Posts

Untrainable Dog

Expert Tips for Exercising Dogs On Beaches

/0 Comments/in , /by

Whether you live on the beach or plan on taking your dog with you on the summer holiday you will surely do some exercise with him. There are some things you have be careful about when exercising a dog on a beach.

Summer is a season for fun and travel, but it can also bring extremely high temperatures which dogs are more sensitive to than people, and this is something you have to watch out for.

dog exercise on beach

Dogs with a long or middle length hair should be brushed regularly because tangled hair accumulates the heat and the dog may become excessively hot. Nurtured hair should help him overcome this.

Whether you’re going for a run on the beach with your dog or just a walk it is necessary to put a sun lotion on the top of his nose as well as the ears about half an hour before you leave the house. However, it is recommended to exercise early in the morning or in the evening when it’s not too hot. Just think how uncomfortable you feel walking barefoot in the sand! It’s exactly the same for dogs. So even though exercise is good, doing it in the middle of the day on the beach can be a health hazard for your pet.

Some dogs are afraid of water and you shouldn’t make them go for a swim if they don’t want to. You can try to get him slowly in, maybe throw some toys in the shallow water first, then gradually go deeper encouraging and praising him all the way through. Although this will take some time and nerves, you can at least be sure that your dog won’t end up traumatized or hurt. If you can’t get him in the water leave the dog to enjoy in the shade because you surely don’t won’t him to succumb to heat stroke.

Exercising is always good but the weather conditions aren’t. We already established that dogs can overheat and get a stroke and here are some things that can tell you if your dog is having one. Dog’s breathing is loud and heavy, he has bulging eyes and dry skin. Another sign is if the dog isn’t responding to his name, also his heart rate is elevated. Finally the dog collapses, loses conscience and if certain precautions aren’t met, he dies. If your dog is showing signs of a stroke stop the exercise immediately and lower his body temperature. Get him to the shade and give him plenty of water, dip his head in the not too cold water, or very gently pour water over his head.

Keep in mind that dogs such as boxers and bulldogs, puppies, older dogs, overweight dogs and those with health issues are more sensitive and they should be particularly looked out for.

Don’t let these few tips scare you and keep from taking your dog to the beach for some exercise. Use them to make your outing fun and more important – safe.

Some Ideas for Naming Your Dog

Some Ideas for Naming Your Dog

/0 Comments/in , /by

Some dog owners rack their brains out trying to name their dog, sometimes they even think more about dog’s name than the name of their child.

One of the best ways to find that perfect name is to think about your dog’s character, it will often give you some ideas for the name. If that doesn’t help, maybe there is a trick your dog can do which you can use to find him a name. Keep the name short, it will be easier for the dog to remember and understand it.

Some Ideas for Naming Your DogDogs are vocal and not verbal animals. To them it is important how the word sounds, which is something you have to keep in mind while naming them.

It is best to let your dog choose its own name. There are two ways to do this. First, spend some time with him so you can get to know him and his nature, character and choose appropriate name accordingly.

For instance, when a friend of mine got his husky mongrel he was all over the place! Not only he would jump all over him but he also used to pin him against the wall and get things out of his pockets, so he was always joking “I’m being mugged” thus he named it Mugger. A colleague of mine had a very spirited and playful little rascal who never gave her any time off so she named it Chaos.

Let your dog earn its name.

One way is to put together a list of your favorite names and try them out on your dog with a playful and cheerful voice. The name which your dog best reacts to is the name for him. And believe me, he will react differently to various names. Try it and you’ll see!

On the contrary to what people think, a dog’s name should be changed with the owner. It is considered that once dog gets used to its name it shouldn’t be changed. Wrong! Many dog owners make the mistake of using a dog’s name with contempt or as a warning, so if you keep that name dog will see you as one of them, previous owners. Therefore, if the dog is yours now, you can’t assume that the previous owner did everything right. If he had, you probably wouldn’t have to dog now. You’re trying to tell dog new house new rules, right? So, say it with a new name, especially if the old one was used with a negative connotation.

Teach him the new name while enjoying nice things like treats, meals, cuddling or playing, and don’t choose a name that sounds like the previous one.

If this doesn’t work for you, you simply can’t get any ideas; pick up a dictionary of native or foreign names, maybe even some mythology books and try finding or combining something that works for you and especially for your dog. Remember – it’s not just about what you like and what sounds good to you but what the dog likes best.

Overweight Dogs – How to Manage Your Dogs Health

/0 Comments/in , /by

Obesity is a problem that is often encountered in dogs of all breeds and ages. It inevitably leads to health problems such as diabetes, various heart diseases and osteoarthritis.

Overweight Dogs – How to Manage Dogs HealthAs a mindful dog owner you have probably already asked yourself if your pet is overweight. And that is a completely justified question.

With today’s lifestyle and feeding habits it’s not only people who suffer from obesity, it is more frequently seen in pets. It is believed that every third dog is overweight. Increased amount of fat tissue affects general medical condition which can significantly reduce lifespan as well as negatively impact your pet’s mood.

To find out whether your dog is overweight or not, look at him. If he is short-haired, you should see and feel his ribs easily. If you are able to do that, there shouldn’t be any problems. However it is always best to take your dog for an exam.

If the checkup found your pet is overweight, it is recommended to introduce him to a diet. For eight weeks give him food based on reduced caloric intake and increased intake of crude fiber. There are many products on the market which will provide the desired intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and such reduced diet won’t have any harmful effects on your dog’s health.

After about two weeks of such regime you should get your dog for another checkup and see if there are any improvements. If nothing has changed, think about introducing exercising to the program. By having the two week checkup, you’ll be able to see the results of a diet, get some new guidelines in nutrition and the other extremely important factor – implementation of intensive workout regime.

Obesity is something a lot of dog owners face without even realizing it. It starts with giving your dog treats believing it to be an excellent way to show your love. Coincidently, you don’t have much time to help your dog spend all the extra energy.

Dogs get used to this form of “love” really quickly, so they can even act insulted if you miss to “treat” them. In addition to that, they learn which pose, gesture or sound can “break” the owner’s resistance in the shortest time, if there is any. How many times did someone show you “just how cute” their pet is while begging for food?

The latest research shows that overweight significantly shortens your dog’s lifespan. Even though I can’t actually give any numbers you should take this quite seriously!

Altered food regime and increased physical activity are the only natural ways to regulate your dog’s obesity. As well as with the obese people, it is best to regulate food intake right away and gradually increase physical activity so that your pet’s heart doesn’t suffer any more than it already has.

So be patient, regulate his food, take your dog outside more often, play fetch with him and you’ll most certainly have a much happier and healthier dog.

How Your Dog’s Diet Affects its Lifespan

/1 Comment/in , /by

How Your Dog’s Diet Affects its LifespanAlmost every dog owner doesn’t think of dogs as just pets but family members. Therefore, it is normal to provide best possible food you can afford for the members of your family. Just like people, dogs are what they eat, so dog’s poor nutrition can, in some cases, dramatically affect the lifespan of your four legged friend. Also keep in mind that even if your dog is slightly overweight it can reduce its lifespan.

What exactly is the best food for your dog is never an easy question. But, there are several things you should know when it comes to dog nutrition.

First thing you should understand is that you should always read the ingredients on the back of the dog’s food; that way you will get the picture if the food is good for your dog or if it’s just junk. Basic guidelines in choosing proper food would be checking the proteins – is it lamb, beef, turkey or chicken meal or by-product.

By-product means that the manufacturer is using any part of the chicken while in case of a chicken meal they are using only meat from the chicken to make the food. The other important thing you should check for is grain source. Certain dog foods contain corn as the others have rice or oatmeal. The best choice for your dog are grains which can be digested easily, so keep in mind that one of the hardest grains to digest is corn, while rice is much easier to process.

Note that some grains may contain pesticides which can cause odorous fur, fleas, mites, worms or other parasites. Also choose foods that have natural preservatives such as with vitamin E and not chemicals. If you follow these guidelines you will notice the level of improvement in your dog, its coat will be shinier, the energy level will be higher and the dog’s stool will be better as well.

Some of the generic dog’s foods may contain carcinogenic substance like BHT that is used to preserve food or higher doses of salt which can cause loss of kidney function. Equally bad is sugar since it can lead to tooth decay, bad breath and even diabetes.

Probably the best way to feed your dog is proper raw diet. This will consume a bit more of your time, but you will know exactly what your dog is introducing to its body. There are no preservation chemicals in raw meat and bones. The best way to organize your dog’s raw diet is to find a reliable butcher and make a deal with him to get scraps for a good price, which will result in healthier dog with a regular, dry stool and healthy teeth.

One of the most common mistakes dog owners make is overfeeding their dogs, studies have shown that reduction of calories in dog’s nutrition can extend the lifespan of your dog for about two years. Essentially what you need to do is find the food that your dog will eat, since they, as people, can be intolerant to certain things.