By Richard G M Taylor

Dog owners are faced with a difficult choice when comes to the right food for their dog. Many owners simply do not know what makes a good dog food and assume that the higher priced brand must be better. Others will take the opposite view and see no reason to spend extra on a premium brand dog food. Of course we are not just talking about canned dog food. Dogs tend to prefer the moist, juicy food contained in a can but it is important for them to also to chew on hard crunchy dog food such as dry kibble and dog biscuits. Obviously the nutrition is important and that will come mostly from the choice of canned dog food but a dog’s dental health is also important and therefore their diet should contain a balance. Mixing canned dog food with dry kibble or biscuits may be the answer if your dog does not like to eat the dry food separately.

Good quality dog food should contain top quality nutritional ingredients and should offer a balanced diet of high protein such as fresh meat or meats and unprocessed grains, vegetables and fruits. It should contain natural preservatives and be low on fillers such as corn, soy, brewer’s rice and wheat bran.

In general terms, you get what you pay for. However, that is not always true and dog owners should learn about the best ingredients and read the label to ensure that those ingredients are there. You will find at the lower end of the price range, the dog food is low on nutrients and will recommend say 6 measures per day instead of maybe 2 or 3 measures of good quality premium priced food. So you can see that there can be a false economy in buying the cheaper food, most of which will pass straight through the dog and leaving the poor animal hungry for more. So the message here is read the label for ingredients and feeding instructions.

Finally, it is important to monitor your dog’s health. As with humans, healthy eating leads to good health. Eating junk food will cause obesity and other health problems. Look at your dogs teeth which can usually give an indication of poor diet. Regular check ups with your local vet will also point to any dietary problems.

About the Author: For more information on Dog Health visit http://www.aboutdoghealth.info/

Source: www.isnare.com

This often becomes an important question asked by many dog lovers and dog owners. If it is a puppy within age of the first six weeks, the puppies need to be given milk at the rate of five to seven times per day. The puppy will make some sound if it wants to feed in general.

However, the feeding frequency may be reduced when the dog becomes six to eight weeks old. By the time the dog assumes the age of four weeks, it may start taking of some solid food. Hence, mix the solid food with water in majority and feed your puppy once or twice in the beginning and if the dog develops some diarrhea, then delay the feeding.

Most of the times, it is due to trial and error but taking some basic steps in feeding, so you need to watch out. The feeding frequency may be changed to two to three times after the assumption of age of eight weeks. However, if the dog is seen hungry craving for food, then provide food once than the estimated numbers. This varies with different breeds of dogs.

However, avoid feeding too many times in this age group of dogs. Around three months to six months of age, the puppy will be teething. Hence, restrict the feeding to two times only but the balanced type of nutrition needs to be provided to the dogs of this age group to avoid the deficiency based symptoms in them.

From six months to one year, try using puppy food that is available commercially. However, from first year onwards, the adult food may be given gradually. However, when the dog becomes an elder dog, restrict the frequency of feeding since the movements of such adult dogs are highly reduced due to multiple reasons. However, the pregnant animal may be fed an extra time depending on the willingness of the animal and restrict the quantity of the food but without compromising on the quality of food.

Angela Schulz

By nature, dogs have a tendency to get into trouble – they get cut, hurt and sometimes even break bones. Dogs are impetuous animals and lack the reasoning skills of humans. So you are going to have to help guide your dog and keep him from harms way. Always keep your dog on a leash when you are walking him outdoors to avoid any accidents which involve automobiles or other dogs. Keeping your dog on a lease prevents nasty bites and cuts as well as practicing to be a good neighbor.

Your own home can have dangers lurking for your dog. The kitchen should be closed off while you are cooking. Imagine how much damage to a dog’s face can occur is they reach up to a pot of hot boiling water. Not to mention a dog in the kitchen while cooking could mean you trip over him and spill hot water or worse.

Do you have first aid information readily available should your do get sick or hurt? Let’s start with heatstroke. Dogs can quickly become overheated in hot weather. If your dog does get heatstroke do not put him under cold water as this could put him into shock. Slowly lower the dog’s body temperature with cool water and ice packs to the back of the neck and head. Also call your Veterinarian for advice.

There are many different types of injuries that can happen to your dog. Just remember to try and remain calm and always have your Veterinarians phone number close by and also the number for the ASPCA could also prove helpful.

Choking is one of the main injuries that dogs can suffer. Because dogs are always biting on things and they use their mouths to play with toys and anything else they find, they can easily choke.

If your dog is choking he may display symptoms of violent head shaking, gagging or even foaming from the mouth. His gums may turn grey or sometimes blue from lack of oxygen. Try to remove the object if you can see it but be careful. The most gentle, loving dog might try and bite you at a time like this when they are scared and in pain.

About the Author
Dog Lovers Source
info@dogloverssource.com
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by: S. Roberts

Every year, around Christmas time the RSPCA make appeals to everyone to think before buying a puppy or any other pet as a Christmas present. The RSPCA’s message is “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”. This prompt is to make people think, and to consider the implications of owning a pet.

It is a wonderful experience to see your child’s face light up when you present them with an adorable puppy. There’s no getting away from that, however it doesn’t last very long and it is only one side of the coin.

Puppies are hard work. They chew, they soil, they can interrupt sleep, they dig and they demand a lot of attention, it’s rather like taking on another child.

Although puppy’s grow quickly, their education is a slow process, even if you have an intelligent breed. During your puppy’s education and socialisation you need to remain calm and patient at all times, and above all you must be consistent, even if you are at the end of your tether. One small slip up confuses your pup and can set his education back.

Puppies tend to take up a lot of time, Just like a child. Your puppy would need walking (come rain, blizzard or shine) training, feeding, brushing, cleaning up after, as well as playing with. Children soon loose interest with all these chores and they inevitably fall to the parents. Do you have time for all these little jobs every day? If not your bored depressed little puppy will probably eat your sofa.

Of course puppy farms are applying hard sell tactics in the run up to Christmas. They prey on people who are unsure if they should buy a puppy or not. The puppy farms force people into making rash decisions that are not thought through properly. The salesmen may say “Well, someone else is interested in this pup”, of course there isn’t anyone else, they just want to force the sale by making the buyers think that they may loose the chance of buying the cute little puppy they have shown interest in. The puppy farmers are not concerned if you are ready and able to take on a puppy, they are only thinking of the wonderful Christmas they can have once they have their hands on your cash.

Christmas day will no doubt be a wonderful day with your new puppy and your happy children. Any puppy mishaps will be regarded as little accidents and mischievous behaviour and all pups’ naughtiness will be heart warming and laughed off.

Six to eight months down the line, puppy is still having little accidents. Puppy is now a big puppy, and proving to be a bit of a handful. The kids have lost interest and everything is covered in dog hairs

This is when the RSPCA see a boom in puppies that have been placed into their care. The RSPCA can not possibly re-home every adorable puppy that comes to them. Anyway, who wants your unruly puppy at the RSPCA when they can go to the puppy farm and buy a younger, smaller and cuter puppy there?

The fact is that some cute adorable pups that find themselves at the RSPCA have to be destroyed, due to no fault of their own, other than nobody want them.

Happy Christmas Pup!

About The Author

S. Roberts write for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/