If you witness your dog eating chocolate or if it shows any signs of chocolate toxicity (anxiety, pacing, hyperexcitability, excessive thirst and urination, vomiting, or seizures): call your vet immediately and tell him or her what type of chocolate your dog ate, how much you think it ate, how long ago it indulged itself, and how much your dog weighs.

If you find your dog within a couple of hours of ingesting the chocolate, your vet will either instruct you on how to induce vomiting or ask you to bring your dog to the clinic to have its stomach pumped.

If more than a couple of hours have passed, the toxin will already be circulating in your dog’s system, so your vet will provide supportive therapy (such as intravenous fluids and drugs to control hyperexcitability) while your dog’s body works to detoxify itself.

- Neutering means to sterilize a pet, whether it is a female or a male. Although we use this in reference to our male pets most frequently, it is really a generic term covering both sexes.

- Spaying refers specifically to the procedure used to sterilize (or neuter) a female. Castration refers specifically to the procedure used to sterilize (or neuter) a male.

Why do we recommend neutering pets?
What really happens during these procedures?
How will neutering my pet change their personality?

These are important procedures that lead to healthy, happier and longer living pets. They are not simple surgeries. Actually the spay is one of the most difficult surgical procedures we do each day. But we do it so frequently we have become very proficient at it. When your veterinarian recommends having your pet neutered, spayed, castrated, etc., whatever term they may use, please follow their advice. It truly is the best thing for your individual pet and the pet community as a whole.

As always, I’m happy to help your pets…and their people, too.

Dr. Larry

www.petvet.com

Given the statistics cited above, adopting an animal can be a kind and loving thing to do. However, before making the final decision to adopt, there are a number of things to consider.

Many of the animals awaiting adoption in shelters have had very rough beginnings. Some were abused, some abandoned and some were “turned in” because the owners didn’t have time for them. Many were left alone for long periods and some were never properly potty trained. In short, when adopting an animal you must be prepared to work with them. They may come to you cowed or with feelings of trepidation and may be overly sensitive to your tone of voice or to any commands you might give them. You will need to be patient and by all means, loving. When they finally realize that they can trust you they will reward you with more affection and loyalty than you can imagine.
Adopting a dog as a means of entertaining a small child is not recommended. A dog is not a toy and should not be treated as one. Small children should be trained to understand “animal etiquette”. In other words, animals are not to be hit, dragged, ridden or teased. They should understand that being overly aggressive with a new dog, especially one recently adopted, could cause the dog to react by biting or running away. If feeding and exercising the dog is to be the responsibility of a child, an adult should follow up to be sure these things are getting done. It isn’t the dog’s fault if a child fails to meet his or her obligations and the dog shouldn’t have to suffer for the child’s failure.

Many adopted dogs will come to the new surroundings filled with fears based upon earlier mistreatment or the harsh rules of their previous owners. Some dogs will be reluctant to go from one room to another, will shy away when corrected and hide upon hearing a loud noise. New owners must be patient with them and speak to them softly and affectionately. Dogs are not stupid and they will gradually come to understand their new environment and show their appreciation for your loving care.

When contemplating adoption, prospective new owners should be prepared to deal with the fact that their new adoptee may not be completely housebroken. Previous owners may have been irresponsible in their approach to this training; furthermore, when the dog was placed in the shelter it continued to do its “business” right in its pen. Housebreaking is not a complex chore and should not deter someone from adopting a pet. Some owners will use a cage to assist in this training, while others will just take the dog out for a walk several times a day. Fenced yards and doggie doors are minimal expenses that pay extra dividends on cold or rainy days.
Adopted dogs are subject to all of the behavioural problems commonly associated to dogs in general. These would include digging, jumping up on people, jumping fences, barking and nipping. There are proven solutions to all of these “offences.” If your dog is prone to digging, and always digs in one area, there are a number of effective repellent sprays that work well. If he digs under your fence, a little buried chicken wire works wonders in breaking that habit. Spray bottles filled with water should be kept at hand to break a dog from jumping up and to combat incessant barking. A quick spritz in the face immediately following, or during, the offensive behaviour will usually bring about a quick behaviour modification.

Visiting an animal shelter can be an emotional experience for an animal lover. It’s difficult to see all the animals in their pens and not want to take them all home. Such feelings are understandable and commendable; however, just be sure that prior to adoption you consider all of the ramifications. And remember, your best friend is waiting for you at your local animal shelter.

Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

Knowing how to cut a dog’s nails is so important and if you’re wondering how to trim a dog’s nails - you need look no further. As usual, we’ve done all the research for you and presented you with a step by step guide on this delicate procedure.

Your Dog’s Nails
Knowing not only how, but also when to cut a dog’s nails is so important. Your dog’s nails grow constantly and how often they need to be clipped will depend on your dog’s lifestyle. If you dog does a lot of his walking on hard surfaces, he may very well need little or no extra help in keeping his nails short as his nails will be naturally worn away through friction.

However, if like our dogs, your dog mainly stays on grass, sea sand and woodland tracks, clipping dog nails becomes an essential part of his or her grooming and it becomes important that you know how to clip dog nails.

Not knowing how to cut a dog’s nails and failure in clipping dog nails will lead to crippling pain in your dog’s paws and could lead to permanent damage and malformation.

If clipping dog nails is really not your strong point, take your dog along to your vet or groomer. They know how to cut a dog’s nails – and it is amazing how much less of a prima donna your dog will be with total strangers!

When To Start
Dogs are often reluctant to have their nails clipped, therefore, starting the process at a very young age is a good idea.

Initially, get your dog accustomed to you simply holding and stroking their paws. Then progress to applying light pressure on their paws and nails - lightly pinching their nails between your finger and thumb. Reward them for allowing this.

Then, after a lesson from your vets in how to cut a dog’s nails, lightly trim a couple of nails a day. Just trim off the tips - this lessens the chances of you cutting too deep and frightening your dog off.

Talk to your dog in a soothing voice all the time and reward him with his favorite treat and a romp straight after. He will gradually grow accustomed to this unpleasant procedure and learn to at least put up with it.

Tools You Will Need
When you’re wondering about how to cut a dogs nails, there are a variety of nail clippers and trimmers on the market. The guillotine type is my favourite tool when trimming dog nails, though a strong claw cutter may be required for the bigger breeds and basset hounds – they have incredibly large claws!

Sometimes you may want to use a small file or a dremel tool to file down any jagged edges after trimming a dog nails, but frankly, my dogs can’t wait to get away from me, so I’m happy to let them round off any rough edges in the normal course of their everyday walks.

It is also advisable to keep a styptic pen handy just in case you clip into your dog’s quick - but we’ll discuss this later.

Anatomy Of A Dog’s Nail
Knowing how to cut dog’s nails is easier when you know the anatomy of a dog’s nail.

A dog’s nail is constructed of a hard outer cover, which protects the quick which is the inner soft part containing blood vessels and tender nerve endings. In dogs with light coloured nails, the quick can often been seen as being faintly pinkish in color and is thus easy to avoid cutting into.

In the more common black nailed variety, the quick it totally invisible. Therefore, knowing exactly how to cut a dog’s nails in this case is imperative. In these cases, trimming off little nibbles instead of large slices is more advisable.

Keep checking the clipped part of your dog’s nail and look out for a dark spot in the middle of the newly clipped area – this shows the start of the quick – do not cut too far into this. Taking just tiny nibbles, you will then start to see a pale third inner circle. Stop there - or else you are likely to hurt your dog.

Also, don’t forget your dog’s dew claws. Growing on the inside of his legs and not in contact with the floor, these do not get worn away and will sometimes curl completely over causing your dog to get snagged in undergrowth, his bedding, etc. This can be very painful, so do keep those neatly trimmed too.

Best Way Of Clipping Dog Nails
The best way how to cut a dog’s nails is to have the dog lying on a raised table or other surface. Do remember to put a non-slip mat for your dog to sit or stand on so she doesn’t slip and hurt herself. Having someone strong hold your dog in their arms while you quickly clip a couple of nails is another effective way of doing this.

However, your dog may be as good as gold and let you cut their claws with no fuss at all – in which case you are a very fortunate person!

Carefully read the instructions for the nail clipping tool of your choice. For example, with the guillotine, you need to cut from the underneath of your dog’s claw upwards. Never clip downwards.

Position the tool in the right place, wait for an opportune moment when your dog stops wriggling, double check that the clipper is in the right place and squeeze firmly and smoothly - the nail will just pop off.

When wondering when and how to cut dog’s nails, little and often is the best policy. Just nibbling off the ends of each claw will be less stressful for your dog – and yourself! The point to aim for is to trim off any bit that protrudes over your dog’s pad. Thus, when he stands, your dog’s claws should not touch the ground.

The good thing is, very much like our own nails, the more you trim your dog’s nails, the more the quick will recede. Therefore, clipping dog nails doesn’t have to be done all at once – take your time.

Oooops! You’ve Cut Into The Quick!
However experienced you are in knowing how to cut a dog’s nails, accidents will happen.

Clipping into the quick will cause your dog to yelp in pain – I hate it when that happens. And, just as would happen if you cut into your quick, a fair amount of bleeding will occur. As much as you try to not let this happen - it will at some stage - so it is best that you learn to deal with it.

Please, let me reassure you that it is not half as dramatic as it looks. Keep calm, deal with the situation and give your dog a big cuddle and his favorite treat when it is all over.

If learning how to cut a dog’s nails is all a bit much for you, take your dog to a groomer (some will even come to your home) to have her nails trimmed. It doesn’t cost very much and at least your dog wont hold it against you if her nails should accidentally be cut too deep!

If bleeding does occur, you have three options -

You let the bleeding stop normally – but this could go on for about 5 – 7 minutes (call the vet if it goes on for any longer) and be tramped into your carpets as your dog seeks to get away from you. Also, your dog will try to lick her bleeding nail, which could cause the bleeding to continue even longer.

You can hold a piece of tissue paper or a pinch of cornflour firmly against the source of the bleeding – if your dog will hang around long enough! – or

You can keep a styptic pen or stick handy as part of your dog’s grooming kit, which when applied to your dog’s nail will stop the bleeding instantly. It doesn’t hurt your dog - which is a bonus. You can get this from your vet or a good pet store.

General Feet Check-Ups
Though knowing how to cut a dog’s nails is important, just as important is checking your dog’s feet regularly.

Check her pads for thorns or broken glass. Our dogs love paddling in the sea and I also always ensure their paws are rinsed when they get home as dog skin is pretty sensitive to salt water.

I always check them when they come back from their forest walks too – I watch out for any signs of limping. Our dog, Holly in particular, being long haired, tends to bring half the woodland walk back home with her and I’ve occasionally found thorny bits buried deep within her coat.

In winter, I pay special attention to our dogs’ paws because of the salt gritting which takes place and also because they may have stepped on something they couldn’t see under the snow.

In Conclusion
It is so important to keep your dog’s nails trimmed and her feet in good condition. Walking on overly long nails is painful – can lead to broken nails, nail bed infection and huge amounts of bleeding – and can also lead to ingrown nails which break into the pads of your dogs paws.

Just a little bit of regular preventative action on your part can make life so much easier for your dog. Knowing how to cut a dog’s nails and just a little extra bit of care and attention will go a long way towards keeping your dog active and healthy for a long, long time to come.

With years of experience in breeding, training and handling dogs, Marion Herbertson is first and foremost a dog lover. Visit http://www.advice-on-pet-care-and-pet-product-supplies-online.com/Dog-Grooming.html - for more of her practical, sometimes humourous advice on pet care.

Article Source Dog News Center and Article Directory http://www.dognewscenter.com

Each breed of dog has its own set of characteristics and quirks. These can either be endearing or run us batty, depending upon our own personalities. Small dogs can be yappy and are often like small children. Some breeds, like the Saint Bernard, are “wet mouth” dogs. This means they have a tendency to drool—a lot! Other breeds tend to be diggers, swimmers and climbers. Working and herding breeds are very intelligent and will need “jobs” to keep them occupied.

Where do you live? If an apartment is your home, you certainly don’t want a large dog. It would need more space for exercise. A small breed is perfect for you. Think Boston Terriers, Maltese, and Chihuahuas. A mid or large size dog is great if you have a large fenced-in yard. Consider Boxers or Shetland Sheepdogs. If you reside in the country with plenty of space, any large breed would benefit. Choose Border Collies, Great Danes and Australian Shepherds. Make sure your dog has plenty of room to exercise. And please keep them safe! A dog running loose in the city is hazardous for the dog, people and traffic.

How much time do you have for your puppy? Some dogs are great at occupying themselves, while others need constant supervision. Know what you can offer. You will get back from the relationship what you give to it.

Is your heart set on a purebred dog? Mixed breeds are a joy and often have fewer health issues. Your local newspaper will often have quite a selection of mixed breed dogs and the local animal shelter shouldn’t be overlooked.

These are but a few considerations you should think about when adding a puppy to your household. And but a very few breeds. Use these guidelines, add some of your own. The more thought you put into this important decision, the happier you, and your new puppy, will be.

Article Source Dog News Center and Article Directory http://www.dognewscenter.com

Dogs love their owners and develop a very close relationship with them. Sometimes the closeness of that relationship can leave them confused and frightened when the owner is gone. Thy dog may seem confused, angry or sullen when the owner leaves and may appear to “lash out” against being left alone by ruining furniture, creating messes or otherwise acting in ways wholly inconsistent with his training. Separation anxiety is relatively easy to diagnose: an otherwise well-adjusted dog seems to transform into a monster when left alone. Unfortunately, it is not always quite as easy to treat the disorder.

Helping a dog to overcome problems with separation anxiety is a process, just like other aspects of training, it takes time and repetition to be truly successful. The idea of “training away” separation anxiety seems unlikely-how can you address a behavior when you are not present to see, prevent or correct it? Fortunately, there are actions one can take to decrease separation anxiety and to prevent your dog’s frustrated behavior from spiraling out of control during your absence.

Prepare the dog for your departure. Many people have a tendency to lavish attention on their dog before leaving. They may take extra time to play with the dog or find other ways to try to squeeze in a little extra “quality time” with their canine friend. Though well intended, this only makes the owner’s departure even more noticeable and worrisome for the dog. Instead of petting and kissing the dog goodbye, owners dealing with separation anxiety should take measures to correctly prepare the pet for their absence.

This can be done by intentionally decreasing interaction with the pet prior to leaving. Although one may want to spend extra time with a pet before leaving him alone, the best practice is to actually come close to ignoring your pet for several minutes prior to leaving. This will make your departure less jarring and should serve to decrease the dog’s level of anxiety.

If you are leaving for an extended period and feel the need to connect with your pet and to enjoy their company, find ways to do so earlier in the day. Resist the urge to say “goodbye” before actually leaving.

Provide an immediate distraction for the dog. Right before leaving, it is desirable to provide the pet with some sort of distraction. A new toy, for instance, may serve to occupy his attentions, allowing for a smoother transition to his “alone time.” Whatever immediate distraction is provided, make sure it is something that is likely to interest the dog for several minutes. The objective, after all is to maintain his attention on something other than your absence for as long as can be reasonably expected.

This technique has the added benefit of teaching your pet that his time alone will result in a pleasurable experience. He will begin to connect your departure with a fun toy or diversion instead of feeling it will only bring anxiety and loneliness.

One should also provide a more lasting distraction. Dogs crave human contact and will unavoidably miss it while alone. However, maintaining something of a human element to their surroundings can decrease the separation anxiety the feel when left without company.

Many have experienced success by keeping a radio or television tuned to programming featuring a great deal of dialogue. The dog will hear human voices and although he certainly won’t be fooled into believing he is in the company of human friends, the sound is still soothing and can reduce feelings of stress and loneliness.

Separation anxiety can be an absolutely befuddling issue for a dog owner. Even the most well-mannered and well-trained dogs can suddenly transform into destructive troublemakers as a result of separation anxiety. Training away this difficulty can be hard, especially when a dog feels very connected to his owner. However, by preparing your dog and utilizing appropriate immediate and lasting distractions, one can reasonably expect to reduce the anxiety experienced by their dog.
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Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com

That makes you the Alpha Dog - the Leader of your pack.

Your dog wants you to be the leader. Your dog wants to know that there is a strong Alpha Dog giving orders and keeping the pack in line.

The very first thing you need to do as the leader of your pack is to housebreak your dog. In the wild, dogs (wolves) are trained early not to do their business in the pack’s den, and it is vital that you train your dog not to do its business in your den (your house).

Most dog experts agree that the best age to housebreak a puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks old.

If you are housebreaking a puppy, one of the best ways is to use a crate. Believe it or not, puppies like crate training. For a dog a crate is like its ancestral den and the confined space in a crate gives your puppy a sense of security and safety.

NEVER use the crate to punish your puppy. The crate is NOT a jail. Your puppy’s crate is its happy and safe home. Never lock a young puppy in a crate for more than 2 hours - three hours tops in an emergency.

Puppies won’t make a mess in their sleeping area unless you leave them locked up for too long at a time, which is why the crate makes such a good tool for housebreaking. Leave your puppy in its crate for two hours and then take it out of its crate and lead it outside to the area where you want it to do its mess.

As it does its mess say the words “Hurry Up” and then praise your puppy, possibly even give your puppy a small treat on occasion. By using the words “Hurry Up” as your puppy is doing its business you train it to associate the words “Hurry Up” with doing its business. Later, especially on cold, dark winter nights you’ll appreciate the fact that the words “Hurry Up” will shorten your “walk” time considerably!

Always take your puppy out the same door and to the same area each time. This will teach your puppy to scratch at the same door when it needs to go out and it will make your future clean ups quicker and easier.

Try to take your dog outside to do its business at the same time each day. Dogs, like most humans, feel most comfortable when they have a routine to follow.

Unless you catch your dog in the act of making a mess, do NOT scold your dog for making a mess in the house. Rubbing your dog’s nose in a puddle of pee even a few minutes after the act does NOT teach your dog not to pee in the house - it only CONFUSES your dog.

If you CATCH your dog IN THE ACT of making a mess in the house grab the dog’s collar and yank on it, saying the word “NO!” in a DEEP and STERN voice and then lead your dog to the outside area where you are training it to go to the bathroom. When your dog does its business, praise your dog (and don’t forget to use the words “Hurry Up” as it is doing its business).

If your puppy is running around the house free keep an eye on it and learn to recognize the signs when it is about to make a mess. It might start circling an area, or it might start sniffing its nose close to the floor, or it may begin walking in a different way. Almost all dogs give some kind of a signal before they are going to mess. Learn to pick up on your dog’s signal and then pull them by the collar to the outdoor area where you want them to go.

You’re going to have to be a little patient. Your puppy will have accidents. Your puppy, after all, still has puppy-brains and it will take a certain amount of time before the neurons begin to click in that little brain and the light bulb suddenly lights up and your puppy says “Oh, that’s what you want me to do!”

How To Housebreak Your Dog

First, don’t think that you are being mean to your dog by training him or her. Dogs are pack animals by nature. They need to belong to a pack. When your dog became part of your household your dog became part of your pack.

That makes you the Alpha Dog - the Leader of your pack.

Your dog wants you to be the leader. Your dog wants to know that there is a strong Alpha Dog giving orders and keeping the pack in line.

The very first thing you need to do as the leader of your pack is to housebreak your dog. In the wild, dogs (wolves) are trained early not to do their business in the pack’s den, and it is vital that you train your dog not to do its business in your den (your house).

Most dog experts agree that the best age to housebreak a puppy is between 8 and 12 weeks old.

If you are housebreaking a puppy, one of the best ways is to use a crate. Believe it or not, puppies like crate training. For a dog a crate is like its ancestral den and the confined space in a crate gives your puppy a sense of security and safety.

NEVER use the crate to punish your puppy. The crate is NOT a jail. Your puppy’s crate is its happy and safe home. Never lock a young puppy in a crate for more than 2 hours - three hours tops in an emergency.

Puppies won’t make a mess in their sleeping area unless you leave them locked up for too long at a time, which is why the crate makes such a good tool for housebreaking. Leave your puppy in its crate for two hours and then take it out of its crate and lead it outside to the area where you want it to do its mess.

As it does its mess say the words “Hurry Up” and then praise your puppy, possibly even give your puppy a small treat on occasion. By using the words “Hurry Up” as your puppy is doing its business you train it to associate the words “Hurry Up” with doing its business. Later, especially on cold, dark winter nights you’ll appreciate the fact that the words “Hurry Up” will shorten your “walk” time considerably!

Always take your puppy out the same door and to the same area each time. This will teach your puppy to scratch at the same door when it needs to go out and it will make your future clean ups quicker and easier.

Try to take your dog outside to do its business at the same time each day. Dogs, like most humans, feel most comfortable when they have a routine to follow.

Unless you catch your dog in the act of making a mess, do NOT scold your dog for making a mess in the house. Rubbing your dog’s nose in a puddle of pee even a few minutes after the act does NOT teach your dog not to pee in the house - it only CONFUSES your dog.

If you CATCH your dog IN THE ACT of making a mess in the house grab the dog’s collar and yank on it, saying the word “NO!” in a DEEP and STERN voice and then lead your dog to the outside area where you are training it to go to the bathroom. When your dog does its business, praise your dog (and don’t forget to use the words “Hurry Up” as it is doing its business).

If your puppy is running around the house free keep an eye on it and learn to recognize the signs when it is about to make a mess. It might start circling an area, or it might start sniffing its nose close to the floor, or it may begin walking in a different way. Almost all dogs give some kind of a signal before they are going to mess. Learn to pick up on your dog’s signal and then pull them by the collar to the outdoor area where you want them to go.

You’re going to have to be a little patient. Your puppy will have accidents. Your puppy, after all, still has puppy-brains and it will take a certain amount of time before the neurons begin to click in that little brain and the light bulb suddenly lights up and your puppy says “Oh, that’s what you want me to do!”
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About The Author:

Larry Parr’s Love Your Dog website has Free articles on Dog Training plus Tips and Tricks for keeping your dog Health and Happy. He even has a Free recipe for home made dog food! Visit his site at: http://www.keeping-families-together.com/dogs.

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Dog Article courtesy of I-Love-Dogs.com