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Energetic Athletes with Big Hearts – Is the American Pit Bull Right For You?

If you are considering getting an American Pit Bull there are several questions that need to be considered.

  1. Do you have time to devote to properly training these dogs and extra money for obedience classes?
  2. If your pet is not welcome in a residential area would you look elsewhere for a place to live?
  3. Can you spend twelve or more years of your life looking after an adorable puppy that is going to grow up to be rather large?
  4. Do you want to play? Preferably a lot, such as every single day of the week and extra on the weekends?

If you can answer yes to all previous questions then this breed might be right for you. There are a great many hurdles Pit Bull owners face on a regular basis and these dogs are certainly not for everyone, but they can nonetheless be great companions.

America Pit Bulls can best be summed up in the following three words:

  • Energetic
  • Friendly
  • Hardworking

Lets jump into each characteristics in a little more detail after the break:

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Afghan Hound sitting down

Three large dog breeds for those who are after a ‘Real Dog’

If you love large dogs then today’s post is for you. We are going to have a look at three popular large dog breeds and why you should choose them for your new pet!

1. Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound

One of the oldest dogs in existence the Afghan Hound is a combination of power and elegance. This regal breed sets some real style and is dubbed the “Aristocrats” of the noble dog world.

It is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end.

This regal look comes with a regal behaviour though. They are independent thinkers who don’t particularly care about pleasing you, they may display passive resistance by bracing their legs and refusing to move. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.

Is the Afghan Hound Right For You?

Afghan Hounds need access to a large fenced area — fenced because these independent dogs have been known to take off and not come back. If there is a dog club in your area, get your Afghan Hound involved in lure coursing (chasing a mechanised lure around a track or across an open field). This is an appropriate outlet for the full-speed galloping behaviours that are “hardwired” into his genes.

See our full Afghan Hound Guide

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How Your Dog’s Diet Affects its Lifespan

How Your Dog’s Diet Affects its LifespanAlmost every dog owner doesn’t think of dogs as just pets but family members. Therefore, it is normal to provide best possible food you can afford for the members of your family. Just like people, dogs are what they eat, so dog’s poor nutrition can, in some cases, dramatically affect the lifespan of your four legged friend. Also keep in mind that even if your dog is slightly overweight it can reduce its lifespan.

What exactly is the best food for your dog is never an easy question. But, there are several things you should know when it comes to dog nutrition.

First thing you should understand is that you should always read the ingredients on the back of the dog’s food; that way you will get the picture if the food is good for your dog or if it’s just junk. Basic guidelines in choosing proper food would be checking the proteins – is it lamb, beef, turkey or chicken meal or by-product.

By-product means that the manufacturer is using any part of the chicken while in case of a chicken meal they are using only meat from the chicken to make the food. The other important thing you should check for is grain source. Certain dog foods contain corn as the others have rice or oatmeal. The best choice for your dog are grains which can be digested easily, so keep in mind that one of the hardest grains to digest is corn, while rice is much easier to process.

Note that some grains may contain pesticides which can cause odorous fur, fleas, mites, worms or other parasites. Also choose foods that have natural preservatives such as with vitamin E and not chemicals. If you follow these guidelines you will notice the level of improvement in your dog, its coat will be shinier, the energy level will be higher and the dog’s stool will be better as well.

Some of the generic dog’s foods may contain carcinogenic substance like BHT that is used to preserve food or higher doses of salt which can cause loss of kidney function. Equally bad is sugar since it can lead to tooth decay, bad breath and even diabetes.

Probably the best way to feed your dog is proper raw diet. This will consume a bit more of your time, but you will know exactly what your dog is introducing to its body. There are no preservation chemicals in raw meat and bones. The best way to organize your dog’s raw diet is to find a reliable butcher and make a deal with him to get scraps for a good price, which will result in healthier dog with a regular, dry stool and healthy teeth.

One of the most common mistakes dog owners make is overfeeding their dogs, studies have shown that reduction of calories in dog’s nutrition can extend the lifespan of your dog for about two years. Essentially what you need to do is find the food that your dog will eat, since they, as people, can be intolerant to certain things.