How To Rid Bichon Frise Dogs Of Fleas

By Richard Cussons
Imagine you are hugging and playing with one of your Bichon Frise dogs. Then, all of a sudden you notice small grains of what appears to be dirt and realize those are fleas?

Fleas are blood-sucking insects that feed both on humans and animals. Aside from draining your dog’s blood and causing severe irritation, they can also cause internal worms once they are eaten by your dog. In general, these little creatures can cause health hazard and should be therefore controlled at all times, if not eliminated.

To check whether your Bichon Frise dog is a victim of fleas, simply purchase a flea comb from the nearest pet supply store and run it through your dog’s coat. When your flea comb pulls up what appears to be dirt, take those particles and place them on a paper towel. Drop a little water on top of it and once it turns into a red color, then you can now be sure, what you have discovered is flea excrement.

No problem is impossible to solve as long as you’re handling it properly. There are definitely a lot of ways to handle flea problems. All you need to do is to find out what works best for you. How large the infestation, the number of pets you have in the house and what parts of the house are flea nesting areas are some of the things to consider when choosing for your flea fighting tools.

Now that you’ve found out the existence of fleas, what will you do? Go and talk to your veterinarian immediately. Give as much information as you can so that he can give you recommendation on the appropriate approach for you to use in dealing with this flea issue. Try to use natural methods instead of spraying chemicals throughout your home and on your dogs. These natural methods include using menthol, garlic and eucalyptus.

If in case you decided to choose standard shampoos and sprays, use it cautiously when applying them to your dog. Do not spray or squeeze these products near your dog’s facial area and the underbelly near the scrotum. These areas are very sensitive areas of your dog’s body and allergic reactions could be very real possibility.

One more thing that you’re going to ask your veterinarian is the possibility of using flea tablets or power. These products may not necessarily kill all the fleas but will sterilize them to prevent their reproduction. These products are not nearly as toxic and is safer compared to other shampoos and sprays designed to kill parasites in the area.

Following the above mentioned tips will not hurt either you or your dog, and will result in flea-free Bichon Frise dogs that you always want around.

Richard Cussons is great lover of dogs. Dicover more about Bichon Frise dogs at Bichon Frise Savvy.com.

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No You Sit! Training your Shiba Inu

By Dorothy Hime
Dog Training - No, YOU Sit! The Shiba Inu can learn an amazing variety of behaviors, but few so fundamentally important as the 'sit'. Beyond the basic need to establish that the human of the pair is the alpha (leader), it has a number of practical benefits. When a Shiba Inu sits he's more attentive, making it easier to follow further commands. His eyes are on you, the alpha. As important as what the Shiba Inu is doing, is what he is not. In a sit, he's more or less stationary. There are still those wagging tails, after all. That means he's not chasing the cat, knocking over the furniture, running through the garden or out into the street. But getting there can be easier or more difficult depending on breed, individual and training style. Fortunately, almost every Shiba Inu can and will learn this basic move in short order. First, take advantage of the Shiba Inu's spontaneous behavior by observing him closely. The idea is to catch him in the middle of performing the behavior and say 'sit' and gesture. That way a Shiba Inu associates the behavior with the command. Always associate a unique hand signal and tone with the command. Praise the Shiba Inu lavishly. Hold off on food treats. Save the bribes until you really need them. At first the Shiba Inu will have no idea why you're so happy. But the Shiba Inu tend to be happy when the alpha is, and upset when he is. With repetition comes understanding. When you want to initiate a sit, stand and face the Shiba Inu then issue the command, then wait for the desired response. Some will get it after the first couple of tries, some will take ten or more. Some won't get it without further prompting. Now bring out the other techniques. With a treat or a favored toy, face the Shiba Inu and place it above his head and slightly behind the forehead, but still visible. The Shiba Inu will tend to look up and stretch its chin slightly backward. When you have his attention move the treat slowly back toward the tail. Some the Shiba Inu will respond by backing up. If so, try the technique near the couch or a fence where he has nowhere to go. When the Shiba Inu starts to sit, give the command and hand signal. At the completion of the sit, praise lavishly and give the reward. Voice commands aren't the only sound that will work. Many trainers use a 'clicker' - a small plastic and metal device that makes a 'click-clack' sound when pressed and released. The Shiba Inu can distinguish the sound over surprisingly long distances and amidst other moderate background noise. As a last resort, for the stubborn or slow learner, give the command and at the same time push gently on the back near the tail as you lift his chin. Praise and reward anyway, even though you had to 'force' the sit. Take special care with young hips - don't force a completely uncooperative Shiba Inu this way. Repetition, consistency (reward only for the proper action), and enthusiasm will quickly lead to learning the 'sit'. Don't be harsh, but don't give up easily either. And never let him train you. If you want to learn more about Shiba Inus or dog training techniques please visit http://www.ilovemyshiba.com . There you'll find photos, videos, training tips and everything else you would want to know about this wonderful breed.

Dorothy is the creator of www.ILoveMyShiba.com created out of love for this wonderful and amazing breed.

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Heartworms in Dogs Must Be Treated Early

By Jude Wright
Heartworm in dogs in one of the most dangerous conditions that a dog can get. The worms can block a dog's blood vessels and badly damage the heart. The infected dog can have all types of symptoms: weight loss, shortness of breath, chronic cough, heart failure, and then, death.

Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms are noticed, it's too late to cure most dogs. Treatment must be started as soon as possible so watch for the following signs:

1. Your dog coughs frequently without any apparent reason. This cough is different than the "kennel cough" that some dogs get when you adopt them from the dog pound.

2. Your dog seems to tire easily with very little activity. He is gasping for breath and he will be panting almost constantly.

4. When you walk with your dog, he can't keep up with you and needs to rest more often. He will often just lie down and stay down even when you call him to get up.

5. Your dog's weight has dropped dramatically. By the time you notice her weight loss, it is usually too late for treatment.

6. By the time your dog has reached the end of her life, she is convulsing and has vision problems.

You can now see why a dog must be treated, but how did he get heartworms in the first place? From mosquitos.

Mosquitos feed on the blood of the dog around the muzzle, the ears, and on the stomach where there is the least amount of hair. They infect the dog while they are feeding on the dog's blood.

Treatments for heartworms is almost as dangerous as the heartworms themselves. The chemicals that are used must be very strong to be effective.

There are two ways to go with chemical treatments. The first is by smaller dozes given over a longer period of time. This isn't quite as dangerous as giving just one massive dose when a large amount of chemical is given. If the heartworms all die at once, the corpses travel through to the dog's lungs. This would cause immediate death.

Treatment for heartworm should never be given by anyone other than a highly qualified veterinarian.

There are also drugs available for heartworm prevention. These drugs kill the heartwarms before they get to the adult stage. Dogs can still get infected during mosquito season but they don't develop heartworms.

Preventative heartworm drugs can't ever be given to dogs that already have heartworms. Only a veterinarian can determine if a dog is already infected with heartworms. Blood tests can show if a dog has heartworms and to what degree.

You should make sure that your dog has a protected place to sleep during mosquito season. Bring him or her into the house, garage or a screened porch. Mosquito repellent is also available but it's not very effective.

Take your dog to the vet for frequent checkups so that heartworm infestation can be caught before it gets a good foothold. The veterinarian will be able to see the symptoms of heartworms long before you do.

Heartworm in dogs can be treated, but treatment must be started as soon as possible.

Jude Wright is the owner of multiple websites. Learn more about how to take care of your dog or puppy at http://dogandpuppycare.com .

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