Archive for » January, 2009 «

Tuesday, January 06th, 2009 | Author: admin

Some daily activity and exercise is essential, allowing freedom to move about in a natural manner. Lack of exercise leads to poor muscle tone, obesity, heart ailments, bone disorders and often results in emotional problems and dog behavior quirks.

Dogs with no exercise subjected to overcrowding and confinement in cages for prolonged periods, often their entire lives, develop a great variety of physical and emotional disorders. If you dont have any idea about dog exercise, you can read here whole thing about dog training exercise

Keeping your dog lean and healthy can add years to his life. Changing daily activities is recommended to keep your dog interested in exercise and to prevent boredom. Need ideas? Use the following list of exercise activities to maintain dog health:

1.Playing at the park is great exercise for your dog and you! Also, time spent exercising together will strengthen the bond between you and your pooch.

2.Playing catch with your pooch provides great exercise for him. Remember to give him or her praise for his or her accomplishments.

3.Keeping your dog entertained with toys might help cut down on house or lawn damage. Busy dogs are less likely to cause household problems than bored dogs.

4.Dogs love to interact with other dogs and need to have their own time for doggie play.

5.Swimming is a great activity that will increase your dog’s cardiovascular fitness, muscle tone, and strength. Dogs that suffer joint diseases or have injuries also will benefit from this type of low-impact workout.

6.Daily walks with your dog will get you both moving and offer more time for owner-pet bonding

For any information about kennels, pet sale and dog information. Simply visit at http://www.indianpetdogs.com/

Category: Health  | Leave a Comment
Tuesday, January 06th, 2009 | Author: admin

Just because your dog wears a coat every single day, does not mean that she cannot also wear a hot, trendy and elegant pink dog dress as well. That’s right, a dog in a pink dress. While some people may think this is a funny thing, others know that even dogs have a charming sense of fashion as well and nothing compliments your dog’s coat quite like a fashionable pink dog dress.

While some may think that finding them is a daunting task, in reality it is not. Matter of fact there is a pink dog dress available out there for just about any occasion. If you and your dog are going to a wedding or an important event, there are some elegant evening gowns available. When your dog dawns a gown, she will become the Belle of the Ball, like Cinderella and will be the center of attraction; the cutest thing on four legs for miles around. Be sure to check out these dog supplies.

Don’t worry, some people don’t make it to fancy dress occasions very often and it is even more of a rare occasion to have your dog invited too. But that does not mean it would not be great to have a fancy pink dog dress available. What about a night out on the town, this will happen more often of course. You can find a large selection of mini skirts for dogs online and have them delivered right to your front door.

Buying your pink dog dress online is a great way of saving money because there are no added expenses of an online store like a store front rental or warehousing space. Furthermore, since the items will be shipped to your home, you will even be saving gas money too which of course is just another added bonus to getting your dog clothes online.

So when it comes to getting your dog a trendy pink dog dress, you will be able to ensure that your dog is the cutest thing in the neighborhood without a question. Who knows, your dog may even be the leader of your neighborhood’s dog fashion trends and everyone will be turning to you for ideas on what to get their dog. Your dog will love all of the attention that follows suit as well; what dog would not like getting attention from everyone?

Category: Dog Supplies  | Leave a Comment
Monday, January 05th, 2009 | Author: admin

A dog that constantly scratches, licks, and itches is annoying to both the dog and the owner. If you’ve ever had a scratchy dog, you know that leaving things alone and hoping they get better isn’t a real option…unless continued scratching, licking, and itching are ok with you. When a dog exhibits these behaviors, you can rest assured that something is wrong. The trick, though, is finding out what that something is.

Choose the best outfits and Dog Supplies for your dog, he or she will love their New Dog Dresses and other Dog Clothes that will put a smile on their faces each and every year.

If your dog has a flea allergy and you see fleas on him, bingo. But, how do you know if your dog has a flea allergy? Check for common symptoms like watery eyes. He also may lick his paws and use his paws to scratch his face. These are signs you have yourself a flea allergy. A vet-approved Benadryl, a nice medicated bath, and a trip to the vet for some flea preventative should clear his problems right up. Also, make sure you vacuum you home and dispose of the bag and wash your dog’s bed covers and any other fabrics he comes in contact with. Wash in very hot water. If your dog doesn’t have a flea allergy and has no fleas but is constantly scratching, licking, and itching, there are other things to consider.

After ruling out fleas, turn to your dog’s diet. If he’s on a grocery store brand kibble, you may have located your problem. Many of these brands leave out omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which are essential in keeping your dog’s coat shiny and his skin moist, soft, and healthy. Some of the brands also lack the proper amounts of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. Consider visiting your vet or a pet store where the selection of food and assistance is available. Look for a food with fish oils. Also, consider the fact that your dog may be allergic to certain ingredients in his old grocery store kibble. Some dogs are allergic to eggs, wheat, soy, and corn. Don’t be afraid to ask an associate and explain your dog’s condition. A fast fix may be right in front of you.

Once you’ve found and treated the problem, maintain maintenance. Continue buying the new kibble, continue washing his bed clothes on a regular basis, and treat him to a bath with a soothing oatmeal shampoo. Of course, when all else fails, make an appointment with your vet.

Category: Health  | Leave a Comment
Sunday, January 04th, 2009 | Author: admin

Having a dog is a lot of responsibility. And perhaps the biggest responsibility of them all is to ensure that the dog does not sneak out ant any point of time without you knowing it. And to prevent this from happening, you need to build high walls for fences which in turn require expensive permits from the municipality. But thanks to the concept of electric fences, your pocket will feel much heavy now.

Quick Note: Get your doggy the best from doggy dog supplies, they have Small Dog Supplies of all kinds. You can get your doggy his or her their own Large Dog Coat and Dog Carriers which should place a smile on their face.

So how does an electric fence work? Well the concept is quite effective and extremely simple as well. Here, a wire is buried inside the ground around the perimeter within which you want to confine your dog. Well, this wire basically acts an antenna which feeds signal to the transmitter laced inside the fence. The transmitter produces radio frequency that are picked up by the receiver on the dog’s collar.

Here you get two types of electric fences. In the first type, your dog gets a simulation whenever he comes near to the fence via the collar fitted around his neck. If the dog ignores this simulation and continues its approach towards the buried wire, an electric shock is transmitted into its body which unsettles it. A second type dog of electric fence uses a warning tone when the dog comes closer to the buried wire but then uses a spray of citronella to correct the dog.

But there are other things which need to be done to make the electric fence effective. And the most important of the other things is the fact that your dog should be able to properly understand the system. Your dog will need to be conditioned and trained before the dog electric fences become effective at keeping your dog safe at home. Going by the normal scale the training period is of 30 days with atleast 1 hour to be devoted to it daily. This timing is subject to change depending on the type and other features of your dog.

And generally it has been observed that the spray type of electric fence is much less effective as compared to the electric shock one. Also, there is a loophole in the system of electric fence. A dog can even train itself to pass that protection zone quickly enough to prevent any of the aftereffects like shock, simulation, etc.

Category: Health  | Leave a Comment
Sunday, January 04th, 2009 | Author: admin

Various contentions have been put forward in the dog world by some, (eg those against mixed breeds), that ‘hybrid vigor’ is allegedly not possible (for example) when breeding labordoodles (ie mixed breeding of Labradors and Poodles) as it is alleged that hybrid vigor is only possible with mixed breeding of unrelated animals (eg horse and donkey). However, that it not correct.

For example, see http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/resources/publications/pdfs/ER-IS-03-01.pdf:

“What is a hybrid?

A hybrid is an organism resulting from a cross between genetically different parents. Hybrids can arise from crosses between closely related species (interspecific hybrids) or by crosses between different types (subspecies, varieties, cultivars) within a species (intraspecific hybrids).

Hybridisation occurs naturally, but it is also widely used in selective breeding programmes for both plants and animals. The mule is an interspecific hybrid between the horse and the donkey, bred to combine some of the favourable characteristics of each parent. Intraspecific hybrids often show ‘hybrid vigour’ (heterosis), growing more vigorously and yielding more than in-bredlines.”

Hence, labrodoodles are ‘intraspecific hybrids’ (ie are within species breeding) and do show hybrid vigor.

Also, see http://www.country-wide.co.nz/article/449.html:

Another important but often forgotten principle is what happens when you interbreed the first cross (F1) progeny. In essence if you breed (F1) sires and dams together, there will be less hybrid vigour in the progeny. Like wise hybrid vigour also drops if you breed back to either of the parent breeds.

Our Labrodoodle puppies are F1 generation (ie first cross between Labrador & Poodle), maximising hybrid vigor (or heterosis), and minimising inbreeding depression, etc. And have purebred parents with champion bloodlines/pedigrees.

The F1 (ie first generation) of Labradoodle puppies have more hybrid vigor than the second or so generation, are less likely to be more variable then some other generations, and also have the least inbreeding depression.

Another interesting scientific point to note about our F1 Labradoodles is that research has shown that these have increased longevity or rates of survival (eg research has shown up to 4 years longer), due to the absence of inbreeding (such as that occurring in purebred dogs). And the same research has shown that the higher the rate of inbreeding (eg in purebreds), the lower or shorter the longevity or survival rates. This relates to the term known as ‘inbreeding depression’, and which is
described in more detail at inbreeding depression and inbreeding depression.

And this may be due to the benefits from hybrid vigour, especially compared to the negative effects known as ‘inbreeding depression’ present in purebreds.

Unlike some breeders, we can guarantee the genetics of the puppies are solely Labrador/Poodle, as the parents of our Labradoodle puppies are purebred, and with pedigree papers. And this also ensures that they are definitely F1 puppies.

The term ‘hybrid vigor’ is used in various fields, such as breeding livestock, rabbits, aquaculture, plants, cats, dogs, etc.

And rather than just us giving you our opinion etc re hybrid vigor, we thought you may like to read information from other sources. So that you can make an informed choice or decision.

So, below are some relevant extracts re hybrid vigor, and links to their sources:

From MSN encarta online:

‘hy-brid vig-or

improved traits resulting from crossbreeding: the increased growth, disease resistance, or fertility seen in hybrid species.’

From Encylopedia Brittanica online:

‘Increase in such characteristics as size, growth rate, fertility, and yield of a hybrid organism over those of its parents.’

‘Plant and animal breeders exploit heterosis by mating two different purebred lines that have desirable traits. The first-generation offspring generally show, in greater measure, the desired characteristics of both parents. Since this vigour may decrease if the hybrids are actually mated together, the parental lines must be maintained and crossed for each new crop or group desired.’

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

‘heterosis

the marked vigor or capacity for growth often exhibited by crossbred animals or plants — called also hybrid vigor’

From report by CSIRO:

“The benefits of hybrid vigor only appear in crossbred animals that have parents of completely different breeds.”

From a transcript of the Senate:

“veterinarians recognize the concept of ‘hybrid vigor,’ especially in first generation hybrids”

From United States Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, and County Governments Cooperating:

“The highest level of hybrid vigor is obtained from F1’s, the first cross of unrelated populations.”

“Hybrid Vigor - An increase in the performance of crossbred animals over that of purebreds, also known as heterosis.”

So, there should be little (if any) doubt that the first generation (ie F1) Labradoodles have the maximum hybrid vigor and the least inbreeding depression compared to other generations etc.

P.S. For the house training dogs tips please watch this video.

Category: Labrador  | Leave a Comment
Saturday, January 03rd, 2009 | Author: admin

A gift is not something that is simply given to a person. When you give a gift to a person the gift must be something that makes the receiver think about you every time he or she looks at the gift. As such as long as your receiver is a pet lover a pet portrait can be a lovely gift for your friend.

Quick Note: Get your dog the best Dog Supplies and put a smile on their faces. If your doggy deserves to look as great as they are then give them their own Dog Dress and Dog Coats and show them that you really care about them.

A pet portrait can be a very touching gift for many. This is because for animals such as dogs that display near human intelligence, they get very attached to the owner. The owner at times becomes dependant on the dog. However when compared to humans these dogs have very short lives.

Therefore when the owner looses the pet he or she might become very sad. This is one of the reasons a pet portrait can become a very personal gift. A pet portrait will remind the owner of the dog of his or her lost companion. The portrait can be hung anywhere in the house as the owner desires and sometimes at the favorite spot of the dog. This way the owner will be reminded of the dog when ever he or she sees the portrait and will be eternally thankful to you for presenting such a gift.
A pet portrait can be done by a professional. These professionals can make lifelike portraits of dogs that you can gift to your friend.

Your can as the artist to paint the dog of the same breed as your friends and add a little specifications to the painting such as a spot of color or fur here and there so that the dog would look just like the dog of the owner. You can ask the painter to paint such a picture of the dog in the dog’s favorite posture so that the resemblance is striking to the real dog. Also if you want to really customize the picture then you can try your hand at making the portrait of the dog yourself.

You need to master a few skills before you can try your hand at drawing the dog. These skills would include how to capture the curves and the color of the dog on canvas. When you are drawing the dog you can give the dog several incentives like treats to stay still. Also an easier method is to draw the dog when the dog is sleeping. This can solve many problems at once.

Category: Health  | Leave a Comment
Saturday, January 03rd, 2009 | Author: admin

Bringing home a new dog or puppy is always an exciting time. Owning a dog brings a lot of responsibility. You have to feed her, groom her, provide her with proper health care, and give her a safe place to call home.

One of the best things you can do for your new puppy is to make sure that they have essential dog training.

Discipline and Behavior

You really do not want to have a dog that is misbehaving all the time. Your dog can embarrass you, but even worse they can be dangerous.

Training requires lots of time and patience, but in the end you will have a well behaved dog that you can be proud of. Training will also strengthen the bond between you and your dog. Take the time to train your dog and set the rules for appropriate behavior. For best results start early.

Dog Obedience Training

Obedience training is also an important part of your dog’s overall training program. Levels of training varies from basic to advanced.

At a minimum you should make sure that your puppy goes through basic training. House training and leash training along with basic commands like sit, stay, come are all considered part of basic training.

Of course, you can always progress to a more advanced level. Training should continue to make sure that you always have a well behaved dog. Destructive behaviors like barking, chewing, and digging can usually be prevented just by including the proper training. Just find a program that meets your needs and provides a results such as Sit, Stay, Fetch.

Puppy Training

Puppy training should start at an early age. Some people wait too long to start training their puppies and it makes it a little more difficult and frustrating. It is a myth that a puppy younger than six months cannot be trained.

Although a puppy has limitations to what she can learn that should not prevent you from teaching her the basic commands from the start. Just do some research to make sure you follow the proper techniques.

There are many different sources of information available - dog training books, ebooks, websites, and even complete training programs. Another suggestion would be to look for dog group training. You can also hire an experienced dog trainer if your budget allows.

Group Training for your Dog

You can find training classes at the larger pet stores like PetsMart. Being in a group setting usually makes them cheaper. You can also ask around as your local area animal shelter or other animal groups may offer free or discounted group training classes.

One added advantage of group training, in my opinion, is that it gives your dog the added benefit of socializing with other dogs and their owners.

Experienced Trainers

The benefit of a professional trainer is the one on one training that they will provide. Just be sure to ask around for recommendations so that you can find a trainer who is know to provide results.

You should hire a professional dog trainer for major issues such as dealing with an aggressive dog. Do not attempt to try and handle this on your own.

Conclusion

It is a huge responsibility when you own a dog. It is also our job as responsible dog owners to make sure that we have well behaved dogs. Just be sure that you go into any training program with an open mind and the right attitude and you will find that it is a rewarding experience.

And remember, you can always search for more information about dogs.

Category: Dog Training  | Leave a Comment
Friday, January 02nd, 2009 | Author: admin

Strange Nosebleeds During The Summertime

A caring dog owner asked an important question. This dog owner seemed to find that her seemingly very healthy and robust Labrador Retriever in the summer time was getting frequent nose bleeds when the outside temperature is 90 degrees or above. The question was, ” Is it normal for a dog to get summer nosebleeds?” The answer to that question, is no.

Be sure to pick up some dog coats.

It is not common for dogs to get nosebleeds and should your dog get a nosebleed you need to call your vet whether they display sick symptoms or not. What would cause this owners poor Lab to have nosebleeds in high heat? Well it could be a few things such as allergies. The dog could simply be reacting to some sort of pollen or reacting to a plant that he or she is inhaling.

The summer months bring plenty of pollen in the air which can cause inflammation of the nasal passages, thus causing nosebleeds. Another possibility is that your dog might be allergic to some type of plant that is in full bloom during hot weather.

Do you want to purchase some nice pet carriers.

The remedy to your dog’s nosebleeds can easily be treated with an anti or other medications, such as corticosteroids. These treatments can be very beneficial but the best way to avoid any problems that have to do with your dog inhaling foreign substances is to avoid the allergens altogether. Work with your veterinarian to pinpoint the exact cause of the nosebleeds or other symptoms and make the extra effort to eradicate the source from your yard area.

Is Your Dog Too Fat?

A common and serious problem plaguing puppies as well as dogs of all ages is them being overweight. Have you ever heard your vet say, “Your puppy is 10lbs overweight.”? This is not something that should be taken lightly!

It is a serious concern when a puppy or any age dog is overweight. Being overweight can cause a whole host of physiological as well as mental problems for your dog. It shortens their lifespan an decreases their quality of life. If your dog is 10lbs overweight, then he or she is already considered to be obese.

Working with your vet is the very best thing you can do at this point! Your vet is a wealth of information and resources in how to get your puppy or dog to a healthy weight and how to keep it maintained. One of the next important things you can do is to check your dog’s breed standard to determine what their ideal and healthy weight is.

Exercise should begin immediately. Please use caution, however, as your dog may need to ease his way into vigorous activity. Most overweight dogs have a sedentary lifestyle because their owners do not take them out for daily walks or other exercise activities. Start off with a nice slow stroll on the leash a few times each day. You’d be surprised at how beneficial a simple walk with your dog can be to shedding those pounds.

You will want to take a look at these dog products.

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Friday, January 02nd, 2009 | Author: admin

If you are looking for the perfect pet for your family, a Labrador retriever just might fit the bill. There are many reasons why this breed has constantly topped lists of the most popular family dog, including their friendliness, playfulness and loyalty to their families. However, Labs that come home from the breeder as cute bundles of fur will quickly grow into dogs that can weigh more than sixty pounds.

If you don’t begin Labrador obedience training early on that big, boisterous pet may be running the show in your household before you know it! This is why it is so important to teach your Lab to respect you and the other members of your household from the first day that he sets his paw into your home. A dog that understands who is in charge will be much more likely to obey the rules of the house and follow your commands. There are a number of methods that you can use to begin Labrador obedience training from day one with your pet, and many will help to instill respect and a willingness to follow your lead.
One of the first steps in effective Labrador obedience training is consistency. Just like small children, a dog needs to know that the rules are the same all the time, and that if he doesn’t follow them, he will get a scolding from you. This means that if you want your Lab to stay off of your bed, you can’t allow him to jump up even once. Any exceptions to the rule will quickly be picked up on by this intelligent creature, and he will continue to push you to the point of exasperation if he thinks his efforts might be successful.

While you are busy enforcing those rules, keep in mind that positive Labrador obedience training that incorporates plenty of praise and rewards will generally be much more effective than sessions that utilize punishment as a form of motivation. Because these dogs are very eager to please their masters, praise will work very well to get these dogs to obey your commands.
Labrador obedience training with a very young dog should be limited to just a few minutes, and should include lots of praise and rewards. When your dog is first learning a command, keep distractions to an absolute minimum to ensure that you have your puppy’s full attention. As your dog begins to be comfortable with a particular instruction, include some distraction to the training session, like tossing treats around him or bouncing a ball as you give the command. This will help to ensure that your dog will obey you in any circumstance, no matter what distractions might be lurking about. Good beginning commands will include sit, fetch and stay, but lie and come should be close behind those. In the beginning Labrador obedience training sessions, make sure to reward your dog even if he sits for only a second or two. As you progress, you can require that he sits for longer periods or stays put even when you walk away or turn your back to him. These training sessions will pay off with a dog that is well behaved and a pleasant addition to your family.

Labrador training is not particularly difficult, but it does take plenty of time and effort on the part of the owner, beginning with learning the best techniques for training Labs. Fortunately for the new dog owner, there are many good Dog training books and articles like this available so you and your Labrador retriever can start off on the right foot.

Category: Labrador  | Leave a Comment
Thursday, January 01st, 2009 | Author: admin

For a good night’s rest for your dog, getting them a comfortable bed is a must have item. However, with so many beds from which you can choose from, how will you know which one will offer the best night’s rest? Well it is simple really, choosing a comfortable bed for your dog is not different then choosing one for yourself. The most comfortable style around is composed of memory foam. You know the stuff that was designed by NASA as the infomercials say. Well these are now available as memory foam dog beds and they make the perfect bed for your dog.

These dog beds will contour to your dog’s body lines and stay that way all night long. Giving your dog perfectly even support on all of his joints and muscles, these types of dog beds are designed to do nothing more then ensure that your dog will sleep throughout the whole night and wake up every morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day’s long list of things to do like running around and barking at the mailman. Also learn more information about dogs.

So if you like the idea of pampering your pet and giving something back for all of the times that they have been there for you when you need them to be, then getting your dog a comfortable memory foam dog bed is the perfect choice.

Your dog loves you and has been loyal and obedient, it is only fair that you do the same back to him by making sure that he is comfortable at night as he sleeps. You wouldn’t sleep on the cold hard floor if you did not have to would you? Then do not make your dog do it either. Of course the best way to get one of these beds is on the internet. The reason for this is simply for the fact that it is very cheap and affordable online versus buying at the local pet shop. Best of all it is even delivered to your door; maybe when the dog sees that the mailman brought the new bed, they will get along better. Maybe not! You will probably want to take a look at these dog supplies.

Besides, as your dog ages, all those years of sleeping on the floor can cause him to develop aching bones and joints, by getting him a memory foam dog bed today, you can save him from all of this pain latter on in life; now doesn’t that make it worth the effort?

Category: Dog Supplies  | Leave a Comment