Furry Friends Pet Care Services

You love your dog, and because you do, you want him (or her) to be the healthiest they can be.  A part of helping your dog maintain good health comes with your decision of what to feed them.  Just as nutritionis important for you, it is also essential for your four-legged companion.  Natural dog food and exercise is crucial to giving your pet the overall good life your dog deserves.  He’s always there for you, and you want to do your best to provide the best quality of life you can for your dog.

Many pet owners are fully convinced that the best meals they can serve their dogs are ones they prepare themselves.  It is hard to argue that pets aren’t better off eating more natural foods than the canned and processed versions sold on store shelves that no one really knows the exact contents of, despite the listing of ingredients on the outside of the can or package.  Many recipes for natural meals are available.

In 1994, a veterinary conference in Las Vegas concluded that antioxidants were a crucial missing ingredient in dog food.  They theorized that Vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene work the same in a dog’s body as they do in humans.  These vitamins and minerals help diffuse the growth of “free radical” molecules, which have been linked to possible causes in some cancers.  Free radicals are a part of normal cell growth but they can be enhanced by pollutants in the environment.  Therefore, including vegetables in your dog’s diet becomes a vital additive for consideration.  Given the fact that pet food ingredients seem to be low on the priority list of some manufacturers, as a responsible pet owner you must take this issue under advisement on your own, and your pet’s, behalf.

Dehydrated raw pet foods help create natural fresh food for each meal.  Dehydrating food ingredients preserves vitamins and minerals in their natural state and that brings an extra level of quality to your pet’s meal.  Using dehydrated pet foods means just adding a little warm water to bring the ingredients back to life.  Many recipes for dehydrated use are fashioned with 100 percent organic ingredients, and they are free from chemicals, antibiotics, and hormone-inflicted elements.

Who’s always happy to see you get home each time?  No matter how bad your day has been, you know you will have a friend when you get home to your dog.  Make sure he (she) has the best and most natural dog food for meals to stay healthy and fit.

By: Susie Aga

I would like to share my professional opinion on the benefits of dog training. Through training you will build a strong lifelong bond between you and your dog. A well-behaved dog is more likely to become an active member of your family. Well-socialized, trained dogs make it easy for you to take them on vacations, to parks, and on visits to family members’ homes without it being stressful for either of you. Training requires consistency, motivation and timing. The main thing most people do not realize is that the training is for the owner as well as the dog.

Dogs cannot think like we do, but we can surely think like them; we just need to learn how. Dogs are pack animals, and in their pack there is always a leader, the Alpha. We just need to understand how to become an alpha. Communication is the key. The alpha dictates everything to the pack; she/ he will teach boundaries as well as what is acceptable and what is not. If we train like we are the alpha then it is instinctual for the dog to understand that we are in charge.

Socialization

Builds your dog’s temperament, and an even-tempered dog is less likely to be aggressive or fearful and will have fewer behavioral problems. Dogs that have been exposed to many different people, places and objects are much easier to train as well. If dogs are not exposed to different places, people, terrains and objects they can build up a fear of anything new or of any change in their routine. Always make sure your dog is fully immunized before you start any socialization. Check with your veterinarian first before any socialization occurs. People do not realize that dogs must be exposed to as simple a thing as sand, for example. I had a client call me while on her vacation; she was stunned that the dog she thought was well-socialized would not get on the beach. Her dog was scared of the sensation of her feet sinking into the sand. Now she remembered I had told her to take her puppy to sand early on, so there would not be an avoidance of it later in the dog’s life. She found out the hard way that socialization has many forms, shapes and textures. Another example involved a lady that moved into a new home where there were 4 stair wells. One was outside off a deck and you could see through to the other side, a very scary situation for some dogs. Now the dog is 2 ½ years old and does not know how to go up or down stairs. The importance of socialization is tremendous. The main thing we all want is a well- mannered, well-behaved dog, and this can be accomplished through Socialization and Training.

Exercise

Dogs build up a level of stress and energy everyday which can determine how they interact with you, your kids and other dogs. Exercise releases stress and energy. Your dog needs exercise every day for this release. A bored dog can become a "bad dog", whereas an exercised dog leads to a calm, well- behaved dog. Remember, an exhausted dog does nothing wrong! One form of exercise is getting your dog interested in a ball or Frisbee. Find places (if you do not have a fenced back yard) to allow your dog to run. Long walks are helpful, but running releases the most amount of energy and stress. Allow your dog to have "dog time" where he/she can just be a dog, and run, jump, play, chew and dig. Most of a dog's natural behaviors are what we want a dog not to do; seems a little unfair, don’t you think? Dogs naturally greet one another by jumping, mouthing, and smelling. Within their pack the greeting is a big deal. There is competition for attention, and that naturally raises the dog’s energy level. You can teach a dog another way to greet you besides jumping, through training and consistency. Dogs are social animals and want to be with their "pack"- you are their pack. Have fun! Exercise, Socialize and Train your dog and the rest is simple!