Top Dog Quotes To Live By

These are a few of the best quotes about dogs to live by! Please feel free to comment or share any of them with your friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foods that are Poisonous to Dogs

As a pet owner it is our responsibility to make sure our dogs stay healthy. The following list contains some of the most poisonous foods for dogs that every pet parent should be aware of!

Chocolate contains theobromine, a compound that is a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic.

After the dog has eaten a large quantity of chocolate, many dog owners assume their pet is unaffected. However, the signs of sickness may not happen for several hours, with possible death within a few days. A dog who ingested a large quantity of chocolate will exhibt symptoms that include staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, arrhythmia, seizures, coma or death.

Cocoa powder and cooking chocolate are the most toxic forms of chocolate to a dog. A 10-kilogram dog can be seriously affected if it eats a quarter of a 250gm packet of cocoa powder or half of a 250gm block of cooking chocolate. These forms of chocolate contain ten times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Thus, a chocolate mud cake could be a real health risk for a small dog. Even licking a substantial part of the chocolate icing from a cake can make a dog unwell.

Semi-sweet chocolate and dark chocolate are the next most dangerous forms, with milk chocolate being the least dangerous. A dog needs to eat more than a 250gm block of milk chocolate to be affected. Obviously, the smaller the dog, the less it needs to eat.

Onions and Garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.
Dogs affected by onion toxicity will develop haemolytic anaemia, where the pet’s red blood cells burst while circulating in its body. Symptoms include Hemolytic Anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine.

The poisoning in dogs occurs a few days after the pet has eaten the onion. All forms of onion can be a problem including dehydrated onions, raw onions, cooked onions and table scraps containing cooked onions and/or garlic. Left over pizza, Chinese dishes and commercial baby food containing onion, sometimes fed as a supplement to puppies, can cause illness.

While Garlic also contains the toxic ingredient thiosulphate, it seems that garlic is less toxic and large amounts would need to be eaten to cause illness in dogs.

Mushroom toxicity does occur in dogs and it can be fatal if certain species of mushrooms are eaten. Amanita phalloides is the most commonly reported severely toxic species of mushroom in the US but other Amanita species are toxic. Symptoms include Abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting diarrhea, convulsions, coma, death.

Raisins and Grapes.  Few as a handful of raisins or grapes can make a dog ill; however, of the 10 cases reported to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), each dog ingested between 9 ounces and 2 pounds of grapes or raisins. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and lethargy.

Macadamia Nuts are another concern, along with most other kinds of nuts. Their high phosphorus content is said to possibly lead to bladder stones. Dogs develop a tremor of the skeletal muscles, and weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters. Affected dogs are often unable to rise and are distressed, usually panting. Some affected dogs have swollen limbs and show pain when the limbs are manipulated.

Stay tuned as this list will be updated with additional blogs on Poisonous plants and how Marijuana can affect your dog!

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Attention Dog Lovers! San Diego needs your help! Call 1(800)244-6397 ext. 2506 , enter #2 to Stop a Ban. Blame bad owners not dogs. http://ow.ly/5rCFY

Never let a problem to be solved become

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a dog who needs love. ~me #life #poetry @greatestquotes #dogs http://ow.ly/5nkD2

Tips for Walking a Pitbull

Walking a Pitbull can be more interesting than walking some other dog breeds. You may want to use a shorter leash of six to eight feet long, so that you maintain control over the walk and the dog’s great strength.

These dogs are known for their power, and can pull roughly three times their weight with very little effort.  If your Pitbull pulls when you are walking him, you should stand your ground and think like a tree. Stop in your tracks. Don’t move. You can have him sit or come back to you – this is the time for praise.  Tell him “good dog” and offer this positive re-inforcement every time. The pitbull terrier is an extremely intelligent people pleaser, and tends to learn very quickly if they know which behavior you like and dislike.

If you’re just beginning to leash train your Pittie, then keep the leash shorter so that your dog walks beside you.  It’s a good idea to pick one side for walks, maybe another for runs or bike rides down the road.  Make sure to give lots of praise in the beginning, along with treats.  The more positive reward you offer, the better your dog will be!

If your Pitbull is already leash-trained, I find the best collars are flat with metal buckles.  There are a wide variety of collars on the market, with many made of plastic that break or bend to easily as they are not made to withstand a powerful pet.  Some Pitbulls do better with choker chains, but stay away from prongs and anything that squeezes too tight around the neck as this can do permanent irreversible damage on the trachea and affect your dog for life.

Now that you’re ready for the walk, it’s time for socialization.  It’s good for the dogs, but better for people who have an inherent fear of them. If you notice another dog owner dodging you like the plague, ignoring their dog’s incessant barking (this is way too common with little dogs!)  or picking up their dog to avoid interaction, chances are the owner has not trained their pet and its best to keep walking. If your Pitbull is friendly, allow him to greet other dogs, sniff, wag, maybe a little play. Dogs love to make friends. Pay attention to the dogs, you can tell if your dog is interested in meeting just by observing it’s behavior.

Teach your Pitbull about things around him, a lot like you might do with a child. Teach him about things, places, and people. Let him listen to strange noises, and look at new things. He has a lot of energy, and vigorous exercise is a must for these dogs.  It will not be a pleasant walk if your dog doesn’t get out enough.  This could make him jumpy, skiddish, and lead into aggressive reactions if you don’t learn to keep your dog balanced on regular leashed walks every day.

Be sure you are the pack leader and if you hire a dog walker make sure it is someone who has experience with the breed.  It’s also a good rule of thumb to stay away from dog parks, unless you know in advance that you’re going at a time when it is relatively quiet. Many people don’t know how to react even to a well-socialized Pitbull. If your dog has not been properly socialized, don’t go to the dog parks until he is. Let him interact with people and dogs he knows first.

There are many resources in your local area for socialization classes such as the local Humane Society and a bounty of resources at local dog friendly events.  If you’re looking for pitbull gear, there are stores out there just for this wonderful breed!

Looking for a loving dog companion? There are more than 16,000 pitbull terriers up for adoption. Check them out HERE!

8 Great Tips for New Pitbull Owners

If you are a new dog owner there are some steps to follow that will ensure you raise your pittie with love and proper care.  These 8 tips will help you to become a good owner and make for a balanced pet!

1. Vaccinate your Pitbull aka ‘Staffordshire’ Terrier when you first get him, and see that he gets yearly booster vaccinations to maintain his immunity to disease. Consult your veterinarian about flea control products and de-worming your dog.
2. Feed your American pit bull terrier high-grade dog food. The fresher the better.  The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.  This balance of nutrition is important to physical health and for optimum energy, a nice shiny coat and a happy dog. Stay away from products with corn gluten meal, dried beet pulp or artificial food coloring such as yellow 5 red 40, or blue 2.
3. Socialize your pit bull when he’s young to be with people and other animals. Establish your authority over your dog and be sure to take him to public areas, giving strangers the opportunity to pet and play with him. This will help the dog develop an even temper.  Any dog can become fearful or aggressive with bad experience, but there is a known stigma attached to this breed that incites a societal fear in humans.  This fear can and will transfer into the animals, and as a pitbull owner you must take extra precaution by good training and understanding dog communication so that you can make your dog the example of how a good pet should behave.
4. Start obedience training as early as possible. Because this is a dominant breed, it’s important to be able to control your pit bull by voice alone. Positive reinforcement will go further than physical, as this breed is very eager to please.
5. Give your pit bull vigorous exercise for a minimum of 45 minutes a day. This is an active breed, and the dog will require a lot of activity.  Pitbulls are best in short sprints at fast speeds, so playing fetch and keeping them challenged is a good idea. Keep him on leash when out in public and avoid dog parks to avoid potential fights or negative experiences with other unbalanced dogs.
6. Brush your dog’s coat daily with a firm-bristle brush. Shampoo as needed. American pit bull terriers are medium shedders with short hair.  The good news is they dry off easily and if they attract fleas or ticks they are easy to find and get rid of.
7. Understand that American pit bull terriers are prone to certain health conditions such as cataracts (cloudy eye lens) and hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint).  With proper nutrition and daily exercise you can work to keep your dog healthy throughout it’s life, but these are things to be on the look out for.
8. Expect male and female American pit bull terriers to grow to 18 to 22 inches tall and weigh between 30 and 80 lbs. They come in black nose, blue nose and red nose varieties, with varying degrees of color. The Pitbull terrier will live about 12 years.

Full grown adult female Pitbull aka 'Staffordshire' Terrier

New Pitbull puppy just a few weeks old

Stay tuned for more Pittie Love to come soon! Keep your pet balanced with regular leashed walks and plenty of exercise daily.

Quiz: What kind of Dog Breed are you?

There are more dog breeds than almost any other species on the planet.  And thanks to human science, specialty breeding and consumer choices of what we look for in a choice member of the family, dogs come in every shape and form.

So dogs are not too different than humans? Well the truth is dogs are a lot more like their human companions than we think.  Sure they are all uniquely different in terms of dog socialization, dog training and experience. But science has put genetics to the test and determined different categories of dogs, depending on looks, temperament, color, markings, intelligence and physical ability.

There are a few ways to look at different breeds, which can change depending upon the observer.  Personal preference, status, and popularity of certain breeds change often with society’s perception.  So what breed of dog do you love the most?

If you were a dog, would you be a Pitbull Terrier? A feisty Chiuaua? An English Sheepdog? A border collie?  I was surprised to find out that I’m a Golden Retriever.

What Dog Breed Are You Most Like?  Take the Quiz

10 Dog Breed Categories:

1. Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs
2. Pinscher and Schnauzer – Molossoid Breeds
3. Terriers
4. Dachshunds
5. Spitz and Primitive types
6. Scenthounds and Related Breeds
7. Pointing Dogs
8. Retrievers – Flushing Dogs – Water Dogs
9. Companion and Toy Dogs
10. Sighthounds

The Kennel Club (UK), the world’s original and oldest standing kennel club,  organizes dogs into 7 groups.

Learn what wikipedia says about each breed after you take the Quiz. Can you figure out which group you belong in?

1. Hound Group
2. Gundog Group
3. Terrier Group
4. Utility Group
5. Working Group
6. Pastoral Group
7. Toy Group

Post your Breed in the comments and share the quiz with friends. Let’s see how many different breeds there are of human!

Pittie Love to all…

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