Dog Care Tips & Tidbits

As dog lovers, we feel a special bond with other dog lovers and want to provide dog care tips and tidbits pertaining to dogs for your information and enjoyment. If you have a great dog care tip or tidbit to share, please e-mail us at talk2us@collars2switch.com.

 Dog Care Tips

* Before you shave Fido for the summer, consider this--dogs can get sunburned. A dog's coat provides a protective layer against the sun's rays and allows him/her to stay cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. 

* If your dog has a runny nose and runny eyes, he/she may have allergies. Have your vet check it out to see if medications would help.

* Chubbiness in a dog can be cute, but for a healthy dog, here are some tips for canine weight loss-

                  -Keep your dog's food dish empty, except at mealtime. Leave food available for no more than 30 minutes.

                  -Measure your dog's food and be sure to count in any treats given. Some nutritious snacks are carrots, apple pieces, and celery.

                  -As you reduce the amount of food for your dog, feed half at a time, twice a day.

                  -Exercise your dog regularly, making sure reflective-wear is used if walking or running with your dog at night.

* Many dogs get anxious during stormy weather or fireworks. They may exhibit this anxiety by panting, whining, or pacing. Here are some suggestions from Casey Lomonaco KPA CTP, of dogster.com, to help your dog overcome this fear:

-get a cd of thunder/rainstorm and play it at a low enough level that your dog stays calm. Each time there is thunder, offer your dog a treat. If the dog is too nervous to eat the treat, lower the volume. When your dog expects a treat as the thunder is heard, turn up the volume slightly, and continue to give treats during the thunder parts. You can play the cd right before a real storm hits and, also, when your dog is relaxing, to associate the thunder with calmness. Through a Dog's Ear is a book and cd program made for these purposes.

-Some dogs react to the change in static electricity that storms produce. Dogs will seek a non-reactive surface like a rubber mat, tile, or a bathtub. Moistening your dog's coat may help with this. Use a mink oil product for grooming or coconut oil to rub on your dog's coat.

 Go Green- here are a few tips from aspca.org  to help you help our environment:

*Use earth-friendly shampoos and grooming products.

*If your dog dribbles urine on the carpet, use a mixture of vinegar and water to get the odor out.

*Buy pet supplies in bulk to save trips to the store and have less packaging to dispose of.

* Clean out closets and storage and donate old towels and bedding to shelters.

SENIOR DOGS

Dogs are considered to be "senior" when they are 7 years or older.

According to dogfactfiles.com, senior dogs are more sensitive to temperature issues.

*Senior dogs need a warm place to sleep

*Senior dogs need to be dried quickly when wet

 Dog Tidbits

Dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years.

Dogs have worn collars since ancient Egyptian times.

Every minute a dog takes 10 to 30 breaths.

Every dog has a unique noseprint, like no other dog's.

Dogs have 18 or more muscles in their ears (humans have just 6).

Purina Pet Institute ranked cities that are healthiest for pets using 30 different criteria. Here are the top 5:

1. Denver

2. Oakland

3. Portland

4. Anaheim

5. San Francisco

Approximately 1 in 3 households keep dogs as pets.

The typical poodle's haircut was invented to improve its swimming abilities. The pom-poms were left to keep the joints warm.

The greyhound can go as fast as 45 mph for short periods of time, making it the fastest dog on earth.

 Dogs can see colors, but not as vividly as humans.

If not spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could produce over 66,000 dogs in 6 years. Yikes!