Dog Information

If you own a dog then you are well aware of some of the problems that dogs can suffer from, including dry itchy skin, dandruff, skin irritations, such as flea or tick bites, hot spots, etc. All of these conditions will serve to irritate your dog, causing him to scratch, roll around on the floor and even bite at the irritated area. There are hundreds of different types of medicated shampoos on the market for dogs but none work as well as an oatmeal shampoo.

Why oatmeal? Oatmeal itself is a cultivated crop that is mostly used as a breakfast cereal. However, colloidal oatmeal (oatmeal that has been ground into a powder for use in pastes and baths) is the best type for treating skin conditions. It is a natural skin soother, containing natural chemicals such as phenols and avenanthramides, which are beneficial for treating skin irritations.

The benefits of using oatmeal shampoo on your dog are many. It has the ability to restore the PH balance of your dog’s skin, thus preventing bacterial and fungal skin infections from flaring up. Unbalanced PH and zinc deficiency are 2 of the major causes of irritation.

Oatmeal shampoo also has the benefit of moisturising your dog’s skin. This helps to stop conditions such as dandruff and psoriasis from starting and stops your dog from shedding dead skin everywhere. The shampoo will also serve to remove dead skin and hair from your dog’s coat, allowing new layers to start growing.

Oatmeal shampoo is a gentle shampoo. It does not further irritate the skin, like some medicated shampoos do. Used regularly it will also leave your dog’s coat shiny and soft and will not leave unnatural odours behind.

Dogs are not immune to insects. Insect bites can literally drive your dog round the bend, causing them to chew and scratch at the affected area. This in itself will cause problems such as loss of hair and skin and will make the bite area a lot worse. Mosquitos, Fleas and ticks are probably the 3 worst offenders and regular use of oatmeal shampoo will soothe the area and stop your dog from attacking itself.

Dandruff is one of the more common skin conditions a dog can suffer from and is normally an indication that their diet is not sufficient or they are not getting enough vitamins. As well as changing your dog’s diet, regular use of an oatmeal shampoo will ensure that your dog’s skin is moisturised enough to stop the skin from drying out.

Oatmeal shampoo is excellent for soothing a dog’s skin to ease any minor skin irritations, bites and itches. It can be used on a more regular basis than a lot of shampoos currently on the market because it doesn’t irritate the skin and isn’t harsh and, unlike many other shampoos it doesn’t strip the natural oils from the coat. It also leaves the dog looking and smelling clean and his coat will be soft and shiny. Used regularly and correctly it will benefit both you and your dog for years to come.

Ted John Yanes

Dog Information

According to WebMD, one in five people suffer from some type of allergy. An allergy is defined as a disorder of the immune system that makes a person hypersensitive to normally innocuous substances. The substance (allergen) that causes allergies could be pollen, cat dander, or a specific food. Inhaling, ingesting, or coming into contact with these allergens can cause a variety of symptoms, from itchy eyes and rashes to death. Most of us know someone who is allergic to something. But did you know that allergies also affect our furry friends?

About 20 percent of the dogs in America have some type of allergy, according to the ASPCA. Of course, these allergies are often much harder to diagnose than they are in humans, since our canine friends can’t tell us that something is making them sick. In other words, we must pay close attention to how they look and act. No, you don’t have to be a pet detective. You simply have to keep an eye out for the same symptoms that are associated with allergies in humans.

What are they?

Itchy, watery, and/or runny eyes

Sneezing

Diarrhea

Itchy ears

Incessant scratching

Red or inflamed skin

Heavy, stertorous snoring or breathing

Paw licking, biting, or chewing

Vomiting

Obviously, some of these symptoms are more noticeable than others. If your dog throws up shortly after you switch dog food brands that may mean he is allergic to one of the ingredients in the new food. This is often easy to address, i.e., simply go back to the old brand. But other common dog allergies can be difficult to pinpoint. If you pet is sneezing, coughing, or even wheezing, it could be caused by any one of a dozen allergens. More often than not, something is affecting his respiratory tract, but it is hard to know exactly what that something is. The only way to know for sure is to have him tested for pet allergies by a veterinarian.

As every pet owner knows, veterinary visits can be expensive, especially for people living on fixed incomes. The doctor has to do a complete physical examination, including blood and/or skin tests, which can really add up.

Food Allergens

Is there an affordable option? It really does depend on the allergy. If you pet vomits or has diarrhea shortly after eating, there’s a pretty good chance he has a food allergy and that something you are feeding him is making him sick. In order to locate the allergen, you must put your pooch on an elimination diet. That means no more treats and no more feeding him from the table! You must keep track of everything he eats and then start removing foods until you locate the culprit. Of course, this does not mean that you will feed him any less than you did before. It simply means less variety.

Environmental Allergens

As you might expect, it is much harder to locate the offending substance if it cannot be tracked. Therefore, prevention is the best treatment for dogs that suffer from environmental allergies. Whether you canine friend is allergic to dust or pollen, it is possible to keep him bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (or waggy-tailed) with a little extra work. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Cleaning is the place to start. This includes both your house and your dog. Pet owners who have pooches with allergies should vacuum their homes or apartments at least twice a week. It is also extremely important to clean the place where he sleeps or spends most of his time. If he has a dog bed that is dirty and old, replace it, even if he’s partial to it. He might not know it’s making him sick!

Regular, even weekly bathing may help relieve the itching and skin irritation that is cause by environmental allergens like pollen. There are prescription and over-the-counter shampoos that are designed specifically for dogs with sensitive skin who may also suffer from allergies. Ask your veterinarian which products are best for your dogs. It is important to note that some shampoos do contain harsh chemicals that may actually make the skin irritation worse. Therefore, it is always best to talk to your dog’s doctor before you use any new product on him.

Dog Information

Protein for dogs, in their diet, is essential for optimal health…

Why are proteins essential?

• without enough protein the body will not function properly
• protein is responsible for all growth, maintenance and repair
• it is the major component of muscles, organs and tissues
• it is important for the digestion process
• essential for regulating the metabolism
• maintains healthy skin, hair and nails
• transports oxygen, vitamins and nutrients around the body in the blood
• essential in the production of antibodies that fight disease

Why do dogs need protein in particular?

Protein is the main category of food that is consumed by wolves in the wild and our domestic dogs only differ, by a mere 2%, genetically, from their wild ancestors; their digestive systems are just the same.

In the wild a wolf will mainly live off the prey they have caught. From this, they will eat various parts including muscle meat, organ meat (kidney, heart, liver etc) and the stomach. In eating the stomach, the contents are also consumed, which can include semi-digested grains and vegetation…

So, with that in mind, would it not make sense that to thrive, a domesticated dog’s food should simulate, as much as possible, the natural diet?

The answer is, of course – yes!

However, the majority of commercial dog food today falls way short of providing your dog with the essential health foundation of protein that he or she will need in order to thrive. And I mean ‘thrive’ not just ‘survive’…

But what if my dog food says it meets the minimum required amount of protein?

You must be aware that the minimum amount of protein that must be in commercial dog food is ONLY 9% of the entire food! As long as the food meets this standard, then they can claim it is ‘balanced’ and meets all requirements…

But those requirements are not ‘to keep your dog healthy’, those requirements are only a legal obligation, and in many cases, the companies do not have any interest in depleting their profits any more than they have to – so will provide the minimum, or only just above it.

This is not enough – as I have mentioned above, protein for dogs is essential, and in LARGE amounts. This should equate to at least 70-80% of their diet.

What exactly is a good source of protein for dogs?

Good quality protein for dogs can be found from many sources, including:

• chicken breast
• turkey thigh
• beef steak
• lamb steak
• calf or lamb liver
• chicken, lamb or calf kidney
• salmon fillet
• sardines
• cottage cheese
• yoghurt
• eggs

As well as low protein levels, a lot of commercial dog food has LOW QUALITY protein which comes from undesirable sources such as soy, wheat and corn. These are all extremely hard for your dog to digest – if at all – and provide no nutritional value whatsoever.

Why do they use these forms of protein? Quite simply…because it’s cheaper.

Conclusion: If you feed your dog commercial dog food, then please look at the label – for more help deciphering it, you can visit my posting here.

Make sure your dog is getting a good quality protein, as without it, your dog could be facing the future with a multitude of health problems such as cancer, diabetes, allergies, heart failure and even death at an early age, as the body wears out from lack of proper nutrition.

Keep your dog safe and healthy and make an informed choice.

To your dogs health!

Sarah Preston

Dog Information

For those of us whose dogs trigger our allergies, it can be a real balancing act to enjoy them while dealing with the symptoms that are often triggered by their presence. Here are 5 things you can do right now that will help you enjoy your dog more by reducing the allergens that trigger symptoms.

Bathe Your Pooch—Depending on the size of your pet, you may or may not be able to do this yourself. Effectively reducing the amount of hair, fur, and/or dander that is available to go airborne is crucial. This one action alone can make a huge difference in the particle count in your air.

Check with the veterinarian first for the frequency and type of products that are best to use. This is important because bathing too frequently or with the wrong type of shampoo can cause dry skin and actually increase the amount of dander.

Clean Pet Areas Frequently—Dust mites are common indoor pollutants and these little critters feed on dander (dead skin flakes). Dander is the body’s way of replacing old skin with newer, healthier skin that is more able to protect it against disease and infection.

Keeping your dog’s favorite bedding, rug, and furniture clean, and laundered when possible is one of the best way to reduce these allergens that can increase when the dander count is high.

Provide A Healthy Diet—Make the vet’s office your first stop for the answer that is best for your pooch.. The debate continues about what a “healthy diet” really means. So consult the professional who cares for your dog. Their recommendations are able to be based on what is best for your dog.

A healthy diet directly affects the condition of your dog’s coat and skin. An improper diet can contribute to shedding and more dander production while a balanced diet can mean fewer skin issues. It is important to note that dander is a fact of life. But following these suggestions will help keep levels lower and lessen its impact on you and your allergies.

Limit Your Numbers—So many dog owners find it hard to say no to bringing home dogs when they turn those big beautiful eyes on you. And while a big heart is a wonderful thing, adopting too many dogs only to find out that you cannot tolerate living with them is hard on you and the dog.

So if you know you are sensitive to pet-related allergens, consider the possible consequences when opening your home to multiple dogs. It is hard to imagine the problems won’t multiply exponentially with more than one or two in your home. Better to love one.

Filter The Air—Even though pet-related allergens may be what you are most focused on with your allergies at this point, most people who are allergic are sensitive to a variety of allergens.

Irritants such as household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, and seasonal pollen can combine to create problems all through the year. Using a HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filter to clear the air of particulates is an effective way to minimize your exposure to numerous allergens.

By definition a HEPA filter must be able to remove 99,997 out of every 10,000 airborne particles that are.3 microns in size or greater. With a micron being defined as one millionth of a meter, it’s easy to see that it can remove not only pet allergens, but those that are inherent to indoor spaces as well as those that may they way indoors from outside.

It is heartbreaking to even think about having to find someone else to love your dog. These suggestions can mean the difference between enjoying your life with your dog and just getting through it.

Debbie Davis

Dog Information

Using all-natural pet shampoos is the best option for your pet, your family and the environment. There are many recipes for making natural pet shampoos that will help pets with all types of ailments including allergies, dry skin and fleas. At the end of this article I will give you the recipe to a simple all-natural oatmeal shampoo that you can make at home for pennies on the dollar of the store bought brands. But first I want to tell you why using an all-natural shampoo is better for everyone.

First off, making these products yourself can be very cost effective while giving you peace of mind concerning the chemicals you are using on your pet and around your family.

A lot of pet owners simply do not realize the dangers of some of the chemicals found in many common pet products. Many common pet shampoos contain toxins such as petroleum, parabens, artificial fragrances and dyes, harsh soaps and tons of words I can’t even pronounce.

Our skin is the largest organ of the body and can absorb harmful toxins into the bloodstream very easily. The same is true for our pets skin. Therefore, if you are using toxic chemicals on your pet then a percentage of those toxins will end up in your pets bloodstream and over time this exposure could shorten the life of your pet.

Of course when you are bathing your pet without gloves or some other protection to keep your skin from coming in contact with the shampoo then you too are absorbing those chemicals.

Traces of these chemicals will remain in your pets coat and could be transferred to your family when coming in contact with your pet. That may not be a huge deal for a regular puppy shampoo but when dealing with heavily toxic chemical based shampoos such as flea shampoos this can pose some serious threats. Especially for young children or those with sensitive skin and allergies. There are many toxins used in pet shampoos today for which we do not yet fully understand the possible implications that could arise pro longed exposure. Is that something that your willing to risk with your family? I think not.

Just as some of these chemicals can be toxic for us and our pets they can also be toxic to the environment. If you are bathing your dog out side the rinse water that goes on to the ground could be carrying chemical toxins into our soil. Where they could remain for very long periods of time contaminating local water sources such as lakes and rivers.

Luckily, there are some great all-natural alternatives to your standard chemical based pet shampoos. Here is a recipes to one of the easiest and cheapest alternatives. This oatmeal shampoo recipe is great for dogs with allergies to other shampoos. This recipe is also wonderful for dogs with severely dry and irritated skin. The oatmeal has many healing and soothing properties for the skin.

Most likely you already have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen pantry. This is a very simple recipe which you could easily build on for customization.

You will need:

1 Cup of Colloidal (“ground”) Oatmeal
1 Cup of Baking Soda
1 Quart of Warm (Distilled) Water (The distilled water is optional, but I prefer it for quality. You can use regular tap water if you desire.)

If need be you can grind some oatmeal in a blender, or coffee grinder. You want it to be as powder-like as possible.

Mix all these ingredients together. If you prefer more lather to your pets shampoo you can add a few drops of a mild castile soap. Although, this shampoo will clean just fine without the lather.

Instructions for use. Wet your dog entirely and apply the shampoo mixture generously to your pets body. Massage the shampoo into your pets coat. For best results allow the shampoo to set for 5 minuets before rinsing with lukewarm water. Pat your pet dry with a towel and enjoy a clean and happy puppy. This is a very basic recipes and there are many ways in which you could build off of this to make it even better. Enjoy!

Robin Kasper

Dog Information

When we lose someone dear and precious, it is if all the others who died before are lost to us again. Safely dormant in our memory this most recent death awakens and amplifies the loss of all those who have gone before. They uncoil, stretch and as they join hands the weight of all that pain and grief bows us over until we think we cannot stand or move or breathe again.

There is a vacuum in my heart shaped like a dog. His name was Ally and he was a Doberman. And if you know about Dobes, you know they are special- if you have ever had the privilege of being loved by a Doberman; you will know they are extraordinary. Ally was magnificent.

He was barely two weeks old when we met. My life was in complete and utter turmoil for I was leaving a place I did not want to leave and moving to a place I did not want to go. I knew I could not do it alone, I needed a dog. But not just any dog, a Doberman.

He was born of the Aeolus pedigree and his breeder who sold him to me said that his line had won many awards for best in show, obedience and many others. They were champions and she said this was the best litter in over twenty years- she was selling the puppies for $4,000 each.

Noticing my audible gulp, she said she had 2 males and 2 females whom she would sell for $1000-$1500 each. She recommended that I drive to her kennel so that I could meet these puppies. The breeder escorted me into a large garage type building and scooped up 4 tiny bodies, put them on the cement floor and left me alone with them. When I sat down on the floor, one of the puppies extracted himself and wobbled over to me wagging his whole body. His other 3 litter mates stayed in their ball and watched me cautiously. In that moment, Ally and I started the 10 year journey that ended the morning of March 26th, 2006.

Ally was fearless. Our first “outing” was to a Petco store in Houston – he was about 4 weeks old. He saw an enormous Rotweiler, the dog must have weighed 120 or 130 pounds, this tiny puppy “attacked” the Rotweiler- straining at his leash while barking, growling with all the attendant ferocity of the 80 pound animal he would become within the year. The owner as well as the 5 or 6 other customers in the store cracked up. Throughout his life that fearlessness would remain a dominant feature of his personality.

He was about 3 months old when we left Texas for the move to Massachusetts that I had so dreaded. We arrived at Logan airport in late November of 1995; I retrieved Ally from the dog pick-up place and as we sat in the airport shuttle I am not sure who was more frightened, he or I. I had found a house to rent with woods for the puppy to run and grow into. I could only hope that this new job and home would work for us. But I had been in Texas for close to 20 years and the move to Massachusetts felt like a move to another planet.

I worked very long hours, too long to be fair to a rapidly growing, energetic and lonely puppy. But as the days passed into weeks, we adjusted into a routine that worked fairly well for the two of us. The breeder had taught me that crates are best for growing dogs- since they were pack animals, they felt safe and the items in the house would be protected from exploring curious puppy teeth. But during the times he was allowed out of the crate, all was fair game. He was toughest to keep up during my morning workout and it must have been during one of those times that the cause of our first crisis occurred.

We had been in our new home for perhaps a month or so. At 2 or 3 am one morning, Ally was very suddenly terribly ill with vomiting and diarrhea. I called an emergency number for a veterinarian and reached a man named Dr. Rice. After explaining my situation to this man, he answered by giving me directions to the Tufts University Clinic suggesting that the dog’s symptoms sounded like emergency surgery would be required and that his practice was closed as he was close to retirement. I will never know why this good man agreed to let me bring Ally to his office at 6am on my way to work. Dr Rice told me that he had no idea what would cause such violent sickness in a dog this young and in his gentle way tried to prepare me for all eventualities. He explained what he would do and what his options were and that he would call me in the middle of the morning. I was meeting with my administrative staff about our budget challenges when my secretary interrupted us with a call from Dr. Rice. Taking the call, the listeners in my office heard only one exclamation from me: “what…pantyhose?” And my whole office dissolved into gales of laughter.

Ally had found and swallowed a pair of my panty hose. Dr Rice was astounded by the fact that the purgatives had resulted in the pantyhose being expelled without complication.He had been unable to identify anything on X-Ray and had had to rely on restoring the dog’s lost fluids and continuing to cause vomiting hoping that something would be expelled. He said that it took him and his staff a while to identify what the object was. I picked up my dog later that afternoon with effusive gratitude for this man- when I asked if he could recommend a veterinarian for me to take Ally to, he grinned and answered, you already have one.

Our very best times during those first few months were spent behind the rental house exploring the woods where he could race with complete abandon during that winter and the spring. Or those weekends when we would take a run through the quiet streets of the town. Many evenings, we would simply sit listening to music and I would talk to him about whatever was on my mind.

When John met Ally and me later that year, it took a while for them to get to understand one another. John was accustomed to dogs but dogs that were mostly outside and sort of invisible. Ally loved being outside- if I was there but he was never invisible. Once John and I got married he bought a couple of books about Dobermans so that he could learn about this dog who was truly the very best friend I’d ever had. When he finished the books he announced that he got it now…that with a Doberman you just had to realize that it was your very good fortune that they chose to live with you and to love you…but that it was their choice.

What is it about the love between us and a dog? Is it that we envy the integrity of their being or the purity and simplicity of their nature? Where too much of our lives are frequently spent doing battle with our various selves- consumed by ambition or greed, an animal is never more or less than an animal. Where the love between persons is so often conditional, the love of a dog is, it just is no matter what. I think it no coincidence that dog is God spelled backwards.

John and I talked for hours about Ally the night he died. John did most of the talking while I was doing most of the crying. We talked of his spirit- that Texas sized heart filled with an indomitable spirit. John took many walks in the desert alone with Ally and he said he would think often about what might happen if they encountered a mountain lion, plentiful in the high desert mountains. That night John said he knew exactly what would have happened. That if it had been necessary, Ally would have placed himself between John and the lion and would fight to his death.

There is a boulder on top of his grave that reads:

“Aeolus” Ally Heart and Soul

August 7, 1995 – March 26, 2006

The gift which I am sending you is called a dog and is, in fact, the most precious and valuable possession of mankind.”

When I was a very young college student, I discovered the writings of Kahil Gibran and memorized some phrases that seemed to explain the turbulence of my life as a young adult. Now as a much older adult, they come back…

“…your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain…When you are sorrowful look again into your heart, and you will see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. Some of you say “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced…”

Dog Information

When you come home from work and your dog Ellie barks at you incessantly as you fumble with the key, she is telling you something. When she yips at the dogs walking by your house, she is saying something. When she whines and cries because she can’t get at that darned squirrel, she is communicating. Ellie barks for a reason. Barking is one very important method by which dogs speak. Not, in the way we speak, of course, but communication is communication. If you want to have a better relationship with Ellie, learn to understand what she has to say.

“I’m raising an alarm.”
If Ellie is distressed, perhaps because she believes there is an intruder in or near the house, she will bark repeatedly. If the barks are of medium pitch and strings of four or five barks separated by a pause, she is not too alarmed yet. She is curious though, and thinks you should check it out. If those barks lose the pauses, she is more alarmed. If the barks become lower in pitch and slower, she is quite worried about the situation and you had better see what she is barking at.

“Hey there!”
When Ellie wants to great you or another dog in a friendly, lazy sort of way, she will let loose a couple of sharp, short barks. They will be medium to high in pitch.

“Get lost!”
When Ellie is annoyed, she will let you know. One short, sharp bark in a middle to low pitch range means she wants you to back off. This may happen when an inconsiderate child pulls her ear or tail. A more serious way of telling you to get lost is when she gives off a lower-pitch, deep, soft bark. This often happens when another dog is annoying her. Beware of a deep growl combined with a bark. She is really getting annoyed now.

“Let’s play!”
To get you or maybe her best dog buddy to play with her, Ellie will give a sort of stuttering bark. A multi-syllabic bark, if you will. This is combined with the play stance: front legs flat on the ground, but up in the air. When play time is getting very exciting and she couldn’t possibly have more fun, Ellie’s barking will rise in pitch to a high frequency bark.

“I’m lonely.”
You may not here this one too often, as Ellie will send this message when you leave her alone. A yipping followed by a howl or a series of sharp barks with a pause between each one means she is alone and suffering for it.

“Come on, let’s go!”
A whiny bark of anticipation signals that Ellie is excited and wants something. The situation will dictate what she wants. It could a potty break, attention, to go on your usual evening hike, or to play with the dogs that she sees through the window.

“I’m scared.”
Hopefully you never hear this one out of Ellie, but if she makes a whimpering sort of bark, she is scared, uncertain, anxious, or in pain. If you hear this, you need to assess the situation and find out what is upsetting her so you can fix it.

As you listen to Ellie’s barking to interpret her messages, remember that she is an individual. The above bark types are generalized and Ellie may sound a little bit different. The best way to understand her is to take into account the general barks, but to also consider the situation at hand. If she hasn’t been out for a while, for instance, and is barking at the door, that is probably her “I need to go out” bark. Observe her to learn Ellie’s own, specialized language.

Jay J Anderson

Dog Information

Ferdinand is a six year old tri colored Smooth Collie. His sire and dam are both former top 10 Smooth Collie show dogs. TC (Ch. Row-Bar’s Sum Of All Fears HT) and Ursula (Ch. Row-Bar’s Southern Dream) had between them Herding Group wins, Best in Specialty Show wins, a Collie Club of America Award of Merit.and three top 10 end of year rankings. On the night the litter was whelped (litters always come at night), Ursula delivered eight healthy puppies and then went into uterine inertia. The contractions stopped, even though I was sure there was another puppy in there. I gave her a shot of Oxytocin to try to stimulate more contractions with no success. The first eight puppies were all nursing and looked good.

First thing in the morning I took Ursula to the Vet. She confirmed that there was one more puppy in there and, after another unsuccessful Oxytocin shot, Ursula was prepped for a C-section. In a final last ditch effort, the Vet was able to pull the last puppy out without surgery. He was a tri smooth male. He didn’t look quite right but I took him home and tried to get him to nurse with the other puppies. He was too weak to nurse. I tube fed him and took him back to the Vet. She diagnosed a systemic infection and gave him an antibiotic shot and sent me home with enough of the antibiotic for a shot every 12 hours for a week. He was never strong enough to nurse, so I tube fed him (tube feeding involves sticking a tube down the puppy’s throat and filling his stomach with milk replacer) every 4 hours until he was strong enough to stand and eat from a puppy trough – about three weeks.

Every weekend my wife would come home (she lives and works 90 miles away during the week) and ask “Is the puppy dead, yet?” He survived and grew, but was smaller than the other eight. At 6 weeks of age, I moved the whole litter out to the kennel building into a double sized “puppy” run. The little tri was so small that he could get under the edge of the run on the inside of the kennel and he would go visiting the other dogs. At the time, I had an adult Collie male that was so dog aggressive I couldn’t let him run with the other males and I also had a cantankerous older male Corgi. I would find the wandering puppy in either of their runs – visiting. It was at this time that I named him Ferdinand after Ferdinand Magellan, the world explorer. I registered him as Row-Bar’s World Traveler.

During the first three weeks of his life, the tip of his tail withered and fell off and he gradually developed a club foot at the end of his left front leg. It wasn’t until he was almost nine months old that I noticed that his right shoulder was malformed. He walks with a limp and can’t trot normally, but bounds around and shows no sign that he is in pain. He loves everybody and is the first house dog to go up to visitors. His will to live in the first weeks of life were astounding. My wife called him the “dog that should never have been”, but he endured. He is lying at my feet as I write this. Ferdinand the Survivor.

Stephen M Johns

Dog Information

Have you ever said something to a dog and watched in amusement as its head tilts from side to side? Apart from the adorable and funny gesture this seems to represent, it’s far more significant that the dog is processing your words and desperately trying to work out what it is that you want. If your dog understands the meaning of your words then it believes that immeasurable amounts of pleasure will come flooding into its life. For this reason, I found that training my dog obedience became one of the most positive experiences of our relationship so far!

A lot of how much work you can do with your dog depends on factors like breed and general temperament. Some dogs are just more suited to carrying out complicated commands than others. A border collie, for example, has the instinct to herd sheep firmly implanted in its genes; a St Bernard has the instinct to find survivors in the snow.

On the other hand, although it may seem like an intelligent working dog is responding to complicated strings of words, it’s actually acting on experience in relation to a set of sounds. This is demonstrated most graphically by a sheep dog that responds to the varying tones of whistle the farmer uses to direct him in the act of rounding up sheep.

What about if you ever get angry at your dog? The chances are that it’s hard to hide the emotion in your voice if you come home to find your sofa cushions in shreds and then see a strand of cotton hanging from your dog’s mouth. If you yell at the dog then it’ll turn into a quivering wreck and, most likely, run away and hide under the bed!

Similarly, getting frustrated with your dog for not taking its medicine will only result in the dog hiding somewhere. Do you think you’ll be able to lure it out by ranting at it? It’s unlikely. On the other hand, call it with the tone of voice you use for treats and you’ll have a panting mutt begging at your feet within seconds. These are just some of the secrets I found out in my experiences!

The common thread amongst all dogs, however, is that they really do believe that if they can do whatever it is that you want then that will result in pleasure – a treat, strokes, tummy tickle or some other kind of rewarding attention. That means that your voice gives them their cue to pay you attention. There are simple ways to increase the effectiveness of voice tone but the fact is dogs look for other clues too.

This illustrates some of the simple psychology used to empower dog owners to encourage their dogs to be obedient. To get the greatest benefits from training obedience, however, just use the leverage that good behavior results in treats and pleasure. With this as a starting point you’ll go long way towards a happy relationship with your dog, just like I did when training my dog obedience.

Dog Information

The BARF diet is inspiring pet owners around the world to go back to the basics when caring for their furry friends. By looking at ancient history, this diet correctly claims that domesticated dogs are healthier when eating like their wild ancestors. This means no more processed foods made of unrecognizable meat stripped of essential nutrients and no more kibble with who knows what kind of filler ingredients.

The BARF diet is gaining more and more popularity as pet owners who were skeptical about it to begin with watch with joy as their pets grow healthier. The nutrients and make up of healthy raw food in this diet can help sickly pets heal and pets of average health reach their maximum virility. Pet owners who are interested in giving their furry friends the best and longest life possible are finding that this fits the bill exactly.

BARF is an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. This title, while it may sound unappealing, gets to the basis of what this pet diet is built on. By choosing raw and whole food that their bodies were evolutionarily built to process, this really does provide biologically appropriate raw food to make domesticated dogs healthier and happier.

Because everything on the menu is raw, whole, unprocessed food, it also drastically improves the dental health of dogs. Pet owners notice that their animals’ teeth and gums both became healthier. Wild animals are used to using their teeth and mouths in general to tear apart meat and even process vegetables. Giving them the textures and eating habits that they are built for is what the BARF diet is all about.

If an animal has mangy skin, fleas, mites or other skin problems, this can help. The BARF diet helps dogs grow a healthy, gleaming coat of strong fur by providing their body with all the nutrients it needs. Even degenerative diseases can be stalled and treated by using the BARF diet. It’s as simple as feeding a dog exactly what he or she wants to eat, but the results are far from subtle.

Pet owners everywhere are finding that the BARF diet provides fast results. There’s nothing like seeing an ailing dog come alive with a switch of diet. The overall, holistic health of your pet will be drastically improved by switching to a more healthful diet.

For owners of healthy dogs, this can spur your pet to maximum health and potential. Healthy animals live longer, happier lives and are far easier to care for. Plus, a healthier animal means fewer trips to the vet and therefore less of a drain on your bank account. It’s a win-win situation for both you and your pet.

The successes of the BARF diet stick around, too. Unlike some diet switches, when a dog goes onto the BARF diet his or her health improves for the long run rather than just for a few weeks or months. The BARF diet provides dogs with every nutrient and mineral needed to help their bodies run with maximum efficiency and ease.

Jamie Lansley