Is Your Dog Food Harming Your Dog

dog food harmingYou are certainly familiar with the situation that during the lunch your dog is lurking near the table looking at you with his eager eyes, waiting for some treat.  He is acting like his last meal was couple of days ago. It is well known that dogs are very trusting pets. They will, probably, eat almost everything you give them. So, it is a big responsibility for you as a caring owner to feed your dog in the best possible way. Before selecting a dog food, there are some factors for consideration. Those factors are dog’s age, body condition, dog’s health history and your budget.

You should be aware of the fact that some common food can be harmful to your dog. Most dangerous common food for dogs is chocolate. Although this sweet is very delicious for human, it can be lethal to dogs. In other cases chocolate can cause diarrhea, panting, vomiting, tremors and hyperactivity. Also, you should be very cautious with fruits, garlic, onions, peppers, popcorn, raw eggs, alcoholic beverages, coffee and tea.

It is logical that you should choose what your dog is going to eat instead of taking risk with things that can harm him, but is dog food really the best choice for your pet?

There are different opinions when it comes to the dog food and it is a controversial subject. Ignorance is bliss – sometimes. Most people don’t know what’s really in the dog’s commercially prepared food. The annual revenue of U.S. pet food industry is more than $10 billion. Through the advertising and media they insure consumers that their products are all your dog will ever need. On every pet food box you’ll see the images of beef, plump chickens, and fresh grains. Pet food industry is nothing but an extension of the human food industry. Waste products that are considered unfit for human consumption can be turned into profit by putting them into pet food. Many pet food companies are concealing the real origin of the ingredients or they are changing their quality. They are getting the ingredients from the different farms, different states and sometimes from a different country. Interesting part is that manufacturers are not legally required to inform consumers about those changes.  You are free to go to the pet food company website or call customer service number to ask legitimate questions about the ingredients, taste or if their food contains agricultural rejects. Always bear in your mind that information given by the pet food company can be biased.

Most animal nutritional experts and veterinarians believe that raw diet of bones and meat is the best dog food. A good idea is to combine BARF diet (Bones and Raw Food) with some whole wheat and vegetables. Never use human medication on animals, use vitamins from your local vet.

If your choice is the dog food, avoid low quality dry dog food with too much unnatural products and preservatives. Always go for high quality brands to feed your dog but don’t believe everything they say in commercials.

Best of Luck!

Looking for the Best Dogs for House Guards?

Looking for the Best Dogs for House Guards? Here Are Our Top 10.

Since they were first domesticated, dogs served men as guards. In the whole animal kingdom, dogs are at the top of the affection list. A good guard dog should be loyal to the owner, intelligent, strong and courageous.  Many dogs will alert you to approaching strangers, but few can handle an intruder. Small breeds like Chihuahuas and Terriers are considered to be brave dogs; still what are their chances against the heavyweight dogs? Exactly – none.

BullmastiffHere is our list of 10 best watch dog breeds:

10.   The Staffordshire Bull Terrier was made to fight bulls and bears. This short-haired medium-sized English breed is similar to the American Staffordshire Terrier, although much smaller. Staffordshire Terrier can be very aggressive and, like all the other terriers, has powerful jaws that can bite with immense force.

9.    Kuvasz, Hungarian white sheepdog was bred in order to protect large sheep flocks from wolves. Extremely brave, protective and territorial dog with strong connection to the family is easy to train by a patient master. If he is properly trained, he will defend family from any danger.

8.    Rhodesian Ridgeback, also known as African Lion Hound has strong, independent nature which makes him almost impossible to train at adult age. This breed doesn’t bark often, but when you hear Ridgeback barking, it’s time for red alert.

7.    German Shepherd originated in Germany at the end of the 19th century which makes this breed relatively young. German Shepherd is a hard worker originally developed for herding sheep flocks. His thick fur can be very useful in winter conditions to protect his body from blizzards. His ability to learn quickly makes him favorite police dog for K-9 units.

6.    Giant Schnauzer always requires strict training and constant body and mental exercise. This responsible guard dog bonds with a family for life. The Giant Schnauzer is a territorial dog whose only role is to protect and please owners.

5.    Puli (Hungarian Water Dog) is a Hungarian herding breed well known for its long fur similar to dreadlocks. Puli’s nature is not aggressive, yet he will bark vigorously at the intruder if he senses a threat. Needs bathing on regular basis without any coat brushing after.

4.    Doberman Pinscher is a medium sized muscular dog with short hair. His high intelligence makes him very easy to train. He loves human closeness and bonds easily with owners. Great family and companion dog.

3.    The Komondor has natural instinct for protecting and guarding livestock and property. Represents one of Hungary’s national treasures. This devoted breed is loyal, powerful and courageous.

2.    If trained properly, Rottweiler can be reliable and loving guard dog. His bad reputation comes from some irresponsible owners. Exposure to new people and situations in early stage of development is crucial. Probably the smartest guard dog in the world.

1.    If you want the best guard dog who’s afraid of nothing, than Bullmastiff is your dog. His protection instincts, intelligence, loyalty, mental and physical strength are the perfect combination for the best guard dog in the world. Despite his size, he is very agile and quick.

Want to know the top 10 most intelligent dogs? Read this article.

What Are the Top 10 Most Intelligent Dogs?

Every dog owner thinks that his dog is the smartest dog around (well at least a few we know!). Of course only a few of them would be right. Don’t despair if your dog’s breed isn’t on the list. Some highly intelligent dogs are very hard to train or act destructively when alone in the house. Intelligence of the dog comes in various forms.

Here is our list of the 10 smartest dog breeds.

most intellegent dog10. Australian Cattle Dog.

This smart dog is very active and in constant need for mental and physical exercise. The breed was developed two centuries ago by crossing wild dingoes with Dalmatians and Collies. These dogs are very playful, happy and they are perfect to herd cattle.

9. Rottweiler.

This dog has a fearsome reputation, but when you see Rottweiler around the kids, you will know that this reputation is undeserved. Being highly loyal and family friendly, this dog is a great choice for police or guard. Rottweiler possesses a strong character and it’s always eager to work.

8. The Papillon.

Also known as Dwarf Spaniels because they reach a height of only 11 inches. This miniature breed is one of the oldest European breeds. In order to stay out of trouble keep this dog’s mind always occupied by mental stimulations.

7.    Labrador Retriever.

This intelligent and very gentle dog represents an ideal family pet. With aristocratic looks, Labradors are very sociable and easy to train with strong will to please owners. Golden, black and chocolate are three basic colors of this world’s most popular breed.

6. Shetland Sheepdog.

Very devoted to the owner, this lively dog can be used to herd sheep and cattle. Shetland Sheepdog is medium sized dog originated from Scotland. Breed, known for great sense of hearing and tri-color fur, are very trainable. Most of Sheltie’s owners claim that this dog is as smart as humans.

5. Doberman Pinscher.

This medium-sized dog is alert, incredibly smart and very loyal. If you train your Doberman properly from an early age, you can get brave dog ready to do anything to protect the loved ones. This guardian dog with a short hair comes from Germany and it is often used in military and police.

4. Golden Retriever.

One thing is very interesting with this energetic and great companion dog – it almost never barks. Golden Retriever represents everything we adore about dogs. Eager to please, loves children, sweet, loyal, carefree, easy to train. Can be used as a hunting dog, rescue dog, guide dog and drug sniffing dog.

3. German Shepherd.

For numerous reasons, German Shepherd deserves the third place on the top 10 intelligent dogs list. These dog breed is capable of doing every dog’s job there is. You name it! Their loyalty, intelligence and fierce nature make them perfect work dogs.

2. Standard Poodle.

Many people are not Poodle fans, but they have to agree that this breed deserves runner-up position. Thanks to good looks and intelligence this French breed became very popular all over the world.

1. Without any doubt Border Collie is the most intelligent breed on the planet.

In fact, on nearly every ranking of dog intelligence, Border Collie comes out on top. If you give this workaholic a job and purpose, you’ll make it happy. Collies literally live to work. They come mostly in black and white color.

Dogs Lifespan Vs Human Lifespan – A Comparison

dogs lifespanDogs Lifespan Vs Human Lifespan – A Comparison

Relationship between a dog and a man is probably the closest in the pet’s world. There are hundreds of situations which confirm this theory. No man can love his golden fish, miniature turtle or parrot as much as a dog. Unfortunately, our pet’s life is shorter than ours and the hardest part of the relationship is dealing with the dog’s death.

There is an old calculation which says that one dog year is equal to seven years of human life. This ratio isn’t quite accurate. For example, two months old puppy is indeed developed like a 14 months old human baby but ratio decreases as the dog ages.  So, a one year old dog has aged about as much as a 15 years old human. Still, a 14 years old dog matches an 82 years old man, which corresponds to a ratio of only about 5.8.

Several factors can contribute to the dog’s lifespan. Depending on the breed structure, health and genetics, some dogs can live longer than others. It is interesting that smaller dog breeds live approximately 1.5 times longer than the bigger ones. It’s much easier to Chihuahua’s heart to pump the blood than the heart of a Great Dane. If we make comparison between genders, we will notice similarity to humans. Female dogs are expected to live a year or two longer than males, just like people.

The key to longer and healthier life of your dog is quality nutrition. Top quality dog food will extend dog’s life, especially if combined with neutering or spaying. These methods can reduce the risk for cancer of the reproductive organs. Mental and physical exercise on daily basis can affect your dog’s life span in a good way. Be sure to take special care of your dog’s teeth and gums. According to some veterinarians it can extend your dog’s life up to 4 years. Very good idea is to get your dog vaccinated. Just as it is with humans, many stressful situations can affect dog’s health.

Average life span of dogs is between 13 and 14 and for humans it’s about 67.2 years. Due to better medical care and food, dogs and human life span has increased dramatically over the past 100 years.  People of Japan live the longest with average life span of 82.7 years, while in Mozambique it is only 39.2, which is 40% below world average.

It’s all about the evolution – it dictates how long both humans and dogs will live. Both species have changed and developed over millions of years, with the big difference that humans have slower metabolism and for that reason live longer than dogs. In the coming future it will be possible to extend both life spans. I’m looking forward to see 1.000 year old man with 200 year old dog on the porch in front of their future house.

Average Life Span of Top 10 Breeds

·         Labrador Retriever (12.5 years)

·         German Shepherd Dog (11 years)

·         Golden Retriever (12 years)

·         Boxer (10.5 years)

·         Bulldog (7 years)

·         Poodle (12 years Standard) (15 years Miniature)

·         Chihuahua (13.5)

·         Rottweiler (10 years)

·         Doberman Pinscher (10 years)

·         Cocker Spaniel (12 years).