Articles & Helpful Tips

Mans Best Friend

Little in life is more satisfying than owing a dog. They are loyal, friendly, brave, and cheerful. People and dogs have been together for thousands of years. They’ve guarded our sheep, driven our cattle to market, found us our supper, protected our children, led the blind, comforted the sick, fought our wars, and provided us with entertainment and companionship.

Dogs experience all the human emotions-they get depressed, angry, jealous, scared, bored, and frustrated. They love us devotedly. They are sorry when we are sick. They never lie to us.

Your dog prefers your company to that of all beings on earth. He has long accepted that your habits are normal. For this alone he deserves some vey special attention and pampering-make sure that he gets it!

Did you know: just watching a dog can trigger chemical changes in your brain that lift your mood and put you in a positive frame of mind

Reasons to be cheerful: having dogs around is good for us. Studies prove that people living without dogs are exposed to more persistent fears, stronger feelings of panic, experience more frequent headaches, and take more medication for stress induced illnesses than dog owners

Does a dogs state of mind have an effect on its health? People who suffer the stress of bereavement have a drmaically higher incidence of infections, cancer, and heart disease in the years immediately following their loss. Our health can be powerfully influenced by our state of mind. It is very likely that the same is true for dogs!          Go to article menu

Bloat Info

Avoid tofu and other bean products as food sources, especially if you have a deep chested breed such as a Great Dane or any type of setter. These foods stimulate gas production and may increase the risk of stomach bloat, which could be life threatening. Most dogs at risk are: thin dogs, anxious dogs, dogs who eat too fast, and older dogs. A dogs chance of developing bloat increase with age-dogs over the age of 7 are twice as likely to bloat as two year olds.

Prevention:

• You can take steps to prevent the problem.
• limit water consumption for an hour before or after each meal do not allow the dog to drain the bowl of its contents.
• Water should be – consumed in moderate quantities do not allow rolling or other exercise after meals.          Go to article menu

Life expectancy in various breeds:

Llsted below are the average life expectancy statistics (as collected by the worlds largest pet insurer Pet Plan). As a general rule of thumb, the larger the dog the shorter its life expectancy. Its important to remember that a dogs biological age is determined by not only the breed but also its nutrition, the stresses it faces, and thecare it is given.

14 years and over:

Minature poodle 14.8

Minature dachshund 14.4

Whippet 14.3

13years and over

Jack russel 13.6

Chow chow 13.5

Shih tzu 13.4

Beagle 13.3

Pekinese 13.3

Greyhound 13.2

Border collie 13

Dalmatian 13

Chihuahua 13

12years and over

Bull terrier 12.9

Irish red and white setter 12.9

Basset hound 12.8

Labrador 12.6

Cocker spaniel 12.5

Dachshund 12.2

Afghan 12

Golden retreiver 12

Standard poodle 12

11years and over

Corgi 11.3

Airdale terrier 11.2

English setter 11.2

Samoyed 11

10years and over

Cavalier king charles spaniel 10.7

Boxer 10.4

German shepherd 10.3

Staffordshire bull terrier 10

Under 10years

Doberman 9.8

Rottweiler 9.8

Rhodesian ridgeback 9.1

Bullmasiff 8.6

Great Dane 8.4

Bernese mountain dog 7

Bulldog 6.7

Irish wolfhound 6.2

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Dog walker and barking

Boredom and loneliness are the main causes of barking in all dogs. While some calm older dogs fll their empty hours with sleeping more, others resort to barking as a self soothing device…If you are gone for long hours, why not arrange for a dog walker to come in. That may help with the barking problem, as well as give your dog some needed exercise.

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Why a dog sitter?

For most dogs and people, a dog sitter offers tremendous advantages. You will not have to worry about transporting your dog to an unfamiliar kennel. Even more important, your dog wont be exposed to strange dogs and whatever contagious diseases they may be carrying. Your dog will have his regular bed, food, and even routine. Equally nice for you is the fact that a dog sitter can pick up your mail, water your plants, and even straighten upfor you. And simply having someone there on occasion can be a crime deterrent.

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