How Can I Get My Dog to Smell Clean?

Re Post from Real Simple:

Q. How do I keep my dog smelling fresh?
Cindy Mullis
Hampton, Virginia 
 
 A. If repeated trips to the groomer don’t keep the stench away, smelly fur may not be the problem; a medical condition, such as an ear infection, could be the cause. Unlike our straight ear canals, dogs’ L-shaped canals are hard to clean, says Janet Tobiassen, a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Floppy-eared dogs, like cocker spaniels, are even more susceptible to infection than those with pointed ears. Be sure to check these breeds regularly. When you look at your dog’s ears, observe the color. You should see a natural pink pigmentation. If the ears are red or look inflamed, call your veterinarian. 
 
Once a medical issue has been ruled out, turn to the bathtub. Use a gentle soap and a conditioner that is made specifically for your breed. In between washes, use an all-natural dog body spray, such as Lani Body Spray ($15,lanidigyourdog.com). Bonus: The spray doubles as a detangler, so your pet will smell and look fresh, too. ―Ashlyee Hickman 






Read More: http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-magazine/ask-real-simple/how-get-dog-smell-clean-00000000019527/index.html

Giving Treats to your Dog

Treating Your Dog

By Honor Tarpenning, NextDayPets.com Staff

Everybody loves to treat their dog, and we all know dogs love treats. With all the options out there, how does one figure out the best way to treat his or her pooch?

Vet
If your dog has any health issues, including illnesses or obesity, talk to your vet about what treats would be best. Different treats are better-suited to different dogs and different health concerns.

Dog Treats are for Dogs

It is best to avoid people-food all together when it comes to giving your dog treats. There are many human foods that can make your dog very sick. The easiest way to avoid someone giving your pooch a dangerous food is to have a strict “no people food” rule. This is also a big help when it comes to maintaining your dog’s trim waistline. Lean more about Which Foods are Dangerous to Dogs. 

Mind Meal Times

Don’t go heavy on the treats close to meal times. Letting your dog fill up on treats can spoil his appetite. This not only means that he misses out on important nutrients, but it also skips a chance to reiterate discipline and maintain routine.

Multi-Purpose Treats

It is great to take advantage of treat-giving by providing treats that are also beneficial to your dog. Dental treats, like Greenies, are fantastic because they clean your dog’s teeth and freshen his breath. Any biscuit-like, crunchy treats will help to scrape plaque from the teeth for better dental health and fresher breath too.

Fruits & Veggies

Fruits and veggies make great, healthy treats for your pooch. Try sweet potatoes, celery, broccoli, spinach, alfalfa, carrots, zucchini, apples, pears, oranges, and grapefruit.

Count Calories

Remember that treats count toward your dog’s daily calorie count. If you give your dog treats every day, you should subtract from the amount of food he gets each day as well. This is not to say Fido has to skip dinner if you give him a biscuit, but dog owners must remember that treats are a part of his daily food intake, so they should make it count with healthy treats and not too many.

Training Treats

Using treats is a great way to keep your dog interested in training-time. However, as mentioned above, these treats do count towards daily calorie totals.  So, if you are conducting daily training sessions, consider dividing your dog’s food into small portions and using those portions in your training. 

If your dog doesn’t get very excited about his usual kibble, training treats are the best option. Good training treats have a strong scent to entice your dog. They are also small and soft. Small soft treats are easy to eat quickly so your dog’s mind doesn’t have a chance to wander away from the task at hand while he’s busy chewing. 

Make Them Earn It

It is always a good idea to make your dog work for his treats. This way, you can polish his training every time you give him a treat, and you can keep his discipline sharp too.

Read More: http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/articles/treating-your-dog~245.aspx

How to Treat Dogs Insect Bite

Re-Post from Fox News: Dogs Have Same Understanding as Babies, Study Says

A new report in Current Biology highlights that some dogs have the skills of a 6-month-old baby, USA Today reported.

The study’s results “support the notion that dogs are sensitive to the cues of signaling humans’ communicative intent in a way that is analogous to preverbal human infants,” said Jozsef Topel, the study’s author and an associate professor in the Comparative Behavior Research Group at the Institute for Psychological Researches, Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest.

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass.

In the study, 16 dogs watched videos of actresses turning toward a plastic pot.

During the first experiment, one actress stared directly into the dog’s eyes and said in a high-pitched voice, “Hi, dog.”

In a second experiment, the actress said, “Hi, dog,” in a low-pitched voice, but did not make direct eye contact.
The researchers used eye-tracking techniques similar to those used in studying infant behavior to determine the dogs were likelier to follow the human who turned toward the pot when they received eye-to-eye contact.Topal suggested that eye-tracking techniques could also prove useful in studying dogs’ memory skills and reasoning abilities.

“The [dog's] gaze was only triggered when preceded by communicating intent. It does seem to be that dogs do look at humans and follow gestures,” said Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Mass. “This is intuitive to anyone who owns a dog, that dogs seem to be more in tune with us than some scientists believe.”

Adam Goldfarb, director of pet care issues at the Humane Society of the United States, said this is important research since dogs primarily work with people instead of hunting. He urged pet owners to keep up with their “baby-talk voice,” as it is likely to get the dog’s attention.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/06/dogs-have-same-understanding-as-babies-study-says/#ixzz1ivEplQrs

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