What's Better? Store Bought Food or Home Made?

In 2007 there was a huge pet food recall and it pet owner worried that their pet food was going to poison them. Since that scary time you have most likely been more careful when choosing what you feed your dog. But honestly, how are you supposed to know what you are really feeding your dog? You can make your pet home made food and while it's worth it, it can be very time-consuming. Otherwise you need to know what commercial pet food is both safe and nutritious.

When it comes to what to feed your dog there are many ideas, facts, and theories. Too often we let our pocketbook decide which food we are going to get our pet. It may be easy to do this, especially when the monthly budget is taken into consideration, but it's absolutely not the best idea. Why would you feed your dog crappy ingredients and pay more money for vet bills later on that could have been avoided in the first place by choosing the right food?

The dog food that you find in your local grocery store, discount store, or dollar store is not usually the healthiest kibble you can get your dog. More often than not, these brands are full of fillers that are lower in quality and inexpensive. Yes they are cheaper but they are not recommended. Take a peak at your ingredient list and you will see the ingredients are not all that great.

When you see the word meat without an actual animals name in there you have to wonder where the meat came from. Stay away from anything that says meat like meat by-products - what meat by products? Or meat and bone meal - what meat are they talking about?. What you want to see is words like chicken, beef, venison, fish as a top, meaning number 1, ingredient... And please avoid foods that have corn as their number 1 ingredient. Chances are it's also number 3,5, and 7. You are feeding a dog, after all, and not a pig or a cow.

If your pet is delighted with the store brand food there is a very good, and sad, reason for that. Chemicals have been added to this cheaper food which creates a pretty color and nice smell which Fido finds attractive and covers up the real make up of this food. With a little practice you will know exactly what kibble has this and what doesn't. Coloring agents, drying agents, and texturizers are just some of the tell-tale ingredients that should cause you to sit up and take notice.

There are some really good premium commercial dog foods which provide high grade ingredients with no harmful preservatives etc..., but they will cost a premium price and this may make you more inclined to prepare your pets meal yourself.

This way you get to choose directly what is going into their dog’s bowl. There is a difference between table scraps and home made dog food. There is a proper balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for your dog, and you have to know what will provide your pet with an easily digestible form. I know there is a lot of talk about the BARF diet. Everyone has heard of it but noone really knows what it is. I've fed all my dogs this diet and let me tell you they thrive.

And now–what does BARF stand for? Seems you can say it stands for a couple of things, but the most often cited explanation is Bones And Raw Food. The other one floating around on the Internet is Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is attributed to Dr. Ian Billinghurst, one of the original Barfers.

The BARF diet does take a little knowledge and research, and time, on the owners part. The purpose of your diet is too feed your dog the most appropriate and healthy diet you can.

BARF is about feeding a biologically appropriate diet for a dog that is made up of raw whole foods like those eaten by their ancestors. This would include muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat and vegetable materials and any other foods that are just like what the wild ancestors ate.

The important thing you, as a dog owner, should know is that commercial dog food is not all the same. You can learn much more about the differences of dog food by becoming educated in label reading, and the AAFCO standards. You make the decision for your pet so you need to figure out what suits you best.

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling "Complete Guide to Your Dog's Nutrition".

Visit the link below now for Sharda's Special Free Dog Food Report.
http://www.dogsfooddangers.com

What Are Some Genetic Problems of Dog Breeding?

Q: I work for a magazine and we're doing an article on breeding dogs and the genetic problems it can cause. What are some of the genetic problems? Can you recommend any websites? Thanks


A: Inbreeding no matter purebred or not is dangerous it always carries risks.

Breeding will always have risks purebred or not inbred just more so.

Before breeding you have to take dogs to the vet to have a vet check AND genetic tests because some purebreds and yes MUTTS have genetic problems.

Only reputable purebred breeders not just any breeder of purebreds will understand what I am talking about.

there is no such thing as hybrid vigor in dogs because unlike Hercules the liger whose parents were the same genus but different species. a mutts parents are the same genus and same species but a different breed.

Hybrid is a word to take the place of species as they have none.

Mutt is a word to take the place of breed as they have none.

Good breeders will do hip test to ensure the dogs do not have hip problems they could pass on to future generations.

With a golden dooldle that was not and is not done.

When fully mature both parents should have tests done on the eyes and hips at least. as both breeds have problems with that. 1 out of every 10 labradoodles may not shed badly but will still shed that is why the person that took up trying to make it a breed and standard gave up on it.

Unfortunatly the cad named it as one would a hybrid (or rather tried to) sire first them dam (lab-doodle) but they are mutts. a hyrbids name takes species because it is necessary. a breed name is not necessary with a mutt because its parents were domestic dogs.

Here is a mutt not tested as it should be because"he can see fine"

Rr=carrying recessive for blind

He mates with another Rr, 50% chance the pups will be blind and the others are now carriers. they had no clue because they didnt test.

Then hip 50% chance the pups will have hip problems when older.
EVEN IF SOME PROBLEMS DO NOT SHOW EXTERNALLY IT IS IN THE DNA and WILL crop up again in another generation or later in that generations life.

A dog from a reputable breeder that did the genetics checks
RR= no recurring recessive trait. such as blindness or hip displacement.

90% chance for healthy pups depending on the breed if it was a GSD that had the tests 95%. i will nto give 100 because there are possible complications with any litter however it is altogether higher from one that hasnt been tested.

Reputable breeders will try to avoid breeds carrying recessive traits to harm future generations if they inbreed which i have yet to meet one show breeder that would or has they would do it to find out if their were dormant traits in a bloodline then they would either cull or spay/neuter the offspring.

In humans
X=female
y= male there is a 50% chance of male or female kids same with dogs.

color:

If you have two grandparents one black one white.

BB=black
ww=white

The offspring would be Bw (black with a recessive white gene) so if one of them mated with another Bw they would have white in the litter.

With inbreeding or linebreeding and reputable breeders MOST reputable breeders do not do this. just because they breed purebreds doesn't make them reputable.

For instance I ran across a puppy mill in alaska breeding RED rottweilers.
bred brother to sister both carried Br

Sometimes when rotts are inbred or when selectively bred they will have a red pup.

These ppl insured they would get only reds by breeding the siblings together over and over again until they had RR.

The bones of these animals were weak there minds not all there.

In the end if anyone out their knows about the white tiger fraud its alot like that inbreeding claiming it as rare but it has a shorter life expectancy and a passel of problems.

Color can be accomplished without genetics tests but with a little info into the backgrounds. these ppl didnt do genetic tests.

I have seen mutt breeders saying they have hybrid vigor so they dont vet check, or genetic work or anything.

Let me label off some:

pomchi- liquid on the brain
palpipoo- weak legs
other: warped legs,
puggle: breathing and respiratory problems.

How do these occur? because no testing was done and no thought went into each breed that would make the mutt. each breed has their problems. the temper should also have been considered. you don't know what parent they will take after EXTERNALLY but their is a 50% that they will inherit a dormant recessive problem or pass it on if the parents weren't tested because they will always pass it on to the kids the problem is 50% it will show up and if it doesn't it might show up in another generation,

Goldens: eyes and hips
bulldogs: breathing and respiratory problems
pug: breathing and respiratory problems

Source(s):
a college education in genetics, zoology, animal science, wildlife bio
answers.yahoo.com

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What Can I Do If My Dog Wont Eat What I Give Him?

You have probably experienced the routine of watching your dog while he or she looks at the food dish and then gives you that expression which is meant to say "Am I supposed to eat that?" It's during these times that you may be hands up in the air and wondering what to do.

This is a very common problem and it's happening all over the place. And the real problem is that most people are whipped by their dog. You know what I mean...Your dog knows that if he or she is patient enough, sooner or later, something that they really want will show up instead. And that's what the problem is. Now the owner is happy and the dog is full and the dogs won the battle. Many owners are quite serious about their dogs habits which can lead to feeding food that is not healthy for your dog, let alone humans.

Once you give in once to your dog, he or she will keep on using their tactic until things are bad and you are feeding them the unhealthy food all the time. And if you think it's going to change in time, think again. It only gets worse. This type of behavior needs to be started before it starts. Besides, who is the Alpha dog here anyhow – YOU or the dog?

Owners of picky eaters are constantly trying different things to get their dog to eat. This will result in your dog holding out to see if anything better is going to being offered. But this constant change in diet brings it's own set of issues.

Constantly changing your dogs diet causes digestive upsets for your dog. So diet changes need to be done gradually in most cases. Try adding a small amount of new food to the current food and slowly increase the new food while decreasing the old food.

But the issues at hand is NOT catering to a fussy eater – so changing foods constantly isn't going to help anything.

Have you found yourself purchasing all of the pet store's food, (canned and dry) to let your dog figure out what he likes. This may not be the best plan, because if he says no, no, no, then you will be running out and trying to find something better - again.

What can you do?

The basic rule of thumb is if that any dog which gets hungry enough WILL eat no matter what is in the bowl. Have patience and ye shall be rewarded. Don't hover, plead, cajole, hand feed, or change the food. Just leave it in the bowl and ------- WAIT!

Establish Regular Feeding Times and Stick with Them

The value of having your dog on a timetable and on a regular dog diet can't be over emphasized. Dogs thrive on routine, and besides, if you don't establish a routine and stick to it, your dog will implement one himself. Dogs without routines and a "pack leader" take over the roles themselves and you won't like the consequences.

If you feed regularly at the same time (or close to it) daily then when the food hits the floor then your dog will be there to eat it – and will in fact learn to anticipate being fed. If you never thought dogs (or other animals) could tell time, try missing your regular feeding time one day.

Here is the most effective thing to do when you feed a finicky dog. Feed at the regular time and if they do not eat the food within 15 minutes, you take the bowl up and put the food back in the fridge. The next time that bowl comes out and goes down on the floor is the second feeding of the day. Period! Watch how fast your dog catches on to the fact if he doesn't eat when the food is there, it's GONE.

If your pal is getting adequate amounts of a palatable and nutritious food two times a day, you have fulfilled your responsibilities as far as feeding is concerned. Don’t let doggie involve you in a battle of wills like a spoiled child who won't go to bed without first having ice cream. That food dish is YOUR domain!

Sharda Baker has published several dog ebook and audios, including the internet best selling "Complete Guide to Your Dog's Nutrition".

Visit the link below now for Sharda's Special Free Dog Food Report.
dogsfooddangers.com

Afraid to Use a Crate Because it Will Limit Your Dog's Freedom?

I was talking to a friend the other day and she was mentioning how she doesn't want to use a crate because she doesn't feel like it is fair to the puppy to do so. But how fair are you being to the puppy when you let them roam around your house while you are out?

Honestly I was in the same mentality years ago when I got my first dog. I thought I was being cruel to him by putting him in the crate and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I would sometimes use his kennel as a punishment for doing something wrong. Thankfully I've learned a lot since then and our new puppy is able to enjoy his kennel and not be scared of it.

Here are a few reasons why a kennel is a great tool for you and your puppy.

First of all dogs like their kennels. It's a sense of being in a den and protected. The amount of space you have in your house can be overwhelming and give them way too much to think about, but when they only have to deal with the crate when they are alone or sleeping then it becomes a less scary world that they have to be aware and constantly alert of.


Bedtime should be in the kennel. Not only does it add security but it reduces the amount of space they have to go to the bathroom in. My first puppy got to sleep on the bed with me. I rolled over into his poop and pee quite a few times. He wasn't able to jump off the bed so he just went in one corner and moved to the other. It took me forever to house train him because he went so much in the house and I could never catch him because he roamed free. Our new puppy was literally house trained after a few days. We owe the kennel for that. Any whine from the kennel at night and he was promptly taken outside to pee and brought straight back into his kennel.

Another thing about being in the kennel at night is safety. I hate to admit this but one night when my first puppy was able to jump off and on the bed he jumped off and started chewing on some wires. I woke up just in time to see him losing control of his bowels and vibrating on the floor. Thank god I woke up and unplugged the wire and thank god that he came out a little upset but okay from it. Now if I had put him in a kennel this would have been avoided.

The safety the kennel offers applies to during the day when you go out or to work as well. It may be tempting to give him tons of space and leave him penned off in a large area but if he hurts himself or rips your house up in the process then that is something that you have to live with and accept as your fault, not his.
Puppies should not be left alone for long hours in the kennel but that's something you should take into consideration before buying one. If you work long hours it may be best to wait to buy a puppy. It will be harder to potty train them and they will live a pretty boring puppyhood inside of a kennel or an exciting puppyhood learning how to do everything wrong and possibly hurting themselves outside of the kennel.

Kennels are also great for a time out.

Puppies have a tendency to get over tired and over stimulated. There's just too much going on that they want to see and a nap, which they really do need, is out of the question. So they run around with wild abandon and you end up chasing them all over the house getting more and more frustrated when they dodge you just in the nick of time.

A kennel that they associate with sleep and relax time is perfect to settle them down, let them sleep for a while, and give you a break from the madness of it all.

So if you've been thinking you may bypass the kennel and try your luck at leaving them in a room or in a few rooms than you may want to rethink it. They can't hurt themselves inside it, they associate it with sleep and relaxation, they are potty trained quicker, and they are less likely to rip apart your house.

Learn from my mistakes and buy yourself a good kennel for your puppy.

Isabelle is the owner of three dogs at the moment. One is a five month old puppy who gives her a lot to write about.

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