The Traveling Dog - Keeping Your Dog Safe When Traveling by Plane

When you have to fly your pet by plane in order to travel during vacation or when moving, the last thing most of us want is to stuff him in a box while he sits in the cargo area during the entire flight. Unfortunately, if you have no other choice but to use the airlines for your travel needs, your dog will more thank likely be placed in a crate for the flight.

Your job here is to make certain your dog is as comfortable as possible. Below are a few suggestions to help you prepare him for the flight:

1. Purchase in a USDA approved kennel that is designed for traveling. The kennel should be custom fit to the size of your dog or puppy. Make certain that the kennel unit is sturdy and provides enough room for your pet to stand up in, as well as offers the ability for him to turn around if he needs to.

2. Avoid waiting until the day of your flight to put your dog inside the kennel. Its true that dogs do adapt easily, however, it is best to get him comfortable with the crate so that he will be a little more at ease. You can do this by having your dog sleep inside the kennel each night before your travel date. Three nights of this preparation before the day of the flight is enough time.

3. If your flight will be longer than 10 to 12 hours, make certain to tape a small bag of dog food outside the crate, complete with meal instructions.

4. For your own peace of mind and to avoid the small chance that your dog could miss his destination, simply write the destination of your flight on the top portion of the crate in big letters. Make certain to include your full name and address, as well as a valid phone number where you can be reached.

5. It is best not to feed your dog at least six hours of the flight. This will help reduce the chances of him having him accidentally using the bathroom inside of the kennel.

6. In case your dog does have a bathroom accident while flying, prep the kennel with a light layer of paper and bedding so that the urine and stools can be soaked as best possible.

7. To avoid your dog from becoming thirsty during the flight, place two bowls inside the kennel, one filled with a small amount of water, and the other filled with ice. The ice bowl will actually melt away bit by bit - this will provide him with plenty of fluids hours later.

8. Lastly, if you own a small dog like a Chihuahua or a toy poodle, see if you can arrange to have a small crate to put your dog in that can fit underneath your chair ...But do not wait until the last minute to talk with the airlines about this arrangement. Find out if boarding the flight with your small dog under your seat is allowed as soon as you possibly can.

Article by Kelly Marshall from Oh My Dog Supplies - where you can find designer dog bowls to match any decor

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Crate Training your New Puppy

The decision to add a new puppy into your life should not be taken lightly as they need a lot of love and attention as any new baby would. To help cut down on the number of accidents that will inevitably happen, you can use a crate to train your puppy and help with house breaking your little one.

Crate training your new puppy will help avoid accidents in the middle of the night and will help in making your puppy feel safe at night. Make sure that the crate that you purchase is large enough for your puppy to grow into. The crate should have a divider inside of it that can be moved as your puppy grows. You should find one with a plastic bottom to make cleaning accidents easier and keep the crate from rusting. It would be a good idea to buy a washable pet bed that you can put into the crate to keep your puppy comfortable. Make sure that it can fit into your washing machine as accidents will happen in the beginning.

You should crate train a puppy for about 9 months or if things are going well less time will be needed. You should place your crate where you want your puppy to eventually sleep at night. Once you remove the crate from the room, the puppy will go to that spot to sleep as it is used to its surrounding and smells of the room or area that you want your dog to sleep. You should try and use the same bed that was in the crate so the puppy knows that he is in the right spot to sleep. You can also get your puppy a heated toy to help him feel safe. These toys have a microwavable pouch that is placed into the stuffed part of the toy. The warmth is comforting for a puppy.

When you first start out make sure your puppy has just enough room to turn around in the crate and this is where the divider comes in. As your puppy grows, move the divider to accommodate your growing puppy just enough so that he has enough room to turn around in. Dogs will try not to defecate where they sleep. This will help them to make it through the night until they are taken out. You should take your puppy out for bathroom breaks every couple of hours during the daytime hours. You should also not give your puppy any water or food an hour before bed time and make sure that he goes out just before going into the crate for bedtime.

Do not raise your voice or give negative reactions to your puppy as accidents will happen during the training. Just show your puppy the site of the accident and say “outside” and then take your puppy outside You must reinforce this action daily to get your puppy to understand that he needs to go outside to do his business. This will take an amount of dedication on your part to successfully house break your puppy.

Once your puppy makes it through the night consistently for a week or so, try leaving him alone for an hour at a time outside the crate during the day. Slowly build up his confidence so that eventually you can leave your puppy inside the home for several hours at a time without accidents. Your puppy will need love and support and with the tips given above you will successfully house train your new puppy.

Tami Grant writes on dog related issues.

Making Your Own Dog Food Could Save Your Dogs Life

If you are thinking of making your own dog food you have started down a path that will ultimately extend the life of your canine friend and free them from an untimely fate of death-by-disease or toxic poisoning.

To some this may seem like an outrageous claim but the facts becoming better known that dog food companies are hurting your dog's health for a number of cost cutting reasons:

• Offshore Processing - With the cost of production and labor being so cheap in places like China and India many dog food companies tend to produce their products overseas and have them shipped into the country. This means that they are stored longer and it opens up a whole other can of worms as continues below
• Lax Standards - While the controlling organization has a set of rigorous standards much like human food production when not in the country these standards may slide somewhat as less developed nations struggle to give large companies low prices for labor and start cost cutting on their end too ending up with poor labor and poor quality control which has been one of the reasons that a number of companies have imported foods so toxic that they have not just hurt your dogs but have killed them outright!
• Poor Ingredients - This is more the owning companies fault in another cost cutting measure. Instead of putting in high quality ingredients that give your dog the nutrition they need to be healthy they substitute less nutritional "filler" to bulk up the product but add little value for your pet's health and well-being. This blatant cost cutting can make your pet very sick over time if not immediately and reduce their quality of life.

When making your own dog food you can avoid this trap of commercial interests and tailor the right food for your pooch that can give them startling increases in their health that will extend their lifespan by years and make them happier as well.

If you want proof of the callous, cost cutting attitude by dog food companies and 5 simple things you must do to protect your dog from death-by-disease click below to find out one mans answer to his faithful hounds demise and how by making his own dog food he can make sure it never happens again.

http://Dog-Food-Conspiracy.1001-Solutions.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rod_Blythe

The Healthiest Dog Food For Your Puppy

What is your puppy eating?

Have you ever taken the time to find out?

Many people think that the food available in stores these days are highly processed and full of a lot of preservatives. You should seek advice from your veterinarian on what is the best food for your pet and also do some research of your own. There are a lot of foods that are available for dogs, but try to find out what really is the best for your puppy. For you to approve a pet food for your puppy it must prove that it can provide sufficient nutrients. The ratio for a dog's food should be 40 % meat, 50 % vegetables and about 10 % grains or other carbohydrates. You should always ensure that protein sources are high on the list such as chicken, lamb and beef. Grains can be a long term source of energy, fibre and minerals. Grains that can be used and considered good for puppies are rolled oats, barley, millet and brown rice.

Dogs are carnivores by nature but they can survive on a vegetarian diet, however, they would not thrive on it. When purchasing food for your puppies look out for the ones that display high protein and fillers in the ingredients. This is because there is usually a lot more in the fillers than can be seen. One way to ensure your puppy is getting the right ingredients is to prepare the food yourself; it's quite simple and recipes are available in book stores and internet sources. Preparing food for your pet is much cheaper than purchasing from stores and other pet shops. However it is vital that you are careful and know exactly what you are doing, otherwise you could be doing more harm than good.

One way to know whether you are doing the right thing is to always check the outcome in your pet's droppings. It should normally be firm and have no traces of mucus or blood. Choose foods that use vitamin E or C as preservatives and avoid those that use chemical preservatives, such as BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin. Cheap brands of foods are usually not healthy, so choose economy brands instead. Keep in mind that what is not good for you is also not good for your pet. Some people tend to throw sweets and all sorts of foods for the puppy to eat, but bear in mind that it is not good for them.

Just the same as with humans and what we eat, there is not any one brand of dog food that is healthy for all breeds of dogs of different ages and health conditions. Dogs also have food preferences and likes and dislikes, so try to find out which food is best suitable for your pet dog, but make sure it is a healthy one. Your puppy is what they eat, so if you provide them with a healthy and nutritious diet they will live longer with much less suffering, disease or illnesses. Always consider what you feed your pet and you will have a wonderful time with them.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For information on pet supplies, he recommends Seapets, one of the UK's leading suppliers of Dog Food.

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Better Health for your Dog

As many people know having a proper diet can greatly improve the quality of life for both people and dogs. Just like you your dog's health is tied directly to the nutrition he gets from the food he eats. Poor nutrition has been linked to dozens of health problems in both humans and dogs. With so many different foods on the market and so much different advice it is difficult to know what to feed your pet. Here are some things to think about when choosing food for your dog.

For thousands of years during their evolution dogs have had substantially the same diet as people. This is because we have lived in such close quarters with dogs, and even hunted with them. Dogs, like humans are omnivores and need both meat and vegetables to be healthy. Now we have dog food to take care of all of your dog's nutrition needs. But will it take care of All your dog's needs? Depends on what kind of food you feed him.

Like humans dog's need different nutrients to promote health. There are certain things you need to make sure your dog is getting in his or her diet. First and foremost, especially for puppies, is ... you guessed it, protein! Protein is essential for promoting bone and muscle growth. Fat is also important to a dog. Protein and fat combined are where your dog is getting his energy from. Another important ingredient, which is often overlooked, is fiber. Fiber is important for you dog's digestion and can help keep him regular. Lastly, just like you do, your dog needs vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.

It is important to keep all of these nutrients in mind when choosing a food, but it is not all that is important. The first thing you should do is to consult your veterinarian and / or your breeder. Ask what food they use, and what ingredients are most important for your particular breed. Next you should visit your local pet store and look at some of the different foods available. Be sure to check the ingredient list to see what is in the food. Just like in human food the ingredients are listed in order by weight in the package, so the first ingredient is the most prevalent. It is also important to note the difference in using all natural food. Although all natural food is a little more expensive it is a significantly superior diet. Natural foods are easily digested and vitamins and minerals are easily absorbed. A synthetic vitamin could be listed as a much higher amount on the package, but the majority of it will not be absorbed and used by your dog. Natural foods promote health far better than brands that use synthetic supplements and large amounts of preservatives.

The single most important factor in creating a healthy environment for your pet is diet. So take care in choosing the food you give your dog. He is counting on you to do whats best for him. Make sure you don't let him down.

For more information on creating a healthy, happy environment for your dog visit my blog Man's Best Friend Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danielle_Niesz

Breeding Healthy Dogs

Numerous people across the world love to keep dogs as their pets. They will do everything to keep their dogs in the best of health. These people also like to breed their dogs, either to increase their numbers or to make money out of them. However, most of them do not have a fair idea of how to breed healthy dogs and land themselves into problems. Therefore, if you are one of them, and if you need to know about the ways to breeding healthy dogs, you must follow some good advice.

One of the foremost things is choosing the right mate for your dog. While choosing the right mate, you must see whether it is compatible and possesses good temperament. Both the male and the female should be healthy and must have no genetic faults, which may potentially jeopardize the health of their puppies. Moreover, you must be sure whether the female dog is healthy, as it will determine her pregnancy and the process of birth. In this case, you must support the female dog with healthy supplements and nutritious food to ensure healthy birth. Better health will enable them to stay healthy during pregnancy as well.

You must determine the breeding history of both the female and male dogs. A good breeding record is very essential for successful breeding. Prepare the record of the medical history for your female dog, when it is going into heat, changing its behavior or different medical issues. There are various kinds of dogs, and so it is essential to have the knowledge of the kind of spices that you have. If you find that your dog is the rarest of its type, you may find difficult in getting a compatible dog for matting. However, in this regard, if you want to mate with different species, be assured about the history of the dog, and about its health and temperament. You must as well know your dog's family of breeds.

If you can get the information about your dog's family of breeds, you can easily know the stature of your own dog. In the case of female dog, there are more complications in respect to the male dogs, as it is little bit hard task to find the history of the female dog. However, in this case you can consult your nearby vet. It has been seen that failure in conception is mainly due to the female dogs. It can be due the hormone problem or wrong timing, or some thing like that. It takes nearly 2 years for the female dogs to be fully-grown as well as developed. Therefore, do not consider her for mating before her age. If she is mated before her full development, she may face problems in conceiving and it may put your dog into danger.

Before breeding, you must get your bitch or stud checked to make sure whether s/he is free from brucellosis. This disease can cause sterility in both the sexes and it can further cause the puppies to be aborted just after birth. Moreover, this germ is occasionally passed through sexual intercourse among the dogs, and it can infect the whole kennel.

This article comes to you from dog lover John Pawlett who is currently building a community site for dog breeds and breeders http://www.dogbreedclub.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Pawlett

Dog Agility Equipment

Want to give your dog the best exercise? Well, dog agility equipment is what you really need. When it comes to dog training, agility is one of the main aspects that is greatly considered. Although this may not apply to all breeds of dogs, it is mostly applicable to the working dogs and herding types. Most of the dogs are enjoying this type of workout and training.

If you want to purchase one, there is a wide variety of options you can actually choose from. Aside from that, you will be able to spend quality time with your pet once in a while. This does not only serve as an outlet for your doggie but for you, too. It is fun and your pet's agility and skills will be heightened. But before buying one, what are the things that you should consider?

There are many types of dog agility equipment in the market but choose the one which best suits your breed of dog. It is best if you are going to look for a training module or reference that you can use to know which exercise or agility course is the best for your pooch.

Each type of dog breed has its own strengths and weaknesses so dog breed is one of the factors to mull over. Aside from that, the training method for each type of dog breed is different so it is best if you have a brief background on these. Basically, the agility course consists of jumps, hoops and obstacles that you can set up for yourself. You can visit your local pet shop for this equipment.

Another must-have for your pet is a comfortable dog bed. They come in various shapes and sizes. Moreover, you can choose from a variety of fabrics and materials used so that your pet's bed will surely match your interior. It could come in different dimensions and specifications with additional features. You could also choose to buy a customized one with a unique design.

You can search online for pet shops that offer the most comfortable pet beds in town. You need it so that your pet would not have to sleep with you in your bed so you will get a good night sleep. Some pet shops offer discounts and special promos you can avail of. Bear in mind that your pet also needs a comfort zone that is why you should consider getting a dog bed. The prices may range depending upon the material, size and style.

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