The lovely thing about South Africa is that our winters aren’t as cold as those of some countries – like in Europe. In general, most of our winters are mild compared to theirs, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have cold days. And, just like some people feel the cold more than others, some animals
Have you also found your dog eating soil at one time or another? There are several possible reasons for him to do this. It can be due to a deficiency of a mineral substance in his diet. Any diet that is labelled as a complete dog food should contain all the nutrients required by a
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We recently had the question: Besides brushing my dog’s teeth as regularly as possible, do I have to floss his teeth as well? The answer is flossing a dog’s teeth is not usually possible (as they do not tolerate it or will not sit still), and it may damage the gums, so brushing is still
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Having pets and children, or perhaps children first and then pets for them, seems to be part of the natural order of life. We understand the benefits for children who grow up with cats and dogs, but as adults, we don’t always understand the role we play as parents and responsible pet owners when it
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The best time to housetrain a puppy is as soon as you acquire the puppy! Eight weeks is the earliest puppy leaves his mother and siblings. If the puppy is from a reputable and experienced breeder, they would already have started the process for you at around three weeks. Puppies develop a substrate preference for
Potty-training a puppy Read More »
There are many benefits for both you and your dog to go on walk every day. Here are the top six reasons why this should be a daily activity: You get to spend quality time with your dog. Both you and your dog get some exercise and fresh air. How many kilojoules you burn will
6 Benefits of taking your dog for walks Read More »
For some dogs, training can be stressful and here are a few tips on when you should end a training session. There are some very obvious signals that your dog will display to indicate he is stressed when you are training him: His tail is tucked under his body. His ears are flat and slightly
Training stress in dogs Read More »
Dogs can smell so much better than people can, and they use their olfactory sense to create images in their minds. Why not zone in on this sense and create a sniffing experience for your dog? There are so many ideas – all it takes is a bit of imagination. The sniffari is normally done
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Q: I noticed a lump on my older dog’s skin. What should I do? A: A large portion of cancers start as a skin lump. Most lumps on a dog’s skin are tumours. You get two types of tumours. A benign tumour is an overgrowth of non-harmful cells and can just be in the way,
Q & A: Lump on senior dog Read More »
When you choose a trainer for your dog, you need to ensure that the trainer is reputable, and works for you and your dog. The best way to choose such a trainer, is to go and watch their classes before you enrol. Look for things like: What kind of equipment are the dogs wearing? Harnesses
Quality training for your dog Read More »
Q: My dog has itchy skin and I keep using cortisone to treat this. Is this acceptable? A: No, definitely not. Cortisone is good in that it will stop the itching, often immediately, but as soon as you stop the cortisone, the itching is back. Therefore, you are treating the symptoms and not the cause,
Q & A: Itching and cortisone Read More »
Do you need to stop your dog from barking at our helper every time she comes in to work? The first thing you need to look at, is your dog’s body language when your helper arrives. Do you think your dog is fearful (tail tucked under his body, ears back), or is he barking because
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