Dog collars are not just used to make your mutt a fashion plate – they would definitely need them when outside. A dog collar could help your dog come back home if you have the identification ticket around the neck. It’s also a way for your dog to show to the world that he is stylish.

While most dog owners would own the requisite generic dog collar, many others cannot simply do without at least half a dozen more! It is trendy to have different types of dog collars. Dogs also want to be on the cutting edge of fashion, and enjoy wearing different dogs collars. Today’s pet stores and department stores are chock full of dog collars – more designs, colors and styles than you can shake a stick at! It’s literally “collars of different colors” for the choosing, and a lot of dog owners like showing off THEIR personality and their dog’s by matching the color collar with the clothes they are wearing that day. But these owners are nothing compared to your average celebrities – the Paris Hiltons and Lindsay Lohans of the scene who find it cute and adorable if their equally fabulous dogs are decked out in the trendiest of collars! For ages dog collars have been used by dog owners to make the dog look more fashionable and fabulous.

Given below are a few tips that need to be kept in mind while buying a dog collar:

Of course, when buying dog collars, you will first want to ensure that you are buying a nice and comfortable dog collar – it should fit your dog’s neck. A dog’s collar that is too tight for the dog’s neck would only make it sore. Conversely, a loose collar would be the perfect chance for your dog to break free.

Always look for a dog collar that does not irritate your pet’s throat and neck area – it shouldn’t be that bulky. And do not forget to READ THE LABEL on the dogs collar – how heavy is it, what age dog can use it, and so on, and so forth.

If your dog happens to be the nastiest canine hombre on the block (as you claim he may be), then your best choice would be a heavier dog collar, thus allowing you to easily handle it with your leash when Mr. Macho Mutt starts charging towards that piece of meat.

Leather buckles on dog collars are a must, because you can be sure they will not break off.

Dog collars can be as inexpensive as $10 or as costly as $100 or more, but the price is irrelevant as long as you choose a dog collar that would provide your dog with the utmost comfort.

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If you have ever had a puppy you know that there will be some problem behaviors that have to be corrected. These are always much easier to nip them in the bud while they are young rather than trying to break the bad habits as they grow older.

Jumping up on people is one of the problem behaviors that lots of people inadvertently encourage by mistake. But on the other hand, do you not enjoy seeing your comely canine critter jump all over you in excitement? It makes you feel good that your new puppy has this much affection for you.

This may be endearing if performed by a tiny puppy, but endangering if performed by the same puppy after maturing into a full-sized dog.

Correcting this behavior is easy – as soon as your puppy leaps your direction, place its feet on the ground ever so gently. Once your puppy remains still for a bit praise them extensively.

An alternative to jumping all over human beings would be for the puppy to extend his paw to show affection. This is still a positive form of getting attention, and safe to boot.

Another one of those problem behaviors that need to be tackled with younger dogs is the habit of puppies pulling on the leash. Try correcting that behavior with a dog that tips the scales at a hundred or more – best of luck to you, good buddy, it won’t be like it is with a ten-pound pup!

The first thing that needs to be taught in any training of a puppy is to heel or walk by you on a loose leash rather pulling and tugging. This is much easier to do by employing a head collar or training collar.

The process is simple – all you have to do is walk, and the moment you notice your puppy trying to charge like a bull, then turn, or pivot around, all the while slacking up on the leash or collar until your puppy realizes it has to change direction. It is also important that you make sure your puppy does not tug at the leash or pull at it, and even more important that you do not do the same to the leash.

You can then move on to further training once puppy is conversant with the heel command.

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If you have a dog, then you are already familiar with the art of dog grooming. However, you will want to give this some serious thought if you are somebody who has yet to decide whether to buy a dog or not, or what breed. Some dogs are easier to care for than others, including ones with shorter hair. Conversely, a dog that has a long, shaggy coat would need to be brushed daily and since they shed a lot, you will have to become well-acquainted with the trusty old vacuum cleaner. Dogs with short hair would be more merciful to their owners, not to mention the vacuum cleaners of their owners, as they do not shed too often and do not require daily brushing.

A part of proper dog grooming is finding the right hair brush for your pet. Gentle strokes will allow your pet to get used to the idea of being brushed, which can make them anxious at first. Another important, albeit messy part of dog grooming would be giving your pet a regular bath. In most cases, expect your pet to initially avoid bath time like a Haight-Ashbury hippie circa 1967. It’s best to start as early as possible in teaching your dog how to act, which can be done by bathing your puppy early in his/her life.

Be gentle when brushing your pet for the first time around – allow him to get the feel of the brush and eliminate any initial reservations on the process. Giving your pet a bath on a regular basis is another essential dog grooming component that could get quite messy. Of course, at the start, pets would not be too excited about taking a bath. That is why this can be best avoided by focusing on your dog’s upbringing early on – in this case, giving him or her a regular bath early in his/her life. After they frolic around in your front lawn for a bit, give them a bath, and they will soon find themselves enjoying it. This may not be always easy to achieve independently, so don’t hesitate to solicit a friend or neighbor’s assistance. Have somebody else – a friend or relative, perhaps, to hold the puppy down while you clean him/her with a washcloth, or vice versa.

Hiring a professional dog grooming service is a good idea if you consider such task to still be too much work, even with somebody close by helping you. Aside from businesses geared towards canine care, these services are also offered by pet hospitals, or even by your trusted veterinarian. In exchange for a fee, your pet can have his/her nails clipped, be given a bath and get their fur brushed all in one afternoon. This is not an unwieldy process by any means, but to avoid any snafu along the way, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment first.

With the proper dog grooming techniques, everybody is happy – your dog feels happy and you feel happy as a result of seeing your dog’s morale at a high point. They may dig up bones and shed their hair and snoop around our front and back yards, but just because they do that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a regular bath. Dog grooming is also a reflection of how much you care for your pet, so let the world know how much you love them.

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One of dilemmas of dog owners aside from too much barking of their pets is the nonstop scratching that is usually associated with allergies, skin disorders, fleas and the like. This is a nationwide problem that is very concerning for many an owner. In most cases, dog owners pinpoint the cause of scratching to allergies, but the situation is more complicated than how it looks on the surface – there are more than 160 different skin conditions dogs may contract. Cats are the animal usually associated with fleas, but dog owners have to be concerned as well due to potential canine flea infestation cases.

It is not only beach aficionados who enjoy the summer – dog fleas do the same during these months as they normally attack pets during this time of the year. But there are some parts of the USA where fleas are a year-round concern. Dogs, after all, can acquire fleas in a number of ways, such as through the environment, other animals or other dogs.

Fleas have strong back legs that let them jump from one dog to another or the environment. While fleas do not have wings to abet them in their quest for new hosts, their back legs will effectively do the job in a similarly effective way.

Generally speaking, dogs bitten by fleas would start to itch, but there are also dogs who are especially sensitive or have certain allergies, in which case flea infestation can lead to inflammation or hair loss, or worse, an antecedent to even more infections. One single flea could cause a dog to itch all over its body if its skin happens to be extremely sensitive to flea secretions. Be informed that the following tips are not professional nor medical advice, neither is the argosy of information on flea control available online. But still your veterinarian will be your best source for flea information and how to eliminate them.

Here are just a few of the best ways to exterminate canine fleas:

Contact your vet to treat your pet if your flea problem has already started.

Monitor your pet’s bailiwicks or special areas and clean them regularly. This is important because you want to be sure your pet’s environment is free of any potential dangers.

Do a comprehensive vacuuming of your entire house, including, but not limited to mattresses, rugs, carpets and even furniture. Once done vacuuming, make it a point to throw the bag away.

Use flea treatments. But don’t do so unless you have gotten professional advice from your veterinarian.

Keep your pet away from other animals that are currently affected by flea problems.

You can also use flea products such as flea shampoos, powders, sprays, mousses, dips, collars and spot-on products.

Fleas cannot be literally exterminated within the span of a day. Controlling or getting rid of fleas is an on going battle. It is better to treat your pet early when you see some fleas than solving a flea infestation.

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Many cat owners are at a quandary when it comes to deciding whether to use a cat collar for outdoor cats or not. While most trusted veterinarians and feline fanatics are in agreement that collars are de rigeur for outside cats, there are actually two distinct schools of thought that are either solidly for or solidly against this practice. We shall leave the final decision up to you – consider the following quick advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Identification tags and other pertinent information can be placed in cat collars. This is critical in case your outdoor cat becomes lost or is picked up by a concerned individual. Collars can also facilitate the use of bells or other doohickeys designed to send predators off running scared.

A good number of cat collars have reflective material of some sort in them. You can either go for a purely reflective collar or one that has just a small patch of reflective material, and your cat will still be able to be seen in pitch blackness. Cats, especially those of dark color, can become invisible at night, which is a potentially dangerous situation.

Cons

Some people feel cat collars are a bane because they snag easily and can orientate your cat to the outside world in a way it will not appreciate. In fact, this can prove to be potentially fatal, as some cats have been strangled due to the collar snagging and clogging their respiratory system.

The adage “you cannot please everybody” applies to cat collars – they can tend to be extremely heavy or ungainly for the animal.

Given these pros and cons, consider choosing a collar that will maximize the positives and minimize the negatives. For example, there are many collars on the market that are specially designed to break away or unclasp when the cat is hung. These would be usable for cats seven pounds or heavier, as they are strangle-proof for this particular weight class. This way, the cat can break him-or her-self free from any snare.

Furthermore, there are many different types of collars on the market. Bring your feline friend with you to the local pet-friendly pet store and try on several different types of collars until you find one that best fits. One type of collar to avoid would be a harness – for outdoor cats, this is only applicable if you plan to use some sort of leash to walk your cat. If this is the case, only allow your cat to wear a harness while supervised, as most are not snare-proof.

To recapitulate the points above, collars may be more of a positive for indoor and outdoor cats alike. This would guarantee that your cat can be found easily through its identification information, and would also give valuable protection and visibility to your pet at all times.

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Any way you look at it, owning a pet can bring you many benefits down the line. Pets offer emotional support, help people exercise and assist the disabled.

But then again, pets, or animals in general are capable of spreading diseases to humans. This is especially true for people with pre-existing conditions or small children, who are prone to the harshest effects of zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases.

There are two classifications. One, such as leptospirosis (a bacterial infection), can be transmitted from animals to people. As for the second type, both people and pets can contract these diseases. Lyme disease, for example, can cause arthritis and is spread by ticks.

Fret not, though, for there is a way to protect both your family and pets. According to veterinarians, you should:

Every six months, have your pets brought in for a wellness exam. Pets will need more frequent checkups than humans, because after all, they can age about seven times faster than people.

Make sure your pet is protected against disease whenever possible. These diseases, such as the ones we mentioned, the ever-ubiquitous rabies and little-known parasitic conditions like giardia can be prevented through vaccination.

Ask your veterinarian about flea and tick control.

After you come in contact with your pets in any way, wash your hands immediately.

Keep your hands off your pet’s business – stool must be handled with disposable gloves at the very least, or any similar form of protection, preferably made of plastic.

You can kiss your better half, but never your pet – do not let your little buddy lick your face either.

Do daily “tick checks” on yourself, your kids and your pet. A pair of tweezers can be used to pull out ticks, but do so ever so slowly. Submerse the tick in rubbing alcohol once you have removed it. Use mild (not bold) soap and water to wash your hands, including the tick bite wound.

Pregnant women can take it easy and have another family member clean up the kitty litter box. But if this dirty job is yours to do and you do happen to be pregnant, wash your hands right away after replacing the litter.

Pets tend to defecate in soil or garden areas, so make sure you wash your hand after gardening activities.

If you are scratched or bitten, wash the area with soap and water right away and administer first aid. If you are concerned, contact your health care professional.

If your pet tries to drink standing water when outside, don’t let him do it.

Any rubbish or leftover food that may nest disease-bearing wild animals must be discarded.

To help protect pets and the people they come in contact with, thousands of U.S. veterinary clinics are participating in National Pet Wellness Month, a veterinary clinic-centered educational campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Veterinary clinics offer pet wellness exams and consult with pet owners about disease prevention and other ways to help their pets live longer, healthier and happier lives.

This article is not medical advice – your veterinarian is still the nonpareil source for expert and professional advice on disease prevention and protection for your pets and your family.

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Dog owners naturally would want to show off their pets when there are shows. You get to show others how proud you are of your pet and also get to see other great dogs. But if you’ve never tried entering your dog in a show, you might not find an easy time of it.

Here are five simple tips to get your dog, and yourself, ready for the limelight.

Know What’s Involved. Since you’re new to this, you have to find out what is expected in a dog show. Read articles and other sources of information. Go to dog shows as a spectator so you can see what the happenings are. Familiarize yourself with the jargon. Knowing the difference between all-breed dog shows and specialty shows can help a lot in determining what shows to join and how to get your pet ready.

Do A Research On Your Dog. Knowledge of your pet is essential when getting ready for a dog show. You can gain so much from researching about your dog’s breed and health history. Getting familiar with your dog’s quirks, habits and abilities is also a great way to bond with them and paves the way to a successful performance in the show ring.

Train A Lot. Training for the show, for yourself and your dog is very important. Ideally, get a trained handler if you’re unsure of what is involved. Training dogs also requires conditioning them physically so that they are in tip-top shape when they participate in the show. Remember, dog shows are like beauty pageants. A well-trained dog is both pleasant to look at and be with.

A Visit To The Vet. Every dog needs a visit to the vet when getting ready for a dog show. Immunization will protect your dog and other dogs. Making sure that your dog is healthy will help a lot during the show.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions. You can never stop learning. You should ask handlers and veterinarians questions on how to handle and treat dogs.

These 5 tips are just to help you get started. There are many other things that you could do, and with time and experience, you’ll know what they are.

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Dogs are more than just pets. Dogs are considered friends. Having a pet dog doesn’t only involve feeding it and giving it shelter. You also have to keep the dog healthy and strong.

Spending time with man’s best friend further deepens the relationship one has with a pet. Playing or working with your dog will make your dog feel valued and deepen the understanding and respect between the two of you.

There are many ways to teach a dog discipline and learn new tricks and by teaching it through games instead of the normal routine added with a little imagination, it can both be fun for the dog and the owner.

One game you can play is “follow the leader”. This would involve placing objects like cans or cones on the ground and having the group go around these obstacles, and the dog will learn to follow when it’s his turn. Further strengthening that could be by switching who the leader is and doing the entire process all over again.

Another game is hide and seek. Teach the dog to stay in one place and have the dog look for the person when the dog’s name is called will teach him discipline.

One can modify this game by a hiding a treat in a certain area and have the dog look for it. He will learn to use his sense of smell to look for things.

Waking up in the morning and taking the dog out for a jog is another good chance to spend time with the dog. Both of you would get a chance to exercise. Dogs really like to play, and you can have variety by using Frisbees or having him fetch sticks.

It’s a lot of fun to spend time with your dog doing different activities. Dogs learn how to behave better that way.

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Is your dog a little less enthusiastic about his daily walks? Is he reluctant to get up or lie down? Do his joints make strange sounds when he walks? If you have seen these signs in your dog, your friend might be suffering from arthritis.

Canine arthritis is similar to its human cousin, and dogs can suffer from different variations of it, though the most common one is Osteoarthritis.

What leads to Osteoarthritis and what is it exactly?

The cartilage between bones is necessary to stop the bones from grinding against each other. In some cases, the amount of cartilage decreases, thus providing less cushioning between the bones; in some extreme cases, the cartilage disappears completely, allowing the bones to painfully touch each other.

Unfortunately, arthritis is caused by a number of factors. Genetics and breeding have made certain breeds more susceptible to hip dysplasia, which often leads to arthritis. Obesity in dogs can also contribute to arthritic conditions. Sometimes young dogs can suffer with arthritis if their bones don’t develop correctly. An injury to a limb can also result in arthritis later in life.

Here are some symptoms:

Alert your veterinarian if you have observed any of the following symptoms.

Inactivity

Favoring certain limbs over others

Reluctance to get up or lie down

Clicking of joints

Pain with movement

Swelling of Joints

Whimpering/Crying

Reluctance to climb stairs

Stiffness after getting up

Treatment

There is no cure for canine arthritis. Treatment is based on pain and inflammation management. Your vet can talk to you about the benefits of prescription drugs.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin have shown good results in reducing the inflammation, and therefore the pain, in the joints in many dogs. Some fo the commercial products containing these ingredients are Cosequin and Arthogen. They are available without a prescription.

Changing the animal’s diet might also help. For overweight dogs, a light product may be in order. Glucosamine and Chondroitin can even be found added to some types of dog food on the market.

Chiropractic treatment and acupuncture have also shown to be effective in managing pain and inflammation.

What Can I Do to Make my Arthritic Dog More Comfortable?

If your dog is diagnosed with arthritis in his neck and shoulders, raising his food and water bowls might help.

When the weather is cold or damp, keep your buddy cozy and warm.

Moist heat tends to relieve pain when placed over arthritic joints. Never use a heating pad, as it could lead to accidental burning.

If it is at all possible, choose to use ramps over stairs.

Keep your dog’s level of activity up. Exercise and mild activity will help stop joints from deteriorating further.

Conclusion

The sad fact is, that once a dog develops arthritis, he will suffer with it for the rest of his life, and all that can be done for him is to make him as comfortable as possible by maintaining a reasonable activity level, feeding the proper diet, and/or treating with over-the-counter medications, prescribed drugs, or holistic remedies. And of course, you can’t forget love.

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Have you ever been concerned about the fact that your dog might not be eating the best food? Or, are you worried about some unsettling things you might have heard about the brand you usually buy?

Here is what to look for as well as the ingredients and how they measure up to what you are currently feeding your dog. Dog food is an essential part of your dog’s health, so it is imperative that you choose carefully.

Some easy tips are:

Dog food should not contain the preservatives BHT or BHA since they can potentially be harmful to your pet.

Do not purchase food manufactured from by-products that are left-over from human products. The parts included in these products could be feet, necks, or even intestines.

Some manufacturers add grains such as corn, gluten, wheat and soy as a source of protein, but these products are not as easily digestible as meat. This can result in allergies and other health-related issues in your dog.

Now we get into the fun part!

The first 5 ingredients are a must-have to ensure good nutrition.

What is the origin of the protein source? Most experts agree that the primary source of protein should come from animals and not from grains. If the first five ingredients list two or more vegetable sources, the food might not be very nutritional.

What about grains? If more than two grains are listed in the first five ingredients, you might have a food that’s higher in vegetable protein than animal protein. Grains such as soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten can be difficult to digest, which means less nutrition and more clean up.

Are there any by-products contained in the food? By-products are not as nutritional for your dog, and some of them are harder to digest.

What are the fat sources? Not all fats are the same. We believe the primary fat source in dog food should be animal based because animal fats contain a profile of fatty acids that are easily metabolized and thus are generally more available to the body.

Look for an identifiable animal protein such as “chicken meal” rather a generic term; such as, “poultry meal,” which can contain any fowl (turkey, chicken, geese, etc.).

Some manufacturers use chicken in their pet foods; however, look for Chicken “Meal” Why? Because chicken meat contains a certain amount of moisture in the flesh; however, chicken “meal” is a concentrated source of chicken protein because most of the water has been removed. Therefore, it only stands to reason that you get a greater “protein content” in 1 pound of chicken meal versus 1 pound of chicken.

Make sure your dog food has bacteria cultures (acidophilus) for easy digestion. Look for vegetables and fiber for anti-oxidants protection, vitamins and minerals.

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