“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” Josh Billings (1818-1885, US Humorist)

This morning I was driving along a busy street, in a fog, sipping strong tea when I saw the geese. I have come to think of geese as very large rats with wings. The outlying Chicagoland area is so infested with these birds that you have to be careful where you step. The best thing I can normally say about them is that it’s fun for the dogs to run them off, and I frequently use the cantankerous fowl as distractions. When you can call a six month old pet Lab off a flock of geese, I figure you have a recall.

Now I never said geese were stupid. That has never been my opinion. They seem to know it is more likely they will be harassed by dogs on my property than on my neighbor’s. Therefore, they avoid my grass. Or perhaps they just have an aversion to dog urine. Either way, we’ve reached an understanding.

Frankly, with the vast numbers of them around, I never understood why we weren’t eating them. Then I saw the pair of geese along the road.

One was lying dead on the median. The second was crossing two lanes of busy traffic. Cars were whizzing past the live goose, back drafts unbalancing it. But it waddled on, unaware or unconcerned of the hazard. That goose appeared to have one single minded purpose…reach its unmoving mate.

Before I continue, let me emphasize that I am not a scientist, geneticist, nor a zoologist. I am a dog trainer. I am well read, and most of what I believe comes from what I have read combined with what I observe. Can one even be a good dog trainer without keen powers of observation, reading and interpreting what one sees?

Geese, as most people know, mate for life. Their bond is undoubtedly instinctual, a product of natural selection in which strongly bonded pairs must have a greater likelihood of successfully raising young, thereby propagating the species. If the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

Sounds simple doesn’t it?

But it got me to thinking about the nature of bonding. And of course, that got me to thinking about dogs, and the nature of their bond to humans. While it has been proven that a duck will “imprint” on and follow a human if it is the first thing it sees after hatching, I think of “imprinting” and “bonding” as two different things.

Imprinting is a simple instinct stamped into the brain that dictates the duckling will follow its mother. She is likely to lead that duckling to sources of food and shelter. This increases the offspring’s chances of surviving infancy, reaching sexual maturity, mating, and propagating the species. Again, the gene succeeds, the gene continues.

But what is bonding?

I think of it as something more complex. Something more bound to social order. Instinctual? Probably. Still related to survival? Definitely. But still complex.

Dogs in the wild, since their earliest descendants, understand social order and collaborative hunting. A well ordered pack of wolves can successfully hunt, shelter, raise offspring, and pass on their genes. A pack suffering from social strife will not have clear leadership or collaboration, and will eventually die.

Dogs understand this on a genetic level. It is why a properly socialized dog understands how to communicate with other dogs using their species’ unique and understandable body language. It is why we, as dog trainers, are sometimes described as being able to “read” dogs. We’re simply recognizing attitude and thoughts, and yes, even emotions, by interpreting body language. And that is precisely what allows us to shape dog behavior by using our own body language to clearly show a dog what we want from them.

But why do dogs CARE about what we want from them? That is the question that has both mystified and thrilled me ever since I got my first dog at the age of 11. Why is a dog willing to be trained? Why do they thrive on it in fact? Why is a dog remotely interested in what we want from them?

A cow doesn’t much care. So we eat them. Most horses I have known and ridden will yield to humans, but they seem to me to prefer their own company to mine when given a choice. But because they yield to us, and helped us form our nation, as a culture, we’re horrified at the idea of eating them.

Wolves, I am told, are canids whose behavior can be somewhat modified by men. But they will generally return to behaviors for which they are genetically programmed, regardless of what training they have had.

So what is it about dogs? Why do they care about what we want? Why did my first dog remember and perform his utility signals exercise into his dotage, way after deafness, strokes and until shortly before he died at seventeen and a half?

His name was Gus. He was a Sheltie born April 29, 1969. He came to me in a dream several years ago and he spoke to me in words that did not come out of his mouth, but which I heard in my head. These are the exact words of the interchange.

“Where are you?” he asked, intense in his sadness.

“I’ll come to you one day,” I told him.

“But I have been waiting so long,” he said.

“Because it’s not my time yet,” I told him. “But I will come.”

He paused, but only briefly.

“I’ll wait for you,” he said.

“Find Bobbi and Frannie,” I said. “They are Greyhounds They are mine too, and they will know you. They will wait with you.”

“I will,” he said, and he left me slowly, reluctantly, at my bidding. I woke up crying, as I cry now recounting the experience.

I have always known that dogs care about us on the deepest possible levels but only recently did I put together my own concept of why. I think it was that dream of Gus. I told you he spoke to me in words. The words did not come from his mouth. They came from his mind into mine. But they had a voice. And that voice was my own.

 My waiting dog spoke to me in my own voice. We love our dogs. But they adore us on a level beyond love. They are what we ask them to be, becoming part of us if we ask them to. I think Gus came to me that night, or perhaps my unconscious summoned him, because I was finally ready to understand the answer to my long held question.

Dogs care about what we want from them because, when led properly by man, they consider us to be more than their pack mates. We provide more than food, shelter and more than comfort. We provide dogs what the concept of God provides to us, a sense of meaning, comfort, a sense of purpose, a sense that we are not alone.

Dogs do not love us. They worship us. But not from afar. They live with their gods. They worship us from the foot of our beds, they adore us as they look at us, and they long for us even as we touch them.

Trained dogs submit and yield to this worship readily. It satisfies them on a level which humans with our questioning mentalities may not fully comprehend. The faith of a dog, particularly a trained dog, is absolute. He never questions or has a crisis of faith. He doesn’t believe. He knows.

Have you ever noticed that after putting a dog through even a basic course of obedience, other behaviors change for which you have not trained? If you do your work artfully, the dog gives up undesirable behaviors without even being commanded.

This occurs because the dog always knew his owner didn’t like the behaviors. After all, they grumped and yelled when he did it. He simply didn’t care. He felt no particular compulsion to give up a treasured behavior such as jumping on guests.

But when a dog is trained, he learns to look at his humans in a whole new way. He learns that the bond has more meaning that he ever knew before. He learns that he no longer has to make every decision for his life. It’s not satisfying to a dog to pull on the leash and be out of control. Yet, if that behavior is all he knows, he’ll do it over and over. I now see that behavior as a cry for help, the way the dog shows his profound need for leadership.

But once the dog has learned to yield his decision making to a human, a bond between dog and handler is formed that knows no limits of depth. So why do dogs care about what we want? Why are they willing to do what we ask of them if we can only show them clearly what we want? Why will they yield their willpower to ours?

They do it for the love of man. They do it because they love us more than they love themselves.

Is it genetic? The gene succeeds so the gene continues? Probably. But I think it’s more than that. I think the dog has a void that only we humans can fill. Even those of us who succeed the most with dogs don’t quite have the same love for dogs that they have for us. We can’t. We don’t have that gene. But we can understand and honor the dog’s need for leadership.

We can bring a dog to a place where his need for us is absolute yet doesn’t destabilize the independent nature of his being. Lest you take from my words the idea that I am a tree hugging dog spiritualist, I will tell you flat out that I am not. I am a dog trainer. I both correct and reward my dogs. That’s pretty much the way life treats me.

The ultimate reward for us both is a bond during the dog’s lifetime that exceeds any other comfort he can ever know. And after the dog’s death, he brings a form of comfort that some, like me, have not known before.

Someone is waiting. Someone who loves me more than he loves himself.

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Marc Goldberg, CDT -
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Marc Goldberg, CDT is a certified dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of SafeHands Journal. The author also educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the web at http://www.trainingdogsinchicago.com or http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com.

Just as humans do, your dog may be in need of dog dental care. If your dog has typical bad doggie breath or if you notice a terrible smell when he breathes in your face, that may be a clue that your dog needs dental care.

It has only been recently that pet owners have been concerned with their pet’s dental health.  Now pet owners are learning it is important to keep their dog’s teeth and gums healthy. In the past it was believed that nature would take care of the dog’s teeth naturally. That may have been true in the wild where dogs ate raw meat and chewed the bones of their kills, but in today’s society where dogs are subjected to ‘people food’ and many treats, the health issue of your dog’s dental health is more of a concern. 

Commercial pet food companies have become aware of this problem and have introduced hard dog biscuits that help clean your dog’s teeth. Although that was only the beginning, it has since become well known that dogs may need help in the teeth cleaning and breath area.

Dog dental care is only one aspect of your overall pet’s health care. Dogs with healthy teeth and gums and healthy mouths, may tend to live longer and happier lives. Although having bad dental care may not necessarily decrease your pet’s overall life expectancy, it could cause him pain and discomfort and may even lead to him losing one or several teeth.  Having dental problems may also cause a serious infection in the mouth which in turn may lead to heart and kidney disease.

As in humans, a dog with a healthy mouth will have better smelling breath. Bad breath can be a sign that the dog may be having trouble in his mouth. Chances are that you may not even notice unless there is a really serious problem. A clue to your dog having trouble with his teeth may be if you find that he cannot chew on one side. This may be caused by him being in pain.  You may also notice that he isn’t eating because he is in so much pain. Both of these cases could be a sign that your dog has a toothache or some other kind of infection in his mouth.

Bad breath is caused by the plaque and tartar that builds up on your pet’s teeth. If the plaque and tartar are not removed from the teeth an infection in the mouth can occur. To avoid the bacteria that can cause gum disease in your dog, get your vet to remove the plaque and tarter that has been built up on your pet’s teeth.

Dogs can also get cavities in their teeth. Vets today have noted that there has been a rise in dog cavities, probably due to more of the sugary dog treats available on the market. Check the labels of the dog treats you buy to help reduce this threat. And, only feed your dog treats that are especially made for dogs.

If you are worried about your dog’s dental health, it is a good idea to brush your dog’s teeth regularly. Starting a dog dental care program when your pet is young should help to prevent dental health problems and will help solve the problem of getting your dog to submit to regular teeth brushing. It is a good idea to try to brush your dog’s teeth daily, but even brushing ever other day will help keep the plaque build-up under control.

You can get toothbrushes and toothpaste made especially for dogs. It is important to use toothpaste formulated especially for dogs because human toothpaste can upset your pet’s stomach. Also, toothpaste made for dogs will have a more pleasing flavor for him. Pet toothbrushes are softer than human ones, shaped slightly differently and are generally smaller. You can also use sponge cleaners instead of a toothbrush, which consist of small sponges attached to a handle. You can generally obtain these items through your veterinarian or at pet stores.

Another area of dental care for dogs includes crooked teeth.  You may find it necessary for some dogs to get braces on their teeth. Some dog breeds typically have problems in this area and need their teeth straightened enough so that their mouth opens and closes correctly. It may be necessary for your dog to get orthodontic work done on a few teeth or even have a full set of braces. Consult your vet if you feel this may be a problem area for your dog.

Dog dental care should be part of your dog’s regular health check-ups to discover any problems that may be occurring.  If your dog has poor dental health it can impact how he enjoys life, and even how long he lives.  Be pro-active and start your dog on a dental health routine early.

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Denny Phillips -
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Just imagine if you were walking your street and came across an obviously stray dog. Would you know what to do? What not to do? You could avoid the situation altogether, get nervous thinking the dog would do you harm or take the dog home and have it be your new pet. In this scenario you have a few options. The one you choose will really depend on the fact of you being an animal lover or not. For the sake of this article we will assume you chose to take the dog home as a pet. Read more about this . . .

General Tips

Always walk your dog on a leash. This ensures the safety of the dog, you, walkers, joggers, and people on bicycles. No one wants to be hurt on either side.

Caring For Your New Dog

There are two important decisions to be made at this juncture regardless of the dog’s breed. You can choose to temporarily shelter the dog by taking it in out from the elements and at the same time look for it’s rightful owner. Or you can keep it for your own pet. Again your choice will probably depend on how good of an animal lover you are.

It will be no easy task to provide care to the stray dog you have taken in. It will need to be provided with adequate shelter, food, medical care treatment and animal medical insurance in some cases. Oh yeah you should also plan to take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible to get it checked out for any possible diseases.

You will also want to maintain your dog’s health while it is in your care. To do this you should perform all of the necessary daily duties required to prevent your pet dog from falling prey to illness. This includes providing adequate and comfortable shelter and food. In some respects it could be compared to raising a small child before they reach the age of being able to communicate.

Dog Diet Tips

Eating habits are still based on the instinctual habits of the dog’s wild counterparts. some dogs feed on a “stuff-yourself-or-starve” mode and tend to eat more than they need when food is made available to them. for this reason, owners must be in control of their dog’s food intake. obesity is very harmful to your dog’s health at any age. it puts undue stress on vital organs that can lead to serious health problems. So be a responsible pet owner and monitor your dog’s food intake.

Conclusion

Now that you are armed with this information how will you best apply it? Just keep in mind that your new pet is also a new companion that can likewise protect you from harm’s way. But just like anything else that requires time and attention you should make sure you give your new companion comfortable and adequate dog care,food, shelter, love and attention. By following these simple guidelines you can and should enjoy your new pet immensely.

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What is the best option for a situation when someone works these amount of hours?

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Keep your dog safe in your backyard. All dogs suffer when it is too hot. Some are particularly vulnerable to heatstroke. If you are in a hot climate, make sure you have a shaded area or a porch where the dog can get out of the sun. It is vital they have a secure source of fresh water; by secure we mean he can’t easily tip it over. Common sense is important when deciding whether it is safe to leave your dog outside: a short coated dog or a companion dog that is bred to spend his life indoors will not be able to tolerate being left outside in a cold climate. Your dog care tips include:

Securing Your Yard

It may not make sense to you that the same dog that is so happy to see you when you get home may want to find his way out of the back yard to freedom, but many dogs are lost each year because of this. Most dogs do not have a good sense of the dangers cars represent. Once outside your yard, they may just follow interesting scents and be so focused on those they aren’t aware of approaching vehicles. They can also get frightened and run right into traffic. Many breeds are efficient diggers. They can tunnel under a wooden fence with ease. A back gate that is not latched properly can also give your dog an escape route. With smaller breeds, only a few inch gap between slats can be enough for them to squeeze through. Think of this in the positive way: your dog is not trying to escape from your house, he is perhaps trying to find you.

The first thing you need to do is check the perimeter of your yard for any gaps in the fence. One easy solution is to dig down six inches below ground and affix narrow gage wire fencing material to your existing fence. You can hold the fencing in place below ground by burying bricks, rocks or pavers. This will make it more difficult for your dog to tunnel under, and have the added benefit or making it harder for rodents or snakes to get into your yard. You may also want to padlock your gate. A strong dog may try to push open the gate, and some gates with loose latches can even be blown open by the wind. Keeping your fence in good repair is important. If the dog can find a loose or weak slat to chew through, he will.

Safety Inside The Yard

Your beautiful back yard with the trees, flowers, grass and vegetable garden may seem like paradise to you, and your dog will certainly enjoy romping around back there, but there are safety considerations as well, and you will want to make sure your tender plants are protected from your dog.

Again, dogs love to dig. Some breeds, in fact, simply have to dig. For them, it is part of the joy of being alive. They don’t care if what they are digging up is a prized flower garden, or the spinach crop you have been carefully tending since early spring. And a dog doesn’t at all mind taking a short cut through the flower beds trampling them as he goes. You may want to consider fencing off areas of your yard to protect your plants. This is particularly the case with frisky young pups. As your dog grows you will be able to train him to stay out the flower or vegetable garden, but to a puppy, it all looks like a playground.

Your dog care tips will keep your dog safe in your backyard.

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Find more about your dog care tips. Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books and the novel “Over Time.” She is the proud companion of Rose, the Irish Setter, and Kate the English Springer Spaniel. Read Rose and Kate’s blog.

Dog care includes vet care, which includes regular dog vaccinations, right? That’s what good dog parents have always done, haven’t they? They take their dogs for vet dog care check ups and make sure dog vaccinations are up to date.

Well, that may be what good dog parents have done in the past, but times are changing. Or they’ve already changed.

Barking, uh, breaking news: All 27 North American veterinary schools are changing their dog vaccination protocols. Good dog care no long requires regular dog vaccinations.

Here’s why:

Dog immune systems are fully mature by the time a dog is six months old. If a vaccine (which is a live virus given in a dose that activates the dog’s immune system for that virus), is given after the dog is six months old, the immunity produced by that vaccine lasts for the rest of the dog’s life.

According to veterinary specialists, if another dog vaccination is given a year later (or at other regular intervals as we’ve been told our dogs need), the antibodies from the first vaccine will wipe out the antigens from the second vaccine. In other words, the second vaccine will have very little to no effect at all. There is no “boost” given by the second dog vaccination.

This is why regular dog vaccinations aren’t necessary. And not only is this kind of dog care unnecessary, it’s also risky. Annual dog vaccinations put a dog at risk of allergic reactions and an illness called immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia.

So when exactly should you get your dog vaccinations?

You don’t want to wait until your dog is six months old because your this puts your dog at risk. Although puppies do get antibodies from their mother’s milk, this natural immunity lasts only 8 to 14 weeks. During the first 8 weeks of a puppy’s life, the puppy shouldn’t be vaccinated because the immunity from his mom’s milk will neutralize the vaccine.

The best vaccination schedule, as outlined by veterinarians using this new dog vaccination protocol, is a series of vaccinations given at 8 weeks, then another set once a month up until 16 weeks (4 months) of age. After that, another set of vaccinations should be given after 6 months of age (veterinarians usually suggest waiting until your dog is a year old).

This last dog vaccination is all your dog needs then for the rest of her life. These early vaccinations provide lifetime immunity.

So how’s that for good news? Good dog care no longer requires regular dog vaccinations. You’ll be providing your dog better dog care if you don’t get regular vaccinations. And you’ll be saving a little money too on dog care.

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All pet dogs should be treated as members of our family and adequate attention must be paid to the canine’s health. Sometimes dogs become sick but may not look so. It is very important to recognize and understand dog illnesses symptoms.

Since prevention is a better cure, we must learn something about dog illnesses and symptoms so we can better understand their conditions. This will help us recognize some common dog illnesses. If appropriate and adequate vaccinations are administered to the puppies, most of the common dog illnesses can be easily prevented.

Some elementary observations are useful to recognize certain common dog illnesses. Dogs take a lot of sleep but their sleep is marked by alertness. If a dog is sluggish then there may be various causes contributing to it, right from anemia to old age. If the dog is limping then you should check for prospective painful areas using a firm and yet gentile hand. Check out for any signs indicating lameness from time to time.

The appetite of the dog is bound to be affected by ill health. Look for any signs of loss of appetite. An important sign of dog health problems is excessive thirst. A pronounced weight loss is also an indicator of ill health. Check the eyes for any ulcers, discharges, veins or sores.

The mouth of a healthy dog is pink. There should not be any discoloring or cavities in the teeth. Look for signs of discharge from ears. It is advisable to clean the ears from time to time. The dog’s head should be regularly checked for sore patches, hair loss, or deep wounds.

Investigate the limbs and trunk for the same signs. If the dog is vomiting, there may be various underlying problems. If the body temperature of your dog is not between the range 38 to 39 Celsius it is an indication of some kind of illness. Check the female dogs for any kind of foul smelling vaginal discharge, which needs attention of a vet.

The symptoms of pain and discomfort experienced by a dog can give us many clues about the possible underlying illness. If the dog is suffering any abdominal pain, it may be due to canine hepatitis, enteritis or it can be a simple case of constipation. The abdominal swelling dogs indicate canine bloat and roundworms in puppies. Aggression of the dog may be caused by rabies. Roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms my cause anemia in dogs. Any behavioral changes in dog can be an indicator of hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, canine arthritis, heart disease, canine, or parvovirus.

Kidney diseases sometimes cause blood in urine. Eye infections and entropion cause bloodshot eyes in dogs. A ruptured diaphragm, obstructed airway, lungworm, bronchitis, pneumonia, food poisoning, heatstroke, allergies can cause respiratory problems in dogs.

There are various reasons of sudden change in weight of dogs like heart disease to heartworms. Hernia might be caused due to long term constipation in dogs. Allergies, parvovirus, hepatitis, lungworm, TB, pneumonia or distemper may be one of the reasons of coughing in dogs. Cannine parvovirus can also cause dehydration in dogs. Any pancreatic disorder, food poisoning can give rise to diarrhea in dogs. The dog may suffer from hair loss due to mange, red mange demodectic, scabies, cheyletiella mange, or cushings syndrome.

If dog indicates any signs of failing genital bleeding, persistent constipation, projectile vomiting, fainting, hair loss, seizure, stumbling, trauma, trembling, mouth bleeding, rectal bleeding, lethargy, shaking, urinating problems contact a dog care specialist.

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How would you spend her money for the dogs of America?

She already left $12 million to her own dog. Serious answers and NO the money cannot be spent for personal expenses

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If you love your dog, you’ve got to know “What to do if Your Dog is Poisoned” just in case. Hope you’d never have to use it. http://www.2knowabout.com/dog/what_to_do_if_your_dog_is_poisoned.php

As a pet owner, is it your job to ensure that you are giving good basic dog care to your pet? As a member of your family, you want your him or her to live a long and healthy life. Making sure that they are taken care of a good way to make that want a reality.

One part of basic dog care is dog grooming. It’s important not just for the look and smell of your four legged friend to keep him or her groomed but for his or her health too. Brushing your pooch every day will keep his or her coat smooth and shiny and can help him or her to avoid having dry and flaky skin as well, as brushing distributes natural oils in your pet’s fur. You also want to make sure that you are either trimming your pet’s nails yourself or having them professionally trimmed. If you don’t, your furry friend could have harmful growths on his or her feet that can cause him or her pain. This should be done about twice per month.

Dog care also involves making sure you are doing your best to keep your pet’s teeth healthy and clean. You should brush your mutt’s teeth at least once a week, and more often if possible. There are numerous kinds of tooth brushes available for pets on the market. The best is the finger brush, which slips over your finger so you can simply rub your furry friend’s teeth and gums. It’s best to start oral hygiene on your pet at an early age not only to prevent tooth decay but also because the earlier you start, the more likely her or she will become used to it and will not mind having his or her teeth brushed.

Another part of dental dog care is making sure your faithful companion’s teeth stay strong. One great way to do this is to provide your pooch with raw bones. While cooked bones can splinter and damage your companion’s mouth and digestive system, raw bones are soft and actually provide an excellent source of calcium. Be careful though, raw bones can be very messy and should typically be given to your pooch outside where they can cause a mess without the hassle of clean up.

You will need to take special dog care pains in the summer months to keep your furry friend’s cool and prevent him from being dehydrated and get heat exhaustion. Make sure you provide plenty of water so your he or she can dehydrate him or herself after losing water due to sweating. You’ll also want to make sure if your companion lives outside that there is plenty of shade for him or her to get away from the heat. Dogs will use their instincts to protect themselves from the heat if you provide adequate shade and water.

There are also special dog care rules for cold months as well. One tip is to make sure that you’re getting your furry friend extra indoor exercise. Many pets do not get enough exercise in the months that their walks are shortened due to adverse weather conditions. Make sure your dog care routine includes lots of play during the winter months so your he or she will be exercised.

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Jesse Akre,author and owner of numerous home decor and pet sites, offers online consumers his thoughts on purchasing pet items such as preferred puppy supplies and the latest dog supplies for your furry best friend.

Summer is on its way and with it comes many great opportunities to enjoy the sunshine with your dog. But before you go outdoors, you should take a little time to prepare for the numerous dangerous situations summer can entail. When the weather is nice, it’s very tempting to take our furry friends with us in the car so they can enjoy the nice weather with us while we run errands or travel, but you should never leave your pet in your car, even if you’ll only be gone for a short time. In a matter of minutes, temperatures can easily reach 120 degrees in a parked car, and dogs left inside can suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, brain damage, or death just as fast. While it’s best to leave your dog at home, if you must travel in the car with your dog, you should always provide fresh, cool water and be sure to secure your pet in a dog crate, car harness, or car seat.

Dogs need exercise regardless of the weather but when it’s hot you should take extra care of your pet and exercise only in the early morning or late evening to avoid the hottest part of the day. Remember- asphalt gets very hot in the summer and can burn your dog’s paws, so try to limit the amount of time spent walking on asphalt. Make sure your dog always has plenty of shade and access to fresh water at all times. Older, overweight, and snub-nosed dogs should be kept indoors in air-conditioned rooms. If you don’t have air-conditioning, a room fan will always work. For your long-haired or thick furred pooches, a hair cut can help alleviate some of the heat, but make sure to always leave their fur at least an inch thick to provide some protection from the sun.

A day at the beach may sound like a fun time for you and your dog, but keep in mind that you need to provide fresh, cool water and shade from the sun at all times. You can set up a beach umbrella or canopy, or even invest in a dog cabana. Make sure you always hose down your salty dog if they go for a swim in the ocean. You should always avoid taking your dog to crowded summer events like Fourth of July parties. The loud noises and crowds of people can cause a lot of unnecessary and unwanted stress for your dog. Taking your dog to barbecues or parties also opens up opportunities for your dog to get into poisonous items such as lighter fluid or insect coils.

Hopefully these tips for summer dog care will help ensure that you and your dog have a safe and fun summer together! If you have any questions regarding these tips or you need advice on summer car for your dig you should contact your local veterinarian.

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Learn the proper way to take your dog’s vital statistics and tell if your dog is sick in this free pet health care video, with tips from a veterinarian.Expert: Dr Adrienne Mulligan Bio: Dr. Adrienne Mulligan graduated from veterinary school at North Carolina State University in 1993, and now owns the Camp Verde Veterinary Clinic in Camp Verde, Arizona. Filmmaker: Chuck Tyler

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Dogs are man’s best friend. Like children, dogs are to be taken cared for just like people are. It takes a lot of responsibility to take care of your pooch. The proper dog care must be applied to your pet so he or she remains to be healthy and free of any diseases. Dogs are loyal to their human counterpart. In return, we must provide them with the appropriate dog care essentials.

We should provide them healthy food, water, exercise and veterinary care like vaccinations. Reading books for the best dog care information and health tips are useful for dog owners who need more education in maintaining a pet. While dogs offer unconditional love to their owners, the owners themselves must show their dogs how much they care for them.

Day To Day Dog Care Needs

The basic everyday need of a dog is obviously food. As an owner, one must feed the dog regularly with healthy food that is excessive in protein. Grooming is another part of proper dog care. Bathing your dog regularly relieves them of fleas and ticks.

“Big and small dogs need exercise daily, big dogs more than smaller ones”

You can bathe them at least once a week for them not to have that foul smell. Grooming your dog gives you the bonding between owner and pet; and this can also emphasize your authority towards him. Brushing the dog’s fur is relaxing in their part, they enjoy the strokes of the brush on their hair as you do it slowly.

Dogs should have vitamins too. Vitamin E can cure skin ailments. You can apply vitamin E oil to their skin to cure dry skin and any other skin ailments. You can save some money if you try conventional and natural ways in giving the right dog care for your pets. Acidophilus in yogurt is not only good for humans but for dogs as well. Consult with the veterinarian first if you plan on doing this because there are some factors that can harm them.

The Dog Care Supplies

Dog care provisions are classified as functional, basic and pampering. The fundamental dog supplies comprise of dog leashes, grooming kits, sleeping pads, dog house and most especially, food.

“It is not only people who will benefit from natural care but also our dogs. Natural pet care is now a growing trend that shows pet owners how to take care of their dogs in a way that is not harmful”

The practical but functional dog materials consist of doors, fences, and gates. The pampering kit is usually composed of toys, massage oils and treats for your dogs.

One of the most ascendant basic supplies provided is dog beds. It helps keep the dog’s bones healthy and strong. Several pet shops have supplies such as training equipment and aid to make practices much easier for your dog to follow. Some may even include dog collars which are made to punish dogs for inappropriate behavior.

Kennels are also sold in the supplies too; and they come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Choosing a good one would mean picking out something that ‘ s spacious enough for your dogs to easily move about. For better dog care, grooming kits are available in a variety of options too. The products include shampoos, nail clippers, brush, combs, and even conditioners. Hygiene supplies are also made available for the best dog care that you can render.

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Remove a tick from a dog’s ear by grabbing the tick close to the skin with tweezers and applying firm pressure to pull the tick out. Make sure the head of the tick is removed to prevent infection withtips from a veterinarian in this free video on dog care. Expert: Dr. James Talbott Bio: Dr. James R. Talbott is a staff veterinarian at Belle Forest Animal Hospital and Kennel in Nashville, Tenn. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

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Are you seeing the same recycled information on every website you visit? Try http://www.dogcaretruths.com for fresh information!

The main thing about dog care and dog grooming is the benefits are enormous, from the happiness and health of your dog to the enjoyment and saving made by you, these are just a couple of examples, and below is an extract from a chapter entitled ‘The Benefits of Grooming’ from The Perfect Dog Grooming Guide by Alan Brown which I feel shows the benefits that can be gained through grooming and dog care, some of which are too easily overlooked or underrated by many dog owners;

The first thing I would like to drawer your attention to, and to end any rumors that you may have heard is that grooming your dog does improve their health in many ways which we will mention a little more through this chapter. As well as this benefit you will also find that your relationship with your dog and the affection they show you will be somewhat increased. Also through grooming your dog you will come to know them better and have the opportunity to spot possible health issues that may have gone unnoticed previously.

So let us break these benefits down a little and go through them piece by piece; reverting to the health benefits we mentioned, firstly when we think dog care and grooming we immediately think of brushing our dog so let´s start there. When you brush your dog you remove all the dead hair from their coat, leaving only the healthy, this eliminates many of the bad odors emitted by your dog’s coat, as well as helps to keep them cooler, looks cleaner and reduces your dogs scratching and itching.

To make grooming your dogs coat easier and to help maintain the goodness reached through grooming it is advisable to bathe your dog and use a quality dog shampoo regularly – although you must pay attention to over bathing your dog, like humans you can easily strip the natural oils from the coat and reduce the healthiness that way. We mentioned dog shampoo, and that was deliberately mentioned, as human shampoo contains different ingredients and must not be used on our poets under any circumstances.

Another benefit of grooming or brushing the coat is the stimulation it causes to the blood flow which in turn increases and improves the blood supply to the hair follicles and aids the overall health of the dog’s coat. Also brushing has a similar effect as massage and can aid the stimulation of the lymphatic node which is another means of improving your dog’s health, and we shall cover this a little more in another chapter.

Grooming also consists of dental hygiene and care of the eyes and ears…

This shows how dog care is not only good for your dog, but for you also, and you can benefit a whole lot more from the content of The Perfect Dog grooming Guide which can be seen at www.Perfect-Dog-Grooming.com.

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Learn what to do if you think your dog has an ear infection, in this free emergency pet health carevideo. Expert: Dr Adrienne Mulligan Bio: Dr. Adrienne Mulligan graduated from veterinary school at North Carolina State University in 1993, and now owns the Camp Verde Veterinary Clinic in Camp Verde, Arizona. Filmmaker: Chuck Tyler

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