Blog The Dogs

Becoming a dog breeder may be worth exploring if caring for dogs brings you great fulfillment. Although there is a lot of money in becoming a breeder, it’s preferred that your motivation isn’t the potential income but rather a genuine love and interest in dogs, vast knowledge of a particular breed of dog and a desire to know and understand their breed standard. When you decide on becoming a dog breeder it’s important to consider a few things.

First, you will require multiple investments. The first investment is time. You have to commit to one particular dog breed and this requires a considerable amount of research time. You ideally want to learn as much as possible about the chosen dog. Already knowing the type of dog that you want to breed is a definite advantage. If you aren’t sure of what dog you’d like to breed, it may not be a bad idea to scan the classified ads in your area and see what kind of dogs are being sold and at what price. Browse Internet message board forums to read about the experiences of other dog breeders before becoming a dog breeder yourself. Talk to other breeders to see if they actually like what they do.

Read the rest of this entry »

There was a time when no one gave a second thought to whether their dogs nutritional needs were being met. At that time, any old dog food would do. Now however, after study and research, we have learned that a quality food, wet or dry will impact our dogs health. A quality dog food has minimal fillers, added vitamins and minerals, and is appropriate for the dogs life stage. Dogs do not naturally produce all the nutrients they require so they depend on us to feed then quality, nutrient rich dog food.

There has been a trend lately to feed dogs bones and raw food, or “BARF” as it is known. The idea is to feed dogs what they ate in the wild, before they were domesticated. The truth is, it is hazardous to your dog due to toxins, food borne bacteria, intestinal obstruction and the possibility of intestinal perforation. If you stop to think about it, you will realize dogs did not live as long or as well in the wild as they do now.

In this article, I will discuss just a few of the important nutrients required for a healthy dog. One nutritional element you may not be familiar with is Iodine. Iodine is crucial for proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Just as in humans, the thyroid plays a major role in regulating metabolism and growth. Symptoms of hypothyroidism, which is not enough thyroid hormone, include poor growth, weight gain and hair loss, as well as weakness and irritability.

Read the rest of this entry »

House breaking your dog is vital, whether it is a puppy or an older dog – and that old adage about not being able to teach an old dog new trick is not true at all. Your dog needs to know where he should do his business – and with dog training, it is not only possible to break your dog, it is also possible to train him when to go to the bathroom.

The first step in using dog training to house break your dog is by implementing the use of a crate, though this generally works better with puppies than with older dogs, although they can benefit too. A crate is not a crate at all, but a cage with a door that locks and plenty of room for your dog to move. These are not used for punishment, but rather a bedroom environment: if you put some toys and something for your dog to sleep on in the crate, then it is highly unlikely he will ever use the bathroom in there, because dogs do not go where they sleep.

Puppies usually need to go to the bathroom every three hours or so; with older dogs, it can be as much as six hours at a time. The second step is studying your dog; by doing this, you will easily be able to tell his “potty behaviors.” For example, he might start pacing restlessly, sniffing at corners, or jumping on and off the bed, couch, or chair, if you happen to be sitting down. When you start to notice these signs, it is time to take the dog outside! If your dog goes inside before you can get him outside to do his business, then you should scold him – but only if you actually catch him in the act. Absolutely do not rub your dog’s nose in whatever he has done. All you need to do is go to him and stop him from eliminating, pull up on his collar, and tell him “No,” using a firm tone of voice. After this, take him outside to finish using the bathroom, and make sure to praise him when he does so. By learning these signs, you may even know that your dog needs to go out before he does. It is better to take your dog out during the same times every day, whenever it is possible. As you begin house breaking your dog, it is also a good idea to take him the same way. For example, if you began the process by taking your dog out of a side door to the back yard, keep that up whenever you can.
Read the rest of this entry »

Starting a dog breeding business is an endeavour that can be exceptionally rewarded, but at the same time, one that has its own challenges. The dog breeding world has expanded greatly, and now people who love dogs and love breeding them can make a living out of their passion.

Professional breeders are always looking to raise the quality in a breed and for that they get to learn everything about a dog, they immerse into this dog breeding world, because it is actually the only way to stand out from the rest.

To start a dog breeding business you must first decide if this is for you, successful dog breeding businesses have more than just the sheer drive for money, so if you lack that love for animals, this may be not the best business for you.

Then you have to organize yourself, first by getting all the needed dog breeding supplies. The breeding business needs quality supplies if you want to give your dogs the best. This may not come in cheap. Among the needed supplies are blood test kits, gloves, multivitamins, pens and special formulated milk.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you are fond of one particular breed of dog and you are a dog-breeding beginner, you might wish to consider committing to the improvement of your favorite breed. Usually this involves working with a particular bloodline and try to create specific traits for future generations.

All a dog-breeding beginner needs, as far as dogs are concerned, are one or more fertile female dogs. But a good dog breeder, even a beginner, will naturally avoid dogs that have any major flaws. While it is not unusual for breeders to want their dogs to win championships and raise the value of future puppies, the chance for the breeder to network with people knowledgeable about the breed is more important. As your network widens, the chances of meeting another exhibitor having a dog that has traits that you are looking for to improve your dogs lineage. So you might get the opportunity to breed the two dogs and get top quality puppies.

Dog-breeding beginners who are seriously intend to breed dogs for many years, should choose a kennel name and register it with the American Kennel Club. You can choose the name of one of your puppies as the kennel name.

Get a kennel permit even if your state does not require it. A permit will be needed eventually and as the number of dogs increases, the neighbors could object and create problems later on. Get a permit as soon as you get the first dog or puppy.

Read the rest of this entry »