Sunday, June 5, 2011
Pet First Aid: Snakebites & Your Pet
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Out For A Walk?
Teaching Fido Not to Pull on the Leash
There are many things that tempt your dog when you’re out for a walk, like new smells and other animals. Your dog will try to get where he wants to go, even if that means pulling you along with him! If he pulls on the leash and you allow him to, you’ve reinforced him for pulling, and your pup got what he wanted. Once you’ve allowed him to do this, he’ll do it again. American Kennel Club® Canine Good Citizen® Director and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Mary Burch, Ph.D., offers the following two techniques to stop your dog from pulling on the leash.
Technique #1
• When Fido starts to pull on the leash, stop in your tracks. Stand still and don’t move forward with the dog.
• Wait right there where you are. Your pup will pull, but he’ll eventually stop.
• When he does stop pulling, praise him and move forward again.
• Anytime he starts to pull, repeat the procedure and stop where you are. It won’t take him too long to figure out that you’re not going anywhere as long as he pulls on the leash.
Technique #2
• When your pup begins to pull off in his own direction, briskly turn around and begin walking in the opposite direction. Fido will have to come along, and most likely he’ll hurry up to keep up with you.
• When Fido begins to follow in the direction you are walking, praise him. If you’re at the beginning stages of training your pup, give him a treat. This will train your dog to watch you when you’re out for a walk and not pull on the leash.
Additional tips on how to train your dog can be found in "Citizen Canine," the official new book of the AKC Canine Good Citizen® Program sponsored by The Hartford.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Grab Fido and Head to the Beach!
Dogs love trips to the beach. It has it all -- wide open spaces for running and playing, water to
swim in, sticks to chew and fetch, and fascinating smells to discover. As a dog owner, the
beach comes with special challenges and rewards. You'll experience the great joy of walking on
the sand with your dog, watching your puppy get tuckered out by a day of playing and
swimming. But you'll also need to find a beach that's dog friendly and make sure that you and
your pup follow certain important rules of etiquette.
Dog Beaches
Not every beach allows dogs, especially near and in big cities. Some beaches allow dogs but
require that they be on a leash during their visit. While most beaches in the U.S. and Canada do
not allow dogs, there are hundreds of dog-friendly beaches on each coast. The key is to do your
research before you go and find a place where your furry friend will be welcomed.
On the West Coast, you'll find a number of dog-friendly beaches. In California, head to Kings
Beach in Lake Tahoe, Long Beach in the Long Beach area, Pacific Grove in Monterey, and
Laguna Beach or Corona Del Mar in Orange County. San Diego has four dog beaches
(Coronado, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, Ocean Beach), and the Bay Area has Half Moon Bay,
Pacifica beach, and Pescadero beach. Oregon has dog-friendly beaches in Cannon Beach, Coos
Bay, Depoe Bay, Newport, Rockaway Beach, Yachats, and many other seaside towns. In
Washington state, visit Bainbridge Island, Blaine, Everett, Federal Way, Ocean Shores, Edmonds,
Port Angeles, and the beaches of the San Juan Islands.
The East Coast offers dog beaches up and down the seaboard. In Florida, head to Amelia
Island's Fernandina Beach, Dog Island, Fort Myers, Key West, Pensacola, Miami, Naples, and the
three dog beaches of Tampa Bay (Dunedin, St. Petersburg, and Tampa). The Carolinas offer dog
beaches at Cape Fear, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, Charleston (four beaches), Edisto Beach,
Myrtle Beach (Murrells Inlet), and on Hilton Head Island.
Further north, you can visit Brooklyn beach, Long Island's Montauk beach, Cape May Point,
Manasquan, and Newport. Southern Rhode Island has four dog beaches (Charlestown,
Narragansett, South Kingston, and Westerly), and Cape Cod offers eleven, including Barnstable,
Chatham, Sandwich, Truro, and Wellfleet. In the Boston area, check out Manchester beach.
There are also two dog beaches on Marthas Vineyard. Maine offers beaches at Bar Harbor,
Kennebunkport, and South Portland.
Etiquette at the Beach
If you're headed to a beach that allows leashed dogs, be sure to follow the rules. Keep your dog
on a leash at all times. When people disregard leash laws, local municipalities are more likely to
close the beach to dogs altogether, ruining the fun for everyone.
If your beach allows off-leash dogs, be sure your dog will respond to your verbal commands. In
other words, your pup must be able to come when you call it, even if it's engaged with another
dog or investigating a great-smelling bit of beach debris.
Bring poop bags with you and be vigilant about cleaning up after your dog. No one enjoys a
poopy beach! This is another reason why beaches are often closed to dogs. Do your part to
keep your beach dog-friendly by being a responsible dog owner. Many beaches impose fines on
people who don't clean up after their dogs.In general, keep your dog from being a pest. Don't let it
race up to small children who might be afraid. Don't let your dog shake itself dry next to
sunbathers and picnickers. Keep your dog from visiting other beach-goers, especially if they're
eating. And if you can, visit the beach with your dog in the early morning and evening, when the
beach is less crowded. By taking a few precautions and keeping courtesy in mind, you and your
dog can have a fabulous time at the beach and be welcomed by everyone. Once you find a
great dog beach, you'll want to do your best to keep in dog friendly, so you can your pup can
visit again and again
from:camping.com, articles and info, camping with pets - 1823
Poison to Your Pup - Human Food That's Bad for Dogs
It's hard to resist a wagging tail and a pair of big, brown, begging eyes. And while certain human
foods are palatable for dogs, it's important to know which are not, because unfortunately, the
bad ones can severely harm and even kill your dog. The following list of bad foods and their
dangers may seem dire, but if you familiarize yourself with these harmful human foods, you'll be
better equipped to keep your dog healthy and happy.
Enemy #1: poultry bones. Bones and dogs go hand-in-hand, so it can be easy to forget that only
the bones from hoofed animals are right for dogs. Poultry bones - everything from chicken thighs
to turkey drumsticks - splinter and can puncture your dog's gastrointestinal tract. These bones
are dangerous to dogs of all sizes, and the decline and death that results can take several days.
Instead of giving your dog bones from the table, buy specially marked dog bones at the store.
Enemy #2: chocolate. The general rule of thumb with chocolate is that the darker it is, the more
dangerous it is. You also need to take into account the size of your dog and the amount of
chocolate eaten. A small dog who eats a bar of baking chocolate (very dark chocolate) may be
in serious trouble, call your veterinarian immediately in this case. On the other hand, if your 100-
pound dog eats one milk-chocolate candy, it will probably be fine.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that's toxic to dogs. Combined with chocolate's
caffeine, which speeds up the heart rate, this human delicacy can lead to vomiting, diarrhea,
hyperactivity, seizures, and coma. Also, because dogs process chocolate more slowly than
humans, your pup may seem fine after eating the bar, but could still become very ill over the
course of the next twenty-four hours. Cocoa powder is also very dangerous. Milk chocolate and
white chocolate, which contain less cacao, are less dangerous.
Enemy #3: onions. For you, onions are foods that spice up nearly any dish, but for your dog,
they're deadly. Onion poisoning develops symptoms slowly. It can be caused by one large dose
of onions or a small amount eaten steadily over the course of several days. All onions are
dangerous -- fresh onions, dried onions, cooked onions, and even onions on pizza.
Onions (and garlic, to a lesser extent) contain a toxin that causes haemolytic anaemia, in which
the dog's red blood cells burst while they're circulating through its body. Initial symptoms include
vomiting and diarrhea, followed by lethargy, dark urine, and trouble breathing. The full affect of
the poisoning won't be felt until a few days after the dog consumes the onions. Again, both the
size of the dog and the amount of onion eaten are important factors.
Enemy #4: fatty foods. A neighbor hosted a wedding at his home recently and was puzzled to
find that his dog was weak and restless afterward. The veterinarian diagnosed pancreatitis
caused by wedding guests giving the dog fatty treats. This dog had to spend a night in the animal
hospital, receiving fluids to help her inflamed pancreas. Pancreatitis ñ and its sister condition
gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the stomach, can be caused by fatty foods of all types,
whether they come from the table or from a garbage can. Both often require hospitalization.
Enemy #5: macadamia nuts. We think of them as tasty Hawaiian treats, but these nuts contain a
toxic substance that causes paralysis, tremors, swollen limbs, and horrible joint pain.
Other dangerous human foods:
Raisins and grapes - can cause severe diarrhea and acute kidney failure.
Bread Dough (with yeast) the yeast continues to "rise" or expand within the dog's belly. This can
be fatal in both dogs and cats.
Moldy Food - this can cause an array of nasty reactions including seizures, coma, and death.
Even in very small amounts, it easily causes diarrhea, which isn't pleasant for anyone.Looking
for more information and other great articles about camping with pets? Visit PetCamping.com
from: Camping.com, articules and info, camping with pets -1411