Anyone who is reading this is likely considering adding a dog to their family. While bringing a pet into your home can bring joy and companionship, the decision does not come without financial responsibility. Before bringing a pet into your home, ask yourself if you are ready to handle all of the responsibilities that come with pet ownership.

Feeding a Dog

The most obvious and ongoing expense for your dog is food. While the pet aisle in the grocery store offers many low-cost options, these choices are not always best for your dog. Like people, dogs need a balanced diet and one that is full of nutrients and proteins. Many cheap dog food brands are loaded with fillers and do not provide the nutrition that your dog will need to thrive. Since the dog is not getting what it needs from the food, it will likely eat more of it. This can end up costing the dog owner more in the long run.

Instead, a quality food should be selected. Ask your vet for recommendations. While it may cost more, your pet’s health is worth it.

You should also keep a supply of healthy treats on hand. Treats are great for training and rewarding your pet.

Vet Bills - Consider Pet Insurance

All dogs will need to visit the vet at least once a year to receive vaccinations. The cost of vaccines will vary. If you get vaccines at a vet’s office, expect to pay between $90-$150. Many rescue groups, such as the SPCA, offer low-cost vet clinics which may cost as little as $30 for annual shots. Also, check your local pet stores as some may offer a lower cost option for routine pet care.

Also, heartworm prevention medication must be given monthly at a cost of around $5 per month. In most of the country, flea prevention is a good idea and costs approximately $10 per month.

In addition to routine preventive care, vet visits will be necessary when your pet becomes ill. There is no way to estimate how much a visit to a vet will cost when your pooch is under the weather, but you should consider the possibility of this extra expense before adopting or purchasing a dog.

For peace of mind, health insurance is available for dogs. Pay a monthly premium and the insurance company will reimburse you for most of the expenses if your dog becomes ill or is injured.

Hardware and Dog Toys

Dogs need stuff! They need crates, collars, leashes, food and water dishes, bedding and toys.

If you plan to leave your pet outside all of the time (not recommended), then additional items such as shelter and hay for warmth must also be provided.

Plan to spend $50-$100 before bringing your pet home. This should be enough to cover a collar, leash, food bowls, a bed and toys. If you plan to crate train your dog you will also need to purchase a quality crate. A good crate will cost between $45-$125 depending on the size that is needed.

A word on toys: Toys are not just a nice extra, they are necessary. Dogs need to chew and if toys are not provided then furniture and shoes will be used in their place.

Traveling with a Dog

If you travel, dogs are an extra expense whether you bring them along or not. If traveling without your furry friend, plan to spend between $15-$30 per night to board your pet. If your bring him along, you’ll have to consider the cost of shipping your pet on the airplane and/or paying a non-refundable pet deposit at the hotel. Be sure to call ahead for airline requirements and hotel policies before planning your trip.

While there is a cost to owning a dog, the rewards of being greeted by a happy, healthy dog each evening is worth the expense!

The natural principles state the fact that a good diet will keep the dog’s health in a normal state; the entire body will tend towards this state of god health. Every pet will be more prone to healing if that is the case; for instance, the proper Cat Food is able to help the kitten resist when being sick and healing will be promoted too. The correct conditions of the pet’s body should be put in their place in order to maintain the state of health. A balanced diet means that the pet has to eliminate all the wastes and he has to digest all the necessary nutrients. But many pets are not likely to enjoy this type of balanced diet. Therefore, every owner should be aware of the fact that his pet’s intake can exceed his output. This is the main reason why a diet is not to be considered as a balanced one even if its appearance is positive.

The regular excess can come from constant over feeding and incorrect proportion when it comes to the supplements that are being used in the pet’s food. For instance, the Cat Food can have too much fat inclusion or proteins thus leading to an obvious unbalance that can result in sickness. The Dog Health has to be promoted by a chemical-free diet and the natural elements should be added too. The unbalanced diet can lead to a decreased output and this aspect is very harmful because the pet’s body will be filled with toxins that may accumulate in time. The owner should also pay attention to the amount of exercise that his pet is exposed to; insufficient exercise can also lead to an increased unbalance and weight gain. The fats will accumulate thus making the entire body work at a lower level.

The pet’s home should also be taken into account; actually, the environment is very important when it comes to prompting your pet’s health. For instance, a warm environment is able to reduce the entire amount of energy that is usually needed in order to maintain the proper body temperature. Even the main organs of elimination will become less efficient. Every puppy owner should be very careful about the Dog Health because this period is a critical one; he will become very anxious in order to find whether his puppy is receiving the necessary vitamins and minerals in order to enjoy a healthy development and growth.

The main purpose of the pet’s diet is to provide the dog with all the necessary nutrients that are required in order for the pet to grow and remain active. Every dog and Cat Food will contain the proper mixture of nutrients and each of these nutrients will have its own role when it comes to ensuring the proper digestion and nutrition. The correct amounts of supplements are highly important in order not to disturb the natural cycle of digestion. As the puppy grows into adulthood, he will have other needs; his requirements will change and the owner has the responsibility of ensuring the proper diet that is fit for this stage of life.

But proper nutrition is likely to start even before the puppy was born because the parents have to be fed with quality food in order to have healthy puppies. Special nutrients and supplements are to be added to the pregnant bitch’s diet in order for the puppies to have a stronger constitution. A proper diet will make the puppies healthier and more resistant to possible diseases. Even the environment should be emotionally satisfying in order for the bitch to produce resistant puppies. The bitch that is living in a stable environment will produce puppies that will be well-adjusted when compared with puppies that were born in a restricted and caged environment.

The puppy’s initial nourishment will be highly related to his mother; any deficiencies that have affected the bitch’s life will be passed to her puppies. Prolonged periods of time that have been characterized by nutritional lacks will influence the puppies’ state of health. The last third of the pregnancy time is the most important. The puppy’s weight is likely to develop in this period too and the efficient flow of vitamins and minerals is to be assured in order for all the nutrients to be transferred to the puppy’s body. Nutrition in this third period is very important mainly because it will become highly beneficial in the first weeks after the puppy was born; the bitch’s stomach capacity will be reduced during this period of time and she has to deal with the constant demand to eat in order to feed her puppies. The proper diet is to be ensured in order to enable the bitch to produce the necessary milk that will support the development and growth of her puppies. During this period, the only nutrition will come from the mother’s milk and the owner has to learn how to wean the puppies in order to give them dog food. This transfer should be done in a gradual manner in order not to disturb the natural development of the puppies.

Commonly referred to as “man’s best friend”, most dog owners regard their dogs as members of their family; in fact, some of them prefer to sleep next to their pet dogs rather than share the bed with their spouses. In recent years, dogs have become fashion icons, many thanks to Paris Hilton’s love for Tinkerbell, her female Chihuahua that not only became an overnight sensation for “writing” its memoir, but also for setting the trend among “accessory pets”. Most dogs do not have Tinkerbell’s celebrity status, but their owners surely love them just as much. Or, so Linda thought.

Linda Kajda of Massachusetts adores her Pomeranian Pebbles, who she felt helpless for when Pebbles started shedding her hair and not even her Vet could offer permanent relief.

Imagine her shock when she was told that she could lose her precious Pebbles to alopecia, a hormonal imbalance, which caused Pebbles to shed her fur, not in strands, but in clumps!

Dog’s Best Friend Can Be Its Enemy

Linda embarked on research that led to her discovery that it was SHE who caused her dog’s misery. Just like Linda, you could be killing your dog too without even trying. It just comes “within the territory.”

Despite the TLC she’s getting from you, your dog can get sick inside your home. Linda wrote a book about her discovery on dog health problems; here is an excerpt of that book on what you can do to save your dog’s life, without seeing your Vet:

1. Does your dog suffer from dandruff, which may cause he or she to shed its fur just like what happened to Pebbles? Give your dog an oatmeal bath and you will see immediate results.

2. Have you installed a new carpet in your home lately? Carpets can cause your dog skin disorders.

3. Do ringworms feed on your dogs? Give your pets a good bath with rosemary or marigold petals and dandelion leaves to kill the pests and promote dog health.

4. Worried about fleas? Start feeding your dog with natural foods, such as fruits and some helpings of vegetables and notice how the new diet will starve fleas off your dog’s back!

5. Frequent visits to your vet’s clinic due to your dog’s recurring skin problem brought about by ticks can cause a dent in your wallet. Soak a cotton ball in liquid soap and apply it on the affected skin of your dog. See what happens.

Your dog’s environment and diet can contribute to its health – or death. The good news is you can do something about it. There are natural and home-made remedies that you can apply on your dog’s skin disorders and providing your dog with a good helping of natural foods can restore health, without shelling out hundreds of dollars to Vets, unless it is extremely necessary.

Linda has proven that her new found household remedies work and she would like to share these with all dog owners as much as possible.

Save your dog early. Waiting for another day may just be too late.

h care must include regular rabies shots, although many dog owners do not keep their pets’ vaccinations up to date. The misconception is that since the dog doesn’t run free, it’s not important.

Even though you keep your dog restrained on a leash or in a yard, you can never guarantee he will not come in contact with this deadly disease.

Did you know that your dog can pick up the rabies virus simply by licking the ground? If a rabid animal has left saliva or other body fluid shortly before you passed, your dog is at risk.

Much of the focus for many owners is on obedience training. Dog health care is often only an issue when the dog first arrives at the home or when it becomes ill.

Rabies shots are essential if you want to ensure your dog stays healthy. But that’s not the only reason. If your dog comes in contact with a rabid animal, such as fighting with a raccoon, skunk or an infected dog, your pet could be euthanized.

And if that isn’t enough to get you to the vet, consider that rabies is a threat to your family as well.

What can you do to protect your dog and your family?

Rabies vaccines gradually lose their effectiveness over time. The longer it is since your dog was vaccinated, the more at risk he or she will become. In fact, within as a little as six months, your dog could be at risk. The maximum length of time the vaccine lasts is about two years, but by that time it’s effectiveness has deteriorated significantly.

Many people use this two-year point as the period when they give their dogs booster rabies shots. This is an unsafe practice.

For the best protection, you must have your dog vaccinated every year. Any good vet will send you a reminder every year that your dog’s shots are due.

Dog health care is important, but preventative health care is more important. It ensures your dog is protected against dangerous and painful diseases. Rabid animals suffer terribly. The disease affects their entire nervous system causing death. There is no cure.

Regular dog health care measures can protect your family from the rigors of taking the ‘cure’ if your dog does come in contact with the rabies virus.

And rabies dog health care can save your dog’s life.

Recently, two dogs in North Carolina suffered after fighting with a rabid fox. One was quarantined for 6 months, the other was euthanized. That state also had a cat and a raccoon that were rabid.

You can never be sure when rabies will be present. Infected neighborhood cats, raccoons and skunks can wander into any yard without your knowledge and leave rabies-laden saliva.

If you seldom hear about rabies, do not think that your dog is safe. Every year somewhere in the country there are reported cases of rabies in wild animals. Unprotected dogs have been euthanized after fighting with those rabid animals.

Protection is far better than treatment after the fact. There is no reason for your family or your dog to suffer. It takes about 15 minutes a year to get your dog vaccinated against rabies and other serious diseases.

Make sure your dog health care includes regular rabies vaccines to ensure your dog’s and your family’s safety.

The Toy Poodle is one type of the breed of Poodle. There are three types of Poodles: Toy, Miniature and Standard, each type denoting a size. Poodles are considered gun dogs, for their bird hunting skills and ability in water. Though some dispute the claim, France is officially recognized as the origin of the Poodle. The Toy Poodle lives an average 12 to 15 years. To be considered a Toy Poodle, its size can only be up to 10 inches with a weight of 6 to 9 pounds.

Toy Poodles are considered intelligent and are among the easiest to train. Without consistent training, Toy Poodles will become willful, independent and may bark a lot. Toy Poodles like to be around people, but can be reserved among strangers, making them good watchdogs. Some Toy Poodles are known to be high strung and will snap. For this reason, it is important to socialize a Toy Poodle early and to exercise caution around small children. This does not mean that a Toy Poodle does not make a good family pet. Toy Poodles tend to be loyal to their families and some are good with children. This breed has a lot of energy, but does not demand a lot of exercise, making it a good choice for apartment dwellers.

It is a good idea to exercise a Toy Poodle at least once a day to alleviate any boredom that might occur. The familiar curly coat of the Toy Poodle grows constantly and must be clipped every four to six weeks to maintain it. Failure to maintain the coat can result in matted fur that can only be removed with scissors. The familiar ‘Poodle Cut’ was actually important for the dog when it was used for hunting. The cut helped protect vital joints and organs in the cold water. Now the clip is not necessary and many owners opt for an all around short cut.

There are a variety of coat colors for Toy Poodles and the coat tends to be relatively shed free, making them a good choice for allergy sufferers, though they will create dander. There are health concerns that exist with this breed. Toy Poodles are prone to ear infections, runny eyes, digestive tract and heart disorders, skin conditions, slipped stifle, PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia), cataracts, entropion, epilepsy, inverterbral disc degeneration, Legg-Perthes, patellar luxation, trichiasis and urolithiasis.

There is a website that has great information on Toy Poodles and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Deciding to buy a puppy should be a careful, well-thought out decision. A dog can be the most rewarding of pets, but also one of the most demanding. Before you buy a puppy, please think first. Is there really time for a dog in your life, and can you give a commitment that might for 12 years, possibly more?

Do you have the time to provide the exercise and training that a dog requires throughout its life, provide a safe and secure home and afford a suitable and nutritious diet that will ensure the very best of health?

You should also take into consideration your health and age. Do you want an active or sedentary animal? Some dogs require almost constant attention, lots of exercise and stimulation. Others are more laid back; therefore you need to research which dog will suit you and your family’s lifestyle. For instance if you live in a flat and have limited free time, a Border Collie or Springer Spaniel would not be such a good idea, and would probably lead to behavioural difficulties, not only for the dog!

You will naturally want a puppy with a good temperament who will adapt happily to life as part of the family. Buying a puppy that has been home reared; exposed to everyday sights, sounds and smells should help the transition from life with Mum and litter mates to a new home and environment.

If you’re buying from a breeder make sure that they will let you come and see the puppies with their Mum and will answers all of your questions. Never ever let anyone bring the puppy out to you – you really do need to see the puppy and Mum together. If the person selling you the puppy tells you that this is not possible then just walk away.

This might seem like common sense, but the sad fact is that too many people are persuaded to buy a puppy at under 4 weeks of age, maybe without even seeing the mother. Then there are tales of woe from new owners who bought from a pet shop or puppy farm where the pup had been exposed to illness, fear or stress, and then wonder why they are experiencing health or behaviour problems later.

There are arguments as to the best time to separate a puppy from its mother.

The optimum time for socialisation is between 6 – 8 weeks when the puppy’s instinct to make friends with strangers overcomes its natural wariness, and this is generally considered the ideal time period for removing a puppy from its litter mates and mother.

For a puppy, being taken away from its mother and placed into a strange environment where nothing is familiar can be a frightening experience. Spend the first few days welcoming the puppy into your family, giving it lots of attention and mental stimulation and showing it the basics of what’s right and what’s wrong, where it can eat, sleep and go to the toilet.

Create a positive experience at all times. The escape and fear response has not fully developed in the first 12 weeks of development and so things out there in the ‘big wide world’ will not be so scary. Puppies do need to get used to the various stimuli that they will encounter in everyday life as early as possible. These include car rides, household and other strange noises, other animals, water and traffic.

Puppies go through many changes in the first 12 months of their lives and most of their learning and behavioural patterns are learnt in this time. Teach the puppy to socialise with humans and other dogs as soon as possible. A puppy has a short attention span so all training sessions should be frequent but brief. Simple obedience and the discouragement of unwanted behaviour will help to show you are ‘worthy’ of the puppy’s respect. Praise is important!

The earlier the training the better, even if it’s just the basics.

Vaccination is important to prevent your dog from becoming ill from infectious diseases. It stimulates the body’s own defence system to produce protective antibodies in the blood. The micro-organisms that cause disease can be widespread in certain areas of the U.K and unvaccinated dogs are at risk from a range of life-threatening diseases such as canine distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, infectious canine hepatitis and kennel cough.

A course of vaccinations will be needed for your puppy. These are usually given at around 9 and 12 weeks of age.

Worming is also important. It is possible that your puppy already has worms, which have been passed from its mother, and worming should be done every month until the puppy is 6 months old and then every 3-6 months.

It is important to choose the correct diet for your pup. Rapid growth can cause health problems in later life, so it’s best to feed a high quality, low protein and low fat food, such as BURNS Mini Bites, to enable your puppy to grow strong but steady. Avoid the temptation to fill the puppy with treats and sweets on top of his daily allowance, and if you do then take what ever treats are given out of the total food given in the day. Always provide a ready supply of fresh drinking water.

Puppies need lots of time, care and patience. Follow these guidelines and your efforts will be positively rewarded.

For the new dog owner there is nothing quite as frustrating as potty training a dog. Teaching your dog that she needs to go outside when she needs to go to the bathroom is what house training is all about. It will take a little time but if you are patient with your new four legged friend she will soon do her business outside.

The first thing you will need to do is realize that punishing your dog is not the best way to get them to do what you want them to. Most dogs relieve themselves in the house because they don’t know any better. Many times they will actually wait outside patiently until you let them in and then relieve themselves because that is what they are used to. Catching them in the act and giving a firm “No” and then taking them outside works best if this is the case. Rubbing their nose in it and yelling at them can actually make the problem worse because your dog will come to fear you instead of learning from her mistakes.

The newspaper method is one of the easier ways to housebreak a dog. This method if done correctly will actually allow you to train your dog to go on command. Pick a certain area inside your house as the designated doggy bathroom and lay down several layers of newspaper. Every hour or so take your dog to the designated newspaper spot and tell him to go potty, or any other command you wish to use for this task. You do have to be consistent and use the same command every time.

She will eventually go to the bathroom on the newspaper and when she does be sure to give praise. Also keep a close eye on her around the house and watch for signs that she needs to go to the bathroom. When you spot this behavior take her to the newspaper and give the command to go potty. As she learns to go on command you can start taking her outside to do her business until she learns that is where she is to go.

Potty training a dog is not the most difficult thing to do, but you do have to spend some time and have some patience with your dog to be successful. Once your dog has learned to go outside to relieve herself you can spend more time just enjoying the company a dog brings to you and your family.

Are you considering a canine companion, a hound to have around, or a puppy pal? There are pros and cons to considering puppies vs. adult dogs. Puppies are great fun, but plenty of work. Puppies need a great deal of attention, much more care and training and lots and lots of play time. Puppies cannot be left alone as long as adult dogs. They must be watched at all times or kept in a secure place such as a crate when you can’t watch them. They need frequent trips outside to relieve themselves; they eat several times a day. An advantage of having a puppy is you train and socialize the dog right from the beginning. A puppy will quickly bond with family members.

Your house will have to be child protected with latches on cabinets where potentially dangerous things like cleaning supplies are kept. Puppies are curious and explore everywhere, often by chewing. New pups often have difficulty adapting to being away from their litter mates and your sleep will be interrupted for the first days after you bring him home.

Housebreaking a puppy can be a messy chore. You have to be patient when the puppy makes mistakes. The good thing about a puppy is he is a blank slate: he can be trained and socialized so he is a perfect fit with your family. You don’t have to worry about breaking him of bad habits.

An alternative is adopting an adult dog from a shelter or foster home, or breed rescue organization. An older dog is usually already housebroken and can be left alone for longer periods of time. With an adult dog, you know right away what you’re getting in terms of: the size of the dog, the temperament, the activity level and personality. What you don’t know is the dog’s past, what may have happened that led the dog to be in a situation of being rescued or abandoned. Adult dogs sometimes have developed behavioral issues because of past neglect or abuse. It may take time for you and your new adult dog to develop mutual trust. Some adult dogs can be nervous or have separation anxiety when introduced into a new home. Treat an adult dog with respect and affection. Talk softly and don’t move suddenly until you know your new canine companion and he knows you.

Don’t make the mistake of treating adult toy dogs, like Miniature Schnauzers, as puppies. They’re not. Some small dogs don’t realize they’re little (just like some Great Danes think they’re lap dogs). Toy dogs should be house broken and well behaved just like their bigger cousins.

Many well-trained, sociable dogs are available for adoption, however, and you can certainly find one that will fit right into your household with minimal stress or period of adjustment. Just remember to give the dog extra care, attention and love when he first comes into your home. If he feels completely welcome and loved, he is bound to make a smoother transition.

Dog Potty Training is not the same with potty training our kids like having them sit on a potty. Rather it’s training our dogs to where they should pee or poop. In most cases, the dog potty training area would be outside your house where we allow some odor.

Here is some useful information before we do a dog potty training.

When do we bring our dogs outside? How do we know if it’s time to take them out and do a dog potty training on him?

Right after he eats

Right after he wakes up

Right after taking him out of his crate

Right before he sleeps

When you observe them that they are looking around

Take the dog out right after you feed him or after you’ve given him a drink.

Do not punish the dog when he does pee or poop on your expensive furniture instead quietly clean up his mess and ignore him

To have an effective dog potty training clean the area thoroughly so that it won’t leave any trace or odor and its unlikely for him to unload on that spot again.

Check out what your dog is eating. Don’t give him high sugar foods which will give your dog low nutrition and low digestibility which would turn to high volume of waste.

Don’t give him treats before his naptime or when you’re going to leave him for a long period of time.

Dogs need to pee or poop 15-20 minutes after they eat

To be effective in the dog potty training do not take your dog inside right away right after he unloads. He will be having an impression that that once they’re done “the fun of being outside” would be cut abruptly. So stay with him and take him for a walk.

Now, how to do a dog potty training. Puppies are easier to do a dog puppy training rather than older dogs. The right age to do a dog potty training is when they are still 6 months old. This is the time when they are like input-output machines. This is the age where most dog trainers teach dogs about skills and tricks.

The most popular method is the newspaper dog potty training.

Confine the puppy to a small room filled with newspaper, I mean place the sheets of paper on the floor. Put his toys, bed, food and water bowls on it At first the puppy will pee and poop everywhere in that newspaper filled room. Worse is that he’s gonna play with the paper or chew with it. This is alright as long as you clean up his mess and change it with new sets of newspaper.

While he is restricted to that small area he will have a habit of urinating and unloading his dirt on those newspapers because everywhere he goes its all in paper. He will then choose a spot where he unloads. As soon as he establishes this spot take out the other paper far from it. Eventually what will be left will be a spot of newspaper not really big where he prefers to unload. When this happens, I can say that you’re on the right track in doing dog potty training.

Now move the piece of paper one inch a day to your chosen area. When he misses then go back few steps backward you might have move the paper too soon. Dog potty training needs patience and there will be times when the puppy makes remarkable development and misses at times that you have to do the whole process again. Just follow the steps and you will have a successful dog potty training.

There are many different punishments for getting your dog to learn the difference between right and wrong, and there are many dog trainers that will tell you that their method is the best way or that a different type of punishment, whether it be positive or negative punishment, is better than the method you’re using now.

Dogs need punishment to keep them in order and to teach them what is acceptable and what is not, without some form of punishment there would be no way of showing your dog these things, and no way of training them.

There are two types of punishment for your dogs; there are positive punishments and negative punishments. Positive punishments are punishments when you give you dog something, for example giving a tug on the leash or verbal correction. Negative punishments are when you take away something your dog needs or expects such as treats or toys or having the dog be taken away from you.

I am a strong believer that positive punishments should only be used in moderation or not at all, serious injuries to your dog’s safety and health may occur by over using or incorrectly using positive punishment. There is no dog training exercise that cannot be accomplished by using the negative punishment.

For dog safety reasons I will only talk about negative punishments and dog punishments that I would use and are fully safe for your dogs. 9 times out of 10 positive punishments cause your dog to react in a similar way towards other people or the owner. If you are going to use positive punishment it is highly recommended that you consult a professional dog trainer before doing so.

The most popular and some of the best negative punishment are listed below and should be enforced within 10 seconds of the crime being committed to have any affect and avoid confusion

Time out:

Take your dog to a room cut off from other family members and any attention for a short period of time.

Take away toys:

Stop your dog from having any toys for a short period of time.

Ignore your dog:

Totally ignore your dog for a period of time so they get no attention, fuss, or eye contact.

No treats:

Don’t give your dog the treat he would have normally had for good behavior