Border Collie Herding Sheep

The Workaholic of the Dog World – Is the Border Collie Right for You?

So you are thinking of getting a Border Collie. The answer can probably be summed up in one question.

Do you have an endless well of energy?

The Border Collie is definitely a great match for someone who is willing to be as active as they are. Are you interested in putting in the training and willing to get involved in activities including tracking, dog sports, obedience training, flying disc and others that involve agility and co-ordination.

Then the Border Collie might be for you! Read on after the break.

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Friday Fun

Friday Fun – Funny Dog Video of the Week

Its Friday again – doesn’t the week seem to fly on by. Today here are three funny dog videos from the last week that brought a smile to our face.

Hit the break to see the videos.

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Robin Williams Pet Pug Leonard – Pet of the Week

Its been a few weeks since we heard the tragic news that Robin Williams took his own life. He was truly a remarkable man who touched so many of us through the magic of laughter and with his generosity.

While you may remember him for his many great movie performances, Williams was also an avid animal lover and animal rights activist. Not only did he support animal welfare, Williams adopted a vegan lifestyle and refused to wear animal products such as leather or wool.

Williams adopted a Pug called Leonard who he went everywhere with. “For pure loyalty, there is nothing like a pug,” he said in a Q&A with The Sun.

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Pile of Delicious Biscuits

Hilarious Dog Story – Dogs are Smarter then you Think!

My friend told me a hilarious story about his dog the other day. His dog is called Bengie and ol’ Bengie has quite the clever head on his shoulders.

A couple of months ok my friend asked his mate to help install a dog flap on the backdoor. After setting it up he and his mate wanted to test it out, so grabbing a dog treat they went outside to try and coax Bengie out through the door. Well Bengie was having none of it, which is strage for a couple of reasons.

Dog wants foodFirstly Bengie is people oriented so if everyone is outside he would just naturally migrate to where everyone is. Secondly he loves food. Nuff said.

So they go back in and get a biscuit, give Bengie a little bit then go outside with the rest of it and wait. Still nothing. Hmm thats weird.

Back in they go one last time and there is good ol’ Bengie up on the small table eating the rest of the biscuits straight from the plate!

What a clever cookie. Sorry couldn’t help it.

Afghan Hound sitting down

Three large dog breeds for those who are after a ‘Real Dog’

If you love large dogs then today’s post is for you. We are going to have a look at three popular large dog breeds and why you should choose them for your new pet!

1. Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound

One of the oldest dogs in existence the Afghan Hound is a combination of power and elegance. This regal breed sets some real style and is dubbed the “Aristocrats” of the noble dog world.

It is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end.

This regal look comes with a regal behaviour though. They are independent thinkers who don’t particularly care about pleasing you, they may display passive resistance by bracing their legs and refusing to move. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.

Is the Afghan Hound Right For You?

Afghan Hounds need access to a large fenced area — fenced because these independent dogs have been known to take off and not come back. If there is a dog club in your area, get your Afghan Hound involved in lure coursing (chasing a mechanised lure around a track or across an open field). This is an appropriate outlet for the full-speed galloping behaviours that are “hardwired” into his genes.

See our full Afghan Hound Guide

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Cat with an Evil Look

Is There a Small Part of Your Pet That is a Jerk?

Take a quick glance over at little Fido sitting by the fire or Trapper jumping around playing outside. Could he perhaps be….just a little bit….surely not.

Well judging by the following Video there is definitely a chance that your pet is a Jerk – at least a small tiny part that is hidden deep inside. Ok, yes I realise this is not a popular view, we all love our pets deeply and would do anything for them. At the very least lets take a look at some of the just what could be lucking inside.

This video is one of the funniest I have seen for a long time (maybe that says something about me), I especially laughed out loud at the guy doing sit ups. Check it out after the break.

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Christmas Pugs

Love Pugs? Love Christmas? Check out these Christmas Pugs!

Its that time of year again! As we roll ever closer to Christmas its time again to get our pets involved with this age old tradition.

To start off the countdown today we bring you Christmas Pugs.

Love pugs & christmas then you will love this clip. Hate christmas but love pugs? Still worth checking out! Love christmas but hate pugs take a peak anyway. Not a fan of either….well we tried 😛 Read more

English Bulldog Owned by Marie Osmond: Celebrity Pet of the Week

English Bulldog Owned by Marie Osmond Celebrity Pet of the Week 5Our celebrity with pet this week is Marie Osmond. Marie adopted a dog and he named it George.

Who is Marie Osmond? Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, doll designer, and a member of the show business family The Osmonds. Although she was never part of her family’s singing group, she gained success as a solo country music artist in the 1970s and 1980s. Her best known song is a cover of the country pop ballad “Paper Roses.” From 1976 to 1979, she and her singer brother Donny Osmond hosted the TV variety show Donny & Marie.

So, Marie Osmond adopted a puppy named George at a charitable fashion show in April, and writes glowingly about the dog in a diary for Prevention Magazine’s September issue, on newsstands July 31. As soon as Marie saw her new pup, she had to scoop him up! Naming him George after her late father, Marie was part of an event that raised $700K the Washington Humane Society!

Some fan asked her about the origin or the breed of the dog and this is what she says: “We were told he’s a mix of German shepherd and English bulldog, but he’s more a mix of dancing elephant and a cupcake-fueled 4-year-old.”

Looks like my kids are getting a new best friend from the Washington DC Humane Society. It’s George!! Cute, right? – One of Marie’s tweets.

Some Helpful Tips for Untrainable Dog Syndrome

Dogs whose behavior cause trouble to the owner, environment, as well as the dog, endanger health and safety have the so called “untrainable dog syndrome”. It is important to note that there is a difference between teaching the dog certain behavior and solving problematic manners.

Troubling behavior may occur as a result of the emotional state of the dog, high stress levels, unfavorable effect of the environment where the dog resides, training the dog with the use of force, pain or any other health disorder. Untrainable dog syndrome requires full attention and individual approach of the both dog owner and the dog.

Untrainable Dog

Professional help in solving the problematic manners is intended for owners whose dogs exhibit behaviors such as aggressiveness, fright, sensitivity to stimuli, frequent barking, destructive behavior, going to bathroom indoors, hyperactivity, excitement and euphoria tendency, frequent licking or biting of body parts, running after everything that moves such as cyclists and joggers. This sort of behavior may cause you to lose your temper, start acting toughly and have less patience than usually, so a few tips may help you and your dog see eye to eye.

Monitor your dog; keep a diary of his behavior, the way he acts in certain situations. Try isolating the one thing that bothers you the most and see if you can recall the cause and the time it started. Maybe it was something that has developed gradually over time.

Just like with your dog, keep a diary of your behavior for a week. Write down how you react when your dog acts problematically, whether you scream at him or you do nothing at all as you think nothing can be done. Do you ever lock him up somewhere as a punishment? Do you allow your feelings to take over? If you punish him or yell you will only frighten the dog and destroy the bond between you, but on the other side if you do nothing you encourage his behavior.

After you realize what bothers you the most and learn how to react you can make some changes.

Start by acting differently. Stop his bad behavior immediately; you might put him on the leash even if he is inside the house, and keep him close to monitor him.

Shouting and screaming never works, so go to him and speak peacefully, lovingly and quietly, tell him things will improve for both of you very soon. Hug him, make him calm down.

Try these tricks for a week and see if things change. Ask yourself whether the unwanted behavior manifests as often as before and to what extent? Is it as grave as it used to be and how does it affect you, are you still as upset as you were a week ago? Also keep an eye out for the things that have improved – your relationship and his behavior.

Remember that untrainable dog syndrome grows over time so the correction won’t be easy and quick, but if you change your ways the dog will as well. Just have enough patience and be determined.

The Benefits of Raw Feeding

The Benefits of Raw FeedingToday many pets suffer from health conditions that were rare or didn’t even exist before kibble became popular. Diseases like cancer, diabetes, food allergies and obesity are some of the most common health issues in dogs fed commercial or human food. Numerous researches have shown a strong connection between the health problems in dogs and the food they eat.

For this reason there’s a huge shift in the manner dog owners are feeding their pets. The overwhelming trend is moving towards different variations of fresh and healthy homemade meals, as well as raw food, based strictly on meat or a combination of raw meat and vegetables, fruits, eggs and other nutrients suitable for dogs.

It seems that the dogs like the change, especially raw diet which seems to help them overwhelm health issues such as bad breath and gum diseases, skin problems, kidney and liver failures. It seems that balanced diet consisted largely of homemade broth, various combinations of meat, bones, and organs with or without a healthy complement of vegetables, fruits, and dairy prevent illnesses that come with a diet heavy in fillers, flavors, artificial colors and preservatives.

What are the other benefits of raw feeding? If you ask the owners, they will assure you that their pets have clean, shiny and white teeth, fresh breath, and almost no body odor. Raw fed dogs have more energy but, at the same time, are less hyperactive which means that they can be easily controlled. According to some, raw meat makes dogs aggressive but that is not true. The only change is that dogs really love their raw and they will probably try to guard this type of food better than kibble.

What else can forty to sixty per cent of raw meaty bones bring to your dog? Chicken necks, legs, and backs, together with rabbit, duck, pheasant, and occasionally whole fish will give your canine friend a firm and muscled body and stronger immune system. If your dog is old and his teeth are missing so he finds it hard to chew bones or you are afraid of him choking – grind them up. Even the old dogs with arthritis show more mobility and energy when they eat the way their ancestors did.

We all know that vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are destroyed by cooking and that intense heat reduces the nutritional value of food. But did you know that cooked food also affects your dog’s stool? Not to mention the kibbles. When dogs are fed raw the poop is small, almost odorless, firm and easily decomposed. The only difference can be noticed during the period of adaptation to raw after commercial food.

Although there are many benefits of raw food, the fact is that this kind of feeding is still relatively unexplored. This means that some of the benefits mentioned above are not scientifically proved, but information provided by the dog owners. We hope that this will change in the future and that we’ll be able to give you more tips on how to feed your dog.