Taking Care of a New Puppy

Your puppy or adult dog depends upon you for everything in his life.  Learning about how to take care of him is the most important part of being a pet owner. Although the following dog care tips might seem like common sense, you'd be surprised how many dog owners do not follow up on regular dog care.

You love your dog and that is really important but he has physical needs too.  You are responsible for making sure your dog is happy and healthy.  Follow these dog care tips and your puppy will live a long, healthy life, always your faithful friend.

1.  Feed your dog twice a day when he is under one year old, then only once per day.  Any high quality dog food that meets the nutritional needs of a growing dog is fine.  Read the dog food label for the recommended amount to feed your dog, according to his ideal weight.  Try to avoid too many treats and feeding your dog human food.  It’s hard to resist when your dog starts begging for a treat but keeping him at his ideal weight will make him more energetic and healthier.

2.  Groom your dog every day.  Dogs love to be pampered and most dogs enjoy a good brushing.  Grooming your dog removes dead fur and helps eliminate shedding all over the house.  It also enhances the fur for a shiny coat and healthy skin.

3.  Brush your dog’s teeth at least once per week because dogs develop plaque just like humans do.  Use toothpaste made only for dogs since human toothpaste can irritate your dog’s stomach.  The first time you brush your dog’s teeth, just do it for a few seconds to get her used to the feel of the brush and taste of the toothpaste.  Eventually, your dog will look forward to having her teeth brushed.

4.  Exercise is essential for all types of dogs.  Walking your dog is the best way to bond with him and give him the exercise he needs.  Walk your dog at least twenty minutes per day.  If you have a large dog that is hard to handle, a harness helps keep your dog walking beside you.  Exercising your dog also helps him behave in the house because he used up his energy walking with you.

5.  Regular visits to the veterinarian are also a necessary part of dog care.  Make sure your dog is updated on all his vaccinations, especially rabies.  The vet also performs a blood test on your dog every year, testing for heartworms.  Using a monthly heartworm medication prevents your dog from becoming infected with life threatening heartworms.

Do You Feed Your Dog Too Many Treats?

Do You Feed Your Dog Too Many Treats?

Personally, I have fed my beagle too many treats in the past. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until he went to his yearly veterinarian visit and I was told that he had to lose at least 10 pounds. For a beagle, this is a lot of weight to lose, especially when he has a ravenous appetite.

Everyone in the family had to cooperate with my beagle’s diet or he would never lose weight. We threw out the dog biscuits and purchased low-calorie dog food developed for dog weight loss. My dog didn’t notice the change of dog food and gobbled it down without a problem. He just did not understand why he was not getting more. I used to fill his dog bowl without measuring his food and when I put him on a diet, he only got two cups of dog food per day. I fed him one cup in the morning and one cup at night.

I began making homemade dog treats and feeding them to Hunter only when he worked either for them, doing a trick or for good behavior. I broke the treats into very small pieces, just enough to let my beagle get a taste. I made dehydrated dog treats out of liver, beef and hamburger. Try making some of my homemade dehydrated dog treats for your dog. Although making dog treats is extra work, dogs love them and you do not have to worry about pet treats recalls.

My beagle’s diet was a huge success and he even got his waistline back! On his next veterinarian appointment, Hunter had lost 12 pounds and he looked great.

Blue Wilderness Salmon Dog Food Review

Blue Wilderness Salmon is my new choice of dry dog food. My collie loves it and believe me, he is a picky eater. I had him on the Raw Food diet from the time he was a puppy until he was two years old. It became too difficult carrying raw food during the summer when we went camping or on other vacations. In addition, raw food wasn’t convenient if I had to bring my dog to the kennel.
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BLUE Wilderness Salmon

I searched all 100% grain free dog foods and tried Wellness Chicken first. Come to find out, my dog had an allergy to the chicken and ended up losing his fur, developing dry skin and constantly scratching. Once again, I went to the local Petco store and began comparing dog food labels. I read the Blue Wilderness ingredients and it came very close to the raw diet that my collie was used to. I liked the idea of the salmon, blueberry, potatoes and cranberry mixture for a balanced diet. Blue salmon also has fishmeal and chicken meal but the chicken in Blue doesn’t cause the allergic reaction of the Wellness dog food.

It took a couple of weeks to switch him completely to Wilderness dog food, mixing it with his other food so he wouldn’t develop digestive problems. After the two weeks, I fed my dog Blue Wilderness Salmon completely. Within one month, he stopped itching, his fur grew back and his coat is healthy and shiny.

My collie is still a picky eater and probably finishes about three cups of dog food every other day. I know this doesn’t sound like much but the vet said he’s healthy and he sure has the energy of a puppy.

Blue Wilderness Salmon works for my dog but if you are thinking of switching your dog to another dog food, watch for allergic reactions.