8 Ideas For Raising A Happy, Healthy Dog

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When we decided to make a little furry, hairy or scaly addition to the family, we often picture ourselves with smiles on our faces as we enjoy all the good times spent together with them. We think about how fulfilling it will be, how much we will love them and all of the memories that will be made with them. Whilst they may not be fellow human beings, we still accept them as part of the family. Each and every animal has its own ways of being dealt with.

When it comes to taking in and loving a dog, then there are certain ways in which you should behave if you want to raise this beautiful creature properly. Dogs are amazing, and they will run through a brick wall for you, if you are ever in trouble so the right thing to do would be to show them all the love, care and attention in the world. 

If you’re new to all this, then it can be a little overwhelming – you are trying to keep something alive, after all! If that is the case, then let’s go through some things that may help you on your quest of raising a happy and healthy dog. 

 

Choose A Great Food Brand

They have to eat properly, of course. Now, you can hit your local pet store and find any old food that you deem acceptable for the puppy, or you can be a loving caregiver and do a little research into what foods your particular breed needs. If you can give them the best possible nutrition, then their fitness, health and overall contentment will be as close to perfect as you can get it!

Register With A Vet You Trust

The one sounds like another easy thought, but much like finding a particular doctor for yourself, it would be a good idea to find the right vet for your dog. We’re not suggesting that some vets are going to be mean and nasty, but everyone has their preference so perhaps search for someone that your dog will love to bits.

Check Your Dogs Health Regularly

You’ll obviously be keeping a keen eye on their life from day one all the way until their final days, but just be mindful of how their behaving or if their mannerisms change at all – it could mean more than just a subtle change in attitude. 

If you’re not an expert yourself, it may be hard to spot if your dog is struggling in terms of its physical health and you may struggle to determine whether something is serious or not. In this case, using pet technology products might be the way to go – things like heart-rate monitors and other tests can be bought and used by owners. It’s better to be sure than to assume.

 

Walk Your Dog Daily

They’ll need to be active every day so remember to pop their leash on and take them for a stroll. Some dogs can and need to walk for longer distances than others, so you’ll need to figure out just how much exercise your particular baby is going to need.

Play With Your Dog

They’re naturally playful animals, traditionally, so you’ll need to let them have a little fun around the house and outside. You don’t want them bored and lounging around with nothing to do, so buy them lots of toys to play with and interact with them as much as you can!

Start Training Early

It’s all well and good showing off different tricks to your friends – shaking hands and making them wait for fetching a ball sure can be a hoot – but training is more than just little party tricks. Even when they’re young pups, it’s a good idea to train them in a variety of disciplinary ways so that they’re obedient and can protect themselves if things go a little wrong.

 

Show Your Dog Affection

They are warm-blooded creatures of this earth, so, as we mentioned earlier, you should treat them as though they are your own flesh and blood. They would do anything for you, so the very least you can do is love them for their entire life – it’s not hard to do. 

Include Them In Your Life

They’re not just for sitting around at home and looking nice. If you go out on vacation, think about bringing them along. If you’re heading out for the day, perhaps include them in your trip. Don’t just keep them for your own boredom, include them in your life and create amazing memories with them to reminisce about in the future.

Learn how Your dog is a Family Disaster Dog

New edition has 50 more pages of lessons..Check it out Free Preview and please share so others learn too. Available in Paperback and Kindle

What is a Family Disaster Dog?

( From the Family Disaster Dogs Book)

A Family Disaster Dog is a family pet who has learned how to rescue its family and assist others during emergencies. To learn these valuable skills dog owners only have to add a few search dog skills from this book to their daily schedule.

The lessons in this book will explain how you can teach your family and pets vital skills to use in case a disaster ever hits home.

When the huge earthquake hit Japan on March 11, 2011 the tsunami that was generated spread as far as the Oregon Coast where I live. Our local emergency warning system and tsunami sirens had the whole town awake at three in the morning.

During the tsunami warning I sat prepared and waiting to evacuate with my retired Search and Rescue Bloodhound, Daisy. As I watched Daisy sleeping on the sofa the idea came to me for this book.

The average family dog could assist its owner just like search dogs do. The family dog is already on site which would save valuable time. Yes, I could teach people how their family dog could rescue them during earthquakes, floods and tornado.

The more I thought about the idea the more lessons came to mind.

These are those lessons penned with Daisy at my side until the end of the first draft like she would have been to the end of a trail. She helped me start this site. Miss Daisy passed away as this book came to the end in Sept of 2013. 

Bloodhounds taught me that one of our biggest fears and chores during a disaster is losing or finding a loved one. Twelve years spent training them and other dog breeds in search dogs skills taught me that every dog has the ability to find its own family members or friends.

Dogs do these skills on their own every day without us noticing.

Teaching your family pet to come to the aid of the family during an emergency is not as difficult as one might think. Our dogs are usually following us around very willing to offer a helpful paw whenever we need one.

All we have to do is learn how to ask the dog for help in unusual or disaster situations.

These lessons take into consideration that family dogs come in all sizes, shapes, ages and personalities like the families they are a members of. Each lesson is tailored to fit into a family situation instead of a formal show dog and obedience classroom.

For this reason, this book is not the ordinary step by step manual of how to train your dog to be on a leash doing exactly what you say. Search dogs have to think on their own like family dogs do while interacting in human lifestyles which makes a family dog the ideal student for search dog purposes.

Read more in the book and at Family Disaster Dogs online

Owners, Don't Trick Your Dog This Halloween

Link to file

What’s not to like about getting dressed up and roaming the streets asking for candy? It’s fun for all the family, well, except for the pets in your life. Let’s face it – dogs don’t want to don a funny costume. They don’t want kids knocking on the door all night long. And, they don’t want to be disturbed! Sadly, all this and more will happen come the 31st of October.

So, if you value your dog’s sanity, it’s essential to take precautions. After all, it is the scariest night of the year! Here’s what dog owners need to know come Halloween.

Dogs Shouldn’t Eat Candy

Because candy is full of sugar, and the white stuff will get into the bloodstream and send them wild. You may not have come across a dog hopped up on sugar before, and you don’t want to! They are hyperactive, impossible to control, and easily irritable. There is a more important reason not to let the family pooch loose on the Halloween stash: chocolate. To dogs, chocolate is a poison which plays havoc with their insides. It may not cause them to drop dead like in a Bond film, but it could cause bellyache and flatulence.

Link to file

They Should See A Vet

Going to a veterinarian seems like overkill, no pun intended. But, Halloween is a special time of year where all rules go out of the window. Instead of everyone in the neighborhood behaving, they make excess noise, scare people, and set off fireworks. It’s akin to something from a novel which describes the apocalypse. What animal lovers don’t know is that these disruptions can set off unknown ailments. For instance, dogs can suffer from epilepsy. Any strong lights will trigger their condition, and by then it’s too late. There is nothing wrong with going for a checkup in Halloween season.

Dogs Shouldn’t Be Outside

On a typical night, it is okay to leave them in their kennel until morning. Dogs are domestic animals, yet certain pooches are perfectly okay outside. Unfortunately, crowds of kids dressed as their favorite superheroes will descend on the backyard. When they do, the noise will startle the dog and cause it distress. Whether it barks like a madman or curls up in a ball, the animal will not enjoy the experience. It is much safer inside where the noise is not as loud and won’t cause the dog stress.

They Should Be Away From The Door

The door will open and close hundreds of times in one night, which is a security flaw. Countless families spend Halloween night searching for their lost pet rather than trick or treating. Also, there is the visual aspect of people entering the house. Dogs are territorial and can turn if they feel threatened or they think the house is in danger. The last thing anyone wants is a small child to get bitten. By keeping the dog away from the door, there shouldn’t be any untoward incidents. Plus, out of sight is out of mind for your pooch.

People love Halloween, but animals are different. For them, they want the holiday to finish as soon as possible.

Disaster Expo-Book Fair Events

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Thank you for visiting the Family Disaster Dogs booth at the Florence Be Ready Disaster Expo !

Thanks to all who came to hear my talk about evacuating with our pets ! I had a great time visiting with everyone and learned a lot myself. Go Florence !

The weather is great for next week's book fair and I hope to see everyone there.

Take care, until next time...be ready !

Stay Calm and Carry On !

Follow that dog to read the complete Bug-out Bag List posted below this  post on   FamilyDisasterDogs.com