Should You Be Offering Your Dog Complementary Food?

Reviews · May 1, 2018

When you own a dog, you always have their health, happiness, and general wellbeing at the forefront of your mind. You just want to ensure that they are in good shape and that their tail keeps wagging as much as possible! Now, there are plenty of things that can affect a dog’s quality of life, but one of the most important is the food that you feed them. Different breeds have extremely different requirements. A chihuahua, for example, will require dramatically different quantities to a Great Dane. You also have to find out whether your dog prefers dry kibble, wet food, or raw food. Then within these categories you have all sorts of different factors that will determine which food best suits your dog – from the different flavours to the different textures, and content that each different brand offers. However, once you’ve found the perfect food that your dog enjoys, chances are that you’re set to go for a long time. What may then cause further confusion is whether to feed your dog complementary food or not. So, let’s tackle that subject right here! Read on to find out more.

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Does My Dog Need Complementary Food?

As long as you are feeding your dog the correct food for their main meals in the right quantities and all of their nutritional needs are being met by this, you don’t necessarily have to give them complementary food. Complementary food is essentially anything extra that you might want to give your pet. They are essentially treats. While they’re not an absolute essential, every dog deserves a treat of some sort or another. After all, imagine going through life yourself eating only your main meals with no snacks, desserts, or treats!

Types of Complementary Food to Consider

There are plenty of different types of complementary foods out there on the market and they’re all vying for your attention. So it’s not surprising that it’s relatively difficult to decide on which to pick up for your pooch. When it comes to treats, you will slowly come to determine what your pup adores through a series of trial and error. But here are a few that you might want to try them out on.

Hemp Treats

Hemp treats are a great option for your canine companion, especially if they are suffering from chronic health conditions that cause them discomfort or pain. Different hemp dog snacks can help to alleviate the pain or discomfort caused by conditions such as arthritis and inflammatory conditions. They can also help to keep your pet at ease if they show anxious or aggressive behaviour. Just remember to check that they are appropriate with your vet first!

Dental Treats

Many dog owners are unaware that they should clean their pet’s teeth regularly with a special dog toothbrush. This is made easier with specialist dog toothpastes that are flavoured with meat to make the experience more pleasant for your four legged friend. But there are also treats on the market that are especially designed to help clean your dog’s teeth and freshen their breath as an extra! These are great, as they contain breath freshening ingredients and are shaped to rub away any excess plaque and build up on your dog’s teeth.

While your pet will get along fine without complementary food, it’s always a good idea to invest in some. After all, they deserve it!

8 Things Everyone Should Know About Before Getting A Dog

Reviews · December 21, 2017

Image Credit: Pexels

We all love dogs. They are adorable and some of the best friends a person can have. That is why it is important that you look after them and understand what that means before getting one. Here is a quick guide to help you understand what having a dog means.

Regular De-Fleaing and De-Worming

Nobody likes fleas or worms, least of all a dog. It best to preemptively stop these things before they start to cause a serious problem for your dog. Fleas bites can hurt and can get infected causes more serious health condition, and worms can cause all kinds of damage inside a dog. Both of these can also be passed onto humans, and the last thing you want is for your family to get worms and have flea bites – especially if you have young children. Fortunately, there is an easy fix. You can buy de-fleaing and de-worming products from your local pet store, and all you need to do is use them regularly, and your dog should be worm and flea free. Another great way to help prevent worms is the prevent them from eating strange things when taking them out and about.

Check-Ups

One of the first things you should do if you get a dog is registered with a vet, just in case something bad happens. However, you should also visit the vet regularly for check-ups. This ensures that the pet is fit and healthy and can help to spot illnesses early meaning your dog will stand a fighting chance.

Walks

Dogs need to be taken on regular walks. The walks needs to be long enough that the dog can run and be out of breath. They need a lot of exercise and love to run around and stretch their legs. This doesn’t need to be a chore and should be one of the best things about having a dog. You can take a ball and throw that for the dog and play fetch in the park, or you can take them hiking through the hills and let your dog run ahead of you. The exercise will be good for both you and the dog. The dog will be happier if it gets enough exercise each day and it will help you bond with the dog and have a fun day out. You can bring the entire family or spend an afternoon with just you and the dog; the choice is yours. Different dogs need a different amount of exercise, and you should research online or consult your vet for further advice.

Training

Not enough dogs get proper training. Dogs enjoy being trained in the same way children actually enjoy having boundaries. You don’t need to take your dog to training classes – although that might be the easiest and most effective way to train them. Instead, you can buy a training book or follow an online guide. Whatever you choose you should make sure to properly train your dog. Otherwise, it won’t return to your when you take it out for walks, and it might run in front of cars which is dangerous to both the dog and the driver. A well-trained dog makes a brilliant family pet as it will be much nicer to have around children and will respond to commands better.

Food

Every dog breed needs a different amount of food and type of food, so you should check online or the dog’s food packaging or consult your vet for more details. However, you need to make sure not to feed a dog too much or too little. Dogs naturally don’t feel full, so if you try to feed your dog until it can’t eat anymore, then you are going to make it fat. An overweight dog suffers from similar health issues to an overweight person. It will also be less happy as it will struggle to run a long way or be able to enjoy its walks. An easy way to ensure you feed your dog the right amount is not to feed it table scraps, get a scoop that fits the food measurement for your dog and feed them at the same time each day. This will help the dog get into a routine and will train them to only want that specific amount of food at that time of day. It will be better for both you and the dog.

Treats

Dogs deserve treats. They are also a great way to help train and reward them for good behaviour. It also a nice way to treat a dog in the evening and give them something to chew. Most dogs will want to chew things naturally and giving them a healthy chew rather than something else is good for their behaviour and their health. Somewhere like Betsy Farm provide healthy dog treats that are 100% natural and won’t damage their health, teeth or your furniture. You should also use dog treats when training a dog as they will be more likely to perform a command if they know there is a treat at the end of it. This is especially true at first, and gradually they will start to do the command regardless of the treat.

Teeth

Dogs, like humans, need their teeth brushing. They can get tooth decay and gum diseases just like we can, so you should regularly brush your dog’s teeth. If you start doing this when they are a puppy, then it will be much easier as they grow up. However, if a dog is reluctant to let your brush their teeth, then another option is to buy dental sticks. These dog sticks help to clean their teeth while also being a healthy treat for the dog. They help make sure a dog’s teeth stay in good condition and can become part of their routine by giving them one each night.

Water

Dogs need water. This is simple. You need to make sure they always have access to a bowl of water and aren’t dehydrated. This is especially true on hot days and after walks. Just having a bowl around the house and keeping it topped up should be enough, but you might always want to bring some water for the dog on your walks, too.

Low Maintenance Pet: Becoming A Labradoodle Lover

Reviews · November 8, 2017

Whether you build up an affinity for pets when you’re young or simply want a new friend in your life, a dog is one of the best things in life. It would be great to come home after work and see their face, tongue hanging out, tail wagging and ready to greet you with affection. Not only does a dog improve our daily life when it comes to stress levels, but they can also give us a reason to live better lives. Whether it’s going for a walk in the park or playing fetch, we can become more physically active when we have a little friend to give us the motivation we need to make a real change. However, if it’s the first time, you should look at a dog, that is low maintenance and doesn’t require a lot of upkeep to make sure it is living a happy life. This is important because you’re adjusting to an animal and not a person, even though the personalities might be just as big.

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Walks and play

Taking the little guy on walks is one of the best activities of the day. However, there are some dogs which need to go on walks twice a day at least. If they don’t, they get anxious and restless, leading them to bite on furniture. This can wreak havoc for your living room and dining area. Anything from the sofa, to the tables and chairs you use to eat dinner on, will be chewed up and completely wrecked. A labradoodle, however, is very nonchalant and has a fun and playful attitude, and yet doesn’t have such high characteristics of liveliness. In other words, even though the dog does like to play the normal fun games other dogs do, it doesn’t have those needs to stick to a walking routine or feel the need to go and patrol his or her territory.

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Clean up

As you will have already guessed, a labradoodle is a mix of labrador and poodle. This means the fur is going to be wavy and curly, and yet, it’s rather short. This leads to less shedding and is on a list of dogs that don’t shed. A pure labrador will shed as most other dogs will. This usually happens around autumn and spring times, as the dog needs to grow a thicker coat for the cold and then shed it for the warmer months ahead. There are of course other dogs that don’t shed either, but most of them will be a little on the small to medium size. A labradoodle is great for first-time owners as it isn’t too large or small. You get a good taste of what it would be like to own many other dogs. And, due to the furry friend not shedding, the clean up is vastly cut short.

A great pet for anyone looking to add a new friend in their life, without turning the house upside down when trying to clean up after it. A labradoodle is cut, cuddly and doesn’t need to be babysat in order to keep it from growing restless.

Do You Know How To Put Your Dog’s Health First?

Reviews · September 4, 2017

PxHere Image Source: Happy dog caught playing in the field

So you’ve got a dog – yay! Whether you’re a new dog owner or have always had these beauties, you should know that keeping them happy and healthy should be your main concern. As cute, fluffy and smiley as they may appear, don’t take that as a sign that they’re healthy. Dogs need check ups at the vets just like we need them at the doctors, to make sure our bodies are running how they should. There are many things that you may not when it comes to looking after your dog.

If you want to know what – keep on reading.

Super foods

There are certain foods out there that are exceptionally good for your dog. These things help keep your pup fit and healthy, preventing any future problems and improves their bodily functions. The best super foods are chicken, turkey, eggs, mackerel, yogurt, spinach, kale, sweet potato, carrots, apple, raspberries and blackberries. If you include a small portion of a few of these different foods every day, you will have one happy puppy.

Dangerous foods

Now you know the good foods, it’s important to know the bad ones too. Never let your dog get in contact with chocolate, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, caffeine, seeds, fruit pips, leeks, onions, alcohol or cooked bones. They can eat up becoming very sick, or even choking.

Eating alone

One way a lot of dog owners go wrong is giving their pup their food, and standing around watching or stroking them while they eat. Even if they do allow it, they don’t like it. Dogs prefer to eat in peace, not socially. You are the alpha because you’re the owner, right? So if you don’t leave them in peace to eat, they’ll be on the edge most likely waiting for you to steal their food off them. This means they may rush instead of taking their time, which isn’t any good for the digestive system.

Ticks and fleas

Ticks are horrible blood-sucking critters that fill themselves up on your dog’s blood and cause them quite a bit of grief. The same goes for fleas, but these reproduce 600 fleas within one month, leaving your dog totally infested with them. The best flea treatment for dogs can be from pills, spot on, creams and shampoos. Speak to your local vet and see what treatment they suggest is best for your dog.

Leave their bed

Your dog will want a warm and cuddly place to sleep in, and you need to make sure that you have everything that they’ll need like a bed, blanket and some teddys to snuggle with. Whatever you do though, don’t keep making your dog’s bed – even if it looks messy – that’s how they want it to look. You may see your dog circling the bed a few times before they get comfortable. This is just how we make our own beds. Mess with that, and they won’t want to rest there anymore.

Top 5 Must-have Items for Home Grooming Your #Dog

Reviews · August 12, 2017

Having a dog at home is synonymous with grooming: nails, hair and teeth! It is bothersome to many people who simply bring their dog to the salon and let a professional handle this grooming situation.

Groomers are amazing in what they do, but it’s often overkill. If you are showing your dogs, you definitely require a groome… but if you are just a regular dog owner, you can do all the grooming works at home and save big bucks!

Let’s see how you should gear up and what equipment you need to at least get started with grooming your pooch at home.

Nail Grinders

First on the list, nail clippers are a must-have simply because I feel like I am clipping my dog’s nails all the time. They grow so fast, and then you start hearing this tapping sound on the floor, and it’s time to do it again.

There are different kinds of dog nail clippers so it’s up to you to pick the ones you feel the most comfortable with:

guillotine-style clippers
plier-style nail clippers
dog nail grinders

The first two are manual clippers where you need to avoid cutting the quick — the little nerve acting as blood supply in your a dog’s nail. I recommend nail grinders since they are a lot less intrusive and don’t require any ‘cutting’.

Organic Dog Shampoo

Animals and dogs in particular have very different skins than humans; and our human shampoos should never be used on dogs. All canines and felines tend to have a skin that easily gets irritated or patched, this is why dog owners must use a good all-natural shampoo.

Veterinarians recommend a full shampooed wash twice or three times a year, no more. So using it that little means you can invest in the best one on Amazon or at the store, don’t be greedy! Make sure it re-moisturizes and promotes healing.

If you are in the DIY realm, you could make your own homemade natural shampoo using apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, organic dish soap, and a little bit of baking soda.

Whether it is a DIY or commercial shampoo, start by using it as a quick trial on a small patch of your dog’s skin and wait a day or two to see whether it created an issue or not. If not, you can go ahead with the full shampoo. Otherwise, there is a problem and you need a new formula that is less abrasive.

Forced-Air Dryers

Once your dog is clean and smells fresh, it’s time for a dry. Although you could let your dog air-dry itself, it will take so long and using a forced-air dog dryer helps with flattening the knots. It’s a required step especially if your dog has a long and matted coat.

As explained above, dog skin is sensitive, and heat is not very welcome. Therefore, you should never use a human hair dryer on your dog. Instead, use a high-velocity dryer which blasts cold air at a very high speed and rids the water off the dog’s coat.

Such special dog hair dryers are more expensive that what we are used to, but you should only use these or you risk to burn your dog’s skin.

Professional Dog Clippers

Perhaps the most important piece of equipment in a home grooming kit: dog clippers. This is because you can groom a dog without a dryer, but the trimming of a dog’s coat is absolutely required.

Wahl, Andis and Oster are the main brands on the marketplace — they all offer low-end products as well as professional dog clippers! Generally, spending around $100 will get you something decent, and above $200 you are geared up like a real pro.

Overall you want to make sure you don’t just buy the most powerful trimmers, because with a lot a power comes a lot of heat, noise, and vibrations. Some groomers use a quiet model for any work near the head, and the regular clippers for the body. I would recommend you to simply buy multi-speed clippers so you can switch setting at any time during the session.

Read this amazing review of the best dog clippers available today. I would recommend the Wahl Bravura Lithium if you are on a budget, and the Andis Vet Pak clippers if you feel like splurging!

Grooming Scissors

Any groomer that respects itself will do the finishing touches using scissors. Obviously, if your dog has very short hair, it’s not required. The cleaning up and trimming of the ears, the snout, the paws, the belly, the anus, and the genitals is generally performed with grooming shears and scissors.

A groomer feels more comfortable with precision work using scissors instead of clippers. Of course, if you are inexperienced and a little worried, you should use round-tipped scissors to put your mind at peace.

Amazon has plenty of options for low-priced grooming scissors and Kenchii would be the best pick if you really want to buy the absolute best grooming shears (but that would take you a few hundreds for a whole kit.)

Why Is Home Grooming Better?

Generally, people prefer to groom their dog themselves for one of these reasons:

it’s a great activity to share with your own dog
the closest groomer is too far
the grooming salon isn’t worth the price tag

Most dog owners have already been to the groomer, and it’s not cheap. It’s an expense that can make a big lump sum at the end of each year if you sum everything up. Unless your dog is of a very peculiar breed with very specific needs, the results are somewhat generic.

Therefore, it is only natural for a lot of people to decide that grooming could actually be performed at home, for free. It simply requires the initial investment but this is less than $200 or $300 and is recouped on the first year or so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0D4oTQa3oc

Our dogs love to spend time with us, and grooming them ourselves means the world to them. It’s a particular moment fully dedicated to the dog. We’re caressing them, cleaning them, kissing them, and so on. It’s something dogs love once the first apprehension fades away (you know, the sound of clippers, or of a dryer.)