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Caring for Dogs and Puppies

Updated on May 13, 2011

Dogs and Puppies

Dogs can be the highlight of your life if you give them the chance. But not just any dog will do. You can't just grab up a dog from the street and assume it'll be your best friend forever. I mean, yea, it's possible, but it's not always the case. Usually, there's a dog for each person.

Because dogs have general characteristics by breed, some of those traits just fit better in your life than the traits of another breed.

I suggest doing plenty of research before bringing a pet home. I suggest that with any pet of any species. Yes, dogs seem pretty simple- you feed, walk, and train them. But, what you don't know is what will cause concerns when you bring the new pup home.

How to Choose a Dog

When trying to find a family pet, you may be leery of particular breeds from the stories from the news. Well, I hate to break it to you, some of those breeds make great family pets. There are a few different ways that you may want to consider before picking a dog breed for your family.

Before choosing a dog breed or a mix of a particular dog breed, you should do your research about the breed. Although, not all dogs within a breed will have all the characteristics, it's best to know what the typical breed characteristics are before choosing a dog that you can't handle.

Find out the typical breed characteristics and basic problems you may encounter with the different dog groups that are classified by the AKC. These traits are generally present in both pure bred dogs and mixes.

When choosing a new puppy, or dog, you may want to try out these temperament tests to determine dependence, independence, submissiveness, dominance, prey drive, sensitivity to sound, and retrieval drive. These different temperaments will determine which puppy will be best for you and your family.

There are so many myths about adopting dogs that it's rather ridiculous. Generally speaking, though, find out the basic pros and cons for adoption and purchasing.

Check out a few pros and cons towards mix breed and pure breed dogs.

Puppy Tips

Puppies are probably one of the cutest baby animals, domestically speaking that is. Find a few puppy basics and several cute puppy pictures.

Be aware of the online puppy scams before you agree to pay for a puppy that you've only seen online. Unless, you have worked with the breeder in the past or know someone who has, I'd be very wary.

Most kids beg and beg for a new dog, but on most occasions, the parents absolutely refuse. Find out a few tips that may (or may not) help you to convince your parents that it's time for a dog.

Puppies seem simple, but what all should you consider before getting your new puppy. Learn vital tips for preparing for a puppy- the do's and the don't's.

When training a puppy, it's best to know how they learn. You won't be teaching an adult how to sit, stay, and roll over, so it's best to know how to work on their level in order to have a successfully trained dog.

House training a puppy can be hard work. The most effective house training method is crate training, but there are a few alternatives that you could try. Just remember that you should never punish your dog for an accident and never push his nose in the soiled area.

Puppies can be pretty expensive with initial purchases of the bed, collar, leash, toys, treats, etc. But then you have to think you have to buy larger collars, new toys, more treats, dog food, and vaccinations. Puppies can get pretty expensive over time.

Thinking about getting a puppy or just recently brought home a puppy? Well, find out what shots your puppy is going to need and why.

All puppies go through the God awful teething phase, some worse than others, but it's always there. Find a few tips to dealing with this phase before you lose all your new shoes.

Puppies tend to get into everything, and in order to prevent your loveable, yet smelly furball running throughout t he house and stinking up everything, you may want to give him a bath. Well, what are the rules about bathing puppies? It can be hard to distinguish sometimes, but you don't want to ruin your pup's experiences with getting a bath.

Dog food is a very important part in ensuring that your puppy grows healthy and happy into an adult dog. You want to make sure that you know and understand how to choose the right food for your new pup.

This is a great supplement for you new puppy. It's even good for pregnant dogs. K9 Puppy Gold will help your dog's growth and development.

Dog Health and Nutrition

It is very important to keep an eye on your dog's health, as you want to make sure that your dog is kept it tip-top shape and condition. Plus, if you keep an eye out for the early signs of an onset condition, you should be able to have a better chance at an overall recovery. There are many different health concerns that you should be aware of, and not all dogs are susceptible to all health problems, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be aware of them. For instance, chocolate poisoning is a big problem that can cause be fatal, so you should make sure that you are aware of the early signs, but not all problems are as severe, for instance a skin allergy can be quite uncomfortable for your dog, so by noticing the itching earlier than later, you’ll be able to save your dog from discomfort. Not all health problems are as severe as others, and may be as simple as a spay or neuter, but you just want to make yourself aware of them before something happens to your dog.

It is important to know and understand how to choose a dog food by reading the dog food label. There are many misinterpretations that can occur, so it is good to know what is what.

Find out the pros and cons, as well as a few basics about the BARF diet, which is probably one of the more controversial diets today.

If you're really considering the BARF diet, make sure that you know what ingredients that you need to include in your dog's diet to ensure that he's getting the proper nutrition that he deserves.

Dogs Advice

It can be a rather traumatic time for your dog when you find out that you or your female companion- whether wife, roommate, girlfriend, etc- is pregnant. You want to ensure that your dog is prepared for the change when it happens, as it will happen. You want to make sure that the new baby in the house will be welcomed bby your dog and not hated and envyed.

If you are worried about keeping your dog in shape, you can try these simple tips for making sure that your family pet doesn't become an overweight one. 

It is essential that you know how to size your dog properly for his dog crate. You don't want to leave you pup in a cage that is too small, and a cage that is too large can cause house training concerns.

When choosing a new dog bed for your dog, you want to make sure that you take into account your dog's age and size. Check out the different types of dog beds that you can choose from.

Find out how to use and train your dog to using underground pet fences.

Try out these fun games with your dog. They are great methods to help expel some of that extra energy that is driving you nuts.

Training your dog is probably the best relationship building between you and your dog. It's also one of the best measures to ensure dog safety and good behavior.

When you breed your dog, even if it's just once, you let out a littler of puppies ranging from 1 puppy to potentially 10 or more. Now, what happens if all of those puppies end up having just one litter of puppies, and so on. That's a lot of puppies, and there are already so many unwanted dogs that are euthanized annually, that unless your dog is seriously something special and falls in a pedigree of champions, you probably shouldn't breed him.

Homemade Dog Treats

We all love our dogs, but t o what extent? Would you be willing to go shopping for ingredients to make your dog his own, homemade dog treats? I know I would. I mean I've done it. Ha. It may sound pretty crazy, but my dogs love regular ole milkbones and natural dog treats, but they're favorite treats are the homemade ones that I bake on occasion.

Here's a list of some treats that you may want to try.

Dog Grooming

Because grooming your dog is very important, you should know all the tools that you'll need to do so properly. Remember that not only are you making your dog look better, but you're making him feel better by setting up a grooming routine.

Miscellaneous Info

The right dog collar is an important choice to make, so you want to understand the different types of basic and training collars that are available for you.

Find out which are the best GPS tracking systems for your dog. What are the benefits of the individual systems, and which will be the best for your buck.

This is a growing hub about the different "tough" dog toys that I've tried on my APBT puppy. She's a tough chewer, and I have yet to find a toy that is 100% undestructable. I'm still working on it, so check back often to find out which toys have succeeded and which have failed.

Find the latest in fashion for your prissy pooch. Don't have a prissy pup? Well, find a few rocker T's or jock jerseys. You're dog may look at you like, "are you serious," but you know he's cute. You know you're protecting him from the cold.

Try checking out these fun and interesting do books. They'll help you out with raising puppies, training your adult dog, tricks, nutrition, health, and so much more.

Check out these rather interesting gadgets for dogs. Some of them may surprise you, where some of them are pretty obvious.

Find leashes, collars, pet carriers, and dog coats all made in your favorite Coach patterns and materials. These are high-quality accessories for your dog.

BSL is a serious matter that is supposed to prevent dog bites and attacks, but all it really does is hurt the innocent. What do you think?

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