A Longer Lasting Dog Treat

by Kimberly Case


Dog Treats that Can Save your Sanity Dog treats can be so much more than a quick snack for your pet. They can be used to encourage good behavior and entice your pet's mind and curiosity. If you know the best kinds and the right way to present them, you can help your pet work out frustration and energy as well as help them develop good social practices. A Hidden Surprise Dogs are thinking creatures, even if most people do not recognize them as such. They can learn a great deal and enjoy engaging their minds. Even as they age, it is important to keep them busy and learning. One great way to do so is by using dog treats with "thinking" toys such as a Kong. These are designed with chambers intended to hide treats. When given to your dog, he doesn't immediately have access to the treat. Instead, he must work them out by gnawing and chewing. This has an added bonus of helping to keep your dog's teeth clean. As he chews on the rubbery surface, he can work out any food or debris stuck between teeth. Plus this is a great way to keep him occupied when company visits or when you need some peace and quiet. A Longer Lasting Dog Treat Pet treat manufacturers have began producing lines of longer lasting treats. These are intended to be completely devoured; however it takes your pet a lot longer to work through them. Many well known brands make these unique dog treats, such as the famous Busy Bone. They are usually larger than a regular biscuit and cylindrical in shape. Some feature a harder outer layer with a different flavor at the center. The only downside to this type of dog treat is the cost. For the same price as a bag of treats, you can get one or two longer lasting alternatives. It is recommended to reserve these treats for times when you need your pet distracted rather than for every day rewards. A Food-Influenced Attention Span Dogs are very receptive to food, although you should never only offer edible rewards. This can lead to overfeeding and your pet's expectations that a treat will always be given. Instead, use the treat reward efficiently by only offering it when your dog does exactly as he was supposed to or makes a large step in training. The rest of the time, stick with praise. During the obedience training phase, you might have trouble keeping your pet's attention in certain situations. One temporary fix is to keep a couple treats in your pocket. Let your dog see and smell the treats, but do not allow him or her to become overbearing or muscle their nose in to grab one. Instead, practice a basic sit and stay. Try this when company visits or when there is activity in the house. Your pet will learn to stay near you and remain still and quiet despite outside stimulation. Be patient because this takes time and repetition. Always offer the reward at some point to keep your dog interested. Dog treats are a great way to teach your pet good behavior and keep him or her busy when you need to focus attention elsewhere. With so many brands available, it is easy to find the right size and flavor for your pet. Add a Kong toy or try freezing treats in ice as a new way to present the same treats your four legged friend loves.

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Dog Wellness while travelling

by Queenie1

Summer's here - family vacations and outings sometimes include our precious pet dogs.

If you feed your dog kibble or canned foods packing food for your dog is easy. Put the dogs dry food in daily portions in a zip lock bag before you leave. If your dog eats canned food buy a small can so you don't have left overs to keep cool. Organize your pet food, treats, dish, etc by putting all his items in a separate plastic bin.

If you cook your own dog's food or give him raw food you will need a refrigerator. Hotels, RVs, or tent trailers have refrigerators for your pets food but if you're tenting you will need a cooler to keep the dogs food cool unless you shop daily. You can preplan your trip by making an itinerary and find the local pet food stores on the web so you know where they are if you plan to buy it daily.

I usually get small water bottles and freeze them before our journey and use them instead of ice cubes to keep the food cool and as drinking water later when they melt. Some parks post signs to let you know if their water has bacteria some don't so ask. It's better for your pet dog to drink water from his regular environment so he doesn't get sick or give him some of the bottled water.

Sometimes while travelling your dog gets stressed and won't eat normally. Pepto Bismol may help or light foods like rice. Some people also give their pet dog a live "active" bacteria culture like plain yogurt to ease their stomachs or a pro biotic pill before they go on their trip but discuss this with your vet before you go.

Take your pet on a few short trips before before you go on your vacation to help prepare the dog for the journey so he will become a better dog traveller.

Dogs eating grass

By Queenie1

Why does my dog sometimes like to eat grass or plants?

Sometimes dogs will go outside when they aren't feeling well and graze for awhile. Eating grass helps to induce vomiting as the grass binds with the offending material. The grass acts like an irritant and causes the dog to throw up, bringing up the poisonous item. Usually the dog feels better after he vomits.

Dogs sometimes just run the grass blades through their mouth as they smell or taste another animal walked through their territory or urinated on their grass.

Some dogs eat grass because they like it. For the dogs it's like eating a salad of fresh green shoots. If you have no pesticides on your lawn it won't hurt your dog.

There are products on the market like Barley grass supplements that you can give to your dog as dogs instinctively eat fresh grass which is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids help restore energy levels to your dog and give your dog a healthy coat. The Chlorophyll in the Barley also reduces your dogs bad breath. You just need to mix some Barley with water and put it with their wet or dry food. The dog can have it once or twice a day. Ready the instructions on how much to give to your dog.

Dogs eating grass is a very normal and natural thing for your dog to do as your dog instinctively knows what he needs.