First Step to Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Grooming

 Above photo courtesy of Tina's Teddy Bears

Do you think grooming your dog is necessary but not something you enjoy doing and not something fun for you or your dog? 

If you have owned dogs for any length of time you have most likely had a dog who is uncomfortable with grooming activities.  Shift "your approach" to grooming and you can shift your dog's mindset about grooming as well. This article talks about "husbandry training," specifically for grooming the first step.

Husbandry training is aimed toward making the grooming experience more enjoyable for you and your dog.

Regular dog grooming is necessary for a dog's good health. Husbandry training includes grooming, teeth brushing and nail trimming as well as preparing a dog for standard vet procedures such as drawing blood and necessary vaccinations.

You will see Husbandry Training a lot in zoo settings. Employees use positive reinforcement to teach animals to be active participants in their care. This process involves using cues to assess the animal's health and provide vet care and/or grooming procedures without the need to restrain or sedate. The goal here is to help the dog become an active participant in their grooming at home just the same as in zoo settings for vet care and grooming.

The first step is to get your dog comfortable with your hands touching them. When you bring home a new puppy start handling all parts of their body such as toes, ears and tail. Adult dogs can be taught as well, but the younger the puppy the better. Start touching them slowly in places you know they will allow and are comfortable having you touch them. Pet, praise and give treats. As you progress with touching, go to more sensitive areas on the dog. Keep hand movements calm and fluid. Praise for your dog's calm behavior during these sessions. Keep training sessions short and don't worry about touching all areas of your dog's body in one single session.

Teaching a dog to trim its own nails using sandpaper. Show your dog the sandpaper/scratch board and give lavish praise for any interaction with the board including smelling the board. Now hold the scratch board out to y our dog and say a cue. As soon as the dog's paws hit the board, praise them lavishly and give a treat. Repeat the process by alternating the paw your dog is using to scratch on the board.

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Spot a Puppy Buying Scam with These Tips

Above Photo Courtesy of Tina's Teddybears

 

Buying puppies especially online is at an all-time high. This means there are more people than ever searching for a new dog or puppy. As the crooks of this world catch on to this news and believe me, they have already caught on and much faster than the honest people just looking for a puppy, PUPPY SCAMS rise by zillions.

Combine a crook with the digital world where more and more people are shopping at their desk or armchair using a phone or computer and you got yourself a real mess. Here are some tips of how to spot a puppy scam.

Puppy scammers post "fake litters online" or pretend to be a breeder or someone they are not trying to take advantage of the explosion of puppy sales going on everywhere. What this means to the buyer is when you find that "perfect puppy usually online," you will be asked by the scammer to send either a deposit to hold, half the amount of puppy or even full amount of puppy while scammer promises to either ship the puppy to you or deliver the puppy to you and even may give you an address to travel to pick up your puppy, then when you get to the address they gave you, it is a fake address or a real address of "someone not having any puppies at all." If it is a scam after you send your money to these crooks you will never hear from this person again and if they give you a number to call, the number will be disconnected. It is like a robbery or being robbed. Robber gets their goods, and they ride off on a black horse while dressed in black never to be seen again.

Number one rule here is, be very careful of who you send money to. If at all possible, don't send any money until you have the puppy in your hands and you exchange money for the puppy you choose or chose by photo before the meeting. Of course, this is not always possible when you are buying a puppy from a website, and they have multiple offers for that puppy; reputable breeders usually require a deposit or down payment in order to insure YOU are honest about buying a puppy from them. If you have to transfer money by wire, use Pay pal or a credit card.

Beware of buying puppies from "Craigslist" as many scammers/crooks use this place to list fake puppies, using photos they steal from other people who actually have the puppies to sell. Other ways might be to steal personal information from a reputable breeder or someone with puppies to sell and pose as that person, always though behind the scenes trying to get YOU to send them money BEFORE you receive a puppy.

There are reputable breeders who will require deposits made through a reputable source such as PayPal. Anytime you send money through PayPal, if you do not receive what you paid for you can get your money back through PayPal. I would not recommend any other money sending source except PayPal and try to limit your transaction to just a deposit to "hold a puppy for you," rather than sending the full amount. 

You will get your money back from PayPal, but sending the least amount you can hold the puppy so the breeder "knows you are serious about buying, " as crooks work in both ways. Breeders have to know sometimes you are really going to buy this puppy so they can withhold it from other buyers and sometimes a deposit through Pay pal is the best route to go.

Fraudulent sellers are oftentimes outside of the U.S. They could be from Hong Kong! They don't like to operate by phone calls. Their methods of communications are most often done by emails.

Fraudulent sellers will use copycat puppy photos or stock photos that can be found on multiple websites. Anybody can make a copy photo of a puppy posted on one of the puppies for sale websites and claim it to be their own puppy to be sold. Fraudulent sellers in the US or outside the US can hide their phone number by only communicating by email and not even using text messages as with text messages the phone number appears.

Reputable breeders will always communicate with you by phone or video chat and/or in person before selling you a puppy. Even a text message from a reputable breeder can be seen by the buyer so you know who you are talking to through text. Talk by voice to the breeder as well to confirm the transaction is being done by someone who actually has puppies to sell to you. 

Even if the breeder delivers a puppy to you after you choose a puppy from a photo, you should still have the right to "refuse buying" that puppy, so the choice to buy or not to buy always remains in your hands. Usually if people are being honest about buying a puppy and the breeder is honest about selling puppies, the transaction will take place when the buyer sees the puppy in person after seeing it by photo. 

Crooks on both ends of the deal can appear in that someone may pretend to be buying a puppy and go through the whole nine yards, then at meeting actually perform some kind of crime against the puppy seller or breeder. 

Scams and crooked deals and crimes do not only occur from "someone trying to sell a puppy they don't have.," a perfectly innocent breeder delivering upon what they promised may also experience wrongdoing. 

It pays to stay alert, and in a well-lighted area where there is appropriate police patrol when delivering puppies in person to buyers. Avoid allowing "strangers" to pick up puppies at your home.

Another scam fake sellers might use is "sketchy payments." The fake seller might ask for wiring of money or payment by gift cards. Avoid this type of transaction as it is unlikely you will get your money back. Paying by credit card or Pay pal are typically safer ways to pay as well as paying "in person when the puppy is delivered to you."

Play Peekaboo with Your Dog

 Above photo courtesy of KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

Playing Peekaboo with your dog is usually fairly easily taught. Be patient with your dog and before long you and he or she will be enjoying many games of Peekaboo. Your bond with each other will grow significantly.

• First, position your dog behind you. If your have a small dog, this is easier done while you kneel rather than stand. 
• Put your dog's favorite treat between your knees and bend at the waist. 
• Now....call out her name while you show her the treat you intend to give "if she follows through appropriately." 
• Give her the treat when she is between your legs and say loudly PEEKABOO. 
• Use a release word like OK or ALL DONE to end the game
• All you have to do now is this same procedure over and over until the dog does it consistently.

When you see your dog has mastered the first part of this game, try holding the treat when she is between your legs and at the same time make her sit. Either say it or signal for her to sit and then give the treat always with the surprise word of PEEKABOO. Always use a release word to get her out of the game, something like OK or ALL DONE, which signals for her to move away from you and your legs.

Now repeat the sequence as repetition is key for any kind of dog training coupled with a favorite treat when the dog does as you want him to do. 

Your end result here should be  just saying the word PEEKABOO and when she runs between your legs, she sits, looks at you and you give her a treat. Then use your release word of OK or ALL DONE or whatever release word or phrase you desire. You could even end the game with a brisk rub on the head or pat on the head.

When Should a Breeder Supplement Feed Newborn Puppies?

 Above photo courtesy of KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

Your newborn puppies finally arrive. What next? Warmth and nutrition will be most important. Puppies cannot survive without proper body temperature to adequately digest their milk. For Shih Tzu puppies I found that optimum room temperature is 80 degrees. I also think supplementing the box with a pet warmer is ideal. Another great way to warm up newborn puppies is to place their box near an infrared heater. 

Large litters sometimes require help from the breeder for supplemental feeding. Other situations such as a dam who is sick may require the breeder to supplement puppies, or there might be a puppy not as strong as the others that will require extra help.

You might want to supplement if:

• the litter is very large and for example, you end up with more puppies than the dam has nipples
• you have a puppy with some kind of nursing impediment like a cleft palate
• your dam is a first time, nervous mom
• your dam has metritis or mastitis
• your dam dies during birthing process

To be sure your puppies are thriving, weigh them frequently. Weigh them immediately after birth, then twice daily at the same time each day. Thriving puppies will gain weight quickly. If you notice any who are not gaining weight, it is time to supplement.

Don't worry too much if puppies lose or do not gain weight for the first 24 hours while the dam's milk is coming in. After this time period, puppies should gain weight steadily, and they should be rooting for and obtaining vigorously dam's nipples for survival. Healthy puppies nurse with "gusto." They should latch onto and suck out their milk vigorously. Some puppies will even put their little paws on the dam as if "milking her" to get more milk out for themselves. You can hear slurp as well occasionally! Milk should not come back out of their nose. If puppies are latching on vigorously and still not gaining weight, definitely start supplementing.

What is the best supplement milk to feed newborn puppies? I personally like Esbilac. You can also find recipes online of homemade milk you might choose to feed.

What is the best way to feed newborn puppies? There are a variety of puppy feeding choices on the market today depending upon what breed of puppy you are feeding. I found several brands on Amazon.

Things to Remember During Winter Time Power Shut Downs

Above photo courtesy of KTW Wraps and Knotless  Hair Wraps

Winter is coming! What can we expect from winter conditions? There might some freezing temps. There might be some snow storms. There might be frozen power lines. Winter is just plain unpredictable. How do you keep your dog warm and safe during winter power shut downs?

Stay indoors is #1 rule. Limit outdoor trips even for potty time. Try to close off rooms you don't need to immediately use to help entrap warm air and conserve it for only the space you will immediately need to use during a power outage. Keep dog coats, sweaters and booties in a place you can easily find them during the emergency. Dress your dog in layers. Give your dog plenty of blankets and layers to curl up in. Insulate the dog crate with a warm blanket over top. As always provide plenty of food and water.

A working fireplace is ideal to have in case of winter power shut downs. Be sure to have it cleaned and inspected before the season begins and always have a safety screen in place for pets.

Remember to conserve your energy and your dog's energy during a winter time power shut down. Have toys and interactive games readily available just in case you or your dog gets bored while you wait for the power to come back on. Have your candles ready!

Watch your dog for dramatic changes in behavior or appearance. Vet emergencies include signs of frostbite and/or hypothermia. 

Have resources readily available such as warming centers that accept pets. Sometimes local pet friendly hotels will accept pets if their power is still on.

If you are in doubt about your pet's health during a winter time power shut down do not hesitate to call your vet or the AKC Vetline. The AKC Vetline is a 24/7 service staffed by licensed veterinary staff to answer your questions. 

Thanksgiving Dog Treats You Can and Cannot Feed

Above photo courtesy of KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

With Thanksgiving just right around the corner maybe we should review what we can and cannot feed our dogs as Thanksgiving dinners and treats. It is common for dog owners to want to indulge their dogs to extra tasty foods during holidays just as they do as humans. There are plenty of choices you can share with your dog. Just mark off "turkey bones" as a starter as these are NOT safe treats for Fido. Turkey bones can cause damage to your pet's digestive tract so avoid this treat altogether. 

Dogs can enjoy the great taste and nutrition of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are full of dietary fiber, vitamin B6 and Vitamin C as well as beta-carotene. A point to remember is NOT to give sweet potato treats containing extra ingredients. Try a simple dehydrated sweet potato chew.

How about plain potatoes? These are fine to give as a treat, however, give only boiled or baked potatoes. Do not add butter, sour cream, salt or pepper and always give this treat in moderation. Too much of a good thing is never a good thing for Fido.

Apples are a great choice as they are full of vitamins A and C plus lots of fiber making them a healthy and excellent Thanksgiving treat for your dog. Cut up apples into bite size slices.

Turkey meat, but no bones or skin is fine to give to your dog. Green beans is another good choice. Of course not all dogs like green beans, but if your dog does enjoy eating green beans, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to offer this treat. The key to feeding green beans as a dog treat is to leave out added ingredients like butter and spices.

Pumpkin is usually readily available during the Thanksgiving holiday. Feed canned pumpkin, not the pie mix. Canned pumpkin as a dog treat is great for digestive health and the dog's skin and coat.

You don't have to leave out dessert for Fido. Many dogs have a sweet tooth. Go ahead and satisfy that sweet tooth with something like frozen yogurt.

Do not feed your dog the following at Thanksgiving or anytime during the year:

• turkey bones, skin or gravy
• stuffing
• casseroles
• mashed potatoes
• creamed peas
• chocolate in any form like in cookies, pies or sweets, especially chocolate containing xylitol 
• alcoholic beverages
• raisins and grapes
• onions, scallions and garlic
• ham
• yeast dough
• fatty foods
• foods containing spices

Precious Names for Chihuahua Puppies

Above Photo Courtesy of Las Vegas Tiny Chihuahua

So you decided to get a Chihuahua puppy. Now you have to choose a name. The best names are chosen to reflect the dog's personality and of course for you to be able to remember when you call for him. 

What are some of the personality traits of a Chihuahua? Well, in general the Chihuahua breed is loyal and loving toward their owners. They are usually full of tenacious spirit, one of those big dog minds in a small dog body kind of dog. They fit into small spaces making them perfect for apartments. If you bring home a Chihuahua puppy get ready for lots of love, lap sitting and snuggling and oh I almost forgot, "big laughs." Chihuahuas can be extremely comical. 

Getting back to the name. Naming your new Chihuahua puppy is when the real fun begins. Here is a short list of names you might consider for your little friend in body, but big friend in spirit and mind along with what they might mean to you and your new puppy.

If you decide on "Alpha," which can be for a boy or girl it might be because you sense your little Chihuahua possesses great power. This is a name having Greek origin translated into English meaning "beginning."

I think "Charlotte" is a cute name for a female Chihuahua puppy. It means petite in French. If you feel like your new puppy is quite fancy and one that will rule the family with fancy costumes and cuteness, Charlotte may fit the bill for the you.

Faye is another good name for a female Chihuahua. It is of French origin and means loyalty, confidence and trust, which pretty much describes the basic personality of a Chihuahua. Spell this name just a little different like as "Fay, Fae or Fey" and the meaning can refer to a fairy-like mythical creature which also describes the look of a Chihuahua.

Let us look at some boy names. Griffin means "strong lord" and is of Welsh origin. Think of a mythical creature that is half eagle and half lion who will guard his valuable possessions and treasures such as YOU for one when you name your puppy Griffin.

The name Mar-teeny can be for boy or girl. Think of a playful pet with just the right amount of humor.

I like the name Ruby for a Chihuahua puppy simply because when you think of "Ruby," it makes you think of something precious and of great treasure. A red chi would be nice to carry the name of Ruby.

Whatever name you decide upon make it fun and something that reminds you of your puppy's personality or place in your life.