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.

Health Supplements for Your Dog are Important

by Leave a Comment

Lots of people have pets and love them. As a nation we spend billions of dollars every year on dog food, dog training, essential vaccines, and even clothing for them. The question that needs to be asked is if I take a multi-vitamin is there any reason my dog shouldn’t get one?

Of course yoru pet should get vitamins. Most pets would greatly benefit from having a multi-vitamin. While good pet foods have a lot of nutrients and vitamins, they are usually not enough. By giving your dogs a vitamin you can help keep them healthy and help them to live longer.

When purchasing a multi-vitamin for your dog look for supplements that contain vitamins A, C and D. Other important vitamins include B vitamins and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and zinc. Make sure you also consider whether your dog needs something special because large dogs like German Shepherds will need a larger dose.

Fish oil is also beneficial for dogs. As you probably know, omegas are good for people so it makes sense they are good for dogs. Recent studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of kidney and heart disease in dogs.

If your dog is getting older look for vitamins or dog food that contains glucosamine and chondroitin. These supplements are taken by humans to help with arthritis and they can also help your dog. Glucosamine helps your body to create new cartilage while chondroitin neutralizes the enzymes that erode cartilage away.

Many dogs like to eat grass but unfortunately most of grass has been treated with chemicals to keep either weeds or insects away. A better source of nutrients to boost their immune system, reduce allergies, and increase energy would be healthy green foods. Foods that contain green foods like barely grass, spirulina, and any other naturally green food should be loaded with nutrients that most commercial dog food doesn’t have. Also a study done in China showed that giving your dog spirulina when it was undergoing cancer treatment protected the dog from damaged caused by the chemotherapy and radiation.

When you are buying health supplements and vitamins for your pet, sticking with name brands is usually best. The last thing you want to do is buy the cheapest thing. You can, however, look at online sources of vitamins to save money and still get high quality. Also make sure to follow the dosage instructions on the back of the bottle. As mentioned above, larger dogs may need larger doses. Giving your dog a multi-vitamin can not only add time to his life but also make that life more enjoyable.

Why Fully Training Your Pet German Shepherd Is Critical

by Leave a Comment

German Shepherds are large dogs that came from, naturally, in the country of Germany. German Shepherd history goes back to 1899 which makes them a relatively new dog breed. They are a very intelligent and obedient dog breed that originally was used for guarding and herding sheep. Today, because of their intelligence, size, and strength they are frequently used as military or police dogs. Their loyal and obedient nature also makes them ideal household pets and are one of the most popular dogs registered with the American Kennel Club.

Despite their loyalty and obedient nature, owning a German Shepherd can have a big potential downside. If they are not properly trained and controlled, their size and strength can make them dangerous. They may view other dogs or strangers as a threat to their home and family. When this situation happens, an untrained dog may bite or attack the other dog or person. While there are not concrete statistics on the how likely it is that a German Shepherd will bite, several reputable organizations state that they are more likely than other breeds to attack other dogs or people. This makes German Shepherd training critical for everybody who owns one.

There are a couple options when it comes to training a German Shepherd. Investing in a professional dog trainer is the first option. This could be a group training program at the local pet store or a private dog trainer. A personal trainer can be good because they give a dog more attention, but the group class can be good to get the dog used to being around other dogs and people. A do it yourself training program is the second option for dog training. There are several good programs available including some that you can download immediately on the internet.

If you spend a little time on training, German Shepherds can be fantastic pets. They can be cherished family members that are also a great protector for your home.

Why a Labrador Retriever Is a Great Search-And-Rescue Dog

by 1 Comment

The Labrador Retriever is often found working in airports, on street patrol, and in other public locations, as it has been found that they have the concentration capacity and staying power to maintain scent work in large, populated areas.

The Labrador Retriever is becoming more popular in this job and have been known for their ability to work among civilians without creating anxiety which is often known to occur when the more traditional police dogs such as German Shepherds and Dobermans are used.

Following in the path of the Saint Bernard, the Labrador Retriever has become a vital part of rescue teams. The Labrador’s superior scenting ability has made him one of the top Disaster Dogs. Because of their keen sense of smell, Labradors are being trained to find people buried by the debris of earthquakes or similar disasters.

The work is arduous and requires great concentration in dangerous surroundings; The dog must go to his task in the rubble of collapsed buildings, surrounded by the clamor of emergency vehicles, and often fire.

In these crisis situations, the air is usually choked with dust, smoke, and gas escaping from broken gas lines. A Labrador Retriever is able to focus on the human scent and locate trapped victims. Upon making a find, the Disaster Dog is trained to indicate this to his handler by barking and scratching gently at the spot.

The intensity of the bark generally indicates whether the victim is dead or alive. The handler calls in another team to verify and then notifies the rescue officials, who do the removal.

The Labrador Retriever works efficiently, in a calm, gentle manner, rather than the aggressive, almost attacking method exhibited by breeds that have been tried but eliminated from the program. Each Disaster Dog has undergone extensive training and must be fully reliable to work individually off-lead and be fully responsive to his handler.

Despite his desire to continue searching, a Disaster Dog must withdraw immediately upon command, as the handler may spot a danger that the dog is unaware of.

The Disaster Dog program is run by unpaid volunteers who teach the dog to master all obedience skills as well special techniques.

A Disaster Dog must be trained to climb over difficult obstacles, such as ladders, thin walk ways, rocks, and downed trees, and avoid broken glass, collapsing surface and other life-threatening situations. He must also be able to climb on through small windows or crevices where people may be trapped.

This type of work requires a superlative dog like the Labrador Retriever that is dedicated to saving lives, putting his own on the line without fear.

Elbow And Hock Callouses

by Leave a Comment

When dogs, especially senior dogs, lie down in their normal position, the major portion of their weight is supported by their elbows, especially when on hard surfaces. With the passage of sufficient time, and as your dog gets older, the hair covering the elbows disappears as the constant pressure destroys the local hair follicles. In response to this same pressure the skin undergoes hyperkeratinization, a thickening and toughening process, and callouses are formed.

A similar process can take place in the skin covering the hock joints, but this is less frequent. The rate at which these callouses form is directly proportional to the size and weight of your dog. They are rarely seen in Chihuahuas or other toy breeds, regardless of age, but occur with great frequency in German shepherds, Dobermans, Newfoundlands, Great Danes, and most other giant breeds as early as five years of age.

As a rule they cause no problems. If they seem inordinately dry or hard, gently rubbing in a small amount of white petrolatum ointment once or twice a week should keep them soft enough to avoid any difficulties. Once in a while they do get so hard that they start to crack, developing raw fistulas which readily become infected. Your dog will lick at them and compound the problem by irritating the skin. When senior dogs have callouses that reach this stage, they need prompt veterinary attention.

Recent Blog Posts