Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Dalmatians & Demodicosis

by Leave a Comment

Demodex mites are present on the skin of all dogs, even Dalmatians, but in some animals born with a defective immune system the numbers increase and begin to cause problems.  Dalmatians are usually cited as one of the most common breeds affected with this condition.  Although it is thought to be genetically transmitted, the mode of transmission has never been conclusively demonstrated.

Most cases of demodicosis are seen in young pups and fully 90% of cases self-cure with or no medical intervention by the time Dalmatians reach18-36 months of age.  In these cases, it is suspected that the immune system is marginally compromised and eventually matures and gets the condition under control.  On the other hand, some pups (about 10% of those initially affected) do not get better and, in fact, become progressively worse.  These are thought to have more severe immunologic compromise and are often labeled as having “generalized demodicosis.”

The diagnosis is easily made by scraping the skin with a scalpel blade and looking at the collected debris under a microscope.  The Demodex mites are cigar-shaped and are easily seen.  What is harder to identify is the immunoiogic defect that allowed the condition to occur in the first place.  Recent research has suggested the problem may be linked to a decrease in interleukin-2 response but the genetics is still a question.

If the cause of the immune dysfunction can be cured, the mange will resolve on its own.  Likewise, if Dalmatians outgrow its immunoiogic immaturity or defect, the condition will self-cure.  This process can best be assisted by ensuring a healthy diet is being fed, treating for any internal parasites or other diseases, and perhaps using cleansing shampoos and nutritional supplements that help bolster the immune system.  However, if the condition does not resolve on its own, or if it is getting worse despite therapy, special mite-killing treatments are necessary.

Amitraz is the most common dip used.  It must be remembered that killing the mites will not restore the immune system to normal.  Regarding prevention, it is best not to breed Dalmatians with a history of demodicosis and dogs with generalized demodicosis should never be bred.

Breeding Golden Retrievers

by Leave a Comment

Golden Retrievers:  Easy To Breed?

For beginners, breeding Golden Retrievers is nearly impossible.  Breeding can be very complicated, although it can be easy as well.  You should never attempt to breed unless you know a lot about requirements for hobby breeders, as it is simply unfair to the breed if you have a litter of puppies that simply aren’t what they should be.  People who look to buy Golden Retrievers only want top quality, which is why you shouldn’t attempt to breed just have a puppies or make a few bucks.

Breeding Golden Retrievers is a very serious hobby, one that should be left to those who know how to make the right choices.  There is a certain amount of cost and care involved with breeding, especially if breeders of Golden Retrievers are going for a certain quality.  There is also a lot of responsibility involved as well, which can take quite a bit of time to say the least.

Motivation for breeding Golden Retrievers

Breeding can help to fulfill the need of a Golden, although the dog still has no knowledge of it missing, no regrets, or no guilt towards living a life without having been breed.  A pregnant Golden Retriever female doesn’t gain anything in regards to health, as it instead causes problems.  Female Golden Retrievers that have been spayed on the other hand, cannot be bred.  If you have chosen to have your Golden spayed, always remember that she will be unable to breed.

When looking to breed, quality breeders will have a lot of choices in front of them.  They will need to determine the pair, such as the mother and the father.  To get the highest quality possible from the litter, the breeder will need to determine the traits of both dogs, temperaments, and how well they seem to react to one another.  The breeder will also need to determine in either of the dogs have any type of health problems, to prevent any diseases or ailments from being passed on to the litter.

Sometimes, when breeding Golden Retrievers, the mother of the litter will prove to be unfit, which requires more work for the breeder.  If the mother isn’t doing her job of nurturing her young, the breeder will need to do it for her.  This can be the most time consuming aspect of breeding, as the breeder will have to feed the young and make sure that they turn out as healthy as possible.

Aside from that, breeders also face quite a bit of costs as well.  The prices for daily care, food, and vet bills can be very steep to say the least.  When you crunch the numbers, you’ll quickly realize that breeders don’t make much money at all when they sale.  Most breeders do it for a hobby, not looking to make money.  Quality breeders of Golden Retrievers on the other hand aren’t concerned with money at all, as they are more concerned about the quality of their litters.  Quality is better than quantity, as even the best breeders out there have problems selling puppies from time to time.

Although breeding is fun for hobby breeders, it is something you really shouldn’t be doing if you don’t have the experience.  Although your Golden may get knocked up by a dog of a different breed without you knowing it, you should do your best to avoid it at all costs if you can.  A pure bred Golden Retriever should be bred only with dogs of her breed, to help preserve the breed and keep their bloodline going.

If you have thought about breeding in the past – you should really study long and hard before you actually make a reality of it.
————————————————————–

The Best Basic Training
For Your Golden Retriever

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on
your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train Golden puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when
you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any Golden Retriever to stop barking at
strangers or from begging you to let him back inside – Plus a TON more
step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are
already using.

Check out Chet Womach & Bauer the Golden Retrievers-
Hands Off Dog Training

Better Steps For Proper Dog Care

by Leave a Comment

Just imagine if you were walking your street and came across an obviously stray dog. Would you know what to do? What not to do?

You could avoid the situation altogether, get nervous thinking the dog would do you harm or take the dog home and have it be your new pet. In this scenario you have a few options.

————————————————————–

Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside – Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using,
check out –
The Hands Off Dog Training Method

————————————————————–

The one you choose will really depend on the fact of you being an animal lover or not. For the sake of this article we will assume you chose to take the dog home as a pet. Read more about this . . .

General Tips

Always walk your dog on a leash. This ensures the safety of the dog, you, walkers, joggers, and people on bicycles. No one wants to be hurt on either side.

Caring For Your New Dog

There are two important decisions to be made at this juncture regardless of the dog’s breed. You can choose to temporarily shelter the dog by taking it in out from the elements and at the same time look for it’s rightful owner.

Or you can keep it for your own pet. Again your choice will probably depend on how good of an animal lover you are.

It will be no easy task to provide care to the stray dog you have taken in. It will need to be provided with adequate shelter, food, medical care treatment and animal medical insurance in some cases.

Oh yeah you should also plan to take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible to get it checked out for any possible diseases.

You will also want to maintain your dog’s health while it is in your care. To do this you should perform all of the necessary daily duties required to prevent your pet dog from falling prey to illness.

This includes providing adequate and comfortable shelter and food. In some respects it could be compared to raising a small child before they reach the age of being able to communicate.

Dog Diet Tips

Eating habits are still based on the instinctual habits of the dog’s wild counterparts. some dogs feed on a “stuff-yourself-or-starve” mode and tend to eat more than they need when food is made available to them.

For this reason, owners must be in control of their dog’s food intake. obesity is very harmful to your dog’s health at any age. it puts undue stress on vital organs that can lead to serious health problems.

So be a responsible pet owner and monitor your dog’s food intake.

Conclusion

Now that you are armed with this information how will you best apply it? Just keep in mind that your new pet is also a new companion that can likewise protect you from harm’s way.

But just like anything else that requires time and attention you should make sure you give your new companion comfortable and adequate dog care,food, shelter, love and attention.

By following these simple guidelines you can and should enjoy your new pet immensely.

Orlando Smith makes it easy to perform effective dog training, quickly & easily. Learn the essential keys to pet dog training. To receive more information visit the dog care website.

Article Source: ArticleSpan

Puppy Socialization: Introduce Your Dog To The World!

by Leave a Comment

New puppies soak up information and experiences like a sponge – especially those between the ages of 8 to 12 weeks. This is the ideal time to get your pup out into the open and absorbing positive experiences to help with his socialization.

Say Hello To The Neighbors

Your neighbors and friends are all dying to meet your new precocious pooch. By all means, take your puppy for a walk around the neighborhood. He’ll learn to walk on a loose leash and run into new people and situations. The faster you can introduce your puppy to leash walking the better. That way they see the world on their own four paws, so to speak.

Ask people to meet to gently pet and feed a treat to your pup. Limit interactions to cordial children, good-natured dogs, and responsible adults. It teaches the pup that strangers are good people.

Be careful, though. Until your pup’s immune system has been cranked up by his third set of vaccinations (at 16 to 20 weeks) he’ll be vulnerable to diseases, some potentially deadly.

Another great way to expand your puppy’s circle of friends without making a big scene is to invite a few select dog-savvy adults and children over to greet your puppy. Keep everything low-key and nurturing ? no running, squealing, teasing, tussling or poking. Provide treats liberally.

Field Trips Are Great

From the time you get your puppy until he’s about 16 weeks old, socialization is a high priority. Socialization simply means introducing your puppy to new people, places, experiences and other dogs in a positive way. Well-socialized pups grow up to be happy, well-mannered adults.

Keep in mind that your pup’s sociability and outlook depend on a lot of factors. For instance, recent worming or vaccinations, cutting teeth and a recent, long airplane flight can make your pup tired and grumpy. Exposing your pup to too much at these times can cause him to be overwhelmed and taxed rather than enriched by the experience.

Take your puppy to places where dogs are welcome (don’t forget to bring your cleanup supplies). Try to do five to seven new things each week, like experience stairs, bicycles, people with facial hair or glasses, garbage cans, loud noises, new walking surfaces and work trucks, etc. It’s also a great time to introduce your pup to a grooming routine.

And even when your puppy is older than 16 weeks, it’s still a good idea to continue to actively socialize him until he reaches 12 months of age.

Recent Blog Posts