Friday, November 7, 2008

Getting to Know Bad Breath Products For Dogs

By Tim M Staines

If you think you are the only one suffering from bad breath, you may want to think again. Although bad breath is a condition common to human, your dog may also have the same fate. Incredible as it may sound; your dogs are also at risk of having bad breath.

But, you don't have to worry that much. There are now lots of bad breath products for dogs available for your dog's needs. In fact, most of these are products for home remedy; saving you from visiting the vets too often just to restore your dog's pleasant breath.

Now, there are lots of home remedies for your dog's bad breath. And since people have different interpretation of bad breath remedy for dogs, it is up to you to decide which one will best suit your pet dogs. The following are some remedies to try to keep your doggy's breath always pleasant;

Dog Toys

Perhaps you won't believe this, but some of your dog's toys are not just designed to help you in training it. Some of these are also effective in cleaning the teeth of your dogs. Dental chews are among them. These are usually designed to massage the gums of your dogs as well as clean its teeth, removing plaques and food particles in between. Greenies and Nylabone are two of the most popular brands when it comes to doggy dental chews. You may want to watch out though, because most dental chews are not meant for dog with stronger chews.

Dental sticks are also great for your dogs. This is also designed to massage the gums and get rid of food particles and plaque between the teeth. You can fill the sticks with treats to make your dog happy while keeping yourself satisfied at keeping your dog's breath pleasant.

If your dog likes bone for playing, it is fine because bones can actually help keep your dog's teeth clean. However, you should be aware that giving your doggy some cooked bones is not a good idea at all. Why? It is because cooked bones can crack while they are playing with them and can cause serious injury to your dogs especially in the mouth. Instead, give your dogs some raw bone to play with.

Water Technique

If human needs plenty of water to keep anaerobic bacteria at bay, well so are your dogs. You need to provide your dogs with lots of water to keep its mouth moist and its mouth free from food particles. You also have to make sure that your dog's water are always clean; thus, you can be sure that no food particle or bacteria will get back to your pet's mouth. Or you can buy oxygenating solution meant for dogs; by mixing this to the water, you can be sure that bacteria are destroyed and your dog's breath fresh.

Brushing

If you need brushing to keep your mouth and teeth clean, so are your dogs. There are brushes especially designed for your dogs. Just make sure that you brush your doggy's breath properly and regularly and you can be rest assured that no visit to the vets is necessary.

Aside from these home remedies and bad breath products for dogs, you can also keep your pet's breath fresh by choosing what it eats. Experts advise that you give your dogs some mixture of dry dog foods and canned ones. You can also consult your vets for guides on how to keep your dog's breath pleasant all the time.


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Tips For the Proper Care and Cleaning of Your Dog's Ears

By Sean S. Fredrick

Your dog's ears are one of the most sensitive parts of their body, vigorous activity, horseplay, and simply running through the woods around your house can cause nicks, scratches, and bruises which can develop into a far more serious injury. Contaminants such as dirt, leaves, excess earwax, and mites must be removed for the proper health and avoidance of ear infection.

An ear infection has the potential to rapidly spread throughout the cranial cavity, causing problems with balance, hearing loss, and even deafness. All it takes is a little preemptive care and attention to avoid such a catastrophic condition. Regular cleaning is the key, and proper cleaning methods must be used as to avoid unintended injury.

A thorough cleaning and inspection is especially important after any violent incident involving another animal, because ears and noses are the most prone to injury. Rabies and other diseases are normally spread through open wounds and saliva, so be sure to visit your vet after such an occurrence.

Proper cleaning up your dog's ears is essential to their health since hearing is one of the most important of their senses. The ears are extremely delicate so gentle and thorough methods are required. This cleaning should be done every few days especially for those dogs that spend frequent time outdoors in rough wooded areas.

One of the first steps for long-haired breeds is to trim excessively long fur from around the ear canal. Not too much because fur also acts as protection of the ear canal. Clean under floppy ears removing contaminants such as dirt, grass, and leaves. Check for cuts and abrasions in this area as well since this is a critical area for long eared dogs.

Gently clean the inside of the ear canal with a cotton cloth and warm water. Mineral oil on a clean cotton cloth can assist in removing excess earwax and oily buildup. Never insert any objects such as a cotton swab directly into the ear canal because you may cause a serious injury if your dog happens to jerk or move their head suddenly. When bathing take care as to not let this soapy water enter the ear canal where as this may cause an infection.

Inspect your dog's ears frequently for cuts, open wounds, and other bruising. Minor irritations such as fleas and ticks can cause incessant scratching and further injury. Watch for problems with balance and hearing, these are signs of an unseen ear infection. Consult your veterinarian if these symptoms arise.

Follow the proper cleaning and care procedures and insure that common and preventable ear injuries and conditions are avoided. Loving care and observation of your dog's health will make for a long and healthy relationship!


For more interesting, entertaining, and heartfelt articles about dogs and many other kinds of pets, visit Thought Search Articles.

The Way to Free Your Dog From Fleas and Ticks

By Sean S. Fredrick

Fleas and ticks are common and potentially dangerous. Deer ticks in particular can carry devastating Lyme disease and need to be removed as soon as they are discovered. Fleas can be carried by a rats and other wild animals, which can easily be transferred to those pet dogs that live and play near heavily wooded areas.

Preventing fleas and ticks from finding a home in your pets her and skin requires little work and some common sense. Observe your pet and how frequent they scratch and in what areas. Frequent scratching causing bruises and abrasions is the first clue to flee and tick infestation. A common area to find this kind of injury will be around the ears. Inspect the ears carefully especially down inside the ear canal with a small flashlight.

While there are several types of flea and tick deterrents on the market, a large infestation particularly in the ears will require a visit to the veterinarian's office. Ticks will embed themselves deep into the skin creating an area of redness and bruising. Ticks will tend to bury their head into the skin first feeding on the blood of the animal while sometimes leaving their bodies exposed on the outside of the skin.

Properly removing a tick from the skin can often times just be a simple matter of using a pair of tweezers and gently pulling on the ticks body until it releases itself. Be sure not to use too much pressure as to pinch and tear the skin causing a bigger problem. Larger and more extreme infestations should be handled by a vet and with proper medication.

Fleas also bite into the skin feeding on the blood of whatever animal there on. A flea infestation can best be handled by a medicated shampoo applied daily until they are gone. Dogs that spend much of their time around densely wooded areas, or in areas with a high amount of rats will be most at risk for fleas and ticks.

Frequent bathing and observation of the skin and fur will assist in determining if fleas and ticks are present. Flea collars can help, but it is better to keep your pet dog out of trouble areas. Children also are susceptible to flee bites especially when in constant close contact with your pet. With a little observation and common sense, a small flea or tick will not grow into a very large problem.


For more interesting, entertaining, and heartfelt articles about dogs and many other kinds of pets, visit Thought Search Articles.

Simple and Safe Ways to Give Medication to Your Dog

By Sean S. Fredrick

Giving medication to your pet dog will be an inevitability during the course of their lives. Oral medication is commonly prescribed and administered by the owner at home. But this can be easier said than done especially with large pills and foul liquid medicine.

So what is the proper method for ensuring they take their medication? Pills can be tricky because they must be placed deep into the throat without causing choking or vomiting. The first step is to calm your dog down and get them to sit in a comfortable place near you.

Keep a towel handy for any mishap that might occur and position yourself as to limit their movements without holding down too hard. Now you must ensure that you can keep their mouths open by placing your hand over the bridge of their nose and gently squeezing the cheeks so as to gently hold their mouth open. Once you have them in this position it is essential to place the pill as deep as possible to the back of their tongue, once the pill is positioned release their cheeks and allow their mouth to close while gently holding their head up so the pill can slide down her throat easily.

Liquid medication will normally come with an applicator bottle and a long nozzle. Giving liquid medication will use a similar method by gently holding the dog still and applying the dosage by squeezing the proper amount into the pockets of skin between their teeth and lips. Do not hold your dog's head high for this as to ensure the liquid will not run down their throat and cause choking.

After giving any type of medication in this way you should be sure that your dog drinks plenty of water as to aid in its digestion. It is advisable to consult your veterinarian for the proper procedure for giving different types of medication. Injections and other types should be handled by your veterinarian unless otherwise specified. Giving medication to your pet will be a quick and easy routine once you master the proper method.


For more interesting, entertaining, and heartfelt articles about dogs and many other kinds of pets, visit Thought Search Articles.

Training My Dog the Easy Way

By Rob L Marshall

Training my dog was one of the most interesting things I've ever done. I originally did it with the idea that if I could train a well-behaved dog, I could raise a child. So, we got our first bundle of joy, a german shepherd/alaskian malamute mix that we named Amanda late one October. Until then, we had bought and read several books covering what I could learn about training my dog.

When it actually came down to it, training my dog was actually pretty easy. In several cases, it seemed like she already knew the commands. Others, it didn't take her long to learn. She's two years old now and knows over 30 commands in two different languages. That's right, she's bilingual!

There were two essential elements to the dog training. First, we had to know a bit about pack psychology. That is, we had to establish an "alpha status" to her. If she got out of line, she got pinned and we stared in her face, and we sometimes growled at her. The second crucial element is that we included commands in German as well as English.

There are two main reasons German is an excellent language to train a dog in. The first is that German is a more gutteral language than English. As long as the commands are kept short, dogs mostly respond better to German. "Nein" rather than "no" has more force to it, and could more easily be thought of as a bark. However, whichever language had the shorter word was the language she first learned the command in. For instance, "speak" vs. "schprechen" shows that English would be a better language to start in because the word is shorter.

In the end, we have one of the most well-behaved dogs ever. She's not food protective, doesn't raid the garbage and isn't aggressive with guests. Now, we have our second bundle of joy on the way, this time it's a human baby. We probably won't bring her up like our dog, but at least the assurance that we've trained a good dog is there.


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Bringing A New Puppy Home

By Rebeca Rambal

You got your new puppy almost a week ago. Since then, the little angel has eaten your favorite shoes, two of your favorite novels, gnawed the trim around every doorway, chewed through the power cord of your computer and this morning he found boxes and boxes of kleenex in your bathroom... what a mess! This is getting really expensive and it's starting to get very dangerous for the puppy also. Maybe you should do something.

What do you do?

You need to understand that chewing is a normal and healthy part of any pup's development, but they should know what to chew, right? Puppies are like human children, they learn about their world through chewing. They use their senses to explore the new world, and their tactile sense and sense of taste is brought into play as they chew on various objects. Like human children, pups need our protection from the dangers of the dangers that lurk in their explorations. Everything from needles, electrical cords, houseplants and household chemicals, to chocolate and raisins, all pose very real threats to your pet. It is your duty to protect her from these threats.

You have to be very consistent training him with the "NO" command. You puppy should learn and respond to the word "No" instantly. This one word has saved many dogs from horrible fates. The puppy is trained by using the "NO" command every time a situation occurs. If you catch your pet chewing on your shoes, say "NO" in a serious tone, not screaming, not angry, and take the item from him or her. Don't let it become a tug-o-war. Just remove the item quickly and give him a suitable toy. Also, try not to chase him when he has the object in his mouth or he'll think it's a game.

When I bring a puppy home, I like to use one of my unwashed pillow cases, and put a lot of different toys with different textures (hard plastic, cloth, soft plastic, rubber, etc.) in it. Then I choose one toy of each textures, and those are his toys for the day. That way he doesn't get bored, and since the toys have my scent, it helps the bonding process as well. Another thing I do is buy marrow bones and boil them just a few minutes just enough to get the marrow out. Then I wrap them in foil and freeze them. This serves two purposes: one, it keeps him entertained and happy for hours, specially if I give it to him just before I leave. And two, the frozen bone alleviates the pain of his growing teeth, so he'll be grateful. Just be careful never to boil the bones more than 4 or 5 minutes, and never give him any other kind of bone! You can give him raw-hide bones, but not too many, just once in a while. Pieces of ice are also a good idea. My dogs have always loved to chew on those!

With these simple suggestions, you can insure your puppy's good health and the well being of many, many shoes.


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Clicker Dog Training - Kind Dog Training

By Ossie Hickson

Clicker training is an established method of training amongst the more modern behavioural dog trainers, in fact in many forms it has been around for a long time amongst animal trainers. It is a common misconception that circus animals and zoo animals taught to put on a show were historically taught using cruel methods, but not so. So, back to the clicker.

A clicker is a small device held in the hand of the trainer or owner which, unsurprisingly, creates a "click" sound. The sound is made to tell the dog it has done something right. For example, you ask the dog to "sit" and he does so. Immediately his bottom touches the floor, the clicker is used to make the noise, denoting "good job". The instant and succinct sound pinpoints the exact moment when the dog has done what you want.

Example of Clicker Training:

As one example of how this method works on a step-by-step basis, here is a typical scenario:

Sit gesture is shown to the dog.The word "sit" is used in conjunction with the hand signal.


  1. The dog sits. His bottom touches the floor.

  2. The word "sit" is used in conjunction with the hand signal.

  3. At the very second that 3. occurs, the clicker is activated.

  4. The clicker noise is immediately followed by a treat and praise.

The Basic Principle

But what's in it for the dog? Ah, well, when you begin with clicker training you make a positive association in his mind with the clicker sound by following the click immediately with a food-based reward. This is an exercise in itself to establish great associations with the click sound. Eventually you can withdraw the use of the food treat, but the association is then established and the dog will behave purely for the reward of the click alone.

A slight issue with clicker training is that the trainer must be equipped at all times with the clicker (so it is wise to buy a few of these inexpensive items, to make sure you always have one to hand) and the food treats. It's not difficult to do, but timing is everything as the dog behaviour - click - reward routine must be instantaneous.


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