Why giving a puppy as a gift is a bad idea

December 21st, 2007

No matter what holiday you’re celebrating this season, please remember that it’s almost never a good idea to give a new puppy as a gift. You may have heard this before without being sure of the reasoning behind this statement. Petrescue.com has an excellent article that sums up many of the reasons why, including this one:

“THE ATMOSPHERE OF CHRISTMAS MORNING FRIGHTENS THE PUPPY.

People who study canine development and behavior have found that puppies, like children, go through developmental stages. The first fear/avoidance period in a puppy’s development occurs roughly between 7-12 weeks of age. However this is also when the puppy is developmentally best capable of leaving its litter and beginning to form bonds of attachment with its new family. Most breeders agree that this is the right time to send a young puppy home with its adoptive family. However, it is also extremely important not to over-stress or unduly frighten the puppy during this vulnerable time. Fears learned during this first fear/avoidance period can be very, very difficult to overcome later, even with the very best training or behavior modification techniques. In other words, traumatic experiences at this point can have a permanent impact on your puppy’s personality as an adult dog.

Your puppy’s experiences of leaving its mother and litter-mates, and its arrival in its new home and introduction to its new family, can permanently affect its ability to bond with and trust humans. The puppy needs to be introduced to its new home and family during a relaxed and quiet, gentle time, with a minimum of loud noises, flashing lights, and screeching children, ringing phones, visiting company, and other types of general hub-bub. Christmas morning is absolutely the worst time, in terms of the puppy’s developmental needs, for introducing this newly-weaned youngster to its new family.”

Read the rest of this article at http://www.petrescue.com/library/no-pups.htm. Thanks, and have a happy holiday!

Playing safely with your puppy

December 7th, 2007

Paw-rescue.org has some great tips on how you can make sure that you and your children are playing safely and appropriately with your dog. A must-read for all dog owners!

“Screaming, laughing children racing about with a dog chasing them. Someone grabs a stick and starts playing tug-of-war with the dog. The dog grabs a sleeve and starts to yank. Another child holds up a ball and encourages the dog to jump for it. Another child snatches the ball and runs off. The dog gives chase, the children scream even more. Then the children “pig-pile” and start to wrestle with the dog.

How often do we see situations like this? Are we aware that all these games can lead to a child being bitten and undesired behaviors in our dog? Playing in the manner these children are encourages jumping, chasing and even biting. The sounds and speed of the children can excite a dog to the point where he forgets not to use his mouth. Play like this can also make a dog feel threatened. Part of having safer children and dogs is playing safer games and knowing the rules of all games.”

Read the rest at paw-rescue.org.

Who needs store-bought? Make your own dog treats

November 30th, 2007

Many manufactured dog treats contain lots of empty filler that offers your dog no nutritional value, and in fact may even cause him to gain excess weight.  So why not make the treats yourself?

Check out this article on wikiHow for a great recipe that makes delicious — and healthy — banana pupcakes.

How To Make Healthy Dog Treats (wikiHow)

Taking care of your dog in the winter

November 26th, 2007

Here are a few tips from the ASPCA on how to best take care of your dog in the cold winter months ahead.

• Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
• Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
• Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a short-haired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.
• Never leave your dog alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
• Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
• Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.
• Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol. Visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center more information.
• Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

Tips courtesy of the ASPCA

Protecting Your Dog With Identification

November 16th, 2007

What Type of Dog Identification Should You Choose?

There are many different ways to help your dog be identified if she becomes lost. The most common types of dog identification are described below.

Collars and identification tags

These are the traditional way to identify a pet. Both metal and plastic identification tags are readily available and are not very costly. These tags can be personalized with your name, address, and telephone number so your dog can be easily identified and you can be notified.

The disadvantage of simple identification tags is that they can easily be removed or may fall off your dog’s collar. Without his identification tags, there may be little hope for finding a lost dog or puppy. Some people will remove a dog’s collar or tags so they can keep the dog for their own. Identification tags will not prevent these thieves.

Microchips

Microchip identification for pets has been an option for several years now. Today, most microchips operate on a 134.2 kHz frequency to be compatible with international systems, but the first microchip identification in the United States worked on a 125 kHz signal.

About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip identification is surgically implanted beneath the dog’s skin, typically between the shoulder blades. The tiny computer chip contains the name and address of the dog’s owner and is read with a specialized scanner. Microchips can be read at most animal shelters, as well as by many veterinarians.

Tattoo Identification

Tattoo identification is quick, simple, and doesn’t cost very much. Most dog identification tattoos contain the dog’s name and the owner’s phone number. These tattoos are usually placed on the dog’s ear or stomach and can protect against theft as well. The only downfalls to tattoo identification is that the tattoo may lose color and become difficult to read or the tattoo may be altered so the dog cannot be identified.

Joann Henry operates “Doggie Health Care” http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com a blog all about our beloved four legged family member’s health. She loves to give away free stuff! If you sign up to receive her newsletter, not only will you get some free tips to keep your dog healthier, but FOR A LIMITED TIME, she’ll give you a FREE ebook. For more information, please visit: http://www.DoggieHealthCare.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joann_Henry

Are table scraps okay to feed your dog?

November 9th, 2007

There are a few different schools of thought on whether or not you should slip your dog the occasional bit of your dinner, but I liked this answer from Drs. Foster & Smith, a leading pet supply company.

Is it ok to give dogs healthy table scraps?
You can give your dog table scraps, provided that they are low in fat and sugar, but treats developed for dogs are a much better choice. Just make sure that treats or table scraps do not comprise more than 10% of your dog’s total diet. If you do give your dog table scraps, give samples of foods such as rice, green beans, or a scrap of lean meat. Avoid fatty foods like chicken skin, or the scraps of fat you’ve trimmed off your dinner steak, as well as high-sugar foods like candy and baked goods.

Be aware, however, that by feeding table scraps, you’ll typically have a lifelong “beggar” at your table whenever you eat. Further, feeding table scraps may encourage your dog to steal food left on the table unattended - some of which could be hazardous to your dog’s health.

(http://www.drsfostersmith.com/)

Ten Tips to Choose a Dog Product

November 8th, 2007

It’s flu season for humans, but what about dogs?

October 26th, 2007

Here’s an interesting article I dug up on what the flu season can mean for our canine friends. No, you don’t have to take Fido to get his flu shot alongside yours, but there are a few things you should know:

As the air cools and autumn approaches, the flu season is also right around the corner—not just for you, but for your pets as well. Unlike humans, there is no vaccine for canine influenza which is a relatively new virus. Canine flu is an airborne disease, much like kennel cough, and is spread from dog to dog.

Most dogs affected by the flu will have a soft, moist cough with or without yellow/green nasal discharge. Those more severely affected may also have rapid/difficult breathing which is usually caused by a secondary complication of pneumonia. It’s important to note that these symptoms can also represent other respiratory diseases and your dog should be taken to your veterinarian at the earliest signs of illness to be accurately diagnosed and receive appropriate treatment.

Most dogs will successfully recover, with fatalities from the flu being uncommon. However, a complication of developing pneumonia can be very serious and generally requires antibiotics. While you won’t contract the flu from your dog, your sick pet can infect other dogs in the household. Keep Fido away from other dogs until he is back to his healthy self again.

Reprinted from Medical Vet Specialist Newsletter September, 2007

Grooming Your Way to a Healthy Dog

October 19th, 2007

Dalmation and Kitten

August 12th, 2007

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