Experts estimate that over a million dogs suffer from canine osteoarthritis in the UK and a shocking 650,000 of these cases go undiagnosed. This is because arthritis is really difficult to spot and, unlike humans, dogs don't display obvious signs of chronic pain.

Joe Inglis, a vet who has appeared in the media, has said,

"Hundreds of thousands of our dogs are suffering every minute of the day with really painful joints and there's a strong chance that yours could be one of them. The funny thing is that you wouldn't know because they will only yelp if they experience sharp pain, like stepping on glass, but with a gnawing pain like arthritis they'll just put up with it and it'll get worse and worse."

Joe continues,

"People need to take action, check out their dog and take them to the vet for a professional diagnosis. Once the condition has been identified, it can be treated immediately and your dog can be back to fighting fit condition.

Symptoms of Canine Osteoarthritis Include:

- Licking or self injury
- Reluctance to walk or play
- Difficulty in getting up, climbing stairs and/or jumping into the car
- Limping or stiffness
- Change in character or aggression
- Reduced interaction with people
- Reduced appetite
- Increase in anxiety/clinginess

Find out more: http://www.k9magazine.com/arthritis-in-dogs

Experts estimate that over a million dogs suffer from canine osteoarthritis in the UK and a shocking 650,000 of these cases go undiagnosed. This is because arthritis is really difficult to spot and, unlike humans, dogs don't display obvious signs of chronic pain.

Joe Inglis, a vet who has appeared in the media, has said,

"Hundreds of thousands of our dogs are suffering every minute of the day with really painful joints and there's a strong chance that yours could be one of them. The funny thing is that you wouldn't know because they will only yelp if they experience sharp pain, like stepping on glass, but with a gnawing pain like arthritis they'll just put up with it and it'll get worse and worse."

Joe continues,

"People need to take action, check out their dog and take them to the vet for a professional diagnosis. Once the condition has been identified, it can be treated immediately and your dog can be back to fighting fit condition.

Symptoms of Canine Osteoarthritis Include:

- Licking or self injury
- Reluctance to walk or play
- Difficulty in getting up, climbing stairs and/or jumping into the car
- Limping or stiffness
- Change in character or aggression
- Reduced interaction with people
- Reduced appetite
- Increase in anxiety/clinginess

Find out more: http://www.k9magazine.com/arthritis-in-dogs

As a dog owner, you'll know just how crucial it is to keep your dog safe and protected in their home and garden.

With dog theft on the rise and straying figures also climbing, this timely guide from DogTips.co (how to dog proof your home) is essential reading for any dog lover.

In the article you'll learn how to implement easy, actionable measures to keep your dog secure and to make your home the safe environment it needs to be.

Have a look: http://www.dogtips.co/dog-proof-home/

How to stop a puppy from biting your hand too hard is one of those problems that crop up over and over again on these pages.

We've recently recommended the FANTASTIC 'Cure Puppy Biting' book which helps owners solve this perennial canine behaviour issue inside the space of a dinner break. But we thought we'd do a more indepth article on the topic.

Animals play much rougher than people do, but this isn't a problem when they're playing among themselves. They have thick fur that protects them from each other's teeth. People, with their soft skin and hairless bodies, are much more vulnerable. Adult dogs understand this, but puppies don't. In fact, when they get really caught up in a game, they can get carried away and forget who they're playing with.

Dogs from 6 months to 2 years old do the most biting. Like human teens, they have more energy and strength than judgment. Plus, they're constantly testing boundaries. Even when they know they're not supposed to bite, they'll try just to see what happens. Dogs usually bite when everyone is running around and getting worked up. The faster and more furious the game, the more stimulated dogs get.

At that point, they're prepared to match playful aggression with more aggression. And once they're caught up in the camaraderie and competition, they may forget all their good manners and do rude things, including jumping on people, knocking over lamps, and biting.

Some lessons need to be taught at home. For dogs, one of the most important lessons they'll ever learn is that biting is bad manners. Mom dogs and other puppies in the litter have a very effective way of discouraging bites. They bite back, giving a little extra oomph for emphasis. It doesn't take dogs long to learn that biting invariably invites stronger bites in return.

By the time they're 8 weeks old, most pups have learned that biting their elders and playmates is a bad idea, even when they're playing. And most of them carry this knowledge into their human families.

However, if a puppy is taken away from his siblings and his mother too early - especially before 6 weeks of age - he won't have learned the proper etiquette about biting. At this point, it's up to his human "littermates" to teach the lessons that the poor pup didn't get earlier.

It's not always easy to do, mainly because of instinct: Puppies have an instinct to bite, and people have an instinct to swat the offending muzzle. This teaches dogs two things. They find that they can stop someone from swatting them by biting their hands and holding them. Second, they may decide that any hands coming toward them are fair game for biting.

How to Stop a Puppy From Biting - An Alternative View

Lena Carlson of How to be an Alpha Dog writes

If you have just bought your new puppy home and are reading this article, then you should congratulate yourself. Many owners of a new puppy do not do anything about their puppyÕs biting habit until they are almost fully grown adult dogs. It is easy to understand this behaviour, the puppy is very cute and almost comical in the way that it tries to bite at your toes, but unfortunately as your pup grows up, the bites will be harder and may even lead to aggression. Therefore it is essential that you let your puppy know that biting is not okay, no matter how cute they may be!

Puppies will learn so much about life and etiquette in their first 8 weeks of life, and one such lesson will be focused on biting. The little puppy that bites his brother will get just as big a bite back and they will quickly come to learn that the biting hurts.

To ensure that your puppy fully benefits from these lessons ensure they remain with their mum and litter until they are at least 8 weeks of age.

When you get your puppy home, you will need to develop your plan for biting, teach everyone in your home what to do if the puppy bites in any circumstance, especially if the bite occurs while you are playing. The first thing is to ensure you do not shout or hit your puppy, as you will confuse them. Instead, let your puppy know that you are hurt; the most effective way to do this is by a quick yelp and then follow this with a soft whimpering. While you are doing this, give the puppy one of his toys and withdraw from the game or interaction for a little while.

Because you are copying how a puppy would react if he or she were bitten while in their litter, your puppy is more likely to understand that they have hurt you. They also will associate the bite with the end of play together time, which will add to his or her lesson.

When your puppy starts chewing or biting the toy that you have given them, encourage and praise him or her to let them know that they are doing a good job.

Finally, it is best to avoid games, which can promote biting or aggression such as chase, tug-of-war and wrestling. Substitute these with games of fetch and extra walks.

Puppy Training

Whether or not your puppy bites, it is best to enrol him or her into obedience school. These are a great way to teach your puppy basic commands in addition to them learning valuable socialisation skills. If your puppy does bite, ask for a special class that focuses on this behaviour.

Keep up the training at home and reinforce the commands that your dog has learnt. Be strong and do not go soft on the puppy by letting him or her get away with nipping at you or your family. It is easy to let the puppy off because you know they didnÕt mean it, but if you do, you will be confusing them and quite possibly making the problem harder to get rid of later on.

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Go to: http://www.puppybiting.co.uk for more tips on how to solve puppy biting problems.

Ahh. That perennial question: why do dogs dig?

Dogs, it would appear, love to dig.

Let us see if we can't get to the bottom of this fascinating canine behavior trait and learn the secret as to why dogs love to dig.

Some dogs have practical reasons for digging: It gets them under the fence! They're convinced that there is something underground worth having. Or they simply want to create a comfy, climate-controlled bed in which they can curl up and go to sleep.

Can Second Hand Smoke Harm Dogs?

March is the month where National No Smoking Day urges people across the country consider stubbing out once and for all, leading veterinary charity, PDSA, is encouraging owners to consider their pet’s health when lighting up.

Research* shows cats exposed to second-hand smoke are twice as likely to develop feline lymphoma, a potentially fatal form of cancer, in smoking households. It can also make them sneeze, cough and wheeze.

Dogs are also very susceptible to smoking-related respiratory problems and their exposure to tobacco smoke has been linked to nasal and sinus cancers**.

Cigarette smoke can also be extremely harmful to pet birds, which have very sensitive respiratory systems.

“The effects of passive smoking on humans are well known, but many people don’t realise their pets are also affected by breathing in second-hand smoke,” says PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Sean Wensley.

“Studies have shown that animals dislike toxic fumes in their living environment, it causes their day-to-day life to become extremely unpleasant. As with people, the effects of cigarette smoke eventually take their toll on our pets, who then have to suffer the pain and distress of life-threatening cancer or chronic breathing difficulties.”

So next time your cat cuddles up to you on the sofa or your dog brings his ball for you to throw, please think about their health and don’t light up!

For more information about pet health log onto www.pdsa.org.uk.

Clear your garden path in this wet weather, warns PDSA: dogs in danger from lungworms / slugs

The current wet summer weather may be annoying for us but it’s causing chest problems for many of our pet cats and dogs, says leading veterinary charity, PDSA. In many areas of the UK, vets are seeing cats and dogs with lungworms caused by eating snails, which thrive in wet conditions.

Sean Wensley, PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, says: “Some slugs and snails carry infective larvae which, if eaten by a cat or a dog, can lead to lungworm. In cats, these lungworms live in the lungs, which can cause the cat to cough. In the dog, these thin worms live in the blood vessels that supply the lungs, which can also cause coughing, as well as problems with the circulation.

In rare cases these worm infestations can be very serious indeed – even fatal. PDSA vets have seen a gradual increase in pets affected by lungworm, which was previously confined only to Wales and the South West, but is now seen in many areas of the UK.”

Can dog clubs solve behaviour problems such as fighting, wrecking the house, or attacking the Hoover? Frankly no, these problems need to be dealt with in your own home by an experienced behaviour advisor. Dogs never have ‘just the one’ problem, but often it is only one of many which drives owners mad, or proves to be expensive. If your dog has any behaviour problems, sort those out first, as training will not help.

Do dominant dogs benefit from training? Eventually, but how do you spot dominance in your dog? Most dogs will assume dominant behaviour if they feel the lack of leadership within the household. A good rule of thumb is a dog who won’t be groomed won’t be trained.

The reason for this is that superior or dominant dogs will not accept grooming from their inferiors. Should you find yourself in this position, get advice and sort out who makes the rules in your house. Dogs do not appreciate being in charge, this is your job, but they will take on the role if you refuse to.

What can you expect to learn at a Club? Walking on the lead without pulling, returning when called, sitting, lying down and staying when told to are the basic building blocks, and you can expect to learn these exercises first. Should competition work be your goal, you will need to find a specialist Club.

Should you simply want a well behaved pet, try a club which hosts The Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Scheme, as this means that the training should be well planned, follows a well thought out route and you get to earn certificates and rosettes along the way! It also means that the Club is listed with The Kennel Club, and that it has valid insurance. The latter is important, as should you have an accident, or you or your dog suffer injury, an Insurance claim will need to be made. Well trained Instructors will show you how to use play, food, body language and voice to train your dog, and never a check chain in sight!

Common dog training problems

In a recent survey, 89% of owners said they had turned to the Internet to help them succeed with puppy house training. Training a new dog to go to the toilet outdoors is one of the most common behaviour problems new owners encounter. Dog club won't solve this particular problem but some of the people who attend dog clubs will certainly be able to advise!

Article sponsors and resources:

• Dog training Durham
• Puppy paper training
• Online dog training techniques
• Dog tips
  

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London / petbuzz / March 2011
Distributed by Robin Wiseacre on behalf of petbuzz :: social media for pet brands.

Did You Know The Connection Between Hip Dysplasia In Dogs & Arthritis In Humans?

Canine hip dysplasia is a developmental malformation of the hip joint in dogs. The same condition was recognized in humans by Hippocrates in the year 370 B.C. In the past six decades, a lot of money, effort, and time have been used in the study and research of canine hip dysplasia. This calls for all of us who are interested in, and have a deep love for dogs, to pause and determine our course of action toward the control of this condition.