Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Bad Foods for Dogs To Eat or Consume

By ttmw
You may have seen many articles on the best and healthiest diet for your dog, and there are many different views and perspectives on what is considered healthy and not for your dog. But what foods should your dog not eat and what will help your dog’s health in the short and long term.

There are many different cases to look at when defining bad foods for dogs but there are guidelines that can be followed to prevent dog pests, dog diarrhea, and many other illnesses that can affect your dog. Routing through trash is another bad idea for your dog and if you discover this is a problem then it should be strictly disciplined. Dogs are very prone to food poisoning and it is a very common occurrence for them because of their habits to investigate things further than they should sometimes, this coupled with their need to chew things while going through teething.

So what should you avoid to maintain your dog’s immune system and keep their digestive system intact? Here are some bad ideas and health effecting foods that may harm your dogs health if you’re not careful. Please note that some dog food quality standards may have changed since the writing of this article and there will be many more foods that aren’t suitable for your dog and you should always ask a professional about the type of food you are querying to get all the information possible before taking action.

Processed foods

These canned processed foods are nothing but bad news for your dog, after all the processing they are left with not much nutrients for your dog, the quality of meat is poor and other chemicals used in this food make for a bad dog diet and although some rare cases may exist it is generally best avoided.

Chicken Bones

Chicken bones, although you may suspect that it is ok to feed you dog on these leftover bits of meat can be harmful to your dog and when your dog chews the bone it can break and cause a choking hazard and mouth damage.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains caffeine which is considered bad for your dog’s nervous system and heart. And also contains sugar and sweetness that is not good for your dog.

Other Bad Foods

Citrus oil extracts, grapes and raisins, rotten foods and mushrooms amongst others.

Be sure to check labels and research anything you are thinking of feeding your dog before hand.

For more information on Dog Behavior Training or Dog Health take a look at this Dog Training website .

Improve rankings and trade links with www.Dog-behavior-Training.co.uk by emailing us at our contact page.

Easy Ways To Stop Dogs Barking

By ttmw
Is trying to control your dogs barking getting a bit of a pain when all you want to do is get a decent sleep, leave your dog for 5 minutes, or have some respected guests round without having to get the earplugs out?

Training your dog to stop barking doesn’t have to be stressful, no one likes the loud barking sound coming from your dog, especially at 3 in the morning so lets go through some tips to control dog barking.

1. Need Attention huh?

Don’t give your dog the attention he wants from barking at you. if I was getting everything I wanted just for barking id probably do it too. You’ve got to teach your dog that barking won’t get him anywhere. If he wants something wait till he has stopped barking first.

2. Time to bark yet?

If your dog barks when you leave the house, 8 times out of 10 it will be because you’re making to much fuss over them when you leave. Dogs can’t fully grasp the idea of saying goodbye and may find it upsetting when you give them cuddles and play then go out the door and leave for 8 hours while you’re in work. For a dog that’s a good enough reason to bark and howl the house down for you to come back and play. Try leaving the house without any fuss, Leave the house without drawing any attention to yourself and the barking will lessen and stop.

3. Bored with nothing to do!

Dogs enjoy barking, it’s something they like to do. The barking sound might not be completely to your taste but dogs enjoy it and it’s a completely natural thing for them, so if your dog has nothing to do in his spare time then barking passes the time like nothing else. Keep your dog busy with lots of exciting toys if he seems to bark a lot at night, something to chew and play with when you’re not around will help comfort the dog and keep him from barking and waking the neighbours. With nothing else to do your dog will bark through the night until you wake up.

4. Visitor time

When visitors come round it’s an exciting time for your dog, new faces, new smells and more attention than usual. This often causes dogs to bark, they want all the attention they can get in the form of cuddles and play time. You can solve this by using the ‘Stop’ command, teach him this and praise him when he listens to you and you should have no more problems with your over excited dog.

5. Be Consistent

Unfamiliarity can trigger your dogs barking off a lot of the time so keep constant with the times he barks most, for a lot of dog owners this is at night time. Decide where your dog or puppy sleeps. If one night your dog is out in the cold and the next he’s all snug and warm in bed with you or your kids you can guarantee he won’t want to be back out in the cold getting no attention from anyone again. Stick to consistency with your dog and you won’t go far wrong, otherwise you may be in for another sleepless night shouting at your dog.

For more information on Dog Behavior Training or Dog Health take a look at this Dog Training website .

Improve rankings and trade links with www.Dog-behavior-Training.co.uk by emailing us at our contact page.

Revealed: 6 Secret Tips to Train Your Dog

By nbisea
In a time when there seems to be almost constant talk about the issues surrounding health care coverage for families in the United States, there is an insurance product that is often overlooked. Animal health cover is designed to cover the veterinary costs for the health care of the four-legged members of the family. If your family includes one or more family pets, then seeking out policy information from a reputable pet insurance company might make good economic sense.

Just as the human members of the family need and deserve adequate health care, so do your pets. Household animals and even livestock such as horses, cattle and exotic animals are all subject to any number of illnesses and accidents that threaten their health and longevity.

In fact, in the last decade or so there has been a significant increase in the incidence of cancer and other serious diseases in domestic mammals and other animals. Because of this, it is a wise choice to seek out pet insurance coverage.

Securing animal health cover coverage from a reputable and reliable company can be of enormous benefit to a family, especially families with many of them in the household. Such a pet plan can guarantee protection against financial hardship for a family if they are faced with large veterinary pet bills. The stress and anxiety that a family is put under if they cannot afford a life-saving procedure for their animal can be devastating.

In recent years, veterinarian care has expanded and there are more diseases and illnesses that can now be treated. With the expansion of care, there has also come an increase in associated costs, very similar to the rise in health care for humans.

The good news is that this shift has lead to more interest in animal health cover and an increase in pet insurance company coverage options that are now available. In addition, there are also more companies offering pet insurance, increasing the competition and thereby keeping the cost in check.

No matter which animal plan company you select to carry your pet insurance coverage, the reputable companies will strongly recommend that you take steps to try to prevent illness so that your animal can enjoy health and well-being to the greatest degree possible. The best pet insurance plans will cover wellness care, or preventative care procedures.

This would include vaccinations, health screenings and other types of routine care that should be taken care of as advised by your trusted veterinarian. Also, new kittens or puppies introduced to the family should have a visit to the vet’s office for their first examination within 48 hours of bringing them into the home.

In most cases, your veterinarian will have you bring your new mammal back to the office to get booster vaccinations three to four weeks later. In addition, preventative care routines dictate that you return for annual vaccinations and booster shots for the long-term benefit of all the pets in the household.

These costs can add up to several hundreds of dollars a year, especially if there are multiple mammals in the household. Before choosing your insurance company, be sure that they offer coverage for preventative care.

Although it can be tempting to buy the cheapest pet insurance you can find, often in the long-run it is better to choose a pet insurance company that believes in the value of preventative health care for domestic and other animals. A policy that covers wellness care might cost a bit more each month, but it will ensure that you never have to worry about being able to pay for the proper care for your family pets.

Visit Mike Selvon pets portal for more information on pet insurance company, and leave a comment at our veterinary pet insurance blog. Don’t forget to claim your FREE gift.

Healing Dog Skin Irritation Naturally

By otaffy
Humans spend literally billions of dollars every year on skin and hair care. The vast number of products available covers the gamut from shampoos, cosmetics, hairdressings, creams and treatments. The same is true for our pets. As the market as grown, so has concern about the chemicals and compounds used in these products.

As more ingredient information has been available to consumers, many questions are being raised about overall product safety. Concerns about chemical exposure and possible health risks are driving the market in different direction.

Many established producers have responded by changing the formulation of some products, while new companies have entered the market. The marketing of products that contain natural and botanical ingredients is a growing trend in the skin and hair care market. Many pet owners are discovering the value of replicating what animals instinctively do to care for their skin and coats.

Concerns about human exposure to various chemicals have spilled over to the pet care industry. Part of multi billion dollar market segment, many pet grooming products are also changing. Professional pet groomers have responded to the concerns of their customers by switching to natural shampoos and other grooming products.

For example, many dog breeds are prone to skin irritations. Traditional grooming products often contain harsh chemicals that can make these conditions worse. Shampoos and conditioners that adversely alter the pH balance of the animals coat are of particular concern. Like humans, animal fur and skin has naturally occurring oils that can stripped away, leaving the skin dry and the coat brittle. Some animals, like their human counterparts, may develop allergic reactions to the ingredients in certain shampoos and conditioners.

An old school of thought about bathing our dogs was that daily bathing would dry the skin. Given the fact that many dog shampoos contain compounds such as butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and toluene, the old school thinking was right. For example, butyl acetate is a chemical solvent often used in shampoos as a foaming agent. Butyl acetate is also used in products such as nail polish and upholstery shampoo.

Toluene is another chemical solvent that has found its way into many products like dog shampoo. These and many other chemicals are not only skin irritants, but may actually contribute to increased rates of cancer and organ disease.

Routine grooming is one of your dogs best defenses against skin irritation and infection. From daily brushing to regular bathing, our dogs depend on us. Daily brushing is a natural way to stimulate glands in the skin that produce essential oils needed to maintain a healthy skin and coat. Daily brushing helps to remove dead skin cells, dirt and other debris from the fur. The other benefit to daily brushing is that most dogs really enjoy it.

Most of us like a good massage or having our back scratched, and our canine companions are no different. The time spent grooming contributes to the bonding and trust that develops between dogs and their humans.

Brushing and grooming on a daily basis gives us a chance to be on the lookout for rashes, hot spots and other skin irritations. Once certain skin conditions, such as a yeast infection, take hold, the condition is harder to treat. Left unattended, skin irritations can quickly become a pathway for infection, jeopardizing the over health of your dog.

As dog owners, we have a very important responsible and our canine friends look to us for proper care. Take the time educate yourself about grooming products that are made without harsh chemicals. Taking a natural approach to preventing and treating skin irritation in dogs is one way we can keep our dogs healthy, well groomed and happy.

Mitch Endick is a short article writer, editor and website developer for the popular pet site petpages.com.
www.petpages.com is a pet information site with free pet ads, dog classifieds, and puppy for sale info Petpages.com also offers information on cats, fish, reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, mice and even pet bugs.

Introducing a New Dog to Your Home

By akasch
It is one of the most exciting times in a pet owner’s life, the time when they bring a new dog into their home. As exciting and happy of a time as this can be it can also bring some stressful situations both for you and for the new dog. There are several things that could cause problems right from the start when you bring a new dog into your home. The stress of bringing a puppy out of its environment and placing it into someplace new can be quite large. That is why you must treat this situation very carefully so that you and your new dog can get your relationship off to a good start. What are some of the things that you should keep in mind when bringing a new dog into the house?

The first thing that you should consider is the kind of environment that you are introducing to the new dog. For example, if you have another dog that has been at your house for quite some time, then you need to consider the possibility that your old dog may have a problem adjusting to the presence of the new dog. If it becomes difficult to have the new dog around your old dog then you might need to take the time to socialize them slowly. Forcing a new dog on an old dog that is used to being the only one in the house can cause problems that will last the entire time that they live together. That is why it is so important to treat the situation properly from the start.

Some of the main problems will occur if you are bringing a new male dog in with an existing male dog. The same will be true, and it might even be worse, if you are bringing a female in with a female. Spaying or neutering your dog or dogs will help curb some of this aggressive behavior. The problem is generally not as pronounced if you have both a male and a female dog but obviously that could cause some problems of its own. Make sure that you don’t end up with an unwanted litter of pups by having one or both of the dogs fixed.

Generally speaking a new, younger dog will recognize the authority of the existing dog. There are times, however, that this may not be the case. For example, if you bring an aggressive breed dog into a house with a dog that is very submissive the new dog may try to establish his superiority immediately. Just use common sense and try to choose wisely so that these problems don’t occur.

Bringing a new dog into the house can be a joyous event. Unfortunately, for the dog it is often a stressful time as they learn to live in their new environment and establish themselves in the pack. Make sure that you do everything possible to make it as comfortable for your new pet as you can. By doing this both you and your new dog will adjust happily to your new relationship.

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