One of the great joys of life is acquiring a new dog. Whether it is a lively fun seeking puppy or a mature dog from a rescue centre there is the excitement of collecting the dog and the eager anticipation of the pleasures of dog ownership to come. But how can you ensure a long and happy relationship? You need to learn about dog care and training as well as considering your own situation before you even start looking for a dog.

Considerations
At HomeAre there children in your household.Do you have other pets.Do you have a reasonable sized yard or garden.Have you considered the dog’s toilet arrangements.Are members of your family prepared to spend time training and exercising your dog.Can you fund good quality feed, some vet’s bills, insurance and kennel stays if necessary

Dog Breeds, Size and Weight

You will sometimes need to handle your dog e.g. grooming, trimming nails, bathing or lifting onto scales for a weight check. Obviously, the size and weight of your dog will make this easy (Chihuahua at 2.70 kg to 3.63 kg) or near impossible (St Bernard at 75 kg to 91 kg)

Exercise

Exercise is a key factor in maintaining your dog’s health. Small dogs like Jack Russell Terriers will not need as much daily exercise as a working breed such as a German Shepherd.You need to decide how much time can be given to the task. The less time available the more important it is to acquire a smaller dog.

Home Environment

If you like your house to be warm some dogs may find it distressing – a Shih Tzu dog for instance or a dog with a thick coat. If you have an immaculate home filled with expensive furniture, you will need to think carefully about the sort of dog you intend to buy especially if you want a puppy.

Grooming Your Dog

You need to groom your dog on a regularly. Size comes into it but so does the type of coat. A short coated dog is obviously going to pick up less dirt, and mud. and be easier to clean and groom. A muddy dog may require washing. This needs a facility such as an old fashioned tin bath. You could use your shower or even your own bath but it means a lot of cleaning up afterwards.

Temperament

You’ll find that working breeds, a broad group, including everything from guard dogs to sheep dogs are often more stubborn and tough-minded. Terriers are often bossy and a little aggressive. Hounds are usually relaxed and friendly, but sometimes difficult to train.
Carry out some research into different breed characteristics. Do this on line and ask your vet’s opinion. Dog breeders will normally promote their own breed so they are not necessarily the first people to ask for an opinion.

You will be looking to compare the following points.

Energy level
Activity and playfulness levels
Affection and Loyalty levels
Intelligence
Aggression (towards people/other dogs/other pets)
Ease of training
Heat and cold tolerance
Compatibility with people and other animals

Some Breed Comparisons:

Labrador

This breed is good with children and quite intelligent. They can be hyperactive if they do not get enough exercise because they are basically a working dog.

Golden Retriever
These dogs are similar in temperament to the Labrador but have less tendency to hyper activity
Poodle
An intelligent dog. It has an excellent temperament. It was used as a hunting dog in times gone by so it is quite tough by nature.

Beagle
Friendly, clever and not too big, making them suitable as a family dog. They can be over energetic if not exercised. They respond well to firm training.

Cairn Terrier
Busy little dogs that adapt well to children. They are usually of good quiet temperament

Collie
The Collie and the smaller Shetland are both calm, gentle and tolerant breeds that usually do well with children. They do need some constructive play i.e. fetching a ball etc.

German Shepherd
Very intelligent but it is a big dog and needs exercise and constructive play. It is loyal and a good guard dog. However, a German Shepherd must be properly trained.

Cross-Bred Dogs
Come in all shapes and sizes and typically should not suffer from in-bred temperament faults.

Owning a dog is great fun but you need to think carefully about management before you take on your new “best friend”.

The post Choosing A Dog? – Check This Out First first appeared on Puppy Blog.

In the UK a wide variety of companies provide pet insurance, helping people to manage the costs of keeping their pet healthy. The pet insurance plans available vary in quality and scope so when making a comparison between different policies, you should always check that your pet insurance can accommodate your pet’s needs.

Some dogs suffer from lick granulomas which are lesions of thickened, firm plaque that develop if a dog repeatedly licks the bottom half of their leg. Sometimes a secondary infection can develop on the lesion which complicates the condition and can lead to further discomfort.

Causes tend to be psychological and canine lick granulomas often results from a form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in dogs. However, excessive licking can also be triggered by physiological factors such as allergies, nerve damage, bacterial or fungal infections and joint disease.

A visit to your vet should determine whether the cause is mental or physical. If a dog is bored or stressed, they are often more prone to psychological disorders; for this reason lick granulomas seems to be most common in large, active breeds of dog which are left alone for extended periods of time.

One of the central problems with lick granulomas is that, whatever the cause, once the habit is formed it can be extremely difficult for the dog in question to break it. The excessive licking leads to irritation, pain and itching which in turn triggers the dog to lick the lesion even more.

As soon as you notice a problem it is worth consulting your vet. If your pet suffers from allergies, then the vet might recommend a hypo allergic diet, fatty acids or antihistamines to help relieve the lick granulomas. If the root cause is deemed to be psychological, then extended walks or more general interaction in the home could make all the difference.

Whatever the cause, your pet insurance should be able to cover the costs of vet’s fees. Most reputable pet insurance plans can protect you financially from the cost of treating conditions that have psychological as well as physiological causes.

A large number of us are pet owners – in fact there are currently 24 million pets in the UK.[1] With such a large number of us sharing our homes with animals, understanding their needs is of the utmost importance.

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As dogs get older and start slowing down, they still need to exercise to keep their blood pumping and heart racing! You should also consult with the vet for tips on how to care and help your dog with exercise.

Your best friend can still do the same thing they’ve always done as to when they were puppies, the only exception is they’ll be doing it at a slower pace. When doing excersise with your dog make sure you keep your dog hydrated! Just like you running around in the hot sun will leave you pet a very thirsty animal.

Which is why you should keep an eye on the weather reports. When taking your dog out for a walk, make sure its not too hot or too cold for your dog. The weather could hinder them just a bit. If its cold for your dog and you still would like to take your dog out for a walk, consider a doggy sweater. A 10 -15 minute walk with your dog twice a day. If there is a favorite spot your dog liked to stroll or spend time at, then I would take your dog there. Sometimes taking them to places they like playing will motivate them a bit more.

If your dog likes to play fetch, take your pals favorite toy, if not a soft toy would work just as good. A hard toy would more than likely hurt their teeth or jaw. Don’t forget your dogs favorite treat as a reward! Playing tug is also a good exercise as well as swimming! Swimming helps with dogs that have hip problems! If you can’t make it outside for their daily walks, a treadmill works just as good.

If your dog likes to run, then go for it! However, running on hard surfaces like concrete isn’t something that is helpful or beneficial to your dog. If you don’t have any other place other than concrete, then walking slowly with your dog is highly suggested and walking at your dogs pace!

Some of these exercises can be done indoors, just incase the weather is a bit too unbearable for your dog.

While you and your dog do your daily excersises, you should keep a closer eye on your dog. Try to go with your dogs speed, not yours.

If you feel your dog is going way too slow, then taking him to the vet is something you should consider! Your dog may be having other issues that you’re not aware about! After all, you would like to keep your furry pal longer and we all know, dogs are man’s best friend!

Colin McDonald writes on behalf of Lintbells – dog health and oneagency.co a seo agency

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Since dogs are active animals, they could sustain injuries while playing, running or due to stepping on house hold implements. It is important to treat them before they become more severe dog health problems. As the dogs get injured with their paws most often, it is not easy to see the injury and if you try to look at it the dog tries to shy away. As an injury in a dog will get infected very quickly, you need to take care of them early.

If your dog limps for more than a couple of days or it has a limp that comes and goes, take care of it as it may lead to dog health problems that need more attention. If your dog’s injury is detected earlier, you could take it to the veterinarian and treat it before the injury is aggravated. Dog health problems that involve injuries are easy to look after but they also become serious if not treated on time. The difficulty with some big breeds of dogs is that they get very scared when the injury is going to be treated. However, you must treat the injuries of a dog no matter what type of resistance it offers against treatment.

Sometimes dogs get their tails injured getting caught in closing doors and such other accidents. Though these are not such serous dog health problems, you need to take care of them immediately before things go out of hand. If you are not familiar with dog injuries to take charge of the situation, you need to take your inured canine friend to the vet.

When you encounter any dog health problems involving injuries the most important thing is to keep calm. If you get excited your pet too will go upset and you will face more dog health problems due to the injury. Nothing is more difficult to manage than an excited dog owner and a gravely injured dog. You must remember that keeping calm is the key to solve any dog health problems no matter whether it is injury or a more serious condition.

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It is nice to have a pet around your house. When it is a dog, it is still better as dog is a pet that always wants to give you love and not to ask for it like cats. Dogs will do everything for you and you need to give it a little food and a place to sleep in return. The next most important thing is to look after dog health problems. The pleasure of having a dog at home could be enjoyed only when you attend to this vital need of a dog.

When your pet shows signs of dog health problems it is much better to take it to the veterinarian at the first instance. The simple reason is that unless you are a seasoned dog owner differentiating real dog health problems from normal behavior of a do is not easy. Therefore, the easy way to prevent a serious illness is to take your dog for treatment at the first signs of abnormal behavior. This is the easiest way to handle dog health problems.

In case your dog has no health issues, the veterinarian will not give any treatment but will advise you on what action to take when you face similar situations in the future. On the contrary if you don’t take it to the veterinarian and instead, if you go to work, by the time you come home your dog’s condition might get worsened requiring you to hospitalize it. Due to this reason, even minor dog health problems should be taken seriously. When you do so, it will be easier for you.

When you take your pooch to the veterinarian suspecting dog health problems if it is really ill the veterinarian will give you some medicine along with instructions. It is a must to follow those instructions carefully and give the drugs exactly as the vet instructs. This is very important because dog health problems could become serious quicker than you think. As such, it is extremely difficult to assess the condition of a sick dog. Only a veterinarian is able to do a correct assessment on a dog’s illness.

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Training your dog boils down to one concept-associating pleasure with good behaviour. By that, I mean rewards and positive response from you quickly trains a dog to behave in the desired way in order to win those rewards and positive reactions.

This dog training concept extends to dogs which, for whatever reason, react in fear to relatively benign incidents, such as loud noises, power tools, appliances, etc. The idea is to create an association in their minds between something pleasurable or exciting and whatever it is that’s causing them to react in fear.

If your dog has any irrational fears, or fears stemming from a scary experience, you need to address this immediately to avoid a dog who perpetually feels stressed. A well-trained dog is a happy, calm dog.

Say, for example, your dog is afraid to ride in the car. This is particularly the case when owners only take their dogs in the car when it’s time to go to the vet. The first step is to encourage and reward your dog for sitting calmly next to the car. Get him accustomed to the idea of being near the car without having to actually get inside.

Once he can approach the car without being frightened, sit with him on the back seat of the car. (If he sits in the boot, climb in beside him.) Take a favourite toy and be sure to have lots of treats handy. Take a book or magazine to read and just relax, rewarding him for sitting calmly. You want to do this dog obedience training exercise a number of times to reinforce the idea that there’s nothing to be frightened of.

The next stage is to start the car and let it idle. Reassure him with lots of petting and stroking, again, rewarding him when he sits calmly. Once you can progress to travelling, be sure to take him only on rides to a local park or someplace where the destination is fun for him. The idea is to train him that the car is associated with fun and pleasure.

The same dog training can be applied to fears stemming, for example, from loud noises. This is easier if you have a partner. Your partner recreates the noise, not too loudly and ideally in another room to start. Make sure you have plenty of tantalizing treats, such as bite-sized pieces of cheese. Let him smell one before you start to be sure you have his attention. When your partner makes the noise, the treat should be in your hand. Give him the treat at the same moment he hears the noise.

When the dog’s ready, have your partner move closer until ultimately the noise occurs right next to him. Eventually, you will train your dog to ignore the noise completely because it has now been associated with something positive and pleasurable. He’ll have put those fears and stress behind him forever.

In this case it is ok to use treats because you are specifically trying to change a strong behaviour. Also by only using treats in certain areas of training there effect is stronger than if you use treats all the time.

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Every dog owner wants his dog to be healthy. In order to have a healthy dog, you need to know about dog health problems especially, you need to know when your dog is suffering from an illness. For this reason, it is necessary for you to have some idea of the symptoms of various illnesses with which the dogs normally get affected. Some of these symptoms are easy to identify while there are others that are difficult to tell.

The first symptom of dog health problems is the loss of appetite. This is not an easy symptom to identify because your pet habitually doesn’t eat sometimes. This is seen often with dogs that are not exercised much. When you give food, it will not eat at once but will eat later. The best way to see if your dog has lost its appetite due to dog health problems is to give its favorite food. If it refuses that also, then it is time to see the vet.

Diarrhea and vomiting are serious symptoms of dogs but if your dog looks healthy and playing still vomits its food, you need not worry. It could be relating to another reason and it is not due to one of the dog health problems. But if your dog goes on vomiting or having diarrhea, then it is a serious situation. When these two symptoms appear, you must not lose any time as they pose serious dog health problems.

Bad breath is also one of the symptoms to tell you that your dog is not in perfect health but it is minor one as it could be remedied with proper care to its teeth. Itching is not a mild symptom and also not a serious one as diarrhea. Therefore, if your dog has symptoms like itching and cough, you need to treat them as dog health problems. Therefore, seeing a veterinarian is the better thing when this type of dog health problems is encountered. If you are able to understand the symptoms of illness of your dog, you could be most certain that your dog is going to have a healthy life.

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To those who are not familiar with canines it could seem like it’s normal for the animals to have bad breath. This is not so though because when a pet dog is fit and when it has good teeth, it would not have bad breath. If your dog is exhibiting bad breath, you will need to study it further to see what is creating the issue.

There were people who were doing weimaraner puppy training who were concerned about what is considered ordinary puppy breath smell. These owners also gave reports on pet dog breath smells. Most information were not so much of an issue like when a pet dog has milky or coffee smelling breath. However, concerns were raised when the smell turned very unendurable like when the puppies had fishy breath.

There are some reasons why a dog would develop problems with its breath. One of the most benign reasons is when a pet dog has some food between its teeth. It might be fish or it might be some other meat. The longer food stays in between the teeth, the more it will rot and induce problems with breath. In addition to that, it can also cause tooth decay, which in itself could also lead to a dog to have bad breath.

Dental and periodontal problems might also causes band breath in a dog. Gum and dental diseases that causes abscesses in the mouth can bring about foul smelling breath. This can be caused by poor dental hygiene and by not feeding the dog the appropriate food. It also can be brought on by genetics as some canines may be more susceptible to dental disease than others.

Treating the issue is going to depend on the induce of the issue. You may use a brush to remove the dog’s teeth. A vet can help to address any concern with abscesses that a dog can have. It may be required to extract the dog’s teeth or give it some antibiotic medication.

It was also discussed in the forums for weimaraner puppy training how a puppy’s breath might be plagued by the health of the mother. So, if you are worried with bad breath in your puppy, you should also consider the health of the mother. It is important to help in diagnosing the problem and by doing so you are taking some steps towards finding a solution for the illness.

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