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Introducing New Dog To Household

Dog Meets Dog New dog in the household? The key to success is to plan ahead and be patient. Don’t assume the dogs will take an instant liking to each other or that they will work things out themselves. If your dogs get off on the wrong paw, the relationship might not recover. Taking a little extra time is well worth the effort. Before you get in the house: • Arrange an on-leash meeting on neutral ground. That means not in your house or yard, and with plenty of space around. Keep the leashes loose and let the dogs approach calmly. (Is your dog more comfortable off leash? Leave the leash off and keep tasty treats ready in case you need to call him away.) • After a 2-second greet-and-sniff , call each dog away with a cheerful voice. Praise and treat. • Now take a short walk with both

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Cycling With Your dog

Think cycling and dogs don’t mix? That depends. Yes, just holding a leash while riding a bike is a bad idea—one sudden dog move and you’re down. But if you love to ride and would like to share the road with your dog, you have other options. One is a specialized bike leash with a shock-absorbing spring device. A steel clamp attaches to the seat or frame of your bike, with a spring arm for the leash that reduces the impact of a dog’s sudden movements by as much as 90%. To find one, just search online for “bicycle leash.” For longer trips—or smaller, less athletic dogs—a better option is one of the many carriers or trailers on the market. Essentially a dog-ifi ed take on the child trailer, these contraptions have reinforced bases that increase stability and safety. Just do your homework and make sure you pick the best

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Dog In The Spotlight

Great Dane Like Danish pastry, the Great Dane is not from Denmark at all. The breed originated in Germany, but has roots in ancient cultures like China and Egypt. Great Danes are often called the Apollos of the dog world because of their regal appearance, but fanciers will tell you “the world’s biggest lapdogs” don’t stand on ceremony. Great Danes are legendary leaners who enjoy nothing more than to rest their impressive bulk against the legs of their favorite people. Playful and trainable, Great Danes are popular family dogs, but their strength—and guard instincts— shouldn’t be underestimated. While not the fastest ballretrievers, Great Danes still need plenty of exercise. They thrive on the stimulation of fun dog sports like agility, tracking, weight pull, and musical free style. Easygoing Great Danes often make wonderful therapy dogs, too. To give a Great Dane a home, search online for your local rescue organization.

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Spotting Signs Of Pain In Your Dog

Masking pain or illness is an evolutionary survival mechanism in dogs, which makes it hard to tell at times whether Fido is unwell. Here are some signs of trouble to look out for (when in doubt, always consult your vet): Activity level changes: Lethargy, restlessness, or a less cheerful dog can mean something is wrong. Mood swings: Happy one day, grouchy the next? Pain could be at the root. The same goes for a pup who’s happy in the morning, but cranky at night. Sudden aggression: If an otherwise friendly dog, especially an adult, shows aggression, be sure to include pain as one of the chief suspects. Loss of appetite: Could be pain, illness, or something less alarming, but a lack of appetite always warrants a trip to the vet.  

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Dry Eye, Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS)

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), better known as “dry eye,” is a common eye condition in dogs. Any dog can develop dry eye, but dogs with big, buggy eyes, such as Pugs, Lhasa Apsos, Pekingese, Boston Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, and English Bulldogs, are extra susceptible. Symptoms include irritation, goopy discharge, excessive blinking, swollen eyelids, and corneal color changes. The condition, which can have numerous causes, results in an inability to produce enough tears to provide nutrients and oxygen to the precorneal tear fi lm. The good news is that most of these causes can be treated on an outpatient basis, often with a topical antibiotic or corticosteroid. The less-good news is that there’s no cure for most causes of dry eye, so your dog will need ongoing treatment. Remember, the first thing to do about any eye-related problem in your dog is to call the vet. Eyes are too sensitive and vulnerable

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Are We More Bonded With Our Dogs Now, More Than Ever?

The Dogness of Everything There’s a good likelihood you think of your dog as part of the family. More of us than ever tell researchers we do. For that reason it’s easy to assume the human-dog bond is stronger now than it’s ever been—but is it? Before we had goats and cows to herd, before we had homes to protect, before we domesticated animals of any other species, dogs were our friends and allies. Archeological finds suggest we often relied on them for our lives. With their superior senses, dogs were our hunting partners, our guards against predators, and our companions on journeys into the proverbial woods of the unknown. So deep and strong was the bond between early humans and early canids that dogs play a major part in every world mythology. The powerful symbolism of dogs—and dogness—suff uses our collective conscious. In many mythologies, dogs are guides between

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