Cattle

Archive for March, 2009

Have you ever noticed that sometimes your dog has really bad breath and you’re not even sure why?  You’re certain that your feeding them healthy food and not feeding them any treats or other foods that are sources of bad breath.  Did you ever stop to consider the fact that maybe you’re not brushing your dog’s teeth enough.  This could be the number one cause of bad breath in dogs.  

There are a number of reasons why you should keep up with the task of cleaning your dog’s teeth, and bad doggy breath is certainly at the top of the list.  Sure you enjoy hanging out on the couch watching a movie with your dog right beside you, but not if his breath is so bad that you can’t stand it.  If you start to notice that his breath is bad, then that means that you have failed to keep up with the cleaning of your dogs teeth.  You can also see that your dog needs to have his teeth cleaned by looking at them closely.  You’ll see buildup starting to show towards their gums which is often dark yellow to light green in color.  This is generally what we know as tartar.  

Bad breath is not the only problem associated with not cleaning your teeth properly.  Your dog can also experience forms of gingivitis which is caused by not keeping up with tooth care, as well as a general weakening of the gums that surround the teeth.  In order to prevent this and other types of conditions, you have to keep up with the daily care of your dog’s entire mouth.

So how do you clean your dog’s teeth?  Well it’s actually pretty simple.  The bare minimum tools require is a toothbrush, preferably one that is used for brushing a baby’s teeth.  Since dogs teeth and gums are more sensitive than human teeth, they require a softer brush so they are not scraped or scratched during the process of brushing.  As far as the technique of brushing goes, you can use a similar technique that you would use when brushing your own.  You can dip the toothbrush in a water to provide a more rinsing brush, or if you want to use toothpaste, there are certain types of toothpaste available for dogs that come in all types of flavors.  

Cleaning your dogs teeth should be done on a regular basis in order to keep them as clean as possible and free from any issues such as bad breath, dog gingivitis, or other complications that may arise from not cleaning on a regular basis.  Keeping your dog’s teeth fresh and clean will keep your dog happy and you as well.

Before you begin bathing your dog, be sure you have the correct pet shampoo. Never use people shampoo, as our pH levels are more acidic than our canine counterparts. Have adequate towels ready for after the bath and make sure the standing area for your dog is non-slippery.

To begin washing your dogs start with the headfirst. You then want to work your way towards the tail. This is especially important if your dog has fleas or ticks. If your dog is known to have fleas. You must use a flea shampoo as well. By starting at the head you force the fleas out of the ears, neck and face and down towards the tail. When they get to the tail is easier for you to submerge the tail then it is the head. Your dog will surely thank you for not starting at the tail.

Be sure to allow your dog adequate time to get used to running water. If you’re going to use a bathtub, fill it with several inches of warm water. You may then introduce your pooch to the bath. Once you have your dog in the bathtub. Start with the head and use warm water. You can use a pitcher or you may use a spray device for this task. Be sure the spray is not too hard and never spray water directly into your dog’s ears, eyes nose or face.

Once your dog is completely wet, apply a pet shampoo liberally, be sure to follow the instructions on the package and work it from the head towards the tail. Don’t forget to get all the crevices in hard to reach areas, especially between your dog’s legs behind the ears, under the chin, and the armpits. You should wash your dog’s genitals as well.

If you are using a flea and tick shampoo, you often need to let the shampoo stay for several minutes, be sure to read the instructions after adequate time is past, and you’ve washed her dog entirely you may proceed to rinse your dog thoroughly with water. Please remember that shampoo residue can cause skin irritations and make your dog scratch more than normal. Once you have thoroughly rinsed their coat, you may now take a towel and dry your pet. It is important to note that some breeds should never be scrubbed, but only patted dry since their coats could easily tangle.

There are pet drying towels available and these towels are very popular because they can absorb much more water than normal towels. You can also purchase pet blow dryers that have much less heat than human blow dryers, and therefore do not burn your dog’s skin

Although bathing your dog can be a hassle and some owners find it hard to do, it is an essential part of being a responsible pet owner. A dog that is healthy, clean and free of flea and ticks will be a much happier dog.

Dog training helps you to change your dog’s behavior. By training your dog in a proper way, they will listen to your commands such as walk, come, sit, stand and hence your dogs will decrease jumping, barking and biting.

Few dogs are very friendly and easier to train. In case, if your dog is not responding to your dog training program, then you need to follow the below given tips:

1. Spend at least 10 minutes every day to train your dog. Few dogs will not respond to your commands because the training program is a collection of fits and starts. If you spend a few minutes on Monday, nothing until Thursday, and again you start on Saturday, then it would be difficult for your dog to learn the commands.

2. Managing your dog’s behavior is a major part of dog training program. To make success we need to understand and apply basic management skills. Dogs misbehave a lot when you are not around them. Destructive behaviors, chewing, house training all these tend to happen when you are not at home. One of the best management tools is use “crate” which allows you to leave your dog lonely without the opportunity to get into trouble.

3. Don’t feed your dog frequently because “food” can be used as a strong motivator to your dog. It’s very difficult to use the food to reinforce behavior, when your dog is allowed to eat whenever it feels like.

4. Make your dog to look at you when you give any command to it. Most of the dogs fail to pay attention to owners command. So, always make sure that you have your dog’s attention before you give the command.

5. Dogs are always active animals. Most dogs were bred work long hours in the field. They have never had to herd sheep or any other type of livestock. We have to make sure that they get exercise in other ways such as retrieving games, tug games, hiking, and swimming.

6. Whatever you are trying to teach your dog has to have a value. If you are teaching your dog a behavior that you want to happen it over and over again, start to get back the behavior. You need to apply the type of value for the behavior.

7. Dogs are animals that always respond to a social structure. If you are really serious about dog training then you should establish the leadership quality. The better you are at being the leader the better your dog will respond to you. Establish the leadership quality and your dog will listen to you much better.

By these basic tips, you will start to get the results that you are looking for. It is also very important to remember that you can train your dog.