Submissive Urination

What is Submissive Urination?

I’m sure many of us have heard this word before, but wondered what does it mean exactly? the meaning is different then the word sounds, you would think it is a training method and not a bad habit of your dogs part. When a dog is feeling threatened, anxious, or afraid, submissive urination may occur. This might not be the person’s intention, but to the dog it may have came across as a threat. It’s important to take your dog to the veterinarian just to check and make sure its not a signal of any health problem, like diabetes or malfunctioning of the kidney. If you have a puppy who carries this problem, they will usually grow out of it, just make sure to ignore it and still provide training, while keeping the excitement under control.

Reasons for your Dog to be Submissively Urinating

• If you are punishing your dog.
• If your dog is nervous or shy when being greeted.
• If you are verbally yelling at your dog.
• If your dog doesn’t have confidence and is timid.
• If in the past your dog has been abused or mistreated.
• Keep in mind submissive urination may be accompanied by behaviors such as; lowering tail, ears, and body or laying down and rolling over.

It’s important to pay attention to the signs your dog could be showing you, you want to find out the exact reason for the submissive urination.

How to fix your dogs submissive urination problem

• If your dog is submissively urinating because of low confidence you can do many things to improve this, like taking your dog to obedience training and work on different activities to boost their confidence. Make sure to give your dog plenty of love when they are doing what they are supposed to, you want to make them feel appreciated when they are doing things correctly.
• When a dog is overly excited and therefore have inappropriate urination, you need to work on keeping situations more calm. When somebody is entering the house it’s important to let them know to enter quietly and ignore your dog if they become excited when somebody comes into the house. You could also keep your dog in the back yard while guests enter the house, so they are not in the house when the excitement occurs.
• Avoid punishing or scolding them, this will only make the situation worse.
• Give your dog alternatives to behaving submissively, you can have your dog sit or stay when you approach them and then reward them for listening to you.
• While you have not resolved the problem yet, you can put a plastic drop cloth or absorbent material in the entryway, where the accidents happen most frequently. Another option is purchasing doggie diapers so the urine doesn’t end up on the floor.

Dog Health Care: Cataracts in Dogs I’m sure many of us have heard of cataracts in humans, but what about dogs developing cataracts as well? cataracts are one of the most common issues dogs develop with their eyes, affecting all breeds and all ages.

What Are Cataracts?

“To break down” is the actual meaning of cataracts, this “break down” that occurs is referring to a disruption of the normal arrangements of lens fibers. The disruption is what creates the loss of transparency and therefore affects the vision. Cataracts may appear as crushed ice or white in the eye, you can see them in the lens of eyes.

Types of Cataracts

• Developmental Cataracts, also known as “early onset” develops early in the dogs life. This type may be inherited or also caused by trauma such as; diabetes, infection, toxicity or mellitus.
• Senile Cataracts, also called “late onset” and they occur in dogs that are over the age of six years. They mostly occur in humans and more uncommon in dogs
• Inherited Cataracts: when a dog has inherited cataracts, there may also be an association with other ocular diseases. When a dog ends up being diagnosed with Inherited Cataracts, its a bad idea for future breeding since the disease could be perpetuated in the offspring.
• Congenital Cataracts is a type of Cataract the dog develops at birth. The dog normally has the Cataracts in both eyes, but even though they are born with them this doesn’t mean the Cataracts were inherited. In a unborn puppy there may be a infection or toxins that cause the formation of the Cataracts.

How To Best Take Care of a Dog that has Developed Cataracts

• You can start by keeping your dogs environment the same, in other words not moving furniture or other household items. This will help them maneuver around obstacles and not become confused.
• Make sure your dog is safe, if there is a dog wandering in the streets or coming a bit too close to your dog.
• Its essential to test your dog for diabetes, this is one of the leading causes of cataracts. If your dog does have diabetes they will need regular care from a veterinarian, and its good to watch their weight so diabetes doesn’t develop.
• Ensure you’re giving your dog plenty of love and attention.
• Surgery may be a consideration if your dogs reduced eyesight is too difficult for them to get used to.

Arthritis in Dogs

It’s interesting to find out that dogs’ arthritis and human arthritis are quite similar and usually caused from the same elements. Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases and very easily can make its way into your body so it’s important to take some steps to make your animal feel more comfortable and have less arthritis.

Ways to prevent Arthritis

Large dogs tend to develop arthritis as they age, but keep in mind there are many steps you can take to prevent this disease. You can start this by making sure your dogs’ bed is comfortable such as using a old mattress or soft couch. You can also use soft foam rubber that is four inches thick, if you have a large dog it is best to have a bed that is at least a foot off the floor, this makes it much easier for your pet. Don’t overexert your dog; limit the amount of exercise you give them. This means once around the block about three times daily. Dogs that are older and larger usually are overweight; this will limit them to receiving the proper amount of exercise and make the arthritis worse. The more weight put on their joints the harder it is for them to move about. For your dog to be the right weight you should be able to locate each of their ribs when feeling them.

Forms of Arthritis

There are many different forms of arthritis that a dog may have. The main types include: Immune-mediated, Osteoarthritis, Idiopathic and Infective. It’s amazing to find out that arthritis actually effects every one out of five dogs in the U.S. The arthritis called Rheumatoid mainly occurs in Toy or small breeds and that are between the ages of five to six.

Ticks
Doesn’t just hearing the word tick give you shivers, it sure does for me. Nobody likes or even wants to know their dog is a carrier for the icky bug and many dogs are while we have no idea.
How to get Rid of Ticks
Start by using the crevice tool on the vacuum and vacuum along the walls and in corners. Make sure to wash dog bedding regularly, and also make sure to vacuum around the cushions and in the cracks of furniture. You may want to purchase a pyrethrin spray, or flying insect spray to fog the room. Remember they climb vertically so you want to make sure and treat the back and sides of upholstered furniture. Removing brush and tall grass from around the house or kennel area can also be important. Deer, rodents and other animals may cause ticks so its important to keep these animals under control and watch out for them. Keep in mind just because the weather may be cold and frosty, doesn’t mean tick numbers will be lower, actually this is when ticks are at their height. You want to treat the yard and kennel with a insecticide, its best to try and get a invironmetally-friendly spray for this use. In the peak of tick months you want to spray every thirty days. You may also want to apply a 1-foot barrier of insecticide (flea and tick powder) where the carpet meets the wall around the room. The ticks moving around the wall to climb higher will meet with the insecticide and will be killed. Dogs love to be outdoors and in woods as we all know, but its important to keep this down, and always do a routine check on them after being outdoors.
Types of Ticks on Dogs
the two types of ticks found in United States consists of the brown dog tick, also known as Rhipicephalus Sanguines  and the American dog tick, or Dermacentror Variabilis. American dog tick consists of reddish-brown coloring and the male has silver lines on body, while the female has silver spots. These ticks are found in woods and grassland, they can transmit Tularemia and Rock Mountain Spotted Fever to humans. The brown dog tick is different in the way that they can live and grow in an indoor invironment. This is very scary to know that they may be found living in your kennels and homes. They can cause canine ehrlichiosis, canine babesiosis and tick paralysis. A infestation can outbreak very quickly in  your home and you wont even notice. Normally you wont notice till the infestation gets out of control and you start noticing ticks crawling up the walls and on curtains. There are many different types of ticks in different areas as some can only survive in a certain location. The deer tick or black legged tick may be in the Northern part of Eastern seaboard, the Oregon Coast, Northern California and upper Midwest.These ticks are the main vetor for a type of bacterium that causes lyme disease.

Methods of Eliminating Ticks

Yes, there are methods to get rid of these little destructive creatures, here are the numerous methods to choose from the kill the infestation you find on your pet.

One method is spray, they will either come as an aerosol, or pump bottle. You want to make sure the dog is completely covered with the spray, but keep in mind no to soak the dog with spray. Make sure to not get any of these products in the dog’s eyes and apply with cotton balls around eyes and ears. Use the spray in a well ventilated area since the spray contains permethrin or pyrethrin. Dips are another method used and they usually have some residual activity so they need to be applied everywhere on dog. Make sure to follow the directions carefully and apply in a well ventilated area. Put cotton balls in your dog’s ears and ophthalmic ointment in dog’s eyes. Using the collar on your dog is another great method you can try, but keep in mind it is very important for the collars to be applied properly. You should be able to put two fingers between the collar and the dogs’ neck. You want to cut off any extra collar length so your dog doesn’t end up chewing on it. Check the package on duration of the effectiveness, because the collars may become less effective when they get wet. Watch to make sure your dogs skin is not becoming irritated from the collar. If your dog is spending a lot of time outdoors or in a severely tick infested area you can use a preventic tick collar, and the topical one-a-day month product; which will give your dog the best protection. For this to work the tick must be in contact with the active ingredient for them to be killed. If using a tick collar, when you see the ticks attached and feeding on the dog, even if they are right under the tick collar, this must happen for the tick to take in the insecticide and die. A good tick collar should kill the tick within 24 hours, which will reduce the risk of disease being transmitted. When a pet is treated with insecticide there is still a chance a tick that attaches for a sufficient time could transmit disease.  You can also use shampoo as a method of eliminating ticks, they are primarily for getting rid of ticks that are already on the dog, but some have residual activity. For the tick and flea shampoo to work you need to leave shampoo on for at least ten minutes and make sure to scrub dog thoroughly all over with shampoo. Remember to protect your dog’s ears and eyes from shampoo.  Powders are another method; they are easy to apply but may make a mess in the process. Use a powder in a well ventilated area and if your pet has asthma you should retain from using the powder so your dog doesn’t inhale it. Once-a-month Topical insecticides area applied to the back in a small area and typically the easiest product to use, usually lasting the longest as well. Some kill just fleas and some kill both fleas and ticks. So make sure to check the label on the package to know your getting the right product.

How to Remove a Tick

This process may seem scary, especially if you mess up and hurt your dog or can’t get the head of the tick removed, all you need to do is follow these instructions carefully and be calm and focused while proceeding. To remove a tick you want to first start by putting latex gloves on so you don’t have direct contact with the tick. A disease can be transmitted from the tick to your pet to you, so you want to be very cautious. Feel all over your pet until you come across a lump and move the fur to see if it’s a tick. See if the tick has protruded, if they are swelling up from attaching themselves to your pet. Ticks may be many colors such as: brown, black, tan, or reddish disk like arachnids. Use tweezers to grab the tick making sure to not pinch your pet’s skin. You should have somebody distracting your pet so they don’t try and move. Make sure to use a straight and steady motion when pulling the tick out. Do not twist or wiggle tweezers, don’t pull too hard because then the head of the tick may stay in your dogs skin. Don’t smash the foot of your bare hands or squish it with your foot. Either dispose tick in fire or squeeze tick into tissue, then flush down toilet. To manage the bite apply antiseptic ointment, and clean your hands and tweezers thoroughly.

Tips for Preventing the Begging
Don’t look at your dog while you are eating or pay any attention to them, this will encourage the behavior and they will more likely expect you to give them food. Make sure the whole family is well aware of not giving any food to the dog at any time they beg. This means no food from the desk, chair, table, couch or other area. The only time your dog should be allowed food is when it is put into their bowl. If you are giving them treats make sure to use the sit and stay command before putting the treats in the bowl for them. You want your dog to be patient and polite by first sitting and waiting for the treat, then being rewarded for their patience. While you are eating your meal put your dog in a sit/stay or down/sit position and make sure they remain that way for the duration of you eating your meal. If you cannot get your dog to stay in a sit/stay position then put your dog on a leash and tie them to something so they won’t be able to come next to you and beg. If your dog gets up from the sit/stay position then calmly walk over to your dog again and get them to be in a sit/stay position again. Its very important to be persistent, your dog will always want to beg for food so it will take awhile before your dog stays in a sit/stay position throughout the time it takes for you to eat your meal. Just be patient and don’t get frustrated or annoyed with your dog.

Neutering Male Dogs
The word castration is when the male is not capable of producing offspring because he has had his testicles surgically removed. When a dog is neutered their hormones aren’t raging so they are much happier and do not mark their territory as often. They are less aggressive,they may be more willing to participate in dog training techniques and if neutered at a younger age they are much calmer.

Dogs Begging For Food at the Table Lets all admit we feel so bad when our dogs are sitting there, using their cute little faces to convince us to give them our food. We all give in, and once we do they never stop begging.The way to eliminate your dog begging is never give them the food in the first place, if they know they can get some food they will never stop trying to get more. Be persistent and don’t ever let your dog foul you into feeling bad for them, this is how the behavior will never be stopped or conquered. There are also health issues that may occur when feeding your dog table scraps, and is a risk to your dogs health care. Since human food can have more calories, richness and fat then their food, the dog is not accustomed to this and may develop weight issues or a digestive disorder. This is why when feeding a dog table scraps they may become more gassy, have worse smelling breath, an upset stomach or loose stools.

Estrus
Estrus is called heat and is the mating period of female animals, Estrus occurs when a dog is in a season or in heat. The female dogs menstruation is fairly similar to a humans menstruation period.

Symptoms of Estrous Cycle and How it Works
Dogs start by having bleeding occur in their vagina and swelling of the vulva, also increased urination. It will be more difficult to tell on small dogs because they will have less bleeding. The pro estrus will start with vaginal bleeding which will last for four to nine days. This is the time male dogs will become more persistent,but female dogs will not yet mate. Estrus is when the female will take the male, conception may occur and the stage lasts four to thirteen days, the female will let any dog mate with her at this time. The metestrus and anestrus is when ovarian happens, there are no symptoms at this time but false pregnancies may occur. If you want to make sure your dog does not become pregnant you need to keep her confined for the three weeks. Watch your female and record her cycle, it may change and its important to know when its happening. If you do not plan to breed your female throughout her lifetime its best to get her sprayed. Its recommended that you get her sprayed before her first heat cycle for health reasons. An non sprayed female has a greater risk of developing mammary tumors, pyoetra and uterine cancer.

Female Dogs in Heat
4There is lots of information that is essential to know about your dog going into heat, you’ll find out everything you’ve been wondering and what you may be needing to know with your dog at this time. Female dogs can go into heat at the age of six months old, and most all dogs become sexually mature by a year old, but there are still some that don’t until the age of 18 months. The heat period can last from eight to thirty days and most females allow breeding ten to sixteen days after starting the cycle. Most dogs go into heat one to four times a year, and female dogs may become pregnant at any time of the year, there is no season or certain time for this occurance. Female dogs can even go into heat and become pregnant as soon as three months after giving birth. It is very unlikely for them to become pregnant while nursing but  think it is intereting to know that a litter of puppies can mate with each other to produce more puppies. Knowing this it is not advised to breed dogs until they are two years of age but dogs can become pregnant in their first heat, as early as six months.

Dog Health Care – Life Expectancy of Dogs
The life expectancy of dogs is based on a average. The average lifespan of dogs is between ten to twelve years, but depending on the breed of the dog this may be shorter or longer.
Usually larger dogs live shorter lives then shorter dogs this is because the body of larger dogs must work harder and this causes more stress on the dog.
How dogs can be Effected by Life Expectancy
The way your dog is taken care of will have a big affect on the life expectancy. Also the stress the dog feels and food the dog is eating will take a toll on the dog.

Breed Differences
Lifespans are different for the different breeds of dogs. For a Toy Poodle or Lhasa Apso the average lifespan is around 12 to 15 years. An Irish Wolfhounds average lifespan will be only six to seven years. Other factors may also be affecting a certain breeds life expectancy like the genetic makeup of the dog or whether the dog develops any health problems.

Stages a Dog Goes Through
For a dog that lives an average of about ten years, from when they are born to being two years old the dog is in its growth stage. This is when the dog develops both mentally and physically. At this time its good to watch their weight to make sure they will not become overweight, as it will affect them later in their life. They should only be allowed moderate exercise because if they have to much exercise they will be putting strain on their joints and ligaments which will cause damage later in their life. At this time in their life dogs learn social skills and its important for socializing and training at this time. When a dog is between the ages of two and five they are going through their young adult stage and the dog has finished growing. At this point they need to be active and healthy, maintaining a good diet. Five and eight is when a dog is in the middle age and and slowing down, experiencing minor healthy problems. Diets should be considered at this time and carefully watched to make sure the dog does not become overweight. From the ages of eight and up the dog will start to experience more severe health problems. Dogs will start to sleep more often and become more stiff. Most dogs need to be encouraged to eat at this stage and may have difficulty hearing or seeing. The important thing is to take good care of them throughout their life, and enjoy the time you have with your dog.