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Preparing for old age
When we first buy a puppy, not many of us look too far into the future – the years seem to rush by and we share lots of memorable moments, holidays, long walks etc. Then the day comes when we notice our dog isn’t quite as quick as he or she used to be. More content with laying on the sofa watching TV with the family than out walking in the cold. For some breeds this happens sooner than others and life expectancy does not even reach double figures, whilst other breeds can reach the ripe old age of 18. By preparing for old age in our dogs, we can…
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Obesity in Dogs
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Dealing with Excessive Barking
Barking can be a major problem – not just for dog owners but their neighbours also. There are 5 main reasons a dog barks, being: 1) an excited bark, 2) watchdog – guarding either territory or owner, 3) I want something barking, 4) fearful bark and 5) boredom barking. The first step is to find out which sort of barking your dog is doing. If it’s excitement barking, this isnt usually a problem as it stops when the excitement does. Depending on the context and surroundings of the situation, if your dog gets over excited about playing with a toy, then you can come into conflict if other dogs are…
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What to do if your dog is in a fight
Just like people, there are going to be dogs that don’t get on as well. What we humans can transfer down the leash without realising, restricts our dogs’ movement, stopping them from making the necessary signals in their daily lives. Once a fight has begun there is little you can do without risk of injury to yourself or escalating the problem. The best way as a responsible dog owner to minimise the hazard, is to stop a fight before it happens. You can do this by being aware of your surroundings, paying careful attention to any oncoming dogs, watch how other dogs enter yours and your dogs space – if…
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How to stop your puppy from biting
I’ve had a few people come up and stop me in the street recently, asking me how to get their puppy to stop biting – all of which were around twelve to sixteen weeks old. Puppies bite and that is a typical age when puppies increase their biting, which is mainly due to teething. Also, there has been no ‘bite inhibition’, which basically means they have not yet learnt the strength of their bite and the items they can bite. For puppies younger than ten weeks, a high pitch squeal can do the job, any older than ten weeks and you need to transfer the attention onto a soft toy…
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Exercising a new puppy
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Colder, darker months
As the Autumn season has arrived, dog owners will find that morning and evening walks are often done in the dark and, sometimes as the weather gets colder, walking your dog will not have the same appeal. It’s important to keep up with exercise – not just physically but to stimulate your dog’s mind. Once the clocks go back, it’s lighter earlier so if possible get up an hour earlier and take the dog’s main walk before your day begins. If you’re around during the day, you could go for several shorter walks. Be careful letting your dog off the leash when dark – only do so if you have…
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Exercising a new puppy
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Firework Fears – Advice for Dog Owners
Bonfire night will soon be upon us and if you have a pet that doesn’t like the fireworks, here are some tips that may help… First of all, try not to alter your own behaviour in anticipation of what your dog may or may not do. Try to treat Bonfire Night and the surrounding days the same as any other, as your dog will most certainly pick up on any changes. If possible, give your dog more exercise with a second outing earlier in the day, so as not to be out when the festivities begin. Make a safe place/bed somewhere quiet in the home, possibly a few days to…
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Pulling on the leash
This is a common problem – the dog doesn’t know how you would like him or her to walk beside you, so it’s down to you the owner to teach them the required behaviour. Our actions at the other end of the leash are just as important as the dog’s and in many cases, an owner that keeps pulling back is fuelling the unwanted behaviour, as the dog is genetically programmed to rebuff your actions with the outcome becoming a sort of tugging game – which can effect your dog’s health later in life as well as your own joints. To combat this behaviour through training, the owner must be…
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Exercising a new puppy
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Exercising a new puppy
When acquiring a new puppy, something that should be high on the list of things to do is exercise. As a general guide, a puppy needs five minutes of exercise for each month of the its life, so for a three month old puppy you would give them fifteen minutes, four months twenty minutes, five months twenty five minutes and so on – ensuring the environment is safe and secure. Over-exercising can cause the puppy to become over tired and possibly damage their developing joints, which can lead to early arthritis. Don’t let your puppy run free to play with bigger dogs as this too can cause early damage to…
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Obesity in Dogs
There are many reasons a dog can become overweight, for example illness or injury, neutering or unsuitable diet/insufficient exercise. Obesity seriously increases the chance of heart problems, diabetes, breathing difficulties and arthritis. Once your pet is overweight it becomes a vicious circle – their activity level decreases, making it harder to lose the pounds. It’s easy to find yourself in this situation, as living with your pet – seeing them everyday means that small weight gains can go unnoticed. If you think your dog is overweight there are a couple of ways to check. Look at your pet from the side – their belly should be tucked up, also if…