Should u neuter your dog? And Raw v Processed Food...

Should you neuter your dog?  The Pros & Cons

Dog owners can have pretty passionate opinions on whether or not to neuter their dog.  For those who aren’t sure, it’s probably not helped by the fact that there doesn’t seem to be overwhelming evidence in favour of either camp.  Some dog owners hope neutering might modify behaviour but the author of this really good feature on YourDog.co.uk doesn’t seem to think so.  They say that behaviour in entire (not neutered) male dogs in adolescence does change but they say if properly managed, testosterone-driven aggression is rare.  There are swings in testosterone levels anyway so a dog’s mood and energy can change from time to time. 

This article details the various neutering options available for male and female dogs, the health implications for neutering or not including propensity to develop tumours, urinary incontinence in neutered females, does neutering affect behaviour and more.  I was really interested to see that in Sweden routine neutering is banned.  Owners of larger or more active breeds are recommended to wait until the dog is 12-18 months old before neutering.  Personally, I’m a fan of neutering but it’s obviously up to dog owners to do what they think is best for their dog.

https://bit.ly/2B2PlhE

Raw food v processed food?

Which is best to feed your pet – raw or commercial pet food?  Pets do seem to love raw food and its purity and naturalness really appeal to some pet owners.  In this blog from Pete the Vet, he says best diet for animals is the one they thrive on.  He talks about the benefits of both raw and processed pet food and says that he looks for scientific evidence at all times. 

Processed pet food is cooked, nutritionally complete and safe.  If it says ‘complete pet food’ then it’s obliged to provide all the essential nutrients that your pet needs. Some cats can get more urinary tract infections from commercial pet food as they’re taking in less moisture – hence the advice to always have water available for your pets. 

If your pet has an allergy to an ingredient in commercial pet food, raw food may solve the problem.  However, raw food can carry bacteria - while Pete emphasises that health-related incidents are rare - he advises people to be aware of the pros and cons and health risks – both to animals and their owners – of feeding raw food. 

There can be trends in pet food – just as there are with human food – and Pete observes that some can be fads with no scientific evidence as yet to back them up e.g. grain free pet food.  But, whatever diet you choose for your pet, Pete says it should meet 3 requirements – it should be nutritionally complete, palatable (so your pet enjoys it) and, of course, it should be safe.

(photo: PetMD.com)

https://bit.ly/2BAfDbr

Preventing cancer in your pet

None of us want to think about our beloved 4-legged pals getting cancer but this article is worth reading as it lists symptoms to look out for as well as preventative measures we can take.  Cancer is the leading cause of non-accidental death in pets according to this article on PetBusiness.com.  The most common pet cancers include lymphoma, skin cancer, osteosarcoma (bone cancer), mammary gland and soft tissue sarcomas, while the most common spot to find tumours is the skin.

Symptoms we should be on alert for include swelling, lumps, rapid weight and/or appetite loss and low energy.  Preventative measures include neutering, regular check-ups with the vet, exposure to carcinogens and protection from the sun’s rays.  More info here ….

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A Dream Dog Park, how much exercise & 'leave it'

A dog’s dream park!

Having a dog park like this one in Nashville, Tennessee would be a dream come through for the dog in your life!  I know it’s my dream – to open a dog park where dogs can run free in a stimulating environment!  Just waiting for those prize bonds to do their thing!  At Bark Park in Nashville, Tennessee, dogs come first, owners second. It has a dog-centred design – built 100% for dogs.  See the pic for an example -  the table ‘legs’ are affixed to the ceiling, not the floor so dogs can wander around more easily.  And that’s the beauty of this Park – the dogs can run and play to their hearts’ content.  According to this article in Forbes, “Bark understands what physical spaces are all about—the social joy and memories of being somewhere and doing something, whether as humans or as furry animals.”

Dogs can have daily, monthly or seasonal membership – and can bring along a 2-legged guest!  The humans can enjoy coffee, a chat with other 2-legged visitors, beer tasting, comedians performing or a movie while their dogs have a fab time! I just love it!

https://bit.ly/2JweJz7

How much exercise does your dog need?

Sometimes we assume that the bigger the dog, the more exercise he/she needs but that’s not the case.  The amount of exercise your dog needs depends on a number of factors including age, breed and general health.  The guidelines for puppies, for example, is 5 minutes per month of age so if your pup is 3 months old – 15 minutes a day is plenty at this stage.

Regarding dog size, smaller dogs like poodles, chihuahuas or Yorkshire terriers don’t need to be too active but nor do some very large breeds like Great Danes, Newfoundlands or Mastiffs.   Flat-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs and shihtzus don’t need too intense exercise either as their breathing challenges causes them to slow down and have a more sedentary lifestyle, according to this article on dogster.com.  It also gives tips on the best places to exercise your four legged pal.

https://bit.ly/2Dc89O5

Teaching your dog to “leave it”

In this article, training your dog to ‘Leave it’ means ‘do not touch that object’.  The author uses high and low value treats – the high value is the one to be left while the low value is used as the reward.  Over a few weeks, the gap between the Leave It order and the rewarding lengthens.  Blocking is also a suggested technique – blocking the dog from the high value treat.  The author also gives 7 tips on how to translate the behaviour to the real world i.e. in different environments, when the dog is excited – though I’m not so sure about tips 5 and 6 - all I’ll say is dead animals, rabbit poo etc – you’ll have to read it to find out!!

https://www.thatmutt.com/2015/04/22/does-your-dog-really-know-the-leave-it-command/

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Calm your puppy, How to prevent Lyme Disease - & Your dog won't walk?

How to get your puppy to calm down

First of all, don’t start training your puppy to be calm if he hasn’t expended some energy at playtime or on a walk!  He needs to be able to settle.  This is just one of the very practical tips in this article in “Your Dog” magazine which is a step-by-step guide to training your puppy to calm down. 

You need to place the dog’s bed or a cushion that he likes close to you.  Next you should affix a lightweight lead to the dog’s collar – not too tight as to pull him but short enough so he can’t wander off or jump up on you.  Then – ignore him.  He’ll eventually settle and when he does, give him a treat – or if he’s very food-oriented, maybe an ear rub or whatever works for him.  For more details, check out the article…

https://bit.ly/2t7Gt6b

(image: People.com)

Prevent Lyme Disease in your dog

Lyme Disease is a tick-borne disease and ticks like the warm weather as much as we do!  Lyme Disease can go undetected for a long time and it can cause kidney failure and neurological complications in dogs which can be fatal.  Signs to look out for include a ‘bull’s eye’ rash, transient fever, anorexia and sometimes arthritis.  But symptoms may not materialise for some time.

So how can we prevent Lyme Disease – the answer - prevent tick bites.  Thankfully there are plenty of products which prevent ticks from biting pets and there are vaccines for dogs.  For more information, read the article here in “Modern Dog” magazine….

https://bit.ly/2tdQfD2

Does your dog refuse to walk?

We all know dogs who “put on the brakes” and dig their claws in and just plain refuse to move!  Some roll over on their back as if to say, “I’m done” and some turn around trying to rush back home? This article is aimed at those dogs!

The tips include play with your dog (ball, chasing etc), change your route, bring high value treats, bring a friend or family member and change the feeding schedule.  If the dog associates the end of the walk with getting fed, he may want to end the walk sooner!  Another good tip the author gives is when the dog stops, quickly turn and walk in the opposite direction to where you were going and then quickly turn back again.  There are also 7 tips on what to do if your dog is scared to walk…..

https://www.thatmutt.com/2017/08/23/dog-refuses-to-walk/

Plan a dog-friendly holiday & binge-watching Netflix with your pets!

Pets & binge-watching Netflix

According to a Netflix survey in the US, 71% of its users say pets are the best bingeing companions - and 30% even set up a separate profile for watching with their furry friends!

The reasons pets make the best bingeing partners include because they’re great at cuddling (40%); they don’t hog the remote (23%); they never share spoilers (20%); and they’re always up for watching another episode (18%)!!

According to this article on Petbusiness.com, “Narcos”,“Marvel’s Daredevil” and other action-filled shows are preferred by dog owners while cat owners are more into sci-fi series, such as “Black Mirror” and “Star Trek Discovery.”  More insights here…….

https://bit.ly/2FiE4sC

Planning a dog-friendly holiday

When looking to book a holiday that includes your dog, make sure you look for somewhere that’s dog friendly – as opposed to just dog tolerant, which many places are.

Amongst the things a genuine dog-friendly place will have are an enclosed exercise area and a Welcome Pack which highlights all the dog-friendly amenities, cafes and restaurants and attractions in the area.  Thorough advance research is a must and the author recommends reading the small print on websites etc – find out exactly where in the hotel/accommodation you can bring your dog.  And when you do arrive, check out the Visitors’ Book for helpful and insightful comments.  Good tips here……

http://www.yourdogholidays.co.uk/dog-travel-advice/how-to-plan-the-perfect-dog-friendly-holiday

(photo credit: Passpawt)

Reducing your eco-pawprint

This article in Modern Dog magazine offers tips on how to reduce your eco paw print and improve you and your dog’s health in the process.  The tips include detoxing your home (specifically by reducing the amount of chemical household cleanser – and it suggests how to make your own); go on a plastic diet (ensure your dog’s toys are made from natural materials such as wool, natural rubber, organic cotton etc) and source your dog’s food as locally as possible.

https://bit.ly/2r5xmkD

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13 great dog movies, snowy walks & don't feel guilty using a crate

Binge on 13 great dog movies

As these few snowy days are definitely duvet days, here’s a list from PuppyLeaks.com of 13 recommended dog movies from the 90s and also 7 dog documentaries on Netflix that you can binge on!  I have to admit I hadn’t heard of most of them!

The exceptions were – Beethoven, 101 Dalmations, the Homeward Bounds movies and Lassie.  Never saw the Homeward Bound films and loved the Beethoven ones and 101 Dalmations.  While I didn’t see the 1994 Lassie, the TV programme of the same name was a stalwart of my viewing when growing up!  Amazingly that programme ran from 1954 (before my time!) to 1973!  And there have been 7 Lassie movies – I know I saw a couple of them as a child.  Always a soft spot for Lassie!  Check out which films you’ve seen…

http://bit.ly/2FhANOt

(photo: Pinterest)

Keep your dog safe on snowy walks

Dogs don’t care that it’s snowing, in fact they love playing in it!  So when it’s safe to do so, you can still walk them in this weather – but keep the walks shorter.  A few tips from Dogs Monthly include: make sure you can both be seen (reflective clothes, leads, armbands etc); have a winter coat for your dog especially if he/she has thin fur and is older; pay special attention to their paws – snow can get impacted there, salt from the roads can irritate their paws and chemicals from de-icers are toxic if they lick their paws.  So vital to wash their paws when they get home.  Trimming the fur between their toes is also suggested.  Read more here…

http://bit.ly/2t1jMTq

Don’t feel guilty about crating your dog

Dog owners shouldn’t feel guilty about putting their dog in a crate, according to Lindsay Stordahl of ThatMutt.com.  It keeps the dog safe when the owner isn’t around and helps with training.  The routine of being crated helps calm them, prevents them from getting into the bin or scratching doors or showing other signs of anxiety or boredom. 

Lindsay recommends stuffing kongs with peanut butter and freezing them – and then leaving one with the dog while out – the dog will get hours of fun from this (I’ve used these in my van to distract dogs who don’t like being in the back of the van!). She also says they need plenty of exercise before and after being in the crate.  Have a read…..

http://bit.ly/2F3hHIs

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Does your dog growl & bark at other dogs, 10 Commandments for Puppies & 'Spanish Tummy' in dogs

What to do if your dog barks & growls at other dogs

Does your dog bark and growl at other dogs on walks?  This great article on ThatMutt.com has loads of practical tips on prevention and cure, so to speak.  The prevention measures include: get the right training collar; keep your dog at your side rather than in front of you; enrol in an obedience class and exercise, exercise!

‘Cure’ tips include: distraction with highly valued treats; keep your body between your dog and the other and do a u-turn and walk the other way.

They highly recommend a book called, “Feisty Fido” for reactive dogs.  It covers identifying triggers for your dog’s behaviour, setting up positive experience and slowly changing your dog’s reaction over time to those triggers.

http://bit.ly/2BcJumR

(photo: 4Knines.com)

How to treat vomiting or diarrohea in your dog

Not one to read if you’re eating!  The brilliant Pete the Vet tells us that stomach upsets in dogs are usually due to scavenging or eating inappropriate foodstuffs.  It doesn’t happen with cats as often as they are much more fastidious eaters.  He advises that science backs up the tried and trusted treatment of bland food (chicken, fish, boiled rice) for 1-3 days which relaxes the digestive system combined with rehydration.  If your dog remains bright and active that’s often enough.  But he also outlines warning signs to look out for that necessitate a visit to the vet and the treatments that vets will give.

Pete has a great slot on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk every Thursday where he addresses a topic of interest to pet lovers and owners and also answers listeners’ questions.  The link below outlines his key points on the ‘Spanish Tummy’ issue and there’s also a link to the podcast.  Pete also writes for the Telegraph in the UK and features on various other media.

https://www.petethevet.com/what-to-do-if-your-dog-has-vomiting-or-diarrhoea-pete-the-vet-podcast-on-newstalks-pat-kenny-show/

10 Commandments for your Puppy

As well as affection and kindness, puppies need the security of routine and constantly reinforced rules, according to this trainer.  Otherwise, they can’t magically grow into well behaved adult dogs – they need to be trained very early in their young lives so that parameters are set. 

She has 10 training commandments and for each of these she describes in this article how she trains puppies to: Pay attention when my owner/a person talks to me; Stuff you can trash and stuff you can’t; Always toilet outside; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not shout thy mouth off; Recall means come back NOW; Stay means Stay; Don’t whine or yap the minute you feel frustrated or don’t get your own way; The purpose of a lead is not to pull your owner and finally, in the main, co-operation brings far more good stuff in life than rebellion.

http://www.yourdog.co.uk/Puppy-Advice/the-10-puppy-commandments.html

  

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