Shout About Pets

There is so much to think about when you get a new puppy that you may forget about or decide against puppy training classes.  Although many people successfully train their own puppies without the aid of a class or trainer there is one important benefit that you will most certainly miss out on if your don’t register with a class.  Classes provide you with a safe environment within which to socialize you puppy with other dogs and other humans outside of the family circle. 

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It is a well known saying that a dog is not just for Christmas but for life.  It’s that time of year again when all the dog charities start sending out this message to dog owners everywhere.  However, year after year this simple message seems to fall on deaf ears and thousands of dogs land in rescue centres homeless and unwanted.  Across the UK there endless dogs in desperate need of a loving home and if you feel you can offer the right environment and can commit to the responsibility of dog ownership Christmas is a good time to take one.

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As soon as you can when you get a puppy you need to start training to create good walking behaviour on the lead.  It can happen rapidly that you become one of the many harassed and harangued dog owners who get dragged along down the street by their naughty and unruly pet dog – but if you do unfortunately you only have your self to blame!

A puppy can very quickly connect the command ‘heel’ with walking well at your side in the very same way they will quickly connect that the sound of a tin being opened means its dinner time!  Here are some guidelines to making training easier:

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It can be very rewarding to give a home to a rescue dog.   When settling a rescue dog in the general advice is to view them in the same light you would a foster child.  They often have formed certain associations and attachments with a previous owner and are likely to feel insecure as a result.  It is perfectly understandable that your new dog is unsure and nervous in his new home initially.

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If you’re in Knightsbridge on 29th November 2008 you’re in for a treat as the world of Diamond Dogs and pampered pooches showcases at the Harrods Pet a Porter Fashion Show.  It is a must-see for all canine fashionistas as the catwalk transforms into a dogwalk for the evening. 

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The Dog Trust charity cares for around 15,000 homeless dogs across it 17 re-homing centres across the UK.  The aim is to find the loving new owners however there are some dogs that are difficult t re-home due to things like behavioural issues for example and they may ‘stick’ at a re-homing centre for some time.  These dogs have been nicknamed ‘sticky’ dogs. 

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It’s a common occurrence with dogs to be afflicted with tummy bugs from time to time.  It’s an occupational hazard of being a dog – they love to lick, chew, eat and nibble on all kinds of things that look of interest to them and the consequences of some of more stomach curdling exploits can result in diarrhea.  There are many different causes of diarrhea some of which very serious, others no so. 

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Bonfire Night is finally here and there’s no denying it most dogs hate the fire work season.  Some dogs like my mum’s basset hound will visibly quake in their doggy boots, whereas others will bark at them in an attempt to protect their owners from the noisy intrusion like my own shih tzu and then you’ll get the odd dog who’ll remain blissfully unaffected like my sister’s basset hound Harvey, who will happily sniff around the garden whilst the night sky is exploding with fireworks!

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Many people think that dog muzzles are cruel or only to be used if your dog is prone to aggressive behaviour.  However can you really guarantee that your dog would let you pick him or her up if they were severely injured or in pain and you needed to get them to a vets quickly?  Most animals when in pain will respond aggressively as they cannot understand that your intentions are to help them rather than to create more discomfort.  For this reason it is a good idea to get your dog used to a muzzle and to not view it as a threat.

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If left to their own devices your dog would probably choose to sleep curled up on your bed or as second best stretched out across the couch. Obviously for most of us this is not an option and rightly so. Sharing a bed with a dog can cause problems. They can become very territorial about it and start to get jealous about sharing their luxury dog bed with anyone else. Plus disturbing a dog in a deep slumber by moving in the bed or trying to simply get out of it can be a dangerous thing to do. I’ve known people to get a nasty nip or worse from a dog that has been woken in this way.

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