Author: rgoessel

How Often Should I Groom My Dog?

Various aspects of grooming are typically done at different times.  For instance, brushing is recommended at least 1 to 3 times a week, baths every 1 to 2 months, and trimming of the areas around the paws, ears, face, and sensitive areas around every 4 to 6 weeks. 

Visiting a professional groomer should be done at least once a month, and the session would typically consist of your pet being brushed, bathed, sanitized, as well as nails trimmed or clipped. 

Wire-haired dogs may grow a softer and different colored coat if they are shaved down, so this should be avoided. Similarly, it is ideal to place long-haired dogs on a grooming schedule. 

For breeds with wavy or curly hair, routine coat maintenance is important so that they don’t get up getting shaved bald. Routine grooming also helps breeds who blow their coat. 

Benefits of Grooming 

Brushing down your pet’s coat helps to allow air in, providing ventilation and facilitating healthy and strong hair growth as well as removing old or damaged hair. 

Grooming also reduces the amount of grease in the coat. Excess grease can cause pore blockage leading to irritation and a range of other skin problems. 

Similarly, regular grooming helps you rapidly identify underlying conditions or diseases early enough. This allows for quick treatment and staying the spread of such ailment. 

Trimming nails also helps to promote good posture and prevents bone deformation. 

Usually, grooming may be breed-specific while some others are general like a puppy cut. Discussing which is ideal for your dog with your veterinarian is essential. 

Conclusion 

Proper dog grooming makes for a clean, happy, and healthy dog. Definitely the dream of any pet parent!

Keeping Your Dog Warm With Clothes This Winter

Keeping your dog warm both indoors and outdoors is an essential one, particularly if they’ve got short fur.

Beyond the stylish and smart appearance that a clothed dog has, the functionality – helping to maintain body heat is the major aspect here.  We would be covering the various clothing items that you would be needing both for indoors and outdoors: 

Blankets 

These are especially necessary when indoors. Just like you’ve got your blankies and duvet, your fur baby needs the same thick, insulating material to stay warm. Ensure that you get one that is slightly bigger so that they can have every inch of their bodies covered. 

Scarves 

These are more suitable for the outdoors and come in especially handy to protect the head from cold. They can also be pretty stylish and thick ones make for awesome warmth providers. 

Jackets 

You know how everybody looks great in a jacket. Well, this is no different for pups as they look absolutely gorgeous in them too. Away from fashion, jackets are super comfy and amazing insulating materials and they are easy to wear too. Mostly suitable for the outdoors. 

Sweaters 

A thick wool sweater does wonders for providing your pet with warmth. You could opt to go for a hoodie too, covering the head nicely while keeping the torso warm as well.  

Rain Gear 

Getting caught in the rain or having to take a walk on a somewhat rainy day can be quite a hassle if your dog constantly gets wet. For a beautiful experience even on such a dreary day, rain gear serves to keep your pet dry and happy. 

Conclusion 

Keeping your pet warm constantly is vital, particularly during winter. You can also keep an eye out for stylish gear and make your pet into a warm fashionista!

Dog Dental Month is a Reminder To Keep Those Teeth Clean

Keeping your dog’s teeth clean is a non-negotiable aspect of maintaining their general hygiene. 

Apart from less serious consequences of poor dental health such as mouth odor, a more serious problem could arise in the form of plaque. 

Eventually, plaque mixing with other minerals in the mouth hardens to become tartar which eventually causes gum disease, decay, and other oral health problems. Regular dental care helps to prevent all of this. In addition, here are some other benefits:

Avoiding Periodontal Disease 

Tartar on dog teeth may cause gum infection and inflammation. This may result in the gum beginning to recede, resulting in the teeth being exposed and vulnerable. Further progression of this may lead to gingivitis where dogs lose their teeth. 

From Gingivitis, further progression sees development of even more debilitating periodontal diseases. Regular brushing is advised, a minimum of three times a week, and ideally, every day. 

Preventing Tooth Loss 

Certain structures in your dog’s mouth are responsible for keeping teeth in place. These structures may weaken, or get infected or damaged over time. This sort of damage could result in teeth loosening or falling out. 

Adequate dental care helps to strengthen and maintain these teeth-supporting structures. This implies that your dog keeps his teeth to enjoy his meals as well as avoid the pain of potential teeth issues. 

Stopping Organ Damage 

Bacteria responsible for the formation of plaque can find their way into the bloodstream and spread to the heart, liver, and kidneys. When this happens, the process is referred to as bacteremia. 

Bacteremia can lead to long-term organ damage and complications. To avoid this, an ideal visit to the vet once a year is necessary to get the mouth professionally cleaned. 

Subsequently, any seemingly apparent mouth problems should be taken to the vet. 

Conclusion 

Maintaining great dental health in dogs cannot be overemphasized.  Start right away!

Does Your Dog Have A New Year’s Resolution?

As the year comes to an end, it is a tradition for most people to begin making plans for the approaching year. 

A new year’s resolution could either be to change an undesirable habit, continue with a good one, or achieve a goal.

As a dog owner, making plans and seeing to it that they are executed is as important for your pet as it is for you. 

Asides having a new year’s resolution list for yourself, you could as well compile one for your dog. 

New Year’s Resolution for Your Dog

The following are a few things that you could include on your dog’s new year resolution list:

Resolve to Exercises With Your Dog More Often

If you and Bella did not exercise enough this year, it is time to effect a change. Engaging your pet in exercises is not enough; you should also exercise alongside them. 

This implies that you should make your dog a part of your human exercises, such as walking, hiking, playing tennis, swimming. 

This not only helps you achieve your physical goals, it also promotes owner-pet bonding. 

Resolve to Feed Your Dog More Healthy Food

Feeding is an aspect of pet care that should not be overlooked or taken with levity. 

In the new year, make sure to feed Bella at least twice a day and also consult a veterinarian to ensure your pup’s feeding meets their nutritional needs. 

Resolve for Your Dog to Learn New Tricks 

Teaching your dog to kiss, bark on command, fetch, throw, shake hands, roll over, play dead, sit pretty and many more tricks can be so much fun. 

It also gives your dog an advantage over other dogs. This new year, you could resolve to teach Bella more new tricks or perfect the ones she currently knows. 

Other things you could include on your dog’s new year resolution are spending more time together, more trips to the vet’s and more frequent baths.

Introducing A Second Dog to Your Home

Owning one dog is great, so having two should up the fun, yes? 

Well, this might not always be the case. If you have been considering bringing a second dog into your home, there is a high chance that Ajax will not be very welcoming of Bo. This is why several considerations have to be made for you to ensure that both dogs get along quickly and easily.   

Here are a few tips that could guide you:

Choose Your New Dog Carefully 

You should consider choosing a breed that is similar to that of your current dog, as this increases the likelihood of them coexisting peacefully. You should also consider similarities in temperaments before choosing a dog. If you have a more dominating alpha dog, you should probably not choose another equally dominating dog as this could lead to some unwanted clashes.      

Different Genders

Two dogs of the same sex will probably get along fine in most cases, however you can always be on the safe side and get two different genders. This increases the probability of them getting along and prevents any kind of unhealthy rivalry they may have. It would be ideal if your dog can meet the new one before you bring them home to make sure they would be a good fit for each other.

Introduce Both Dogs on Neutral Grounds 

When you want to introduce your dogs to each other, do it at a park or outside the home in more of a communal area. You don’t want your dog to get upset when a stranger starts sniffing and playing with their toys.

Supervision

For the first few weeks after bringing Bo home, they should not be left in the company of each other unsupervised. This is to prevent an injury in the case of a disagreement between them.   

Reduce Rivalry

You can do this by providing separate food dishes, water bowls, toys and crates. Providing separate spaces for the dogs during mealtimes could also help. Finally, ensure that you still take out quality time to spend with Ajax so he doesn’t feel left out.      

Purebred or Designer Breed?

Now it’s time to choose a new pup! Should you choose a purebred or designer breed? Here is some necessary information to help:

Purebreds

A purebred dog is one who comes from a long generation of the same breed, that is, its parents, grandparents, and great grandparents are all of the same breed. 

A typical purebred will have qualities that trace back to its ancestors because only dogs that meet the set standard are breeded. 

If you are getting a purebred, ensure that you see real documents that confirm that it is truly a purebred. 

Pros 

Predictability

Many people prefer getting purebreds because with them, you know exactly what you are getting. 

You know your dog’s expected size, its temperament, its medical needs, and so many other things.

Compete in Shows

 Only purebreds are allowed to compete in dog shows, and so if you would like yours to be in one of these competitions, you should go for a purebred.

Cons

Genetic Defects

Some purebred dogs could inherit the genetic defects of their specific breed. 

Designer Breeds

A designer breed, also called a hybrid, is an offspring of two purebreds. 

The parents of a designer breed are usually deliberately bred to produce pups with particular qualities. 

However, there is no assurance that any two pups would come out the same. They could differ in size, color, health, temperament, etc. 

Pros 

Variety

So many hybrid combinations exist, which means that there is a hybrid dog for every taste. 

These dogs can be bred to fit any criteria as regards size, temperament, health and many others.

Shed Weaknesses

Some designer breeds are created free of some weaknesses or limiting factors of their purebred parents. 

They also might not inherit genetic flaws. 

Cons

Uncertainty

There are no assurances that an offspring will take some particular desired traits and leave some. This leaves owners unsure of what to expect from their dog. 

In the end, there are no better dogs or worse dogs. There is a mix and breed for every taste and lifestyle out there, so it all boils down to your needs and wants in a dog.  

A New Puppy For The New Year

Yay! It’s the new year! Many people have their new year resolutions outlined and are already putting them into effect. 

For some, one of these resolutions is to get a new fur baby at the beginning of the year.

Just like any other parenting, puppy parenting can be somewhat overwhelming but fun overall. 

There are a lot of things for both of you to learn and you have to get started on your part before bringing your cuddly fur baby home. 

Here are a few things to note when getting a new puppy:

Your Schedule

Puppies are fun to be with however, they require a lot of care and attention in their first few months. You’ll have to feed Max two to three times daily. 

In addition, you would have to take him on walks and get him socialized later on. 

You have to factor all of these into your schedule. This phase may be tasking, but it’s definitely rewarding for any new puppy owner.

Bonding Time

The first few months of Max’s life are the perfect time to bond with him and get to know him. There’s a lot that you can learn about him just by spending time with him. 

You can learn about your playful puppy’s personality, temperament, tastes, and intelligence. 

Everyone loves puppy breath and you’ll definitely be getting a lot of that in your face along with licks of gratitude.

Training

It is essential to start training your dog early. At this young age, Max is ready to learn. All he’s waiting for is for you to work with him as soon as you can. 

Training provides tremendous benefits to continued good behavior both inside your home and in public. 

You can teach your Max basic obedience and then step up to potty training, chew training, and crate training.

Small, Medium, or Large Breed Dog?

The resolution to have a dog should come after a phase of thorough decision making, careful planning, and the assurance that you have the necessary means to make your pet comfortable and happy. 

One major thing to decide upon before finally going to the pet store is the size of the dog that you want. Size is important because it determines a lot of things, such as how much food your dog will consume, how easy it would be to transport them from place to place, and how much space they will need. 

Here are a number of factors to put into consideration when determining what breed of dog to get with respect to size:

Family

The size of your family, as well as the age range of the members of your family, go a long way in determining what kind of dog to get. For example, if you have little kids, you should get small dogs, such as a Dachshund or a Papillon. If you have teenagers, you might want to consider getting a much larger dog, such as a Boxer. 

Indoor and Outdoor Space

You should consider the amount of space you have within and without your house while getting a dog. Smaller dogs can live comfortably within apartments with little outdoor space, however, bigger houses might be better for bigger dogs as they need lots of space. 

Lifestyle

What exactly do you want from your dog? Do you need a cuddle buddy -Chihuahua or Pug- or perhaps, a security dog -Bullmastiff or Rottweiler? Your pet needs should influence the size of the dog you get. 

Maintenance Costs

This is probably the most important factor to consider. Expenses on food and treats, leash and harness, crate, and medicals are more expensive for larger dogs than they are for smaller dogs. If your monthly income is not exactly huge, you might want to get a smaller dog to avoid getting overwhelmed by costs. 

On a final note, you should keep in mind that the size of a dog does not dictate its personality. There are small dogs that are full of energy, and large dogs that are just big couch potatoes. Either way, ensure you opt for a breed size that works just great for you!

Are You Getting a New Puppy This Year?

Choosing a pet eventually boils down to various factors such as upkeep requirements and space available, amongst others. These factors are of vital importance in the selection process, so, here are the major ones in detail:

Breed Type
Each breed comes with a unique set of characteristics such as size, temperament, intelligence, and general behavioral features.

Broadly, breeds may be classified as Designer breeds, Pure breeds, Small breeds, Medium, and Large breeds. To determine which is best for you, evaluating your needs and using that as a guide is ideal.

Upkeep Requirements
Some breeds require more frequent grooming than others. Some are high-energy and would need to be frequently exercised.

Others may need special foods kept out of their diets. These are all factors you should consider before choosing a new puppy.

Space Available
This factor mainly plays into the eventual adult size of the dog. If yours is a rural farmhouse with lots of space, you could opt for a large breed or one with lots of energy.

On the flip side, living in a metropolis, perhaps an apartment building, might require a considerably smaller breed size with low energy requirements. Designer breeds and small breeds could be a good call here.

General Needs
In addition to routine visits, how often would the puppy need to see the vet? What are their nutritional requirements? Does the breed require lots of physical attention? These are questions that fall into the general needs of the pup, and one you should consider closely. The idea is to opt for a breed that you can take adequate care of.

Dogs come in various breeds, sizes, colors, temperaments, and have various maintenance requirements. Ensure to go for one that suits your lifestyle perfectly.

Winter is the Siberian Husky’s Favorite Season

The Siberian Husky is one of the most beloved dog breeds in the US. This comes as no surprise as they boast a lot of great qualities. This article highlights important and interesting facts about this exquisite breed.

History
The Siberian Husky’s origin can be traced to the Chukchi people of the Chukchi Peninsula located in eastern Siberia. They bear no relation to wolves.

In 1908, they were brought to Nome, Alaska to be used as sled dogs. The breed evolved and was developed to be used in sled dog racing. Over the years, they have evolved into beloved household pets.

Snow & Winter
The Husky loves snow and winter generally, and the white background makes for a picturesque one for Husky photography. They are biologically adapted to cold and can tolerate cold temperatures as low as -75°F (-59°C).

Coat
Siberian huskies feature what is referred to as a double coat. They have a top coat and an undercoat. This serves to keep them insulated or cool, as needed. The overcoat is long and water-resistant, while the undercoat is shorter and warm.

Colors
The most common coat colors of the Siberian Husky include the following:

  • White
  • Black
  • Gray & White
  • Sable & White
  • Black & Tan
  • Silver-gray
  • Black & White
  • Grey
  • Red & White

Some huskies may feature some other colors, but those are quite rare. They also have spectacular eye colors.

Huskies have a common base eye color of brown. However, all Husky pups are born with blue eyes. This remains until they are about 1-2 months old, after which you can tell which would turn brown and which would remain lighter.

Some pups experience heterochromia which makes their eyes bi-colored or parti-colored. Some huskies also have green eyes which are pretty rare. Huskies are an interesting breed indeed; they are very playful, adorable, and make for great pets.