helping |

During breeding, some female dogs tend to be uncooperative. Therefore, it is usually necessary to assist your young stud. If you are there helping him and praising him, whether or not your help is actually needed, he will expect and accept this as a matter of course when a difficult female dog comes along.

Supplies that you may need for breeding include K-Y jelly and a length of gauze with which to muzzle the female should it be necessary to keep her from biting you or the stud. Some females put up a fight while others are calm. It is therefore best to be prepared.

It is wise for both parties to have the terms of the transaction clearly understood before the breeding starts. At the time of the breeding, the stud fee is expected to be paid promptly. A return service is normally offered in case the female misses or fails to produce one live puppy. The owner of the stud dog usually sets the conditions of the service and there are no standard rules covering this. The stud fee is paid for the act, not the result. If the female fails to conceive, it is customary for the owner to offer a free return service; but this is a courtesy and not to be considered a mandatory, especially in the case of a proven stud. Stud dog owners are always anxious to see their clients get good value and to see winning young stock in the ring by their dog.

If the return service has been provided and the female dog has missed a second time, that is considered to be the end of the matter and the owner would be expected to pay a further fee if it is felt that the female should be given a third chance with the stud dog. The owner of a stud dog and his visiting females is quite a task, and a stud fee has usually been well earned when one service has been achieved.

One live puppy is considered as an accepted litter. It is ideal to have a printed breeding certificate to which the owner of the stud dog and the owner of the female dog both sign. This should list in detail the conditions of the breeding as well as the dates of the mating. On some occasion, arrangements other than a stud fee in cash are made for a breeding, such as the owner of the stud taking a pick from the litter puppy in lieu of money. This should be clearly specified on the breeding certificate along with the terms of the age at which the stud’s owner will select the puppy, whether it is to be a boy or a girl, or whether it is to be the pick of the entire litter.

Requirements Before Breeding courtesy Dog Articles.

Looking for a great gift idea? Who wouldn’t love a handy set of coasters showcasing their favorite breed? Check out all of the great doggie gift ideas on Amazon.com –doggieoftheday@amazon.com

There comes a time with our dogs when we have to start considering some of the effects of age on their diet. They may need different food. They may not have the same appetite they had when they were younger. They may have some dental issues. Even their eyesight can affect their eating habits. However, with some care and consideration on your part, you can help your elderly dog through some of these problems and see that she continues to get the very best nutrition possible.

For many years dog food experts maintained that older dogs should have their protein intake limited in the belief that their kidneys could not process protein very well. We now know this not to be true. It’s perfectly all right to feed your older dog good quality protein in his diet as long as he doesn’t have any pre-existing kidney problems. The key is to make sure that you are feeding a good quality food with good quality protein. Recent research indicates that older dogs may need more protein than younger dogs instead of less.

You should also look for a food that is lower in carbohydrates with moderate amounts of fat. It’s not necessary to completely eliminate fat from your senior dog’s diet. Even if your dog is a little overweight, if you completely eliminate fat from his diet you will leave your dog feeling hungry all the time which can lead to other problems. If your dog is thin (and some older dogs can have trouble keeping their weight), a little additional fat in the diet won’t hurt.

When looking for a senior dog food it’s fine to buy a commercial food but make sure you read the label carefully. Some senior foods are formulated to keep weight off senior dogs. If your dog is already thin you don’t want a dog food that will cut his calories. You may need to look for a dog food that is higher in calories. If your dog is plump you may want to get one of the senior foods that will keep his weight down since too much weight can worsen conditions like arthritis.

Many senior dogs can have some dental problems which leads them to walk away from their food. They may nibble and be unable to eat much. If your dog has trouble eating you should examine her mouth. Ask your vet to look at your dog’s teeth. It may be necessary to have a tooth pulled or to scale your dog’s teeth. Pulling a tooth or even having a root canal done can often solve the problem and your dog will be back to eating like a younger dog again.

Most older dogs also begin to experience some dulling of the senses. They no longer smell and taste things as acutely as they once did. Food is no longer as appealing to them. You can make their food more tempting by adding some tasty canned food to their dry food to make it smell and taste better. You can also do some home cooking for your dog. Most dogs like to eat whatever you’ve cooked for yourself. Things like chicken and sweet potatoes, or beef cooked to tenderness are often favorites. As long as you don’t make this home cooking more than 30 percent of his diet you won’t be upsetting the vitamin balance that he gets from his regular dog food. It’s also a good idea to wet his regular kibble with something like chicken or beef broth to make it more appealing.

Older dogs can also begin to have some eyesight problems. They may look at their feed bowls oddly at times and refuse to eat. Don’t be surprised if you have to resort to hand feeding once in a while.

You should also take your senior dog to the vet for a senior health check periodically. Your vet will be able to identify possible problems and tell you about any special things you should be doing to take care of your dog.

Just because your dog is getting older doesn’t mean she’s ready to leave you. Your older dog is merely going through some physical changes. You can help her with these changes by being watchful and trying to figure out the kind of help she needs. Let your dog’s actions and appearance guide you. You can do a lot to help her live many more happy years.

Helping Your Elderly Dog courtesy of Dog Articles.

Looking for a great gift idea? Who wouldn’t love a beautiful plate showcasing their favorite breed? Check out all of the great doggie gift ideas on Amazon.com –doggieoftheday@amazon.com