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Your Dog
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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-
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-
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!
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-
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.
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
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.
Garlic in a dog’s food will help prevent fleas. Dogs don’t perspire as humans do.When
we eat a lot of garlic, it quickly comes out in our perspiration. In a dog however,
the garlic comes out over time in the oil of the coat. The essence of garlic will
take some time to build up and have its flea repelling effect. The idea is to wash
your dog with non-
Mealtimes Promote Love and Togetherness
Mealtime can be a celebration of family life as the kitchen transforms into a place
where the events of the day are shared. We relax and let the stresses slip away as
we converse and enjoy our togetherness as a family, this includes your dog! The aroma
of food and the sounds of our laughter open us up as we enjoy each others company.
We can learn a lot about our dog and about the relationship we have with him if we
take note of our behavior when dining. Our dog will, just like us, be lured by the
aromas of the food; he will also be drawn to the joy and fellowship we share with
our family. Our dogs are quick to settle into the “pack”, reacting to the laughter
and reading our happy, relaxed body language. I know all the dogs I’ve had stay with
us for holiday care are absolutely mesmerized when they can watch me prepare their
meal lovingly. They wait ever so patiently, glued to the attention and care I put
into selecting ingredients for their meal. Each and every time I have always felt
this to be an extremely bonding experience between us, and I can see the satisfaction
and gratitude they show me for taking this time to care for them. It’s an extremely
joyful and satisfying experience. We humans don’t realize how many signals and messages
we continually give to our dogs as we interact.
Our dogs want to enjoy our company and be part of the moment because they see us as pack members. I truly believe, in dog consciousness, the way to a dog’s heart is surely through his stomach!
What Vegetables to Feed Your Dog
Vegetables can provide dogs with essential nutrients they aren’t likely to get from other sources. The chlorophyll found in greens, for instance, works to flush and clean the liver, an organ essential to your dog’s good health that can also benefit from some of the other substances and enzymes contained in vegetables. Vegetables and greens can also help in maintaining a good pH balance, which is thrown off by an excess of protein (meat). Then too, water soluble calcium that is present in leafy greens can be readily utilized by the body, in contrast to the calcium in dried bones or oyster shells, which is poorly assimilated. Cooking or finely grating vegetables makes them easier for dogs to digest also.
Recommended:
Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beets (in small amounts), beans (soak beans and lentils overnight, then pour off the water, rinse, and cook til nice and soft),
Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, cucumbers, kale, kelp, lentils, garlic, green beans, parsnips, parsley, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, seaweed, sprouts, squash (all kinds), string beans, tomatoes, turnips, sweet potato
Not Recommended:
Onions in any significant quality (although a little can be used for flavouring), onion soup
Vegetables that are lightly steamed until tender and tossed in butter or olive oil and then sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese are rarely refused! You can also cook vegetables in liquid flavoured beef or chicken by either putting a bone from the butcher (which is later removed) in the water or adding a beef or chicken bouillon cube to the pot. Tthis will impart a meaty overtone to the veggies. A meaty flavouring can also be accomplished by opening a jar of chicken or beef baby food, diluting it with a bit of water, and stirring the watered down baby food in with the steamed vegetables.
Toxic chemicals and pesticides routinely sprayed on produce can be every bit hazardous to canine health as they are to human health. That’s why whenever possible, you should make it a habit to buy organically grown products that aren’t raised without poisonous chemicals. Organic crops contain far more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than produce grown with conventional farming methods. The farming methods employed by organic farmers work to rebuild the health of soil and restore the nutrients lost by overuse of the land and heavy chemical fertilizers.
Misleading Information About Dog Food Content
Don’t be misled! The labels on cans and bags of dog food do not provide a realistic
indicator of what’s actually inside. In both the wording and graphic presentation,
labels are designed to remove all references to the true nature of the contents.
Words such as “rendered”, which would truthfully define the ingredients, are replaced
with appealing images and language that make the food seem healthful and appetizing.
The appearances of the foods themselves are designed to be deceiving as well. Semi
dried dog foods, formulated to resemble real foods such as chucks of beef or cheese,
are some of the worst offenders.
When a company spends millions of dollars to advertise a product that cost goes into the retail price, at the expense of quality. You, in essence, are paying largely for the advertising used to entice you to buy the product rather than for the actual ingredients. Pet food companies are in the business of creating loyal and lasting customers.
“By-
Understand that the more generic and the more general the term, the more likely it is that the ingredient is undesirable. Animal fat is too general a term and can refer to restaurant grease!
Don’t let the pictures and advertising on the bag sway your selection. Beware of those vegetables dancing on the bags of supermarket foods along with words like natural. Also, the healthy additives in such brands are most likely present in only tiny amounts, and the processing has destroyed just about any active ingredient!