Miscellaneous Info
Items that I feel strongly about and wasn't sure where to put them. :)
1. Choosing a high quality pet food and why
2. Teaching Children Correct Pet Handling
3. Doggie clothing info
1. CHOOSING A HIGH QUALITY PET FOOD AND WHY
There are many websites out there defining and describing what makes for a "good high quality food" to feed your pet...and the many advantages.
Then start reading the different pet food companies websites, ingredients and marketing ploys until you get cross eyed, dizzy and even more confused than when you started!
Let me start by saying that IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FEED THE HIGHEST QUALITY DOG FOOD YOU CAN FIND!
And this is WHY:
1. Healthier ingredients/less chance of contamination from "by-products".
2. Less chance of allergies/allergic reactions from your pet.
3. Higher quality ingredients require smaller feeding amounts because more of the food is actually processed and used in your dogs digestive system. Has the added benefit of having smaller stools to clean up.
4. Dogs are carnivores and need a high protein diet. You want to feed your dog a diet as close to what they would eat in the wild. Mostly meat, some veggies & fruits and very small amounts of grains.
When reading the ingredients label, use these 3 simple facts.
"BY-PRODUCT" is a very bad word! By-product means all the other products on a carcass that can't be used for humans. Nasty things such as head, feet, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat and even unborn fetuses. It is common practice for pet food companies to use dying, sick and diseased animals for their by-product ingredient. Some companies also reportedly use road kill and decaying carcasses. By-product = BAD!
"MEAL" means that the materials being used are not fresh, but are rendered (boiled for several hours) and stored until used. Typically they have a slightly lower nutritional value than fresh products because they will be processed twice. Use foods only with NAMED meals (lamb meal, chicken meal, etc.) and not the generic term of "meat meal" or worse "meat and bone meal".
"GLUTEN MEALS" Starches high in the ingredient list are typcially poor quality foods. They are the cheapest source of energy and boost the protein percentage w/o adding actual animal sources. Most common is corn gluten meal. Wheat gluten (cause for the recent food recall) is another common one.
It is also suggested that you change brands or flavors of dry dog food occasionally, to avoid any deficiencies or excesses of ingredients. Switch over slowly.
You can feed some canned food, which generally contains more animal protein and less grain than dry foods. Oh! And dry food does NOT clean their teeth better than a wet food.
PHEW! With all of this said, let me tell you what brands I have used and given my dogs. Brands that I will continue to use and switch between.
- Wellness (I'm feeding the puppies WELLNESS PUPPY FORMULA)
- Wellness CORE (my adults dogs are on this)
- Innova Evo (a higher protein food)
- Canidae
I have used the dry and canned versions of all of these food and have been very happy with them.
You cannot get most of these from the typical "pet superstore" locations or your grocery store - they tend to carry the lower quality junk foods. You may have to do some research and make some calls to some of the pet specialty shops. The Agway near me also carries some good high quality dog foods. They will be easy to find...just not at Petco and Pet Smart.
2. TEACHING CHILDREN CORRECT PET HANDLING
Teaching your child about the care and love of animals is one of the most important things you can do for them. They not only learn about the animal but learn many other important lessons that will stay with them throughout life: Responsibility, Compassion, Love, and Friendship, are just a few.
Here we go, this is your first day at home with your new baby!!! You have anxiously waited for this moment, planned, bought a bed and all the other necessities - toys, food, a collar and leash. Your children are as excited as you are. They see the puppy for the first time and go running up to it screaming and yelling with excitement!!!! The puppy yips once and runs and hides under the couch. You spend the next hour coaxing him out. He is obviously terrified and you try to reassure him. Your two-year-old comes running up, grabbing at the puppy, wanting to hold him. You place the puppy in his arms, he squirms to get away because he is being held too tightly. The pup jumps down and runs under the couch……..AGAIN! This is unfortunately a familiar situation in many households with small children and puppies. While everyone means well you need to rectify this situation in a hurry, before it gets out of hand.
Here's what you can do:
First get a portable kennel or crate where the puppy has a safe place to be when it is tired or when you are too busy to attend to your pup. If that doesn't work for you try a playpen. You have to do is provide a safe place for him when you are not there to supervise. This must be an area that will always be “off limits” to your children. Keep him in a spot where you can keep an eye on him or in a place where your children can't get access to, without you.
Secondly, ALWAYS watch your child while he or she is with the pup. Make it a fun learning time, explain why it’s important to be gentle and calm with the puppy. Put it in terms that your child will understand. Use role-playing and ask your child how they would feel being in a new and strange environment with people that he/she doesn’t know. If you want your child and your dog to get along, you MUST teach your child respect, compassion and how to be gentle with the puppy. Teach your child not to pull ears or tails, not to jump on the dog and not to pick up the dog unless you are there to help them. Teach them that it is never appropriate for them to play too roughly, to chase, to hurt or to tease the puppy. Show them how to correctly hold and play with the pup. They can easily get hurt and intimidated.
Given the choice, a puppy will hide or run away if someone is hurting them. But if those options are not there, they will do what their natural instints are telling them to - to protect themselves – that means BITE! Puppies need "down time", they will still require LOTS of sleep each day for growing. They need a safe, calm and nurturing environment for healthy growth and learning.
If you start immediately when you bring your puppy home (or better yet, BEFORE the pup gets home), everyone will learn correctly and be safe in a loving and gentle environment.
The bottom line is, be prepared to spend lots of time teaching your child and puppy how to interact with one another and what is and what is not acceptable behavior for both puppy and child. In the end, the hours you’ve spent will pay off by having a happy well adjusted dog and a child who is loved and adored by that dog.
3. DOGGIE CLOTHING INFO
I have found that many of the "normal" pet products and clothing do not work well with AHTS.
COLLARS: Most AHTs can not wear nylon collars. The nylon will irritate or itch the dog, making them itch themselves, often causing scratches and bleeding. AHTs are also known to get irritated from leather collars. I'm not sure if it's due to the dye or oils in the leather. Tags and licenses will often irritate your dogs skin, too. BEST BET: Go with cotton or better yet, flannel collars. They are much softer and will not promote itching and scratching.
* I RECOMMEND MICROCHIPPING YOUR PUPPY AND NATIONALLY REGISTERING HIM/HER IN THE HOME AGAIN DATABASE.
T-SHIRTS/CLOTHING: Most outfits and shirts that you will find at retail pet stores are not made to fit the body-type of your AHT. Typically those items are designed for the fat, short-legged dogs like pugs and bichons. It is also important to watch the type of materials that the outfits are made with...and the SEAMS of the outfits. Any "hard" or scratchy fabric (even 100% cotton) will have harder serged seams, which have a tendency to rub and chafe the dogs around their front legs and neck area. BEST BET: Go with soft fabric that has some stretch. If you do buy items that are too big around their body (especially for boys), you can fold and sew or hand-stitch the ends a bit to make the garmet fit better.
COATS: Most coats bought in retail pet stores will fit fairly well. The only thing to watch out for is that it will be likely that the "belt" or fastening under the belly will be too long.
Some of you may know that I have a little doggie business, where I make and sell collars, clothes and show items. Most items are tailored to work well with AHTs. You're welcome to visit my Dogger Dud, Inc. site at www.doggerduds.com (You can either copy and paste the link or go to the bottom of my home page. There is a direct link to my Dogger Dud site that you can just click on.)
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS! Email me at Triumph Kennel. |
Album by Cindi Walsh. Photos by Cindi Walsh. 1 - 1 of 1 Total. 34 Visits. |
|
