September 25th, 2007 at 03:51pm Under News
Did you hear the story of the woman who left $ 12,ooo,ooo to her pet dog???? Yes, 12 million. This is truly amazing. What can i do with $12 million?..my mind spins at the thought of it!!!
Read the rest of the story here:
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By Gerald Njuguna 1 comment
September 25th, 2007 at 03:40pm Under General
Dog owners should ensure that their pups come from respectable dog breeders. In the long run this will ensure that you get a dog that is healthy and of good behavior. So what should you look out for when searching for a reputable dog breeder? What questions should you ask dog breeders? In your quest to find them, if any of them fail these questions, the breeder is probably NOT rearing healthy puppies according to the set standards and regulations.
1. Is the dog breeder willing to sell you the puppy with no questions asked whatsoever?
Respectable dog breeders will want to know what will happen to every puppy that they bred, so will ask you many questions. Typical questions they might ask you include your liffestyle, expreience with the particular dog breed that you are interested in, how it will be housed among other countless questions that will affect the future of the puppy.
If the dog breeder is not comfortable with your answers, he/she might not sell you the dog! Also, a responsible dog breeder will require that you sign a contract with them. In the contract, you may be obliged to:
Should the potential breeder look as if he is interested with your money only, look for another
2. Is the dog breeder uneasy in answering questions about the puppy’s pedigree?
A respectable breeder will have first hand information about the pedigrees of the animals he is selling. The breeder should know the parents of the puppy and can easily provide you with the lineage of the family, even going going back several generations.
You purebred puppy also needs to be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC). The dog breeder will give you an AKC registration form with his section already filled out. Once the application is filled out and submitted, you will then receive a registration certificate from the ACK. If the potential breeder cannot give you ACK registration forms, be careful. I would suggest you move on and look for another dog breeder.
3. Is the breeder concerned with the welfare and health of the dog breeds he’s rearing?
A dog breeder should not have any problem in allowing you to see the facilities where the animals are bred. Examine the dogs. Do they look healthy? If this is not the case, its an indication that the breeder is having a problem maintaining proper facilities.
The dog breeder needs to also have proper record of the puppy’s health care, from the day it was born to the present, & should not have a problem giving you copies of the same.
4. The breeder is uncomfortable allowing you to see the breeding facility of the dogs.
A breeder worth his salt will be more than happy to give you a proper tour of his facility. Should the breeder be reluctant to show you where the potential dog comes from, he might be running a puppy mill.
The motivation behind a puppy mills is purely for profit purposes and they do not care about the animals they are breeding. In most cases, you will find that the dogs are crammed into one cage, with the living conditions of the animals deplorable. The dogs do not also recieve proper medical medical care and nutrition. Should you buy it will probably have major medical and behavioral issues related to its stay there.
5. Is the dog breeder engaging in funny business practices?
If the buying price for your puppy is lower than other prices you’ve seen being advertised for the same dog breed, then probably there is something wrong with the puppy and you should be wary. A probable cause could be that its being bred in a puppy mill or is sick.
If you find that the breeder is selling to pet stores, it a pretty high indication that he is running a puppy mill. Good dog breeder focus their efforts in breeding one or two breeds.
If the dog breeder says that he or she breeds different dogs, this is a cause of alarm because it shows that the breeder is breeding animals indiscriminately, with no concern for proper breed standards.
By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 24th, 2007 at 04:06pm Under Dog Training
Most dog trainers are aware that training collars allow them to train their dogs more effectively. There are many dog training collars available in the market today. Each has its own unique mechanism to guide your dog either by discouraging disobedient behavior or to restrain the dog.
If you use the wrong collar size on the dog or if used in-appropriately can harm the dog. Make sure you thoroughly research on the correct training collars for your dog before using it on the dog. Its also advisable to consult with a training expert if you are if you are not sure which collar is best for your dog.
There are various collars in the market today. We have electronic collars, prong collars, the Halti, the Gentle Leader and the choke collar.
Prong Collars
When you look at the prong collar, it actually looks more painful to the dog than it seems. Prong collars are made up of metal prongs that are linked together.
When you pull the collar with the leash, it pinches the dog a little bit. It mimicks the pinch the mother gives to her puppies when grabbing them by the neck. Prong collars are effective and safe training tool as long as they are used correctly and fit on the dog properly. Don’t use the prong collar if your dog usually resists being yanked.
A proper prong collar fits snugly against the dog’s neck. The correct fit can easily be achieved since they can be adjusted by adding or subtracting the prongs. A collar that is properly fitted usually leaves approximately ½ of your finger space between the neck dog’s neck and the prong tip.
Halti & Gentle Leader
Both of these devices look like the harnesses that control horses. The head halter is designed to restrict the dog’s movemnet as compared compared to the prong collar that controls the behaviour of the dog. The idea behind the halter’s design is that once you control the movement of the head, the body follows naturally.
When the attached leash is pulled, it closes the dog’s mouth & restrains the dog’s head. Haiti and Gentle Leader collars are excellent on dogs that bite or are aggressive in nature.
Most dogs dont like these devices because its straps usually position themselves over the dog’s nose. Users will find themselves strugling to put on this device on the dog before they accept to wear them. Another disadvantage is that when you pull the dog’s head makes it possible to injure the neck of the dog.
To avoid hurting the dog, please make sure that you restrain the dog in the correct way.
The Choke Collars
These type of collars have a lot of controversy surrounding them. Those who are for the choke collar talk of its humane effectiveness. Those who are against it say that the device is a torture tool. I guess i will have to leave the judgment to you.
The principle behind the choke collar is that it tighten itself around the dog’s throat when the dog owner/trainer pulls on the leash and relaxes when the leash is relaxed. The problem arises when the collar is not put on correctly causing the pressure to remain and the dog can actually choke to death! Inexperienced trainers are advised against using these collars and for those who have dogs that constantly pull at the leash.
The Electronic Collars
When you think of an electric collar, a stun gun might come to mind. These collars are very humane on dogs if used correctly. The electronic collar allows the dog trainer by remote control to give the dog tiny electric shocks in order to correct its behavior.
The amount of intensity you want to apply depends on the trainer. Its generally advised to give the dog shock strong enought to make their ears to twitch. Should the dog howl when shock is applied, it means the shock settings are too too high. Electronic collars should only be handled by experienced trainers.
By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 18th, 2007 at 03:55pm Under General
The kennel business is not a small business undertaking, even if you have worked in a kennel before or you think you know much about kennels. This article below gives you tips and guidelines to help those of you want who want to go into the kennel business. Perhaps you might learn a thing or two that you haven’t considered before.
1. Funding - This is pretty obvious. Before going into this business do consider the costs involved in opening up this business and ensure that you have the financial backing to support this venture. Have enough capital set aside for a few months or more before your business can take off.
2. Building - The building to be used to house your kennel needs to have all the facilities needed (space, fixtures, etc.) or that it can be easily modified to accommodate your needs.
3. Location - Make sure the location of your kennel is zoned for that use.
4. Permits - Ensure that you have applied for all the necessary permits relevant to your state or country. Don’t be ignorant to the regulations and statutes that govern kennel operations in your state and make sure you adhere to them.
5. Standards - Go above the minimum standards required for your kennel. Not only does this ensure that you are following all the required regulations but it has the added advantage in that you potential customers will be attracted to your attention to detail.
6. Insurance - If you plan to have extra employees, you might need to have and insurance plan for them. Some businesses pay for a portion of employee premiums. Should your pocket not be deep enough, you might still be able to negotiate a lower group insurance rate for you and your staff.
7. Workman’s compensation insurance - Please learn all there is to workman’s compensation insurance. Should you have employees, you will need to pay for this insurance yourself. You cannot deduct it from the paychecks of your employees. This type of insurance is a must in every state in America and in case your employee is injured it will offset the medical bill, even if the injury is the employee’s fault.
Workman’s compensation insurance also covers the wages of any of your injured employees. Should you provide your employees a safe workplace & minimize the number of accidents, you might qualify for lower premiums.
8. Advertising - We all know without people knowing about your business you will go under. Market your business using low-cost advertising methods to spread the word round about your business. A great way to get you started is through neighborhood newspapers and flyer’s. Did you know that Word-of-mouth advertising is a very powerful form of advertising. you can also create a website to advertise more of your business.
9. Provide Multiple Services - Offering multiple services like grooming, pet supplies, obedience training can increase your customer base, which in turn will cause existing customers to visit you more often.
10. Trained Handlers - Ensure that all of your employees are trained to handle dog sin all types of situations including crisis. Inexperienced handlers can cause the dogs to be nervous which can result in aggressive behavior with the dogs.
11. Play- Provide the dogs with a kennel that will give them the freedom to play daily on a set period of time. Also make sure that the dogs receive adequate exercise.
12. Safety - Make it known to the dog owners that should their dogs become a danger to the employees, you will be unable to board the dogs again. Ensure that you sign a contract with the dog owner clearly stating your obligations to the pet and vise versa.
13. Get Accredited Through the American Boarding and Kennel Association (AKBA). - When you get accredited with this organization, you make potential customers to trust you by showing them that you are committed to providing the best possible facilities and care for their dogs.
American Boarding and Kennel Association will thoroughly examine the following areas of your business & facilities: your personnel, your office, the reception area, how you keep your records, the kennel grounds, work areas, the kennel area, the procedures you follow in caring for your animals, level of sanitation, sewage disposal methods, pest control procedures and availability and diversity in the animals boarded.
By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 15th, 2007 at 02:11pm Under Dog Health
Want to take your dog to the vet? I’m sure you have lots of questions in your mind concerning the best vet to work with. Where do you start from?
Normally, when searching for a dog vet, we look through the phone book until we find one close to our house.
But just like a doctor, you might not be happy with his “bedside” manner. I know of some folks who complain that their dog vet does not handle their dog carefully.
In this article we will try to answer some of your questions that you might have when choosing the best vet for your dog.
If you have close neighbours or family members that have pet animals, ask them for advice on a good vet. If they have someone in mind, ask the experience that they have had with him. Is he gently with the animal? Does he/she have a thorough understanding of the problem and after does he he explain it to you in an understandable way?
A good vet is not only good with animals, but also friendly with people. If your instincts make you feel uncomfortable about the him, dont go back. Even if he has a very good reputation, dont put yourself under pressure to go back.
Another place you might want to go is the Veterinary Medical Board to see if their is a complain lodged against the vet. You can also look at AAHA - American Animal Hospital Association. These are vet hospitals that have achieved high animal care standards. The vet hospitals in these associations fill out a comprehensive report revealing the equipment and services that they offer.
Later, a consultant goes and inspects the facilities of the vet hospitals to make sure they meet AAHA’s standards. The consultant in particular check out these areas: medical records, dentistry, anesthesia, dentistry and surgery.
When you have this piece of information beforehand, you will have some piece of mind before deciding on which vet to use. Currently, there are only about seventeen animal hospitals in the US & Canada that are affiliated with AAHA. To find these hospitals please search through the Healthypet’s Hospital Locator.
Now that you’ve decided which vet you are going to work with, make an appointment to meet the him as well as his staff. Make a mental note of how the staff interacts with other people in the hospital as with each other. When in the building, request them to allow you to tour the facility. It would be a good idea not to ask to take the tour in advance. This way you can see how the facility is kept without being warned of a visitor.
Check out the cleanliness of the facilities in particular the kennel areas. Should you see dirty kennels and animal droppings on the floor, it might indicate that probably they do not have enough staff to take care of the animals. Cleanliness is very important due to the spread of diseases among the animals. Do ask the vet if he will allow you to sit and watch when the pet is being treated. This will allow your to see how he handles the pet as well as the owner.
In the US, its a requirement that a vet practicing has to have graduated from an accredited school. Like any doc, the certificates and licenses are usually displayed somewhere in the office. If you cant see any displayed, ask him about it in a light touch. As you check it out, scrutinize it to see if its current.
Also do ask about the emergency care? Do they offer it? An accident can happen to your dog anytime and you need to know if they offer 24/7 emergency pet care?
If its at all possible, i would suggest that you get a vet that is close to your home. If you’ve taken pet insurance for your dog, find out if they will accept it. If they don’t, find out what payment plans they accept. Just be aware that vet bills can turn out to be very costly.
Getting a good vet that you are comfortable to work with will take you some effort. Compare notes and then finally go with your gut instinct.
NEWS UPDATE: I’ve come across this incredible resource book titled “Veterinary Secrets Revealed” written by Dr Andrew Jones who has practiced Veterinary Medicine for over 10 years. In his book, he reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pet’s health, Slash Vet Bills, and even save your pet’s life!
He teaches over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions for healing your pet that are easy to understand. You don’t need a degree in Veterinary Science to implement them 
I highly recommend this definitive manual if you are searching for information on vets, dog health and illnesses. To get more info, visit his site by clicking here->The Veterinary Secrets
By Gerald Njuguna 2 comments
September 12th, 2007 at 04:35pm Under Dog Health
All dog owners have to deal with dog fleas whether they like it or not! Fleas, which are brown in color, are insects with no wings that have sharp mouths that they use to bite into the dogs to get their food.
They cause the dog to scratch themselves in the affected areas. Some dogs are sensitive and can be allergic to flea bites.
Generally, fleas do not transmit diseases to humans from dogs but they can bite humans as well as cats. Fleas prefer warm climate and will live in the ground in the cool climate seasons.
If your dog scratches itself continuously, its a sign that it probably has fleas. I would advice that you take the dog first to the vet to have him checked out.
The vet will probably use a flea comb on the dog. Flea combs are wide tooth combs and remove “flea dirt” or dried blood flea excrement. If this is found, your veterinarian will recommend treatment. Most vets will always advise you to go for preventative treatment is its less expensive to do so.
Most of us would probably want to avoid the hassle of going to a vet and want a quick fix to sort out the problem. One of the things you can do is to comb your dog with a flea comb regularly. Put some petroleum jelly on the comb to help trap the fleas to the comb.
You can also use rubbing alcohol to slow down the fleas so that you can have an easier time catching them.
For those that prefer a natural approach to treating fleas, you can use Brewers Yeast and Garlic added as supplements to your dog’s food. However, this method of treatment is yet to be proven.
You can also go for over the counter flea treatments. Most of the over the counter treatments contain pyrethrins, which are natural insecticides derived from the chrysanthemum plant. Should you decide to use products that contain pyrethrins, be aware of the side effects!
Any product that contains pyrethrins has the potential of being toxic at some level not just to the animal, but to you as well!. Please make sure YOU FOLLOW the usage instructions found on the labels and if you are not sure, please consult your vet.
There are much safer products available out there in the market. One of the treatment that comes to mind is Frontline Plus by Merial. Its applied to the back of the neck on the skin of your dog. According to the manufacturers, the treatment will destroy 98-100 percent of the adult fleas within a 24 hr period and also destroy the eggs and larvae. They also say that Frontline Plus is water resistant for 30 days and safe to use on your puppies as young as 8 weeks.
Sentinel by Novartis is another popular flea treatment product. Sentinel is taken on a monthly basis and it alos prevents heartworms. Sentinel destroys the adult fleas, eggs, and its larvae. Novartis also makes other flea control products Program & Capstar.
Program is in tablet form and is also given on a monthly basis. What it does is interrupt the flea life cycle by stopping the eggs from developing fully but does not kill the fleas themselves. You are safe to use Program on puppies that are 4 weeks of age and.
Capstar on the other hand kills adult fleas. You can give it to the dog once per day. The manufacturer claims that the pill will kill the fleas within 30 minutes of ingestion and that one pill is enough to kill all adult fleas. Capstar is safe for dogs and puppies four weeks of age and older.
Its much easier to prevent fleas than to treat them. As a precaution when giving medication, its good to always seek the advice of your vet.
NEWS UPDATE: I’ve come across this incredible resource book titled “Veterinary Secrets Revealed” written by Dr Andrew Jones who has practiced Veterinary Medicine for over 10 years. In his book, he reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pet’s health, Slash Vet Bills, and even save your pet’s life!
He teaches over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions for healing your pet that are easy to understand and can be implemented at home. You don’t need a degree in Veterinary Science to do them I highly recommend this definitive manual if you are searching for information on dog fleas. To get more info, visit his site by clicking here->The Veterinary Secret .
By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 12th, 2007 at 04:05pm Under Dog Training
Who said old dogs cannot learn new tricks? Dogs of all ages can learn new something new. In this lesson, your dog will be able to learn the simplest of all dog tricks ie sit, lie down and stay. These tricks are excellent building blocks of new and complex dog tricks.
“Sit” Trick
To teach your dog how to “sit,“ get a treat in your hand. Place your hand close to the dog’s nose and tell him to sit.
As you say “sit”, move the dog treat over the dog’s head towards his tail. the dog will sit naturally as he follows the treat. After he completes this behavior successfully, give him the treat and at the same time praise him loudly. Say something like “good dog!” As you teach the dog, always give him the food treat and at the same time praise the dog verbally.
With time the dog will associate the word “sit” with this behavior so you need to slowly stop giving him the treats. At the same time you will need to teach your dog a command to release such as “okay!“ to train him to discontinue each behavior. Its recommended that when teaching the dog to sit, do the session in 10 minutes or less and afterwards follow up with a play session.
“Lie Down” Trick
To train the dog on how to “lie down,” first get the dog in a sitting position. Next, hold a treat in your fingers then place your hand near the dog’s nose. Utter the word “lie down,“ then place the treat straight down on the floor.As your hand goes down and the dog follows the treat, he naturally positions himself in the down position. when he lies down properly, verbally praise him and give him the treat.
Using a release command like “okay!“ will assure the dog that its okay for the pet to stop lying down. As with all commands, when he begins to associate the behavior with the verbal command, start to wean him from the food reward.
“Stay” Trick
To train the dog how to “stay,” first have the dog in a sitting or down position. Get a treat in your hand & command your dog to “stay” while having the other hand in front of the dog’s nose with the palm open. When the dog stays on the same position for 2 seconds, praise him and give him his treat and use the release command. In due course, you will need to increase the length of time before you reward him as he gets used to the instructions.
Now that your dog has learnt these basic but fundamental tricks, its time to teach him other cool tricks.
A popular and fun trick is to teach him how to play dead. To teach him this trick, command the dog to lie down first. You then need to show him how to roll on his back. Do this by holding a treat in front of his nose with your hand and moving the same hand in small circle while giving him the command “play dead.” His nose naturally follows the treat causing his body to follow until he is on his back. Then reward the dog verbally and with the treat
With time, the dog will associate the command with the particular behavior so wean him off the food reward.
“Shake” Trick
Want to teach your dog how to shake your hand? Easy.. Get the dog in a sitting position first. With the treat in your hand, say “shake” and gently place your hand below his paw and gently lift it up to a shake position then give him the yummy treat. Repeat this several times until he learns and realizes that he will get his treat if he lifts his paw by himself.
As he learns to “shake”, please reward his efforts at getting himself into position by giving him treats and praise. With time, it will become easy for him to lift his paw every time he hears the command “shake”.
Bow Trick
Another cool trick to teach your dog is to “bow.” This trick allows the dog to be in a natural position. First of all, get the dog in a sitting position. You should have the treat ready in your hand and hold it in front of his nose then say the command “bow.” Immediately push the treat towards the dog’s chest. His instinct will be to naturally follow the treat and his head will twist to a bow position. When he does this successfully, reward him with the treat at the same time praising him out loud.
Teaching tricks to your dog will be rewarding to you as well as the dog. There are experts out there on the internet that will teach you simple and complex do tricks.
Below are cool dog trick being performed by Denim and Howser
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By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 11th, 2007 at 05:07pm Under Dog Health
Most people don’t seem to realize how important it is to care for the teeth of their dogs. Just like humans, as the dog ages, so do the teeth need more care.
The best way to ensure that your dog ’s teeth are in good health is to start caring for them while they are still young. So how do you go about brushing and cleaning the teeth of your dog?
Most dogs don’t like their mouths being touched so its important that as a dog owner you teach them early to let you touch their mouths.
When you go to the vet he/she will want to examine the dog’s mouth and you wouldn’t want him to have trouble with your dog. So teach the dog early by touching its lips, opening the mouth and feeling its teeth in a relaxed manner for about 5 minutes each day.
With time your dog will get used to your hands and fingers. Make this a regular habit so that he learns how to remain calm when you are doing any kind of preventive dental care.
Most vets would advise you to brush the teeth of your dog on a daily basis. There are many different kinds of toothpastes in the market right now for dogs. Never use human toothpaste on your dog cause its harmful to them.
To get your dog used to his teeth being brushed, start by putting some toothpaste on a cotton ball and gently rub it all over his teeth. Toothpaste for dogs is usually quite yummy to them, so he wont mind having it in his mouth.
Use a finger brush on him to brush his teeth. With time, you will need to start using a regular dog toothbrush. Brushing the teeth of your dog on a regular basis will prevent calculus and debris from building up on his teeth.
There are other ways to prevent calculus from accumulating on your dog’s teeth. One way is to use rawhide chews made for dogs. There are many companies out there that make these dog chews. One of the best available for dog dental care is by C.E.T.
C.E.T. chews contain a certain enzyme that prevent plaque from forming on the dog’s teeth and also minimize bacteria from building up.
Also, the rawhide chews are rough and this helps keep the teeth healthy and strong. Let me just add here that even with the best measures that you use to prevent tooth decay, you will still need to visit your vet at one time in order for the dog’s teeth to be properly cleaned.
Should the vet recommend that the dog’s teeth be cleaned, please ensure that you honor his/her request. The danger is that if your dog develop a disease on its teeth, bad bacteria might pass through its blood system which could end up destroying the its kidneys or even develop heart problems!
When you take your dog to the vet, you will notice that the dental cleaning that he will perform will be similar to that done humans but the major difference here is that your dog needs to be sedated. Don’t worry, the anesthesia is light and is safe.
The vet will start by performing an examination to determine if any teeth need to be removed or repaired. He might even go as far as do an x-ray. After this is done, dental cleaning can now be performed.
First, the teeth are scaled to remove all tarter. This is done using electronic as well as hand equipment. When he finishes doing this, the teeth are then polished to make them smooth and prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth. A fluoride treatment might also be done here. This helps the enamel to be stronger and also prevent plaque from forming again. Should the vet find any diseased teeth, they will be removed.
Some skilled vets can also perform root canal on your dog! The dog will then be put on antibiotics to prevent infection from bacteria.
As you can see, its very important to take good care of your dog’s teeth to keep them healthy. Please do follow the advise of your vet and should you have any other questions, do consult a pet profession
Side Note: As i put up this article i realized i need to also get my teeth checked and cleaned..he he
NEWS UPDATE: I’ve come across this incredible resource book titled “Veterinary Secrets Revealed” written by Dr Andrew Jones who has practiced Veterinary Medicine for over 10 years. In his book, he reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pet’s health, Slash Vet Bills, and even save your pet’s life!
He teaches over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions for healing your pet that are easy to understand and can be implemented at home. You don’t need a degree in Veterinary Science to do them I highly recommend this definitive manual if you are searching for information on dogs health. To get more info, visit his site by clicking here->The Veterinary Secret .
By Gerald Njuguna 1 comment
September 10th, 2007 at 03:21pm Under Dog Health
How Long Are Dogs Pregnant & What To Expect From Your Dog
Is your dog about to have puppies? Puppies are cute to have but their is a lot of work involved in maintaining them. If your dog is pregnant, i have compiled some tips on how to get your dog ready for birth.
Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days. This is not a very long time so you need to make sure you are ready before the puppies arrive on the scene.
During this period make sure that you are feeding your dog on a regular basis and feeding her healthy foods. Pregnant dogs need to be fed more than usual. You may need to move to a growth type of food or puppy food during the pregnancy. Do this by reducing the quantity of regular feed that you give your dog and at the same time increasing the amount of new food.
Its advisable that you carry this out over a period of about 1 week in order to prevent the dog from having loose stool. I would also advice you to consult your veterinarian to know the appropriate diet for your dog. Please ensure that you feed your dog a high quality diet. Their is no need for you to supplement the dog diet with vitamins unless a dog doctor recommends it.
Your dog may exhibit symptoms similar to morning sickness that affects women around the third week of the pregnancy Should the morning persist for more than one week, please visit the vet doctor to find out if their are any hidden with the dog.
The dog also needs to be exercised during the pregnancy period. You need to take the dog out on walks but if your dog is the working dog type or a sports dog, you need to stop until the puppies are weaned.
Three weeks before delivery, you need to isolate the pregnant dog from other dogs. Continue to isolate the dog at least three weeks after the puppies are born. The reason is that dogs that are not vaccinated can carry infectious diseases that can be very harmful to puppies.
If your dog is due for vaccination during the pregnancy, hold off on this until after the puppies are weaned. Vaccination during pregnancy can be harmful to the fetuses. An ideal situation is to vaccinate the dog before it breeds
Provide the dog a comfortable place to whelp and raise its puppies when the time to deliver draws near. An ideal place would provide easy access to the dog to come and go, but also confining the puppies.
The temperature of the dog drops down slightly when the dog is about to deliver. You can monitor this with a rectal thermometer. Normal canine temperature is about 1oo to 102 degrees. When the temperature drops below 100 degrees, the dog is about to go on labor in 24 hrs.
When dogs go into labor, they start to vomit and become restless, pant and even shiver. Don’t freak out, this is normal. Do provide the dog fresh water at all times. Labor lasts about 12 hours. When puppies are being delivered, they come out covered with a thin membrane. The mother normally removes this membrane and if she does not, please clear the membrane otherwise the puppies might suffocate. Puppies come out 1/hr with upto half an hour of straining between deliveries.
If your dog does not deliver within one day, if she is straining to deliver for more than one hour or if it takes more than four hour break between pups, you need to call the vet immediately as this might be indicative of a problem.
It is always important to discuss all of your concerns and what to expect with your veterinarian prior to delivery.
NEWS UPDATE: I’ve come across this incredible resource book titled “Veterinary Secrets Revealed” written by Dr Andrew Jones who has practiced Veterinary Medicine for over 10 years. In his book, he reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pet’s health, Slash Vet Bills, and even save your pet’s life!
He teaches over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions for healing your pet that are easy to understand and can be implemented at home. You don’t need a degree in Veterinary Science to do them I highly recommend this definitive manual if you are searching for information on dogs pregnancy. To get more info, visit his site by clicking here->The Veterinary Secret .
By Gerald Njuguna Add comment
September 4th, 2007 at 03:56pm Under Dog Training
The Basics of Obedience in Dog Training
Training basic obedience skills to your dog can turn out to be challenging as well as exciting. Confused on how to start? Do your homework . A student can only be as good as his trainer, huh?
The first thing you need to learn in dog obedience training is how to get your dog to pay attention to your commands. Start by calling his name then use words like “watch” or “look” afterwards. When you do this, the dog associates the words to a command. Once you’ve accomplished this and gotten his attention, you can now begin the lessons…
You want your dog to be able to pay attention for a short length of time. You can keep his attention by teaching him attention exercises. Try this example;
Hold a dog treat or toy near your mouth and then give him the keyword command. Every time he watches you, appreciate and praise him. The more you do this, the more he pays attention to you.
Try getting him to watch for at least a minute. Show him that he is doing a good job by rewarding him. This the best way that dogs learn.
Dogs get distracted easily because they have short attention spans. When training your dog the best thing you can do is get a place that is free from distractions. Also, the training sessions should only last about 30 minutes. Normally, if you exceed this time limit, the dog becomes restless and is easily distracted.
You might become angry and frustrated if the dog does not learn fast. Please don’t take out your irritation on the dog. A few things that you need to remember include:-
1) DO NOT inflict pain to the animal otherwise this will cause him to become aggressive towards you or he becomes shy.
2) If the dog becomes distracted, do change the tone of your voice (Not raising it)
3) Be consistent!! If you are not consistent the dog becomes confused as what to expect from you.(Just like children)
Teaching your dog basic obedience commands will make for a more obedient and more pleasant dog to be around.
Commands to work with
The first command you might want to start off with would be the SIT command. Use the word “SIT” so that he can relate the command with the action associated with it. When saying the word, push the dog backwards and he will catch on with your idea.
The second command is “DOWN”. You know that dogs do get hyperactive when they become excited :-D. A dog when its excited will usually jump on its owner’s lap. When the dog jumps, say “DOWN”. Don’t cuddle or pet them or get excited to see them when they are on you. Continue to tell them “down,” and even place their legs down if you have to.
The other command is “STAY.” If you have a very hyper dog this command is very good. There are various ways you can teach him to stay. Start by putting a dog treat on the ground. If he starts to move towards the treat, command him to STAY.
You can also put up your hand when saying the word STAY. As he becomes more obedient to your command, you then move further away from him. This will make him to become more daring and he might even take a step forward. If he moves forward, continue to raise your hand out and tell him “stay.” He has to realize that even though you are moving, he needs to obey your commands.
The next command to teach him is the COME COMMAND. As you can see, once the dog learns to sit down and stay put, he will need a way of knowing if its ok to approach you. This might seems confusing to the dog at first, but with a change in the tone of your voice, he will soon understand. Please do put a little excitement when saying “come”. He will pick up on it. You may also want to pat your leg when you say come.
The last command is STAND. Here, you allow the dog to get a little excited a bit but not in the pouncing way. When you teach him how to stand, pat your hands on your chest and, once again, put a little excitement in your voice, so that he knows he’s allowed, under certain circumstances. The dog will now begin to understand the differenc
Dog obedience training should start when you and the dog are ready. Just remember be consistent with the commands and please don’t forget to have fun:-)
To learn more about dog training, I would like to recommend you to Daniel Stevens, someone who knows more than me about dog training. He’s written a very detailed book on this which you can read more about it by clicking here. Customers are giving good testimonials about his training strategies and I’m sure you wont be disappointed. Visit his site here
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