Socialization: Show Your Dog You Love Them

 

Above Photo Courtesy of Cathy Tucker KTW Wraps and Knotless Hair Wraps

Your dog will offer you loads of love and devotion with none of the "guile" found in human love. They won't have any secret lovers behind your back. They won't stay for a while to get only what they can get from you, then leave you and a litter of puppies behind.

Repaying the dog for all this devotion is a problem human beings often run into. It is challenging to love a dog as much as he or she loves you. Of course there are reasons a dog has such a notorious reputation for being faithful to their owners.

Human often live busy lives with competing priorities. With all the challenges there are for the human to survive in this world we often have much fewer opportunities to return the undying, unrelenting love your dog has for you.

The best we can do is "TRY." In this article read a few tips of how us humans can return love to our pet companions.

One of the grandest ways of showing your dog love is feeding them foods they like as well as can thrive healthy while eating. Really pay attention to what your dog likes to eat and if it is a healthy choice as well, be sure to feed them exactly that.

Tasty treats is an excellent way to show your dog how much you love them. Sure, some of them are expensive, but if you find treats your dog really enjoys eating and is healthy for them to, please stick with those treats. It is one of the loudest ways you can say to your dog "I LOVE YOU."

Life's Abundance has a brand new treat you need to try. Now get this: they are called COW EARS. Just the name tells you these treats are going to be unique, and possibly a treat that will positively say very loud to your dog I LOVE YOU. Try some today!

COW EARS

Dogs just love to chew! It’s a natural behavior that they enjoy and it can also help relieve boredom and even separation anxiety. However, sometimes this instinct will lead them to chew on inappropriate items. Our cow ear dog chews are a great way to redirect their energy and attention, and spare your favorite shoes.

This single ingredient treat is gentle on tummies with no added colors, flavors or preservatives. While your dog is happily chomping away, you can feel great because chewing supports your dog’s dental health!

These wholesome dog chews are…

• Low odor
• Non-greasy
• Gentle on tummies
• Suitable for all ages
• A safe alternative to rawhide
• Composed of cartilage

Is It Okay for Dogs to Eat Acorns and other Nuts Falling from Trees?

Bison Kidney Freeze Dried Treats for Dogs to Satisfy Your Dog's Urge to Explore Unknown Territories

The savory flavor of pure bison kidney treats will unleash the adventurous spirit of your favorite canine! Whether roving the wilds of your backyard or working on obedience, the nutrition-packed goodness of these snack-sized bites will have them howling with delight.

Sourced in the USA from free-range bison, the robust nutrition of these morsels has been preserved through the freeze-drying process. Whether you’re looking for good behavior or just a tail-wag in return, dogs simply cannot resist the tempting flavor of pure bison kidney treats.

Wholesome, Nutritious Treats

• Free range USA bison
• Irresistible flavor
• Source of five B Vitamins, plus Vitamins A & C
• Freeze-dried to lock in nutrients
• Zero fillers or anything artificial
• Sized for training or snacking

Each resealable bag contains approximately 160 treats.

 Acorns are in abundance in different parts of the U.S. Other types of tree nuts are falling to the ground as well. You might find that your dog especially likes to hunt for broken-up pieces of acorns left behind by the hungry squirrels, chipmunks or deer.

Nuts pose a choking hazard for dogs. They can also cause intestinal blockages and gastrointestinal distress. In some case nuts found on the ground can be toxic to your dog.

Acorns fall from oak trees. When dogs eat acorns, they might suffer severe stomach upset, kidney failure and sometimes death. It is best to call your vet right away if you think your dog ate acorns. Eating oak leaves can also cause the same kind of symptoms.

Symptoms of acorn or oak tree leaf poisoning are:

1. Loss of appetite
2. Vomiting
3. Diarrhea
4. Abdominal pain
5. Dehydration
6. Shock

If you think your dog ate acorns or oak tree leaves, do not try to make him vomit. Prevention is best course of action. Call your vet immediately for instructions or a poison control center.

Keep on hand Bison Kidney Freeze Dried Treats (above) to satisfy your dog's urge to explore unknown territories.

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.

One of the best shampoos for all dog breeds is Life's Abundance Revitalizing Shampoo.

Pamper your precious pet with a revitalizing botanical infusion of organic rosemary and sage. Enhanced with the nourishing essences of coconut and palm kernel oil, Revitalizing Shampoo naturally cleanses and beautifies coats. Even a small dollop of this conditioning formula works into a luxurious, foamy lather, to deeply cleanse and leave coats silky, fragrant and tangle-free. The luscious scents of mango and kiwi mingle with energizing citrus notes to bring out natural shine. Natural antioxidants from organic rosemary and sage help prevent damage from weathering and environmental factors. Natural emollients help soften hair and give the coat more body.

Revitalizing Shampoo doesn’t just mask odors … moisture activated odor-fighters react immediately to absorb and neutralize tough pet odors. All that’s left after a bath is a beautiful coat, fragrant with a delicate citrus aroma. Gentle enough for puppies and kittens over 12 weeks of age. Item Size: 12 fl. oz.

Get it here: Life's Abundance Revitalizing Shampoo

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.