This website encourages you to exercise your dog a lot, so that it is better behaved. If your dog is tired and resting, it won’t have time to chew on your shoes and other items in your home. To me this does not seem to be the best reason to go for a walk with your dog. Remember that the biggest benefits of walking your dog are the benefits to both your health, and your dog’s health.

It is important to keep your dog healthy. Exercise can prevent obesity, heart decease and other health issues in dogs and their owners. Healthy Hearts advises that exercise together with a healthy diet and regular check-ups are all part of keeping your dogs heart happy. Remember that exercise routines need to be developed with your dog’s specific size, age and needs in mind.

If you’d prefer to be still and relaxing while your dog runs around fetching toys and sticks then teaching them how to fetch or retrieve is a good idea. This article gives you good tips on how to teach your dog to retrieve if you have not managed to do it yourself yet.

Best of luck!

In an article in The Herald Sun, animal behaviorist Dr Robert Holmes has made the bold statement that ‘problem  dogs’ (that is, dogs displaying destructive or annoying behaviour when left alone in the yard) are not ‘bored’, but are actually suffering from separation anxiety at not being allowed to ‘lie with the family pack, where they belong’.

Holmes argues that the yard is not a dog’s natural habitat and that as pack animals they need to sleep with the rest of the family. He even claims that letting your dog snuggle down in the same bed as you is a surefire way to having a contented dog, as the bed is ‘the best pacifying and stress-reducing area’.

Sure, maybe for the dog, but how stress-reducing can 1000 shed dog hairs really be to the couple whose bed has been overtaken? Of course we don’t want to cause our pooches any stress, but surely a well-placed doggy bed in the hall – or even in the bedroom – is a decent enough compromise to make your furry friend feel loved?

• What do you think? Where does your dog sleep? Would you let him share the doona if you suspected separation anxiety? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Image Sourced from: Animal Discovery and Iooginyihs

The French have had a long connection to their canine companions, but far before the French Poodle came along and became synonymous with the elegance of Paris, there was a far more substantial, meatier national dog – mais oui! We’re talking about the Dogue de Bordeaux, that drooling, wrinkled, lumbering beast of a dog – a loveable giant with a rich history.

Origin

As the name suggests, the Dogue de Bordeaux originated in Bordeaux in the south of France, around the 14^th century. Because of their considerable size and hardy nature, they were put to a number of uses by the French aristocracy, including as guard dogs, hunting dogs and even bear and bull-fighting dogs!

One theory suggests that because of their sheer size and brute strength, the breed is descended from the Greco-Roman molossoids that were used as war dogs. What is certain is that during the French Revolution many Dogues perished with their masters, because they were seen as a rich man’s dog and therefore shown no mercy.

In later years, Dogues were used to guard homes and a variety businesses, including butchers’ shops. And if that isn’t an indication of self-controlled dog, we don’t know what is! It wasn’t until 1920 that French breeders got together and standardised the breed, which has gone on to thrive around the world as a popular pet and guard dog.

Star quality

Americans first became really aware of the breed thanks to a Dogue called Beasley, who played Hooch in the Tom Hanks film ‘Turner and Hooch’. More recently, Aussies have been exposed to the breed’s loveable qualities thanks to the recent adverts for Olympus cameras in which a Dogue ‘chews’ and generally slobbers all over a camera. Both showcase how well-trained the breed can be, which accounts for its growing popularity. Specialist breeders exist in Australia, with organizations like the Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia providing detailed information.

Appearance

The Dogue de Bordeaux has a striking appearance, sharing similarities with the bulldog and mastiff, albeit with far more distinctive facial structure than either of those breeds. With wrinkles cascading down its face and an often inquisitive, perplexed expression, this canine cuts a memorable figure. Standing at up to 70cm tall and weighing in at a minimum of 52 kilograms for males, there’s a whole lot of dog in a Dogue de Bordeaux!

Temperament

While the Dogue de Bordeaux is a naturally inquisitive and watchful dog, which makes him a suitable guard dog, he is rarely unnecessarily aggressive and is slow to anger. Because of its size, it is absolutely mandatory that Dogues de Bordeaux receive early socialisation and are not allowed to become dominant. However, these giants make incredibly loyal, affectionate and amusing family pets for people who know how to handle them.

Image Sourced from: Commons.Wikimedia

Your dog’s nails should only just touch the floor when he walks, which means that you’ll need to make sure they stay trimmed – especially if your dog doesn’t often walk on concrete or hard, rough surfaces.

If a dog’s nails get too long, it can hamper his ability to walk and run. The nails can also push painfully back into the paw, causing a lot of discomfort for your poor un-pedicured pooch! This practical video shows you how to keep a handle on your dog’s nails without expensive salon visits!

Click here to view the embedded video.

If your dog looks pleadingly at you whenever you go into the kitchen, then Christmas time is probably going to be torture for the poor pooch! But if you want to let him in join this festive season, we’ve got just the recipe – a doggie Christmas cake that he can enjoy so he doesn’t feel left out!

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup molasses
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 apple, cored and chopped

Preparation

1.      Preheat the oven to 180C. Oil a 12-cup cake tin with vegetable oil and flour.

2.      In a bowl, mix the flour, wheat germ, baking powder and cinnamon and set to one side. In another large bowl, mix the molasses and oil, then add the eggs one by one, beating until blended. Add the vanilla with ½ cup water. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mix until smooth then fold in the chopped apple.

3.      Add the batter to the tin and place in the oven. Bake for around 30 to 40 minutes, allowing to cool before serving.

NOTE: Store leftovers in an airtight container for no more than 3 days, or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 60 days.

Dog Recipe sourced from: SeeFido

Image sourced from: Daily Mail

The festive season is full of reasons to celebrate – the weather’s warm, the kids are on school holidays, the family gets together and Christmas and New Year provide party opportunities like no other.

Unfortunately, the Christmas period can pose additional threats to the four-legged members of your family, with a whole range of health and safety issues to watch out for. So this Christmas, make sure you take extra precautions and watch your pets closely, to avoid a holiday tragedy and keep the good times rolling!

Overheating
Unlike the white Christmas the carols tell us about, we all know that Australia is anything but snowy and cold at Christmas! In fact, this time of year features some of the hottest temperatures and the added activity of parties, barbecues and long nights out mean your pet could be out of sight more often than usual.

Be mindful that hot temperatures can adversely affect dogs very quickly, so make sure your dog has an accessible and constant supply of water and a shady, cool place to rest, and that he is not left unattended for too long. Signs of overheating may include panting, fatigue, inflamed or red gums and diarrhoea.

Pay close attention to your pets in hot weather and if they display any of these signs, seek veterinary advice immediately and try to bring down their temperature with cool water.

Ticks
In many parts of the country, summer is the worst time for fleas and ticks – and with all the commotion around Christmas and New Year, a tick can easily go undiscovered on your pooch until it has done serious damage. Check regularly for ticks and fleas and check out our guide to prevention here.

Overeating, choking and poisoning
We all know that the inside of a house around Christmas resembles a gourmet grocery store, with treats and tasty morsels as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, a lot of the food items – such as chocolate, nuts, cooked bones or other human food – can be dangerous for dogs.

The potential influx of people in your home will mean your dog might get away with begging treats from others, so make sure you let everyone know that feeding your pet could be harmful. Don’t leave food where your pets can access it – the smell is often too tempting for humans to resist a pick and nibble, never mind the effect it will have on your drooling dog!

In order to keep the celebrations happy and stress-free this Christmas, keep in mind that your pets may require a bit of extra attention over the holidays. You’ll be glad you did!

Images sourced from: Free fitness Tips, The Happpy Dog Spot and Bone Bratz

Poor Fido. Imagine having the worst itch imaginable in an unscratchable place, not to mention a whole host of other symptoms. And imagine not being able to let your owners know that you’ve got a serious problem.

Worms are the most common health issue facing dogs, and because they can’t speak our language (or we can’t speak theirs!), we have to be extra-diligent about monitoring their health and keeping on top of worms.

What exactly are worms?

Worms are parasites that make their way inside your dog’s body in a variety of ways, and live off his energy sources. There are five different types of worm that your dog could pick up. Some are visible to the naked eye, others are not, so it’s important to know what your dealing with, how to recognise it and how to treat it.

Roundworms: These are a big problem, especially in puppies. They can grow up to 15cm in length and look like small noodles in the dog’s faecal matter. Euww!

Hookworms: So-called for the way they hook themselves onto the intestinal wall of a dog, these nasty critters are invisible to the naked eye but may cause some blood in the stools due to the way they attack the intestines.

Tapeworms: These are flat, long worms that also live in the intestines. When excreted, they look like small grains of rice.

Whipworms: These red worms live in the large intestine, but because they are not excreted in the stools, they are difficult to see. Although treatable, whipworms are notoriously difficult to eradicate.

Heartworms: As the name suggests, these live in the heart and are the most dangerous of all worms, causing severe damage to the organ. Spread my mosquitoes, they are near impossible to detect until the damage has been done, which is why heartworm-prevention medication is a necessity.

Symptoms

Because worms are a parasite, many of the symptoms that indicate your dog is suffering from them come back to a general decline in overall health. The following are just a few:

•    Dull coat
•    Tired/lethargic
•    Alternating ravenous hunger with loss of appetite
•    Vomiting
•    Diarrhoea
•    Blood in stools
•    Itchy rear end (if your dog is dragging it’s backside along the carpet this is a pretty good indication it is itchy!)
•    Bloated stomach, especially in pups

Treatment

Prevention is the best cure. You must de-worm your dog regularly in accordance with the guidelines for his age and weight. Always use a proven treatment – ideally one such as Advocate, which is a spot-on, monthly treatment that effectively eliminates gastrointestinal worms such as hookworms, whipworms and roundworms, and also prevents heartworm. If you would prefer to give your dog an oral treatment, Drontal provides that option.

If you suspect your dog has worms, a visit to the vet is always advisable, especially if you’re worried about heartworm – and it’s imperative to take him for that yearly check-up!

Image by: Picsicio

Dog Diaries has already discussed the dangers of pet store impulse buys. As a result of sympathy, pressure from the kids or the irresistible face of a kitten behind the glass, many families make pet purchases without the proper commitment or forethought that bringing an animal into your family requires.

The result, sadly, is that once these pets grow beyond that adorable baby phase and the reality of the work required sets in, many of these pet-store purchases are abandoned and, worse, eventually put down.

A petition was recently brought before the Queensland State Parliament requesting that cats and dogs are not allowed to be sold in Queensland pet stores. The move comes after several other countries have enforced similar bans to prevent the abandonment of cats and dogs in particular.

Signed by 2597 concerned citizens, the Queensland petition states: ‘Animals are often purchased by ill-informed people who later discard their pet when they realise that pet ownership is not as easy or cheap as they thought. Your petitioners request the House to ban all pet shops from selling cats and dogs.’
While stricter codes of conduct have been put in place over recent years to attempt to better vet prospective owners, the problem is still a big one, with over 200,000 pets being put down each year in this country.

•    What do you think? Do you think banning pet shop sales is the answer? We’d love to hear your opinions!

Image by: chattanoogapulse

At Dog Diaries we love bringing you stories about the love and fun dogs can bring into our lives, but occasionally we have the much sadder task of reminding our readers that we humans don’t always treat our furry companions with the same respect.

In the past few weeks, the media seems to have been particularly laden with stories about puppies being abandoned, mistreated or left for dead because their human owners could not be bothered treating them with the respect deserved by any living creature.

Just last week in New Zealand a litter of six cross-breed puppies were found dumped and left for dead under a bridge, the third such case this month, according to disgusted Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) workers.

In New York there has been outrage as a man accused of killing his four-week-old puppy by stomping on its head has been released on bail. The puppy had been a gift when, unprovoked, 58-year-old John Lendino allegedly attacked the poor mite, killing it instantly.

And in Bosnia, a teenage girl has been arrested after a video of her throwing three puppies into a river surfaced on YouTube.

The recent influx of stories about cruelty to animals should serve as a valuable lesson to us about the responsibility we have to ensure as many animals as possible are saved from this kind of needless torture. De-sex your animals. Give them as much love as you can. And if you want to join in the fight against animal cruelty in this country, find out how you can help by visiting the RSPCA Website.

Images by: NW Dog Whisperer and RSPCA

What to expect when she’s expecting…

The time has come. Whether you’ve bred your beloved bitch on purpose or whether it’s the unfortunate result of her loose morals with a wandering tramp, you’ve got a pregnant pooch and you’re going to be a grandparent. Pregnancy and birth (known as ‘whelping’) can be a risky time in a dog’s life, so taking good care of her comfort, health and wellbeing during this stage is crucial.

A canine pregnancy lasts for 58-66 days, during which time your furry friend will go through several stages.

20-28 days after fertilisation: morning sickness

Yep, poor old pooches aren’t exempt from the nauseating side effect of pregnancy, and while it is rare for dogs to actually vomit, you will probably notice that your mother-to-be is slightly off her food.

One month along…

By this stage it should be visible that your dog is pregnant, and her nipples will have darkened in colour. Once the morning sickness has subsided and your expectant pet has regained her appetite, it’s important to make sure you increase her food intake, as she will need the extra energy reserves. Be mindful however not to over-feed her because too much weight gain could do more harm than good.

Six weeks in…

By this stage, her belly should be very round and full and your pooch may become increasingly restless, entering the ‘nesting’ phase. She will most likely spend her days wandering around, sniffing out old nooks and crannies and trying to choose a suitable place to give birth. Some dams lose their appetite again during this phase and discomfort takes over. It’s best to try to encourage her to eat smaller, easily digestible meals more regularly. Remember that exercise is still an important daily routine to ensure that your dog’s muscles remain in good shape. Frequent gentle exercise throughout the pregnancy will help her regain her strength more quickly after the birth.

Preparing for the birth…

You will need to either buy or make a whelping box, and keep it in a calm, quiet and warm place. A whelping box needs to be easy to clean, have sides high enough to keep the puppies confined but low enough for their mother to climb in and out. It also needs to have a source of heat for when the puppies are born.

During the birth…

Your dog needs you during the birth, as much for your support and calming influence as for the assistance you may need to provide if something goes wrong. Many dogs and pups suffer unnecessarily or even die as a result of being left alone during those risky hours of birth.

Make sure you have made your vet aware that your dog will be giving birth in the next couple of days so that you can contact them quickly for advice should it be needed.

Puppies are usually born head-first, but can sometimes come out backwards – leading with their hind legs. A breech birth is when a pup comes out bum-first, and there can be problems for both the mother and pup in this situation.

According to veterinarian Dr Rebecca Bragg, ‘If the mother makes no attempt to remove the membranes to allow the puppy to breathe, you will need to do it for her. Clear any debris from around the mouth and nose, then from the body with a towel. You need to stimulate the puppy to breathe and cry by rubbing it with the towel. If the puppy doesn’t appear to be breathing and its tongue is turning blue, you can breathe air into its lungs through its nose. If the placenta is still attached, you need to sever it a few centimetres from the puppy’s body.’

The best thing you can do for your pregnant gal is educate yourself thoroughly on the entire process and seek vet advice all the way through her pregnancy. If at any time during the whelping you encounter a situation you cannot handle, or if your pooch suddenly becomes too tired and overwhelmed to complete the process, seek immediate veterinary attention.