Pet dog health & affliction with obesity. Dog lovers care about the health of their dog and can help their animal to greater fitness.

Americans are tremendously overweight, so much so that this affliction has leaked into the lives of pets, particularly the four legged variety. Dogs shaped like coffee tables are such common sights that people have forgotten that a canine is supposed to be sleek, svelte, streamline creatures built to hunt, herd, pull, or cavort. The truth is the dogs of this country are becoming couch potatoes with the rest of the population.

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The Maltese dog is an all time favorite because they require such low maintenance.

A Maltese is a small, white breed with an extremely long coat. It is gentle, friendly, clever and affectionate. It makes a charming escort dog as it loves human company. Despite its diminutive size, a Maltese can be a good watch dog. Its keen nose warns it of approaching strangers.
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Care for your German Shepherd Dog well and it will serve you courageously all its days… The German Shepherd dog ( GSD ) is also known as the Alsatian. It was specially bred for obedience, loyalty, protection and intelligence. A GSD has courage to do its duty even in the face of danger. It is so intelligent that it uses its own discretion to carry out its work.

For all its good qualities, the GSD needs obedience training from a young age. Its intelligence and independence are a challenge to the novice dog owner. It is best to prepare your dog by enrolling it in a dog obedience school. Another character trait you need to beware of is its dominant personality. Most of the time, it wants to be the leader of the pack so you need to be firm with it. With basic obedience training, exercise, challenging tasks and a balanced diet, your GSD will be happy to serve you well.

A trained GSD responds to commands like sit, heel, down and come. It will behave well under all circumstances as it has a calm and steady manner. It makes a good guard dog as it is suspicious of strangers and will always act to protect its human owner and his family. It is so brave that it is ready to fight off animals larger than itself to protect its premises or owner.

The GSD has 2 coats of hair. The outer coat hairs are shed periodically. The inner coat hairs are shed twice yearly. It is good to brush your dog daily to remove dead hairs and massage its skin. It is unnecessary to bathe your dog too often. You can spray water on the outer coat to splash off the mud and dirt.

Trim your pet’s toenails once in 3 months. If your dog has parasites like fleas, use dust powders or other anti-flea aids. As your GSD has a dense coat, you need to be very vigilant to be able to eliminate the fleas.

Serve your GSD dry food. It helps to prevent tooth decay. Commercially available meal or kibble food is good. These have the necessary nutrients and added vitamins and minerals to keep that breed of dog healthy. Make available a constant supply of water in a water dish. Change this daily to prevent insects and mosquitoes using the water. House your dog in a cool, shady area. Bring it out for walks daily, preferably in the cool evenings. Use your leash as these dogs are very protective of their masters and may attack others if the dog thinks that they pose a threat.

Your Miniature Pinscher dog is different from any other type of Pinscher and needs special treatment.

The Miniature Pinscher is a small dog, standing at about 12 inches high. It is affectionately nicknamed the Min Pin. It is a good fighter, athletic, investigative and playful. It does not sit still for a minute so you have to be vigilant and watch that it does not get into any mischief.

Min Pins tend to be bossy and dominant. They will try to boss over the human family. Spoiled Min Pins create behavior problems like excessive barking, possessiveness over food or favorite objects, snapping at humans and dominance struggles. These are challenges to novel dog owners who may not know how to train the Min Pin for obedience.
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How to care for a Yorkshire terrier dog.

The Yorkshire Terrier is an extremely popular breed in the US. It is a small dog with huge courage and fight in it. It has natural instincts to hunt small game. This dog is confident with a self-important air. Its nickname is the Yorkie. Yorkies are like toy dogs which can fit into small homes. They get sufficient exercise just by running around enclosed spaces. Your Yorkie loves toys as it is intelligent enough to engage in self-play with them. It is rather playful but can act as a good guard dog as it will bark at strangers.
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Siberian Husky dog; information on grooming, training, health, and animal interaction.

A Siberian Husky ( hereby abbreviated as S.H. ) is an intelligent and independent dog. When it is bored, it will engage in play to keep itself occupied. This may result in destruction of your home or garden if it is unleashed.

Despite its thick coat, the S.H. is an all weather dog. Its coat insulates against cold and heat. In hot weather, it should be housed in a shady area with a constant supply of drinking water. If it has been in direct sunlight for a longer time, you may need to hose it down. A S.H. will climatize itself in summer or whatever weather conditions you expose it to. Read the rest of this entry »

Your aging dog needs extra care and attention. Caring for your older dog should include regular dental and medical examinations.

Taking good care of your dog through all stages of his life will help your pet live longer. When your dog reaches his golden years, more attention will need to be given to his medical care, diet, and exercise. Doing so will help prevent problems before they begin.
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Pet abuse has consequences. Don’t beat your dog if you don’t want your dog beating you. There are other ways of changing dog behavior.

Dogs are not children and don’t understand physical abuse. When you hit any dog, it feels frightened and confused. It can’t understand why the leader of the pack wants to hurt it. The dog starts to mistrust your physical actions. Then, you’ll experience great difficulty in handling your pet.
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The gray in the muzzle, the ever-slower stretch in the morning, the longer naps — these things creep up on us, until one morning we realize that our pets are getting, well, old. While aging pets are certainly sad reminders of our own mortality, there is also a certain pleasure in watching pets evolve — in being the one to see them through, from paper-training to their last precious days of tottering around. Here are some ideas on learning to appreciate the final stages of life and keeping up with the issues that come with age.

For Pets in General

Just How Old Is Old?

As your animal gets on in years and starts seriously slowing down, make sure to ask your veterinarian how much longer you can expect to have your beloved pet around. Veterinarians are only human, and yours might feel uncomfortable broaching this painful topic. Believe it or not, knowing is better than wondering because you can plan your pet’s life accordingly and take pains to let her know she’s loved before it’s too late.Small animals can slip away quickly. The three or four years they have on this earth can pass in no time. Make a special effort to know their expected life spans, especially if your small child is the primary owner. Young children need time to prepare for a pet’s passing.

For Dogs and Cats

There’s a Place in the Sun

Remember that older dogs and cats suffer from extremes of heat and cold more severely than young ones. Make certain to bring them inside on nights when the temperature goes below freezing.Look for opportunities to create warm spots for sunning. Leave a curtain open near a window that gets direct sunlight, or, in spring and fall, leave just a transparent storm door between your pet and the morning sun.

Try a Warm-Up Routine

On cold mornings, give your pet a special warming treat. Throw a clean pet blanket in the dryer for ten minutes on medium heat, then let your pet snuggle in it. For Dogs Only

Games for the Geriatric Set

For an older dog, develop a few games that are fun but not strenuous. Play “keep away” on the floor, for example. With the dog on his tummy, roll a ball to one paw. Then as he tries to paw it or get it with his mouth, roll it quickly to the other paw. Let him have it after a few rolls. If he drops it, get ready to roll it again.Even an older pet that’s no longer terribly active will enjoy it if, while she’s lying on her back, you gently roll her from side to side (assuming she doesn’t have painful arthritis).

Once a day, get your dog’s attention and throw his Nylaring or chew toy down a long corridor or across the kitchen floor. It’s up to him whether to run to retrieve it or to saunter over to get it at his leisure.

The Mind Is Willing . . .

It’s natural to allow a dog to set the pace for a walk, run, or play session. But when a dog reaches old age, she may not know when to stop, and she will be sore if you play too long or too strenuously. Make sure you halt the game of catch while your pet is still feeling frisky. Copyright © 1999 by Rodale Press, Inc.

Once you have your own pet, it seems natural to take an interest in other people’s animals. This heightened awareness makes it impossible to overlook the mistreated animals you see in all walks of life. But you need not stand idly by. Without taking on the world’s troubles, you can encourage more responsible pet ownership in your circle of friends and acquaintances and report to the proper authorities any incidents that are too hot for a single concerned citizen to handle.

For Pets in General

Is It Abuse or a Difference of Opinion?

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