The Basics of Pet Water Safety...

The Basics of Pet Water Safety

It would be very fun to watch your adorable pooch having his time playing and swimming in the pool or in the beach. Bringing your pet to swimming pools, lakes or beaches and engaging yourselves in water sports and other water recreation is one way of bonding with your pet. Most dogs, if not all, enjoy having fun in cool and refreshing water, most especially during the summer season when the weather is very warm.

Being a mature dog owner, you should always ensure your pet’s safety when bringing him into this kind of environment. Never allow your pet to wander into the water without your supervision just because he seems to have a lot of fun waddling into the water. Always take notice of warning signs such “No Swimming Allowed,” “No Entry: Beach Closed,” or “Caution: Thin Ice” when getting into any body of water or frozen lakes during winter season. Warnings like these signify danger for you and your pet and should not be ignored.

Like people, dogs also love taking a dip in cold water to freshen up. Taking your pet for a swim can prevent him from suffering heat stroke during extremely hot summer months. But always test the temperature of the water before you let your dog to take a dip. If it is too cold for you then it is definitely too cold for your pet, fur or no fur. Bear in mind that too much cold water can quickly lower your dog’s body temperature and can lead to hypothermia.

It is a common misconception that all dogs are great swimmers. To think that your pet pooch can paddle gracefully like Lassie is a bad idea. The truth is, not all dogs are natural swimmers; some breeds have a hard time keeping up their noses in the water and surprisingly, some are even afraid of getting into the water. Dogs with short legs, dense body conditions, and cropped tails find difficulty staying afloat while dogs with flat noses have a more difficult time breathing when in the water. Aside from breed, age and physical attributes also contributes to your pet’s swimming capability. Overweight dogs as well as older dogs are easily tired out when swimming. Take proper precautions when taking your pet for a swim; make sure he is very capable of swimming beforehand.

Beaches, public pools and rivers may contain bacteria and chemical contaminants that may bring hazard to your pet’s health. Algae and other microorganism are almost always present at any body of water, especially still waters like lakes and ponds. These microorganism and chemicals can be ingested or contacted by your pet during swimming. Always check the body of water you will be swimming in; avoid those that emit a stinky smell and displays an unnatural water color. If you are near an industrial area, avoid going into beaches, lakes or rivers that receive runoff from industrial firms, farming activities or municipal sewage.

Always bring with you a fresh drinking water for your pet when swimming in pools and beaches. Chlorine and other chemicals as well as infectious organisms that are present in pool and beach waters may cause gastrointestinal upset if drank by your pet. Encourage your pet to drink from your fresh water supply and he will be less likely to drink water that may be harmful.





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Pet Water Safety: Must-Haves and To Dos...

Pet Water Safety: Must-Haves and To Dos

Find out the essential items that you must have and the basic things that you must do to ensure your pet’s safety in any water sport or activity.

Must-Haves:

We all know that swimming and other water activities offers a lot of fun and socialization to our pet dogs, but water activities are also associated with health risks that ranges from obtaining minor wounds to drowning. Below are some must-haves that you should bring with you when engaging your pet into water activities.

First Aid Kit. Beaches and rivers may contain sharp objects such as stones, sea shells, fishhooks, broken glass or metal that lies unseen beneath its water. Such objects may pose risks of your pet obtaining lacerations, cuts and puncture during swimming. Always keep a first aid kit on hand that contains iodine and antibiotic ointment for treating superficial wounds, and sterile bandage material for dressing. However, deep wounds require immediate medical attention and your pet should be taken into an animal clinic as soon as possible.

Life Vests. When your dog is going swimming in water that is too deep for him or if he can hardly swim, it is recommended that you provide your pet with a life vest. Have your dog wear a life vest that is sized and designed for his proper fit to avoid drowning.


To Dos:

You might find it inconvenient and discouraging to bring your dog to water activities with all the precautions and dos and don’ts that you have to follow to ensure his safety. But it would be cruel to deprive him with the fun and benefits he can get from participating in water activities. In order to help you through, safety tips are provided below in every water activity you are getting your pet into.

When Boating. Ensure that your dog is wearing his life vest and is secured with a leash when the boat starts moving. You do not want your pet to fall from the boat and drown or get injured with the boat’s propeller just because you think he is super cute being perched on the boat unsecured.

When Swimming in the Beach. Remember that the sea holds various dangers for your pet compared to lakes and swimming pools. Hazards such as drowning brought by strong tides and underwater currents, jellyfish sting, and poisonous sea shells can endanger your pet. Never forget to bring your pet’s life vest when swimming in open waters. Be keen in observing warnings for dangerous water conditions.

When Swimming in the Pool. Do not allow your pet to go to the stairs of the pool alone. Lead him in going down the pool’s steps and teach him how to get out from the water. Avoid having your pet drink too much water in the pool, chemicals in pool water can lead to gastrointestinal upset. Observe your pet’s emergency reflexes while swimming so that you can determine how capable a swimmer your pet is.

When in frozen water with thin ice. Be very cautious when getting near a frozen body of water with thin ice sheets. Even a Chihuahua’s weight is enough to possibly break a thin ice in a frozen lake. Avoid following your pet when he is stubborn enough to stray onto the ice. If falling accidents happen, immediately call 911 or your area’s emergency number for professional help. After your pet is safely rescued from the danger zone, dry him thoroughly to avoid attack of hypothermia. Wrap your pet with blankets to keep him warm.

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Helpful Tips to Prevent Dog Bite Accidents...

Helpful Tips to Prevent Dog Bite Accidents

All dogs have a tendency to bite, no matter how social your pet can be; and we all know how painful a dog bite is. Not just that, but much more on the health hazard a dog’s bite may offer, think of the deadly rabies virus.

As a responsible dog owner you should ensure that your pet dog does not pose any threat and danger when he is around other people especially with playful kids. Numerous studies show that a dog’s aggressive and non-aggressive behavior greatly depends on his environment and training.

Below are helpful tips you can do to improve your pet’s behavior around people and preventing your dog from biting.

Socialize your pup. Start socializing your puppy when he is about 8 to 12 weeks of age. During this early stage, it is best to introduce your pet pup to other people as well as other animals, just make sure that these other animals are already vaccinated so that your pup will not be able to acquire harmful diseases during interaction. Let your pet interact with strangers in a friendly environment such as in parks, pet stores and puppy classes. Do not forget to praise your pet if he shows a positive behavior during interaction.

Teach your pet not to bite. It is very typical for dogs to mouth, chew and bite everything they can put their mouth into. But you must be able to teach your dog when this act is no longer appropriate. If your pet starts growling or biting at your kids or at you or any member of the family, be prompt on distracting him with a quick sound. You can call his name using a firm voice or can simply clap your hands once. Just ensure that the noise you make is heard by your pet at the precise moment he is biting so that he will be able to associate the clapping, for example, as a signal for him to stop.

Dog control. Keeping your dog on a firm leash whenever you are out in public is one way of preventing bites. Statistics shows that 82 percent of fatal dog bites are caused by unrestrained dogs. When you are with strangers or outside of the house, make sure that your pet is calm and relaxed; tensed and startled pets tend to bite easily. Provide fencing around your house if you want to leave your pet out in your yard.

Dog behavior alert. Keeping an eye of your dog’s behavior is the most crucial part of preventing your dog from biting. Avoid showing your dog any consenting act if he starts growling, snapping, or biting family members; growling or snapping at strangers; or extreme fear of strangers. If your pet starts exhibiting this kind of behavior, visit your veterinarian for help.

Alter your pet. Have you pet dog spayed or neutered. Territorial instincts and territorial aggression of your pet will be decreased when he is altered. This is due to the fact that spaying and neutering decreases the levels of progesterone and testosterone in your pet’s body that also causes aggressive behavior.




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Methods in House Training Your Dog: Crate Training...

Methods in House Training Your Dog: Crate Training...

Crate training is so far the ultimate best house training method for all types of dogs especially puppies. This method is basically putting your pet pooch into a crate at times when you cannot watch him every minute during house training, you need him to feel comfortable or be safe, you want your pet to go to sleep, you are away from home, you are traveling with your dog, or you need more control over his behavior.

Crate training is essential for dogs that will be left alone for periods of time or who will be living at a place where they will be crated. Being confined in the crate will assist your puppy in developing his bowel and bladder control. When your pet is confined for gradually extended periods of time, he will learn to hold his wastes to avoid soiling his bed.

When you decide to crate your pet, the first thing to do is selecting a crate for your dog. The crate needs to be large enough to allow your pet to stand up freely and should be just wide enough to allow him to turn around when inside. Choose a crate that is relatively airy and easy to handle.

When crate training your dog, you must remember not to overuse it, do not crate your pet all day while you are at work and all night long. Over-crating your pet can result to restlessness, jumping, chewing, barking, and more negative behaviors to develop. Dogs should never spend more than 8 – 10 hours in a crate within the 24 hour range; puppies can only spend up to 2 hours at a time in a crate.

Ensure that your pet is getting a lot of exercises when he is under crate training, at least thirty to sixty minutes of hard play and training. Give your pet a time out of his crate to provide a positive impression of the crate to your pet. Avoid letting your dog out of his crate when he whines, or fusses, or show signs of boredom like scratching at the crate door. Best thing to do when he puts up this kind of attitude is to ignore him and release him when he quiets down. By practicing this, it will promote a positive behavior to your dog.

Always remember not to use the crate for punishment, your dog will tend to associate being confined inside his crate is to be punished and may detest the idea of being crated at all. Place your pet's favorite toys inside the crate every time he enters in his own will to encourage positive dog training. Always ensure that there is nothing around your dog's neck, especially puppies, which could get caught on parts of the crate to avoid choking or strangulation. These choking and strangling hazards include loose fitting or choke collars, leashes, or toys that can be pulled apart.

Crates should be washed once a week with warm water and disinfected. Sun or air it thoroughly prior to using it again. Crates are available in several types such as wire, plastic, metal, fiberglass, nylon fabric or a combination of any of these types. Some crates are collapsible and some come in two separate pieces.



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Methods in House Training Your Dog: Paper Training...

Methods in House Training Your Dog: Paper Training...

Paper training is a house training method where you teach your pet dog, especially puppies, to eliminate on newspapers or recycled papers inside your house. This kind of method is efficient if you are going to be away from home for long periods of time. Paper training takes a lot of time and patience on the dog owner's part, but it is well worth the effort. During paper training, you must be attentive and learn your dog’s behavioral signs that indicate he needs to go.

Paper training is also as an impermanent house training method if the weather is bad. This type of method is not applicable and suited for all types of dog breeds; it is efficient for toy breed dogs or to puppies under six months of age. Paper training is not well-suited for owners of medium or large-sized dogs since these dogs have too much urine and urine odor to be able to soak it up by papers; it would be very messy on the dog owner's part when cleaning up and trashing the soaked up papers.

When paper training, you should select a convenient place in your home like the basement, utility room, bathroom or an area with linoleum or tile flooring as your pet's papering area. Avoid using those areas with a hardwood floor for it may not be easy to clean up any mess that makes it to the floor. Start placing several layers of newspaper over a part of the room; you can try putting a plastic sheet underneath the paper layers to keep the floor clean and dry. Ensure that the papers are kept away from your dog's sleeping and eating area.

Use the appropriate schedule for house training but use the papers as your adult dog's “potty place” and take him to them every 2 hours. When your pet dog shows signs that he wants to eliminate, say “papers” and take your pet to the layered newspapers. Provide your dog with praises as soon as he eliminates, successfully in his paper area. Make it your dog's habit every time he wakes up in the morning, after he eats, naps, and plays, and before your pet goes to sleep at night. If there’s a paper training accident, you’ll need to take him more often.

To reduce accidents during paper training for puppies, you must count on your puppy’s needing to “go” about every half thirty to forty-five minutes. Puppies especially need to go after playing, eating, and sleeping.

Avoid training your pet to potty outdoors and indoors simultaneously. Remember also not to give food or play with your pet near his “potty place”. Replace the papers for fresh, new ones while leaving a soiled paper underneath to remind your dog where to go. Clean the floor under the papers with an odor neutralizer each day to avoid build up of stinking odors. Gradually reduce the size of the paper area covered every paper change until you’re down to one open sheet.

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Methods in House Training Your Dog: Litter Box Training...

Methods in House Training Your Dog: Litter Box Training...
Basically litter box training method is all about providing your pet dog with an enclosed area where he can always use as a toilet. This process requires a lot of patience and some work on your part but it is not difficult to perform.

Litter box training is most suited to small, toy breed dogs or puppies younger than six months of age. It is also recommended and ideal for elderly owners and home alone dogs. Similar to paper training, litter box training is not suited for medium to large-sized dogs since they have large amounts of urine and feces. The quantity of litter needed to soak it all up would be very heavy to dispose.

Below are step-by-step essentials in successfully training your pet dog to use the litter box.
1.When training your pup or dog, you should place your dog in the litter box area every 30 minutes and wait for 5 minutes to see if he “needs to go”.
2.Start using a keyword while pointing to the litter box when instructing your pet to dispose in the litter box. This will help your pet in relating to the designated area of elimination.
3.If your pet successfully uses his litter box, immediately praise or reward him with food treats.
4.Typically, dogs will start sniffing or circling around if they feel the need to go. If your dog does not do this, take him out and let him free for another 20-30 minutes and then try again.
5.Keep repeating this process several times a day until your dog starts using the litter box on his own.
6.Praise your dog enthusiastically every time he uses the litter box. This will provide your dog with the impression that he is doing something good. You should show your pet an exaggerated happiness when praising him.
7.When your pet starts to display bad behavior during training, like “accidentally” eliminating at the wrong place or attempts to eliminate at a non-designated area, you should let him know that he’s been a bad dog. If your pet goes to the toilet in the wrong spot, point your finger, use a firm voice and say “NO.” If possible take the dog to the litter box and point to it, so your dog will start to understand the purpose of it.
8.Another great strategy is placing some of your dog’s urine inside the litter box; it will make him realize that the litter box is the area where he is meant to pee in.

A number of pet owners find it easier to train their dog inside the house, rather than outside. Once you successfully litter box train your pet, you can relocate the litter box to your ideal spot outside the house and work on getting your pet using the litter box in the new area. Just bear in mind that litter training your dog can be a slow process, try and make training as fun as possible to you and your pet.




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What You Need to Know About Dog Shedding...

What You Need to Know About Dog Shedding...

Most dog owners dislike the idea of their pet having his seasonal shedding. For most, shedding means more mess to clean and additional burden of extra grooming for their shedding pet. But as a mature pet owner, you should always remember that shedding is a natural phenomenon in dogs and should not be discouraged. Shedding allows the new coat of your pet to come in, replacing the old and damaged coat. 

All dogs shed, unless your pet is a completely hairless dog, such as the American Hairless Terrier. Keep in mind that you are not alone in this dilemma and other dog owners may have more shedding problems than you do because some dog breeds even shed more than others. Dogs like Siberian Huskies, Pomeranians, Norwegian Elkhounds, Malamutes and other breeds with a thick undercoat hair sheds more compared to other breeds.

Majority of dogs have a "double coat"; which is consists of the long "guard hairs" that we see, and an “undercoat”, a layer of thick, downy fur next to their skin under the guard hairs. The undercoat grows deep and thick during Winter and is used for insulation during the cold season, and then it is shed out and disposed when Spring and Summer comes. Poodles and Bichon Frises are the only breeds that never develop an undercoat and, thus, they are known as "non-shedding" breeds.

Aside from breed, shedding also vary between male and female dogs. Male dogs normally only shed a lot during the Spring and Summer molt. However, female dogs often shed during their estrus or heat cycle as well.

For younger dogs and puppies, almost all breed shed their puppy coat before growing their adult double coat. This can be a very struggling time with tangles and mats as the puppy hairs falls out and gets tangled in the adult guard hairs growing in. Change of puppy coat to adult coat usually takes place between 6 to 12 months depending on the puppy’s breed.

Still, if you are burdened or worry too much of your pet’s hair loss during shedding, you should know the factors that may worsen the shedding. Below are some helpful tips you can practice during shedding season to avoid too much hair loss in your pet.
Keeping your dog’s skin supple and moist will enable the skin to hold the guard hair shafts tightly in the pores, thus, minimizing excessive shedding. You can attain this through providing enough fatty acids in your dog’s diet so that his skin maintains oil. Avoid using harsh, detergent products when bathing your pet for it can strip oil from his skin and hair.

Feed your dog with a high quality diet and supplement him with additional anti-oxidants such as vitamins A and E as well as Linoleic Acid and Omega3 and Omega 6 Fish oils.

Brush your pet’s coat more often than usual during shedding season. Brushing does not only eliminate tangles from your dog’s hair, it also brings the oils produced at the skin down each shaft of hair to coat the hair shaft with protective lipids.

Always ensure that your dog shampoo is vet-recommended and non-detergent to avoid broken and damaged dog hair.





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