The Basic Needs For Your Dog in the Event of a Hurricane

It is very important to make sure that you have all of the necessary items for your dog when you are getting ready for a Hurricane. Everyone is so worried about so many things that some of your dog's basic necessities can be forgotten.

I live in an area that is hurricane prone and yes you guessed it, Florida. We are on the alert during Hurricane season and we watch the weather like a hawk. We are also accustomed to tracking several storms at once unfortunately. Due to the past Hurricanes in the United States, Disaster preparedness is being revamped and legislation is now being hashed out to provide for pets as well as people in an emergency. It is reassuring to know that projects are in the works but make sure that you have your own plan first and foremost. Read on for a few tips learned over the years by this hurricane veteran.

- If it's not safe for you to stay in your home, it's not safe for your pets. Take them with you to a friend's home or call ahead for a pet friendly hotel or arrange boarding for them somewhere out of the Hurricane area. During emergencies when boarding facilities are full, veterinarian clinics, shelters, or friends may take in animals. Give them a call as people open their hearts and homes in desperate situations.

- Have appropriate restraints for all pets, such as crates, leashes, harnesses, cages, stake-out lines.

- Pack 5 to 7 days worth of food, water, bowls, and all medications and a favorite toy or two.

- Piddle pads, paper towels, plastic bags, and pet-safe disinfectants will come in handy as you might not have regular access for your dog to use the bathroom.

- Make sure all pets are wearing identification, medical information, and contact information.

- Carry a picture of your dog to help identify them should they get lost, along with vaccination proof.

- Ask your veterinarian if a couple of day's worth of tranquilizers are appropriate for your pet. The pressure drop will cause your pets to understand that something is going on and if you have a pet that stresses easily then you would definitely want to discuss tranquilizers with your vet.

- Keep a first aid kit on hand and make sure that you have some Benadryl in case your dog gets bitten by anything. Ask your vet how much dosage that your pet needs as weight will dictate how much medication you will need to give.

- If you decide to stay home, keep your pets with you in an interior room, and remember that they are just as scared as you and your family so reassure them to help keep them calm.

- If you are in a flood zone, you might want to invest in a life jacket for your dog. I have one for my dog as we do some boating. Some of the places we to does not have an area for my dog to get off the boat and walk around. Get your dog used to the life vest in advance as you do not want to introduce a foreign object to your dog when he is under duress.

- After the storm, check the yard for anything that may harm your dog. There could be a lot of debris and things in the grass or on the ground that you might not see. Please take a good look around as you do not want your dog to be harmed in any way by debris or snakes etc.

You should get prepared for your dog just as you get prepared for the Hurricane in advance. Make the call to your vet and get all necessary supplies before the season starts or at least the first you hear that a Hurricane or bad storm may be heading your way.

Let's keep our dogs safe and as calm as possible during the storms. My dog Boo Boo does not like the thunder. She stays right by my side the whole time. I pet her and talk to her to let her know that things will be just fine. Just having your pet right with you during the storms will calm them down. Try not to leave them alone as they will be scared.

If you found this information helpful and would like more Free information about your dog and the care of your dog, please visit my website http://basicsofdogownership.com/ Thank you for reading my article!

Tips on How to Train Your Dog to Walk on a Leash - Part 2

Training your dog to walk on a leash is an essential part of dog ownership. I want to do just a brief review of part one to just go over the points.

• Put your puppy or dog on the leash before you open the door for the walk.
• Walk out of your home in front of your dog and never let your dog exit before you
• If your dog is pulling on the leash just pull straight up to stop the forward motion and get his attention
• Make sure your dog walks behind you; keep your dog on a short leash if necessary
• Make sure that you are relaxed and in control during the walk as your dog will know if you are not.

Once you have mastered these techniques you can start addressing other aspects of the walk. Most dogs, especially puppies, will have a tendency to try and go after other animals during the walk. If your dog tries to chase after other dogs, squirrels, etc., give him a nudge with you foot to get his attention while still walking in a forward motion. It is important to keep moving as you do not want your dog to get fixed on any one thing. This must be done quickly and at the very start of the chase.

My dog Boo Boo is two years old now and can walk off leash with me anywhere. There are tons of squirrels, other dogs and lizards that were getting her attention during our walks. She does not go after anything anymore as she knows what I expect of her and she knows that is not what I want her to do. During the training she would pull and try and go after her target. I would make the correction with her and would give her a little tap with my foot to get her attention. I would then tell her NO at the same time of the correction all done while continuing our forward motion. I would also pull her head forward during this whole process. It is important to keep moving.
Once you have accomplished walking with distractions, you can start to introduce other commands such as "Heal". During the walk stop and say "Heal" and stop your dog's forward motion. Use a short leash for this training. Take a couple of steps and repeat the word "Heal", and stop again. It is important to get your dog's attention during this activity as you want your dog to look at you so he knows that you are giving him a command. If you keep repeating this every ten steps or so, your dog will start to understand what you want him to do.

I suggest that you walk your dog every day and repeat these functions. Your dog will be healthy and happy and it is a great stress reliever for you. It is also a wonderful way for you to bond with your dog. I will be adding some video's of Boo Boo to my website in the very near future. Boo Boo has been trained since she was 8 weeks old and can do amazing tricks. She is truly a wonder dog and I would love to share her accomplishments with everyone.

All of the above techniques were done with the use of a regular collar and leash. There were no choker or pincher collars used.

If you have found this article helpful and would like additional Free tips and information please visit my website at http://basicsofdogownership.com/

Tips on how to Train your Dog to Walk on a Leash Part 1

The process of training your dog to walk on a leash can be an easy venture or a difficult one. Most of this depends on your attitude and patience. It is beneficial if you can start your training in the puppy stages. Your puppy will most likely pull against you as the rules and boundaries have not been set yet.

First start by introducing a collar to your puppy and let him wear it for a while before attempting the walk. Your puppy needs to overcome the feeling of something around his neck and act as if it is not there. Once your puppy is not paying attention to the new collar any longer, you can introduce the leash.

It is important to do the same routine with your puppy previous to a walk. Your puppy will start to know what you expect from him and will start to listen to your commands if you always repeat the same routine.

Make sure you put your puppy on the leash before opening the door to go outside and make sure that your puppy is calm during this process. You will need to exit the house first and then let your dog follow behind you. This is very important as this will establish who is in charge of the walk.

Do not let your puppy pull on the leash as they are very curious of the outside world and all the things in it and it can cause them to gag. Pull straight up on the leash and say “heal” to get your puppy’s attention. Take a step or two and see what reaction you get from your puppy. He will probably pull again and you will need to make the correction again with pulling up and saying “heal”.

When I was training my Pit/Lab mix Boo Boo, she would take part of the leash in her mouth and walk along with me. Although it was very cute to see her do that, I had to stop her as when she had the leash in her mouth, she was walking me. It is important to take control of the walk and have a calm attitude. Your dog can feel your energy through the leash during a walk. Constant tension on the leash is not a good thing. This should be a relaxing experience for you and you puppy therefore you should not be tense at all.

Stay ahead of your dog and do not let your dog lead the way. Do not use one of those leashes that automatically let line out or take line in. It is best to use a regular old fashioned leash. Get one in your favorite color or if you walk in the evenings, get one that is glow in the dark for safety.

Keep repeating these tips:

Put your puppy or dog on the leash before you open the door for the walk.

Walk out of your home in front of your dog and never let your dog exit before you

If your dog is pulling on the leash just pull straight up to stop the forward motion and get his attention

Make sure your dog walks behind you; keep your dog on a short leash if necessary

Make sure that you are relaxed and in control during the walk as your dog will know if you are not.

This is just basic introduction to walking on a leash. Once you have mastered these steps you can start working on other commands during the walk. I will explain those techniques in part 2 coming soon.

If you have found this article helpful and would like additional Free tips and information please visit my website at http//:Basics of Dog Ownership.com

Five Steps to Follow If a Dog Or Other Animal Bites Your Dog

If an animal or other dog bites your dog, the possibility of it becoming serious is very likely. The saliva of other animals or dogs contains huge amounts of bacteria, which can certainly induce an infection throughout the wound. Even a little bite that does not look serious can critically damage your dogs underlying tissue. Regardless of the size of a bite wound, it is best to have a veterinarian check and treat the injury to make sure it remains infection free and does not end up worse. Here are five things you should know and do if your dog does end up bitten by another animal.

1. When a dog experiences pain, often it will lash out, even at their owners or family members. This is extremely common so the first thing you should do if your dog receives a bite is place a muzzle on your dog, which gives you protection in case the dog snaps and tries to bite you or someone else. Before touching the animal, use a muzzle, or if you do not have one available, use a makeshift one and carefully tie the dogs mouth closed using panty hose, gauze, or other material available but without covering the dog's nostrils. If the dog suddenly gets stick or starts having trouble breathing, remove the muzzle immediately.

2. If the pet is tiny and cannot wear a muzzle, use a towel and place it around the dog's head to protect you from a dog bite. You certainly want to avoid blocking the dog's air supply, so wrap its head loosely and only leave the towel on for a short period.

3. Once you have muzzled the dog, you should use K-Y or another type of water-soluble jelly and carefully put a thin layer directly on the dog's bite wound. You are now ready to trim the hair near and around the bite wound area. This makes it simpler to clean the wound along with helping it air out so it heals quicker. Use electric clippers, a disposable razor or scissors to gently, carefully trim the hair.

The K-Y jelly will protect the injury by preventing the hair from getting into the bite wound. After trimming the dog's hair, clean the injury carefully to prevent infection. Use running, lukewarm water to flush the wound for approximately five minutes. If the bite is more than twenty-four hours old, use antibacterial soap to scrub the bite injury as there may already be bacteria in the wound. Flush with running, warm water and dry the wound.

4. Once you thoroughly clean and dry the injury, apply Neosporin or another antibiotic over-the-counter ointment on the wound. A clean cloth or gauze makes an excellent bandage but slip your finger under the bandage to be sure it is not too tight.

5. Always keep your dog's rabies vaccination and other vaccinations up to date.

Watch the dog bites carefully and have your veterinarian examine the dog wounds for your own peace of mind.

For more information recommended by Kelly Marshall, see these recent articles Aggression With Dogs: How It Came Into Being and All About Vitamins.

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The Best Things You Can Do To Make Your Dog Happy

Deciding to bring a dog into your family can be one of the most rewarding decisions a family can make. Dog ownership can be a wonderful experience with the proper supplies, patience, and guidance. You must first decide where you will obtain your new addition. You can buy from a breeder, look into your local animal shelter, check online, and check in the newspapers. Sometimes your dog will find you as we acquired our dog by word of mouth from a neighbor that know of this little 8 week old lab/pit mix that needed a home.
Once you decide on where to gain your new dog, you need to decide on a breed. Do research on the traits and characteristics of the different breeds so you will know what to expect. Find a breed that fits into your lifestyle. You do not want to get a dog that needs lots of room to run if your dwelling is not conducive to those needs.
There will be some necessities that you will need to have when you bring your new dog home. Some of the basics are food, food and water bowls, collar, leash, crate (if you crate train which I highly advise), chew toys, shampoo, brush, flea comb, flea treatment, heartworm pills, and plenty of balls to throw. Make sure you check with your vet for the best food for your dog. Some dogs need specific diets and a change in the food can bring on stomach problems. Also make sure that the shampoo that you buy for your dog is appropriate for the dog's skin type. Always check with your vet for the best options for you or do some looking on line as there are a number of safe organic supplies that will do the trick.
Start training your dog from day one. If you have brought a puppy into your home you will need to take a deep breath and start the potty training immediately. This can be accomplished simply with the right tools and attitude. You will need to establish yourself as the Pack Leader and reaffirm that position every day. This is extremely important as you need to let your dog know who is in charge and this will help tremendously in all facets of the training that you will need to do with your dog.
Dog ownership can be very rewarding if you are prepared with the right tools and mindset. Please remember that your dog will need your attention and love on a daily basis. You will need to have patience and understanding and a lot of love, you will also get that love back from your dog which makes everything worth it.

If you found this article helpful and are looking for additional information about raising your dog or information about training, please visit my newly revised site at http://www.basicsofdogownership.com or my informative blog at http://www.basicsofdogownership.blogspot.com which gives you tips on many different topics of dog ownership. Thanks so much for reading this article.
Tami Grant is a lifelong animal lover and dog enthusiast and accomplished niche website developer. She is the proud owner of Boo Boo who is one of the loves of her life. Meet Boo Boo at her website.
You may republish this article on your blog, website or e-zine by providing credit to the author with a live link to Basics of Dog Ownership Website and blog.

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Help Fido Enjoy a Tick-free Summer

Pets tend to spend more of their time outdoors in the warmer summer months. In case of dogs, it is essential to be cautious about parasites, bugs and micro organisms that can harm them while they are enjoying the fresh air. Precautions are necessary to keep such dangers away. One of the major pests that can cause a lot of damage is ticks since they can carry contagious diseases. Avoiding ticks initially is more preferable than trying to treat them at a later stage.

Ticks tend to stick to warmer temperatures, CO2 and movement. Ticks do not transmit through the air; their motion is limited to crawling. They transmit themselves by climbing up taller structures or plants and drop onto any living human or animal. The danger of diseases or kinds of diseases transmitted by ticks depends upon the country and culture, therefore, the cure of after effects from ticks and ticks themselves vary from country to country. The danger of having ticks on your dog's body begins once the tick bites. The bite itself is painless and unfeeling but the area of the bite may become infected. Consulting a veterinarian is advisable for treatment which normally involves a course of oral antibiotics. If your dog becomes ill due to a tick bite, there is a risk of spreading the infection through your pet's saliva. The most popular disease transmitted by a tick bite is Lyme disease.

The best way to avoid ticks is to avoid walking your dog in the midst of vegetation during tick season. Always keep the vegetation around your home trimmed. Certain preventive medication products are also available. Talk to your veterinarian about the suitability of these alternatives for your dog in respect to age and area. Do not use tick preventative medications without a veterinarian recommendation and be sure to follow proper dosage instructions. Please remember that these medications are suited for a single class of pets only, meaning that tick prevention medication for dogs is for dogs only and should not be used on cats or any other pets.

When your dog comes back from the outdoors, make sure to check him carefully for ticks. Ticks are normally found in warm areas, under the arms, in the ears, between the toes and in the folds of the skin. If you find any, remove them safely. Do not touch the tick; use an alcohol swab, then pull it out slowly with tweezers. Make sure not to leave any parts of the tick sticking to your dog. If you are unsuccessful contact your vet for assistance.

Lee Anne Emig is the founder of The Pet Sitting Institute. She owned a successful pet sitting business and is the author of several pet care articles. The Pet Sitting Institute offers complete systems, products and tools to help people start the pet sitting business of their dreams and succeed in the industry. Visit http://www.PetSittingInstitute.com for more information.

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Age To Get Puppies Spayed

Having your puppy spayed is by far the best way to ensure that we combat the problem of unwanted dogs. There are a huge number of healthy dogs put to sleep each year in America and an even greater number waiting in shelters to be adopted. Much of the trauma that these animals go through would be spared if only we took a more responsible view regarding the age to have puppies spayed.

Puppies are sexually mature at around six months old. From this time on a bitch can become pregnant and have her own litter of puppies, despite the fact that she will still seem like a puppy to you. Therefore, if we wish to keep the overpopulation of dogs to a minimum, the best age for puppies to be spayed would be before they are six months old. This should be before the puppy comes on heat for the first time.

Not only is this the best age to have puppies spayed from the viewpoint of controlling the dog population, it is also better for the dog on medical grounds. You will have reduced the risk of your dog suffering from mammary adenocarcinoma by about 98% when she is older.

Whether there is a limit regarding there being too young an age to have puppies spayed is a much discussed subject. The American Medical Veterinary Association now advocates the spaying of female puppies from as early as 7 weeks. There are many other reputable organizations who agree with the AMVA on this decision including The Humane Society of the United States and The Kennel Club of the United States.

There has been years of research into the subject and findings have been contra to previous beliefs. It was thought in the past that operating so early in life could cause the dog problems in later years. It has now been proved that there are no medical contraindications for the procedure at this age regarding either behavior or physical well being. Many veterinarians however, will still not agree to the procedure at such an early age and are still of the opinion that the best age to have puppies spayed is at around six months, just prior to first season. Veterinarians who are involved with The Humane Society of the United States are particularly supportive of early age spaying if it means that the animal can be adopted from a shelter rather than euthanized. Another rule for some is the weight of the puppy. Some will only spay if the animal weighs at least two pounds.

The majority of specialists will say that the ideal age to have puppies spayed would be at six months. In some cases this can be reduced for an early age spay from as young as 7 weeks. Either way, the important issue is that you do have your puppy spayed. This will be one step closer to helping reduce unwanted pregnancies and save the trauma that unwanted dogs have to endure.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about spaying puppies, please visit Spay and Neuter Today for current articles and discussions.

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