Monday, November 3, 2008

Can Honey Cure Dog Allergies?

If dog allergies are plaguing your dog, you may be able to help relieve her suffering with a spoonful of honey. Local honey that is. If your pet is suffering from dog allergies caused by the seasons and the environment--local plants and trees--local honey may make a difference.

Why honey? Honey is gathered by bees as you know and it includes minute amounts of local pollen. The amount is low enough that dogs (or humans) can ingest a small amount without an allergic reaction. The effect is the same as an antibody or a vaccine; your body (or in this case your dog's) is exposed to a little at a time until he or she has built up a tolerance and the seasonal allergies are no longer afflicting the poor thing.

Honey also has healing properties. You know how you might drink tea with honey for a sore throat? Honey has been used for centuries to heal cuts, ulcers, and more by both ingesting it and by applying it right to the cut or scrape. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities will help heal your pet, both inside and out.

The trick with the honey cure of dog allergies is that you have to feed the right type of honey and the right amount. It'll do no good to be feeding Fido honey from across the world, that will have a different type of pollen in it. No, you'll need to find honey from a local source. Your farmer's market or local produce stand should be able to help you. Then you have to figure out the right amount for your pet. A larger dog will take about a tablespoon a smaller dog, a teaspoon or less. Use your judgment.

How should you feed this local honey to your pet to rid him of the dreaded dog allergies? Well, your pet may be happy to lick it directly off the spoon, but failing that, try mixing it in with his food.

It'll take 3-4 weeks for you to notice a difference but when Max stops scratching himself to death, you'll all be happier!

Learn more about treating dog allergies with local honey.

Jen P. April has been researching dog treat recipes and dog allergies for nearly four years. You can visit her website at http://www.all-natural-dog-treat.com to learn more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_P._April

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Bulldogs - Overview of the Bulldog Breed

The Bulldog is a small, compact and muscular dog with strong legs and a short muzzle. The Bulldog was originally bred as a fighting dog and would take on opponents like bears, bulls, badgers and other dogs in the ring. Since these bloodsports have become unpopular, breeders have focused more on developing the more non- ferocious traits of the Bulldog. The Bulldog is known throughout all historical periods for it's courage and as such is mixed with other breeds such as Pointers and Greyhounds that require tenacity, steadfastness and endurance. The bulldog is know widely recognised as the British national breed.

Description and Temperament

The Bulldog has a huge amount of strength contained in a broad, low frame. With it's short, stocky legs set square at each corner of it's body , the Bulldog has a gait all of it's own. The Bulldog has a large, heavy square head with wrinkles on the skull. The muzzle is very broad whilst the is quite short and set back to the lower jaw which protrudes to the front. The Bulldog's coat may come in reds, fawn, brindle or white pied with any of these colours. Whilst the Bulldog can look intimidating and often has an unsociable, morose expression they are an extremely reliable, gentle and kind dog whilst still making excellent watchdogs.

Grooming, exercise and health problems

With such a smooth, short-haired coat the Bulldog is very easy to groom and only requires occasional brushing with a firm bristle brush.

Bulldogs can be very lazy dogs but need to be kept fit with regular, not overly strenuous exercise such as short walks. Whilst the Bulldog has no special feeding requirements, care should be taken not to over feed the dog as due to it's lazy nature it can often become obese. The Bulldog can also become possessive of it's food.

Due to their short muzzles and sometimes small windpipes, Bulldogs can be prone to breathing difficulties. They are also stressed by very hot or cold weather and over exertion.

Dan Fletcher writes for PuppiesSale.org, a site with lots of puppy articles,
puppies for sale,(http://www.puppiessale.org/)Boxer puppies for sale and more

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dan_Fletcher

Friday, October 17, 2008

Why Do Dogs Yawn?

There is no doubt that a dog is really mans best friend. These adorable furry creatures are loving, loyal and never cease to provide their human family with endless joy and companionship. The pet will stick with you through thick and thin. Dogs are known to ape what their masters do. It is really quite amusing to see that a dog will empathize with the master even with yawning. A master coming in from the office very tired will yawn; the dog can be seen yawning too.

People yawn when they are bored, sleepy and fatigued. Interestingly, fetuses that are 12 weeks old are seen yawning. Yawning in dogs however, has no definitive reason. When we see our pets yawn we take it for granted that their reason for yawning is pretty much the same as the reason why we do.

Scientists have theorized that dogs yawn when they are bored. If you are an observant pet owner you will see at once that the pet is bored. Most often the dog will look at you with imploring eyes, yawn and then flop to the ground. The dog is telling you "come on, play with me"

A yawning dog with a tense and rigidly held body is a sign that the dog is nervous. This reaction is often seen in obedience classes where the dog is pressured. The dog wants to please the master but does not know how. If you are training your dog and you noticed him yawning, you better let up. Proceeding with the training will not have positive results anyway. Let the dog rest for a while and encourage with verbal praises.

Excitement is another reason why dogs yawn. Dogs in agility competitions are often noted yawning. This is the dogs way of coping with the excitement. A dog in the starting line is ready and raring to go to scale the obstacle. By yawning, the dog is preparing its body for the action. The deep breaths fill the lungs and boost the flow of oxygen to the brain. This also increases the heart rate. Really quite amazing how the dog will cope with situations such as this!

Commonly, dogs yawn because they are tired and sleepy. Yawning is precursor to sleeping. Dogs like cats sleep a lot so it will not be an extraordinary thing to see your pet yawning.

Studies have proven that yawning is contagious. If you yawn, somebody else will yawn too. Dog handlers have used the fact that yawning can energize, calm and relax a dog. By yawning, they can induce the pet to yawn too.

Find out more about why dogs yawn and many other interesting questions about dogs at Sarah's Dogs. Sarah's Dogs has profiles of most common and many rare breeds as well as answers to common questions on dog behaviour.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Welsh

Stop Your Puppies From Biting is Easy

Puppies, naturally, love biting. Learning to stop your puppy from biting is not the hardest thing to do in the world. Most of puppies can be easily trained to stop biting. However, there are several basic rules that you should keep in mind before start training them.

1. Never slap them on face because they will think that you are playing with them.

2. Always encourage good behavior and always discourage bad behavior

3. Stop playing any games in which will encourage them to start biting more and more. Such games as tugging or wrestling.

4. Be consistent with whatever method you use to stop them biting.

5. Start to communicate with your puppies. Do not expect them to understand what you think. You as the owner must show them what is good or bad behavior.

Here are some few tips that can help stopping your puppies from biting:

1. If you see your puppies biting, just say "NO" and try to take their attention away by using a toy or a chew bone.

2. Every time your puppies bite, make your puppies think that they are hurting you by crying out loud (Ouch!). What you want to do here is to take puppies attention away with your voice, and stop playing with them for a while. Repeat this method several times and they will soon learn that nobody want to play with them when they start to bite.

3. In some cases, your puppies might bite onto your hands. You just also need to say "NO" and try to put your thumb inside his mouth under their tongues and place other fingers under their chins. Hold this position for a while until your puppies feel uncomfortable.

4. The last good old trick is to wear a pair of gloves, then apply something that your puppies doesn't like on them, such as hot chili sauce, and pepper. This trick will help creating negative memory to puppies for not biting you.

Roney is a dog owner that specializes in dog obedience training. His review on SitStayFetch can be found here:http://www.sitstayfetch-dogtraining.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roney_Golden

Monday, October 6, 2008

Why Do Dogs Sleep So Much?

Question: Why is the dog sleeping all day long? Answer: Because he guards at night. Actually the idea is correct. Most of us depend on our dogs to guard us as well as our properties. But dogs do sleep anytime of day and night. They actually sleep as much as 14 hours a day. This means that they sleep more than half of their life. Some dogs even sleep more than others do. Large breeds of dogs like the mastiff, St. Bernard and Newfoundland sleep from 16 to 18 hours everyday. They are dubbed as the mat dogs because they are fond of lying and sleeping in front of the fire like a furry rug.

The sleeping pattern of the dog depends on the activity and environment. Domesticated dogs sleep more than working dogs do. Who would not if you are comfortable, you have a soft padded and cozy corner to sleep in and most of all you have nothing to do. People would sleep a lot too if they are left at home with nothing much to do. On the other hand, it would be impossible for a working dog to sleep most of the time given that they have a task or a duty to perform. Dogs working in a farm are all-around dogs, meaning they are given varied tasks to do. Apart from this, dogs have the opportunity to roam and being highly energetic, they would prefer to run and to wander rather than curl in a corner to sleep.

One may think that the dog is lazy because it is always asleep. The fact is, a dog may seem to be sleeping but they wake more frequently than people do. Dogs are always alert and they have heightened senses that make them aware of the slightest sound and movement. But dog are lucky too as they can easily adjust the sleeping pattern. They wake easily but the sleep easily too. They have the ability and the stamina to stay awake when they have something to do and would fall asleep easily no matter what time of day or night once the task is done.
Sleeping, no doubt is beneficial. It allows the dog to rest and to replenish the energy. Bored and inactive pets may sleep a lot, much more than they need to. Excessive sleeping when coupled with too much eating and very minimum exercise can be dangerous to the health of the dog. This is most common in pampered pets. Excessive sleeping can be avoided by providing the pet with stimulus to be active. Give the dog toys if they are going to be left at home all day. Take the dog walking and allow your pet to join in the activities of the family.

Learn more about why dogs sleep all day long at Sarah's Dogs, http://www.sarahsdogs.com/qa/why_do_dogs_sleep_so_much.html At Sarah's Dogs you can also find answers to many other common and not so common questions about dogs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Welsh

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Can You Really Be a Dog's Best Friend? A Top 10 List by Jay Gaulard

I think that's a valid question, and I don't ask it lightly. The short answer is yes. The long answer may be no, and let me tell you why.
I think I'll start things off with a short story. It's interesting and I think it will shed some light on what I am thinking.
Way back in 1999, I was attending graduate school at Binghamton University. I lived on the third floor of an old house in a very small apartment. The house was in a rather congested part of town, so all of the residents could get a very clear picture of what was happening in the neighborhood around them. From my apartment, I had a pretty good vantage point of a few backyards that were close by.
As you could imagine, while attending graduate school, I was required to study for a good portion of the day and night. There was no way to get around it and much of it had to be done in my apartment. In order to have a good studying session, I needed quiet. Thinking back, I should have moved into a more sparse part of town.
The day after I moved in, I remember looking out the window into the backyard across the street. There were two dogs lying down on a dirt area. They were tethered together by the same dog leash, a piece of one tied to the other. Their heads were about a foot apart and they had no where to go. Every time someone passed on the sidewalk, they would stand up and run to the chain link fence, barking. This went on day after day. Eventually, someone from the neighborhood called the ASPCA and had the dogs removed. The owners were charged with having the dogs outside without shelter and a few other things.
This brings me to the point of this piece. Why do people bring dogs into their homes, when they clearly don't have the means to properly care for them?
I'm sure we have all seen it a thousand times; the messiest house on the road with three viscous dogs chained to a stump in the front yard, the college students who thought it would be fun to get a "house" puppy, the overworked parents who thought it would be a good idea to get their young children an active puppy to play with.
What's the common theme that runs across all three examples above? Bad choices. I think the mistakes many people make are 1) they don't understand that owning a dog is a huge responsibility and 2) dogs can lead miserable lives, if not taken care of properly.
Here is a (hopefully helpful) list of reminders that you should consider before bringing a dog into your family:
1. Dogs bark. If you like your neighbors and want them to continue liking you, be sure to consider this when choosing the breed of dog you get.
2. Dogs eat. If you have trouble paying your own grocery bill, think about the extra expense of a big bag of dog food once a month.
3. Dogs need to go to the doctor. If you are having trouble paying for your own health care, think about what you are going to do the day your dog needs to have an operation.
4. Dogs need to relieve themselves. If you like to snuggle under your warm covers at 5AM in the middle January, think about the feeling you will have when your new dog starts barking to go outside at that time.
5. Dogs need to play. If you work late and no one is home, who will be there to take the dog outside to burn off all the energy they have?
6. Dogs need love. Are you ready to spend at least two hours a day with your dog?
7. Dogs need space. Do you have the room for a dog that may become hyper when it gets excited?
8. Dogs are not welcome in many rental units. Do you rent? Be aware that by having a dog, you are limiting yourselves to about 10% of available units for rent.
9. Dogs require patience. Take a good look at yourself. Have you ever lost your temper? Many dogs may do things that will upset you.
10. Dogs need to be licensed. What are the rules of your area when it comes to dog ownership?
The above list is not meant to be depressing. It's meant to give you a realistic view of what you can expect after you bring that cute, cuddly little puppy into your home. I have owned many dogs and I write from experience.
A good friend of mine owns two rather large dogs that he adopted from a friend during his senior year of college. They are both about five years old now. He loves the dogs, but feels he may have made a mistake. He may not have been ready for them. I remember asking him how he feels about owning the dogs, to which he replied, "Yeah, that was pretty much the biggest mistake I ever made."
Now, let's discuss the brighter side of things. If you have looked over the above list and think you might be ready to give a dog a new home, good for you. Just be sure to look for that dog in the right places. There are many dogs in shelters across this country that are just waiting for someone like you to walk through the door. Do the right thing and adopt. You'll be glad you did.

About the Author
This article was written by Jay Gaulard on behalf of http://www.petclassifieds.us, a popular pet classifieds website.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

A Healthy Pet

A healthy pet is a happy pet.

We all would love to have our beloved pet around for a very long time, 20 years to be exact and not dying at the young ages of between 10 to 15 years. But the only way is you have to feed your pet the best nutrition.

Most people do not even think about nutrition; all they think about is cost. The bigger the bag the better. But not giving them the nutrition is a huge mistake as it will show up in their gums; not the healthy pink, but pale gums, listless, dull fur and lastly in their later years other health issues will pop up and the tests from the vet can be extremely costly and those tests can show other ailments too.
Some of those ailments might not be reversible and that is a shame and if you had started them right in the beginning, you would probably not be in this predicament.

My Miniature Schnauzer puppy has been on supplements for her fur and has had the nutrition since she was 10 weeks and now she is a healthy 15 month old dog. So my suggestion is to feed them the nutrition their body needs to eliminate those very serious problems.

So as you go to the pet store, you must read the labels and if the main ingredient is not meat, don't buy it. Vitamins are important to you, so why not your dog?

Pure water, not the usual tap water with chlorine, and keeping fresh water at all times is a must. Taking your dog to the groomer is a huge plus, as a bath and a brushing is great for their skin, especially in the summer. Lots of loving is important but not the most important. A vet checkup is always important and that visit can either make or break your pocketbook.

My name is Beverly Boisen
I live in the Adirondacks of New York.
I am a graduate of The Institute of Children's Literature.
This course has given me the opportunity to write for children, adults or just being able to write professionally.
I care about people and their pets therefore writing about experiences I have had and having the knowledge of what I am writing is important for all who takes the time to read.
I am a field rep for an holistic pet food company and we care about your pet and you should too. By giving them the nutrition they need and on this site you will find resources that will help you to make choices for your pets.
Which is very important.
My pet site is http://www.myprettyskin.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverly_Boisen

Monday, August 25, 2008

Choosing the Right Pet For You - 6 Considerations BEFORE Becoming a Pet Owner

I'm the biggest advocate for owning a pet ... I think they are the most wonderful things put on this earth. They fun, cute, cuddly, help keep us active and many people don't realise, but they're great for our emotional health as well.

But .. before you make a new addition to your family, please consider some important aspects before leaping into the world of pet ownership.

1. Who is the pet for? Or more importantly Who will look after it?... how old or capable is the owner of your new fury (or scaly/slippery) friend? If you are buying it for a child think about wether they are really going to take responsibility for feeding, walking and cleaning poops etc. If you're a mum of a few young kids do you really need the extra work or are you quite happy to take on a few extra chores for the sake of all those extra cuddles.

2. Another thing to consider if you have kids is How long will the pet live? The age of pets vary considerably. A goldfish could only last a few years (or in my case when I was 7 ... "Bob" lasted 2 days after buying him at my school fair), whereas a friend of mine has a cat that's turning 20 this year! So I guess the question is: can you explain death to your child or are you willing to take on the responsibility when the kids move out?.

3. How much exercise and attention do they need? Some breeds of dogs while looking gorgeous require a huge amount of exercise ... eg. A Siberian Husky needs over and hour running each day at least and if not taken out will destroy your backyard! Also a hairy cat such as a Persian, while they look beautiful require lots of grooming, so answer these questions honestly and you'll choose a pet right for you and enjoy them more too.

4. Will they be alone for long periods of time? Some animals can't handle longs periods on their own and will become destructive if left alone. Perhaps buying 2 cats mean they'll have each other to play with.

5. How much will they cost? Some larger breed dogs can cost more than $35 a week to feed, so consider if your budget allows for that ... also factor in vaccinations, set up costs like bedding, council registration, obedience training, regular flea control, vet visits, pet insurance etc.

6. What happens when you go away on holidays? Kennel costs for cats and dogs can be a big extra cost come holiday time ...or will a family member or friend be happy to baby sit.

If you answer these HONESTLY you'll be happier with your choice of pet in the long run ... happy pet hunting!

For advice on training your pet go to: http://doggytrainingreview.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_Dornelles

5 Tips to Labrador Puppy Training

Congratulations on your purchase of a Labrador puppy! Labrador puppies make amazing pets, and once you understand the personality they're incredibly simple to train. Labradors were bred for hunting and gathering purposes, thus they are incredibly active animals and require some attention when training. In this article I'm going to talk about the 5 tips of Labrador puppy training that you can use to train your Labrador puppy.

Tip 1: Leash training. It is incredibly easy to begin training your puppy with a leash at this age. If you wait until your puppy is full grown, it is going to be much more difficult as Labradors are larger dogs and thus, they are little more difficult to control. Start your Labrador puppy training on a leash early.

Tip 2: Simple commands. A few great simple commands to teach them are ones like sit, stay, and come. If you teach them these commands, you will then be able to teach them more complex commands later on.

Tip 3: This tip is crucial for Labrador puppy training. Never punish your puppy. The reason I say this is that Labradors, being incredibly social animals, require a lot of attention. If you give them attention, even negative attention, it reinforces their current behavior, including bad behavior. It is incredibly difficult to do, I know. However, if you do this, your puppy will behave better in the future.

Tip 4: Instead, reward your puppy's good behavior. Labrador puppy training is about reward and love. Whenever your puppy does something that you like, give him a reward such a treat or a lot of attention. The best way to do this is to play a game like fetch or play with a Frisbee.

Tip 5: Finally, always make sure that you give your puppy enough attention. Then your Labrador puppy training will become a lot easier. If you do not give enough attention, it is more likely for your puppy to misbehave.

Thanks for reading this article, I hope it is helped.

-Tom

Now, what if you are having difficulties with Labrador puppy training? Sometimes Labrador puppies can be incredibly hard to train, I know, I understand.

Just what are the solutions to problems of Labrador puppy training? Click here to discover the secrets of the professional trainers!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Burns