Digging usually begins at around 4-5 months of age and this is usually the time that we start leaving our pups outside for a few minutes. All puppies are curious, so this will prompt your dog to dig, bark and to try and possibly escape from his backyard. Your dog most enjoys companionship, so if left to his own devices, he may try to escape by digging up your garden and going underneath your fence!
All dogs are also social and enjoy being their human pet parents. If left alone for long periods of time, they may try to entertain themselves by digging or escaping. Never punish your dog if he tries to dig while supervised. Instead keep him on a leash, and take him to his newly allocated digging spot. Don’t correct after the digging. Prevent digging in unwanted areas by showing him where he can dig! Reward and praise frequently! Anticipate his need for exploration, mental stimulation and companionship. Develop realistic expectations for your dog at each developmental stage of his life. If your dog is a digger, make sure that he does not swallow small bits of plastic, fertilizer or pesticide. These all have the potential to kill him.
Bringing home a new dog is probably one of life’s best experiences. Our starter guide explains how to prepare your home and family for a new dog. Before you bring home your new furry best friend, you’ll need to make sure that your home and property are safe, and that your dog cannot escape from your garden. You’ll also need to visit your veterinarian to microchip him, and to give your dog a full physical examination with any necessary vaccinations.
Our Starter’s Guide to Getting and Bringing Your Dog Home Safely in 2019 will help you to brush up on all dog basics. Life’s going to be the best ever when you bring your new furry best friend home! Today with all the awesome dog products to choose from, you’ll enjoy shopping for your dog, as well as taking him for long hikes and trips to the beach.
Have you ever wondered why it’s sometimes hard to pick up signs of an ear infection in your dog right away? Your dog might still be running around playing Frisbee, but if ear infections are not treated right away they can become serious and very painful. You don’t need to be a veterinarian to pick up signs of an ear infection, but the more you learn about what causes them and how to treat them, the better a pet parent you’ll be.
Why Do Ear Infections Occur in Dogs?
All dog’s ears have bacteria and yeast inside of them. Both of these should be in the appropriate amount, but when either the yeast or bacteria get out of hand, you’ll end up with an ear infection in your dog.
Most dogs tend to get ear infections and injuries in the outer ear from dirt or foreign objects. These can be easily seen by the naked eye, and is called otitis externa. Although very common in all dogs, it can be very painful.
Outer ear infections are caused by too much moistness inside the ear, bacteria, mites or small bugs, and even skin allergies that your pooch may be prone too. Some dogs get ear infections because they are prone to them. Others will get them because of skin infections or trauma. Dogs that are also not that healthy with a weak immune system may be prone to ear infections as well.
Symptoms of an Ear Infection
These could be as minimal as a few head shakes, walking with his head tilted sideways for a second or two, and slight pawing of the ear and area nearby. When it comes to being mindful about your dog’s health, this is one of those times since ear infections tend to become more serious in a short span of time. It’s a no-brainer, if in doubt take your furry best friend straight to your veterinarian for a quick consult. With that said, you’ll be sure to know whether Fido has an ear infection.
Watch out for These Signs:
Fido tilting his head to one side
Scratching or pawing of one or both ears
Foul odor emanating from the ear
Redness or pain from the inside of the ear flap or ear opening to the ear canal. You’ll notice him flinching away if you try to lift his ear. He may also snap or growl because of the pain. This is not at you, but just because he feels really sore and does not want to be touched. Consult with your emergency veterinarian right away if it’s after hours, so that you can get pain relief for your pooch. In that way he can get treated right away, instead of waiting until the next morning. Helping to treat your dog’s pain immediately and effectively, by consulting with your veterinarian as soon as you notice signs of an infection, is part of being a good pet parent
Temporary hearing loss. Often times you’ll not notice this since the ear infection will only affect one ear, and your dog will respond to you when called, although he may do so slowly since he feels a lot of ear pain.
Depression or lethargy
Swollen ear flap
Lots of circling to either side
Discharge from the ear in the form of yellow, brown, or even black discharge
Breeds That Are Most Prone to Ear Infections
Cocker Spaniels
English Springer Spaniels
Chinese Shar-Pei
Basset Hounds
Breeds that have a lot of hair like Poodles, Sheepdogs and Schnauzers are also prone to ear infections. Dogs that enjoy spending time in the water are also prone to swimmer’s ear which is caused by moisture being trapped within the ear canal. Dogs that have upright or pricked ears tend to have fewer ear infections since their ears have a chance of “drying out”. Dogs that have been ill, or whose immunity is faulty can also come down with ear infections more easily than healthier dogs.
Ear infections have also been linked to food allergies, as can be the case with chronic ear problems. The only way to treat these is to diagnose the food allergy. Skin diseases in dogs can also cause an ear infection.
How Does Your Veterinarian Diagnose and Treat Ear Infections?
Your veterinarian will diagnose Fido’s ear infection by looking into his ear with an otoscope. This enables him to see deep inside the ear where he will be able to check for mites, foreign bodies, inflammation, and other conditions. If there is something in your dog’s ear, he will then remove it with alligator forceps. He will also take some samples of any discharge that will be sent to a lab to check for bacteria, parasites or yeast.
Veterinarians will also suggest that you trim the excess hair inside your dog’s ear. Although many groomers recommend plucking your dog’s ear hair, veterinarians suggest that this may contribute to inflammation, which in turn may cause infection. Your veterinarian will prescribe a topical antibacterial or antifungal medication. If there are mites inside your dog’s ear, then a different medication is prescribed for getting rid of them.
How to Apply Ear Medications Inside Your Dog’s Ear?
Hold Fido’s head with one hand with the ear flap lifted upwards.
Quickly squeeze the ear ointment into the ear.
Massage the cartilage at the bottom of the ear, so that the ointment flows down into the ear canal.
By doing the above step, when your dog shakes his head, the medication cannot fly out.
Continue with the ear medication for the full duration of treatment recommended. If you don’t finish the full course of treatment, chances are that the ear infection will come back again.
Visit your veterinarian for a follow-up exam within 7 days of completing treatment.
Your veterinarian will prescribe oral antibiotics if the initial treatment has not been successful.
Tips for Preventing Ear Infections
Examine Fido’s ears every week.
Clean your dog’s ears with a cleansing solution that is best recommended by your veterinarian.
Never use alcohol for ear infections. This can cause inflammation. Consult with your veterinarian for advice.
Trim your dog’s excess ear hair every couple of months.
Use a drying agent if your dog is prone to swimmer’s ear in warm weather after swimming.
Keep up with flea and tick meds.
If Fido’s ear infections are of the chronic type, follow your veterinarian’s care tips.
Fortunately, there’s much that can be done to ease ear infection pain with newer treatments, as well as holistic options for preventative care. Make every effort to prevent an ear infection from occurring in the first place. Read your dog’s body language and non-verbal cues daily, so as to assess how he’s feeling. Simple signs like a head shake or tilt could indicate the beginnings of an ear infection. Discuss preventative care with your veterinarian if your pooch is prone to ear infections. A healthy dog is a happy one!
The organic pet products category in the pet industry is always growing, making it so much easier for pet parents to find natural grooming products for their dogs. This is because pet parents are looking for products like shampoos and conditioners that will wash their dogs gently, make them smell good, and also treat problems like fleas, ticks and hot spots naturally.
How to Wash Your Dog at home shows you how to save time, money, and use the best, natural pet products!
There are so many reasons for microchipping your dog. Although there’s no exact data on how many dogs are lost every year, there are around 10 million pets that get lost or stolen each year in the US according to the American Humane Association. Dogs placed in new homes tend to try to escape, possibly trying to get back to their previous homes. Microchipping your dog protects him, and helps with dog safety, and in finding a lost dog quickly.
Don’t think that your dog won’t try this. Be proactive and prevent this from happening from day one. Here’s what you need to do!
When your furry friend sits, you click. By pairing the sharp sound of the clicker with a reward such as a healthy treat, you immediately create one of the most powerful training tools that you can use to immediately signal to your dog the instant that he does something good. Clicker Training Your Dog, so how to Clicker Train Your Dog?
When your dog stays, you click. When he sits, you click! He now knows that he has been rewarded for sitting, even if you’ve not given him his yummy treat yet.
All puppies will chew everything for numerous reasons. Although chewing is a natural behavior, it’s important to train your puppy on how to stop chewing on everything by having an endless supply of interactive chew toys for your puppy. Destructive chewing is easily manageable, and most times can be anticipated.
That said, puppy training on how to train your furry best friend to stop chewing everything is the most rewarding of all. Many pet parents think that puppies are too small to train. Nonetheless, this is the most important time in your new best friend’s life. Training Fido can begin as soon as they are 8 weeks of age. This starts off by teaching your pup the basic house rules, as well as a few easy obedience commands.
We all know that owning a dog brings certain responsibilities when we talk about their care, health, and nutrition. Our pets are always there for us, in other words, they’re our best furry friends that keep our backs. As a dog owner, you’ve probably experienced a certain dilemma on how to clean your dog’s ears. Are you going to do it right? Can you hurt him? How does your little pooch feel when you’re doing it? These are only some of the questions that dog owners ask themselves.
Are you planning on traveling with dogs and wondering how to get them to your destination without it being one hell of a job? Well, we got you. After researching here is a detailed guide on getting the job done quickly and without a sigh!
Crates
As someone who is going to be moving from one location to another until you reach your destination, a crate for your paw friend is essential. With them, you can keep your canine safe from trouble in the controlled environment it provides. You can also place your furry friend safely in the car, bus, or any other vehicle. These pet travel crates come in handy during air travels and help keep things cool when you decide to check in a hotel or visit someone with your dog.
If you are interested in locating a nice place to purchase your dog’s pet travel crate, you can check out both online and local stores. However, while on it, there are some features you need to keep in mind:
As a pet parent, you want to do what’s best for your fur ball. Nonetheless, even the most dedicated pet parents forget about is protecting those little paws from cold or heat. These paw problems might not exhibit a significant issue in the beginning but if you ignore them, your poodle is not going to have a comfortable time walking around.
