Not too long ago a London man was issued with a fixed penalty fine for illegally parking his car. The man in question became annoyed by this. So he emigrated. He had had enough of England, so he left. An over reaction you may think, but take into account that on that day, the man in question would have had a one in one hundred and twenty six chance of being mugged, he would have been breathing some of the poorest quality air in Europe, he could have been subject to council tax tantamount to over £6 a day, and he would have been subject to congestion charges for entering his home town by car, not to mention the ‘big freeze’ that brings our roads to a standstill each year.

To move or not to move; there are simple criteria to help with this decision. Do you want to live in a country that charges you twice to commute through Birmingham? Does the stress of relocation potentially outweigh the stress of staying? If no, you are a prime candidate for relocation.

So now we are left with those to whom relocation is a viable life choice. You people fall into two categories, those who are planning to move within the next eighteen months, and those who are reading this from a Spanish villa that cost the price of a Land Rover Discovery. To those of you planning to emigrate in the next year or so, don’t bother. Do it now or it will never happen. And don’t even think of using your pets as an excuse.

There are two things you should know right now. You can buy a large Italian country house for £40 thousand, and you can take your dogs without any fuss. So forget about a few months time, if you want it start doing it now.

If you already have an idea of where on Earth you want to live, you should consider some of the following in relation to your pets. If you have no idea, these may help you to narrow down the search.

Climate.
Is the country similar in climate to Britain, or will I need to take steps to ensure my dog’s comfort on arrival? Most dogs will adapt without too much fuss, but a dog with a weight problem or even a skin problem could suffer if moved to Northern Australia, South Africa, or even Southern Spain. Consult your vet before you make any firm decisions regarding location if you are concerned about your pet.

Culture.
Are dogs a welcome member of the community in the country I intend to move? Are you considering France where dogs are treated like children and are welcomed into nearly all public places, or is it Spain where stray dogs are considered vermin and pet dogs are cherished?

Location.
Are you moving to a place where your dog is safe or are there potential or hidden dangers? Some parts of Australia are home to the world’s most poisonous animals, we know this but our dogs don’t. Are there more specific problems such as your favoured property being on a steep hill or near a river? You will need to visit the property and surrounding area before even thinking about getting your wallet out.

Convenience.
You may want to get to the other side of the world as soon as possible, but what if you need to come home urgently. Can you get your pet home as quickly as you got him out there? Do you need to get him micro chipped? Is you new home served by an animal airline? You need to check these things out before moving.

You also need to be sure of what function your relocation will perform in your day-to-day life before you look at property. For example, are you going to be moving an existing business to a new location? Are you going to be starting up a new business? Will the property you seek be an investment property? Or are you looking for a new home? All of these factors can and will affect the relocation process.

The first thing you and your family need to settle on is which country best suits your needs. Once you have done this you should start thinking about area and property Once you and your family have settled on an area or town and are keen to acquire property, you really need to think very carefully about legal aspects regarding property acquisition. There are many, many different things that could catch out an unwitting buyer.

You need to take into account currency fluctuations between the time that you settle on a property and the time that you actually hand over the cash. In some cases you will experience discrepancies of as much as 2.5%.

Now is certainly the time to start seeking legal advice if you haven’t already. As with any property purchase it is essential that you have legal advice at all stages but this is even more crucial when dealing with foreign property laws. It is advisable to find a solicitor who is not only bi-lingual, but also conversant and familiar with property law relevant to the country in which you are thinking of living.

It is imperative to bear in mind that other countries, even those in the EU have very different laws regarding property and acquisition. France is a particularly prickly pair when it comes to buying property. The process can be disconcertingly complex and can easily lead to legal mix-ups.

For example, if after purchasing a property it is discovered that, prior to your acquisition of the property, planning regulations had been breached, you as the property owner are responsible for returning the property to its original state and for the cost of doing so. Also beware of getting too excited when viewing property.

An oral expression of intent is legally binding in France (even if you do it English), so refrain from saying or implying verbally anything until at least after the searches have been completed.

With regards to your pets, it is now a lot easier to relocate with dogs and cats in tow without quarantine. As long as your pets are up to date with immunisations and vaccinations, the pet travel scheme (PETS) allows pets to travel almost as freely as humans. Provided that certain regulations such as worming and micro chipping are in hand, free travel is no longer a problem for pets.

One thing it is important to understand is the amount of financial outlay involved in relocation.

Once you have exchanged contracts and readied your pets for travel, you will need to move yourself and your possessions. This is the stressful part; you can however ease the pain by following a few simple steps. It makes sense to have your belongings hauled out of the country before you leave. You can always borrow from friends when you are in this country but if you are arriving in a new country without your things, life will be a nightmare.

There are plenty of things you need to have in place ready for your arrival such as schooling, registration with doctors, employment, notification of authorities that you are a new citizen, registration with utilities firms and much more. It is strongly advised that you do seek professional help in order to ensure that your relocation runs as smoothly as possible.

Moving Abroad With Your Dog is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Whilst coughing up a less than stifled choking sound when confronted with the price of a very ordinary pair of white cotton gloves, it occurred to me that my shopping experience was being closely observed by a rather anxious little man who seemed to have, if I may borrow a phrase from a recent TV commercial, ‘got my number’.

Although he didn’t actually ‘tut-tut’ out loud I could sense from his glare and arms-folded posture that he would rather I made a swift exit, never to return than continue to wretch at the expensive items on display. Fine, I thought. How was he to know that I wasn’t some eccentric Billionaire intent on relieving his shop of some £30,000 worth of daft hats and obscenely priced Bermuda shorts? I obliged and left sharply.

He knew all right. He probably had to deal with my type all the time and could spot a tyre-kicker a mile off. Later on, whilst taking more time than usual in trying to get value for money out of the most overpriced and ridiculously named cup of coffee in the world, I thought to myself; ‘fair enough’. I was never going to purchase anything, he knew it, I knew it and I was probably making the shop look untidy by having the audacity to be there in the first place. Yes, the effeminate shop assistant with the up-turned nose and rapidly receding hairline. (If you happen to be reading this, you know who you are) was quite reasonable in expecting me to vacate the store. After all, his £4.20 per hour wage should exempt him from having to stoop to the level of entertaining the likes of me, a non-paying, non-interesting, non-entity. Ahh, only in England could I make a defence for the actions of this horrid little man.

They say a smile goes a long way and costs nothing. It’s true. Try it today. Just give someone you don’t know a big ear to ear grin and see what happens.

Good customer service, like that smile, goes a long way too and costs nothing especially in the leisure, entertainment and tourism industry. Us Brits have to tolerate an awful lot of bad customer service. We are, in fact, famous for putting up with it all over the world. Fawlty Towers is funny until the day you actually have to experience that same level of customer service for real.

Hotels have a habit of seeking your custom by telling you how great they are and what extra features they offer over and above their competition in order to encourage a booking from you. Most of us have stayed in hotels good and bad but I’ll let you in on something about the industry that may surprise you. Not all hotels, no matter how smart, plush or basic they may be in terms of bricks and mortar or additional facilities do NOT always offer good customer service. Shocking I know.

As the owner of two well-behaved, non-toxic, non-plague bearing, non-rabid dogs I tend to feel a certain compulsion to take them out and about with me whenever the chance arises to do so. They enjoy it that I do this. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those infernally annoying dog owners who forces my dogs on other people or allows them to jump all over you and then give you a lecture about how they won’t hurt you or do you any (serious) harm despite your obvious state of fear and discomfort (come on people, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about here). No, I’m just a normal bloke who likes the company of his dogs and the enjoyment of making them happy by loading them into the car to come with me whenever possible.

This applies to holidays too. I don’t use boarding kennels. Absolutely nothing against them at all, they’re just not for me. I like my dogs to experience the joys of a short break from the usual routine, see new places and dig holes in new ground where holes had previously never been dug. I like my dogs to have the same sense of relaxation as I do and to come home feeling they have had a new experience in a new place, met new people and left lots of new holes in new locations.

I’m not a ‘campsite or caravan’ person. As with boarding kennels, nothing against them I just prefer bricks and mortar surrounding me when the rain starts to lash. This means whenever I go away I have to find a pet friendly hotel, bed and breakfast or similar accommodation. Luckily for me with the Internet and all the publications filled with pet friendly accommodation I can go anywhere I like and take my dogs too.

The problem I have, and it is a BIG problem, is that far too many of the hotels and other accommodation providers that describe themselves as pet friendly are, when it really comes down to it, completely un-friendly towards pets. A contradiction in terms you might think so let me put it another way.

What some establishments mean when they describe themselves as ‘pet friendly’ I prefer to translate as ‘pet tolerant’. In other words they accept pets under duress but when you turn up in reception with your bright-eyed, ready to relax pair of Labradors, the receptionist may not throw you out but she should be perfectly entitled to serve you last, make you wait away from proper customers, scowl at you, hold her nose, make a big fuss about any extra cleaning coming off your bill, give you a list of places where you ‘may not bring those in’, warn you about bothering other guests, advise you about basic hygiene issues and pretty much make you feel like a second class citizen carrying the bubonic plague rather than a couple of genuinely well-balanced companion animals.

I have a strong message to any establishments who describe themselves as pet friendly when they actually mean pet tolerant. Don’t. I mean it. I am on a personal crusade to un-cover businesses who are infringing on the trade descriptions act by using the words friendly and pets in the same sentence in order to convince would-be customers that you are actually friendly towards people who stay with pets.

I am not a disease carrier, a second-class citizen, a menace to public order or in fact public health – I am a dog owner. My dogs live in my house with my family and they fit into society perfectly well, some would say they add to it.

Either live up to the description of pet friendly or don’t allow pets at all. I don’t have a problem with banning pets anywhere, it’s a free country and I respect that. But hotel owners, be warned, I am, for the next 12 months, going to be travelling the length and breadth of these Great British Isles and I will be bringing my dogs if your literature tells me I can do so. I am expecting a FRIENDLY welcome and so are my dogs.

Through the pages of K9 Magazine I will bring news of the good, bad and indifferent establishments who describe themselves as pet friendly in order that the millions (yes, millions) of people just like me can enjoy stays at hotels free from the stigma of feeling they’ve done something wrong by simply involving their extended family of the four legged variety to experience the delights of a genuine family holiday in an establishment described as pet friendly.

Hoteliers. You have been warned. If you call yourself pet friendly, make sure that you genuinely are.

Useful Pet Friendly Hotel Links:

Find Pet Friendly Hotels

Pet Friendly Hotels: A Word of Caution is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Before we begin though, let’s ask – and try to answer – the question of whether dog bites are a breed specific problem.

Dog Bites: A Breed Specific Problem?

Across dog walking hot spots you will find a mixture of breeds, shapes, and sizes, often allowed to roam around off their leads in the open spaces.

It can be very intimidating when a big, strong, dog approaches you and after a rise in the number of attacks by the popular pet, many people are calling for new measures to make sure that dogs are kept on leads. But are dogs being given a bad reputation unfairly?

I myself am terrified if a large dog comes up to me as I walk my Collie cross on open fields near my home. However this never used to be the case.

Around four years ago my family bought home a young male Weimaraner from the local dog’s home. At first everything was fine but after a few weeks things turned nasty. He went on to bite three members of the family, including me, meaning that we sadly had to send him back to the dog’s home.

It was especially heartbreaking, as 99% of the time he was a normal, loving dog. Something seemed to snap in his mind, he’d have five minutes of savageness then return to being nice and look up at you with his soppy sad eyes. In my opinion this could only be put down to how he was brought up. The same as if a human was treated badly it could have effects later on in their lives and on their mental state.

Despite how much I loved him and felt sorry for him it is the reason why I would never be able to trust a big, strong dog again. Just in case. I still hold the scars from his attack, and know that to have a dog’s jaw clenched around you is one of the most terrifying things that I have ever experienced.

The argument for keeping dog’s on a lead is simple. A dog can turn nasty at any time, and recent reports of family pets turning on children is a clear example of this. When I am out walking my dog not only am I in fear for myself but also for my dog, as she is small, not big built, and would not stand a chance if attacked by a big dog, an increasingly likely event in today’s society in which many dogs are bread to attack.

One breed in particular that has developed a bad reputation is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. At all the local dogs homes inside almost every kennel is a dog of this breed or a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, with the amount of Rottweilers not far behind.

Voluntary group and registered charity, Animal Lifeline, based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire has saved over 10,000 dogs since it was founded over thirty years ago. The group never puts a dog down and always has at least 100 dogs in its kennels waiting to be re-homed.

Nick Fletcher from the centre explains why he thinks so many of these breeds get brought in: “We get all types of dogs in though there is a higher proportion of Staffies than there used to be. This is because the Staffy has become a fashion accessory for many young people, mainly young men. They then find that either the dog isn’t as fierce as they thought, and want to get rid of it, or their circumstances change, particularly if they have a partner. Young couples often have a dog until they have a baby, then they want to dump the dog. Also, many couples split up after a while and return to parents or go into rented accommodation, where they cannot keep a dog.”

It seems that like with a lot of things in today’s world looks are more important than the dog’s behaviour.

Nick added: “People often select a dog because of its looks, so smaller prettier dogs are always the first to be homed. Lovely dogs with nice temperaments are often ignored and remain in kennels for months just because they are plain in appearance.”

It can be easily seen why these people think they look tough with one of these dogs when they are basically being used as a weapon. Some dogs go on to be re-homed and make loving family pets but others will never find a home ever again because of their vicious mentality from their upbringing.

Despite their bad reputation, created through the media, Staffordshire Bull Terriers are in fact known as a trustworthy animal and sometimes referred to as the ‘Nanny Dog’ for their great affection towards children. Owners of so called ‘status dogs’ believe the facts and figures used in today’s news stories about dog attacks are unfair as the majority of attacks by smaller breeds go unreported.

Daniel Berrisford, from Stoke-on-Trent, has owned two Staffordshire Bull Terriers and agrees that the negative press towards the breed is unfair.

“I think the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is the same as any other dog; it all depends on how you bring them up as to how they turn out. If you bring a Staffy up to fight then they have the mentality to fight, however if you bring a Staffy up as a loving house dog that is what they will become. Both of the Staffies that I have had would not hurt anyone and I believe it is because they were brought up like that. I think that if you bring them up in the right way you will not find a more loyal and loving dog.

“Some owners only have a Staffy or other strong dogs because they want to bring it up to fight and attack but I think that you could find any breed that has attacked somebody, so for a Staffy to have a particularly bad reputation is ridiculous.

“Little dogs often come up to larger dogs and go to attack them, even if they are on a lead but because the bigger dog retaliates and can do more damage they get the blame. Smaller dogs should be kept on a lead just the same because they can cause just as much trouble.”

The truth is that no dog should be branded a vicious breed when the victims of most attacks do not recognise the exact breed so stick to what they know, and certain dogs get the blame, the reason why there are no real statistics for dog attacks in this country.

It is also difficult to distinguish what actually is an ‘attack’. A recent incident in my area occurred in which the police were involved as a dog had knocked somebody over and ripped a coat. A total accident in which the dog was playing, but accused of a vicious attack just for being a big animal.

The truth is that however much the media tries to scare people about our favourite furry friends, the increase in ‘attacks’ has not risen that much and that dog attacks and collisions involving children have actually declined by approximately 18% over the last 10 years.

With a UK dog population of around eight million, it is an issue that cannot be ignored. Measures need to be brought in to deal with the irresponsible owners who are giving all dogs a bad name, and to protect the public from them so that we can feel safe around the nation’s most popular pet again.

K9 Magazine editor Ryan O’Meara outlines his thesis for our misunderstanding of canine behaviour, body language and intentions as a primary motivating factor in our failure to spot the warning signs of dog aggression.

Understanding Canine Aggression

In this report, you will learn about:

Understanding errors of interpretation
Understanding motives for aggressive behaviour
Understanding how to minimise risk

Summary:
Misinterpretation of canine signals, body language and emotions due to anthropomorphic tendencies.

Why do humans feel the need to attribute human qualities to animals in order to better understand or accept them?

What emotions do dogs have? What we happen to presume about what dogs think is, by definition, open to interpretation and in reality unless dogs learn to talk we shall never actually know what dogs think, although we can, will and should speculate. Dogs dream, we therefore conclude they have ‘imagination’ what they dream about, we do not know. As much as we may not like to admit it, we understand dogs a lot less than we realise.

Can dogs have a social conscience? If not they can’t possibly understand or display emotions such as guilt, shame, jealousy etc – all of which are traits often attributed to dogs in an increasingly anthropomorphic society which is conditioned to believe everything from gloved Disney mice to the socially conscious tales of Lassie. It’s little wonder we grew up with such a distorted view of animal emotions, motives and drives.

It is my finding, having studied many dogs of different breeds in different environments that, whilst dogs are exceptionally responsive to our own emotions and body language, their own emotional spectrum is significantly different. This can be best addressed by asking the simple question; Does my dog really love me?

Does My Dog Love Me?

Considering how complex it is for us to understand such a powerful and misunderstood concept in humans, who have the power of speech and the written word to explain themselves, it is surprising how many of us assume that our dogs love us, love being with us and show loyalty to us for reasons equitable to those of a fellow human.

The most probable answer is dogs do not ‘love us’ in the sense that we love them. They are hard-wired to appease us, to fit in with us and to display behaviours which suit us and our needs – it is the fact that we love them for this which often mistranslates as them performing these behaviours because they love us back.

It is my view that canine emotions are expressed in basic forms. They may display many variations of these basic emotions. A dog can be fearful – and this can often be misinterpreted as guilt or shame. A dog may be fearful of losing rank, status or a tried and tested route to food – and this can often me misinterpreted as jealousy or envy of other dogs or people – it is still a demonstration of a variant of basic fear behaviour.

It is us who attribute our social values and emotional structure to dogs in order to try and make them easier to understand. It is the dog’s unique ability to allow us to believe this that has to be part responsible for their successful relationship with man. The dog will be, whatever we want him to be. This is an error in translation.

After all, if we were truly looking for a companion animal whose emotions were closely linked to our own, surely we would have domesticated the apes and we would now be talking about man’s best friend as a small, domesticated monkey. After all they have many of the same skills that dogs have, they are superior in intelligence, dexterity and trainability.

Could it be that the reason dogs have slotted their paws so firmly under the table of man is because we can attribute any emotion they display as we please? If we say it, we can believe it to be true – with a dog – but with an ape, perhaps it is the fact that they ARE so much like us that it is harder for us to enjoy such a mutually fulfilling relationship with them?

The dog, for want of a better description, will be anything we want him to be. They will play the role of court jester or funeral mourner, if they think it’s what we want. Perhaps it is this for reason alone that they have become the most successful socially domesticated animals on the planet. It is also possibly the reason why the more we think we know about them, the more we are kidding ourselves.

The dog is, in my opinion, a still largely misunderstood animal. We control their environment, their diet, their stimulation, their entire lives – it’s little wonder they feel compelled to ‘love’ us.

The perception problem: Dogs see our world from a different perspective. We can look at the same object or experience the same situations but our and their perception of both can be entirely different. There are various reasons for this. To understand what it is to see the world through the eyes of a dog we need to first accept the physical differences.

They spend their lives between putting their nose to the ground and their eyes gazing upwards. For a dog, life is not conducted at eye level (like us) it is a story happening underfoot and events happen from way on high above. This very fact alone gives us a sense of different the world appears to a dog.

We fail to acknowledge such a fundamental difference in perspective at our own peril. Understanding and accepting this literal matter of fact helps us to try and see things from the dog’s perspective. In the world of the dog, people are most often regarded as friends or are observed as neutral, non threatening animals. However, not all dogs share this view of all people and it is an extremely serious error for any person to assume it.

Motives for aggression in dogs can vary and are dependent on a number of key factors.

Genetics / breeding
Social development in key life-stages
Environmental factors
Behavioural conditioning / reinforcement
Perspective problems / misjudging situations
Misdirection of drives

A dog’s genetic make-up and breeding is a factor too often overlooked in instances where the less ‘extreme’ purpose bred dogs are concerned. A relative novice is inclined toward understanding that a Siberian Husky will not make an ideal pet for an owner who leads a largely urban lifestyle with little or no opportunity to provide regular opportunities for mental and physical stimulation.

However where the edges begin to blur are with breeds (or cross breeds where breeding is unknown) which can often present an image which entices novice owners toward them without properly understanding the very specific lifestyle requirements the dog is likely to demand.

It is the case in my experience that there are many dogs produced by people who do not have sufficient skills, experience or desire to fully comprehend the importance of identifying the suitability of the people they are supplying dogs to. Similarly, many dogs are bred with little or no attention paid to the quality of temperament within their breeding stock. Hence there is a perpetual problem – in select numbers – where unsuitable breeders supply unsuitable dogs to unsuitable new owners. Addressing this issue within the structure of existing UK legislation is not possible.

Coming back to the central theme of under-prepared dog owners, failure to place significant emphasis or attention on the key life-stage development of dogs is a monumental failing.

A Dog’s Key Life-Stage Phases:

Aged between 6 and 16 weeks (extremely important)
Aged between 16 weeks and 6 months (important)
Aged between 6 months and 14 months (VITAL!)

The average day of the average dog is spent waiting for stimulation or events which can break up the monotony of the dog’s normal routine. In some dogs, attempts to stimulate themselves or indeed relieve boredom can manifest in displays of destruction or even aggression. An owner’s failure to properly recognise the signs of problem behaviour, especially displays of aggression – even as a puppy – can encourage the dog to condition itself to responding to certain environmental events with aggression. Small, relatively unimportant events can spark an extreme response in a dog where inappropriate behaviour is left unchecked.

Aggressive behaviours can be the result of misdirected drives.

Example Scenario:
A young dog – for the purpose of this example we shall say a West Highland Terrier – develops a habit of getting excited at 4.00pm each week day when the school children walk by on their way home.

His initial response is curiosity as a result of what he sees an exciting visual stimulus in his otherwise relatively stimulation-free day. On some occasions the children notice the attention the dog is giving them and they tease him. His response is to bark and jump up at the front door.

Over time this conditioned behaviour worsens. Each day he starts to bark, jump and claw at the door as soon as he sees any children in school uniform walking past. His owner’s response to this behaviour is to shout at him as and when he starts barking and jumping up at the door. His owner doesn’t re-direct the behaviour or address it in any other way other than to occasionally shout. Eventually the inevitable happens and the dog manages to escape through the front door when a visitor is leaving the house. He runs out in to the street and bites the first school child he reaches. His owner insists he has never done anything like this before (failing to recognise he had never had the chance before).

This scenario above is a simple example of how behaviour left unchecked can result in an actual attack. The dog has displayed a clear misdirection of an intense prey drive which was initially piqued as a result of an unstimulated lifestyle and escalated as a result of both the uncontrollable element of the children who teased him but exacerbated by his owner’s shouting in response to his barking, which the dog reads as either a reward for his behaviour or sees it as his owner ‘joining in’ with his behaviour.

The problem is confounded as the dog’s owner has failed to grasp the dog’s perspective of what is happening at 4.00pm each day – whilst his owner sees the behaviour as the dog just letting off some steam for 5 minutes per day, the dog’s perspective of the situation is far more serious – he is seeing the school children is prey items which should be pursued vigorously. The dog’s owner has not recognised the ‘value’ placed on the school children by the dog.

The example scenario shows a failure to provide the dog with sufficient daily stimulation, a fundamental misinterpretation of the dog’s emotions (believing him to be ‘letting off steam’), a perspective problem (not recognising how the dog is viewing the school children) and a failure to re-direct a very prominent prey drive behaviour, resulting in a completely avoidable dog attack.

Aggressive behaviour should always, without any exception, be referred to professionals starting with an assessment by a veterinarian to check that there is no medical issue causing the dog’s behaviour.

The key to educating the public about aggressive behaviours in dogs is to impress on dog owners the need for the following:

Initially be aware of how to identify a responsible, high quality dog breeder or rescue shelter
Learn to understand canine emotions and body language. Avoid anthropomorphic errors.
Be aware of the importance of critical key-life stages in the dog’s development
Understand and implement bite inhibition techniques early and maintain them
Provide sufficient stimulation and recognise the role environmental conditioning plays
Understand canine drives and redirect undesirable behaviour as soon as it manifests

In simple terms:

Learn to understand the dog, don’t assume. Provide exercise and stimulation appropriate to the breed and the dog’s individual personality. Learn to recognise misdirected drive. In even simpler terms: dog bites and dog aggression are not breed specific, they are dog (and owner) specific. Dogs are the product of their genetics, upbringing and environment. Irresponsible supply of dogs is a major contributory factor as is the continuing failure to properly understand how dogs think, why they behave as they do and, more crucially, a failure to spot early warning signs of aggression or, more unforgivably, a failure to take appropriate action as and when a dog does show signs of aggression. Risk assessment is often poor in cases of serious dog attacks on children. Owners often misplace trust in their pets when they have no good reason to, particularly if a dog has never been exposed to certain scenarios in the past (e.g. young children visiting the home of a dog who is not used to them).

Dog bites and dog attacks can be largely avoided. Breed bans have been a monumental failure to address the problem of serious and fatal attacks and serve as an ongoing reminder that it’s not just dog owners who misunderstand the primary causes of dog bites, legislators are as guilty of this and that, quite frankly, is unacceptable. If we really want to understand and reduce dog bites, we have to do more to better understand our dogs, properly train them and put ourselves in a position to understand and mitigate risk factors.

© Ryan O’Meara. All rights reserved.
You may re-distribute this white paper
provided all credits and attributions are maintained.

Why Do Dogs Bite? is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Adele spoke to Kim O’Meara about returning to Emmerdale, her latest film, Strippers vs Werewolves and the two loves of her life, Buster and Misty.

Tell us about your dogs – we’d like to know everything about them!

I have two dogs, Buster and Misty. They’re like little and large! Buster is an 8 year old Yorkshire Terrier girl. We’ve always had Yorkies in our family, we’ve had four over the years but Buster was the first we’ve bought. She’s a funny girl really, very lovable and she snorts all the time – she has a small windpipe so she’s always making funny noises. She has the nicest temperament, people love her and she is so funny, sometimes when she gets over excited she’ll wee a little. But she has a lot of health problems sadly so she’s at the vets every two-three months.

Out of the two, Buster is the character. When anyone comes to the house she’ll paw at their legs for fuss. She loves any attention!

Misty is 8 years old aswell and she’s a Shar Pei. She’s the complete opposite to Buster. She’s very stand-off ish. I bought her with an ex-boyfriend of mine. When we got her I’d never had a big dog before, I’d always been used to small dogs. So we went through The Kennel Club route and found a breeder. Misty’s very aloof, she’s quiet and sticks to one person to the point she’ll sit outside the bathroom waiting for them. She’s a lovely girl, she has a great temperament. One memory sticks out in my mind when she got excited when getting ready to go for a walk, she screwed her face up, it went overly wrinkly and she was wiggling her bum around, it was so cute to see.

She’s fiercely protective over the little one, Buster, aswell. If people come round to see us she’ll sit and spectate for 5-10 minutes taking it all in, wheras Buster’s all over everyone from the start happy for fuss and attention.

I think Misty’s personality is just typical of her breed though. I have a friend who has a Shar Pei aswell and she said her dog is just the same.

When I go back home with them Misty is my dad’s best friend, she sticks to him like glue – but I have a feeling that’s because he’s always eating and she knows if she stays around by him she’ll get something to eat.

When did your interest in pets/animals begin and how long have you been a pet owner?

We got our first Yorkie, Goldie, on my 6th birthday. Then we had Dinky, her daughter and then Katie. By the time Katie was with us Goldie had passed away and Misty was home with me.

I think I really benefited growing up with our dogs over the years, my mum has always been really pro-animals. They were great family pets and being Yorkies and small dogs, good for travelling and good with kids.

You’ve probably best known on-screen for playing Kelly Windsor in Emmerdale on and off since 1993. What do you love most about Kelly and do you see her making a come back any time soon?

Well, Kelly couldn’t be any more from me so when I first read about her in 30 seconds/1 minute I thought ‘I really don’t like her’, she’s so sly, a bit of a bitch and has no living parents but she has so many dimensions. In her most recent time back, I got a call and they told me a little about her plans for coming back with a kid, how she would shake things up with Jimmy and Nicola and they asked if I’d like to come back for a few months.

I started acting when I was 8 years old so I have a theatre background. I spent a lot of good years at Emmerdale and I enjoy playing Kelly, she always had great storylines. I get itchy feet and so that’s why I took a break to try other things. At the moment I have no real ties apart from my dogs. I’m not married, I don’t have kids and there’s other things I’d still like to try so I can always look back and say ‘well at least I tried’.

I think Kelly’s a ‘love to hate’ character. I’m really open minded on it so I never say never. Emmerdale’s always a fun place to be with a cast and crew I grew up with so it really feels like going home whenever I go back.

In your down time from Emmerdale you’ve appeared on lots of TV shows and films. Most memorably ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen where you came 2nd, what did you most enjoy about Hell’s Kitchen? Would it encourage you to do more reality TV where there was something to learn from it?

This is a preview of the full article. The full content of this item is available to K9 Magazine Premier level members. You can become a member by clicking here If you are already a K9 Magazine member you can log in here.

I think I’d ask Buster ‘do you understand why me and my mum are saying?’ and she’d say ‘yes’.

And I think I could ask Misty anything and she’d say ‘whatever’!

Many Thanks Adele!

Adele Silva Speaking With Kim O’Meara

Interview With Adele Silva is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Dog worms used to be considered as ‘just something you have to accept’. Not any more. We know that dogs can actually pass on nasty illnesses to humans as a result of worm infection and if that’s not enough to motivate the average dog owner to keep their dog free of worms, the very fact that a worm infestation can actually prove fatal should really do the trick.

Worms generally tend to be more prevalent in younger animals, but there is a common misconception that by simply treating worms in puppies the dog won’t require regular worming as he or she grows. The fact is, a dog can be infected and reinfected with worms at any time. So even a dog who has been wormed very recently can still reinfect themselves within days, let alone weeks.

Zoonotic diseases are those that can be passed on by animals to humans. They can be very serious, in extreme cases can even cause blindness.

In the UK, the two most common types of dog worms are roundworms and tapeworms. Some have complex life histories and may infest more than one type of animal in their life cycle. A good example of this is the flea tapeworm. Here the maggot-like flea immature stage eats the eggs produced by the tapeworm. The egg hatches within the flea and develops in a dog or cat’s intestine when the flea is swallowed during grooming. It is possible that young children can catch this tapeworm from accidentally eating fleas originating on a pet.

Roundworms
The large roundworms of dogs and cats produce thousands of eggs and are commonly seen in puppies. Ingestion of these eggs releases the immature worm, which leaves the gut and migrates around the body of the animal eventually ending up in the intestine, where they develop into egg laying mature adult worms. In older animals they usually stop migrating and become stuck in tissues as cysts where they do little harm. In pregnant bitches these dormant stages re-activate and migrate to the mothers intestine, the milk glands and also directly into the puppies in the womb.

Tapeworms
All tapeworms are caught by a pet following the ingestion of raw animal flesh (e.g. mice or birds) containing tapeworm cysts.

One tapeworm of dogs found in sheep rearing areas of the UK is of particular concern. The worm lays eggs that, when eaten from contaminated pasture, develop into large cysts in sheep (hydatid disease). If a human accidentally eats one of these eggs then a similar cyst can develop in the liver or lungs, requiring extensive surgery and (very rarely) proving fatal.

Be a Responsible Pet Owner
Fortunately there is plenty one can do to eliminate the risk of worms…

Remember to dispose of dog faeces safely, cover sand pits when not in use (to prevent cats using them as litter trays), and keep control of your dog in the countryside.

Most importantly, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association recommends that pets be wormed four times a year.

How Often Should I Worm My Dog? is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Dogs and Children – Do They Mix?

The concept of dogs and children mixing without trouble has become an alien one to the media recently. With tragic dog attacks involving children sadly becoming more prominent in our media, it is essential that two points are address.

The first being that children and dogs can and will get along famously and add value to each other’s lives given the right preparation and approach. Secondly, it is the responsibility of the dog owner to ensure that there dog does not pose a risk to anyone, especially children.

Golden Rule For Integrating a Dog Safely With Children:

Never leave a dog unsupervised with a child. Whether it is for a second, or an hour, whether it is a Yorkshire Terrier or an Anatolian Shepherd, make this mistake and you will be the one to blame if something happens.

Selecting The Best Dog For Kids

Picture if you will a young family. 2.4 young kids, a young, lush lawn and a newly furnished semi on the outskirts of town. For the lucky ones reading, this might be reality. Nothing is more rewarding than starting a family, but for those who got down to prolonging the existence of human kind a few years ago, you may notice that your children’s heads are disproportionately large in comparison with their meek, yet flexible bodies. If their heads do look a bit large it could mean that you have toddlers. Great, everyone loves toddlers. Especially this writer, but what he likes to see more than a happy, healthy young family is a happy, healthy young family talking the dog for a walk.

It is a scientific fact that the presence of a dog reduces the risk of heart disease, that is of course subject to not smoking sixty fags a day and existing on a diet of lard and fried mars bars. It is also a fact (maybe not scientific) that dogs are the best thing since sliced lard bars. So why not add a canine component to your near perfect home set up?

But I sense trepidation among some of you. What if he doesn’t like the kids? What will he do when we are at work and the children are putting the nursery staff through hell? What if he trashes our new pad?

Buy a timber wolf and you would have good reason to ask these questions, but take heed of our recommendations for the most suitable dogs for a young family and you won’t go far wrong. But remember, your children’s bodies will catch up with their heads by the age of about three and a half. So selecting a dog purely on its suitability to co-habit with young children can be a bit of a red herring. Your aim should be to choose the best dog to share your lifestyle with. There are no shortcuts to training and no matter what breed you do select, no dog comes handily pre-packaged to ‘work with children’. It’s down to you as the owner to train and properly rear your dog to become a model canine citizen.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the breeds famed for their suitability for a young family, based on temperament, adaptability, suitability for house sitting while you’re out and ability to endure kids pulling on his ears is…

The Labrador Retriever

Universally regarded as a superb family dog, this chap is friendly, he’s easy to train, he is obsessive about his personal hygiene and more handsome than George Clooney and Brad Pitt put together. Labrador Retrievers are generally fairly laid back in a family environment, combining a playful streak with a propensity to sit in quiet contemplation while you lot tuck into dinner, owning one will enable you to maintain an active social life so long as you consider the practical needs of the dog, such as garden breaks and feeding.

The Labrador Retriever has the distinct advantage of not requiring a lot of grooming, and therefore not leaving wads of fur everywhere. Couple this with this with his intelligent, affable and obedient nature and you’re onto a sure winner. And let’s not forget that these guys, when they are young, are in fact Andrex puppies, so a ten out of ten for general cuteness as well.

A respectable runner up rosette goes to a dog which surely is the pride of many a family.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier

The Staffy has copped a fair bit of bad publicity recently and has done so in the past, but it has to be said that thousands of families nationwide are benefiting from his loyalty and friendliness as we speak. When it comes to Staffies, in the immortal words of Public Enemy ‘don’t believe the hype’! Staffies are superb family pets and they tend to have a naturally protective disposition toward children.

A relatively small dog, who is particularly suited to the smaller house environment, the Staffy fits in to all family set ups well. A short, coarse coat means that the doggy brush will not need de-fleecing every two days and the Dyson will be able to get up the stairs without choking to death.

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a bold, affectionate dog who loves children. He is also quite a strong little character, Phil Buckley, of the Kennel Club, says the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is “a good all round family pet, robust enough to suffer rough play from children and intelligent and obedient enough to be well behaved around the home and amongst strangers.”

Poodle (miniature)

Elegance and a robust personality go hand in hand with the Poodle. But why the Miniature variety? Well, the bigger the Poodle, the less likely he is to be as playful as his smaller cousins, they just tend to be more laid back the bigger they get. The Poodle is a dog that can happily play with children without ever needing to grunt or growl, so laid back in fact that you should not be surprised to see your Poodle serving as an improvised pillow for a snoozing toddler.

This dog sounds great, so why is he not number one then? The reason is simple, fur. We all know Poodles have been known to sport some interesting hairstyles, you could say the Poodle is the David Beckham of the dog world, but in order to get that hair up into those adorable little pig tails, there has to be a fair amount of hair in the first place. Lots of hair means lots of cleaning and should your child be a sufferer of Asthma or any related respiratory condition, the Poodle really is not an option.

Just missing out on a medal is the Golden retriever.

A hugely popular dog, with an adorable personality. The Golden Retriever is a dog that looks great, with his shiny thick coat but he also sounds great. He loves a good bark now and then, which can be inconvenient if you have a baby upstairs trying to get some kip.

On the plus side, this chap is always up for playing, and is strong enough to withstand a bit of rough and tumble when the kids get a bit older, secretly I think he loves a bit of a wrestle, and he is a gentleman about it too.

It is common opinion that this dog is so well behaved and easy to train, that the kids could in fact pick up a few pointers off him. Once again, his long fur has let him down in the perfect pet department, but if you are that mad about Golden Retrievers, you won’t mind a bit of extra vacuuming and will soon find that this lad really is a Super Fury Animal.

Next up is the German Shepherd Dog

Perhaps not what one would immediately think of when talking about dogs for young families, but this dog really does take some beating.

Not a suitable breed for all young families, but in the right situation this dog is unbeatable. The biggest entrant so far, the GSD really is an ideal companion for a young family provided you have adequate space and sufficient time to get him trained. A boisterous dog is bad enough in any breed, but when they are this size they can be a real handful if they are not properly trained.

However, as I am sure fellow GSD lovers will agree, once part of the family, this dog will not be beaten on loyalty, friendliness, obedience and looks. But stuffed away in a small flat on his own, he is a different dog.

The GSD requires an experienced hand to guide him towards appropriate family life, but time spent on him in his formative years will reduce the risk of ending up with an aloof, over confident dog later on in life.

Next up is the Yorkshire Terrier

This is one of the most popular dogs in the UK, so he must be doing something right. However, his suitability as a dog for a young family may not match his popularity with more experienced owners. Dogs this small always run the risk of being trodden on or kicked by clumsy youngsters. Do the same to a GSD and he will hardly notice, but a Yorky could be seriously injured if in the wrong place at the wrong time, perhaps sleeping by a door.

Yorkies are easy to train though, which goes someway to explain their huge popularity, and they do love to play, when it suits them. Being a terrier, this little fella may get a bit protective of his owner when guests pop round for tea. But if your one desire is a dog that will curl up on your lap for an afternoon snooze, then look no further, this is the dog for you. But if you want a dog that loves a bit of hands on play then perhaps our next entrant is more up your street.

Next we take a look at a breed that has a special place in everyone’s heart at K9 Magazine.

The Greyhound

The good old Greyhound is not far off being the perfect family dog. But misinformation has resulted in this dog getting a reputation as a bad pet due to his constant need to be exercised, what utter rubbish! The Greyhound needs as much exercise as any other dog his size, he just happens to be a fast runner. Similar to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the Greyhound suffers from a totally undeserved image problem. Don’t buy in to the myths surrounding this wonderful, affectionate dog breed.

But aside from his engine like legs, the Greyhound is a loyal and friendly dog who likes to play to with the kids on a regular basis. For the active family, the Greyhound will really benefit and fit in well. But for the average working family, the Greyhound will find his place just as happily.

Combine this with those beautiful big eyes, his short, manageable fur and his affectionate nature, this breed is an absolutely brilliant dog for a young family.

Whilst the list above gives you some introductions to the commonly heralded dog breeds who are universally recognised as working well in a family unit, we again urge you to consider that any dog will always be defined by the work, attention and care invested in it by its owner. If anything, in this article we are at pains to advise you that selecting a dog based only its compatibility with children would be an error. There are overriding factors to consider such as your lifestyle, the time you are at home, the amount of hours you can put in to the dog’s care, training and socialisation as well as your general preparedness to bring a dog in to your family.

Dogs For Adoption That Are Good With Children

One of the very best ways to increase your chances of getting a dog that will be good with children is to adopt one.

Why, you might ask?

Dog adoption shelters are experienced and knowledgeable about placing the right dog with the right owners. They tend to have done solid assessments on the dog’s in their care and make re-homing recommendations on a dog’s suitability based on a number of different criteria factors. Whatever you do, don’t discount the adoption route as the best way to acquire a new dog, you’d be making a glaring omission if you did. Rest assured, there are many dogs waiting for new homes in the rescue shelters across the country that would be just perfect for a family with children.

Take a look for yourself – dogs for adoption that are good with children.

Best Dogs For Children is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Dog heart anatomy: from left. 1 left ventricle, 2 paraconal interventricular groove, 3 right ventricle, 4 arterial cone, 5 pulmonal trunc, 6 arterial ligament, 7 aortic arch, 8 brachiocephalic trunc, 9 left subclavian artery, 10 right auricle, 11 left auricle, 12 coronal groove, 13 pulmonal veins.

What is a Heart Murmur in Dogs?

According to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, a heart murmur results from blood flow running through the heart that is abnormal. Some heart murmurs are perfectly normal while others, similar to those heard in ageing dogs, may be a sign that some type of heart disease is prevalent. The most common cardiac diseases in dogs include:

1. Congenital birth defects that show up when a puppy is young.
2. Degenerative valve disease (heart valve leaks) that mostly affect older or middle-aged dogs.
3. Loss of heart muscle tissue that is typically seen in young dogs or middle-aged larger dog breeds.

Detecting Heart Murmurs / Heart Disease in Dogs

Heart disease may not show up or be detected until it has reached a point where your dog experiences heart failure, collapse, or even sudden death. Your veterinarian can certainly check your dog out for heart murmurs by using a stethoscope. However, as the dog owner, your responsibility is to be on alert for certain signs such as difficulty in breathing, coughing, intolerance to exercise, or a swollen abdomen (caused by fluid retention).

In D.J. Thompson’s: A practitioner’s approach to canine cardiology, the guidance on detection and treatment of canine heart murmur says:

Cardiology is an exciting subject and recent advances in therapy have improved not only the life expectancy of dogs with heart disease but also the quality of life. The most important factor is to recognize that the problem is cardiac in origin. The elderly animal with a cough and a heartmurmur must be examined and investigated thoroughly before assuming that the murmur and cough are connected. Overall incidence of heart disease has been estimated at 11 · 3% with the congenital type accounting for 0 · 5% (Detweiler & Patterson, 1965).

Congenital heart disease should be detected early in life, and certainly no later than at presentation of the puppy for primary vaccination, but will only be diagnosed if the puppy is thoroughly auscultated. The more common congenital cardiac defects, in approximate order of incidence, are patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonic stenosis, aortic stenosis, persistent right aortic arch, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot and atrial septal defect (Patterson, 1965). Early diagnosis is important as, particularly with patent ductus, surgery performed at an early stage can be curative.

Looking at the guidance above, you’ll see that early detection is crucial but treatment is viable if detected in time and given the proper surgical or medicinal intervention by a vet.

Canine cardiac disease can further be checked for by specific information regarding your dog’s breed type, age, chest x-rays, blood pressure measurements, and EKG readings. For a definitive diagnosis, an ultrasound of your dog’s heart is required.

Treatment For Heart Disease in Dogs

Treating your dog back to good health will depend entirely upon the stage of the disease and how severely it has affected other parts of the body. If your puppy is young and has a congenital defect, it may be surgically removed.

Heart disease that is acquired later in your dog’s life requires heavy lifestyle management and changes in living. Such changes include maintaining a healthy body weight, additional exercise (or reduced activity depending upon your dog’s condition), special cardiac diets, and specific medications that can be used to reduce stress put on your dog’s heart from his condition.

The prognosis for dogs that have canine heart disease will vary. Some dogs may be fortunate enough to have successful long-term care. Others may have a shorter lifespan ranging from a few weeks to a few years. It is important to keep in mind that the earlier your dog’s condition is assessed, the easier it will be to treat and the odds will be greater that your dog or puppy will enjoy a long, healthy life.

Sarah Fortrell advises on the cause and treatment for heart murmur in dogs:

There are several possible reasons for heart murmur. One is that the puppy is born with a defect in his heart. Congestive heart failure in dogs is distressing but about 3 million dogs a year are diagnosed with it. While it cannot be completely cured, there are treatments that can be done that can help your dog enjoy a good quality of life nonetheless.

Anemia caused by dog parasites can also be the cause of heart murmur in dogs. You must make it a point to bathe your dog regularly and comb his hair with a fine tooth comb to prevent parasite infestation. Mitral valve disease is another possible cause. High blood pressure, age or compounding heart conditions produce weakened mitral valves. The outcome of this is that instead of pumping blood out like it should, blood leaks to the atrium and the consequence is audible heart murmur sounds. This is the most dangerous cause and must be attended to as soon as possible.

Be vigilant if your dog gets tired easily, has fainting spells and has difficulty breathing. These are a few signs of heart murmur. He will not want to eat and move around much. A dog with heart murmur will also likely have bluish/gray gums and have a problem with water retention. If you these behavioral and physical symptoms manifest in your dog, you must bring him to the vet for a check-up immediately.

For every owner, ensuring your dog’s heart is healthy is something you can do via regular vet check ups, observing your dog’s day to day behaviour, paying particular attention to their energy and activity levels and providing the best nutrition for your dog’s age, breed type and lifestyle.

Having a dog diagnosed with a heart murmur is not the end of the world. Modern veterinary treatment and medicinal intervention can provide your dog with a management approach to this condition. The key is to be vigilant and make sure your dog receives the best medical attention possible (dog insurance would be a good investment for any dog owner, but particular those who own breeds susceptible to congenital health problems).

Heart Murmurs in Dogs: What You Need to Know is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

The Benefits Of Fish As a Food For Dogs

Fish and other seafood are excellet protein sources for dogs whilst being rleatively low in saturated fats and empty calories (good for weight control).

This fact alone makes fish a fantastic source of nutrition for dogs.

However, there’s more. An even bigger benefit for fish in your dog’s diet is the fact that fish is one nature’s most natural sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Fatty fish such as salmon and trout have high levels of Omega 3, which is just great for aiding your dog’s joints and all round mobility. Fish is also known to have beneficial properties for your dog’s skin.

Omega 3 fatty acids don’t occur naturally in the cells of the canine body so adding them to your dog’s daily diet can reap big rewards.

Are Their Any Negatives To Feeding Fish To Dogs?

Naturally, too much of anything is a bad thing – whether it be fish, biscuits or any type of food. Imbalance of vitamins or simply taking on board too many calories is something dog owners would do well to avoid.

The real advantage to fish in your dog’s diet though is its ability to impart so many good vitamins and healthy properties without the increased risk of weight gain or a protein overload causing your dog’s internal organs to have to work harder to process the food.

Is Fish Good For Older Dogs?

Cod as a main staple of your dog’s diet is a great way to provide your dog with protein but without over burdening their digestive system in the same way that some protein rich meats do. The downside to this is the price of cod. Not to worry though, Pollock is a cheaper alternative but offers all of the same benefits as cod. You can purchase Pollock from your local supermarket and you’ll find if you add up the daily costs of feeding your dog on a diet mainly comprised of fresh, store purchased fish the daily feeding cost won’t differ all that much from feeding other types of commercially available pet food.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids contained in oily fish have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, Omega-3 fatty acids can greatly aid skin itching and other minor dermatological complaints in many dogs. If you purchase Omega 3 supplements you’ll often find that cod liver oil is the main ingredient. By feeding a dog on a diet mainly made up of fish, you can ensure your pet is receiving these supplemental benefits as nature intended.

Remember, every dog is different, and there are certain factors to consider when determining the diet program that will fit the needs of his specific age, size and lifestyle. However, there are also general rules that owners must follow to ensure that their pets are getting the balanced food and supplementation that their body requires.

Years ago, when such a variety of dog nutrition wasn’t available, dogs were fed foods that were most plentiful in the region. In the arctic, dogs were fed mostly fish and whale blubber; in the southern United States, a dog’s diet consisted mainly of cornbread; in Europe, potatoes were the main fare. These diets led to diseases such as black tongue (pelegra in humans), rickets, and other less commonly known ailments, many of them fatal.

In the wild, the canine did not just restrict himself to eating just the meat of his prey. He ate the entire animal, including the contents of the stomach. Wild dogs were known to kill each other while fighting over the stomach contents of their prey. Thus, nature provided the wild animal with a diet considered nutritionally complete.

Domesticated dogs were not allowed that luxury, and usually were fed table scraps. These poor diets resulted in serious nutritional imbalances and severe nutritional deficiencies.

After years of study, it was determined that even though the canine is considered a carnivorous animal, he requires certain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to satisfy nutritional requirements just as humans do.

In 1953, the National Research Council compiled and published nutritional requirements for dogs. The NRC is a federally established scientific body whose basic function is gathering research data.

After World War II, the pet food industry in the United States began an enormous expansion. Already a highly competitive business, pet food manufacturers quickly found themselves in neck to neck competition for a piece of this multi-million dollar a year business.

In order to survive and successfully compete in the market, pet food manufacturers knew that they must provide a dog food which was:

A) Nutritionally complete; containing all 26 nutrients that the National Research Council said that does need.

B) Palatable so that the dog would enjoy eating the food.

C) Easy and convenient for the customer to handle.

D) Economically competitive in the market.

Now, as a modern, forward thinking dog owner, you have the advantage of not just the vast array of commercially prepared pet foods, you also have the advanced nutritional knowledge gained through the years of studies and scientific research conducted by nutritional experts from all over the world. You have access to just about any type of food and nutrition you choose to feed. You have access to the information and guidance on good vs bad dog food nutrition. When it comes to the question of whether fish is good for dogs, the answer is an overwhelming, scientifically endorsed YES!

Is Fish Good For Dogs? is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers

Cheese And Garlic Dog Cookies

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese — grated
1/4 pound margarine — corn oil
1 clove garlic — crushed
1 Pinch salt

Cream the cheese with the softened margarine, garlic, salt, and flour. Add enough milk to form into a ball. Chill for 1/2 hour. Roll onto floured board. Cut into shapes and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until slightly brown, and firm.

MAKES 2 to 3 dozen, depending on size.

Read K9 Kitchen’s Healthy Homemade Dog Treats

• Healthy homemade dog treats part 1
• Healthy homemade dog treats 2
• Healthy homemade dog treats part 3
• Healthy homemade dog treats part 4

Cheese N Garlic Bites

1 cup wheat flour
1 cup cheddar cheese — grated
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon butter — softened
1/2 cup milk

Mix flour and cheese together. Add garlic powder and softened butter. Slowly add milk till you form a stiff dough. You may not need all of the milk. Knead on floured board for a few minutes. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees oven for 15 minutes. Let cool in oven with the door slightly open until cold and firm. Refrigerate to keep fresh.

Cheesey Dog Cookies

2 cups All-Purpose flour — un-sifted

This is a preview of the full article. The full content of this item is available to K9 Magazine Premier level members. You can become a member by clicking here If you are already a K9 Magazine member you can log in here.

K9 Kitchen: Healthy Homemade Dog Treats (Part V) is a post from: K9 Magazine - The Dog Magazine For Modern Dog Lovers