Is your pet overweight? Four out of every ten pets are obese says one of the UK ’s largest pet insurers.

Owners are overfeeding their dogs and cats with massive portions and fatty foods as well lots of treats from the table. This had led to a huge increase in the number of pet insurance claims for health problems brought on by obesity.

Petplan has revealed that during the last five years it has seen a 60% increase in obesity related claims amongst the 800,000 pets it covers. As a result there are reports that some pet insurers are looking at cutting payouts if your pet is obese.

Obesity in pets causes many of the same problems it does in humans. An overweight pet is prone to many weight related conditions including: joint, ligament and tendon difficulties, breathing and heart problems and diabetes. Obese cats can also contract skin disorders from not being able to groom themselves thoroughly. The overall impact of obesity on your pets’ comfort and longevity could be catastrophic.

But perhaps there’s good news. It’s easier for you to trim down your pets weight than it is for you to fight the battle of the bulge. After all, your pet can’t grab the car keys for a trip to the chippy or phone out for a Chinese. They can’t even open the refrigerator door on their own! Your pet eats what you give it - so you’re in control. So if it’s fat, that’s your responsibility. Equally, the remedy is in your hands. Although exercise might not be your bag, your pet will always be up for a walk or a game with a toy on a string, or most popular of all doggy games, fetch the stick.

So how do you know if your pet is overweight? A healthy pet will always have some padding on them - but a little is quite enough! Start off by gently rubbing your hands over their ribs. You should be able to feel their ribs and the skin should move easily back and forth. Then step back and look at your pet from the side - if your pet looks pregnant and it shouldn’t be, it’s overweight! Your pet should also have a obvious waist at the base of the rib cage, a small tuck-in around the stomach area. Now look at your pet from above - it’s equally bad news if you can see a bump out from its middle into an apple shape. Birds too can be obese. Examine polly for rolls of fat or a thicker breast.

Certain breeds and species of pet are more likely to develop weight problems. In dogs, labradors and spaniels are especially liable to fatten up, as do beagles, corgis and retrievers. In cats the less-active breeds such as Persians are far more likely to gain weight than the go-go breeds such as Abyssinians and Siamese. And in birds, Amazon parrots are special contenders to expand into perch potatoes.

Please be aware that crash diets aren’t a good idea for pets. Be especially careful with cats who can develop a fatal liver problem if they’re forced to lose weight too quickly. Pets don’t get obese overnight and it should not be forced to slim down too quickly. Only feed at set meal times and be sure to cut out those tip bits. Then introduce more exercise. Your vet should also advise you on a regime of special diet foods. Be sure to do all of this gradually but please, be committed ? your pet’s life may depend on it.

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Have you ever thought about adopting a puppy? Do you feel it?s the proper moment to introduce a new member to your family? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you need to keep reading and discover the advantages of looking for puppies for sale online. The wanted ads are just the thing you need, being filled with puppies and dogs anxious to become your pet!

We can all agree that we have come to rely on Internet technology for a wide variety of things. Visiting online pet stores can help us find the dog we always dreamt of owning. We can browse an extensive selection of accessories, including kennels and cages, plus a wide variety of pet supplies. Also, we can get in touch with experienced and professional veterinarians ready to take care of your pet whenever you need it.

Pet owners have access to information regarding obedience training, walking, sitting and grooming. You can take part in a dog-lovers community, finding the latest information on local events and where the best parks are to walk your dog. The dog rescue section is a favorite for many people looking for a pet, as it contains both dogs and puppies for sale that are just waiting to be introduced into a new family. You can use the same resource to post a missing dog ad, create a memorial for your deceased pets with ?in memory of? announcements and delight in picking out dog names.

The first word that should come to mind when you?re thinking about becoming a dog owner is education. If you choose a puppy, no matter the dog breed, you will have to take part in his/her education and training. For this reason, you have to know for certain which of the dog breeds you find suitable and find out more about that specific breed with the aid of the breed profiles. Here, you will find all the needed information regarding small/large breeds, dog breeder?s information and general puppy care. Buying advice is also provided for your benefit and additional details about traveling situations. It?s quite easy to be a dog owner today, as you have increased access to information thanks to the Internet!

And if you still feel like you can?t decide which puppy would be perfect, how about stopping for a minute on a dog discussion forum? Dog owners and general enthusiasts gather to talk about puppies, dogs and their care. You can talk about anything you want regarding dogs, ask for more details when it comes to dog breeders and even ask medical questions. Training tips are also given by those who have experience in the field and when you purchase your puppy you will certainly find them useful.

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A recent survey from one of the nations leading pet care manufacturers asked Americans, if given a choice, would they prefer to travel with their pets? Over 70% of those Americans answered yes, they would prefer to travel with their pets. This is why many hotels, parks and other travel destinations are welcoming travelers with their companion animals. Before deciding to take your pet with you during your travel, make sure this is something your pet wants to do and not something that it is being made to do.

Take for instance, most dogs enjoy going for car rides and generally most cats don?t. You would most likely take your dog camping with you than you would your cat. Dogs seem to make the best travel companions than a cat would, especially on long car rides. Of course, there are those exceptions. Bottom line is your pet would much prefer to be near you than in a kennel somewhere, but only if this is a good idea. You don?t want to take a dog with you that has panic attacks in the car or one that will crawl all over you while you are trying to drive.

If you plan on traveling with your pet, consider these travel tips to make your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible.

1. Schedule your pet a check up with its veterinarian and ask for a certificate of health, along with proof of current vaccinations such as the rabies, distemper, and bordetella. It would also be a good idea to have your pet micro chipped, in case it should get lost. You would want to have your pet returned to you as quickly as possible, especially if you are traveling out of state.

2. If your pet is on medication, bring plenty of it so you?re not running out of medication when it?s needed. It would also be a good idea to have your veterinarian contact information in case you loose the medication, so the vet can call in a prescription should the other get lost.

3. Is your pet well socialized? A well socialized pet will travel more easily and tolerate the stress of traveling better than a pet that is not used to be in a car or around other people. You want the trip to be enjoyable for both you and your pet.

4. Is your pet well behaved? Although there are now many places that allow pets, no one wants to listen to a dog barking all night or during the day. You also want to keep your pet occupied so it?s not chewing on the hotel furniture or going potty on the carpet. You don?t want your hotel room to smell like a kennel and neither does the hotel staff or your next door neighbors.

5. Find out ahead of time that the hotel you make reservations at will accept pets. You don?t want to assume that there is a pet friendly hotel in a town you intend to stay in and when you get there, you?re turned away for having a pet or the one?s that allow the pets are all booked up.

6. Make sure your pet wears a collar with tags. One tag should be a current rabies tag and the other tag should have the dogs name, your name, address, town, state, and phone numbers. If you have a cell phone, add your cell phone number to the ID tag.

7. Most people choose to travel with their pets by car. Airline travel can be very stressful for pets, because they are treated like cargo and not like living beings. If you choose to travel by air plane, then contact the airline and ask them what their policy is for pets. Some airlines will allow small dogs to be a carry on as long as you have the proper airline carrier that is found in most pet stores.

You should also consider bringing along your pets food dishes, bed or pillow and a couple of its favorite toys. Having familiar items along for the trip can help ease the stress of traveling and make the trip more enjoyable for both you and your animal companion.

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We all love our dogs and want to give them the best life has to offer. But with so many variations of dog food in the market, it isn’t always easy to identify the best food for our dog breed pictures. Who can possibly feel confident when so many brands trumpet buzzwords that hit the human aisles not long ago, such as “rich in antioxidants,” “highly digestible,” “Omega-3 fatty acids” and “Ultra Premium Formula”?

What we can do, though, is to develop a simple dog food comparison to determine which foods best fit our dog’s requirements and our personal schedule. After all, some foods offer much greater convenience than the more natural, less processed types of food which may require freezing, thawing, cooking and preparation.

Convenience aside, the best food to give your best dog breed for me depends not on the brand or the style, but rather on your dog’s age and any special requirements he might have. For example, older dogs require food containing a careful balance of protein, fat and fiber. Most commercial dog food companies address this need with offerings such as senior dog food, containing about 18 % protein, and food for dogs diagnosed with renal failure, containing about 14% protein.

Dare to Compare Dry Dog Food
The vast majority of dog owners go for dry dog food. Between the supermarket and specialty pet stores, owners enjoy many brands to choose from. Dry dog food consists of kibble typically made from one primary ingredient such as chicken, beef or lamb. More specifically, the major ingredient is usually a meat byproduct that’s been processed, dried and sold in packs or bags for easy dispensing. Needless to say, meat byproducts are far cheaper than meat, so this type of dog food is not only easy to store, it’s much less expensive than other types.
Hard kibble comes with some advantages. For example, it gives your dog’s mouth some exercise, and kibble’s less likely to contribute to plaque than softer foods.
When comparing brands, it helps to remember that there are essentially two types of dry dog food on the market: premium dog food and economy dog food. A smart owner will avoid purchasing the economy food, which is made from lower grade ingredients (for example, economy dog food will often substitute cheap corn for the more expensive meat byproducts). The “end” result, as it were, is that your how to choose a dog breed can’t absorb many nutrients but simply passes the food through his body. So in addition to enjoying less nutrition, your dog breed pictures will produce larger stools — and you might find yourself with more frequent vet bills.

Other Popular Contenders: Canned, Semi-Moist and More
Other categories of dog food include the semi-moist type and canned food. Many owners like to mix in some canned food with dry food, to potentially cover more nutritional bases without taking too big a hit to the pocketbook.
Semi-moist food is attractively convenient to owners, and best dog breed for me love it. Unfortunately, it may cause dental problems in the mid-term and worse in the long term, because semi-moist food is loaded with corn syrup and other sugars, which dogs just aren’t designed to process.

Recently, more natural, “premium” dog food has been introduced to the market, in which higher quantities of quality, nutritious ingredients are used to make the food — often human-grade, in fact. Since vegetables, fruits, real meat and quality grains are used as the primary protein source in the highest-quality dog foods, these foods are a fast route to healthy skin and beautiful fur. For the most part, they contain no artificial coloring and preservatives, but are chock-full of vitamins and minerals instead.

Although this food costs more, you can feed your how to choose a dog breed less of it, because it’s more nutritionally dense. So in terms of both convenience and nutrition, a premium, natural dog food is one of the best choices available to your dog, whether off-the-shelf or purchased online.

When you bring home that adorable puppy her dog behavior is so cute. She puts her feet up on you to get your attention, jumps in your lap, jumps up and down on her hind legs begging to be picked up.

And what do you do? You reinforce all those dog behaviors. Give her attention, pick her up, make sure she?s comfortable on your lap. Then, lo and behold, she grows from 15 pounds to 75 pounds and is still jumping on you. That cute puppy behavior is now bad dog behavior. In fact, it?s downright maddening and you can?t get it to stop.

Humans often give dogs mixed signals — telling them to do one thing, but reinforcing very different dog behavior. Or expecting dogs to read our minds — is it ok to jump up sometimes but not others? Which is which? Dogs can?t figure that out.

You probably don?t even know you?re sending mixed signals.

Situations change throughout the day- you love that your dog jumps up on the bed to wake you with sloppy, wet kisses; it is endearing to have your dog greet your return with the big stretch to reach up so you will pick them up or love on them; it is helpful when the dog jumps up on a chair to help you put the leash on the collar.

It becomes a problem when guests come over and the dog jumps on them; when you are dressed up and now dirty feet have ruined your outfit; or when it is just simply not convenient.

STEPS TO STOP THE JUMPING

As humans, it?s our job to teach dogs how we want them to behave. Here are some easy tips to change that unwanted dog behavior.

1. BE CONSISTENT

Figure out what you want and then be consistent with what you desire. Do you want your dog to jump or not? Dogs don?t understand “sometimes”.

If the answer to the question is, I want the jumping to stop, then take a look at your situation and ask yourself these questions:
When does it happen?
What are your various responses?
When are you consistent?
When are you not consistent?
How can you be gentle and clear with your responses?

2. DO NOT REINFORCE THE BEHAVIOR

This seems obvious. But oftentimes it?s not. You have to change your behavior before you can expect Fluffy to change hers.

3. GIVE AN INCOMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR COMMAND

The very easiest way to correct this behavior is to give an incompatible behavior. For example, Sit is a great choice. Most dogs know it and it is easy to put a dog into a sit if needed.

4. GO STIFF

When your dog begins jumping, stop your body movement and go stiff. Turn your back slightly. Give the new command “Rover, sit”. Help Rover sit if needed.

Let this become your new response to Rover?s jumping. PRAISE the sit. If Rover pops up out of the sit and jumps up, start over. Go stiff, give the command (Rover, sit), help with the sit if needed. PRAISE (and treat if handy) the sit.

As you are consistent, your dog will comply with your new desires. PRAISE each time your dog sits. This is the new polite way of getting your attention. PRAISE whenever your dog comes and sits in front of you. This is the signal “please” for attention, outside, treat, etc.

Super-exciting times to a dog will probably result in the old jumping but be consistent and patient, and as you do this, you gain leadership respect from your dog.

CONCLUSION

Dog behavior modification can be done very quickly and your relationship will get better and better. Be patient, kind, loving and consistent. Your dog wants to make you happy. Use these few simple steps to STOP THE JUMPING!

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