Dogs, Chocolate and Theobromine

Dogs can die from eating certain types and certain amounts of chocolate.

Understanding the effects chocolate can have on your dog (what happens if my dog eats chocolate) and dog chocolate consumption implications can save your dog's life.

Chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant found in the cocoa bean; theobromine increases urination and affects the central nervous system as well as heart muscle. While amounts vary by type of chocolate, it's the theobromine that is poisonous to dogs. The danger from chocolate consumption vary on the size and health of your dog, quantity of theobromine eaten, and sensitivity to poison substances which is different for each type of dog.

Is Their a Diet For Dogs With Chronic Kidney Failure?

K9 Magazine's blog site (MyDogMagazine.com) has recently published a short, to the point article on the topic of specialist diet requirements for dogs suffering with chronic kidney failure.

In the article (Dog diet for chronic kidney failure), they go on to say:

Kidney problems in dogs tend to manifest in older dogs and the advice generally offered by vets and animal nutrition experts tends to suggest that older dogs / dogs with kidney problems should have less total protein but a higher quality protein in their diet.

The advice on protein, specifically, adds:

Excess protein produces more nitrogenous wastes, which means more work for the kidneys. Dogs with kidney problems could be put on prescription dog food, or small amounts of high-quality protein, such as in eggs, yogurt, tofu, ricotta, farmer cheese, cottage cheese, and hard mild cheeses, together with a lot of raw, grated vegetables. Kidney problems require low protein. Heart problems require low salt. Very often the two maladies go hand in hand.

Read the article in full - Dog Diet For Chronic Kidney Failure http://bit.ly/GGpPi0

How Can I Stop My Puppy Chewing Today?

Puppy chewing can be a problem, but it is only a problem if you do not give your dog an alternative. There are many ways to prevent your furry friend from chewing up the things that matter to you. This article will advise you on alternative methods to help curb your puppy's chewing.

Every dog needs a calm and confident leader to feel secure. Any dog owner can show that he is a strong leader by encouraging and rewarding good behavior. Proving to your pet that you're a strong leader makes training easier and establishes a bond between pet and owner.

Create a bridge between the dog's response to a command and the reward for success. By saying a bridge word such as "yes" or "good", you will reinforce that the behavior is acceptable and the reward will follow. Keep using this bridge word even after training is complete to be consistent with your pet.

To teach your dog to lie down, have him start in a sit position. Take a treat, and place your hand on the ground. Slowly drag it away from your dog. Your dog should initially lower his nose to the ground, and then lie down as he tries to follow the treat further away. If he stands up instead of lying down, have him restart from the sit position. Make sure to praise him once he lies down.

When training a troublesome dog there are many different techniques that one can use. However a key factor is establishing that one is dominant over the dog they are trying to train. By ensuring that the dog knows who is in charge it will guarantee that the dog is listening to the person trying to train it.

Is your dog barking constantly? Excessive barking can often be related to too little exercise - try upping your walks or runs by thirty to sixty minutes each day, and you'll likely notice a huge reduction in barking almost immediately. Giving your dog plenty of appropriate things to chew on can also make a big difference.

If you are getting a new dog, and you intend to train it, look for a younger dog. The old adage "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is somewhat appropriate here. Younger dogs are more receptive to dominance from a pack leader and will learn quickly in an effort to please. Another plus to this is that young dogs really enjoy learning new things, much like children do.

Dogs usually respond well to physical rewards when being trained. Almost all dogs have an extremely large capacity for love. That makes them respond very well to rewards like belly scratching, back petting and brushing. Your dog wants to be loved and greatly appreciates you giving him affection. Show your happiness with his success this way.

As was discussed in the beginning of this article, puppy chewing is a problem only if you do not give him something else to focus on. Apply the advice from this article on the proper way to train your puppy not to chew up your home, and soon you will see your dog finding non-destructive ways to occupy his or her time.

Promotion: Stop puppy biting and chewing.

Adele Silva in K9 Magazine

Actress Adele Silva is a huge dog lover.

So much so, she agreed to speak to K9 Magazine about her passion for pooches in an engaging interview that covers her love of dogs as well as some interesting points about work, life and being a star of a long running British soap.

Adele Silva's K9 Magazine Photo Shoot

Read Adele Silva in K9 Magazine....

Problems With Dog Training? Try These Ideas...

So many people end up with unruly pets because of a fear of dog training that has stricken so many people. Why? Well, being uneducated in dog training is an easy way to remain ineffective in your attempts. You should be more proactive in learning more so you can help your dog to learn more. Try these tips and move forward in learning new tricks.

Dog owners can find great value in being affectionate toward their pets. Positive reinforcement has been proven to work better in a training situation than negativity. Dogs are social beings and love praise. Your efforts will go a long way toward improving future training sessions as well.

K9 Magazine's Ryan O'Meara says that focussing on timing can pay huge dividends. Your timing and the expected timing of your dog's actions are essential. This is important because this is one learning aspect that is common to all dogs. While different dogs require different teaching methods, timing is a communication method that will help you find success no matter what you try.

Participating in a group class can be a very effective way to train your dog. Group classes are almost always less expensive than individual training sessions. They also offer your dog the opportunity to socialize with other pets. Look for a smaller group though, so that you still have plenty of one on one interaction with the trainer.

Does your dog jump up on you? Simply turn your back to your dog for a few seconds when she jumps up. Most dogs will quickly learn that jumping up makes you ignore them, but when they have all four feet on the floor, then you pay attention to them.

If you are trying to prevent your dog from begging, the best thing to do is ignore the begging completely. Don't respond either positively, with a treat or petting, or negatively, by shouting. Your dog will learn quickly and remember for a long time that the begging ended up with you paying attention to the dog.

Using a different tone of voice for different purposes, is a great teaching tool in training your dog. Commands, corrections and praise should all have their own tone in order to help your dog distinguish cause and effect with his and your behavior. Be firm and sharp with commands, use a louder tone for corrections, and your natural voice for praise.

Your rewards should suit your dog's personality. You wouldn't work for free, so why would your dog? Make rewards match the difficulty of the task. Regular treats are great for behaviors your dog already knows, but don't be afraid to pull out something truly stinky and tempting to teach new challenges.

Although a well trained dog can be taught to put up with just about anything, there will be times and situations where they are truly uncomfortable with a person, another animal, or a place. Don't force your dog to suffer through more of this discomfort than is absolutely necessary. There is a reason that they are uncomfortable and you need to determine that reason.

Never punish a dog for a house-training accident unless you actually witness it happening. Nobody likes coming home to a smelly surprise, but one of the biggest mistakes you can make when house training a dog is punishing or scolding a dog for an earlier mistake. Dogs do not have a good concept of cause and effect, so scolding a dog for a mess will only serve to make them fear the actual mess or you, and not the act of making the mess. They do not understand why they are being punished and in some cases it can cause the dog to start eating their waste, because they know its presence makes you angry. If you catch them in the act, simply firmly tell them "no" and immediately take them outside. Remember, if you have a male dog who likes to cock their leg against fire hydrants or bollards, this is normal dog behaviour but those things are someone else's property and have to be cleaned. It's better to take the dog somewhere where they won't do this or at least teach them not to.

If you want to tackle dog training head on, the best way to go is through the best learning possible. Get the research that you need to learn the strategies that are highly effective even for professionals. You should begin with the tips in this article and get smarter about teaching your dog better.

Worming Your Dog - How Often Should Dogs Be Wormed?

How often should I worm my dog?

You probably wouldn't be all too surprised to find out that many dog owners are often left stumped when it comes to the frequency of worming.

In their straight to the point guide (How often should I worm my dog?) K9 Magazine has this to say:

A dog with worms is an unhappy, unfulfilled and potentially very poorly dog. You might be surprised to learn that one of the more common queries we receive is from dog owners who want to know “how often should I worm my dog?”.

 

The frequency of worming is something that requires some further analysis on the topic of worms in dogs on a more general level. You’ll see why when you read on.

The truth is, a dog with worms really is unhappy and at a potentially very high risk of some seriously unpleasant health problems.

Take a look: http://www.k9magazine.com/how-often-should-i-worm-my-dog/#ixzz1lbhZEb5z

What's The Best Dog For Kids?

Want to know what are the best dogs for children?

K9 Magazine can help.

The magazine has this to say in their recent article on selecting an ideal dog to live with a child inclusive family:

Picture if you will a young family. 2.4 young kids, a young, lush lawn and a newly furnished semi on the outskirts of town. For the lucky ones reading, this might be reality. Nothing is more rewarding than starting a family, but for those who got down to prolonging the existence of human kind a few years ago, you may notice that your children’s heads are disproportionately large in comparison with their meek, yet flexible bodies. If their heads do look a bit large it could mean that you have toddlers.

Great, everyone loves toddlers. Especially this writer, but what he likes to see more than a happy, healthy young family is a happy, healthy young family talking the dog for a walk.

Read more: http://www.k9magazine.com/best-dogs-for-children/#ixzz1l9j5bWaH