Free Dogs and Puppies Information

Your dog is part of your family right? So why not honor that little poodle or Yorkie of yours by giving him a birthday party? OK, so he has no idea that it's his birthday, nor will he figure out the party is for him, but all dog breeds love to have fun so why not have a party that will make him the center of all the attention. You know your dog loves attention, so what better way to get it than a party in his honor?

First things first, where are you going to have the party? You can have it in the house, in the backyard or at a park. But make sure that it's at a place that is dog friendly and somewhere people are going to want to go.

After you have figured out where to hold the party it's time to figure out who to invite. The best thing to do is to invite your friends, relatives and neighbors who all have dogs. Otherwise those without dogs, might think you're a little strange throwing a birthday party for your dog. Pick out the invitations, probably something with dogs on it and send them out to the people you want to invite.

After the invites are out you need to figure out what kind of refreshments you are going to want to have. Generally for your human guest you can pretty much serve them anything. As for the dog guests you need to make sure that everything you serve is dog friendly. So you might want to pick up a few boxes of Milk Bones or other doggie treats. You can also include some carrots and some even with some peanut butter on them. Your dog guests will love you for that treat. Make sure to have plenty of water on hand for your doggie guests as well.

Next find a place that deals with specialty cakes and one that deals with baking special cakes for dogs. They will create adorable cakes that are made with all meat or ingredients that are OK for dogs to eat like carob instead of chocolate and yogurt. Both of which dogs love. So a nice frozen yogurt cake with carob frosting really might go over well for the dog guests in the crowd.

Make sure that you have plenty of dog toys of different varieties for all of the dog guests to play with. However, make sure that none of the toys put out for play time happen to by your dog's favorite toys. It might just be better to go to a local dollar store and pick up some toys there.

Make sure to have some planned activities. Make sure that the activities include both the dogs and their human companions. You can have activities that they can all enjoy together, some just for the dogs and then some for the human guests.

Make sure that everyone invited is asked to make a big deal over the guest of honor and make sure that he gets lots of attention from everyone, remember, this is his day and you need to make him feel special even with all the excitement going on.  

If you are a dog lover and have been considering buying a dachshund to become part of your family, it is probably a good idea if you know a little bit about not only their personalities but also a little bit about their history. Knowing as much about this little guy will help you figure out whether or not he or she will be suitable for you and home.

The dachshund has been one of the most popular dog breeds in our country probably since the 1950's. The cute little guy we know today came from Germany where they call it the Teckel. The breed was developed very slowly over a 100 years or more and was mainly bred for hunting badgers. The German word dachshund literally means badger dog and no matter what the size of the dachshund today they still have that fearless hunter in them.

In fact these little guys are found to be totally fearless and will even fight a dog double or triple it's size. Unlike most hunting dogs that are trained just to retrieve the prey, dachshunds were bred to retrieve and kill. So this is why when you happen to give toy or squeaky toy to them they will attack and “kill” the toy by making sure the squeaker inside is destroyed if possible. This is an important factor that you need to understand about the behavior of these cute little dogs.

Even though these little pets can be wonderful little dogs and can make a wonderful companion for many, they are not always best for everyone. Of course all dogs have their own personalities but some of the traits of the dachshund that are very common for the entire breed. One thing you will notice that because it is inbred for them to hunt you are going to discover that they are extremely stubborn little dogs. This could lead to excessive barking a long with having a problem house breaking problems especially if they don't get good training. So training and good training is a must, especially for a dachshund.

The dachshund may not be the ideal pet for a family with children especially if the children have never been taught how to treat a dog. Because of their hunting instincts they might see the small child as prey and begin chasing them, barking at them maybe even nipping them. This is not done in a vicious manner but just a response to the hunting instinct within them. However; if your child is taught how to behave around them and how to physically handle them so they don't injure them, the relationship could be one of great love and enjoyment.

Because of their great courage, this little breed has no fear, not even of dogs that could swallow them up in one gulp, it is vitally important that if you live in the city that your dachshund is always on a leash, even in a dog park, a dachshund should never be allowed to roam free. Another thing that is mandatory is that the yard that you provide them needs to be secured at all times.

One really cute trait they exhibit is their love for burrowing, they just love going under the bed covers and pillows. They also love to be around other dachshunds, so it is often a good idea that the dog owner have at least two dachshunds so that they can have that companionship they long for. They love curling up together and sleeping with each other and they are very affectionate with each other and their owners. They will always want to snuggle up with you, kiss you a lot and they will insist upon having their tummies rubbed often.

They tend to be over eaters so you really need to be able to control their diet. They will go to any length to get extra food from giving you that cute look at the dinner table to getting into the trash to see if you left anything of interest for their taste buds. It is very important that this little dog is not extremely over weight because it will cause damage to their delicate spine. If you have a lot of patience and love, the affection, silliness and even the stubbornness of this dog could be just what you are looking for. When man and dachshund click there is probably no greater dog or bond that you can experience except with this little German gem.  

If one of your favorite things you like to do is go boating with friends and family and like taking your dog, you should take some time out to make sure that your dog is going to be safe. Not all dog breeds know how to swim so if it's your first time taking your dog out, make sure you know if he knows how, if not, you are going to have to consider teaching him or leaving him behind. However; if he's like a fish to water then by all means don't leave him behind, but make sure that you try and follow these tips to keep you dog safe at all times.

Even if you think that your dog is a good swimmer, you still should consider getting him his own doggie live jacket. You should take his measurements at the wide part of his chest and then measure his length so that you can get him the right size. Just because a dog can swim does not mean he can't drown because they will tire in the water and don't always know how to swim to safety.

Even though you might have a life jacket for your dog it's still important that you watch your dog closely while you are on the boat. You might not be paying attention and he might see something that attracts his attention and jump out without you knowing it and he might get lost, hurt or even drown.

If you are onshore somewhere and your dog loves playing fetch or other fun games with you, make sure that he doesn't get overheated. The way to gauge it is if you are hot and sweaty you can pretty much bet that your dog is going to be as well, so make sure to stop and let both you and your dog cool down. Your dog doesn't know when he should stop but you do, so be responsible.

The water you might have your boat on might be great for swimming and water skiing but ask yourself if you would drink it. If the answer is no, then why would you let your dog drink it? Because they will if you don't watch them. Especially look out for pools of standing water, you especially do not want your dog drinking from this kind of water. Bring plenty of fresh water a long for both you and your dog.

When you are on the beaches or areas of shoreline, make sure that you keep a watch for really sharp rocks, broken glass, extremely hot sand, unknown liquids, fishing tackle and other objects that might be harmful to your dog. You also want to make sure that wherever you stop to get off the boat to explore to make sure that there are trees so that you and your dog can get some shade.

Note: If you seriously love your dog then it should be common sense about protection. You should treat your dog no different than you would a curious and fun loving child.  

One of the most important things you want to do for your little Chihuahua, Bull Dog, Labrador or other precious breed of dog is to keep him healthy. His teeth should be part of that. So the best way to ensure that your dog has healthy teeth is to brush them for him. If you don't do this, your dog may end up with gum disease and lose his teeth and may even be fatal. But how do you do it properly?

By not brushing your dogs teeth, just like humans there is going to be a build up of tartar and plaque and this is what will cause the damage to both his gums and his teeth. Not only could his teeth rot out but it could turn into periodontal disease which will eventually affect his entire body from his blood stream to other major organs like his heart and even his kidneys.

First thing to do is to find an old toothbrush that no one is using so that you can use it just for your dog for the sole purpose of cleaning his teeth. Make sure that you take this old brush and make sure that you clean it really good before using it on his teeth.

After you have washed off the brush it's a good idea for you to allow your dog to go ahead and smell the brush and let him lick it if he wants to before you decide to brush his teeth. This way he will get a sense for it and discover that it's nothing for him to be afraid of. Go ahead and let him put it in his mouth on his own and let him chew on it a little bit too if he wants to. All of this lets him see there is nothing about the brush that can harm him.

Once it's in his mouth go ahead and start slowly moving the brush around his mouth and on his teeth gently so that he gets use to the idea of you putting this thing in his mouth whenever you want to take care of his teeth.

After this you should make sure to lay your dog down on the floor and make sure his head is lying flat on the floor. You can either use special dog toothpaste or nothing at all to brush his teeth. Never use human toothpaste to brush your dogs teeth. If you don't have toothpaste don't worry about. Just brushing will help to get a lot of the plaque and tartar off.

Next you will pull their lip up if you have to and start brushing his teeth very slowly. You should begin at one side and then go to the front of the teeth and then move over to the other side of his mouth. Do this a couple of times and you are done. You should probably do this at least once a day.

Another thing you can do to try and help your dog to have healthy teeth is to get some good doggie treats that are good for their teeth. There are a lot of different dog treats that are specially made to help clean the teeth of your dog. They are not only good for the teeth but your dog is going to love them and it will make brushing his teeth a lot easier.  

If you are a dog owner, you already know how important it is to exercise your dog. Especially if it's one of the dog breeds that has a tendency to put on weight quickly without exercise. You also know as a dog owner that your dog probably tends to get a little overweight during the winter months. They also may start to exhibit behavior problems during the winter months as well. So you really shouldn't let the cold weather stop you from giving your dog his much needed exercise.

So, you need to prepare yourself for the cold and give in, besides it's good for you as well. Make sure that you dress according to the weather outside. If you are properly dressed and protected from the elements it's going to make the exercise routine with your dog a lot more bearable and fun.

You need to also make sure that your dog is warmly dressed too. There are some dogs such as German Shepherds and Huskies that do well in the cold weather and actually love it but this is not the case for a lot of dog breeds. Dogs that definitely have to have some sort of dog clothing on in extremely cold weather would be Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Yorkies and yes, even Pit Bulls. All these dogs and many others should have some sort of dog sweater or coat on. Some places where there is a lot of snow you should probably invest in some dog booties to keep their feet protected from the salt and or chemicals they use to melt your ice on your sidewalks and streets.

How long you go out for your exercise will also depend upon how big or small your dog is. Those dogs that are naturally suited for the cold weather can actually spend hours and hours outside without ever even noticing the cold. Something that probably you can't even do. Then there are some smaller dogs and younger ones that simply do not and cannot handle the cold at all. So their exercise times should be kept very short, especially compared to those who can tolerate it well. No matter what kind of dog you have however; make sure you keep an eye on him and look for any signs of discomfort.

If you know that your dog simply cannot handle the cold weather then it's probably a good idea that you check into a local dog daycare center. These places are wonderful for those cold months. They will allow your dog the opportunity to get plenty of physical exercise as well as mental exercise by socializing with other dogs.

If you do decide to exercise your dog outside during the winter months it's important to remember that you should not over exert you or your dog and you need to slowly increase the amount of time that you spend outside, don't rush into it. And always make sure to keep a close eye on your dog for any signs of distress caused from the cold weather.  

We all know that puppies are adorable. No matter what dog breed they might be, they are simply adorable just like their human counterparts. However, in order for you to be able to train your new puppy correctly you really should understand the behavior of your puppy. The first thing you need to realize is that some of his personality has already been developed from the beginning by living with his mother and the litter in which he was born into. Often your puppy will reflect how his mother acted when he lived with her. For instance if the mother happened to be afraid of people, you will probably have a puppy that is somewhat shy when you bring him home.

You need to know what normal behavior is as compared to what may not be considered normal. For instance some normal behavior might be his way of communicating which will be through barking, whining, nipping or lightly biting and his body language. When your puppy lightly bites you he is not being bad, this is just something he learned while he was in his litter. Some other common things you should be aware of is jumping when he's excited, chewing because of teething, awake at night like an infant, going pee a lot and mouthing or sucking on things and people. All of these are normal things that all puppies do.

There are though things that some people mistake as normal puppy behavior and they in fact are not. And if you mistake them as normal there could be major problems when he grows up. If your puppy bites hard, this is not normal, if he is excessively shy, not normal, overly aggressive or growls excessively, these are not normal behaviors. If he barks for no reason and won't stop, not normal. A couple of other things that are not normal and that's if he's over possessive and clings to you all the time. These things should be brought to the attention of your vet to see what can be done about this kind of behavior.

Generally a puppy is brought home between the weeks of 5 and 12 and this is probably going to be the most important part of their young lives. This is when your puppy will need to begin his socialization. This is when he needs to be exposed to all kinds of people and other animals especially other dogs. This is important because your puppy needs to learn about his new world. Once he is around 3 to 6 months is when he needs to be taught about where his place is in your family or pack. This is the time in which you must let him know that you are the dominant person in the pack. This is also the time of his life where he'll be chewing on everything because he is teething, so as the leader of the pack, you will need to help him learn to chew on just the things that you allow him to chew on.

You will begin to realize by the time your puppy gets to be anywhere from 6 to 18 months that he is going to try and challenge you and the spot that he has in the pack. This will be when he seems to try to get into all kinds of trouble and won't listen to you. This is normal behavior, but it is also the time when you need to reestablish your position as the leader so that he does not become the dominant one in the family.  

Does your loveable little Chihuahua seem to have a scalp condition that appears to look a lot like dandruff? Well, that could be because that's exactly what he's got. Otherwise known as seborrheic dermatitis, this condition is because your dog has dry skin, his pores are clogged or it could be something far more serious. Below is a natural way to help get rid of this condition.

First thing you should do though is figure out what is causing your dog's dandruff. Remember, a little bit of it is simply normal so it should be nothing to be too concerned about. But, if your poor Chihuahua seems to have extra red skin, is raw in some spots or crusty looking then this could be more serious and could be an allergy or even a skin infection. Something like this you need to seek help from your vet. It may be something that will need to be treated with antibiotics, so be alert to this and take him to the vet.

If you have determined that it is simply dandruff then you should take some doggie shampoos and bathe your dog. Something that contains oatmeal is good because it will help to stop the itching that the dry skin will cause and it will also smooth the dry skin as well. Make sure that the shampoo does not have any heavy perfumes or dyes in it because this is defeating the purpose because these things can cause irritations to the skin.

When bathing your dog make sure to use lukewarm water and not hot water and to add just a small amount of your shampoo on your dog. Once you put the shampoo on him gently massage and rub it into his coat. Once you have lathered it up you can then rinse him with warm water and dry him off with a towel. Drying him with the towel is going to help loosen up more of the dead skin cells and will help stimulate new cells for your dog.

After you have given him a bath you can increase the benefits of the bath by giving him an apple cider vinegar rinse. Take some apple cider vinegar and dilute it with water and pour over your dog. This is going to remove more dandruff from your little guys coat. You simply put one part vinegar with one part water and mix before pouring over him. Make sure that you rub the mixture into his skin after you pour it on him. Once you have done this make sure to rinse him really good so you can get rid of the smell the vinegar leaves behind. You really don't want your little pooch running around smelling like vinegar the rest of the day.

Make sure not to bathe your dog too much, this too can cause dandruff because too much bathing is going to take away a lot of his natural oils that help keep his skin clean. However, do make sure to brush him on a regular basis like every other day. This is going to help to stimulate the blood flow which in turn is going to help keep his skin healthy.  

The Cocker Spaniel is not only adorable but is also a very popular dog breed in the United States and other countries around the world. If you happen to own one, you know just how wonderful a family member he is. This is a loveable breed that has lots of energy and is extremely enthusiastic. You also know that they require lots of walks in order for them to fulfill their energy requirements. You also know that they are very easy to train since they simply don't have the temperament to want to disobey their human companions. If you haven't had your Cocker Spaniel for long however, you probably might need a little help on how to keep him groomed.

To begin with, you should know that he will need to general grooming about once a week and will need a full grooming probably every six to eight weeks. To groom your dog you will need some electric clippers in order to groom his back end, especially if he's a house dog. If he's a show dog you don't want to trim his back hairs though.

It's probably a good idea if you get some training either by taking a class or finding the info online to learn how to brush your dog's top and bottom coats if you have never done this before. You should take a slicker brush a long with a steel comb to brush out his coat. It's important that you brush the undercoat all the way through. You do this by lifting up his topcoat and you'll be able to see the undercoat that needs to be brushed.

Before you give you dog a bath you will need to make sure that you get rid of all the hair that is shedding and if there are any mats you should cut those off as well. Because they have double coats they do have a tendency to get mats easily. It's important to cut them off before the bath because the mat will only get worse when you go to wash him.

You should give him a bath as needed and you can even use dry shampoo if you don't want to always do the wet baths. Just make sure that whatever shampoo you use has a lot of protein in it. You should also make sure that you have a cream rinse to put on your dog so that the coat will have a lot of sheen to it.

Make sure to include looking inside your dog's ears to check for infections or anything they may have gotten from outside, especially grass seeds. Your Cocker Spaniel is extremely susceptible to ear infections, especially during the warmer months of summer. So it's important that you check their ears all of the time. Also make sure to constantly look for burrs and ticks that might get in their ears as well. These things can cause your poor baby to go deaf if not caught.  

You might notice your German Shepherd scratching a lot during the colder months of the year. Just like people, all dog breeds can develop dry skin due to the colder weather. With a dog it might appear like dandruff where it is dry and flaky. There are ways that you can help your dog by treating against the cold and making it a lot more comfortable for your loving companion.

The first thing you need to do is to find out what the dry skin is from. Make sure that he has no parasites or any kind of skin infection or food allergies. So the best thing to do is take him to the vet to rule out any problems in which would need the assistance of a vet in order to get rid of the problem that your dog is experiencing.

It's important that you do your best to try and avoid giving your dog a bath or shampoo during the colder months of winter. It's bad enough to deal with the cold of winter but by washing them you are further drying out their skin by stripping away their natural oils during the bathing process. If you must give your dog a bath it's important that you do not give him a bath any more than once a month.

It's a good idea for both you and your dog if you try to keep the inside of your home as humid as you can. Remember that winter air takes away the moisture in your skin and your dogs and it will dry out just like yours so it's good to try and use humidifiers in your home to help with the dryness that forced heating systems can cause during the times you are running them. By the way, adding a humidifier to your home will also help your entire heating system to work more efficiently as well. So there is a duo purpose and benefit for running a humidifier.

Even if you think it's a stupid thing to do, you might want to consider buying your dog a sweater or a dog jacket. This is an important thing to do for your dog when you want to take them outside for a walk during the winter. Not only does it give them some extra warmth but it also will help to keep the cold from drying out their skin.

You can also add a supplement to their meals that will help to keep their skin moist and their coat in good condition. You just simply add it to their meals and they will never know the difference but their skin will thank you for it.

Another thing you can do is to add some olive oil to your dogs daily meal. This is good for very dry skin on a dog. You can soak a piece of bread with the oil and just give the bread to your dog as a snack or treat or simply pour a little bit over their daily meal. This is a wonderful way to help get rid of their dry and flaky skin and they will enjoy eating it as well.  

For most of us, we cannot afford to stay home with our dog 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's just impossible and we can't take them everywhere we go either. All dog breeds can suffer what some call separation anxiety but the bottom line is that most of the time they are just simply bored to tears. You can figure out whether it's boredom or anxiety. For instance, if your dog is the kind of dog that is glued to you from the moment you are with him and even into the night and has to sleep with you and becomes destructive within the first few minutes you are gone, then it probably is separation anxiety. If you have a video camera you can figure this out right away. However; if that's not the case then more than likely your dog is bored.

Signs of separation anxiety could be any or all of these symptoms:

Your dog chews on different things but those things happen to be things that have your smell on them like clothes or a chair you sit in all the time. The dog is found sitting close to those things they chewed that has your smell. Your dog decides to go to the bathroom in many different places in the home. You find out that your dog barks all the time while you are gone, not off and on but constantly. Your dog will show these behaviors every single time you leave for no matter how long or short of a time you are gone.

Other things to look for is if your dog goes absolutely nuts over you when you get home but is still stressed out and won't leave you a lone even after you've been home for a while. If the dog doesn't seem guilty about the things they may have chewed up. Another clue is that your dog begins getting really nervous and upset when he sees you getting ready to go somewhere.

Some things that you can do to help your poor dog would be:

When you are getting ready to go and when you get back keep it boring and really low key. Make sure not to make a huge fuss over saying goodbye or hello to your dog. Simply treat it casually and always be really happy and upbeat.

It is important that all interactions that you have with your dog is always on your terms and not on his terms. Make sure that you give him attention, give him treats or take time out to play with him only when you want to and not when he wants to. He needs to know who is in charge.

Another thing you should consider doing is to give your dog some extra exercise. If you tire your dog out he's not only going to be happy but he's going to be a better dog and more than likely will sleep most of the day if you get him tired enough the night before. This exercise is not just physical, you need to exercise your dogs mind as well to completely tire him out.

Make sure that you don't draw a lot of attention to those forbidden thing before you plan on leaving the house. So this means, don't be going around straightening things up or point out to your dog what items you don't want him to be chewing on. This might be misinterpreted as the things that you want him to pay more attention to.

If nothing seems to work, you may have to consider putting him in a crate while you are gone. Some dogs actually feel safer and are more comfortable when they are confined in a smaller area when they are left alone. If you don't like that idea you can always try keeping your dog in one room and then leave some music on for him and some clothing that has your smell that really isn't that important to you but will be immensely important to him.