Educate your pets for a healthier Life

For my final post I will be discussing obedience training.  You may be wondering "how in the world can obedience training make my animal or myself healthy".  Well I will explain, just keep in mind I will only be talking about dogs.  If you have house pets other than dogs I am sure there is information elsewhere that can help you out.

Obedience training for dogs is the same as pre-school for children, or higher education in some cases.  It teaches them (both children and dogs) to sit, stay, share, pay attention, how to socialize, and to ask to go potty (or at least not have an accident).  Taking on the responsibility of an animal is a huge undertaking and can be stressful if you are not prepared.  If you know the basics of what you need to do ahead of time then it will be an easier transition for both of you until the puppy training can begin.  I can speak from experience on how stressful an untrained animal can be.  My boyfriend procrastinated on getting Angel and Demon into obedience classes due to his own schedule and it was a constant battle trying to get them to behave.  Obedience training establishes rules for the dog.  If they do not know what they should and should not do inside/outside/around company/around other dogs then they will keep doing what they are doing and that can potentially be dangerous.  There are several young children in our families so getting the dogs trained and to learn how to be "gentle" (calm and not jumping up on people) was very important to us.  Also learning to share their bones and toys was important also.  We plan on having children someday and kids tend to take things from others (such as a bone from the dogs) so they need to know its ok to share and they will get it back.  HOWEVER- children need to also know not to torment or tease the dog.  Pulling on their tail, purposely taking away the dogs toys/bones and not returning, and other intentionally mean behaviors are unacceptable and should not be tolerated.  Dogs are trained to behave and I do not blame them if they lash out in self defense, the child should have been raised better than to treat an animal cruelly.

The ASPCA Complete Dog Training Manual by Bruce Fogel, DVM looks to be very informative and covers a wide variety of situations that may come up in training and throughout maturity.  According to nylabone.com there are 6 Principles of Successful Training: Be Consisten, Be Concise, Be Generous, Be Smart, Be Prepared, Be Happy. For more details on these principles feel free to migrate to nylabone.com.  Also remember that training your dog at a young age helps them to adjust to your lifestyle and schedule, making it one less thing you need to stress about in your day.  Just remember that dogs forget just like adults too, so refreshing their memories with their obedience training is ok to do as they get older.

Angel was not to thrilled to wear her graduation cap.

Demon graduated with honors :)
Which basically means he was a huge suck up to the teacher for treats...

Good Luck and have fun :)

Resources:
http://www.nylabone.com/dog-101/training-behaviors/dog-training-tips/

Healthy pet diet, Healthy pet

Human bodies require essential nutrients and a balanced diet to maintain a healthy state of living.  Your pets also require nutrients and a balanced diet to continue to stay active and healthy.  According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) there are six essential nutrients your dog needs in its diet: water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.  These are the same nutrients us as humans need as well to stay healthy.

Throughout every stage of life humans and animals have different requirements to grow and be healthy.  Both require the mothers milk when first born or a supplement if there are allergies involved. Then once old enough humans graduate to mushed up human food and eventually solids.  Animals are the same, they move onto puppy/kitten food to be weaned off the mothers milk then move onto the adult form of dog/cat food when old enough.  Sometimes an animal has a dietary restriction just like humans do and require a specific brand and formula of food to stay healthy.  Animals can become over weight just like humans do, when that happens you need to take a close look at your animals lifestyle and your own.  If your animal is overweight there is a good chance you may be too.  If you are not to concerned with your own well being then chances are your pet is living a sedentary lifestyle as well.  It is to easy to change up both of your diets and start exercising.  If you have a dog you can start by taking it for walks or playing outside with it.  If you have a cat you can get it mobile and active by introducing new toys and more obstacles it can play and explore in.  You will have to be a little more pro active with your own exercising if you have a cat, unless your cat enjoys being outside then you can go on walks with your cat too.

There are several different kinds of dog food available to the public.  They vary from dry food, wet food, special diet formulas and several other types also based by the age and lifestyle of the dog.  To research what would be best for your dog you can click here: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/.  As always make sure you consult with your vet to make sure you are getting the very best food for your dog, also be aware of recalls that may happen to food.

Cats have a wide variety of food choices as well, this site was helpful in many ways when selecting the best food for your cat: http://www.catfooddispensersreviews.com/cat-food-reviews/.  Again, make sure you double check with your vet to make sure your choice is best for your cats dietary needs.

Treats are big part of training and daily life for your pets, as long as you do not go over board.  There are recommendations on the packages suggesting how many treats you can give your pet in a day.  Be aware that not all treats are safe and healthy for your pets and there are always recalls happening so make sure you stay up to date on the best treats for your pet.

Here are some treats my grandma sent Angel, Chase, and Demon for Christmas.  Chase did not keep all of his treats, most were donated to the animal shelter.





References:
Dog Care.  Retrieved from: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-nutrition-tips
Best Dog Foods. Retrieved from: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/
Cat Food Reviews: Top Healthiest Dry Cat Foods: Retrieved from: http://www.catfooddispensersreviews.com/cat-food-reviews/

Healthy Pets, Healthy People: Vaccinate Your Fur-Babies!

Animals just like with infants, children and even adults, also need to be vaccinated for their own well being.  Vaccines are administered to protect animals from contracting diseases and to prevent them from possibly spreading diseases to other animals and humans.  For this blog I will be referring to typical domestic pets such as cats and dogs, but keep in mind that other animals do require vaccinations as well.

Pets need to be vaccinated regardless of where they spend most of their time (inside or outside).  Most people think animals can only contract germs and diseases if they are outside for long periods of time.  However, germs and diseases do not care how much time your animal spends outside on a daily basis, their (the germs and diseases) main goal is to survive so they will get to a host (a cat or dog) how ever they can. According to the American Humane Association, once your pets are vaccinated it could "[...] take a few days to a few weeks to become effective", so make sure you are keeping a close eye on who goes around your pet and where they may go for a week or two just to be on the safe side.

The American Humane Association listed the essential vaccines you should give your dog.
-The Distemper Shot (DHPP) protects against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus.
-Rabies vaccines are required by law since mammals and humans can get infected and it is fatal if untreated.
Some other recommended vaccines you should also consider for your dog are: Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme Disease, Canine Influenza, and Corona Virus.
Each Vet has different recommendations of which vaccines to get depending on where your dog spends most of their time.  Depending on what vaccines your dog gets will determine how often they need to get re-vaccinated.  Make sure you discuss which vaccines will benefit your dog the most.

The American  Humane Association also listed the essential vaccines you should give your cat.
-The FelineViral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia (FVRCP)- this is commonly called the "Distemper Shot".
-Rabies vaccines are also required by law in most states for cats as well.
Some other recommended vaccines you should also consider for your cat are: Feline Leukemia (Felv), Chlamydia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), and Bordetella.
Just like with dogs each Vet has different recommendations of which vaccines to get depending on where your cat spends most of their time. Also just like with dogs make sure you discuss which vaccines will benefit your cat the most.

Humans can be vaccinated for Rabies as well, so if you are for whatever reason bitten by an animal please seek medical attention in case that animal has not been vaccinated.  Animals can only do so much in trying to stay healthy, it is up to us to make sure our pets are up to date on their vaccines so they can live a long happy life with us.

  Here is Chase on the counter waiting patiently for his shots while the Vet's Resident cat, Caboose, checks in on him.

Reference:

Vaccinating Your Pet. Retrieved from: http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/caring-for-your-pet/vaccinating-your-pet.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

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Introduction Post

Hello Everyone!

I chose the topic Healthy Pets, Healthy People to blog about in our Marketing Concepts class this semester.  This topic stood out to me since I have a cat (Chase) and two dogs (Angel and Demon (my boyfriend named them before knowing their personalities)).  My animals are very important to me and I take their health very seriously.  After reading about this topic on the CDC website the title of the topic makes sense, the healthier your pets are the healthier you keep yourself.
I hope you enjoy my posts and I look forward to reading your comments!