Teaching Your Dog to Heel
August 19, 2008
Teaching your dog to heel is one of the most basic and important dog training commands you can teach. With an active and younger dog or puppy, it can be especially difficult, but with patience and consistency, it doesn’t really have to be that hard to train your dog to heel.
The best time to practice teaching your dog to heel is before you’ve begun going on walks. Your dog is easily distracted out on the street and you will need his attention to properly teach the heel command. Also, you want to be in a patient and pleasant mood. Do not begin this, or any other dog training session, if you are angry or in a testy mood. You should not train your dog in an unkind or rough manner. Furthermore, it is best to teach the heel command after your dog knows his name and the "Sit" command.
You will want to limit the heel training session, as with other dog training sessions, especially for young puppies to about 10 or 15 minutes and to 2 or 3 times in a day. Make sure they’ve gone to the bathroom and have eaten and had some water. You want their full attention for this.
Are All Those Pet Vaccinations Really Necessary?
August 18, 2008
Would you like to save money and have a healthier pet? Let me tell you a story. One day, my German Shepherd asleep, as usual, when suddenly, he started convulsing so intensely that I thought he must be dying. It went on for a few minutes, which seemed like forever. After, I couldn’t believe he was OK. It turned out to be a seizure, and it was then that I began to learn about alternative medicine for pets.
The most interesting thing I found out was that vaccinations seem to be a main cause of seizures in dogs, and annual vaccinations are not necessary, possibly causing more harm than good. After that incident, we stopped vaccinating and the seizures became less and less. I’m going to tell you how it’s in both your and your pet’s best interest to avoid yearly vaccinations. Annual re-vaccination is simply not necessary.
Here is an excerpt from page 205 of Current Veterinary Therapy XI, a reference considered to be the premier resource for the entire veterinary field.
"A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. ALMOST WITHOUT EXCEPTION THERE IS NO IMMUNOLOGIC REQUIREMENT FOR ANNUAL REVACCINATION. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal."
Why Should We Get Kittens as Pets?
August 17, 2008
Kittens are and have always been adorable creatures. Of course, these youngsters are also playful, naughty and mischievous as well. Perhaps that’s the reason why people are attracted to them, as they entertain us with their peculiar antics and curiosity. Cats and dogs have been found to relieve humans of stress and make great companions at home. Of course, choosing between a cat and a dog is totally a personal choice.
Why should we get a kitten then? Well, for one thing, they are cute and adorable and are less active as compared to dogs. They recognize us as their masters but do not overly show their enthusiasm like dogs. That’s why they make you work for their affection all the time, instead of the other way around.
Kittens are small in size and therefore easy to carry around. This makes it easy for you to take your cat around in your car or when you need to take your cat with you outside. However, cats and kittens have tendencies to seek ways to escape from your home and therefore this may prove to a problem if your cat keeps trying to make its way out of your house. With this, many owners let their cats roam in and out of their houses, and most of the time, their pets return home on time for dinner. Sometimes, they even bring home their own prey for dinner.
The Lowdown on Dog Vaccinations
August 17, 2008
Over the last 20 years, vaccinations have generally been started in puppies at about 6-8 weeks of age, when the natural immunity inherited from the mother may start wearing off. A series of shots will then be given every three to four weeks, and boosters are administered every year after that.
On one hand, in the last 20 years few could deny that vaccinations as they are administered now have been quite effective. I mean, when was the last time anyone’s seen Old Yeller limping down the street, foaming at the mouth, requiring the talents of the local sharp-shooter, Atticus Finch, to protect the panicking townspeople? I’m mixing my movie metaphors, but the point is these films with rabid dog scenes are set in decades past, and since then, rabies, and other diseases like parvovirus and distemper, have been successfully prevented in vaccinated American pets.
Vaccination Concerns Leading to New Trends
In recent years, the current trends in canine immunization and boosters have come under much scrutiny. With new vaccines becoming available with increasing frequency, and with more and more vaccines being given in combination within a single injection, many pet owners and veterinary professionals are becoming concerned over the possibility of over-vaccination, particularly with regard to annual boosters, a problem with potential negative outcomes of its own.
How to Buy a Purebred Dog
August 16, 2008
If you decide you want a purebred, make sure it’s because you love the breed since purebreds are often not as resilient as mixed breeds. Consider carefully why you want a purebred. Many people will want a purebred because it conveys some symbol of status on them. Purebreds are prone to many illnesses due to inbreeding, and having a purebred could become a costly affair.
If you simply want a companion consider a mixed breed. There is nothing a mix breed puppy cannot offer you in terms of love, companionship and devotion, and there are many mixed breed dogs already born, looking for homes.
When you discover you are in love with a particular breed, do some research to find out if the breed is compatible with your lifestyle. Pay special attention to breed characteristics, size, hair length, and amount of exercise required.
Talk to breed rescue centers. They will tell you what to look out for. No one has more experience on the breed as the dedicated volunteers and professionals who rescue the purebred dogs when they are no longer wanted. Learn how a typical dog of your beloved breed behaves and whether that is a fit for your lifestyle and your entire family.
Doggy Dental Care: Teeth Cleaning 101
August 15, 2008
Your dog’s dental health is so important for his total well-being… and for guaranteeing him a long and happy life. So don’t give him the brush-off! Make tooth cleaning a daily ritual that your dog will look foward to as something the two of you do together.
To start, you’ll have to get your doggy used to you fumbling around in his mouth. Ease him into it with a total-body pat-down; a chassis inspection that ideally should be performed on him each day. Have him sit while you examine his body to make sure everything is in working order and there aren’t any weird objects or critters lodged in unexpected places. Run your hands over his back and sides. Lift each paw and check the pads of his feet and between his toes. Gently lift his ears and peek inside. (If you see something peeking back at you, run away quickly!)
When you get to his mouth, approach with caution. Gently pull his lips back for a view of that magnificent gumline. Your dog’s teeth should be cushioned snugly by a set of pink gums. A healthy gumline is naturally bumpy… so if your dog’s gums appear straight rather than wavy, inflamed and/or cover most of the tooth surface, that’s a sign of trouble ahead. When WAS the last time you were in for a checkup?
Worms in Your Dog… Gross!
August 14, 2008
Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take home first prize for Most Disgusting. Nobody wants to imagine little worms crawling around in their dog’s digestive system, but it’s a fairly common ailment that’s easily passed from dog to dog. So if he does happen to contract them, tell your furry fella not to feel ashamed of his worms! They’re easily prevented and controlled with medication that your vet routinely prescribes to hundreds of pooches just like him.
Roundworms are the most common type of worm, especially in unvaccinated puppies who may just be getting into that exploratory stage, which of course involves exploring other dogs’ feces. Regardless of your dog’s age, you’ll know he’s contracted roundworms if his stools look like spaghetti. Other signs include vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog displays any of these symptoms, bring him in to the vet’s office for a worm diagnosis and treatment. In the future, roundworms can be avoided with a worm preventative that your vet will recommend.
Does Your Dog Have Fleas?
August 13, 2008
Itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Does that sound familiar? Hopefully not, but if it does you might be one of the millions of people whose dog has fleas, mites or other miniscule cretins leeching upon him.
Fleas are tiny insects use their long, powerful legs to catapult onto your dog’s body, where they burrow into his fur, live off his blood, and raise families of thousands. Many dogs develop a sensitivity to flea saliva, which the flea injects into your dog’s skin as a way to prevent his blood from coagulating and thereby ensure a plentiful meal. If this is the case with your pup, you’ll see him scratch, scratch, scratching away.
Whether or not your dog has an allergy to fleas, they’re without a doubt an annoying pest that’s tough to eradicate. Once your dog has contracted fleas, they will quickly spread to any area where he is a frequent visitor- his bedding, his doghouse, your carpet and furniture, and possibly your clothing and bedding as well.
Fleas and Disease
Your Dog and the Dentist: Learn the Drill
August 12, 2008
While “late is better than never,” sooner is better than later, at least when it comes to your dog’s dental health. Dental disease gets worse over time, and the longer you wait, the more damage that will have to be taken care of and the more expensive your vet bill will be.
Your dog probably won’t need much work done on his teeth when he’s still young… so your vet won’t do much more than open his mouth and take a look at what’s going on in there. But as he ages, dental disease can set in, especially if you don’t brush his teeth (which you should be). So check him periodically for signs of mouth/tooth decay, bleeding gums, or abscesses. If you see or smell anything unusual, he’ll need to go in for a cleaning and polishing, or “prophy,” which is vetspeak for prophylaxis.
Unfortunately, “spit,” “rinse”, and “open wide” are not part of your dog’s limited vocabulary, and that spit sucker thing is likely to terrify him… so, for everyone’s convenience and peace of mind, your veterinarian will anesthetize your dog before doing any complicated procedures on his teeth.
Dog Vaccinations: Doing Shots
August 12, 2008
Vaccinations play an important part in the preventive healthcare of your pet. There are nasty doggie diseases out there, and for some of these, vaccination is your pooch’s only real protection, as there may be no cure once the disease is contracted. After initial vaccination, many types require a schedule of follow-up shots, or boosters, to maintain a safe level of immunity.
Here are a few of the most common distressing, even fatal illnesses you can prevent with some timely injections:
Canine parvovirus:
This is a viral disease which is highly contagious and can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting. Puppies are especially at risk, and if contracted, parvovirus can kill a pup in just two to three days after the onset of symptoms.
Rabies:
This disease is NO JOKE! It is caused by a virus that attacks the brain, and it is always FATAL. That means, once symptoms are displayed, there’s no cure, so that ounce of prevention is all you’ve got! It is spread to animals and humans by bites from infected animals. Vaccination against rabies is required for dogs by law.
Canine distemper:
