Pet Care Tips Blog

There are thousands of different positive dog training tips you could try. You don't need to teach them all those fancy tricks but there are a few basic skills that every dog should learn. It's important to choose positive dog training solutions that have proven to work. These are a few of the most basic but important ones that you should be working on with your dog.

Positive dog training: “Sit”

One of the first positive dog training lessons an owner should teach their dog is how to sit. This is an extremely basic skill but one that comes in handy in a variety of situations. Positive dog training teaches your dog this skill by getting started with the dog standing. Of all the dog training tips on teaching a dog to sit the best is to begin with the dog standing.

Opinions differ on which sex of dogs are easier to train. Some dog owners will argue the case of male dogs being too agressive when housed indoors. A case for female dogs being the right choice is that female dogs show more affection and that they are more trainable.

The practicalities of affection and agresssion by both male and female dogs will mainly depend on the breed of the dog.There are cases for and against both male and female dogs.Some issues which owners of female dogs need to contend with are female dogs when they are on heat. The owner needs to take action regarding female dog birth control or accept the fact that this will occur on a regular basis and they will have to keep finding new owners for the puppies. The reason for the regular births is that there is no such thing as menopause with female dogs. The alternative is for the owner to keep guarding their female dog when male dogs catch the female scent, which they are able to do from a considerable distance. If you wish to breed dogs ensure that you purchase a female dog which is pure bred.

Due to the large number of dog breeds which were in excess of 300 and which has been increased by way of dog breeders mixing a combination of pure breed dogs to now total over 400 different breeds. This makes selecting the choice of breed of dog which will be suitable for your family a decision not to be taken lightly.

Because of the ways in which some breeds were mixed it enabled these dogs to keep their characteristics,but change their sizes. Some were smaller and others larger. Because of the large number of breeds now available you need to give consideration to each breeds characteristics as to temperament and size.

The Chihuahua's recent history can easily be traced back to mid 1800's Mexico; however the Chi Chi appears to have far deeper roots. The Chihuahua may have originated as early as the 9th century, developing from a toy breed that was revered by the Toltec Indians of Central America during that time. They called the dog "Techichi". Still other major pre-Columbian civilizations, the Maya and the Aztec, also show a close association with a small sandy-colored dog. It's fairly certain that these dogs mingled to various degrees with a small hairless dog native to Mexico and possessing a name straight out of Star Wars . . . Xoloitzcuintli, thus becoming the forerunners to the Chihuahua we know today.

A lot of people wonder what type of human food they should feed their Golden. Even though many prefer to stick with dog food and only dog food, there are certain types of human food that Golden Retrievers love - and is actually good for them. Golden's crave attention as we all know - and when they watch you eat it never hurts to give them a bite - as long as you know what they should and shouldn't consume with their diets.

For your Golden's health, feeding him foods such as chicken, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, fruits, and oatmeal are always great. Even though we think of these type foods as “human food”, they are actually good for many animals as well. All dogs have taste buds and noses, meaning that they get very excited when they see you with food.

Few times are more exciting for a family than getting a new puppy. Every member of the family wants to hold and play with the puppy. This is a fun time for everyone, but also a time when you really have to lay the foundation for socializing and training your new puppy if you do not want problems later on. Correct training and socialization is much easier than correcting behavioral problems such as aggression later on.

The time between 2 and 12 weeks of age is a crucial period for a puppy. At this age puppies are extremely impressionable and learning at a fast clip. This is when your puppy learns to trust or fear other people, other dogs and other animals. Allow your new puppy to feel safe and secure in its new environment. This can be accomplished with a lot of holding, stroking and petting at first to establish your bond as a senior leader of the pack who will care for and protect the puppy.

First aid training for dogs is a vital skill for a pet owner. Dog owners are some of the most caring people in the world. Many would come close to a nervous breakdown if harm should come to their dog. Unfortunately, part of the tremendous love owners feel for their dogs involves seriously overestimating the dog's ability to understand the risks around it and avoid injury. Even more troublesome, most dog owners would have no clue what to do if their dog becomes injured.

The first step an owner should take to prepare to provide first aid for their dog is to put together a first aid kit and keep it somewhere handy. Among other items this first aid kit should include day and night contact numbers for the dog's veterinarian, directions to the veterinarian's office and the number for the local poison control center. Locating these numbers quickly in the event of an emergency could save your dog's life.

If you have ever considered veterinary pet insurance, you may have thought, “I won't need this. My dog will never be sick enough to need insurance coverage.” Now consider this: there are 80 million dogs in the United States; 20 million will die of some form of cancer. That's 1 in 4! For dog lovers, this number is staggering. In fact, cancer is the leading cause of death in American dogs. Fortunately, many veterinary pet insurance policies cover cancer treatments, ranging from chemotherapy and radiation to antiangiogenic therapy (drugs used to stop the growth of tumors/progression of cancers) and holistic/alternative options.

Cancer is an immune dysfunction disease, regardless of the species. Canine cancers do affect some breeds more than others. Below is a list of some breeds and the cancers they are most likely to develop and/or are susceptible to:

pet care is a very important element to a healthy domesticated animal such as a dog. For all pet owners out there, I am sure you will agree that a dog is like a part of the family. We treat them and care for them as if they were one of our children. They look up to us for feeding and watering and throwing balls and having fun. They are like people and when it comes to medical care and dog grooming, they need that special care and attention just as humans do. Here are a few basic tips on caring for your dog.

Kidney disease in dogs is very serious and is usually incurable. It is a condition that often affects older dogs and is related to the declining years in the life of a dog. There are two types of kidney disease in dogs - acute and chronic. When the kidneys fail to function in the proper way, by eliminating toxins from the body, the toxins build up and usually end up damaging the kidneys irreparably. It is usually very devastating to the dog owner to discover that their dog has kidney disease. However, there are some things that can be done to make the dog comfortable and prolong life.

Causes of kidney disease in dogs