Dogs are of course pack animals by nature, and as such they tend to be naturally outgoing and gregarious with other dogs and with many other animals. Even so, care must be taken when introducing a new puppy to the other four legged members of the family. When introducing a new puppy to the household it is important to be on the lookout for any signs of trouble, and to act immediately to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

Learning to read canine body language is somewhat of an art, and some people are more naturally adept at it than others. No matter what your natural ability in this area, however, it is possible to get a read on what your puppy and your other dogs are thinking, and to act appropriately. Some of these signs – like snapping and snarling-will be obvious. Others-such as a laid back ear or cock of the head-will be more subtle. Learning to read these cues and react to them will help to make your new puppy’s first encounter with the rest of the family happy and trouble free.
During the introduction process, the puppy will need to establish his or her own place in the hierarchy of the pack. The wild cousins of the domestic dogs we know and love do this as a matter of course, and all dogs have their own pack dynamics.
Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 21, 2009 | | Dog Tips

If you do not want to breed your dog there are several options
(1) You can try to keep your female away from encounters with males twice each year for the 10 or more days while she is in heat
(2) You can have the female spayed.
(3) You can have a male dog castrated.
(4) If the dog has been mated unintentionally, you can have her treated with a hormone injection to prevent pregnancy. This is not a good solution except for emergencies because it enhances your dog’s susceptibility to cancer and diabetes.
If (1) is excluded, you should get the animal sterilized, castrated, or spayed. Sterilization involves the severance of the oviduct of a female and the severance of the vas deference in the male. Castration is referred to as the removal of the testicles in the male. Spaying, or ovariohysterectomy, refers to the removal of the ovaries and uterus in the female.
Neutering may result in behavioural changes such as lethargy or lazy and listless attitudes Urinary incontinence may also be observed. The altered hormonal system may in some cases lead to skin disorders Homeopathic and other home remedies are not indicated because the organs that would need to be stimulated are removed. In order to replace the missing hormones they must be injected.
If your dog underwent a neutering procedure (whatever the reason) and you observe the symptoms described above, seek the advice of a veterinarian as soon as you can. Homeopathic single remedies may be selected that will attempt (!) to stimulate the remaining hormonal systems (e.g., the adrenals) to participate in the production of sex hormones In order to revitalize a potential weakness of the hypothesis the veterinarian trained in holistic techniques can apply the use of homeopathic cell preparations and, to stimulate regenerative processes cytoplasm therapy might be used.
Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 21, 2009 | | Dog Health