Dog Breeding

Breeding

This is why dogs are man’s best friend

As we have established, dog owners will keep these animals for various purposes. Depending on their breeding, dogs can be

Breeding

4 things to consider before deciding on the type of dog to breed

Breeding

These are the major economic benefits of dog shows

Breeding

How to prepare for western dog shows

Dog Shows

This is why dogs are man’s best friend

Dog Shows

Using Bully Sticks for Puppies as Training Treats

Dog Shows

4 things to consider before deciding on the type of dog to breed

Dog Shows

These are the major economic benefits of dog shows

Dog Shows

How to prepare for western dog shows

Dogs Recovery

Recovery

4 types of therapies available for dogs in recovery

Dogs Shelters

Shelters

Here are 3 ways you can help a stray dog

Latest Posts

This is why dogs are man’s best friend

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

As we have established, dog owners will keep these animals for various purposes. Depending on their breeding, dogs can be kept purely as pets, for guard duties, for competition purposes at dog shows, and many other functions. It’s this wide variety of uses for dogs that has made dogs earn the famous tag of being man’s best friend.

Let’s take a look at why dogs are actually man’s best friend.

Dogs are very loyal animals

Dogs happen to be very loyal animals and this is precisely why they are the most preferred animals when it comes to showings such as dog shows. Because they are loyal to their owners, they will always strive to impress them by performing well during such shows and the same can’t be said of other animals.

Dogs tend to mimic human behavior

The reason dogs perform very well during dog shows is because of their uncanny ability to mimic human behavior. Dogs will be trained to respond to certain commands and stimuli from their owners and it’s these commands that they will execute mostly to perfection during shows and they will actually be proud of their achievements just in the same way their owners will be.

Dogs have great memories

Dogs are able to perform really amazing feats because of their great memory. This is why they will be taken through training for various tasks to be performed during dog shows a couple of months or weeks prior to a showing and on the day of the showing they will still be able to recall how to go through these tasks.

Dogs like to impress

Dogs enjoy impressing their owners and this is not only because they get a treat for good behavior and good performance but also because they can sense their owner’s emotions. It’s their desire to bring out positive emotions in their owners that drives them to want to impress. This is the reason they will do well during shows.

It’s these amazing qualities in dogs that make them truly man’s best friend and the ideal partner for various activities such as dog shows

Using Bully Sticks for Puppies as Training Treats

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

Many people who wish to take their dogs to dog shows fear doing so because of the cost that is involved. Not only is it expensive to get a professional trainer but also finding the right training facility where your dog can get the best training is never easy. This article is meant to show you that there is a cheaper way to do it and this involves training your puppy at home using bully sticks as an incentive.

Are you wondering how? It’s your lucky day because we are going to share with you a couple of tips on training your dog at home.

Tip 1: Ensure you have sufficient space

Training your dog at home requires sufficient space therefore this will of course be influenced by the size of your home and of course, the size of your dog. If you have a small home, it’s a good idea to declutter your home so that you can create more room for training your dog. You need sufficient space to set up obstacle courses that your dog will be able to comfortably go through.

Tip 2: You need to have the right flooring

If you intend on training your dog at home and if much of this training will be indoors, then you have to ensure that you have the right type of flooring. As your dog goes through the different obstacle courses you will have set up, your flooring needs to provide the right grip. Keeping this in mind, you must ensure that your floor is not composed of slippery material that will make things difficult for your dog.

Tip 3: Condition your dog for the show

Training your dog for a dog show is very much different from training your dog for other activities because in the former, your dog will need to be more independence in the execution of tasks. This therefore means that as you are training your dog ensure that it learns to figure out how to navigate through the obstacles on its own without you having to physically guide it.

Tip 4: Remember that dogs love treats

Part of training your dog is conditioning it to know when it has done the right thing and this will always involve giving it a treat every time it goes through an obstacle course the right way. Dogs learn through conditioning therefore the more you reward it for good work, the more it will work towards getting the task right. Bully Sticks for puppies are perfect for positive reinforcement.

Remember that as you set your obstacle courses in your home ensure that they are as similar as possible to obstacles that the dog will encounter during dog shows. This will ensure that it has an easier time figuring out how to navigate through the obstacles during the shows.

We trust that this information will come in handy the next time you need to do some agility training for your dog.

Here are 3 ways you can help a stray dog

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

In one of our previous articles, we mentioned the Society for Stray Canine Birth Control (SSCBC) and the work it’s doing to reduce the number of stray dogs we have roaming around our streets. The reason we find this article relevant is that it’s believed that there are over 70 million stray dogs roaming the streets in America and less than a third of them will end up in shelters.

Most dog owners are always tempted to help out a stray dog but often have second thoughts owing to the fact that they can’t tell whether the dog is rabid or harmless. We are therefore going to share with you 3 ways you can help a stray dog should you come across it.

Reach out to your local animal control agency

Anytime you come across a stray dog and you are not sure whether or not it’s friendly, it’s advisable for you to reach out to your local animal control agency and request for their help in catching the dog as opposed to you trying to catch it on your own. Once they help you catch it and they verify that it’s not a threat, you have the option of adopting it or letting it be taken to the local shelter.

Verify whether the dog has a tag

Before you make a decision on whether you will adopt a stray dog or let it be taken to a shelter, you need to first verify whether it has a tag. The tag will often have contact info for its owner. If it does have a tag, you can get in touch with the owner and make arrangements on how the dog will be returned home to them. If it doesn’t have a tag and you are interested in keeping it, you can put up an ad for lost and found for a couple of days and if no one comes to claim it, you can keep it.

Take it to the vet

Before you take a stray dog home, ensure that you first pass by your local vet to give the dog a full screening to ensure that it’s in good health. This is meant for the wellbeing of the dog as well as you and your family. If the dog is sick, it will be treated and given a clean bill of health thereby making it safe for you and or your family to have it near them.

There are numerous stories of stray dogs that have been rehabilitated and gone on to perform really amazing feats in dog shows and other events, therefore whenever you come across one, never rule it out because it might just end up being your best friend and partner.

*Bonus tip: you can always provide strays with some food or treats like natural bully sticks to help keep them as healthy as possible.

4 things to consider before deciding on the type of dog to breed

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

Before you get a dog, it’s always a good idea to first know why you are getting the dog. Some people will simply want pet dogs, others want guard dogs, and others a dog to take to dog shows among many other reasons. Once you have a concrete reason why you want a dog, you can now go to the next step which involves deciding on the right breed.

We are therefore going to look at the 4 things you need to consider before deciding on the type of dog to breed.

1 Determine why you want to breed

As mentioned earlier, different people will always want different dogs for different purposes therefore before you decide on breeding, you need to have a clear reason as to why you want that particular type of dog. In the vent you are breeding in order to sell, you need to ensure that you have done your research to ascertain that there is indeed demand for the type of dogs you want to breed.

2 Do your due diligence

Breeding is usually not a cheap and easy affair because depending on the type or types of breeds you want to keep, each comes with its own set of requirements and demands. You, therefore, need to do your due diligence to ensure that you are well prepared and you have everything it takes to ensure your project comes to fruition. This is one of those areas where consulting an expert will come in handy.

3 Start small

If you are an experienced breeder looking into breeding a new type of dog or you are completely new to breeding, then it’s a good idea to start small. You need to do a small pilot project to get a baseline of how the process is and how prepared you are for the demands it comes with. Depending on how well you perform in the pilot project, you can then make a determination on whether this is something you can do on a larger scale.

4 Ensure that you have a learning mindset

No matter how much research and training you have done on breeding, you must always keep in mind that learning never stops and that your mind should always be open for more learning. There are new breeding methods being discovered, more improved breeds coming up and so on therefore the more open to learning you will be, the better you will continue getting at breeding the right kinds of dogs.

One of the best ways to ensure success in your breeding projects is to visit people who have done it before and have the requisite experience and get to see how the process goes. Once you are confident enough about things then you can do your pilot project.

These are the major economic benefits of dog shows

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 18, 2018 0 Comments

Dog shows are beginning to become a controversial topic as some animal rights activists keep insisting that exposing dogs to such shows is an infringement on their animal rights. Whereas the jury is still out on this debate, it goes without saying that these shows have a lot of economic benefits and this is why they are not likely to end any time soon.

In this article, we are going to look at the three major economic benefits of dog shows with a specific focus on western dog shows.

They help local economies to thrive

Have you ever wondered about what goes into organizing a western dog show? Well, for your information, it’s not a cheap affair. When you have to consider the fact that these dogs must be bred, fed, trained and groomed, a number of accessories have to be bought, the dogs must be transported to the venue, the venue itself will require vendors for the different services such as sound, food, entertainment and so on, this list is endless and it all adds up to money into local economies.

They help promote tourism

Dog owners who take their dogs to dog shows as well as the people who go to watch such shows will often come from all over the nation and even from abroad. The reality is that these people will not only be in a particular town for the dog show alone, they will spend time appreciating other tourist attraction sites, hotels, bars and restaurants and so on. This in turn helps promote tourism which not only benefits the country but the local population as well.

Are a great source of revenue for the government

westminster dog show 028 - These are the major economic benefits of dog shows — The Denver Post

It’s estimated that such dog shows will attract in excess of 2000 participants per day and the shows may even be go for between three days to one week. These participants will need to be carried to the venue and that involves booking flights, using cabs and rental vehicles, not to mention the amount of money these people will spend on various goods and services. This means more income for businesses and this translates to more revenue for government in terms of taxes.

With such benefits tied to such dog shows and keeping in mind that they will be organized multiple times a year in various parts of the country, it will be somewhat insane for anyone who understands economics to even consider putting an end to them.

This means that for the next foreseeable future, dog shows are here to stay.

4 types of therapies available for dogs in recovery

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

One of the most difficult situations that dog owners face is deciding whether to let their dogs live through a trauma and take them through the process of rehabilitation or whether to put them down. In fact, some dog owners never really know what to do during such situations and will instead let their dogs lose to go die in the wild because they don’t want that responsibility.

This has resulted in so many stray dogs that are sometimes difficult to contain. It’s such situations that keep organizations like the Society for Stray Canine Birth Control (SSCBC) in business, cleaning up after dog owners.

However, before you release your dog into the wild to become a stray, we would like to let you know that there are a number of therapies that your dog can be exposed to that will ensure their rehabilitation and restoration back to full function.

Here, we’ll look at 4 types of therapies available for dogs in recovery.

Use of physical therapy

Just like humans, dogs too can benefit tremendously from physical therapy to enable them recover from potentially life threating injuries. For a dog, physical therapy will include regular exercises such as running and walking, regular massage and joint mobilization among others. The idea is to help the dog regain full use of its limbs. Such therapies have to be administered by a trained practitioner.

Use of aquatic therapy

Water has proven to be a great source of rehabilitation therapy for man, and animal health practitioners have been able to adapt such therapies to suit animals such as dogs. The idea is to use water to take away the weight of the animal but still allow it to move its limbs and other joints thereby giving them much needed exercise to improve blood flow into their injured areas and quickening the recovery process.

Use of heat therapy

Did you know that heat packs will also work on dogs? Well, use of heat is a very effective way to decrease inflammation and pain from an injury as well as speeding up healing because it helps improve the flow of blood into the injured body part. This is why heat therapy has proven very effective when used in the rehabilitation of dogs suffering from serious injuries.

Use of cryotherapy

Just like heat, the opposite of it which is cold can also be a great form of therapy commonly referred to as cryotherapy. This will involve using cold packs or ice to reduce inflammation as well as pain on an injury on the dog. This therapy is also very good when it comes reducing bleeding either internal or external.

There are of course other forms of therapies that can be given to a dog in recovery but these are the most affordable and ones you can even do at home provided you have the right training.

All in all, an injury to your dog doesn’t mean an end to its normal life. With therapy and patience, your dog can be back to its old self within a couple of weeks.

Be sure to try them.

How to prepare for western dog shows

By Betty Scott 6 years agoAug 21, 2018 0 Comments

One of the extra benefits of keeping a dog is that other than being pets, companions and functional animals, they can also be a great source of pride. One of the ways they can earn you pride is by taking part in and winning during dog shows.

There are a number of dog shows that are usually organized in various parts of the world where different dog owners come to showcase the amazing and unique abilities that their dogs have. These abilities often result from a combination of breeding and training which ends up producing dogs that can perform amazing feats.

We are therefore going to share with you a few tips on how to prepare your dogs for western dog shows.

Tip 1: Register for the right show

The beauty about western dog shows is that most of the organizers of such events are cognizant of the need to have participation from a wide array of participants therefore they will ensure that registration can be done online. With the help of the internet, you are therefore able to search for and ensure that you enroll your dog to the right shows.

Tip 2: Always ensure that your dog is well prepared

The key to a dog being able to perform well and stand out during dog shows is a combination of good breeding and good training. This therefore means that preparation for such events starts from the moment you decide to buy your dog. If you therefore intend on making your dog a regular performer during dog shows then prepare well by getting a really good breed as well as investing in a good trainer.

Tip 3: Grooming earns plenty of points

During dog shows, your dog will be judged by more than just its amazing talents and abilities, the way you will groom it will also earn it plenty of points. It’s important to remember that grooming is not something you only do for the show but rather it’s something you must always do for your dog so that it gets used to it.

Tip 4: Get to know what judges look at

The more dogs’ shows you take part in the more you will get to understand and learn the different criteria that judges in such competitions use to award marks. It’s however advisable for you to do your research in advance so that you can know judging criteria and ensure you meet them if you hope to get a good result for your dog.

Tip 5: Ensure your dog stays true to its breed

Ultimately, dogs will be judged by how well-bred they are and how well they represent the features of their respective breeds in addition to their unique talents. It’s therefore a good idea to learn as much as possible about your dog’s breed and ensure it displays all the features known for that particular breed.

If you check all these marks when preparing your dog for a dog show you can be guaranteed of a great result.