For hundreds of years, humans have employed dogs to alert us to the presence of danger. Dogs are naturally protective, making them well-suited for the role of alerting their “pack” when something is awry. Guard dogs and watch dogs are not the same. A guard dog not only alerts the family to danger, it is large and powerful enough to intimidate and subdue an intruder. A watch dog will not usually attack; instead, they will alert their owners anytime a stranger approaches.
A dog need not be especially large or aggressive to make a good watch dog. A strong bark is all it takes to alert the family to an approaching stranger. Would-be intruders are often deterred just by hearing the bark. Just about any dog that barks when something out of the ordinary is happening can serve as a watch dog. However, there are some breeds that are renowned for their excellent watch dog abilities.
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The death of the family dog is a traumatic event for all family members and it may take a long time for them to recover from the situation. The dog becomes a part of the family and its loss is felt on a daily basis. Young children may question what happens to dogs after they die and the adults in the family should be prepared to respond in a reassuring manner.
The truth is that just as we are not certain about what happens to humans when they die, we are also not sure about what happens to dogs. The answer depends primarily on the spiritual beliefs of the individual. When an adult replies to a child’s question regarding this topic, the reply should be consistent with this belief system.
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Dog food is for dogs and human food is for humans, and never the twain shall meet. Unfortunately, this is a rule that many dog owners do not follow when they feed their dogs “people food” and some suffer the consequences. There are 10 foods you should never give your dog because these items are unsafe, and in some cases toxic, for the pooch.
Chocolate- this is toxic for dogs and can therefore kill them. The caffeine and several other ingredients affect the heart and nervous system of the canine. Based on the fact that caffeine is toxic, coffee and tea are also on the do-not-feed list.
Bones- bones from real animals should not be given to dogs to chew on. They can splinter when the dog bites them and these splinters enter the digestive tract, causing harm to the system.
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Potty training small dogs works the same way as training larger breeds. However, some dog owners seem to think that training smaller breeds is harder or troublesome compared to training medium and larger breeds.
There may be some behavioral differences between small dogs and large dogs; however, the method of training these dogs to have proper potty practices is the same, regardless of the size.
When training small dogs, dog owners have faced difficulties usually with these two issues; Crate Training and Aggression. However, what they don’t know is that these issues have nothing to do with the dog being a small breed, but it is really because of the owners themselves. Read on to see why, and what you can do about it.
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Are you planning a vacation this year? Perhaps you have to go on a business trip? What will happen to your pets while you are away? Have you stopped to consider hiring a pet sitter as an alternative to boarding kennels?
A professional pet sitter will provide individualized care, make sure your pet is comfortable, fed, watered and happy, and following his usual routine. He or she is an experienced animal lover who comes to your home once or several times a day and gives your pets his or her undivided love and attention.
Hiring a pet sitter means that your pet, or pets can remain undisturbed in the comfort of their own, familiar home environment. Being at home means no stress for your pets, they can continue to sleep in their favorite places, play with their favorite toys, eat, drink and go potty in the usual places.
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Though all of us are aware that puppies will often bark to convey between themselves, unmanageable barking can be a trouble for everyone. Too much barking may take place because of monotony, scarcity of guidance or not enough activity for that canine. Luckily, a unit known as Bark Off has been released to control this behavior of canines. Bark Off has gotten loads of convinced responses from canine owners community. It is now known as as the best eco-friendly and dog friendly devices to prevent canines from constant barking.
Features
It is a battery operated wireless gadget. It utilizes a distinctive ultrasonic transmission that instantly arrests the interest of your dog to stop if from barking. If your puppy is around the device’s range, the signal interrupts barking and then to your surprise, it would quit barking.
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Playing dog games with your canine pet provides your beloved with his much needed physical and mental stimulation. This also gives you the benefit of reinforcing his obedience training in a fun way as you establish a deeper relationship with him.
However, not every dog is thrilled with playing ordinary fetch all the time especially if he is very intelligent. Many dog breeders, vets, and trainers agree that the best dog games are those that provide exercise and challenge accompanied with positive reinforcement by giving the animal a reward for accomplishing what you want.
FETCH When you’re dog has become tired of the basic throw-a-stick-give-it-back-to-me fetch he will refuse to play. To solve this problem, think out of the box and vary how you play the game with your dog.
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When you are considering Golden Retriever nutrition for the best Golden Retriever care, it is important to recognize that the Golden Retriever is a large working of dog. Golden Retriever dog food recipes can meet the nutritional needs of this large dog.
Proper nutrition and diet, as a part of excellent overall Golden Retriever care, will meet the dietary needs for protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Supplements can be given to help a dog meet daily nutritional needs. With proper nutrition and fresh water, a dog will not become overweight, suffer from malnutrition or suffer an excess or absence of a mineral or vitamin.
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The history of the Golden Retriever dates back to the 1800s. Lord Tweedmouth of Scotland bred the first documented Golden Retrievers in the British Isles. The Tweed Water Spaniel, a breed now extinct, along with the Irish Setter, Newfoundland, and Bloodhound was used to create the Golden Retriever of today. Golden Retrievers were bred to retain their yellow color and to hunt waterfowl and other game. Lord Tweedmouth also wanted a breed that was loyal and good-natured.
The Golden Retriever is known to be one of the most loyal and even-tempered dog breeds. The breed was called the Flat-Coated Retriever in Britain and was later named the Golden Retriever. Exported to America in the 1920s, the breed was registered by the American Kennel Club as a pure breed in 1925 and has enjoyed a successful AKC competition history ever since. Golden Retriever breeders select dogs with AKC breed standard characteristics to produce bloodlines of Golden Retriever champions.
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Because they have been so popular over the last 50 years or so, Golden Retrievers have been over-bred, resulting in a genetic predisposition to experience specific health problems. Unfortunately, as greedy breeders often fail to screen their breeding animals, additional hereditary health problems are introduced to the breed. If you have a Golden, or plan to bring one into your home, you should know about the more common hereditary problems that may reduce the quality or length of your Golden Retriever’s life.
Health Problems Known to Be Inherited by Golden Retrievers
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia: When growing hip joints don’t form properly, juvenile and adult Retrievers may have an uneven gait or even severe lameness. This inherited disorder is common to many large dogs, and while is not usually noticeable in puppies, hip dysplasia will begin to show when your Golden is between four and nine months old. The severity of the condition varies greatly from dog to dog, but most Goldens with hip dysplasia will develop arthritis as they age. Moderate exercise, weight control, and inflammatory medications will help with the discomfort of this problem. Not all Golden Retrievers will show, or even know about, their hip dysplasia if it’s a mild form. Golden’s with hip dysplasia can live long, happy lives, but they should not be bred.
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