Pup Talk

If you happen to have a dog allergy, the situation can be emotionally and physically difficult to cope with because the dilemma to keep or not to keep the dog can intensify your symptoms and make living with Fido quite uncomfortable. There are countless people who face the decision of getting rid of the family pet over a child or parent’s allergic reaction to the pet and the situation is always emotional. There are, however, an assortment strategies and treatments you can employ to deal with an individual’s dog allergy that can save everybody concerned from unnecessary grief.

photo credit: akaporn

Anyone, regardless of age can have a dog allergy. No one is immune from pet allergy, it just happens and that is all there is to it. Most people who suffer from pet allergies (dogs, cats or even birds) also suffer from allergies to pollens and molds as well. Pet allergies are mostly genetic in nature, if someone in your family is allergic to pets there is a high probability that it could also happen to you as well as anyone in your immediate family.

Keep in mind that dogs cannot be considered as non-allergenic because the same allergens are present in all types of pet hair and dander. All dogs produce dander, urinate, shed hair, and lick themselves to clean up. This normal behavior makes all dogs an allergenic possibility regardless of hair type. There are dogs that produce less dander but this does not completely eliminate the presence of dander and still makes dogs a possibility as the source of an allergic reaction.

Dog allergies have the same symptoms similar to hay fever or seasonal allergy symptoms.

If you suffer from a dog allergy, you may also experience the same runny nose, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, scratchy skin and throat, watery eyes, and symptoms similar to those that are related to airborne allergies. This is because a dog allergy affects the same systems in the body in the same way hay fever and other seasonal allergies do because of the minute size of the allergen, the pet dander in this case.

photo credit: Odalaigh

However, there are some measures that you can do to save you a lot of problems with your dog and your family that may be allergic to dogs. Keep in mind to always wash your hands after playing with your dog. This ensures removal of the dander. A change of clothes or taking a shower or bath for a more thorough treatment would be better. In addition, it is best to keep dogs out of bathroom and bedrooms in order to reduce the areas that the dog’s dander will affect. Limiting your exposure to allergens is one of the best ways to limit the actual symptoms of a dog allergy.

Charlie Welf writes about allergies and there treatments. Learn more about dog allergies and other allergy information AllergyResults.com

In the past, dog treats were used exclusively to train dogs or to reward them for doing something good. Little thought was given as to how dog treats might help the dog beyond that or how they could be used to make pet owners’ lives easier. Things are quite different today, as customized dog treats have become the norm.

photo credit: ktylerconk

Customized dog treats usually have some helpful property. One model which has become relatively popular is the bad breath dog treat. While this doesn’t particularly help dogs, as their own breath no matter how hideous doesn’t seem to have any impact on their self-image, it can be quite useful for owners who love their pet dogs, but cringe at the scent of their hot, pungent, fishy breath. These so called bad breath biscuits generally include components such as mint and parsley. While they can be purchased in grocery stores, many pet owners have begun baking these dog treats at home. If you decide to do this, remember not to put them close to the cookie jar (unless your children or significant other also has bad breath, too).

For those who wish to repair the bad breath situation, rather than putting a daily band-aid on it, you can always purchase dog treats that actually improve the dental hygiene of your dog. These will sometimes include active bacteria cultures or components you mind find a toxin free toothpaste. They will not only clean your dog’s teeth, but they will get rid of plaque and any bacteria lingering in the gums. In addition to this, of course, you will want to schedule regular vet visits and tooth brushing.

Another favorite dog treat is anything that incorporates salmon oil. Many pet owners do not know this, but the same fish oils that are healthy for you the ones that contain omega fats are even more healthy for your dog. In addition to improving your dog’s cholesterol, any fish oil treat will make rover’s coat healthy and shiny. The big perk for the dog, of course, is that the treat tastes like salmon.

Another favorite among dogs are the liver and chicken dog treats. While these don’t actually contain liver or chicken, they usually use enough broth and flavoring to taste like they do. Even if these wont necessarily improve the health of your dog by themselves, they can be used in sneaky ways that will. For instance, let’s say that your dog isn’t exactly married to the taste of that monthly heart worm pill. No problem: just slip in into one of those delicious liver dog treats and your dog will be none the wiser.

photo credit: Nieve44/La Luz

And there you have it: customized dog treats are on the rise. No matter what problem you or your dog has (with your dog), there’s probably a box of treats somewhere that will at least attempt to fix it.

Now there is a gallery of powerful information yours for the taking. Decide now to improve your home decor, reduce stress and impove the quality of your life. Click here: Dog Training Treats

I don’t suppose you are aware of this, but a certain London University recently conducted a poll to discover how many groups of dogs there are, and which groups really needed training. The survey cost over $7,000. Would you like to know what the results were. These were the groups that needed training.

Wild Dogs
Guard Dogs
Guide Dogs
Domestic Pet Dogs.

Wow, and you know what. Apart from wild dogs ,which included foxes and wolves. all groups would benefit from proper training. That’s not much of a revelation is it. So my view was, ‘What a waste of tax-payers money to tell us the obvious.’

Now, I’ve just returned from a quick trip stateside, but while in New York ,what a wonderful place. I spent a happy couple of hours wandering around Central Park.

photo credit: Zef Delgadillo

Well, I don’t know whether it is the Park Police, the average New Yorker’s pride, or the hefty fines that can get slapped on you, but I didn’t see any poop lying around, and children and dogs played quite happily side by side with no screams from the dogs either.

The point is, if dogs are properly trained, a whole new experience can be gained by both dogs and owners alike. Forgetting guard dogs and guide dogs, who get trained to work, unless you train a domestic pet dog, how does it know what is expected of it.

It is perfectly natural for a dog to chew, bark, scratch, poop, and run around. So when it gets bawled at by its owner for doing what comes naturally to it, the result is, one neurotic dog, who behaves even more erratically. The same thing could be said for young children, and when you see screaming tantrums in shops with kids hurling themselves on the floor in anger, why is this. It’s because they haven’t been trained in the basics. Exactly the same goes for dogs.

Only with dogs, it can get worse. They can attack people, bite, and generally cause nuisances to themselves as well as the general public.

So, how do you avoid your dog declining into such a mental state.
Simple, you make sure its is properly trained.

But it doesn’t stop there. There’s no point getting your dog trained, if you don’t get involved yourself. Getting your dog trained is a two way street. Nowadays too many dog owners are sending their animals off for training, thinking that’s it. Like, sending the laundry out. They get back a fully trained, well mannered citizen who is a pleasure to be around. But what then. They don’t know how to handle the dog so the well mannered dog is then confronted with a whole new set of commands to live with. Result, one very confused dog.

Training a dog is an important decision for both you and the dog, and unless you accept that, not only are you wasting your time and money, you will achieve nothing, nada, zilch.

So what do you do.

If you can possibly avoid it, don’t try the so-called easy way out, by sending the dog off to be trained.

photo credit: guiguis

No, unless you, the dog’s main ‘master’ is aware what training the dog has had, what commands they respond to and how to give them, you are lost. You must be willing to work along the lines the specialist has recommended, in order to achieve that wonderful experience, where your dog knows, probably before you do, what is expected of him. It’s consistency that brings results so unless you carry on with the dog exactly as the trainer did you are wasting your money. It’s as important, if not more important, to train the owner as well as the dog.

Try training the dog yourself. Get a book, go to puppy classes and try the experience out for yourself. It can be great fun and a learning experience for you both.

With a well trained dog, and an understanding and well trained owner, all of a sudden, life takes on a new dimension. The mental state of both of you is immediately more relaxed, more fulfilled and straight away, taking your dog for a walk becomes that perfect blend of healthy exercise, understanding, and a time to be at peace with the world.

Remember. There is no such thing as a bad dog, there’s only a bad owner.

Debbie Boffa is a fully trained dog lover, and with a dog like Arnie, a stunningly beautiful Briard from a dog rescue, her training skills have really been put to the test. For her ‘Top 10 Free Training Tips’ that will create peace in your household, sign up at http://www.trainingdogsrus.com