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Labrador Retriever Skin Problems - Dog Hair Loss (Alopecia) and Other Skin
2008-01-17 02:21:00
Labrador Retriever ’s are as close to a perfect breed as you can get. Great temperament, easily trainable, and minimal health problems are all great features of labs. Labs typically do not have a great deal of skin problems, but are susceptible to hair loss (alopecia). Here is a list of common issues that cause hair loss in Labradors. Common Labrador Retriever Skin Problems Flea Allergy Dermatitis I cover flea related issues and treatment my article "Dog Hair Loss (Allopecia) - Reasons Why Dogs Lose Hair and How To Treat Dog Hair Loss" Lick granuloma Lick Granuloma is a terrible skin problem caused by the constant licking of a sore by your dog. I thought about writing an entire article on this, but there is an article over on The Pet Center that is very complete. Hypothyroid related Alopecia Better known as Hypothyroidism, symptoms include hair loss, mainly of each flank (the sides between the front and rear leg), dry skin, weight gain, and letharg...

Dog Hair Loss (Allopecia) - Reasons Why Dogs Lose Hair and How To Treat Dog
2008-01-15 03:17:00
Dog Hair Loss Explained There are literally 100s of reasons your dog might lose hair. Diagnosing the cause of the lost hair can be simple (for instance in the case of parasites), or drawn out and complicated (for instance of Alopecia). Clues can be taken by the location and severity of the loss of hair, as well as by examining the behavior of your dog. Dog Hair Loss Defined Dog hair loss is an atypical thinning or complete loss of hair in one or several areas of the dogs body. The medical term for hair loss is Alopecia, of which there are many forms. There are many things that can cause Dog Hair Loss, including: The most common are skin parasites and infections (view our dog skin parasites guide). Some other causes would be nutrition, orgran function, allergies, nutrition, hormone imbalances, blood flow, stress, and medication. Diagnosing Dog Hair Loss Since there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of reasons why your dog may experience hair loss, it is well beyond the ...
More About: Dogs , Reasons , Treat

Stop Dog Barking - Train Dogs Not to Bark at Other Dogs Using Socialization
2008-01-11 02:29:00
As we discussed in my article Stop Dog Barking - Why Dogs Bark and How To Train Them To Stop Barking , there are many reasons why dogs bark. Things like boredom, lack of exercise, and too much alone time are all causes of random, inappropriate barking in dogs. In the case where your dog only barks at other dogs, it is probably because your dog is not getting enough social time. Remember, dogs are social animals as evidenced by the pack structure. However, since your dog is barking at other dogs, we need to determine whether it is lack of socialization, or a protective instinct. To do this, your dog must complete Introduction Training. Introduction Training It is best to find a couple of dogs and owners who you know and trust to be comfortable, safe, and confident around other dogs. Before training, take your dog out to a private area and play with them; this will reduce anxious energy and allow your dog to be more focused. I like to use the positve reinforcement method wh...

Babies and Dogs: How Best to Introduce a Baby to a Dog
2008-01-10 00:25:00
After welcoming a baby in to the world you are probably concerned about how your dog is going to react to him or her. Many people surrender their pets to shelters because of exhibited jealousy from their dog after a new baby’s arrival and fear of the infant being harmed by the animal. Yet many families have been successful in introducing their dogs to the new baby. Introducing your dog to you baby is a process that needs time and the utmost of care to ensure a happy and safe welcoming process! The steps to ensuring your dog acts appropriately around the baby when he or she is finally taken back to your home are twofold usually – preparing your dog for the infants arrival and introducing your dog to your infant. Preparing your dog: Preparing your dog for the baby’s arrival in advance is one of the best ways to help avoid friction and jealousy between your baby and your dog. Your dog is used to your attention and pampering, some jealousy will naturally surface when y...
More About: Baby , Dogs , Babies

How To Train A Puppy: The Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Method
2008-01-08 00:07:00
It’s widely accepted among the vast majority of dog training experts that the most effective and humane way to train your dog is through a process called: Positive Reinforcement Train ing This is a fancy phrase for what’s essentially a very simple theory: using positive reinforcement entails rewarding the behavior that you wish to see repeated, and ignoring the behavior that you don’t. This method is in direct contrast to some of the now-outdated but once-popular techniques for dog training, some of which were frankly abhorrent: physical pain and intimidation (such as hanging an aggressive dog up by her collar), or inhumane methods of aversion therapy (such as shock collars for barking). Positive reinforcement works with your dog. Her natural instinct is to please you – the theory of positive reinforcement recognizes that lessons are more meaningful for dogs, and tend to "stick" more, when a dog is able to figure out what you’re asking under he...
More About: Puppy , Method

Stop Dog Barking - Why Dogs Bark and How To Train Them To Stop Barking
2008-01-05 01:12:00
Why Dogs Bark Some owners seem to want their dogs to stop barking, period: a good dog is a quiet dog, and the only time that barking’s permitted is when there’s a man in a black balaclava and stripy prison outfit, clutching a haversack marked ‘Swag’, clambering in through your bedroom window. Dogs don’t see barking in quite the same light. Your dog has a voice, just like you do, and she uses it just how you do too: to communicate something to the people she cares about. I don’t think that barking is necessarily a bad thing – in fact, I think it’s encouraging that my dog wants to “talk” to me, enough so that I can overlook the stentorian qualities of his voice (which, in enclosed spaces, is positively overpowering) in favor of his desire to communicate with me. It’s the thought that counts (even though I feel better-equipped to stand by this sanctimonious belief when my ears are sheltered safely behind industrial-qual...
More About: Train , Stop

Stop Coprophagia (poop eating)
2008-01-04 08:48:00
Coprophagia (sometimes called coprophagy, or poop-eating) is a pretty disgusting habit that fortunately only some dogs indulge in. It seems to be "one of those things" as far as dogs go: a behavior that defies logic and scientific study, and mystifies dog trainers and veterinarians around the world. Many, if not most, dogs will eat the feces of other animals (particularly other dogs, cats, sheep, and horses) with gusto whenever the opportunity presents itself. It’s a very common behavior in dogs, but not particularly well understood. The simple truth is that nobody really knows why some dogs will make a beeline for a pile of poop that’s lying on the grass. It’s natural for dogs to want to sniff the poop - almost all dogs will do this, since the depositor’s anal glands have left a kind of Post-It note there for other dogs to "read" - and it’s just as natural (seemingly) for some dogs to want to consume these little signposts. It&rsquo...
More About: Poop , Stop , Eating

Dog Skin Parasites - Sarcoptic Mites, Canine Sarcoptic Mange, and Sarcoptic
2007-12-31 02:01:00
What is Mange? The term mangy is used to describe a ragged, uneven, unhealthy coat, combined with terrible skin irritation and damage caused by mites digging into a dogs skin and effecting the skin and hair follicles. There are two types of mange typically found in dogs. Demodectic Mange, and Sarcoptic Mange. Demodectic Mange is caused by the Demodex mite, and usually only occurrs in puppies and older dogs because of their undeveloped or weak immune systems. In puppies, demodectic mange usually clears up on its own once the dog reaches 12 months of age. Demodex mites are not easilly communicable to other dogs, and rarely effect humans. For more information on Demodectic Mange, click on the link.  Sarcoptic Mange, also known as scabies, is an skin infection caused by a parasite known as a Sarcoptic mite. This mite, also known as scabies, is highly communicable, and cause much mroe severe irritation and damage to dogs as well as humans. They dig tiny tunnels into t...
More About: Skin , Parasites

The Ultimate Guide To Dog Health - Answers To Dog Health Questions, Problem
2007-12-24 22:26:00
Should I Take My Dog To The Vet? Knowing when to take your dog to the vet and when to let him “self-regulate” is a pretty tricky business – how do you tell when he needs to see a professional? After all, it’s not as if you can rely on your dog to let you know. Nobody likes forking out $80 for a needless visit to the vet, but then again no conscientious dog-owner can bear to contemplate their dog’s suffering, either! Frankly, it’s a bit of a quandary. I’ve owned dogs on and off my whole life, and this is still something that I’ve never been 100% comfortable with: of course, I’d always rather be safe than sorry (a viewpoint which has resulted in many, many unnecessary trips to the vet over the years, just to set my mind at rest) … but I’ve also always wished for the kind of solid grounding in canine medical basics which would enable me to confidently decide for myself when my dog needs to see the vet - and when I can s...
More About: Health , Questions , Answers , Guide , Problem

Dog Skin Parasites - Demodex Mites and Mange: Symptoms and Treatment for Do
2007-12-24 22:11:00
What are Skin Mites? Skin Mites, or Demodex mites, live naturally on the skin of all dogs. A dog with a fully developed and healthy immune system will not display any symptoms of an active Demodex infection, better known as mange. Mange outbreaks typically occur in puppies between 3 months and 1 year of age since their immune systems are not yet fully developed. Typically a puppy gets the Demodex mite from their mother. The mite lives in the pores of the puppies’ skin, and resided their benignly. However, for currently unknown reasons, the mite can activate, causing mange. Demodectic mange can also occur in older dogs, and dogs whose immune systems are not 100% healthy, such as dogs who have cancer and are under going chemo therapy. In puppies, Demodex mites will typically disappear without medication from a verterinarian once their  immune systems are fully developed. The prognosis for an older dog is taken a bit more seriously, but there are effective treatments....
More About: Treatment , Symptoms , Parasites

Free Dog Training Guide and Review - Sit Stay Fetch
2007-12-22 19:00:00
SitStay Fetch - Dog Obedience Training  What Is It? SitStayFetch presents an unusually detailed and thorough look at how to both prevent and deal with the more common problem behaviors exhibited by dogs. As the owner of a moderately troublesome mutt myself, I’ve spent a fair amount of time searching the Net for reliable resources on this topic, and I have to say that the level of knowledge and detail contained within the pages of this compendium is unusually exacting for an online book. Not only that, but – again, unusually for this medium – the information at hand is actually (gasp!) reliable. Yes, that’s right - this one’s a whole new kettle of fish. Written by a seasoned dog trainer, you can relax in the knowledge that all the tips and advice included are tried and true, and come from Stevens’ real-life experiences as a professional dog trainer. What’s Covered? There’s a pretty impressive range of information packed into this...
More About: Review , Free , Guide