Does your dog defend his food? Does he growl or snap at anyone that approaches him or his food bowl at mealtime? This behaviour can be dangerous to children who may not understand the need to stay away from your dog at this time. Fortunately, training can reduce or eliminate this behaviour.

Follow these steps consistently:

Phase 1:

You’ll need two dog food bowls and a ready supply of dog food. Put a small amount of food in each bowl to start.
1. Put a small amount of food in your dog’s bowl then put the bowl down in front of him and let him eat it.
2. Put food in the second bowl. When he’s done eating the first bowl, take it away and give him the second bowl.
3. Repeat this swapping bowls many times over a few days until your dog is relaxed about you doing this.

When your dog is used to the above, and you feel safe, progress to Phase 2:

1. Put food in your dog’s bowl and put the bowl down for him and let him eat it.
2. Before he’s done eating, reach down to the bowl and add more food to it.
3. Repeat the above steps many times daily for several days.

When your dog is used to the above, and you feel safe, progress to Phase 3:
1. Put food in your dog’s bowl and put the bowl down for him and let him eat it.
2. Before he’s done eating, without any fuss, simply remove the food bowl while at same time replacing it with another bowl containing better food. This is similar to phase 1 except that you’re not waiting for him to finish eating this
time. Don’t grab the bowl and only do it if you feel safe.
3. Repeat the above steps many times daily for several days until your dog is relaxed about you doing this. This exercise will turn your taking away his food into a positive experience for him.

Make sure you and your dog are relaxed while doing this. It should be fun, not a harsh lesson. You might want to wear gardening gloves and/or use tongs or a scoop at the beginning of each phase. If you do, then make sure you introduce him to those things first by exposing him to gloves and tongs away from feeding time, so they don’t add to his stress when you start this training. Take off the gloves and stop using the tongs or scoop before proceeding to the next phase.

Dog Rescue Newcastle is a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation. We have many dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens waiting to be adopted. To adopt or donate, please visit our website http://www.dogrescuenewcastle.com.au.

Guest Author: After a long career in IT, Terri now divides her time between bookkeeping for the family business and volunteer work with Dog Rescue Newcastle.

Petitude, in partnership with Dog Rescue Newcastle, publishes  pet care guide and pet adoption articles. To learn more about Petitude’s new advocacy campaign and what you can do to help our less fortunate furry pals while doing your online shopping, please subscribe to our newsletter.

Aside from knowing how to choose a dog food for your pet dog, the next thing to think about is the proper storage for his dog food. Of course, you do not expect your beloved dog to munch all 40 lbs. of dog food that you bought, right? So what’s the best storage for your dog’s food? Most dog food manufacturers claim their food can stay fresh for up to six months in the original bag because of the antioxidants and preservatives that remain in the plastic of the inner liner.

However, if you have a picky eater, it is best to package that 40 lbs. bag of dog food into five 8 lbs. parcels and put it in the freezer. Remember that when a dog food is already open, the scent dissipates and is no longer quite as exciting as it was when the bag was newly opened. However, by freezing it, it can retain much of the original scent and most dogs do not get put off by the less-then-stinky kibble in their food dish. Also ziploc bags work great in the freezer and an airtight container replaces the inner lining of the original dog food bag for maintaining freshness once it is out of the freezer.

For canned dog foods, once it is opened, put the left over in the fridge and make sure that your dog eats the remaining food within two to three days after opening. Also keep in mind that the opened dog canned food can also be affected by odours in the fridge that your pet may find unappealing so a well-sealing lid is a must. Using a well-sealing lid can also ensure that the food is moist. For hard treats like dog biscuits and the like, you can store these in the freezer or in an automatic dog feeder. This will keep the biscuits fresh and delicious.

Finally, for small dogs, you can use a wall-mounted or store-and-pour dispenser. Larger dogs need large bins. If you have multiple dog food types to store, consider stackable bins as a space saver. As long as you can close the bin against insects and rodents, it can keep the food fresh.

As springtime starts to bloom, you might be very excited as well to conduct a vacation with your family. As we all know, spring is the ideal season for vacations and holiday treats because the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. You can go to the places that you want to visit since the rays of the sun are not shining that much and the rain is not also pouring that much.

With that vacation of yours, for sure you would want to include your pet with you. Because your pet is already a member of the family, you would not want to leave him alone at house while you and your family are enjoying your vacation out of town.

However, bringing your pet on a vacation also demands a lot of things. You have to take care of him the whole time of your vacation. You need to ensure that he/she is healthy and safe as you are visiting the different places that you want to see or stay with. In addition, you also need to feed him all time. And with this, you would have to need a portable pet bowl with you.

A portable pet bowl will be very essential for you every time you and your beloved pet goes out to visit a place or even you are just at the vacation house. Of course, you would not want to just let you pet be fed on the ground or any else where. Even though the food is clean, it won’t be safe for your pet if it is prepared in a dirty space. If you have a portable pet bowl, you can always wash and dry it up and use it as you are feeding your pet. No matter where you go, you can always use the portable pet bowl as a container for the food of your pet. And with that alone, you can be sure that your pet will eat in a clean space. What’s more, you can also be sure that as he/she eats, the place will not be messy compared to letting him/her just eat on the floor. However, just make sure that after every use of the pet bowl, you will always wash and clean it up before you will let your pet use it again to ensure his safety.

Having a vacation with your pet this spring is exciting. Just make sure that you are ready with your pet’s gadget such as the pet bowl because this will be very useful to ensure the cleanliness, safety, and happiness of you and your pet as you conduct the said vacation break.

Just like human beings, dog’s health is also important. Since you consider your dog as an important member of your family, you must make sure that his health is always on a good condition.

To keep your dog healthy, it is important that he will be taken care of. You must provide him with fresh water and healthy foods and healthy foods mean a good quality dog food. There are some dog owners who will just go to the nearest pet store and supermarket and just pick any kind of dog food. This is wrong because by just picking it up without reading it, you will not be sure that the dog food that you will buy can truly provide all the nutrients that your dog needed.

Picking up and choosing a dog food is not really an easy task because there are a lot of things that you need to consider. Remember, the health of your dog is at stake here so you must be very careful.

There are definitely a lot of commercialized dog foods out there but then you must pick the one that has an overall quality. You must be cautious in choosing the brand because there are some dog food companies that produce dog foods that are made from undesirable materials or ingredients. You must always try to read the labels before picking up a dog food. By reading the labels you will see what its ingredients are. You will discover if it has the vitamins and minerals that are needed by your dog. The primary ingredients of dog foods must be meat based protein and not corn meal.

By picking up the right dog food for sure your dog will have a longer and healthier life. So remember, don’t just pick a dog food! Read the labels and be very choosy when it comes to the brand.