Fun dog facts!
1. An adult dog has 42 teeth.
2. A dog’s sense of smell is more than 1 million times stronger than that of a person.
3. More than 1 in 3 families in the United States owns a dog.
4. Spaying or neutering your dog can help prevent certain types of cancer.
5. If never spayed or neutered, a pair of dogs can produce 66,000 puppies in 6 years.
6. A dog’s sense of hearing is more than 10 times more accurate than that of a person.
7. The average dog can run about 19 miles per hour at full speed.
8. Dogs are mentioned 14 times in the Bible.
9. A dog’s nose print is one of a kind, very similar to a person’s fingerprint.
10. The average body temperature for a dog is 101.2.
11. With an average lifespan of just over 11 years, the typical dog costs $13,500.
12. The only sweat glands a dog has are between its toes.
13. Dogs are omnivorous; they need to eat more than just meat.
14. Dogs have twice as many ear muscles as people.
15. Dogs will be submissive to anyone they feel is higher up in the pack.
16. People have been keeping dogs for pets for 12,000 years.
17. A female dog carries her puppies for about 60 days before they are born.
18. It is a myth dogs are color blind; they actually see color, just not as vividly as a person.
19. Obesity is the number-one health problem in dogs.
20. Seventy percent of people sign their pets name on greeting/holiday cards.
Summer Heat and your Dog
heat is on (and even if the power isn’t).
Practice basic summer safety
Never leave your pets in a parked car
Not even for a minute. Not even with the car running and air conditioner on. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees.Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die. Learn how to help a pet left inside a hot car by taking action or calling for help. Local law enforcement can follow this handy guide for how to proceed.
Print our hot car flyer [PDF] and spread the life-saving word »
Watch the humidity
“It’s important to remember that it’s not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet,” says Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD, of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. “Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly.”
Taking a dog’s temperature will quickly tell you if there is a serious problem. Dogs’ temperatures should not be allowed to get over 104 degrees. If your dog’s temperature does, follow the instructions below for treating heat stroke.
Pet Cooling
Items on Amazon.com»
Limit exercise on hot days
Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating.
Don’t rely on a fan
Pets respond differently to heat than humans do. (Dogs, for instance, sweat primarily through their feet.) And fans don’t cool off pets as effectively as they do people.
Provide ample shade and water
Any time your pet is outside, make sure they have protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don’t obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—in fact, it makes it worse.
Cool your pet inside and out
Whip up a batch of quick and easy DIY peanut butter popsicles for dogs. (You can use peanut butter or another favorite food.) And always provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.
Keep your pet from overheating indoors or out with a cooling body wrap, vest, or mat (such as the Keep Cool Mat). Soak these products in cool water, and they’ll stay cool (but usually dry) for up to three days. If your dog doesn’t find baths stressful, see if they enjoy a cooling soak.
Storms and your Pets
From the WebMD Archives
Thunderstorm phobia in dogs is real, not uncommon, and shouldn’t be ignored, experts say.
“Most of the time they don’t grow out of it on their own, and many will get worse with time if nothing is done,” says Matt Peuser, DVM, a veterinarian at Olathe Animal Hospital in Kansas.
Why does storm phobia happen, and what can you do if your dog suffers from it?
Storm Phobia Triggers
Veterinarians don’t know all the triggers but suspect the dogs are set off by some combination of wind, thunder, lightning, barometric pressure changes, static electricity, and low-frequency rumbles preceding a storm that humans can’t hear. According to one theory, dogs experience painful shocks from static buildup before the storm.
4 Quick Tips for Calming a Dog During Thunderstorms
- Don’t excessively coddle and comfort and over soothe your pet . Seriously. …
- Use a quiet spot in your home as a shelter of sorts. …
- Turn off the TV or radio — well, any loud noise. …
- Sounds ridiculous, but simply try to distract him.
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How does a ThunderShirt work for a dog?These snug-fitting shirts target various pressure points, creating a sensation similar to swaddling a baby. Veterinarians and dog trainers frequently recommend this drug-free option for dogs that suffer from separation anxiety, fear of loud noises (thus the name “Thundershirt”) and travel anxiety.
Photo by Philippe Donn on Pexels.com
Best chew toys for puppies
What is good for puppies to chew on?
At a Glance: Our Choices for Best Chew Toys for Teething Puppies
- Kong Puppy Toy.
- N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring Chicken Flavor.
- Nylabone Romp ‘N Chomp Bone Dog Treat and Chew Toy.
- Nylabone Just For Puppies Ring Bone Puppy Dog Teething Chew Toy.
- Benebone Bacon Flavored Wishbone Chew Toy.
- VIP Products Tuffy’s ring tug.
Understanding your puppy: tips from American Kennel club.
1. Understand that a puppy is an infant dog – not a miniature adult. Adjust your expectations accordingly, considering his physical and mental limitations. Before you know it, he will be grown up!
2. Puppy-proof your house with baby gates, a crate, and/or a pen. Any time the puppy is not directly supervised, he should be in a safe place where he can’t get into trouble. Provide appropriate safe toys for him to chew. Nobody would think of giving a human toddler total freedom in a home, and puppies need the same careful supervision. Eliminating opportunities for accidents and destructive behavior will get you through the puppy phase with most of your stuff intact! This helps make sure that bad habits never get a chance to take hold.
3. Dogs are not born understanding English. The new puppy you brought home two days ago has no idea what the word “no” means. Instead of expecting him to drop whatever it is he’s doing, show him what you want him to do instead.
4. Learn about dog body language. Your dog may not be able to talk, but he can tell you how he feels. This is a good place to start learning what he’s saying: /content/entertainment/articles/how-to-read-dog-body-language/
5. Train with high-value treats. You will be amazed at how much harder your dog will work for a tiny piece of chicken breast, cheese, or liver, compared to even premium store-bought treats. Those may work in distraction-free settings, but when the job gets more difficult, you need to bring out the good stuff. Training treats should be soft, so you don’t have to wait for Rover to chew before continuing the lesson.
6. Catch your dog being good. It’s easy to get caught up in scolding when your puppy is getting into trouble, but rewarding him out of the blue for being good lets him know he’s doing the right thing.
7. He’s a dog, not a human. It’s their “doggyness,” not what we think of as their similarity to humans, that makes them so lovable. Dogs don’t think like humans. They do not plot acts of revenge; they are just trying to do what makes them feel happy or safe.
8. Dogs do the things that we reinforce. Those behaviors you don’t like? We usually have ourselves to thank. Owners inadvertently reinforce all kinds of undesirable things, from excessive barking at the doorbell to counter surfing. Keep leaving food within reach on the counter, and your dog will learn that it’s worth his while to check.
Happy Easter
Easter safety for your dogs!
1: Say No to Easter Grass
Easter grass can make a basket really pretty but it’s irresistible for dogs and cats. They love to chew on it and if ingested it can be dangerous. Use tissue paper instead or if you do use Easter grass, keep those baskets out of reach of your pets.
2: Keep Chocolate Away From Pets
Chocolate contains theobromine and can cause hyperactivity, seizures, and an elevated heart rate in dogs. Keep the Easter stash hidden and away from your dog.
3: Sugar Substitute Xylitol is Toxic to Pets
Candy that has the sugar substitute xylitol, a sweetener, is toxic to dogs and cats. It’s often found in candy, gum, and some baked goods. If your pet ingests it, a drop in blood sugar can occur and cause problems such as seizures and liver failure. You may have to put your dog in another room while the kids celebrate Easter and dive into that basket of candy and chocolate.
