Dog Health Guide

Why dog barks

14:24 |

Why dog barks

Picture this, you're walking in the park, minding your own business when suddenly a dog comes up to you and starts barking.
You start to panic because there is no reason for this dog to be barking at you.
Why is this dog barking?
Dogs bark because we humans want our dogs to bark
For years we have allowed the process of domestication and selective breeding of dogs we have to develop their skills barking.
Wolves do not bark, so through the process of genetic engineering and selective breeding of dogs in these days to have the ability to retain the properties of events.

This is through a process known as neoteny.
People chose to keep the infantile traits of wolves like large heads, flat faces, large eyes and, of course, the ability to communicate by barking.
Barking was further developed in dogs in order to scare intruders or to help the master out (i.e. on farms to assist in gathering the sheep).
Most dogs simply bark to communicate, to get attention, or simply to show their excitement. Training and lifestyle are important factors in teaching the dog how to communicate with its master.
Dogs are extremely social animals.

Wolves themselves always travel in packs are usually never alone.
Bringing a dog into your family is basically like bringing a wolf into a pack.
It becomes a part of the family.
Try not to leave it alone otherwise it will feel as if it was abandoned by the pack.
Dogs are like having a baby in the house.
They need love, attention, and someone to be there to take care of them.

Like people they need a companion to blossom.
Meeting your dog's emotional need for companionship and play will allow the two of you to form a strong bond together.
Sometimes having a second dog in the house can minimize the barking and minimize the loneliness.
Although this may be rewarding at some times, it can also be a pain.

Your best bet would be to maximize training of your dog when it decides to bark.

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The Intelligence Of The Dog

12:26 |

The intelligence of the dog is among the highest of all the animals, maybe higher than we give him credit for.

Although his brain is proportionately only half as large as ours, he is certainly the most intelligent of domestic animals.

As with humans, individual intelligence varies greatly according to inherited genes.

While no one breed can be said to be more intelligent that another, some breeds that have been selectively bred for work ability are often brighter and more receptive than those bred primarily for purely physical attributes.

Whether a dog is a mixed breed for purebred, studies have shown that neither is much more intelligent than the other.

However, dogs that have been exposed to a more varied lifestyle, both indoors and out, and with both human and animal interaction, does show more intelligent behavior.

Simply put, giving your dog an opportunity to investigate and manipulate all sorts of objects, to explore all sorts of places, to share all sorts of experiences with you will stimulate his or her intelligence.

Aside from getting a lot more out of life, your dog will be eager to learn more and he will learn with increasing ease and rapidity.

Nothing is sadder and more wasteful than an intelligent dog that is confined in a kennel and deprived of mental stimulation.

Despite opinions to the contrary, dogs are endowed with an elementary reasoning power.

Anyone who has ever owned a dog has often seen him size up a situation and then taken some logical action.

Guide dogs for the blind, as well as working and hunting dogs of many breeds constantly have to use their judgment and make decisions.

Memory is an important component of intelligence.

The dog's memory for scents is extraordinary.

His visual memory is only fair, but his memory for sounds is very good, since he can remember and identify familiar voices even after an absence of many years.

While he builds up a large store of identifiable sounds without the slightest effort, remembering different words requires more concentration.

The dog's capacity for learning is more a matter of memory than of true understanding. He will remember the sequence of cause and effect in his actions, but he is unable to draw broad conclusions from his experience.

The greater the variety of experiences and contact with others they have, the quicker they learn, and the more they retain.

Dogs are bound by nature to remain intellectually inferior to man, but we owe them a chance to develop their native intelligence by training, teaching, and working with them as much and as often as we can.

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Dogs Shed

12:24 |

Dog shed,

If your dog sheds a lot it does not necessarily denote ill health.

Dogs that spend a lot of their time indoors are exposed to electric lights and central heat and air which can throw off their normal shedding schedule that nature built in. However, profuse shedding may have other causes like an unbalanced diet, a kidney or bladder infection or a parasitic ailment.

If your dogs shedding leads to bald spots you should seek help from your veterinarian as soon as possible.

All severe shedding conditions are either parasitic or non-parasitic.

Parasitic means caused by parasites such as mites or fleas.

Non-parasitic means conditions created by a hormonal imbalance and or poor diet, which can easily be treated with vitamins and a more controlled diet.

Eczema is a symptom of an underlying disorder, usually dietary, rather than a disease. In older animals and altered ones, it may be caused by a hormonal imbalance due to a change of body chemistry.

The skin becomes scaly and the hair falls out in patches.

You must correct the cause by hormone injections or a change in diet, usually by adding fat supplements of Vitamin A and E.

Eczema can also be caused by fleabite allergy, or a parasitic condition.

However, these bald spots usually appear suddenly and resemble lesions, or burns. To treat these, after veterinarian diagnosis, you must eliminate the fleas and use a local application of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Bald spots can also be caused by mange.

There are two types of mange, ot mange, Sarcoptic mange or “Scabies”, which has a musty odor, often starts on the head and spreads to the ears, tail, the abdomen, chest and under the front legs.

Skin eruptions may take the form of red dots or blisters, then scabs.

Your veterinarian can provide medicated baths; generally sulfur preparations and anti-itch topicals.

The second type of mange is Follicular or Demodectic mange or “red mange”, caused by a different family of mites that burrows into the hair follicles and most often attacks young puppies.

Entire litters can be born with it.

It is more serious and persistent that the other variety.

In the most serious cases, pustules dot the skin where the hair has fallen out. Veterinary treatment will include oral medications and external treatments to kill the mites, but this type of mange takes a long time to cure.

Lastly, he may have contracted ringworm, a contagious fungal infection, (non-parasitic), that grows on hair follicles, rather like athletes foot.

It is characterized by ring-shaped red patches covered with scales, and may be dry or moist, usually starting on the head, neck, and legs.

Your vet will advise strict anticontagion measures, since it is communicable to humans. Treatments include oral medications, anti-fungal shampoos or dips, and frequent applications of iodine.

Remember, shedding is a symptom of an underlying condition that is best diagnosed by your Veterinarian usually by microscopic analysis of skin scrapings and or blood tests. While bald spots may not be life threatening, the animal is suffering and the conditions usually only get worse with time, so asking your veterinarian for his opinion is more sensible than just worrying about it.

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What Dog Should Be Drinking

12:22 |

What Dog Should Be Drinking

A constant supply of fresh water is essential to your dog's good health and comfort. Like man, a dog can go without food for a surprisingly long time, but if he is deprived of water, he can't survive for more than a few days, or even hours, in a hot, dry environment.

Water is very important, representing and estimated 70 percent of the dog's weight.

A dog's water consumption varies according to the climate to his activity, and to the composition of his meals.

Heat and exercise dehydrate him quickly.

He gets very thirsty in cars or any confined space.

However, excessive thirst for not good reason should be reported to your vet, because it may be an early symptom of diabetes or kidney trouble.

At home he should have a clean, full water bowl next to his food dish, another in his play area, and possibly a third one that is accessible at night.

Away from home the problem is more difficult.

A thirsty dog is attracted to water in the gutter, in stagnant pools and rain puddles. Clean rain water is fine, but hard to find.

Caustic chemicals used to melt snow on streets and sidewalks, weed-killers and insecticides on lawns and golf courses contaminate most standing water and should be avoided.

Try to keep a water-filled plastic container with you or in your car, especially if you plan on a lot of walking or running during hot weather.

Try to train your dog to drink only from his own bowl or what you offer him.

Milk is the only liquid, aside from water, that appeals to dogs and still agrees with them, (although it may cause loose stools).

They are seldom tempted by other drinks and particularly dislike carbonated drinks. Milk is always another good source of protein but should not be used as a substitute for meat.

Most any flavored drink should be avoided, as it only tends to irritate the kidneys, causing frequent urination and dehydration.

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Dogs Food

12:20 |

Dogs food:

Sometimes dog owners are faced with a dilemma regarding what type pf dog food to provide their dogs.

Dogs themselves tend to prefer the moist, canned types of food. They are more aromatic and naturally tempting to the dog’s palate than the dry kibble that comes in a bag. A dog’s dental health, however, relies on the dog being able to chew hard and crunchy items an

Sometimes dog owners are faced with a dilemma regarding what type pf dog food to provide their dogs.
Dogs themselves tend to prefer the moist, canned types of food.
They are more aromatic and naturally tempting to the dog’s palate than the dry kibble that comes in a bag.
A dog’s dental health, however, relies on the dog being able to chew hard and crunchy items and dry kibble foods serve this purpose well.
What’s an owner to do?

Some owners make a two pronged approach when selecting dog food for their furry friends.
They will mix a portion of dry food with canned, effectively giving their dog the “best of both worlds.”
If you are feeding canned food to your dog, you’ll definitely want to supplement it in some way with something that the dog can chew and crunch.
Chew toys and dog biscuits or treats can help to serve this purpose.

Remember that a dog’s health depends greatly on the nutritional value of its food.
A dog is only as healthy as the food that it eats, in many respects.
The food you buy for your dog should meet its nutritional needs as best as possible, whether it is dry or moist.
Unfortunately when it comes to dog food you get what you pay for.
Store brands and generics tend to be made with cheaper ingredients and lots of fillers. They’ll feed your dog, but they may not be the best choices for it.
The more expensive brands like Science Diet and Eukanuba which advertise that they are “specially formulated” really, to a certain extent, are.
They will have higher quality ingredients and are better suited to meet your dog’s needs.

Truly, as long as you are providing a good method for your dog to work out its choppers on a regular basis, it doesn’t matter whether you’re using dry food or moist. During regular veterinary checkups your vet will examine the dog’s teeth and will warn you if there’s any issue that needs to be corrected by providing a different type of food or some dietary supplement.

The reason that dogs need to be able to chew on hard materials is twofold.
It strengthens their teeth and works out the muscles of their jaw, keeping the teeth strong and the jaws powerful.
It also provides a form of dental care.

Owners should brush their dogs’ teeth at least twice a week.
If this is not possible, however, crunchy foods like kibble and biscuits act as a sort of natural toothbrush for the dog, loosening plaque and tartar and cleaning the teeth.

Choosing the right food for your dog is important, both for the pooch’s nutritional needs and its good dental health. If you prefer to provide your dog the tastier soft, moist foods that come in a can that’s fine, just make sure you’re also providing something for Rover to really sink his teeth into.

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Dogs Health

12:10 |

Dogs Health:

The first rule in taking care of your dog is: When your dog is sick, take him to a veterinarian! Use with caution advice of friends or people who are supposed to be "old, experienced dog breeders." Only a veterinarian is qualified to diagnose trouble and prescribe treatment.
While a puppy is nursing, it may receive protective antibodies in its mother's milk. As soon as the puppy is weaned, this natural immunity will begin to disappear and may be gone within two weeks.

Many puppies are susceptible to diseases at this young age.

Your veterinarian may prescribe a vaccination program beginning at 6 to 8 weeks, so it is important that you contact him/her immediately.
However, it is your job to keep your dog from getting sick. Let us assume you start with a puppy.

You should know something about "shots", worm medications, flea powders, and poisons.
Distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis are common and serious diseases which destroy many pets each year.

The only satisfactory method of protecting your dog is by vaccination.
Your veterinarian may want to give your puppy immediate temporary protection at the time of purchase or adoption with a "puppy shot" of antiserum which contains antibodies against distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis as well as some of the other common diseases.
Vaccinations provide long term immunity and most puppies will be started on a series of vaccinations on their first visit to the veterinarian.
Booster vaccines are then advisable on a regular basis for adult dogs, to maintain his overall health for years to come.

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Dogs Collar

12:08 |

Dog Collar:

Dog collars come in a variety of colors, styles and even functions.

There’s the obedience or choke collar, bark control collars, flea collars, and a whole array of just dog collars.

So which to choose?

If barking is an issue perhaps a bark control collar will do the trick.

Bark control collars use two types of bark detection, either external sound or vibrations from the dogs throat.

Neither type is totally infallible; the vibration type can be set off by motion and the sound type by external sounds other than the dog barking.

The best collars employ both methods at the same time to reduce the ‘false’ readings and help bring barking under control.

But once your dog has stopped barking what do you need to consider in a dog collar?

One of the essentials of a dog collar is to make sure that it’s personalized and has the dogs name and your contact details engraved somewhere on the collar or on a tag.

This will make it easy for someone to get in touch with you if your dog gets lost. It can also help keep your dog calm in what can be a distressing situation.

Leather makes an excellent dog collar.

It is very strong, hard wearing, weather proof and comfortable for your dog.

There are flat collars for dogs with shorter hair, and rounded collars for longer haired dogs.

While your dog may be amongst strangers, they will know his name from his collar and he’ll feel less threatened if called by name.

This is to stop breaking the hair around your dog’s neck.

Try and keep the dog collar as thin as you can while maintaining the strength for your dog’s comfort.

Finally pick a dog collar that suits your dog’s personality and size.

After all it is part of your dog’s image!

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