How to Brush My Dogs Teeth

Title: How to Brush My Dogs Teeth
Author: Pat Burns

A devoted dog owner does everything humanly possible to ensure their dogs hygiene. However, one area that bewilders dog owners is how to brush my dogs teeth?

Why Brush A Dog's Teeth?

Dogs suffer from a variety of tooth problems, just like their
owners:

1. Loose teeth
2. Abscess teeth
3. Cavities
4. Periodontal disease

The common symptom of periodontal disease is bad breath. In
fact, 98% of all dogs with bad breath suffer from periodontal
disease. If there is a delay in treatment, the bacterial
infection can develop and spread to the dog's kidney, liver,
heart and brain.

Thus, it becomes important to brush the dogs teeth.

Steps In Brushing A Dog's Teeth:

Many dog owners take their dogs to the vet for a regular teeth
cleaning. Many vets offer medical plans for pets that include
this important routine. Usually they will put the dog to sleep
or medicate the dog to avoid bites. This is safer for the dog
and the vet. However, if you cannot afford to do this and/or
choose to do it yourself, below are the steps to take in
cleaning your dog's teeth.

1. Allow a vet to check the dog's teeth before brushing.
Otherwise, brushing may be painful, and it will associate
brushing with pain.

2. The dog needs to be used to the owner checking its mouth
regularly. Reward the dog for cooperation.

3. Get a pet dental kit from a pet store. It needs to have a
pet toothbrush, pet toothpaste and a finger toothbrush that the
owner can wear on a finger and brush the dog's teeth.

4. Human toothpaste is not edible and dogs are likely to
swallow toothpaste. Therefore, try to buy beefy flavored
toothpaste that the dog can enjoy. In addition, avoid
toothpastes with detergents, salt or baking soda. Instead, try
to buy toothpastes containing fluoride and enzymes, as they are
good for dogs' teeth.

5. Ease in the brushing process. On day one, merely wipe the
dog's teeth with gauze. Later, adapt the pet to warm water
brushing. Finally, add toothpaste.

6. To brush the dog's teeth, place the brush bristles at a
45-degree angle to the teeth, at the border where the teeth meet
the gums. Gently, move the brush in an oval motion, to complete
ten back-and-forth motions. Then, move the brush to cover at
least 3-4 teeth at a time.

7. Remember to brush the dogs teeth all the way to the back,
which is where most problems develop.

Other Important Tips:

A dog's dental hygiene will not be flawless, if you only brush
the dog's teeth. Try some of these tips to ensure a good dental
health for the dog:

1. To avoid the onset of periodontal disease, take the dog to a
vet for regular checks.

2. Vets can also clean the teeth occasionally to remove tartar
deposits.

3. Feed hard foods to the dog or give bones or hard toys to
chew on.

These are certain systematic ways of avoiding dental problems,
but do not forget to brush your dog's teeth regularly.

About The Author: http://www.dogs-web.com, "Healthcare for Dogs" is all about Dogs Health Care, Supplies and Training.

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Fat Dogs

 

Title: Fat Dogs
Author: Pat Burns

Many dog owners refer to their fat dogs as cute and cuddlesome.
Fat dogs are often mistaken as healthy canines without realizing
that obesity is a serious problem, which needs immediate
attention.

Dogs tend to lose weight more easily than gaining it, by
skipping, leaping, hopping and playing. Despite this fact,
roughly 25% pet dogs brought to vets are overweight. This brings
us to the conclusion that it is often a wrong dietary pattern,
which is the root of this disorder. The causes may also include
some genetic inclination or improper functioning of certain
hormones secreted by the thyroid and pituitary glands.

Obesity requires serious thought and treatment, especially when
it comes to dogs. Dog breeds like Labrador, Dachshund, Beagle
and Spaniels are usually at more risk for obesity.

Fat dogs are prone to innumerable disorders such as nervous
tension and pressure on the bones, liver, lungs, kidneys and
heart. They are likely to be lethargic and less resistant to
other diseases. It also hinders normal functioning of the
respiratory and reproductive processes.

Treatment:

The key solution to decreasing obesity in your pet is to
increase its level of activity. It is equally vital to note the
factors for its obesity, and carry out a proper exercise
schedule with the vets advice. This includes taking it for a
regular walk and involving games that will enable it to burn its
calories.

Prepare a dietary plan that suits the dogs energy needs and
accordingly switch to a dog food product, which ensures
comparatively less calorie and more fiber intake. Thus instead
of supplying high-calorie and low-nutrition items such as cakes,
buttered sandwiches or cookies, it is better to give slices of
carrots, bananas or oranges.

Your vet can assist you in determining the best dog food for
your dog. There are many dog foods on the market and many of
them are specifically developed for weight control. Your dogs
age and other health issues should be considered when choosing
the dog food. Dry dog food is best for their teeth.

Dog owners enjoy giving their dogs treats. Keep their diet in
mind when giving treats to your dog. Instead of feeding them
table scraps from the table, give them a dog treat that takes
them awhile to eat, such as a milk bone.

The owner needs to follow many other habits along with these
measures. It is also essential to keep a continuous watch on
your dog to keep it away from garbage cans and areas where your
dog may eat unhealthy and unsanitary items.

Dog owners should view obesity in their pets as an indicator of
the dogs health. Determine appropriate portions for your dogs
size and age in order to avoid overfeeding. Instances of
overfeeding often occur because the owners yield to their pets
wishes. They give it what it likes, instead of giving it what it
needs.

It is the vet who can brief the owner correctly regarding their
pets needs and provide a suitable solution to deal with fat
dogs. It is therefore, important that the owner make correct
choices and implement them with the aid and advice of a good
vet.

About The Author: http://dogs-web.com, Healthcare for Dogs is
all about Dogs Health Care, Supplies and Training.

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How to Train and Care for the Puppy During Its First Year of Life?

Title: How to Train and Care for the Puppy During Its First
Year of Life?
Author: Patricia Stevens

As a rule, at the age of 2 - 4 months the puppy already finds
the owner. You have got the puppy, now it is in your house and
you are its owner. How to behave correctly? How to begin? For
the beginning ask yourself a question why you have got the dog
and what you wish to see it in its full grown? The answer is
important for it determines the approach for it maintenance,
cultivation, education and training. The dog should become a
member of your family at least for 10 years; so it should
observe the order accepted in your house and to bring you
pleasure at interaction. All your efforts should be directed on
maintenance of a good feed, granting to it an opportunity to
move more and longer to be on fresh air.

It the period, when the puppy is 4 - 6 months, is the time of
the most intensive growth of the puppy and during the very same
period there is a change of a dairy teeth with constants. Your
round nice puppy has turned in long-legged, disproportionate
combined dog. You should turn a special attention on a diet of
feeding. Your puppy by six months should gradually pass on
thrice feeding. During this period you should, achieving
obedience of the puppy, to start its initial training. It is not
an implicit performance of any commands, but comprehension by a
dog of necessity and expediency of submission to the owner. In
the further it will help also in the daily life, rescuing the
dog from hit under the machine, allowing to avoid other troubles
connected with necessity in time to react to a desire of the
owner or to stop.

It is impossible to establish precisely term of the employment
beginning with the puppy, as it depends on a level of
development of the puppy and on a condition of its nervous
system. Anyway, before achievement by the puppy of six-monthly
age it is not recommended to start regular employments.
Therefore in this period only about an initial training should
be conducted.

It is necessary to continue feed the puppy at the age of 6- 9
months three times a day. Often puppies at this age start to
refuse feeding, and aspire to pass to two-time feeding. So this
is a sign for you that you can pass to two times feeding. During
this period you can already start to serious employments on
training, but without greater loadings.

The puppy's training should be directed on achievement of full
contact with the owner and implicit performance of his commands,
which should be fast, exact and vigorous. When the puppy will
master commands, pass to gestures. In any case, by 9 months your
puppy should be, convenient, operated, understanding dog. It
should be easy to walk with it and at desire to start it's
training for competitions, or to prepare it for hunting.

The diet and mode of feeding of the puppy at the age of
one-year changes, gradually passing to what it will be at an
adult dog. It is possible already to start to increase the
loadings of the puppy. At this age it is necessary to approach
very serious to trainings. Later it will be very difficult to
make the dog obedient. After a year its character will be
formed, and then you will already have to not train it, but to
be engaged in correction of its behaviour.

About The Author: Patricia Stevens owns and operates
http://www.whenisapuppyfullgrown.com Learn more about our
precious pets and how to care for them.

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Nutrition For Dogs - Dog Food Ingredients

Title: Nutrition For Dogs - Dog Food Ingredients
Author: Garry Neale
First we need to recognize that nutrients are not the same
thing as ingredients. It's not the combination of ingredients
that determines the quality of your dog's diet and whether or
not the dog's nutritional needs are being met, it's the blend of
nutrients. The ingredients in dog food only have to do with
digestibility and palatability. A given dog food can contain
certain ingredients that have no nutritional value or that can't
be digested by your dog. You can find two different dog foods
that may both seem to nutritious, but one may have ingredients
that are better for your specific breed of dog. You should
discuss your dog's nutritional requirements with your vet in
order to select a diet that provides everything needed.

Healthy feeding habits should start as soon as you bring your
dog home! Your dog's diet influences such things as health
status, appearance, development and attitude. The way you feed
your dog will affect certain behavioral aspects like, potty
training and begging. When your dog is a puppy, it is very
important to prevent it from gaining a lot of weight, which may
contribute to the likelihood of obesity and its related health
problems as they age.

Since dogs come in all sizes and shapes, there are specific
foods available that you should consider depending upon if it's
a small breed, large breed, puppy or adult. The nutritional
needs of dogs will change as they age depending on how active
they are. For instance, small dogs tend to require more calories
per pound than larger dogs and thus need a dog food that
provides a lot of energy.

As of late, many dog owners have become seriously concerned
about the safety of commercial pet food. With all the recent pet
food recalls, many more dog owners are starting to prepare their
own nutritious dog foods. There is more than a little concern
about how poorly regulated the pet food industry is concerning
preservatives. Commercial dog food makers add all kinds of
chemicals to keep their foods from deteriorating while setting
on the grocery store shelves. The Association of American Feed
Control Officials (AAFCO) Official Publications lists 35 known
preservatives being used by commercial dog food companies. Some
of these have no restriction on amount that can be added to your
dog's food. Chemicals such as Butylated Hydroxyanisole and
Ethoxyquin have controversial safety reputations at best.

Many of the commercial dog food formulations contain meat and
bone meal, which has been shown to contain the remains of
euthanized cats and dogs. These dead animal bodies are sent to
rendering plants, along with road kill and dead live stock. At
the plants they are boiled down to get the fat, which is sold to
dog food manufacturers as "animal fat." The leftover animal
parts are dried, crushed and sold to the same manufacturers as
"meat and bone meal." Knowing this, many dog owners have put
their pets a on raw diet or started making their own homemade
dog food.

Those who advocate raw diets say it is the most natural because
canines in the wild are carnivores and have survived and thrived
for millions of years. They indicate that ever since commercial
dog food appeared on the scene about 60 years ago, the increase
in dysplasia, allergies and other health conditions in dogs has
increased dramatically. However, proponents of homemade dog food
say that dogs are actually omnivores and they need the
nutritional benefits of grain. They intimate that dog owners who
use only raw food are depriving their dogs of valuable
nutrients. In addition, with homemade foods you can be creative
while making your own healthy dog food. Proponents of homemade
food report the activity as a fun way to feel even closer to
their dogs. Especially if they really like what you make. And
the debate goes on.

About The Author: Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and
creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE
dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from
http://www.dog-lovers-guide.net.

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Homemade Dog Food Tips

Title: Homemade Dog Food Tips
Author: Garry Neale

Before you start making your own homemade dog food, you need to
know a couple of things. You need to find out what foods are
toxic to your dog. You also should understand that preparing
home made dog food may not be as easy as it sounds because it's
very much like to preparing food for your children. Making
homemade dog food is not the same thing as gathering up your
leftovers and scraps and throwing them in a dog bowl. Keep in
mind, your reason for preparing home made dog food is provide
you dog with a healthy diet. On the bright side, making homemade
dog food can be cheaper since you can include your dog's dietary
requirements in your normal food shopping expenses. Dogs are
omnivores just like people. This means they can eat vegetables
and grains as well as meat.

Though people and dogs have different physiologies, there are a
few things in common when it comes to diet. So many times,
you'll be able to make your homemade dog food while making your
people food. For example, most home made dog food recipes will
consist of a ratio of two thirds meat to one third vegetables.
It's all a matter of healthy cooking for both you and your dog,
and making homemade dog food is a great way to start.

When you start preparing homemade food, pay careful attention
to your dog's reaction to the new recipes you use. There will
probably be some items that they just refuse to eat. Try to
substitute something else in the recipe next time, such as
substitute turkey for chicken or potatoes for rice. Be on the
lookout for changes in your dog's behavior, especially such
things such as scratching excessively. This may be an indication
of an allergic reaction to one or more of the foods you're
using. Generally, homemade dog foods usually cause fewer
allergic reactions than commercial dog foods.

By making your own dog food, you have complete control over
what your dog is eating. It also allows you to make certain
their food is fresh and of the good quality. Ensuring that your
dog is getting the best possible food and nutrition is worth the
investment in both time and energy. So why not take the time to
find some homemade dog food recipes that use good quality
ingredients and let your dog try it for a few days. You might be
amazed at the changes you'll witness in both your dog's health
and vitality.

The easiest place to find some good healthy homemade dog food
recipes is online. There you'll find cookbooks and recipes of
all types. Just go to one of the Internet search engines and
type in "homemade dog food recipes" and you have more than
enough sites to visit. But watch out because some recipes are
not as nutritious as others. You may want to take any recipes
you download to your local vet and get their recommendations
before you start feeding it to your pet. If you're at all
concerned about your dog's health, try switching to homemade
food today.

About The Author: Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and
creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE
dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from
http://www.dog-lovers-guide.net.

.

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Box Training--The Best Way To Train Your Puppy

Box Training Starts Your Puppy Off Right

Training your puppy with box training is an excellent start
to his training. It is a firm groundwork for the rest of
the training he needs as he grows up

Starting your puppy in box training when he is young will
put you in the position of pack leader. Box training also
benefits the pup, because he gets to know the routine and
loves to have a schedule which he understands. He knows
what is happening and that it is predictable, which he
loves. This also produces a really well behaved pup.

You will need a good strong box or better still a metal dog
carrier type cage. The metal cage can't be chewed which
gives it an advantage over wood. A dog transportation cage
with a lock on the door is ideal. It must be large enough
so that the pup can stand up and move around a little.
Anything bigger is not suitable as the puppy will be able
to wander around which makes house training more difficult.

If the box is the right size it will become the puppies bed
where he will not mess. He learns to hold it until he gets
out, which you must make sure is not more than an hour or
so, when he is under two months old. If left too long he
will have to go and will mess in the box because he has no
other option. As he gets older he will be able to stay in
the box longer without problems.

Try to make being in the box really pleasant for him. Give
him a sleeping pad and a treat such as a few dog biscuits
or a bone when he goes in there. In fact placing a treat in
there is a good way to introduce him to the box. He can go
in himself to get the treat. Don't close the door the first
few times, let him wander freely for some time.

When he goes in the box praise him and make it really
pleasant for him. Then start shutting the door and continue
to praise him and talk quietly to him. In 20 seconds or so,
let him out again and just give him a pat. Leave the door
closed for gradually longer periods, but not long enough to
upset him.

For the first day do this a number of times. Every training
period should be a happy and pleasant experience for him.
When he realises that the box is his private place, he will
enter it on his own, with the expectation that he will get
attention and a treat. When he enters the box offer him his
treat and talk to him. Soon you can start to leave the room
when he is in there, for a couple of minutes, and gradually
increase the time. When you come back, don't fuss over him,
just walk in and open the box. It should take about 3 days
to complete this training to the point where you can leave
him for an hour or so. Slowly make the time longer and he
will finally be fully box trained.

Your puppy will love his box and will feel very safe in it.
If you leave your puppy alone, he will quite naturally
experience some separation anxiety. This can cause bad
behavioral traits such as chewing things around the house
or messing. When in his box, he has a sense of safety
because nothing can harm him in there. He will just go to
sleep or chew his treat while waiting for you to come back.

If he has to be left at the vet, if not box trained he will
be very anxious and will cry. He feels lost and alone. If
he is box trained, he knows you will come back as always so
he is not troubled nearly as much.

The box must always be associated with good pleasant
things. It must never be used to punish the animal. Don't
leave the puppy in there for more than 2 hours or so, just
enough time for a sleep and a bit of treat chewing. If left
too long he will cry and you must not let him out not when
he is crying. He will think he has to cry to get out. Be
sure he is being well behaved when you open the box. This
will teach him that he can get out of the box if he is
quiet.

Don't make a fuss when you let him out, just open the door
and take him out to mess. Give him lots of praise and
petting when he messes. Dogs will not go where they sleep
which is in the box, but it may happen if there is no other
option. Certainly you must not scold him. Clean out the box
quietly while he is outside and he will learn to do things
the right way. Box training in this manner is by far the
best thing you can do for your puppy and will have a
positive influence on him for the rest of his life.

About the Author:

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Training a Puppy Not to Nip

Title: Training Puppy Not To Nip

Puppies learn through play, the same as all baby creatures.
So when training a puppy not to nip the best way is in the
form of play. Everything to a puppy is a game, and each
learning experience is gained from a game.

When playing with your puppy you can teach him at the same
time. One of the first things your puppy needs to learn is
that your are the alpha dog. The most effective way of
teaching him that you are the alpha male is by gently
rolling him over onto his back when playing. This
reinforces that you are the alpha male to the puppy. Do
this as often as possible. Do it firmly, not roughly.

Puppies learn not to bite too hard from their litter mates.
But to some extent they still nip. Puppies, like babies,
love to have things to chew on in their mouth.

A pup learns SO much from their mother before 8 weeks of
age. And, ALL dogs need to be trained to not nip - they are
teething until 7 months of age, and they use their mouths
to communicate.

They have to be taught what is appropriate and what is not.

To train a puppy not to nip involves mane ways. Here are
the seven most common ways to train puppies not to nip.

These techniques are simple and effective. Any of them can
be used when training puppy not to nip :

1) It's normal for a puppy to nip, and they grow out of it.
So one way to train a puppy not to nip is when he nips or
bites give him a little slap on the nose, then grab his
mouth and hold it shut, scold him and say no, bad dog.

This will stop him thinking it is ok to nip. You need to
make sure that you do the same thing everytime you train a
puppy not to nip.

2) You can train a puppy not to nip by making a loud noise
when they do it - a loud yelp and stopping all play
normally does the trick.

3) Most puppies are mouthy/nippy because they're still
young and curious about everything. Also they have not
learned manners and how to control their bites.

Some dogs grow out of this behavior when they get older but
some don't. When training puppies not to nip press down
light, but yet firmly, on its tongue and within a few weeks
this should stop. Make sure you have bones/toys for the
puppy to chew, just like a baby it is teething.

4) It's not going to completely stop. You still have to
train puppies not to nip. The bite inhabitation is teaching
them when enough is enough and to not bite hard enough to
draw blood.

Plus, to young puppies that are teething, it feels good to
bite and chew. When the puppy starts biting on you, try
yelping and turning away from the puppy.

After a few seconds, if it has left you alone, go back to
playing or petting it. The puppy should get the idea that
it's not a good thing to bite YOU or any other human.

5) Another way to train puppies not to nip is to try
teaching them that they should only chew on the
objects/toys you have provided for them. It should help to
eliminate the biting/nipping problem.

With each other nipping and playful biting are principal
ways the dogs play. How much they do that with you depends
how you want them to behave. Giving them repeated gentle
but firm admonitions about it will help them understand.

7) Another way to train puppies not to nip is when the
puppy tries and grab your arm with its teeth but not bite,
when playing. It is usually a territorial thing. To let the
dog know you have seen that behaviors before and that it is
not good behavior, pull the arm back. The puppy will know
the it can play.

Training puppies not to nip involves a few different
techniques. Play, enforced behavior, or verbal admonitions.

However you chose to train a puppy not to nip, make sure
that you are consistent with your training. With time, and
patience, the problem will be resolved.

About the Author:

David Crocombe is an owner of a 6 month old puppy and has
been raising dogs for over 12 years. For more articles and
resources on dog training visit his site =>
http://www.squidoo.com/secrets-to-dog-training-package

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