Your Dogs Eyes Tell the Story

What Your Dog Says With His Eyes

Your dog has emotions and feelings just like you. At any given time, he’ll try to communicate them with his body language and expressions. Most owners never learn to identify these signs; the fact that their pooch is sad, anxious, mad, or happy completely escapes them. As a result, they often fail to give the attention their pets need or crave.

The good news is that you can easily recognize the emotions your canine is feeling by watching his eyes. If you know what to look for, not only will you be able to recognize signals, but you’ll also be able to interpret them accurately. In this article, we’ll give you a crash course on how to read and decipher what your pooch is trying to tell you with his looks.

Looking For Signals

Most of us are accustomed to inferring intention and meaning from watching the faces of our friends and family. The slightest change or nuance can alert you to specific feelings. For the most part, this is a learned trait. You can learn to do the same by identifying the nonverbal signals your pooch uses to express his feelings.

In the same way people can open their eyes wide and shut them, so too, can your canine. Also, keep in mind that shape varies between breeds. If your dog opens his eyes wide, it is usually a sign that he feels vulnerable. That can include feeling stressed or scared regarding something he finds threatening. He might express these same emotions by squinting a bit, though this might also suggest that he is being submissive to you.

The manner in which he is looking at – or away – from you will also suggest emotions and intent. If a dog stares at you with an intense, anxious look he probably perceives you as a threat. This should not be mistaken for a friendly dog that is looking at his owner and craves his attention. If a canine looks away from you, that usually signals he wants to be submissive.

If he is looking at you from the corners of his eyes and you notice a large amount of white, be wary. There is a chance he either perceives you as a threat or is highly agitated. In both cases, he might respond aggressively. It’s common for dogs to do this when you approach them while they’re eating or playing with their favorite toy. This is another signal that is often misinterpreted. If your canine is looking up at you or from the side, seeing the sclera (the white area) of his eyes may not connote aggression. It is easy to tell the difference – his body will not be tense.

Dog owners will benefit from taking the time to learn how to read their dogs’ eyes. Remember, the only way your pooch can communicate with you is through nonverbal means. Learning how to identify them will strengthen the friendship you share. Remember to give your dog health dog treats and dog chews

Dog Care Tips: Feeding Your Puppy

Puppies have slightly different nutritional needs than adult dogs. Their coat, bones, organs, and teeth are still maturing. The foods they eat must have an ample supply of nutrients to support their growth. Remember the difference in energy levels there come from puppies as compared to older dogs. In order to remain energetic, they need a constant supply of foods that provide a source of vitamins, minerals, and the right kinds of fats. Further we will review four tips you can use to feed your new puppy.

#1 – Buy Commercial Brands

Many owners are tempted to prepare specific meals for their pups, but it’s usually a bad idea. Without rigorous attention to detail, it’s practically impossible to measure the right level of vitamins, fats, proteins, and other nutrients.

By contrast, commercial puppy foods are specifically formulated to provide the right blend for a puppy’s growing body. Manufacturers understand the special needs of puppies. These formulations take into account the high energy and protein requirements of puppies. As a side note, if you’re raising a large breed (for example, a Bernese Mountain Dog), visit your pet supply store to check whether they carry a breed-specific brand.

#2 – Be Consistent

In many ways, puppies are creatures of habit. Once they start eating a brand they enjoy, changing that brand – even for “variety” – isn’t normally welcome. But all dogs young or old will eat a meal if one is presented. However, unless there is a compelling reason to change brands, avoid doing so. If you must switch, try to wean your pup off the old food by gradually mixing the new food in.

#3 – Set A Time And Stick To It

In the same way people normally establish certain times to eat meals, you should create a feeding schedule for your puppy. Puppies if not supervised will often times overeat. Because canine obesity is such a debilitating problem, try to encourage the right eating habits when your pup is young. Pick two or three times during which you’ll feed him. He’ll quickly come to recognize those times instinctively.

#4 – Make Drinking Water Available

Puppies need water just like people and some breeds require more than others. Always make sure their is plenty of water available for your puppy. A youthful puppy will use more energy through the course of the day than an older dog. That means he’ll be drinking more water to keep hydrated. Provide him with all he needs.

It’s not difficult to design an easy feeding plan for your pup. Invest in a high-quality commercial brand, avoid switching it, pick feeding times and don’t deviate from them, and give your puppy all the water he wants. You can add all natural dog treats or dog chews as a special bonus for your dog as well. If you follow those guidelines, your pup should grow up to be a healthy, happy adult dog.

Treatment for Dog Arthritis. Arthrits Treatments for a Dog

Most people that do not have dogs at home know that dogs are highly prone to dog arthritis. How many times have you seen some canine which maneuvers as if its joints are not quite in working order? This is specifically true of older and/or heavier canines which are largely less active physically. Is this familiar? It could, because this is just the sort of lifestyle that brings on arthritis in men and women, too. Nowadays, we refer to arthritis a lifestyle disease with reason.

Happens to all of us
Actually, arthritis in canines is very similar to arthritis in men and women, because it is a crippling disease that causes stiffness of the joints and muscles. And as with people, arthritis with canines is fairly common as joints will, in the normal course of events, suffer quite a bit of wear and tear. And also as in humans, arthritis – most commonly osteoarthritis – in dogs can be an immensely painful ailment which, left untreated, causes a good deal of distress.

Age factor

And the worst thing is that dog arthritis can afflict dogs of any age. Obviously, the more aged the dog, the more chances that it will get arthritis, but arthritis affects younger dogs too. For example, a young dog that has been in an accident or has sustained some kind of injury is also prone to develop canine arthritis. Also there are ailments that can help induce the onset of canine arthritis, such as the disease known as hip dysplasia, which is a usual symptom of limping in dogs, and that can result in arthritis in later years.

First steps
Obviously, if your dog displays symptoms of arthritis, the first thing to do is to visit a vet. Getting the right treatment is essential as dog arthritis is not  100% curable, but, given the right kind of dog arthritis treatment, it can be kept in check.

And although you might not think it, gentle exercise is one of the best treatments, which may sound paradoxical since exercise will cause increased joint movement, but is actually of great help. This is as gentle exercise creates some natural fluids that help the treatment.

See it coming
There are also, of course, over-the-counter medicines that can at least help alleviate the pain of dog arthritis, though as we have already said, there is no 100% result. But these medications are assuredly prescribed by the vet. And a vet is also your best chance for helping the onset of canine arthritive, which really are the best ways to treat dog arthritis. So, let’s say that dogs have an average life span of 14 years, if your pet is getting near 10, you should know that it’s time to ask your vet about ways to keep your dog healthy so that dog arthritis does not strike.