Many people are familiar with the gentle and melancholy Basset Hound. If you have always been interested in this intriguing breed, or are considering buying a new puppy, a Basset Hound is a worthy consideration. Here are some intriguing facts and details about this amazing breed:

The name Basset Hound is derived from the French word bas, which translates into English as “low.” Some historians strongly believe that this breed is a direct descendent of the Bloodhound. Others believe that the Basset Hound breed is a product of a genetic dwarf line of French hunting hound dogs. Though the true origin may be somewhat foggy, we do know that Basset Hounds have an affinity for hunting fox, pheasant, opossum, and hare. Because of their build, they are generally known for their relaxed manner of hunting. They are methodical in all of their movements and they slowly approach their prey without causing alarm. They were especially perfect for joining people hunting on foot, because they enjoy slower pacing and being with people.

These dogs certainly have an interesting physique. They are considerably short (11 to 15 inches tall) and generally weigh 45 to 65 pounds. They are stocky in build, and have short legs, similar to that of a dachshund’s. They have loose skin, and their coat is often a mixture of white and chestnut coloring, yet there are sometimes brief patches of black present as well. Their ears are long and floppy, which frame their noble faces. Their muzzle is long and straight, and they have a wide black nose and long lips. Their deep brown eyes have a droopy appearance, yet it only compliments their kind and loyal demeanor. They are strong and barrel-chested, and they have a deep, almost musical bark.

Basset Hounds are incredibly kind and loyal dogs. They enjoy being around people and they are also exceedingly faithful companions. They are somewhat hard to train, but if you are patient and are willing to work with your pet, they will have learned their lessons for life and they will absolutely adore you. They love their owners and get along exceptionally well with children as well. Because they are short, they do not threaten children, and they also have such a regal and kindly expression that children simply melt over these dogs!

As with most breeds, there are a few health issues that Basset Hounds are prone to. Because of their long body and short legs, if a Basset Hound becomes overweight from inactivity, it can easily cause stress to their back and their spine. If unattended, this can lead to lameness and possible paralysis if weight loss is not taken into action. They also have a tendency to bloat, so feeding them 2 to 3 small meals a day should do the trick.

Basset Hounds are kind, loyal, and make excellent hunting and companion dogs. They love people, especially children, and they are great for living in apartments or a simple neighborhood home. If you live in a small space but are considering purchasing a new puppy, consider a Basset Hound!

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With all of the emphasis on being “green” and “organic” in today’s world, there is no reason why we can’t continue that thinking when it comes to our pets. If you’re concerned about the flea treatments your pet receives and you’re looking for a natural alternative to flea medications, follow the steps below for a more natural approach to flea treatment.

Step 1: Feed your pet a healthy and well balanced diet. Fleas prey on weaker animals with weaker immune systems. If your pet is receiving high quality processed foods with no fillers or byproducts, his immune system will be strong and he will not be as attractive to fleas.

Step 2: Talk to your vet about adding supplements to your pet’s diet. Essential fatty acids are known to have good health benefits and digestive enzymes can help break down your pet’s food for the most benefit to his immune system. Even natural ingredients such as garlic can ward off fleas because it makes your pet un-tasty. (Do your research to make sure the supplements are safe for all of your types of pets.)

Step 3: Bathe your pet regularly with a natural shampoo. There are many green and organic shampoos available, but even an oatmeal bath will do. Not only will this deter fleas from landing on your pet, it will help them to evacuate if they have already taken up residence. 

Step 4: Purchase natural repellent products that can help with the defense of fleas. These can be applied prior to the flea season and generally contain essential oil products and are completely safe for your pet.

Step 5: Comb your pet regularly to check for fleas. During flea season pets should be combed daily. (Comb them outside just in case you happen to find some fleas; this will keep them outdoors.) 

Step 6: Maintain a healthy indoor environment. Purchase an herbal flea powder that can be sprinkled onto the carpet and vacuumed up. During flea season, vacuum and wash floors on a daily basis. 

Step 7: Maintain a healthy outdoor environment. It’s really important to keep your yard healthy, as this is where most fleas will first gather. Keep your lawn trimmed and watered. (Watering can actually help to drown fleas in your yard!) Visit a nursery and ask for flea parasites. Flea parasites can be watered into your yard with the garden hose and as my husband says, “Let nature fight nature!”

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It’s no secret that advancements in medicine have been passed onto our pets.  Now, dogs and cats alike can recover from serious surgical procedures that were unheard of in the past.  Along with the advancements in medicine comes the need for people and animals alike to volunteer their services.  Blood transfusions require donations from many volunteers, and now that procedure has been passed onto the animal world, creating a new way for your pet to volunteer.

 

Just as humans can donate blood for other humans, dogs and cats are now needed to provide the same service.  Dogs can donate for dogs, and cats can donate for cats.  Although there are not too many animal blood banks open for business yet, they are rising in popularity.  Many animal emergency hospitals have their own blood donation sites.  In the past, animals of the veterinarians and other veterinary workers were used as donors.  Some organizations would even rescue animals that would have otherwise been euthanized, house them and use them as blood donors, and then provide lifelong homes for them once they exceed the blood donation age limit.  Now, organizations are opening their doors for volunteers.

 

Each organization has its own rules for donor eligibility.  If you feel that your pet would be a good match, then check with a local organization for specific requirements.  In general, the dog needs to be at least one year old, but no older than nine years of age.  Some organizations set the age limit lower and only allow donations from dogs less than six years of age.  In addition to age requirements, there are weight requirements.  This isn’t much of a surprise since the same is true for human blood donors.  To be eligible, the dog must weigh at least 50 pounds.  Health is another factor in donations.  A dog must be physically healthy and up to date on all vaccinations.  The only medications the dog is allowed to be on at the time of donation are flea and heartworm preventatives.  Any dog that donates must be on a heartworm preventative.  Some facilities will provide the preventative free of charge for the donors.  If the dog meets basic eligibility requirements, then he will be permitted to undergo a prescreening.

 

There is more to donating than just a health requirement.  If you have ever donated, then you know that you must sit still for about half an hour.  The same is true for a dog.  The dog must have an even temperament and be willing and able to lie on his side for a period of time (around half an hour).  You may wonder how they get cats to sit still that long.  Many animal blood banks use their own cats instead of volunteers.  The cats are sedated during the donation process.  Like the dogs, the cats give blood until they retire, then they are provided lifelong homes. 

 

If the prescreening is approved, then the owner and a member of the facility will have a meeting to determine the requirements of the volunteer.  Since so much time and effort is put into finding appropriate volunteers, most organizations require some sort of frequency and length commitment from the owner.  The frequency and length of donation vary for each animal blood bank.  For example, a dog may be required to donate every two to three months for a length of three years before he can “retire.”  Or, he may be asked to donate four times each year until he reaches a certain age.

           

If you wish for your pet to become a volunteer blood donor, then check with local animal hospitals.  As mentioned before, animal blood banks are not yet numerous, so there may not be one in your area.  You can, however, encourage the hospital to start a donation center.  Your pet’s willingness to donate will show that starting an animal blood bank is a possibility in your area.

 

Pets are now undergoing and surviving surgeries that were otherwise unheard of in the past.  Now, it is possible and necessary for pets to donate blood.  Once the animals qualify for donation, dogs can donate for other dogs and cats can donate for other cats.  If you are interested in volunteering your pet for blood donation, then check with local animal hospitals to find a facility near you.

 

This article was provided by the authors at pet super store an online pet supplies store featuring dog car seat covers and pet crates.

           

           

There’s nothing more beautiful than a lush, green summer lawn.  People spend lots of money and lots of time keeping their yards attractive all year long.  For owners with pets, urine spots can be detrimental to that perfect grass.  If your pet is urinating in your lawn, there are a few things you can do to make the spots less numerous and less noticeable.

The first factor you should consider is your pooch.  No, he isn’t a bad dog for urinating all over your lawn.  He simply has not been taught not to do those things.  You can train him to urinate in a desired location, but it will take time.  Start by choosing a desired urination location.  Pick an area that is hidden from view or that will not be easily affected by urine.  For instance, if you have shrubs or bushes surrounding your property, then pick a spot that is concealed by the greenery.  Or, if you have an area with fine gravel (not rough or large) or mulch, then make that the potty zone.  Wherever you choose, make sure that it is somewhere your pet will want to use and feel comfortable using.  It should not be an area with high traffic, nor should it be near your dog’s “home” area.

Start training as soon as possible.  It’s also a good idea to not leave your dog unsupervised until the training is complete.  When you let your dog out to pee, whether he is leaving the house or a fenced in area, take him directly to the desired spot before allowing him to run around the lawn.  Come up with a command such as “potty,” and reward your dog for obeying.  When he urinates in an undesired location, then tell him “no” or use an equivalent command.  Don’t get angry with him; remember, patience is key.  Don’t be fooled; it may take awhile for your pet to understand what you want.  While your pet is in training, there will probably be lawn accidents.  If your pet urinates in an undesired location, then grab a bucket of water or a hose and pour water over the area.  Diluting the area can help ease the burns that your grass may suffer.

Many people believe that adding substances to your pet’s diet can change the composition (and, in return, the harmful effects) of his urine.  Tomato juice, baking soda, and specially formulated treats have all been named as lawn helpers.  Until you speak to your veterinarian, do not introduce any sort of extra substance to your pet.  You never know how the dietary change could affect his health.  You can, however, make sure that your pooch is drinking enough water.  The more water he drinks, the more diluted his urine will be.  Do not force him to drink more water or add substances to the water that promote drinking.  Instead, encourage him to drink by making the water more appealing.  On those hot days, try to keep the water as cool as possible by adding ice cubes and refilling the bowl often.  He’ll enjoy the cool refreshment!

Instead of focusing on your dog’s diet, continue to focus on his behavior as a way to stop the urination.  In the meantime, you can work on getting your lawn back to being beautiful.  There are many companies that make lawn repair products that cover the spots and promote new grass growth.  Brampton Instant Lawn Repair and K-9 Yard Patch are two such products.  Your best bet is planting a grass that will better withstand urine spots.  Before you seed the area, make sure you use a rake to scrape away the topsoil.  Follow the directions on the seed packs to get your new grass growing.  Aerating your yard can also help promote new growth. 

Sometimes, it can be tough to manage a beautiful lawn and a beloved pooch at the same time.  Your dog’s urine can cause yellow or even dead spots all along your grass.  Just like housetraining, you may need to implement a potty training program for your pooch.  Teaching him where to urinate can help protect your lawn.  Never add any sort of substance to your pet’s diet in an effort to change the composition of his urine.  Instead, provide him with plenty of water.  Until your pet is trained, you can find products that cover the spots.  Once your pet is trained, consider planting grass that is not easily burned by urine.

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You do a lot for your dog.  Basically, he asks and you give.  Sometimes, your dog will get so accustomed to receiving that he will forget to ask.  The more this occurs, the pushier your pooch may become.  The Humane Society of the United States suggests training and practicing using the “Nothing in Life is Free” method.  This method is a simple, humane way to establish yourself high up in your pooch’s hierarchical thinking.

Don’t be alarmed by the title; no, you aren’t making your pet actually “pay” for the things he wants.  Instead, you are using positive reinforcement and obedience training to establish proper leadership over your pooch.  Your pet will also benefit from the training, coming away with more confidence.  The training uses your pooch’s sense of hierarchy to place you and others in the leadership position (I’m sure you have heard a thousand times how dog packs establish and respect the leader).  You can use this method to retrain an aggressive or dominant dog.  You can also use the method to take control over a pushy pooch; not all dominant dogs show aggressive behaviors.  If there are other members in your household, then it’s a good idea to let them take part in the Nothing in Life is Free training.  This is especially true for children, since household pets often see children as equals or insubordinates. 

The training starts with simple obedience commands.  To make the training more effective, you must teach your dog to “sit,” “stay,” and “lie down.”  You can also throw in a few trick commands, such as “roll over” and “shake.”  You will use these commands to make your dog wait for what he wants.  He will essentially learn to “ask” you for things instead of commanding or pushing you to do things.

Before you give your dog anything he wants, then you must make him perform a command.  This can apply to anything and everything your pooch asks for.  When he asks, he must do what you say before you provide him with what he wants.  The trick is to never give in to your pet’s wants, because this will only regress the training.  If he refuses to follow your commands, then simply walk away.  Return after a few minutes later and try again.  At first, you may have to repeat this process several times.  As long as you have determination and don’t give in to your pooch, then he will eventually realize that he must do what you ask in order to get what he wants.

Now, here’s how you apply this training to daily indoor activities.  If your pet is begging you for food, then have him sit or lie down until you provide him the food.  Remember, if he refuses to sit until the food hits the floor, then walk away and try again later.  Let’s say you are watching television before you head off to bed.  Your pet sees this as the opportune time to take advantage of a good belly rub.  Instead of giving in to his wants, tell him to lie down and roll over.  Once he does this, you can pet him all you want.  If your pet has a favorite spot on your sofa, then use this training to allow him access to his spot.  Before he is allowed to jump on the couch, have him sit and shake.

The Nothing in Life is Free training can also be used outdoors.  Play and exercise time is the perfect opportunity to practice.  If your pet wants to go for a walk, then have him sit and stay until you get the leash attached.  If he wants to play fetch, then come up with something for him to do when he returns the fetched item.  You can have him hand over the item, and then sit and shake.  Or, you can have him hand over the item and then sit and roll over.

If you are having trouble establishing dominance over your pushy pooch, then try the Nothing in Life is Free training method.  It’s an easy, humane way to teach your dog to “ask” for what he wants.  Forcing your pooch to ask helps you regain and maintain a leadership position.  Work on this method inside and outside your home.  Throwing in a treat or two never hurts, either!     

 

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