Toilet training should not end with housebreaking. If you want to avoid the unpleasant but necessary task of picking up after your pet in the street, it makes sense to train him to go before you leave home. This is not as difficult as it may seem but requires a fair amount of patience in the early stages.
If you have been successfully working at the housebreaking process, you will, by the time you are able to take your puppy out, have a particular phrase that your puppy will associate with going to the toilet.
You should also have a fairly regular routine and will have some idea of when your puppy needs to go. Try to arrange your first walk to coincide with this time. Go out to the yard as usual, repeating your chosen phrase until your puppy does what is required. Praise enthusiastically and then take him out for a walk. If he does not go to the toilet, take him back inside for a while and try again later.
If you take your dog out for a walk only after he has been to the toilet, he will eventually begin to realize that producing the required deposit results in a walk.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on November 26th 2006 in Puppy Potty Training
Noninfectious osteoarthritis is the commonest form of joint disease in the aging dog, a situation not too different from that in humans. The disease is progressive and causes few, if any, noticeable symptoms in the early stages. It is not uncommon for a veterinarian to discover the existence of degenerative joint disease or its predisposing causes during a routine checkup.
Primary arthritis develops from the normal wear and tear of a joint with time and age. While seen occasionally in very old dogs, it is not the commonly observed arthritis that it is in people. The bulk of aging dog arthritis cases are secondary to disorders which happened or started earlier in life.
The following are just a few of the many such disorders:
• Obesity in any breed but especially in the large and giant breeds.
• Mechanical trauma such as falls and jumping mishaps.
• Torn ligaments in any joint but especially the stifle joint in toy or miniature poodles.
• Chronic dislocating patella (slipped knee cap), most common in toy breeds.
• Osteochondritis dissecans, a disease of young dogs.
• Hip dysplasia.
Dogandmaster.com
dogandmaster on November 26th 2006 in Dog Health
Ringworm is a condition that is acquired through contact with the skin and hair of an infected dog or other animal. Ringworm is caused by a fungus that eats the skin and hair of its host. It usually appears in human as circular, scaly, red areas. As the parasite grows, it spreads inward forming a circular shape that looks like the shape of a ripple when you drop a stone in a pond.
In dogs, the affected area appears hairless, thickened, scabby, and irritated. They are usually disk-shaped and about one inch or more in diameter. A lot of ringworm cases transmitted by animals come from cats, although dogs can also carry the spores without showing any visible signs.
In humans as well as animals, the number of infection from ringworm is steadily increasing. In fact, ringworm infection is now among the most common if not the most common fungal disease reported. While children are more vulnerable to ringworm than adults, humans can get infected at any age. Here is a way you can treat ringworm using a common herb:
You may use the herb goldenseal and make a strong infusion by mixing the powdered herb with one cup of boiling water. Let it stand until cold then carefully pour the liquid and massage it on the skin about once or twice a day.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on November 26th 2006 in Dog Health
When shopping for your new poodle (and if you’re not planning on dog showing) explain to the breeder that you are looking for a “pet quality” Poodle. This doesn’t mean there will be anything wrong with the puppy; it means that, in the breeder’s opinion, the puppy will not achieve a championship in the show ring.
The word pet means something different to a breeder than it does to you. For a breeder, pet means “non-show quality.” To you, it probably means a dog you are going to take home and love. If you are thinking about showing your Poodle as a hobby, tell the breeder you are looking for a “show-quality” dog. Don’t use the word pet—even though he will be one.
Whether you’re buying a Poodle for a pet or for show, a responsible breeder will ask you many questions about your home situation and may even want to speak with your veterinarian. Although these questions can seem intrusive, a good breeder is looking out for the welfare of her dogs. Ask a lot of questions yourself, even if you think they are silly.
The breeder may use terminology like “inbreeding,” “line-breeding,” and “out-crossing.” If you’re not familiar with such terms, ask what they mean. Your questions show the breeder that you care about what you’re doing and want to learn.
DogandMaster.com
dogandmaster on November 26th 2006 in Dog Breeding
