Why Dogs Eat Grass

Some dogs love to eat grass. This habit usually has no bad side effects, except perhaps when he throws up the odd time. This does not affect the dog too much. He will just vomit and be on his way. It probably bothers you more than your dog. Why dogs eat grass is a complex problem which has a variety of conjectures.

Some believe that dogs eat grass in an attempt to add more nourishment to their food. So many dogs will eat other things besides meat-grass being one of them. They think dogs are trying to balance their diet of meat with some 'salad' on the side. If you are feeding your dog on high quality food with all the nutrients that he needs, he may not eat grass, but if he is only fed meat alone, this could influence him in his choice of food.

Feeding your dog canned food does not promote healthy teeth and bowels. For the most part, kibble should be the main part of a dog's diet. It keeps him regular and his teeth clean. For a little variety, he can be fed a few spoonfuls of canned meat.

Another theory is that dogs eat grass to ease their stomach discomfort when having a feeling of nausea. But dogs do not need to eat grass to vomit. It is true that sometimes they do throw up after eating grass, but this theory is merely speculation.

If your dog is a grass eater, make sure that the grass has not recently been treated with weed killer or pesticides. Except for that, you need not worry about it, because eating grass does not hurt your dog. Since there is no evidence that it is detrimental to your dog's health, you can be assured that eating grass is just something your dog likes to do. Even if he throws up once in a while, this habit will have no undesirable effects on him.

Supervising him on leashed walks will help alleviate the problem. You will be able to restrict his desire for grass if he starts to eat it, if you feel it necessary.

Truthfully though, there really is not a lot you can do about the grass-eating habit, since nobody really has an answer to why dogs eat grass. Experts seem to believe that it is just one of those things that some dogs enjoy. Preventing your dog from eating grass may deprive him of this pleasure.

For more tips on dog behavior like excessive barking, whining and other dog behavioral problems, visit my website at http://www.knowingyourpet.com

Getting Another Cat?

You might be thinking about getting another cat but it is not a decision to be made lightly. Many people get another cat not thinking through the decision all the way. Your neighbor or friends might be wanting you to take their cat, but before you cave in you need to consider several things.

1. Will your current cats accept your new cat? Cats can be very territorial, and a new cat in the house can upset a delicate balance that might take a long time to reestablish. You can't tell for sure how your current cats will accept a new cat until they actually meet. The best way to introduce new cats is to isolate them in a room for a few days so the cats can get used to new smells, and then after that only allow supervised interactions for the first couple of days.

2. Why is this person trying to get rid of their cat? Does this cat have a behavior problem you are not aware of? The number one reason cats are surrendered are due to behavior problems, like urinating on the bed and scratching furniture. If this cat does have a behavior problem are you willing to take the time to work with the cat in fixing this problem?

3. Do you have the financial capability to care for this cat medically? Veterinary bills can add up quickly especially for older cats. Before accepting a new cat be sure you consider your financial situation.

4. Do you have space for this cat, just considering litter boxes? Most cat experts recommend having one more litter box than you have cats. This means if you have three cats you need four litter boxes. Do you have room for four litter boxes?

5. Does this cat have any health issues? Many diseases are silent but deadly. Diseases like feline leukemia virus can be carried by seemingly healthy cats and can spread the disease to your cats. Before accepting new cats be sure to have their health status verified by a veterinarian.

Giving a new home to a cat that needs one is a great thing to do. But you need to make sure your situation is right for accepting a new cat into your house. By thinking through all these steps you can make the right choice.

Get this great report NOW:

Solutions to Cat Behavior Problems

Sit, Stay, Fetch

Dogs aren't always just fun and games and enjoyable time. If you have a dog you must also count of barking, aggression towards other animals or even people, whining, growling, disobedience for commands and the list could go on endlessly. Having a disobedient dog can be an issue to you as an owner or to the others around you. For this reason, you need to take some measures and train your dog to be socially acceptable and to be the way it won't embarrass you in public. If you try the sit-stay-fetch method to train your dog, you will be amazed how fast your disobedient dog becomes an angel that you want to praise all the time.

The sit-stay-fetch method is a revolutionary training means that will change the unacceptable behavior of your dog and help you as a master be in charge of your dog. One of the main advantages of the sit-stay-fetch program is that it will have fast action and you will see your dog making progress by leaps and bounds. Did you think that you have to deal with your dog's chewing for the rest of your life and see how your pet chews your favorite clothes and shoes? Well think again. Thanks to the sit-stay-fetch technique, your dog will soon learn that it cannot simply chew anything, and it will concentrate on its chewing toys only.

If barking is an issue for you and your neighbors, and you have had many complaints so far, you don't have to worry about that anymore. You will be able to identify the reasons why your dog barks and put an end to this noise. Teaching your dog to sit still without barking can be easy with the sit-stay-fetch technique.

So, what is this sit-stay-fetch method about? Well, this is an obedience course for the dog owner that has issues with their pets. The course will let the animal owners know how to make the right things to make the dogs obedient. The sit-stay-fetch online book is easy to get and it is available for everyone for free. It will only take 6 days and you will see the difference after this course. You will enjoy the time spent with your dog and it will sit when you want it to sit, stay when you want it to stay and fetch the things you need, without chewing, barking or whining. This cutting edge method will teach both you and your dog who the boss is.

You will be amazed how easy it is to have a well trained dog and how to turn your dog into one. Forget about shouting and getting angry at your dog. The sit-stay-fetch method is a friendly approach that you will love and even your dog will get to like it. So, wouldn't you like a friendly dog that has learned how to behave properly in a short time?

Demosthenes Damon is an article writer and dog lover. To learn more about his the reviews of dog training products please visit http://www.dogbookdoubter.com/ or click Dog Training

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Demosthenes_Damon

The easy natural ways to protect your dog from fleas.

• Make use of vacuum cleaners to get rid of dust. Do not forget to seal the vacuum bags before you dispose them off.

• These parasites mostly breed on your dog's bed. You must clean the bedding once a week with warm soapy water.

• Use of a dog shampoo also helps in keeping the fleas away.

• Cedar made products are naturally flea repellent. Use cedar shampoo for your dog and also put cedar oil on their beds.

• A dogs dry skin attracts fleas. To keep their skin moist you should refrain from doing too much shampooing. Linatone oil in their food can also help.

• A mixture of brewer's yeast and garlic can be given in small doses to your pet. This creates a certain odor in pets, and seems to repel fleas.

• Fresh or dried pennyroyal leaves is also a natural flea repellent. Use this in carpets to avoid the abundance of fleas in your home. However, do not use it if you have small children around, as this could be toxic.

• You may also use a mixture of lavender oil and rock salt to bathe your dog and sprinkle it in the places where dogs usually prefer to rest.

• Marigolds can also be planted in your backyard as it keeps away fleas, as well as other certain kinds of bugs.

• You may also give your dog a quick bath in boiled lemon water or by using orange peels in the water. This can also be used for soaking your dogs bedding for a few hours before washing it with warm soapy water.

Remember that bathing your dog will only work if the infestation is low. In fact, these methods of keeping fleas away are only preventive in nature and wouldn't work well if the infestation level is too high.

There are number of commercially made products that are also available in the market. Let us take a look at them.

• Advantage: This is a product from Bayer having imidaclorid as the active ingredient. Advantage comes in liquid form and is applied on the dog's back. It quickly kills the fleas by breaking the nervous system of the fleas and its effect lasts for about a month. Although it is a liquid, it is safe for your dog as it does not get absorbed into its bloodstream.

Advantage also kills the flea larvae.

K9 Advantix: Also from Bayer, it has quickly become the favorite of veterinarians and dog owners. It is for dogs only. Its active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Permethrin. It kills fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks, including deer ticks and keeps working after swimming or bathing.

• Frontline Plus: Frontline is not much different from Advantage except that it is not soluble in water. The product can be used safely for your dogs and puppies. It is very efficient in repelling the fleas and its effect can last for over four months.

It contains Fipronil as its active ingredient.

Like Advantage, Fipronil also attacks the nervous system and causes instant death in about 24 hours. In spite of being highly toxic it is not harmful to your dog, unless your dog is not allergic to fipronil.

• Biospot: Biospot is meant for dogs only. It kills up to 75% of fleas and larvae and is also effective for mosquitoes. Biospot can temporarily alter the color of your pet's hair and make it appear yellowish. It contains permethrins and IGR and is effective for about a month.

• Knockout: Another effective product that is exclusively meant for dogs. Its active ingredients include Pyriproxyfen: 21 pyridine: 0.05% cyclopropanecarboxylate: 2%. It also contains NYLAR to control the flea growth.

• Proban and Prospot: Again exclusively and widely used for dogs. However these repellents only work when the fleas bite the dog as they are effective only after they are absorbed in the bloodstreams. You also need to remember that you are injecting a small quantity of poison into your dogs body and you may not even know the side effects. Also, if your dog is allergic to the flea bites these may not be the right products.

Fleas thrive during the summer as it is their breeding season. Commercial products are effective during this time, but it is always better to consult your vet before you actually begin to using these products on your dog.

Teaching your dog tricks is every dog owner's dream. Learn how dog tricks training can help reinforce basic obedience training for dogs, as well as improve agility.

Dog Tricks Training

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Searls

Dog Buying Tips

In America approximately 73 million people own a dog. A dog brings many moments of happiness into your life. As they make great companions and give unconditional love. Owning a canine companion can be the beginning years of lifetime loyalty and friendship.
Before buying a dog, it is necessary to decide on the kind of dog that will meet your expectation. Our article discusses valuable and informative dog buying tips to lend you help for purchasing a dog. It would be good if you discuss these points with everyone in the family.

• Age: When purchasing a puppy, ensure that it should not be younger than eight weeks. This is because during the initial few weeks, puppies go through lots of physical changes. A puppy’s eyes and ears open and they begin to taste solid food along with the weaned. Few weeks with littermates also help in overall growth of the puppy. The young puppy needs more attention, patience, care and medical-assistance. So ideally, no pup should be purchased before eight weeks. It is also illegal at some places to sell animals less than eight weeks old.


• Breed: Before selecting the breed, do some research on dogs to evaluate the right kind of dog for you and your family. Note the dog size, coat, care requirements and temperament. You should also evaluate your and your family members’ health issues. For example, if you’re allergic to fur or are asthmatic then select a dog breed which has less fur and sheds less hair. If you are buying a dog for security or surveillance then you must go for an adult dog. They will immediately help you in or some specified purchase motive.


• Health: Be sure to visually examine the puppy before purchasing. Pups tend to spend lot of their time sleeping, but when they are awake they should be alert, active, and energetic. They should have a clean and shiny coat. There should not be any mucous filled discharge flowing from their eyes. Ask the breeder about the test conducted on dog’s parent to ensure healthy puppy. Pups should have at least one set of booster dosage shots before you take the pup home. When purchasing an adult dog, keep in mind the same health issues as with puppy. Besides that, also look for health, illnesses, and vaccination records.
• Maintenance: Dogs have regular and daily needs including food, shelter, exercise, grooming and health. Depending upon time which you can exclusively devote in taking care of the dog, you should select a breed. For example, play dogs require more maintenance than guarding or hunting dogs. Particularly, guarding dog " Doberman " requires less care and maintenance. Please remember that if you are purchasing a dog, you should be willing to commit yourself to the pet.


• Money: Money is also a consideration while purchasing a dog. Some dog breeds are extremely expensive, while some are quite affordable. Expenses would include adoption fees, vaccines, various tests, basic yearly health examination, flea control, license, food items, collar and leashes, brushes, combs, shampoos, nail trimmers, etc. Evaluate your budget and ask yourself if you are ready to spend the purchase cost as well as monthly expenditure.


• Breeders: Selecting a reputable breeder is advisable to ensure a healthy and active dog without diseases. It is important to screen the breeder about the parent of the puppy or adult dog. If you are purchasing through club or dog seller, you should ask for the contact information about the previous purchaser.

We hope that the dog buying tips discussed here will help you select the right dog breed that best matches your needs! For more information on various dog breeds, visit www.greatdogsite.com

Paul, Owner of greatdogsite.com has written on Dog Buying Tips . Please visit: www.greatdogsite.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_T