The moment you decide to own a Dalmatian puppy, you need to start planning for his arrival in your home. Both you and your new family member will find the transition period much easier if your home is properly equip in advance of the arrival.

One of the first thing you need to prepare for the arrival of your new Dalmatian puppy is a crate. Every dog should have a crate of his own from the very beginning, one that he will come to know and love as his special place where he is comfortable and safe. The crate will provide an ideal setting; when you want him to be free, you can just leave the crate open. Otherwise, you can securely latch it and know that the pup is safely out of trouble. Also, if you travel with him, his crate can fit nicely in the car. A crate therefore is a very sensible and sound investment in your puppy’s future safety and happiness and for your own peace of mind.

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The past few decades have seen a period of continuing advances in the art and science of veterinary surgery. Even the last few years have seen advances of outstanding value. In the field of surgery, operations are carried out today which a few years ago could not have been contemplated. Operations into the chest cavity or intra-thoracic surgery involving such vital organs as the gullet and lungs are now accessible to the surgeon’s skill. The “pinning” of bones, where the old-fashioned and cumbersome splint has gone by the board, has resulted in finer and more rapid repair, with far less pain and discomfort to the patient. Prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate gland which causes so much trouble in the older male dog, has now become a possibility and is one of the most recent conditions to come within the scope of the surgeon.

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Thanks to Dogster’s For the Love of Dog Blog for this information:

“KINSHIP CIRCLE ANIMAL DISASTER RELIEF - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST

3/18/08: Animal Control (& Entire Town) Underwater! Piedmont, Missouri

Kinship Circle has just learned tonight (3/18) that the town of Piedmont, in rural Missouri, has evacuated due to severe flash flooding. We are posting as much information as we have at this time and will follow-up with more verified facts as they become available.

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For Father’s Day I thought I’d pay tribute to my human “father”. He is a wonderful guy who spends a lot of time with me. We are best buddies…

he takes me on lots of adventures, like exploring different parks…

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Running or jogging with your dog is an excellent form of exercise. If you do wish to run with your dog, the most important thing you want to be aware of is your dog’s safety. Here are a few safety tips that also apply to other forms of exercise, especially the more vigorous kinds:

Don’t run when it’s hot or humid out. A dog with a thick fur coat, such as a Siberian Husky, can get overheated rapidly in hot or even warm weather under exercise conditions. Wait for cooler times of day such as early morning or later in the evening.Watch out for extremely cold weather. Northern breed dogs can handle extremely cold temperatures but dogs bred for milder conditions may have trouble.Make sure your dog gets plenty of water. Dogs lose a lot of water through panting. Proper hydration is essential to maintaining an optimum body temperature. A good trick to use if your dog is reluctant to drink is to pour some beef or chicken broth into the water. This is a technique Iditarod racers use to get their dogs to drink enough water.Always be aware of your surroundings. This includes other people, other dogs, small animals (important to be aware of if your dog has a high prey drive), and especially vehicles. If you are running alongside a road and your dog spots another dog on the other side and a car is coming, you need to be able to foresee any potential problems and be able to control your dog.

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You love your dog, but sometimes he can be a real pain! If you know what might be causing his annoying behavior, though, you might be able to do something about it.

Digging

Some dogs just love to dig holes! Their reasons for doing so, however, will vary depending on the breed and the situation. Your dog might be digging holes out of sheer boredom. If you suspect this might be the case, simply exercise your dog more frequently. He’ll be too tired to dig. Maybe your male dog is digging in order to get to the female dog that is in heat next door. In this case, having your dog neutered will solve the problem. If your dog is digging holes to bury items or just for the sake of digging, then set aside one area in which he can engage in that behavior. Protect the rest of your yard by spraying a non-toxic dog repellant in and around the off-limit areas.

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When most people bring home their cute new puppies, the furthest thing from their minds is the stressful time of teething. Just as with babies teething, puppies will want to chew on everything they can get their mouth on. This can lead to total destruction of your belongings, but there are tried and true ways to help prevent this from happening, and help you and your pup get through the teething period with ease.

Many people bring home their new pup and leave them out to romp around the house when they’re not home. Inevitably, this leads to chewing on shoes, books, socks, the couch, and any number of other things. The best way to prevent destructive chewing is to crate train your dog. To do this, you will need a crate that is just big enough for your dog to turn around in. Make the crate a safe and happy place for your dog. Provide him with stimulating toys while he is in the crate. Crate training your dog will not only prevent destructive chewing, but will also aid in potty training and create a positive and safe environment for your dog to be when you’re not around. Some people think that keeping a dog in a crate when they’re not around is cruel. This is not the case at all. Dogs by nature like small, darkened places and tend to feel very safe in crates. Almost all dog trainers today believe that crate training is a necessary and positive part of your puppy’s development. If your dog is crated while you are not home, they will not have the opportunity to chew on your belongings and other harmful things such as power cords.

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I know its been several months since I’ve posted. I’ve been preoccupied with setting up my own business, and dealing with other things. I am still feeding my two dogs natural dog food, its a bit more work, but its much safer for them, and I don’t feel like I’m endangering their lives, like I used to when I fed them commercial food.

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This is a description of a wonderful summer camp hosted by the Kentucky Humane Society that I learned about by reading an article in The Courier-Journal out of Louisville, KY, and that my ever-vigilant friend Ann, author of A Nice Place in the Sun recommended:

Unlike any other children’s camp in the area, the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) is happy to be hosting its 20th year of summer camps for young people! The ever-popular Animal Adventure Camp for children age 6-13 is offered weekly June through August. It’s a great opportunity for children to share their hearts with animals and learn at the same time! Join us in the fun!

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Last night there was a really good documentary on PBS called “Dogs That Changed The World”, about the origins of dogs and how we evolved to live with humans. Actually it spoke a lot about how humans might not of survived without us. See, I told you we were important! Through evolution dogs have been bred to emphasis certain traits to help humans do things like hunt, herd and protect. Golden Retrievers are from hunting stock and have heightened senses of smell and hearing to do this. Did you know that if a human can hear a sound a mile away a dog can hear the same sound 4 miles away? That’s pretty good hearing if you ask me. So this morning I was acting on my instincts an surveying my territory for invaders…squirrels and cats mostly.

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