Imagine what it is like for your pet to be alone for eight hours or more every single day. Imagine still all of the things they could get into while you are gone; the garbage can, or chewing things they shouldn’t.

Dog day cares could be the solution you are looking for to save your sanity and your house from total destruction.

Finding the right one may take some looking however. They are not readily available and you may have to do some digging to find one close enough to your house for you to even consider it feasible.

There are plenty of places you can board your pet if you go on vacation but not all of them do daily care for dogs. Check them out anyway because they may make an exception for your pet if you can come to an agreement.

One thing you need to remember is that your pet needs to be healthy. Take him to the vet and make sure he is up to date on all of his shots so no one has to worry about diseases or infections being transmitted from one pet to another.

Another thing to keep in mind is the breed of your dog. Some places ban certain breeds from being in these centers because of their aggressive natures. Check carefully to make sure you CAN take your pet to one of these centers.

This may seem unfair, especially if you know your dog is not aggressive even though he is one of the breeds banned but most likely there is nothing you can do about it so move on and try to find a center that will allow admission.

When you do find a center to take your pet, make sure that they do a thorough screening of all of their “clients”. They may require that your pet is spayed or neutered to gain entry as well.

Ask pertinent questions about what your pet can expect his day to be like if you choose to place him in the center. They should have a schedule of events or something to tell you that they do not just place your pet into a cage and leave them there all day.

Check the place out thoroughly while you are there. Is there a nice big play area with lots of toys for the animals to play with? This is a good sign that your pet will learn to socialize with other animals.

Ask if your pet will be taken on a walk at least once per day. Some centers will even provide food or treats for your dog. If not, ask if you can provide these things.

Dog day cares are great places to help keep your pet entertained during the day when you have to be away. For more about dog visit one stop shop to learn about Pets And Sunscreen and Protect Mans Best Friend

Evidently, whilst we are taking care of our pets, our pets are taking care of us. We live longer, age better, have reduced bouts of loneliness, and are generally healthier if we have pets.

Studies abound showing that sharing our lives with animals has a positive influence on our stress levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, moods, immunity, fitness, the span and quality of our lives, and can even reduce health care expenses.

Here are just a few of the amazing benefits you can expect from animal companionship:

Pet owners were found to have lower levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels.

Having a feline companion has been shown to decrease your heart attack risk by nearly one third.

In recent times, therapy dogs have been introduced into hospitals, mental health centers, and nursing homes where their positive effects on patients are well documented. Visits from these compassionate canines commonly lift the spirits of patients, calm their nerves, and alleviate their loneliness.

Pets commonly serve to facilitate social interactions between people. Individuals who are mobility impaired speak of increased “freedom to be capable” after getting an assistance dog. Additionally, participants reported increased independence and self-esteem, decreased loneliness, and experienced regular sociability from strangers.

Dogs and cats have been known to be able to detect cancer in people and will constantly lick and smell the affected area as a warning to their owners.

Alzheimer’s patients who are still living at home with pets had fewer mood swings, confusion, episodes of aggression and anxiety than patients not exposed to pets.

Pets can improve our social lives. I have met many interesting people while walking my dogs or volunteering at our local animal shelter. 

Unconditional Love; I love my family and they love me. My family is always happy to see me but it’s my dogs that show the most excitement, wagging their tails gleefully and celebrating my return every time I walk in the door from a hard day at work.

Dogs can help you keep fit. Some mornings I find it hard to get motivated to go on my daily walk. Then I find those big pleading eyes of anticipation looking up at me and I simply can’t say no.

Pets and Children: Psychological research and analysis of the relationship between children and animals has determined that the mere presence of animals can positively alter a child’s attitude about themselves and increases their ability to relate to others.

Additionally, pets can assist children to develop positive skills in several areas including love, attachment, well being and caring.

Yet further studies suggest that children exposed to pets in early life experience improved immune function with reduced allergies, less wheezing and asthma.

Quality of life can be improved dramatically in families of epileptic children when a dog that that is trained to respond to seizures is present in the home.

The ways that animal companions affect our well being are apparently never-ending. The afore-mentioned examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the amazing benefits and complexities of human-animal companionship. There are so many heart-felt stories about the bond that exists between animals and humans but they are too numerous to mention here.

Sharing your life with animals will provide you with spiritual health benefits that are beyond description.  Animals have a way for touching our heart and soul. They ask for nothing and will go to the ends of the earth to protect you.

Apply a few drops of Purification essential oil onto a Qtip.

Expose and dab  the Tick with the Qtip until it safely backs out of the skin.

Pick up the tick with a kleenex and flush it down the toilet.

This may take a few seconds to several minutes.

Clean the tick bite with Purification Essential oil and you are good to go!

To buy Purification essential oil and find out how to save 24% on all your Essential oil orders read our essential oil ordering page: wholesale essential oils.

Purification Essential oil is perfect for all your outdoor activities, it safely cleans and disinfects cuts and insect bites.  You can also apply a few drops on your ankles and legs as a preventative measure before going out.

Enjoy!

The author is a Holistic Massage Therapist and Energy Healer. You can find out more about Essential Oils and Energy Healing at healingaia Holistic Wellness

You always need to be able to call your dog and be able to have no problems getting them to return to you whenever you need or want them too.

There are situations they may arise and you want your dog to come to you yet they ignore you or give you a “deaf “ear. You need your dog to listen to you and that is why the “come” command should be at the top of your training list.

Here is how to train your dog to return to you when shouting the “come” command.

First start to teach your dog in the home by calling them to you when you are at the opposite end of the home or in another room. When they arrive treat them and make a fuss of them.

Do this randomly out of the blue and you will see them come quicker when you call.

Once you start seeing your dog coming when called in the home, start to work on this outside in the park or local fields where you are still able to keep an eye on your dog.

Remember to take a bumper treat with you like chunks of cheese or hot dogs to give your dog a great reward for returning to you. This will aid your dog in learning quicker.

What you need to understand is that most dogs understand that being called to “come” when out is normally the end of their fun and do not want to come back.

We need to change the way our dogs think in this situation and let them know recall does not mean end of fun time!

The way we do this is by calling the dog to “come” and then when your dog returns give them a bumper treat and send them away again.

Your dogs thinking Great! Bumper treat and then gets to go and play again.

You need to repeat this a few times when you’re out and make it fun.

At times your dog may not want to come back still so you need to make yourself more interesting than what’s in front of them!

Try things like running away and getting your dog to chase you. When your dogs gets to you give them the bumper treat. If running is not your cup of tea, try kneeling down and scratching the floor, even lie down on the floor. Your dog will wonder what’s going on and come over to you.

Try not to shout your “come” command in an angry voice or frustrated voice as they will not listen. Try and keep your voice calm and controlled but exciting to come back too.

Always give your dog a bumper treat when they return so they know returning when called is a good thing.

Try and let your dog have some freedom when out. They will want to meet other dogs and have a sniff and say hello to their fellow four legged friends, but the moment they look back at you and get eye contact, that is the moment to take advantage and call them with the “come “command.

Never discipline your dog or tell them off for coming to you too slowly. Do not get angry with them either. You will just set them back and you have just taught them not to come back when called by shouting at them etc. etc.

However long it takes, just praise and treat when they come back and they will learn to come back quicker and quicker.

Have patience and you will be fine. We need to set them up for success with everything we do.

Never run after your dog either, always run away as they normally follow you. If you do have to run after your dog keeps dropping treats on the floor just in case you loose sight of them and they can pick up the trail towards you.

Just focus on making it fun for them and you will have no problem with training your dog with the “come” command.

This is just another way of teaching your dog through Positive reinforcement dog training.

Owning a dog is an enjoyable experience, though at times there can be challenging moments along the way. Some of these challenging moments can be when you need to redirect a dogs behaviour. I first wrote this article for my own blog, though once I thought about it I knew many more dog owners like you would benefit from learning these simple techniques, and so I have passed this article on to this blog to help you learn how to redirect unwanted behaviours problems from your four legged friend.

Although it doesn’t sound like the most appealing job in the world, housebreaking a new puppy will play an important part in bonding with the newest member of your family. It will teach you patience and leave you with a better understanding of what your puppy wants once he has learned. In addition, he will learn acceptable behaviors and exactly what is expected of him to live happily and comfortably in his new home.

It’s important to remember that, just like a small child, a puppy’s attention span is very short. When you teach a young child not to hit, he likely won’t learn the lesson the first time, but instead, gradually after you’ve shown him repeatedly that it’s not okay. Similarly, you will have to be consistent with your dog when training him. Also, when housebreaking your puppy, keep in mind that he is not intentionally being a bad dog; he just has not yet learned what behaviors are acceptable!

Start housebreaking your puppy with a simple feeding schedule. Give him breakfast, lunch and dinner, just as you would yourself. By doing this you will be helping him become regular with his bowel movements. Once he has eaten, wait 20-30 minutes and then take him outside. Watch how long it takes before he is able to void. This will give you an idea of how long to wait the next time you take him out. (Within about a week, you should have his schedule down.) Try to never let him eat at free will, leaving food in his bowl all day, because it will cause him to have accidents and make housetraining all that much more difficult.

Despite the old rules of training a puppy, you should never hit, rub his nose in his messes, or yell at your puppy. By doing this, you are telling him it is bad to relieve himself at all! In addition, most dogs respond negatively to aggressive and mean behavior and it has the opposite effect—they regress in their training rather than advance. Instead, while housebreaking your puppy take him straight outside when he has an accident. In addition, don’t forget the praise! Every time he “goes” where he’s supposed to, praise him lavishly, and soon he will begin to understand exactly what brings praise, and what brings that disappointed face. During the process, don’t forget that full control of the bladder and bowels won’t happen until 16 weeks of age, so don’t expect too much from your puppy in the beginning.

Also helpful in housebreaking a new puppy is to buy a stain remover/ odor relief spray. Household cleaners and sprays cannot be smelled by dogs; only those made for animals will work. When an accident happens, clean the mess and spray immediately. This will cover the odor left and your puppy will not try to mark his territory there again.

Remember that housebreaking a puppy is a big responsibility that can lead to you and your puppy sharing a special bond. Giving encouragement and lots of love will make all the time spent worth your while!

There’s nothing quite like the family dog. It’s almost a slice of Americana. In ever cheesy fifties image of the Perfect American Family we see a nice little house with a white picket fence, Mom and Dad, two children (usually a boy and a girl), and a family pooch happily prancing around the yard. As clichéd as that image may be, the fact remains that people love dogs and some families just don’t feel right without a family dog.

When choosing a dog for a family, there are important traits to keep in mind. Some breeds of dog are wonderful for families while others simply don’t have the proper temperament to deal with family life. They may be too rough with small children, to needy of their own space to deal with the incessant coming and going of a large family, or simply too naturally aggressive to respond well to a family setting. Other breeds are just perfect fits for family life. Here are some of the best dog breeds for families.

Golden Retrievers

Originally bred as a bird dog (like most retrievers), the Golden retriever is an amazingly loyal and very protective breed. They are perfect for families that enjoy outdoor activities because they love to run, jump, and play.

Irish Setters

Irish Setters are known for their pleasant personalities and their eagerness to please humans. They were also originally bred as hunting dogs and can serve well in this capacity, but it is their aptitude for companionship that makes them a beloved family breed.

Collies

The Collie may be one of the breeds most easily associated with the qualities of a family dog due to the popularity of the Lassie television programs. Collies are characterized by a combination of intelligence and patience uncommon in other breeds.

Boxers

Boxers look large and scary and have a deep, resonating bark that makes intruders wary, but they are truly gentle, loving, and loyal dogs. Their size may make families with small children want to wait a few years before owning one, but they are a perfect family pet once the kids are a little older.

Newfoundland

Remember the dog “Hooch” from the Tom Hanks movie Turner and Hooch? This is Hooch, a big, friendly, loving pooch. They tend to slobber and drool rather excessively, but the Newfoundland is a loving and protective pet. Like the boxer, the dog’s size may be of some concern, but it will be hard to find a more loyal dog for a family than this breed.

There is not much of anything in the world than the sight of a child who is grieving a lost dog. Teary-eyed and depressed, yet hopeful, she goes around the neighborhood tacking Xeroxed signs to telephone poles, pleading for the safe return of her beloved pet, all the time knowing that the odds are stacked against her and her dog.

Over the years there have been various methods enacted to try and raise the number of lost pets that are reunited with their owners. Dog licensing and tag laws are one way that local governments have tried to help, but they don’t work very well at all. If a lost dog has lost its identification tag it is nearly impossible for anyone to find the dog’s owner.

For many years the owners of show dogs have used tattoos to put permanent identifying marks of their dogs. The tattoo is placed on the skin of the inner thigh, near the abdomen and contains a unique number assigned by the American Kennel Club. The tattoos aren’t readily visible to the average person, however, and shelter employees seldom check for tattoos on the “strays” that are brought to them on a daily basis.

A newer method of dog identification hopes to put an end to the number of lost dogs that can’t be reunited with their owners, or at least reduce it significantly. A microchip is inserted under the dog’s skin near the shoulder. This chip contains encoded data about the dog and its owner that may then be read by a scanner. It is a more permanent method than a simple metal tag, less painful and inconvenient to the dog than tattooing, and has a higher success rate than any other method when it comes to getting lost dogs back together with their owners.

The method isn’t perfect; some microchips may shift over time and become unreadable to scanners and there is the possibility, however remote, that the microchip can become demagnetized. It is the best method developed so far and is now being used all over the world.

Insertion of the microchip is a simple and nearly pain free process for the dog. Unlike tattooing, which requires the dog to be restrained and often shaved, implantation of the microchip is similar to an injection. After a tiny pinprick, its over and the dog can now be identified at any shelter equipped with the scanning device. The information on the chip is unique to the dog and the owner and makes a reunion a high probability instead of a remote possibility.

Thanks to microchip technology, we may have seen the last child crying over her lost dog and that would be a Very Good Thing.

If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a breeder. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.

Ask for References

Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.

Prepare to be Asked Questions

A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.

Guarantees

A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.

Other Sources

Aside from looking in the newspaper or on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.

Many people don’t realize that their dogs, just like human beings, can suffer from allergies. In fact, about twenty percent of the dogs in the United States alone suffer from one allergy or another, with flea allergy dermatitis being the most common form of allergies in dogs. Other types include atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and inhalant allergies.

Signs and symptoms of dog allergies may vary but are often marked by persistent itching and discoloration of the skin (most common in skin allergies), coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and mucus discharge (most common in inhalant allergies), and nausea, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea (common to food allergies and other ailments.)

Over-the-counter preparations and treatments for common dog allergies exist and may be purchased at any good pet supply store, but care should be taken when choosing such treatments. Consultation with a vet is the best first course of action for several reasons. First of all, what you think is an allergic reaction may actually be signs of a more serious ailment and a vet should be the one to determine whether that is the case. Secondly, if the allergy is severe enough, over-the-counter treatments may not be sufficient to treat the symptoms and a prescription strength treatment may be required. There is also the chance that the dog does not have an allergy at all. The last thing you want to do is medicate your pet unnecessarily.

If you do think your dog has some type of allergy, consult your vet. The doctor will be able to perform tests to determine whether an allergic condition exists, how severe it is, and what the proper treatment will be. If the dog has an allergy to certain foods, it will be imperative to restrict the animal’s diet to eliminate those items that cause a reaction. The vet’s testing methods can help to determine whether this type of allergy exists as well. If the dog has flea allergy dermatitis (an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas, rather than to the insects themselves), an extreme flea prevention regimen will be recommended.

Just like humans, dogs that suffer from various allergies can live comfortably with them if they are detected and treated properly. It is important to keep in mind that this is not a time to “play doctor” by attempting to diagnose and treat a possible allergic condition yourself. Only your veterinarian is qualified to determine whether your dog is suffering from allergies and what course of action to take.