The Importance Of Regular Puppy Grooming

November 30, 2009 by admin  
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While not usually as critical a problem as housetraining, grooming is quite frequently another area that is sorely neglected or improperly handled.  A young animal should be groomed thoroughly on a regular basis.  Thorough grooming includes brushing and combing out all mats and tangles, inspecting for external parasites, cleaning ears, and clipping the puppy’s nails.

Expect The First Few Months To Get Messy

Nobody expects an infant puppy to stand perfectly still while all this is going on. In fact, it will take months before all of these ministrations can be accomplished at one grooming session. Start slowly, making the puppy stand for a few moments while you gently brush and comb  him.

Teach him to lie quietly while you inspect his ears, check out his paws, and look over the anal area. Talk to him constantly, reassuring him that you know you’re doing and it’s all for his own good. He may not understand what you are saying, but just the soothing sounds of your voice as you speak will do wonders for comforting his nervousness and help keep the dog as still as possible.

Ask your veterinarian to show you how to clip his nails, clean his ears and, if he is a long-haired dog, how to clip the hair away from under his tail to prevent fecal material from adhering to the area and causing irritation. Matted hair, long nails, and dirty ears are worse than unsightly; they are breeding grounds for disease and parasites which can cause great discomfort and lead to physical harm to your little puppy.

Although both long-haired and smooth-coated dogs require regular care, the truly difficult dogs (such as Poodles, Afghans, Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, etc) generally require daily grooming to keep them looking and feeling their best.

He May Be Small Now, But Early Grooming Is Best When Practiced Young

Don’t think that the puppy who will not tolerate being brushed at eight weeks will outgrow it.  This is rarely the case. More likely, he will grow into the type of dog that requires sedation in order to be professionally de-matted and/or stripped to the skin. This can easily be avoided by beginning with gentle, short grooming sessions when your dog is very young.

In the long run, you will find that a few minutes daily spent caring for your dog will result in long-term savings  from expensive veterinary bills, professional grooming costs, and less aggravation when your dog grows into adulthood.

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Dog Beds For Large Dogs – Select The Right One So That ” You” Can Get Some Rest!

November 29, 2009 by admin  
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Dog beds for large dogs, solve a very important problem for pet owners – do you know what it is?

Aside from the obvious fact that these owners probably have large dogs, it goes beyond that. What it really boils down to, is they are looking for a way to get BIG Rover off of  “their” bed – without hurTing his feelings of course. In fact, even better if he thinks the splendid new dog bed was his idea in the first place!

While it’s one thing to have a Yorkie sharing your bed space, it’s quite another to have a Great Dane hanging out in the middle of it, as I’m sure you will agree. And, even though you may be the proud owner of large dog who thinks he’s a lap dog, you may be tired of sleepless nights as you struggle to get a fair share of the bed.

So when you’ve had enough, you may want to consider luring Rover away from your bed with dog beds made especially for large dogs. Why, he’ll probably be quite flattered that you went to so much trouble to find the perfect bed just for him! And your days of waking up bleary eyed may at last be over. So let’s get down to the business of finding the perfect bed for your dog.

Dog Beds For Large Dogs – Buying Tips

Because all dogs are unique in their own way, it goes without saying that not all dogs lay down to sleep in the same way. Is your dog a sprawler or a curler? Does your dog have a preferred spot in the house for snoozing? These factors will give you some guidance as to the shape and type of bed to look for as a starting point.

Do you have an older dog or one with a health condition such as arthritis? If you do, there are beds made with hi-tech materials and special construction features to give your dog greater support and comfort. Heavy dogs, as well as those with joint problems will develop sore spots if the bedding material flattens out easily, so it’s really important to have a firm and resilient base to help prevent this.

In addition to the top priority of comfort, maybe you still would like a little style to go along with it? Sofa beds are one such option. They not only look stylish, but also provide some nice back support, or just a place your dog can hang his head while keeping an eye on you.

If your dog likes to sleep in various places around the house or wherever you happen to be most of the day, think about getting him a second bed – this will also help to keep him, plus his dog hair, off of  your couch as well.

Is your dog the type that often gets himself dirty, meaning that his bed needs frequent washing? If so, then it will make sense to get a bed with covers that can be zipped off and tossed in the washing machine.

Now that you have a few things to consider, come see what we think are some of the best large dog beds, plus ones for every other kind and size of dog too!

While you are visiting at dog-spoiling-made-easy, consider subscribing to our free newsletter so you don’t miss out on any future pet care news.

V. Witt, the publisher and devoted dog spoiler at dog-spoiling-made-easy.com, believes that even those big tough dogs need an advocate to speak up for them as much as the adorable small pooches.
But, when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, check out our picks for large dog beds so that both you and Rover can sleep peacefully.

This article may be reprinted only in its entirety with no changes, and providing that: the full resource box is included; all hyperlinks are active/linkable, and there are no syntax changes.

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An Introduction to the Wireless Dog Fence

November 28, 2009 by admin  
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Have you noticed that your neighbor’s dog do not run into your property anymore? You have also noticed your neighbor walking around with his pet toward some flags in their yard and that their dogs would turn back and not cross the boundary. To end your curiosity, your neighbor has recently begun using a wireless dog fence. It attempts to keep dogs within their owner’s property without any physical barrier involved.

No Physical Barrier?

You heard it right. The system does not put anything to physically prevent the dog from crossing over. You may have known many pet owners who are getting frustrated when their dogs leap effortlessly over newly built fences. On the other hand, putting them on a leash or inside a pen does not give them any freedom at all. The wireless dog fence will allow your dog to roam around, but his will not attempt to cross because of the barrier that has no physical form and is also invisible.

How Does It Work?

The secret lies in the radio signals coming from a transmitter from within the house. The radio signals will encircle the house and will determine if the dog is still within the owner’s vicinity. If you had the system, your dog will be made to wear a special collar that contains a receiver. When the dog walks in the boundary or beyond, the signal becomes weak, and the receiver will sound a warning. If the dog could not come back to signal-rich area (dubbed the “pet area”), the receiver will send a mild static correction.

The mild static correction is never meant as a punishment and is guaranteed safe. It can be adjusted so that the temperament and size of the dog can be matched accordingly. Besides, only dogs weighing more than seven pounds can wear the system. It would even be better if he can follow certain commands. Furthermore, as an early warning device, there are flags along the boundary zone.

Adjustable Range

The system can work to provide a pet area and boundary to properties of all sizes. The transmitter’s signal can be adjusted to create invisible barriers from as small as 10 feet in width to as expansive as 180 feet. Just remember to place the transmitter without any signal interruptions like metallic objects. Further, since the transmitter is very light, you can bring the system to another house or even the outdoors. Now you can bring your dog to go camping or fishing with you without the fear of him getting lost.

Training

Perhaps the best reason to have the wireless dog fence is the chance to train your dog to stay on his own. Sure, you can simply use the receiver as a form of containing your pet, but you are not using the true power of the system.

After a few sessions with your dog, he will be able to realize the purpose of the flags and the warning sound. In less than a month, you can test him to see if he would cross the boundary. Surely, though, he will not. There will be a point where you will not need to run the transmitter anymore in order to keep your pet safe.

Wireless dog fence are very durable & reasonable available at http://www.petdepotonline.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/an-introduction-to-the-wireless-dog-fence-1514710.html

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How To Train A Dog Like The Dog Whisperer-Dog Training And Dog Obedience Training

November 27, 2009 by admin  
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If you are a pet owner and haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you know who the dog whisperer is. In case you haven’t seen the TV show, Cesar Millan is the dog whisperer, the ultimate dog trainer, and each week he is introduced to, and trains in just a few minutes, some of the worst behaved dogs in the world. How does he do it?

There are some who would say that his shows are staged, and of course they are to an extent. If you really pay attention to his shows, however, you will see that he DOES have this certain way with almost all dogs. Fortunately for you, this big secret of his really isn’t a big secret at all. If he were here, he would probably be the first to admit it. The secret of the dog whisperer is this: he understands dog behavior, he understands a dog’s absolute need for a lot of exercise, and he understands “people behavior”.

The reason the dog whisperer is the ultimate dog trainer is that he understands and uses a dogs pack mentality and the basic form of dog communication: body language. This is really the basic secret to dog training, understanding that dogs communicate with body language, and they react to their human owners body language more than anything else. Most dogs will operate on instinct, and a lot of their habits are nothing more than the result of the rules of the pack. What you need to understand is that most of the “bad habits” your dog has are the result of your behavior, not becuase you just own a “bad dog”. Another important point here is that, although it may seem lke it sometimes, dogs do not do things to get even with you or just to upset you! Virtually everything a dog does has its root cause in a dog’s instinct or is the result of your actions or your reactions to a dog’s behavior.

What all this means is that learning to train your dog is nothing more than asserting yourself as the alpha dog in the pack, and learning to communicate with your dog via body language, and understanding your dog’s body language.

It sounds complicated, but like the TV show, it is really a short and fairly simple process.

Dog training is a fairly simple process and you can actually change your dog’s behavior quite easily. Get more articles on DIY Dog Training and learn how to change your dog’s “bad behavior” by visiting Dog Training Dog Obedience Training

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-train-a-dog-like-the-dog-whispererdog-training-and-dog-obedience-training-1512261.html

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Dog Ear Infections and Hypothyroidism

November 26, 2009 by admin  
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Chronic Ear Infections and Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism in dogs occurs when your dog’s thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormone is essential for regulating your dog’s metabolism, so when your dog doesn’t produce enough of it your dog usually starts to exhibit some noticeable symptoms:

Your dog may become lethargic

Your dog will probably gain weight without a change in appetite

Your dog may develop bacterial infections on his skin

His skin may become dry

There may be hair loss, especially on your dog’s trunk and tail

There may be a darkening and thickening of the skin where your dog has lost hair

Your dog may not be able to tolerate the cole and may look for warm places

His heart rate may slow

He may become aggressive

He may become depressed

He may develop chronic ear infections

Some of these symptoms, such as hair loss, bacterial infections and chronic ear infections, are similar to those found when a dog has allergic reactions If your dog suffers from chronic ear infections it can sometimes be difficult for an owner to determine the cause.

Why Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism can be inherited but it can also be triggered by pollutants, allergies and other environmental factors. It usually begins in dogs around the age of 2 to 4 years of age, though it can occur in dogs as late as 10 years old. Some breeds, such as Golden Retrievers and Doberman Pinschers are more likely to be hypothyroid than other breeds. Hypothyroidism is rare in toy and small breeds.

Clean ears regularly

If your dog has frequent ear infections you should make sure that you are cleaning his ears with a good ear cleaner regularly. A good ear cleaner will help keep the ears at the proper pH level to discourage bacterial and yeast growth. Cleaning the ear will also remove debris that can trigger infections.

You should also make sure that you keep the hair inside your dog’s ear trimmed or plucked. This allows air to circulate inside the ear which helps to keep the ear drier. Infections can develop when the ear is moist, so a drier ear is a less hospitable environment for things to grow.

It could be allergies

If you suspect that your dog may have chronic ear infections because of allergies then you should make sure that he isn’t bedeviled by fleas or other parasites. Some dogs are allergic to fleas — even the bite from one flea can send them into a gnawing, scratching frenzy. An allergy to flea bites can result in flea bite dermatitis which leaves the skin red and raw and subject to infections.

Your dog could also be allergic to something in his food so you can take the sensible action of reading the ingredients and changing to a food that contains something different. Many dogs are allergic to corn and wheat so you could change to a food that contains rice or oatmeal, for instance. Food allergies are a frequent cause of chronic ear infections.

Let your vet decide

If your dog does have chronic ear infections and you suspect either hypothyroidism or aller gies, your best course of action is to take your dog to your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis. Although serious, the condition can be easily treated. Your vet can determine if your dog is hypothyroid (or if he has autoimmune thyroiditis, the other name for hypothyroidism) with some blood work. If your dog is hypothyroid the condition can be treated with an inexpensive daily thyroid pill. You can see improvement in your dog’s condition in just two to three weeks. When a hypothyroid dog is on regular medication the dog should live a normal life with no side effects. And, all chronic ear infections and other symptoms should disappear.

In the meantime you can treat your dog’s dry and irritated skin with a good oatmeal shampoo and conditioner that will ease the itchiness and add moisture back to the skin and coat and your dog’s ear infections with an all around product like Ear Aid , that will cleanse and moisturize, heal and protect.

So, if your dog has chronic ear infections consider whether he has any of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism. If the ear infections are due to hypothyroidism you can treat the problem and help your dog very easily just by getting the right diagnosis from your vet.

A bad smell means that something is wrong in the ears, and that something usually hurts. Treating the cause of the smell will not only have you snuggling up to your dog again, but will have him feeling more comfortable. That’s a win-win situation for both of you.  http://www.happytailsspa.com/

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