Dogs: Leash or Muzzle?

Some dog owners assume that they don’t need collars for their dog. It is easy to understand why this might happen, but every dog needs to have one. There are many reasons for this, and the biggest of those reasons is for the safety of your dog. You may think that your dog stays in the house all of the time, and therefore does not need a collar, but that is not something you can know for sure.

Even though small dogs might not go outside, or any further than your fenced in backyard, they need the protection of a good collar. If they were to escape, which can easily happen, collars automatically tell anyone who might see your dog that they are looking at someone’s pet rather than a stray.

If the collar contains information on where the dog lives, your dog will be home before you know it. Strangers and animal control officers alike will bring your dog to you, or call you to tell you where to pick them up, if they see your contact information on collars.

Collars may even save the life of your dog if the unthinkable happens. Owners of large dogs know that some people are always weary of them, even though they know their pet is docile and friendly.

However, any dog can bite or snarl if cornered. You never know what someone might do to your dog when they have got loose and run from you or your home. If for some reason they were to bite someone, or act in an aggressive manner, the collar will indicate that you are the owner. Also, some vets will give out small charms indicating your pet has had rabies shots, which can save your pet’s life if something were to happen.

Having a collar for dog can help protect them when the unthinkable happens. Having a strong, good quality collar will means it will stay on, and that it will not snap when you are walking your pet.

Your dog may be very well trained, but if they see something they want to chase, and their collar breaks or comes undone, they may be gone before you can look twice. Having identification on collars is one way to up the chances of your best friend being returned to you safe and sound.

A strong collar may also save your dog’s life. The collar and lead will keep your dog next to you even is there is a cat on the other side of a busy road.

dog training

Everybody wants to protect their dog from fleas and nobody wants to be bitten by their dogs fleas!

Fleas are small dark insects that run through the fur rapidly.

Dogs will show signs of infestation by grooming and scratching excessively, some dogs will show signs of hypersensitivity to flee bites (the saliva) with raised red bumps on the skin which may even appear like eczema and could cause loss of fur.

FAdult fleas live 3-4 months laying tiny white eggs constantly. These hatch into larvae, which live in cracks and crevices, carpets, upholstery, blankets and even earth and sand, living on the dried blood from the droppings of the adult fleas. 1-2 weeks later they turn into pupa and 2 weeks later hatch and hop onto the nearest warm body to feed and multiply.

This cycle can take anything from 2 to 20 weeks to complete depending on the temperature of the environment; it only takes approximately 2 weeks in the summer months.

There are a few natural remedies for the avoidance of fleas and also for flea control, BUT a healthy lifestyle, including a good natural diet and exercise can help to prevent fleas. Parasites are attracted to animals with ‘tasty’ blood, therefore feeding a lesser quantity of a high quality food may avoid the build up of toxic waste in the system which attract the parasites.

Cleanliness in the pet and home is paramount to keeping fleas at bay. Vacuum around the house at least weekly, paying attention to cracks and crevices. Empty the vacuum straight away as the fleas could breed quite rapidly amongst the dust and debris in the bag. Launder your pets’ bed weekly in hot soapy water. Heat above 40 degrees will kill fleas, larvae and eggs, so if possible dry the bedding using as high a heat as possible.

Natural Remedies for Fleas

If your pet is infested, bathing may help using a gentle natural shampoo, containing flea and insect repellent. You could make your own by adding a few drops of Pennyroyal or Eucalyptus essentail oils to a bottle of natural shampoo. Wet and lather around the neck first to avoid the fleas escaping up to the head and then do the same over the whole body, rinse lightly and shampoo again, keeping the shampoo on your pet for 5 minutes if that is possible. Rinse with a homemade rosemary infusion (1tsp dried or 1 tblsp fresh rosemary to 1 pint of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes) pour over the pet and towel dry.

Herbal flea powders can be used or again make one up using one part each of as many of the following powdered herbs as possible: Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Fennel, Yellow Dock, Wormwood and Rue. Apply sparingly to the base of the hairs paying attention to the neck, back and belly.

Regularly grooming your pet using a flea comb will also eliminate a lot of fleas, dip the comb in hot soapy water as this will kill the fleas.

A natural skin tonic for your pet can be made by thinly slicing 1 lemon and adding to 1 pint of boiling water, let it steep overnight. Sponge onto the animal and let it dry. Lemons contain a natural flea killing substance called d-limonene.

Garlic can be offered as a flea repellent either daily or every other day in small quantities (large amounts can cause anaemia). Brewers yeast either taken internally or again on the skin can also help.

Fleas can build up a resistance to any remedy and also to the chemicals we use to control them, so it may be wise to use different methods if possible.

Be vigilant! Keep a look out for the first signs of fleas. Its much easier to get rid of a few fleas with natural remedies, but if the infestation has become severe you may need to use insecticides first then use natural remedies to prevent further infestations.

For more info www.leadormuzzle.co.uk

dog care

With increasing concerns about ‘what’s really in the tin?’, many people are thinking about making their dog food themselves.

Homemade dog food is exactly what the name implies – dog food that is made from home. There are many reasons and benefits that people are turning to homemade dog food to feed their beloved pets.

Homemade dog food is increasing in popularity for a few reasons. One of the main reasons for the dramatic switch from commercial store-bought dog food to homemade dog food is the recent contaminated dog food scare. The safety of commercial dog food has pet owners everywhere nervous about store-bought dog food. This reason alone has caused thousands of dog owners to take charge of their pet’s diet and begin making their dog food for them for peace of mind and to know exactly what their dog is getting.

Homemade dog food offers many benefits to a dog. First of all, when given the choice of homemade or store-bought dog food, the majority of dogs will choose homemade dog food without a doubt. In addition to homemade dog food being more nutritious for a dog, is more tasty and satisfying to a dog as well. In addition to a pleasurable eating experience, homemade dog food offers many health benefits to a dog as well. Dogs that are fed homemade dog food on a regular basis have a healthier digestive tract, meaning better breath, less gas, and smaller and firmer stools. Healthier skin, a shinier and silkier coat, and more energy to enjoy activities are some of the other health benefits that can be noticed as well.

For more information visit www.leadormuzzle.co.uk
dog health

Some dog owners know the problem all too well… you take your dog for a quick walk in the park, all goes well. Then its time to go home. You shout him, he gives you a look of ‘I don’t want to go home yet, I’m off!’ and dashes off across the park. You spend the next 2 hours, in his eyes, ‘playing chase’,to catch him and put him back on his leash. (told from personal experience!)

Other dog owners fail to recognize the importance of having a dog that comes when called until there is a problem, such as the collar or leash breaking, or the dog tearing free to chase a person or another animal. These situations can be dangerous for the dog, the owner and other members of the community. In areas near a busy road,this could even prove fatal to the dog.

Unfortunately, many well meaning owners sabotage this important part of their dog’s training by allowing it to run off leash and unattended. Whether the dog is allowed to run in the park, on the beach, or just play with other dogs, this teaches the dog that there are many fun things that do not involve its owner. In fact, from the dog’s perspective at least, these fun times are often ruined by the appearance of the owner.

Look at things from the dog’s perspective for a moment. You – the dog – are having a ton of fun running on the beach with all your doggy friends, and suddenly here comes this human to take you away from the fun. When you see the dog’s point of view it is easy to see how the appearance of the owner, and the leash can be seen as a negative.

This negative perception causes many dogs to delay this outcome by refusing to come when they are called. From the dog’s point of view, this makes perfect sense, since every minute of delay means another minute of romping on the beach or in the park. In other words, the dog has learned that the most rewarding thing to do is to ignore the calls of its owner. While this may seem like a good idea to the dog, it is definitely not a good thing from the owner’s perspective.

For dogs who have not yet learned this type of avoidance behavior, it is best to prevent it from happening by supervising the dog at play, and making the time you spend with your dog as much, or more, fun, as the time it spends alone or with other dogs.

For dogs that have already learned the value of ignoring their owner, some retraining is definitely in order. It is vital that every dog respond to the “come here” command, for the safety of both humans and dogs alike.

One thing to avoid is following the “come here” command with unpleasant activities. Calling the dog, and then immediately giving him a bath, clipping his nails, taking him to the vet, etc. will quickly teach the dog that coming to the owner has negative consequences. It is best to ask the dog to come and then play with him, feed him, walk him or engage in other fun activities. If you do need to take your dog to the vet, bathe him, etc. be sure to allow some time to pass so the dog does not associate the “come here” command with the bad experience.

It is important to remember that dogs are constantly learning, whether a formal training session is in process or not. Your dog is always learning something from you, whether good or bad. It is therefore important to make every interaction with your dog a positive one.

When teaching the dog to come on command, it is vital that the dog be consistently rewarded every single time he does as the owner wants. A reward can be as simple as a pat on the head, a “good boy” or a scratch behind the ears. Of course, treat based rewards are appreciated as well, and many dogs are highly food motivated and respond quickly to this type of training. The key is to be consistent. The dog should get some kind of reward, whether it be praise, a toy, or a treat, every time he appears at the owners side when called.

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dog training

House training is one of the most important parts of training any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to use the dog’s own nature to your benefit.

The great thing about dogs, and the thing that can make house training much easier, is that dogs are instinctively very clean animals. Dogs would rather not soil the areas where they sleep and eat. In addition, dogs are very good at developing habits regarding where they like to urinate and defecate. For example, dogs that are used to eliminating on concrete or gravel will prefer to eliminate there rather than on grass or dirt. It is possible to use these natural canine habits when house training your dog.

Setting up the training area

The first step in house training your dog is to set up your training area. A small, confined space such as a bathroom, or part of a kitchen or garage, works best as a training area. This method of training differs from crate training. Crate training is great for puppies and small dogs, but many larger dogs find a crate too confining.

It is important for the owner to spend as much time in the training area with his or her dog as possible. It is important for the owner to play with the dog in the training area, and to let the dog eat and sleep in that area. The dog should be provided with a special bed in the training area, anything from a store bought bed to a large towel to a large box. At first, the dog may eliminate in this area, but once the dog has recognized it as his or her own space, he or she will be reluctant to soil it.

After the dog has gotten used to sleeping in the bed, the owner can move it around the house, relocating it from room to room. When you are not with your dog, the dog should be confined to the training area.

Setting up the toilet area

The second part of house training is to set up the toilet area for the dog. It is important for the dog to have access to this place every time he or she needs to eliminate. It is also important for the owner to accompany the dog each time until he or she gets into the habit of eliminating in the toilet area. This will ensure that the dog uses only the established toilet area.

A set feeding schedule makes the house training process a lot easier for both the owner and the dog. Feeding the dog on a regular basis will also create a regular schedule for the dog’s toilet habits. Once you know when your dog is likely to need to eliminate, it will be simple to guide the dog to the established toilet area.

Once the dog has established a toilet area and is using it on a regular basis, it is very important to not confine the dog without access to the toilet area for long periods of time. That is because if the dog is unable to hold it, he or she may be forced to eliminate in the training area. This habit can make house training much more difficult.

Continuing the house training process

After the dog is consistently eliminating in the toilet area and not soiling the training area, it is time to extend that training area to the rest of the home. This process should be done slowly, starting with one room and slowly expanding to the rest of the house. The area should only be extended once you are sure of the dog’s ability to control its bladder and bowels.

When you first expand the training area to a single room, let the dog eat, play and sleep in that room, but only when supervised. When it is not possible to supervise the dog, place it back in the original training area. Then, after the dog has accepted the room as an extension of the original training area, the area can be extended.

Speeding up the process

If this process is too lengthy for your needs, it can be speeded up, but it is important to proceed cautiously. It is easier to take your time up front than to retrain a problem dog later. One way to successfully speed up house training is to praise and reward the dog each and every time it uses the established toilet area. It is also important not to punish the dog for mistakes. Punishment will only confuse the dog and slow down the house training process.

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dog training