Getting Prepared For A New Baby In The House

You have a new baby on the way! What can you do to prepare your dog for the big day?

Things to consider to prepare your dog

1. Getting the dog trained. If you have a new baby in the house then you should train your dog to obey a few simple commands. These are commands that are important for any well behaved dog to know including stay, down, stay and no jump. These are commands that can be very important to prevent accidents when you have a new baby in the house.

2. Setting boundaries. Your dog may be allowed access to all rooms in the house and to get on the furniture. When you have a new baby in the house, these things can be dangerous. It's important for you to set some boundaries in the house for your dog. Start teaching your dog that he is only allowed in certain rooms or areas of the house. It should not be allowed in the nursery or other places where the baby will be. You can use kiddie gates to keep your dog from going in these areas.

3. Start walking your dog with an empty stroller. The stroller and some of the other equipment for the baby can seem strange to your dog. Get your dog used to these items before the baby is born. Start walking your dog with the empty stroller before the baby is born, for example.

4. Get your dog used to the smell of baby oil and other new scents. Babies mean there will be new scents in the home. You can help your dog get used to some of these scents before the baby is born. Let your dog get used to the scent of baby oil, baby powder, and other things you will be using for the baby before the baby is born. This will help your dog make the adjustment when you bring the baby home.

5. If mom usually takes care of the dog, have dad take over the responsibilities of walking and feeding. Mom is going to be busy. Obviously, mom is going to have her hands full with the baby, so dad can start taking care of the dog. Dad can start taking care of the dog while mom is pregnant to help out. But mom should still spend some time with the dog. Don't let the dog feel neglected or left out.

6. Introduction should be done slowly. Once the baby comes home, you should introduce it to your dog very slowly. You don't need to let your dog put his face up to the baby to smell. Dog and baby can be in the same room together for an introduction. Everyone will be in love with the baby, but don't forget or ignore your dog during this time. Allow him to feel part of the family.

7. NEVER leave the baby alone with the dog. NEVER. Most dogs love babies and children but you have to be prepared to make sure there isn't an accident. Do not ever leave a dog and baby alone together, not even for a moment.

Your dog and baby can live in harmony together but training for your dog is important, so get started now before the baby gets here.

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5 Ways To Socialize Your Dog

Socializing your dog is very important and you must keep in mind that the period of socialization is from birth to 20 weeks old. During this period you must exposure dog to lots of new places, new people, little kids and other dogs so that you have a well-socialized dog that you can enjoy for the rest of its life.

Let's discuss some of those methods of socialization.

Take Your Dog to New Places

I teach all my new clients with puppies to take their puppy to three different places every week. Exposing your dog to different environments is very important. The dog that never gets out of its own home or backyard I will promise you is going to be a fearful dog somewhere between 12 and 24 months old.

When I talk about taking your dog to different environments I mean go stand in front of the grocery store as if you are waiting for somebody. You can do the same thing at any strip center that has retail stores. This gives your dog an opportunity to experience all kinds of sensations including new sites, sounds and smells.

The park is another excellent place to take your new puppy but keep in mind I'm talking about a park not a dog park.

Take Your Dogs Around A Lot Of People

Exposing your dog to a lot of new people is very important. Dogs need that exposure to keep them from being fearful of new people in the future. You can combine this exercise with taking your dog to new places. As you're standing in front of that grocery store there are going to be people who can't resist a cute little puppy and want to know if they can pet your dog, your response should be absolutely. This exercise will teach a dog not to be afraid of people and how meeting new people can be a fun experience.

Exposing Your Dog To Kids

Exposing your dog to children is very important. A dog perceives a child as a different creature than an adult and we want to teach them that kids are okay. Again you can combine this exercise with taking your puppy to different locations. Remember those people that wanted to take a couple of minutes to pet your dog? Well some of them will have children as well. So you can have the child offer your puppy a treat. It won't be long before your puppy is looking for kids all the time because they always have something good.

Take You Dog Around Other Dogs

Exposing your puppy to other dogs is very important if you want to have a dog in the future that is sociable with dogs. With this exercise I like to wait until the pup has had its third round of parvo shots before I introduce them to other dogs.

You want to make sure that the dogs that you exposure your puppy to are very puppy friendly. It's also a must to make sure the dogs are current on all their vaccinations including the parvovirus. Without this socialization to other dogs when your dog is young you may never have a dog that can be around other dogs.

Take Your Dog To The Vets Office For A Visit

Another great place to take your dog for socialization is your vet's office. It doesn't have to be for treatment it can simply be for a visit. I can't imagine any vets office that would mind you stopping by to say hello to the ladies at the front desk and getting a treat for your puppy. It will teach the puppy that coming to the vets office is a fun place to go.

If you'll follow these few simple steps you'll find that you'll have a nicely socialized dog that you will be able to enjoy for the rest of its life. If you don't do these things you'll probably be calling a trainer when your dog is between 12 and 24 months old because your dog is fearful or has bitten somebody.

Take the time to socialize now.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Ways-To-Socialize-Your-Dog&id=8318453

Dog Tremors - Causes

As a good dog owner, you would like to take care of your dog to the best of your ability. There are various reasons that your dog might suffer from tremors. If your dog gets really excited, your dog may appear to have tremors. On the other hand, if your dog consumes any toxic substances, it might manifest itself as tremors as well. For that reason the cause of the tremors must be known so that you can better know how to treat the symptoms.

Most common causes

If your dog suffers from brain disease, it is likely to have tremors. If there is inflammation of the brain, your dog will show symptoms which include depression, fever and behavioral changes. Your dog could show aggression as well. Seizures, stupor and coma are associated with brain related diseases. A dog may suffer from tremors as well if it suffers from rabies. It is a serious disease which is well controlled through vaccination.

Kidney disease

If your dog suffers from kidney disease, there will be shivering. Food poisoning and injuries could also lead to shivering. It is very important to find the exact cause for tremors. If you can't determine the cause through personal observation, you should get your doing to a vet as quickly as possible. When your dog shows unusual behavior, remedial measures should be taken after consulting with your vet.

Virus

If your dog becomes infected with a virus, it might suffer from tremors. Canine distemper is common in puppies. If adolescent dogs are not vaccinated, they could suffer from distemper. There will be discharge from the eyes and nose when a dog has contracted distemper. Other symptoms include cough and fever.

In order to treat a dog that suffers from distemper, you should take steps to hydrate the dog. By using antibiotics, the severity can be reduced. It is important to take measures so that the immunity levels are improved.

GTS

Generalized Tremor Syndrome (GTS) is most common in small dogs. However, it can occur in any dog breed and size. There will be shaking in the dog when it is under the influence of GTS.

Other causes

Your dog might suffer from tremors when it goes through motion sickness and other simple issues as well. Since you spend a lot of time with your dog, it should easy to notice any changes in his attitude and demeanor.

When you see other symptoms like yawning, vomiting, lip smacking, swallowing and salivating in an unusual manner, you should contact your vet. Your dog might suffer from tremors due to its age as well.

Of course as always, when you see any severe changes in your dog get it to your vet as soon as possible.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Dog-Tremors---Causes&id=8190206

Establish A Good Mealtime Routine

Mealtimes are an important part of the day for your dog. Since you feed your dog at a certain time each day, your dog knows exactly when he is supposed to get his food, and if you are late, he can become anxious and upset.

Dogs really like routine in their lives. It gives them a sense of order and security and they generally thrive on a regular routine. If possible, you should try to establish a good mealtime routine for your dog.

Establishing a mealtime routine

You can establish a good routine easily by feeding your dog once or twice per day. Most dogs do well on one meal a day, but some dogs do better if they are fed twice a day. Small breeds seem to do better when fed 2 or 3 times a day. Large or giant breeds that can be prone to bloat including breeds like the German Shepherd, Great Dane, or Labrador, should probably be fed twice a day as this is thought to help prevent bloating.

It is best to pick a time for feeding that you are able to do each day. This is can be once in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. Don't feed too late in the day because then your dog may need to go outside to relieve himself during the night. Remember to feed at the same time each day. Dogs have a very good sense of time and your dog will learn to expect his food at the same time each day.

You should never free feed your dog. Free feeding is where you put down a supply of food so your dog can eat whenever he wants. There can be many disadvantages to free feeding. Quite dogs that are free fed become fat. If you have more than one dog, you don't know if each dog is getting a fair amount.

Training at mealtime

You can use mealtime as a way to do some training and establish your position as the dog's leader as well as work on some good manners. A lot of dogs have horrible manners at feeding time. They jump, demanding their food, barking, and they may even knock the food out of their owner's hand. Use this time to train your dog to have good manners at mealtime.

Require your dog to do a sit before you place it's food on the floor. You will be amazed how quickly it will learn this easy exercise. You can praise him as you give him the bowl. Your dog will learn respect for you the master becomes the food comes from you.

Your dog will learn the routine and will be sitting nicely waiting for his meal. Try it and see for yourself.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Establish-A-Good-Mealtime-Routine&id=8190512

How Old Does Your Puppy Need To Be To Begin Obedience Training?

If you have a new puppy then you probably picked your new puppy up, brought him home, and may have let him start playing in a little pen in your home. You may be laughing at the way he rolls around on the padding you got to protect your carpet or floor. He may be nipping at your fingers. And you may already be wondering how soon you can start training and how intensive it can be.

Many dog owners begin training their puppies at the wrong time. They may start too soon, and other people may wait too long and they may have a rebellious adolescent dog who likes to tear things up. Here's some information to help you know when and how to handle early obedience training.

House training

House training your puppy should begin as soon as you bring it home. Ideally, you won't pick up a puppy from the breeder or the pound until he's at least 8 weeks of age. It's important for your puppy to spend his first few weeks with his mother and littermates so he can learn about being a dog.

Dogs learn the basic concepts of canine social life in these first few weeks. Without this early period with their mother and littermates they can develop problems with nipping and aggression. Later, after your puppy comes to live with you, you should spend time socializing your puppy with people and other dogs.

It's very important that your puppy interact with other dogs, other people, children and strange new places before he is 20 weeks old for the sake of his mental and social development. With regard to house training, hopefully your puppy's house training will be completed by the time it is 16 weeks of age

You can make house training go faster by using crate training as soon as you bring your puppy home. This will help your puppy understand how to hold their pee longer than a few seconds.

Basic Obedience

You can pursue basic obedience training with your puppy anytime after the age of 4 months. You can do this at home or in a class. The training should cover basics such as sit, stay, lie down and anything else you would like your puppy to know. These commands are very simply and, with the right approach, you can teach them to your puppy in just a few days.

If you teach your puppy these commands when he is young, he will learn that you are his pack leader, and he will also learn these lessons thoroughly and remember them all his life.

Future Training

Once your puppy's basic obedience training is completed, you have a long time to train him to do other things. For most people and their dogs, the basics are enough.

If you decide you want your puppy to learn new tricks, you should make sure they are old enough to handle any physical stress involved. A dog should be full grown before they are asked to sprint, jump, or dive. These activities can cause great stress to a young dog's body.

Puppy's are a big responsibility. They require lots of attention, authority, and time to bond with their owner. If you try to train your puppy too soon you can make them fearful and anxious. If you wait too long, you can allow your puppy to become overbearing and aggressive.

Bring your puppy home at the right age, train him at the right age, and be consistent with training as he gets older. Your first few weeks together can be frustrating but the extra work you put in will pay off.

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Helping Your Obese Dog Slim Down

Just like humans, dogs can get fat. But unlike people, it's not something that your dog has much say over. If you are feeding your pet big meals and letting him lie around the house all day, he will get fat. And, as your pet gets older, his weight gain can become even more noticeable as he loses energy and looks for food more often.

If you want to help your dog live a long and healthy life than you need to help him lose that extra weight. Obesity drastically increases a dog's risk of cancer, diabetes, and organ failure as he ages. Start when your pet is young and you can reduce the risk of disease throughout his life.

Step One: Food Intake

The first thing you should do for your dog is take charge of his diet. In most cases obesity is simply due to a dog being fed too much each day. Veterinarians suggest feeding the following amounts for your dog, based on their weight:

· Less than 10 pounds: Feed 1/3 to 1 cup of food per day

· 10-25 pounds: Feed 1-2 1/4 cups per day

· 25-50 pounds: Feed 2-3 cups per day

· 50-75 pounds: Feed 3-5 cups per day

· Over 75 pounds: Feed 5-8 cups per day

Dog Food Measuring Cup

These measurements are for dry food and the weights given are for normal, healthy animals. If your dog is already overweight or obese, you should take into consideration what a healthy dog for your dog's breed should weigh.

You can start cutting out your dog's extra food by feeding your dog two meals per day. Split his recommended food amount into two meals. Some people like to put down the dog's ration once a day and keep filling the bowl throughout the day but that's the best way in the world to make your dog obese. Instead, feed your dog two smaller meals per day and carefully measure the amounts you put in the bowl.

You should also cut out unnecessary treats and table scraps. Treats are fine as a training tool but you shouldn't give them to your dog continuously. It's okay to give your dog one or two treats per day but if you keep giving your dog treats all day they will add pounds to your dog. Table scraps add weight, too.

Step Two: Exercise

Ask anyone who's been on a diet and they will probably tell you that it's not enough to eat less. They also have to add some exercise to lose weight. It's the same way with your dog. Luckily, most dogs enjoy exercising.

Unless your dog is elderly or he's lost his energy, he will probably enjoy getting out to go for a walk or run. But you must give your dog the opportunity! Your dog may sit around the house all day, but don't assume that he doesn't want to go out and get some exercise. You have to go outside with him and give him the chance to exercise.

If you don't have a chance to go out, then spend time playing with your dog indoors. Play some games. Play fetch with your dog and teach your dog to chase some toys through the house. If you have a small dog then you won't even have to get up when you play fetch with him.

Even if you have a dog with a low energy level, often times when you start making changes in your dog's diet you will start to see some changes in their level of energy. If you take them outdoors after you change their diet, you may see that your dog is more alert and energetic. Your dog may feel like playing again.

Do keep in mind that if your dog is very overweight or obese, or unhealthy in any way, that you should talk to your veterinarian before making changes to your dog's diet or undertaking any kind of fitness regimen with your dog. You want to make sure that you aren't putting any undue stress on your dog's body with the changes you want to make. Your vet can give you some good advice.

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Worms - What They Do To Your Dog

It is not unusual for your dog to come down with worms. One third of all dogs will be infected by various kinds of intestinal parasites in their life. There are many types of worms that can affect your dog including roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms.

 As a caring owner of a dog, you should be aware of what to look for when it comes to worms. If you are aware of the symptoms, you can take the necessary measures so that your dog will remain active and healthy.

Symptoms in dogs affected by worms

When a dog is affected by worms, it can suffer from a distended belly. The stomach might be in bloated condition. If the infection is serious, there will be vomiting, weight loss and diarrhea as well. It is possible to see some worms in the dog's stools. The most common way that worms are spread from one dog to another dog is through the stools. Some worms will be transmitted to your dog through the infected ground.

Tapeworms are probably the most common worms that you will find in dogs. There will be very few clinical signs when a dog is affected by tapeworms. If there is a heavy infestation, there could be weight loss and intestinal upset as well. There will be segments of tapeworms which can be found in stools, which actually look like pieces of rice. The most probable cause for the spread of tapeworm is the ingestion of fleas. It is possible that tapeworms might transfer to other pets as well.

Facts about worms

You should know some important facts about intestinal worms. Healthy dogs can be affected by worms. Some dogs will not show any symptoms even though they suffer from worms. You can find noticeable itching in the anal area in some dogs and some dogs will have increased appetite levels, diarrhea and weight loss symptoms.

In some instances, the worms from dogs can spread to human-beings as well. Hence, extreme care should be taken. The roundworm larvae can migrate through the blood stream and it can also reach the eyes. In such cases, there will be loss of vision. If children are living in poor hygienic conditions, this kind of situation might happen.

Prevention

A dog can catch worms from other dogs. Infected feces of other animals, raw meat and fleas are a great source for the spread of worms from one pet to another. In order to control worms in your dog it is important to take your dog for regular checkups with your vet to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Worms---What-They-Do-To-Your-Dog&id=8188025