DOG AFFAIRS TIPS

Thinking of buying a puppy?

Research before you buy. Ask the breeder about the needs and temperaments of their dogs. Be sure the breed is suitable for your lifestyle and environment. You should see the puppy with the mother, and check the facilities are clean and the litter appears alert and healthy. You should be able to handle the puppy freely, under supervision.

Make sure your puppy is at least 8 weeks old before it leaves its mother. If your puppy does not originate from the place of purchase, ask where it came from and obtain its previous history where possible. Always ask for its medical records.

How Can You Tell Whether Baby Puppies Are Girls or Boys?

There is, in fact, a way to discern the difference between female and male puppies. Be cautious and patient, though. The relationship between newborn puppies and their mother can be tenuous. Taking a baby puppy from a mother for more than a few minutes in the first several weeks after whelping can disturb their bonding. A mother dog may become wary of a puppy who spends too much time away from her and the rest of the litter.

Basically, male puppies can be distinguished by two small, raised circular marks on their bellies. People often ask where a dog's belly button is located. Unlike in humans, the spot where the umbilical cord was attached to a dog disappears, healing over very quickly. It is right below the base of the rib cage. About an inch past that, there will be another small circular spot. This is where the penis will emerge.

Female puppies will have only the belly button mark, with the rest of their tiny little bellies bare. A careful examination of a female puppy's rear end, from the base of the tail to the start of the lower abdomen, will reveal two openings. The anus, of course, will be just beneath the tail, and the vulva is a small, leaf-shaped structure located almost exactly between the legs.

Always exercise patience and caution

To put it most simply, to figure out whether a baby puppy is female or male, examine a puppy's rear end, right beneath the tail. Female newborns will have two points, male puppies only one. It is best to be patient and exercise great caution. In a puppy's first few weeks, support a baby puppy with a warm towel, turn her over carefully, and only for a couple of minutes at most. Return the puppy to her mother and litter immediately after checking.

Baby puppies begin learning from their mother the moment they are born. Handling newborn puppies too often before three to four weeks of age risks alienating the puppy from the mother, which can not only cause stress, but also trauma to newborns. For the sake of satisfying curiosity alone, under no circumstances should you poke or prod at newborn puppies to determine whether they are girls or boys.

5 Warning Signs That Your Dog Is Obese and Needs a Change

We have all heard that childhood obesity, to say nothing of obesity in general, is a serious and growing problem. Here are five signs your dog might be obese, along with the possible consequences of inaction.

1. Can you feel your dog's ribs?

This is one of the simplest methods for discerning whether your dog is becoming obese. Touch your dog's chest. Are you able to feel not only the ribs, but clearly discern the spaces between them? If you're having to feel around, or apply pressure before making contact with a rib bone, your dog may be overweight.

2. Your dog has difficulty breathing and limited stamina

Dogs who are having consistent trouble breathing, or dogs who become tired quickly and after very little physical exertion, may be obese.

3. Your dog has digestive problems and constipation

If your dog is having regular problems defecating and struggling with repeated bouts of constipation, obesity could be a major factor.

4. Your dog is moving gingerly

Obese dogs may move gingerly or assume resting positions with effort. Obesity in dogs is a contributing factor to bone and joint problems such as arthritis or hip dysplasia

5. Your dog as a blocky body shape

A blocky, endomorphic dog with no difference in girth from ribs to hips is likely to be dangerously overweight.

4 Injuries Caused by Dogs and How to Avoid Them

Here are my suggestions for avoiding four dog-related injuries.

1. Injury cause: Tripping on a pet-related item

Every year, about 7,000 people sustain a serious injury from tripping over a pet-related item like a toy or bowl. Okay, so this is not technically caused by the dog, but it is the kind of accident that won’t happen to one of those unfortunate people who don’t have a pet.

One way to avoid it: Put away the toys

2. Injury cause: Being pulled

Approximately 16,000 people are injured each year by a pulling dog. Dog walking is a time of increased injury risk for a number of reasons, but falls caused by leash pulling are the main culprit.

One way to avoid it: Do not wind the leash around your wrist

Now, obviously the best solution is to have your dog well-socialized and trained not to pull on the leash. This may require a patient approach, such as stopping every time your dog pulls to train her that the walk will not proceed until she behaves. Even if your dog has been a "puller" for years, maybe this is a good time to have another go at correcting this bad habit.

3. Injury cause: Falls

About 24,000 people a year are injured by tripping or falling over their dogs. Now, people move about, dogs move about, so this sort of thing is bound to happen. But are there certain situations where you often find yourself doing the Oops Puppy Two Step just to stay on your feet?

One way to avoid it: Have a low-key homecoming

Do not pay attention to your dogs until you have come in, closed the door, and put your bag away. They will come to recognize this routine and wait until you are ready to greet them.

4. Injury cause: Dog bites

Dog bites top the list with approximately 300,000 cases requiring hospitalization each year. Now, these bites occur in all sorts of contexts inside and outside the home, with familiar dogs and stray dogs. There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of a serious bite.