Tips about your dog

Dogs come in many shapes and sizes. They are one of the varied species on the planet. Allthese different kinds of dog originated from the wolf. It is almost impossible to believe it but thePekinese is more closely related to the wolf than is the German Shepherd.This great variety of dogs results from selective breeding over millennia. For centuries humanbeings have been choosing those characteristics in dogs that they found desirable for somereason. Dogs have been selected for their small size so that they fit down badger hole or makelap dogs. They have been selected for their large size so that they can act as guard dogs andshepherd dogs. They have been selected for thick coats in cold climates or to be almosthairless.The dog is one of the oldest of domesticated animals and over the many centuries that theyhave lived and worked with humans they have played many roles. Consequently, there areinnumerable breeds of dog. They have been bred to meet the requirements of differentoccupations and to meet the aesthetic standards of different societies.Often toy breeds have been developed from working dogs. The Affenpinscher is an example ofthis. It is a toy version of the pinscher and schnauzer family. It makes a good family pet becauseof its affectionate nature. This is a highly intelligent dog that is highly trainable. The coat is wiryand usually dark in color.The Anatolian Shepherd is less well known than the familiar German Shepherd. But its strongbuild and courageous nature makes it an ideal security or hunting dog.The Basenji or African Hunting Dog is a silent dog. It has been bred to have no bark so that itdoes not disturb game. It is not a particularly affectionate animal but will become accustomed topeople if handled from an early age.A very different kind of dog is the Bouvier des Flandres. This dog was bred as a herd dog inFrance. It looks somewhat like a terrier. But it has a placed nature. The coat is rough andusually dark in color. They are often used in police work or as a guide dog for the visuallyimpaired. They are intelligent and respond well to training.The Ovtcharka from Central Asia is a large dog that has been used for herding. It has a fearlessnature and is very brave. They usually have their ears and tails docked when they are puppies.From Poland comes the Owczarek Nizinny which is a medium sized dog. Its coat is long andoften covers its eyes. They make excellent pets but hate to be left alone for long as they arevery social.

Dogs bark because it is one of their primary means of communication. They are social animalsthat have evolved to live in packs. But barking is only one means by which they communicate toone another not the only one. It is an extreme signal that expresses joy or fear. If a dog isbarking incessantly then something is wrong. It is not natural for a dog to bark all the time.A dog owner has to think like a dog to control incessant barking. You have to work out whatyour dog is trying to tell you. It may be your dog is barking because you have not heard hisother signals. It is the equivalent of shouting to make yourself heard.Perhaps your dog is lonely. A dog that is left alone all day will bark to attract attention. A dogneeds its pack and for a domestic dog that is you. If you have to be out at work or school thenconsider finding a dog walker.It is possible that a dog is not a suitable pet for you if you need to spend long periods out of thehouse. A cat or a lizard might be better for your needs. Dogs are intensely social. They getanxious when they alone.If the dog barks incessantly when you are there it is asking for your attention. That may be for agood reason. It may want to go outside to attend to a call of nature. It may even be warning youabout something. Dogs have woken their owners and saved them from burning houses. Yourhouse may not be burning down but the dog may sense something in your behavior that is notquite right. Helper dogs are trained to earn epilepsy suffers when an attack is imminent. Theyare highly sensitive to changes that you may not notice. A dog will often respond to depressionin a family member. A dog can be like the canary in the mine it can detect psychological andsocial tensions in the household.If there is no obvious reason for the dog to bark incessantly then it may be possible to train it notto bark so much. Training collars are often helpful in this respect as they are in other forms ofbehavior. A collar that delivers a small electric shock when a dog barks may be enough toprevent excessive barking. There are also collars that deliver a burst of citronella when a dogbarks. Either can be useful. Long haired dogs may not feel the sting of an electric shock andshort haired or small dogs might find it too sharp. Be guided by your veterinarian in this matter.Perhaps the best form of training is your attention. A kind word or look from you is the dog's bestreward. When your dog engages in inappropriate behavior stand still and do not respond. Say"No" firmly when he barks but do not make any other response. Sometimes dogs bark becausethey have learnt that it gets them attention.

From Rin Tin Tin and Old Yeller to Frazier's Eddie, dogs occupy a special place in Americanmovie and television history. Their breeding and training is a multi-million dollar industry in itsown right. Getting the right dog for the part can make the difference between a film or showsucceeding or being a disastrously expensive flop. Rin Tin Tin is credited with single handedly,or four-pawedly, saving Warner Brothers Studios from bankruptcy. Dogs are as important asany human stars to the Hollywood machine in that respect and they are treated accordingly.A dog on the screen will instantly focus the attention of viewers. Almost anyone can empathizewith a dog. A dull film can be enlivened, poor acting can be eclipsed by canine appeal, and abad script has no effect on a dog that just does what comes naturally.The kind of roles that dogs have played in Hollywood films and American television expresssomething of the place of the dog in popular imagination. In the early films that featured dogsthe scene is always a rural one. These films are almost an off-shoot of the Western movie andcontain many of the same themes.Dogs like Rin Tin Tin, Old Yeller and Lassie express what philosophers and theologians haveoften regarded as the permanent things of human morality. They embody the virtues of loyalty,devotion, love, justice, bravery and self-sacrifice which are so often absent in modern society.They seem to take the viewer back to simpler time when these values were upheld.A more knowing audience raised on horror films and choreographed violence was thought to beimmune to the charms of the "dog movie." When Joe Camp pitched the idea of a film with a dogas the main character the studios dismissed his idea. It would never work they told him. Today'saudiences just would not buy it.So instead he made his film "Benjii" himself. It was a reshaping of the old theme with an edgier,urban dog who is rescued from an animal shelter. This lovable cross breed spoke to the issuesof a more troubles society. The film became huge success. Benjii went on to stardom and thebackers reaped a fortune out of merchandising "Benjii" toys.With Eddie the canine character in the television show "Frazier" we see another take on themovie dog. Frazier the sophisticated psychiatrist is brought back to the old verities of home andfamily loyalty by the little terrier. The dog acts a foil silently critiquing the behavior of the urbaneintellectual. His pomposities are punctured and his humanity is revealed in his relationship withthe dog.Doubtless the "dog movie" will morph into to further manifestations of the genre in the future.Hollywood knows when it is on to a money spinner.

Hip dysplasia is a painful and debilitating condition in dogs that can sometimes result in theanimal becoming completely crippled. There is no cure for it.The best thing a dog owner can do is to choose a pet carefully. Hip Dysplasia is a geneticcondition. That is to say it is passed on from the parents to the offspring. In some cases it canbe the result of injury to a dog's hips while it is a puppy or while it is being born. But this is acomparatively rare cause.While there may be some genetic component in most diseases hip dysplasia is in effect 100%genetic. You must therefore make sure that you examine the parents dogs when you buy apuppy. If they have sound hips the puppy is less likely to suffer from hip dysplasia. Question thevendors carefully about the pedigree of the puppy. Ask if there is any history of hip dysplasia inthe family line.Responsible breeders will have breeding dogs x-rayed to check for any sign of hip dysplasia.They should not breed from a dog that shows any signs of hip dysplasia. A dog may not exhibitany outward symptoms but have a tendency to hip dysplasia that only manifests itself in itsoffspring. A dog that shows signs of hip dysplasia should be neutered or spayed to make surethat it does not pass on the trait.Some breeds of dog seem more prone to hip dysplasia then others. German Shepherds, inparticular, often suffer from it. This may be because they have been bred for a stance thatplaces the back hip at an unnatural angle.Hip dysplasia may not show up in a puppy. It often only develops as the dog matures. This isbecause the back hips are misaligned and malformed. The joint is loose and that may lead todifficulty in walking and running or discomfort and pain.Wear and tear on the joints gradually produces dislocation and damage. A hip joint that isdamaged in this way can become arthritic. An owner may not know about the hip dysplasia andthink that the dog has developed arthritis as it got older. But the root cause of the arthritis is thedamage that the weak joint has suffered during the dog's lifetime. Large dogs are especiallysusceptible because of the weight that their joints must carry.Your veterinarian cannot offer any treatment for the dysplasia but will be able to prescribe painkillers. In bad cases the dog will have pain when walking and running. Its mobility may becomelimited. This can be a contributory factor in other health conditions because the dog cannot takenormal exercise. Swimming may be one means of maintaining mobility and ensuring that thedog can exercise. The dog's weight is taken by the water and it experiences less pain.In extreme cases the dog's hindquarters may become completely immobile. The dog will have avery poor quality of life and chronic pain.

Hepatitis is a serious illness in dogs for which there is no cure. It is therefore important toimmunize the dog while it is still a puppy. Immunization is very safe and effective. A series ofvaccinations are need to ensure immunity. Make sure that your dog completes the whole courseof vaccinations to ensure complete immunity.Widespread vaccination has considerably reduced the prevalence of hepatitis in WesternEurope and North America. But it is important to get you puppy immunized all the samebecause unless a high proportion of dog owners do so the disease will make a come back.Vaccination is the responsible action on the part of a dog owner who is concerned about animalwelfare.Hepatitis in dogs is caused by the virus CAV-1. This virus is unique to dogs and does not causeinfection in humans. An infected dog cannot transmit the hepatitis to you or your children.Human hepatitis is caused by a different virus.CAV-1, like other hepatitis viruses first establishes itself in the lymph nodes from where itreplicates and spreads to the bloodstream. It causes damage to major organs including theliver, kidneys and eyes.In a puppy or young dog hepatitis can be fatal. In an older dog it is unlikely to be fatal but canproduce extreme discomfort and pain. Some dogs may show little sign of infection.Once a dog is infected with CAV-1 there is no treatment or cure. That is why early vaccination isvital to prevent hepatitis in your dog.In some cases hepatitis is not caused by CAV-1. This is known as idiopathic or periportalhepatitis. The cause of this type of hepatitis in dogs is not known. It is usually seen in dogs thatare five or six years old.The symptoms of both types of hepatitis are similar. They include weight loss, jaundice,vomiting, diarrhea, depression and weakness. There is no specific treatment but yourHow To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health© Wings Of Success Page 55 of 79veterinarian will attempt to alleviate the dog's symptoms. Antibiotics may be used to preventsecondary opportunistic infections.All that you and your veterinarian can do is to try and keep the dog as comfortable as possible.You simply have to wait until the dog recovers from the disease. Adult dogs will usually survive,but in puppies hepatitis can be fatal.Some breeds are more likely to suffer from hepatitis than others. Doberman Pinchers and sometypes of terrier are most susceptible. They may develop chronic hepatitis and suffer from thedisease all their lives. No one knows the reason for this.

As their name suggests heart worms live in the heart of a dog where they can do a lot ofdamage. It is important for a dog owner to be aware of the dangers of the parasitic heart worm.A responsible dog owner must be alert to the risk of a heart worm infestation and takepreventive measures. If an infection is suspected you must seek treatment from yourveterinarian.Heart worms are also known by the Latin name of "Dirofilaria immitis." They normally live in theright ventricle of the heart where they float freely near the blood vessels. They are transmittedby mosquitoes that pass them from dog to dog in their saliva when they bite an animal. So evenyour dog does not come into contact with other dogs it is at risk. Cats are also prone to them.An infestation of heart worms goes through four stages. The treatment prescribed by aveterinarian will depend on what stage the dog has reached.In the first stage a dog that has been infected with heart worms by a mosquito bite will not showany signs of infection. The heart worms will not even show up in a blood test. This is whyprevention is important. Speak to you veterinarian about heart worm prevention when your dogis still a puppy. A dog that is older than seven months can have an adverse reaction totreatment. So tackle the issue before it reaches that age.The worms have to mature and make their way to the heart before they can be spotted by anytests. This is the second stage of the disease. By then the signs of a heart worm infestation canbe detected by x-ray. The heart worms damage the blood vessels around the dog's heart andlungs and this can be picked up on an x-ray. The dog may also be short of breath and coughing.The rate at which damage takes place depends on the number of worms. But it is rare for a dogto be infected by only one worm. A heavy infestation will rapidly cause a blockage of blood flow.This is the third stage. The dog may be showing signs of weight loss. Tests may reveal liver andkidney damage. This is the third stage of the disease.As the blockage to the blood flow becomes more severe the dog may exhibit symptoms such aspain, shortness of breath, lethargy and hypertension. The dog may even faint. A heart attack ispossible.In the fourth and most serious stage the dog experiences what is known as Vena CavaSyndrome. The dog is in a state of shock and dying. The only possible intervention at thisadvanced stage is surgery to physically remove the worms. Success is by no meansguaranteed.

The American love of dogs is expressed nowhere better than in the cartoons. Since cartoonswere first drawn dogs have featured in them. Dogs in the cartoons express something veryfundamental about the popular American psyche.Long before films made cartoons universal dogs appeared in the cartoon strips that newspapersran. That is where the cartoon dog first began to develop its characteristic traits and become aniconic figure.Little Orphan Annie had her faithful dog Sandy. The cartoonist Harold Gray used Sandy as aside kick for his feisty female lead character. Whether she was fighting Nazis or investigatinghaunted houses Sandy was never far away. Every strip ended with Sandy's trade market "Arf!"Sandy never had much to say. He could not be said to have been a fully delineated character.That was never the case with the Snoopy. Snoopy is a more recent addition to the cartoon striphall of fame. He is Charlie Brown's dog in Schulz's "Peanuts" cartoon strip. He first appeared inthe syndicated strip in 1950. He has since made the transition to television and big screen.Snoopy always dominated the "Peanuts" cartoons and seemed to lead a much richerimaginative life than the children who were supposed to be the main characters of the cartoon.The little beagle could invariably be found on top of his kennel writing his novel. When not doingthat he was dressed as a World War I fighter ace fighting the Red Baron. Unusually for a dog,even in the cartoons, he owned an original Van Gogh and a Van Wyeth. The Van Gogh wassadly destroyed by fire in one episode.A completely different take on the dog character in cartoons is Odie in the Garfield comics. Odienever had anything to say. All he did was to slobber. The intellectual part of the partnership wasGarfield the cat. Even that sometimes abusive relationship between the cartoon cat and dogreflects something of the conflicted relationship that is often seen between family pets. At adeeper level perhaps the cartoon also has something to say about sibling rivalry.Today's leading cartoon dog has to be Santa's Little Helper who appears in the Simpsons. He isprincipally Bart's dog and their relationship encapsulates the special place that is accorded tothe child/dog pairing in American popular culture. There is an innocence of sentiment in thebond between the boy and the dog that captures the way in which childhood is envisaged in theUSA. For the city kid of the late 20th and early 21st century that is a condition that is all toooften unattainable but the cartoon image of the dog maintains the myth.