Our pet is our fur kid and we take all necessary things into consideration while taking care of our dogs so as to keep them healthy and stay together for a long period of time. We are very particular about our diet and so are we about our pet so as to keep them healthy and fit too. It is highly recommended that the pets should be provided with proper meal and necessary diet which is not only good for them but is also safe for their health.

Having a pet which weights more than the appropriate weight which it should have is not a good sign, as research shows that obese pets do not live a longer life compared to thinner and fitter. A dog is also a part of our family, and we are equally concerned about them. But it is to be noted that the food which are good and consumable for humans are not the best for your pets. Some of the foods which are made for human consumption are not safe and dangerous for your pets.

Here are 9 human foods which should not be given or feed to your pet.

CHOCOLATE
Yes we all love chocolate and who will in this world deny an offered chocolate bar. But the same thing cannot be stated for your fur kid. Chocolate of any type be it solid, cocoa powder, or simple choc chip is unsafe for your dog and can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, seizures or irregular heartbeat. Chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine chemicals which both can directly affect the heart and nervous system of your. Dogs cannot metabolize theobromine as a result of which it is not digested and it builds up in their system. Dark chocolate is the most dangerous of them all as with the high content of caffeine and theobromine the potentiality to harm your dog even with a single bar of chocolate.

PARTICULAR TYPES OF BONES
We all know that our dogs love bones they just simply can’t go without each other, but the things we need to know is that not all kinds of bones are good for your dog. While providing our dog with bone we need to consider certain things and take appropriate care, raw bones should be preferred over cooked bone and bone of right size for your dog should be given. Bones of fishes or chicken which can break into small sharp pieces should not be fed to your dogs and when the sharp edged bones are chewed by the dog it can harm the digestive system of your dog. The same happens when a cooked meal bones are fed to the dogs can potentially choke or even puncture the digestive tract and system of your dog causing it much harm.

ONIONS AND GARLIC
Our food just cannot go without onion and garlic in them, they are immense taste enhancer and we just love having them. Giving or feeding your dog with garlic and onion is not good for them and is not healthy either. The content of onions and garlic in the food of your dog damages the red blood cells of your dog. If the dog is fed any amount of raw onion, garlic or dehydrated canned food it will cause hemolytic anemia to your dog. So giving any such leftover food which contains onion or garlic should be a no-no to your dog rather a fresh meal specifically for your dog considering its nutritional needs is a better option.

NUTS AND WALNUTS
Macadamia nuts is not good for consumption purpose and its consumption leads to harm to different systems in the body which also leads to faster heartbeat, rise in temperature, and weakness and may also cause paralysis due to its nature of being toxin. Walnuts are not food for your dog as it contains some amount of fungus which is toxin to your pet which may also lead to death.

CAFFEINE
Just like chocolates caffeine should also be avoided to be fed to your dogs, it causes heart palpitations and seizures. So make it a point that if you spill even some drops of tea or coffee near your dinner table or on the floor make sure to wipe it off so that your pet does not lick it and consume some amount of caffeine for that matter.

GRAPES, RAISINS & FRUITS
Just like caffeine and chocolates which are not to be fed to pets, the raisin toast, cookies and grapes contained food item should be kept away and should be strictly prohibited for your dogs. They contain some amount of chemicals which is not good for your pet and is toxic for it. It can damage and rupture the kidney of your pet and it may also cause vomiting, diarrhea and serious digestive system harm, it may also lead to partial or complete kidney failure. Fruits should be carefully given to dogs and if possible must be limited to them, as it may not only cause choking but some contain chemical called cyanide which is toxin.

OIL

Oil should be kept at the length from your dog food, fried dishes and few dairy products are not good for your pets. Few little drops of them will be okay for your pets but adding them much then needed may cause severe pancreatitis, diarrhea, vomiting and may also cause abdominal pain if your pet cannot sustain the amount of fat it has consumed.

RAW EGGS
Most of the people think that eggs are good for the health of their pets, for the growth of their furs and adding vitamin supplements in them undoubtedly it is all correct but it is also to be noted that the raw egg whites also contain a protein called avidin which depletes the content of biotin in your dog, it also contains salmonella and other bacteria which may cause harm to them. Feeding dogs with eggs excessively will lead to severe hair and skin problem to the pet.

SUGARY & SALTY FOOD
Sugar is not at all good for you dogs fur, excessive sugar content in its food can lead sever health problems including tooth decay, obesity or diabetes. Do not opt for sugar free item like sugarless sweets as it may contain Xylitol which may cause liver damage to your dogs.

So take all this necessary tips into considwration while feeding your lovely pet…!!!

The post 9 Food You Should avoid Feeding Your PET…!! appeared first on Pet Attack.

Dandruff is not only the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world but it is also a sign that the skin of your pet has become stale. This is quite common among pets especially dogs as they eat dry – kibble which is low in moisture and also because they do not drink enough water which leads to constant dehydration and thus, they can readily become flaky and dry in their outer appearance. If pets develop any kind of medical problems such as infections, diabetes or allergies then often the skin is the first to signify a change in general health by becoming roughened and dry. If your pet, too, develops a poor hair-coat or a dry skin then you must consider the following possibilities and go to your veterinarian :-

•  Lusterless coats or dry skin might indicate an improper balance or deficiency of certain essential fatty acids in the pet’s diet. Pet foods are particularly low in certain fatty acids which are beneficial. Fatty acids are relatively dainty and prone to breakdown by improper storage or over – cooking of dry food. If your pet is following the fat – restricted diet then they might be at increased risk of deficiency.
•  Irritated or dry skin might be an antagonistic reaction to the foods which contain additives, preservatives and artificial dyes. Food allergy to some specific ingredients can also cause flaky or dry skin.
•  Mites, flea allergy, yeast ring worms, mange and other bacterial skin infections can often cause skin redness, itchiness, dry – skin and also hair loss.
•  Endocrine problems such as diabetes, cushing syndrome, hypo or hyper thyroid ism etc, hormonal problems, skin cancer and immune problems are some of the serious causes the skin flakiness.
  There can be many causes of dry skin and various tests might need to be performed if you want to find an exact precise diagnosis. Usually, a skin scrape with the microscopic examination is the first step at the office of your veterinarian. Occasionally allergy testing, dandruff or hair culture, blood test or biopsy will have to be performed.

WHAT KIND OF DOGS GET DANDRUFF?

TREATMENT OF DANDRUFF :-

1. PETS ARE WHAT THEY EAT :-

As i already said that our adorable pets need some certain amount of fat in their diet, but do remember to provide good type of fat, not bacon, in order to keep their skin supple and nice, and fur shiny. You can either switch their diet to a holistic, high quality food or you can also supplement oils in their diet, specifically designed for pets. It is very important for our pet to drink plenty of water in order to stay healthy and hydrated. Our body is of 70% water and yes, our pets, too, are no different. Pets which are in continual state of the dehydration are more likely to develop symptoms of kidney disease and many more other diseases. So, If your adorable pet does not drink sufficient water then you can add water in his food. You can also include canned food in the diet of your pet as it provides essential water supplementation and is wonderful for organ hydration.

2. BATHING :-

Bathing your dog regularly, can help to wash away dandruff peels, however redundant  bathing can make the situation only  worsen. So you can give bath to your dog once in a month during winter and Twice or thrice a month during summer season. When you are planing to give bath to your pet then it is very important to use the right type of shampoo. And no, i am not taking about the bottle of shampoo in your shower which YOU use, as that is not for your pet. There are many shampoos available in the market which are specifically designed for your pets and can help you in getting rid of dandruff. If your pet is showing even a small sign of having dandruff then you must use dandruff shampoo to bath him. However, if the problem persists even after applying of dandruff then it is advised that you should seek some professional help bin vet.
You’ll know definitely  the right time when is to go out and buy dandruff shampoo for your pet if you begin to see dead skin or white flakes shedding from your dog’s fur.

3. IMPORTANCE OF GROOMING :-

It is another way of keeping your pet dandruff – free. Brushing your endearing pet not only makes your pet feel nice and keep his fur shiny, burr – free and and smooth but it also helps in distributing the natural oils of your pet’s coat and also massage his skin. However you should choose your brush carefully as if its too soft then it will not work whereas if the brush is too stiff then it will annoy rather than helping. Pet owners must determine the amount of brushing needed as it can exfoliate the skin of your pet. Usually cats generally self – groom whereas long – haired cats might need assistance. Also, double coated fur may trap the dead skin underneath it so you must take extra -care to brush your pets.

4. SUPPLEMENTS :-

Fatty acids supplements are important with skin conditions in all pets. Fatty acids help in eliminating the inflammation within the irritated skin and thus, help in improving skin suppleness and moisture, regardless of underlying problem. Most of the people are well known with the fatty acids like omega 3 which are commonly found in fish oils.

5. SEE A VET :-

If you take your pet to a veterinarian then he will know exactly what to do in treating your little fluffy friend.  They may advice you to do the therapies, additionally, in treating dry skin, however the above methods for treating dry skin is more economic – free.

And last but not the least, do not forget to spend more valuable time with your pet so that he might not feel alone, so good luck!

The post Dandruff in Pets! appeared first on Pet Attack.

Congratulations, so you have finally decided to get a crayfish as a pet! This is really great!  They are definitely one of the most lovable pets and fun to watch, but you need to know more about it than just propelling it in the tank.  They make excellent pets, also known as – crawdads, mud bags and  craw fish.  Taking care of them is quite easy and this is the reason which makes them one of the most prominent pets.  Read further in order to know how to take care of them.

1.  GET YOUR CRAYFISH :-

You can easily buy a crayfish from any pet store or a tropical fish store. If you want to buy a red – crayfish then it can cost you one to three dollars while a blue colored crayfish can even cost more than twenty dollars as they’re more high – end crayfish. If you want to have more options then you can also go through some websites in order to find more exotic and exceptional  species, although they can cost you a 100 dollars.

2. HOUSING :-

They are considered as one of the least demanding pets which makes them convenient for adults as well as children. They need only easy and simple living conditions with air plumps and filters as compared to other semi – aquatic and aquatic or marine pets. However, if you want, then you can add extra  elements in the tank.  Generally, they require a tank which has a temperature of  21 -24 ° Celsius with a pH level of 7.0, which is neutral. A crayfish, usually, crave for at least six to eleven Gallons of water.

Also, it is not advisable to keep more than one crayfish in the same tank but if you do this, then you have to make sure there is sufficient place for both the craw-fishes in the tank. Also, you have to be sure that both of the crayfishes are of same variety or breed, else ways, they could kill each other.  You should change water regularly,  you should do this at least twice a week as they have lots of   bio loads. So, you will have to make sure to have a dechlorinator when changing water.

3. MAKE TANK COMFORTABLE FOR YOUR CRAYFISH :-

You should create a good environment in the tank as they love to go into hiding, playing and hovel, and in order to make them comfortable. You can add things like plants, rocks, tipped over castle and PVC pipes. They love to crawl on the plants so you could buy fake plants, else ways, they will eat the real plants sooner.  In order to make them feel truly safe, you can get gerbil pipes, any three – side containers or hollowed out rocks.  Also, you  need to know that they are more comfortable when its dark so you can minimize the light -exposure which the tank gets.

4. KEEP YOUR CRAYFISH FROM ESCAPING THEIR TANK :-

They love to examine new region and are absolutely good at running away. So you will have to make sure to have protected openings in the filter. You can use rubber bands,  aluminium foil and tape in order to confine the opening of the filter from outside. If your crayfish escapes then, without water, it will dehydrate and thus, die, in just a couple of hours. So it is very important to be careful about this.  So, if you’ve  captured an escaping crayfish then you should make sure not to put them back directly into water as its gills need some time to get   acclimated with water again, and you really do not want it to drown. You should just place it into a bucket which should have enough water in order to cover it fully. Now, you can add a rock in bucket in order to make it feel less assailable. After a full day, you can take the crayfish and hold it onto the surface of water, if he do well then you can put them back in the tank.

5.  FEEDING :-

Crayfishes are omnivorous scroungers which feeds primarily on organic detritus, algae and plants.  They eat shrimp pellets too, so you can plunk down some of them to its hiding place so that they can eat them.  In vegetables, they can eat shelled peas, cabbage leaves, romaine lettuce etc.  You can also fill them in with  frosted foods like brine shrimp, blood worms, daphnia and frozen fishes. You can  feed them cooked chicken as a treat, sometimes but not regularly.

You should fed them a small amount of foods daily, if you throw an excessive amount of food, erringly, then you must abolish the excess food, right away.  If your water living friend stays soft for a longer period of time, that is, more than a day after decorticating then this could mean that the hardness or pH level of water in the tank is too low or your pet is not getting sufficient amount of calcium in its diet.

6.  DISEASES :-

It is not a good idea to keep crayfishes from the different continents as there is a higher risk of spreading disease if they are kept in the same tank. Particularly, one disease poses a quite threat which is known as Crayfish Plaque and this carried by the North -American species of craw fish. Allegedly, American crayfishes have derived to indulge this fungus without any difficulty. But, it is still baleful to other types of crayfish which include crayfishes from Eurasia and Australia.  White Spot disease is another one which can admonish other crayfishes. It affects the shrimps but it might be transferable to other crayfish if you fed them with the raw food made from the effected shrimp.  If you determine to keep more than one species of crayfish in the same tank then you should make sure to keep them separate for at least one month before putting them in one aquarium. Crayfish diseases are very difficult to identify and also even more difficult to cure the disease.

The post Crayfish as Pets! appeared first on Pet Attack.

Every one of us has a dream pet which we would like to pet with us and take care of them. Sometimes due to the care which is involved in petting an animal or worries like having kids around with us of which we deny the thought of petting our favourite pets. Such concerns which are involved and we think of while deciding to pet our kind of pet now we need to think again about them…

It is very surprising to know how petting animals is beneficial for your kids and what are the things that your kids can learn from your pets. Your kids will learn various tricks and nature of the kind of animal that you are going to pet but what they will learn more from your pets will be valuable, such things which are much more than the usual lessons which are taught. They learn to love without expecting anything in return, sense of humanity and empathy with animals and inculcate feeling of care in your kids.

Here are some pets that you can have with you which are beneficial for you and your family which stays around you.

DOGS ARE THE BEST AMONG ALL

Most of us just love dogs and wish to pet one. Just having dogs around us makes people feel active and lively. Petting a dog has many benefits and advantages in itself. Dogs have powerful sense which can detect various kinds of disease and warn us a very early stage, they can detect most types of cancers in humans. Having kids and dog together helps them to build their immune system as being dirty is not always bad though. Dogs make humans more caring, loving and extra vigilant. So having and petting a dog is the best choice of all others that one can pet and an obese dog should not be petted as the life of fatter dogs is less compared to fitter one.

CATS FOR SPACE CRUNCH AND LOW MAINTENANCE

Cats are good for those houses where the space of the house is restricted and can be opt if a dog cannot be petted in such small space as dogs need a bigger area to move around and be active. On the other hand cats can live well in a small space and they don’t require a lot of maintenance and cleanliness behind them. A small kitten should be opt rather than a grown up cat so that it adds to the years of togetherness and you can have your pet for a longer period of time.

GUINEA PIGS OR FERRETS

Guinea pigs are cute and tougher than the rabbits; they do not require care which is involved in petting rabbits. If you want to opt such a pet which takes least space in your house and be as cute as rabbit then you can opt for them. Rabbit needs a lot of care and attention but if you think you are not able to take proper care of them and your kids and family but want have a cute pet then the guinea pig is the best choice.

Ferret also make a very good choice for pets and are not like rabbits that need a lot of care and attention and are tough survivors. They are a good choice if you have grown up kids who can better stay with them without getting frighten, and will be also very disturbing to get into a hustle and bustle to chase your little pet. They can make their house and holes in any part of your house or a very loving apparel of yours. They are a good choice if you are fond of them and can handle the fun that they create around them. But the thing that you need to take care of is that they can find a way out of your house and you will end up chasing them so be careful of this little fur kid of yours.

RABBITS IF YOU CAN PROVIDE MORE CARE

Rabbits are the cutest pets that one can have but which involve a lot of care and maintenance. If you have kids below 6 years then petting rabbits are not recommendable. They suit the best for the people who can take constant care of their pet and regular clean their place so as to maintain proper hygiene for them. Unlike dog and cat who are self sufficient at times rabbit completely depend on you for almost everything. So rabbit suits the best where the kids are above a certain age and there are people who can take their proper care all day long, and remember to clean their hutch at every interval to keep them hygienic.

HAVE YOUR OWN MARINE WORLD

Undoubtedly having a small aquarium in your house is not only petting some fishes but also adds to the show and the look of your house. They not only fascinate kids but also grownups who may just love having a look into your small pond. Fishes are not only good look enhance of the house but are also kept for the feng sui purposes as well. It is recommended by many astrologers to keep fish tank in your house in particular place.
Fishes are easy to keep and do not require high maintenance but they need cleaning and filtering their water tank.

Goldfishes are not only good for house feng sui purpose but they are better than other fish breeds. Fish tanks are good if you have kids of age above than two years who will understand and love to look at them. The thing that should be kept in mind getting a fish tank is to clean the fish tank at regular interval.

The post Guide to Choose the Perfect TYPE OF PET You Want!!! appeared first on Pet Attack.

Obesity today can be found everywhere around us! Most of the people in today’s time are overweight. As we discussed in the previous article about how to track your dog’s weight because being overweight can be a huge problem and a risk to pet’s life, here is a tab about how to cure obesity! Though many of us are conscious about our eating habits, but some are just so busy and stressed with life that they cannot take out time to shed their increasing weight, which causes danger to their pets too. Just the way our eating habits are the pets also adopt the same as they are told by us to accept the way they are being fed! So if a person is lazy or has very low level of physical activity, it might be possible that his/her pet will also be a little overweight! Therefore let’s take a look at the six super easy ways to prevent obesity or overweight problems in your pet dogs!

1.Determining the Intake
Determining or calculating the intake of the calories & fats of your dog will help you the most! Keep a regular check on how much fattening food your dog is having every day, then accordingly start an exercising routine for the dog. Keeping or pushing your dog for physical activity will be a problem in the initial days, but once it is habitual of it, the weight control becomes very easy for you to handle. However, to make your dog exercise, you will also need to be active and playful with the pet.

2.Keep A Check On Relapses
Your dog has the chances of relapsing into overeating if you do not maintain a careful eye on its eating habits! Just as one has to keep a coke addict in surveillance, your dog’s eating habits plus the daily routine also need to be checked! Make sure that you are giving your dog the right amount of food that will help in reducing the weight & not the physical strength! Give him such quantity of food that is sufficient to cope with his/her hunger nothing more than that.

3.Prescribed Exercise
Do not forget to take your dog to the vet on a regular basis. This will keep a tab on health of your dog and it will also help your dog prevent dangerous diseases that happen due to overweight! Follow the vet’s instructions properly & ask for the exercises that are to be done by your pet and make sure that your pet is following every prescribed activity.

4.Do Not Feed Your Dog Table Scraps & Treats
You are yourself killing your dog if you give your dog those fattening sweet treats as a reward for doing tricks for you or for being cute! Those sweet candies can actually cause diabetes to your dog. You should not feed your dog anything besides its meal time, and especially when you are yourself having your meal & if your dog comes to you & asks for the food in your plate, then the only right thing for you to do at that time would be not feeding the dog from your plate or allowing it to licks off the scraps left on the table from your plate!

5.Treat Any Donating Factor or Element
If your dog is overweight, then it is prone to have a lot of diseases that are caused due to obesity, therefore make sure you pay timely visits to the vet who can keep your dog’s health under the scanner. Sometimes the calorie conscious food or prescribed physical activities fail to help your dog get the weight reduced or does not even reflect even the slightest deduction in your dog’s weight, in such a case make sure that your dog does not have any disease that is helping the weight to increase more than to decrease!

6.Regularly Monitor the Dog’s Weight
Keep a timely check on your dog’s weight by regularly monitoring its weight! Holding a check on your dog’s weight actually helps you determine the actual results that will help you gain confidence about your care for your precious dog. Regularly monitoring your dog’s weight will help you keep yourself always on tab about the healthy lifestyle of your dog & your own self! You can always maintain a diary dedicated solely to your pet. Write about your dog’s diet, medicines and exercises so that you don’t forget it at all and this will also help you to compare the advancements in your dog. An owner can also share the diary with pet’s caretaker if you travel without your pet. The diary will help the caretaker to understand your pet’s need in a much better way.

Today more than half of this planet’s population is obese, and with obesity there come countless health problems that result in short life spans & increased stress & poverty, because of all the money going in for the expensive medicines & cures. In such a fast paced time, where we hardly have time for ourselves, it is very important for us to keep our pets as healthy as possible, as they are very delicate & we humans anyway survive the toughest conditions, but many our pets were never made to live in such inhuman conditions, where sometimes we put them into by being negligent! Proper feeding time & giving the right amount of food & keeping a check on the intake along with the being sure of the physical activities to be done by the dog, everything at the end ends up on our head as we humans are the ones who can make our pet’s lives as beautiful as a heaven or as ugly as hell to love & survive!

The post Ways to Control Obesity in Dogs appeared first on Pet Attack.

 In this series, we have been talking about dogs and their extra-sensory-abilities. In the previous three articles (Sensible Dogs Part 1, Part 2 and Dog Sense Part 1) we had looked at how dogs can sense: your intentions, fear and sudden change in your priority. Let’s continue with the last article of this series.

But before I continue, I want to clarify that some parts of this article are based on mere observation and may/may not be backed with appropriate statistical data to come to a concrete conclusion. Reader’s discretion is of utmost importance.

Many of you had asked me, as to why I forgot to include this part in my previous articles, but I knew it only too well that readers would have expected this part to be the first in my list to write about. Hence, I kept this for the last article of this series.

They can sense your grief

I’m sure each one of us has had this experience when we were almost broken down to pieces (shattered to the core), you feel like crying but you can’t, you feel suffocated, as if someone is trying to strangulate by your throat, you feel heavy from inside as if a ton’s weight has been dumped on you. Your pet is sitting in a corner of the room, keeping a close eye on even your slightest movements. He gets up, comes to you and looks at you with his deep infinite eyes. Then he climbs up your lap and sits, resting his head on your hand.

And just as he settles himself, you feel relieved, as if all your problems have vanished in thin air.

But how does he do that? I’m not talking about the ‘relief’ part (we’ll look at that in a different article). I’m referring to the part where he understood that you are in grief.

‘Animal cognition’, a study, found out that dogs tend to approach weeping, crying or sobbing people, in comparison to ones talking, or involved in other activities. But in the above example, the person did not weep or cry, but still the dog approached him. This is because dogs do sense your grief. If that is not enough, they also try to placate, pacify or calm the person. In doing so, some dogs will even try to lick away the owner’s tears.

If you feel proud that your dog did so, my next statement might turn your pride into rubble. Scientists feel that any dog, will approach any person who weeps and it is not at all necessary that it needs to be his owner. (Warning: Please don’t try to act as if you are crying, and that too in front of a stray dog, he might as well make you cry for real!)

The above mentioned paragraphs do not imply that dogs are empathetic. But it surely is found that dogs can sense your sadness as a distinct emotion.

The next part is a ‘must-read’ for all first-time pet parents. And also for those who don’t have a clue on what went wrong in their dog-training.

The can sense if you are a pushover

The first and the most significant reason why, at times, training dog can be very difficult lies in the way your dog perceives you. Dogs, especially larger breeds will always try and test their boundaries. Some dogs become violent if their owners are lenient.

Dogs do not know what they are allowed to do and what they are not. They get to know if they are doing the right thing when they receive a gift and they know that they are doing the wrong thing when you give punish them. They are completely dependent on social structures and hierarchies of the society to determine what is considered to be right and which is not. If you want your dog to understand how to behave, then you need to be his coach and mentor. To assert your position you might, at times, even resort to strict punishments. I know how it feels, when you scold or reprimand your dog, but always think that it is for his greater good that you are doing this.

Your take-home message from this part, is to always be your dog’s leader, and to not let your dog perceive you as a ‘push-over’. You might want to ask: “You mentioned the word ‘push-over’ what does it actually mean? How do I know if I’m one?”

Answering the first part of your question, Push-over, is what your dog will think of you when you fail to lead him. In simple, words, your dog will take you for granted. I would like to list out a few points by which you can understand if you are a pushover or not:

• Your dog walks faster than you in his walking trips.
• Your dog enter the every door/entrance first.
• You serve your dog his food before you have yours.
• Your emotions stop you from punishing your dog
• You always advise strangers to stay away from your dog as he’s dangerous
• Your dog has the liberty to do all that he wants (including the things that you dislike)

If you agreed to atleast3 of the above mentioned points, then you are just about to be tagged as a ‘push-over’. If you strongly agreed to more than 3 of the above mentioned points, then your dog has already been treating you as a ‘push-over’.

By saying all this, my intention is to just make you understand what could have gone wrong in your training. You can as well treat this part as an answer to the frequently asked question: “I just can’t train my dog. I really do not know what is going wrong.” The larger the breed is, more is the need for a disciplinarian reign.

The post Dog Sense – Part 2 appeared first on Pet Attack.

I intended this article to be in continuation of my previous series ‘ Sensible Dogs’ but due to some practical difficulties, what i intended, couldn’t happen.

So here’s another standalone article series on dogs and the owners’ generosity, some sneaky-peaky habits of your dog and the last part being – dogs understanding your dislike/fear.

But before I continue, I want to clarify that some parts of this article are a mere observation and may/may not be backed with appropriate statistical data to come to a concrete conclusion. Reader’s discretion is of utmost importance.

They can sense your generosity

Did you ever observe your dog when you did something generous? Do observe him the next time. I will not tell you how he might react, observe it for yourself and comment.

How do we humans form opinions about our fellow humans? What, according to general standards, would be a sign of a good human being? A good human is expected to have: high regards to morality, sympathy, empathy, compassion, kindness and fairness. So if you were to test a person on all the above mentioned aspects, by a single deed, which deed would it be? Ofcourse – a deed of generosity. According to common accepted values, a generous person is expected to be a good person, because sympathy is the basis of justice.

As mentioned in the first article of the series ‘Sensible Dogs’, dogs have a high sense of justice. They find generous human beings as just and fair. If you are generous to your fellow humans, they think that you would be generous with them too.

University of Milan conducted a study in which a group of people were asked to share food with a poor homeless man. Another set of people were asked to reprimand the poor homeless man. Both these groups were observed by a set of dogs. When the people from both the groups called the dogs (at the same time), almost all the dogs responded to the generous group. As it is widely said “generosity is as much about justice as it is about kindness”.

So, your dog also knows when you are generous and when you are snub. The reason why they are such extraordinary pets, is that they are highly susceptible to morality and other emotions.

They know when you are not looking

After reading the title of this part you might say: “Genius! Ofcourse my dog knows when I’m not looking. He has got eyes you see? *stare*”

Ofcourse your dog has got eyes, but the point I’m trying to make is: even if dogs think of themselves as gatekeepers of morality, they also know how to get away with small risks.

Consider yourself as participating in a study, where you have kept a delicious looking cake on a table. This table is accessible to your dog and your dog is very well capable of eating that cake.

When you are looking at them, they would not even consider the idea of stealing that cake but when you are out of sight, or even when you are not looking at them, they find the cake hard to resist. And in an opportune moment, they usurp the cake in seconds.

For dogs, food is one the very limited sources of unlimited pleasure. This has less to do with taste or quantity and has more to do with ease of access. They do not have as easy an access to food as we do. And that makes it a rare commodity.

This part is easily misunderstood by people, but even the most loyal humans are vulnerable to things that are hard to achieve. I do not intend to say that your dog is capable of much more serious in-obedience, but your dog is not as morally right as it expects you to be.

They can sense if you do not like someone/something

This is similar to that of fear. When you are afraid, your body secretes adrenaline that initiate a series of chain reactions in your body. The only difference here is that when you look at someone/something that you like, your body secretes serotonin and dopamine that makes you feel joyous, ecstatic and cheerful. In a same way, your body secrets another set of hormones that trigger hate, disgust, anger and distrust.

Here’s an example. If you see someone (you do not like) approaching you, you inadvertently communicate this to your dog. If he can smell a teaspoon of sugar in million gallons of water (remember?), then he can smell the subtle chemical changes occurring in your body through your odour too.   Your dog will then howl or growl or bark or plunge at the person approaching you.

More often than not, serious injuries take place because of such impulsive reactions of dogs. To avoid such situations, it is always advisable to keep yourself in control since you are the triggering factor for your dogs. (I know it is next to impossible but one can atleast try!) And if you cannot keep yourself in control, then try and keep your dog in your control. You might think: “Aha! That should be easy!” But it is not at all an easy task to control a dog (especially big ones like Labrador, and other Mastiffs).

A person who cannot practice self-control or self-discipline, cannot bring his dog to listen to him. Now you might understand the reason why so many pet parents find it difficult to train their pets. Please keep in mind that your reaction (however subtle it is) is the basis of your dog’s reaction. Your behaviour can play a major role in keeping your dog at ease, but it is also capable of inducing negative reactions to your dog thus increasing the chances of confrontation that might lead to grievous injuries to you, your pet or to the other person.

The next article in this series would talk about some other emotions/feelings/attitude that dogs comprehend and react to.

The post Dog sense – Part 1 appeared first on Pet Attack.

Being healthy is the first thing that every living organism wishes. To lead a good and prosperous life it is a basic need to maintain your body fit and strong. Just like a human body, our lovely pets also require a lot of attention from its owner’s side to keep a regular check on their diet and health so that it is strong enough to combat any kind of illness. According to Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), an estimated 52.5 percent of dogs are overweight or obese. Excess of fat on your pet may have severe adverse health effects on its body which can lead to reducing the lifespan, even if the pet is a little obese.

Being obese can attract dreadful diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis in dogs. Obesity is most common in pet dogs these days; therefore it is really important for a dog owner to know the symptoms of being obese and what reasons can probably make your pet obese? There are some simple symptoms that can let you know if the pet is suffering from obesity. If your dog is not willing or unable to exercise then there are high risks that it may be tormenting from overweight issues which is making him unenthusiastic in any outdoor session. In case you identify excessive fat on your pet’s body which is bulging out then for sure your dog has stepped onto the ladder of being obese. Obesity in dogs not only makes them extremely lethargic, but also snatches their natural aggression or the dog trait of being protective or active from them. The owner should know the consequences of an obese dog! Have a look at the symptoms that can help you identify if your dog if overweight or not

1. Weight Gain
The biggest symptom is weight gain! Everything starts with gaining even the slightest weight. Added weight is not only a problem to many human beings, but it is a problem for animals too if not taken care or looked after! Weight gain will always result out to be critical if it is not controlled at the right time. High intake of calories or not the getting the activity to burn the fats in the food will only result on weight gain.

2. Excess Body Fat
Excessive amount of fat clotted up in the areas where usually the fat is not much felt or seen. Bulgy skin or lumps of skin at places can be the excessive fat grown out. Simplest way of finding out whether the dog has gained because of the fat is by getting regular weight check-ups done timely. Keeping a check with your vet will even help you control the gain in weight!

3. Inability or Unwillingness to Exercise
The decrease in the play time or walk time is a big signal of being overweight mostly in many dogs. Sleeping too much or getting tired soon or not running is the main symptoms of obesity. Many dogs develop wounds down under their footpads due to a heavy body. As the body starts getting pumped up, the legs tend to get weaker enough to bare the increasing weight of the body. This mostly happens with dachshunds. Their limbs are very fragile & they are made to pick a certain amount of weight on them. Being short in height, a dachshund’s legs cannot bare a large amount of weight on them.

I’ve seen lots of time many owners being clueless about the weight rising much even after giving less food! Many times we do not come to know about how many fattening elements the food that is being fed usually has! This results in the illness that is caused due to a lot of weight!

Let’s have a look at what causes obesity in a dog:

1. Excessive Food
Leaving a bowl full of food in front of your dog every time it comes towards the kitchen will absolutely make your dog gain a lot of weight & get fat. You need to make your dog understand that there is a routine for everything that it needs to be followed. Excessive food without any routine will do nothing but increase your dog’s weight rapidly! The routine has to be then followed daily by the dog & its owner.

2. Low Activity Level
The level of activity you are providing your dog matters the most & is responsible for the weight of your dog. If you feed your dog a lot of fat full diet, then you should make sure that your dog gets double the level of activity than the amount of food was fed. Low activity level not only makes your dog gain weight, but also makes it all ill or stay low with the mood very often. Low activity in human beings & dog hit the same! The more you stay inactive, more are the chances that you & your dog will fall into depression or stress soon!

3. Illness
Excessive eating or low activity level are not the only causes of obesity. Illness too can at times be the cause for being overweight. For example, illnesses like hypothyrodism, Cushings Disease, Pancreatic Cancer and pituitary problems are mostly found to be the reason of obesity in many dogs.
Getting hold of obesity or weight gain problem at the right time is very important. It can cause a lot of problems in future if not taken care of! Therefore looking out for cure of this problem is essential, after all who does not want a happy, playful, friendly & protective dog as pet! In order to find out simple ways to keep your dog far away from obesity, stay tuned for the cure of obesity in dogs till the next article!

The post Check if your Dog is Obese appeared first on Pet Attack.

In this series, we have been talking about dogs and their extra-sensory-abilities. In the previous article (Sensible Dogs Part 1) we had looked at how dogs can sense: your intentions, fear and sudden change in your priority. Let’s continue with this article.

But before I continue, I want to clarify that some parts of this article are mere observation and may/may not be backed with appropriate statistical data to come to a concrete conclusion. Reader’s discretion is of utmost importance.

They can sense your illness

Even you might have heard stories of pet dogs’ helping their pet parents diagnose any illness by displaying weird behaviour. You might have also heard of stories where hospitals pet dogs, who patrol around the hospital, roaming about wards and other rooms and spending time with patients.

But how is it possible especially in an aspect where even the most sophisticated instruments and most experienced doctors feel helpless? Again this is due to their keen sense of smell. Here’s the fact: Dogs can sense VOCs that are given out by our body through sweat. Now what are VOCs? VOC is a term used for Volatile Organic Compounds. These include various chemicals that are even toxic, but are an important part of our metabolism.

How do only dogs smell VOCs? Not that only dogs smell them, even we can smell them too. The only difference is that they can smell a very large variety of VOCs while we can smell merely a dozen odd ones.

Dogs, depending on their breed, can have 10,000 to 1, 00,000 times stronger sense of smell. If I give you an example, you will understand the magnitude. A dog can smell a teaspoon of sugar in million gallons of water. This might seem unreal or fake to you but if trained properly, certain breeds, can sharpen their skills so-much-so- that they could even warn an epilepsy patient of an attack in the near future. Foreign countries have set up centres that train dogs to sense subtle changes occurring in human body that reflect the presence of a disease.

The next part is for pet parents that house 2 or more dogs at home.

They can sense when you are unfair with them

You wouldn’t believe that dogs do have a sense of justice. In an Austrian study, when two dogs performed an activity and only one of the two was rewarded, even when both of them did it correctly, the un-rewarded dog was seen to be agitated at the sight of the other dog. Their classic reaction was to lick their paws and scratch their ears in impatience.

Dogs have inherited their sense of justice from their ancestors- wolfs. Wolfs lived, ate, hunted and migrated in packs and they had some very strict rules. The one who failed to perform his duty was punished. He was refused of any rewards that the pack would get. Not just wolfs, chimps too worked in the same way.

But here, in case of the study, the dog which did perform his duty was denied reward and that triggered agitation.

Interestingly, if you could not manage to get two equal gifts, then that’s not a problem at all. For example if the first dog gets a dog-cookie and the second one gets an ordinary dog-biscuit, you would be surprised that both of them were equally happy with their respective prizes. I have already mentioned this in the previous article: Dogs are as intelligent as a 2 year old human kid. That is the reason why they cannot differentiate between a big/small or costly/cheap reward.

I can relate the next part of this article with my life. Angel has been living in my house since six years now, and she always knows when I am angry. She has a habit of tearing newspapers, books, or any paper; into pieces, when I’m away from home for long periods of time. When I come home, I see her drowning in a pile of paper bits

They can sense your anger

If you have spent some years with your pet now, then you will agree with me. Experienced pets know when their pet-parents are angry. Experienced pet-parents need not utter a single word to make their pet understand that they do not appreciate his behaviour.

Often, when you find your dog guilty of something, a simple gesture is enough to get him down on his knees, trembling and whining. (Here the intention is not to torture your pet but to send a strong signal that you won’t approve of such behaviour). You just need to keep your hands on your hip and give him a narrow-eyed stare.

But do not praise yourself for fixing the blame on him just because he shows signs of guilt. More often than not, dogs display signs of guilt just because you are angry. They do not know if you are angry because of them or because of something else. Since the source is unclear, dogs have no choice but to be guilty and blame themselves for your anger.

This can be disastrous, in some situations. When you are not sure if he’s guilty and you punish him (by anger), and if this happens repeatedly, your dog is bound to get undisciplined and frustrated. Your inconsistent behaviour can create an impression in the dog’s mind that you are unfair to him. (I have already talked about the sense of justice in the previous part of this article).

A sincere request all pet-parents: Please do not reprimand your pets before you are absolutely sure that your dog is guilty. This can plague your relationship with him and lead to various behavioural problems, ultimately leaving you with no choice but to abandon your pet. Please do not let this happen to you pet.

The next article in this series would talk about some other emotions/feelings/attitude that dogs comprehend and react to.

The post Sensible Dogs – Part 2 appeared first on Pet Attack.

We pet owners have a habit of boasting about our dogs’ extra-sensory-abilities, or, in simple words- sixth sense. Now, please don’t think that this article is a revamp, extension or revised edition of onr of my previous articles: ‘Sixth Sense or Non-sense’.

The reason for attributing their extra-sensory-abilities to the so called sixth sense is unknown, but we know one thing for sure – dogs have an uncanny understanding of human emotions. In the world when we humans complain that our fellow humans fail to understand our feelings, it is quite surprising that dogs can, not just interpret complex and intense human emotions, but react to them accordingly. This ability can be attributed to the lifestyle of their ancestors. Erstwhile dogs were highly social, lived and travelled in pack and shared very strong emotional bond with other dogs. Surprisingly, they even had rituals that helped them bond and many such social structures that seem to correspond to human social interactions. This is the reason why we humans consider dogs to be our best ‘animal’ friend – if I may say so. The same set of abilities that helped dogs establish emotional connect in a pack, is inherited by the 21^st century dogs due to which we still pet them.

Food for thought: Even as monkeys, apes, chimpanzees, gorillas etc are more related to humans than dogs or any other species, we still connect better with dogs, why?

In this article series, we will look at some of the various emotions/feelings/attitude that dogs comprehend and react to.

Before I continue, I want to clarify that some parts of this article are mere observation and may/may not be backed with appropriate statistical data to come to a concrete conclusion. Reader’s discretion is of utmost importance.

1. They can sense your intentions

Ever wondered how your dog knows you are going to bathe him even before you search for his towel or switch on the heater?

The moment you decide to bathe him, and stand up to make your move, he’ll run for his life and hide. This was a negative response to a positive stimulus.

On the other hand, when he is hurt and you try to attend to him or nurse him, you might unintentionally hurt him but he knows that your intentions are clean and you want to help him. This is a positive response.

But the million dollar question is: “How does the dog understand your intentions even before you implement them? And more importantly, how do they react accordingly?”

One study shows that dogs do this by observing your body language. “Learning & Behaviour”, a study published in 2011 found that pet dogs are as intelligent as a 2-year-old human. Amazing isn’t it? This implies that your pet-friend can potentially understand the meaning of approximately 160 odd words. Not just this, they can also sense changes in your body language and react to these changes.

For dogs, your tell-tale signs are eye-contact, and hand gestures. Let us come back to the ‘bath’ example, when you think of bathing him, you inadvertently glance at the bathroom or his bathtub, this visual queue is enough for him to ring bells in his mind. These bells tell him that you are eager enough to clean his skunk-like fur odour that he is proud of.

2. They can sense your fear

Have you ever been afraid of darkness and at that instant, your dog leaps onto your lap and licks you as if to say: “I’m here, do not worry!”? I would not be surprised if I get mixed responses for this question because, in such situations, smaller dogs seek for your lead while larger ones will come to your rescue.

They do this with the help of their sharp olfactory sense (nasal sense).  They can smell the change in concentration of adrenaline in your sweat and they associate it with fear.

How do they know what fear is?

Fear is an emotion/feeling that is shared and experienced by almost all cognitively-able animals. In fact, it is one of the basis of their survival. We are well aware of the three Fs induced by fear: Fright, Flight, or Fight. Imagine an animal that has no fear, it would face all other animals, be it mightier or meeker in comparison to it. This would amount to underestimating the opponent, and if the foe is stronger, then the fearless animal is at its own peril.

Dogs can smell fear and can intuitively recognize our body language associated with it.

They too have a template reaction to fear. Some of the template reactions which both humans and dogs share are: Goosebumps, dilated pupils, change in stance or posture, and curling of lips etc. They can associate their fear and ours, and hence understand what our reaction to it looks like. In combination with their ‘smell’ sense, you’ll have no doubt that they can sense your fear.

3. They can sense shift in your priority (and feel jealous about it too)

Take a look at this conversation and you will understand what I’m trying to imply.

Pet parent: “My dog has been acting weird all of a sudden. I do not know what to do!”

Me: “Has he been like this before?”

Pet parent: “No, he has started behaving like this only after I have bought a new gadget.”

Me: “Aha! There’s your problem. Your dog sensed a sudden shift in your priority after you purchased a new gadget and he might as well feel jealous about it.”

If your dog has been acting weird after you have joined a new job/ brought home a new pet/ bought a new gadget/ anything that could shift your focus from him to the new thing; then it is a classic case of jealousy!

Jealousy is one part and being left out all alone is totally another, It is a sincere request to all pet parents, please do not neglect your pet. The most important thing in your pet’s life is you.

The only remedy to a jealous dog is to give his ‘me time’ back to him. Try and spend more and more time with your dog and make it a point that you use positive assertions/adjectives to make him feel better. Praise and reward him often so that you win his confidence and trust back.

The next article in this series would talk about some other emotions/feelings/attitude that dogs comprehend and react to.  

The post Sensible Dogs – Part 1 appeared first on Pet Attack.