How to Give Your Kids a Puppy as a Gift

When you’ve finally broken down and made the decision to give your kids a puppy, you might need some advice on how to go about giving an adorable four legged creature as a gift. The following steps will guide you in giving a puppy to your kids while also expecting their help in caring for the newest member of your family.

Step 1: Make sure your kids want a puppy. I know, it sounds crazy; don’t all kids want a puppy? Well, not necessarily. Some kids are afraid of dogs and purchasing one for them is not the cure. Make sure your kids have expressed interest in adding a furry member to the family.

Step 2: Think about your motivation for getting your kids a pup. Some parents think it’s a good idea to purchase a puppy if there’s been a loss, such as death in the family or divorce. Those aren’t necessarily great reasons to purchase a puppy. If you’d like a puppy because you think he’d be a great addition to the family and he’d help to teach responsibility to your kids, then your reasons are probably valid.

Step 3: Research many breeds. Consider how much room you have for a dog, what size dog your kids will feel comfortable with, and which breeds will make a good family pet. Ask your vet for recommendations or talk to dog owners to see which breed will be a good fit for your kids.

Step 4: Purchase books about the dog breed that you’ve chosen. If the books are not written at a kid friendly level, make sure you plan to devote the time to read the books together. Your kids will need to be included in the caretaking of your new puppy and it will be up to you to teach them about the responsibilities involved with pet ownership.

Step 5: Adopt the pet you’ve chosen and bring him home to meet your kids. Wrap a big bow around his neck and surprise your kids by ringing the doorbell with puppy in hand. Be prepared to take in the sheer excitement on their faces; you won’t be disappointed.

Step 6: Once all of the excitement has calmed down, invite your kids to think of names for your new pup. Take suggestions from everyone in the family and decide as a family what you should name your newest member.

Step 7: As a family, read the books you purchased about the care of the dog. Together, decide what supplies you need to make your pup comfortable. Have one of your kids make a list of the items you will need to purchase at the pet store.

Step 8: Visit the pet store and make the necessary purchases. By bringing your kids along with you, they will experience the fun of selecting items for their puppy, as well as the experience of realizing the costs associated with owning a puppy.

Step 9: When you return home, have your kids help you create a schedule of chores associated with caring for the puppy. Just because the puppy was a gift to them, it doesn’t mean you will spend all of your days and nights picking up after it! There needs to be a family schedule for feeding the puppy, bathing the puppy and scooping puppy poop!

With all of these steps in place, you and your family will be able to welcome a puppy into your home. Your kids will be excited and surprised at the gift, but they will also learn valuable lessons about responsibility.

Uncover more great ideas for giving especially gifts for dog lovers.

By Shelly Siegel

Extra Large Dog House

There are standard requirements for dog house no matter where you buy it from.

Today, more and more dog owners are getting extra large dog houses for their pets even if their dog are small or medium sized.

Just like human loves big houses, so do dogs and it gives more space to play and lie in. You can even use the excess space to stock your dog stuff such as dog food and toys.

When shopping for extra large dog houses, make sure you have these basic features that all dog house should have.

If you are placing your dog house outdoors, it is important to have heating for your dog unless you want your dog to freeze in winter.

Proper ventilation and air flow is also necessary and the newer dog house models will come with pre-installed air conditioning and heater systems.

Your dog house should also be water proof to prevent rain and snow from seeping in. This is important as most dog houses are made from wood and water can damage the structure of your dog house much faster.

An alternative is to buy plastic dog houses that are already waterproof. Nowadays, some wooden dog houses are treated to prevent water from corroding the wood so you can buy these too if you want an authentic wooden dog house.

High winds are also detrimental to your dog’s health and it is important your dog house has special insulation to prevent winds from entering the dog house. Make sure it is sturdy and heavy enough to not get blown away in case of strong gust of wind.

Extra large dog house are especially suitable if you have more than one dog. You can house your dogs together. Dogs have a tendency to curl themselves together when they sleep so it’s a perfect choice.

Discover where to buy extra large dog houses online.

By Ricky Lim

Dog Training Tips

A well trained dog will be "man's best friend".

Training Tips For All Dogs

Dogs do not get the name "man’s best friend" for nothing. Dogs make excellent hunting companions as well as pets. But in order for your dog to be a good hunting dog as well as a good household pet, he has to be trained.

Training a dog takes patience, whether you are training him for obedience or hunting. There are many aspects to dog training. You cannot expect for your dog to be fully trained until he is a year old. But training should begin long before that. As a matter of fact, training your dog should take place the minute you bring him home from the kennel.

Be Top Dog

The number one rule you have to learn when you are training a dog is that you have to be top dog. Dogs are social animals and rely very much on acceptance in the pack. The pack, in your case, is your family as well as any other dogs that you may have. You have to be leader of the pack. The dog will do anything for acceptance in the pack and to please the leader - the leader has to be you.

Assert dominance in the pack right away. Be gentle with your dog, but firm. Teach him not to jump and beg for food - this should be first. Put the food bowl down and allow him to wait for permission to eat. He should not jump at the food but wait until you back away. In order to accomplish this, pick the bowl back up each time he lunges at it. You need only do this for a few seconds and then put it back down. He will soon learn to wait for the food. This can be taught right away.

Crate Training

Some people think that it is cruel for a dog to be kept in a crate. It is actually cruel to put him out of the crate and allow him to wreak havoc in your house. Hunting dogs do not have to be relegated to the outdoors. To the contrary, hunting dogs make excellent pets for the entire family and thrive on that interaction. But when the dog is a puppy, you will want to keep him crated when you are not playing with him or taking him outside. When you take him out of the crate, take him outside so he can do his business. Then reward him for going outside. While you cannot expect a puppy to understand this right away, you can pave the way for less accidents and get him acclimated at an early age to be housebroken.

Obedience Training

Teach your dog to walk on a lead. He should not pull on the lead, he should walk next to you. When you are hunting, the dog will have more freedom. But when you are walking around the block, the dog should be at your side. With obedience training, he should learn how to sit, how to lay down and how to heel. No one wants a dog that will jump all over people when they come over to your house. Obedience training should begin as soon as you bring the dog home as well.

Hunting Training

Wait until the dog is about 4 months old and then you can start taking him out and training him. Teach him how to react to the sound of the gun shots and how to retrieve objects such as pigeons and ducks. You can plant birds so that he can find them and even put them on a string. Hunting dogs have a natural instinct for hunting, but you need to show them the right way to use those instincts.

Training a dog will not only allow you to have a valuable companion on the hunting field, but also a playful member of the family.

Geoffrey A. English is the Founder of GundogsOnline.com, the internet's premiere online magazine dedicated to bird dogs. Visit their site for more information on training bird dogs and hunting dog supplies including a wide variety of dog leads, shooting glasses, and hearing protection.

By Geoffrey English

How to Stop Bad Breath in Your Dog

Bad breath in dogs is common problem and in this article you will find tips to stop bad breath in your dog.

Obviously when you praise your dog and playing around, you don’t want his breath smells like a vampire. Bad breath in dogs is common problem and this is directly related on dog’s health.

Dogs just loves to lick in your face and that means he really loves you and don’t want you to leave him. But soon his mouth smells from miles, you get ticked off and unfortunately you can not give him a mint chewing gum for that bad breath.

Similar to human, bad breath is the cause from what you eat and it is same with your dog. What your dog eats has everything got to do with a bad breath. Surly they don’t brush teeth twice a day and maintain good oral health like we humans do. But you can start thinking of brushing your dog’s teeth at least once day which is enough. There can be several reasons when you dog’s breath starts to smell. Generally it is not serious problem but one should always take vet’s examination into consideration which in fact, it gives your dog a better health and a better food than before.

One of the usual suspects of having a bad breath is not chewing the food properly which means saliva that helps to soften food and provides lubricant, is not functioning properly. Other reason maybe due to dental plaque, allergic reaction to some food that you might not be aware of, improper management of dog foods, bacterial infection in saliva, digestion problems, tooth decaying etc. All these reasons may cause not only bad breath but could damage overall health of your dog. Without proper guidance of experienced vets, your dog might suffer from serious health risk which could be permanent.

If taken care from the beginning, you dog could enjoy a healthy life and also brings smile on your family everyday. So what you need to do is apply basic steps to avoid bad breath of your dog.

There are various toothbrush especially made for dogs with meat flavored toothpaste that you can buy from market. Using the toothbrush on daily basis builds strong resistance to other bacterial diseases which are main reason for bad breath and other oral infections as well. You may be surprise to know that if your dog’s teeth remain strong and healthy, he can live more, up to 5 years in addition. Never ever use human toothpaste.

Avoid feeding your dog chocolates and do not mess with routine food intake of your dog. Search around the market for best food that is suitable for your dog. It depends on age, breed of a dog and likes or dislikes, consulting with vets will help to list down the healthy diet for your dog.

One of the most popular ways to freshen up the your dog’s breath is giving the favorite treats that is especially formulated to freshen up the mouth, makes teeth strong and kills bacterial attacks which ultimately gives fresh breath.

However, if the bad breath doesn’t stops then your dog might be in serious health risk so it would be good idea to check in vet clinic as soon as possible before it gets too late.

Dog obedience training
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By Cristian Stan

How to Crate Train Your Dog

Basic tips to keep in mind if you want to crate train your dog.

People who keep pets like dog, cat, and mouse in their home treat them like their own family member. It is obvious they put emotional and sentiment values in pets like such. Many people think that putting their dog in crate is like keeping it in jail. Some think it is a way to punish a dog by putting in that confinement area. However, there are many useful reasons that people fail to notice on how putting their dog in a crate can be safe, secured, prevent house items from breaking, learn the rules of your house like where to get food and where to eliminate, helps during illness so vets can check thoroughly, during your vacation etc.

Crate is not just a wooden box, metal or molded plastic comprising a rectangular shape enclosure; it is like a home for your dog. There are couple of things that dog owner should put in their mind before deciding to get a crate and put their dog in. Usually, consulting with dog trainers helps to get best crate for you dog. It really depends on dog how your dog will react to it. If you don’t get it, it will be very difficult to introduce your dog with new confinement and your dog may deny staying in. To make it happen, a proper training is required and even non dog trainer can do if they do it carefully. So what are those proper training? Let’s discuss some training tips that comprise day to day routine work.

In case of young puppies generally it won’t be a big problem adjusting themselves in new environment and even if they do, more often with crying, which is just a regular behavior that will go away eventually. Forcing into the crate is not good idea, do it with love and praise with caring touching and calling by name if puppy has. It is your duty to make your dog accustomed to new environment such as crate. Never make it as a way of punishing your dog.

When choosing the crate, one should be careful on what kind of materials you think would be safe and comfortable for your dog. Too much room or too less space may not be good for your dog. There are varieties of crates available in the market, considering which one would be good for your home and your dog, decides how much will you spend on it. If you have a hard time making a puppy or dog to let in, you can always put a food toy or one of their favorite food inside for sometime but avoid doing always the same.

Where you put the crate plays major role. The crate should be placed where your puppy/dog can see people i.e. your family. Never put puppy/dog in the crate for a long time because it avoids developing aggressive behavior.

Normally crating should not exceed 6-7 hours. If you need more time to confine your dog in the crate, there should someone to supervise.

Make a daily routine for your puppy when to eliminate and when you take out, do not forget the leash. And after elimination, back to the crate and loose the leash.

Crating dogs or puppies depends on their age and their environment. Putting a dog in crate should never be assumed as a punishment but simply securing for many safety purposes. After all, dog is a man’s best friend.

Dog training tips
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By Cristian Stan

Some Simple Dog Training Tips

Quality tips of simple dog training.

Owning a dog provides a great deal of personal satisfaction and whether you are the most hardened character or not, you are going to experience a great deal of love and companionship with your dog. Dogs are social animals by nature and they want to please who they are with as well as providing companionship and attention, dogs are great protectors of family and property not because they think these are your things but precisely because they feel this is their family and their home.

Training a dog benefits everyone and even if it is the most basic of behavior that is being taught, it will hep immensely with how a dog behaves and its own happiness and well-being. Dogs are hierarchical animals, they believe in everyone in their place and want to know constantly where they are in the pecking order and will seek reassurance in this; this is dog behavior and perfectly natural and when this is disrupted the dog will inevitably become stressed which may manifest itself in unwanted behavior.

Training your dog is a process and this will not produce immediate and instant results from just an initial session; training is part of a lifelong process which underpins the relationship you will have with your dog and them with you and your family as well as the world around them.

Training never stops.

Use these tips to help you with training:

Tip #1 Be Patient

Be patient; your dog will not always understand what you are trying to get it to do and will have to work it out but they will instinctively try to please you. They will quickly learn but so will you and losing your temper will harm the relationship you have with your dog and create adverse consequences down the road which will slow more advanced training.

Tip #2 Act Like a Team

Dog training is a misnomer to describe what we are doing here; in truth we are training the dog and the owner as you are a team and this is exactly how the animal is viewing the activity. Professional trainers rarely undertake training a dog directly when they are consulted; watch the TV programs which are popular at the moment and you will see that the professionals are actually training the owners in how to train their animals.

Tip #3 Be Gentle

Losing your temper, shouting at the dog and being angry, hitting or humiliating the animal are very big "No’s!" for owners. Negative reinforcement may produce a short term impact in stopping unwanted behavior but the effect tends not to be lasting and severely damages the way the dog views the relationship with the owner. Dogs are pack animals and look to the pack leader for guidance and protection; they do not react well to a pack leader which hurts them and you will see this in the wild with lots of friendly licking and play between members of the pack, including the leader.

These three pieces of training advice are all essential to forming a positive and constructive relationship where the dog understands its place in the family hierarchy and learns very quickly what is expected of it. A well trained dog is a credit to the owner but also a source of a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment for years to come.

Some Simple Dog Trainging Tips
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By Big Oak SEO

Dog Arthritis Relief: A Pet Owner’s Manual

Basic care guide for owners of dogs with arthritis.

Older dogs are most prone to arthritis and that’s the sad fact. Arthritis in dogs is very similar to arthritis in humans. And there are no absolute cures yet. The only thing that you can do for now is to manage the disease and make your dog feel comfortable despite its condition.

Old or young dogs with arthritis can still live a normal life if owners just give them what they need to ease the pain. For starters, your dog is going to need comfortable bedding. Arthritis is a joint and muscle condition that could really be crippling. The most you can do is give your pet soft beddings, ideally a rubber foam mattress that is about five inches thick.

Dogs with arthritis would benefit most from regular exercise. However, never allow your dog to perform any extraneous exercises any longer as it may negatively affect their condition. Mild and gentle walking exercises are good enough. Make it a point that you walk your dog a few blocks everyday. Running is discouraged. If your pet is a guard dog or a field dog, maybe you should consider retiring it and just make it a regular household pet.

What complements good exercise is proper diet. Always watch the weight of your dog, especially if it belongs to the larger breeds. These dogs can easily become overweight. But just the same, smaller dogs can be obese. And being overweight limits their daily activities. As such, they won’t be able to do several long walks with you. What’s more, your dog’s weight will be putting too much strain on its joints. This aggravates the condition even more. If your dog is overweight, give it a light diet. Don’t wait for it to contract arthritis before doing something about its meals.

On the other hand, there are dog food formulas that are especially designed for arthritic dog. Ask your vet about it. Sick dogs require a change in their diet plan. Your vet should be able to provide the right nutritional meals for your pet. He might advise you to use Purina’s JM dog food or Hill’s RX J/D formula.

It may also be necessary to give your dog commercial medicines to aid in its health. These medicines are again, prescribed by the vet. Give it to your pet as indicated and always bring your dog to its regular checkups. The vet needs to monitor the health of your pet so that it can adjust the medications as needed. Some dogs respond well to certain medicines while others don’t. This is the reason why post-diagnosis visits are always crucial. Never miss one or your dog may suffer unnecessarily from arthritis.

Aside from prescription drugs, there are over-the-counter medicines and natural remedies that can help your dog. Aspirin is known to relieve pain and inflammation in pets if used the right way. As for natural medicines, Omega 3 supplements, vitamins, and minerals can contribute so much help alleviate the condition. Under the guidance of the vet, give your dog a combination of these medicines so it can live longer and much happier with you.

Dog Arthritis
Dog arthritis articles and resources.

By Cristian Stan