Blog - Page 3 of 6 - Professional Dog Handlers articles and more

Dog Pregnancy Issues

When you are breeding a dog there are pregnancy issues that can come up. You will know if the dog needs help because there will be a number of warning signs. Much like humans, the canine mother needs to keep up with her nutrition. You should feed the expectant mother a high quality puppy food. This will give them the protein she needs. This is a very crucial element in the pregnancy. If for some reason you discover your dog is not eating or drinking it, is time to go to the vet. Improper nutrition may be an indication of a serious problem. However, if your dog is getting proper nutrition there still could be other problems.

Know What to Look For

Of course as with the human mother, the dog should be checked for any bleeding. If your dog is bleeding see the vet right away. He will check to see whether or not she has a uterine infection. This is nothing to fool around with. It could end up bei…

When Things Go Wrong

Both in humans and animals, we have gotten to a point of confidence in successful pregnancies that just assumes happy endings. I guess that high success rate makes dealing with situations when things go wrong all the harder. All in all, we've had a pretty good history of breeding dogs. Recently we lost our first full litter including the mother. Everything went much like every other pregnancy. Then for some reason that we don't fully understand, we lost the mother. Things went down hill from there.

It Takes a Village

While you might find that breeding dogs is a solitary effort, it's time's like these that you find out you are part of a community. We had two other kennels provide substitute mothers, and even more people offered assistance. Despite everyone's best efforts, it didn't work. More than a few experts had their hand in this rescue operation. It just wasn't meant to be.

Sooner or la…

Westminster Dog Show

As a dog breeder, aside from the love of the breed, there is the prestige of being recognized for producing dogs closest to the breed standard. Nothing says prestige quite like the Westminster Dog Show. As it says on the brochure "There's only one."

Tomorrow kicks off the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Be sure to watch it on USA network. For us it means packing up the van around 4AM and heading for New York. Breeders from around the country are making this annual pilgrimage as we speak. If you happen to be in New York City and see people carrying around a bunch of gold a purple paperwork, they are there for the dog show.

It's not all on TV

What you see on TV is really just the tip of the iceberg for this show. There's a lot going on behind the scenes and it's also what's known as a "benched show". At most dog shows, dogs and their owners come and go. At benched shows, dogs are required to…

Canine Dental Care

Dogs are man's best friend. Most people treat their dogs as if they are literally part of their families and see them like humans. Because dogs are like family to most, it is also best that we all know how to take good care of them like human beings.

Like humans, dogs also have a health to maintain and as responsible dog owners, it is part of your duties and responsibilities to keep them healthy and well. Specifically, you have to know how to promote canine dental care to your dog. There can be lots of reasons why health teeth must be maintained to your dogs, however, above all these reasons; the main thing is because you love them so much that you don't want to see them suffer from any complications brought by different dental diseases.

Vets not Dentists

Canine dental care can be a lot like human dental care too, the difference is that instead of going to the dentist, dogs must be sent to veterinarians for consultation. It is always wise to go first …

Clipping Your Dog’s Nails

Just like in human beings, clipping dog's nails is part of his personal hygiene. While some dogs have short nails because of frequent wear (by rubbing against concrete floors when they are walking or by digging in your backyard), some dogs do not get the chance to maintain these nails because of infrequent contact with hard and rough surfaces. This is especially true with little dogs, such as Chihuahuas, mini pinschers, or dachshunds. Toy dogs that are usually kept inside the house and made to play on carpeted floors or soft beds need their nails to be cleaned and maintained by their humans.

Before you get your doggie nail clippers and set your dog up for a pedicure session, here are a few things that you should know about grooming your dog's nails.

The importance of clipping dog's nails

Both you and your dog could feel uncomfortable in grooming their nails, but it needs to be done. Allowing your dog's nails to grow too long will make it curl back in…

Exercising Older Dogs

Your darling dog is ageing and you want him to continue to stay healthy. Changes in behavior, appetite, activities, sleep are some of the common changes to expect in your dog. As the dog gets older, you still want him to be active, but don’t expect him to have the energy he did as a puppy.

Exercising older dogs is not that much different than exercising younger dogs. Just a little more attention and a better understanding of his changing requirements and you are ready to go. Whether your dog is an active and fit fellow or not, but as he gets older, he will start to slow down. This does not mean you should stop exercising older dogs.

They say that prevention is better than cure. Well, this goes perfectly for a dog's lifestyle too. Make sure that your dog gets a healthy diet, and an appropriate amount of exercise. Make a regular visit to vet and keep tabs on health supplements, nutrition, and exercise as he starts ageing. Even alter…

Alpha Dog Behavior

Long before dogs were domesticated they used to live in packs. In every pack is an alpha dog or alpha female that assumes command of the other dogs. He/she rules with an iron paw and gets preferential benefits when it comes to feeding and mating with the females. The alpha male behavior still exists in dogs even after they have been domesticated. On the surface, it might sound interesting that your dog is dominant, but it isn't practically. If you allow your dog to share your bed and have other privileges that member of your family have, the dog might see your family as a pack and want to dominate it. If this is happening to you and you're looking for a way of dealing with alpha male behavior, then alpha male dog training is the solution.

Behavior Changes

When a dog becomes an alpha male his mindset and behavior will change. First he will stop following commands. He may also begin to show and exhibit undesirable behaviors like snarling, biting, guarding h…

Are Your Clients Ready For a New Puppy

Are your clients really ready to bring a little furry friend home? Sure it sounds all wonderful in theory, but before you run out and take home the first puppy who melts your heart, there are some things you'll need to consider carefully. Try to help help your clients see that they are making a life changing choice for them as well as the puppy. Let's take a look.

Do They Have Time?

Puppies need time, and lots of it. If the family is constantly rushing to get everything done, they may want to seriously reconsider the idea of taking home a puppy. A puppy is a new creature to this world. They need time and attention to learn how to properly live in it. Puppy is going to need their family's help learning how to potty train, how to behave properly around other pets and people, as well as lots of attention for playtime. Does your client have that time to give a deserving puppy?

Is The Family in Agreement?

This new family member is goi…

Successful House Training

New puppies are great fun. They're cute and cuddly, they're playful and friendly. There are few who can resist the charms of a cute little puppy. This new family member is so loveable, in fact, that you can almost forget one of the biggest challenges you'll face when that cute little puppy comes home - house training.

Puppy house training, also known as housebreaking your puppy, is rarely easy. In fact, it can be downright frustrating and upsetting at times. There are ways to make sure you get through the process successfully. Let's start with these tips to get you, and puppy, off on the right foot, or paw:

Know Your Puppy's Potty Dance

You'll want to catch your puppy in the act when possible, so you can teach puppy the right way to go potty. Start watching your puppy for signs of a 'potty dance.' These signs often come right after eating or drinking, and very often after a good bit of playful activity. In other words, after you feed your puppy, watch…

Crate Training

Dogs are den-dwelling animals. With that being the case, you can understand why a dog would find comfort and safety in a crate or small kennel. Crate training your puppy is a win for everyone. Once they start calling their crate as home, many times they will go in it even when they don't have too. Puppies and dogs enjoy having a place to themselves where they know nothing can get at them, or is expected of them. Let's take a look at the following information to find out why you would want to consider crate training your puppy, and how you would proceed.

What is Crate Training?

Crate training is the process of getting a puppy comfortable with staying in a crate as a means of security and a safe retreat. That's why crate training is not cruel, but is quite the opposite, providing comfort and safety. Crate training may also be used to potty train a small puppy.

Some experts say that crate training is the basis for all further training. …