Ways to Keep Your Dog’s Joint Healthy

Like humans, dogs begin to show signs of joint pains as they get older. But even if this is the case, you should begin to be conscious of your pet’s joint health while it is still at a very young age. As the owner, it is your responsibility to plan the health and well-being of your pet throughout his entire life. Like many ailments, dog joint diseases are better dealt with preventive strategies than finding ways to relieve them when they happen.

Here are some of the ways to ensure your dog’s joint health:

Proper Selection of Breeding Stock

Some dog joint diseases are congenital, and you can well avoid it by carefully selecting a stock that doesn’t have a history of joint disorders such as hip dysplasia. This disease is caused by the hip socket which is too shallow to facilitate efficient movement of the ball above the thigh bone. As the dog grows, the joint, which is not stable, becomes painful as it moves around the socket. This unstable condition causes the protective cartilage surrounding the joint to wear down. This is extremely painful. And this can eventually lead to lameness of the dog’s hind legs.

If you are planning to raise a puppy, you must be sure to get one that comes from parents with sound hips, especially if the puppy you want comes from a large breed. It is quite hard to tell if you are getting the puppy from an ordinary dog owner. But if you purchase the puppy for a breeder, you might want to see the certification of the soundness of the hips of his parents.

Keep your Pet in Perfect Shape

Your dog will grow into a fine canine and free from joint problems if you keep him in top physical condition. You should control your pet’s diet and give him sufficient exercise to prevent him from getting obese. Obesity makes dogs susceptible to arthritis.

If you notice that your dog is gaining unwanted weight, you should cut back on his calorie and treats intake, and strive to give him more exercise. This can help to keep him away from joint disorders. Try to establish a healthy guide to your dog’s nutrition to keep your pet in the best physical condition.

Give Him Supplements

Selecting nutritious pet foods and giving them the right food supplements can help to fortify and nourish your pet’s joint cartilage. It is a part of the joints that serves as its shock absorber. It serves as a lining that separates the ball from the socket to prevent them from grinding against each other. But when the cartilage starts to deteriorate, its ability to provide cushion to the joints diminishes and joint problems begin to manifest.

One of the most popular dog food supplements that are loaded with joint health formulation is glucosamine-chondroitin. Glucosamine is known as a cartilage builder while chondroitin works to protect your dog from its own enzymes that can cause damage to its cartilage. You might also want to try Joint Guard for dogs or Joint Guard powder for dogs to ensure the health of their joints.

Some dog foods are loaded with substances that can help to provide your dog with some protection against cartilage and joint problems. Just check the label of the dog food you use. If it contains glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega-3 fatty acids, continue to patronize it, but if doesn’t carry these nutrients, it’s time for a change for the sake of your dog’s welfare.

These are just a few of the many ways you could employ to raise your dog properly and to keep him protected from bone and joint diseases. Dog care is a long and complex subject, and your pet is a work-in-progress you will surely love to work with.

Some Basics in Proper Dog Grooming

Dog ownership is still one of the biggest pet ownerships worldwide, with the US being the biggest home to pooches (there’s 1 dog for every 4 Americans). However, dog ownership is on the rise in many countries, proving furthermore that dogs are really man’s best friend. There are even families that have more than 1 dog in their homestead.

Owning a dog is one thing, but properly taking care of one is another. Some of our canine friends look scruffy because their owners don’t know how to provide them with proper grooming. Some owners may take that for granted, but grooming is actually one of the basic needs of our four-legged friends.

If you’re clueless as to how to provide proper grooming to your pet dog, here are some basic pointers:

Brushing – If we brush our hair, our hairier pets need it, too. In fact, most of them enjoy being brushed. Besides, brushing their hair is not only about maintaining a healthy coat; it can also be one of the ways you and your pet can bond. The brushing would depend on the hair type of your, well, hairy friend. If you have a long-haired dog, you need to brush him daily to prevent tangling. If he has medium-length hair, do it twice every week. On the other hand, if his hair is short, you can just do once a month.

 

Bathing – This is typically not a fun activity both for the owner and the dog. That is, if the owner doesn’t know to facilitate proper bathing or the dog is not used to it. Look for resources online on how to bathe him properly so the experience is a fun one and not something you both despise. You can bathe him once a month, although doing it weekly is fine. You can also use anti-tick and fleas formula (like Advantix for dogs) during or after the bath.

Nail-trimming – If there’s one aspect of grooming that dogs abhor, it’s trimming their nails. Holding their paws is already a huge challenge, and then it gets worse once you start trimming their nails. One of the reasons why nail trimming is something a dog develops a loathing to is if it’s painfully done. So the key is to know how to trim the nails properly so the dog doesn’t get hurt.

Ear upkeep – The ears of your dog can be a breeding ground for bacteria as well as yeast if they’re not kept clean. You can do the ear cleaning during his bath. But if your dog has a chronic ear disease, he might require one or two cleanings a day.

Learn how to properly groom your dog so he can look and feel his best. It is part of your tasks as a responsible, loving, and caring owner.

Steps to Effectively Deal with Fleas on Dogs

You may hate fleas, but they love you and your pets. They may also look tiny and harmless, but given the chance, the little monsters can cause great distress and very bad allergies to your pets, and great stress to you as the pet owner as well.

Fleas reproduce very quickly, especially during the summer months. You may only see a couple on your pet today, but if ignored, they can multiply to thousands in less than a month.

The worst thing about fleas is that they are also capable of bringing diseases as well as other parasites similar to them to your home. Now, the question is, “How are you going to stop them?”

 

Understanding the Flea’s Life Cycle

Perhaps the key to preventing fleas from multiplying and wreaking havoc among your pets and in your household is understanding the life cycle of fleas. This knowledge alone can help you go one step ahead of your adversary and prevent a potential infestation. First, you need to understand that fleas go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Most of the fleas you see on your pets are adult fleas and they are usually just 5% of the total number of fleas hiding in your home. To get rid of the fleas, you need to attack them right where they live – on your pets.

Preventative Measures 

There are several ways to deal with fleas. Some of them are by natural means, and some with the help of commercial products. In most cases, it’s ideal to use natural means as they are safer for both you and your pets. However, you need to realize, too, that using flea preventative products such as Comfortis for dogs is a more efficient way to get rid of fleas. The good news is there are now a number of brands that produce anti-flea products that are both safe and effective to use.

Dealing with Fleas from the Inside Out

There are two approaches to dealing with fleas among your pets. One is to kill the fleas from the outside using a specialized spray designed for getting rid of flea eggs and larvae living in your carpets, rugs, and furniture. Dealing with fleas from the outside may also mean applying topical creams on your pet.

A second approach is dealing with the culprits from the inside, and that means letting your pets take oral medication designed not just to get rid of fleas, but also to treat pets suffering from allergies as a result of flea infestation. Most of these medications are designed to protect one dog for an entire month.

Keeping your home flea-free is not a one-time process, and you should understand that prevention is always better than cure. This means you should check your pets and your home for infestation regularly and apply the necessary steps to solve the problem. This involves giving your pets oral medication until they are totally free from fleas and allergies. This also means treating all of your pets even if you’ve only detected infestation in one.

 

Some Benefits That Can Be Gained from Walking Your Dog

Many dog owners feel that their life is more complete because of their canine companions, especially those who live alone in their house and their only company at home is their four-legged buddy. In lieu of children or a partner, they focus their attention instead on their pet dog.

 

If you’re a dog owner yourself, along with millions of other people worldwide, part of your responsibilities is to make sure your pet lives a good and content life. You have to make sure he’s well taken-care of and his needs are met. And among the things that are beneficial to your pooch is walking him.

 

Here are some of the reasons why walking your dog is beneficial:

 

It’s good for his health – Just like with humans, dogs that don’t exercise can become obese, which may lead to certain health risks like liver disease, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Most dog breeds need to be walked at least once daily. Depending on your dog’s age, level of fitness, and breed, he may require a longer and more vigorous walk.

 

It’s good for your health, too – Of course, when you walk your dog, you also exercise. Walking is one of the most basic, simple and beneficial forms of exercise. Just like with your canine friend, by walking regularly, you also reduce the risk of acquiring certain types of diseases. Make sure you find time for it early in the morning if your daily schedule is loaded. A walk a day, just like with apple, can help keep the doctor away.

 

It projects a good image of you – There are findings from certain studies that show that people who walk their dogs are viewed by other people as being friendly, approachable, and easy to get along with. In fact, by walking your dog around your neighborhood in the morning, you may see other dog owners also walking theirs. And usually, people who find some commonality with other people easily open up to them, thereby opening doors to a potential friendship, or acquaintance at the very least.

 

It helps your dog become more sociable – Dogs also need to have an outlet for socialization. This is because our canine buddies are social animals. By walking him around the neighborhood or in a park, he gets to meet, and perhaps even hang out, with other dogs, as well as other people. Dogs that have developed their social skills are usually friendlier. (If you’re walking your dog for the first time, he may feel uneasy and may start barking heavily. If this is the case, you can put a barking collar around his neck to correct his excessive barking.)

 

These are some of the benefits you, your dog, and even your community can get from giving your pooch a daily walk. By walking him regularly and properly, you make his life and yours even more content.

The Truth about Dog Barking Collar

The dog bark collar is one of the few canine training devices that are shrouded with myths and misconceptions. The irony about it is many people who issue negative comments against the device have never actually understood how this tool works. Some of them even admitted that they have never laid hands on one yet. Of all the people who speak against the bark collar, it is good to find one who speaks from actual experience. All of them are just passing on the wrong information they receive from others who have no direct experience with the device as well.

What is a Dog Bark Collar?

A bark collar is an electronic dog accessory that’s placed around a dog’s neck. It is powered by two penlight batteries and fitted with a sensor that produces a buzzing sound when the dog barks. If the canine refuses to stop barking the device produces faint electrical impulses that surprises the dog and makes him uncomfortable, but this doesn’t hurt him in any way. This device relies more on surprise than pain to make the dog bark less.

How Do We Know It Doesn’t Hurt the Dog?

Skeptics can test the device on themselves. They can set the device to maximum intensity and to see for themselves that pain is not the main factor that it uses to enhance dog behavior. Other people argue that the bark collar can affect the dog mentally of emotionally. This is a baseless claim. Dogs are not capable of doing analysis. Your pet will never know you are responsible for the correction he gets. He can only associate it with the collar or the subsequent treat he gets if you want to reward him for a job well done.

Is it Effective?

Your pet will easily learn to keep quiet after receiving mild electric impulses two or three times. But then again, these electrical stimuli are not released immediately. The collar will give off a buzzing sound to signal the canine that a stimulus will follow if he doesn’t stop. The electric impulses gradually intensify if the pet does not cease barking.

Is it Legal?

Europe is one of the most pet-friendly continents in the world. Many of its countries impose some of the strictest anti animal cruelty laws in the world. However, these countries do not consider the dog bark collar cruel or inhumane. The truth is there is no better dog training method to stop excessive dog barking than the training that uses the dog bark collar.

You know why dog’s bark and what you can do about it. Protect your dog from the ire of angry neighbors. Don’t be forced to give your beloved pet in to a shelter because of its excessive barking habits. There is a simple and effective way to do it. First, do not listen to people who tell you baseless stories about the anti-bark collar. Next, you should ask a professional how to use it, and lastly, try it and see for yourself how effective and safe it really is. You can buy a dog barking collar at Dogmaster.

Why Dogs Bark and What You Can Do To Minimize It

Excessive dog barking can be annoying – not only for the entire family but for the neighborhood.

As a dog owner, you have to understand that barking can never be completely stopped. Besides, dogs usually communicate their feelings and thoughts by way of barking. You only have to do something about it once the dog never ceases to bark – even during the wee hours of the night.

Reasons for Barking

Some of the common reasons for barking include warning you of impending danger and driving an intruder away. Sometimes, it is the dog’s way of expressing sadness, excitement, hunger, boredom, or discomfort.

Additionally, take note that certain breeds bark more frequently than other dogs. The Yip Yap, Chihuahua, Cairn Terrier, German Shepherd, Miniature Schnauzer, and Scottish Terrier are some of the dogs that bark the most.

Solutions for Barking

Given the last reason I mentioned, some dog owners will probably point out that there are dog breeds that seldom bark or do not bark at all. The Basenji, New Guinea Singing Dog, Shiba Inu, and Saluki are dogs that fall under this category.

Otherwise, you may instead focus your efforts in training the dog. For example, you should only consider giving treats to your dog during the times when he is well-behaved. Never make the mistake of doing that to silence him while he is barking loudly. He will perceive this as reward for good behavior.

Another effective idea is to engage the dog in meaningful activities when he is awake so he will not be too noisy. Keep in mind that boredom is one of the reasons of incessant barking. So instead of leaving your dog unattended for long hours, take him for a walk and play some games with him. This is also a good way for him to be less energetic later on.

Sometimes, taking your dog to the veterinarian will be necessary. You may not be aware about it but your dog may simply be suffering from pain. You will have lesser problems regarding barking once that gets resolved.

A dog barking collar may also be good to use. Of course, this all depends on your personal preference. Although some animal right advocates oppose the idea of using this technology, you as the dog owner should make the decision whether to use it or not. If you decide your dog needs this, you can find dog barking collars at DogMaster.

Electric Fence for Dogs – What is it for?

An electric fence, which is also known by other names as electronic fence, pet fence, or fenceless boundary, is an electronic system designed to contain pets within a pre-determined boundary without the use of a physical structure.

This is done by fitting your pet with a lightweight electronic collar that produces a sound to warn your pet when it goes near the perimeter. If the pet ignores the warning signal and continues to go beyond the boundary, the collar emits electric impulses that produce mild electric shock to stun the animal. This will give him the urge to go back to safer territory.

If the animal persists to cross the boundary, he continues to receive the shock until he learns to avoid going beyond the virtual barrier. This system has no effect on pets that are not made to wear the collar. Dogs are the most common pets that are made to wear this device.

Because it is more costly to contain dogs by building a physical fence, many pet owners have started to appreciate the electric fence for dogs as an effective way to train their dogs to stay within a pre-determined perimeter.

Are there any advantages for using it?

One of the most obvious advantages of electronic fences is its cost-effectiveness. You need to spend time, money and effort in building a physical fence. While the electric fence is not free either, it is much cheaper and easier to install. It does not create a physical barrier to the other side and it works to keep your animals intact. Your pets can roam freely in your yard without being tied, and you will have peace of mind because you will no longer worry about them running away and getting lost.

The only thing you need to do to install a pet containing fence is to mark your perimeter with an underground wire, put the electronic collar around your dog’s neck and voila! You already have an electric dog fence working.

How does it work?

The electric dog fence works because the wire that you buried around the perimeter emits radio waves that capture signal from the electric collar on your dog’s neck. And when the dog comes within the range of the radio signal, the electric collar produces a sound and a subsequent shock if your pet doesn’t move away.

The Electric fence for dogs is not intended to hurt your pet at all. They are actually designed to train your dog to mark the ground that he can safely stay on. Most electric dog collars are even fitted with beep and vibrate modes to remind the dog that he is approaching forbidden territory. Sometimes, a shock is no longer necessary; dogs are intelligent pets.

Electronic containment systems are not absolutely fool-proof. There are some tough dogs that can go over it with a quick jump across the boundary. But it rarely happens. The bigger problem with electric fences is how to prevent other animals from entering your territory and create trouble with your pets. But it’s a different issue.