Dog - Are You Frustrated With These Pet Food Recalls?

The pet food recall crisis has shed a new light to the safety of commercial dog food that we buy in cans from our supermarket shelves. The commercial pet food industry has existed only for a few decades. What did our dogs eat before the advent of these commercial foods? Their diet consisted of raw meat, bones and organs, table scraps and whatever they could catch and kill themselves. It has only been since the popular use of these commercial dog foods that we have started hearing of our our dogs dying of cancer, kidney failure and all sorts of other diseases. The contaminated pet food has led to the deaths of dogs and cats in North America and have even sparked fears of these contaminants entering the human food chain. The US inspectors of FDA have traced the imported gluten which was used to make the pet food as being the cause of the deaths of many dogs and cats through kidney failure. It is illegal to add melamine to food or animal feed in the US but it seems this chemical is widely used in China in the animal feed to make them appear as having a higher protein content. Melamine is a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizers. The Food and Drug Administration speculates that the wheat flour was deliberately spiked with melamine to make it look more protein-rich, thus more valuable than it was. This pet food recall crisis has made pet owners rethink of what pet food to prepare for their pets with some of them opting to prepare the food themselves. The only way to guarantee that the food you give your dog has no artificial preservatives and contaminants is to feed them with natural homemade dog food using ingredients that you would normally have in your kitchen. For an extra measure of protection give your dog supplements and vitamins to make sure that they get all the 38 nutrients they require daily. You can opt to give your dog raw dog food diet and alternate it with homemade dog food recipes. That is why it is recommended to get well formulated recipes with the right nutrients, plus supplements, and have them in the right proportions. For more on these recipes plus more updates on the dog food recall we recommend these sites for Online Dog Food Tips and also for Guides and Updates on Dog Food and Dog Food Recall. A home cooked meal with the right ingredients is the BEST thing you can do for your pet! After all what were we feeding our pets before the advent of these commercial pet foods? Maria Mbura is a publisher of a blog and a writer in a variety of issues that are of interest from time to time. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Mbura

Dog - Dog Training Tips

The worst thing about having a dog is the training part. Just imagine how bad an untrained dog is. An untrained dog could litter anywhere in your house. This gives you're a house a foul odor that is pretty difficult to figure out where it is coming from. Aside from that untrained dogs could be so active that your house may turn into a mess. All of these things could all be avoided though with proper training. Proper training or disciplining your dog can help lessen the hassles. However training a dog is no easy task too. A dog may be smart for an animal but it will still take time and hard work to get your dog trained. Here are some things that make your dog's training be more effective though. A dog will become more trained and disciplined if what you are doing becomes a daily ritual. Making the training very ritualistic will make the dog remember the training slowly. So it is important to train your dog daily. You would need to sacrifice a few weeks of doing this to get your dog trained. When doing this, it is better to make daily short sessions compared to a weekly long one. When training the dog, it is best not to use harshness that much. Instead try to use love and appreciation. If your dog follows the things you ask him or her to do give a doggy treat. Don't give the treat until the task is done. Try doing this whenever you have free time during your day. Remember that you are talking to dog. When training a dog give simple commands, don't give complex commands such as "prepare me dinner" or "wash your own ass" while the training is still at an early stage. It's better to give simple commands such as sit and come. Try not to confuse your dog when training. Only use one word for one action. I.e., when eating try to only say "eat" not "chow". Try to use different words for every different action you'd want your dog doing. When training a dog you and your family must be on the same page. You may be training your dog to stop digging at the garden. But your son still says it's ok to the dog. When this happens the training may just be useless. So when training a dog, it's best to have the family members cooperating. Training a dog is not an easy task really. But that is the sheer reality that you must now face when owning a dog. You must now be responsible for the dog's life and attitude and that includes you training him or her. Jan Thomsen is writing pet related articles for the pet medicine site and family oriented articles for Hald's family blog. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Thomsen

Dog - Separation Anxiety

1) What exactly is separation anxiety? Separation anxiety in dogs is the fear of being away from their owners or left alone for any given amount of time. This fear of isolation often results in undesirable behavior. Separation anxiety is one of the most common causes of canine behavioral problems. It is the fear of the owners' departing and the dog not having a companion for any given amount of time. 2) In what types of dogs and in what social environment/history do we see this condition? Separation anxiety is usually seen in dogs that had little or no socialization when they were puppies. Dogs that may have been moved around a lot or rescued from a neglected situation or from abuse also tend to have this condition. Socialization is a huge factor in sep anxiety; if dogs are raised with exposure to changes from puppy-hood, and learn to adapt to different situations and people, their coping skills are much better than those of a dog that has not had to develop any social skills. 3) What factors seem to be the precipitating cause? One of the contributing factors to separation anxiety can be an abnormal predisposition to dependence. Traumatic events can also be a catalyst for sep anxiety. Removing a puppy from its mother and litter mates too early can be a cause as well. A sudden change of routine or environment, such as the death of the dog's owner or a new baby entering the household, can cause sep anxiety. 4) What are some of the signs exhibited when a dog has SA? Some dogs will only exhibit one or two behaviors relating to sep anxiety, while others engage in many behaviors. Usually it starts with pacing; then the dog might start following you around every where as you start your routine for departure. They might start whining and whimpering and become very mouthy. Some salivate and shake. Others can get aggressive with you as you start to leave by nipping or even in some cases growling at you. Usually, destructive behaviors such as chewing and ripping things apart to climax within 20-30 minutes of the owner's departure; then, after some time, excessive barking and howling might occur. In some cases dogs will defecate or urinate in places that they have never done before, such as your bed. Some dogs will not eat until the owner returns. In rare cases dogs have been known to self-mutilate. 5) What type of treatments are available for SA? Medically, there are a few useful drugs my veterinarians have prescribed for my clients' dogs. "Clomicalm" seems to have proven results. It is also prescribed for fear aggression. "Bu Spar" takes two weeks to become effective, but it also has had great results in aiding sep anxiety. The most effective behavioral treatment is desensitizing the dog to departures and routines of their owners. 6) What are some of the non-drug based therapies available? One is systematic desensitization to departures. Perform all the routine behaviors that you would normally do before you leave, but do not leave. Open and shut the door, then do something around the house; repeat this several times. Ignore the dog's pacing and panting behaviors. You can also depart for very short periods of time, starting with 30 seconds and building up to 1 minute, and then return; the next time, leave for 2 minutes, and then gradually build up to an hour. You can also feed your dog only out of interactive toys, so that the dog has to work for all its food. There should be a reward connected with your leaving. Do not give your dog any attention or exuberant greetings when you come home. Say hello, pet a little, and then go about your business. Once the dog is calm, then you can greet with excitement. A common mistake many owners make is saying over and over again that "it's okay, it's okay". This only reinforces the fear. 7) At what point does SA become a problem that we need to do something about? Sep Anxiety is a problem once the dog shows noticeable behavior changes or begins destructive behaviors. Start management immediately by doing socialization exercises when they are puppies and have your dog learn coping skills at an early age. 8) What behavioral methods do you recommend? Training and socialization exercises. 9) In what breeds do you most commonly see Sep Anxiety? I see it in any dogs that have not had to develop social skills or coping skills. It does not seem to be breed specific. Susie Aga, Atlanta Dog Trainer About the Author: Susie Aga is a Certified Canine Behavior & Training Specialist and a member in good standing with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has four rescue dogs and donates much of her time and services to Rescue Organizations. Susie hosts The Animal Hour Radio Show which can be heard through her site, and is Turner Brocasting's Featured Pet Expert. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susie_Aga

Dog - An Introduction to Dog Beds

Some people are so attached to their pets that they wouldn't dream of asking them to simply curl up on the floor to go to sleep. Pet owners, especially dog owners, have created an industry for dog beds that rivals the bedding industry for humans in both creativity and profit margins. Just as dogs come in a variety of sizes -- from toy Chihuahuas that fit in the palm of your hand to Great Danes who are large enough to command most of the back of that family SUV -- so do dog beds. The very first designs for dog beds stressed comfort and ease of cleaning for the small, medium, large and extra large pooch in your life. Today there is a dizzying array of options for dog beds. There are dog beds designed to look like real beds so the lucky canine doesn't feel left out, dog beds designed to look like real furniture, and dog beds for that aging canine, designed to accommodate his creaking bones and stiff joints. There are dog beds made out of fabrics designed to blend in with the d'cor of your home and there are dog beds that can accommodate a dog who likes to stretch out while he naps versus the type who prefers to curl up into a ball. No longer is it sufficient to simply walk into a pet store, find a comfortable looking bed for Rex, choose a color that matches your d'cor, (or his) and leave. Today you have to take many factors into consideration when making decisions about your dog's sleeping quarters. The first thing to think about is where in the house you intend to place the bed. Some people put the dog's bed in the living room, so the dog has a place to lounge other than the family sofa. Other people put the dog bed in their bedroom, so the dog can be close without needing to jump into their bed. Some other things to consider are the size of your pet, and his sleeping habits. There are also extras such as eucalyptus treatments and cedar filling (both to repel fleas), foam filling for the comfort of arthritic animals, and various Velcro attachments. Washing and cleaning are factors to take into account as well, both in terms of everyday wear and because of the dirt incurred from other uses for the bed such as a carrier liner or car seat protector. Gone are the days when buying a dog bed was simple and easy, but the tradeoff is a truly mind-boggling array of options. Dog Beds Info provides detailed information about small and large dog beds, as well as designer, orthopedic, and discount dog beds. Dog Beds Info is the sister site of Bird Cages Web. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Marlborough

Dog - It's Back To School For Bowser

For many, fall means back to school. And it should for dog owners as well. A college is a great place to look for a canine hike when you are traveling. You will find many a campus to be dog-friendly. The best time to visit with your dog is early on a weekend day or when school is not in session. At smaller colleges you can maneuver your dog unobtrusively around campus most any time. Here are some of my favorite campus canine hikes: Swarthmore College - Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Scott Arboretum - Route 320 north from I-95 The 300-acre Swarthmore campus is developed to be an arboretum, established in 1929 as a living memorial to Arthur Hoyt Scott, Class of 1895. Stop in the office to pick up a tour map to the collections that are integrated with the stone buildings of the college that date to 1864. A dog-friendly campus, you'll find dog water bowls at the drinking fountains as you travel among the 3,000 different kinds of plants. You can finish your tour in Crum Woods where your dog can go under voice control on the rolling dirt paths. You can easily spend an hour or more with your dog exploring these trails. West Virginia University - Morgantown, West Virginia Core Arboretum - Monongahela Boulevard, next to the football stadium The 91-acre Core Arboretum on the campus of West Virginia University is named for Earl Lemley Core, the Mountain State's leading botanist, one-time mayor of Morgantown and faculty member at WVU for 44 years. Students began coming to the small forest in the early 1900s and the school acquired the property in 1948. Its steep slopes negated development and today visitors (free admission and parking right at the arboretum) can enjoy the old growth forest that covers the hillsides as it sweeps down to the Monongahela River. There are 3.5 miles of trails for canine hiking that begin in an upper lawn sprinkled with native specimen trees. The trail drops some 200 feet to the river, past trees estimated at 400 years old. Look for specks of black rock that are remnants of an old coal mine that once operated here. The forest changes composition as it nears the floodplain and thirstier species like silver maples begin to dominate the landscape. The Caperton Trail, an old rail-to-trail, crosses the park for longer explorations of West Virginia's fifth largest city. Duke University - Durham, North Carolina Duke Forest - Research Drive off Erwin Road from NC 751 College planners began buying up small farms and forestland as a buffer for the Duke campus in the 1920s. The lands have now evolved into the Duke Forest with nearly 8,000 acres spread across six divisions. Much of the canine hiking is easy going in the woods is through airy pine trees, including stately loblollies and majestic white pines. Although there are few footpaths in the Duke forest there are more than 30 miles of old woodland roads to travel on. There is also a three-mile graded loop used as a cross-county course that winds through the woods around the campus golf course that makes an ideal one-hour canine hike. College of the Siskiyous - Weed, California Bear Trail - College Avenue off I-5 The College of the Siskiyous was founded in 1957 at the base of free-standing Mt. Shasta - the second highest volcano in the Lower 48 at over 14,000 feet. The Bear Creek Trail - so named for the many black bear sightings near the path - is 1.7 miles and easy going on level dirt through a shady forest. The trailhead is within 20 feet of the college sign at the entrance parking lot. The trail is extremely paw- friendly and often padded by pine straw. In addition to the easy-to-follow main trail, there are several forks where you can extend your canine hiking day. Enjoy a stroll through the 250-acre campus after you finish the Bear Trail. Cornell University - Ithaca, New York Cornell Plantations - Judd Falls Road off Route 366 According to the arboretum brochure, "The name Plantations was coined by Cornell University professor Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954), who is often called the father of American horticulture. Bailey understood a plantation to be 'a large group of plants, especially trees, under cultivation.'" The Plantations welcome visitors year- round, are free and open sunrise to sunset. Dogs are allowed. The trails are divided between cultivated collections and natural areas, spread across rolling terrain. The natural areas include over 3,000 acres of diverse habitats - bogs, fens, gorges, glens, meadows and woodlands - as trails roughly trace Falls Creek. Nearby, another four miles of woodland trails beckon in Sapsucker Woods, maintained by the Cornell Ornithology Department, by dogs are not permitted in this sanctuary. Clemson University - Clemson, South Carolina The Simpson Agricultural Station between Pendleton and Anderson on Lebanon Road This is a spacious farm owned by the university and a great place to hike with your dog. Foot travel is invited and there are lots of different terrains to choose from - woods, ponds, miles of level gravel roads, and huge fields for your dog to run in. On a clear day there are beautiful vistas of the mountains. It's a great, off the leash, unfettered walk with your dog! I am the author of over 20 books, including 8 on hiking with your dog, including the widely praised The Canine Hiker's Bible. As publisher of Cruden Bay Books, we produce the innovative A Bark In The Park series of canine hiking books found at http://www.hikewithyourdog.com. During the warm months I lead canine hikes as tour leader for hikewithyourdog.com tours, leading packs of dogs and humans on day and overnight trips. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit parks, historical sites and beaches. My lead dog is Katie, a German Shepherd- Border Collie mix, who has hiked in all of the Lower 48 states and is on a quest to swim in all the great waters of North America - http://web.mac.com/crudbay/iWeb/Katies%20Blog/Katies%20Quest.html. I am currently building a hikewithyourdog.com tours trailer to use on our expeditions and its progress can be viewed at http://web.mac.com/crudbay/iWeb/Teardrop%20Trailer/Building%20A%20Tour%20Trailer.html. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Gelbert