerous ingredients are fillers, dyes and man made substances. Check the label of your dog’s current food to see all the garbage commercial dog food is loaded with. You may be surprised as you read the long list of ingredients. So if you’re wondering why your pet is itchy or has more than his share of infections, it’s probably in his food.

On the other hand, feeding your dog natural dog food is worth it to discover the numerous benefits. Feeding your dog should begin with meat. Dogs naturally like meats, such as chicken, turkey, beef or even fish. Dogs also need other healthy ingredients such as vitamins and minerals. Make sure whichever brand you choose contains no artificial flavoring or coloring. It’s not good for humans and it’s not good for dogs.

Also, stay away from food made with grain, such as wheat, corn or oats. If eaten consistently, some dogs become itchy and can develop infections. Also, make sure the label includes a small amount of fat and some omega-3.

There are several online recipes for making your own natural dog food. Most are easy to assemble and best of all your dog will absolutely love them. So make enough for several meals.

There are several first-
rate brands of natural dog food on the market. First ask your veterinarian which natural dog food he would recommend and why. Make sure his answer includes the above-mentioned ingredients.

Most cities have pet stores that sell ONLY natural dog food products. I found one particular dog food that included all natural products and to my surprise, both of my dogs loved the natural dog food over the commercial dog food.

When you learn about the benefits of natural dog food, know that you’re prolonging your dog’s life. You’re also reducing the chances of disease, such as diabetes and cancer. It feels good to know that your dog is leading a happy and healthy life. It may also mean fewer visits to the vet and fewer medications. The bottom line is that the benefits of natural dog food definitely outweigh commercial dog food.

Read more tips about natural dog food at natural dog food.

For the house training dogs tips visit this blog.

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Basic directives To Use In Training Your Dog - Get Helpful Tips

basic

Training your dog is just a way of ensuring that it acts in a disciplined and satisfactory approach. Dog training certainly is a process that involves a series of well-articulated orders repeated faithfully enough for a dog to get used to and respond to. There are numerous aspects of dog training. However, obedience dog training is a fundamental training process that a dog must go through first. It is the desire of all dog owners’ that their dogs obey their directive. Once you can train your dog to obey, every other thing falls into place.

In obedience dog training, there are five basic orders or behaviors that a dog is taught. They are:

- Down: This directive is regularly uttered to calm an especially exuberant dog. Your dog may be the overly excited kind that loves to paw individuals, lunge at them or even tug at their clothes. Teaching a dog to stay down when you order it to can assist to keep its excesses in check. The ‘down’ directive is certainly a position of subservience the dog adopts when it is being excessive in its behavior.

- Sit: You can train your dog to sit down in a exact place. This directive is good for situations where you can’t go into exact places with your dog. Teaching your dog to sit down and stay put while you shop or get hold of something prevents it from wandering off and getting lost.

- Stay: The stay directive is almost similar to the sit directive except that you use it in situations where you are going to leave your dog alone for an exceptionally long period of time.

- Recall: Calling your dog to you is a directive that establishes you as the master. The recall directive is produced to call your dog’s attention to you and to get it to come to where you are.

- Close or loose leash walking: You need to teach your dog how to respond to a leash. One basic dog-training tool, the leash enables you to do a variety of things ranging from walking your dog to correcting your dog. A dog that isn’t used to a leash may not be able to respond favorably to your other orders.

Each of these orders is executed using different words depending on the dog trainer. Use words that your dog will easily understand and get used to.

Ras Reed offers you more insightful resources on Dog Training such as Dog Training Collars, as well as Free Dog Training Tips on his website.

For the house training dogs visit this blog.

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Training Supplies for Your Hunting Dog Puppy

Dog Training Products

If you’re the happy new owner of a puppy that you plan to train to someday be a hunting or gun dog, then you’ll be wondering what you’ll need to make that happen. Besides patience, love, and a sense of humor, you’ll need some tools to make the training process easier. Before you bring puppy home, make sure you have the things you’ll need to make him comfortable and get him off to a good start.

Dog Crates

The fact of the matter is, puppies aren’t born housebroken. Sad, but true. This means you’ll need to housebreak puppy and the best way to do that is through create training. A lot of other benefits come from this as well and crate training utilizes puppy’s “denning” instinct to make it all happen. Crates also keep your dog (and your house) safe while he’s unsupervised.

Fortunately, regardless of the size of your dog, crates are easy to use, they come in a variety of sizes and some can even be collapsed and put away once you are done using it. Some dog owners only use a crate until a puppy is housebroken and then only for rare occasions.

Most dogs like to be in a crate. The dog crate helps them feel protected, secure and they begin to consider it a safe place to go. Most dogs treat their crates as if it was their own personal den! Whether you elect to purchase aluminum or a metal wire dog crate, you will want to make sure that you have purchased the appropriate size. If you get a dog crate that is too small, your dog will be unable to turn around comfortably in it and a crate that is too large may result in your dog being frightened and not feeling safe. Some dog crates come with removable panels that can be added or removed depending on the size of your dog.

Dog Training Collars

Dogs don’t train themselves—another sad fact. Luckily, they have us to do it for them and the process is usually fun. Training hunting dogs is even more of a challenge with greater rewards. Training collars can really help with this, especially the long-range electric collars. Whether you choose one of those or a simple choke collar for obedience training, make sure it’s the right one for you and your dog.

You will have to decide if your dog responds best to positive discipline (i.e. give him a treat when he does the right thing) or if electronic stimulation offered through electronic collars are best for him. Many owners of hunting dogs (especially larger ones) find that the electronic stimulus collars work best.

Other Hunting Dog Supplies

Start working with puppy early to begin the training process and to set a schedule of training, play, and down times. The earlier you begin obedience and hunting training, the more effective it will be. There are a lot of products out there to help you accomplish these tasks and they are generally available at all hunting and pet supply stores:

1. Dog whistles to train your dog to listen to you at home and in the field
2. Dog training bumpers – to teach retrieval
3. Launchers – to teach fetching and retrieval

Your puppy will become a part of your hunting and a member of your household for years and years. Getting the proper dog training supplies will ensure that you have everything you need for successful training so that he will listen and remain safe in your care.

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Need Help Training Your Dog? Try Tri-tornics Dog Training Collars.

Electronic Dog Collars

If you’re searching for an electronic training collar Tri-Tronics is a well trusted name. The sport dog collars will help train your hunting dog ensuring that he becomes your partner during the hunt. These collars can also help find tune your dog’s natural hunting skills.

Tri-Tronics Dog Training Collars

If you are in need of a caller that will help correct inappropriate behavior sports dog collars may be the answer your looking for. For owners of sporting dogs who are often in and out of water Tri-Tronics sport dog collar offers a waterproof receivers and transmitters. In addition to lightweight transmitter the Tri-Tronics sports dog collar has ten different levels of intensity that allows you to find the level that is right for your dog. When your dog behaves inappropriately the sports collars send a brief electronic stimulation directly to your dog.

Tri-Tronics Sport Basic Collar

The Tri-Tronics Sport Basic Dog Collar is the most advanced when it comes to Tri-Tronics dog collar technology. Just like the above model and many other dog collars, the transmitter is designed to deliver as many as ten levels of stimulation for training purposes. However, it is more durable than other dog training collars in the respect that it is made using the same material as bulletproof glass. You can still expect waterproof transmitters and receivers with this type of dog collar. Very durable and effective in training your dog, this Tri-Tronics technology may be just right for your hunting or sporting dog.

How to Use Tri-Tronics Sport

Using these high tech collars couldn’t be easier. In addition to the stimulation they give as feedback for your dog, using voice commands to train your dog to respond with or without the collar is important. Understanding that it takes time to train any dog, regardless of whether the training is for at home or hunting in the field, is important. Your dog will need to become familiar with not just your commands, but the sound of your voice. Voice commands should always take precedence over the collar’s stimulation, especially in the beginning. This gets your dog used to hearing you and your command words and phrases. The collar should be used after the dog has refused or ignored your command. Every firm “no” should be accompanied by a stimulation from the collar to reinforce the negative associated with the bad behavior. Before long, the word “no” is all that’s needed.

Remember when using these dog collars to train a hunting dog that you’re hunting dog instinctively wants to hunt and to be effective hunting companions they will need training. Using patients in combination with electronic dog collars should help your dog learn your commands quicker. Be sure when using electronic dog collars that you start with the lowest levels of stimulation. This will allow you to determine the proper level for your dog. Regardless of the type of dog you have, the Tri-Tronics electronic dog collar has one that will work for you and for your dog.

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What is a Dog Massage

Home and Family

If you want to give a lower body massage to your dog this article will guide you through a step by step process beginning from his neck and going down to his toes.

To remove the tension off the dog’s neck you should rub the neck area very gently. There are some muscles on the back of his neck. The skin covering these muscles is very loose so finding these muscles is very easy. Soothe these muscles by gently rubbing them with your fingers. Do the same with muscles on the side of the neck. Make sure you massage the area around the wind pipe gently any pressure applied here can be potentially dangerous.

Next with both your hands on his back, apply gentle pressure on the area around the spine. Make sure that your hands lie parallel to the spine without putting direct pressure on it. This should be done for a minute. Follow this with an open palmed massage on the side for another minute.

For the next step use your fingers to gently massage up and down in a walking motion on both sides of the spine. Follow this with firm yet gentle long strokes. View these puppy sweaters. You can find some that will be great for your dog.

Get him to lie down on his side and shift your attention to the top portion of his leg using gentle pressure. Give him five long strokes, starting at the side and going down to the top portion of his leg. Next take each leg in your hand and gently squeeze it for 10 seconds. Finally massage the leg tendons with your fingers. Each foot should be massaged one at a time by rubbing the area that surrounds the nails and the paw pads using small circular strokes. You will probably want to get a discount dog crates to take your dog to the place to get a massage.

For the next step gently straighten and flex the leg joints a few times. If your dog has a hip, bone or joint problem such as arthritis or hip dysplasia try not to touch the affected area. Flexing and rubbing the sore joints will be very painful for your dog. If you try to touch these areas your dog’s reflex will be to scream or yelp in pain. If your dog reacts this way while you are giving him a massage you should know that you have touched a sensitive area and you should try to calm him down by gently petting him or giving him a hug before continuing the massage. Now remember which part of your dog’s body is sore and try not to touch it in future.

Massage the other two legs in the same way by turning your dog to the other side

To finish the massage give your dog long gentle strokes that start at the top of his neck and go down to the tip of his toes. Repeat this procedure several times. These dog clothes cheap are great for pets in the winter and will doll up a doggie after a massage.

If your dog falls asleep you can be sure that you have done a good job. Even if he doesn’t fall asleep you can be sure that the massage will help him to feel relaxed and good.

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Sure Fire Tips To Keep Your Dog Healthy Naturally

Health and Safety

Puppies are like little bundles of energy. They have a fairly good attention span and are very curious. If your puppy lacks these traits and you find him sleeping or sitting inactively you may want to take your pet to the veterinarian for a thorough check up. If the veterinarian doesn’t find anything wrong with your puppy you could use a natural way to augment his energy levels and attention span.

There is certainly no need for animal medication unless your dog is suffering from a serious medical ailment. If your veterinarian feels that your dog is in a good shape you may want to use the guidelines given below to help your puppy to feel better and be more alert in a natural way. View clothes for dogs and clothes for male dogs, the clothes will keep your dog warm in the cold and staying healthier longer.

1. Many pet owners tend to feed their dogs five times a day. This is alright with most pups however if the amount of food that you are serving your dog is too much it may result in lethargy and a short attention span. If your puppy is more than six weeks old you can safely shift from a five times a day feeding schedule to a two times a day feeding schedule. Usually pet owners tend to over feed their puppies because they want them to grow fast. Instead of being healthy, over feeding your puppy will harm him.

2. Most good quality pet foods will have the digestibility level mentioned on the package. Quality dog foods usually have a digestibility level of 85%-90%. This is just perfect to provide your dog with the necessary nutrients without making him feel lethargic.

3. Most vital ingredient in dog food is protein. Dog’s need protein to build muscle and for over all physical well being. The richest source of protein for dogs is meat. So meat should form the largest part of your pet food. Unfortunately many ready made pet foods are laced with heavy quantities of carbohydrates and very little protein. The carbohydrates make your dog feel drowsy inactive and lethargic. View airline dog crates for you and your doggie.

4. You can also give your dog supplements of Vitamin B and proteins. But it is always safe to consult your veterinarian before introducing supplements as a part of the dog’s diet. Brewers yeast is a natural and rich source of Vitamin B and proteins and you can safely give brewers yeast to your dogs.

5. Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely healthy for dogs and humans alike. Most doctors and veterinarians will ask you to use Omega 3 fatty acids. In dogs they are responsible for increased concentration levels and a healthy coat. Flaxseed oil and fish oils contain substantial amounts of Omega3 fatty acids

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Why Amateurs Should Not Breed Their Dogs

Advice

If you surf through free websites advertising dog sales you will realize that there are many dog owners who place advertisements to sell their puppies. These advertisements are normally placed by professional dog breeders who are backed by a sound reputation. They are also very passionate about the dog breeding profession. But some dog owners who place advertisements for the sale of the puppies are inexperienced and unaware of the requirements necessary for dog breeding.

If dog breeding is not your primary occupation but if you still intend to breed your dog to make some profit and a new puppy to your pet family you should necessarily go through the following measures before you go in for dog breeding.

Some people who make their living out of dog breeding know that they are supposed to give ample of time, attention and caring so that the puppies are strong and healthy. Some people even purchase pajamas for dogs, because they love them so much. You may have to spend a lot of time for this everyday. So go for it only when you are sure that you have enough time and perseverance for it.

You will have to spend a lot of time in advertising and handling inquiries on the phone from interested buyers. Many people who are interested in buying a pup may ask you many questions related to petting a dog so you will have to do your homework well. You will also need to have enough time and patience to answer their queries.

Many people who call you may even want to see the puppies but there is absolutely no guarantee that these prospective buyers will buy a puppy from you. If you have the capacity to emotionally and financially deal with such people only then should you consider dog breeding as a likely profession. Some people who are new to this business may not have the traits necessary to handle such customers.

As a dog breeder you will have to collect all the information pertaining to dog breeding and genetics. You should have adequate knowledge about genetic diseases and the preventative measures that you can use to combat them. You will need to purchase many different dog supplies for your dog. If you travel you will need a approved dog crates.

You should know how to take care of the complications that may arise during the whelping phase. Many dog breeders think that dog breeding is all about putting a male and female dog together to mate. But this couldn’t be further away from the truth. If you want to get into the business of dog breeding it is necessary that you have adequate knowledge about the various health problems and the remedies to solve them. You should also know what nutritional requirements of the mother in her pre and post pregnancy phase.

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Dog Litter Box Training Made Simple

Housebreaking

It really is quite simple to litter box train a dog. Most people dread this aspect of being a dog owner. Training a puppy or older dog is as easy as training a cat to use a litter box. There are a few things to know before training your dog. Always consider the previous training level and habits of your dog. Always know that trainability varies greatly by breed. Some breeds are willing to train when others are somewhat stubborn and harder to train. Some dogs can require a little more discipline but they can be trainable.

Lets begin with litter box training dogs with the indoor potty system itself. The Ugodog dog litter box is made of durable material that will withstand a great amount of weight. What separates this potty apart from other potty systems is that its top grates are specifically designed to be kind to sensitive doggy paws. The way the grates are made is innovative as to not cut into the bottom of the paw pads. Also, the openings are little enough so that even the tiniest dogs will not get their paws trapped. The grates come in two pieces so that you need only remove the dirty side. This system is eco-friendly, durable, inexpensive and no replacement parts to purchase! The best reasons why this is a great pet potty pick.

When potty training your pooch, remember that age can be a factor. All facts considered, you still can train an old dog to use dog litter boxes. You do not need expensive supplies for this system to work. You can use pee pads underneath the grates but this is expensive and makes the product less of a green products. Newspaper works just as well. Once the dog is trained to use the system, you do not even need newspaper. You can just dump the urine at the end of the day in the toilet and discard any poo that is on top of the grates.

Dog Training tips as easy as 1-2-3:

1) Place the dog litter box in a spot that your pooch is use to going on pee pads or if they are use to going outside, put it where you would like.
2) Place a paper towel that you have soaked in your dogs urine beneath the grates.
3) The moment your dog needs to use the bathroom lead them to the litter box and they will recognize their own scent and begin to go potty there!

Do not use negative reinforcement with your dog when training them. Use the same words repeatedly that you use to command them to go potty. Some dogs may be shy at first and have accidents. If this happens, think of it as a positive that you can soak up the urine and put it under the grate and lead your dog over to litter box following an accident. The Ugodog indoor dog potty will make your life and your dogs life simpler. No more wet paws or torn up pee pads. Do not forget that furry little friend still need exercise. So do not eliminate walks.

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The Pound - Find Your Next Dog

Advice

Dog shelters or local SPCA’s are government entities or private shelter houses for stray or abandoned dogs and provide shelter to these animals until they find foster-homes, are claimed by previous owners or placed in other similar institutions. Dog shelters are a great place to find pet dogs for low-income families.

Some of these pounds are the so-called kill shelters, which mean that if a dog has health or temperamental problems that are no longer manageable within the available resources, then it will be euthanized or “killed kindly”. At times even healthy dogs need to be euthanized due to lack of space or funding.

Some shelters, usually in the private sector choose to be No-kill shelters. These provide support to healthy and adoptable dogs for the rest of their lives or until they find other owners. However the drawback is that many animals are not accepted in these shelters due to lack of funds or lack of sufficient space.

A few of the private dog shelters provide low-cost spaying and neutering before the dogs are placed. Often initial veterinary care and vaccination (except rabies) are also provided to these animals.

Many potential pet adopters prefer pet shops to obtain their pets. However many of these dogs end up in dog shelters or are simply left out on the streets. Animal welfare organizations are now working to create awareness among the general public about the large number of adoptable dogs available in various dog shelters and the often-poor condition of dogs in the pet shops.

Once you do decide to adopt a dog from a dog shelter, the best would be to search for such organizations in your area in your local yellow papers. You may also search on the Internet for “dog shelters” or “animal shelters” with the name of your city.

Upon finding a facility, you should visit it a few times and observe the staff interacting with the dogs while they go about their chores of cleaning the runs and feeding the animals. Note the behavior of the staff towards the dogs, and vice versa. It will help you in deciding if you want to adopt a dog from this particular facility or not.

Many of these dogs might already be home trained. However no history is usually available on stray dogs. But if you research well you are very likely to find a dog that is most appropriate for your particular economic and domestic situation. And most importantly you just might have saved an animal from being euthanized or having to live in a shelter house all his life.

Make sure that you find the right pet, make sure you prepare your home and have the right dogs beds and dog bedding ready when your new house mate arrives.

So if you are a dog-lover on the lookout for a worthy canine companion, the nearest dog shelter is the place to go shopping.

Michael Saunders rums a Website that provides loads of resources on dog bedding.

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All About How To Pick The Best Dog

Advice

If you are thinking about buying a small dog as a pet, remember that for the most part, they aren’t much different to a larger version. Having said that, there are certain points they need to be made aware of when looking after a small dog. Illustrated below are some points you will need to consider for the daily requirements for a tiny breed of dog.

How to Pick the Best Dog

Feeding:

Naturally you’re going to feed your dog daily, but the standard-size kibble at the grocery store may be too large for your dog to eat comfortably. Make sure that your dog gets a kibble which suits his tiny mouth and you could get these along with the premium brand of dog foods. Although if you feed you dog with canned food this should not present a problem.

Taking Care of Your Dog

Methods of containing them:

Every dog needs the following: regular exercise, an outdoor place for his potty needs, and an enclosed area which provides the animal with security. You need to be careful here as the large fencing used to protect a larger dog may just be too big for a small dog, since there are convenient gaps below and in between making it easy for the smaller dog to kneel down and escape through it. It may seem bizarre but it has been know for very large birds to actually take tiny dogs from their gardens. A simple answer to this problem is to construct an enclosed play area which should stop this from happening.

Dog Care

How to train the dog:

While tiny dogs aren’t any harder to train than large dogs, the consensus of many pet experts is that many of them end up spoiled. Be it a pocket or purse-fitting dog, remember that the small dog still belong to that species of animals which follow pack behavior, and incidentally the dog and not the owner leads the pack. It’s a wise idea to make sure your pet is thoroughly house trained, no matter how small and inconsequential the mess might seem when he misses. Dog experts also suggest you make your dog work for you, to keep him responsive to your rules. Never reward a dog with goodies or a meal till he has perfected your command for doing tricks or even simple jobs like sitting or fetching.

Grooming:

Keep in mind that grooming a small dog is slightly different to larger ones and cater for this. Firstly, as they do not get the same type of outdoor exercise that a larger dog does whereby their nails are trimmed automatically, tiny dogs require their nails trimmed on a more regular basTiny canines do not get the same sort of regular outdoor exercise on rough surfaces that controls their nail growth like a larger dog so they will need to be trimmed more often. As they are eating more canned food, their teeth will need to be brushed more regularly (at least twice per week) to eliminate unwanted and harmful deposits. The above makes it clear that it does not matter whether you are taking care of a small dog or a large dog the methods are pretty much the same. These may seem like inconsequential points but they can and will make a big difference to your pets health and happiness.

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