Do Dogs Really Need Booster Vaccinations?

Excellent questions posed by MyPetLibrary on the controversial topic of booster vaccinations for dogs.

It's a topic that many dog owners care deeply about, whether booster vaccinations for dogs are a totally necessary procedure or are vets out to cash an annual recurring fee.

Have a read at: http://www.mypetlibrary.com/booster-vaccinations-for-dogs/

Today's Thought: Old Dogs and New Tricks

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, are they right?

Well how about this for an idea, it's easier to teach an old dog new tricks than to teach a new dog old tricks.

Experience is the teacher of all things.

Dogs continue to learn every single day.

Never, ever write off any dog's ability to learn new things and to progress their skills and understanding of commands.

Potty Training For Puppies (Top Tips!)

Following on from the excellent K9 Magazine article on puppy housetraining, we've got these top tips on how to potty train your new puppy...

Puppy Potty Training Made Easy!

As much as we would love dogs to use potties that isn’t what this article is about. I’m talking about house training, making sure that they know to go outside when it is time to do their business. Potty training your dog is a lengthy procedure but at the end you’ll know it’s worth it.

Dog toilet training can be something of a difficult task. Every day needs to be the same and you need to give him constant attention when you can; this will make the toilet training procedure a lot easier. Your training process will take longer if you are working out of the house quite often as your dog will need to go and the house is the only place that he can.

The simplest method for potty training a dog is the newspaper method. Many owners have the problem where dogs excuse themselves in the house, because they don’t know any different, you can make them sit outside for hours but they will wait until they come inside the house to do their business, and most of the time they will do it where you can't see them. This happens because while trying to potty train their dog many owners punish them after they have done the toilet in the house. But that is no good, they need to be caught in the act, but you don’t need to rub your dog’s nose in it like many suggest! The dog needs to learn to trust you not fear you or it will never learn.

The first obstacle in potty training dogs is to teach the dog how to go on command, you can do this inside the house then work your way up to teaching him to do it outside. Pick a certain area inside the house, maybe at the back door or something likewise, place a lot of newspaper around the area and every hour or so take him there and tell him to do the toilet, or whatever you want the command to be. Sooner or later he will do the toilet, but you have to keep a close eye on him around the house so you can see if he is going to do the toilet or not. When you see him go to do the toilet, take him to the paper and tell him your command, then praise him for doing it on the paper, this type of potty training needs a very vigilant handler. When he learns to go on command try to take him outside instead of the paper, that way he will soon learn that he has to go outside.

There are other problems that potty training your dog can help with, submissive urinating can be quite a large problem. Often when your dog meets someone knew that he likes or someone he knows, or even another dog he can get very excited and in turn he wets himself. This isn’t good for the person he is doing the toilet on and is very embarrassing for you. Potty training your dog will help to only release on command.

With a lot of hard spent time and vigilance you can teach your dog anything, potty training is just a step towards another accomplishment in your dog's life, when he does do the toilet outside and not in the house make sure he receives lots of treats and praise, the more he knows it pleases you the more he is likely to do it!

Useful Resources:

House Training For Puppies
Puppy Paper Training
Puppy Nutrition
Insurance for Pets
Dog Fleas & Puppies
Lifetime pet insurance cover (deals)

Puppy Potty Training Video Tips

Snapshot Dog Breed Profile: Anatolian Shepherd Dog

Let's look at the Anatolian Shepherd dog breed.

The Anatolian Shepherd has a long history as a working dog in the country of Turkey. The original function of the breed was to guard flock. Today still, the breed is used as a highly-dependable security dog.

Researchers claim that the canine's roots probably go back 4000 years ago to the Roman Mollosian war dogs and the Tibetan Mastiff. These dogs were used to safeguard livestock against dangerous predators, such as bear and wolves.

By viewing various pictures of the breed you will notice that different Anatolian Shepherd dogs may vary in size, colour and coat type. This is largely due to nomadic shepherds travelling a large geographical region while their Anatolian Shepherds would accompany them. The traits that have not changed, however, are the breed's independence, loyalty, and toughness.

Anatolian Shepherd dogs made their way to the United States during the mid 1950s and although its usefulness was in the service of guarding livestock against coyotes, wolves, and other predators, the breed did not become popular until the late 1970s/early 1980s.

What's it Like to Own an Anatolian Shepherd Dog?

This breed needs plenty of daily exercise – a chance to run with you as you jog in the mornings or a brisk walk on the leash will do the job. Anatolian Shepherd dogs can live outside if need be, so long as the temperature does not reach extreme cold or high heat, however, they are very connected to the family so sleeping inside at night is preferred. Grooming requirements consist of a weekly brushing to remove dead hair.

Anatolian Shepherd Dog Health Problems

The Anatolian Shepherd has an average life span of between ten and thirteen years. Quite a healthy breed, the only major health concern that runs common is CHD, with entropion showing up as a minor issue. Veterinarians suggest that Anatolian Shepherd dogs get tested for potential hip and eye problems.

Helpful Resources

Lifetime pet insurance cover for an Anatolian shepherd dog
Dog nutrition and the Anatolian shepherd dog
Anatolian shepherd dog and puppy house training

---
Distributed by Aljendro Reid on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands

What Is Proper Dog Nutrition?

We often hear people talk about the need for our dogs to get proper nutrition. But what does it actually mean?

Dog nutrition is so important to the health, behaviour and all round vitality of our dogs. So here is a fine article explaining and defining what proper dog nutrition actually entails.

Extract:

There is only a limited amount of fat that is used for protection against cold, cushion, covering, and extra energy. But when the maximum amount of stored fat is reached and applied for these purposes, the dog still continues to stock up fat and does so to the same degree that is equivalent to the excess energy that it consumes. For instance, every 3,500 calories that a dog eats in excess to what his body requires will be turned into 1 pound of body fat.

Source: http://www.dognutrition.org.uk/proper-dog-nutrition-defined/

Money Saving Dog Ownership Tips

The credit crunch has the unpleasant effect of causing more dog owners to give up their pets in the face of increasing financial pressures. Here we provide a short set of tips that can help reduce the costs of dog ownership.

Dogs do and always will cost money and yes, they do need a place to sleep, a bed, food and water. But ultimately there are measures owners can take to ensure this period of economic belt tightening does not cost dogs their homes.

Pet insurance, for instance, enables owners to have their veterinary expenses covered in the event of accident or illness. Some pet insurance policies start from as little as £10 per month which is just 32p per day.

Dog food bills can be reduced, dogs do not need to have the most expensive supermarket own brand pet food to be happy and healthy, they can actually be happier and even healthier if owners do a deal with their local butcher to get the day's unsold raw meat at reduced cost.

For those people for whom the real threat of eviction could cause them to make a decision about rehoming some weeks or months down the line, they should plan, plan and plan some more. If there is even the merest hint of losing a home, start talking with prospective landlords who will be happy to allow pets on their property.

Very often a compromise deal can be had, provided it is planned for. For instance, some dog owners offer their landlords what is known as a dog-bond, a simple contract drawn up that tells the landlord that the dog's owner is happy to pay for absolutely any damage or inconvenience caused by their pet. This peace of mind can persuade many landlords to be lenient on their no pets policy.

Resources:

Adopt a dog
Insure a dog for life
Free dog advice
Professional dog trainer

Pet Insurance Rise Leaves Pet Owners Confused

Over the past 15 years there has been a rocket-like surge in the depth and availabilty of pet insurance policies in the UK. As pet owners are faced with more and more choices, so the pet insurance companies are faced with the challenge of making their policy stand out.

As a result, according to a new survey by K9 Magazine - a lifestyle magazine for dog owners - pet owners are often left confused and furstrated when it comes to understanding the fine print of each individual pet insurance policy.

One of the most common causes of frustration according to the survey, which spoke to 200 pet owners in the UK, is being unsure of whether a pet is covered for illness and injury for the duration of their life.

Lifetime pet insurance cover is where the policy protects the animal for all of its life. However, not all policies offer this and as those policies often have lower premiums, they can be attractive to pet owners who base their decisions on price first.

AJ Douglas, a PR rep for a Taxi software firm and someone who has recently researched pet insurance, commented:

"I found the sheer volume of policies on offer to be quite incredible. At first I felt this was a positive sign, but then I realised just how much attention had to be paid to what I can only describe as discreet clauses. Often, two policies would look almost identical and it was only when you really dig down that you see there are some massive differences in what is covered and how long it is covered."

K9 Magazine's survey showed that modern pet owners are more comitted to insuring their dogs than ever before, but they are calling for more transparency from insurers when it comes to up front information on the main / most important aspects of each policy.

Useful Link: BBC Watchdog show covering the topic of pet insurance

—
Distributed by Mickel Anderz on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.