Ten Important Things Your Dog Wants You To Know

By Danielle Hollister

If your dog could talk, these are some of most important things she would like to tell you...

1 - My life will probably only last 7 to 14 years.
It will hurt me more than you know if I have to be away from you for longer than a day or two.

2 - If you have patience with me and give me time to learn what you would like from me, I can promise you, you will never be disappointed.

3 - Trust me with your life and have faith in our future together.
If I don't feel that you honestly believe in me, I will suffer great emotional stress. My sense of self-worth is totally dependent upon your confidence in me.

4 - Don't stay mad at me for long or confine me to a cage to punish me.
You have your friends, your job, and your recreation. I HAVE ONLY YOU!

Top Five Dog Grooming Basics

By Kum Martin

One of the basic requirements of your dog is grooming. Similar to human beings, dogs also want to look their best, but there is difference in time period. Humans need to bath daily even twice a day, while a dog needs to bath twice or thrice a week. However, the breed and kind of coat the dog has matters while grooming.

Following are some of the basic tips of grooming:

Dogs love brushing. It has two benefits. Firstly, it develops a good bonding between you and your dog. Secondly, brushing helps to improve blood circulation which finally results in healthy coat. However, the volume and texture of the hair differ from one dog to another and so the grooming tools.

Canine with long hair require brushing on a daily basis to prevent tangling and matting. Dogs with medium length hair have less chances of developing tangles. So, they should be brushed and combed a minimum of once a week. Dogs having short hair should be brushed once or twice a month. However, if you have time and your dog enjoys brushing, brush daily irrespective of their hair types.

Getting a New Dog - Things to Consider When Selecting a Dog Breed

By Nathan Green

Diversity in dogs existed even in prehistoric times, with distinct types of families, or "breeds," arising among their wolf ancestors 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. You may be surprised at how many different dog breeds are available today. It is estimated that there are over 400 different breeds of dog in the world, but this doesn't take into account the various mixed breed dogs that are rapidly being bread and given a breed name.

It's true that some breeds are better suited to a household with children than others, but each individual dog will have its own traits and characteristics. There are some breeds are not recommended for people with allergies. For high-energy breeds, a daily walk of an hour and vigorous play may be required. Your best bet would be to spend a great deal of time investigating the different dog breeds.

Choosing a dog breed may not be an easy task, but when you are through with this phase be sure you will really enjoy adding a new member to your family and all the experiences that come along with it. Each dog breed requires different demands, so researching characteristics of breeds is essential prior to selecting your puppy.

Dental Care for Your Dog Is Important to Overall Health

By Ron Ayalon

Even the most scrupulous owner can inadvertently neglect their dog's dental care. Many people think that because the dog has plenty of chews, this will keep their teeth clean. Although dental chews do help, they cannot be counted on to provide all the dental care needed. The dogs I have shared my life with have had a wide range of dental needs. Pupper, our Great Pyrenees had the cleanest, whitest teeth imaginable. We attributed this to her habit or running long blades of saw grass through her teeth; this evidently acted as a kind of super dental floss and she never had a speck of plaque or tartar.

On the other hand, my French Bulldog Gabby had the worst teeth imaginable. We got her as an adult and when we took her in for a checkup, we found out that she needed not only a cleaning, but the removal of 7 teeth. Only a few weeks after the cleaning her teeth were already getting coated with plaque again, although she was an enthusiastic gnawer of chew hooves. The removal of the 7 teeth, incisors, a canine, and a molar did not present any problems with eating.

Extreme Dog Sports

By Ron Ayalon

Humans are not the only ones who enjoy extreme sports, it would seem. Twenty-two-year-old Michael Naish took his Jack Russell, Oli, out onto the waves, where the dog rode the board as well as his owner. With tail all a-wag, he looked to be having the time of his life.

It was sort of an experiment at first, according to Naish, who is a student at Reading University. But the first excursion out into the water at Sidmouth, Devon, England inspired Naish to really try to turn his dog into a "surf hound." Apparently, Jack Russells really are the best dogs for learning new tricks!

In San Diego, they make a regular event of taking dogs out on surfboards, and the proceeds go to the local Police Department Canine Unit. The Loews Hotel competition winner gets a vacation for themselves and their pet, while the thousands of spectators get to enjoy the view of dogs decked out in all kinds of swim gear, including shades and bikinis, in some cases.

The dogs must wear mandatory life vests as well as ID tags.

Is a Dog Adoption on Your Agenda? How to Find the Perfect Woofer!

By Eli Rutledge

So you'd like to add a canine member to your household. When you plan a dog adoption, you're far more likely to find the best dog for your situation. Let's say you're older and live in a small apartment?you probably want to adopt a smaller, less active breed who will not require the amount of exercise, such as a more rambunctious Irish Setter will. On the other hand, if you've got a fenced backyard, lead an active lifestyle, and your household includes 3 kids, the Setter might be a great choice. So, your first step in pursuing a dog adoption should be to choose a breed or mixed-breed dog of a size and temperament that matches your needs, as well as those of your new pet.

Once you've decided on the size and type of dog, start looking through the classifieds, visit the Humane Society and other dog adoption organizations to take a look at some of these cuties. It's true that a younger dog (12-16 weeks) is usually a better bet in avoiding potential behavioral problems, with respect to socialization and learned bad habits, just as with people, each dog has a unique personality and natural tendencies towards mellowness, aggressiveness and everything in between. Become familiar with a number of dogs in order to gain a sense of a dog most likely to fit in to your home environment.

Why Dogs Fear Noises

By Debbie Franklin

We've all seen dogs whimper, tremble, or dive under the bed or hide in the closet when the fireworks go off on the 4th of July, or when there is a thunderstorm. You might never know why he or she has become afraid of such loud noises. Dogs have very sensitive ears and they might hurt. It could be separation anxiety along with the noise. You can do something to lessen his fear. If you don't step in and make things better, they might become even worse.

There are two - shall we say "normal" - behaviors for when a dog becomes frightened because of a loud noise: trying to escape and run away, or, doing something destructive. Both behaviors are you dog's effort to reduce his fear.

A side effect of your dog's escape or destroy reaction to loud noises is that he might begin to associate other things in his environment with the loud noise and makes a link in his mind that the loud noise and the "thing" are somehow related, so he then becomes afraid of that "thing." For example, if your dog is afraid of firecrackers, and your husband is the one in the back yard who is creating this loud sound, your dog might begin to fear your husband or the yard itself.