All puppies are cute, no matter what their breed. In fact, some of the cutest puppies in the world are mixed breed pups. But sometimes the fates conspire to give us adorably cute puppies that love to flaunt their stuff for the camera.
People are often told that it’s not a good idea to give puppies or kittens as gifts. Animals aren’t commodities. There is the very genuine concern that those ‘gifts’ stop being wanted as soon as they stop being cute or some undesirable behavior creeps into the mix. Come April and May, shelters are inundated with teenage dogs who were much loved over Christmas and then became a handful. Having said that, however, many puppies who are given as Christmas presents end up living long, happy lives with families who love them to distraction.
One of the downsides to having a canine companion is all the dog hair that seems to magnetically attach itself to your clothes, furniture, carpets, floors and even your dish cloths. Unfortunately, all dogs shed. Some shed more than others but no matter what breed you have, you are going to have to find a way to effectively remove dog hair – and learn to live with shedding in between cleaning.
Fleas are the enemy of both pets and pet owners. They have but one goal: To attach themselves to your pet and drain their lifeblood, caring nothing for the pain and discomfort this may cause. Not only that, they also infest your poor pet with eggs, so that their vile spawn can rise up and take their place should you ever succeed in your attempts to eradicate them. They cannot be negotiated with. They must be destroyed. Weapons of choice are chemical and natural flea remedies.
Plenty of people love dressing up dogs in clothes. And it’s not just the Paris Hiltons of the world. Dog clothing and accessories is a growing industry with everything from cutesy tutus to goth hoodies available. Then there are the Halloween costumes. Many pet parents put as much thought into their pet’s costumes as their own. Dogs dressed as Superman or rocking spider costumes are cute, but are they happy?
First aid isn’t a substitute for veterinary care, but sometimes your dog needs urgent attention before you get to the vet. For example, your dog may unearth an old box of rat poison and need emergency action fast. Or your dog could be hit by a car and you may have to do some patch work before you can get him in the car. Knowing first aid for dogs is a life saver.
Hip dysplasia is a fairly common health problem that affects many dog breeds – especially large breeds. It can be caused by a number of different factors but most dogs who suffer from hip dysplasia are genetically predisposed to the disease. There is early onset hip dysplasia – which may show up in your puppy after four months – and late onset, usually as a result of osteoarthritis. Hip scoring tell you how badly your dog’s hips are affected.
In an ideal world, pets and babies would always get along. In reality, there’s no telling how your animal companion will react to the new member of the family. Sometimes, pet owners have reported being delighted with the reaction, as their pet not only welcomes the newcomer, but actually undertakes responsibility for its protection. In other cases, pets appear indifferent, but at least show no intent to harm the child so long as it stays on its side of the fence.
Dogs, like people, are vaccinated against certain diseases to prevent infection or minimize the severity of infection. Vaccines are credited with lowering the incidence of certain diseases in dogs. This is one of the reasons why vets are so concerned about any controversy that surrounds pet vaccinations. If people decide that dog vaccinations are overrated, there could be a resurgence of diseases previously under control.
The more scientists learn about dogs, the more we discover that our kinship with them is closer than we first imagined. Psychologically, they share many traits with us. One of these traits is the capacity to experience stress. And, like us, prolonged stress causes them to get gray hair.