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Canine circus: Dog show displays obedience
training for dogs
The Daily Toreador
(subscription), TX - 13 Nov 2007
He said if students get a dog, they need
to make sure to take care of the dog's health and to
teach the dog obedience. "You have to do some training
with ...
Humane society offers dog obedience training
Alexandria Echo Press, MN -
1 Nov 2007
Starting on Tuesday, November 6 at 6 pm, the
Lakes Area Humane Society will be holding beginner dog
obedience training classes. The classes will be held on
...
Animals Lovers Help Form Dangerous Dog Ordinance
WCCO, MN -
10 hours ago
Read more in our Privacy Policy MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)
― Minneapolis is one step closer to tightening restrictions on
dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs. ...
Dozen 'Vick dogs' up for adoption
United Press
International - 13 hours ago
14 (UPI) -- Twelve dogs that belonged
to suspended football star Michael Vick are up for adoption in
Virginia, but the new owners may not know where the ...
12 Dogs From Vick Go to ShelterThe Associated Press
Gran, 81, dies in dog attack
News24, South Africa -
10 hours ago
Bewildered residents and police have been
searching for the killer dogs. Witnesses were unable to
give a complete description of the dogs to police.
...
$4000 fine after dog attack on disabled woman
Stuff.co.nz, New
Zealand - 10 hours ago
By BRUCE HOLLOWAY - Waikato Times |
Thursday, 15 November 2007 A woman has been fined $4000
after a dog attack on a disabled 75-year-old Matangi
woman. ...
Yakima County dog tests positives for West Nile
Seattle Post
Intelligencer - 10 hours ago
The Washington state Department of
Health reports that a dog has tested positive for West Nile
virus in Yakima County. The Yakima Health District says the
...
Your Dog’s Age Will Determine
What Nutrition He Needs
Dogs need different diets at different ages. Perhaps most of
us know that but after reading an article in a popular dog
journal this week, it seems that more people than you would
think actually don’t know this. So please excuse me if this is
obvious to you but I am going to cover very briefly, the major
food requirements at different ages. So, for example, the
puppy needs milk as the major food item while an adult dog may
need beef or chicken in addition to the boiled egg and milk.
So depending on the age factor, the diet schedule varies for
dogs as if does for most other species.
Puppies need greater amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrates
than an adult dogs. Furthermore, puppies need more frequent
feeding schedules in a day, unlike an adult dog. This accounts
for the fact that you will need to feed most puppies a lot
more than a mature adult of the same breed. The puppy’s diet
is designed to reflect the fact that they are more energetic
and the need to nourish their growing bodies, so they need
more calories that an older dog does.
Elderly dogs need a diet with less protein and the protein
they do get needs to be the type that is easily digestible and
easily assimilated in the body. Although a good, clean and
constant supply of water is required for all dogs you might
notice that an elderly dogs seems to need more. Feeding aged
dogs too much protein may overburden their renal (kidneys)
structures and ultimately, the dog may end up damaging filters
in the kidney.
This is true especially when the immune system of the older
dogs is not as effective as it should be. Old age affects the
good functioning of the immune system in dogs just as it does
in humans. Similarly, the elderly dog needs less food only
because the movements of the adult dogs are highly restricted
and hence, they have to spend a limited of energy.
In an older dog you also need to keep a very careful eye on
the content of their diet so as to avoid them putting on too
much extra weight. An overweight dog will put greater strain
on its joints, heart and general health. It may be very
tempting to feed an older dog a lot of treats but its no real
kindness to the dog. When you see them struggling to get
around, breathless and tired you must realize that the extra
weight is not kind to them. If you feel you really must feed
them lots of treats try to find ones lower in fat/calories
that are more beneficial to their health. Any store selling
pet related goods will have a range of treats that suit each
age. You might also change their main food stuffs to those
suitable for the elderly dog. There are many specialist food
ranges available that have the different food and nutrient
contents required for specific ages.
Older dogs also benefit very much from vitamin and mineral
supplements specifically designed for their advancing years.
My own dog’s mobility has been improved by the addition of
various joint compounds to his diet and more general
conditioning supplements. They seem to be giving him more
energy so I will have to try taking some myself!
Female dogs in the pregnancy stage may need to be fed
differently because an overfull stomach may cause discomfort.
So here you might consider the appropriate overall amount of
food for their condition, but divided up into smaller, more
frequent meals. The pregnant animal and the nursing animal
need special type of food items that deliver a balanced type
of nutrition with proper supplementation of vitamins and
minerals.
Again there are specially designed foods that will tell you
how much weight of the food the dog requires to ensure the
correct vitamin, mineral and food content the bitch requires
to nurture her growing pups.
The nursing animal with puppies to feed, will need extra
amounts of calcium that they will pass onto the puppy in their
milk. This calcium will ensure that the puppies grow well and
strong with the correct bone structure and strength. You may
well be able to carry on using the same food you fed her
during her pregnancy but please read the instructions very
carefully. This is a very delicate and important stage for
both her and the pups.
For dogs in their middle years I would still recommend that
you feed them a properly balanced diet rather than food
scraps. I mean no disrespect to those that feed their dogs
from their own scraps but I have often seem such scraps amount
to a meal that the dog may find attractive but which does not
meet his vitamin and mineral needs. A diet not rich in the
essential requirements may not nourish the dog well enough to
carry him through his older years, avoiding serious health
issues. There are so many dog food on the market, at different
costs that there is something available to suit everyone’s
pocket. If you really want to continue feeding scraps then
perhaps consider a separate vitamin and mineral supplement.
In a future edition I will cover feeding puppies in more
detail as I seem to get a lot of questions about this subject.
