Apr 01 2012

The 3 Things You Must Pay Attention to when Buying a Dog Bowl

A dog is a man’s best friend. If you believe this, then you also believe that your dog must have the best at all times.

When it comes to choosing a dog bowl, there are many factors you have to consider to make sure that you are giving him the best feeding bowl.

It is your dog’s age and your feeding habits that determine what bowl is the right one for your pet. If your dog is still a puppy you may want to choose take the puppy’s playfulness into consideration.

In his time as a puppy, your dog is very active and he likes to chew on a lot of things like your furniture, your shoes and – on his bowl. Should this sound familiar to you, you want to make sure his bowl is durable.

Choice No 1 in this case is a bowl made from stainless steel. It will withstand all of your puppies chewing and biting efforts and never break or become destroyed.

Later on when your dog has reached the adult stage also bowls made of plastic or even ceramic are options to consider. For very old dogs you can buy a slightly elevated bowl in order to make eating his food easier for him.

It may also be the feeding habits that determine the choice of your dog’s bowl. An automatic feeder may be a viable option for dogs that need to gain additional weight.

Such a bowl is attached to a container of dog food or water. This means the bowl will always be refilled automatically. This type of device should only be used in exceptional cases because there is always the danger of your dog getting overweight.

The best you can do is to select a bowl that holds enough food needed during one feeding time. So don’t have a bowl that is smaller than this amount of food. The main rule is that a bowl should rather be bigger than smaller and it is your responsibility of how much to fill in.

Learn more about Hund erziehen. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

Mar 27 2012

Why Should You Include Your Dog in Your Will?

Perhaps you’ve never considered including your dog in your will, but there are reasons why you should. Statistically speaking, we usually outlive our dogs, whose lifespans are much too short.

If you are like me, you have probably asked yourself the question “how will I ever live without my dog?” This is an important question, but so is the next one: If something happens to us, what will happen to our pets?

Including your dog in your will ensures that your pet will be in good hands in the event of a tragedy. The first step you must take is to consider all candidates who would be the best caretakers of your dog.

There are a lot of things that you need to take into consideration in this regard: First, you must absolutely trust the person. But that is not all you need to know.

Moreover, ask yourself whether the caretaker has animals that might not get along with your dog? Or whether their living arrangements do not allow for a pet?

Be mindful of your family or friend: Chances are they will try to do everything in their power to honor your last request. But asking them to change their life because of it (i.e. moving to a new apartment) would not be fair.

The best course of action, once you’ve decided on a few people that would be perfect for taking on this responsibility, is to talk with them about your plans.

Be very open and honest about it. Tell them that if it is fine with them, you will include your dog in your will. Tell them that you will name them as your dog’s caretaker. And make sure to allow them to decline your wish.

The worst thing that can happen is that you talk someone into saying yes vaguely, but not really being in it with all their heart. After all, f something does happen to you then, your dog will not be in a good situation. So make sure you avoid any such thing.

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Mar 25 2012

What Tricks Can I Teach My Dogs?

Teaching your dog tricks can be tons of fun and will help you bond with your dog even more. Of course, it will also take a lot of patience and repetition.

If you want to be successful at teaching him, what you absolutely must do is to reward him frequently when he does well.

Furthermore, when practicing, keep in mind not to overdo it. Keep the sessions nice and sweet. Have fun for a few minutes, and then stop teaching your dog while you both still find it enjoyable. This way you make sure that he does not get bored by the practice sessions.

Another great idea is to reward your dog after the practice with a playing session. Alright, enough said, here is a couple of tricks you can teach your dog.

The trick “paw”: This is a fairly popular, yet simple trick. All it requires is for your dog to shake your hand. First, have your dog sit in front of you. Then gently lift his paw off the floor and while doing so give the verbal command “paw”.

As you hold his hand and say the command, give him a treat. Repeat this exercise several times, and then move on to simply saying the command and holding out your hand for your dog to shake. When he does, reward him again.

Catch: This is something that comes naturally to many dogs, so teaching it should be fairly easy.

The objective is easy: Toss a treat high up into the air and have your dog catch it. Of course, he should do so, before the treat hits the ground. Make sure that the treat is a good size, it should be large enough to see, and small enough not to choke on it.

It might take a little while for your dog to be able to perform the trick. So just stay patient as always, and keep practicing. In time, your dog should be able to do just fine. Once he gets it, it will be a lot of fun for both of you.

Learn more about Hund erziehen. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

Mar 21 2012

Diabetes in Dogs: 101

We all love our dogs and, of course, we want them to be healthy. There are a lot of things that we need to keep in mind when it comes to our dog’s health. One of them is diabetes. This can be a condition that dogs can suffer from just like humans.

Similar to humans, dogs that suffer from diabetes need special care and support as diabetes is a disease which can threaten the life of your dog. This is an important condition that warrants a great deal of attention.

In general, it can be said that smaller dogs are less susceptible to diabetes than their bigger counterparts. Likewise, younger ones are less susceptible than older ones. And the most susceptible of them all are female obese dogs.

There are different kinds of diabetes that dogs can suffer from. One kind is the so called diabetes mellitus which happens if there is a deficiency of insulin. With this type of diabetes, the dog’s body is unable to process sugar.

This is the most dangerous and also most common type of diabetes a dog can acquire. Diabetes mellitus can be divided into two categories, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. This is very similar to the types of diabetes that humans can acquire.

Young dogs who suffer from diabetes usually suffer from type 1 diabetes. Older dogs, in contrast, mostly suffer from type 2 diabetes. This is the sort of diabetes that requires insulin shots. As your dog gets older and older, he is more and more at risk for this disease.

Some dogs with diabetes will require medication. If your vet prescribes medicine, it is very important to give it to your dog consistently, as prescribed.

Dogs with diabetes are at a higher risk of acquiring other diseases, especially heart diseases. Diabetes can also cause the dog’s blood flow to become abnormal causing circulatory problems.

As you know, your dog depends on you for his medical care. Make sure to take him to a vet in time, if you suspect something is wrong with him.

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Mar 20 2012

Dog Health: Eyes – What You Need to Know

Many dog owners take it for granted that their dog’s sight is completely ok. But it may well happen that a dog’s ability to see well deteriorates: Something that can dramatically change his life and also the dog owner’s life.

Dogs are the most wonderful pets you can own – they watch over the family, protect the home, offer companionship and all they want in exchange is your unconditional love.

Day to day, they are happy to see you, excited for their daily walks and counting the minutes until dinner time. The only problem with our loving canines is that they are great at hiding when something is wrong.

When they are ill, they cannot tell you they don’t feel well, and to be strong members of the family they often fight through symptoms without letting you know there is a problem. Sometimes, by the time you notice they are acting differently, too much damage has been done.

There are minor dog eye problems, such as infection, that can be quickly and easily treated, leaving no long term damage. Unlike dog ear infections, where your pet might shake his head, paw at his ear or develop a hot, red ear, dog eye problems aren’t usually so obvious.

One of the rare signs is when the dog’s eyes start weeping. Another one could be when his eyes get crusty in the corners. In all these cases do not hesitate to see your veterinarian.

More serious dog eye problems can result in blindness. Maybe you think your dog was just “clumsy.” Having high energy, she would often bump into things while bouncing around.

Be aware that a dog’s strange behavior like not being willing to walk down the stairs anymore not necessarily shows up from one moment to the other but also can develop over months or even years.

This goes to show how difficult eye problems can be to spot sometime – so do your dog and yourself the favor to relay try to pay attention to any signs.

Looking to find the best deal on Welpenerziehung, then visit www.hundeerziehungohnestress.de to find the best advice on Hund erziehen for you.

Mar 15 2012

Step-By-Step Guide to Teaching Your Dog the Trick “Take a Bow”

If you and your dog want to have a fun time together, then you should teach him dog tricks.

Teaching your dog some tricks happens to be the best way to be closer to your dog and, at the same time, teaching them tricks also makes them become more obedient.

However, some people have the tendency to improperly teach their dog a certain trick. In order to teach your dog a trick properly, you must be patient, and if you see that your dog is not enjoying himself, then discontinue teaching them the trick. So let me show you how to teach a specific trick: “Take a Bow”.

To start off with, have your dog stand directly in front of you. Then take a treat, hold it in your hand, and move it right under their nose.

Of course, your dog will try and reach for the treat. This is when you should move the treat toward the bottom of your dog’s belly. This will prompt your dog to “bow,” as they bend their head downwards and their bum is in the air.

Keep the treat under their belly so that they stay in that position, and after a couple of seconds say, “Take a bow”.

And last but not least: Give your dog the treat and praise him. But do not do so, before he held the position correctly for about ten seconds. Always keep the treat so that he can smell it, but, again, do not release the treat too soon.

Of course, this exercise will take a lot of repetition. Again patience is key. Do not expect your dog to be able to perform the trick after only a few tries. That would not be fair to your dog, and you would only be disappointed.

Also always make sure to keep the practice sessions short. Only a few minutes at a time will do. If you overdo the training, your dog will not enjoy it as much.

Learn more about Hund erziehen. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

Mar 10 2012

Why Does My Dog Have Diarrhea?

If you have had a dog for a while, he will probably have come down with diarrhea at some point already. Most dog lovers are aware of the condition, but few actually know what the most common causes are.

All of all the things that can lead to diarrhea, a change in your dog’s diet is probably the most likely cause. For instance, let’s say your dog is accustomed to eating commercial dog food. And then you switch to giving him human leftovers, well, diarrhea could be a result of that.

If you change the type of water you are giving him it is another possible cause for diarrhea, sometimes when you are traveling this can happen.

This problem can be amplified if you have a puppy. After all, an older dog is much more resilient to changes. A puppy might not yet be.

Ideally, with a puppy you should keep feeding the food that he is used to from his early days with the breeder. So make sure to ask the breeder, so you can continue similarly.

If, however, you did not get your puppy from a breeder, then talking to your vet about your puppy’s ideal diet is your next best bet.

This way you are sure the puppy will be fed the proper food for him to be healthy and strong.

If you ever want to change a diet, you should do so slowly. For example, going from an all meat diet to a common dog food diet should be done in small steps. Similarly, going from table scraps to some other diet should also be done in increments.

You can do this by mixing some commercial food in with the raw meat. And then each day give him more commercial food and less raw meat, this way you are slowly changing his diet and this will prevent diarrhea from happening in dogs. Chances are, your dog won’t make a fuss over it either.

Learn more about Hund erziehen. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Hundeerziehung and what it can do for you.

Mar 05 2012

Does My Dog Have an Allergy?

Maybe you find out one day that your dog scratches himself constantly like he feels itchy all over his body. As a result raw skin is showing in various parts of his body. His skin seems to by dry and flaking. It looks like dandruff in human beings.

A lot of people automatically assume the dog is just suffering from dry skin, fleas, or other insect bites. But the truth is dogs, just like humans, can have allergies.

Something that many dog owners do not know: Dogs quite often show itchy or dry skin as the symptom of an allergy.

It is rather unlikely for a dog to suffer from some sort of seasonal allergy. More often it is their food that causes the allergy which leads them to scratch themselves or shaking their heads much more than they usually do.

All sorts of grains are the main reason for dog allergies – corn being the most common of all. As corn is the main ingredient of many dog foods there is a good chance that it is the culprit you are looking for.

Other times different types of grains or meats can be the culprit for the allergies in your dog. The best way to find the source of your dog’s allergies is to switch his food to one which doesn’t contain corn.

There is a more tricky combination of food causing allergies with dogs once in a while: Meat and rice – specifically lamb and rice in many cases. Why is this trickier? Because eliminating this food from your dog’s diet does not show immediate results.

Although it may be frustrating for dog owners, it is important that you patiently and consistently stick to the changes in your dog’s diet. Should there be no improvement after two weeks and your dog still continues scratching himself, then there is a real likelihood of grains being the culprit.

What can you do now? In this case you want to rule out all sorts of grain as the allergy’s reason. Skip all sorts of grains from the diet and go for an all meat diet. Before making these changes it would always be a good idea to ask your vet for further advice.

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Mar 04 2012

Dog Training: How to Teach the Trick “Spin”

Have you ever thought about teaching your dog a trick? If so, read on, because teaching our dogs tricks can certainly be very enjoyable.

Teaching your dog just about anything is a wonderful thing simply because it means spending quality time together. It can also strengthen your bond with your dog and even make him more obedient.

Before I tell you how to teach the trick, please beware that it will take patience on your part to. The worst thing we can do is to take this too seriously and make our dog anxious.

Be calm when you are teaching your dog a trick, and always keep in mind that if they don’t seem to enjoy doing the trick just stop and teach them a new one.

So, let’s get going: To begin you need your dog to be facing you. Have him stand in front of you. Then show him that you have an amazing treat in your hand. Let him smell the treat.

Keep the treat in your hands and tell your dog to “Spin”; hold the treat on top of your dog’s nose, and move the treat in a circle, as your dog will follow the treat. Once your dog has spun around, tell him to spin again.

And then, of course, after your dog performed the trick, give him the treat. This will increase his motivation to do so again.

Then move on to the next step: Show your dog the treat and say the command “spin,” but this time, do not guide your dog with the treat. Encourage him to turn by himself. If he manages to do so, give him another treat. If it does not work, go back to the previous step.

It is pretty straightforward, really. However, please don’t expect miracles. Like any aspect of dog training, teaching your dog a trick will also take time, effort, and patience. He will, most likely, not get it right away, so just try practicing together and you will be good to go.

Learn more about Hundeerziehung. Stop by Dirk Gruenberg’s site where you can find out all about Welpenerziehung and what it can do for you.

Feb 23 2012

Dog Training: How to Stop Poor Behavior

Your dog constantly misbehaves? You find it frustrating and annoying? Well, you do not have to put up with it. There are many methods created to help you deal with the bad behaviors of your little companion.

The truth is that most dogs are loving companions but many times they do some things that are not so pleasurable or acceptable for us. Dealing with bad behavior in our dogs is challenging, undesirable or straining many times.

Misbehavior comes in many shapes and forms. Barking, obviously, is a very common one – especially when the doorbell rings. And so is being aggressive towards other pets and even humans when dogs are eating or drinking.

Of course, behaving like that is not acceptable. It is no fun, and it can even be dangerous. However, when we try to find out how to change our dog’s misbehavior, it is sometimes very difficult to know where to even start.

But it does not have to be this way. Your dog must understand that she/he needs to be quiet and still and this behavior will not be accepted anymore. To do it you need a firm hand all the time.

First, you absolutely need to establish yourself as the pack leader. That is, you are the boss, and he is not. This is so important, because it is usually dogs that question the rank order that cause problems.

Another option is asking a professional dog trainer for help. This is highly recommended. In any case, you will need to be consistent whenever training your dog.

In addition, good behavior should always be rewarded. This is called positive reinforcement, and it will teach your dog what you want him to do quite fast. In order to get a treat or be praised, he is quite likely to do as he is told.

Also, a common cause for misbehavior in dogs is simply being bored. Just like kids, a bored dog can be quite creative in his ability to cause trouble. So, instead, just keep him busy, and help him stay out of trouble that way.

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