Joint Problems in Dogs - 5 Ways You Can Help!

Joint problems in dogs are never fun. The pain, swelling, and stiffness are often too much for pet and pet guardian alike. Joint problems in your dog can make your best friend feel miserable, and you... hopeless. Take heed of the following five steps. They can alleviate your dog's joint problems in no time!

1. Massage. Yes, massage! Simply take a minute or two, once or twice a day, to generously massage the muscles surrounding the affected joint. Obviously, you never actually want to touch the joint itself, but when you give a real, heart-felt rubdown to the surrounding muscles, you will relieve you dog's pain in a huge way!
2. Acupressure. This can also provide significant pain relief. Keep your dog in the lying position (you'll want your dog to lay down during the massage) so that he or she is extremely comfortable. What you'd like to do immediately following the massage is to squeeze his or her akeela's heel (the one closest to the affected joint) with your thumb and middle finger. Do it firmly, like you really mean it, for 30 to 60 seconds. Just watch your dog go into "bliss" mode while you're doing this!
3. FOOD! It is absolutely essential for getting your dog back on track to offer your buddy healthy, natural food. One ingredient in your dog's food makes all the difference between misery and happiness. That ingredient is glucosamine. Many specialty dog foods will be labeled "joint health formula." Read the ingredients. If the food is high in glucosamine, it's probably a winner!
4. Light exercise. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, you need to keep your dog's joints lubricated. Gentle movement is a great way to do this. Secondly, the lighter you keep your dog (within reason, of course), the easier his or her affected joint will have it. We're not talking about anything major, here. Just a nice walk every day should suffice. Just note the importance of managing your dog's weight.
5. Supplementation. Avoid chemical painkillers. A dog's body is not meant to handle medicine. Instead, implement a homeopathic supplement regimen. This can work absolute miracles for your dog's joint problems. Make sure your supplement contains ingredients proven to deal with pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Do these five simple things for your dog's joint problems and watch the amazing transformation happen before your very eyes!

Lee Murray is a nutritionist and dog lover who is committed to helping you make your best friend as healthy and happy as possible. You are invited to take a look at Pet Bounce, the safe, effective treatment for dog joint pain and arthritis.

Examine the incredible ingredients, see how it's helped others, and then sign up for your very own FREE trial! Your dog is going to LOVE you for this!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_A._Murray

Prevent Canine Cancer

Did you know canine cancer is the leading cause of non-accidental death in dogs?

Just doing what dogs do, by playing, relaxing and rolling around in their own backyard could be dangerous or even life threatening? There are invisible dangers inside the safe haven of your dog's fenced in yard, that can make your pet sick, diseased or even kill him. Canine cancer is the number one killer today of our beloved pets.

Your backyard may be a dog's paradise, but the area can be filled with deadly dangers, especially if you have a puppy that is young, adventurous, and going through that oral fixation phase where he must chew on anything he can find. Canine cancer is caused by many different problems from genetic to environmental.

The worst age bracket for this problem is between 1 and 6 months, however, other types of dogs, such as Labrador retrievers as a prime example, seem to carry this chewing habit with them for the rest of their lives. I have two Labs, Lady and Lola and they are both grown girls, but love digging and eating backyard dirt.

My vet says it is harmless as long as I don't use chemical fertilizers or weed killers and other toxic filled products on my grass or around the garden beds.

Beware Of The Following Backyard Dangers

As a busy dog owner, you may not have the time or the resources to properly research many aspects of raising an adult dog or puppy, therefore, below is a list of the most common dangers may be that lurking in your backyard.

This list is compiled from reports as outlined by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCS).

* Fertilizers and compost piles.
* Ornamental ponds that contain blue-green algae.
* Toxins created by animals such as insects, toads, spiders, scorpions, and snakes.
* Poison from citronella candles which are used to guard against mosquitoes.
* Swimming pool supplies and treatment chemicals.
* Mulch that contains Cocoa, which are typically placed around shrubs and other plants.
* Fly traps which contain methomyl.
* Poisonous plants like grape vines, azalea, castor bean, sago palm, and kalanchoe.
* Snail and slug traps which contain metaldehyde.

Also be aware of the same indoor toxic chemicals, and puppy proof this area also as these products are also cancer causing. Close garbage cans tightly. Lock up all pool supplies. Put away your lawn and garden materials.

Further protect your animals by following the instructions carefully given on pesticide products, fertilizers, bug sprays, and other hazardous materials. I have actually replaced all my chemical, poisonous toxic filled products with more natural, earth friendly products. This was initially for my dog's health, but I do feel much better also about assisting in environmental care. Ask a specialist in lawn care, or check out all the newer choices at your local store that sells lawn care products for earth friendly products.

And if you ever suspect that your dog or puppy has ingested a dangerous poison, chemical, or is bitten by a venomous predator, contact your veterinarian or get him to your nearest emergency veterinarian hospital immediately.

The increase of canine cancer in the last 20 years can be caused by the increase in use of toxic outdoor dangers.

There are many tips and tricks that are easily applied in day to day living to prevent canine cancer. Starting with being aware of what is dangerous and could potentially cause dog cancer is the first step in raising healthy happy pets.

If you want to protect your dog from getting canine cancer, or if your companion has already been diagnosed then you will definitely want to check this out. You will find a comprehensive, authoritative and well researched compilation of all the information needed to extend the life and health of your dog here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Dinunzio

What the Japanese Chin Means to Its Native Country

The Japanese Chin dates back to the year 732, throughout time the importance of the breed to the country of Japan has never wavered or changed, and the dog is still owned by various members of Japanese royalty. Originally the breed was named the Japanese Spaniel; the dog was first believed to hail from Korea and then later showed up in Japan. In the 16th century, the Japanese Chin was highly sought after in Japan. The women of Japan carried the dogs in small baskets lined with silk and spoiled them unmercifully. When someone killed a Chin in Japan, it was treated the same as a human killing and punished in the same manner.

From the time breed was developed in China, the dog was meant to be representative of royalty. The Chin was bred to serve two purposes; one being a royal companion dog to the Imperial Palace females and the other to warm the laps of Chinese aristocrats. The dog could not be owned or gifted to just anyone, the breed was distinctly reserved for nobility and gifted to foreigners or diplomats who served Japan.

During the 1850's, Commodore Perry on a trip to Japan was preparing to open the country for world trade. Upon his arrival, Perry was given several Japanese Chins' as a gift, when he gave a pair of the dogs to Queen Victoria of England; the breed became extremely popular in Europe. When Commodore Perry gifted the President of the United States with a Japanese Chin, the dogs were first brought into America. Once the dog was introduced to other parts of the world, popularity only grew.

The number of Japanese Chins dropped during World War I and natural disasters such as earthquakes almost entirely eliminated breeders. The main reason the breed survived is because many owners and breeders hid the dogs, even at the risk of imprisonment. In 1964, the country of Japan adopted the Chin as one of the national symbols and the Chin has since appeared on many postage stamps as well.

Every Japanese house of nobility that has owned Chins has bred the dog, with each cycle of breeding the dog was made to live up to their ideal. This is the main reason why the dogs breed has resulted in so many different sizes and types of Japanese Chins. In the desire to get the Chin to resemble a cat, they inbred the dog with a cat. The attempt was successful in that they produced a Chin which could jump and climb much like a cat, using its front paws in a very adept manner. The dog was so important to Japanese nobility that they did not even think of it as a dog, but rather as their own special creation.

Catherine Cross was the person who is most credited with saving the Japanese Chin dog breed. She was integral in bringing many Japanese Chins back to Japan after World War II, saving the dog breed from near extinction after so many were killed during the war. Today, the Japanese Chin is still considered to be extremely rare and to the Japanese, a most sacred dog breed.

GreatDogSite is the best place on the web to find Information on Japanese Spaniels and other dog breeds!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_P_Jackson

An Owner's Responsibility For Having a Well-Trained Dog

There are very few to possibly no exceptions to the rule that a poorly behaved dog is the responsibility of the owner. Dogs are usually very easy to train and there really is no excuse to have a dog that behaves badly.

If you are going to be a dog owner, the most important thing that you will need to do is to establish a pack order. You must be the alpha dog. Dogs are natural pack animals and they adhere closely to pack order. You and every human member of the family must be above the dog in the pack order. That means that when a human family member speaks, they listen and obey.

Dogs are unlike humans. They cannot reason. You are not being mean to your dog when you insist that he obeys you. You have to be the leader and he will love you more for it.

In order for your dog to be safe and your family to be happy, you need to be able to control your dog. When you say, "stop" he needs to stop. When you say, "Sit", he needs to sit. In short, when you are the leader of the pack, he needs to respond to you and when you establish yourself as the leader he will always respond to you.

There are a few tips that are important to consider when training your dog. First off, dogs respond to positive reinforcement. You can always get better results with praise and treats than you can with negative reinforcement, such as anger and yelling.

It is best to ignore bad behavior while rewarding good behavior. If you respond to bad behavior you could end up creating fear in your dog instead of obedience and compliance. Also, again remember that dogs cannot reason. They truly do not understand why you are angry at them.

In order to reinforce behavior you must respond to your dog immediately, otherwise he will not associate the wanted behavior with the reward and you will be spinning your wheels. As soon as he exhibits the desired behavior you must reward him. You can reward your dog with treats, praise, toys or even just a pat on the head. He will respond to loving and positive rewards no matter what form they take.

After your dog understands what you are asking and he is consistently doing what you ask, then you need to only reward him intermittently. Intermittent reinforcement is actually more effective for cementing in the behavior than giving him a reward every time.

If you are consistent with your training efforts, your dog can become well trained quickly and easily. Just be sure that you are the alpha and that you consistently expect the best results from your dog.

Discover some of the best dog obedience training advice at UniversityDog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Lynch

Stop Dog Barking - 2 Step Dog Behavior Success

A dog's natural instinct is to bark when they feel their territorially is being compromised by another dog or human visitors. They consider it their obligation to alert you of an impending threat to your property, which is of course, their property as well. In some cases, dog owners appreciate the warning that their dog bark provides them however, excessive dog barking can become a behavior problem, and here we look at some practical tips, which will allow you to control your dog's behavior and will with patience, cease excessive dog barking.

As soon as you observe your dog excessively barking at visitors or passers-by to your property the first thing to consider is rather than disciplining the dog, will be to teach ourselves and the animal that this type of behavior should be rewarded. Inconsistent commands by dog owners are the primary reason for excessive dog behavior and the key you and your dog need to learn is consistency.

Inconsistent messages given by you to your dog will develop into confusion and an inability for your dog to retain any of the learned behavior which you're trying to teach.

Follow these simple dog behavioral techniques for instant success;

1. Whenever your dog barks at visitor passing by your property allow him to bark for two or three occasions. It is important to praise your dog alerting you of the impending visitor, and should, however gently request that the dog is now quiet. If the dog ceases to bark for a few seconds praise him and offer them a reward. This will help focus your dog on the command.

2. Provide them with a treat as soon as they are quiet and consistently praised them for doing so. Ultimately, any discipline directed at the dog should be for disobeying your command rather than the barking itself (this applies to any dog behavioral problems). As above, always be consistent with your dog. You will always be setting yourself up to fail if you offer him or her inconsistent messages.

While it will take several occurrences for your dog to learn that barking is not a bad behavior, consistent messages applied by you to reward quietness after the act will remedy the problem of excessive dog barking. This technique can also be applied for many other dogs behavioral issues and this simple two stage process of command and reward is excellent practice for the future. It will ensure that you and your dog relationship will blossom upon mutual respect and understanding.

As we have just learned, consistent and confident commands are the key to dog training success and it cannot be over emphasized how important the early stages of a dogs development are for the future prosperity of both dog and owner. Puppy Training Dogs would like to invite you to effectively and simply learn the best principles required in training your dog. This unique technique, developed specifically for new dog owners, has helped thousands of people promote and maintain the best relationships between dogs and owners. Visit Puppy Training Dogs to participate in this valuable course.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Brielle

A dog's natural instinct is to bark when they feel their territorially is being compromised by another dog or human visitors. They consider it their obligation to alert you of an impending threat to your property, which is of course, their property as well. In some cases, dog owners appreciate the warning that their dog bark provides them however, excessive dog barking can become a behavior problem, and here we look at some practical tips, which will allow you to control your dog's behavior and will with patience, cease excessive dog barking.

As soon as you observe your dog excessively barking at visitors or passers-by to your property the first thing to consider is rather than disciplining the dog, will be to teach ourselves and the animal that this type of behavior should be rewarded. Inconsistent commands by dog owners are the primary reason for excessive dog behavior and the key you and your dog need to learn is consistency.

Inconsistent messages given by you to your dog will develop into confusion and an inability for your dog to retain any of the learned behavior which you're trying to teach.

Follow these simple dog behavioral techniques for instant success;

1. Whenever your dog barks at visitor passing by your property allow him to bark for two or three occasions. It is important to praise your dog alerting you of the impending visitor, and should, however gently request that the dog is now quiet. If the dog ceases to bark for a few seconds praise him and offer them a reward. This will help focus your dog on the command.

2. Provide them with a treat as soon as they are quiet and consistently praised them for doing so. Ultimately, any discipline directed at the dog should be for disobeying your command rather than the barking itself (this applies to any dog behavioral problems). As above, always be consistent with your dog. You will always be setting yourself up to fail if you offer him or her inconsistent messages.

While it will take several occurrences for your dog to learn that barking is not a bad behavior, consistent messages applied by you to reward quietness after the act will remedy the problem of excessive dog barking. This technique can also be applied for many other dogs behavioral issues and this simple two stage process of command and reward is excellent practice for the future. It will ensure that you and your dog relationship will blossom upon mutual respect and understanding.

As we have just learned, consistent and confident commands are the key to dog training success and it cannot be over emphasized how important the early stages of a dogs development are for the future prosperity of both dog and owner. Puppy Training Dogs would like to invite you to effectively and simply learn the best principles required in training your dog. This unique technique, developed specifically for new dog owners, has helped thousands of people promote and maintain the best relationships between dogs and owners. Visit Puppy Training Dogs to participate in this valuable course.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kate_Brielle

How Sharpeis Started Out

Scientists have been able to unearth paintings and sculptures of dogs that look very much like sharpeis. Some 2,000-year old statues of the dogs already bear the unique blunt muzzle and other characteristics that bear close resemblance to the sharpei.

Despite such discoveries, the origin of this very old dog breed is hard to pinpoint. What can be known so far is that, with the blue black tongue as clue, the dog is related to the chow chow. Both dogs are also possibly related to the Tibetan mastiff, which is often acknowledged as as ancient as sharpeis. Still another historical hint is that the dog bears a bulldog ancestry, as can be seen in some short necks that are low set on the shoulders, thick bodies and certain shared genetic problems.

Whatever its origin, the sharpei was a familiar sight in the Chinese rural communities for centuries. Besides, dogs were part and parcel of the Chinese peasant life. In breeding them, the Chinese sought intelligence, strength, and a menacing grin meant to deter trespassers. Meanwhile, the sharpei's blue-black tongue was meant to ward off evil spirits.

Breeding the dog actually varied according to region. In the case of central China, where farming and herding were main social activities, sharpeis were mainly known for its herding instinct and an uncommon terrier-like ratting skill. The legs of the central Chinese variety were not as long as those of its southern counterparts, while their coats were thinner than those from the north. What is interesting is that the sharpei does not sound out like the western herder breeds, and do not dig or chew as the familiar terrier behavior is wont to do.

In the upper regions of China, where smaller communities had to get through winter in far flung outposts, the sharpei was known to be calm and quiet. These level-headed qualities were essential for an animal that will need to share long hours with its family in a cramped space.

In the case of southern China where recreational activities were more widespread, sharpeis were enlisted as a fighting dog. Breeders would come to appreciate the dog's prickly coat and loose skin, since the latter especially made it possible for the dog to turn around and defend itself. The dogs tiny ears and deep set eyes made it less prone to injuries. But centuries later, mastiffs and bulldogs would throw water on the sharpei's fame as a fighter.

Richard Cussons is one of the many dog enthusiasts that is fascinated with the sharpeis Feel free to check out sharpeisavvy.com to learn more about this breed and at the same time discover valuable shar pei training advice

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cussons

Dog Agility Training - The Benefits For Your Dog

A dog's happiest moment should be spent running, jumping, catching, and stretching; dog agility training can really help turn idle dogs into active dogs that age gracefully and happily. You might be surprised to learn that the hardest part is starting, but once you have started the sense of achievement as you and your dog progress is reward in itself. Dog agility training can be great fun for both you and your dog as it consists of high energy and quick thinking movements. Dog agility training has many benefits it can

* Transform an idle dog into an active one * Increase your dogs confidence * Improve physical development * Allows for mental stimulation with its quick thinking movements * Most of all is fun

How Does Dog Agility Training Work

Through verbal cues or body language given by the instructor a dog that is off the leash is guided through a range of obstacles. The trainer needs to be aware of the course and the order of the obstacles and the dog needs to focus on the trainer and the cues given by them to conquer each obstacle.

In an obstacle course you will find a variety of exercises such as

* Jumping through a tyre * Running through tunnels * Running up and down a frame * Weaving through poles * Jumping across barriers

Training your dog

When you begin to train your dog you need to take into consideration the dog's maturity.

Dog agility training can only begin when your dog reaches a certain maturity and can respond well to basic commands. Each dog has their own starting points, for smaller dogs which weigh less than 50 pounds you need to wait till they are 9-12 months old for large dogs you will need to wait till they are around 10-14 months. If you begin training your dog too early you are putting them at risk of causing serious injuries.

A Few Rules To Consider

* The first few times your dog goes through the obstacles, ensure that you go at the dogs pace and make sure that it is a fun experience for them.

* Ensure that your dog is under control and listens to your commands this will decrease any risk of potential injuries.

* Treats and happy talk to encourage your dog through the obstacles are a must. Keep the mood happy and positive.

* Reward your pet when they have reached a goal and have performed a correct action. Gradually teach each obstacle first and then join then together to form the course.

* If your dog does not want to participate do not force them, the sport is intended to be fun for both you and your dog. If your dog does not want to initially participate then stop and bring then back to it in a couple of days.

* Have fun and always end your training on a positive note.

Like everything we all need to start somewhere and your dogs agility training is no different. Having a positive attitude and guidance your dog can master the world of dog agility training.

About the Author

For more information on what obstacles to choose for dog agility training then visit http://www.dogbeddingandmore.com