The way we decided to do this with Lula was to introduce her to other dogs who want to play, and let her off the lead gradually.  First we let her meet the other dogs on an extending lead, then we left a normal light lead attached so that we could catch the lead if she decided to run away! After a few more days, with our hearts in our mouths, we took the big step of leaving her to run free with the others.  She is such a playful dog, she initiates games of chase with any dogs who will join in, and she usually leads her pack.  This photo is not the best – it shows her challenging two Labradors to a game – she’s not actually sitting. Lula will play happily with dogs of all sizes and enoys the rough and tumble, barking loudly to keep the other dogs involved.

At this time I make sure to keep plenty of really tasty treats in my pocket and reward her every time she comes back to me.  Of course the other dogs worked out that luxury treats were on offer, and tried to raid my pocket for them – and they were much bigger than Lula.

Is your puppy having difficulty pooping? Are his stools hard or dry? Does he strain or cry when having a bowel movement?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions, you may have a constipated puppy on your hands.

Although true constipation in puppies isn’t very common, tiny and toy breeds seem to experience more than their fair share of discomfort in this area.

As with many health issues, it’s easier and better to prevent constipation from happening, than it is to treat it. However, as many people reading this are looking for help with a puppy who is already constipated, I’ll start with the remedies!

Remedies for a constipated puppy

The first thing to do when your puppy is having difficulty with constipation is to increase his fluid intake and his exercise level. Both of these help to keep his digestive system moving along.

If he’s already straining unsuccessfully or is passing dry, hard stools, you may well need to try some other options as well. There are several different things you can add to his diet (don’t add them all at once though, pick one and try that first!), that will help clear the ‘log jam’ inside him. These include:

CANNED PUMPKIN – this should be plain pumpkin, not the pie-filling variety. Add 1 tsp to 1 tbsp, depending on the size of your puppy.

BRAN – you can use regular bran, or Metamucil, oat bran, Grape Nuts and so on. Add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (depending on size of pup) to his food.

OIL – extra oil in his food can help to soften your pups’ stools. 1/2 tsp of Olive Oil added to his meals is simple and safe. You can try 1 – 2 tsp of Mineral Oil for more stubborn constipation, but you need to be very careful about his. Never use Mineral Oil for more than a day or two as it can be harmful if used to excess.

MILK – dogs don’t digest cows milk properly, and it would normally cause diarrhea or loose stools in a puppy. However, if your pup is constipated, a little cows milk (1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on the size of your pup) added to his food or water, may help get his bowels moving again.

OTC REMEDIES – never use a human constipation remedy for your dog! There are some specific products available to treat constipated dogs such as Laxatone to help with constipation due to hairballs. There are also natural, herbal remedies that keep bowel and digestive functions healthy. Beware of spending too much on OTC remeies or you will need an immediate annuity.

Common causes of dog constipation

There may be one, or several reasons, why your puppy is constipated. Something simple like not drinking enough, or being a ‘couch potato’ can make your pup’s bowels ‘sluggish’. Other possible causes for constipation in dogs include :

Hairballs – these are more often seen in dogs with long hair. Or in dogs who have allergies or skin conditions and are constantly licking themselves.

Medicines – some medications can cause constipation in dogs, antihistamines are common culprits.

Medical Conditions – this isn’t very common in puppies, although a hernia or infection can sometimes be the culprit. However in older dogs, conditions such kidney disease or prostate problems can cause constipation.

Long Hair Around The Rectum – this is also sometimes called ‘mechanical constipation’, and it’s basically an external physical obstruction that causes your pup to be unable to eliminate. If your puppy has long/thick hair, keep it trimmed short around the anus so that this doesn’t happen.

Sometimes a more serious cause of constipation can arise, and this requires immediate veterinary attention…..

Ingesting Inappropriate Items – every puppy owner knows that a pup will try to eat just about anything! And often they succeed in swallowing something that is definitely not meant to be eaten. In many cases, these ‘foreign object’ pass through your pup’s digestive tract fairly easily, and come right out the other end. However, occasionally something will get ‘stuck’ and can cause serious problems. If your dog seems to be in pain when he strains to poop, if he’s vomiting or retching, his tummy is distended, or he seems distressed (panting, pacing, whining, drooling etc.) you need to seek veterinary help immediately. This sort of blockage can be life-threatening. Don’t try constipation remedies – if this happens, take your puppy straight to the vet.

Once you’ve treated the constipation in your puppy, it’s important to take steps to make sure that this doesn’t become a regular condition.

Plenty of water and exercise are an important part of keeping his digestive system healthy. You can add a herbal supplement or pro-biotic to his food on a daily basis to keep his bowels ‘regular’.

For pups or dogs who seem to have regular problems with constipation, there are some special dog foods that are formulated to help with this. These contain more fiber than the average food, and Hills Dog Food has two different formulas available from most veterinary offices.

————————

The author is a life long dog-lover and has many years of experience in breeding, raising and training puppies.
Read the full article ‘A Constipated Puppy’, and find all the tips and advice you need to raise a happy, healthy puppy at http://www.the-puppy-dog-place.com

Pets have become more than just companions; they are a part of the family. In fact more and more pet owners are taking the love for their pet to the next level and dressing them up for Halloween. This practice is fun and adorable but it’s also important to think about your pet’s safety to protect them from things that go bump in the night.

Alicia on “The Importance of Registration.” Animal shelters often get a lot of animals around Halloween that escape from their owner’s homes or yards in the midst of all the commotion of the parties, guests, and trick-or-treaters. Before the big day, have your pet registered or even better, microchipped. If you can’t make that happen, be extra vigilant and keep an eye on your pet whenever the door opens or closes. Ideally, keep your pet in a closed off area for any parties or when you’re expecting trick-or-treaters.

If you take your dog along with you on Halloween night with the kids, keep it on a reflective leash and collar or harness. This will not only keep the dog safe from cars and running off, but will allow you to control it around other children. Even the world’s best dog can snap at a child with a frightening mask and an antagonizing attitude. If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, keep it inside for the night as the extra cars in the neighborhood will be a hazard.

Sarah on “Leaving them Home Alone” If you and your little goblins are going to be out all evening collecting treats, think ahead and make a plan for your pet. Does the sound of voices outside make the dog anxious or prone to fits of barking? If so, you might want to keep it in a room toward the back of the house and consider setting up a gentle noisemaker or playing the radio. In addition, you’ll want to eliminate needless doorbell ringing, which can agitate Fluffy and Fido. That means setting up a treat station by your front door. Instead of putting out loose candy for kids to pick and choose, purchase small paper loot bags, place two or three pieces of candy inside, and tie the bags closed with ribbon. Then place the bags in a bowl or plastic cauldron and cover the top with a few faux cobwebs. All kids will enjoy this trick to get to those treats — and they’ll be quick too, which means they’ll be less likely to disturb your pet.

Here are three additional ways to get your furry friend Buttoned Up for Halloween. #1. Watch the Candles: Curiosity killed the … well, literally, cats and dogs are exploratory species, so even if they feel the heat from a candle they may still try to touch it. Keep candles away from your pets unless you want to make your insurance quote a real claim.

#2. Check Costumes for Safety Hazards: If you’re dressing up Fido, be sure the costume doesn’t have any loose parts he can eat! Loose parts can also cause your pet to trip or become tangled in the costume, resulting in injury or a future dislike of the holiday (yes pets will remember!). Also be sure that the costume is properly ventilated as your pet can overheat if the costume is too hot or heavy. Be sure to check your pet often to see if it is panting or uncomfortable. It’s also good to practice and listen to your pet: Try the costume on and have the pet wear it several times before Halloween. If the pet hates the costume, forcing him to wear it can cause bad behaviors, so be courteous to your four-legged friend- no matter how cute he may look in it.

#3. Be a Good Gatekeeper: No matter how tempting, don’t give your pets people candy or treats. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats and the amount of sugar in other treats will make them sick. Keep your children’s loot out of reach so pets don’t dig into it when you’re sleeping. If you’re worried they’re feeling left out, give them their own doggie or kitty friendly goodies when they are behaving nicely to guests or wearing their costume proudly.

————————

Buttoned Up is dedicated to helping stretched & stressed women get organized. Co-founders Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch team up with a group of Gurus to give you tips & products for all your messy, stressed needs & introduce “imperfect organization.” Visit http://www.getbuttonedup.com to see which Guru matches your style & get info on Everyday Life, Life Essentials & Life Events

All dogs will inevitably succumb to annoying habits. Most of these habits are habits which affect you, the dog’s owner, and not everyone else. However, if you have a dog who continuously barks, day in and day out, this is definitely a habit that will affect many more than just yourself. This is a habit that may come to such an out-of-control point in which your neighbors may become quite perturbed, and this habit may even lead to some run-ins with your local police force, which is definitely not something you want to have to deal with.

Initially, people began domesticating dogs in order to use them as security or alert systems to give protection to the family who owned them. Now, such habits can become quite bothersome, especially in a dog who barks all of the time. The best time to teach your dog when and where barking is appropriate is when your dog is still a puppy, and before the barking becomes completely out-of-control.

There are many reasons why dogs bark. They bark if they are full of energy, if they are worried or tired, if they are alerting you to something or someone, and they also bark at strangers and other animals. Think of it this way. We, as humans, can say, “I’m tired,” or “I’m scared,” but dogs have no other way of vocally communicating, so this is their way of doing so. The key is to teach your dog other ways of communicating with you.

One of the main reasons dogs bark is for attention, especially dogs who are left by themselves for long periods of time, and then ignored when their humans return. Many dogs, such as terriers, are naturally lively and energetic dogs, and these breeds tend to bark far more frequently than others. Dogs, like humans, need interaction, love, attention, and relationships with their human owners. There is no point in owning a dog if you are simply going to leave it out in the dog house all day, only to feed it and yell at it when it barks too much. However, due to work or other circumstances, it is understandable that many dogs are left at home by themselves for long periods of time during the day or even night. This is okay if you find a way to interact with your dog when you are around. There are a few easy ways of doing this.

First of all, try to help your dog get used to the idea that you do have to leave, but that you will always return. Start by leaving for short periods of time, and upon arrival each time, give him a minute or two of undivided attention, such as petting or playing. As your dog becomes used to this, gradually extend the periods of time in which you are gone. If you get your puppy the day before the weekend, for example, you could use the entire weekend to do this so that, come Monday when you have to go to work, your puppy will know that, although you will be gone for a while, you will come home.

Another idea is to keep your dog from succumbing to the tediousness of being along. Leave him with playthings, such as balls, squeak toys, stuffed animal companions, or something stuffed with kibble. All of these things will help to keep your dog busy during his day alone, and this will surely help to stifle some of the “boredom” barking that can be a result of loneliness.

————————

Patrick Carpen is the designer, writer and owner of the website http://dogtraining.infobay.ws/
Infobay.ws is a content based, consumer oriented tile website that provides professionally researched, and up to the minute content on selected subjects.

There are so many different choices available for us today when it comes to feeding our dogs. More and more people are looking for a safer, healthier and better nutrition for their extended “family member.”

The easy and convenient grocery store kibble has become less attractive as the way to feed our dogs as we learn more information about what has gone into the cheaper commercial dog food. These foods were the status quo for so long until their unsafe and dangerous production processes were brought to our attention during the massive recalls recently.

Dog food has gone through several stages starting with the pre commercial days when dogs were feed whatever we ate. Dogs ate what we ate at the time before store bought kibble was available, as in leftovers and scraps. People didn’t worry about dog nutrition, or even consider it as something that could increase the pet’s life.

With the advent of commercial dog kibble, this new generation of pet owners were told and assured this was the best way to feed your pet. Table scraps were not good for your dog (as we all now know), and this new, important revolutionary way of convenient healthy food was available at the local grocers. This became and still is to a lot of consumers the one and only acceptable way to nourish your dog. We were told and warned the never ever feed people food to your dog. It was dangerous, fool hardy and deficient in the proper mix of necessary and essential daily dietary intake.

With the ease and assurance from the big companies that we were making the best choice for our dogs we all became brainwashed into believing everything we were told. That is until the recently.

After the recalls of toxic and tainted dog foods, more and more information became available and this was shocking.

An elite few had already started producing highly nutritious, organic or all natural dog food years before. Dog’s health was suddenly the main concern of several small independant dog food companies.

Now our choices for feeding our precious dogs (and cats) are increasing at a speedy rate. More and more companies started to manufacture organic dog food, devoid of chemicals, preservatives, deadly additives, and disgusting mystery ingredients.

These premium organic dog foods are slowly now becoming the new, easy and extremely nutritious way to feed our pampered dogs. They promote and increase the health of our dogs and are proud of their production processes.

One other way of feeding our dogs has now gone back to the “people food” way of thinking. Although this is not the “table scrap” method of feeding. This is a safe and hightly nutritious diet for your dog as long as you research and learn your dogs essential nutritional needs. That is homemade dog food, using the same foods we eat. Mixed with the proper ingredients and vitamins, this is the best way to know exactly what your dog eats. You can easily find excellent nutritious homemade dog food recipes for free on the internet, or through books written by animal nutritionists and vets, that this choice is now becoming mainstream.

Educating yourself for the sake of your pet is a small way to pay back all the unconditional love they give you, and in the end you will ultimately have your dog around for many extra years when they receive a proper nutritious and healthier diet

————————

Animal and pet lovers will find important information to extend their pet life along with ellipticals, tips and recipes here: http://www.recipes4gourmetdogs.com

Nothing is quite as fun as packing up and heading out of town for a weekend or a longer trip. A change of scenery from time to time is important to recharge your battery. This is true for your dog as well. Most dogs love to travel and to be exposed to new places just like you do. But there are a few things that you need to do to make the trip a positive experience for everyone.

TIP ONE
Make sure that you take with you items that your dog is fond of on the trip. Being ripped away from their routine and surroundings can be traumatic for your dog. If your pet has a favorite toy or blanket, be sure to take it along with you in the car. For more comforts of home, you can also bring their food and water dishes from home to use when you arrive at your destination. Also pack a good supply of paper towels and blankets for cleaning up dog hair, dirty paws and the like.

TIP TWO
Keep small plastic bags of food and treats with you as you travel with your dog. The main supply of their food for vacation can be kept in the main luggage. Even if you do not think that your dog will need to eat while traveling because it will be a short amount of time before you reach your destination, you still need to have some food on hand in case something happens and your are detained longer on the road then planned. Keep these baggies of food in a couple of different bags that are being carried on the trip. This will help you from misplacing the dog food when you really need it.

TIP THREE
If your dog does not currently travel often, keep in mind that it could be a traumatic experience him to travel with you. To lessen this possibility, take some time well before your trip to take your dog in the car for short trips to acclimate him to the experience. My poodle Buffy, who wasn’t accustomed to riding in the car except to the vet, without fail would throw up as soon as she rode in the car. That is until I began taking her with me to the park when I walked. She soon associated riding in the car with something she enjoyed instead of something unpleasant. Buffy’s nausea when riding in the car was soon replaced with excitement.

TIP FOUR
Keep a clean water supply with you as you travel with your pet. You can keep a couple of bottles of water with you just for this. There are pop up bowls that you can use as a drink container for your pet when you are on the road.

TIP FIVE
Make frequent stops during the drive – at least once per hour to hour and a half, especially if you are motorhome towing. Dogs can get car sick just like humans and if you dog gets nervous out of his routine, he may need more potty breaks than normal. From my experience, my dogs have been so excited to travel, that they wanted to get out of the car and explore often.

TIP SIX
One of the most important things to do when traveling with a dog is to make sure they have identification on them. The identification should clearly state their name, your name, address and phone number. This will be a lifesaver if you should become separated from your pet. This happened to a friend of mine who was traveling from Florida to Texas in a convertible with a friend and her Golden Retriever, Goldie. At some point while driving down the freeway Goldie fell out of the convertible onto the road. It was a miracle that she was reunited with Goldie about five hours later when she received a call on her mobile phone from the person who found Goldie limping along the highway. If my friend had not had a current identification tag on Goldie, she would have lost her best friend forever.

Traveling with your dog can be a fun experience for you both. Once you have taken one trip with your dog, hopefully you will want to take him on every trip. Your dog will love exploring new places and spending time with you. By following the tips above you can make sure that your trip with your dog is fun and free for you both.

————————

EPETSTUFF.NET is your on-line destination for all domestic Pet Stuff! From fresh articles on pet health, care, training, behavior and breeds for cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, fish, ferrets, and product listings and reviews about all things domestic pets, http://www.ePetStuff.net is designed by pet lovers FOR PET LOVERS.

Allergic conjunctivitis, as well as sneezing and other evidence of allergy, is increasingly common in dogs. This may be related to where their environment, or to changes in their immunity due to, for example, diet and exercise.

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a thin layer of skin over the white of the eye and the inner surface of the lids. Allergy occurs when the immune system over-reacts to a stimulus, mistakenly thinking it is an infection or cancer that it needs to fight off.

A dog with allergic conjunctivitis is likely to have redness, swelling and watering of one or both (usually both) eyes. There may be thickening of the conjunctiva, and if the dog is irritated to the extent that it scratches the eyes, there may be corneal abrasions and other eye damage.

No treatment (“watchful waiting”) is a valid option if symptoms are very mild. If possible, allergen avoidance is important. Bathing the eyes with a cool flannel may relieve some soreness and itching.

More severe allergic conjunctivitis will be treated with anti-inflammatory or antihistamine eye drops and ointments, and if any secondary bacterial infection is suspected, an antibiotic drop may be added. Occasionally a steroid drop will be used if treatment is otherwise unsuccessful.

Allergy testing may be needed to find the cause of the allergy.

Most holistic therapists and vets will look to the diet for a source of allergy. It is worth trying a hypo-allergenic diet. In addition, allergens in the air are important, so it is worth checking out environmental dust and pollution. Antioxidant supplements can help boost the immunity and reduce allergy.

Herbal Remedies: Burdock, Rosemary and Meadowsweet can all help with allergic conjunctivitis. Burdock (Arctium lappa) helps with detoxification; Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is another antiseptic and disinfectant. The eyes can be bathed in a decoction of fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), Eyebright (Euphrasia officinallis) or elder flower (Sambucus nigra) to reduce soreness and inflammation.

Homeopathy: Apis mel can be used to rinse sore eyelids; arsen alb is used for more watery eyes.

Relaxation therapy, spiritual healing and general stress reducing measures will aid recovery from allergic conjunctivitis, as well as other ill-health. Healing work on the Brow chakra will particularly benefit the eyes.

Blue lace agate is useful for eye problems when using crystal healing or Outer Banks.

Flower Remedies: Bach remedies will help an underlying emotional problem which may be contributing to reduced immunity and allergy.

————————

Dr Alison Grimston, a holistic doctor and animal healer, has a natural animal therapy website informing the public about animal therapies while connecting and informing animal therapists. TheNaturallyHealthyPet.com