Dogs are wonderful, loyal companions and an integral part of our families. Time flies, though, and in a few short years we start seeing changes in our faithful friends. There may be white hair around their muzzle, they may be less active and energetic, and they may be a little slow getting up. As a dog ages, his metabolism also slows, just like ours, and his health care and nutritional needs may change. Here is a look at how we can make life a little easier for our aging pets.

Exercise
Exercise is important even for older dogs. They need to keep their muscle tone and weight in control as they age, just like we do. Mature dogs may not have the stamina they once had and do better with frequent, brief walks or short swims. If your dog still likes being active, don’t forget to play his favorite games, like fetch or tug-o-war. Further, older dogs tend to urinate more often so they may need more frequent walks.

Get an Elevated Feeder
Elevated water and food dishes can be helpful. The height makes it more comfortable for dogs (not just older dogs, by the way) to eat and drink because it prevents strain on the neck and the feeding position is easier on their digestion.

A Comfortable Bed to Cushion Joints
Dogs often develop arthritis to some degree or another as they age. We can help them stay comfortable by providing them with a dog bed with firm orthopedic foam to support and cushion their bones and joints and help insulate them from the floor. There are many styles available, from traditional style dog beds to nests with orthopedic foam bases, to bolster beds and mats.

Give Him a Boost
A ramp to get up or down safely from high areas such as a car, or a step to give him a boost to his favorite chair or your bed (if you allow him on it) may make it easier on your dog’s aging joints. They’re especially handy for larger dogs that are too big or heavy to lift easily. They come in a variety of styles and prices.

Review Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs
As you dog gets older, his nutritional needs may change. Generally, senior dogs need to eat a balanced diet that is lower in calories, protein, and fat than the food they ate as youngsters. Mature dogs may experience constipation, so a diet high in fiber is recommended. If your dog is still active and healthy, you may be able to continue feeding him his regular food, but a lesser amount. You can add oat bran or wheat for extra fiber. There are also commercial senior dog foods available.

Also consider nutritional supplements. I have been giving my dog a supplement of glucosamine and chondroitin since she was a puppy to help keep her joints healthy. Hopefully this will help reduce the possibility/effects of arthritis as she gets older. Also, if you feel your dog is not getting his nutritional needs met through diet, there are number of good canine nutritional supplements available.

Pay Attention to Changes in Behavior
You may see signs in your dog like loss of appetite, weakness, irritability, changes in his gait, incontinence, or slowness in getting up. Typically, these are signs that your pet is getting older and will need extra care and attention. Talk to your vet about what you can do to help your pet as he ages, and have your vet perform a yearly geriatric exam so he can try to take care of any new health issues before they progress.

Love and Attention
Most of all, give your mature dog extra love and care. Our dogs give us years of affection, loyalty, and attention; don’t they deserve the very best care we can give them?

You want a nice, disciplined dog, who doesn’t chew on anything and everything in the sight and doesn’t deafen you with his needless barks. These are one of the most common dog problems and can be really irritating at times. They can, however, be corrected by proper training. Here are a few effective ways of bringing in correction in your dog’s habits:

Barking
Barking come naturally to them, and what use is a dog that doesn’t even bark. However, at time dogs overdo it and keep barking without a reason and sometimes even after their barks have been taken cognizance of and the offending element removed. Then, it is high time he had his lessons in “barking habits.”

Most often dogs bark to tell the owner what they feel he must know, like an intruder, any unusual moving object, any unusual activity or sound. They feel that it is important for them to inform you at the earliest. This kind of warning bark is perfectly alright, but if your dog keep barking even after having been told not to, he needs to be trained about it.

In such situations take a squirt bottle filled with water, and every time the dog barks unnecessarily squirt the liquid right in his face after telling him not to bark in a loud “No”. The liquid or the squirt wouldn’t harm the creature but he wouldn’t like it and would get the message eventually. This is disciplinary action and must be adopted only when the dog doesn’t respond to your verbal commands. Keep it as a second option and not the first.

Chewing
Chewing is not only destructive but is potentially dangerous to the dog as well, because they might ingest pieces of plastic or wood or any other harmful object that could block their intestines, which could be life threatening. Puppies’ chewing is acceptable because that’s part of teething, but if the habit is retained into adulthood, it needs to be corrected.

It is better to start early. So, you need not wait till the dog grows up to teach him not to chew on things that are not meant for his chewing. The strategy for the pup as well as for the dog remain the same. Get some toys for the dog to chew on, and train him to restrict his chewing to them. Watch him carefully and if he chews on things other than his chew toys, look into his eyes at close quarters and say in a loud voice, “No!” and then offer one of his chew toys. He would get the message as to what has to be chewed on and what not.

Begging for food
Never give the dog to eat from your dinner table or your plate. Make him learn that he gets nothing by begging for food but gets to eat at the proper time. And if, unfortunately you already have a dog who has such a habit lock him up in another room while you eat.

You want dogs to behave well, but good behaviour is not something one is born with. One– be it a human or a dog– has to learn to behave. So, right training is the key.

Best dogs for children … So many myths, legends, and fear surround many things when knowledge is lacking. This is very evident as I hear parents cry: “My child wants a dog. What should I do? What are the best dogs for children? What do I teach the children? Help!” Parents want information on the fear of dogs. How does a child overcome the fear of dogs? How do you prevent a child from developing a fear of dogs in the first place? It all begins with the selection process.

I was asked this question by a couple who had a little fear of dogs in general, because neither of them had any dogs when growing up. Their children had requested to have a dog, so the parents wisely stepped forward for help: “What should I do?” Both wanted their children, then ages four and seven, to grow up comfortable with dogs and without the fear that plagued them. First, though, they needed to understand certain guidelines for children and dogs.

So I sat down privately with the parents and explained some key points that could make or break this effort. “Understand! You children must be made to understand what they can and cannot do with a dog. If the child is too rough and you don’t correct him, the dog WILL.”

“Secondly, if your dog shows disrespect to your children, FORGET IT! You are not experienced dog people, and the animal will take advantage of this. The specific dog must have the right personality to start with.”

“Third, let me show you how to discipline the dog properly. Your children will imitate you, and you want this done right.”

The couple had agreed that they wanted a Rescue Dog. They also wanted a medium size and moderate energy dog. I was told there was no preference of sex.

At the shelter, I looked at many of the dogs who were leaping eagerly at the doors of the kennels. Their over-excitement was NOT going to work around children - or inexperienced adults.

I was drawn at last to Belle Lady, a very small Lab cross. She was almost all black, and greeted me with a sweet wiggle when I neared her kennel. I allowed her to smell me. Then I put her leash on. I walked her a good distance. I tested her on pulling, and tested her behavior around cats, cars, distractions, people, and her tolerance level. After all, the best dog for a child is not a particular breed, but an individual dog’s sweet, gentle personality which is responsive to and respectful of your authority and that of the children, and whose exercise and attention needs are conducive with the family’s lifestyle.

With Belle, I was sure that I had found the perfect match for this family. Homework is important, though. So I had a long conversation with one of the people who had worked with Belle at the shelter. Her conclusion was identical to mine.

The next day when the children were out of school, we all went to the shelter to get Belle. The children obeyed their parents and listened intently to my every word. Belle was allowed to smell them first, then they walked Belle behind them.

The family had to work hard, but they gave Belle the boundaries that she needed. She spent the rest of her days happy, healthy, and loved!

This family did not know the breed or breed mix that would be best. They did not know much of anything to do with dogs starting out. But they did know to get help, and had the wisdom to listen and to do as they were instructed. They learned that children and dogs DO mix if done right, with any breed! The best dogs for children? Just about any breed. Just do your homework on the individual dog, introduce him properly, take your leadership position, and DO IT RIGHT!

In The UK we are fast approaching Fireworks Night which in our multi-cultural society heralds a sustained period of celebrations including Diwali or Deepawali coming to an end around New Years Eve.

Around the world the Firework has for hundreds of years formed a key part of celebrations.

I thought it might be useful to outline some tips for dog lovers like me about how to keep your dog calm during what can be a scary couple of months for our faithful friends like our mutt Sam (a Black Lab/ Springer Cross).

There’s nothing new here and I can’t claim to have invented these but they’ve worked for Sam I hope they work for you.

On particularly noisy nights Sam likes to have a safe hiding place, he uses a small alcove at the side of the Settee; it’s in his favorite place (other than the cat litter tray!) next to us in the living room; I know someone who uses an animal carrier with the door open.

We also do the obvious stuff like close the curtains and turn up the Television to drown out the Firework noise, but we don’t shut the doors as I was once told this would make him feel trapped.

We always try and make Sam tired so in the afternoon we try and take him for a long walk and a play with his Friends, Sophie, Honey and Snoopy.

Like you and I Sam feels sleepy after a big meal, so before the Fireworks begin give him a big meal preferably high in Carbohydrate, try rice or mash Potatoes.

There are also a number of products on the market including a natural remedy called Serene-UM. I understand that this product works best if given to a dog over a period of time so now’s the time to start. Apparently people often make the mistake of only giving there animal Serene-UM a few days before and this reduces the effectiveness. I found a Website that will deliver Serene-UM to your home http://www.pets2home.co.uk/ and it’s on special offer!!

If you’re worried all this won’t work speak to your Vet about Dog Appeasing Pheromone. It comes as a plug in diffuser and I’m told has really calming influence on Dogs.

Terry King

kinterry@googlemail.co.uk

If your dog is allowed inside, sooner or later you are going to have to deal with a flea problem in your home. Fleas seem to be everywhere. And they seem to find dogs an irresistibly attractive host. The trouble is that flea populations can get firmly established in the environment where a dog lives. If left, they can multiply very quickly, especially in warm summer months, into an infestation. Then you may find the problem moves beyond your pet, and you and your family start scratching and complaining. Fleas can be more than a minor irritation to people. After all, they were a crucial step in the spread of dreadful bubonic plagues that wiped out millions of people in past centuries. Today they can still cause health problems, now most commonly dermatological conditions, especially in sensitive people. Even more seriously, they can pass on tapeworms, which is a bigger risk if there are young children in your home.

Your worst experience of a flea infestation can come when you return to your closed up house after a holiday away. Your presence creates warmth, vibrations and pressure on the floor as you walk around, carbon dioxide in the air as you breathe out, and other indications to flea pupae that there is a potential meal present, and they hatch out. Suddenly fleas seem to be everywhere. The important point you need to understand as a dog owner is that fleas get established in the environment where your pet lives, not just on the dog. While fleas lay their eggs on the dog shortly after feeding, each flea laying perhaps 20 or more a day, these eggs soon fall off into the dog’s living environment. That may be its bedding, where it often lies by your favorite chair, where it plays or rests outside, in the carpet where it often comes and goes, and so forth. The eggs hatch into larvae, which feed on organic material, especially the little dark flea faeces that fall from your pet in the same places, and pet hair. Flea larvae are averse to light, and are usually found under the edges of rugs, in bedding or carpet, in cracks or under things like cushions. Outdoors, they especially like to frequent dirt, sand or gravel. The larvae turn into pupae, in a tiny silken cocoon. This cocoon is initially sticky. It often collects debris, which makes it hard to spot, and may attach to fibres in carpet or bedding which makes it difficult to remove. The pupae will eventually hatch into an adult flea. However it can wait in suspension for up to about eight months at this point in its lifecycle, through winter or until it is stimulated to hatch by the presence of a host. This is why an empty house or dog kennel can suddenly develop a flea infestation on your return. They have been accumulating and lying in wait as pupae. Newly hatched adult fleas normally die within about 2 weeks if they cannot feed, but after that they can survive in the environment for as long as a year without another meal. These hungry adults may also lie in wait for your return. At any one time, only 5 to 10% of the flea population may be in adult form, with the other 90 to 95% in the pipeline, so to speak, as eggs, larvae or pupae. Attacking the adult fleas on your dog is only addressing 5 to 10% of the problem.

In your house, your vacuum cleaner is your first line of defence against fleas. It will collect most adult fleas, eggs and larvae from your floor, but it is not so effective against pupae that may have stuck to fibres. Regular thorough vacuum cleaning of the areas where your pet frequents, including under things like rugs and cushions, will stimulate the pupae to hatch and eventually collect these fleas as well. You should also regularly change or wash your pet’s bedding. Combine those steps with one of the many flea treatments now available for your pet, and you can expect to quickly gain the advantage and take control of a flea infestation problem. But to eliminate the flea population fully you will have to also consider using an insecticide treatment, inside your house and in your yard, or in the environment wherever your pet lives. There are many safe and effective products to choose from, and experienced commercial applicators are active in most cities. Finally, after all that effort, you should keep your dog from straying and put it on a suitable flea treatment regime, especially over the summer months, to reduce the risk of another flea infestation in your home.