1. Dog Nutrition

Dog Nutrition: Leftovers from your table

Note  :

• For a personalized nutrition plan, please contact your vet.
• The amount of meat protein should be increased or decreased depending on the physical activity of the dog.
• Vegetables:

a)      All skins from your kitchen or salad remnants can be added to the food.

b)      Recommended Vegetables :

• Spinach and all green vegetables
• Zucchini (courgettes)/leeks/carrots/pumpkin with seeds/celery/beetroot with leaves

c)      NOT Recommended :

• Potatoes (except the skins)
• Cabbage

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2. Homemade Croquettes for Cats and Dogs

INGREDIENTS

The ingredients can be found at a wholesaler that specializes in poultry feed.

Blood powder ...………………………………......      3 cups

Corn powder ...………………………………......       6 cups

Soy powder ...……………………………….......        5 cups

« Ampombo » powder …………………………..       3 cups (very fine rice bran)

Fish powder and/or Bone powder ……….......      1 or ½ cup (depending on the dog's preference)

Pumpkin seeds …………………………………         3 cups (already roasted so you can grind them. This ingredient is a great source of magnesium.)

1 x packet of instant yeast 10grs

1 stock cube

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

+ enough water to create a hard paste (the more water, the more time in the oven)

PREPARATION

 1) Mix all the ingredients to a hard paste.

 2) Pat it down in a dish to about 3cm thickness

 3) Cut in little squares and put in oven at very low temperature for about 2 hours or until the croquettes become hard and crunchy

 ==) These croquettes are tasty and indispensable for the good health of your pets.

 ==) Remember, the croquettes will not replace the pet's daily food

 ==) The smell being quite unpleasant, it's better to prepare in the morning (during the shopping hours!) The savings are really worth it though!!!

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3. Care for domestic animals adopted from a sanctuary

Some good ideas for dogs adopted from a sanctuary

Hundreds of dogs have had a very bad start to life and welcoming them into your home can be incredibly rewarding but can also appear to be a very difficult task. Here's some advice to help you make sure your dog will feel at home in your home.

Every day we welcome more and more dogs, and the staff at the sanctuary spend a lot of time working with these dogs to ensure that they receive the most appropriate home possible. The staff evaluates the behavior and temperment of each dog to try to find out what happened to him in the past, before choosing a home which would be appropriate.

When you visit our sanctuary, the staff will ask you many personal questions about yourself, your home, and the duration of your daily absences. These points are important as they will help our staff to find a dog that will correspond to your lifestyle. Another way to make sure you and your dog are made for each other is a visit to the house. This will enable the staff  to be sure that your surroundings will suit the dog.
Once these checks are done, and after you take the animal home, it's now time for you to carry on the work undertaken by the staff at the sanctuary.

When you bring the dog to your house for the first time, it is necessary that you take time for introductions. The dog needs to know where his or her place is in your home. It is therefore important to teach him the rules of the household from the start.

With him, you must:

• Be patient and take things slowly;
• Remember that your dog doesn't know you or your lifestyle;
• Allow your new friend some time to adapt, and introduce him little by little to different activities and new people.

Alone at home

One problem for an adopted dog is that sometimes the dog doesn't like to be left alone. A dog cannot understand why he has been removed from his old home (the sanctuary) and therefore he can sometimes feel insecure when his new owners leave because he doesn't have the knowledge yet that they will come back. Dogs cannot tell us when they are troubled, so they will let us know in other ways: by barking or making a mess in the house, for example. It is important not to punish them, because they didn't do it to be mean, but because they are trying to find a way to make you realise that they are worried or anxious.

You can help you dog overcome these problems:

• By going out for short amounts of time and increasing the time he stays alone little by little.
• By giving him something to chew or toys that can distract him in your absence.
• By teaching him that staying alone can be nice and relaxing.

You mustn't leave your dog too long, and remember that "accidents" can still happen.
You need time and a lot of work to help your animal to get used to his new life, and to overcome his problems Through time and effort you will finally be rewarded when your dog is happy and well balanced.

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4. Teach your dog to walk on a leash

Walking your dog on a leash. This seems like an easy task. But many are the owners that you can see running after their dogs.

You will need:

A collar
A leash of 50cm to 1 meter depending on the size of your dog.
Avoid the retractable leashes.

You can start this training with any dog. The ideal is to start when he is still a puppy, in your garden, or as soon as he is old enough to go on the streets. But nothing stops you from training an older dog that has never seen a leash.

What is the process?

1. Start by getting your dog used to his collar. It's better to start the training when the dog doesn't notice the collar anymore.
2. Get him used to the leash by associating it with fun games.
3. Choose an area where there won't be too many temptations. He must be totally receptive to what you are trying to teach him. A park is generally the ideal place.
4. Choose which side the dog must walk on (you will not change it after) and start walking.
5. When the dog starts pulling on the leash or overtaking you, recall him with an abrupt pull. If the dog doesn't slow down, redo the gesture accompanied by a stern “NO” or “HEEL” (which ever one you choose, you have to use the same one all the time).
6. Do not continually pull on the leash. The more you do it, the more your dog will lean on the collar to also pull. The walk should stay a pleasant experience and never become a struggle between you and your dog.
7. Do not always walk in a straight line. Change your direction, create curves….

In any training, do not lose sight of the fact that the dog is trying to please you with his work. So let him know when he pleases you.

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5. Protect your animals from their fear of fireworks...

Protect your animals from their fear of firecrackers and fireworks by following our advice: 

Cats:

• Keep your cat indoors
• Close all windows and curtains and turn on the television and/or put music on that will mask the noise of the fireworks.
• Let your cat hide in a corner if he does it of his own accord. Do not try to make him come out as this will cause even more stress to the cat.
• Have your cat fitted with a micro-chip by the vet, so that he can be returned to you very rapidly if he escapes or gets lost.

 Dogs :

• Take your dog for a walk during the day.
• Never walk him while the fireworks are being set off.
• Like cats, keep him inside, close the windows and curtains, put the music on or turn the television on to mask the noise.
• Let your dog hide under the furniture or in a corner if he does it of his own accord.
• Put a medallion on his collar with your address/phone number and have a vet fit a micro-chip, that way the dog can be returned quickly if he runs away or gets lost.

To minimize stress, ask your vet about the use of the product « Dog Appeasing Pheromone, DAP » available at the Vet Clinic. It's a synthetic copy of the hormones a female secretes after giving birth. DAP reassures new-born puppies and calms them naturally. Scientists have also discovered that it also calms older dogs. A simple electric diffuser spreads the product in the room (for sale at selected vets). It is easy to use and without any danger.

If your dog is particularly stressed, talk to your vet about giving him a sedative. Remember to administer the medicine before the start of the fireworks so it will have the desired effect.

Little Pets

Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals living outside must not be forgotten. Loud noises can also stress them. Place these little animals inside or in a shed to guarantee them better protection from the noise.

Horses

The noise from firecrackers and fireworks will often scare horses and induce them to attempt to escape which can lead to injury. Always bring horses, ponies and donkeys inside their stable during the noise. Close the stable doors to keep the light of the fireworks from being visible.

Garden Fire

Garden fires can be fatal for fauna like hedgehogs that often sleep in piles of wood. Set your garden fire as late as possible in the season to reduce the risk. Shake the stack of wood before lighting up the fire to give the little fauna a chance to escape.

Always clean the area of the fire afterwards. The trash created by the fire is dangerous to domestic animals as well as wild ones.

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6. Separation Anxiety

We have noticed that many dogs become stressed and destructive when they are left alone.

“When dogs are left alone without their owners, certain dogs will often bark, attack the furniture, urinate and defecate in your house” writes the Chief Vet, adviser to the RSPCA.

Even if this doesn't appear obvious to an owner, the dog can actually suffer from the separation. Unless the owner notices destructive behaviour or a lack of hygiene, he might not be able to detect this anxiety. If these problems appear, then it is important to train the dog so he can accept to be left alone.

Little tricks for the master:

• Have a calm, constant and predictable demeanour.
• Reward good behaviour by giving him special attention or even giving him a treat.
• Ignore any seeking of attention from your dog.
• Never punish your dog, because this could damage the relationship and the dog might become scared of you.
• If your dog looks guilty, it is perhaps because he has understood that sometimes you are angry when you get home. Your dog will be unable to associate your anger with something bad he did during your absence.
• Leave your dog alone and gradually increase the duration of your absence. Start leaving him alone for one minute, and increase the time little by little.
• Give your dog some interesting things to do during your absence – for example, leave him a nice treat and a rubber toy.

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7. Toilet train your puppy

"Toilet training" will start at around eight weeks, when your puppy is able to hold himself. Until then, he will have to do his needs inside…

Before 8 weeks

During the first two months, your puppy will be unable to hold himself. It is useless to try to teach him to do his business outside.

Organise a “little corner” for your puppy.
It is better to choose an area close to where he sleeps (less than a meter) where you can put down some newspapers. As soon as he looks like he is about to do his business (the puppy will smell the ground), take him to the chosen area and wait until he is finished. Reward him with a lot of attention.

How to react if you catch him?

If you catch your puppy urinating or defecating somewhere else outside of the designated area in the house, interrupt him and tale him to the designated area. No need to punish him. Instead take him by the skin of the neck for a few seconds and shake him very slightly. The mother would do the same when she wants to punish her young and the puppy will understand that gesture well. Congratulate him when he finishes his needs on the newspaper and don't hesitate to be demonstrative.

How to react if you come too late?

If you arrive after the fact, no need to punish. The puppy will not understand the delayed reaction and will be unable to associate the fault and the punishment. He will forget he peed only seconds after finishing… Simply clean up the area where he made a mess when he is not present (he might think it is a game otherwise) and get rid of the smell by using white vinegar to give the area another odor. Do not use bleach or products with ammonia which reinforce the smell of urine and attracts the puppy.

If your puppy is left alone

When your puppy is left alone, limit his boundaries to his sleeping area, his food and his newspaper or “little corner.”

Source of information: www.linternaute.com/pratique/animaux