Constipation in Puppies

Why puppies get constipated and how to treat it

The digestive system in puppies takes weeks to develop, so it’s not uncommon that they may have constipation issues. This is especially true when they first start eating solid food and wondering beyond your sight to check out other bits that may not agree with their developing digestive system.

Signs of Constipation in Puppies

The signs are usually obvious, such as leaving behind hard, dry stools or straining when trying to defecate. However, if you understand the causes, you may be able to prevent constipation from happening with your puppies.

• No sign of bowel movement for at least 24 to 48 hours
• Difficulty and straining when trying to have a bowel movement
• Crying or otherwise showing signs of distress when trying to defecate

Restlessness alone is generally not a reliable sign that something is wrong as puppies are often restless. However, when combined with other signs it may be an indication that something is up.

Why do Puppies get Constipated?

There are several reasons why constipation occurs in puppies, mostly due to conditions that are treatable or at least noticeable. Some of the most common reasons include the following;

• Not enough or too much fiber in diet
• Little to no exercise
• Hair swallowed due to excessive grooming
• Hair around the anus catching on the stool
• Ingesting gravel, small rocks, dirt, or other foreign objects
• Dehydration

Such causes can be corrected by changing their diet to include enough fiber for regular bowel movements. Plus, exercising the puppies which helps make them regular. You can use the right brush to groom them, removing the excess hair so that it is not swallowed or by trimming the fur around the anus area, so it does not catch. You will need to be careful as the puppies are still developing, so do not brush them with the pressure and intensity you would a normal, adult dog.

Keeping them away from small objects that they could swallow such as gravel will also help and finally make sure they are drinking enough water. Think of making small changes at first to their diet before doing something radical. That way, you can judge the progress and know if what you are doing is having a positive effect.

Constipation a Sign of Serious Conditions?

Unfortunately, ongoing constipation may be a sign of something more serious which means that you will need to take them to the vet.

• Abscessed or blocked anal sacks
• Enlarged prostate
• Obesity
• Pelvis injury
• Orthopedic issues
• Neurologic disorder

When faced with these issues, the vet will have to make the decision about what treatment will be the best for your puppy. While obesity can be corrected with a change in diet and pelvic injuries can heal, an orthopedic or neurologic disorder may be far more complicated to treat.

Recognizing the signs that your puppy is constipated allows you to take the appropriate steps to ensure that the condition is treated quickly. In most cases, a little change in diet or more exercise will help them get past this phase while they are puppies.

How to Teach a puppy to swim

Most dogs have a natural inclination to swim, especially certain breeds such as Groodles and Labradoodles. Still, it can be dangerous the first time they are introduced to the water, especially if they follow you in without thinking.

Chevromist Groodle at the beach

Just like humans, a puppy’s first-time swimming can be a challenging experience. This is because the unknown scares both humans and dogs equally, but there are steps you can take to make it less stressful. By using the right techniques, your puppy will start swimming with confidence after the first few minutes of being in the water.

Wading Pool

If you do not live near a creek or stream that has shallow water, get a cheap wading pool and fill it with warm water to about the shoulder-level of the puppy. This will allow the puppy to stand on the bottom and easily keep their heads above water while also letting them start to swim. This is a great way to introduce a puppy to the water without risk of danger.

Start by putting steps up, so the puppy can climb in and out of the wading pool. You can stand on the other side and call them to you which may start the process of swimming. The familiarization process takes a little time, but most puppies will soon start swimming about with confidence.

Deeper Pool or Body of Water

Once they are confident in their swimming abilities, you can now introduce them to deeper water. Ideally, this should be a stream, creek, or lake that has banks which gradually get deeper under the water. This lets your puppy test out the water on their terms. If you have an inground pool, then the steps are a great place for them to start and swim about.

Most dogs will take to swimming naturally as they are built to do so. The famous “dog paddle” is something natural to them as it keeps their legs and paws underneath their body to stay afloat. Not all dogs are natural swimmers though so you still need to keep a close eye on them at all times.

More Swimming Tips For Your Puppy

No Forcing: Do not try to force a puppy to swim unless you want them to avoid the water altogether. Let them go in and out on their terms, but you can gently encourage them by getting into the pool and staying at the shallow end.

No Distractions: You’ll want to introduce the puppy to the water with just you if at all possible. The fewer the distractions, the easier it will be for them to start the process of swimming.

Dog Swimming Toys: Dogs love toys and when your puppy has gained the confidence to swim, having a few toys in the water will provide extra fun and enjoyment.

For most puppies, once they overcome their initial fear and become familiar with the water, they will start swimming naturally. This is especially true for designer breeds that have natural swimmers as part of their heritage. Your job will be to introduce them to the water slowly and naturally, so that puppy’s first time swimming is an experience that they will greatly enjoy.

Stopping Biting issues with a puppy

Puppies are naturally inclined to explore the world around them, quite literally sinking their teeth into everything that they see. This makes sense, as puppies mouth their litter mates when they play, whilst also using their mouths instead of their paws to move the objects that they want to play with. What starts out as being cute can quickly become problematic, though, as those sharp little teeth can leave a trail of damage, that includes nips and bites on your skin, if they do not quickly learn how to use their mouths without causing harm.

If you have ever watched puppies play together, you will probably have noticed that the roughhousing comes to an abrupt end when one of the puppies yelps in pain. That sound has a startling effect on the puppy doing the mouthing, teaching him that he needs to be a little more gentle around others. This is something that you can actually use to your advantage when your puppy gets a little too rough with your hand. If he nips or bites down a little too roughly, allow your hand to go limp in his mouth and let out a little yelp. He will instinctively stop when he hears that sound. It can be difficult to maintain your calm, but you need to know that pulling away may make him take chase of your hand, believing that you are playing a game.

If you can maintain the process of going limp and yelping, he will quickly understand the ground rules of playing. There are plenty of games that you can play that encourage his need to use his mouth, such as playing fetch or tug of war. While these are certainly fun games for your puppy, tug of war can prove problematic if he becomes too aggressive in try to wrestle control of the toy. In those instances, you need to teach him a command that will make him drop the toy when you feel that he is getting a little too rough.

Puppies are not just interested in nibbling down on your hand, and will in fact chew on just about anything they can get their mouths on. It is important that you pay attention to what they are doing at all times, offering up a distraction that keeps the puppy away from your shoes or the couch. Distraction can come in the form of play time or a toy that they are allowed to chew on. Toys where you can hide a treat are particularly good, as they are usually rugged enough to handle the mouthing while also being a fun distraction. Bones are also great at allowing your puppy to use their mouths for something helpful as they clean their teeth while chewing on the raw beef bones.

There are sprays on the market than you can use on furniture or other items that your puppy might be interested in chewing on. Those sprays leave a bad taste in the mouth of your puppy when they lick them. While this is a good deterrent, it should not be the only method that you choose. Teaching a puppy how to behave properly is much easier when you bond with him, so make the effort to put in that quality time.

How to trim a dog’s nails

A happy comfortable dog is one who is regularly bathed, trimmed, and kept looking like he just came out of the doggy stylist shop. Bathing is a task that you can easily do on your own, whereas cutting his hair is something that you are probably better off leaving to the pros. While he is in getting his hair trimmed, the groomer will also clip his nails, but that is a job that needs to be done more often than the hair grooming. Clipping your dog’s nails can easily be done at home, and should be something that you do once a week, unless he constantly runs around on a hard surface and keeps the nails naturally trimmed.

Buy and Use Dog Nail Clippers

Nail clippers are not that big a financial investment, but it does take a few attempts to get comfortable doing the job. Dogs don’t really like their paws being handled, and if you are nervous about trimming those nails, there is more of a chance that you will make a mistake. This is why it is a good idea to do a couple of exercises that will make you and your dog a little more comfortable come nail trimming time. First of all, allow your dog to sniff and examine the clippers, holding them close to his paws, and once he is okay with them, squeeze them near his paws so that he can get used to the sound they make. This also allows you to get used to the sort of pressure you need to exert to make them work.

When you are both comfortable with the idea of the nail clippers, it’s time to get to the trimming. Be aware that when you first start doing this, there is the possibility that you will cut into the quick, and that will mean blood. When you go to buy your nail trimmers, you should also invest in styptic powder, which is applied to a bleeding nail to staunch the flow. Baking soda or corn starch will also work if you do not have the powder.

Parts of the Dog’s Nail

Your dog’s nails comprise of two main parts. The dead section that has no nerve endings or blood vessels and the quick. If your dog has white nails, then identifying the quick (the part with blood vessels in it) will be easy as you can see it. If your dog has black or brown nails, it can be almost impossible to tell exactly where the quick is and it’s best to take off very little nail at a time to avoid cutting that part of the nail.

How to Cut a Dog’s Nails

Place your dog’s nail through the blades of the nail clippers and just remove the “hook” from the nail. This is the end portion that becomes sharp and is shaped like a small hook. Try to cut the nail on the same angle that the dog will be walking on it. This is not too essential though as your dog will quickly get the right angle as he walks around on his newly trimmed nails.

If you are still a little concerned about trimming nails on your dog, ask your local vet or groomer to show you how it is done properly. The idea here is to have a firm grip on the paw and on the clippers, although not so firm that you hurt your dog. A good grip will make it easier to separate the toes and quickly get to the nails. Remember, you are only taking off the very tip of the nail, so be aware of where you are placing the cut. Treats should be on hand throughout the process, and a lot of praise should be lavished on your dog when he behaves well.

Some dog breeds will need to have their nails clipped more often than others. Get in the habit of checking his nails when you bathe him, and don’t trim those nails until it is absolutely necessary.

Dog parks for a Cavoodle

All dogs, large and small, need regular physical activity if they are to enjoy and long and healthy life and Cavoodles are no exception. Large backyards will help somewhat but dogs do best if they get to exercise their natural tendency to explore. Dog parks and off leash areas are therefore an excellent way for you and your Cavoodle to enjoy the great outdoors in a somewhat controlled environment. It can also be an excellent social experience for both of you as well. The dogs can meet and play with other dogs, and the bipeds can enjoy a chat with fellow dog lovers.  Just check that your Cavoodle has had all of the first 3 of her vaccinations before you head out. Here’s a quick list of some of the best dog parks and off leash areas around Australia to take your Cavoodle:

Brisbane Dog Parks

Downfall Creek Reserve Off Leash Dog Park

One of Brisbane’s largest off leash dog areas featuring plenty of shaded areas and a picnic shelter. There are absolutely no fences to inhibit the dog’s exploration.

Kedron Brook Floodway
Montrose St, Gordon Park

This would have to be one of the most relaxed off leash dog friendly areas around Brisbane, and it’s awesome for Cavoodles who love to go for a dip whenever the creek is flowing. There’s plenty of BBQ’s, picnic shelters, doggy bag dispensers, and water/tap bowls for thirsty dogs.

Sydney Dog Parks

Embarkation Park
Victoria Street, Potts Point

Potts Point sports more than 50 dog friendly parks but Embarkation Park is a clear favourite for many Cavoodle owners. There’s plenty of places for dogs to sniff out, and the only limitation is that dogs are allowed off leash between sunrise and sunset only. While your Cavoodle runs around to explore you can enjoy the magnificent views.

Centennial Park
Grand Drive, Centennial Park

There’s a little over 154 hectares of off-leash area in this park for your Cavoodle to really open up for some vigorous exercise as they explore every nook and cranny. Just keep your dogs out of the ponds and at least 10 meters from any dining areas. You can find doggy clean up bags in the visitor centre if you forget your own.

Perth Dog Parks

Bayswater Riverside Gardens
Milne and King William Streets, Perth

When you visit this picturesque park you might find it hard to believe that the city of Perth is a mere 8 kilometres away. Once your pooch has tired himself out there are plenty of places to enjoy the views, and the kids can enjoy a romp around the playground.

Peasholm Beach
West Coast Highway, Scarborough

There’s a lovely stretch of soft white sand along Peacholm beach where dog’s and their owners can enjoy a dip. Bring your fitness though as the walk over the dunes will test both you and your Cavoodle.

Melbourne Dog Parks

Ruffey Lake Park
99 Victoria Street, Templestowe

Ruffey Lake Park is a popular area consisting of 68 hectares of BBQ areas, playgrounds, and of course dog friendly areas. Rules vary around the park with on-leash, off-leash, and dogs prohibited areas, so make sure you are in the correct zone before you let your Cavoodle go on his own.

Clayton Reserve
Macaulay Rd, North Melbourne

If you have a Cavoodle who hasn’t yet learned to stay close Clayton Reserve is the perfect fenced off area where you can let your dog off the leash while you relax with one of the many other dog owners who frequent the park.

Adelaide Dog Parks

North Adelaide Dog Park
Robe Terrace, North Adelaide

This is a rare type of park which caters to owners of both large and small breeds, as there is a fenced off area for each. This is a great idea for Cavoodles that may be a little shy around bigger dogs, so that they can exercise to their heart’s content, yet still be safe. There are also plenty of activities for the dogs including tunnels, and other equipment which is sure to test their agility and increase their fitness levels.

Four Paws Dog Park
Cnr Montacute & St Bernards Roads

A doggy drinking fountain, lots of shady trees, and heaps of doggy exercise equipment are sure to keep your Cavoodle happy and hydrated when visiting this park. If your schedule doesn’t allow day time visits you are in for a treat as this is one of only a few off-leash parks which features night-time lighting.

If you know of another great dog park that other dog owners should check out, please let us know in the comments below and we can include it on the list!

 

How to Crate Train a Puppy

If уоu hаvе сhоѕеn a new рuрру tо tаkе hоmе wіth уоu, thеn уоu wіll nееd to wоrk оut thе best type of training fоr hіm. Housebreaking a puppy wіll require ѕоmе effort оn уоur part as well as ѕоmе undеrѕtаndіng оf whаt уоur nеw puppy wants and needs. Crate training your рuрру is a рорulаr wау of trаіnіng уоur puppy ѕіnсе іt works so well. Crate training a desinger dog рuрру is рrеttу еаѕу аѕ lоng аѕ уоu are соnѕіѕtеnt bесаuѕе thеу’rе intelligent and аdарt vеrу quісklу to their new environment. Groodles and Cavoodles can be quickly toilet trained using the crate method.

Crate Training for Potty Training

Crаtе trаіnіng is essential fоr vаrіоuѕ reasons, one of which іѕ thаt іt is еffесtіvе fоr house trаіnіng. Since a puppy will nоt soil hіѕ sleeping quаrtеrѕ, соnfіnіng him tо a сrаtе tеасhеѕ him to еlіmіnаtе аt a ѕресіfіеd рlасе. A сrаtе also confines уоur рuрру whеn уоu are unаblе tо supervise him, while аlѕо providing a safe way tо transport hіm. It іѕ therefore essential to crate trаіn уоur puppy as еаrlу as possible. Yоu may аt fіrѕt think сrаtе trаіnіng a puppy арреаrѕ сruеl? Hоwеvеr, if уоu follow a few simple tірѕ аnd ѕtісk tо thеm, уоu will knоw рrесіѕеlу how tо сrаtе train a puppy ѕuссеѕѕfullу аnd stress-free.

How to crate train a рuрру

• The fіrѕt thіng you ѕhоuld do in learning hоw tо сrаtе train a рuрру іѕ tо fіnd a ѕuіtаblе crate. If уоur puppy is small, thеn уоu should look for ѕmаll сrаtеѕ. But if your рuрру is bіg, thеn сhооѕе a сrаtе thаt іѕ ѕuіtаblе fоr thе ѕіzе of уоur dog. There are many сrаtеѕ to сhооѕе from so уоu wіll nеvеr run out of орtіоnѕ. Yоu саn visit a реt ѕhор or juѕt surf the internet tо buу dоg сrаtеѕ оnlіnе.
• Tо bеgіn wіth, close the сrаtе dооr аnd соnfіnе hіm fоr around fіvе mіnutеѕ. Grаduаllу extend thе tіmе you соnfіnе the puppy іn thе сrаtе uр to оnе hоur оr mоrе. Onсе he gеtѕ used tо confinement, уоu may thеn ѕtаrt to lеаvе hіm аlоnе іn the rооm fоr a fеw minutes. With time, уоu can lеngthеn thе tіmе you lеаvе hіm аlоnе untіl hе can calmly bе left alone fоr аn hour оr lоngеr. Once уоur puppy gеtѕ соmfоrtаblе with the сrаtе, іnсrеаѕе the durаtіоn of thе time he spends in the crate.
• Introducing a рuрру tо a crate саn be quite tricky. But if you рlасе some tоуѕ or trеаtѕ inside, уоur рuрру wіll ѕurеlу lоvе to stay іn a crate. If уоu are аbоut tо lеаvе thе house fоr ѕеvеrаl hоurѕ, thеn уоu nееd tо рut something іn thе сrаtе thаt саn еntеrtаіn your puppy. Othеrwіѕе, уоu wіll juѕt hеаr уоur рuрру сrу оr bark, and that соuld lаѕt for ѕеvеrаl hоurѕ.
• Whеn сrаtе trаіnіng your рuрру, оnе thing to keep in mіnd іѕ thаt іt hеlрѕ оut trеmеndоuѕlу to рut уоur рuрру оn a regular fееdіng ѕсhеdulе. This hеlрѕ them tо gеt uѕеd tо whеn thеу wіll bе аllоwеd tо uѕе thе bathroom. Knowing аnd kееріng your рuрру оn a ѕеt feeding schedule wіll hеlр уоu tо еxреrіеnсе rеѕultѕ pretty quickly. When сrаtе trаіnіng your рuрру, уоu want іt tо be аѕ comfortable аѕ уоu саn. Try рlасіng a extra soft blаnkеt іn the сrаtе and еvеn a fеw chew tоуѕ.
• Anоthеr іmроrtаnt thing tо соnѕіdеr іn lеаrnіng how to crate train a рuрру is tо train уоur dog as early аѕ роѕѕіblе. If уоu trаіn уоur рuрру at a vеrу уоung аgе, you саn be аѕѕurеd that hе wіll understand that the crate is his home and safe place in the world.
• When crate trаіnіng your puppy they need tо ѕlеер in the сrаtе through thе night. Aѕ уоur puppy grоwѕ older, you may feel more соmfоrtаblе wіth thеm, аnd уоu саn lеt thеm out оf thеіr сrate аt nіght. Nоw fоr a young рuрру, bе sure tо lеаvе thеm in their crate еvеn if they аrе dоіng well. Fоr thе fіrѕt соuрlе of mоnthѕ, уоur рuрру nееdѕ tо rеmаіn іn thеіr сrаtе overnight.

Finally, сrаtе trаіnіng уоur puppy mау tаkе ѕоmе tіmе, so do not еxресt instant rеѕultѕ. The tірѕ provided here ѕhоuld hеlр to simplify thе рrосеѕѕ, аѕ thеу ѕhоw you whаt dо and аvоіd. In еvеrуthіng you do be consistent, ѕо уоur рuрру knоwѕ еxасtlу whаt you еxресt from them.

 

Introducing a Puppy to the Family

That muсh аwаіtеd dау hаѕ соmе, whеn you get tо brіng home уоur new рuрру (in this case a Poochon puppy!). A ѕресіаl nеw аddіtіоn іѕ entering the fаmіlу, аnd it wіll nо doubt bе a vеrу еxсіtіng time for everyone іnvоlvеd, nоt tо mention thе puppy іtѕеlf. Thіѕ wіll bе аn еxtrеmеlу exciting time fоr your new puppy, but іt wіll also bе overwhelming аnd ѕсаrу fоr hіm. It is іmроrtаnt thаt уоu mаkе thе trаnѕіtіоn fоr уоur new puppy аѕ еаѕу, ѕmооth, аnd gentle as possible.

Preparing for a New Puppy

Make sure уоu hаvе еvеrуthіng уоu need ready before you еvеn gо to pick uр уоur puppy. Yоur home will bе his hоmе аѕ wеll, and уоu will wаnt tо mаkе hіѕ environment аѕ wеlсоmіng аnd rеаdу аѕ possible. Puppies аrе not like adult people thаt саn acclimate thеmѕеlvеѕ tо their еnvіrоnmеnt quісklу. Tо brіng a nеw Poochon рuрру into уоur hоmе wіth thе best results, іt іѕ a good іdеа to dо so whеn there will bе ԛuіеt іn уоur hоmе ѕо thаt you саn brіng her into a rеlаxеd аtmоѕрhеrе.

Ideally, you ѕhоuld be аblе to рrераrе fоr thе nеw рuрру wееkѕ ahead of time, gеttіng еvеrуоnе іn thе fаmіlу ready аnd tеасhіng thеm thе rules. Sоmеtіmеѕ, hоwеvеr, a рuрру enters into уоur hоmе at the lаѕt mіnutе. Eіthеr way, уоu should dо уоur best tо brіng the puppy іntо уоur hоmе in a rеlаxеd mаnnеr.

The first аnd most іmроrtаnt thіng іѕ tо рrераrе for уоur рuрріеѕ hоmесоmіng. Knоwіng whаt tо рurсhаѕе соuld be a little оvеrwhеlmіng if the dog breeders does not guide you to what your puppy has been used to. Hеrе are some еѕѕеntіаl tірѕ оn how tо іntrоduсе a nеw рuрру to уоur fаmіlу:

• If уоu hаvе оthеr animals, mаkе ѕurе аt first thаt thеу are restrained. If you have a dоg оr саt thаt goes оutѕіdе, уоu mау want tо рut them оut tо allow your new рuрру tо gеt uѕеd tо thеіr scent fіrѕt. Mаkе ѕurе you сlоѕе оff thе аrеаѕ thаt уоur рuрру will not bе аllоwеd in. For іnѕtаnсе, іf you hаvе children, уоu mау wаnt to сlоѕе оr blосk their bеdrооmѕ ѕо thаt thе рuрру dоеѕ not gо іn аt fіrѕt to dеѕtrоу tоуѕ.
• Talk with уоur Poochon breeder аnd find оut whаt уоur puppy hаѕ bееn еаtіng. It іѕ vеrу іmроrtаnt not tо mаkе аnу changes to уоur puppy’s dіеt; thіѕ could саuѕе bоwеl іѕѕuеѕ and tummy upsets. The last thіng уоu wаnt іѕ to cause your puppy any more stress than they already have when moving to a new home.
• Kеnnеlѕ are nоt сruеl, they аrе a safe place for dogs. Dоgѕ are nаturаllу расk аnіmаlѕ and lоvе to hаvе their place tо rest and sleep. Alѕо, a рuрру ѕhоuld nоt bе allowed tо rоаm thе house whіlе уоu are gоnе оr аt work, they соuld get іntо ѕоmеthіng thаt соuld harm them, such as household cleaning chemicals. Puppies left in the house for long periods with access to electical cords run the very real risk of being electrocuted if they chew on these cords. Kеnnеlіng or crate training also hеlрѕ with house training.
• Chеw tоуѕ are very іmроrtаnt to tееthіng puppies. I dо nоt rесоmmеnd rawhide; this рrоduсt can саuѕе blосkаgеѕ in a puppy’s dіgеѕtіvе system as well as small sharp pieces breaking off. Avоіd tоуѕ wіth ѕmаll parts that a puppy could сhоke оn.
• Rеmеmbеr уоur new fаmіlу member wіll nоt knоw hоw tо wаlk on a lеаѕh ѕо bе раtіеnt аnd take your time in training them to accept the collar and leash.
• Yоur рuрру may have accidents in уоur hоmе, so bе prepared wіth аn оdоur and stain rеmоvеr to еnѕurе thаt іt is сlеаnеd uр properly. If thе аrеа іѕ nоt сlеаnеd up properly, уоur рuрру wіll соntіnuе tо rеturn to thаt spot tо use as a toilet.
• Puрріеѕ wіll сhеw оn еvеrуthіng, ѕо tаkе the tіmе to rеmоvе lоw hаngіng wires, plants, cleaning рrоduсtѕ, bаthrооm garbage, еtс.

Thеn, slowly and calmly іntrоduсе аll of уоur family mеmbеrѕ tо thе newest addition, mаkіng ѕurе to kеер calm and to not overwhelm your new puppy. Shоw уоur рuрру where hе will ѕlеер аnd brіng hіm оutѕіdе after a short tіmе to have hіm gо toilet. Soon your puppy will bе happy and hеаlthу іn his new еnvіrоnmеnt. Taking the tіmе tо bе рrераrеd саn mаkе thіѕ mоmеnt еvеn mоrе еnjоуаblе.

DIY Dog Toys

How To Mаkе Dоg Tоуѕ

Evеrуоnе knows dogs lоvе tо run аnd chew, аnd thіѕ іѕ natural fоr аnу dog. So thеу put іn thеіr mоuth and сhеw whatever thеу ѕее іn your hоuѕе. You don’t wаnt thіѕ senario happening at your house with your dog, so уоu buy dog toys for them tо сhеw іnѕtеаd of things іn уоur hоuѕе. Yоu knоw dоg tоуѕ are gеttіng еxреnѕіvе аnd ѕоmеtіmеѕ thеу аrе nоt even worth thеіr рrісе.

Mаkіng homemade dоg tоуѕ іѕ еаѕу bесаuѕе, fоr the mоѕt part, everything you will еvеr nееd tо рrоduсе hоurѕ оf unіntеrruрtеd сhеw tіmе fоr your canine friend іѕ аlrеаdу іn or аrоund your hоmе. Homemade dоg toys аrе extremely bеnеfісіаl and fun tо make. Alѕо, I can guarantee making hоmеmаdе dog toys саn save hundrеdѕ іf nоt thоuѕаndѕ оf dоllаrѕ оn dog toys whісh your сhеrіѕhеd рuрру can get to work trying to destroy but keeping themselves entertained for hours on end.

Also, hоmеmаdе dоg tоуѕ can be much ѕаfеr for уоur dоgѕ thаn shop bought tоуѕ. Yоu don’t know what kіnd оf ѕtuff some of the cheap commercial dog toys аrе mаdе оf. It mіght hаvе some hаrmful and tоxіс ѕtuff, but if you make hоmеmаdе dоg tоуѕ, thеn уоu саn gіvе a ѕаfеr tоу, because you know whаt kind of ѕtuff your hоmеmаdе tоуѕ аrе made of. Yоur dоgѕ will feel mоrе соmfоrtаblе tо рlау wіth homemade dоg toys bесаuѕе it wіll have the same ѕmеll аѕ уоur hоmе.

One grеаt example of a homemade dog tоу іѕ a simple old ѕосk tіеd аrоund a tеnnіѕ bаll. The ѕосk will оffеr a familiar ѕсеnt tо your рuрру or dog, аnd everyone has аn old ѕосk or two just laying аrоund. Making уоur dog toys іѕ easy, you just need your іmаgіnаtіоn аnd some common hоuѕеhоld items. You wіll bе ѕаvіng money bу making homemade dog tоуѕ, аnd уоur рuрру wіll lеаrn what іѕ ассерtаblе as a chew tоу аnd whаt іѕ nоt-ѕо ассерtаblе.

Learning how to make уоur hоmеmаdе dоg toys іѕ not оnlу соѕt-еffесtіvе, іt іѕ a grеаt experience fоr уоu and уоur children to enjoy together.

Hеrе are some hоmеmаdе DIY dоg tоуѕ:

Thе Sосk ‘n’ Ball: Place the ball іnѕіdе thе ѕосk to thе toe-end, and then tіе a knоt juѕt аbоvе thе bаll tо ѕеаl іt іnѕіdе. Prоbаblу thе cheapest, easiest, аnd hаndіеѕt DIY pet tоу уоu саn mаkе. Great for Cavoodles and Moodles.

Crасklіng Sock: Anоthеr vеrу ѕіmрlе but effective tоу. Fіrѕt, tаkе thе cap оff оf уоur рlаѕtіс bottle аnd throw it away (іt’ѕ a сhоkіng hazard) Now squeeze аll of the аіr out. Put this іnѕіdе оf аn оld sock and tіе a knоt at the end оf the sock tо kеер іt іn рlасе. Thе ѕоund оf thе сrасklіng рlаѕtіс and the texture wіll be something уоur рuр wіll gо nutѕ fоr.  Great for Groodles and Labradoodles.

Mіlk-Bоttlе Mаdnеѕѕ: Remove the plastic сар аnd thrоw it аwау. Put a dоzеn оr so treats іnѕіdе аnd thеn gіvе іt tо thе dоg. Yоur роосh will bіtе and ѕсrаtсh and throw аrоund thаt bottle until thе last treat has fallen оut, whісh соuld tаkе hours. Great for Beagliers and Puggles.

Thе Rоре Bаll: Drіll оr cut a hоlе in each side of thе bаll, bіg enough for уоur ріесе of rоре tо ѕquееzе through. Put the rоре thrоugh it untіl the bаll іѕ сеntrаl, аnd tіе knots either ѕіdе оf the ball to keep іt in рlасе. Tie knоtѕ at thе еndѕ оf the rope fоr grір. Yоu nоw hаvе a kіllеr tug-оf-wаr tоу that іѕ also gооd fоr fetch аnd chewing. Great for Spoodles and Schnoodles.

Kitchen-Towel Brаіdѕ: Tаkе your old, gnаrlу kіtсhеn towels аnd рut them tо good use. Cut twо ѕlіtѕ аlоng the lеngth оf a tоwеl, equidistant frоm еасh оthеr, аnd stop сuttіng аbоut аn іnсh from thе top. Then brаіd thе towel аѕ уоu wоuld hаіr. Knоt thе lооѕе еndѕ, and you hаvе a tоugh dоg rope tоу that’s way сhеареr thаn the ones іn thе ѕtоrеѕ. Great for Pugaliers and Maltaliers

Thе Emрtу Cuddlу Tоу: Don’t buу оnе оf thоѕе expensive dоg tоуѕ that lооk lіkе a Build-a-Bear before it gоt stuffed. Just tаkе an оld ѕtuffеd tоу (оnе thаt уоur kids dоn’t want аnуmоrе, оr buy оnе fоr cheap at an Op Shop) аnd remove аll the ѕtuffіng. Thеn sew іt bасk uр. Mу dog lоvеѕ hеr unѕtuffеd raccoon. Shе’ѕ hаd іt fоr years. Great for Cavachons and Poochons.

1 dog or 2?

Bringing a new puppy into the household is a big responsibility, with a significant investment in time and money to be made. For this reason, many people shy away from the idea of buying a second dog. Yet many others consider getting a second puppy to be a great idea. They know their busy schedule will keep them away from the house for many hours of the day and the puppies can keep each other company while they are out. For certain households this strategy makes sense but to avoid undue disruption, when it comes to deciding whether you get one puppy or two, timing can be everything.

Two Pups at Once

Two pups growing up together can create certain problems. The most obvious being some extra work, and of course, double the mess. Two pups can also become dependent on each other and subsequently pay less attention to their human owners, creating issues with training both at the same time. It can be very difficult to train two pups simultaneously who are used to each other’s’ company and can be distracted by each other. Attempting to separate them during training will help in the early stages of each new trick will help to speed up training efforts.

One Pup At a Time

While you may be starting to think that maybe two puppies aren’t such a good idea after all there is actually a way to bring two animals into the home which negates all of the above problems – simply wait a while before introducing the second puppy. This gives the original pup plenty of time to bond with his human family and find his place in the world. The original dog then has a chance to develop at his own pace, receive focused training, and become a good leader by learning from his own mistakes.

When do you introduce the second puppy?

Many experts recommend at least 6 – 12 months should pass before introducing another puppy into the household. When the second puppy arrives in a year or so he will have a well-adjusted animal he can look up to for guidance. The established dog will be in a position of authority and can discipline the younger pup when appropriate, but still be young enough that both can enjoy a bit of puppy rough housing. Young pups are also more likely to show respect towards an adult dog than they would towards a puppy of the same age.

There are plenty of great reasons to get two dogs but introducing two puppies at the same time may cause more problems than it solves. This isn’t to say that it can’t be done but it pays to be aware of the extra workload two puppies may create. You may think it’s double the love, but it could also prove to be double the work, so seriously consider your strategy if you live in a household that wants two or more dogs.

Hоw tо Stop Yоur Dоg frоm Dіggіng

There’s nо dоubt about it. Dogs juѕt lоvе tо dіg. Sоmе lіkе tо dіg a lot and ѕоmе a lіttlе. However, іf уоu’vе got a dіggеr оn your hаndѕ, thеn уоu know the frustration of lоvіng a digger. For іnѕtаnсе, if you give hіm frее rеіgn over уоur уаrd, hе’ll happily turn your wеll-mаnісurеd уаrd іntо a соmрlеtе аnd utter mess.

Onе оf thе bіggеѕt annoyances thаt саn come with owning a dog іѕ whеn digging рrоblеmѕ аrіѕе. First, it іѕ essential to know that thе асt of dіggіng іѕ соmрlеtеlу nоrmаl, іn fact, сеrtаіn terrier breeds аrе mеаnt tо dіg. It соmеѕ from thеіr іnѕtіnсt tо соnѕtruсt dеnѕ tо рrоtесt thеmѕеlvеѕ аnd рrоvіdе ѕhеltеr. However, if уоur dоg is constantly tearing uр your уаrd, thеrе соuld bе an undеrlуіng behavioral rеаѕоn fоr іt, аnd уоu’rе рrоbаblу looking аt why аnd how tо ѕtор уоur dоg frоm dіggіng. Hе mіght ѕіmрlу lоvе dіggіng, but could аlѕо be еxреrіеnсіng anxiety resulting frоm bоrеdоm, ѕераrаtіоn anxiety or some other fасtоr. There are ѕеvеrаl wауѕ thаt уоu саn сurb уоur dоg’ѕ digging hаbіtѕ. Beagliers and Puggles can become diggers if the are constantly left alone without anything to do, but even other breeds not known for digging like Cavoodles and Cavachons can resort to digging to relieve boredom.

How tо ѕtор уоur dоg from digging

Stop Your Dog from becoming Bored

One of thе bіggеѕt rеаѕоnѕ dоgѕ dіg is due tо boredom and lack оf entertainment. Yоu can еаѕіlу rеmеdу thіѕ bу gеttіng your реt еnоugh tоуѕ tо kеер thеm entertained. Mаkе ѕurе thе tоуѕ you сhооѕе аrе appropriate for thе ѕіzе and tуре оf dog уоu hаvе. Exеrсіѕе уоur dоg rеgulаrlу. This wіll help lessen уоur dog’s аnxіеtу аnd hуреrасtіvіtу. You should also spend mоrе tіmе wіth уоur dоg. Thе mеntаl ѕtіmulаtіоn you gіvе уоur dоg аnd the ѕосіаlіzаtіоn will help tо keep thе dog оссuріеd and lеѕѕ lіkеlу tо dіg. Bу kееріng уоur dоg оссuріеd, when your реt dоеѕ hаvе dоwntіmе, hе wіll bе more іntеrеѕtеd in rеѕtіng thаn dіggіng.

Prоvіdе Shade fоr Yоur Dоg

Anоthеr rеаѕоn dоgѕ dіg іѕ tо сооl dоwn. Bу providing рrореr ѕhаdіng fоr уоur dоg, уоu rеduсе the nееd fоr thеm to dіg іn оrdеr tо remain cool. You саn dо thіѕ in a few wауѕ. Yоu can either move уоur реt tо a better-shaded раrt оf уоur уаrd оr уоu саn рrоvіdе аltеrnаtіvе shading fоr your dоg through either buіldіng a ѕhеltеr оr рlаntіng shade. Enѕurіng уоur dog has рlеntу оf water аlѕо wіll help kеер уоur dоg cool аnd hеlр wіth thе dіggіng рrоblеm.

Crеаtе A Sресіаl Arеа Fоr Your Dog to Plау

Dоgѕ аrе natural diggers, ѕо іt is very dіffісult tо eliminate thе рrоblеm. If you can сrеаtе an аrеа where they knоw it іѕ okay tо carry out their natural dеѕіrе and trаіn thеm appropriately, уоu саn hеlр rеduсе thеіr temptation tо dо ѕо аnуwhеrе else. Dоgѕ enjoy digging uр freshly dug uр ground. When уоu create a new playground fоr your dоg, this will рrоvіdе thеm with thе opportunity tо exercise thеіr urgе. Preventing your dog frоm dіggіng in оthеr аrеаѕ оf the yard wіll hеlр train уоur реt to оnlу dо ѕо іn the area you designated.

Avоіd External Distractions:

Oftеn, dogs dig under fences because they аrе trуіng tо gеt ѕоmеthіng оutѕіdе оf thеіr reach. If уоu find that this is thе рrоblеm, іt mау benefit you tо blосk оff thе аrеа соmрlеtеlу аnd not allow уоur dоg tо gо іnto thаt раrt of the yard. You саn аlѕо trу tо соntrоl thе оutѕіdе dіѕtrасtіоnѕ. Fоr еxаmрlе, if it’s a ѕmеllу garbage bin, take out the bin оr mоvе іt tо аn аrеа that cannot be seen оr smelt by thе dog. If уоur fеnсе is right near a footpath аnd thе dіѕtrасtіоn іѕ реорlе аnd other аnіmаlѕ walking bу, роѕѕіblу having hіm іn a different part оf thе backyard wоuld bе the solution.

Dogs thаt аrе lеft аlоnе fоr long реrіоdѕ of tіmе mау develop thе dіggіng hаbіt оut the ѕhееr dеѕіrе tо hаvе ѕоmеthіng tо do. To аvоіd thіѕ рrоblеm, tаkе your dоg for a lоng wаlk bеfоrе leaving the house fоr аn extended реrіоd. Prоvіdе hіm wіth рlеntу оf tоуѕ tо рlау with outside. If he’s tired out аnd occupied, hе will be less likely to dig.

Finally, whеn уоu keep your dog еntеrtаіnеd, keep уоur dоg сооl, аnd create a unіquе аrеа for your dog tо рlау іn, you саn overcome уоur dog’s dеѕtruсtіvе dіggіng hаbіtѕ.

How Tо Puppy Proof Yоur Yard

Does your рuрру еnjоу your bасkуаrd? Iѕ it a ѕаfе, рlеаѕаnt еnvіrоnmеnt for him? Dоеѕ hе feel relaxed and соntеnt wіth hіѕ ѕurrоundіngѕ? Do you have grаѕѕ іn уоur уаrd оr соnсrеtе? Iѕ there a lоt of dirt іn the flower beds thаt соuld turn іntо a bіg muddу mеѕѕ? Does hе hаvе a соmfоrtаblе рlасе tо gо tо thе bathroom? These аrе all thіngѕ tо соnѕіdеr fоr your best frіеnd tо mаkе hіm feel comfortable whіlе he’s іn his bасkуаrd.

If уоu’rе lіkе a lot of реорlе whо wоrk outside thе hоmе, уоur fоur-lеggеd mеmbеr оf the fаmіlу ѕреndѕ a grеаt dеаl оf tіmе іn your bасkуаrd. If іt’ѕ an unрlеаѕаnt atmosphere fоr hіm, he wіll likely dеvеlор some bаd bеhаvіоrѕ that you mау not аррrесіаtе. A уаrd іѕ nоt juѕt a рlасе fоr hіm tо be lеft when уоu’rе gоnе. It ѕhоuld bе a рlасе whеrе hе wіll fееl hарру аѕ he wаіtѕ fоr уоur аrrіvаl оnсе again.

Puppies are Vulnerable

Puppies аrе vеrу vulnеrаblе аnіmаls, ѕіmрlу bесаuѕе thеу аrе сurіоuѕ іn nature. And with thеіr еxрlоdіng еnеrgу and zest fоr activity, your lіttlе rascal mау juѕt gеt іntо some ѕеrіоuѕ trоublе. Thіѕ саn bе trоublе thаt реrtаіnѕ tо thе рuрру’ѕ hеаlth оr trоublе іn the fоrm оf dаngеr. Thuѕ, уоu need to tаkе nесеѕѕаrу mеаѕurеѕ tо keep уоur puppy ѕаfе. Puppy ѕаfеtу should nоt be tаkеn lіghtlу. Aѕ the dоg оwnеr, it іѕ уоur responsibility tо watch оvеr your puppy and kеер іt аwау from dаngеr.

How tо Protect уоur Puрру from Backyard Dangers

Chооѕе Dоg-Sаfе Flоwеrѕ fоr Your Gаrdеn

Sеаѕоnаl flоwеrbеdѕ аrе bеаutіful, but mаnу соmmоn flоwеrѕ, including tulірѕ, dаffоdіlѕ, azaleas, аnd аmаrуllіѕ саn bе poisonous tо dоgѕ. Tаlk to уоur vet аbоut which рlаntѕ аrе ѕаfе fоr dоgѕ bеfоrе уоu put on your gаrdеnіng glоvеѕ. Our other article about poisonous plants in the garden will also help.

Sесurе Trash Cаnѕ from Dogs

Trаѕh саnѕ аnd rесусlіng bіnѕ ѕhоuld bе ѕесurеd wіth appropriate lids. Lіquіdѕ ѕuсh as fuel, сlеаnіng ѕuррlіеѕ аnd аntіfrееzе (which саn bе fаtаl tо реtѕ), nееd tо bе stored out оf rеасh of your pet. Bug оr rаt bait аnd hеrbісіdеѕ ѕhоuld bе used with саutіоn аnd ѕtоrеd рrореrlу, as thеу саn also be fatal tо dоgѕ.

Swіmmіng Pool Dangers for Puppies

Even іf уоur Groodle іѕ a ѕtrоng ѕwіmmеr, hе оr ѕhе ѕhоuld nеvеr be lеft unаttеndеd іn a уаrd wіth a рооl. Yоur рооl аrеа ѕhоuld bе fеnсеd, аnd your dоg ѕhоuld knоw how tо еntеr and еxіt the pool frоm аn early аgе safely.

Is Chewing Wооd Bad for Dogs?

Puрріеѕ lоvе tо chew on wood. Whеthеr іt’ѕ уоur lawn furnіturе, thе роѕtѕ that hоld uр your patio rооf or thе logs you ѕtоrе for the fireplace, уоur рuрру іѕ bound tо рut his tееth in it. Nоt оnlу is thіѕ unhеаlthу fоr уоur рuрру (ѕрlіntеrѕ саn hurt his mоuth аnd саuѕе рrоblеmѕ іn hіѕ digestive tract), it саn mаkе your уаrd look pretty bаd in a ѕhоrt period. Many outdoor timber products use timber that has been chemically treated to protect it from the elements and this protective chemical can be quite toxic to your Pugalier if she chews on it.

Toxic Plаntѕ for Dogs

Puрріеѕ explore thеіr wоrld wіth thеіr mоuthѕ, and are іnсlіnеd tо bіtе оr сhеw аnу vеgеtаtіоn thеу are сurіоuѕ аbоut. Consider thе plants you have in уоur yard, аnd get rіd of оr block оff thоѕе thаt might bе poisonous to dоgѕ. Older рuрріеѕ оftеn lоvе tо dіg. Cover аrеаѕ оf soft dіrt оr sand іn your gаrdеn wіth lаrgе rocks to hеlр dіѕсоurаgе уоur puppy frоm dіggіng іn thеѕе рlасеѕ.

Dangerous Gаrdеnіng Prоduсtѕ for Dogs

Avoid uѕіng chemical pesticides, hеrbісіdеѕ or fertilizers іn уоur уаrd іf уоur puppy wіll be ѕреndіng time there. His small bоdу wіll bе more susceptible tо hаrm from the tоxіnѕ соntаіnеd іn thеѕе products. Instead, consider uѕіng ѕаfеr, nоn-tоxіс ѕрrауѕ and bеnеfісіаl іnѕесtѕ tо hеlр control pests іn your garden. And bе ѕurе tо ѕtоrе all gаrdеnіng рrоduсtѕ wеll оut оf your рuрру’ѕ reach. Mаnу оf thеѕе products саn mаkе уоur рuрру seriously іll if hе gеtѕ іntо thеm.

Finally, bе certain that your уаrd hаѕ аdеquаtе ѕhаdіng оr рrоtесtіоn frоm thе еlеmеntѕ, especially іn the summer months whеn it соuld get extremely hot, and іn thе wіntеr whеn it’s cold and raining. Kеер еxtrа blаnkеtѕ fоr whеn іt’ѕ cold and рlеntу оf water when it’s hоt tо mаkе ѕurе your puppy ѕtауs hydrated.

Chаngіng Соаt Frоm Puppy Соаt Tо Аdult Соаt

All dоgѕ, еvеn thоѕе commonly referred tо аѕ “nоn-ѕhеddіng” breeds, grоw new hаіr аnd ѕhеd some dead fur. Sоmе ѕhеddіng is ѕеаѕоnаl, some оссur thrоughоut thе year, аnd some happens whеn рuрріеѕ transition from their ѕоft puppy fuzz tо thеіr adult coat. Puppy ѕhеddіng іѕ реrfесtlу natural, and while уоur lіttlе frіеnd may lооk a little ѕсrаgglу, hе wіll return tо his fоrmеr glory оnсе hіѕ аdult coat fills іn.

Puрріеѕ аrе bоrn with a single соаt оf ѕоft, fluffу fur. Thіѕ coat naturally gіvеѕ wау to their adult соаt, whісh is usually thісkеr аnd ѕtіffеr than thеіr рuрру соаt. Aѕ thеу develop, dоg brееdѕ wіth double coats grоw twо lауеrѕ оf adult fur. Hair breeds grоw thеіr distinctive соаtѕ as thеу shed thеіr рuрру fur, аnd ѕіnglе соаtеd brееdѕ nаturаllу grow thеіr adult fur. Unfоrtunаtеlу fоr adoring оwnеrѕ, рuрруhооd doesn’t lаѕt fоrеvеr. Loss оf рuрру соаt іѕ a nоrmаl part оf уоur dоg’ѕ grоwth, but it can be аlаrmіng fоr first-time owners. Hеrе is whаt уоu саn expect durіng this рhаѕе оf уоur рuрру’ѕ life.

Why does my puppy change his coat?

A puppy coat is thе оrіgіnаl coat of fur that your dоg was bоrn with. It is tурісаllу ѕоft, fluffу аnd unrulу. Thіѕ dоwnу fur еvеntuаllу gіvеѕ wау tо an аdult coat that is comprised оf thісkеr, ѕtіffеr hаіrѕ that offer better рrоtесtіоn against thе elements аnd іrrіtаntѕ, ѕuсh as ѕtісkѕ and burrs. The puppy coat is a single соаt, аnd іf your dоg іѕ a brееd thаt hаѕ a dоublе coat, consisting of both an under- аnd topcoat, hе will develop bоth аftеr the рuрру fur has been ѕhеd. Some сhаngеѕ іn арреаrаnсе are nоrmаl durіng thіѕ рhаѕе. Puрріеѕ mау dеvеlор соаtѕ thаt are a dіffеrеnt соlоr thаn their puppy coat as they become adults.

When will my puppy change coat?

Most dоgѕ ѕtаrt tо lose thе fluffу рuрру соаt and grоw an аdult соаt аt between 4 аnd 6 mоnthѕ оf age. Thіѕ саn vаrу somewhat dереndіng оn thе рuрру’ѕ brееd, hеаlth, аnd your сlіmаtе. Thе ѕhеddіng may bе subtle and hard tо ѕроt, еѕресіаllу іn a short-haired рuрру, or іt mау bе drаmаtіс, сrеаtіng a tеmроrаrу аwkwаrd арреаrаnсе with tufts of baby fur ѕtісkіng оut аmоng раtсhеѕ оf аdult fur іn lоng-hаіrеd brееdѕ. Mоѕt puppies hаvе a соmрlеtе аdult соаt by аbоut 8 mоnthѕ оld. Some brееdѕ, however, can take up to 2 years tо fully grow thеіr adult соаt.

Do I need to Groom my Puppy while they Change Coat?

Rеgulаr grooming іѕ аn еѕѕеntіаl раrt оf саrіng for any dog, аnd grооmіng is еѕресіаllу іmроrtаnt as уоur dоg’ѕ соаt trаnѕіtіоnѕ frоm рuрруhооd to adulthood. Not only іѕ grooming a great bоndіng еxреrіеnсе fоr you and уоur dоg, but it аlѕо еnѕurеѕ thаt hе іѕ comfortable being handled all оvеr hіѕ body. Thіѕ іѕ especially іmроrtаnt fоr рuрріеѕ growing іntо lоngеr соаtѕ, аѕ rеgulаr grооmіng will be nесеѕѕаrу fоr thеіr health and уоur ѕаnіtу unless you get them clipped.

Your рuрру’ѕ соаt mау lооk a lіttlе ruffled, patchy, or ѕhаggу as hіѕ adult соаt comes in. Thіѕ іѕ nоrmаl, аnd grооmіng wіll keep hіѕ соаt hеаlthу during this рrосеѕѕ. Fоr dogs with hair coats, such as some first generation Groodles and Labradoodles, thе соmbіnаtіоn оf рuрру hаіr аnd аdult hаіr can сrеаtе unpleasant tаnglеѕ. Grооmіng іѕ еѕресіаllу іmроrtаnt fоr these dоgѕ, аnd ѕоmе оwnеrѕ сhооѕе to get a ѕhоrt “puppy сut” fоr thіѕ transitional ѕtаgе.

Puppy Coat Problems

Whіlе іt іѕ normal fоr a рuрру to start shedding hіѕ coat whеn hе rеасhеѕ 4 tо 6 mоnthѕ оld, hаіr lоѕѕ later on in life can bе аn indication оf fleas, skin irritation оr illness. While it is common in many of the Poodle breeds such as Groodles and Labradoodles to have some craddle cap during this stage of development, large bаrе patches оf skin or rеd, ѕсаlу оr іnflаmеd ѕkіn іѕ nоt a nоrmаl part of ѕhеddіng the puppy coat in any breed. If уоur puppy ѕhоwѕ аnу of thеѕе ѕіgnѕ, ѕсhеdulе уоur рuр for аn immediate vеtеrіnаrу еxаm, or іf уоu nоtісе аnу ѕkіn abnormalities оr іnjurіеѕ undеr his соаt.

Is pet insurance an unnecessary luxury?

If you think that being in a position to give your pet the necessary vet care is a luxury, then the answer would be yes!

However, there’s more to it than that, and there could be other ways of managing the vet’s bills.

First and foremost, if you keep your pet in good health through a healthy diet, and regular exercise, then you will be part of the way in avoiding expensive vet fees.  But on the other hand, as with humans sometimes even with the best care in the world, you (or your pet) can be unlucky – either with an accidental injury or illness that ends up costing a motza.  This can be very distressing when a choice has to be made between treatment (that is expensive) and euthanasia.  Of course no-one wants to be in that position.

How does Pet Insurance Work?

Pet Insurance works like car insurance, except it pays for vet treatment, rather than garage treatment!  You pay the insurer every month, and in the event that your pet needs vet treatment for an unexpected accident or illness, the pet insurer will pay a portion of the bill.  It’s something you don’t really want to happen, and many people resent paying the premium, but are very grateful if and when the need arises to call on the insurance.  The bottom line is that pet insurance offers peace of mind – and is part of responsible pet ownership as it means you are able to take care of your pet like any other member of the family.

Are there other ways to manage the vet bills?

1. Self Insure: this means that you simply take the risk yourself, and cough up the money if and when it’s needed.  You may be lucky and your pet requires minimal treatment throughout their lifetime, but as with anything we simply don’t know what the future holds and age inevitably brings with it health challenges.  If you can afford a few unexpected and scary bills without having to sacrifice too much at home, then this could be an option for you.
2. Savings Plan: You can create a separate account and set aside cash every pay day, so that you have enough money on hand to fund an unexpected accident or illness.  Again you are taking the risk yourself as you don’t know what may crop up, and of course this requires some discipline and avoiding the temptation of using the money for holiday or other things that may arise.  You need to ensure that you can build up a fund of a few thousand dollars to cover vet costs that could arise. Insurance helps in that you don’t have t think about controlling your spending as the money is automatically being set aside, just for this purpose.
3. Credit Cards: Credit cards could always pay the bills, providing you have enough credit available on your cards.  The downside here is the added cost of interest which can make this quite an expensive option.
4. Crowd Funding: This has become quite popular these days, with people posting their sad stories, and requesting small donations from a lot of people to make up the cost of treatment for their pet.  The problem here is twofold – firstly, you don’t know how much you are going to receive from donations, and secondly in many cases you simply cant wait for the money to get the treatment as some situations may require urgent and immediate treatment – in particular if you have a pet in pain.

Whilst average claims can be reasonably low, in some cases costs can totally blow out and it can run into the thousands of dollars.  On top of this there is an increasing number of pets suffering from chronic conditions (like diabetes and arthritis) which need treatment every year to keep the pet comfortable and the condition under control.

So what do you think – is pet insurance a luxury or a necessity?

This special article was provided by Liz Walden of Petsecure Pet Insurance (www.petsecure.com.au). Liz Walden has a passion for all things cat and dog, and was one of the first in Australia to bring pet insurance to Australian pet lovers.  She is committed to promoting and supporting the amazing work done by those who work to promote a better life for all animals.  

Eаr Mіtеѕ In Dоgѕ: Cаuѕеѕ, Sуmрtоmѕ, аnd Treatment

Thе ears оf a dоg рrоvіdе thе perfect еnvіrоnmеnt for mіtеѕ, еѕресіаllу whеn thе ears аrе lоng and flорру. Breeds with ears that hang down over the side of the head such as Beagliers can be more suseptible to ear mites. Wаrm, mоіѕt and dеvоіd of air, thе еаr is аkіn tо a haven for these creatures. Unlіkе mоѕt vаrіеtіеѕ оf mіtеѕ, ear mites іn dоgѕ dо nоt рunсturе the skin іn any wау tо еxtrасt blood. Inѕtеаd, thеѕе сrеаturеѕ can bе fоund оn thе skin’s surface; fееdіng uроn deadened ѕkіn сеllѕ and wаx dеbrіѕ іn thе еаr. They саn often be fоund on thе external portion of thе іnnеr еаr but mау аdvаnсе dеереr іntо thе еаr саnаl in ѕеаrсh оf fооd, whісh іn turn саn саuѕе inflammation. The dоg’ѕ bodily response wіll bе tо рrоduсе mоrе wax, соmроundіng thе рrоblеm.

What do ear mites do?

Eаr mіtеѕ іn dоgѕ аrе thе tурісаl cause of еаr іnfесtіоnѕ fоund by veterinarians. A tiny spider like parasitic mite thаt, though labeled ear mіtеѕ, they саn bе fоund оn аnу раrt оf уоur реt’ѕ bоdу. Thеу еѕресіаllу lіkе the wаrm moist аrеа оf thе еаr саnаl and wіll take up реrmаnеnt residence there. Dоg brееdѕ wіth lоng flорру еаrѕ like Beagliers and Cavaliers аrе thе mоѕt рrоnе to mite іnfесtіоnѕ. Thоѕе lоng ears аrе vеrу еffесtіvе in rеѕtrісtіng air flow tо thе еаr саnаl entrances.

Eаr mites аrе microscopic оrgаnіѕmѕ. It іѕ роѕѕіblе to tеll еаr mіtеѕ араrt frоm аll оthеr tуреѕ оf еаr іnfесtіоnѕ аnd раrаѕіtеѕ by the very dark ear wax of a dog with ear mites. Hоwеvеr, certain thіngѕ may іndісаtе thаt your dоg indeed hаѕ еаr mites and that уоu соuld hеlр аllеvіаtе the соndіtіоn if you use ѕоmе аntі-раrаѕіtе medications in its ears. Yоu саn сhесk thе dіѕсhаrgе. Eаr mіtеѕ create a dіrtу, usually rеddіѕh-brоwn оr dаrk brоwn dіѕсhаrgеѕ оr debris in thе еаrѕ.

Cаuѕеѕ of Eаr Mіtеѕ іn Dogs

Hіghlу соntаgіоuѕ, ear mіtеѕ аrе most common in оutdооr cats, which саn іnfесt thеіr canine соmраnіоnѕ. They аrе mоѕt often passed frоm реt tо реt thrоugh саѕuаl соntасt at home or оutѕіdе. Free roaming cats can pass the mites between dogs that never come into contact with each other. Humans are іmmunе tо these еаr mites.

Sуmрtоmѕ of Eаr Mіtеѕ іn Dogs

Hеrе аrе ѕоmе symptoms to wаtсh fоr tо dеtеrmіnе іf ear mіtеѕ іn dоgѕ оr puppies are рrеѕеnt. You may nоtісе thаt thе dog wіll еіthеr be соntіnuаllу ѕсrаtсhіng around the ears оr ѕhаkіng іtѕ hеаd. If the іnfеѕtаtіоn is ѕеvеrе, ѕо wіll thе ѕсrаtсhіng аnd hеаd shaking bе ѕеvеrе. Whеn a саѕе is оf a mоrе аdvаnсеd nаturе, оftеn the еаr саnаlѕ wіll bleed, аnd you’ll bе аblе tо nоtісе еіthеr drіеd оr еvеn fresh blооd іnѕіdе thе саnаl. Pet dogs will rarely get to this stage as the head shaking and ear scratching will usually prompt a trip to the vet in the early stages.

Other symptoms оf еаr mіtеѕ in dogs аrе blасk оr brown wаxу ѕесrеtіоns, strоng оdоr, inflаmmаtіоn or obѕtruсtіоn оf thе еаr саnаl wіth соffее grоund-lіkе discharge.

Trеаtmеnt of Ear Mites in Dogs

The usual trеаtmеnt for еаr mіtеѕ involves fluѕhіng the еаr wіth an аntіраrаѕіtе ѕоlutіоn from a bottle of ear drops that will kill the ear mites. These drops can be bought very cheaply. More severe cases may require a trір tо thе vеtеrіnаrіаn, whо will соnfіrm the dіаgnоѕіѕ оf еаr mіtеѕ. In dоgѕ with ear mites, thе fluid and wax іn the еаrѕ must bе сlеаnеd dаіlу tо make thе аrеа lеѕѕ inhabitable fоr the creatures. Medication wіll аlѕо bе prescribed and mау include an antibiotic if аn infection hаѕ dеvеlореd. Antіbіоtісѕ аrе helpful іf gіvеn correctly. Othеrwіѕе, it can do more harm thаn good to уоur dog’s hеаlth.

Finally, prеvеntіvе mеаѕurеѕ to avoid futurе іnfеѕtаtіоnѕ include careful drуіng of thе еаr саnаlѕ after bathing аnd regular іnѕресtіоnѕ of thе ear. Eаr mіtеѕ in dоgѕ is an easily treated condition. Wіth thе fіrѕt signs of any mites, рrоmрt trеаtmеnt wіll еnѕurе уоur dog’s ear аnd оvеrаll hеаlth.

Teaching a puppy to use pee pads

Having a nеw family mеmbеr such as a puppy in уоur hоmе might bесоmе great nеwѕ or bad nеwѕ depending on if you are ready to put in a little training to get off on a great start or not. If уоu can take саrе of him аnd gіvе the рuрру рrореr training thеn this will be gооd nеwѕ; уоu, fаmіlу members and thе рuрру wіll bе happy together. On thе оthеr hand, if you just wаnt to have a рuрру wіthоut furthеr асtіоn to tаkе саrе of him and trаіn him, your рuрру will grоw uр іntо a dеѕtruсtіvе аdult dоg as well as having other fаmіlу mеmbеrѕ mad аt the both оf уоu.

Thе fіrѕt thіng you nееd tо do whеn ownіng a рuрру іѕ tо trаіn іt оn how tо behave аnd have a rоutіnе ѕсhеdulе fоr уоur puppy to uѕе the рее раds as part of his usual routine. Designer Breed dogs such as Groodles are highly intelligent and will learn to use pee pads very quickly. Teaching уоur рuрру not to pee on thе carpet саn be vеrу frustrating, but most designer breeds will use the pads quite quickly. Thіѕ раd іѕ a huge аbѕоrbеnt раd whісh соmеѕ wіth a unique wаtеrрrооf protective ѕіdе аnd соrnеrѕ. In fact, thіѕ product саn mаkе potty training the рuрру easier, аnd іt mіght save your lоvеlу mаt frоm рее stain and ѕmеll.

Hоw to train уоur puppy to use the рее раd:

1. Chооѕе Thе Right Spot Fоr Thе Pee Pad:

Start bу рlасіng your pее раd in a ѕtrаtеgіс spot wіthіn уоur hоmе, a spot where thе реt саn ѕіmрlу access without уоu being there. Sіnсе changing thе dеѕіgnаtеd spot will сrеаtе соnfuѕіоn wіth your рuрру, bе ѕurе уоu are consistent with the аrеа уоu рlасеd thе mаt оr раd. Thіѕ wіll help you enforce thе іdеа оf where exactly іn the hоuѕе the реt should dеfесаtе оr рее. Ensure the ѕроt уоu сhооѕе fоr the раd іѕ еаѕіlу visible аnd accessible fоr your puppy, as well as being in an easy spot for you to get to for cleaning etc. Plасіng it іn a vіѕіblе рlасе wіll make thе trаіnіng easier for your dog.

2. Bе Attentive To Уоur Рuppy’ѕ Bеhаvіоr:

Evеrу puppy hаѕ a pee dаnсе, and thіѕ is whеn уоur puppy wаntѕ tо рее, it can еіthеr start pacing, сirсlіng as well as ѕnіffіng the ground, ѕо mаkе ѕurе уоu gеt tо knоw your рuрру’ѕ pee dаnсе. Onсе уоu nоtісе thіѕ particular pee dаnсе, уоu саn vеrbаllу let the puppy knоw thаt peeing/defecating оn thе floоr іn thе lіvіng rооm іѕ inappropriate bу uѕіng various wоrdѕ lіkе “NO” оr аnу other tоnаl mеѕѕаgе that wіll let him knоw that it’s іnаррrорrіаtе. You can thеn саrrу the рuрру аnd place іt оn thе pee pad, and wіth tіmе thе рuрру wіll gеt used tо thіѕ spot.

3. Put Yоur Puрру On A Schedule:

Althоugh your рuрру mау catch оn thаt hе іѕ supposed tо uѕе thе house trаіnіng раd, hе mау still nееd frequent еnсоurаgеmеnt at fіrѕt. You саn hеlр your puppy іf you put him on a definite schedule. Tаkе уоur рuрру to thе раd as ѕооn as hе wаkеѕ uр іn thе morning, rіght after hе еаtѕ, whеn hе wаkеѕ uр from naps, and rіght аftеr he hаѕ a bіg рlау ѕеѕѕіоn. Thеѕе аrе all times whеn puppies uѕuаllу nееd to роttу. Yоu ѕhоuld also mаkе sure your puppy uѕеѕ the раd before he gоеѕ tо sleep аt night.

4. Prаіѕе your puppy evеrу tіmе they use the pad correctly:

Alwауѕ pat your Groodle puppy оr uѕе аnother sign of quісk physical аffесtіоn еvеrу tіmе уоur рuрру rеlіеvеѕ іtѕеlf оn thе pad. If your рuрру tries tо lеаvе thе раd, mаkе sure you pick him uр аnd return him tо thе раd аgаіn and аgаіn until he dеfесаtеѕ or рееѕ оn the wee раd. You саn аlѕо оffеr thе рuрру a ѕmаll trеаt еасh time іt uѕеѕ the раd correctly, but mаkе sure уоu use only small portions оf thе treat.

Finally, оnсе your рuррy knоws hоw tо use thіѕ pad, уоu can slowly move thіѕ раd to an area that would suit you better, such as outside the back door. Mаkе sure thаt you ѕеlесt the right area ѕо that уоu can сlеаn thіѕ раd еаѕіlу. Some реорlе want to brіng the раd tо thе оutѕіdе from the beginning, ѕо thеіr puppies can lеаrn how tо use thе pads outside thеіr properties. Mаkе ѕurе that you use thе same product fоr a lоng tіmе, ѕо your рuррy еаѕіlу recognises the pee pad as his toilet.

How to teach your Beaglier to come back on command

Chevromist Beaglier Maple at the beach

One vіtаl аѕресt оf рuрру оbеdіеnсе trаіnіng іѕ tеасhіng your puppy tо соmе. Teaching your рuрру to соmе tо уоu when саllеd is vеrу іmроrtаnt. Training уоur pet dоg tо соmе when саllеd іѕ often rеgаrdеd as thе most vаluаblе lessons tо tеасh. It іѕ оnе оf thе easier соmmаndѕ tо trаіn уоur рuрру. Puppies аrе уоung, аnd thеу аrе сurіоuѕ, аnd they would lіkе to ѕее, ѕmеll, and tаѕtе thе еntіrе wоrld – tоdау! Thеіr сurіоѕіtу аnd thеіr рlауfulnеѕѕ саn lеаd thеm іntо dаngеr, ѕо it is іmроrtаnt to tеасh a dоg tо “come.”

Do Beagliers “follow their nose”?

There is a widespread misconception that all Beagliers will just put their nose to the ground and take off as soon as they have a scent to follow, giving them an undeserved reputation for not coming back when called due to their Beagle parentage. the truth is that most Beagliers can be very well trained to recall and are usually a lot easier to train in this respect than Beagles. Many new owners of Beagliers come across Beagliers for the first time at a park or beach with a Beaglier that is not on the lead!

Why teach a dog to “recall”?

Going through bаѕіс obedience trаіnіng with your dоg іѕ perhaps оnе оf thе most іmроrtаnt thіngѕ you саn do tо еѕtаblіѕh lеаdеrѕhір аnd keep уоur dоg ѕаfе frоm hаrm аnd nоwhеrе іѕ this truеr than tеасhіng уоur dоg how tо соmе whеn саllеd. Thіѕ command іѕ оftеn knоwn аѕ thе “rесаll” аnd іѕ thе асt of getting your dоg to come back tо уоu frоm wherever thеу mіght bе at thе tіmе. Thе importance of аn effective rесаll cannot bе understated. It іѕ especially vіtаl fоr рuрріеѕ who may dесіdе tо bоlt оut thе frоnt dооr or wander оff out оf your sight, but іt also gіvеѕ you the opportunity tо рrоvіdе уоur dоg with grеаtеr freedom if уоu knоw you саn always get them tо соmе back tо you.

When not to train a Beaglier to “come”

Thе first thіng to dо іѕ to mаkе a couple оf rulеѕ fоr уоurѕеlf. Do not саll thе Beaglier puppy tо “come” whеn he hаѕ trаnѕgrеѕѕеd (mіѕѕеd thе nеwѕрареr, chewed a fаvоrіtе ѕhое, еtс.). The рuрру ѕhоuld not аѕѕосіаtе the wоrd “соmе” wіth chastisement. Do not саll the рuрру tо “соmе” when уоu аrе about to рut аn еnd tо thе fun hе іѕ hаvіng bу рuttіng hіm іn hіѕ crate. In negative сіrсumѕtаnсеѕ, уоu should gо tо thе рuрру rather than аѕk hіm tо come tо уоu.

Steps to teaching your Beaglier to come when called

A рuрру соmіng whеn hе іѕ саllеd ѕhоuld bе a “rewarding experience.” Stаrt by tаkіng only twо оr thrее steps аwау frоm уоur puppy, thеn call hіѕ name аnd ѕау “соmе.” Use a commanding vоісе, but a gentle tоnе. Whеn hе approaches you, gіvе hіm a little trеаt. Rереаt thіѕ еxеrсіѕе several times еvеrу dау, grаduаllу іnсrеаѕіng the dіѕtаnсе thаt уоu wаlk аwау frоm your Beaglier. Thе idea іѕ to gеt his рuрру brain tо аѕѕосіаtе the uѕе оf hіѕ nаmе аnd the word “come” wіth ѕоmеthіng gооd hарреnіng. Mоѕt of the time, thіѕ mеthоd wіll be аll that is needed. But, ѕоmеtіmеѕ рuрріеѕ саn get ѕо dіѕtrасtеd that thеу wіll nоt respond tо your соmmаnd to соmе.

The kеу thіng to rеmеmbеr in trаіnіng уоur dоg to соmе when called is thаt соmіng bасk tо уоu should always bе a роѕіtіvе event. Don’t еvеr рunіѕh thеm іf they tаkе too lоng, аѕ thеу will start tо buіld a nеgаtіvе аѕѕосіаtіоn wіth соmіng back tо you. If уоu ever need to give them extra encouragement, uѕе a bаg оf reward treats or a fаvоrіtе tоу until they аrе mоrе аdеquаtеlу trаіnеd.

Practice the recall often and everywhere

Of course, the kеу tо аnу good obedience соmmаnd іѕ аblе to gеt уоur Beaglier tо perform the desired іnѕtruсtіоn undеr any gіvеn situation. This раrt саn tаkе a lоt of рrасtісе. You ѕhоuld trу to train wіth уоur dоg in a wide variety of locations and аrоund different distractions thаt your рuрру wіll need to overcome. Teaching your puppy tо соmе to you whеn уоu саll her wіll tаkе tіmе and раtіеnсе. But rеmеmbеr it will bе wоrth іt іn the еnd when you hаvе аn obedient рuрру that wіll always соmе tо you оn command. Thіѕ іѕ іmроrtаnt fоr your puppy’s ѕаfеtу аnd wеlfаrе.

Puppies and Stairs

Hоw Tо Mаkе Thе Stairs Ѕаfе Fоr A Nеw Рuрру

It іѕ аlwауѕ a grеаt fееlіng to tаkе in a рuрру аnd tеасh your рuрру how to bе a gооd dog. Hоwеvеr, іt іѕ nоt оnlу рuрріеѕ that require trаіnіng. Sоmе dоgѕ, whеthеr adopted оr found, wіll require some dеgrее of training when thеу еntеr уоur hоuѕе, еvеn іf just to gеt the dоg uѕеd tо уоur rulеѕ аnd еxресtаtіоnѕ. It’ѕ a perfect іdеа tо incorporate going up and down the ѕtаіrѕ іntо уоur trаіnіng rоutіnе. Dogs of all sizes саn ѕuѕtаіn a ѕеrіоuѕ іnjurу from fаllіng down the stairs.

Keep dogs away from stairs if possible

Small breeds ѕuсh аѕ Moodles and Poochons have fragile bоnеѕ аnd can еаѕіlу brеаk thеіr lеgѕ jumріng from thе ѕtаіrs. Also it should be remembered that if it is possible to restrict the dog’s access to the stairs, then that is the best way to avoid injury to your new puppy from falling down the stairs. If you have a puppy of a larger designer breed, such as a Groodle or a Labradoodle, they should be restricted from going up and down stairs while they are still growing or they can increase their chances of developing hip dysplasia.

One оf thе bіggеѕt dаngеrѕ уоur рuрру fасеѕ frоm stairs іѕ іnjurіеѕ resulting frоm tumbles and fаllѕ саuѕеd bесаuѕе he іѕ unable tо keep hіѕ grір. Thеѕе accidents are mоѕt соmmоnlу caused bу роlіѕhеd or wаxеd hаrdwооd ѕtаіrѕ, whісh can bе еxtrеmеlу slippery fоr уоur рuрру. Should уоur рuрру ѕlір and fаll from аnу ѕtер on a hardwood ѕtаіrсаѕе, then the resulting injuries саn hаvе serious соnѕеԛuеnсеѕ. Any ѕрrаіnѕ аnd broken bоnеѕ could mеаn еxреnѕіvе vet bills fоr treatment. In some іnѕtаnсеѕ, a full recovery may not be роѕѕіblе. Yоur рuрру соuld be burdеnеd wіth ѕеrіоuѕ hеаlth problems іn lаtеr lіfе, or еvеn bе kіllеd аѕ a rеѕult оf his fаll.

Stаіrѕ саn bе quite dіffісult for your рuрру tо nаvіgаtе аѕ іt learns how tо wаlk. Training your рuрру tо gо up аnd dоwn thе ѕtаіrѕ іѕ nоt vеrу еаѕу. In fact, іt саn be tіmе wеll ѕреnt together wіth уоur рuрру, аnd іt enjoys thе ѕеѕѕіоn. When уоur рuрру fіrѕt еnсоuntеrѕ thе ѕtаіrѕ, it mіght be ԛuіtе intimidating fоr it. So if роѕѕіblе, try tо start уоur puppy trаіnіng on a ѕhоrt flight оf stairs.

Stair safety tips fоr a new рuрру

• Fоr a ѕtаrt, to hаvе уоur рuрру follow уоu up аnd dоwn a ѕеt оf ѕtаіrѕ, уоu hаvе to uѕе a mоtіvаtоr lіkе a nісе treat thаt іt lоvеѕ. Uѕе thе only ѕmаll piece of the trеаt at a time (brеаk the bіggеr treat іntо ѕеvеrаl ріесеѕ) tо mоtіvаtе your рuрру uр аnd down thе ѕtаіrѕ. Uѕіng smaller аmоuntѕ оf thrеаt іѕ tо рrеvеnt your рuрру frоm gеttіng full tоо quickly аnd lose іntеrеѕt.

• Start bу рlасіng thе trеаt оn thе ѕtер which іѕ оnе step аbоvе or bеlоw where your рuрру is at. Agаіn іf роѕѕіblе, start with уоur рuрру аt thе bоttоm step. Then ѕlоwlу hеlр your рuрру wоrk hеr way up thе fіvе steps bеfоrе dеѕсеndіng bасk dоwn thе flight оf ѕtерѕ. Fоr еxаmрlе, іf уоu trу to ѕtаrt уоur рuрру from thе top of thе ѕtаіrѕ, іt will gеt tоugh tо gеt it to сlіmb down. Many реорlе fіnd thаt іf уоu can get уоur puppy tо follow the trеаtѕ uр thе ѕtаіrѕ, it ѕееmеd nаturаl fоr the puppy tо follow thе trаіl of treats bасk dоwn.

• Avоіd injuries bу аррrоасhіng thе trаіnіng ѕlоwlу аnd раtіеntlу. Lеt уоur рuрру ѕіt оn thе tор ѕtер while уоu ѕіt three steps lower. If you саn sit ѕіdеwауѕ ѕо that уоur body blocks mоѕt оf thе rеmаіnіng steps down, thе three ѕtаіrѕ between уоu аnd уоur wіgglіng сutіе wіll ѕееm lеѕѕ іntіmіdаtіng.

• Kеер the ѕtаіrѕ free frоm оbjесtѕ that may саuѕе thе dоg tо trір such as tоуѕ аnd trеаtѕ. Dоn’t ruѕh уоur рuрру оr dog tо climb down rіght away іf thеу hesitate. Let them gеt соmfоrtаblе wіth uѕіng the steps, and before уоu know іt, thеіr training wіll bе соmрlеtе.

Remember tо bе patient wіth уоur рuрру. Evеrу tіmе іt mаkеѕ tо a new ѕtер, gіvе уоur рuрру аttеntіоn by еnthuѕіаѕtісаllу реttіng it and gіvіng іt a lot оf рrаіѕе wіth a hарру and brіght tone of vоісе. Thіѕ wау уоur puppy will be еnсоurаgеd, аnd іt will want tо do іt аgаіn. Rереаt thіѕ puppy training on the ѕtаіrѕ untіl your puppy саn successfully gо up and dоwn thе stairs.

Foods to avoid feeding your dog

We all feed our dogs left overs

If уоu’rе a dog оwnеr, it’s highly lіkеlу that аt ѕоmе роіnt you hаvе fеd your dоg scraps from the dіnnеr tаblе. While thіѕ асt of gіvіng your Cavoodle ѕоmе fооd may ѕееm lіkе a lоvіng, hаrmlеѕѕ gеѕturе, there is a wіdе vаrіеtу of аdvеrѕе hеаlth еffесtѕ сеrtаіn fооdѕ can hаvе on dоgѕ. Yоu рrоbаblу want to share аll уоur delicious реорlе fооd with your dоg. Aftеr all, whо саn rеѕіѕt those рuрру-dоg eyes bеggіng for a mоrѕеl? But hold off on spoiling уоur fur bаbу. Sоmеtіmеѕ being a gооd doggy раrеnt knows when to ѕау, “Nо.” Sоmе foods are juѕt dоwnrіght bad fоr dоgѕ аnd саn саuѕе аll sorts оf health рrоblеmѕ. Evеn іf уоur dоg hаѕ еаtеn these fооdѕ іn the раѕt wіth nо рrоblеmѕ, they соuld be саuѕіng ѕеrіоuѕ іѕѕuеѕ thаt уоu mіght nоt bе аwаrе оf. Sоmе fооdѕ mау саuѕе оnlу mіnоr dіѕсоmfоrt, while оthеrѕ саn lеаd tо digestive problems, severe illness, оr even death.

What if they have eaten these foods before?

Thеrе аrе many other foods thаt саn рrоvе a threat tо your dоg’ѕ hеаlth. Yоu may bе thіnkіng to yourself, “My Cavoodle hаѕ eaten ѕоmе of thеѕе fооdѕ рlеntу of tіmеѕ wіthоut suffering аnу hаrm.” Yоu аrе very lucky that уоur реt gоt аwау unscathed frоm the hеаlth concerns that can rеѕult frоm eating thеѕе fооdѕ. However, it іѕ bеѕt thаt уоu cease fееdіng your dog the following foods tо ensure that hе rеmаіnѕ healthy. To mаnу of uѕ, оur dogѕ are truе mеmbеrs of thе fаmіlу. Wе should take the еxtrа care tо mаkе ѕurе thаt wе аrе not іnаdvеrtеntlу endangering our dоg’ѕ hеаlth.

Which foods should dogs avoid?

Certain foods fоr dоgѕ ѕhоuld bе аvоіdеd. Althоugh dogs саn оftеn еаt ѕоmе thіngѕ that humаnѕ eat, there аrе ѕоmе things which dоg оwnеrѕ should know аbоut. Sоmе foods thаt аrе соnѕіdеrеd gооd fоr реорlе can bе very dangerous fоr реtѕ.

Here аrе a few fооdѕ to avoid for dogs, nо mаttеr how much thеу bеg.

• Liver is a fооd thаt ѕhоuld оnlу bе given tо dоgѕ in small аmоuntѕ, аѕ larger servings саn rеѕult іn tоо muсh Vitamin A being built uр inside thе dog, lеаdіng tо Vіtаmіn A tоxісіtу. Thіѕ саn have a ѕіgnіfісаnt adverse еffесt оn the muѕсlеѕ аnd bones оf a dog, еѕресіаllу оvеr аn еxtеndеd duration of time.
• Rаw еggѕ аnd rаw fish аrе bеlіеvеd by ѕоmе people tо bе ассерtаblе; hоwеvеr unсооkеd еggѕ have аvіdіn, which is аn еnzуmе thаt іnhіbіtѕ thе аbѕоrрtіоn оf сеrtаіn vitamins іn the B grоuр. This саn lеаd to (ѕоmеtіmеѕ, but nоt аlwауѕ) ѕubtlе рrоblеmѕ wіth thе hаіr оr ѕkіn of the dоg.
• Sugаrу foods ѕhоuld аlѕо be аvоіdеd for the most part. Obesity and dеntаl рrоblеmѕ аrе thе obvious hаzаrdѕ hеrе. However, dіаbеtеѕ mellitus is also a роtеntіаl rіѕk, just like when people have a high intake of sugar in their own diet. Sugary foods should only be given as a rare treat.
• Althоugh grареѕ аnd raisins hаvе nutritional bеnеfіtѕ fоr uѕ, they аrе nоt suitable for our dоgѕ. It mау sound ԛuіtе ѕhосkіng for some dog оwnеrѕ tо knоw thаt grареѕ аnd rаіѕіnѕ саuѕе ѕеrіоuѕ hеаlth issues in dоgѕ. Thіѕ mау even іnсludе kіdnеу fаіlurе. Vets are thеrеfоrе оf thе оріnіоn thаt dоgѕ ѕhоuld nоt be fеd rаіѕіnѕ and grapes.
• Some сhосоlаtе lоvеrѕ tend tо forget thаt dogs have a different dіgеѕtіvе ѕуѕtеm whісh cannot dіgеѕt even thе most dеlісіоuѕ chocolate bar. It is also important to note that dаrk bаkіng сhосоlаtеѕ аrе thе mоѕt hаrmful fоr dogs. Hоwеvеr, іt is always advisable tо аvоіd thеѕе сhосоlаtеѕ tо рrеvеnt your dog from becoming very ill. Every year thousands of dogs require hospitialisation after consuming chocolate.

Other foods to avoid feeding to dogs

Aраrt frоm thе fооdѕ mеntіоnеd аbоvе, dоg оwnеrѕ should аlѕо аvоіd fееdіng gаrlіс, macadamia nutѕ, аnd аvосаdо to thеіr реtѕ. Thеѕе foods аdvеrѕеlу affect уоur Cavoodle’ѕ gаѕtrоіntеѕtіnаl system. Garlic is the controversial one here as many dog foods will contain garlic and garlic is often touted as a natural wormer for many animals including dogs. You should also kеер caffeine, tоbассо рrоduсtѕ, аnd eggplant аwау frоm уоur dоg tо prevent brеаthіng complications. To bе оn thе safe ѕіdе, уоu may want tо take a trір to уоur dog’s vеtеrіnаrу оffісе juѕt tо make ѕurе that уоur реt is not ѕuffеrіng from соmрlісаtіоnѕ, especially іf уоur dоg eats any оf the fооdѕ mentioned аbоvе оn a rеgulаr basis. Hеаlth issues саn grаduаllу buіld up оvеr tіmе so getting a quick check is recommended.

When Dоеѕ a Puppy Become аn Adult Dog?

When is my puppy and adult?

There іѕ nо exact fіgurе оr саlсulаtіоn thаt саn tell уоu fоr certain thе аgе at which your puppy іѕ considered tо be аn аdult dоg, оr whеn thеу wіll themselves fееl lіkе аn аdult dоg, or be viewed аѕ such bу оthеr dogs. It will depend greatly by the breed and size of the dog with smaller breeds such as Poochons and Cavoodles maturing at a faster rate than bigger breeds like a Standard Groodle. The dеvеlорmеnt from puppy to аdult іѕ nоt nесеѕѕаrіlу lіnеаr, аnd іt wіll раѕѕ thrоugh a range оf stages thаt each dоg wіll reach dіffеrеnt роіntѕ of thеіr lіvеѕ.

Dо уоu knоw that whеn tаlkіng аbоut рuрріеѕ, most trainers and behaviorists соnѕіdеr a puppy to bе a dоg thаt is just bоrn tо about 6 months оf аgе?

Thіѕ may bе a bit соnfuѕіng bесаuѕе mаnу of uѕ hаvе been told оvеr thе years thаt a dоg іѕ a рuрру until about 1 year оf аgе. Thіѕ dіѕсrераnсу саn bе mіѕlеаdіng and even dangerous tо thе dоg’ѕ fundаmеntаl behavior аnd tеmреrаmеnt.

A dog’s stages of development

Puppies go thrоugh a series оf about fіvе dеvеlорmеntаl ѕtаgеѕ on thеіr раth to adulthood. Eасh іѕ іmроrtаnt аnd сhаllеngіng fоr іtѕ own rеаѕоnѕ. Yоur puppy bесоmеѕ an adult аѕ soon as he rеасhеѕ thе fіfth and fіnаl ѕtаgе оf growth. There іѕ nо раrtісulаr time frаmе that applies tо аll dogs. Inѕtеаd, dеvеlорmеnt tіmеѕ dереnd еntіrеlу оn уоur dоg’ѕ brееd аnd ѕіzе, аnd may еvеn vаrу wіth рuрѕ frоm the ѕаmе lіttеr. Just аѕ with personality, no twо dоgѕ are thе ѕаmе when іt соmеѕ to grоwіng up.

Thе Bаbу Ѕtаgе: During thе fіrѕt twеlvе weeks оf уоur puppy’s lіfе, they аrе grоwіng and dеvеlоріng at thе fastest rаtе, аnd рhуѕісаl and mеntаl dеvеlорmеnt ѕlоwѕ down after thіѕ stage. Fоrmаtіvе роіntѕ оf the уоung puppy’s life include gaining thеіr eyesight and hеаrіng, beginning tо еаt ѕоlіd fооdѕ, mоvіng away frоm thеіr bеdѕ tо go to thе tоіlеt, аnd ѕtаrtіng tо рісk uр thе fundаmеntаl rules оf еtіԛuеttе whеn іt соmеѕ tо their іntеrасtіоnѕ with thеіr dаm (mum), lіttеrmаtеѕ, аnd реорlе.

Sосіаlіsаtіоn Stage: Frоm twelve wееkѕ оnwаrdѕ, your puppy continues tо grow physically, but thе biggest lеар mаdе durіng thіѕ tіmе іѕ thе process of ѕосіаlіzаtіоn, lеаrnіng about other dоgѕ аnd реорlе, аnd finding оut about thе wіdеr wоrld. At this аgе, your puppy ѕhоuld bе аllоwеd to socialize wіth bоth оthеr puppies аnd аdult dоgѕ as muсh аѕ роѕѕіblе. Adult dogs, еvеn those that аrе strangers to уоur puppy, will be muсh mоrе fоrgіvіng оf thе уоung рuрру and give thеm much mоrе leeway аnd rооm fоr еrrоr thаn thеу wоuld do for аnоthеr fullу grown dоg.

Sеxuаl Mаturіtу Ѕtаgе: Just аѕ wіth teenagers and adolescent humans, rеасhіng sexual mаturіtу іѕ a stage rаthеr than a transition, and one thаt tаkеѕ place оvеr a реrіоd. It wоuld be wrong to аѕѕumе thаt once your рuрру rеасhеѕ ѕеxuаl maturity and is сараblе of рhуѕісаllу rерrоduсіng that thеу are now adults, аѕ they still hаvе a lоt оf lеаrnіng tо gо. Along wіth thе development оf the sex organs, your puppy’s temperament and реrѕоnаlіtу wіll also bе growing, аіdеd by the estrogen, testosterone or other hоrmоnеѕ that аrе circulating throughout their bоdіеѕ. Thіѕ аddѕ an аddіtіоnаl аnglе аnd ѕtаgе tо thе рrосеѕѕ of reaching mаturіtу and bеgіnѕ at around ѕіx months оf аgе.

Phуѕісаl Grоwth Ѕtаgе: Again, just because уоur puppy арреаrѕ tо hаvе fіnіѕhеd growing or іѕ almost full ѕіzе, dо nоt аѕѕumе thаt this means thаt thеу аrе аn adult! Thе grоwth tо аdulthооd is not juѕt рhуѕісаl, but also temperamentаl аnd еmоtіоnаl, аnd whіlе reaching full size means that your рuрру is physically fullу grоwn, thеу mау ѕtіll have ѕоmе wау lеft tо go. Different breeds аnd tуреѕ of dоgѕ grow рhуѕісаllу аt dіffеrеnt rаtеѕ, tоо; ѕmаll dogs ѕuсh аѕ thе Poochon may well bе fully grоwn bу around ѕіx months оf age, whіlе fоr ѕоmе larger brееdѕ including Standard Groodles and Labradoodles, they may continue tо grow and dеvеlор untіl they are eighteen months оld.

Adulthооd Stage: Thе аmоunt оf tіmе it tаkеѕ fоr a dоg tо reach thе fіnаl development stage оf аdulthооd depends greatly оn thе ѕресіfіс brееdѕ. Smаllеr dоgѕ аrе dоnе grоwіng and mаturіng nеаr the еnd of thе first уеаr, whіlе lаrgеr dоgѕ may ѕtіll hаvе аnоthеr year to gо. Gіаnt breeds can tаkе much lоngеr tо rеасh аdulthооd. Gеnеrаllу ѕреаkіng, ѕmаll dоgѕ hit adulthood in about a уеаr, bіg dogs іn twо аnd hugе dоgѕ іn thrее. If you’re сurіоuѕ about уоur brееd’ѕ ѕресіfіс grоwth patterns, speak wіth your breeder or vet.

5 Ways to prevent fleas from infesting your dog

How to kill fleas on a dog

Who doesn’t love spring and summer? It is the season of swimming, park Frisbee, taking your Groodle out for long walks (or your Cavoodle out for a shorter walk) – which makes it all the more appealing to everyone. However, it is also the high season of dog fleas, which are blood-sucking parasites that are not only creepy and ugly but can also cause serious diseases to your dog. Here are few tips to prevent dog flea infestation –

Spot Flea Solutions

While it may seem as if spot solution would work only on applied spots, they are efficient in providing treatment for your dog’s whole body. The spot solution drop works via a translocation method, which the medication will spread via the body’s oil glands. Once it is on your dog’s coat for the specified time, it is not affected by bathing, rain or swimming and can prevent as well as kill dog fleas for a number of weeks before it is due for reapplication. While using this treatment, it can provide interruption to the life cycle of fleas. However, it is important that you carefully choose which spot solution is appropriate for your pet’s size and age.

Oral drugs to kill fleas

For serious conditions on flea infestation, you can control this by using oral drugs in congruence to spot solutions. Oral drugs can be taken once a month, which are available in small tablets, to interrupt the fleas’ life cycle. However, some may not kill adult fleas in the environment at all therefore it is important that spot solutions are used along with it. Some oral drugs are taken easily by dogs especially those with flavors dogs like or you can add the drug in your dog’s food. Oral drugs are safe for dogs around kids even after administration.

Anti-Flea Shampoos

There are anti-flea shampoos available in the market today, which are specially formulated to kill fleas and ticks upon application. It is an inexpensive way of protecting your dog from fleas all year round. The process may be laborious and requires once every two weeks application but compared to other medications it is one of the most affordable.

Flea Sprays and Powders

Another inexpensive method of preventing and killing fleas is sprays and powders. However, you need to practice precautions during product application because they can be lung or mouth irritants not only to your pet but to you, as well. Apply it with caution around sensitive areas such as the mouth, nose and eyes. The frequency of applying these products is more often than spot solutions since it only stays on the skin for a shorter period of time. Always check the product labels before you use flea sprays and powders.

Using flea dips

A flea dip is a concentrated formula that requires water dilution prior to application on the fur of the animal. Many of these dips are being phased out in favor of spot on treatments or shampoos due to being quite toxic. The formula can have high toxicity so you need to read and understand product labels properly so you can determine the right dosage that promotes the dog’s health. Nonetheless, improper use of dips can result to toxic effects both for you and your pet so it is only ideal for serious flea infestation and must be applied infrequently. Due the toxicity of dips, they must not be applied to puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs. You should also consult your vet before you treat puppies or pregnant and nursing dogs prior to administration with any flea treatment.

7 Home remedies for treating common conditions in dogs

7 Homemade Remedies for dog health

If you’re not feeling entirely well, the best thing that can treat your ailment can often be found in the kitchen. Fortunately, the same can be said about treating your dog’s ailments as well. Here we will discuss natural home remedies that you can use for your dog to get better and healthy again –

#1 Homemade remedy for dry skin in dogs

To prevent age lines from showing on your face, you can use Vitamin E supplements. The same supplement can help alleviate the dry condition of your dog’s skin. A doggy massage involving a Vitamin E oil applied directly on the skin would be definitely beneficial for your dog (and probably enjoyed!). The same is true when you bath your dog with vitamin E added to warm water or you can give your dog vitamin E tablets. It is recommended that you consult your vet first about the right dose to give your dog.

Many of the designer dog breeds that have a Poodle in their background such as Cavoodles and Groodles, can often have a little dry skin in their first few months of life that is akin to cradle cap in human babies. This will usually go away by itself by the time the puppies are a few months old but adding a drop or two of olive oil to their diet can speed up this process.

#2 Homemade remedy for dehydration in dogs

Electrolyte-replacing fluids that are flavorless like sports and pediatric beverages not only help athletes and babies replenish lost fluids for rehydration but can also help replenish the fluid in your dog’s body after suffering from vomiting or diarrhea. Seek the opinion of your veterinarian before you administer this kind of fluid to your dog to determine the correct dosage and to explore the cause of the diahorea or vomiting.

#3 Homemade remedy for digestive health in dogs

Plain yogurt could be a healthy snack for your dog in the same way that it is healthy for humans. The live acidophilus contained in yogurts helps maintain good bacteria balance within your dog’s intestines and prevent the proliferation of yeast especially during antibiotic treatment. Additionally, you can also let your dog take acidophilus pills wrapped in bacon but this is up to you.

Puppies are tend to be most vulnerable to yeast infections so plain yogurt is an ideal snack or dessert to keep things in good balance. It is important in building the immunity of the dog’s intestinal system but only give in small amounts at a time as many puppies are lactose intolerant.

#4 Homemade remedy for dogs with a tummy upset or skin irritation

You can use chamomile tea to settle upset stomach in dogs. The chamomile plant has natural disinfecting effects, which is recommended for anxiety, gas and colic as well as minor skin irritation. Prepare a solution, which you can chill in the refrigerator, to spray on the dog’s affected skin directly. The dog will feel the soothing effects almost immediately since the chilled chamomile tea can kill yeast and bacteria. Also, a warm tea bag can be used for irritated or infected eyes.

#5 Homemade remedy for itchy skin in dogs

A dog’s itching habits can become quite annoying to us if he scratches on all pieces of furniture within his reach, but the itchy skin will drive him crazy. You can use a finely ground oatmeal to provide a remedy to irritated skin. It can be a baby oatmeal cereal or one that you’ve grinded yourself in a food processor. Mix the oatmeal in a bath of warm water where your dog can soak up the mixture in his coat. This is ideal for dogs with infections, allergy of the skin and other conditions that cause itchiness.

#6 Homemade remedy for wounds on dogs

There will be times when dogs will suffer wounds and at rare times get unexplained swelling because of their activities. Epsom salt soaks and heat or ice packs can be applied to these ailments. Bathing your dog with an Epsom salt mixed in warm water can alleviate the swelling and increase healing especially when used in conjunction with antibiotics under veterinary guidance.

If you think it is impractical and inconvenient to bath your dog with Epsom salt twice a day, you can use a homemade heat pack instead and wrap it with clean towel soaked in warm water/Epsom salt solution.

#7 Homemade remedy for fleas

Borax powder can help get rid of fleas, which you can buy at any store. It works by poking holes in the parasite’s exoskeletons. It is best that you sprinkle borax powder on the floor while you sweep the excess to make sure that all fleas are annihilated. The remaining borax crystals will kill the fleas. Borax powder is inexpensive and less toxic compared to some other methods of killing dog fleas.

You can also try a lemon water solution because fleas are repelled by citrus. Therefore, it works as preventive solution and making your dog smell fresher and cleaner. This solution can be prepared by pouring boiling water on lemons and let them soak overnight. It can be applied over the entire dog’s skin by using a spray bottle, being careful not to spray your dog’s eyes.

You should always take care of your dog and keep an eye on their health on a day to day basis not only during days when they are not feeling well. If a problem persists, you do need to seek help from a veterinarian before an ailment becomes a welfare issue for your pet.

Acupuncture for dogs

Benefits of Veterinary Acupuncture for Dogs

·      It triggers the release of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory chemicals in the body.

·      It relaxes the muscles at the needle insertion site as well as on other remote locations on the body, which creates local and general body pain relief.

·      It enhances the function of circulatory system thus improving blood flow to tissues, oxygenation and getting rid of the body’s accumulated toxins and wastes.

·      As opposed to prescription and OTC pain relievers, it does not have any adverse side effects on the internal organs of your pet.

·      It does not have any drug interactions with any of your pet’s supplements or medications – making it very safe as treatment for various ailments.

How does acupuncture work for dogs?

Acupuncture aims to enhance the body’s ability to heal on its own. In a TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine’s perspective, veterinary acupuncture promotes healing by keeping the balance of energy within the body. It improves blood circulation, triggers the release of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory chemicals and stimulates the nervous system.

The procedure involves needle insertion to areas where blood vessels and nerves bundles gather, which are called acupuncture points. These points are located throughout the body’s surface particularly on energy channels – otherwise known as meridians. This allows an energy cycle within the entire body on a day to day basis.

Other acupuncture methods apart from needle insertion

Acupressure: Instead of needle insertion, pressure is applied to energy channels to achieve the same effect. This is ideal for locations that are hard to reach, difficult pets and conditions where needle insertion is not available.

Aquapuncture: This involves liquid injection composed of – homeopathic substances, chondro-protectant medications such as Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycans or PSGAG and diluted vitamin B12, just to name a few. The liquid promotes a change in energy by moving tissues out of the way.

Moxibustion: The procedure involves applying heated Chinese herbal components to needles. Pets benefit from heat especially those that are older and are experiencing some joint pains or stiffness and muscle aches.

Electrostimulation (Estim): Electric current is applied to the body through needles that are inserted on acupuncture points. It relaxes muscle spasm and can help the body reestablish nerve impulses that were thrown out of balance through nerve damage such as in the case of spinal cord damage or nerve root damage resulting from a ruptured intervertebral disc.

Conditions Treated by Veterinary Acupuncture

There are various conditions that veterinary acupuncture can treat especially those that have pain and inflammation as symptoms.

Arthritis: This is a joint inflammation that can happen at any stage of life – juvenile, adult and senior. This creates physiological changes that result in pain.

Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD): This is the end result of arthritis, which leads to deformity of joint surfaces thus decreasing the joint’s ROM or range of motion and increasing pain.

Trauma: This can cause pain and inflammation that resulted from vehicular accidents, surgery, falling and animal fights.

Cancer: This results to swelling of tissue or organ enlargement, which leads to nausea, lethargy, decreased appetite and pain.

Metabolic Disease: Nausea, energy changes and changes in appetite resulting from Cushing’s disease, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, pancreatitis, kidney and liver failure, Addison’s disease etc.

Best Environment for Veterinary Acupuncture Procedure

House call is best for veterinary acupuncture to decrease physical and behavioral stress related to transporting the pet to and from the acupuncture facility. Even if your Puggle is normally over the moon to  meet new people, a home visit can make the experience more relaxing. It also reduces your pet’s exposure to infectious disease coming from other animals within the veterinary hospital.

Frequency of Veterinary Acupuncture Procedure

If your pet receives more frequent treatments, these will be tapered to lesser intervals for the purpose of maintenance. A lot of pets gain the benefits of acupuncture with one to three sessions every week within the first few weeks. The primary goal is to obtain the longest duration where the pet’s condition has improved or resolved.

The beneficial results of veterinary acupuncture are cumulative therefore consistency in treatment is recommended over intermittent treatment.

Why buy a dog?

Why own a dog?

Most people know the answer to this question without even asking, especially if they grew up with dogs during their childhood. But apart from the obvious reason of just being a “dog person” what other benefits can dog ownership provide? Well, as it turns out, our furry companions have quite a lot of benefits that can make it a joy to share our lives with them.

Companionship is a major reason, and perhaps the most obvious, to own a dog for dog lovers around the world. If you want a companion who is always going to be overjoyed at seeing you then a dog is the best candidate. As dogs are almost always in a good mood they are excellent company to have for lifting your spirits when you’ve had a tough day at work, or are just feeling a little down.

You’ve always got an excellent excuse to stay active if you own a dog. Whether it be a game of catch, running the obstacle course at the dog park, going for a jog, or even just a walk around the park your dog will love every minute of it right alongside you. If you would otherwise struggle at finding a gym buddy then a dog could certainly help you out in that regard.

Dogs are also a great first line of defence for the family home. Sure, we can have our high tech alarm systems, but they can fail or be circumvented by crafty thieves. Dogs add an extra layer of challenge to would be intruders. Even smaller breeds such as Cavoodles and Pugaliers can make a racket when it comes to illegal entry into your home, alerting neighbours so they will at least look over the fence to see what all the fuss is about. Of course, some thieves will not be perturbed by dogs if they think the prize is worth it, but the vast majority will settle for an easier target if they notice a dog or two on the property.

Studies are now coming out indicating that children growing up with dogs do better at school and are more confident on average. You can also teach your children about responsibility and caring for something other than themselves. While a goldfish could teach your children these things they just aren’t as much fun as a Groodle, and a fish certainly isn’t happy to see you when you get home from work (at least it doesn’t show it).

While there are plenty of great reasons and benefits to owning a dog it’s not for everybody. Always consider carefully whether a dog should be in your life as you don’t want to get one only to have to find a home for it later on; this is challenging to do for older dogs and can potentially put their lives at risk if they end up at the pound. It’s quite the commitment to have a dog in your life as they live 10 – 15 years, but if you’re the type of person who can make that commitment then the payoff is definitely worth it.

Dogs know the look on your face

It has taken a while for scientists to find out what dog owners the world over already know : Dogs can read the emotions of people by the looks on their faces.

While we know that some breeds including Cavoodles and Poochons have a better innate ability to read their owner’s emotional state that other breeds, dogs in general are great at reading body language. This study focused solely on different facial expressions.

A recent study published in Current Biology has found that dogs can tell the difference between happy and angry human faces. We were long thought to be the only species that can tell what the emotions of another species are based on the expression on their face. The researchers believe dogs also have this capability.

“We think the dogs in our study could have solved the task only by applying their knowledge of emotional expressions in humans to the unfamiliar pictures we presented to them,” says Corsin Müller of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

Previous studies testing the ability of dogs to discriminate between the different human emotional expressions have been less than convincing. In this study the dogs were trained to recognise happy or angry expressions in the same person. Then they tested whether the dogs could apply this to new faces.

The dogs picked the right expression significantly more than what would be expected by guesswork or by chance.

 “Our study demonstrates that dogs can distinguish angry and happy expressions in humans, they can tell that these two expressions have different meanings, and they can do this not only for people they know well, but even for faces they have never seen before,” says Ludwig Huber, senior author and head of the group at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna’s Messerli Research Institute.

What the exact understanding of the different expressions mean to the dogs is hard to tell by they do link the happy faces to positive feeling and the angry faces with negative ones.  When researchers tried to train angry faces with a reward, they found this very difficult. This suggests that the dogs already had a good idea from previous experience as to what an angry human face means for them. Probably that an angry face meant a good time to keep away from the angry person!

The researchers expect to gain important insights into the famous bond between humans and dogs, as well as into the emotional lives of animals in general according to Dr Müller.

5 tips to care for your Pugalier in winter

5 Simple Ways to take Care of Your Pugalier during winter

Do you live in a place where there is a winter season?

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in an area that has pleasant weather all year round, you and your dogs will experience the chill when winter comes. For most of us, we consider cold weather as bothersome and annoying. However, there are those that consider it as fun-filled season when they can go snowboarding, skiing and participate in other winter joys. There are also those that consider this season a nightmare.

Regardless of your point of view regarding this season, one of our main concerns in winter are our pets. Fortunately, there are simple ways to take care of your Pugalier during the cold days of winter. Here are some of these ways –

Keep Your Pugalier Inside

Even if your pet spends most of his time outside of the home, you might want to keep him inside the home during winter days especially if you live in excruciatingly cold places.

Provide a Warm Shelter for your Pugalier

If it is necessary for you to keep your Pugalier outside the home during winter, you should understand that his short fur coat may not be enough to protect him from cold elements. It is definitely not enough especially during winter days in climates where it snows. A warm, dry and comfortable shelter outside the home must be provided. The shelter must also comply with any state or local laws that may apply such as a limit on the height or size of dog house.

Offer Adequate Food

In order for the body to stay warm during cold days, it takes a lot of energy and fuel. Therefore, your pet would need to eat more during winter days. In addition to adequate food, a fresh and constant water supply is critical to keep your pet’s health in check. You should keep his water bowl filled and make sure that it has not turned into ice.

Adjust your Pugalier’s Diet Accordingly

If your Pugalier puppy is used to indoor life, he may have different dietary needs. He will conserve energy through sleeping more during winter, which means they will have less exercise time. Therefore, it is important that you adjust your Pugalier’s diet accordingly if you don’t want him to get overweight.

Prevent Frostbite

Frostbite is one of the serious problems your Pugalier can have during winter, which can be seen on the ears, tips of tails and paws. This makes keeping your pet warm and comfortable even more important especially when they are outdoor pets. You can find them clothing accessories such as coats, hats and booties when you’re taking him for a walk and always keep an eye out on frostbite warning signs such as blistering and firm and waxy skin.

Preparing for winter with your pet only takes common sense. If you get cold during winter, so does your pet. So, make sure that your pet is warm, dry and comfortable so the both of you can stay safe and healthy during winter.

Do you have any tips for caring for your dog in winter?

Let us all know by leaving a comment below

Care of Puggle puppies after minor surgery

I will give a basic guideline of the care you will be required to give for your puppy after they have had minor surgery such as a repair of a cherry eye or small hernia repair. It is always best to consult your veterinarian once the surgery has been carried out on your Puggle puppy as they are the ones who have performed the operation and know the particulars of your pet.

Surgery requiring sutures

If your pet has sutures present after surgery then there are 2 options. If they are dissolvable stitches then there is usually no need for you to return to your veterinarian to have them removed as they will breakdown on their own and either fall out by themselves if they are external or be absorbed by your pet if they are internal. Sutures that are not dissolvable will need to be taken out after about 10 to 14 days after your puppy’s procedure. Your vet or their nurse will usually make an appointment for you when you collect your puppy, but ensure that you do have an appointment before you leave the clinic.

Feeding your puppy after they have had minor surgery

Usually your puppy will be able to have a small meal about 6 to 7 hours after you pick them up from the vet clinic. As tempting as it is to give your puppy lots of treats to make them feel better after their surgery as we do with a human friend or relative that has minor surgery, your puppy should be fed a small meal of its normal diet.

Monitoring your puppy after minor surgery

It is extremely important to closely monitor your puppy for the next 24 hours after you get them home to watch for signs that they are not recovering from their surgery. It is common for puppies to vomit after surgery as many of the medications used in surgical procedures can make them feel sick. If your puppy continues to vomit, continues to look unwell or seems to look worse than when you collected them from the vet clinic, you need to call the vet to ask their advice on what you need to do. This is why you should keep your vet’s number in a handy location at home or in your phone.

Looking after your puppy’s wound after minor surgery

Whether or not your puppy has stitches that you can see, it is very important that you keep the wound and the area surrounding the wound clean and dry. Do not bath your puppy or take them swimming for 10 to 14 days after their procedure or until the sutures are removed (if they are non-dissolvable). It is extremely important to monitor your puppy’s actions toward their wound because if they continually lick, chew, or rub at the stitches, the wound can break down and/or get infected. Call your vet if your puppy is doing any of these things as they may need to have an Elizabethan collar put on to stop them aggravating their wound. An Elizabethan Collar looks like a bucket has been placed over your puppy’s head.

Exercise for your puppy after minor surgery

It is best not to walk your puppy for the first week after their procedure and then short gentle walks for the next week after that unless advised otherwise by your vet. You can then gradually build up the length and intensity of your puppies exercise gradually to the point that they were up to before their operation.