What can you do with a Kangaroo
What can a dog do with a kangaroo?
- Chase it - Not likely he’ll catch it
- Hide in it’s pocket/pooch
- Box with it - be ready for a knockout punch
- Learn to hop - my dog is already really good at this
- Eat it - Hopefully they well wait until it’s dead and turned into nice all natural dog treats.
Why Your Dog Has Bad Breath
Dogs commonly have bad breath. Unfortunately, most owners attribute it to a dog’s inherent nature. But, canine halitosis can be due to a dental issue that requires an examination from a veterinarian. The odor may be caused by an infected or abscessed tooth, foreign material (for example, a portion of a plant) stuck in his teeth, or periodontitis. In most cases, your dog’s bad breath is cause for concern. In this article, we’ll describe 2 of the most common causes of canine halitosis and offer a few suggestions regarding how to treat it.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontitis impacts the bone and gum tissue that support your dog’s teeth. It manifests as an inflammation in the affected area and is usually the result of bacteria. Typically, the bacteria emerges when plaque collects on your dog’s teeth. As the condition progresses, the underlying support structure of the teeth begins to deteriorate. Most dog owners would be surprised to learn that nearly 80% of dogs that are 3 years of age or older deal with some level of periodontal disease. And it causes their breath to smell badly.
This is not a condition that can be reversed through regular brushing. Rather, it’s progressive and requires a veterinarian to x-ray and examine your dog’s teeth. And the sooner you do this, the better.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is often related to periodontitis. It is caused by the build up of plaque on your dog’s teeth and inflames the surrounding gum tissue. In many cases, gingivitis is a precursor to periodontal disease. A veterinarian will usually sedate your dog while performing a comprehensive examination of his teeth and gum tissue. This includes taking x-rays to examine the tooth area that lays under the gum line. If gingivitis is detected, there is a high likelihood that your dog has one or multiple cavities.
The veterinarian will clean the diseased tooth (including the entire structure) and seal it, thereby eliminating the gingivitis. If the condition is identified early enough, it can be neutralized before it progresses to periodontitis.
Improving Your Dog’s Breath
Your dog’s breath is a helpful barometer of his dental health. If his breath is bad, it may be due to something that is caught in his teeth that can be easily removed. Alternatively, the halitosis could be a sign that an infection or disease has occurred. Sadly, most owners remain ignorant of this and as a result, their dogs often develop gingivitis and periodontal disease. Not only do these conditions cause discomfort and pain for dogs, but it can lead to costly corrective dental procedures in the future.
If your dog has bad breath, schedule an appointment with a veterinarian. The earlier you can identify and resolve any issues related to dental disease, the better.
Also, as we always suggest use dog chews like bully sticks to naturally help keep teeth and gums healthy!
Dog Hygiene: Keeping Your Dog Clean
While many owners give their dogs periodic baths, their main goal is usually to eliminate odor and give their dog’s coat a glossy shine. But, his hygiene is far more important than odor elimination. Without properly cleaning him, small hygiene issues can eventually lead to bigger - and costlier - problems. Below, we’ll describe the main things you should devote your attention to when cleaning your dog to ensure he remains healthy over the long-term.
Cleaning His Ears
Over time, tiny ear mites can burrow into the waxy area of your dog’s ears. If allowed to live there, they’ll grow, eventually becoming black. This can potentially cause your dog to suffer from earaches. If the grown ear mites are not cleaned out, an infection can occur. Visit a pet supply store to buy a special treatment that can get rid of ear mites before they cause a significant health issue. You’ll apply the treatment to the affected area with a Q-tip. Your dog won’t like the procedure, but he’ll enjoy an earache even less.
Cleaning His Teeth
Your dog’s teeth can collect plaque and tartar if they’re not cleaned regularly. If the problem persists, cavities, gum disease, and infections can occur, causing him pain and discomfort. While you should take your dog to a veterinarian for an occasional dental checkup, most of the cleaning can be performed at home.
Buy a toothbrush and toothpaste that have been created specifically for dogs (toothpaste that is made for humans will taste and smell awful to dogs). You can purchase them at most pet supply stores. Brush your dog’s teeth 2 or 3 times each week to keep the plaque and tartar from building up.
Also make sure to give your dog plenty of dog chews like bully sticks as they will help keep teeth and gums clean naturally!
Checking His Eyes
Periodically, check your dog’s eyes and wipe away any excess discharge. Don’t be alarmed by the discharge; it manifests in most breeds (though some are more susceptible than others). Soak a washcloth in warm water before wiping it away. If you notice a green hue, contact a veterinarian to schedule an examination. Also, keep in mind that many dogs tear excessively and that tearing can leave a trail. There are treatments that you can use to reduce or eliminate the tear trail, but check with your veterinarian before doing so.
Clean And Happy
If possible, try to clean your dog’s ears, teeth, and eyes at the same time. If you’re planning to give him bath, that’s an ideal opportunity to get everything done. Even though your dog would prefer not to be inspected and cleaned, he will enjoy the attention that you’re giving him. Plus, by keeping these areas clean, you’ll ensure that his hygiene is properly maintained. And a dog with good hygiene is a happy dog.
Is Your Dog Overweight?
Most dog breeds cope with health and physical limitations during their lives. Some are genetic while others develop with age. But, obesity can affect all dogs. Not only can the excess weight have a negative impact on their overall health, but it can have ancillary effects, too. For example, many veterinarians are unwilling to perform surgical procedures on obese dogs because the weight poses an additional risk. Plus, the extra weight can place stress on bones and joints that may already be problematic (i.e. hip dysplasia).
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the factors that can lead to obesity in dogs. Then, we’ll offer a few helpful tips that you can use to help your dog shed the unwanted pounds.
Factors That Cause Obesity
Dogs are very similar to humans regarding how they gain weight. Most dogs that are obese have packed on the extra pounds as a result of eating too much, not getting enough exercise, or both. If your dog’s metabolism can’t burn through the calories he consumes each day, those calories are transformed into fat. Over time, the fat is stored and your dog gains weight. If left unchecked, he’ll become obese.
Some dogs suffer from a hereditary problem with their metabolism. It’s slower and therefore, cannot burn through calories as quickly as it should. That said, such problems are rare. Canine obesity is more commonly linked to overeating, which manifests for a couple of reasons. First, many dogs are trained to do so as puppies. Their owners provide far too much food for them. Second, dogs will eat when they’re bored, which often happens when their owners neglect them.
Helping Your Dog Lose Weight
First, take your dog to a veterinarian. After an examination, he’ll suggest a diet that is appropriate, given your dog’s age, weight, and health. The diet will likely provide a source of fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and protein in volumes that allow your dog to slowly pare the amount he eats without feeling hungry.
Second, plan a schedule to take your dog for walks. Any sort of physical exertion is helpful because it encourages his metabolism to burn through the calories he has consumed. Without a schedule, it’s easy to neglect the exercise. So, plan it in advance to ensure it happens regularly.
Whether your dog is overweight or obese, you should take steps to bring his weight under control as soon as possible. If you fail to do so, your dog may eventually need to cope with issues such as liver disease, pronounced joint problems, and even diabetes. Curbing the problem today means preventing bigger problems in the future.
Also, always make sure to not give your dog too many treats or chews and if you give them regularly choose healthily with choices like bully sticks for dogs or beef trachea.
Tips For Keeping Your Dog Happy
Just like humans, dogs can be happy or unhappy based upon a number of factors. Thankfully, making sure that your dog is emotionally content is easier than doing the same for people. In other words, your dog has simple needs. If you meet those needs, he’ll be happy. Unfortunately, millions of owners neglect their dog’s emotional state. As a result, their companions become lethargic and despondent. In this article, we’ll give you 3 easy tips for making sure that your dog is happy, healthy, and sociable.
Tip #1: Give Him Exercise
Your dog requires daily exercise. While the physical exertion is critical for maintaining the strength of his bones and muscles, exercise also plays a key role in his contentment. A quick walk allows your dog to escape the confines of the home or backyard, and explore the world beyond. In so doing, it strengthens the bond that exists between you, making him infinitely happier.
Tip #2: Maintain Good Nutrition
Diet and nutrition also play a major role in your dog’s emotional state. Similar to people, dogs have specific nutritional needs. He should enjoy a regular diet that includes essential vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Most commercial dog food is formulated to provide all of these, so ensuring his dietary needs are met is low-maintenance. Like people, if your dog doesn’t receive the food he needs, it will affect his emotional state. A treat or chew like a bully stick is always a great option for your dogs. Dog chews will not only help to keep your dog(s) happy but they will also keep teeth and gums healthy!
Tip #3: Offer Mental Stimulation
Your dog’s happiness, or lack of it, is also a reflection of the mental stimulation that he receives on a regular basis. Dogs become bored easily. If your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to apply himself to tasks throughout the day, his boredom will eventually cause him to become depressed. For example, imagine someone who watches television for several hours. It doesn’t allow for active participation and can often lead to a subtle melancholic state. Your dog experiences the same emotions. Stimulate him mentally and he’ll be happier.
Happy Equals Healthy
Doctors often claim that a patient’s likelihood of overcoming a disease or physical impairment is often associated with their emotional state. In short, the happier they are, the better their health. Your dog’s happiness and health are similarly linked. Fortunately, much of his emotional state is firmly within your control. Provide a regular outlet for him to exercise, maintain a diet that meets his nutritional needs, and offer him a source of mental stimulation.
In the process of meeting his physical and emotional needs, you’ll also strengthen the sense of companionship he feels. And that companionship can yield dividends for a lifetime.
Ridding Your Dog Of Fleas
When your dog has fleas, it can make everyone in your home miserable. They cling to your dog’s coat, biting him and sucking his blood throughout the day. Then, the fleas lay hundreds of eggs. Some remain on your dog while others drop to the floor and become nestled into the carpet. When they hatch, more fleas emerge and the cycle begins anew. Over time, your home can literally become infested, making the environment practically unlivable. In this article, we’ll explain how to identify when your dog has fleas and what to do to get rid of them.
Identifying Fleas
When a home is infested with fleas, they’re easy to identify. A quick walk through the house will result in dozens of them perched on your pant legs. However, recognizing that your dog has them is more difficult because they’re small. If you notice that your dog is scratching himself continuously, inspect his coat. You’ll need to look closely because fleas typically move toward dark, hidden areas in a dog’s coat. They’ll hide under the fur, around his collar, or even on his underside.
Keep in mind that fleas are brown, making them difficult to find if your dog has a dark coat. But, even if you don’t see them initially, there may be signs of their presence. They leave black, pepper-like fecal matter throughout your dog’s coat.
Eliminating Fleas
If you find them or the black fecal matter they leave behind, you should take immediate action to get rid of them. Fleas multiply quickly due to their penchant for laying hundreds of eggs. If you wait, you’ll run the risk of an infestation in your home.
There are a few approaches to getting rid of them. A common mistake is to simply treat the dog, neglecting the eggs that have already been laid. The problem is that while the treatments are capable of killing the fleas, the eggs (many of which will have fallen to the carpet in your home) will hatch and new fleas will reclaim their territory.
Your veterinarian can provide oral medications that will effectively kill the eggs, so that new fleas will not be able to infest your dog again. At the same time that your dog is taking the medications, use a treatment that will kill the existing fleas. You can find several good options at your local pet supply store. Finally, wash the bedding on which your dog sleeps and vacuum your home thoroughly.
Fleas can quickly grow from a nuisance to a nightmare. But, once you identify them, they can be eliminated. The key is finding them early and making sure that you get rid of the eggs. And after they are taken care of make sure to reward you furry friend with bully sticks or dog chews !
3 Common Dog Training Mistakes
Training your dog is the only way to help him develop into a valuable member of your family while eliminating unfavorable behavioral issues. Unfortunately, many dog owners either neglect to train their dogs or do so irresponsibly. Some owners follow systems that are ineffective while others try to train their dogs on their own without a true understanding regarding what they’re doing. In this article, we’ll describe 3 common mistakes that dog owners make.
Mistake #1: Lack Of Patience
This is more important than many owners realize and it can have a significant impact on how well your dog learns. A lot of owners expect their dogs to understand their commands quickly. Dogs absorb and learn by routine, persistence, and repetition. They may require several tries before they respond with the proper action (i.e. sitting, barking, etc.). Realize before you begin that training your dog requires substantial patience. Though some breeds will need less time than others, all dogs need learn in the same manner: routine, persistence, and repetition.
Mistake #2: Lack Of Consistency
Dogs relish consistency. Even mature dogs that are fully trained thrive in environments that provide a high level of predictability. When training your dog, consistency is critical. They need to experience and understand the causal relationship between their response to your commands and your reaction. For example, if you command your dog to sit and he does so without hesitation, a treat rewards your dog’s response. But, in order to truly train your dog to respond with the same action, you need to consistently provide the treat whenever he successfully does so. That cements the concept in the dog’s brain that his response was the desired one.
Mistake #3: Calling For Punishment
Many owners make this mistake and in doing so, they damage their long-term effectiveness. Dogs are similar to children with regard to how they react to someone calling them. If you punish your dog whenever he comes to you, you train that expectation in him. Over time, your dog will learn that when you call for him to come, he can expect to be punished.
Remember, your dog is most happy when he is treated as a loyal companion and family member. Punishing him disrupts that relationship and can have a lasting effect. If your dog responds poorly to your command, walk to him. If you must punish him (dogs learn best by positive reinforcement), do so after you have approached him.
Building The Relationship
Training your dog properly not only helps him to develop into a valued companion, but it also eliminates errant behaviors that may be characteristic of the breed. The key is to have patience, be consistent in how you react to your dog’s responses, and avoid calling your dog to punish him. Over time, a training system that emphasizes positive reinforcement will typically produce remarkable results.
Make sure to also give your dogs plenty of rewards like dog chews or bully sticks for a job well done…after all they do deserve it!
Dogs And Kids: Keeping The Peace
Most dogs are peaceful and friendly, unless they’re raised to be otherwise. However, despite their natural affability, they will occasionally bite children. Many canine behavioral experts estimate that at least 30% of children have been bitten - or nearly so - by the time they reach their teenage years. Not only can this result in physical harm for the child, but it can establish and reinforce a child’s fear of dogs.
While many owners will punish their dog for biting a child, they often do so without understanding what prompted the response. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of why dogs bite. Plus, we’ll describe how to identify the signs that your dog is agitated around kids and ultimately, how to prevent him from biting them in the future.
Why Your Dog Bites
There are many reasons why your dog may become agitated. And children seem to be habitually oblivious to most of them. First, dogs are naturally territorial, even as domestic pets. For example, a child may not understand a dog’s instinct to protect its food. If he grabs the food away from the dog, there is a risk of being bitten. Second, loud, disruptive noises cause dogs to become anxious. Children, by nature, can be loud, making a dog nervous around them.
Third, kids often don’t realize that dogs have a natural aversion to being handled in certain ways. For example, many children will grab a dog’s paws. This can quickly frustrate a dog, leading him to bite or snap at the child (often, more as a warning than a sign of aggression).
Identifying The Warning Signs
Dogs are not mysterious. If they’re agitated or angry, it’s usually easy to tell. They’ll raise their tail and bare their teeth. Under extreme agitation, a dog will raise the hair on his back. On the other hand, if your dog is frightened, you’ll notice his ears are plastered back and his tail loops under his hind legs. But, it’s important to remember that he’s just as likely to bite when he’s scared as when he’s angry. Your child should be taught to identify the signs.
Curbing The Biting Behavior
Curbing a dog’s tendency to bite a child when he’s agitated or frightened shouldn’t be focused on eliminating the behavior. After all, it is an instinctive response. Instead, children should be educated regarding what actions are inappropriate in a dog’s company. They should not handle a dog while he’s eating. Nor should they surprise him when he’s sleeping. Also, kids should be taught to recognize the signs that a dog is anxious or frightened. When he is, they should back off. Another idea to curb the biting behavior is to help with your dog’s urge to chew by giving them bully sticks and other dog chews on a regular basis.
Assuming your dog is naturally friendly and sociable, keeping the peace between he and your children is a matter of educating them. In time, they’ll realize what sort of behavior is unacceptable, and thereby avoid being bitten.
3 Tips For Getting Your Dog To Mingle
When you bring a new dog home, you’ll need to take steps to socialize him. It’s an ongoing effort over your dog’s life and is a critical component of his development. A dog that hasn’t been exposed to others (whether people or other dogs) poses a risk. Dogs can become uncomfortable or agitated quickly. Factors such as loud noises, other dogs, and even people wearing hats can cause your dog to become alarmed. In that state, they’re unpredictable.
Eventually, you’ll want to take your dog with you to the park, beach, friend’s house, or any place where others might be. Below, we’ll give you 3 quick tips for encouraging your dog to mingle well with others.
Tip #1: Obedience Class
Whether you’re trying to socialize a puppy or a fully-grown adult dog, enroll him into an obedience class. He will be exposed to other people and dogs in a controlled environment. Plus, your dog will learn that others do not necessarily pose a threat to you. As a result, he’ll learn to remain relaxed in the presence of those who are unfamiliar to him. The earlier you do this, the better.
Tip #2: Inviting Friends Over
Invite 1 or 2 friends over to your house. This is an opportunity to socialize your dog in an uncontrolled environment (that is, without an obedience instructor). Over time, have other friends stop by. Ask them to do so in pairs, if possible, so your dog doesn’t feel overwhelmed. By doing this, you continue the education process whereby your dog learns that people who are unfamiliar to him are typically non-threatening.
Tip #3: Training On The Go
Grab your dog’s leash and take him for a walk. If possible, start in a sparsely populated area. A few people walking their dogs as cars race by can provide your dog with the loud stimuli he needs to grow accustomed to the noise and activity. As your dog grows more comfortable, take him for walks in more densely populated areas with more traffic. Doing this will desensitize his natural instinct to become alarmed.
Lifetime Socialization
By using the tips above, you can gradually transform your dog into a sociable pet that is friendly with others. If your dog resists the efforts by barking, sniffing, or jumping on people, try to react subtly and refocus his attention on you. Try to encourage him to focus on something other than that which prompted the undesirable behavior. Also, it is important that you reward your dog generously for good behavior with dog chews like bully sticks. Over time, your dog will become the companion that you can take anywhere you go.
It is quickly approaching Halloween time, where parents get excited to not only dress their children up and parade them around town, but also their pets. The statistics show that one in ten parents are now dressing up their pet as well as their kids. This relates to a stunning 160 million dogs and cats that end up in those embarrassing costumes (or at least the dogs and cats think so). Not only are they dressed up, but in many cases they are marched around in parades and brought to costume parties to show off their best looks.
Animal behaviorists say that these types of bonding events between humans and their animals help build stronger bonds. Not only do these types of events give families bonding time together, but they also help the pets to become more socialized.
This year’s favorite costumes are going to be a bumble bee equipped with a stinger, a cow, and a mail man which is sporting a “Mutt Mail” logo. Also, for cats there is going to be devil, witch, pumpkin, and of course a mouse costume.
The only disadvantage for the pets in all of this excitement is that they do not get to eat candy afterwards. However, it doesn’t mean that after all this trick or treating that they don’t deserve to get some natural bully sticks !
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