Hi there.  Nice to meet you.  My name is Beth McKittrin, and my husband, Jaime, and I run a web page on natural homemade dog food.

Before you reflect that we are some breed of “animal rights demonstrators” take a minute to determine why we feel the way we do.

One of the dogs we owned, we had for about eight years.  Because we had him for that long, you can imagine, everyone in our family really loved him. He was an important member of our family.

The day when he went into cardiac arrest, we rushed him to the clinic simply to
learn that his stomach was crammed with tumors.  

After talking to the vet, she thought they may have well been caused by the dog food he ate.  We wrote about this on our site: Natural Homemade Dog Food.com.  

Here’s the truth, the majority of commercial formulas have a large per centage of dangerous toxins.

When we started making our own food, we discovered that it’s not just much better for the dog we have now to have a diet that consists of only the food we whip up for her, but it also is much less expensive!

As you would expect. we started sharing recipes for natural dog food.  And we wanted to share with all of our friends a recipe book with plenty of natural recipes for nourishing, natural homespun dog food.

Free Recipes for Natural Homemade Dog Food

While our intentions are good, we haven’t fully completed our own book.  However, we know about another publication that was lovingly written by a good friend of ours, Mike Mullins.

Mike, dog lover that he is, gave us permission to offer it to you on our weblog.

And, because he cares so much about healthy dogs, he said he would be happiest if we would make it available totally free!

How about a few “Attaboys!” for Mike!

Hence that’s what we are going to do!

Availble to you right now is a free copy of “Pamper Your Dog – 130 Recipes for Your Canine Friend” right now….with oneprovision.

We have been working on a newsletter.  For the time being it will start as emailing list that can employ as a way to send you timely information regarding your dog’s health, obedience training, and other things you will enjoy reading about caring for your pet.

It’s our hope everyone who visits our site will want to join this list!

Subsequently Jaime formed the genius idea of to making the book a free bonus for joining our list.

He said we would be killing 2 birds with one stone (I know. I know.  An awful analogy for an animal lover’s website!)

Now you know how we have this thing set up. Come to our site and simply fill in your name and email address to join our list.  

Once we confirm your email address (done instantly), you can download this tremendous free recipe book that features 130 natural homemade dog food recipes and other goodies for Rover!

I hope you go and get your free natural homemade dog food recipe book today!

By the way, we have had thousands join our list, and we haven’t given a sole e-mail address to anybody!  We keep them absolutely PRIVATE!  That is our oath to you.

Remember, when you make your natural homemade dog food recipes, let your kids have a big helping hand.

They will love making their pet more healthy and it will bring you closer together as a family.

Never forget — it’s their dog!

So when you  think about what they give to you, you know you want to be there for them when an sickness or chance event strikes. But a  humongous vet. bill could be devastating . And having to choose between your best friends health and the family budget can be a  troubling choice too. That’s why dog health insurance can be one of the best ways to show that you care and are thinking ahead for your best friends welfare.

Also advancements in veterinary medicine have provided for so many more options today. In days past many diseases and/or accidents would be considered life ending for many dogs. Now heart conditions, hip problems and other circumstances  can be treated. Though at a price that many family budgets can’t afford. That is why finding the best dog insurance at a reasonable price can be the reply.

Every day checkups and regular discourse can also be dealt with by dog health insurance. Expensive vaccinations and protection  procedures, such as teeth and ear cleaning and de-worming can be part of a reasonably priced dog insurance plan. And as you know, if you provide for the regular checkups and treatments, major illnesses can be avoided or lessened.

So what is the best dog insurance for you? It depends on the age of your dog, the breed and your family budget. Pet health insurance can range from $10 to $70 per month. And as you should expect, the $10 per month option will just be the bare bones coverage. So think long and hard on what coverage will be adequate for your dog. Over the life of your loved one the best dog insurance will cover the expected stuff, but also be there for the unexpected illness or accident. And isn’t that what insurance in general is there for most – the unexpected.

Find out  more about getting the best dog insurance at my web site. This site contains much more worthful information on getting a pet insurance policy.

Here is a list of seven dog problems which may indicate canine arthritis:

1. Moving up and down stairways appears to be difficult.
2. Rising from a lying down or sitting position is a struggle.
3. There is difficulty in jumping from the floor to a higher surface or from the higher surface to the floor.
4. Pet indicates pain or discomfort when walking, strutting, or running.
5. Sometimes your pet indicates that he does not want to walk or refuses to walk.
6. Your pet may have a limp or an abnormal gait.l
7. There is an attitude change of dog pain by yelping or snapping.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints which causes a very uncomfortable or painful existence. Dogs with arthritis have symptoms similar to human beings. If you have arthritis you will be able to relate to the canine symptoms that your pet is experiencing.

Human beings may be diagnosed with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis. I am told that rheumatoid is the more serious. But there are over a hundred different types of arthritis. The most common form that humans complain about is ostearthritis and you may be surprised to discover that it is usually the diagnosis our dogs also receive.

The causes of arthritis in dogs can be from a birth defect e.g. hip dysplasia, traumatic injury or complications after orthopedic surgery. Puppies or young dogs may have had a failure of bone growth and development.

There is not one dog treatment that will be used but a variety that may be considered:

1. Place your dog on a reduction diet if overweigh; an easy home remedy.
2. Correct any traumatic injury that has occurred to the joints.
3. Design a suitable exercise program.
4. Give herbal dog supplements or anti-inflammatory dog medications.
5. Consider acupuncture as an alternative treatment.

Visit your dog vet to get your observations confirmed. Your vet will need a medical history; he or she will perform an examination of your pet. X-rays will be taken and blood will be drawn for blood work analysis.

The recommended dog supplements and dog medications will help to reduce symptoms and slow the progress of the disease. Unfortunately, and I am sure you know, there is no cure for arthritis for either human beings or dogs.

If you are curious and would like to know how to take care of your pet visit Tricia Deed at http://infotrish.vpweb.com/ for natural remedies for cats and dogs of canine symptoms of arthritis, one of many dog problems.

Through the years I have learned to be a jack-of-all-trades and maybe mastered one. Because my interests are many, diversity has been the road most traveled. Currently, my hobby is learning and combining these interests with my business of internet marketing.

Visit:

http://arthritisdogsreview.com/

The staff at the animal hospital should be knowledgeable, willing to help you and attentive.  The hospital should provide services 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.  Many animal hospitals are open during regular daytime hours and provide emergency care after hours.  This is a good way to do things because you never know when an emergency will occur and your pet might need immediate veterinary care at any time of the day or night.

The hospital should be focused on wellness care. You should be able to get valuable information and suggestions from the hospital on how to keep your pet healthy. This includes access to immunizations, options in medications for heart worm and fleas, and the ability to ask questions and get answers to your questions about caring for your pet and keeping him or her healthy.

The hospital should offer surgery options. It is much easier on you and your pet if your animal hospital offers surgery on site. The hospital should be equipped with all the right equipment to monitor and care for a pet during and after surgery. You should also check to see if the hospital provides around the clock care for animals who have to stay in the hospital after surgery or while recovering.

A good animal hospital should also offer optional services related to pet safety, such as micro chipping services that are performed on site.  Information about these safety services should be available, and you should be able to use them if you decide to have your pet micro chipped, for example.

The hospital should have veterinary products available for you to buy and take home. You should see a display of products that you can buy or the staff should be able to help you find what you need on site so you do not have to make multiple trips to various locations to get the products you need for your pet.

At some point you will need veterinary hospice or euthanasia services, although you might not want to think about that now.  It would be good if the animal hospital you select offers these services also.  Your pet’s final days will be most comfortable if it is receiving care from people it knows.  You’ll be more comfortable as well, because when your animal hospital provides these services you already know and trust the people who are providing the care.

Choosing an animal hospital is a major decision. Many people focus on cost or location, but these factors are not always the most important. You should really look into the type of care the animal hospital is offering and make sure that it is equipped to offer your pet the best possible care.

animal hospital maryland

Dogs should not be considered hairy kids.  Even though the typical dog has the mental development of a two year old child, there are more contrasts than similarities.  While dogs are amazing at processing language, they are unable to reason as people do.  They can’t put together cause and effect the way people do.

For example, when you tell your dog to “go lie down” you may want him to head to his sofa dog bed or kennel .  In the beginning, if you don’t assist him to make the association between the command and his dog bedding by bodily taking him there as you are giving the command, you are setting him up for failure.

This can start being exceedingly frustrating as the same command is repeated over and over, and the dog appears to reject the commands.  usually it is not ignoring the command; it is likely that they don’t understand it.  It seems it should be straightforward because they’ve displayed the right behavior many times before, but today they are being headstrong.

Some dogs probably would be called headstrong if they were people.  However, they can be thrown off easily or not be able to connect the command of “sit” today with yesterday’s behavior and subsequent reward.  There are some likely explanations for this behavior.

Patience is the one quality that dog owners need to have.  You must be able to repeat those same commands over and over again, knowing that there are times when you won’t get the results you await and are looking for.  There are many dogs that may take up to two years to start processing commands past the most basic to the degree that it really sticks.

Don’t forget that patience means that you keep your temper when what you actually want is to smack or yell at your dog.  It’s common to think about taking the easy route of corporal punishment as the first reaction for improving the dog’s behavior.  On the other hand, this should be reserved for only the most serious situations.  The dog doesn’t really comprehend why they’re being swatted.  This will not develop into trust, but to the contrary fear.

In addition, dogs are like humans because they also will more readily listen to those that are trusted than those that are feared.  They only follow those that they fear when they have no other choice.  But dogs make choices very differently than people do.  They usually endure any punishment they experience without actually learning from it.  Corporal punishment is not a useful training technique.

Here’s how NOT to Teach your dog:

•  Fail to remember that your dog processes information differently than humans and speak to them like they were people.

•  Hold to the idea that a dog can connect events across time and situationsdraw the same conclusion as you.

•  Get angry and irritable when they don’t behave as you want them to. Punish them for not behaving the way you want.

Follow these altogether useless methods and you’ll end up with a messed up dog and you will be an unhappy owner. But if this isn’t the outcome you are looking for, be ready to adjust YOUR behavior, before you try to change the behavior of the dog.

Distemper virus

The distemper virus is an airborne disease that poses a high risk.  This virus can be prevented by getting your Golden 3 different vaccinations when he is between 6 and 16 weeks of age, along with his regular annual booster shot.  The symptoms from this virus include fever, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting.  If your Golden Retriever has these symptoms, you should immediately take him to see the vet.

Heartworms

Heartworms are among the most common ailment with all dog breeds.  They can reach lengths of up to 12 inches in the heart and the lung arteries, leading to heart failure, a decrease in blood circulation, and even death in some cases.  The symptoms with heartworms may not appear until it is too late, so you are better off preventing them with the correct heartworm medicines.

Heatstroke

During the summer months or hot days, your Golden Retriever can get a heatstroke.  You can prevent this from happening by giving your dog plenty of water, and never leaving him in direct sunlight.  If you are playing together on a hot day, you should give him plenty of time to rest so he doesn’t overdo it.  The symptoms indicating a heatstroke include a lot of panting or drooling, dark gums, a glazed expression, rapid pulse, and even vomiting.  If your dog starts to show any of these symptoms, you should immediately take him to the vet.

Rabies

Rabies is one of the more serious ailments that your Golden Retriever can get, as it has an adverse affect on your dog’s nervous system.  Normally, dogs get rabies through a bite of another animal that is infected with the disease.  There are rabies shots that helps to prevent the disease, and your dog should get them at least once a year.  The symptoms of rabies include seizures, aggression, and foaming at the mouth.  If you suspect your Golden has rabies, you should call the vet immediately.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are normally caused by fleas, and affect your dog’s stomach.  The symptoms for tapeworms include a loss in weight, diarrhea, and even biting of the rectal area.  You can easily prevent your Golden from tapeworms by using a rigid flea control.  If your Golden Retriever exhibits symptoms for tapeworms, you should take him to the vet immediately.  If the vet catches them in time, he may be able to kill the tapeworms with an oral medicine.

Hookworms

Hookworms result from your Golden coming in contact with feces, his mother, or the worm simply burrowing under exposed skin.  You can prevent your dog from getting hookworms by cleaning his living area and keeping his skin clean.  The symptoms that accompany hookworms include a dry coat, weight loss, weakness, and blood in the stool.  As with all other ailments, you should immediately contact your vet if your Golden Retriever starts to show any of these symptoms.

Although these are just some of the most common ailments for Golden Retrievers, there are other ailments and health problems that your dog can get.  If your Golden starts to show any signs of ailment, disease, or health problem, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your vet and set up an appointment.  Some of these diseases and ailments can be pretty serious – although they can be treated if you catch them in time.

Corn (in any form)

You will notice it listed as corn gluten, corn gluten meal, corn cellulose, or just corn.  Dogs are carnivores but they could eat and digest vegetable matter.  However, corn is quite difficult for them to digest because they don’t have enough of the correct enzymes.  Excessive corn can lead to digestive issues.  The corn gluten, gluten meal, and cellulose are employed primarily as binders and also have little or no nutritional value.

BHA/BHT

These are phenolic antioxidants, used to preserve fats and oils.  Many countries have banned these from human use, but they continue to be permitted in the U.S.  They may possibly be human carcinogens and are demonstrated carcinogenic in animal experiments.

Here’s how this ingredient listing looks on the bag of a preferred brand of kibbles.  That’s the fourth ingredient, by the way:  “Animal Fat (preserved with BHA/BHT)”.

Ethoxyquin

Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant.  It had been developed by Monsanto as a stabilizer for rubber.  It has also been used as a pesticide for fruit along with a color preservative for spices – and later for animal feed.  It may be linked to thyroid, kidney, reproductive and immune related illnesses including cancer.  Studies to determine the safety of Ethoxyquin have not been completed, and that is why it’s still allowed in dog foods.

As a side note, if you observe that fish meal is an ingredient in the pet food brand you are using, unless it says “human grade” fish meal, it’s preserved with Ethoxyquin, although it’s not specifically listed.

They are just a few of the dog food ingredients I suggest you avoid feeding your dog.  The best way to ensure that your dog is getting the healthiest, most nutritionally balanced food possible is to make it yourself.  Otherwise, you could be compromising your pet’s health without even realizing it.

In case you are asking yourself about the use of dogs health insurance, keep in mind that 1 in 3 canines will need out-of-the-ordinary medical care bills within the upcoming year or so, and 2 in 3 pet dogs end up having a serious (i.e. expensive) health care complication at some time in their existence.

Vets are qualified to take care of a lot of ailments that up until recently would have been fatal for a doggy. However, the expense of these amazing life saving treatment options might be prohibitive. It would be horrible to be in a position where challenging medical treatments could quite possibly save your pup’s life, but you couldn’t afford to cover it. However this is happening to a lot of people today when the boundaries of veterinary clinic medical science are expanded.

Getting dog insurance plans makes it more convenient for you to do something about problems where the price tag on your dog’s care may be very high. If your pup develops a serious disorder or has a medical related crisis, it can save you a ton of money to be able to claim the expenses on health insurance.

Yet another advantage of new puppy health insurance is that if your pup is covered, you will probably get him to the vet the moment he has a health related ailment. Typically many of us always like to believe that our pup’s health and fitness will come first generally in most predicaments, there may very well be times when a trip to the vet was put off due to monetary factors. In case you have health insurance coverage you do not have to be so nervous because of the fee when your dog is hurt.

Much like health insurance on your household, you can see the fact that many different policies supply you with many types of coverage. Before you decide on any doggie insurance policy coverage, take the opportunity to consider various kinds of insurance policies from several different agencies. A few agencies won’t include specified breeds, or some may exclude selected types of conditions which might be typical in a few particular breeds, for example hip dysplasia.

If your doggie has sustained any specific afflictions prior to now, you need an insurance policy that insures pre-existing disorders. This could result in more expensive monthly obligations but yet will save you money in the event the issue comes back. For a new puppy, you really need to know if the insurance plan covers shots.

You may even choose to go over dog insurance policy coverage with your vet. Quite a few vets are linked up with particular puppy insurers. This can make it simpler to make a claim, but you might not necessarily receive the best price for your circumstances.

You can generally save on the regular monthly cost of a doggy health care plan by agreeing to pay a certain amount of the cost each and every time that your pet dog requires treatment. For example, when you pay the first $50 or even $25 of any individual claim, you can expect to pay a lower amount monthly than if you want the insurance policy to pay for everything.

A growing number of conscientious canine owners are taking out insurance protection today. Check out a plan yourself. Doggy health coverage insurance can care for your puppy plus your finances.

Clicker Training is a relatively new way of training a dog using a small finger-length box which makes a sharp and distinctive click. Clicker training is the art and science of using a conditioned reinforcer to train your dog using no corrections or punishments.

The pet-friendly way to train…
Many dog owners worry about the things their gundog does wrong. Clicker training lets you concentrate on what the gundog is doing right. You’ll learn to build good behavior instead of trying to fix mistakes. Click when the puppy or young gundog “goes” in the right place. Click for sitting instead of jumping up. Click for waiting at the door. Click for a loose lead while walking the gundog at heel. Clicker training is also a great help in laying the foundation for gundog training.

The click is a marker signal
Clicker training is a science-based system for teaching behavior with positive reinforcement. You use a marker signal (the sound of a toy clicker) to tell the gundog that what he/she is doing is right. The system was first widely used by dolphin trainers, who needed a way to teach behavior without using physical force.

No corrections or punishment
In traditional training, you tell a gundog what to do, make that behavior happen (using force if necessary), reward good results with food, and punish mistakes. In clicker training you watch for the behavior you like, mark the instant it happens with a click, and pay off with a treat like chicken or something similar. The treat may be food, a pat, praise, or anything else the gundog enjoys. If the gundog makes a mistake all you do is wait and let them try again.

Replacing the clicker with praise
Clicker trainers focus on building behavior, not stopping behavior. Instead of shouting at the gundog for jumping up, you click it for sitting. Then, click by click, you “shape” longer sits, or more walking, until you have the final results you want. Once the behavior is learned, you keep it going with praise and approval and save the clicker and treats for the next new thing you want to train.

Fun and exciting for pets and people
GunDogs quickly learn that the marker signal means, “Something good is coming.” Then they realize they can make you click by repeating their behavior. They become enthusiastic partners in their own training. Clicker training is exciting for animals, and it’s easy to do.

In 6 short weeks your dog can learn to be the happy, obedient dog you’ve always wanted!

Call David for a free demonstration and see what just 6 week’s of gundog  training can do for you… Your dog will learn to be a more enjoyable, more obedient companion dog for your whole family.

In 6 short weeks your dog can learn to be the happy, obedient dog you’ve always wanted!

In just 6 weeks with our accelerated one – to – one training program, your gundog will learn to

Walk on a loose lead
Heel
Sit and lie down
Retrieve on a “seen”
Retrieve a “blind”
Be familiar with shot sound
Begin the basics of stopping at distance on a whistle
Stay when told, and come when called, even around distractions.
Learn basic manners and obedience

We will be working with you for 6 weeks and at the end of this period we will simulate a working test to see how well your gundog has developed. At this stage you will be hooked and want to go onto further things.

Teaching your puppy the “leave it” and “drop it” commands can keep your pup from doing something unsafe, such as eating rat poison, stinking food and other yucky stuff, or running into the path of a speeding car.

Leave It

With your puppy on a leash, walk by a tempting item, such as food or a toy (you can pre-place items for this exercise). When your puppy tries to pick up the item, give a short quick tug on the leash and say, “Leave it.”

Enthusiastically praise your puppy for obeying (“Good Boy!”). You can offer a liver snap at this time if you prefer, but praise and a pat on the head work just as well. Repeat this routine at home.

Here’s another method you can use to teach your dog the “leave it” command: Hold a food treat in your unopened fist. When your puppy sniffs your hand, say “Leave it,” and keep your hand closed. When your pup stops nosing your hand, reward with praise, then give a verbal release command (such as “okay”) and let your puppy have the treat. Continue working like this until your puppy will sit quietly without touching a nearby treat until you give the release command.

Drop It

When your puppy picks up a forbidden object, say, “Drop it!” and walk over to your puppy. If your pup won’t release the item, offer it a tempting treat as a trade for the item. When your puppy drops it, offer praise and a safe substitute – preferably one that’s more tempting than the forbidden item.

If your puppy runs away from you, don’t chase it – it’ll think you’re playacting a game. instead, ignore your little one and get yourself a treat from the kitchen (something you know your puppy likes). Take the treat to a puppy-accessible area and start to eat it (or pretend to eat it, if it’s a dog goodie).

Be dramatic about how yummy it is. Call your puppy over, then give the drop it command and trade the treat for the forbidden item. (Be sure to praise your youngster for obeying.) After your puppy finishes the treat, offer an accepted toy.