Caring for senior dog - a short guide

As your dog ages, many of his basic needs will begin to change. In this guide we will try help you understand what you need to do to keep your senior dog happy and healthy.

As you may know, dogs are very good at hiding their health problems and as an owner, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on your senior dog and changes that take place in your pet body.
You need to know that different sized dogs age at varying rates, with larger dogs reaching senior status much sooner than smaller dogs.Most pet become seniors between 7 and 10 years old.

When your pet gets older you need to constantly watch out for his health issues. You and your vet will begin looking for specific issues that become more prevalent as a dog ages. Similar to humans, regular health checkups become increasingly important as dogs grow older. According to experts you should take your dog to a vet at least once every half year. By doing it you will promote your dog’s health and longevity. Have chance to recognize and control your pup’s health risks and detect any illnesses at their earliest stages.

Furthermore it's very important that you keep up with routine preventive care such as parasite prevention, dental care, vaccinations, and nutritional management, because with age your dog’s immune system weakens.

Moreover, when your dog become senior you need to adjust his nutrition. Special foods designed for senior dogs often have less fat, but not lower protein levels. You can always ask your vet which food will be best for your senior dog.

In addition to this, senior dogs can’t regulate their body temperature as well as they could in their younger days. So it is very important to keep your pet warm but at the same time protect them from conditions in which they may overheat.

Dog bed with orthopedic mat.

Older dog very often has arthritis, so he may prefer a ramp instead of walking up the stairs. What is more, you probably need to buy him special bed designed to promote orthopedic health.

Source: e-doggy.co.uk

How to introduce your dog to your baby - a quick guide

Dogs are very in tune with us so they easily mirror our feelings like anticipation before pregnancy but they don't understands what this realy mean to new order in house when baby will be born. Experts recommend that you prepare the family dog before the baby arrives. In order to minimize stress for the dog and reduce the chance of an accident you can make some preparations - here is our guide what to do.

First of all, focus on leadership. These 9 month before baby is born is more than enough time for you and your pet to work through most issues and get rid of unwanted habits.

Moreover try to claim your baby's scent. Bring an item that contains your baby's scent to home before you bringing baby back. Allow pet to sniff this item from a distance, while you are holding it so your dog understand that this is yours and you are giving him premision to sniff. This way you will establish clean boundries and help your dog to respect also your baby.

You should also condition your dog to understand that there is an invisible barrier that he may not cross without your permission. Eventually, you can allow your dog to explore and sniff certain things in the baby's room with your supervision and by doing this you will let your dog know that this room belongs to its pack leader ( you ) and dog must respected it.

When baby will be already in home you need to make propper introduction. Take your dog for a long walk and make sure you drain all of his energy. Before entering the house, your dog will instantly know there is someone new inside it. If you have already introduced the scent of baby, it will be somewhat familiar. Person holding the baby must be in a completely calm state. Then you should allow your dog to sniff the baby, but from respectful distance. During this first meeting, do not bring the baby too close. There will be time for this later.

Learing your dog respect for baby is important but you should alos teach your newborn about your dog. Once your child is in the exploratory state, it is important to supervise all interactions between him and pet. This is a great opportunity to teach your child not to bother the dog, yank his tail, etc.

If you are planning to transport your dog and baby together in car, it would be good idea to buy your dog propper car bed that will separete him from baby seating in his own car seat.

In addition to this, don't forget about your dog. Baby is very time-absorbing and dog does not need any new toys extra attention to feel important but you need to maintain the routine, providing daily walks and leadership.

Soure: e-doggy.co.uk

Odd dog sleeping habits and what do they mean

If you are a perceptive person you may notice that dogs have some weird sleeping habits. From napping curled up in a ball to the twitching that some dogs do when they dream.

Below we will try to explain what  these habits mean. So without further ado - let's start.

First we will discouss curling up in a ball. This behavior is very cute and has a fascinating evolutionary basis. Long time agow when dogs sleep in the wild, they often dig a nest and tuck into a ball to conserve body heat and protecct their vulnerable organs from other animals. This ofcourse doesn't necessarily mean that your pet feels unsafe in his bed - he just has the same sleeping preferences as his ancestors.

Another interesting habit is sleeping belly up. According to scientist this sleeping position might signal that your dog feels very relaxed and comfortable in place he is sleeping, so there is no need to protect his organs. On the other hand it could also mean that he's hot and is trying to cool off himself.

Next habit - twitching while asleep. If you see your dog twitching for the first time you may fell a little scared because it's very weird. You need to know that some dogs twitch while they're asleep
and maybe even vocalize a little. Experts thinks that dogs dream during the REM stage of sleep and may act on their dreams by twitching.

Last habit that we try to explain is crawling under the covers. Some dogs do it - others don't. Experts have some theories for this behavior. Some think that it mean dog's need to feel companionship while sleeping with a owner others explain it's evolutionary behavior from when wild dogs raised their puppies in dark dens.

Adding another dog to your household - few tips

We all love dogs and if you’re like most folks who own dogs, sooner or later you may think, that as wonderful as one dog is, having two dogs would be even better. There are many reasons to add another dog as new family member but you should also remember that there are reasons to not have another animal - like more vet bills, more food and toys to buy, etc
However if you decided to have another dog, here are some advice how to introduce him to your current pet.

First of all you should make sure that your first dog is dog-friendly. If you don’t already know that take him to the dog park, find a friend with a very dog-friendly dog and introduce your dog to another dog in a safely fenced neutral territory. If your dog won't be very friendly towards other dog you need to find a good, positive trainer/behavior consultant to help you convince your pet.

Next thing to consider is which dog should you select as a second one. If your current dog is very assertive, adding another similiar breed could be very bad idea. In such situation you need to look for a dog who defers to your first dog. Moreover, size of the new dog needs to be taken into account. If you have a three-pound mini-dog, there are inherent risks in adopting a large-breed dog. Even in play, big dogs can cause serious, sometimes fatal, injuries to toy-size canines.

If you already chose your new pet, you need to script his introductions. Set up your introductions in that safely fenced neutral territory, like on a short walk through your neighborhood, in a nearby park or in a friend’s yard. Have 2 people, one to handle each dog, while keeping the dogs on leashes.
To minimize tension, try to keep the dogs’ leashes loose so that they’re not feeling pressure on their throats.
Don’t force any interaction between the dogs. If the dogs ignore each other at first, or if one dog seems reluctant to interact with the other, that’s okay. Give both dogs time to get comfortable. They’ll interact when they’re ready.

Here are some things you shouldn't do during first introduction - don't introduce a puppy to a grown dog by holding him in your arms. The puppy could feel restrained and vulnerable. Don't let a grown dog walk over, knock down, or bully the puppy. Moreover don't confine dogs together in a crate, automobile, or small room until they are fully at ease with each other and never, ever don't let a fight between two dogs go on.

Last but not least, make sure that both of your dogs have enough toys to go around, food to eat and separate comfy beds located in low-traffic areas of the home.

How to talk with your dog - interpreting your dog's barking

Your dog won't "talk" to you in English, but you can interpret his intentions and immediate desires if you know what to listen for. Below is a few examples of sounds that dogs make, with human translation and the moods of the dog.

You should remember that generally, a low pitch indicates a more dominant or threatening stance, whereas a high pitch conveys just the opposite - insecurity and fear. A dog whose pitch or vocalization varies is emotionally conflicted.

First lets talk about rapid strings of three or four barks with pauses between in midrange pitch. Such sound mean something like - gather together - I suspect that there may be something that we should look into. Dog is more interest than alarm in such situation.

Next is rapid repetitive barking also in midrange pitch. It's dog signal that someone is entering our territory. It's just a basic alarm bark. Dog that makes that sound is aroused but not anxious.

Continuous barking (a bit slower and lower pitch) means that intruder is coming and you should get ready to defend yourself. Here dog is more worried than in his basic alarm bark.

Long string of solitary barks with pauses between each one may indicate that your pet is lonely and need companionship. On the other hand, one or two sharp short barks (high or midrange pitch) means simple hello. It's typycial greeting or acknowledgment signal used by dogs.

Single sharp short bark in lower midrange pitch is a dog signal to back off. For example when you disturbed him from sleep or pulled his hair.

Stutter bark like "ar-ruff" is and invitation to play with your dog. Dogs usually make that sound with front legs flat on the ground and rear held high as a play invitation. Rising bark is one of dog signals that he is having fun.

We hope that now you can be albe to communicate better with your dog and maybe he whisper to you that he is dreaming of one of our comfy beds ;)

Feeding your dog - few tips for all size of dogs

Feeding a dog is not an easy task. You must be very carefull what you give him to eat and in what doses. If you are wondering - does size affect how you should feed your dog, the answer is simple - only when you feed puppies, because they need to eat four times a day. The general recommendation for adults of all breeds is that they need to be fed twice a day.

Now lets talk about free feeding. Leaving food out for a dog to eat whenever he wants is called free feeding and most experts recommend against it for several reasons. If you have a puppy you should feed him on a meal schedule - giving dog food at the same times every day and leaving it down for only about 20 minutes. Then you should pick up the bowl whether your dog has eaten or not. That way you will learn your puppy when it's time to eat.

One of problems with free feeding is that it can lead to health problems related to obesity as some dogs can't controll themself and could eat more than they should.  Some dogs know when to stop eating, other won't stop eating, and many owners don't measure and even refill the bowl throughout the day and they have no idea how much food their dog is eating.

This leads us to another important issue - why you should measure the food you give to your dog.
By measuring food it is easier to know how much your dog is eating, which helps control your dog's weight. And how much should your dog eat? It all depends on his size and level activity. You can always ask your vet how many calories your dog can eat daily.

And what about the situation in which your dog don't want to eat and is skipping meals? Some people get concerned if their dog misses a meal, but if there are no symptoms of illness - such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy,  there's no particular reason to be concerned about an occasional missed meal, bacause dogs can go a long time without eating.

Tips to keep dogs cool in the heat

Summer is one of the happiest times of year for people and dogs, but if you’re not careful, it can also be a dangerous time for your pet. Here are some tips that will help you and your dog have safe and fun summer.

First of all you need to provide shade to lessen risk of heat exhaustion. As we know summer is the perfect time to enjoy green parks and sandy beaches where you can walk with your dog. Just make sure you protect your dog from the potentially dangerous summer heat.
Unlike people, dogs can’t perspire as efficiently as we do. In order to cool off, they dispel heat by panting and perspire only minimally thru their pads. Unfortunately, this method is less efficient than sweating and your dogs can overheat quickly on a warm day. So make sure that your dog always have access to shade and fresh water.

You should also know what are the signs of heat stroke and what to do when they appeard.
Stay watchfull all the time and look for the following sympthoms: excessive panting, bright red tongue and gums, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, unsteadiness, collapse, and seizures. If any of this happend to your dog, take him immediately to the vet.

You can prevent all that to happend by doing some little things like for example, add a few cubes of ice to your pet water bowls. He’ll enjoy it, and it will help to keep his body temperature down.
If your pet can’t be in an air-conditioned area, consider placing a fan where it will blow on him.
Remember also to exercise your pets only in the early morning or late evening when the temperatures are lower. Try to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Last but not least, freeze some treats and give them to your pet. It will keep him busy for a while and help cool him down.

A dog could be your heart’s best friend

Did you know that a dog could be your heart's best friend? It turns out that having a canine companion may help lower your risk of heart disease.

As you may noticed, studies linking dog ownership to better physical and mental health have been popping up for many years. The findings were usually encouraging to dogs owners, but none of these studies offered conclusive proof. But recently American Heart Association (AHA) has check all the available data and came to conclusion that having a dog lowers the risk of heart disease. Are you courios why?

The evidence reviewed by the AHA indicates that dog owners are more likely to exercise, have a better cholesterol profile and have lower blood pressure. The are also less vulnerable to the physical effects of stress.

The data show that dog owners get more physical activity than people who don’t own dogs, the evidence is pretty convincing that ownership isn’t enough. A study of over 2000  people found that those who owned a dog but didn’t walk it were actually more likely to be obese than people who didn’t own a dog. Dog walkers, on the other hand, were much less likely to be obese.

Another study looked at 48 people with high blood pressure and high-stress jobs who agreed to adopt a dog. Half did, and half year later those who got a dog had significantly lower blood pressure during stresfull moments.

Even if you already have heart disease, you could get a dog to help you. A 1995 study followed people with cardiovascular disease. A 12 months later, those who owned a pet were 4 times less likely to be death than those who didn’t have a dog.

As you see dogs unconsciously take care of your health - you can repay them by buing something nice - like our comfy beds for dogs.

Taking your pet abroad - everything you should know

If you want to take your dog with you on vacation to another country you have to remember about few things. It's essential that you meet the entry requirements for your pet dog for the country you’re going to or coming from.

First a list of things you need when you enter the UK from the European Union country
Your pet needs to meet these requirements:
-a microchip
-a rabies vaccination
-a pet passport or third country official veterinary certificate
-a tapeworm treatment

You must also use an approved transport company and an approved route unless you’re travelling between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

When you enter or return to the UK from another country, your pet needs to meet similar entry requirements:
-a microchip
-a rabies vaccination
-a blood test - the vet must take the blood sample at least 30 days after the rabies vaccination
-a third country official veterinary certificate
-a tapeworm treatment

And what if you have special guide dog?
The rules for assistance/ special dogs when travelling under the EU are the same as for any other dogs. However assistance dogs can travel on more routes than people with pets normally can travel, and they can use other forms of transport where regular animals aren’t allowed, like for example the aircraft cabin.

So how does it looks in practice? When you return to the UK, the staff from the travel company will scan your pet’s microchip and check your documents. If you don't have required documents your pet will be put into quarantine or sent back to the country from which he travel and you will be charge for the costs of quarantine or the re-export of your dog.

Is your dog afraid of car rides?

People like to travel and they usually do it by using car. It can be disheartening for dog owner to discover that the dog is terrified of riding with him in the car. Such fear is a very common dog phobia. Fortunately, most people are able to overcome this fear by gradually introducing the dog to riding in the car using lots of positive reinforcement.

So what causes the fear of car rides? There are several reasons:

First - car sickness. Just like people, some dogs may feel nauseous or even vomit on car rides.
Secon, the fear of the unfamiliar feeling. Dogs who aren't used to going on car rides may be disturbed by the odd feeling of riding in the car. Cars usually have their own smell, and there is also the sound of the engine, the vibrations of the floor, and seeing everything whizzing past at a fast speed.
Next one - association with negative experiences. For many dogs, the only time they set paw in a car is for a trip to the veterinarian. If your dog has negative feelings about going to the vet, he may transfer that feeling to car rides.

Now, that we knew what causes the fear, let's see how it could be overcome.

Begin by luring your dog to the car rather than forcing him to approach it. Many dogs with a fear of car rides put on the breaks as soon as the car comes into view. Instead of dragging your dog to the car, slowly lure him closer using lots of treats and praise.

Continue using positive reinforcement to get him inside. Once your dog is comfortable with approaching the car, you can begin to lure him inside. Start by opening up all the doors so your dog won't feel like he'll be trapped once he gets inside. Use treats and praise to coax your dog into the car.

Have some special bonding time with your dog inside the car. Don't rush to slam the doors shut and start the engine the minute your dog finally hops inside the car. Instead, leave the doors open, and spend some time snuggling with your dog in the car.

Start your engine. When your dog has become fairly comfortable hanging out with you in the car, you can start the engine. As soon as the car is started, give your dog some treats and talk to him in a happy tone of voice. Remember to make sure that your will travel in comfy conditions, it is a good idea to buy him special carbed.

Start off with small trips. Don't make your dog's first car ride a long road trip. The first few times out of the driveway, you should probably drive no farther than around the block, giving your dog treats the whole way. Gradually work your way up to going longer distances.

The dog breeds that are perfect for travelling

Are you an adventure kind of man and you want your dog companion to be always eager for an adventure just like yourself?

Over the course of thousands years of domestication, humans have designed dogs to fit their lifestyles. They’ve raised working dogs to herd the flock and hounds with sensitive noses to hunt. Despite all their different jobs, at the end of the day, these pets are content to snuggle next to you as you relax on the couch or read a book.

To find the right furry friend for your adventures, it helps to know a little about dog personalities generally. Retrievers are fun, loyal and eager to please. They love the water and will fetch until your arm is ready to fall off. Sighthounds hunt prey with their speed and agility, making ideal companions for active runners. There are many outstanding dog breeds with amazing endurance, agility and personalities. Below are some of them who would make a perfect fit for an adventure seekers.

Rhodesian Ridgeback is native to South Africa, originally bred by Boer farmers to hunt lions. These muscular and courageous dogs can run alongside horses while hunting for 30 miles thanks to their thick padded feet.

The Saluki is one of the oldest breeds of dogs. A sighthound and Salukis were originally bred to hunt gazelles. Independent, gentle and affectionate, these hounds are marathon runners with slower heart rates pumping more blood and oxygen to the body, allowing them to go on longer.

The Weimaraner is a muscular dog, originally bred in Germany to hunt deer, boars, and bears. Their iconic silver coats, and their eyes — blue at birth, eventually turning amber — give them the nickname “the gray ghost.”

No matter which dog breed you will choose, you need to remember to provide your dog with some travelling equipment - just like ours car beds.