If you are trying to figure out the best way to house train a puppy you may be considering traditional house training or crate training. We are going to take a look at both types of training and give you tips on how to increase your success rate with either option.

First, with house training, it is very important that you establish a routine with your puppy. A routine will help increase the likelihood that your puppy will potty in the places you want them to while you are present and not potty in the wrong places. When they do potty in the right place you are going to want to praise them and reward them for doing the right thing. By praising them you are reinforcing to them what is expected of them, so they will want to repeat that behavior.

Now, puppy training is not an overnight process. When you are not home you have to make some provisions for your pup until they are house trained. You definitely are not going to want to let the puppy roam your house freely, if you do you run the risk of allowing your puppy to develop bad habits such as leaving surprises for you around the house. Make sure that you confine your pup to a small room such as bathroom or the kitchen or a utility room. Any room that has water resistant floors. Now confining your pup to a small room while you are out is not the same as crate training.

Crate training is another way to “potty train” your pup. Considered one of the most effective and efficient ways to train pups. This is because dogs don’t like to potty in their sleeping or resting area as long as they are given the chance to potty elsewhere. While confining a pup to a small area will help inhibit the need to potty there is an even more important reason to crate train.

If your four legged love one has not urinated or had a bowel movement while they are in the their crate, they will need to have one as soon as they are let out. So you take your puppy out and they potty in your presence and receive a reward and praise. What you are doing here is double reinforcing potty in the appropriate places at the right time.

Now here is the important difference between crate training and confining your pup when you are not at home. The goal of confining your puppy while you are away is to prevent them from going all over your house. Crate training however is for short term confinement so that your dog learns to “hold it” when they are in a confined space so that they will want to potty when they are released from being confined and are then taken to where it is you want them to potty.

Crate training teaches your puppy that it is not acceptable to go potty whenever they want, where ever they want. Much like a toddler, the puppy learns that there is a certain time to go potty and a certain place.

Now, if your dog eliminates in the crate, it is because you left them in there to long. This will set your house training back by a number of weeks. The only time that your pup should be in a crate is when you are home. With the exception of night time, you are going to want to take your pup to potty every hour on the hour. Each time you take the puppy out, take him/her out on a leash immediately after letting them out of the crate. While you are outside you are going to need to give the pup about 3 – 5 minutes to relieve himself. If they do not go in that time frame, bring them back into the house and put them back in the crate. If they do relieve themselves in an appropriate amount of time tell them, “Good Potty,” pet them and give them a small reward this doesn’t have to be a treat, it could be play time, affection, or an extended walk.

Tags: dog health, pet, dog nutrition, dog food, commercial dog food, homemade dog food, dogs, pets

Dogs have been around for a very long time… long before there was Purina or IAMS, and they enjoyed a healthy happy well fed life thousands of years ago without these companies and the dog food that they make. So how were the canines of the past fed? They were fed with homemade dog food recipes. Homemade dog food came from the human table.

The last 100 years is when we as humans have been conditioned to believe that dogs are not to eat human food. We have been “brainwashed” that human food is actually harmful to dogs. There is a reason that even today your dog is close to the dinner table when you are eating. They are waiting for their serving of home cooked food.

The best way to keep your dog happy and healthy is by making homemade dog food. Just as you take the time to prepare healthy, home cooked meals for your family you can do the same for your furry four legged family member.

I am sure that you are like me, and you are concerned with what foods go into your dog. But if you were honest, you would admit that even you don’t have the faintest idea of what is really going in the commercial dog food. Did you know that most commercial dog foods are made with harmful and unhealthy chemicals. This has been proven by independent research of my own and research articles that have been published by numerous doctors and veterinarians.

Once you find suitable recipes that will help you make homemade dog food, you may want to consider changing your dogs diet slowly. Try different recipes to see what your dog likes and what your dog does not like. Just like with your family, not everyone likes peas and carrots. Below is a sample recipe for you to try your hand at creating your very first dog food recipe.

Apple Crunch Pup Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dried apple chips
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten slightly
• 4 tablespoons honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray muffin tin with cooling spray. Mix all wet ingredients thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add wet to dry slowly , scraping well to make sure no dry mixture is left. Pour into muffin tins. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out dry. Store in a sealed container. Makes around 12-14 pupcakes.

Tags: homemade dog food, holistic dog food, dogs, pets, commercial dog food, dog health, dog, dog food

You love your four legged furry friend, your pup has become part of your family. So it is only natural then that you want to do everything possible to make sure that they enjoy a happy and healthy life. Here we are going to give you the top ten tips on how to keep your dog healthy.

10. Recognize when your pet is “old.” When a dog is considered old depends on their breed and their size. A small breed dog, one the weighs less then 20 pounds are considered senior at 9 years of age. Medium sized dogs are considered senior when they are about 10 years old. Large dogs, those that weigh 51 to 90 pounds are considered seniors around the age of 8 to 10 years of age. Giant dogs, 90 pounds or more, are considered seniors by the time the reach about 7 to 9 years of age. The smaller the breed of dog the longer they live.

9. Mental Stimulation – make sure that you play with your dog. Make sure that they have toys to play with. Just as you are never to old to play, neither is your dog.

8. Exercise – proper exercise is important to help maintain a healthy body. Exercise will also help slow the aging process, by strengthening muscles, bones and joints.

7. Weight Control – overweight dogs have a shorter life expectancy. Plus being overweight can lead to a number of other health problems. All that weight can also make it difficult for you dog to run, play and enjoy life.

6. Nutrition – know what your dog is eating. Make sure that you are providing the best possible nutrition for your dog. Make sure that you are over doing it on treats, and that you are feeding them correct portion sizes.

5. Wellness Exams – it is always better to prevent then it is to treat. Make sure that you are taking your dog to their regular schedule checkups. This way your dog’s growth and health and being documented and kept track of. Plus this also gives you an opportunity to talk with your vet about what you should be watching for as your pet ages.

4. Stay on top of illnesses – pay attention to your dog. Dogs are one the best at hiding when they are sick. This is their natural instinctive behavior. Pay attention to the amount of water they are drinking, how often they are urinating, weight gain or loss, appetite changes, coughing or other breathing issues.

3. Monitor your dogs environment – make sure that you are paying attention to the changes in their environment that could pose potential health risks to them. Make sure that toxins are out of their reach.

2. Know where your dog is. It is just not a good idea to let them roam freely. Make sure that they are staying in your yard under your watchful eye. Dogs that are allowed to roam freely have a shorter life expectancy then dogs that do not roam freely. Would you let your child roam the neighborhood on their own?

1. Get your pet spayed or neutered. Simple fact, pets that are spayed or neutered a have fewer health problems. They are also more playful and affectionate once they are neutered or spayed. They are also less likely to roam once they have had this surgical procedure done.

Tags: homemade dog food, pets, dog health, dogs, pet, dog, commercial dog food, holistic dog food

One of the most preventable diseases for dogs is also one of the most serious and potentially fatal diseases known to dogs, heartworms. While dogs are the primary victims of heartworm, it can also affect ferrets, cats and exotic animals. There are a few human cases of heartworm as well.

Heartworms are transferred animal to animal mainly by mosquitoes. A mosquito bites an infected animal, at this point the microfilariae or young heartworms move into the mosquito’s blood stream. In a matter of two weeks, these young heartworms have grown into infective larvae. When the mosquito bites other animals at this point, they pass these infected larvae to those animals.

Once an animal is bitten they are now infected. There is a six month process that begins as the larvae mature into adults. During the first three months the larvae move through the dog’s body until the reach the blood vessels of the lungs. In the next three months they grow into adults and enter the heart. Once the heartworms reach the heart they continue to grow reaching about 14 inches in length.

The worms begin to damage the blood vessels which results in severe heart and lung disease. If both sexes of worms are in the heart, they will mate and create new young heartworms that will spread and begin to destroy other organs in the dog once the immune system tries to attack the infection. Heartworms can live anywhere from five to seven years in dogs.

The likelihood of your dog getting heartworms can increase greatly depending on where you live, your vet will be able to tell you the level of risk in your state. There is a potential threat in every state with the exception of Alaska. Every dog, regardless of whether they are indoor or outside dogs are susceptible. Traveling can also increase the risk of your dog getting heartworms, so talk to your vet about where you are going and see if there is extra protection that you should take to protect your dog.

It is important to know that your dog may not show any signs of being infected at first. As the disease progresses your dog may develop a cough, they may become lethargic, they could have problems breathing and have a decrease in appetite. You might also notice that your dog gets very tired with little exercise.

To find out if your dog has heartworms your vet will do a blood test. They may also request that chest x-rays and an echocardiogram are done to confirm the blood test results. These tests are also done to help your vet determine possible medical treatment.

As we stated at the beginning, heartworms is the most preventable disease known to dogs. It is far easier to prevent the disease then it is to treat. If by chance your dog does become infected there is a treatment that has been approved by the FDA. You need to know that there is a risk involved with treating your dog, but serious side effects are less likely if your dog is otherwise healthy and when the disease is caught in the early stages.

Treatment is designed to kill the adult worms and the young heart worms that are currently alive in your dog. Then your dog is hospitalized for some time afterwards. Your dog will need complete rest as well as medications to help lower the chance the risk of an inflammatory response as the worms are being killed.

You may also wonder if it is possible for the worms to be surgical removed. The answer is yes, they can…however this is an incredibly risky procedure and in most cases this treatment option is only used for severe cases.

As you can see, treatment is considerably more expensive then taking preventive measures. Heartworms is 100% preventable. There are a number of approved preventives that are available and your vet can recommend the best method based on your pet’s lifestyle and risk factors.

Tags: dog nutrition, dogs, commercial dog food, pet, pets, dog health, holistic dog food, dog food

SEVEN REASONS TO PROTECT YOUR DOG FROM FLEAS AND OTHER EXTERNAL PARASITES

Ahhh…Spring and Summer! What joys await you: lazy days of enjoying the great outdoors with your faithful dog by your side. As you hike through the wilderness or walk in the city park, you begin slapping at pesky insects that seek to make you their dinner. What about Rover? Chances are, he’s being “bugged” too. Fleas have long been the bane of dogs and dog owners. Dogs are bothered by other external parasites as well: ticks, mosquitoes, flies, etc. What’s the big deal, you ask? Here are seven reasons that these pests are a big deal to your dog.

Fleas and other biting insects are a nuisance to your dog. At best, fleas and other biting insects cause your dog some discomfort. You don’t like to be bitten by these pests, and neither does your dog!

Fleas can survive through the winter in your house. If your dog has fleas, chances are you will have fleas in your home as well. They can hide and breed in your carpets, drapes, etc. and can be tough to get rid of. Remember, one female flea can lay hundreds of eggs on your pet (or in your carpet).

Fleas can cause allergy-related dermatitis. Many dogs are allergic to the saliva of fleas. If your dog is allergic, you may notice itchy, red bumps, raw, red skin (hot spots), swelling and hair loss. In an allergic dog, the irritation can be so itchy and painful he may scratch or bite at the spots, making them worse. Open lesions can become infected, causing more health problems.

Your dog can get tapeworm from fleas. If your dog is infested with fleas, chances are he will eventually swallow one of them in all that biting and scratching. If that flea has tapeworm larvae (and there’s a good chance it does) the flea can transmit tapeworms to your dog. It only takes one infected flea to accomplish this. You will know your dog has tapeworms if you see little white, slimy, wriggling segments that look like rice on his rear, feces, or on your chair, lap, bed, etc. after your dog gets up. A trip to the vet is required to eliminate the tapeworms. Tapeworms usually do not cause great harm to your pet, but they are disgusting to the pet owners!

Fleas can cause anemia. Because fleas feast on your dog’s blood, they can cause anemia. A single flea can bite your dog over 400 times in one day! Fleas are not light eaters, either. They typically consume more than their own body weight of your dog’s blood!

Ticks are another external parasite that can cause serious health issues. Ticks can spread disease to both you and your dog. They also feed on the blood of their host by embedding their head deep within your dog’s (or your) skin and feasting on the blood. Ticks can give your dog such diseases as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These diseases can make your dog extremely sick and even cause death.

Tags: dogs, homemade dog food, holistic dog food, pet, dog, dog food, pets, dog health