Wednesday 30 March 2011

Happy Customer Doggles Eyewear

"Hi there

I recently ordered some doggles to be sent to Thailand for my dad's Pomeranian cross and thought you might like to see a couple of photographs of her wearing them whilst in her usual seat on his scooter.

Best regards

Lisa"


 



Monday 28 March 2011

Dog Leg Pain


Symptoms of Dog Leg Pain

If your dog is limping, it’s a sure bet that he’s having dog leg pain or foot pain. But there are other signs as well. He may not be as active as usual. He may be reluctant to play, to climb stairs, or to jump on or off furniture. He may lick the sore leg a lot - maybe so much that he is losing hair in the spot that hurts. Also, if you touch the spot, he say cry out, or he may snap at you.Obviously, if your dog shows signs of leg pain, you should take him to the vet.

Diagnosing Dog Leg Pain

Dog leg pain can be caused by a lot of different things. It can be caused by injury to the leg, arthritis, hip dysplasia, and a host of other things.If you take your dog to the vet for leg pain, your vet will give him a thorough physical exam. This will involve moving the sore leg (your dog won’t like this part, and may have to be muzzled if he’s likely to snap at the vet) and watching how your dog walks. Your vet will be interested to see if your dog has pain in just one leg or in more than one leg, such as both back legs (which might indicate dip dysplasia) or in all legs (which might indicate arthritis). Your vet may take some x-rays as well.

Treating Dog Leg Pain

Obviously the treatment for dog leg pain will depend on the cause. For instance, hip dysplasia may require surgery. If your dog has broken his leg due to trauma, the leg must be set, and surgery might be required as well.But regardless of the cause, the pain itself must be treated. There are a number of dog pain medications available to treat pain in dogs, and the most commonly prescribed are called NSAIDS, which is an abbreviation for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and a number of prescription drugs.
If NSAIDS don’t do the trick, stronger medications can be prescribed, so be sure to let your vet know if your dog continues to display signs of pain.
DO NOT give your dog any over the counter medications made for humans without the advice of a veterinarian. Drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil) can be very dangerous in low doses.

Advice on Dog Skin Care & Skin Diseases


An animal’s hair frequently undergoes changes with domestication and it is doubtful that this is the case with any species more than it is with dogs. Even sheep don’t show the spread dogs do. Wolves have pretty much the same kind of coat all over the world where they have been found. Very northern races or subspecies have a heavier winter coat than a form from the Sinai Peninsula, but not that different. A wolf’s coat protects it from heat just as it does from cold, and just about all wolves, perhaps all, in fact, have winter and summer versions of their natural coat.
Under the loving care of man dogs now have virtually no coat (the Chinese crested dog and the Mexican hairless), weird corded coats that the dogs develop naturally at about the age of two (the puli and the komondor), thick double coats like all of the northern spitz types – the sled dogs – and hard, fine, single coats like the pointer and the greyhound.
They can have hard wiry coats like most of the terriers, or soft, woolly coats like the soft-coated wheaten terrier. One breed, the dachshund, can come in three coat types: short, long and wire. The fox terriers, the chihuahua, affenpinscher and collie, also come in two, and so it goes.

Dog Skin and Care in Breeds

Poodles have no natural maximum coat length. Their hair will grow as long as they live. They are potential hippies. The only thing that spares them that fate is our ego-inspired attentiveness. Read any book of standards. Coat types vary enormously.
When thinking about variations that have been brought about in dogs keep in mind that we generally encounter relatively few breeds in the United States. The American Kennel Club currently recognizes 135 breeds for show purposes. There are at least three hundred more breeds that the AKC has yet to acknowledge.
It is not that the dogs are being kept out of the hallowed halls by some arcane exclusionary plot, but rather that there has been too little interest in them to establish studbooks and successful breeding programs here. Potentially all could be given AKC recognition in the future. All three hundred or so “exotic” breeds are recognized by kennel clubs in other countries, some as close by as Mexico and Canada.

Changes in Dog Skin and Coat

Skin often undergoes changes in the process of domestication. Lots of flaps and folds are juvenile characteristics in wolves that many dogs retain throughout life. Again, our sense of aesthetics and our need for eternal babies in our pets can be seen at work. Since pet keeping undoubtedly had a great deal to do with our ever taking wolves into our lives and turning them into dogs in the first place, that is all fine and natural.
Dog Health and Grooming Products Available Online @ ScruffMacDuff.co.uk:




Thursday 17 March 2011

How to Run With Your Dog







Check with your veterinarian before starting your dog on an exercise program. Make sure running is the right kind of exercise for your dog.



  • Warm up your dog. Put the animal through a few sprints to loosen up her muscles and get her heart pumping. Dogs may show signs of stiff-ness after the initial run, just like humans.

  • Build up slowly, and watch for signs of fatigue. If your dog lies down during a workout, end the session.

  • Keep water on hand before, during and after a workout.

  • Watch the running surface. If your dog is not accustomed to running on pavement, build up gradually.

  • www.scruffmacduff.co.uk



    How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth

    Training Your Dog to Use a Dog Bed




    If you start right out teaching your dog to sleep in her bed while she is still a puppy, you won't have any problems when she grows older. However, this article will work equally as well for those of you who have older dogs, and are facing first-time dog bed training issues as well.

    Understanding the Natural Denning Instinct

    As with any dog training exercise, results are gained more quickly if you work with a dog's natural instinct rather than against it. Wild dogs will always try to find a sleeping den that is safe, warm, and dry. When puppies are born in the wild, the mother always seeks out a safe and cozy den for the birthing. She teaches them to keep the den clean by correcting them if they use it for a bathroom. Understanding that domestic dogs have these same instincts will help make the dog training process go more smoothly.

    Selecting a Location

    The dog bed should be placed in an area that is safe, warm, and dry. Try to keep it away from common areas where there may be loud noises and constant interruptions. Keep the bed away from drafty areas or areas that receive direct airflow from your home's heating or cooling vents. It is OK to place the bed in the same area where your dog eats as long as that area meets the conditions that I just outlined.

    Pre-Conditioning the Bed

    The dog's sense of smell is an all-powerful motivator. She uses it to detect food, danger, friend and foe. The most important use, as far as bed training is concerned, is that she uses it to detect the "Alpha Male" or "Alpha Female" in her "pack". Since her pack is your family, and the alpha male or female is the family member who the dog thinks of as the "boss", your sent means a lot to her. She knows that you represent food, protection, fun, and love. As a result, your scent is soothing to her. You can take advantage of that by placing your scent on the bed before your dog uses it for the first time. Here's how:
    Remove the bedding and rub it up against your skin. The goal here is to transfer your odor to the fabric. If you're a bit hot and sweaty, so much the better. Don't be afraid to really rub your scent into the fabric, your dog is going to derive great comfort from the scent. Next, rub your hands along any railings or non-fabric pieces that make up the bed. Again your goal is to transfer your scent.
    Once you have permeated the bed with your scent, allow other family members to do the same. Your dog's nose is keen enough to pick out each of the individual scents and will immediately recognize that this new object "belongs" here and that all of the members of her pack have visited it.

    Leading Your Dog to the Dog Bed

    Once you have pre-conditioned the bed, take a few of your dog's favorite toys and place them into the bed. Call your dog to the bed and point to the toys and get her interested in sniffing around the toys and bed. Pat your hand and try to get her to hop into the bed. If she won't then pick her up and gently place her into the bed. She does not have to lie down yet. Your goal here is just to get her interested in the scents and to add her own scent to the mixture.
    Once she is in the bed, praise her with "Good dog" or whatever your usual praising terms are. Touch and rub the bed and bedding while you pet her, or rub her head, or scratch her behind the ears. Your goal in this step is to have her associate the bed with love and pleasure.
    As you continue to praise and pet, have her lie down in the bed. Continue to praise and pet so she will be relaxed and unafraid. Lie down on the floor next to her and continue to praise and pet. Keep this up for a few minutes and then gradually walk away. She may stay or she may hop out. Either way is no problem.

    Bed Time

    When your dog appears to be ready to lie down for the night call her to the bed and repeat all of the steps above. make sure that her favorite toys or blanket are in the bed. Lie down with her, if possible, until she falls asleep. If she refuses to sleep in the bed at first, do not discipline her. Take your time and repeat the procedure every day until she gets the hang of it. It could take up to a week, or more, for her to start thinking of her new dog bed as her own cozy den.

    Monday 7 March 2011

    Tuffy's Junior

    Here we have one very happy customer, called Narissa, with her Tuffy’s Junior Boomerang. The owner, David, says he has to make sure it doesn’t get misplaced, as Narissa will turn over everything with her nose until she finds it.





    Friday 4 March 2011

    How to Walk your dog

    Walking a dog is a daily task. It is super fun for you and your dog and is a way to keep your dog healthy. It should also bring you and your special friend closer. Here's step by step ways to walk your dog!

    1)
    You'll need a dog leash and collar You can get those at your nearest pet shop, or you can order it online. Make sure the collar fits the dog ,and it should be no tighter than when you put two fingers in it, however it not be too loose, either. Commonly, a leash will be 6 feet, which is the industry standard.. This should be okay for most dogs and dog owners, and there should be no need to buy a longer leash. If you are purchasing a retractable leash, make sure your dog is obedient enough to walk on a standard leash.

    2)
    Attach the collar to your dog, then put the leash on the collar's D-ring. If you have a standard leash, make sure you hold it correctly. Place your hand through the hole as if it is a bracelet, and then grip the leash. Also, if your dog has a tendency to pull, you may want a harness, which can be purchased at pet shops or online. A harness is beneficial because it does not choke your dog, and allows the pulling weight to be distributed across his chest and shoulders.

    3) 
    At first when your dog/puppy is first learning how to be on a leash, be very kind and supportive. If the dog doesn't know what to do, show it. To do that, show the dog that you're going to take it slow at first; Let the dog lead you first. After a while, you can lead the dog instead.

    4)
    "Talk" to your dog. Always praise your dog for just walking with you and doing their business.

    5)
    Take your dog out to a fun place! A park, a lake, a pet store etc. Don't walk your dog to the vets or on the next walk, it might be scared or upset.

    6)
    Walk with an even pace. Not too slow or too fast.

    7)
    Keep the dog's attention If the dog gets distracted, make a noise that will bring the dog back to you.

    8)
    Don't let the dog leave your side If the dog gets in front of you, stop moving completely and wait for the dog to stop too.

    9)
    Walk to the dog's side while it's still not moving and start walking together beside each other.

    10)
    Have fun! Walking is one of the joys of having a dog; you have some relaxation time, your dog can socialize, and if you see your friends; have a little chat.

    11)
    Make sure that if your dog decides to do its buisness on the walk, that you pick it up! It is an offence not to pick up your dogs mess. You can buy handy little bags from a pet store especially for picking up dog poop, or recycle your plastic grocery bags and use them as doggy-doo bags. Always remember to place your hand inside the bag so your hand never makes contact with the doggy-doo.

    12)
    At the end of the walk, praise your dog and give him a treat once you arrive back home. It is easy to carry a small, light over-the-shoulder purse with many bags for your dog-doo cleanup, small treats, and water bottles (one for you, and one for your dog). They make special water bottles dogs that you can purchase at a pet store, or online.


    Article by: http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-a-Dog