Dog Nutrition - The Powerful Role Of Water In Your Dog’s Health
Your dog’s body is made up of 70% water. He can live even if he loses all the fat and half of the protein in his body. However, he will die if his body loses even just 1/10 of his water.
In order to survive, a full-grown dog requires, at the very least, two milliliters (mls) of water for every pound he weighs every single day (keeping in mind that there are 30 milliliters of water per 1 ounce). The two milliliters are just enough for the dog to produce urine in his body. Without enough water necessary for urine production, your dog, any dog, will not be able to live.
When given an unlimited amount of water, your dog will drink much more than the required two millimeters. This is especially true when you always keep a fresh bowl of water. Giving your dog just the least amount of water every day may be enough for him to survive, but not for long. Deficiency in water harms the body and gradually terminates its functions. He will eventually turn weak, get sick, and die.
The importance of giving your dog more water than the least amount needed is used in several ways:
1. Water is used to help digest and absorb nutrients.
2. It is used to burn fuel, which is turned into energy.
3. Water is responsible for maintaining a normal body temperature.
4. Drinking enough water replaces the fluids that are lost in the body during secretions.
5. Water is also responsible for mixing different types of chemicals in the body as they dissolve and transform into different chemical reactions.
6. Water carries nutrients to the cells and also transfers toxic waste products from the cells to the organs for proper elimination. With the absence of water, these organs will not be able to get rid of toxins from the body.
7. Last but not least, water is needed to regulate the blood’s acid level.
As you can see, water is almost always required for every function that takes place in the dog’s body. And because of its versatility and the degree to which it is used, water is considered to be the most important nutrient that is required on all breeds of dogs. There are pet supplies that aid in giving your dog the right amount of water. Consider an Automatic Pet Waterer for indoor pets and a WaterDog for dogs that spend a lot of time outside.
Dog Crates – Why Using A Crate Is An Invaluable Dog Training Tool
Dog Crates – Why Using A Crate Is An Invaluable Dog Training Tool
Having the right dog crate when you start raising a new puppy is essential for various reasons. Some puppies do not yet know how to cope with large open spaces since they are new to the home and a perfect size dog crate can help calm him down. Dog crates are also a fantastic way to easily housebreak a puppy. All in all, a good dog crate is an invaluable dog training tool regardless of what type of puppy you have.
Dog crates are also a perfect solution to puppies that become overexcited. All you have to do is put your puppy inside the crate in order to help him relax. If your dog has to be left in the house unattended for a few hours, then having a crate is a stress-free way for you to be gone from the house and not worry about your puppy getting into trouble around the home or soiling the carpet.
Dog crates are also a great way to feed your puppy in case he becomes easily distracted. Simply put his food bowl inside and off he goes in an enclosed area where he can focus on eating his meal.
And here are a few more tips when it comes to using a dog crate:
1. Make sure that you get the appropriate size crate based on your dog’s height and width. This is especially important if you are housebreaking your puppy with a dog crate. If the box is too large then your puppy may use the bathroom on one side, but keep sleeping on the other side, which defeats the purpose of crate training in terms of potty training.
2. If you have a fast-growing puppy, then consider buying a large crate that is meant for an adult dog but that has a divider built into it. This way you can divide the crate in half so that your puppy will be able to lie down comfortably and still be able to turn around if needed. A divided dog crate can also be used for your larger puppies by removing the division bracket.
3. One last aspect of using a dog crate that you should consider is the type of bedding that you place on the floor. Some dog owners have noticed that their puppies still use the bathroom inside even though the crate is the appropriate size for potty training. In most instances it turns out that the bedding that they laid down was a little too thick and had a tendency to induce urination in dogs. Instead, try to lay down less comfortable bedding that your dog does not consider to be used for urination, like newspaper for example.
Dog Training
How does one sum up dog training in a single blog post? One doesn’t.
Dog training will be an ongoing blog topic. I will start with house training and three principles that are a must… scheduling, consistency, and praise and reward. You have to schedule the potty breaks, consistently hold your dog to that schedule, and reward your dog for using the bathroom outside.
In house training, you also need a plan of action before you bring the dog home. What areas of the house are off limits? Is the dog going to be crate trained? You develop the plan so that you can be consistent from day one.
This is a brief introduction. We will go more in depth in the coming weeks. I have professional working on some resources for that I am going to share as we move forward.
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