Walking Your Dog - 11 Rules

By: Jerard Purvis
When you endeavor to go about walking your dog, no matter the
destination – on the city streets, in parks or in open spaces – it is necessary that he respects the disciplinary rules settled before and learned, to avoid getting into problems with other animals or people we meet.

So let’s see how our little friend will have to act in some situations:

1. Usually, in crowded places we will keep him in a leash, to always have him under control. So he will have to know how to walk in a leash, near your foot, without pulling.

2. The dog is not allowed to jump on people or animals met or to attack any of those, as long as he isn’t aggressed.

3. The dog shouldn’t run after bicycles, motorcycles, cars or people that are running. It is know that some dogs do that because of their hunting instincts.

4. When we let the dog free, to relax, it is crucial that when he is called he return on the shortest way and as fast as possible.

5. At a picnic, the dog is not allowed to pass thought other people’s carpets or to eat their food.

6. Wherever our dog might be, he is not to be allowed to eat food given by someone else or food found thrown around.

7. Generally, small dogs are more spoiled than big dogs and they are more aggressive, anti-social and afraid of other people or dogs. The ones to blame are the owners that often amuse themselves when they see their dogs acting this way. This way the dogs get to barking and even biting their own owner.

8. The dog must have the initial training learned and practiced, so we would have no problems when walking him.

9. All through the walk, the dog is not to chew on his leash or to pull it with his teeth, because it might happen that he is tied somewhere alone and he will chew on it until he becomes free and gets lost.

10. The dog is not allowed to jump up and out his front paws on us or others even if he is just playing.

11. Pay attention to drunken people! Many times the smell, the walk and the yelling of drunken people annoy the dog. The dog is to loose his reality sense and his instincts and therefore they won’t pay attention to any of our advices. Some drunken people are even aggressive to dogs. Stay away from them as much as possible.

And there are my top 11 tips for walking your dog! Enjoy.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com

Dog Identification Tag

By: Jerard Purvis
A dog identification tag is absolutely necessary to care for the safety and
protection of your dog. Dogs love to run and play in the outdoors, and sometimes they play dangerous, or forget to come home. Even if you keep your dog supervised at all time and don't let him go out alone, nonetheless you should still get him a dog identification tag since the chances are, sooner or later he will run out unsupervised.

Dogs are always waiting for the chance to sneak out by themselves so that they can explore and meet other dogs. Sometimes the moment I open the door, my beagle Daisy runs out yipping and yapping into the street. It can take hours to get her to come home again, and sometimes I just have to give up and trust that she will come home by herself this time.

She usually does. So what would happen if, God forbid, she were to be hit by a car and injured, or perhaps be picked up by animal control, or get into a fight with another dog. If she didn't have on a dog identification tag, the both me and her would be completely out of luck. She might be put to sleep with no dog identification tag to tell the humane society that there was someone who loved her just waiting to pick her up.

Dog identification tags come in all sorts of stylish options. There are plain metal ones which look just like dog tags in the army for a sort of stylish plastic look. On the other hand, there are bright pink plastic ones which can be seen for blocks and blocks around for the way that they reflect light and their garish color. Daisy has a large one, a deep metallic green, which is an attractive color, yet reflects enough light that people can see it hanging from her neck. I showed her many tags, but this seemed to be the dog identification tag that she most preferred out of all of them.

I don't just make her wear it when she is going out, but all of the time. In addition to showing people where she belongs in case she is lost or hurt, it has the added advantage of showing them that she is a domestic dog and not dangerous. Although few dog maulings do occur, when they do they are so likely to be sensationalized, that it pays to let people know ahead of time that a strange dog is safe.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com

Dog Breeds And Breeders

By: Jerard Purvis
All dogs were originally wild, and all descend from the wolf, adapting to the
climate and terrain where they lived, but man found that they could also be friendly, used for tasks in their life and guard their dwellings. This was so pretty much all over the world, and therefore different types of dogs emerged as bred for their environment and habits. Some were used in the hunt, some to drive livestock and some to guard the home.

Whilst it is undoubtedly the case that nearly all European dogs descend from either the Talbert, the Mastiff or the Griffon hound, careful selection of breeding throughout the ages, along with out-breeding with foreign strains, have given us what we have today. Looking at any breed of dog it does not take much thought to trace back its ancestry. It is the same in the USA as elsewhere, mainly because many settlers and the subsequent population brought many types of dogs from Europe with them, many of whom interbred with the indigenous population.

The Talbert and the Mastiff still live today. The Mastiff as a more graceful survivor of its predecessors whose job was primarily to kill predators of their master’s herds as well as his household and its servants. The Talbert, on the other hand was the hunting animal, similar to a bloodhound with a pointed nose, and was kept for hunting, as well as its ‘voice’ to warn of intruders at home. It had great scenting ability to track game, and indeed otterhounds were bred from this and the Griffon.The Griffon was a bit smaller, and long-haired rather than short. If you think of an Airedale Terrier, but even more ferocious-looking, with wider shoulders you may get the idea. ‘Don’t mess with me’. Most terriers have evolved from this ancient animal, but have, of course been bred smaller so that they were able to get into fox, otter and badger holts. They are the ‘fighting’ breed of dogs, and were used as such for thousands of years.

5000 years ago the Egyptian pharaoh-hounds were bred for their sleek looks, ferocity and hunting ability. Scottish deerhounds (who stand at 30” and more for dogs) and were only allowed to be kept by Lairds, trace their lineage back 2000years, the Irish wolfhound being very similar, the Tibetan terrier and the Chinese chow, the Afghan ‘gazelle’ hound and the Saluki all have an ancient lineage, and you can see today their progeny, all being very similar to their ancestors.

Over the last few hundred years a lot of new breeds have been developed from crosses of the original breeds. Initially this was done mainly to improve working strains by out-crossing to other useful breeds. Hunting hounds were bred bigger and smaller. Sheep and cattle dogs were improved. With the advent of gunpowder and shooting specialist dogs were bred for different purposes, some to retrieve and some to flush out game in different types of country.

Many households took to owning ‘pet’ dogs, some to guard the house and other smaller ones to sit on ladies laps. There are now hundreds of recognised breeds, and of course breeders.

Most dog breeders tend to specialise in one breed, although occasionally they may have two or three if they are a large establishment. Of course the larger the breed of dog the more space that has to be available.

Many breeders are very reputable. They will only use the best breeding stock, they will "vet" the potential owner and give him copious instructions about how to look after the little bundle of fur which may be two feet taller in 6 months time, or only a few inches for smaller breeds. This is the sort of breeder who you are likely to get a good, reliable dog from, already inoculated and a pleasure to own.

Unfortunately there are many rather unscrupulous breeders around too. False pedigrees (if you are looking for a pedigree dog) are common place. If you are looking for just a family pet do look at both parents if you possibly can to see what size it will grow into. Another good guide is to look at the puppy’s feet. It will grow into them, so a “terrier” pup with enormous feet may actually grow to be more substantial than you want.

Quite simple do your homework first. Check out the breeder, go and see them and the hygienic conditions (or not) that the dogs are kept in. There are plenty of places on the internet where you can make initial checks before deciding which breeder looks best.

Don’t hurry your decision. The dog you choose is going to be with you for around 15 years, so a couple of days or weeks are not going to make much difference. Enjoy your dogs.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com

Preventing Arthritis In Dogs

By: Clayton Fischer Some dogs are more prone to arthritis than others. Arthritis and bone
disease usually take one of several types. These include hip dysplasia, dislocation of the kneecap, arthritis of the elbow, swelling and pain in the leg bones, and degeneration of the shoulder joint.

Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip sockets that allow excessive movement in the joint. This condition causes chronic inflammation and calcium deposits. Dislocation of the kneecap is a malformation of the leg bones that causes the kneecap to continually pull out of its place and slip back and forth, creating a low-grade inflammation. Arthritis of the elbow is a hereditary condition caused by improper bone formation. Swelling and pain in the leg bones is caused by insufficient production of vitamin C, which results in poor nutrition and heredity. Degeneration of the shoulder joint is the breakdown of cartilage in the shoulder causing inflammation and pain when moving.

These conditions are mostly hereditary and could be prevented if the female dog were fed properly throughout her pregnancy. The period of growth inside the uterus is most vital in terms of the formation of structure and essential tissues. Proper nutrition is a must during this stage. Unfortunately, many people don’t consider the effects of poor nutrition on the unborn babies.

Giving your dog vitamin C on a regular basis also decreases or prevents some of these conditions from developing. Supply your dog with 250 to 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day, depending on the age and size of your dog. For example, a small Chihuahua puppy should get a dose of 250 milligrams per day and a large Doberman would get a dose of 500 milligrams per day. It is best to consult a vet who is informed in the use of vitamins. He will be able to help you find the correct dosage.

Article Source: http://animalarticles.com


For more information on arthritis and rheumatism in general, see: www.arthritiscareandresearch.com.