Coming from a line of dog owning people, it is safe to say that there are different styles of rearing your pet dog. Dog owning has become a paradox and complex because of the owners and not the dogs. Dog accessories and what-not manufacturing has boomed yet the number of pet dogs put in shelters number to thousands a week per pet shelter.

Considering your pet dog as a creature that is dependent on human contact to live as a domesticated one is the first step to a successful pet and owner relationship. Keeping in mind your pet dogs limitation would make a pet owners responsibilities clearer and simpler.

A pet owners primary and basic responsibility are communication and training of correct behavior. Being witness to the different styles of my kin’s approach to dog rearing have brought about knowing the basics. I’ve had an uncle whose dog depended on him that it just cant govern itself when my uncle was away-this is way before excessive barking and loud noise trauma was a condition to treat dogs for. One must consider putting all able bodied member of the family above the dog, this is in case the one considered as the pack leader leaves the house. Knowing its pecking order a pet dog is likely to follow another family member that shows dominance over the canine.

Most people would just pick out something for one reason or another. Some go for color, design, price and its rank in a household’s priority. The boom in dog bed manufacturing is a sign that most pet parent household have made dog beds a basic pet dog need.
Most pet parents are going through a tough time deciding what is really right for their pet dog. I’ve read in one of the pet supply sites a tip that makes the task 40% done. Have you noticed how your pet dog sleeps? Preferrably in its REM times (when their sleep is really uninterruptible even by a sausage near its nose), notice your pets positioning. You see there are dog beds made for loungers, snugglers, sprawlers and constantly moving dogs. Another consideration would be your pets sleeping requirements, this is for sickly (arthritis, dysplasia, scoiliosis) and old pets. Ortho dog beds are just right for them(they also come in several shapes). For young pups snuggle and cup beds are okay, just get one that will not cause it to drown in foam. A light-weight pup of below 5 lbs. is not suited for a deep hidey-hole bed, is it?

Who are you anyways?
Some pet parents who have had a pet dog for more than 8 years have experienced seeing their pet barking at walls or at unseemly things…they may have also seen their pets bump into places and get ‘lost’ in the home or just get stuck in a corner. Sadly,

some have bore not being recognized by their beloved pet.
Science and research has tagged these outward symptoms as dog senility or Canine Cognitive Dysfunction or Cushings Disease. This is very much connected to a dogs cognitive or recognition skills and exhibits behavioral changes. Pet dogs suffering from this old age disorder rarely responses the way they used to, their direction is often shut-getting lost in its own home for years. Some CCD suffering pets even regress from being the best smell hound to being an aimless old dog, often missing its elevated dog feeder.

A pet dog positively diagnosed with CCD is said to have less and less dopamine or neuro-transmitters which is broken down because of depleted enzyme absorption. The treatment drug L-Deprenyl allows a recovery rate of 80% in 2months treatment time.
Unlike senility in humans, CCD is reversible and risks may be medically lessened.
Like all pet related sickness, diagnoses by a trained professional is called for and maybe trained.

The first time we brought our cat and dog home, their ears were clean and nicely colored, as months passed they began having discharge thats colored dark brown. The discharge smells just terrible and we noticed both of them having a scratch-a-thon. Searching the Internet for ear itchiness and aches (my dog whines when she scratches her ears) brought the dreaded ‘M’ word. Mange are mites that cause irritation, I have always thought that Mange was based on the skin and not the ear canal. This kind of Mange is called Otodectes cynotis, ear parasites that can be transferred from one pet to another- which explains why both our cat and dog had scratching choreography. Infestation from these mites range from mild to severe, at times depending on the pet’s resistance.
These are symptoms to watch for:
Scratching and shaking of the head and ears…
Discharge and bleeding of the ears.
Foul smelling ears
Irritability in pets demeanor

Remedies vary according to how your pet would react to it. There are several cures available, yet the most effective one best would be 2 parts apple cider vinegar, to 1 part hydrogen peroxide, and 1 part Borax; diluted in a gallon or so of water. Before putting a dropper full of this mixture, make sure to have cleaned your pet’s ears with dog soap and water- this is to get rid of some of the Mange before starting treatment. Treatment is three times a week for two weeks. Be patient and consistent, you’ll see results in time.

For the second time, my eyes have failed me. Coming across a girl carrying a furry creature, it looked like a short-haired Spitz…lo and behold, it was a Fat Cat! Yes the ones you can just see in U tube. The first time I was in awe of a big feline was in a beach. An unbelievable healthy gray colored ‘teen-age pup’ was curled up and harnessed. Calling to it “Here, boy.” just to get to see its face…I was answered with a “Mrwaaawrr…” Oh, that was the longest and largest cat I thought I’d see in this lifetime. He or that big cat just got bumped off the list by the Fat One I just saw.

Anyway, fat pets are cute but its sad when you see them struggling to breathe and having a difficult time roaming or even struggling when lying on their backs. A cat is over weight if it exceeds 20% of its ideal weight. Keeping them on a balanced and safe diet prevents fatal diseases in the heart, liver and digestive system. From one cat lover to another, Fat Cats make cute caricatures as pets, its cruel. Any pet parent wouldn’t want to see their pet suffering,would they?

Laughter when defined is to make sounds from the throat while breathing out in short bursts or gasps as way of expressing amusement.  

Because of close association with humans, domesticated dogs are known to exhibit laughter too.     

For centuries man has converted the wild dog into a yipping, yapping and laughing pet dog. To the human ear a dogs laugh sounds similar to a normal pant. With the use of a spectrograph, the pants vary with bursts and frequencies, which is likened to a laugh.

 To get your dog to laugh you just have to execute a play-signal. Your pet, being very sensitive to your movements and feelings, would take up on your signal and utter barks, growls, whines and a breathy exhalation. A playful time may tire your dog but the brightness of eyes and the goofy smile shows you it was worth it.  

In a dog shelter, where canines are isolated from one another and tender human contact makes a high-stress environment where dogs are unruly and exhibit aggression be able to prove that the spectrograph recording is indeed a laugh, scientists played a recording of the produced “dog-laughter”. As the recording ended, dog wagging and mimicry of the dog laughter replaced aggression. The study showed that a pro-active reaction of the shelter dogs to the recording.  

A laugh, which is contagious, gives off positive energy. I guess what the study didn’t point out was that; the wild side (canine or human) diminishes with a good belly laugh.

Time never stops, before you know it that adorable little dog you got as a pup is in need of special pet equipment to help him through the day. You have gone as far as acquiring pet accessories during his puppy years, now you are riffling through a catalogue for pet equipment. True, getting necessary items do help in keeping your old pooch comfy.

An aging pet dog characteristically suffers from stiff limbs every morning; it would relieve the stiffness by motivating your dear old’ pooch to move about a bit. Frequent petting along the length of the body is said to work touch therapy wonders for your dog. Increase frequency of grooming, since the older your dog gets the dryer his skin is. Brushing his fur will relieve the flakiness of the skin. As dogs get to be geriatric, they have added difficulty in leaping or bounding up on a couch or your bed. It is best to provide dog step aside from relocating your family get-togethers in a place accessible to your old pet dog.

As your dog exceeds middle age, it is better to consult your veterinarian about the on-set of old age. Doing so will better prepare you with what your dear pooch may go through. At times, because of misconceptions, we tend to lose patience with aged pets. A consultation with a pet professional and a veterinarian broaden our perception.

Geriatric cases often have defective eyesight, are hard of hearing and slow to move. It is also expected for old dogs to be clumsy and accident-prone. Before you throw a fit, consider imbalance as an effect of the deterioration of his important senses.

Giving old faithful the best care in his remaining days will help ease whatever pain he may be in. In turn, your pooch will show how much appreciated the acts of kindness you and your family show. Dog  Ramps are  a perfect accessory for  older pets.

As a child I’d always wonder how a dog born when I was five be older than me when I’d turn six. My parents have always answered that one human year equals seven dog years. In the 70’s this was accepted as the calculation, now it is known as “Popular Myth”. This is proven outdated since the basis of dog age today is based on dog breed and size. There is another theory called “One size fits all”, stating that the first two years of a dog’s life equals ten and a half dog years. The following years is computed as equal to four years. Again, consideration to breed and size are neglected. At present, the most accurate computation would be the “Size/ breed specific” calculations base their results on the size and breed of the dog.

A rough estimation of dog age is: 1 dog year= 10 to 15 human years. This is so, because a one-year old dog reaches its full growth and sexual maturity within a year. A dog’s second year is equal to 3 to 8 human years; this is when your dog reaches physical and mental maturity. The succeeding dog years are then equal to 4 to 5 human years.

Size and breed become significant since small dog breeds (like terriers) are said to reach geriatric age at 11 years; medium-sized dogs (spaniels) reach geriatric age at 10 years; large breed dogs (like the German Shepherd) reach old age by 8 years and giant breed dogs (the Great Dane) reach old age by 7 years. Mongrels, which differ in size and breed, hold a life expectancy of 13.5 years.

One thing I’ve noticed in the list was the larger the size, the shorter the life expectancy is. It’s safe to say that bigger dogs have more physical complaints like hip joint disabilities and arthritis.

How can dog age be so important? Knowing the age of your pooch in dog years and human years will always help dog-owners provide the proper care our pets need. There may be examinations that are needed by pets at certain ages, which are significant to disease cure or maybe prevention.

In most advertisements, the Labrador retriever is best known to connote cuddliness, playfulness and softness. Most people’s preference in dog owning is usually influenced by dog food ads or the best looking pup/ dog to model pet accessories or pet must-haves. For sure the sale of toy dogs shot up with pictures of Hollywood stars totting small dog breeds in complete pet accessories. Guilty as charged, my dog of preference was influenced by a bathroom tissue commercial.

Exploring the web made me browse about the Retriever. These dogs are part of a group of dogs that are Sporting Dogs. These include pointers, setters and spaniels.

For someone naïve about hunting, it would be easy to assume that they all serve the same purpose. As I read on, each breed has its own duty and innate or instinct function.

The Pointers are the dogs that point their body toward the game to guide the hunter. When seen in action, the pointer stands rigidly on the ground, tail straight while its nose acts like an “arrow”. These dogs also retrieve game when needed.

The Setters are dogs that also point out the game to their hunters. The difference is these breed of dogs are used in flushing out game too.

The Retrievers are known to flush out hiding game. After that they pick up and give the hunters a shot. Retrievers work on land as well as water.

The Spaniels are medium in size but full of pluckiness since they help out their hunter by diving into the bushes or brush to scare birds into flight. There is one Spaniel, the Irish Water Spaniel that retrieves ducks and other birds from the pond.

Most Sporting Dogs have been recorded to originate as early as 1000’s like the Vizsla and 1600’s like the Pointer. Isn’t it a wonder that centuries have long gone and still these breeds manifest the same aim and objective as their fore bearers.

The Sporting Dog breeds share the same gentle disposition, they are alert, clever, and they are very trainable. Since then, hunters or game stalkers have kept these breeds at home, earning them the distinction of being good family dogs too.

Nothing can be better than being prepared for any emergency. Such is true when the cause of the emergency can’t talk, nor give sign language any human can understand. Our pet dogs unfortunately get poisoned since they don’t know any better. Your pets’ reaction after ingesting unpleasant stuff is to gag or expel it from the stomach. Sometimes, you’d catch your dog munching on grass, it means it’s stomach is not doing well. If you have seen your dog do this, it is better to observe any symptoms that may need more than grass to cure.

Okay, let’s suppose your dog is showing symptoms of poisoning. Retrace where he’s been to identify the culprit.

If you have confirmed that your dog has ingested harmful substance, do not force your dog to vomit. Inducing vomiting of acids usually injures the esophagus more. Once confirmed that your dog hasn’t ingested chemicals, it is safe to induce vomiting. The only time you can’t induce vomiting is WHEN your pooch IS NOT conscious.

To induce vomiting give the following:

1 tsp. Syrup of ipecac or

1tbsp. 1:1 Hydrogen Peroxide and water

(1tsp Hydrogen Peroxide + 1tsp water solution)

1 tablet of activated charcoal will also help absorb toxins

Supposing you cannot identify what your pet dog ate, you can force your dog to swallow: egg whites, milk of magnesia or milk.

Whether you have identified what poisoning your pet dog is experiencing, be sure to call your Veterinarian. The emergency procedure that you have done is to relieve pain. Asking your veterinarian’s help is necessary for your pet dogs overall evaluation by a professional.