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As dog owners, we are left with the necessary task of finding a way to educate our pet to let him know that chasing cars, and bicycles, however thrilling and pleasing, simply will not be tolerated any longer.

Because we cannot appeal to our pet’s intellect, and share a cup of coffee together as we discuss the problem of car chasing, we must ensure that each and every instance of chasing culminates in a displeasing (and very humiliating) experience for the dog.

Because no two dogs are exactly alike in personality and temperament, neither can there be just a single method to accomplish educational lessons for all dogs. Your dog may respond to just one particular method, and he may get the message quickly. You may have to use a combination of several methods and the schooling may take up to four days because it takes the average dog approximately four to five days to learn the average thing.

An important key is consistency. Consistency here doesn’t mean selecting one method and sticking to it, instead, consistency is desired in that each instance of car chasing must culminate an unpleasant consequence which the dog must be able to relate to his action of chasing the car.

You can’t run out the door, after the fact, or even during the actual chasing, call your dog to you and beat him senseless, and expect them to learn anything. If that type of action resulted in learning, it would simply be his response in your command “come” would result in getting his brains knocked in. The dog must be able to relate the consequences to the act of car chasing, and nothing else!

Tackling this problem will require time, effort, and perhaps some creativity on your part. If you truly love your dog and are concerned for his safety, the safety of others, and your personal liability, you’ll devote the next four to five days to the task of convincing your dog that car chasing always will conclude in an unpleasant consequence.

Day 1

Tie a length of clothesline rope to your dog’s standard slip-chain training collar. About 35 feet of line will do just fine. Allow the dog to drag the line around the yard. Position yourself close to the end of the dragging line to await for your “opportunity”.

Act relaxed, but keep one eye on the dog and the other on the end of that line. Do not give any attention to your dog so when an automobile approaches, watch for the moment he starts his barking charge. You want your dog’s attention focused entirely on the car during that specific moment.

When that moment has arrived, pick up the end of the line and jerk it as hard as you can, giving it everything you’ve got. This jerk should put a shock into your dog as he is stopped in mid-air. Pull the line and when your dog is at your feet, give the animal an abrupt shaking, enough to really give him the message. Verbally shock him as well, with loud, angry words, showing your complete and total displeasure.

The foregoing procedure must be fast accomplished. Remember, the dog must be able to relate this displeasing series of events with his act of chasing the car. If you’re too slow to jerk the line then the dog’s mind will sidetrack to something else. And just as the timing of the pool is important, so is the importance of your verbal assault, ensuring that he knows you are unhappy with his decision to chase the car.

Posted under Pet Safety

According to the canine nutritional experts, a ninety pound adult German Shepherd can require up to seven cans of dog food per day. A sixty pound Collie can require five cans per day. For the average household, this can become an expensive choice.

Dry dog foods, on the other hand, contain only about ten percent moisture - the other sixty five percent having been removed intentionally during the dehydration process. The dog owner is expected to replace the moisture either by providing the dog with ample amounts of water alongside the feeding dish, or by adding it directly to the dry food. Feeding directions on labels of dry dog food are very explicit about this.

The drawback in feeding dry dog food usually has been caused by the dog owner having allowed the family pooch to enjoy table scraps. Eating people-food accomplishes absolutely nothing for Sparky’s nutritional needs, and simply creates the problem of the finicky eater.

Under the mistaken belief that he’s doing the dog a favor, the dog owner is really robbing the animal of nutrients that are rightfully his - taking food right out of his mouth, so to speak.

In the middle of the scale are the “soft-moist” products which contain more moisture content than dry foods, but considerably less than the canned foods. They are the easiest of all three types to prepare, but are far and away the most expensive. Probably, they are economically most suitable for the small dog.

A compromise solution for the family with the finicky eater as well as the family with a limited dog food budget might be a combination of both canned and dry. Mixing two types – each balanced nutritionally – does nothing to upset the interrelationships of the nutrients.

It’s much easier to control the weight of the family dog when this combination is used. Rather than cut down on the volume intake of the obese dog, a decrease in the amount of dry food, with corresponding increase in canned food will accomplish this without having a constantly hungry dog begging for handouts.

On the other hand, increasing the amount of dry food, with a corresponding decrease in canned, may help to bring the weight up on the dog that has a tendency to be skinny.

The diet of today’s pet dog has come quite a long way from the old days of being fed whale blubber, potatoes and cornbread. Now if manufacturers would take just as much interest in human foods… but for now, if your dog’s choice between caviar or a commercially prepared, balanced dog food, he’d be wise to select the dog food. Pound for pound – and dollar for dollar – the dog and his owner would be way ahead.

Posted under Pet Nutrition

Pet food manufacturers have made it quite easy for the average dog owner to feed their pets without having to be an expert nutritionist. All of the work has been done by the modern manufacturer.

Since it isn’t possible for manufacturers to list all of the nutrients and their required percentages as published by the NRC (National Research Council) on their labels, the terms “complete diet”, “nutritionally complete”, “balanced”, and “balanced diet” are used.

This tells the consumer that the product inside the can, bag or box, contains all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats the average dog needs to satisfy his daily requirements.

The nutritional requirement for puppies, however, is somewhat different than that required for adult dogs. The diet of the adult dog is usually referred to as a “maintenance diet” where a puppy diet is referred to as a “growth diet”.

In 1974 a regulation went into effect that required all dog food manufacturers to specify on their labels whether the product is complete and balanced for the adult dog (maintenance), complete and balanced for puppies (growth), or complete and balanced for growth and maintenance both. Since all manufactures comply with this regulation, the only thing left to the consumers is to read the label.

Among the varieties of canned, bagged, or semi-moist dog foods, there are certain drawbacks, as well as advantages. This is true even though they are nutritionally identical if advertised as “complete” and/or “balanced”.

Because canned dog food may contain up to 78% moisture, a dog necessarily has to eat a larger quantity of a canned product to get the same volume of food that he would get if fed a dry product. It takes three pounds of commercially prepared canned dog food to be equivalent to one pound of dry food.

But manufactures do not fill a can two-thirds of the way with water, then top it off with a little dab of dog food. The moisture content inside the can is there by the very nature of the ingredients. For example, when a human buys a thick juicy steak, he’s buying well over fifty percent moisture. The butcher didn’t inject that moisture into the steak with a hypodermic needle.

The moisture content in canned dog food serves a definite and useful purpose, both in processing and in the dog’s digestive system. The drawback to the consumer insofar as canned dog food is concerned, is usually one of economics. It can be very expensive due to the large quantities of canned food most normal to large sized dogs will need to eat to get in their daily caloric and nutritional needs.

Posted under Pet Nutrition

Of the twenty six nutrients needed by dogs, none can be left out of the ration, or added at inadequate levels, if optimum growth and performance are expected.

Because the nutrients interact with each other, they must be included in precise ratios. If a large excess of one nutrient occurs, then the quantities of other nutrients in the ration must be increased accordingly. Otherwise, a deficiency of certain nutrients exists.

This can be a dangerous situation.

A good example of this is the relationship between calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D. All effects are interrelated. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus must be maintained at 1.2 or 1. If additional calcium is added, creating an imbalance, there would be an inefficient assimilation of these minerals.

The result could cause a disease known as rickets.

Considering that vitamin D acts as transportation for calcium, one can begin to see how these three elements are connected. While a deficiency of calcium predisposes to rickets, an excess of calcium will do likewise.

In adult dogs, the condition would be referred to as “paper bones”.

A more common example is an excess of fat in the diet. If fat increased to high levels, then fat will satisfy the energy requirements of the dog before the requirements for other nutrients are met. The result would be a nutritional imbalance. An increase of fat requires a corresponding increase in vitamin B12.

Of particular concern are those professional breeders who attempt to bred over-sized, large boned “super dogs”. Nutritional experts state that certain supplements such as oils, enzymes, and minerals should be used only under a veterinarian’s supervision or recommendation. This is especially true of calcium and cod liver oil (vitamin D), both of which are frequently used by breeders during growth. In excess, they can cause serious problems, particularly with bone development.

In this regard, it should be added that excess vitamin and mineral supplements may be the aggravating cause of heart problems, hip problems, and lower the all-around health of a dog.

With the hip dysplasia problem being so rampant, and no longer confined to just one or two breeds, professional breeders must become more aware of the dangers up upsetting intricate balances with their “home treatments” and super “bone builders” (genetic inheritance notwithstanding).

Drugs have a very definite place in our society. It is the misuse and abuse of drugs that creates a problem. Likewise, vitamin and mineral supplementation has an important place in the dog world, but misuse and abuse creates a dangerous problem.

Posted under Pet Nutrition

Pet food manufacturers are not required to list the NRC requirements (National Research Counsel, which helps reside over pet food regulations) on their labels, but they must – by state and federal regulations – list the ingredients contained in the package, whether it is a can, bag or box.

These ingredients show the consumer – among other things – the source from which the required nutrients were derived.

The twenty six nutrients that are required can be derived from many sources. The manufacturer’s source of protein, for example, may be soybean meal, fish, cottage cheese, yeast or other plant or animal protein.

Since meat does not offer all of the energy that dogs need, and is extremely low in carbohydrates, and carbohydrates supply energy to a dog, some manufacturers will use grains, such as corn and rice, to supply needed carbohydrates.

Liver and brewers yeast are common sources of riboflavin, while niacin can be provided by the inclusion of certain meats, poultry, cereals, and even peanuts and yeast. Wheat germ, egg yolk, fish and whole wheat are sources for vitamin B6, while meat, meat by-products, certain vegetables and cereals supply necessary amounts of pantothenic acid.

When all twenty six nutrients are present in their proper amounts and ratios, it can then be said that the dog food ration is “complete, “balanced”, or “complete and balanced nutritionally”. Nutritional balancing is the responsibility of the manufacturer’s canine nutritionists, technicians, and laboratory scientists.

A sad note in the whole process often occurs when the dog owner finally makes his selection from the grocer’s shelf and takes the product home. He promptly mixes the balanced dog food with table scraps. The manufacturer’s entire research staff of highly paid dietitians and scientists have wasted their time and professional skill as far as that dog and owner are concerned.

By adding to what has already been scientifically prepared, the dog owner upsets the intricate, interrelated balance of nutrients. While many people think they know what is best for their pets, they forget that millions of dollars and thousands of hours of research have went into combining the perfect nutritional balance for your dog, which of course is what pet food manufacturers go by.

This is not to imply that the vitamin and mineral supplementation – if needed – should be ignored. Vitamin and mineral supplements have a very definite and useful place in dog society – just as they do in human society. If it were not for vitamin and mineral supplements, we could have a world full of unhealthy and unsound dogs.

Posted under Pet Nutrition