Pets

What do you do about that “wet dog” smell?

Keep a supply of dryer softener sheets by the door and when your pooch comes in dripping, rub him down and he will smell fresh as a daisy! If the smell calls for a bath, place a rubber mat in your tub so that your dog won’t slip. Next, cover the drain with a piece of screen or a tea strainer to prevent your pipes from clogging. Use warm water. Brush your pet’s coat well before washing. Add a bit of baby oil or cream rinse to tangles and work them out with your fingers.

For the rinse water, add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice, vinegar, or baking soda. It will get rid of the stinky smell, cut the soap scum, and leave your dog’s coat soft and shiny. Make sure to have plenty of old towels on hand for drying!

What works for people, works for dogs. For bad breath, try mixing in some chopped parsley with your dog’s food once a day. Plaque is often the cause fo bad breath. Be sure to brush your pet’s teeth or consider having them cleaned by your veterinarian.

No matter what kind of dog you have, take care of his basic needs everyday. If your dog has long hair, make sure you brush it at least once a week. Even if your dog has short, still brush it. It will make your dog’s coat shiny and clean looking. Feed your dog a nutritional diet of dog food. Do not give your dog people food. Dog food nowwadays, is highly nutritional and good for your dog.

Give your pet love unconditionally, that’s what your pet gives to you!

Dogs are a major American pet status. Every year billions of dollars are spent on dog items, dog health, comfort, and entertainment. There are even stories out there of owners that have put their health care second to their dog’s health care…

In today’s world some couples have opted not to have children but have taken on the responsibility of a pet as a surrogate child. A few years ago, pets weren’t as important to their owners as they are now, People now think of them as children. They dress them up: celebrate their birthdays; all these things indicate how elevated a place our animals take in our lives.

Older people are living longer and may; have lost their life mate but they have the companionship and entertainment of a dog or cat.

Pets can be quite entertaining as I can attest to. One summer in Montana where we have no TV, we spent untold hours watching our dogs roll a ball that dispensed food. Not lonely was the toy a source of food and entertainment, but exercise. Our dogs were constantly on the move trying to get their goodies.

Dogs are being used for the eyes and ears of their owner and now also for sniffing out cancer. Some dogs are used with law enforcement and go home with the officer to be part of their family. Search and rescue dogs live with their handlers and love going places and having people talk to them and pet them. In some situations, dog owners who take their dogs on the water are opting for wet suits that help keep the dog afloat as well as protecting from hypothermia.

So it stands “Dog is Mans Best Friend” and we humans are willing to spend millions, to protect, dress and entertain them.

Unfortunately, old age and often arthritis catches up to our canine companions as easily as it does to us. You may notice your dog has trouble going up stairs or getting down from a car seat.

First, make sure this is not a disease or condition that can corrected surgically. If it’s chronic or the effects of aging, however, Louise Louis of www.ToyBreeds.com reminds us that we can lessen the negative impacts with a few simple techniques.

1. Don’t let your dog get overweight. This is the most important thing you can do for him. Excess weight puts more pressure on his joints just as it does to you. Make sure you can feel his ribs and put him on a diet if need be.

2. Avoid activities that tax his joints. Never let a Toy breed jump down from a sofa (or anywhere) or jump up to catch something. Leave the Frisbees to Labradors and rely on walking or swimming for your pet’s exercise.

3. If Fido seems to be in pain, talk to your vet about using glucosamine. In the veterinary form, it is sold as Synoquin. However, the animal brand is very expensive compared to the generic brands that humans take.

Ask your vet about using the human version provided the tablets can be purchased or cut into a proper dosage for a small dog and have the quantity of glucosamine required.

Depending on the degree of pain your dog is suffering, a buffered aspirin may provide all the relief that’s needed.

If your dog is going lame, your vet my prescribe Rimadyl or Meloxicam for when he is stiff. These can be upset a dog’s stomach and are also expensive. Be sure to check the Internet veterinary pharmacies for prices.

4. Many dog owners try other natural, non-harmful treatments such as magnetic collars, acupuncture, massage, homeopathy and herbs. While I’ve heard anecdotal information on how well these work, I know of no scientific studies that support them.

That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t try one especially acupuncture. Ask for your vet or friends/breeders/trainer/groomer for recommendations of practitioners of these techniques.

5. Control his environment for his comfort. Make sure he sleeps on a warm, soft bed. Avoid cold, damp climates and over activity. If you have uncarpeted floors, beware of throw rugs and slippery areas where Fido can slide, twist and injure his hip.

6. As a last resort, consider a total hip replacement surgery (THR). In addition to the expense (up to $5,000), there is a lengthy recovery period which is often difficult for dogs and their owners and post-surgical checkups for the rest of your dog’s life.

Do the best you can to control your dog’s mobility problems and identify the least medication that relieves his pain. When that doesn’t work anymore, then consider some form of surgery.

I know that it’s important to cure bad breath in my dog when it occurs because I once lost a dog to periodontal disease, which often accompanies tartar buildup and foul breath in dogs. You see, tartar buildup on a dogs teeth fosters the growth of odor producing and potential harmful bacteria. If these bacteria become too numerous, and the gums become inflamed, bacteria can invade tissue, even travel to other parts of the body and set up abscesses and other types of infection there. The dog I lost had a deep jaw abscess that was basically untreatable. If you dog has foul smelling breath, deal with it now.

Bad breath in dogs is more common in older pets because the tartar builds up over the course of a lifetime unless you have the dogs teeth cleaned regularly. Now, when I need to cure bad breath in my dog, I know what to do. the first step is a visit to the veterinarian to have the dog’s teeth examined. A veterinarian can assess the condition of the dog’s teeth and confirm that this is where the odor is coming from (it’s important to rule out other health problems that can cause an odor on the breath). Your veterinarian can also advise you as to what steps you should take, based on the degree of tartar and periodontal disease.

I’ve found that it’s easier to prevent than to cure bad breath in my dog. The idea of brushing a dog’s teeth may seem ridiculous, but there are toothpastes on the market specifically designed for dogs and cats. they come in pleasant meaty flavors that the animals love - you can slowly train your dog to tolerate a daily brushing with an enzyme toothpaste formulated to dissolve tartar. dog owners who start this routine when the animal is quite young can often avoid bad breath in dogs altogether.

Another way to fight tartar is to give a dog chew toys and bones to literally scrape the tartar off the teeth. Over the years, I’ve found that many of these aren’t very appealing to my pet and thus they don’t really work to cure bad breath in my dog, but recently, I discovered the “tartar buster.” It’s a more or less spherical piece of bone about 3 inches in diameter. My dog loves tartar busters and they work miraculously well to scrape off tartar and clear up bad breath in dogs; in fact, I avoided a costly veterinarian procedure by buying a couple of tartar busters. As with any bone, watch your dog to be sure it doesn’t swallow large chunks while chewing on a tartar buster.

If all else fails, you veterinarian may recommend a cleaning under anesthetic to remove heavy tartar. This is expensive and it can be risky for older animals, but it is well worth it to avoid a serious and possibly life-threatening illness later on - bad breath in dogs is not just a cosmetic or social problem. After losing one faithful friend already, I’d be willing to go to considerable lengths to cure bad breath in my dog.

Night fishing for speckled trout has become my favorite saltwater fishing tactics. Start off the morning waiting at home or at work for sunset, load up the truck with my heavy-duty night light, rod and reel, lure box and head off to my secret fishing spot were it’s only me and 100’s of speckled trout to be caught. Speckled trout night fishing is easy for youngsters to start getting in love with saltwater fishing at night. I would suggest that the first outing would be some were private. I have seen many things happen at night on a fishing pier, mostly kids getting hooked in the face or knocked down by a fisherman not looking where he was going.

Speckled trout at night can act so different at times when night fishing. They can be 2 feet below the water having a feeding frenzy or they can be on top of the water as if it were an underwater firework display. I have 3 lures that I absolute love to use when fishing for speckled trout at night.

1. Glass minnows

2. Speck Rigs

3. Crystal Minnow plug

Usually I use the glass minnows tandem rigged (two of the same lures used at once) when the trout are real active at night. The lures are good to me because they match what the trout are feeding on at night, and they are small and can be worked reeeeeealllllly slow. This will make them want it even more. When I take my own light it is ran on a tripod stand with a 1000 watt generator with a strong stage spot light. This makes a perfect fishing experience for night fishing for speckled trout.

Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to exhibit certain desired behaviors in specific circumstances. Some examples are:

* Teaching a dog basic obedience commands (part of obedience training)

* Teaching a dog to perform tricks casually or for circus acts

* Teaching a guide dog to lead the blind

* Teaching a rescue dog to find victims of a disaster

* Helping a hunting dog learn to perform its instinctive behaviors at appropriate times

The specific behaviors taught in each case are different, but the underlying principles are similar.

In the wild as pack animals, canines have natural instincts that favor training. These instincts are manifested when the dog lives with humans as a desire to please a handler, as a dog would please senior members in a pack in the wild. The handler is simply whoever is working with a dog at the time.

Basic training

Most dogs, no matter their eventual advanced training or intended purpose, live with people and therefore must behave in a way that makes them pleasant to have around and for their own safety and that of other people and pets. Dogs do not figure out basic obedience on their own; it must be trained.

Basic training classes

Professional “dog trainers” usually do not train the dogs, but actually train the owners how to train their own dogs. Although it is also possible to send a dog away to a training school, the owner still must at some point learn what the dog has learned and how to use it and reinforce it. Owners and dogs who attend class together have an opportunity to learn more about each other and how to work together under a trainer’s guidance. Training is most effective if everyone who handles the dog takes part in the training to ensure consistent commands, methods, and enforcement.

Formal training in classes is not always available until the puppy has completed all its vaccinations at around 4 months; however, some trainers offer puppy socialization classes in which puppies can enroll immediately after being placed in their permanent homes as long as disease risk is minimal and puppies have receieved initial vaccinations. In most cases, basic training classes accept only puppies who are at least 3 to 6 months old.

Next article: Dog Training Part II - Age for early training

While the phenomenon is yet to sweep across Australia, in the United States professional dog walking is a fast growing industry with organisations such as the National Association of Professional Dog Walkers (NAPDW) being established to support and educate dog walkers and pet owners. Members (the dog walkers) agree to a Code of Ethics, provide insurance and preferably have studied one of the many courses now being offered in order to become a professional dog walker.

Regular dog walking, exercise, re-enforcement training and socialisation have many benefits – it promotes a healthy social temperament, decreases separation anxiety, lowers stress and can even prevent behaviour problems. Utilising such a service can also reduce elimination problems.

If you are considering employing a professional dog walker to care for your animals during the long hours you are away from home, consider then that their responsibility is not an easy one. Firstly, a dog walker must understand the various kinds of dog training techniques available and be able to provide re-enforcement training as specified by the pet owner. This ensures that the dog walking session or backyard playtime is stimulating, fun, rewarding and challenging for the animal.

Secondly, a dog walker will have to consider the care and treatment of those pets with diabetes, epilepsy and other special care cases that may involve providing an injection or support throughout an episode. Furthermore, they will be insured and aware of council dog laws in your area. Lastly, they are dog lovers and will provide the reliability and integrity that comes with running their own business. They may charge, but the long-term benefits of a well-exercised and healthy animal should outweigh this concern.

It is not necessary for the dog walker to remove the animal from your premises. The dog walker can just turn up, take your dog outside in the backyard and play with them for 30 minutes for toileting, training, a game of fetch, lots of tummy scratches and a brush.

A professional dog walker may ask to see proof of registration and request that your pet is properly tagged. They may also ask for proof of vaccinations and if your dog is spayed or neutered. Dog walkers will generally not agree to take an undesexed animal off your property, but they will agree to backyard playtime as an alternative.

People love Pugs! There is something about that rogue-like face that tugs at your heart strings. This dignified toy breed is loved by royalty and commoners alike. These loving, intelligent, little clowns are extremely popular and ranked 12th out of 154 dog breeds registered by the American Kennel Club in 2005. The Pug is the largest of the Toy Dog Group weighing in a whopping 14 to 18 pounds.

The Pug has a fascinating history and one that is somewhat controversial. No one disputes that the English painter William Hogarth owned Pugs and portrayed them many times in his paintings. For example, Hogarth’s 1730 painting shows a black pug in “House of Cards”. Similarly everyone agrees that the Pug became the official dog of the House of Orange after saving the life of the Prince of Orange, by giving alarm at the approach of the Spaniards in 1572. Later when William of Orange went to England in 1688 to be crowned King William III, he took along several Pugs. So we know how the Pugs got from Holland to England but the controversy arises over how the breed got to Holland in the 16th century. One group of historians thinks the Pug was developed as a result of crossing several small Bulldogs. Another group thinks it is a miniature form of the rare French mastiff called the Dogue de Bordeaux. However the majority of historians think that the Pug originated in China and was brought back to 16th century Holland by the Dutch East India Company traders. This is the history that we will assume is true. The Pug is of Chinese origin and its development seems to pre-date the Christian era. Early records indicate that there were three types of short-nosed dogs bred by the Chinese. They were the Lion Dog (probably the Shih Tzu), The Pekingese and the Foo Dog or Pug. These dogs became very popular with Chinese royalty and the Pug breed was highly prized by the Emperors of China and lived a pampered existence. In fact, ordinary citizens were not allowed to own them. However, European traders managed to obtain some Pugs and introduce them to Europe - particularly Portugal, Spain, Holland and England which were the home countries of the traders. There, these adorable little animals became the pampered favourites of many royal families. We mentioned earlier that William III and Mary introduced Pugs to Britain from Holland when they became King and Queen in 1688 and the little dogs became a favourite at the royal court. This small dog breed was also extremely popular in the European courts and was a favourite of Napoleon’s wife, Queen Josephine of France. Later Queen Victoria of England succumbed to the Pugs charm and introduced several Pugs into her household. This British royalty love of Pugs continued down the line into the 20th century with the Duke of Windsor becoming a Pug owner. However by the time of Queen Victoria and her descendants, Pugs were no longer restricted to royalty. Members of the aristocracy became enamoured with Pugs as well.

Because the Pug was becoming very popular, English breeders were importing Pugs from other countries such as Russia, Austria and Holland. In 1860 British soldiers overran the Imperial palace in Peking and brought back a number of Pugs to England. The black Pug probably was imported at this time. Subsequent to this period, breeders established standards for the breed. In 1881, the Pug Dog Club of England was established and in 1883 the British Kennel Club formally recognized this breed club. By 1885, the Pug had been accepted for registration by the American Kennel Club but no national American breed club was created until 1931. By the beginning of the 20th century, large numbers of Pugs were exported to the United States from the United Kingdom. These Pugs were expensive - as they were still very much upper-class dogs.

Now we no longer have to be members of the royalty or the upper classes to own a Pug. Pugs are low maintenance dog breeds that require little grooming and get enough exercise playing indoors. They are well suited for apartment living. Pugs have a tendency to put on weight and should be taken for walks when the weather isn’t too hot.

Many royal and well known people have been owned by a Pug. This started with the Chinese Emperors many centuries ago and continued right up to the Dowager Empress of China who died in 1908. Many European royal families including Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine fell under the spell of the Pug. More contemporary (and quite diverse) Pug owners included Sir Winston Churchill, Valentino, Andy Warhol and Sammy Davis Jr. You can get free pictures and additional information on the Pug at Pug Pictures.

Perhaps it is time for you to consider being royally entertained by the uncommon Pug!

For starters let’s dispel a nasty rumor…

Chihuahuas are not a type of rodent bred to look like a dog. This is an urban legend that has been thoroughly debunked.

The Chihuahua is the smallest dog breed in the world and the oldest breed in North America with it’s origins shrouded in mystery. The dog came into prominence about 100 years ago in Mexico but many believe the dog originally came from Egypt while others insist that the Chinese first bred the dog.

Chihuahuas can live up to 15 years old and make great apartment dogs due to their small size. They typically do not like the outdoors and hate the cold which accounts for their tendency to shiver. A sweater is usually a welcome gift and is well tolerated on cooler days.

Many people carry them but it is a good idea to let them walk to keep fit with several 15-20 minute walks a day enough to maintain general fitness. It is generally better to use a harness instead of a collar when walking to prevent choking and throat injuries because of their delicate bone structure.

An affectionate dog, they love to snuggle, make good watchdogs and are safe around children provided they are not teased. They are also realitively cheap to own because they obviously don’t eat as much food as a larger dog.

Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot on the top of their head similar to a human that doesn’t always close so care must be taken to avoid serious bumps and repeated jumping down from a chair, bed or couch can cause stress injuries on leg joints so you might want to consider buying a pet ramp if you get a Chihuahua.

There are two types of Chihuahuas that are identical except for coat length, the short-haired and the long-haired with the short-haired being the more popular as evidenced by all of the appearences in television and movies.

Just as you would give a loved one a jeweled necklace, you can give your dog one too. There are jeweled collars, harnesses, hairpins, and necklaces, and jeweled dog tags. Accent your dog with that feminine touch, masculine, or just doglike piece of jewelry. They come in the shapes of hearts, fire hydrants, crosses, pirate flags, sports team logos, anagrams with your dog’s initials, and more.

Every kind of jewel you can name can be incorporated into the design of your dog tag jewelry. Jet onyx, ruby, gold topaz, Swarovsky crystals, rhinestone, silver, gold, diamond, gemstones, birthstones – these are just some of the jewels that can be hung, studded, or otherwise attached to your dog tag.

Dog tag jewelry ranges in price from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. You can buy dog tag jewelry as is, or you can customize it to fit your exact taste.

You can get jewelry for a dog tag necklace, or you can buy the necklace as is. Some dog tag necklace jewelry is permanently attached, whereas others are customizable according to whim, like a charm necklace. With a charm-type dog necklace, you can suspend any number of dog tags for your little guy to wear. Bringing your dog with you to the park? Try a rhinestone pendant. Will your dog accompany you to the latest fashion party? Try a pearl necklace. The combinations are endless.

Some manufacturers even do customizable anagrams or laser-etched photos on dog tags. Order your dog’s initials to be cast in a gold topaz pattern with sterling silver accents, if you like. Or send the manufacturer a treasured photograph of you and your dog together; they’ll put it on your steel or silver dog tag for you for a few hundred dollars.