A Healthy Diet For Your Dog of any Breed
Do you want to know what to feed your dog so that he lives a long, healthy life? The answer is top quality commercial dog food. A quality commercial dog food contains all the nutrients your dog needs to keep him healthy so he will live a long life. Dog food comes in two varieties. The first is kibble, which is a dry food, and the second is canned food, which is wet and contains meat. You can feed your dog kibble - and nothing else - or canned food - and nothing else - or a mixture of both. Many dog owners assume that you can't feed a dog kibble and nothing else. But you certainly can. kibble is formulated to contain all the nutrients your dog needs, a dog can happily live his entire life on nothing but kibble - though if he could speak he'd probably ask for canned food because it contains meat. In fact, high quality kibble (and canned food) contains more than the daily requirement of vitamins and minerals your dog needs.
High quality dog food will give your dog a complete and balanced diet. So there is no need to feed your puppy extra supplements on top of his daily rations of canned dog food or kibble. No scientific evidence exists which proves that supplements do anything "extra" for your dogs heath. While we're talking about scientific evidence - there is also none which suggests that the preservatives in dog food should be avoided. But if you're skeptical all the same, you can choose a dog food with natural preservatives - Vitamin C or E - instead. If your dog is still a puppy - less than one year old - you should feed him a puppy growth formula of dog food. These life stage foods contains more nutrients that his body needs while he is growing. After he is one year old you can switch him to a high quality adult dog food.
So which brand of high quality dog food should you choose? You should always by a top quality dog food from one of the major brands. These companies would never do anything to tarnish there brand (or at least it is very, very unlikely they would let anything go to market before thorough testing). The big brands do a lot of feed testing and research and development to make sure their food contains all the nutrients your dog needs to be as healthy as he can be. So choose one of the major brands. Your Veterinarian will be able to help you choose. How much should you feed your puppy?
The label on the back of the top quality dog food you choose is a fairly accurate guide on how much to feed your dog - according to his weight and age. The label is a good place to start. You also need to use your own judgment. If he has plenty of energy, the right amount of body fat, a shiny coat, and bright eyes then he is getting the right amount of food each day. If he is always really hungry and you think it's because he isn't getting enough food you can feed him a little more. Speak with your Vet to find out if he is at his ideal body weight. Your Vet will be able to suggest whether he needs more or less food. You should feed a puppy four times a day. And you should feed an adult twice a day.
For information on Chihuahua puppies go to Chihuahua puppies guide.
Dog Training That Works!
I've been training my new puppy Dante with a training program that my friend has sworn by for years.
And guess what...it has been working like a charm. While my neighbors constantly complain that their dog urinates in the house, eats plants, destroys things, etc., my Dante has been the perfect dog.
He isn't agressive, he can stay, lay down, and walks very well on a leash.So what is this amazing program? It's appropriately called "Sit, Stay, Fetch".
The program has been featured in "Dog Training Weekly" and won several awards. I remember when I was younger, we bought a Labrador named "Franklin", and my parents hired a trainer to come to our house. Boy, what a NIGHTMARE. That is why I was hesitant to put much faith into "Sit, Stay, Fetch".
Through the free videos, Dante has even learned a few neat tricks like "speak", "shake", "play dead", "roll over". But the best is when I put a little doggie biscuit on his nose, and he balances it there until I say okay, at which point he devours it before it hits the ground!
Needless to say, I'm extremely satisfied with this program, and would recommend it to other dog owner, and prospective dog owners alike.
Here is the website: www.sitstayfetch.com.
Good Luck!
Labradoodle Training And Using A Halter
Have you ever considered halter training your Labradoodle? If you haven't, you may want to consider this training, as a halter can provide you with much more control over your dog when walking him.
What exactly is a halter? Essentially, it is an extended collar that features a second collar that wraps around the dog's torso behind the front quarters. The halter usually buckles in the front and the back of it has a D-loop that attaches to the lead. By using a halter, you can easily stop your Labradoodle from engaging in negative behaviors you don't approve of. You can stop your dog with more control without having to wrench your animal's neck.
To start halter training your dog, you need to purchase a durable, nylon halter that properly fits your pooch. Like the collar, you should be able to fit two fingers underneath the halter. However, before you place the halter around your Labradoodle, you need to first allow your dog the time to familiarize him/herself with the device before you put it on. This will help ease your dog into the halter without putting up resistance.
You can easily slip the halter onto your dog by placing the collar part over the head, and wrapping the second section behind the front legs. Depending on the type of halter you purchase, the buckle may be plastic or metal. Metal buckles tend to be heavier than plastic. That being said, if you choose plastic, make sure it's made of sturdy material.
Once the Labradoodle is in his/her halter, the D-loop should be positioned on the back. If you have any reservations about putting your dog in the halter, don't forget that it's always a good idea to read the manufacturers instructions that come with the model. This will not only teach you how to properly fit the device to your dog, it will also ensure that no injury comes to you or your pooch.
After you successfully put your Labradoodle in the halter, be sure to praise and reward him/her, and allow them a few minutes to move around and become familiar with the sensation of the device before attaching a leash to it. Once you give a few minutes to your dog to cope, it's time to attach the leash to the halter. To get your dog used to walking with the leash and halter, have an assistant stand 5 feet in front of you and your Labradoodle and offer your dog a treat or favorite toy. When the dog moves forward to his/her reward, he/she will learn that the halter is not constricting as they may have initially thought.
When the dog becomes more familiar walking with the halter, they will discover that they still have freedom, but are also limited should they attempt to engage in behaviors you disapprove of. For instance, if your dog acts aggressively towards a stranger or another dog, you will be able to easily pull them back than if the dog was only wearing a collar. In addition, you have the advantage of pulling up or back on the halter so that the Labradoodle's front feet are pulled clear from the ground to stop the dog from walking on something dangerous such as glass.
As you can see, there are many advantages to halter training your Labradoodle.
Richard Cussons is a champion for all breeds of dog and Labradoodles are a favorite. You can find out more about Labradoodles at the Labradoodle Savvy website.