Respiratory Problems In Labrador Retrievers

By Richard Cussons
Problems associated to respiratory or breathing may occur in Labrador Retrievers. Whether it may be just a simple sneezing problem or a cough caused by heart problem, these health issues should be addressed immediately to prevent it from progressing into a more serious disease that could threaten the life of your ever loyal friend.

Sneezing/nasal discharge
Sneezing and nasal discharge is common in Labrador Retrievers as well as other breeds. It may be caused by minor conditions like hay fever, a foreign object lodged in the nose or by major problems like canine nasal tumors. Dogs also sneeze when they wake up or if they are just laying on their backs. Sneezing itself is not an illness but could be a sign of an illness. A blood coming out of your dog's nose may be a sign of canine nasal tumor or may be just a foreign object lodged in his nasal cavity. Seek veterinary help immediately to diagnose the underlying cause.

Breathing problems
There are some circumstances wherein a dog may experience difficulty in breathing. There are various reasons for this predicament. Reasons for this breathing difficulties include physical obstructions preventing normal air intake, chest injury, pneumonia, tumors, heart failure, poisoning, an allergic reaction, pain, smoke inhalation, heatstroke and damaged lung or diaphragm. Rapid and shallow breathing may just be a response to conditions like shock whereas labored breathing may be a sign of heart failure or tumor. Noisy breathing may indicate that there may be an obstruction or foreign object present.

Coughing
Cough is not unusual to dogs. It could be caused by allergy, pollution, infection or foreign material in the air passages. Other causes include inhalation or ingestion of poisonous substances, fluid in the chest cavity, worms, heart conditions, chest diseases or injuries. If the coughing gets worse, visit your vet for help. Cough in dogs may be contagious if it is caused by the bacterium Bordatella bronchiseptica. This condition is referred to as canine cough or kennel cough. Canine cough is characterized by a harsh, dry cough that lasts for about five days after contact with a carrier of the disease. This cough causes loss of appetite, depression and nasal discharge as well. Vaccine against Bordatella should be administered to prevent your dog from acquiring this disease.

If you suspect that your dog is having problems related to breathing or respiratory, consult your vet immediately for diagnosis and proper treatment.

About the author:
Richard Cussons has written articles of various breeds including Labrador Retrievers. Discover tips on Labrador dog training at labradorsavvy.com.

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Reap The Rewards Of Dog Training

By: Dermot Condell
Only when surroundings are favorable will your puppy be open to what it is you\'re attempting to teach it. Dogs are not too much unlike children, everything is new and exciting so their attention span is very limited. Starting puppy training as soon as possible will help prevent unwelcome behaviour issues from developing.

Owners can start training their new doggy the minute they get them home, but keep it light. Hold off on the obedience training for a while; say around two to three months. Training a puppy early is also a perfect way for both of you to form an indestructible link. Early puppy training is an indispensable factor in developing a well-mannered puppy.

Sooner or later puppies learn the significance of your commands by getting use to your jesters and body language. Every puppy is unique and undoubtedly the most suited person to greatly comprehend a dog\'s mannerism is its owner.

The main thing to keep in mind when training your puppy how to act in public and ever varying surroundings, is to remain positive and upbeat, this way your puppy will be willing to try new things and won\'t hold back due to fear. The social skills your puppy learns when it\'s younger can remain with them and shape the type of pet they will become, as they get older. Disruptive puppies can be a danger to themselves and others. It is essential to perform basic puppy obedience training early in it life.

Five or ten minutes at the time may not seem like much now, but it will play a big part in forging your dog\'s personality. Treats may be offered to get your dog\'s attention and given as an incentive, but in due course substituted with toys and heaps of praise. Getting to know your dog\'s individuality will offer you greater opportunities to tackle training exercises.

With the correct implementation of boundaries and heaps of praise, you\'ll have a more devoted and well-mannered friend for countless happy years to come. With a bit of luck, by the age of roughly three to 6 months you\'ll be able to shift things up a gear and get going on some basic training.

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Would you like to learn more? I recently published an exciting new guide on puppy obedience training, \'Your Guide To Dog Obedience Training\' Get your copy here: Your Guide To Dog Obedience Training Dermot Condell - TrainingAndHealthForDogs.com/blog

6 Different Dog breeds you don't know

By Ispas Marin
Everybody has heard of the basset hound or the beagle. This type of dogs has proved to have many qualities or has been advertised a lot. The influence plays also an important role:if one of my friends. to whom I compete has just bought a pitbull, I should definitely bring about a Tossain. How about the Polish Owczarek Nizinny? i know nothing about it so this shouldn't be my choice. There are many breeds of dogs left on this planet which prove to have more qualities, yet, are unpopular. This article will present you some of these breeds.

The affenpinscher

This is the smallest dog in the breed which also presented us the schnauzers. The affenpinscher is thought to be the most suitable for a family pet as it is very intelligent, easy to train of a good demeanor. They have a dark fur and have always shown affection to human beings.

The anatolian Shepherd

This dog breed is of a medium size and has proved to be very courageous. This breed is very powerful and loyal and it is used in U.S.A especially for military and hunting purposes.

The basenji

The dogs from this breed are medium sized muscular dogs and are also named the Africa Barkless Dogs. What is funny is that they ever bark because they don't want to do so as researches have shown they are not mute.They are extremely known in Africa for their hunting skills.They are not suitable as family pets but their aversion to humans can be diminished if they are handled properly from an early age.

The Bouvier des Flandres

This small and steady dog breed is somewhat similar to the terrier one . Their fur is generally in dark shades and they have proved to be very calm. At the beginning they were bred as herders in France but nowadays they are used for police and military purposes, as well as guidance for blind persons.

The central Asian Ovtcharka

The Central Asian Ovtcharka includes only large and muscular dogs. They appear to be very loyal and fearless dogs with strong protective instincts which makes them being used as watchdogs. As any other large dog they have their ears and tail cut from an early age.

The Polish Owczarek Nizinny

This dog is of a medium size muscular dog with a long fur which covers its eyes. It can be used as a family pet, being very loyal, yet they shouldn't be left alone because they are notorious for the 'disasters'
they cause in this situation.

All in all what we do know is that many dog breeds are not so famous but they prove to have some qualities which cannot be surpassed. They may be great hunters or family pets; the idea is that we should pay much attention to them as they are really fantastic.

About the author:
For great information about dog breeders, dog breeds, dog books, dogs for sale, stud dogs, dog names, dog rescue, dogs wanted and missing dogs just visit us at http://www.Doggies.ca

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Valuable Tips In Training Labrador Retriever

By Richard Cussons
Training is one of the most important parts of owning a Labrador Retriever. Through training, you are helping your Labrador Retriever become a well-behaved and desirable dog everybody loves. Training will also keep your dog safe because he is able to comprehend and obey your command, helpful in emergency and dangerous situations.

However, a wrong training approach may ruin your dreams of having a nicely trained dog. It helps if you are well-equipped with the right knowledge in training your beloved Labrador Retriever.

Puppy training - You can start training your dog when he is still a puppy. Training a puppy six to eight weeks old is fine but you can start training earlier than that depending on your pup's characteristics and response to training. It is easier to train a puppy because at this age, he might not have developed bad manners yet and if he has, it can easily be corrected. But remember that training is not only for puppies, you can still teach old dogs new tricks.

Use positive reinforcement - When you use positive reinforcement, you are adding or offering something to your dog to increase the chance of repeating what he did correctly. Giving him his favorite treat after following your down command is an example of positive reinforcement.

Your voice matters - When you issue a command, it should be issued in the same words and same tone of voice. Use a friendly and excited voice when you give commands like come and firm voice in commands like down or stay. Avoid yelling or nagging at your dog.

Training sessions - Keep training sessions short and interesting. Fifteen-minute session is enough to keep your dog interested in the training. Focus on a single command per session and always reward him with loving praise or his favorite treat if he has successfully performed the command. Spend some time playing after the training to keep his interest.

Punishment - In order for your dog to behave properly, his mistakes must be corrected promptly. You can correct your dog by giving commands using a firm and sharp tone of voice. As much as possible, avoid physical punishment. But if physical punishment is really necessary, especially dogs with harder temperament, a quick and gentle tug on his training collar is enough. Remember that punishment should only be issued when you catch your dog in the act of doing mistake. Your dog may not understand why he is being punished now for urinating in your living room five hours ago.

Foods feed the body, training feeds the mind. It is important for your Labrador Retriever to have all these.

About the author:
Richard Cussons writes articles about Labrador Retriever and other dog breeds. Discover Labrador dog training tips at labradorsavvy.com.

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Labrador Dog Training- Dog Training Tools

By Richard Cussons
If you wish to have a nicely trained Labrador Retriever, you have to train him of course. Dogs don't become nicely trained on their own. That is why as a dog owner, your dog's training is your responsibility. Some dog owners think that training a dog can be a frustrating task. Fortunately, there are lots of effective approach as well as helpful tools to make the training process easy and increase the chances of successful result.

Leash
The leash is widely used by most trainers and dog owners in teaching dog commands like sit, down, come and heel. A leash must be strong enough to withstand your dog pulling on it. Types of leash vary depending on its materials, lengths and styles. In choosing the type of leash for your dog, keep in mind his size, personality and strength.

Clicker
Clicker training has recently become popular in dog training. Clicker is a tiny plastic box with a metal button, which when pressed makes a click sound. The click sound is used to catch the attention of your dog and indicate that what he did is correct.

Collars
Usually used with leash, a collar is a piece of material placed around the neck of the dog. It could be made of nylon, metal, cotton or leather often used for control, identification and other purposes. It is important to place your dog's collar perfectly, not too loose nor too tight. A collar is perfectly placed when you could place your four fingers between the dog's neck and his collar. Collars come in various types- choke, pronged and electronic collars to name a few. Choose which type of collar is needed by your dog.

Treat
Giving of treat is an example of positive reinforcement. A treat is a reward you give to your dog after performing the command correctly.

Muzzle
Muzzle is important when your dog has biting problem or if you like to teach your dog to bark only when needed. A muzzle is a device placed over your dog's snout to prevent unwanted biting or unwanted barking. It should be made of strong material to ensure that it does not come off easily.

Harness
Choose a no-pull harness for it stops the pulling. A no-pull harness restricts the movement of the dog's body when the dog pulls on the leash.

There are many other tools that could help make dog training easy for you and your dog. It helps a lot to consult your vet or dog trainer for suggestions.

About the author:
Richard Cussons is a writer with tons of knowledge on Labrador Retriever. Discover effective Labrador dog training tips at labradorsavvy.com.

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