The "Official" AnimalAdoration.com Blog

Happy Independance Day!

2010-07-04T09:57:00.000-04:00

(photo courtesy of http://www.hoatalk.com/zpublic/1/july4-party-dog-orig-large-photo-1500x2250.jpg)

How to Give the Medication in the Ears

2010-06-01T00:44:00.002-04:00

It is important to get the medication into the horizontal part of
the ear canal. Unlike our ear canal, the dog's external ear canal
is "L" shaped. The vertical canal connects with the outside of the
ear and is the upper part of the "L". The horizontal canal lies
deeper in the canal and terminates at the eardrum. Our goal is to
administer the medication into the lower part of the "L" - the
horizontal ear canal.

The ear canal may be medicated by following these steps:

1. Pull the earflap straight up and hold it with one hand.

2. Place a small amount of medication into the vertical part of the
ear canal while continuing to keep the earflap elevated.

3. Put one finger in front of and at the base of the earflap, and
put your thumb behind and at the base.

4. Massage the ear canal between your finger and thumb. A squishing
sound tells you that the medication has gone into the ear canal.

5. Clean the outer part of the ear canal and the inside of the
earflap with a cotton ball soaked in some of the medication.

(photo courtesy of http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Dog, content courtesy of Dr. Andrew Jones)

FREE Video on Making Homemade Dog Food

2010-01-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.thedogsupplement.com/undressed/

How Well Is Your Dog Groomed?

2010-01-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

The reason one should groom his/her Dog is simple - your dog's physical state influences the way he feels and the way you look at your dog. Extreme cases, where lack of proper care, cleaning and grooming can directly affect the behavior of your Dog, are not rare.

Proper grooming not only infuses a healthy glow to your dog's appearance, but also helps develop his self-esteem; while it makes you a very proud parent, when you show off your Dog to others.

The first step involved in dog grooming is: Brushing!

Brushing has been universally acknowledged by expert dog groomers as the single most important step in grooming.

The benefits of brushing are many. To name a few:

Better blood circulation
Shinier and healthier coat
Better bonding

Subscribe to this FREE dog grooming mini course and learn more about brushing and combing and other grooming tools and their applications.

Even if you know how crucial brushing is for your Dog's health and well-being, we all know that there is a right way and a wrong way of doing anything. And without doubt, you would like to do everything the RIGHT way when it comes to your Dog.

Yes, there's a method to follow while brushing your Dog.

Here are FIVE steps to successfully brushing your Dog that will prove to be extremely useful:

Brush against the growth of the hair first with a slicker brush and then with a medium or wide-toothed comb.
The slicker brush removes all the loose hair and the comb takes care of the tangles.
Brush your Dog along the hair growth and make sure you reach the skin as you brush his way.
Then use a flea comb over the coat to get the fleas and remove any remaining tangles. Part the coat and start from the root and then comb through.
If your Dog's paw pads are hairy, then clip them using electric clippers. Do not clip the hair in between the pads. Clip only the excess hair.

Brush your Dog's hairs to prevent it from matting. Matting can be a very painful experience.

Regular brushing untangles the matted hairs on your Dog's coat. Since this is a risky job to do, the best way out is to prevent them from forming in the first place. And doing this is simple: just brush and comb your Dog regularly. If and when you see any mats or tangles, use a detangle solution and a medium-toothed comb.

Don't wait until your Dog is dirty or matted to introduce him to grooming. That would make him associate the experience with unpleasantness. Moreover, many dogs learn to see their routine brushing as an alternate form of petting, i.e. another source of affection and attention.

Subscribe to this FREE dog grooming mini course and start Grooming your Dog all by yourself right from the comfort of your home Today.

(photo courtesy of http://www.dogfacts.org/dog-grooming-bathing.jpg)

What To Do if Your Dog Eats Toxic Food

2010-01-20T10:41:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I covered some very common, yet virtually
UNKNOWN food toxins - such as Avocados, Chewing Gum, Grapes and
Macadamia Nuts.

Here's what to do if your pet ingests ANY of these:

TO YOUR VETERINARIAN. If your pet is showing signs of ingesting a
poison, it is important that your veterinarian examines her and
treated appropriately. Some toxins can progress and lead to severe
seizures. If you suspect antifreeze poisoning, it must be treated
within 4-6 hours, before irreversible kidney damage occurs.

PURGE THE POISON. In most cases of poisoning, getting your pet to
vomit is the most important thing that you can do. DO NOT INDUCE
VOMITING if something caustic has been consumed (such as drain
cleaner or bleach). To induce vomiting, give hydrogen peroxide
at 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs of body weight. If your pet doesn't
vomit in 10 minutes, repeat again. NEVER do more than 2 treatments
of peroxide. You can also try salt: dilute 1 teaspoon of salt in
a tablespoon of water per every 10lbs of body weight.

NEUTRALIZE THE TOXIN. If a caustic substance has been ingested,
DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING, rather give something to neutralize it.
An alkaline toxin such as drain cleaner is neutralized by something
acidic such as vinegar: give 1 tsp per 10 lbs of body weight. An
acidic toxin, such as battery acid, is best neutralized with
something alkaline such as Milk of Magnesia: give 1 tsp per 10lbs
of body weight.

DELAY ABSORPTION. Activated charcoal is readily available at most
pharmacies. It delays absorption of any toxin by binding to the
toxic compound in the stomach. The easiest way is to give the
capsule form. For those garbage-eating dogs (such as my own dog)
it is a good idea to have hydrogen peroxide and activated charcoal
always on hand.

TOPICAL TOXINS. If your pet is having a reaction to something on
the skin, such as flea medications, or oil on the skin, then you
want to remove it as soon as possible. Dish soap works well - lather
it up, then rinse your pet thoroughly. Thick tarry substances that
you can't wash off can be first covered in flour, as the flour
absorbs some of the oil, then washed off with dish soap.

PREVENTION. Ensure medications are always out of mouth's reach.
Become familiar with toxic plants (visit http://www.aspca.org/toxicplants
for a complete list) and remove those from your house, if your pet
is a plant-eater.

Foods that are Hazardous to Your Dog

2010-01-18T10:39:00.001-05:00

There are a number of common 'human' foods that can be toxic
for your pets... The important thing is to know exactly what to
avoid. Here is a complete list.

Alcoholic beverages

It is often sweet - attracting dogs and cats, but can cause
serious and fatal intoxication. Don't ever offer this to your pets.

Here are some of the signs and side effects:
- Incoordination/ataxia
- Excitement
- Depression
- Excessive urination
- Breathing rate is slowed
- Cardiac arrest and death

Avocado

Avocado leaves, fruit, seeds and bark contain a toxic principle
known as Persin. The Guatemalan variety is most toxic - but all
have toxic potential. They cause vomiting/diarrhea - primarily
gastrointestinal distress.

Chocolate (all forms)

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac
stimulant and a diuretic.

Signs:
Initial excitation.
Increased drinking and urinating.
Vomiting and Diarrhea.
Theobromine causes an increased heart rate and arrhythmia -.
Seizures can then be seen.
Death is then possible.
ACTION PLAN: Induce vomiting, give activated charcoal, and go to
the Vet if depression and seizures begin. Baker's chocolate and
high cocoa content chocolate is the most toxic; the toxic dose is
2 baking squares for a 10lb dog. Regular chocolate bars have
little real chocolate and are seldom toxic.

Coffee (all forms)

Coffee contains dangerous components called xanthines, which
cause nervous system or urinary system damage and heart muscle
stimulation

Fatty foods

The primary concern here is severe gastrointestinal upset- and
in some cases Pancreatitis.
This can be fatal in some pets- and it is ALMOST always triggered
by a High Fat Meal, such as gravy or bacon.

Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the
digestive and nervous systems and muscles of dogs. This has
lead to paralysis. A small number of nuts and even the butter
can cause this.

Moldy or spoiled foods
Many molds contain a type of toxin called an Aflatoxin. This is
thought to be a common cause of "compost toxicity". Signs include
GI (Vomiting/Diarrhea), muscle tremors, in-coordination, elevated
temperature, excessive salivation, and liver damage. Avoid
feeding ANYTHING moldy to your dog or cat.

Onions, onion powder

Onions contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate.

Pets affected by onion toxicity will develop anemia. 1 Onion can
cause this. Fortunately ALL dogs recover once they are stopped
from ingesting onions.

Raisins and grapes

As few as 6 grapes and raisins have caused acute kidney failure
in some dogs.
The toxic ingredient is not yet known.
There is no treatement.
AVOID feeding ANY grapes or raisins to your dogs.

Yeast dough

The yeast dough/uncooked bread dough will rise in your pet's
stomach causing severe gastrointestinal distress (vomiting/diarrhea),
bloating, and signs of alcohol toxicity.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a artificial sweeter found in "SUGAR FREE" Products,
such as gum, candy etc.

Signs relate to a sudden drop in glucose (blood sugar),
in-coordination, collapse and seizures.

Avoid feeding any gum/candy to your pets.

Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Peaches and Plums.

Ingestion of large amounts of stems, seeds and leaves of these
fruits can be toxic.

They contain a cyanide type compound and signs of toxicity include
apprehension, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, hyperventilation
and shock.

Note - it's the seeds and stems that contain the toxic component,
not the fruit itself.

Potato peelings and green looking potatoes

Potatoes and other Solanum species, including the tomato, are
members of the nightshade family of plants.

These plants contain solanine and other toxic alkaloids which, if
eaten in large enough amounts, can produce drooling, severe
gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea, loss of
appetite, drowsiness, central nervous system depression, confusion,
behavioral changes, weakness, dilated pupils and slowed heart rate.

Nutmeg

High levels of nutmeg can be toxic, even fatal.

The toxic component is unknown.

Signs of toxicity include tremors, seizures, nervous system
abnormalities or death.

Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)

The green parts of the tomato plant are considered toxic because
they contain solanine, which has the potential to produce
significant gastrointestinal and central nervous system effects.

Is Your Dog Potty Trained Enough?

2010-01-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

House Training a puppy or adult Dog is such an essential issue for its owner that even a single exclusive tip turns out to be extremely helpful.

The first step in making your Dog fit for polite company would be to potty train him. Some see this training as a hassle and some as a challenge.

For me, it is part of bringing up a pet.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housetraining puppies and dogs.

There are a few things you need to know before you actually start potty training a puppy or adult Dog. I enumerate these below:

You need to understand your dog's body language. Watch for signs that will indicate to you when your pet wants to eliminate.

If you own puppies, remember that they need to go potty at fairly frequent intervals - as soon as they wake up, after short naps, after play-time, after meals, before and after being crated and finally, before retiring for the night.

Take your Dog for walks at the time that he usually does his potty. Take him out to the yard and then to the same place there every time he needs to answer nature's call.

Praise your Dog after he eliminates at the right place. Some Dog owners even give treats to their dogs. But remember to do this every time he does it right. He will relate the rewards to his having "done it right" and zero in on the spot where you want him to defecate regularly.

With time, you can try signal training. This is so that you know when your doggie wants to go. You can hang a bell at his level near the door and teach him to push it with his nose or pat it with his paw on his way out.

Until your Dog has been fully potty trained keep him under strict vigilance. Do not let him roam around the house freely.

Use a crate. A crate-trained Dog is usually very happy to get his own den. The advantage of crating is that dogs do not soil the place where they sleep. So, he will naturally not eliminate inside the crate.

If you have a small dog and if you live in a high-rise building or in a place that does not have a proper backyard, you can try litter pan training. What you do is create a space for your pet to eliminate in your house itself.

Use positive reinforcements while housebreaking puppies or adult dogs. Do not scold or hit him as you will gain nothing by doing that. He will only associate punishment with your return from outside. If you catch him in the act, a stern 'NO' or 'FREEZE' will do. It will startle the Dog enough for him to stop pooping.

Be prepared to return to a soiled home if you are keeping your Dog home alone for more than 4 hours as separation anxiety is quite common among home-alone dogs.

Accidents will happen. It is unusual for a trained adult Dog to work against its house training. But medical problems or health disorders may lead to sudden accidents.

Many dogs mark their territory. These can be a leg of a table or a particular wall. Intact male and female dogs mark their territories by urinating. Use deodorizers to spray on the places where your Dog has marked.

If you are patient and are ready to accept that house training a dog takes time, even months sometimes, you will end up having a good housetrained Dog.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on house training puppies and dogs.

Now we will move on to how to potty train puppies and adult dogs.

Potty Training A Puppy:

Irrespective of breeds, housetraining a puppy is considered to be one of the biggest challenges by dog owners. If you think housetraining your puppy simply involves a steady supply of old newspapers, then think again.

A puppy does not develop full control over his bladder until it is over 4 or 5 months old. Since they are growing and developing rapidly at this time, puppies eat more, burn more calories and need to eliminate more frequently than an adult Dog.

After each nap, meal, drink or play, take your puppy to his designated area (indoors or outdoors, wherever you have decided) and stay there until it eliminates. Then bring him to his crate.

Repeat this situation everyday until he has developed a habit out of it.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on housebreaking a puppy.

Potty Training An Adult Dog:

The best way to housetrain an adult Dog is to begin all over again.

Observe him very closely. Maybe even maintain a diary of where he goes and when. Whether he is pooping when you are home or only when you are outside; whether you can time yourself to be home when he feels the need to go outside.

You can try dog crates, but be careful to introduce him gradually to them.

Click here to subscribe to a FREE course on potty training a dog.

Remember, commitment, consistency and intelligent use of positive reinforcement will make you the owner of a perfectly housetrained Dog. Don't expect miracles. You will only be disappointed.

Get this FREE course on potty training a dog.

Get this unique Housetraining guide and start Housebreaking Your Dog Today.

(photo courtesy of http://www.best-dog-photos.com/images/Dog-Training.jpg)

Puppies Gone Wild!

2010-01-14T00:17:00.003-05:00

Bursts of energy
Once or twice a day, most puppies kick up their heels and go a little gleefully wild. One label for this extra energy burst is a FRAP, Frenetic Random Activity Period. This is especially true of older puppies who will soon be leaving puppyhood behind.

With puppies, FRAPs most often happen in the early morning and early evening. Racing around the house, rolling on the rugs and careening off of furniture are all normal parts of the canine FRAP. When you can, sit back and enjoy the show. FRAPs will be gone soon enough and when this happens you'll know that the end of puppyhood is nearing.

You may be able to see a FRAP coming. You may see a glint in your puppy's eye or maybe he'll play bow with his chest on the floor and his tail in the air. Maybe he'll bark or bounce but then … he's off! Spinning in circles, racing up and down the hall, around or over the furniture, barking at you, pouncing at toys before he suddenly changes his mind and races off again. He's a veritable whirlwind of life and few things in life are as full of pure happiness as a good puppy FRAP.

How to deal with FRAP
Sometimes a good FRAP is just plain fun, but other times you need to tone them down a bit for the sake of your house or puppy's safety. A simple solution is letting your puppy run around inside a fenced yard. Opening the door is usually all that is required to get him outside but you can attract his attention with a favorite toy and toss it outside if he needs to be coaxed. If you don't have a fenced backyard, close off the rooms inside your home you want your puppy to stay out of and let him rip. It's a good idea to keep large breed pups off of slippery surfaces as sliding around can hurt your puppy. Be especially aware of anything that could topple if bumped hard.

The good news is that FRAPs rarely last more than a few minutes. If the timing is just plain wrong for you, there is nothing wrong with taking a good chew toy and quietly crating your puppy for a few minutes. Or, if he'll focus, you can get out some treats and harness this energy into some obedience practice. What you want to avoid is supporting this behavior.

Chasing him around or laughing at his antics (pups understand laughter well) encourages more of this behavior. Trying to calm him down with stroking usually leads to squirming and mouthing because of his high excitement level, so skip that as well. Remember, most puppies experience FRAPs at some point or other. Try to sit back and enjoy your puppy's show during this time – it won't last forever and when FRAPs end it's likely puppyhood is ending too.

(photo courtesy of http://www.webleyweb.com/picts/puppy3.jpg, content courtesy of pedigree.com)

Training Your Dog to Listen to You

2010-01-10T00:56:00.002-05:00

Why Won't My Dog Listen To Me?

This is a common question that most first-time Dog owners ask me. Before I answer your question, let me ask you a few instead:

Do you use cookies, collars, head halters or clickers to make your Dog listen to your commands?

Do you have to raise your voice every time you want your Dog to listen to you?

Does your Dog always come or sit on command - anytime and anywhere you want him to?

If your answers are mostly in the negative, its time you seriously reconsider your role as a sincere Dog trainer and an ideal pet parent.

Learn how to bond with your Dog with this free mini course.

Get Your Dog To Listen To You

Before you begin any training, you must first establish yourself as the "ALPHA dog" of your family. Your Dog must know that you’re the leader of the pack and it is YOU who is in charge.

Here is a list of simple DO's and DONT's that you must follow if you want to be the Alpha:

Always go out or come in through the door first - remember you are the leader;

Always eat first - give your Dog something to eat only after you've finished your meal;

Don’t circle around your Dog when he is lying on the floor - make your Dog move out of your way instead;

Don't let your Dog set the rules - pay attention to him when you think fit and not whenever he demands;

Don’t permit your Dog to sleep with you in your bed - demarcate his sleeping area clearly.

Once you successfully established yourself as the Alpha, training your Dog and making him listen will be a lot easier than you can imagine. Remember, if your Dog does not learn to "listen", all your training efforts will be in vain!

Does your Dog know his name? Does your Dog look at you whenever you call him by his name? This is the first and the most critical step involved in Dog Training. If your Dog doesn't respond to his name, you cannot have his attention for teaching him any other commands.

To make sure that your Dog recognizes his name, take a treat in your hand and hold it away from your body. Call your Dog's name. He is most likely to look at the treat in your hand. Continue calling his name untill he turns and looks at your eyes. Give him the treat immediately. Repeat this exercise by holding the treat in the other hand. Once you're sure that your Dog has learnt to recognize his name, just call his name and reward him for looking at you by petting or with a hug.

You must understand that Dogs respond far better to positive reinforcement than they do to coercion or force.

Learn how to train your Dog better with this free mini course.

(photo courtesy of http://www.dailypainters.com/paintings/tag/terrier)

A Rather Disturbing Story...

2010-01-05T10:41:00.001-05:00

PETA Killed 95 Percent of Adoptable Pets in its Care During 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------

Hypocritical Animal Rights Group's 2008 Disclosures Bring Pet Death
Toll To 21,339

WASHINGTON DC - Today the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF)
published documents online showing that People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) killed 95 percent of the adoptable
pets in its care during 2008. Despite years of public outrage over
its euthanasia program, the animal rights group kills an average
of 5.8 pets every day at its Norfolk, VA headquarters.

According to public records from the Virginia Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services, PETA killed 2,124 pets last
year and placed only seven in adoptive homes. Since 1998, a
total of 21,339 dogs and cats have died at the hands of PETA
workers.

Despite having a $32 million budget, PETA does not operate an
adoption shelter. PETA employees make no discernible effort to
find homes for the thousands of pets they kill every year. Last
year, the Center for Consumer Freedom petitioned Virginia's State
Veterinarian to reclassify PETA as a slaughterhouse.

CCF Research Director David Martosko said: "PETA hasn't slowed
down its hypocritical killing machine one bit, but it keeps
browbeating the rest of society with a phony 'animal rights'
message. What about the rights of the thousands of dogs, cats,
puppies, and kittens that die in PETA's headquarters building?"

Martosko added: "Since killing pets is A-OK with PETA, why should
anyone listen to their demands about eating meat, using lab rats
for medical research, or taking children to the circus?"

CCF obtained PETA's "Animal Record" filings since 1998 from the
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Members
of the public can see these documents at PetaKillsAnimals.com.

Dog Training Basics

2010-01-03T00:55:00.000-05:00

It's essential for Dog parents like you to know certain basic factors that determine your relationship with your Dog and can go a long way in training him effectively.

Before you begin training your Dog, it is absolutely essential that you build a loving bond with him. This is important as it helps you to understand his needs and instincts and also allows your Dog to have complete trust in you.

Know more about Dog care from this free mini course

Let us see how.......

How To Bond With Your Dog

Building a bond with your Dog is the first and the most crucial step involved in training him successfully. As soon as you bring your Dog home, you must first try to develop a caring and loving relationship with him in order to win his trust and confidence.

When Dogs are secure in the knowledge that they belong to the family, they are more likely to respond better to their owners' training commands. Just like with any relationship, there must be mutual trust and respect between you and your Dog.

Trust takes time to develop and respect comes from defining boundaries and treating any breach of those boundaries with firmness and fairness.

Without enforceable limitations, respect can’t be developed. And when there is no respect, building a bond with your Dog is almost impossible.

4 Golden Rules To Building A Relationship With Your Dog :

Spend quality time together;

Take him out in the world and experience life together;

Establish and promote a level of mutual respect; and

Develop a way of communicating to understand each other's needs.

Building a bond with your Dog will not only help you manage him better but will also make your Dog calm, quiet and an extremely well-adjusted pet.

Love Your Dog and He Will Love You back

Once you're succesful in building a bond with your Dog, you can rest assured that training him and teaching him new and clever tricks will be a cakewalk.

Learn how to bond with your Dog with this free mini course.

How Your Dog Learns...

Your Dog's learning period can be divided into five phases:

The Teaching Phase - This is the phase where you must physically demonstrate to your Dog exactly what you want him to do.

The Practicing Phase - Practice makes Perfect. Once a lesson is learnt, practice with your Dog what you have just taught him.

The Generalizing Phase - Here you must continue practicing with your Dog in different locations and in an environment with a few distractions. You can take your Dog out for a walk, or to a nearby park and command him to practice whatever you've taught him.

Practicing the learned lessons in multiple locations and in the presence of small distractions will help him learn and retain lessons better .

The Testing Phase - Once you're sure that your Dog has achieved almost 90% success....he responds correctly almost every time you give a command, you must start testing his accuracy in newer locations with a lot of distractions.

Example: Take him to the local shopping mall and ask him to obey your command. He may not come up with the correct response the very first time you do this, but you must not lose hope.

The idea is to test your Dog to see how he responds in an environment which is new to him. Set-up a situation where you are in control of the environment and your Dog.

There are only 2 possibilities:

Your Dog succeeds!!! (Trumpets please!)

In case your Dog fails, re-examine the situation. Review and/or change your training. Then try testing again.

Keep on testing until he succeeds. Follow the rule of the 3 Ps – patience, persistence, praise.

Internalizing Phase - Finally, comes the extremely rewarding phase where your Dog does everything he is taught to do even without your commands.

Remember:

Never scold your Dog if he fails. It's not his fault. You have failed as a trainer!

You must be patient and persistent for your efforts to show rewards.

Appreciate and love your Dog when he does it right! A little encouragement will work wonders for your Dog.

Dog Training is easy when you do it right.

Learn how to train your Dog better with this free mini course.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2010.

(photo courtesy of http://www.topdoglimobus.com/images/party-dog.jpg)

Almost a Year Old? Is Your Puppy All Grown Up?

2009-12-30T00:03:00.003-05:00

Grown up or not? Now that your pup is nearing a year of age, is he grown up? When is he an "adult"?

The answer is…it's different for each puppy. Puppies mature at different times – it depends on the adult size of the breed. For example, toy breeds are often physically mature at one year of age, whereas a giant breed, like a Great Dane or a Saint Bernard, may still be very much "in process".

Growth patterns
Puppies are said to grow from the outside in. This means that the body parts on the outside – paws, tail and ears – grow to their adult size first. Think back to when your pup was 12 to 16 weeks old. He may have had adult, or near adult-sized, paws which likely seemed out of proportion with the rest of him. His ears and tail would have been the same – they sometimes grow to a startling length at an early age, and it can take a year or more for your pup to "grow into" himself.

Is he there yet? How will you know when your puppy is no longer a puppy? He'll start filling out. His chest will get larger and he'll put on some pounds. He may get a bit longer and broader. His head will fill in and he'll stop looking like he's all legs and start looking more in proportion. His back will appear more level, instead of sometimes looking taller in the rear than in the front.

From a behavioral point of view, his wild racing around the house may all but disappear. He'll calm down a bit – in proportion to his breed and who he is. Some pups calm down so much people worry they might be ill. Others continue on, energized and bounding, into adulthood and beyond. It's an astonishingly fast metamorphosis and once it's done, you'll look back at those puppy pictures and wonder, "Was he ever really that small?"

Although puppyhood can be trying at times, and although you have much to look forward to with your adult dog, most puppy owners feel a bit nostalgic for the time when their dog was still a puppy.

(picture courtesy of: http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/images/full/Siberian-Husky-Puppy-3.jpg, article courtesy of pedigree.com)

Funny Foto: Dazed and Confused

2009-12-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T09:51:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas. May your holiday be filled with joy, love, and laughter - and your dogs tummy fully of treats!

Puppy Training: The "Off" Command

2009-12-21T00:13:00.003-05:00

The "off" command

As your puppy grows, jumping becomes a bigger and bigger problem. What may have been charming in your 9 week-old pup may now be a real challenge with your older puppy. Luckily, jumping behavior is a fairly easy problem to control if you know how to approach it.

First, the command word to use is "off" as in "get off of me, please". Don't use "down" as in "lie down". Using the same command word for two different behaviors is confusing to your puppy.

The "off" command instructs your pup to put his four feet on the floor. Your job is to make sure you don't encourage jumping some of the time then get frustrated by it later. The key, as in most training, is consistency. You also need to stay calm and remember that your pup means no harm, he just needs direction from you. Teaching your puppy the "off" command should involve two basic things: practice and reward.

Practice
How often should you practice the "off" command? If your puppy jumps up on you every time you walk through the door there is no reason you shouldn't be just as consistent in your training.

Reward
What is it that you want your pup to do? In this case it is to sit instead of jump. Do you tell him that? Do you reward him for that? It helps if you do. Developing the desired behavior is much quicker and more fun than trying to eliminate the unwanted behavior. If your pup sits when you come home, then the jumping problem is solved. Best of all your pup will get what he wants – your attention.

How to teach the "off" command
Guide your puppy into the correct behavior: If your pup is a food hound or toy lover, use that to your advantage. Keep a favorite toy or treat outside the door. When you enter and your pup jumps tell him "off" and then "sit" and guide your puppy into the sit position by slowly raising the treat or toy back and just above his head. When he sits, give him the treat or toss the toy a short distance. Since a pup has to "off" in order to "sit", he will be learning both at the same time.

Ignore your pup: In some cases, simply crossing your arms and looking at the ceiling will cause the pup to stop jumping. He is trying to get your attention; if he isn't getting it, he may well stand and stare at you in puzzlement. The moment he stops, tell him "off" then praise him calmly. If he jumps, ignore him again. This may take a few minutes at first, but he'll get the idea quickly.

Clearly, this is not the technique to use with a large, powerful pup. Your pup is ready, willing and able to please you, he just needs you to show him how. Taking the time to practice, rewarding the behavior you want and using techniques that allow him to learn without becoming frightened or confused makes training a breeze for both of you.

(http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/images/full/Golden-Retriever-Puppy-7.jpg, content courtesy of pedigree.com)

Funny Foto: Better Than Peanut Butter

2009-12-15T11:53:00.002-05:00

This looks like something my beloved Savanah would do....

Top 10 weirdest items removed from pet's stomachs

2009-12-13T23:59:00.004-05:00

'The dog's eaten the underwear again...'

Underwear, a kitchen knife and a wig have made a list of the top 10
weirdest items removed from the stomachs of the nation's pets by an
animal charity's vets.

The list, released by PDSA, also includes a 10-inch tent peg, a
bell, a fishing hook and a rubber duck.
Dog rubber duck x-ray The dog that swallowed a rubber duck

PDSA senior veterinary surgeon, Sean Wensley, said: 'There is a
medical term for pets eating strange objects - pica.

'Dogs, especially puppies and younger dogs, use their mouth to
investigate objects as well as to eat. Sometimes a dog will swallow
an object by mistake, even though it had only meant to investigate
it.

'Owners should give their pets the chance to investigate new objects
by providing them with plenty of pet-safe toys to play with - that
way the whole family can enjoy the festive season safely.'

The top twenty list in full is:

1. Ten-inch tent peg
2. Christmas decoration (star shaped)
3. Kitchen knife
4. Alphabet fridge magnets
5. Man's wig
6. Ann Summers underwear
7. Bell
8. Fishing hook
9. Socks
10. Rubber duck
11. Baby's dummy
12. Golf balls
13. Coins
14. Balloons
15. Metal ball from a computer mouse
16. Shoe laces
17. Power ball
18. Corn on the cob
19. Needle and thread
20. Box of chocolates

PDSA provides free veterinary care for the sick and injured pets of
those unable to afford veterinary fees and promotes responsible pet
ownership.

This year PDSA PetAid hospitals and branches provided more than 1.8
million free treatments and more than 200,000 preventive
treatments, such as vaccinations, neutering and microchipping.

A Really Cool Tool - Calorie Counter for Your Dog

2009-12-11T00:52:00.001-05:00

PR: n/a

I: 2,010,000

L: 0

LD: 114,016,626

I: 79100

Rank: 7

Age: Oct 12, 1999

I: 0

whois

source

Robo: yes

Sitemap: no

Rank: 1179

Price: 1614189

Info

PR: n/a

I: 2,010,000

L: 0

LD: 114,016,626

I: 79100

Rank: 7

Age: Oct 12, 1999

I: 0

whois

source

Robo: yes

Sitemap: no

Rank: 1179

Price: 1614189

Links: 10|5

Density

Dog Calorie Calculator by TrainPetDog

Teach Your Dog To Get In His Crate On Command

2009-12-09T00:40:00.002-05:00

This is a really great trick to teach your dog.

First, your dog should view his crate as a "safe place." A place
to go when he's tired, to take a nap or to just be left alone.

Here is the fastest and easiest way to teach your dog to get in his
crate, on command. It's especially useful for if you have
unexpected company and don't want your dog to 'get in the way.

Start by palming a cookie in your right hand. Put the training
collar and leash on your dog. Walk him up to the crate and make him
sit.

Now, say, "Get in the crate!" Toss the cookie in the crate, and
then pull forward on the leash, in the direction of the open crate.
As he moves into the crate, he'll automatically release the
tension on the leash.

Close the door to the crate, and tell him, "Good dog!" as he
munches on the cookie.

Next, open the crate door and tell him, "Free!" When he comes out,
praise him lavishly.

Repeat this exercise, four times. After the fourth time, open the
crate door, take the leash and training collar off, give him
another cookie and close the crate door.

In 20 minutes, you can return and repeat this exercise.

After you've done this a few times and see your dog start to
ANTICIPATE the command, the next thing to do is only give him the
cookie once every third time.

At this point, he'll likely begin running into the crate before you
even tell him to. You'll need to tell him, "No!" and pull him out
of the crate. No praise. Remember--he can go on the crate on his
own when you're not standing next to him, but as this is a formal
exercise, we want him to wait for the command.

This sounds confusing, and it is for the human mind. But it's one
of those things that your dog will understand naturally. Trust
me--I know this from experience.

After you've brought him out of the crate, he'll start looking at
you for the "Get in the crate" command.

Give him the command. Reward him this time with the cookie.

You'll start to see that he'll begin looking to you... waiting for
that magic command that allows him to dive into the crate and get
your praise. (Note: If your dog is more motivated by a toy or
something else (No, not the cat!!!) you can use whatever you want.
The idea is to use a motivator.

The reason you want to pull forward on the leash instead of just
throwing the food/ball/motivator into the crate is so that your dog
learns that you are actually making him do it. This is the
difference between using food as a motivator vs. using food as a
bribe. If the food isn't there, you're going to make him do it
anyway.

(photo courtesy of http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/images/tips/big-dog-big-dog-crate-thumb.jpg, content courtesy of dogtraining.com)

2009-12-08T00:34:00.002-05:00

This was in my inbox this morning from Dr. Andrew Jones - a great read that I wanted to pass along:

Good morning fellow pet lovers, and
generally all around nice people :-)

The whole food thing is VERY confusing.

What do you feed?

Kibble vs Canned?

Home Diets?

Raw?

The Pet Food Recall highlighted just how BIG and
UNREGULATED Pet Food Manufacturing is.

Who would have imagined that melamine made it's way
into many supposed PREMIUM Quality Pet Foods.

It *really* is hard to know what is BEST to feed.

SO here is my take on it.

1. Feed a quality, preferable holistic kibble-
but NOT exclusively and rotate brands.

2. Feed at least 50% canned to your cats

3. Consider incorporating Raw- I am feeding
my dog Lewis Raw once or twice a week

4. Make some diets at home- I am now doing this
at least once a week.

5. Feed a quality Dog Supplement.

---------------------------
If you really want to pamper your pooch, here's a recipe to try:

Fish and Sweet Potato Recipe (based on a 75 lb dog)

Baked Sweet potato 4 cups
Cooked Fish, trout, rainbow 1 1/2 cups
Salad or cooking Oil, vegetable, corn 5 teaspoons
One A Day Multivitamin/multimineral Supplement 2 tablets
Posture caplet (600 mg elemental calcium) 2 1/2 caplets
Morton Lite Salt Mixture 1 tsp

Cook Protein, Carbohydrate and Vegetables.

These recipes represent the amount to be fed per day and can
be fed in multiple meals.

More than one day's worth of the food can be prepared ahead of
time and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Prior to serving each meal and after warming, add the appropriate
amount of supplement to the food.

Mix thoroughly. Heating supplements that contain vitamins can
destroy their effectiveness.

The amount of supplement(s) shown above is the daily amount.
Therefore, please divide the amount listed by the number of meals
given a day.

Pet dog recovers from H1N1

2009-12-06T00:29:00.001-05:00

CBC News

A dog in New York has been confirmed to have the pandemic
strain of H1N1.

The pet, a 13-year-old mixed breed, seemed to have caught
the virus from his owner, Michael San Filippo, a spokesman
for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said Tuesday.

It is the first reported case of H1N1 in a dog, but other
pets, including cats and ferrets, have caught the strain
from humans, veterinarians say.

In theory, the strain could be transmitted from a pet to a
human, "but so far it's really looking like a dead end in
pets," San Filippo said.

The dog came in for a checkup Tuesday and is "getting back
to his old self" but has not fully recovered, said veterinarian
Julie Steffens.

It is rare for pets to spread flu viruses, and people should
not be afraid to enjoy the animals, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far, 111 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been made
available in the U.S., she noted.

"Surveys are showing that initial doses of vaccine were
relatively quickly taken up and they were going to the people
they were targeted for," Schuchat told reporters in a telephone
briefing.

The agency estimates that nearly 50 million Americans have been
infected with swine flu and 10,000 have been killed by it.
Seasonal flu results in about 36,000 deaths a year in the U.S.
and 4,000 to 8,000 a year in Canada. The death toll from swine
flu in Canada as of Dec. 12 was 367.

The World Health Organization cautioned Tuesday against making
comparisons between confirmed H1N1 deaths and seasonal flu deaths.
The comparisons can be misleading and don't accurately measure
the impact of the pandemic, given that H1N1 affects a much younger
age group, WHO said in a briefing note.

It likely won't be possible to accurately assess the disease and
death rates until a year or two after the H1N1 pandemic has peaked,
using methods such as those used to estimate deaths during seasonal
flu epidemics, the agency said.

Raising a Puppy: Training Your Puppy What to Chew

2009-12-04T14:59:00.003-05:00

The dog is a social and inquisitive animal. He needs to do something, especially if left at home alone. What would you like your dog to do? Crosswords? Needlepoint? Watch soaps on the telly? You must provide some form of occupational therapy for your puppy to pass the day. If your puppy learns to enjoy chewing chewtoys, he will look forward to settling down quietly for some quality chewing time. It is important to teach your puppy to enjoy chewing chewtoys more than chewing household items. An effective ploy is to stuff the puppy's chewtoys with kibble and treats. In fact, during your puppy's first few weeks at home, put away his food bowl and, apart from using kibble as lures and rewards for training, serve all your puppy's kibble stuffed in hollow chewtoys-Kongs, Biscuit Balls, and sterilized bones.

For errorless chewtoy-training, adhere to the puppy confinement program. When you are away from home, leave the puppy in his puppy playroom with bed, water, toilet, and plenty of stuffed chewtoys. While you are at home, leave the puppy in his doggy den with plenty of stuffed chewtoys. Every hour after releasing the pup to relieve himself, play chewtoy games-chewtoy-search, chewtoy-fetch, and chewtoy-tug-o'-war. Your puppy will soon develop a very strong chewtoy habit because you have limited his chewing choices to a single acceptable toy, which you have made even more attractive with the addition of kibble and treats.

Once your dog has become a chewtoyaholic and has not had a chewing (or housesoiling) mishap for at least three months, you may increase your puppy's playroom to two rooms. For each subsequent month without a mistake your puppy may gain access to another room, until eventually he enjoys free run of the entire house and garden when left at home alone. If a chewing mistake should occur, go back to the original puppy confinement program for at least a month.

In addition to preventing household destruction, teaching your puppy to become a chewtoyaholic prevents him from becoming a recreational barker because chewing and barking are obviously mutually exclusive behaviors. Also, chewtoyaholism helps your puppy learn to settle down calmly because chewing and dashing about are mutually exclusive behaviors.

Chewtoyaholism is especially useful for dogs with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder since it provides them with an acceptable and convenient means to work out their obsessions and compulsions. Your dog may still have OCD, but a chewtoyaholic will happily spend his time obsessively and compulsively chewing his stuffed chewtoys.

Most important, chewtoy chewing keeps the puppy occupied and effectively helps prevent the development of separation anxiety.

What is a chewtoy?
A chewtoy is an object for the dog to chew that is neither destructible nor consumable. If your dog destroys an object, you will have to replace it, and that costs money. If your dog consumes the object, you may have to replace your dog. Eating non-food items is extremely hazardous to your dog's health.

The type of chewtoy you choose will depend on your dog's penchant for chewing and his individual preferences. I have seen some dogs make a cow's hoof or a compressed rawhide chewy last forever, whereas other dogs consume them in a matter of minutes. I've found Kong products to be the Cadillacs of chewtoys. Hollow sterilized long bones are a very close second choice. I like Kong products and sterilized bones because they are simple, natural, and organic-not plastic. Also, being hollow, they can be stuffed with food. Kong products and sterilized bones are obtainable from any good pet supply store.

Feed your puppy from chewtoys
Customarily, puppies receive their entire daily allotment of kibble at dinner, which often becomes a jackpot reward for boisterously barking and expectantly bouncing around. Moreover, if you allow your puppy to wolf down dinner from a bowl, he will be at a loss for what to do for the rest of the day. In the wild, dogs spend a good 90 percent of their waking hours searching for food, so in a sense, regular bowl-feeding deprives a dog of his principal activity-searching for food. Instead, your inquisitive puppy will search for entertainment all day long. Most likely you will consider your puppy's choices of occupation to be mischievous misbehavior.

Without a doubt, regularly feeding a new puppy (or adult dog) from a bowl is the single most disastrous mistake in dog husbandry and training. Although unintentional, the effects of bowl-feeding are often severely detrimental for the puppy's household manners and sense of well-being. In a sense, each bowl-fed meal steals the puppy's raison d'etre, its very reason for being. Within seconds of gulping his meal, the poor pup now faces a mental void for the rest of his day with nothing but long, lonely hours to worry and fret, or work himself into a frenzy.

As the puppy adapts to fill the void, normal behaviors such as chewing, barking, strolling, grooming, and playing become stereotypical, repetitive, and maladaptive. Specific behaviors increase in frequency until they no longer serve any useful function except to pass the time. Investigative chewing becomes destructive chewing. Alarm barking becomes incessant barking. Strolling from one place to another becomes repetitively pacing, or racing back and forth. Investigating a shadow or light becomes a neurotic fixation. Routine grooming becomes excessive licking, scratching, tail-chasing, head-pressing, or in extreme cases, self-mutilation.

Stereotyped behaviors cause the release of endorphins, perpetuating their repetition, and in a sense, the dog becomes drugged and hooked on mindless, repetitive activity. Stereotyped behaviors are like behavioral cancers; as they progressively increase in frequency and squeeze most useful and adaptive responses from the dog's behavior repertoire until eventually the "brain-dead" dog spends hours on end barking, pacing, chewing himself, or simply staring into space.

A vital facet of your puppy's early education is to teach him how to peacefully pass the time of day. Feeding your puppy's kibble only from hollow chewtoys-Kongs, Biscuit Balls, and sterilized bones-keeps your puppy happily occupied and content for hours on end. It allows the puppy to focus on an enjoyable activity so that he doesn't dwell on his loneliness. Each piece of extracted kibble also rewards your puppy for settling down calmly, for chewing an appropriate chewtoy, and for not barking.

Chewtoy stuffing
An old chewtoy becomes immediately novel and exciting when stuffed with food. If you use kibble from your puppy's normal daily ration your puppy will not put on weight. To protect your puppy's waistline, heart, and liver, it is important to minimize the use of treats in training. Use kibble as lures and rewards for teaching basic manners and reserve freeze-dried liver treats for initial housetraining, for meeting children, men, and strangers, as a garnish for stuffing Kongs (see below), and as an occasional jackpot reward for especially good behavior.

Kong stuffing 101
The basic principle of Kong stuffing ensures that some food comes out quickly and easily to instantly reward your puppy for initially contacting his chewtoy; bits of food come out over a long period of time to periodically reward your puppy for continuing to chew; and some of the best bits never come out, so your puppy never loses interest. Squish a small piece of freeze-dried liver in the small hole in the tip of the Kong so your puppy will never be able to get it out. Smear a little honey around the inside of the Kong, fill it up with kibble, and then block the big hole with crossed dog biscuits.

There are numerous creative variations on basic Kong stuffing. One of my favorite recipes comprises moistening your puppy's kibble, spooning it into the Kong, and then putting it in the freezer overnight-a Kongsicle! Your dog will love it.

Kong is king of chewtoys!
If from the outset you always confine your puppy with a selection of stuffed Kongs and Biscuit Balls, chewing these appropriate chewtoys will soon become an integral part of his day. Your puppy will quickly develop a socially acceptable Kong habit. And remember, good habits are just as hard to break as bad habits. Your puppy will now spend a large part of his day musing over his Kong products.

Let's pause for a moment to consider all the bad things your puppy will not be doing if he is quietly engaged with his chewtoys. He will not be chewing inappropriate household and garden items. He will not be a recreational barker. (He will still bark when strangers come to the house, but he will not spend all day barking for barking's sake.) And he will not be running around, fretting, and working himself up if left at home alone.

The wonderful thing about teaching a puppy to enjoy chewing chewtoys is that this activity excludes many alternative, extremely annoying puppy behaviors. A stuffed Kong is one of the best stress-relievers, especially for anxious, obsessive, and compulsive dogs. (A Kong for a dog is also one of the best stress-relievers for the owner.) There is no single device that so easily and so simply prevents or resolves so many bad habits and behavior problems.

Excerpted from Before You Get Your Puppy, by Ian Dunbar.
Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist, founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and the author and star of numerous books and videos on dog behavior and training. He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife, trainer Kelly Dunbar, and their three dogs. The Dunbars are contributing editors to DogTime.

***photo can be found in its original format at http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottkinmartin/2164078140/

Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Dogs

2009-12-03T12:39:00.000-05:00

If your dog has been having diarrhea or has been vomiting a lot, he could have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The operative word here is "could," because it’s also possible that his condition may be caused by a food allergy or a different type of digestion-related issue. However, if your dog’s condition is chronic and other maladies have been ruled out, your veterinarian may decide to take a biopsy of your dog’s intestinal wall. This is the only truly accurate way of determining if his condition is, indeed, IBD.

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
IBD is the general name given for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in which the stomach, small intestine and/or colon is infiltrated by white blood cells that cause inflammation. These invading cells are responsible for the persistent diarrhea and/or vomiting associated with IBD. If the stomach and upper part of the small intestine are affected, the dog is more likely to exhibit chronic vomiting as a symptom. If the colon is inflamed, diarrhea is the more common symptom. In some extreme cases, the inflammatory cells may cause scar tissue in the dog’s GI tract.

What causes IDB?
Despite the fact that IBD is fairly common, we still don’t know exactly why the inflammation-producing white blood cells invade the GI tracts of some dogs. Since the white blood cells that cause inflammation are associated with the immune system, it’s possible that an abnormality in this system is to blame. However, other factors, such as the dog’s specific genetic makeup and his diet may be contributing factors.

Though IBD may afflict dogs of all ages, it is more common in mature dogs and in German Shepherds, Boxers, Wheaton Terriers, and Rottweilers.

Treating IBD
Though there is no real cure for IBD, in many cases the symptoms can be lessened through the use of diet and medication. If your dog has IBD—and other ailments have been ruled out—your vet will work with you to find an optimal diet for your pet. Hypoallergenic and high-fiber foods have been known to help many dogs. In addition, low-fat diets are generally tolerated better by dogs with IBD. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also recommended by many veterinarians. As you can see, there are many dietary variables involved in finding the optimum diet for your dog, so patience is needed. Your vet may also prescribe medications to help alleviate your dog’s symptoms if diet alone is not effective.

If your dog has been suffering from chronic diarrhea and/or vomiting, take him to the vet for an examination. The sooner your vet makes a definitive diagnosis, the sooner he can recommend effective treatments—and the sooner your dog can begin to feel better.

(original content courtesy of pedigree.com)

Poor Fella..........

2009-12-02T11:52:00.001-05:00

Something tells me my dogs do this when I'm not home..........