Having a pet dog at home is something that is very rewarding. Some people may prefer getting a puppy while others prefer an older dog. Getting an older dog may be more beneficial at times because they are more mature and can be better companions than puppies. Although there is a saying that “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks”, teaching an older dog, especially about potty training, is not actually as hard as it seems. In fact, older dogs are easier to train than puppies.

When it comes to potty training, these are helpful tips that you can use to potty train an older dog:

1. When potty training an older dog, you must remember that your focus must be about teaching the dog to relieve himself outdoors, rather than teaching him not to relieve himself inside the house. Keep in mind that it is easier to teach an older dog to DO something instead of NOT DOING something. So if you notice that your new dog companion has an old habit of relieving himself inside the house, it would be easier to help him learn a better alternative to eliminate an old bad behaviour instead of preventing him to potty inside the house.

2. Choose a spot where you want your dog to relieve himself, for instance, a small corner in your lawn. It would be easier to potty train an older dog if you are consistent about where you want him to poop or urinate. Going to the same place over and over again, would help the dog learn the right place faster. It would also help if you do not clean the spot entirely until your dog learns to go there when he needs to go potty.

3. Use specific words when referring to potty. An older dog might get confused if you use different phrases to mean the same thing. So be sure to use words and actions that your dog can properly and easily associate with his potty schedule.

4. Always make sure to clean every trace of poop or urine that your dog may accidentally have put inside the house. It is important for you to remember that a dogs’ sense of smell is very keen and the smell of any urine or poop in your house might make him think that it is the place to go potty. If you must, use a deodorizing cleaning solution to eliminate odours that might stick to your floors and carpets.

5. Make this a habit. Take your dog outside every morning when he wakes up. Take him to his regular potty place so that he would think that this is an act that he must regularly do.

6. Lessen your dog’s food and water intake before he sleeps. This will prevent him from urinating on his bed while sleeping.

7. Make it easy for your dog to go outside through a doggie door or leave your back door open. However, if this is not advisable in your area, just leave a bell for your dog to reach. Take your dog outside each time he rings the bell so that he would know that ringing is a signal for him to go out and potty.

With regular practice and a lot of patience, it is definitely possible to potty train an older dog.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org.

We  love our dog so much and we only want the best for him. We want to provide him the best shelter, clothes, toys and food. However, when it comes to food intake, there are certain foods that may be harmful for our beloved Fido. So before feeding your dog, make sure that you are not giving him anything that can be harmful for his health.

These are the top 10 food that you should not give your dog:

1. Grapes and raisins – it’s been confirmed that even grapes grown without fertilizers or pesticides can be toxic to dogs. Although this may not be applicable to every dog, small amounts eaten over a long period of time can result to an acute kidney failure. This means that the dog may not produce urine, which means that he cannot filter toxins out of his internal body system.

2. Chocolates – chocolate is made with cocoa beans which contain a chemical called Theobromine, which is toxic to dogs. Different types of chocolate have varying effects on a dog’s health. Dark chocolate has the largest Theobromine, coming in at a whopping 450mg (compared to 1mg for white chocolate).

3. Fatty foods – fatty foods are hard for a dog to digest and can exhaust the pancreas, leading to pancreatitis. This can threaten your dog’s health and is potentially fatal.

4. Nuts – Macadamia nuts should be avoided. In fact most nuts are not good for your dog’s health since nuts are high in phosphorus, which can cause bladder stones.

5. Mulch – mulch is not food, but this is one thing that is very tempting enough for dogs to eat. Some dogs are attracted to cocoa mulch, and will eat it in varying quantities. The cocoa bean shells can contain from 0.2% to 3% theobromine as compared to 1-4% in unprocessed beans.

6. Onions – onion powder especially raw onions have been shown to trigger hemolytic anemia in dogs.

7. Potatoes – green potato skins have solanine which is toxic to dogs. However, cooked, mashed potatoes are fine for a dog because this is actually quite nutritious and digestible.

8. Artificial Sweeteners – Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, especially sugarless gum and candies. Ingesting large amounts of products sweetened with xylitol may cause a sudden drop in blood sugar in dogs, resulting depression, loss of coordination, and seizures.

9. Turkey – turkey skin is currently being regarded as a cause to acute pancreatitis in dogs, partly due to its high fat content.

10. Avocado – this is toxic for dogs because this is considered the only “fatty” member of the veggie-fruit family.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

The Bengal Cat is a medium to large domestic cat that originated from the wild Asian Leopard Cat breed. Bengals are considered muscular  and they are very unique because they do not have fur like other cats, instead they have a pelt. Many Bengals also have the glitter gene which makes them shimmer in sun light. Thus, Bengals have the look of the wild cat breed but with the temperament of a well-balanced domestic cat.

In terms of colour patterns, here are the examples that you can find for the Bengal Cat:

• Brown spotted tabby includes leopard spotted (black or dark brown spots and rosettes on beige, tan, or reddish background)
• Sorrel spotted (light brown spots or rosettes on light beige or tan background), and charcoal on grey.
• Classic brown tabby includes, black marble pattern and sorrel marble pattern on lighter background in two or more colours.
• Seal-lynx point includes blue-eyed snow leopards and snow marbles with medium grey or brown pattern on off-white background
• Silver spotted or Pearly white snows are black spotted on light silver or grey background, currently being developed.

In terms of personality, Bengals are extremely intelligent cats who can establish strong bonds with their owners. They love to interact with humans and would always love to be part of any family activity. Moreover, the Bengal’s activity level is very high and they love to play, run and leap. They are also great climbers and jumpers, and they could at times be described as mischievous. They sometimes demand a lot of attention but they will always keep you entertained with their tricks. They are also extremely affectionate often described as having a “dog like” personality because they can be easily trained. In fact, it is not difficult to train them to walk on a leash, fetch or even to shake hands.

Do you own a Bengal cat? Tell us about your pet parenting experience!

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

The Dachshund is a type of dog which was originally bred to hunt independently and to kill his prey. Dachshunds, especially Smooth Dachshunds have the tendency to be stubborn. Therefore, poor training can result in excessive barking and difficulty in housetraining which is why this type of dog breed may not be for everyone. Moreover, Dachshunds may not be the best dogs for families with young children or with children of any age who are not taught how to handle and communicate with dogs safely.

Dachshunds usually have strong prey instincts that may look at toddlers as prey. This is especially true when the little ones are running, waving their arms, and making high-pitched noises. As a result, the Dachshund may chase, bark at, and even nip at them. However, this behaviour is not considered viciousness or an attack but rather a response of the hunting dog to a creature that looks and sounds like something the dog has an instinct to hunt.

The Dachshund is not also considered “city friendly” because they may have a hard time behaving around humans or other dogs. Dachshunds may bark at and even attack other dogs when they see some breeds passing by; this trait is especially obvious if two or more Dachshunds are walking together (the pack mentality) and if the other dog is a large breed. For this reason, it is advisable that Dachshunds should always be put on a leash whenever they are strolling at the park or in malls. At home, they should be confined to a securely fenced yard because even the best-trained and most obedient Dachshund can ran around the street to chase other pets such as cats or other dog breeds.

On the other hand, Dachshunds love to cuddle up and to crawl under bed covers and pillows. A Dachshund loves the company of other Dachshunds, so if you decide to get this type of breed as a pet it is advisable to get Dachshund pairs. They like to curl up and sleep together, with their heads on each other’s backs. They are usually very physically affectionate dogs and they like to snuggle and kiss and be scratched and have their bellies rubbed.

In terms of appearance, this dog breed has three coat variations: short-haired, long-haired, and wire-haired. There are also a variety of recognized colour variations:

• Solid Dachshunds are either red or cream
• Bi-colour dogs can be grey, black, or brown with spots of copper above their eyes and other specific locations
• Dappled, or Merle, dogs have a lighter shade of the same colour dappled over their body. For example, a dark shade of grey base with light grey pattern

Finally, weight control can be a problem with Dachshunds because most of them are heavy eaters. In fact, they will go to great lengths to get extra food. They can even resort to stealing food. So keep in mind that it is important that your Dachshund be fed the right amount of high-quality dog food to maintain its ideal weight, and that table scraps and treats be kept to a minimum.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

If you are a happy Petitude customer and you would like us to include your pet’s photo here, please send your pet’s coolest shot to us at petitude.omm[at]gmail[dot]com!

Dogs aren’t man’s bestfriend for nothing. We pet owners love to share stories about our pets and very often we exchange not just facts, but myths or fiction about our pals and pet ownership as well. These are the top 5 myths I hear very often:

5. Dogs must have bones!

The most common thing associated with dogs is the bone. We see pictures, animations and illustrations showing dogs biting bones so often that most people start to believe that it’s okay to give a dog a bone to feast on. But did you know that bones are actually damaging to dogs? Unless you are working with a veterinarian or are experienced in raw feeding do not give dogs raw food or bones. Dogs have dental care needs just like humans and their teeth wear down or even break from chewing hard bones. Even cooked bones should never be given to dogs. Cooking changes the chemical and physical properties of bones and they resist digestion and cannot be chewed properly. If your dog loves to chew on something, buy him soft chew toys or nylon bones.

4. Is your dog healthy? Touch his nose!

People say that a cold, wet nose indicates a healthy dog. But truth is, just like human’s, a dog’s nose is at normal body temperature unless he is out in cold, wintry air. Therefore, it is not a wet nose that tells you your dog is healthy, but rather a dry, hot nose is a sign that something may be wrong.

3. Pit bulls have locking jaws. So if you ever must get bitten by a dog, never by a pit bull!

Dog neurologists and dog behaviorists debunked this myth. Dogs do not have jaw locking mechanisms and there is no such thing as jaw locking.

2. Dog’s age multiplied by 7 equals the dog’s equivalent human age.

The formula above is so wrong. If you want to compute your dog’s age in human terms, count the first year at 15; his second year as 10, and add 5 for each year after.

1. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.

Oh we hear this very often! Just like us humans, dogs undergo behavioral, physiological, and neurological changes as they grow older. We cannot feed our older dog the same way we fed him when he was a puppy. If older dogs ignore his owner’s commands, it’s probably not because he is old, but because of hearing loss that often happens during aging. It is possible to teach older dogs new tricks using different methodologies. Hand signal is one good example. So yes, no matter how old they are, they can still be trained.

What other myths do you hear?

Types of Animal Cruelty continued…

6. Burning (Fire or Fireworks) – This happens when a human tries to injure an animal by setting him on fire or using fireworks to harm him. An example of this is if a human purposely left a dog or a cat inside a burning house.

7. Stabbing – This is when a human tries to kill an animal through stabbing or hitting him with a pointed object such as a knife. An example of this is intentionally thrusting a dagger on any part of an animal’s body.

8. Vehicular – This happens when a human uses any type of vehicle to harm or injure an animal. An example of this is when a human drags a dog behind his truck just to harm the animal.

9. Fighting – This type refers to illegal animal fighting which is a blood-sport in which animals are specifically bred and trained to fight each other within an enclosed pit or ring. This is done solely for the benefit of individuals who place
bets on the animal they believe will win. The fights are extremely brutal which in worst cases may cause death to the  animal involved. Pitbull fights are popular example of this type of animal cruelty.

10. Burning (Caustic Substance) – This one happens when a human tries to harm an animal using a substance that can cause his body to be burned or damaged severely. An example of this is if a human pour a harmful chemical on the face of a dog or cat.

Animal cruelty can be prevented for as long as there are people who care for the welfare of animals. We can help stop this nonsense by reporting animal cruelty to authorities and making sure that our own pets are safe in our homes.

To be continued…

*Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Animal cruelty has a lot of faces. How do you recognize it?

Below are the common cruelty types in cases of offleash/unconfined cats and dogs according to Pet-Abuse.com:

1. Shooting – Comprising 57.8% of the total 798 reported cases of abuse, shooting is the most common type of animal cruelty, either deliberately or by accident. All animal cruelty is tragic, but cases involving the shooting of a companion animal are often even more tragic because in most situations, the act could have been prevented.

2. Poisoning – this type of cruelty usually happens when pet owners allow their animal companions to go outside unsupervised putting them in real danger of being harmed by people who are irritated by animals’ barking, defecating in yards, digging in flowerbeds, or bothering other animals.

3. Mutilation/Torture – comprises 8.3% of the total cases, which constitutes 114 reported cases of abuse. The act of torturing or mutilating the animal by inflicting severe damage on the animal’s body such as cropping the ear or cutting the arms and legs.

4. Beating – This happens when a human inflicts severe force towards an animal like hitting it with bare hands or with the use of a sturdy material such as a baseball bat, metal pole, etc. Beating can also be associated with punching the animal in any part of his body. Couple of months ago, there was this animal video circulating online showing a man beating his pet dog repeatedly.  Concerned netizens tried to identify the people involved in this heartless act of animal cruelty and local organisations and law enforcement units are working together to track these people down and save the animal.

5. Neglect/ Abandonment – This type of animal cruelty involves situations where an animal is left without food, water or shelter, or when proper veterinary care is not given. However, in most cases, the main reason why this cruelty occurs is because of the owner’s ignorance. This is why many animal control officers and humane law enforcement officers will first attempt to educate the neglectful owner rather than immediately arresting him. So if you must leave your house, make sure you leave food for your pet or ask a neighbor or a friend to feed him. Even if you didn’t mean to, neglecting or abandoning your pet is a form of animal cruelty and may be punishable by law.

To be continued…

*Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Having pets is probably one of the best ways to add happiness into your home. Pets can shower you and your family with love, loyalty and affection just like a family member.

Dogs and cats are perhaps two of the most loved pets in most homes all over the world. Dogs are more preferred because they are very affectionate of their masters and thus considered man’s best friend. On the other hand, cats are also adored because of their natural charm and sweetness towards their “parents”. However, given the fact that these adorable animals can be great pets, it is a very sad truth that some of these precious beings suffer cruelty even from their own masters.

We don’t need to see an injured or malnourished animal just to get a clue that they are being abused. This series of blog articles shall help us recognise animal cruelty when we see them and educate us on what to do if we see or suspect that an animal is being abused.

What is animal cruelty?

Animal cruelty is defined as the act committed by a human being towards an animal that results to suffering or sometimes death of the animal being inflicted upon. In detail, it can also be defined as the hitting, shouting at, or injuring an animal in a particular way. Sadly, animal cruelty is an alarming problem that still occurs today and is evident in many forms.

Understanding and Knowing its Negative Effects on Animals

Animal cruelty can result to a lot of negative effects on animals for a long period of time. For instance, if you impose physical or even verbal abuse on a dog, which are forms of animal cruelty, it is most likely that either of these will cause him severe psychological effect. In many cases, physical abuse or cruelty can cause the dog to be handicapped for life or live with severe health problems. Psychological effects are usually presented in the form of fear, aloofness or even aggressive behaviour in animals. An abused animal can exhibit fear by hiding under tables, beds and closets while aloofness happens when they reject any physical contact from humans. On the other hand, aggression can occur when they attack even innocent people. For dogs, you can see aggression if they growl at people without any apparent reason.

To be continued…

*Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Having your dog for a long period of time does not necessarily mean that you know your dog or that you understand his behaviour completely. Below are the eight things that you probably do not know about your pet dog:

1. Even dogs grieve or mourn when they lose a loved-one or a companion. If you think that dogs do not pay attention when he loses sight of a housemate (whether a companion pet or a human loved one), you have got it wrong. In fact, dogs will actually show numerous changes in behaviour after losing a housemate. This behaviour may last from two weeks or in severe cases, up to six months. Some symptoms that you can observe are loss of appetite, a decrease in favourite activities, an increase in sleeping and anxiety.

2. Brushing your pet dog’s teeth can save him from a lot of diseases. Keep in mind that dental disease is the number one problem among adult dogs. By the time they’re four years old, 85% of dogs have signs of periodontal disease. If left untreated, it can affect their heart, kidneys, and liver. Although dental treats are great, they cannot compensate the great effects of brushing your pet dog’s teeth so make it a habit to brush his teeth regularly.

3. Your precious Fido is very likely allergic to dairy products, wheat and corn. The gluten in wheat and corn most often causes allergy in dogs. As with dairy products, not all dogs are lactose intolerant which is why giving your pet dog dairy products may highly upset his stomach. Although, lactose intolerance most often can be associated with age, it is still a must to watch the food that you’re giving your precious dog.

4. Your precious four-legged buddy loves grass! Some dogs even consider grass a salad bar and like to snack on it from time to time. Most dogs seem to have a taste for grass especially when they’re nauseated. So if your dog vomits every time he eats grass, don’t let him eat it. He does not “need” to eat grass to help him vomit. If he’s going to vomit, he’ll manage just fine on his own, without the grass’s help. Also, if you know or even suspect that the grass has been treated recently with pesticides or fertilizers don’t let your dog eat it.

5. Pet dogs are less heat tolerant than humans. Dogs don’t have many sweat glands and must pant to lower their body temperature. So to help your pet deal with heat especially when you take him for a walk during the summer time, let him drink lots of water and keep his skin protected by putting some clothes on him and sunblock that is especially made for dogs.

6. Punishing your pet dog after you discovered that he destroyed or pooped on something is not actually training him not to do it again. Keep in mind that dogs have short term memory In fact, studies have shown that even half a second delay in punishing or rewarding a dog has a noticeable effect on how fast they learn. So when you get home two hours after he’s butchered your favourite slipper, that particular incident is actually very far from his mind already. Instead, he might think that you’re just yelling at him for running up to greet you when you get home.

7. It is not good to yelling at your dog when he’s barking because it’s just like telling him to continue further. The right way to deal with this is to ignore him, distract him with a game or teach him to bark on command instead.

8. Comforting your pet when he is scared is not helping him at all! Sometimes your pet dog is scared of really stupid things like vacuum cleaners, thunderstorms, and people with hats or real estate signs. To help him ease fear and tension, it is best to create a normal atmosphere by calmly playing a game you usually play together or distract him with things that he usually does like hanging on his own pet bed.

Knowing your dog well can really take some of your time and effort. But with this list, you will have an idea on where to start in getting to know your pet dog more.