Dogs Do The Darnedest Things

After reports of numerous dog deaths (with many more unreported cases), countless illnesses and over 50 brands of dog food having been pulled off the shelf due to contamination, the question many nervous dog owners are asking themselves is: should I feed my dog commercial-brand pet food at all?

Given that the source of the deadly toxin found in the pet food is said to be rat poison, and no one is 100% sure, that’s a valid question.

Contrary to popular belief, the pretty pictures of chunks of meat seen on the cans and pouches of pet food are misleading. They are for our benefit, nothing else. There is actually very little (if any) of the pictured ingredients in the average commercial dog food, and you’d be shocked to know what is actually in that can of food. And by the time it’s been cooked at constant high temperatures, and sprayed with preservative agents, the resulting “food” can be very harmful to your dog’s health and well being.

Many health conscious owners and veterinarians are increasingly beginning to support a natural diet of raw food over commercially prepared dog foods. The reason? The pet food industry is largely unregulated. And most manufactured dog foods contain a tremendous amount of grain products (which dogs have a hard time digesting), meat by products and bone meal, are lacking in vitamins and minerals, as well as contain added ingredients such as food coloring, cancer-causing preservatives, and artificial flavors.

There are many excellent dog foods on the market, but it will take some investigation to find them. Your best bet is to look for food that isn’t mass produced. There are many smaller manufacturers that fit the bill. Of course, since most use human grade food, they tend to be a bit more expensive. But isn’t your dog worth it?

If you decide to forgo canned food altogether and prepare your dogs food at home, a great source of protein in addition to meat are eggs (cooked or raw). Be sure to add legumes such as fully cooked lentils or split peas, raw vegetables (vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals for dogs) like carrots, zucchini, squash, lettuce and other salad greens, bell peppers or fresh corn. Any hard vegetable like potatoes, corn, broccoli, etc. needs to be cooked. Ask your veterinarian to recommend vitamin and mineral supplements to add to your recipes.

Even though we’re not hearing much about contaminated dog food anymore, we all need to look at the food we feed our dogs in a very different way from now on. And with the recent contamination news, feeding your dog canned commercial dog food is turning into a scary gamble. But regardless of which route you take (canned or homemade), a thorough inspection of the food your are currently feeding your dog is certainly in order.

Are you one of the 35% of dog owners who is dealing with a barking problem? Find out exactly why do dogs bark and how easy it is to get them to stop here .

Barking is a natural and instinctual thing for your dog to do. In fact, law enforcement agrees that a barking dog is one of the best deterrents for keeping burglars away from your home. It’s just when the barking gets out of control that it becomes a big problem for everyone concerned.

Many dog owners are at a total loss about what to do when their dog is barking excessively and nothing seems to stop it. Some owners totally ignore the barking - hoping that it will stop on its own. That response doesn’t help matters and is actually quite irresponsible. And unfortunately, not addressing the problem only makes things worse.

Because dogs bark for a variety of reasons, finding out the trigger that starts the excessive barking in the first place is the key to solving the problem once and for all. Triggers can include strangers coming to your door, noises outside, boredom, fear or loneliness.

The first step to stopping out of control barking is to find out what your dog’s specific trigger is. You may think you know but until you find out for certain, you can never be sure. You can find out through the process of elimination, or if you have a video camera, set it up to see what is causing the behavior. You may find that for some dogs, it could be several things that start the barking. Once you have determined the reason or reasons, you must find a practical way to eliminate the cause.

Even though there are many mechanical means of training your dog to stop barking today, the more natural methods remain time-tested and are less stressful to your dog. The answer can be as easy as blocking out the noises or giving your dog something to do while you’re away to combat the boredom.

Many people leave their dogs home alone with nothing to occupy its time. Believe it or not, barking is something for a dog to do! Toys, play dates with other dogs, making sure your dog gets enough exercise are all effective ways to overcome boredom and stop excessive barking. Find a way to incorporate these into your dogs daily activities and you’ll be surprised at the positive effect it will have on reducing your pooch’s disruptive barking. To learn how to get your dog to stop barking, click here.