Having a new baby is an exciting time in your life, it is also utterly exhausting.  Your dog will have to make adjustments too, there are new people, new smells and new sounds all of which can be overwhelming.  Introducing your pup to the new baby can help pave the way for a lifelong friendship  Here are some tips on a smooth transition.

Get the House Ready

This is good for both you and your dog, set up your crib and nursery furniture as soon as possible and give your dog time to adjust.  You can get your dog used to walking with you and a stroller as soon as possible.  Make sure they get to check out all of the new smells beforehand and let them check out the nursery so that when the baby does come they are not overwhelmed with new sights, sounds and smells.

Socialize Your Dog

Babies are noisy and that can be a big adjustment for you and your dog.  Your dog should be socialized from the time they are a pup but if they aren’t you should make the effort to socialize your dog.  Take your dog to the playground or to a friend’s place with children to see how they interact with kids and if you have to be cautious about.

Teach Your Dog to be Independent

Dogs are social creatures and will spend all of their time with you if they can.  When the new baby comes that won’t really be possible.  Do you have family members who can also bond with your dog and take them for walks.  When you know that you’re bringing your baby home from the hospital have a friend or family member take your dog for a walk first to burn off some energy.

Keep Calm

Once you bring the baby home your dog will be excited to see both of you. The time has come to finally introduce your dog to your child so you may want to do it slowly.  Let your dog come to you and check out both of you.  Have treats on hand so you can reward good behavior and if you think it is necessary have another person handy to intervene if needed.  Be wary of punishing your dog you don’t want them to associate your baby with punishments.  You want to create a positive experience instead.

This is going to be a learning experience for you and your dog so have some patience but at the same time don’t tolerate any aggressive behavior at all.

All pet owners want to keep their dogs safe and healthy, you keep it on a leash when you are out and about.  Make sure that it has the right foods that are healthy and generally do everything in your power to ensure your pup isn’t in any danger.   However there are many dangers that aren’t so obvious and with October just passing and it was National Animal Safety and Protection Month here is a refresher on keeping your dog safe.

Tags and Chips

One of the most effective ways of making sure that your dog is neither lost nor stolen is to make sure they have visible tags and a microchip.  Microchips are tiny and put under your dog’s skin.  It contains basic information like the dog’s name, the owner’s name and contact information.  If your dog gets lost and picked up by Animal Control they can make sure it gets returned to you.

Making Your Home Safe

If you are getting a puppy then it is a lot like getting a toddler, they will get into absolutely everything and you will need to make your home safe for the new pup.  Here are some ways you can do that.

Put all the medications, cleaning agents, laundry detergents out of reach of your dog.  If you have a large breed dog then remember how high they can jump.  Young dogs and puppies will chew on absolutely everything including wires so cover them where you can.  Cover your trash or you will find it all over the floor when you come home and use childproof latches to keep your cupboard doors shut.  Our Arborist friend from Tree Services Keller TX points out that if you have a lot of house plants you may want to move some of them as they can be toxic to pets.

In the Event of an Emergency

Emergencies happen whether you are prepared or not and they can be anything from medical emergencies to Mother Nature bringing extreme weather.  It is important that you are prepared and that includes making a plan for your furry friends.  Make sure that the information on the microchip or ID tags is current.  Keep your pets’ medical records in with your important papers.  Have a leash or carrier near the door if you have to leave in a hurry.  Make sure you have a place for your pet to stay in the event that something happens to you.  Keep extra food on hand in case of emergencies. Being prepared is half the battle when it comes to keeping your pet safe.

The idea of your dog eating raw food isn’t new, in fact before dogs were domesticated that was all that they ate. Commercial dog food is only something that was invented in the past 150 years. In the beginning it might have been relatively healthy for your dog but as the years went on more fillers were added to the food and today not all commercial dog foods are even remotely healthy. Many people have opted to make their own dog food and some have gone one step further and feed their dogs only raw food.

Why Make Your Own Dog Food

Making your own food guarantees that your dog gets fresh food made from the best ingredients like raw meat, vegetables and healthy fats. Commercial dog food contains a ton of ingredients that your dog doesn’t need. Here are some things that are in dog food that your dog doesn’t need and can actually do them some harm.

• Wheat
• Corn
• Artificial flavors and colors
• Preservatives

These additives in your dog’s food can cause a host of health problems everything from digestive problems to canine diabetes. Your dog was never meant to eat wheat and before dogs were domesticated that was not part of their diet ever. They don’t have the ability to digest corn and wheat but commercial dog foods use them because they are cheap and act as fillers or binding agents.

What Dogs Eat Naturally

Dogs are predators just like their distant cousins the wolves and there are foods that your dog was meant to eat. Raw dog food is the type of diet your dug would have in the wild. Feeding them raw food should consist of proteins like meats (beef, liver, eggs, and chicken). They should also have some vegetables for fiber and natural oils. Dogs love broccoli, carrots and you can top it all off with a touch of olive oil or cod liver oil.

Benefits of a Raw Food Diet

Raw food diets for your dog are exactly what your dog was designed to eat, you can also include organ meats as part of their diet. There are no chemicals or fillers in the food, just pure nutrition. You can reduce the risks of many canine diseases. There is less chance of them becoming obese. Your dog will like it better and offer them all of the right minerals, vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy.

You want your dog to stay healthy and live a long and healthy life then a raw food diet is the best way to do that.

Just like humans dogs can get really bad breath.  At the same time you can’t give your dog a mint to make it better.  You love your furry friend and their kisses but not so much when they stink.  Don’t worry there are fixes to get your puppy back to normal.  Here is how to get rid of puppy breath.

Brush Their Teeth

You brush your teeth a couple of times a day so your puppy needs their teeth brushed from time to time.  You can head to the local pet store and find everything you need to brush your dog’s teeth.  They have doggy toothpastes that are safe for them to eat and will break down the tartar around their teeth, tartar is what causes bad breath.

Get Some Chew Toys

Dogs clean their teeth by chewing, it helps reduce the buildup of plaque and tartar and keeps away gum disease.  Dogs also play with chew toys just for fun so they should have a couple of them anyway to keep them occupied.  Again head over to the pet store and grab some chew toys for your pup.

Watch Their Diet

First, you need to change your dog’s water often and keep the bowl clean.  Don’t just keep refilling the water bowl.  If your dog breeds is one of the ones that drools a lot then change the water a couple of times each day.  There are breath fresheners that can help with your dog’s oral health along with treats meant to reduce the buildup of plaque.

Bring the Dog to the Vet

You may also want to bring your dog to the vet to make sure that there is nothing wrong with your dog that may be causing the bad breath.  Gastrointestinal issues, cancer and a whole bunch of other conditions can cause bad breath in your dog. Rule out anything serious first then you can get your dog treats or toothpaste to deal with their breath. Your vet can also clean your dog’s teeth much the same way that the dentist cleans yours.  Keep an eye out for broken teeth or red gums indicating a bigger problem.

Oral health is just as important as the physical health of your dog.  Everything from your dog’s diet to the treats that you give them can affect their breath.  The right foods, treats and toys can either make your dog’s breath better or contribute to the problem.

Dogs are naturally curious and sometimes kinda dumb, they will chase all kinds of other animals including skunks.  More than one dog owner has headed to a vet with a stinky dog after dog meets skunk.  Skunks can spray up to 15 feet and do so pretty accurately, so if your dog starts barking at a skunk get him out of the way as quick as you can.  If you don’t make it in time here is what to do.

Don’t Bring them Inside

Once your dog has been sprayed leave them outside, once you bring them in you will have that smell stuck in your house.  The less of your furniture and stuff your dog comes into contact with the less you have to de-stink later on.

Make Sure Your Dog is Okay

Skunk spray doesn’t just stink it has chemicals that can harm your dog if it gets into their eyes, ears, mouth or nose. Look for any signs of redness or irritation and flush the area with water.  Make they got sprayed from a distance and didn’t get into a wrestling match with the skunk.

Dry Them Off

Grab a couple of rolls of paper towels, some rubber gloves and try and dry off your dog as much as possible.  Pat the dog with the paper towels don’t try and wipe or you will just spread it around.

Get Rid of the Skunk

Contrary to the old wives tail, tomato juice isn’t going to clean your dog, neither will lemon juice or plain old dog shampoo.  Here is what you are going to need:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Baking soda
• Dish soap (Dawn works best)
• Rubber gloves
• Old towels you can throw out

You are going to want to do this outside.  Get a bucket or big container and mix together some peroxide, baking soda and dish soap, take the mixture and start massaging it into your dog’s coat.  Use an old facecloth around the face.  Don’t spray down the dog before you start you want to apply this to a dry coat. Leave it on for a couple of minutes but no longer than five minutes.  Grab the hose and start rinsing your dog off.  If your dog still stinks then repeat until they don’t smell anymore.

You might want to take your dog to get groomed in the near future where your dog can get a proper bath.  Watch your dog carefully in the summer months skunks might be cute but they don’t take to being chased well at all.