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

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/

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 knew 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://basicsofdogownership.com Thanks so much for reading this article.

Managing Your Puppy For Safety

Puppies are curious, adventuresome and able to get into almost anything, no matter how secure you thought it was. Making your house safe for a puppy is important, not only to protect your valuables but also to protect the puppy. Since it is almost impossible to puppy proof an entire house, consider selecting a room or area that can be cordoned off to make a puppy safe area when little Fido is left alone or unsupervised. Baby gates or pet gates are a great idea to block off a doorway, but they have to be securely placed in the door and fastened or a bigger puppy will learn to push them down. If the puppy is prone to chewing, spray the gate with a produce such as Grannick's Bitter Apple that will leave a bad taste in his or her mouth and prevent them from noshing on your enclosure. If you don't have a specific room, a pet exercise pet is a perfect ideal. This easy to transport pens come in many different sizes and can be used either indoors or outdoors and come in a variety of models to meet your needs. If you are buying an exercise pen, get one that will suit the dog as it grows to prevent having to constant upgrade as the puppy get bigger.

Keeping your puppy and eventually your dog safe in your car or vehicle includes purchasing a dog seat belt or keeping your puppy in a carrier within a seatbelt when they are in the vehicle. For older dogs or large puppies the seatbelt is a great safety feature plus you can also add a window screen or barrier that prevents the puppy from squeezing out through the window. Since dogs and puppies should never be left alone in a vehicle, especially in the hot summer months, this window barrier is not suitable for turning your vehicle into a pet storage area. They are an excellent safety feature to allow your dog fresh air while traveling but preventing them from sticking their head or front quarters out of the window.

Managing your puppy also includes cleaning up his or her waste. Puppies may eat fecal material if it is not removed, leading to bad habits, nutritional problems and a worm and parasite problems if more than one puppy is kept in the same area. A pooper scooper is a simple to use plastic handled scoop that can pick up waste material to be deposited in the garbage. There are even systems that you can set up right on your own property that use natural enzymes to break down the feces without having to use plastic bags that end up in landfills. When you are walking your puppy remember to carry some small plastic bags that you can use as a way to pick up his or her waste. These bags are then sealed and deposited in the nearest trash can. Pet stores carry a wide variety of specialty bags that are discrete and provide good protection for picking up the waste.

For more information recommended by Kelly Marshall, see these recent articles Dog Arthritis & Joint Health and Eliminating Skunk Odor From Your Dog.

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

House Train Your Puppy with a Crate

One of the best ways to house train your puppy is through the use of a crate. This works especially well if you have to leave your puppy unattended for any length of time. It is a good idea to use a crate for at least the first nine months as you will want to protect your flooring and any items that a puppy may want to chew on.

Please buy a crate that your puppy can grow into as this is part of the training. When training my Pit/Lab mix we only experienced a few accidents that happened on our way outside. A puppy or dog typically will not defecate where it sleeps. It is important to make sure that while your puppy is in the crate it only has enough room to turn around in. Most crates come with a divider that you can keep moving as your puppy grows. This will help in the training as your puppy will learn to hold itself until taken outside. It is a good idea not to feed or give your puppy water at least an hour before bedtime. Make sure you establish a schedule for your puppy so it will start to know when it will be taken out for bathroom breaks.

As soon as you wake up in the morning take your puppy out immediately. You may need to carry your puppy for the first week to the outside to avoid any accidents on your way outside. We carried our puppy outside for the first week and praised her when she would go in the grass. We also said the words “go pee pee “and “go poop” when she did the act. Those commands reinforced daily will help later as she will now go on demand as she knows what those words mean due to association with the act. We rewarded her with petting, attention and play when she would complete the act instead of food. We wanted to reserve the food for the training of the regular commands such as sit, stay, lay down, etc. We did not want to confuse her with getting a treat for using the bathroom and then use the same method for regular commands. You must also watch the amount of treats given to a puppy as to not upset their stomachs as they are still growing and can only handle so much food intake.

You need to be consistent with the timing of the bathroom breaks which will mean you will need to be trained to use a schedule as well. Never reprimand with hitting for accidents which will most likely happen during the first few weeks. You must have patience and understanding when you are housebreaking your puppy. Here is a breakdown of what you can do to be successful:

· Buy a safe, quality crate that your puppy can grow into

· Set a schedule that you can stick to that will allow for frequent bathroom breaks for your puppy

· Limit food and water before bed time and walk just before putting your puppy in the crate for the night

· Use key words to get your puppy used to the commands to go to the bathroom

· Praise your puppy for going outside and never reprimand for accidents that will happen

Please remember that your puppy is just like a baby and will need to be taught how to do everything. You will need to have patience and understanding and a lot of love.

Go to www.basicsofdogownership.com for some solutions to training problems and other needs

Puppy Vaccinations and Your New Purebred Puppy

Your purebred puppies health should be of utmost concern to you.

You want a healthy puppy that is free of parasites and on good food. Nutrition is very important- especially in the first year of life.

There are many diseases that the new puppy may come in contact with and it is these puppy vaccinations that help build resistance to the viral attacks.

Though there are multiple ailments and diseases, I will attempt to briefly list and discuss only a few of the more common ones in this puppy article. As always, puppy vaccinations are the best preventive method.

Parvovirus (parvo). This is a very serious disease. It attacks the intestinal system and is a viral disease of dogs. Parvo is characterized by severe, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, high fever and lethargy. The diarrhea is particularly foul smelling and is sometimes yellow in color. Parvo can also attack a dog's heart causing congestive heart failure. Remember, without medical treatment, most puppies die from Parvo.

Distemper. This disease attacks every tissue in the body and may occur through inhalation of the virus in a contaminated area. Signs of the disease often resemble a bad cold with fever at first though the later stages may result in vomiting, high fever, diarrhea, convulsions and thickening/cracking of the nose and pads. Death is common and dogs and who recover may have future nervous damage. Simple puppy vaccinations are the best prevention.

Hepatitis. Spread through contact with contaminated urine or feces. This affects the kidneys and liver- often dogs will have high fever, lack of appetite, vomiting/diarrhea with blood, and depression. Often affected animals will have chronic health problems and recovered dogs will pass infected urine for months after infection. Again, vaccinations are the best preventive method.

Leptospirosis (Lepto). Affect the liver and kidneys and can be transmitted to man via contact with the urine of an infected dog. Signs such as vomiting and thirst, bloody diarrhea, depression, and jaundice may occur. Antiobiotic treatment is important though the best prevention is through vaccination.

Rabies. Transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, rabies is another disease that may be spread to humans. The disease affects the nervous tissues and causes paralysis and death (always). Again, vaccinations are your best weapon against this disease. Below find a brief listing of other common problems of which you should be aware.

Kennel cough. Kennel cough deals with bacterial and/or viral infections in the upper respiratory tract. Symptoms of kennel cough are a constant wheezing cough. Highly contagious as well!

Other symptoms to watch for in your new purebred puppy:

Vomiting. Occasional vomiting is not uncommon but consult your vet if the problem persists or if blood, diarrhea or pain accompany the vomiting.

Diarrhea. Can be caused by a number of things- viruses, food, internal parasites, and bacteria to name a few. Contact the vet if the stool is bloody, continues for an excessive amount of time, or if dehydration occurs. Once your pup has recovered, return it to its food slowly and in decreased but frequent portions.

Constipation. Can be caused by multiple factors also such as insufficient water intake, disease or ingestion of a foreign substance. While your vet may have to take blood tests to find the cause, usually a diet high in fiber and exercise will help prevent this problem.

Not to scare you in any way, I do hope this information will assure you of just how important those puppy vaccinations are to your new puppies (and your) health. Proper immunizations are the best prevention in the endless war on disease and may save your puppy, and yourself, a lot of discomfort, grief and pain- and possibly even death. Here's to healthy and happy puppy owning.

Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.pedigreedpups.com and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com is a lifelong animal lover and dog enthusiast. Interested in more dog information? Training and health tips? Thinking about getting a purebred dog? Interested in the German Shepherd Dog in particular? Need to promote your dog related website and get additional in bound links? Check out pedigreedpups.com, total-german-shepherd.com or canine-hotline.com (dog only products store) for more information.

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