First Aid For Your Dog Most people understand or know a bit of first aid for humans but many dog owners are not as familiar with the basic first aid for their dogs. While several of the techniques are very similar it is important to review them and to keep basic first aid supplies for dogs in your house or with you when you are on an outing. A small first aid supply kit kept in your car can be a live saver for your pet.

There are several fairly common issues that can arise when you are out with your dog that require first aid attention. As with all injuries it is important to get the dog to a vet as soon as possible.

Heat stroke many dogs, especially those with short muzzles (brach cephalic) dogs such as Pugs, Bulldogs, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Boxers and Pekingese can suffer from heat stroke. This occurs because the nasal passages are not long enough to allow proper cooling of the air. If you notice your dog begins to wheeze or even stagger and cough immediately discontinue the activity and get the dog into the shade or in a cool area. Sponge the dog with cool water and encourage them to drink small amounts.

Burns burns are relatively rare on dogs but occasionally happen when camping and when there are fires. Be sure to immediately apply a wet, cold compress to the burn area and apply gentle pressure. Do not use a dry cloth as it can cause problems if the area seals over with the cloth in the tissue. A moist cloth will prevent this from happening as much as possible. Never use butter or other fatty or oily substance on a burn. Keep the area clean and free from debris until it can be treated by a vet.

Cuts cuts to the body, head and feet should immediately be covered with a sterile bandage or cloth and gentle pressure applied to stop the bleeding. The dog should be immobilized in a blanket or towel to prevent any movement. Wrapping a dog in a towel or blanket can be difficult and it usually requires more than one person, especially if the dog is panicking or in pain.

Objects stuck in the mouth or throat often dogs will find bit of bone or even sticks that splinter and cause choking. If your dog is pawing at its mouth, drooling or salivating excessively or constantly working its jaw there may well be something stuck in the back of the mouth or throat. Do not attempt to pull out the object, rather immobilize the dogs muzzle using a strip of cloth or a muzzle. Never make the bandage too tight as this can cause breathing problems. Immobilize the dog and take them to a vet immediately.

Eating Poisonous substances Locate the item the dog ate and bring it with you to the vet. Do not attempt to force the dog to vomit as this can burn the esophagus and stomach and cause further complications. Immediately transport the dog to a vet. Calling ahead to let the vet know what the dog has eaten helps the vet prepare for the emergency. In addition the vet may be able to give further instructions on what to do.

Frostbite dogs that are left too long in cold conditions can get frostbite, usually on their ears, tails and feet. Bring the dog immediately indoors and apply warm, not hot, compresses to the area. Do not use a hair dryer or other direct heat source. Immediately take the dog to the vet to avoid tissue loss and permanent damage.

Many vets, colleges and grooming and training professionals offer courses in pet first aid. Plan to attend one and learn more about what you can do to help your dog in an emergency situation.

Kelly Marshall is a popular contributor at http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com - where you can find dog beds, dog steps, pet ramps, and more unique dog gear that you'll never find at your local pet store.

  ¶ 8:40 PM 0 comments

  Training With Treats: Do It Right! Hey even Im willing to learn new things if theres a broiled lobster in it for me.

When Im hungry that is.

If Im not hungry, or if Im so distracted that a lobster wont tempt me, then Ill blow you off to continue doing what I want, not what you want.

Thats pretty much how your dog sees the issue when you train with food. If hes hungry at the moment, and if theres nothing more compelling going on, food can be a great way to reinforce behaviors you teach your dog. On the other hand, if Fido isnt food motivated, or if hes got something better to do, he wont be interested.

Nonetheless, training with food has its benefits when used as a motivator and a reward. For those dogs who just arent normally interested in treats, you can substitute play with a toy if that motivates them.

The first thing you have to know about using food in training is how NOT to use it. The primary rule is not to use it to stop an unwanted behavior. Instead, use it to create a new behavior you want to teach.

With those rules in mind, you wont teach your dog to stop growling at other dogs by using food. But you may be able to teach him to sit more quickly if theres something tasty in it for him.

Before I tell how you to deliver food treats when training, let me tell you WHY you should not use food to try and stop an unwanted behavior. The answer is because you can accidentally reinforce the very behavior youre trying to stop.

For example, lets say Fido growls at other dogs on his walks. If you tell him to stop growling, and distract him with a treat, what has he really learned?

Heres what YOURE thinkinghe stopped growling so I rewarded him for that with a cookie. He wont growl again.

Heres what FIDO is thinkingthis is cool, I growl, then mom pops me a cookie. Lets see if this workslets growl more!

Think of food as a directional reward. How, when and where you deliver it all determine whether the treat teaches your dog what you intended, or something else altogether. For example, you tell Fido to sit, and you hold a treat six inches over his head, while pushing down on his butt.

Sound about right? Wrong! By holding that treat six inches over his head, youre really teaching Fido to sit then immediately break that position in favor of jumping up to get the cookie.

Instead, start Fido standing on a closely held leash. Show him you have a cookie, by holding it at nose levelonly an inch from his sniffer-- while hes standing up. Direct his attention, and nose, slightly higher by raising the cookie only enough so that he must tend toward a sit to view it. While hes focusing upward only a couple of inches over his nose, use your other hand to push his butt down, while your cookie hand keeps the treat only a couple of inches from his nose as it moves.

As soon as he is sitting, deliver the treat to him just slightly above nose level, and slightly toward his rear. This means that to collect the treat, Fido must actually lean back into the sit more to reach it.

Mission accomplished! Food hasnt been just randomly delivered to your dog, leaving him wondering why he got it. Instead, the food has clearly communicated how he can get this treat even faster next time, by sitting when you ask.

Anyone getting hungry?

Marc Goldberg is a dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is Vice President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of SafeHands Journal. The author also educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the web at http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com or http://www.dogtraininginchicago.com.

  ¶ 6:31 PM 0 comments

  Everything You Need to Know About Fencing Is there such a thing as fail-safe fencing and gates? Maybe someday! In the meantime, there are certain steps you should take to make sure your horse not only remains in his enclosure, but remains there safely.

First of all, consider visibility. Your horse must be able to see his fencing, otherwise injuries are imminent. While your horse shouldn't have any trouble seeing a wood or PVC fence, wire fences pose more of a problem. Colorful tape or ribbon tied to the fence every foot or so makes the horse aware of the fence.

Next, consider the height of the fence. Fencing must be high enough to deter the horse from going over, and low enough to deter him from going under. How high is high enough? About nose high (the horse's nose, that is!) should do it. If you have more than one horse in the enclosure, put it at the height of the tallest horse's nose.

There are many different types of fencing to choose from, but electric, wood, and PVC are the most popular.

Electric fence is the most economical for horsemen on a budget. The most popular forms of electric fence for horses are galvanized wire, plastic-coated wire, 1/2-inch electric polytape, or 1 1/2-inch electric polytape. A good way to make wire fence visible to your horse is to tie brightly colored cloth on every strand every three feet or so. In addition to the wire you'll need insulators, posts, hardware, and a charger. For about $200, you can buy everything you need to build a small electric fence corral.

If your budget is larger you might want to investigate woodeither board, slipboard, or rustic rail. While lumber prices will vary from area to area and do fluctuate, wood is always more expensive than wire. Wood fencing is more aesthetically pleasing than wire and will add value to your farm, but it will also cost you time and money in upkeep. Fences made out of non-pressure treated wood must be painted or stained on a regular basis, and broken or dangerous boards must be replaced as noticed. When installing board fencing, make sure you nail the boards to the inside of the posts, and not the outside, to prevent them from popping off when a horse leans against them. Nail heads should be flush, and the fence posts should be stable. If you are in a situation where it is imperative that your horses don't get outyour pasture borders a busy road, you want to separate stallions from mares, etc.you might want to consider running a strand of electric wire along the top rail of the fence.

If money is no object you can get attractive fencing with little or no upkeep. PVC fencing is aesthetically pleasing as it looks like wood from afar, but it never needs painting and won't rot, rust, splinter, or break. Some manufacturers claim it is stronger than wood.

Regardless of what kind of fence you choose, once you have it up it is important to walk it frequently for safety reasons. Make sure there are no downed wires or boards that horses could get caught in or escape through. All fencing must be free of any protruding wires, nails, or pieces of splintered wood that a horse could injure himself on. As you walk your fence, replace any broken, sagging, or splintering boards and downed wires as you notice them. Always check your posts for sturdiness by grabbing them and giving them a good tug; if you live in an area where the ground temperature changes frequently you'll need to do this more often.

Remember, function is important when it comes to fencing, but so is safety!

Ron Petracek is the founder of Equine Internets vast 15 site classified and social network. You can view its amazing size here Http://www.equineinternet.com/network.php or to further your equine habit please visit our forum by clicking here http://www.horsechitchat.com/equineforums and start posting Need to sell a horse or tack? place a free ad here http://www.click4equine.com and always the barn door in left open on purpose.

  ¶ 9:52 AM 0 comments