How To Put Your Dog on a Doggie Diet

As dogs age, they are prone to becoming overweight. A dog that is overweight is more susceptible to health issues such as arthritis and joint problems than his slimmer counterpart. Some breeds are naturally prone to obesity and it is important to help these dogs eat without getting obese. Some individuals are gluttonous whereas others regulate their food intake. The first step in getting your dog on a healthy diet is to understand how he eats so you can figure out the best way to help him eat healthily without gaining weight.

If your dog is already overweight here are a few things you can do to help him get in shape:

• Stop feeding him treats, snacks and table scraps. Give him only his regular dog food and no fatty, sugary or high carb food. When your dog loses weight, you can begin to give him the occasional high quality treat.

• You should feed your dog a superior quality premium dry food unless there is a medical reason your dog should be on wet food. Dogs on a dry food diet will lose weight effectively if treats and snacks are discontinued. Your vet should be able to provide you with recommendations concerning different brands and nutritional content. If you’re planning to change your dog’s food you should do so very gradually to avoid causing digestive upsets. If your dog initially refuses dry food you should be patient, he will eat when he’s hungry. If the dog refuses to eat for two days and even though he is receiving regular exercise, it’s time to get your vet’s advice on the matter.

• Increasing your dog’s daily amount of exercise is very beneficial in a weight loss program. Overweight dogs tend to lead the lives of couch potatoes and letting your dog out into the yard or only in the confines of an electric dog fence doesn’t really count as they won’t make much effort on their own. The best way to get your dog moving is to take him for a walk at least two times a day. Start gradually and increase the amount of time you spend on your walks. Walking your dog is very beneficial for you too!

• Spend more time playing with your dog. Fetch and chase are fun games to play with Fido and they will get him (and you) moving. Keep your dog motivated and engaged by praising him and making a big fuss of him. Getting a playmate for your dog is another great way to get him to move – dogs love chasing one another and try to fix your dog up with a play date to keep him stimulated and exercising.

• Reduce the amount of food you feed your dog. Get your vet’s advice on the amount of food your dog needs. If you are feeding your dog one cup twice a day, consider reducing the quantity to three quarters of a cup. Feeding small, frequent meals is healthier than feeding your dog one large meal.

• Inspect your yard to see if your dog has hidden any food there. Make sure all food is out of reach of your dog and instruct your children not to feed the dog any leftovers or treats.

Kept on this routine, you should notice some weight loss in your dog within about two weeks. If the dog doesn’t lose any weight during this time you should have him inspected by the vet to rule out any underlying medical problem.

The Five Keys to Being a Responsible Dog Owner

Not everyone has what it takes to own a dog. Though dogs can survive on their own in the wild, responsible dog ownerships expects that you will provide them with a life slightly better than that. A dog will give you years of love, protection and devotion and never ask anything in return. It’s your job to give them all those things in return, without being asked.
Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your pet ownership is done responsibly.

There are simply too many abandoned dogs in the United States. The reasons for this are as varied as the owners who don’t live up to the responsibilities. The majority of these abandoned dogs end up in shelters. Though there are no-kill shelters in the United States, they are the exception rather than the rule. Do yourself and a dog a favor by adopting one of these unfortunate dogs and giving them a loving home.

Unless you are seriously considering a profession as a responsible breeder, make sure all adopted pets are spayed or neutered. There’s just no sense in increasing the number of dogs in a world already overcrowded with unwanted animals. A little money will also save you trouble in the future.

Keep your dogs healthy and clean. There is no greater indication of neglect, whether in dogs or children, than untidiness. A weekly bath, brushing the fur and flea and tick treatment is the only things necessary. Don’t forget to keep the animal’s sleeping area clean also.

Dogs do a pretty good job of protecting themselves, but sometimes they need a little help from us. This is mainly due to man made dangers such as cars and poisons. Always make sure the dog can’t find its way to the street and that chemicals are kept out of their reach.

At the very least the dog needs to have a collar and a tag identifying you as the owner. Many people go a step further and have a microchip embedded in the animal. It is now standard procedure in the United States to check a dog for a microchip before they are euthanized.

Last of all, animals have a way of becoming ignored after a time. Dogs more than any other pet need human contact and affection. This doesn’t mean for the first month, but for the dog’s entire life. They also require training to make sure they behave as they should. Dogs that are neglected suffer from mental problems such as depression and do not enjoy life.

Owning a dog is great, but it requires work and commitment. If you’re not willing to commit to both, think hard about adopting a dog.

Sending Your Puppy Mixed Signals

Trying to communicate with your dog and have him understand what you want can be frustrating if the dog just doesn’t seem to get it. Imagine the dog’s frustration at trying to figure out what you want. Often these little lapses in communication are a direct result of an owner’s inconsistency. Though you will likely think you are issuing the exact same command time after time, from the dog’s perspective you could be changing things up considerably.

Here’s an example to allow you to see things from the dog’s perspective. Let’s say you are bathing the dog. The dog gets tired and decides it’s time to sit down and take a rest. In your frustration you firmly tell the dog, “don’t sit.” Since you have failed to teach the dog conversational English, the dog gets nothing from the “don’t” part of the command. All he recognizes is “sit.’ So, l that’s what he thinks you want him to do. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be for the dog to do exactly what he thinks you want only to be scolded for doing it?

There is nothing more important in dog training than consistency. Dogs can understand many commands by they must be simple one or two word statements. These statements must also be issue in the same tone of voice each time. Dogs are very aware of body language and the sound of your voice so saying the words as a question one time and shouting them the next will confuse the dog.
You should also be consistent in how you want the dog to act. If a certain behavior brings praise one day and scolding the next, the dog will start to think you are crazy. Don’t tell the dog to hop up on the couch and sleep in your lap one day and the next scold him for being on the couch when you get home from work. Another good example is jumping up on people. When you are playing, you might encourage him to put his front paws up on you. Then, when you are dressed for work the same behavior will anger you. Think about it from his point of view.

If you are putting in hours of training time and don’t seem to be getting the results you expected, your first step should be to re-evaluate your own behavior. If you are objective, you will likely find things that you are doing wrong. The blame is rarely with the dog. Have others observe you as you work with the dog. They will often notice areas in which you are inconsistent. Dogs operate in careful patterns. Make sure you do too.

One way to help avoid confusion is to use visual signals along with your voice commands. This extra sensory input not only helps the dog to learn but also can be useful if the dog is far away. Dogs that can recognize a “come” command hand signal can help avoid a lot of problems. If you choose this route, make sure you stay consistent and don’t make things worse with confusing signals.

Great Danes Are Nature’s Gentle Giants

If you have a Great Dane, one thing is for certain, you get attention wherever you go. The pure size of the dog is enough to draw stares no matter where you happen to find yourself. Anything large tends to get a bad rap as dangerous, but the truth is that the Great Dane is among the gentlest of the big dogs. Regardless of his seven foot stature, this animal is a lover, not a fighter.
As might be expected from a breed of this size, Great Danes are considered working dogs. They were bred to take down dangerous game animals such as wild boars and even lions. Today, that is mainly in the past. The dog is more common as a family pet than as a ferocious hinter.

Great Danes are mainly a black and tan breed. They often are seen with a black mask dotting the eye area. Some Danes have a tiger stripe patter referred to as brindle. Other variations are darker with blue and black markings. For show purposes, two colors are desired and the white blotches common in the breed are undesirable. Other variations have different combinations of black, tan, blue and brown markings.

The Great Dane’s disposition is very calm and gentle. They usually react well with both cats and other dogs. Kids, though dwarfed by the animals, are usually not a problem. Of course caution must be exercised anytime dogs and children are paired. Instincts being what they are, sometimes the Great Dane can’t resist chasing small animals and caution should be taken when walking the dogs in public.

Great Danes have great stamina, but they really don’t need a lot of exercise. Their large size takes care of most of their physical exertion. These giants can even live in apartments as long as they ar walked daily. It’s actually better to not exercise puppies, lest they grow too fast and develop structural problems.

Though a Dane can weigh over 200 pounds, they eat very little. Their metabolisms are slow and overfeeding can lead to an obese animal. Their feeding dished need to be elevated in order to avoid gastrointestinal torsion. Like many big animals, heart conditions are common and can lead to a short life. It’s common for dogs with white coloring located near organs to have problems with those organs. Danes often have a spot around the chest area.

A major problem with the breed is being abandoned by their owners. People sometimes are not prepared for their massive size. This leads to abandonment. Even a puppy can quickly grow to more than 100 pounds, and still be full of energy.

Like all dogs, Danes need a great deal of human company. They shouldn’t be left alone in front of the house to guard it. They do much better with the family. Their life span will be greatly increased with plenty of human company.

If you are thinking of a Great Dane as a family pet, please consider the situation carefully. Though these dogs cause very few problems, their sheer size can lead to difficulties. If you can’t handle a dog that weighs over 200 pounds, please consider another breed.

Vacationing with Pets

When vacation time arrives, we have two basic options when it comes to our pets. We can either leave them behind in a dog kennel or under some other type of care, or we can take them along on our vacation adventure. Both options have good sides and bad sides, but in a perfect world, we want our pets with us as much as possible. After all, they truly are a part of the family.

Travelling with pets is not difficult if proper precautions are taken. The most important thing is to plan carefully, considering the needs of your pet as well as the rules of your destinations.

When planning a trip with your pets, you must have their best interests in mind also. Though leaving your dog in a kennel is not what anyone wants to do, it might be preferable to keeping them cooped up in a car for 2000 miles. If your pet is a less tolerant animal, taking them on a long trip like this is out of the question.

Make sure that you have the proper accessories for the trip. Things you will need could include a dog carrier, leashes, muzzles, etc. The equipment will vary depending on the vacation type and destination. A trip to the mountains will demand different things than a week in NYC.

Animals are creatures of habit. Though the rest of the family will understand that the trip is a temporary adventure, the pet will be upset, thinking a major change is at hand. Minimize the stress by taking along as many familiar things as possible for the dog. Toys, blankets and bedding are a few things that can make the move less stressful. Another good idea is to get your dog used to travelling by taking him along on shorter trips to teach him that you will eventually arrive back home.

Be aware of the environment when travelling. If you are travelling to an area with a climate much hotter or colder than from where you came, the dog will have additional stress. Heat especially is hard on dogs. Just be aware of your dog’s condition and don’t overburden him and things will be fine.

Remember that dogs can’t go as long as we can between bathroom breaks, especially when traveling by car. Dogs are also prone to car sickness and their food intake should be adjusted accordingly.

If crossing borders, even state borders, make sure that you have proof of required vaccination. Many hotels and campgrounds that allow dogs will require this proof. Don’t forget to take along any medications your dog needs since vet care might not be available.

Almost any vacation can be made better with the presence of our family dog. But it’s important to not be selfish and to take the dog’s needs into consideration. If you do this then the trip will go down without trouble and your dog and the rest of the family will have a great time.

Lost Dog

If you have been in the pet game for a while, you have likely experienced the lost dog scenario at least once. It’s not a pleasant situation to say the least. The family dog is a member of the family and if a family member doesn’t make it home on time, stress and fear ensues. The good news is that most of the time these situations end well with the dog safely returned to home. Still, it’s important to act quickly when you find that a pet is missing.

As soon as you realize that a dog is missing, you must take action. Your first action should be a quick drive around the block. Dogs often wander from home, but they rarely go very far. Most of the time you will find the dog well and happy on a big adventure. If after a few unsuccessful trips around the block you still haven’t seen the dog, it’s time to take the next step.

It’s important to contact local animal control and animal shelters to let them know that the dog is missing. Hopefully the dog had tags that identified him and you. If not, make sure the shelters have a good description and a way to contact you.
Once you have alerted the shelters, you need to organize a wider search. Alert your neighbors and post signs with the dog’s picture and description. Quite often, especially if the animal has dog collar or no ID, a family will have taken him in as a stray. A small reward can up the incentive for strangers to get involved.

Even though you alerted the shelters to the dog’s disappearance, it’s still a good idea to take a look yourself. The shelter workers are busy and may not have time to identify every lost dog. Many shelters have websites where they display recently found dogs. Don’t forget to check adjacent communities since lost dogs are often found far from home.

Though most pets are returned safely in a matter of hours or a couple of days, some are not. If you have children, you need to slowly prepare them for this possibility. This is a good time to teach them about such things as hope, reality and acceptance. If all goes well, you will be able to see a happy ending, but this is not guaranteed.

As a last resort, check with the shelters for reports of dead animals. Many shelters keep track of these things and have a sort of obituary list. This is not something one hopes to have to do, but it can at least provide closure and let the family get on with the grieving process.

Places That Cater the Billiard Entertainment

When people are asked where they usually play billiards, the all too common reply would be in the bar. It seems that a lot of players would like to mix partying, socializing and playing their favorite sport in this particular place. However, some reports indicate that it is in the homes that people play billiards the most. Interestingly, a lot of people who are enamored of this sport eventually set up their own billiard game room. Other players still find themselves playing in pool halls. The pool halls have numerous number of billiard tables and is filled with billiard supplies that can be rented by the players anytime.
Aside from these common spots, there are also other places that cater this form of billiard entertainment. Hotels, resorts and restaurants can also incorporate into their place a spot for billiard gaming. Beach resorts have at least two billiard tables that they set up to provide their guests some added source of fun. Besides swimming, kayaking and jet skiing, guests can also chill out and play this interesting billiard game. While most hotels offer spa treatments and exercise gyms, there are also hotels that have billiard game rooms for their guest’s amusement. Even small restaurants can use having a billiard game room as a lure to bring in more customers. After dining, the customers can relax and have fun striking some billiard balls.

There are practically several places where people can play billiards. It only indicates just how popular this sport really is. With the availability of billiard supplies, it makes it possible to set up a billiard game room anywhere. And, these billiard equipment can be obtained at such a low price. People can buy wholesale billiard supplies online. Billiard stores in the Internet often put up their products in discounted prices. Depending on how much money you got, you can set up a basic billiard playing unit on a tight budget. More financially-capable establishments can set up a luxuriously stylish billiard game room.

Dog vs Mailman

3500 postal carriers are bitten by dogs every year, according to statistics.  What is it with dogs and mailman?  It’s not like the dog is able to truly read the mailman’s uniform and distinguish him from the meter reader, paper delivery guy or girl scout.

However day by day across America, dogs can sense the arrival of the mailman and begin barking even before the post reaches the box!

And each day, hundreds of postal workers are frightened out of their minds–pepper spray ready–as they walk their routes. Lawsuits and large fines often follow dog bites.

So why do dogs loathe postal workers and what can you do about it?

First of all, do not permit your dog to scamper free, unfenced, or unsupervised. The next no-brainer: if you have to keep your dog tethered outdoors, choose a spot far off from your mailbox, the mailman or his pathway.  Or, consider investing in an electric dog fence.

Because dogs are pack animals by nature, they have a chosen pecking order within their group. When dogs become part of the human family, they continue to sustain pack actions and want to retain family territory.

In the dog’s eyes, the postal worker is an intruder and a danger to the pack (i.e. your family).

You, in the role of the dog’s possessor, should take up the alpha spot; specifically, head of your pack.  Being the head of the pack, the dog must respond to you.

Your dog will be taught to admit people into the pack, or his territory as guests, if you introduce your dog to the newcomer.

If you instruct the dog to acknowledge the mailman, it will accept your choice and instruction as its leader.The dog will observe that you are talking to this being as a companion and realize that the courier is not a threat to the pack.

So, technically, the myth regarding dogs hating the mailman is incorrect. Generally, dogs loathe all intruders! However, it is possible for your dog and the mailman to grow to be good buddies due to appropriate socialization.

Ugh…Hematoma!

In the most simple of terms, a hematoma is simply a bruise.  A bruise is an injury of the soft tissue that does not break the skin.  Dogs often suffer from what are called ear hematomas.  An injury to the ear flap leads to a broken blood vessel that will form a hard lump in the dog’s ear.  This lump is the result of bleeding and swelling and can be quite painful to the animal.

Often this condition is caused due to another underlying condition.  For example, if the dog has an allergy or infection that causes them to scratch their ears frequently, they can injure themselves leading to a hematoma.

Dogs that have large, floppy ears are the most prone to ear hematomas.  Breeds that are especially susceptible include spaniels, hounds and setters.  Dogs with upright ears can also develop the condition, but it is much less common.  Hot, humid conditions also exacerbate the problem.  Excessive earwax buildup will also cause the dog to scratch and can lead to a hematoma.

The specific treatment for the hematoma will depend on its severity.  It might be a simple matter of a topical cream and oral antibiotics.  More severe cases could require that the hematoma be lanced and a drain be placed in the ear.  Oral cortisone products can be given in the early stages to ease the itching and prevent the dog from scratching so much.

One thing that you certainly do not want to do is ignore the problem.  What can be in the beginning a simple ailment can lead to serious infections if not treated.  The longer you let the condition develop, the more expensive it will become to treat.  A regimen of antibiotics can be obtained for just a few dollars.  The more complicated procedures can easily run into the hundreds of dollars so it’s best to treat the problem early.  If the condition isn’t dealt with, scarring can become a problem.  This will in turn lead to further problems with the dog’s ears.

Since many ear hematomas are caused by an underlying condition, it is best to have the dog checked by a vet.  Even if you can treat the hematoma yourself, there may be an infection present that can lead to long term problems if not dealt with promptly.  Even though the smaller hematomas will usually go away in a week or so, there is no guarantee that another issue isn’t present.

The Light of your Game

Knowing the basics of the game of billiard is not enough to experience a great game, one must have the right pool table felt to be able to properly enjoy the game and get the most out of it.

Once you have the essential billiard supplies such as the table, billiard cues and billiard balls, other equipments are still needed like the right lights to enable to shoot well and good. Accuracy is a must when you play billiards and you cannot have this if you do not have the best lighting upon your table during your game. Some have even managed to overlook this quite as important supply and missed out on their best shots because of poor lighting.

Some critical shot at your ordinary game of billiards need to be done at certain angles and position and not having the right quality lighting can affect your shot and make you miss and then wonder later why you did so. Billiard is mostly an indoor game so proper lighting must be attached when you set up your billiard table. You can have several choices when it comes to light and some not only serves to function well by accurately giving illumination but they also provide as a sort of décor in your game room.

Each pool table in different sizes has different lighting needs you may need more if its large or less when your pool table is smaller. Your light must suit well with the environment or location of your game, it needs to give the right amount of light needed yet it must not compete with its surroundings. Having too much might cause conflict in the game and the ambiance, just the right amount which does not distract you from your game is the perfect light for your favorite sport.