Canine diabetes is becoming a lifestyle disease in dogs just like in humans. The risk for developing diabetes mellitus increases with age and weight.
Early warning signs include extreme thirst and increased water intake (and hence more frequent urinating), unexplained weight loss and depressed or lethargic behavior.
The usual treatment consists of strictly regulating sugar intake. This can be achieved by feeding a special diabetic dog food and feeding multiple smaller meals a day instead of one biggie.
Via the contact form of Best Dog Food Guide I received the following question:
My dog is overweight by at least 15 pounds. I have cut down on his food intake and also do more walks with him. The problem is I cannot go for long walks. Two back surgeries have limited me in walking very much. He is five years and like me of course he lays down in bed a lot with me because I have to. Is there anything else I can do for him. I tried dog walkers but reliability was a big problem for me so I gave up on that idea. He is a golden lab and the best dog known. I know that if he stays this way his life expectancy will be affected. I tried weight reduction foods for him but that did not work either. Is there something else I can try?
Dog owners often run into the same issues and I can relate to them from experience. I have fallen for the same tricks when Kensho played them on me.
Question from a desperate dog owner:
“My 7 month old pup is more than picky when it comes to her food! She just doesn’t LIKE any of it, so she won’t eat very much. I’m to the point where I think if she’s hungry enough she will eat it!
I started with Nutro Lamb & Rice, she won’t eat that anymore, then changed to Chicken Soup… it gave her the runs… then to Canidae Chicken & Rice.. she wouldn’t eat it… now I have California Natural Lamb & Rice, which she will only eat if I mix in a little canned food (and even then she will only pick around and eat the canned food). It also gave her runny poop today.
Many times dog owners ask, “At what point should I give my dog a break during training sessions?” Unfortunately, the answer is that it depends on the dog and the method of training that you use. But the bottom line is that your dog does need a break during a training session even if it’s for 30 seconds or a few minutes. Your choices for breaks can vary, it can be letting them sniff around or go potty, playing with their favorite toy, or just sitting down on the ground and rubbing their belly. Some trainers are in disagreement that playing with toys are a break for the dog. Some believe that the dog is still in reinforcement mode. We believe that playing with their toys are a break as long as you are not forcing them to do obedience for their toy.
Dogs, like humans, show a wide range of tolerance for others. Some are immediately friendly with every new dog, cat or lizard. Others are forever hostile to even the opposite sex of their own breed. Considering dogs are by nature territorial the diversity is odd, but there it is.
Naturally, animal lovers like to have more than one dog around and often several breeds or other species. Ensuring that chairs remain upright and necks unbitten can be a real challenge. Add to the mix the neighbor’s pets or random critters who wander into your companion’s territory and your furniture, not to mention your sanity, can be at real risk.
A dog’s jaw muscles are among his strongest. An average-sized Golden Retriever can untie the knot in a rawhide bone (or just chew it off) in minutes. If only they’d stick to those!
The tendency to chew will vary from one breed - and one individual - to another. But most dogs will chew on objects in and around the house. Keeping them focused on objects intended for them is a continuing challenge.
Younger dogs, puppies in particular, will usually have a greater tendency to chew and less discrimination about what they choose. But even young puppies can be discouraged from grabbing things the owner would prefer to keep whole.
One of the most annoying things about pet dogs is their habit of answering to calls of nature almost anywhere they feel like it. Your bedroom rug, the drawing room sofa, your Persian carpet; everything seems as good a place as any for your little pup to go cool his bladders on.
If you have just brought your pup home therefore, buckle up and get ready to save your upholstery and carpets by means of a simple method we call Housebreaking.
Possibly one of the most annoying action to your neighbors about your dog is your dog’s barking. If he displaces everything in your home, then that does not have an effect on your neighbors too much. But the continuous barking day in and night will end up with community difference of opinion and calls to the police force.
The major objective of the domestication of the dog was to make available a buddy to protect and alert. Barking is the way they do this. To prevail over this inherent feature, you must teach your dog to discontinue barking. Such teaching to stop a continuously barking dog ought to be done when the dog is a puppy prior to barking gets to be a crisis.
Owning a dog that can carry out antics and is very docile and well trained is a pleasure and delight of every dog owner. Owning a dog that in reality pays attention, hangs on to each word and abides by its master would surely be appreciated and awarded. This would firmly strengthen the bond. What’s more, a dog well trained knows the way to ’socialize’ properly with people and other dogs.
Dogs are one of the most cherished pets in every part of the world. They are well received in more homes than any other domestic animal ever. Though they are in general affectionate, devoted and faithful, they can be taught to be more compliant. A well trained and well behaved dog is more cherished in any family and is shown more affection and consideration. The times you spent with each other performing antics and teaching equals to a connection that grows deeper each day.
