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Coping with the Loss of Your Dog

Those of us who can’t imagine life without pets must face the inevitable—that we will almost certainly outlive our four-legged friends. While some small breeds can live up to twenty years, the average dog lives twelve years. Those years often forge a bond so strong that the dog’s death leaves his human companion overwhelmed with grief – and a host of other sometimes – confusing feelings. After all, it’s not like losing a possession such as your car keys or even your favorite sweater; you’re losing a longtime companion, a familiar friend who has become part of the family.

Spock is at it again. Paws flailing, dirt flying and all your hard work planting a garden is in danger of being completely undone. You’re wondering if you should have named him Digger instead, and are frustrated to think that you might have to hide your lovely garden behind a fence just to protect it from being dug up. Before you spend thousands on fencing, try the behavioral training route. It won’t be easy since digging comes naturally to dogs. After all, for many thousands of years their ancestors dug dens for themselves to sleep and give birth in, and also found small animals there to eat (and play with) such as mice, gophers and moles.

As a general rule, before supplementing your dog’s diet, you need to go over together with your veterinarian the accessible evidence or recommendations supporting the use of neurochemicals and dietary supplements. Be certain to keep away from high levels of supplementation of any single nutrient unless you are certain that it’s safe and will not interfere with any other medicines your pet may be taking.

Among the initial issues new dog owners ask is how much exercise does a dog need to have. It’s a difficult question to answer although as every single breed of the dog has distinct needs and even inside a breed, there is going to be fluctuations dependent on the requirements of individual dogs. Then, for some breeds such as the Labrador retriever, we talk in minimal levels of exercise necessary even though breeds, including the Mastiff tend to be discussed within the maximum duration and intensity of workout. Age also comes into the mix as does body condition and overall wellness.

Have you ever wondered if your dog has what it takes to be a search and rescue (SAR) dog? The skills of these heroic animals are called into play with every disaster imaginable: fire, tornado, flood, bombings, train wreck, plane crash, avalanche, earthquake, as well as searching for the young or elderly who may have wandered off.

If you’re a parent, you know how hard it can be to get children to brush their teeth regularly. So when your veterinarian told you that you should be brushing Bandit’s teeth, you probably had visions of chasing him around the house, wrestling him to the floor and placing your tender fingers not just near but on his very sharp teeth. Good news! If Bandit is like most dogs, he will actually enjoy having his teeth brushed – maybe not the first time, but it won’t take long before he sees it as a treat.

Dogs communicate with each other mainly through scent and body language. When two dogs greet each other they are communicating all kinds of signals, without needing sound. Sounds such as barking and growling are additional ways to communicate but they are not their primary source of communication; therefore verbal language is not necessary to train a dog. In fact dogs read cues in our body language, and expression in our face and eyes even more than what we are saying to them.

Your dog’s skin and coat must be in optimum condition to keep them happy and prevent scratching. The itching triggered by dandruff can trigger dogs to scratch their fur and skin off, making them prone to infection. The five tips beneath ought to aid clear up your dog’s symptoms.

Scooter doesn’t have to be a Obedience Champion to compete, but there are three control commands that he does have master: Come, Sit-Stay, and Down-Stay. As with all dog training, you need to make learning this fun, not work. Bear in mind that praise, clicks and treats will always win out over scolding and other forms of negative reinforcement. Incorporate these behaviors into your daily life – have Scooter Sit-Stay before eating his dinner, or Down-Stay before a rousing game of catch. Whatever you do, don’t use Come only when all the fun is over and it’s time to go home!

Dog collars are a very important part of your dog’s life. He is to wear one all the time for the sake of identity purposes, but collars can be used for training as well. There are some collars that are not supposed to be worn for every day, and some collars are more suited to larger or smaller breeds of dog.