Dog Information

Dogs In Need – Can You Help?

There is much hardship for dogs in this world in our day and age.

• Dogs lose their homes because their humans don’t have enough money to buy food.
• Dogs lose their homes because their people need to move and can’t find a new home where dog keeping is possible or permitted.
• Dogs are put in shelters because their owners need to go to hospital and have no one to look after their friend.
• Dogs are put to sleep because they are not wanted anymore.
• Dogs are being abused because their people don’t know how to control their anger.
• Dogs are being abused because their people think that beating a dog up is a good way of training him.
• Dogs are left alone all day long without any means of exercise or communication because their owners are at work from nine to five.

The list could go on and on and on…

• Dogs are treated with steroids and antibiotics before a proper diagnosis is given.
• Dogs are being stuffed with unsuitable foods which create havoc in their bodies and ruin their health.
• Dogs are being used in all sorts of ways without concern.

Most of the hardship a dog suffers is caused by a human being who dearly loves him. Isn’t that sad?

Can you help a dog in need?

• Could you donate some money or food to some dog owner who without help from friends would have to give his dog away?
• Could you adopt a dog who needs a new and perhaps even better home?
• Or could you give a helping hand to someone who is struggling to find someone who would look after his dog whilst he himself is in hospital?
• Could you teach someone how to properly train a dog? Perhaps run a charity dog training class?
• Could you volunteer to take someone else’s dog for walks when you take your own pooch out?
• Could you donate some money at a regular basis to an animal shelter?

• I think we need to ask ourselves whether we are dog lovers or just in love with our own dogs.
• As true dog lovers we could try to do our best every now and then to selflessly help an unfortunate canine – just to shine a little light for those who are less fortunate than our own and our friend’s dogs.
• You never know what life holds in store for you – maybe one day it is your own dog who needs someone to protect him from harm and make him feel safe again.
• It’s just a though…

From M. Annelie Becher at http://www.dogsandhappiness.com

Dog Information

The decision to adopt a dog will affect your life for many years to come. Your pet will become your companion, and look forward to spending time with you whenever he is given the opportunity. He’ll also expect you to provide for his basic needs, such as food, shelter, and exercise. Pet adoption takes commitment since there will be challenges along the way.

A lot of people decide to adopt canines without considering the traits that would best suit their lives. Our goal in this article is to provide direction. We’ll discuss grooming needs, size, age, and activity level. Choosing a dog that matches your lifestyle ensures you’ll enjoy his company.

Maintaining Your Dog’s Appearance

Grooming involves giving your pet regular baths, brushing his hair, clipping his nails, and providing him haircuts. Keep in mind that some canines’ hair grows faster than others, and thus needs to be cut more frequently. For example, a Poodle has fast-growing hair, and may need haircuts every two or three weeks. Hair growth will also influence how often you’ll need to brush your dog. The more quickly his hair grows, the more quickly it will become matted and tangled.

Baths should be given at least once a month. If your canine gets dirty more often, or develops an unpleasant odor, bathe him more frequently.

Large Versus Small: Selecting The Right-Sized Pet

Small dogs are popular for a number of reasons. They can be easily transported from place to place; they are small enough to sit on their owners’ laps; and they are better suited for apartments and condominiums. On the other hand, they can be injured more easily than their larger counterparts.

Large canines are less fragile. They also tend to be protective of their families, and particularly good with young people. One of the downsides to owning one is that they need more room than smaller pets. In cramped spaces, their tails may knock over objects. Additionally, large dogs are usually more costly to care for.

Puppies Versus Adult Canines

Most people choose to adopt puppies. The reasons vary, and range from cuteness to a desire to raise them from an early age. But it’s important to note that adult canines also make wonderful companions. Moreover, they do so without subjecting their owners to the challenges of raising a puppy.

For instance, adult dogs are usually house trained. Their temperaments are more reliable (a puppy’s temperament often changes). Many adult canines are also socialized, having spent substantial time around other people and animals.

Puppies require a lot of time and patience. They need to be house trained. They also need to be supervised lest they chew and destroy valuable possessions. Plan to invest plenty of time into training a pup.

Couch Potato Versus An Active Dog

Some canines are far more energetic than others. Breed plays a role. Border Collies, Labrador Retrievers, and Chihuahuas tend to be high-energy pets while Great Danes, Chow Chows, and Bernese Mountain Dogs usually have much less energy. But other factors that are more difficult to predict (and control) are also important.

One of the most important things you can do is provide your canine with daily exercise. Not only will doing so help to ensure his long-term health, but will also normalize his energy level. As a result, he’ll be less inclined to display poor behavior (e.g. barking, destroying furniture, etc.).

Choosing a dog that suits your style of living will have a major influence on the relationship you share with one another. It will make the experience of caring for him seem even more rewarding.

Jon Ericksen

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Dog Information

Dogs are an incredibly diverse species. Not only do they have an amazing array of of physical characteristics, but even their personality traits and behavioral characteristics differ from one breed to another.

Much of this is down to human meddling. For centuries we have bred dogs to meet our needs, so that over time we’ve developed over 600 distinct dog breeds.

However, recent studies suggest that many of the physical changes in dogs may have occurred spontaneously. So as amazing as it is, it seems dogs have actually evolved along the lines they believe we expect of them. Now that’s what I call devotion!

Fascinating stuff, but there’s also a practical purpose to all this.

Let’s say you are interested in buying or adopting a purebred dog. I’m sure you’d want one that is a good fit for your life style. It would be foolish for example to adopt a Husky, if your idea of fun is flopping down in front of the TV with with a bowl of popcorn. Before you know it you’ll have an extremely frustrated dog, most likely with behavioral problems.

By the same token, an active person who gets a Bulldog and expects him to join in the Sunday morning jog is bound to be disappointed.

And it’s not just energy levels you need to consider. As you begin to put together a picture of your perfect dog, think about the level of affection you want, the level of independence, guarding ability, whether you mind a dog that barks. You’ll find there’s a breed that matches just about any profile you can think of.

And what about physical appearance, size for example? It’s hard to imagine two animals more different than a Saint Bernard and a Chinese Crested, yet both are unmistakably, dogs.

Another factor you need to take into account is the amount of hair the dog sheds. Some dogs shed enough hair to make another dog, while others hardly shed at all. And if shedding is really an issue there are hairless dogs, like the Xoloitzcuintle.

Trainability is another factor that should be considered. If you’re determined to obedience train your dog, then you’ll want a breed that is pliant and obedient, not the canine equivalent of an obdurate mule.

So if trainability is an important factor you’ll want a dog that is a quick learner with an eagerness to please. Dogs that fall into this group include the Poodle, Papillon and Golden Retriever.

At the other end of the scale you’ll find the the hounds – stubborn, obstinate and downright bloody-minded. Dachshunds are said by some (only half-jokingly) to be impossible to train, while some toy dogs just can’t be bothered to pay attention.

And then there are the so-called designer dogs, as well as mixed breed dogs, which we haven’t even spoken about here.

The point is, there’s a dog that’s ideal for every person, every lifestyle. What’s your dog type?

Gary Clint Walker

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Dog Information

Autism can present many obstacles for both the affected child and his or her parents, and although more and more is being learned about this disorder every day, the exact cause still remains a bit of a mystery, making effective treatment extremely challenging. One treatment that is gaining popularity, however, chiefly due to the positive reports and feedback regarding its effectiveness, is the use of assistance dogs. In this article we will take a closer look at autism and its accompanying symptoms, along with some information on how assistance dogs are making a very constructive difference in the lives of autistic children.

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects approximately 1 out of every 150 children, with the first symptoms usually surfacing sometime after the first year of life. Generally, autism is characterized by a triad of symptoms which includes impairment in language development, a severe delay in the development of social skills and the presence of both restrictive and repetitive behaviors. One of the mysteries of autism is that it affects people to varying degrees. Classified as a “spectrum disorder,” autism symptoms can range from profound disability, in which language and social development are almost nonexistent, to very mild, as seen in people with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism. Autism may also cause other health issues. Many children with autism, for example, experience a high rate of seizures and gastrointestinal difficulties.

Assistance Dogs and Autism

Most people have probably heard of assistance dogs that can aid the blind and those with physical disabilities, but can these dogs help with autism? According to recent reports, the answer seems to be a resounding “yes.” Studies have shown that these assistance dogs, when properly trained for specific tasks aimed at helping those with autism, can be a very effective tool for both social development and behavior modification.

The use of assistance dogs, at least in the world of autism, is fairly new territory, and although the training facilities for autism dogs are few in numbers, recent demand has prompted a dramatic increase in these services. Currently, the average waiting time for an autism service dog is 2-3 years, but experts believe the wait time will diminish greatly as more and more trainers begin offering these services.

Training assistance dogs to work with autistic children presents many challenges and can be a lengthy process which continues even after the dog has been relinquished to the child and his family. Below are some of the specific tasks these dogs can be trained to perform, all of which will help in the daily functioning of those suffering from autism:

• Work as a Team. Typically, autism dogs are taught to work as part of a team. Since the child may not be able to completely assume the role of handler, the autism dog is usually handled with one leash being held by the child (usually attached to the dog’s waist with a harness) and one that the parent will hold (usually attached to the collar). The assistance dog will have to learn to differentiate between the two leashes, discriminating between the cues of the handler and the desires of the child.
• Behavior Modification. Assistance dogs can be very effective working with children who have a tendency to wander away or bolt in open settings. They can also alert the parent when the child is beginning to approach an area that is may endanger the child’s life. These services allow the child to have a limited amount of freedom and can help parents with general supervision.
• Emotional Calming. Assistance dogs can provide emotional calming in those children who are prone to outbursts and tantrums. In return, the child’s constant presence can have the same effect on the dog.
• Social Interaction. Children with autism have a difficult time socializing normally, but the presence of a dog usually makes them more approachable to their peers. Sometimes known as “social capital” this can be one of the most important roles an assistance dog can play.
• Seizure Detection. Assistance dogs can be trained to predict the onset of a seizure and alert the parent or guardian. Naturally, this ability can help keep children safe in the event of one of these attacks.

Choosing an Assistance Dog

Not all assistance dogs will be trained to handle all of the above tasks, so it’s vitally important that you inform the trainer of all your child’s individual needs. Usually, these dogs are trained on an individual basis, learning the exact skills which will be required by you and your family, and can even include such skills as accompanying your child to school. Sometimes a transition period will have to be observed in which the dog spends some of the day with the trainer and some with his new handlers.

Keep in mind that a younger dog, one which was recently trained, will stand a better chance of bonding quickly with the child.

The obstacles and challenges faced by those with autism and their families can be difficult to navigate, but a trained assistance dog can help lessen the burden and keep your child safe.

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Dog Information

Owning a pet comes with a variety of responsibilities. In addition to being responsible for the welfare of the animal, there are certain other things also that you might need to take care of. Many people tend to take these things for granted. Since animals don’t really know how to be “green”, it is left to us humans to ensure that we are not doing something that could be detrimental to the environment. If you too want to know how you can be an environmentally sustainable dog owner, read on to learn some of the different approaches.

First, you ought to keep in mind that investing only in dog food items that have been carefully produced to not release toxic waste would be a great way to start. There are many eco-friendly dog food items to pick from, so finding one shouldn’t be an issue. An added bonus with this is the fact that the food that falls in this category will usually have fewer chemicals in it as well. Therefore, you can take pride in the fact that you are feeding your dog only natural food items.

Next, you should also remember that you can obtain accessories or clothing items that have made a pledge to the environment. Many dog owners like to invest in an array of accessories that includes dog clothes to leashes. If you were to invest only in products that have a certain amount of recycled substances in them or have been made to be easily biodegradable, you will be doing your part in protecting the environment as well. Some of the products that don’t care as much for the environment are made with dyes that are very harmful. Ideally, you would want to avoid this as well.

Even grooming products like shampoo and flea killers can be purchased which are made so as to protect your environment. Although these are typically chemical compounds, there are now companies that make eco friendly variants which tend to use raw materials that are obtained without damaging the environment. These natural products tend to be quite good for your pet’s coat as well and can be relied upon if you need a product that can really work well for you with minimal problems. Not only will the products work like intended, they also can be quite effective in what they do.

A common grouse with pet owners about eco friendly products is the prohibitive cost. The good news is that you can now be environmentally aware without burning a hole in your pocket. There are many cheap options that can be made use of which can potentially save you quite a bit of money in the long run. A little bit of research can help you identify these products and ensure that you are able to get hold of the right kind without any complications. This is the aspect that you should probably look into and think more about if you don’t want to be responsible for environmental damage at a later time.

Lynn Serrano

Keeping your dog eco friendly does not mean she can’t be fashion forward too! There are many ways to keep your pup on the up and up and still be fashionable. Buying clothes that are like new is a great way to stay green. Canine Xchange is a great new resale dog boutique that not only is a place for you to find great eco friendly products you can also sell your gently used items as well. Selling your gently used items not only keeps them out of the landfill it also gives you a welcome return on your investment.
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