"If your dog is properly trained, you can spoil it all you want!"  Sgt. Roland Skelton, Dog Master, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Sgt. Skelton said it all.  Provided that your dog has been trained the right way (see DOG TRAINING), you can't overdo the love and care...

Of course, proper care doesn't mean that we can give our dogs everything they want.  Each element of DOG CARE has it's own list of do's and don'ts...

"DOG FOOD REPORT: Increase the Lifespan of Your Dog"

"How can I prepare properly nutritious food for my dog?"

It's true that we shouldn't just feed our dogs "table scraps."

They need a diet that meets canine needs. But in response to all the news reports of unsafe pet food, what do we do? And just how bad is it? What are the experts saying?

World-famous vet and dog-care author Alfred Plechner, says the poor nutritional properties of commercial dog food inevitably lead to disease:

"Because many commercial foods are woefully deficient in key nutrients, the long term effect of feeding such foods makes the dog hypersensitive to its environment..."

Debra Lynn Dadd, author of 'Home Safe Home' says commerical dog food company claims their product is a complete and healthy meal are false... "Many pet foods claim to be '100% nutritionally complete and balanced.' This claim legally can be made and printed on commercial products based on information studies using isolated nutrients and not whole food."

Wendy and Jack Volhard are well-known & respected, 30-year dog training veterans. Wendy writes about how her dogs live to amazing old age through proper diet: "We have made our own food for well over 30 years now, and our dogs are living longer and longer each generation.

"Whereas the normal lifespan of a Newfoundland in 1998 was 6.2-6.7 years according to a national survey done by the Newfoundland Club of America, our dogs live up until 15 years of age."

Andrew Lewis, author of the best selling DOG FOOD SECRETS, says there are three Steps to providing a proper diet for your dog:

Step 1: Stop using commercial dog food as your dog's only or main source of food. This step is the most important and you should make the change in the next couple of days. But you can't make this change unless you have a good alternative plan in place.

Step 2: Learn how to read commercial dog food labels. I understand it's not practical for most people to never use commercial dog food ever again. Although not best case, you can use it sparingly for maybe a few meals during the week.

Step 3: Get some healthy, well-balanced dog food recipes and start feeding your dog home made food.

Says Lewis, "It's very easy, if you know how to cook specifically for dogs. Just cook a large batch, freeze it and it can be eaten over several days. But be sure you have a good source of recipes written especially for dogs because they have very specific requirements, different to humans.

 It's possible to love your dog to death with too much of the wrong foods. If you are tired or busy and sometimes don't want to prepare food for your dog, don't feel guilty because it happens to all us! I'm the first to admit that sometimes my wife and I get home from work and the last thing we feel like doing is cooking for ourselves, let alone Ginger, our dog.

When that happens we order take-out for the family and I give Ginger a super-healthy serving of commercial dog food... but before you think I'm not practising what I preach, let me explain... Ocassionally the situation would occur where we didn't want to cook but I had no dog food in the house because it's all garbage... (ah... but not all of it.)

I realized I needed a solution to this problem so I hired a professional researcher to find the top 10 ultra-healthy, all natural commercial dog foods in all of North America. Using the checksheet of very high quality standards I demanded, she returned 8 days later reporting she could only find 9 that met every standard... in all of North America!

She prepared a confidential document for my eyes only and it has been my secret weapon. But for the first time ever, I'm sharing The Confidential Dog Food Report: The 9 Very Best, Ultra-Healthy, Dog Food Brands in all of North America with other dog owners like you..

FEEDING: It is important that you go easy on doggie treats and table food.  These can cause a number of digestive problems, not to mention problems that could effect their health and well-being.

Commercial dry foods and canned moist foods have their place.  But professional dog breeders and handlers often develop their own formulas and recipes for their dog's diets.  Our favorite is dog-fancier John Miller:

50 years ago, a young dog-fancier, John Miller wanted to improve his dogs growth. After analyzing commercial dog food formulas, he found they were all loaded with unhealthy chemicals.

John developed a better recipe himself and tried it on his own dogs... using healthier ingredients...

He couldn't believe how fast his dogs health and behavior improved. Also he reduced his dog food costs by 50%.

Happy with his discovery he tried, over the years, hundreds of new recipes in order to see their effects on dog health and growth.

Among his recipes are:

Dog bones

"Consider the fact that many experts believe commercial dog food is actually unhealthy for dogs.  Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans."  -John Miller

Click Here to Learn More About John Miller's HEALTHY FOOD FOR DOGS

CAUTION: prescription drugs should only be given by a veterinarian's order.

To learn more on veterinarian science, we recommend Dr Andrew Jones of the Nelson Animal Hospital. 

His book VETERINARY SECRETS REVEALED is the most comprehensive study of natural pet health remedies available.  Click Here to Learn More About VETERINARY SECRETS REVEALED

"5 Most Common Puppy Ailments"

Have you just brought a new puppy home?  Here are the 5 MOST COMMON PUPPY AILMENTS:

1. WORMS.  Worms and other parasites abound.  Roundworms are the most common.  They can escape a routine deworming done on the mother (roundworms can inhabit the mother's muscle tissue) and travel to the puppy.  Hookworms, intestinal parasites and other critters can all invade a puppy born in even the cleanest environment.  Consult a vet if you suspect any kind of infection.

2. KENNEL COUGH (Respiratory Infection).  Kennel Cough not only acts like a human cold (coughs and sneezes), it's highly contagious.  It should be treated with antibiotics to prevent pneumonia.  The appearance of the deadly new dog flu virus in many States of the U.S. has caused much concern. It starts off with a cough  -- all the more reason to see a vet if these symptoms show up.

3.  BLADDER INFLAMMATION (Cystitis).  Quite common.  Acts just like a human bladder infection.  Lots of puddles.  This is best prevented by keeping your puppy's drinking water fresh and clean!

4.  EAR INFECTIONS (Otiti).  Their ears are bigger than ours and can host a number of problems -- from ear mites to yeasts.  The bigger their ears -- especially if they are of a breed with hanging ears -- the more chance they'll develop an infection.  Check their ears routinely.

5.  RED EYES (Conjunctivitis).  Inflammation of the delicate tissue covering the whites of the eyes.  If your puppy develops red or watery eyes, check it out.  Although the solution is simple, untreated eye problems can cause permanent damage or blindness.

  Click Here to Learn More About VETERINARY SECRETS REVEALED

" EXTERNAL PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENTS " An Article by the author of THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DOG HEALTH

WHAT IS A PARASITE?

External parasites are pretty common among dogs. A parasite is an organism that lives off the resources your dog has to offer: namely, fresh blood (which most parasites drink) and a warm place to stay (in and on the skin and fur).

What are the common parasites that might affect my dog?

There are a wide range of parasites that affect dogs:

- Fleas
- Ticks
- Mites
- Lice

All of these parasites cause adverse reactions in your dog: typically, itching and inflamed skin, a dull coat, and bald spots. In advanced cases, your dog may develop anemia (blood loss) and become generally debilitated (particularly if he or she is very young, very old, or suffering from another condition).

In addition to this, many parasites convey secondary and internal parasites to your dog – for example, fleas usually carry the common tapeworm (which causes constipation and flatulence), and ticks can cause a variety of much more serious problems like Lyme’s disease and paralysis.

In today’s newsletter, we’re going to be looking at fleas: what they are, how to tell if your dog’s affected, and how to get rid of them.

A CLOSER LOOK AT FLEAS

Fleas are without question the number-one most common external parasite affecting dogs. They’re small, jumping insects that are light brown in color, although humans generally can’t see them – they move much too quickly for that!

Fleas live off your dog’s blood. The life cycle of a flea moves very rapidly from stage one (egg) to stage four (adult flea), which means they’re capable of multiplying with staggering rapidity.

An adult flea lays hundreds of eggs per day. Each egg will then become an adult flea, which lay hundreds more eggs of its own. One flea becomes a major problem very quickly!

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG HAS FLEAS

The symptoms of a flea infestation are unmistakable.

A dog with a flea infestation will scratch almost constantly, often at areas that fleas seem to favor: the ears, the base of the tail, the belly, and the stifle (the webbing of soft skin between the thigh and the abdomen).

It’s actually the saliva of the flea that causes the irritation, not the bite itself, and some dogs have a genuine allergy to this saliva (as opposed to a standard irritation). Dogs with allergies suffer much more significant negative reactions to a flea infestation, and usually develop “hot spots”.

These hot spots are areas of sore, inflamed, flaking, bleeding, and infected skin, caused by the flea saliva and your dog’s own reaction to it. Bald patches will sometimes develop too, from repeated scratching and ongoing inflammation.

If you think your dog has fleas, you can confirm your suspicions by taking a closer look at his skin: you probably won’t be able to see the fleas themselves, but you should be able to see what looks like ground pepper (a thin sprinkling of fine black grains) on his skin. This is flea dirt (poop).

If you groom him with a flea comb (which is like a fine-tooth comb), try wiping it on a paper towel: if red blotches show up on the towel, you know that your dog has fleas (on a white background like a paper towel, flea poop shows up red: since fleas subsist on blood, their poop is colored accordingly).

TREATMENT FOR FLEAS

Because fleas only spend a small amount of time actually on your dog, and the rest of their time leaping through your house laying eggs and feeding on human blood, it’s not enough to just treat the dog: you also have to target his bedding, the entire house, all human bedding, and the yard (yes, fleas lay eggs all through the yard, too. Even if it’s cold outside, you’re not necessarily off the hook: cold weather doesn’t kill flea eggs, it just puts them into a state of hibernation. The eggs will hatch as soon as it gets warm enough outside.)

You’ll need a broad-spectrum treatment which kills not only the adult fleas (which are the ones that bite), but also any developing fleas, and the eggs.

PREVENTION IS THE BEST (AND THE EASIEST!)

Prevention is definitely the best cure – you should keep your dog’s flea treatments up to date with the use of a calendar, and use a treatment that’s prescribed by the vet. Off-the-shelf treatments aren’t recommended, since different dogs require different strengths depending on their size, age, and activity levels. A particular benefit of prescribed flea treatment is that most are also designed to prevent other parasites (like mites, ticks, and heartworm) from affecting your dog.

FOR AN EXISTING INFESTATION

If your dog already has fleas, you have two options:

- You can ‘bomb’ the house and yard with a flea-pesticide. These come as foggers (which coat each room, and the yard, in a fine mist of pesticide) and sprays (which are applied manually to each surface throughout the house and yard), and although they’re very effective in killing fleas and eggs, there’s one major drawback: they’re highly toxic to humans, dogs, and the environment. Depending on your priorities, this is probably the quickest solution to a flea problem (and will effectively wipe out the eggs, too) but if you have anyone in the house with allergies or a health condition – including pets! – you might want to think again.

- A more health-friendly alternative is to target the dog with a topical anti-flea solution prescribed by the vet (like Advantage or Revolution), and to rigorously clean the house on a regular basis until the flea problem has gone. This means vacuuming each room thoroughly each day – put a flea collar in with the vacuum bag to kill any fleas that get sucked up – and wash all human and dog bedding in hot water as often as you can (once every day or every two days is recommended). You’ll be able to tell when the problem’s gone because your dog won’t be scratching, and his coat will be clear of flea dirt when you inspect it.

WHAT NOT TO DO ABOUT FLEAS

- Don’t use multiple products on your dog – it’ll make him sick, since you’ll be overloading his system with toxins.

- Don’t forget to treat all the animals in the house at the same time: cat and dog fleas are interchangeable, and if one animal has fleas, they all will have them, even if some are not displaying the symptoms.

- Flea collars are no longer recommended as a safe option for flea prevention, since the collars are highly toxic – vets have realized that placing a toxic material directly against your pet’s skin for long periods of time (flea collars have to be worn 24/7 to be effective) is detrimental to your dog’s health.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PARASITES AND THEIR TREATMENT...

Fleas are just one of the many, many types of parasites that affect your dog. To find out more about the complete prevention and treatment of all types of parasites (external and internal), as well as a comprehensive guide to all aspects of dog health, take a look at the best selling

Ultimate Guide to Dog Health

This book is an invaluable resource for the responsible dog owner, and will help you to ensure that your dog remains happy and healthy – just the way you want him to be!  We recommend that you check it out!

"HOW TO CHOOSE A VET"  An Article by the author of THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DOG HEALTH

Your vet is a pretty significant figure in your dog’s life – and thus, in yours. Hopefully, you’ll only ever need him or her for routine checkups and preventative procedures; but just in case, it’s worth taking the time to develop a good relationship with a suitable vet, before you need their services.

WHERE AT LOOK

Sure, you could just pick a vet at random from the Yellow Pages or from an Internet search; but having the right vet is crucial to your dog’s health and happiness (and, presumably, this plays at least some part in your own happiness and peace of mind as an owner, right?)

Think about it this way: if you were trying to choose a doctor for yourself, would you be happy to just select one at random from an impersonal list?

Probably not. You’d want somebody who comes highly recommended – somebody you feel like you can trust.
Your vet isn’t just your dog’s doctor; he or she is also the dentist, manicurist, psychologist, and – hopefully! – a friend. When you roll all these things up into one, you can see why it’s necessary to spend some time confirming that you’ve made the right choice.

The best place to start looking for a vet is by word of mouth. If you have any friends or relatives who take good care of their dogs, then that’s a great place to start: ask them who they’d recommend, and why. This last one is particularly important, because everyone has different priorities: for example, perhaps they like their own vet because he/she is a specialist in their own particular breed; or they don’t charge very much; or the clinic is only five minutes’ drive … their priorities are not necessarily yours, so it’s a good idea to make sure that your values coincide with the person giving the recommendations.

Another great place to find a vet is through local training clubs (Schutzhund, agility, herding classes, police K-9 academies, etc.) These organizations are almost guaranteed to place a great deal of importance on high-quality veterinary care, because the health and well-being of their dogs is such a priority.

Once you’ve got a list of vets that you’re interested in pursuing further, all you have to do is call up the clinic and explain that you’re looking to find a regular vet for your dog(s): can you come in for a quick chat, introduce your dog, and have a look at the premises?

HAVE A LOOK BEFORE YOU NEED TO

Before you decide to align yourself and your dog with a particular clinic, test the waters first. Ideally, you want a chance to talk to the vet, and discuss his or her philosophies and approach to pet care.

This is really important. If your dog ever really needs vet-care (if there’s an emergency, or if she needs an urgent short-term appointment), you want to be sure that you’ve made the best possible choice as far as her health and comfort levels are concerned. Neither of you should be subjected to any unnecessary extra stress at a time like that – and you can avoid a lot of grief by spending a bit of time in preparation.

THINGS TO ASK THE VET

While you’re at the clinic, you’ll want to be assessing your potential vet’s overall attitude and approach to health care and animals; and you’ll also probably want answers to some specific questions.

Here’s a list of useful questions to help you on your way:

- How many vets are there on staff? If you need to make an urgent appointment, you don’t want to be waiting around while precious minutes tick past. Ideally, there’ll be at least two qualified veterinarians on hand (not just technicians or assistants.)

- What kind of testing and analysis capabilities does the clinic have If they have to send away to a lab for this kind of stuff, it means that the results are going to be delayed. If your dog is very sick, time is an important factor: it’s best if the clinic has at least blood-analysis testing on hand.

- What after-hours services are available? A lot of clinics close the doors in the evenings and on weekends, which means that if there’s an emergency, you’ll have to go somewhere else – and subject your dog (and yourself) to an unfamiliar vet. (If you don’t mind this, then that’s fine; but be aware that in a high-stress situation when emotions are running high, it’s reassuring for your dog and yourself to deal with someone familiar.)

- What’s their price range? How are payments made? Is there a facility for payment plans in case of unexpected vet bills? The payment-plan option is particularly important. Even with pet insurance, vet bills can sometimes be astronomical – and not everyone has the resources to deal with large vet bills straight away. Ask the clinic how they cater for situations like that.

- How up-to-date is the staff with advances in the industry? Do the vet, the technicians, and the assistants attend seminars and workshops regularly? The field of medical care is always moving forward – responsible vets make the effort to keep up with the times, and see that their staff do, too.

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE

When you choose a vet, you’re balancing convenience and quality. There’s no right or wrong vet for you and your dog – which is partly why making the choice can be so confusing. There are lots of vets to choose from, and they’re all different!

Even though it’s tempting to go for the one right around the corner with the rock-bottom prices, it really is worthwhile taking the time to shop around. Your dog is utterly dependent on you for her healthcare – and if you take her seriously as a companion and member of the family, you’ll want to do the best thing by her.

A good vet knows how to take care of you as well as your dog. The relationship that you have with your vet will hopefully be one that’s based around a healthy mutual respect and positive synergy - there should be very little scope for misunderstanding. When the two of you see eye to eye, it makes caring for your dog that much easier.

FURTHER READING

For a complete survival guide on stress-free dog care, including detailed information on when your dog needs to see the vet, how to respond to pet emergencies, dog First Aid, and all common health problems, check out the amazing best seller

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DOG HEALTH!

It’s a complete handbook on dog health care, and teaches you how to take a proactive and prepared approach to knowledgeable dog ownership.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."  -Roger Caras

Recommended Links...

Dog Stories at DogBridge.com - MyDogStories is a free unique site created especially for dog lovers where you can share funny dog stories, learn something new about any dog breed, view dog pictures and more.

Puppies - Buying your dog or cat, where to find dogs for sale and kittens, choosing a healthy pet, preparing your pet's home, keeping your pet healthy, and many more.

PuppySites.Com - The Dog Lover's Online Directory.

Pet supplies: pet medications, pet beds, pet food - Find all you need to know about pets and pet supplies here. We will give you great info and advice.

Dog Beds, Pet Beds - Dog Beds, Small Dog Beds, Large Dog Beds, Heated Dog Beds, Pet Beds, Designer Dog Beds, Extra Large Dog Beds, Luxury Dog Beds, Dog Crates.

Visit this Dog Website:

Dogs, Puppies for sale

Additional Links...

1St Dog Care - Ideas for Dog Owners : best dog for children, dog bakeries, dog care, directory of breed of dogs...

Dogs & Puppies - Next Day Pets - Provides a venue for a dog rescue and dog shelter to find quality homes for adult dogs and puppies with information for 150+ dog breeds and pet supplies. Dog products range from dog beds, dog doors, dog crates, dog gifts, dog toys and more. Includes a dog & pet website directory, pet friendly hotels and dog names.

Dog Allergies
If your dog is itching, scratching and shedding like crazy, it is most likely due to dog allergies. The good news is that your dog doesn't have to suffer with allergies anymore! Dinovite® is a dog supplement that prevents and fights common dog allergies allowing your dog to be the happy healthy canine he was meant to be. Try Dinovite® for dog allergy relief today.

Home Made Dog Treats
Over 300 homemade dog food recipes, packed in Azz Cardfile software for convenient use.

This site is currently listed in Intrepid's Free Web Directory. Add Your URL today too!

Phone Card, Calling Card  Sell International Phone Card & Domestic Calling Cards from different carriers and network with instant PINs delivery

Website Directory, Business Directory & Search Engine Directory  We are the largest human edited Website Directory & Link Directory with over 400 categories. Listings for inclusion options are Free, Fast, Banner and Sponsor. Submit now to increase your Link Popularity & Traffic

The Puppy Network- The ultimate site for dog owners and breeders!