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Dog Care Basics

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The opportunity to care for a pet makes for a very fulfilling activity and can bring about plenty of fond memories. A pet is a companion that is able to listen unflinchingly, brings joy when you’re feeling down, and provides a great degree of loyalty all throughout its life. No wonder pets have always been one of the perfect means of reducing stress levels among people.

Dogs and cats have always been on the top of the list of favorites among people of all ages. This discussion is focusing on dogs and the correct means of dog care. Dogs share a pack mentality with a strong bond for its owner. The dog has been labeled as man’s best friend. This is due to the fact that dogs have consistently shown a great, and sometimes sacrificial, form of loyalty for their owners putting to shame even fellow human beings. Proper care and plenty of love will ensure a happy environment for the dog and the family.

Dog care begins while the dog is still a puppy. Making the decision to care for a puppy is a big responsibility. Dog owners are expected to raise their dogs with the right love and care so as to instill good and desirable traits. It is totally unacceptable to be negligent just because of a lack of interest. Too many sad stories of abandoned dogs have already been going around.

A puppy is given proper dog care by teaching it to know who the family members are and house training. Positive reinforcement plays an integral role in instilling discipline and proper dog care. Harsh methods only make things worse and do little in teaching pups to be well-behaved.

Feeding is a very crucial element of dog care. Feeding times should be kept as constant as possible. Since a puppy is in the growing stage, proper nutrition is extremely important. Feeding times slowly get reduced as the puppy grows older. Clean water should always be readily available at all times.

Puppies will inevitably cause accidents with their droppings. Potty training will serve to teach the pup where to properly relieve itself as long as it is done properly. It is this aspect of pet care that some people actually find very tedious yet this is part of the responsibility in dog care. A dog cannot be expected to pick up afterward after all.

If possible, avoid the use of spanking as a means of discipline. Dogs want to win your approval and desire nothing but to please so be patient when they make mistakes. A firm “No” is enough to keep the dog in check. Rewarding of good behavior will hasten the dog’s learning so be consistent with this as well.

Dog care is very much similar to raising a human baby. Proper instruction and love will let a dog grow up as a loving member of the family. A faithful dog is able to give much of itself without expecting anything but your approval.

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Riding Your Bicycle With Your Dog

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It can at times be difficult to keep up to the exercise needs of many of the active dog breeds. Sadly, many of us simply do not have the time to spend hours each day walking them.

Most medium and large size dogs will enjoy trotting beside a bike and even a few of the smaller breeds too. The giant breeds also make excellent bike riding companions, but extra care needs to be taken with them. It is extremely important that they be fully grown before bike riding begins. Forced running on pavement as a pup could serious hurt their development. No matter what size your dog is, dogs should have at least reached their mature height before going on their first bike run and care should always be taken to never go too fast or too far.

When starting out for your first time, go slow. You may need to walk your dog beside the bike for a block or two so he gets use to it. Be supportive and positive and be free with the praise, make it into a fun adventure. Most dogs enjoy running, so once you mount your bike and start pedalling they will usually fall in beside you. However, some may shy away from the bike, so be prepared to be pulled to the side. It is always a good idea to give your dog a chance to do his bathrooms before you start riding. It can be quite the shock when you dogs slams on their brakes to do their business!

Dogs are extremely intelligent and learn quickly with positive patient training. Going on short slow bike rides for the first few days or even weeks is the best way to start. Just like a human athlete, your dog needs time to be conditioned to the activity. Do not push for long hard bike rides right away. During those first few weeks, do not go too fast, if something goes wrong and you are going fast the potential for injury is far higher than if you were going slow.

Take the time while bike riding to teach your dog simply commands to make the activity both safer and more enjoyable. Teach them left turn and right turn, slow down, stop, speed up, let’s go and even possibly move left and move right for when you need to go around things.

Bike riding with your dog can be a lot of fun for both of you but it can also be quite dangerous. Dogs can get distracted, see something exciting and try to chase it, stop suddenly, cross in front of the bike, hit the wheels and cause accidents. It is safest to ride with a dog you outweigh by a descent amount or at the very least are well trained and you have good control of. Keeping your speed slow and never sprinting will help to insure you can stop quickly and safely if needed. Using a proper bike attachment and harness for your dog is important.

There are many different brands of bike attachments. Generally, they are metal bars that attach to your bike and the dog, so he cannot cross in front of the bike or hit the wheels. It also allows you to have both hands on the handle bars at all times. Riding a bike while you hold your dog’s leash can be very dangerous and is not suggested. While bike riding, your dog should be wearing a harness. It is not safe to secure the bike attachment to his collar. Bike attachments can be found in some pet stores but most often, you will have to order one online.

For many of the active breeds it can be very difficult to keep up to their exercise needs with just walking. Bike riding is an excellent way to help tire them out and most dogs seem to enjoy it very much. Always remember to never over do it and avoid taking him out during extremely hot weather. Always watch your dog carefully for signs of fatigue or injury. Bike riding can be a fantastic experience for both you and your dog and helps keep both of you healthier and happier.

Written by Patricia Cartwright
Freelance writer and Artist, Dog rescue worker and enthusiast

Learn the proper way to take your dog’s vital statistics and tell if your dog is sick in this free pet health care video, with tips from a veterinarian. Expert: Dr Adrienne Mulligan Bio: Dr. Adrienne Mulligan started her lifelong dream to be a veterinarian at Oakridge High School in Oakridge, Tennessee. Filmmaker: Chuck Tyler
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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Dog Bite Wound Care- How To Cut Down The Cost

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Taking care of dog bite wound is very important and it is one of the primary reasons why dog owners schedule emergency appointments with their veterinary doctors. With the costs of medical care increasing for the six-legged as rapidly as for the three-legged, now is the time for canine parents to take charge, action and treat their animals including their dogs at home as appropriate.

Medical Care and Dog bite

First of all, let me stress that there are cases where dog bites and medical care go paw in hand. Please make sure you take your pet to the vet for a bite wound the minute you see these following signs, such as: not eating, not drinking, a heavy swollen area which is not draining or lethargic.

It is really bad. I get to know this because it happened often enough to my feline brother, and every time he would rush down to the vet’s to have his wound drained. When an pet’s teeth puncture the skin, a mouthful of bacteria would end up in the wound.

Should in case the wound is allowed to close, that virulent bacteria will immediately multiply and discharge their toxic products, and an abscess will form. Yet it doesn’t end there: those bacteria can spread throughout the body and develop blood poisoning in your puppy. Left unattended, septicemia can result in multiple organ failure and death.

Dog Bite Wound Care –At Home

In case you are dealing with a small bite wound or open abscess that is draining, then some immediate dog bite wound care at home can solve the problem and save your pet a lot of pain and frustration. Even it happens to your child, you would do no less for him or her, would you?

If you observed that your pet limping, look for puncture marks or swelling and maybe bleeding and immediately start treatment. Dogs often get bitten at the base of their tail as they run away from their attacker. You will need to focus your efforts on disinfecting the wound and keeping it clean and open in so that it would drain completely.

Health Advice on Dog Care

You should Conduct a thorough examination of your pet on a regularly, this will help you spot any sign of trouble and allow you to take the necessary action before the situation get worse. When you are taking care of a bite on a dog or your pet, always remember that you can support your treatment by using some herbs.

Herbs such as barberry root, goldenseal and oil of oregano have antimicrobial properties, while ginseng, astragalus and echinacea stimulate the immune system in slightly different ways. Keep in mind that some of these herbs can be given orally, while others are applied topically.

Your veterinarian has no vested interest in training you to deal with dog bites. In fact, financially speaking, it would be a very poor tactic. But you know your pets and you live with them. Learning about canine health will allow you to take charge and handle this dog bite wound care business like a pro.

Finally, remember that prevention is the name of the game, and the cards are in your hands. You can play roughly with your pet’s health, or would take control and not will only save money, but save yourselves a lot of stress. Take care of your dog bite wound.

Written by LindaYoung
Linda Young runs A Dog Bite Prevention and Help at: http://dogbitehelpcenter.com AND Weight loss natural blog at: http://weightlossnaturalremedies.com

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