Check Your Dog Food Ingredients 2

By: Dave Jackson
These potentially cancer-causing agents such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are allowed at pretty low levels. Using these chemicals in dog foods has not been thoroughly studied, and long term build-up of these agents could be harmful. Because of the questionable data in the original study on its safety, ethoxyquin's manufacturer, Monsanto, was required to perform a new, more rigorous study in 1996. Monsanto didn't find significant toxicity associated with its own product, but in July 1997 the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half, to 75 parts per million.

The ball is in the air on ethoxyquin. Some pet food critics believe that ethoxyquin is a major cause of disease, skin problems, and infertility in dogs, others claim it is the safest, strongest, most stable preservative we have for pet food. And ethoxyquin is approved for human foods, preserving spices such as cayenne and chili powder, at a level of 100 ppm - but it would be pretty hard for even the most hard-core spice lover to consume as much chili powder every day as a dog would eat dry food. Ethoxyquin has not been tested with cats. Still, it is commonly used in veterinary diets for both cats and dogs.

What is the answer? What I suggest is that you contact suppliers who make dog food in small batches and ship them to your door. These companies are few and far between, but they do exist and they have higher quality ingredients with none of the dangerous preservatives. I discuss this great detail on my website Three Best Dogs, and give you suggestions to try for your treasured pet
Dave Jackson lives in south Florida with his miniature schnauzer. He has great tips on how to care and feed your dog on his website Three Best Dogs.

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Check Your Dog Food Ingredients1

By: Dave Jackson
Dogs, especially puppies and miniatures, are so innocent of their surroundings that they'll try anything once, even if it's harmful. This morning, as I was spraying an organic insecticide made from flowers and my miniature schnauzer took a few licks to see what is was like - before I caught her. Just like snakes, dogs use their tongues to test the environment. This spray isn't that bad because it's natural. Still, even natural repellents are pretty hard on the kidneys.

Dogs will try anything, even more so than cats, which are the most finicky pets you could own. So when you are putting out the dog food, chances are, even if there is something bad in there, if it tastes good enough, they'll consume the whole bowl and look at you to see if more is coming. And by the way, make sure you're not over feeding your puppy. Don't feed your puppy scraps or your unfinished food. That's too much food for an animal that doesn't get out very much. They have nowhere to burn off the food and will get fat, quickly.

So if dogs can't tell you how their food tastes, or read the label to see if there is something in their food that might be hard on the kidneys or digestive tract; it is up to you, their owner, to carefully check what is in that dog food bag that sits in the corner. With the recent crises of the Chinese putting junk in mix, it is time for you to do some label investigation to make sure you are not slowly killing your dog with ingredients that still make it onto our shelves.

First, let's understand the economics behind the making of dog food. Dog food manufacturers are in business for one main reason - and it's not to make dog food! They're in business to make a profit. Dog food is only what gets them to profitability. Once you know this, believe that if they can save money on manufacturing and beat the competition, they will. They don't do this because they want to hurt your pet. They do this because if they don't - the way their business model works - they will lose money and sell less dog food.

Have you been to the dog food aisle lately? Some stores have two or three aisles. There is huge competition on price and ingredients. You'll find your normal dog food; names you've grown up with, and then you'll find newer, organic or special diet dog foods. So know that there is not a lot of concern going on for your dog - just marketing what may catch your fancy. But you need to be aware of what to look out for on those labels.

Since Fido will probably eat the same food day in and day out, it is important to look past the attractive labels and clever marketing. Current pet food regulation allows manufacturers to use ingredients you wouldn't feed your pet in you knew. Look for the word "by-products" on the label. This can mean feet, bones and intestines.

Because dog food manufacturers have to make sure the product won't spoil, typically 12 months, they include preservatives. Fats used in dog food would go rancid, so they use synthetic preservatives called butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, propylene glycol which is also used as a less-toxic version of automotive antifreeze, and ethoxyquin. Look for these on the label. There is not much information documenting their toxicity, safety, interactions, or use in pet foods that may be eaten every day for the life of your dog. Propylene glycol was banned in cat food because it causes anemia in cats, yet it is still allowed in dog food.
 
Dave Jackson lives in south Florida with his miniature schnauzer. He has great tips on how to care and feed your dog on his website Three Best Dogs.

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Dog Training - Dog Diarrhea

By John Williams
Diarrhea can, and chances are will come to every dog you ever have in your lifetime and is a very common type of illness to have but in most cases is nothing serious and is not a cause to worry.
Lots of things can cause diarrhea in your dog and although on most cases the vet need not be contacted if it persists or becomes uncontrollable by your dog then it may need a better examination and diagnosis to prescribe the correct medicine.
Diarrhea is more common in puppies due to their immune system not being as strong as a dog's immune system yet but diarrhea in dogs is also very common. Situations which cause diarrhea can be anything from a change in surroundings, worms, or conccidia, to a virus or pest your dog has caught.
A change in diet or food may have triggered the illness and it should be looked into to stop it happening again, dogs are very vulnerable to changes and it can affect them in many ways. Being over excited or having stressful days along with other emotional changes may bring this problem.
It is always important to look after your dog well while they are suffering this illness, puppies and dogs will get dehydrated in these times and you need to make sure they have enough fluids to stop further illness.
While your dog has diarrhea they become weaker due to low body weight and not getting sufficient vitamins so their immune systems lower making it easier to catch other viruses and illnesses.
Keep a close eye on your dog when they have diarrhea and if you have fears of it being anything but a common diarrhea cause then seek a vet or professional for advice. There are plenty of advice leaflets and informational sheets around in pet shops and dog care specialist places, as long as you are aware of your dog's problem and are aware of these facts you should be in good shape.

John Williams website owner. For more information on dog behavior training visit the dog-behavior-training.co.uk website at this link...Dog Training.

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Useful Ideas On Potty Training A Dog

By Mendy Stern
Potty training a dog is one of the first things every dog owner faces. Many times it is harder than it sounds and owners get frustrated when they really should not be. Here are a few ideas that will help you with potty training that you can start right away with.

You want to make sure that your dog is eating healthy meals with out sugar and fiber. Make sure that you do not feed your dogs treats in between meals. By giving your dog healthy food it will help them with there teeth and there coat.

When you do find the healthy food for your dog be sure you stick to a good routine for them on when they eat and go to the bathroom.

When you and your dog wake in the morning take them out to go the bathroom. Then feed your dog at the same time and put some water next to the food. After about thirty minutes take your dog outside to the bathroom.

A lot of times dogs drink to much and that is why they have accidents in the home. You dog needs to stay on a routine and it will help them know when it is time to go outside to the bathroom.

Approximately twenty to thirty minutes after your dog eats it will be ready to have a bowel movement. Again get in a routine and take your dog outside to go to the bathroom. Using this routine will prevent accidents in your home.

If you have a specific spot you want your dog to go to the bathroom in your yard just take your dog on a leash to that spot every time and praise them every time they go. That will become their spot all of the time.

One command you can use is "Go potty!" and they should go. If they do not go right away go back in your house. Do not play with your dog or get them excited at all. Then in fifteen minutes take them out again and see if they will go. Be sure and praise them when you get the results you wanted.

Hopefully you will find these ideas on potty training a dog useful. Your dog just wants to please you and by sticking with the information above it will help you potty train your dog and allow them to do just that.

Copyright (c) 2007 Mendy Stern

Mendy Stern has a deep seeded passion for dogs, and makes every effort to educate the public on the right ways to train their pet dogs. For information on dog pads to assist in potty training visit doggy pads at http://www.doggypads.com

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Eliminate stress and take time for yourself

By Paul Conway
Eliminate stress and take time for yourself

Work, conferences, deadlines, appointments, phone calls, groceries, walking the dog - all of these are things many people must accomplish each day. Many times, family, friends and ourselves get put on a waiting list. Sometimes, we discover too late that those on the waiting list are, in fact, the most important, and unfortunately, we often don't realize it at all and find ourselves wondering why we are unhappy.

There are books and seminars to help us find the best option for managing our time. Such sources intend to offer the best solutions.People know that time is more than money. First of all, time means life, and more than that, it means our lives. That is why we must not to give up in stressful situations and must continue to fight for the joy of living. Remember that poor time management can cause major health problems physically and mentally. But there is good news. Time can be tamed - in a way, we can make it obey us. The first step in the process is to identify the elements that steal your time. Usually , they are in one of two groups: " External factors (unexpected phone calls, long phone conversations, unplanned visits, open-doors policies, insufficiently trained personnel, constant meetings, interruptions by colleagues, friends and family). " Internal factors - related to ourselves (priorities and objectives that change, lack of a daily work plan, lack of self-imposed deadlines, tendency to do too many things at once, disorder, procrastination, inability to say no, poor decision-making, fatigue).

When reading the above descriptions, you probably pictured similar situations that you have been through. Now, all you must do is find a way to get past them so you can be in charge of your time again. Here are three possible ways to do it: " Write everything down. It is especially useful if you have a bad memory. Otherwise you might forget to attend important meetings, to make important phone calls, to answer messages you need to answer. You can also write down inspirations that occur to you at unexpected moments. " Make a list of priorities. It takes little time, and you can do it while you're having your morning coffee. Write down what you need to do that day, in order of importance and urgency. " Learn to say no. A common mistake that many people make is to put other people's problems ahead of ours. Nevertheless, by helping others in a difficult situation, we open the door to frustration and stress and we find ourselves unable to meet our previous responsibility.

Get more information on stress and related problems by getting your copy of a 6 page Stress Report.

http://www.ask-about-stress.com

The author has put together a short report on this subject. http://www.ask-about-stress.com

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A cheaper way to contain your pet

By Jeffrey Eugenio
If you are thinking of getting an affordable pet containment system to contain your pets a pet fence is your best option. A dog fences uses a buried wire located along the area or fence that you want to confine your dog to. The three main parts of in-ground pet fencing system are Transmitter, Wire, and the Collar Receiver. The buried wire is like an antenna that is attached to the transmitter. The transmitter produces radio frequency that are picked up by the receiver on the dog’s collar.

Keeping your dog on your property where it belongs usually means building a fence but having an electric dog fence will help ensure that your pet will stay on your property. You can choose from two different dog fence designs that are available in the market today. An Electric dog fences uses electric stimulation and gives your dog a warning tone when it approaches the location of the buried wire. Your dog will receive an electronic correction when he continues to approach the buried wire. Another kind of dog electric fence uses citronella. It sprays the dog with citronella to correct the dog he approach the buried wire. Whether you choose the electronic stimulation or the latter one, your dog will surely know his boundaries when you use pet fence products. Always remember that your dogs still have to be trained to properly interact with these kinds of pet fence.

Usually you need to train and condition your dog before you use electronic dog fence so it will be effective at keeping your dog safe at home. How fast can your dog adjust to the product usually depends on your dog’s personality and may even take longer to complete the training if your dog will not cooperate. You still need to train your dog because electric dog fences do not always work with every dog.

One feature that I like about electronic fence is it can efficiently retain dogs inside the owner's property and let them know their boundaries. The dog is automatically trained by the system to keep away from the boundaries of the property because if they cross it they will instantly receive shock from their collars. Underground dog fences don’t take up any large property space.

When you install any kind of pet fence system you should make sure that your pet is conditioned to that pet fence system and can freely run through the free zone. A pet fence system will also help you make sure that your dogs will not bring upon any unplanned destruction to someone else's property. When you decide to avail any pet containment system it is advisable that you go through the training thoroughly on how to use the device and train your pet properly or your investment into the pet containment system will be wasted.

It is also wise to put up an actual fence aside from installing dog electric fences to protect your dog and keep them where they are. Another use of fence is to help your keep any stray dogs or other animals away from your lawn or stop them from attacking your dog.

Keeping your dog on your property where it belongs generally means building a fence. This is an expensive investment in your dog and property. As an alternative you can install a Petsafe dog fence that is designed to keep your best friend at home without all the expense of a physical fence. For more information visit Pet Planet

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Owning Jack Russell Dogs and Teaching Your Kids to be Responsible Dog Owners

By Richard Cussons
With Jack Russell dogs, once you have your new puppy, the training process should be started immediately. Training a puppy can be a pleasant experience especially if the outcome is positive. And one way of achieving successful training result is to start early and remain consistent even year after year.

Prepare Ahead Of Time, Before Your Jack Russell’s Arrival

Training your Jack Russell dogs should involve everyone in the household, even the kids. Yes your kids! Their participation in training the puppy will benefit not just the puppy but also themselves as well. It will give you children not just the feeling of pride and value, but is also one way of teaching them about responsibilities and caring for others. Moreover, participation of your child in training process is one sure and fastest way for the two to establish a healthy friendship that could last a lifetime.

Get Your Child Involved Early

All Children, no matter how responsible they may be, should not be given the full responsibilities in taking care of and training your puppy. As a parent, it is still your responsibility to make sure that your pet and your child is well taken cared of. But there are lots of things your child can do to contribute in the success of training your Jack Russell.

The list below are some of the many things your child can do to participate in caring for your new puppy.

1. One of the easiest things your child can do is to let her pick out your puppy prior to its arrival. At home before you go to the store, create a checklist of the things that your puppy needs. Take her to the store and have her read the list and help pick out supplies. Ask for her suggestions on which color or shape to pick. This activity will put her in the mindset of sharing the responsibility of taking care of the new pup.

2. Another task your child can do is to help set up the puppy's new and comfortable living area. Let her put the dog toys, arrange cushion inside the crate and then place the food and water dish in its proper area.

3. And the most important thing your child can do to help is to give the new puppy lots of love and attention. But remember, this should be done under close supervision of an adult, especially during your Jack Russell dogs first few days home.

Richard Cussons is great lover of dogs and you can find our more about Jack Russell dogs at Jack Russell Savvy.com.

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