Tip #1: Never try to walk a dog that has been cooped up all day.
If your dog has been lying around waiting for you, let him
burn off some of his energy before you take him for a walk.
Throw a ball, play tug-o-war, or do something to calm him down
before the walk.
Tip #2: Use a gentle leader.
One of the best collars on the market is the gentle leader
head collar. It works by controlling your dog's head. When
you control the head you can control the body, much the same
as a horse bridle is used. They really are great collars.
Tip #3: Teach him where you want him to be.
Your dog does not know that he is supposed to be walking on
your side. Spend some time using a lure. Put a little piece
of food in your left hand and hold it close to your dog's
nose. Have him follow the lure; reward him every five or
six feet. As he gets better, go for longer and longer periods.
Tip #4: Don't let your dog's opposition reflex kick in.
When you apply pressure, your dog will resist with counter-
pressure. If you pull back on the leash, he will resist and
pull harder...opposition reflex.
The secret to leash walking is always keeping the leash loose.
Don't allow the leash to become tight
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
What not to feed your Lab?
Courtesy: www.blacklabrador.com
Your dog's food should NOT contain the following:
Chemical Preservatives - BHA, BHT, propyl gallate and Ethoxyquin (EQ) are found in many pet foods. Scientific studies have proven that these chemicals can be harmful. In fact, they have been shown to promote liver disease and other medical problems.
Poor Protein Sources - Corn, Wheat, Soybean Meal, Corn Glutens, Corn Meal, Whole Corn, Crushed Corn and Ground Corn are commonly used for their protein content in many pet foods. These ingredients are generally poor sources of protein vs. meat. They are known allergens and highly indigestible. Dogs lack the enzyme necessary to break down corn into a fuel their bodies can use. You will see the results of this inability to digest corn (and wheat) in the size and odor of your dog's stool.
By-Products - By-products can vary greatly. They can consist of the internal parts of animals such as necks, heads, noses, undeveloped eggs, feet, intestines, lungs, spleen and liver. By-products do not need to contain meat to be labled as "meat by-products" on pet food packages. Although by-products are used by many manufacturers, they are very low quality protein that will eventually harm the health of your best friend. Are these ingredients you would knowingly feed your pet?
Food Coloring - Food colorings are still commonly used in pet foods today despite the fact that they are not necessary and some have been linked to medical problems. Your dog does't care about the color of his food or treats. You should understand that any food coloring additives are aimed at you as a consumer, not at optimizing the health of your dog. Any food that contains false color should be suspect.
Animal Fat or Beef Tallow - Hard indigestible fat source, non-specific fat source. Animal fat used in low quality dog food is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease (yes, its true), or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. Test the food by running it through your hand and feel for any residual grease.
Poultry Fat - A by-product of meat processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known; the source can be any fowl (turkey, chicken, geese, buzzard, etc.) and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health.
Animal Digest - a material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. Animal digest is a palatability enhancer, which can contain unpredictable parts from animals of unknown origin.
Sweeteners (corn syrup, sugar, cane mallases, sucrose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin) are used to improve unappealing food. Do you know of dogs suffering from obesity, bad teeth and breath, out of control blood sugar, diabetes, mood swings? Sugar affects dogs in the same way if affects human beings and has no place in the diet of a dog you love.
Propylene glycol - a toxic substance when consumed in large amounts; added to some "chewy" foods to keep them moist.
Food fragments - Fragments are lower-cost by-products of another food manufacturing process such as wheat flour, and rice flour. Most foods contain at least one fragment as makers attempt to keep the food affordable. Beware of a product that contains several frag ments of a single food. Some food makers do this to disguise an excess of a low-value ingredient. Remember, the law dictates that each ingredient is listed separately by weight. So when you see a list of ingredients that begins "lamb, rice flour, rice bran, brewer's rice. . ." you should be aware that there is far more rice in the product than lamb. Flour is a cheap filler
Pentobarbital - from tainted meat sources. This chemical used in euthanizing animals.
Foods to Consider
* Innova Evo - High quality protein compatible with a raw diet
* Innova Regular - High quality protein with vegetables, fruit and whole grain
* Canidae
* Eagle Pack Holistic Select
* Flint River Ranch
* Hund-N-Flocken
* Natural Balance Ultra Premium
* Wellness
* Wysong Maintenance
* Royal Canin
* Nature's Variety
Foods to Avoid
* Purina - Any variety
* Alpo - Any variety
* Science Diet - Any variety
* Abady Stress & Maintenance Formula
* APD Lamb Meal & Rice
* Beneful (Nestle Purina Petcare)
* Bil-Jac
* Breeded's Choice Avo-Derm
* Cornucopia Super Life
* Diamond's Premium Adult
* Dr. Ballard's Growth & Performance
* Eagle Pack Natural Formula
* Eukanuba Adult Maintenance
* Iams Maintenance Adult
* Kibbles 'N Bits
* Natural Life Adult Formula
* Nature's Best (Hill's Science Diet)
* Nature's Recipe Maintenance Lamb & Rice
* Nutro Premium Nutrition (Iams Company)
* Pedigree Prime
* Perfect Health Diet G&M Formula
* Precise Foundation Formula
* Purina One
* Science Diet Maintenance
* Sensible Choice Lamb & Rice (Royal Canin)
* Waltham Lamb Meal & Rice
Your dog's food should NOT contain the following:
Chemical Preservatives - BHA, BHT, propyl gallate and Ethoxyquin (EQ) are found in many pet foods. Scientific studies have proven that these chemicals can be harmful. In fact, they have been shown to promote liver disease and other medical problems.
Poor Protein Sources - Corn, Wheat, Soybean Meal, Corn Glutens, Corn Meal, Whole Corn, Crushed Corn and Ground Corn are commonly used for their protein content in many pet foods. These ingredients are generally poor sources of protein vs. meat. They are known allergens and highly indigestible. Dogs lack the enzyme necessary to break down corn into a fuel their bodies can use. You will see the results of this inability to digest corn (and wheat) in the size and odor of your dog's stool.
By-Products - By-products can vary greatly. They can consist of the internal parts of animals such as necks, heads, noses, undeveloped eggs, feet, intestines, lungs, spleen and liver. By-products do not need to contain meat to be labled as "meat by-products" on pet food packages. Although by-products are used by many manufacturers, they are very low quality protein that will eventually harm the health of your best friend. Are these ingredients you would knowingly feed your pet?
Food Coloring - Food colorings are still commonly used in pet foods today despite the fact that they are not necessary and some have been linked to medical problems. Your dog does't care about the color of his food or treats. You should understand that any food coloring additives are aimed at you as a consumer, not at optimizing the health of your dog. Any food that contains false color should be suspect.
Animal Fat or Beef Tallow - Hard indigestible fat source, non-specific fat source. Animal fat used in low quality dog food is most often made up of rendered animal fat, restaurant grease (yes, its true), or other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. These fats are sprayed directly onto extruded kibbles and pellets to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable. Test the food by running it through your hand and feel for any residual grease.
Poultry Fat - A by-product of meat processing. The origin of the contributing animals is never known; the source can be any fowl (turkey, chicken, geese, buzzard, etc.) and the resulting oil is very low in linoleic acid -- an essential fatty acid that is important for skin and coat health.
Animal Digest - a material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. Animal digest is a palatability enhancer, which can contain unpredictable parts from animals of unknown origin.
Sweeteners (corn syrup, sugar, cane mallases, sucrose, ammoniated glycyrrhizin) are used to improve unappealing food. Do you know of dogs suffering from obesity, bad teeth and breath, out of control blood sugar, diabetes, mood swings? Sugar affects dogs in the same way if affects human beings and has no place in the diet of a dog you love.
Propylene glycol - a toxic substance when consumed in large amounts; added to some "chewy" foods to keep them moist.
Food fragments - Fragments are lower-cost by-products of another food manufacturing process such as wheat flour, and rice flour. Most foods contain at least one fragment as makers attempt to keep the food affordable. Beware of a product that contains several frag ments of a single food. Some food makers do this to disguise an excess of a low-value ingredient. Remember, the law dictates that each ingredient is listed separately by weight. So when you see a list of ingredients that begins "lamb, rice flour, rice bran, brewer's rice. . ." you should be aware that there is far more rice in the product than lamb. Flour is a cheap filler
Pentobarbital - from tainted meat sources. This chemical used in euthanizing animals.
Foods to Consider
* Innova Evo - High quality protein compatible with a raw diet
* Innova Regular - High quality protein with vegetables, fruit and whole grain
* Canidae
* Eagle Pack Holistic Select
* Flint River Ranch
* Hund-N-Flocken
* Natural Balance Ultra Premium
* Wellness
* Wysong Maintenance
* Royal Canin
* Nature's Variety
Foods to Avoid
* Purina - Any variety
* Alpo - Any variety
* Science Diet - Any variety
* Abady Stress & Maintenance Formula
* APD Lamb Meal & Rice
* Beneful (Nestle Purina Petcare)
* Bil-Jac
* Breeded's Choice Avo-Derm
* Cornucopia Super Life
* Diamond's Premium Adult
* Dr. Ballard's Growth & Performance
* Eagle Pack Natural Formula
* Eukanuba Adult Maintenance
* Iams Maintenance Adult
* Kibbles 'N Bits
* Natural Life Adult Formula
* Nature's Best (Hill's Science Diet)
* Nature's Recipe Maintenance Lamb & Rice
* Nutro Premium Nutrition (Iams Company)
* Pedigree Prime
* Perfect Health Diet G&M Formula
* Precise Foundation Formula
* Purina One
* Science Diet Maintenance
* Sensible Choice Lamb & Rice (Royal Canin)
* Waltham Lamb Meal & Rice
Labs are the most popular - 15 years in a row
Email Below:
From: Black Labrador <admin@blacklabrador.com>
Date: Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 1:53 AM
Subject: Lab # 1 dog in USA ( Black Labrador )
To: f1dotcom@gmail.com
Hello Labrador owners!
The Labrador does again the must popular dog is USA--that makes 15 years straight!
The American Kennell Club (AKC) breeds are listed below and ordered based on popularity. This list is based on AKC registrations for the year 2008.
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. Yorkshire terriers
4. German shepherds
5. Beagles
6. Dachshunds
7. Boxers
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Miniature Schnauzer
11. Chihuahuas
12. Pug
13. Bull Dog
14. Pomeranian
15. Cocker Spaniel(American)
16. Rottweiler
17. Boston Terrier
18. Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
19. Maltese
20. German Shorthaired Pointer
21. Doberman Pinscher
22. Miniature Pinscher
23. Pembroke Welsh Corgi
24. Great Dane
www.blacklabrador.com
From: Black Labrador <admin@blacklabrador.com>
Date: Sun, Apr 5, 2009 at 1:53 AM
Subject: Lab # 1 dog in USA ( Black Labrador )
To: f1dotcom@gmail.com
Hello Labrador owners!
The Labrador does again the must popular dog is USA--that makes 15 years straight!
The American Kennell Club (AKC) breeds are listed below and ordered based on popularity. This list is based on AKC registrations for the year 2008.
1. Labrador Retriever
2. Golden Retriever
3. Yorkshire terriers
4. German shepherds
5. Beagles
6. Dachshunds
7. Boxers
8. Poodles
9. Shih Tzus
10. Miniature Schnauzer
11. Chihuahuas
12. Pug
13. Bull Dog
14. Pomeranian
15. Cocker Spaniel(American)
16. Rottweiler
17. Boston Terrier
18. Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)
19. Maltese
20. German Shorthaired Pointer
21. Doberman Pinscher
22. Miniature Pinscher
23. Pembroke Welsh Corgi
24. Great Dane
www.blacklabrador.com
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Weekend Update
Yesterday, I took Zorro to Willis's house so that he can stretch his legs out a bit and run around as Willis has a huge backyard (courtesy of HM).
Zorro found a small puddle of water in the backyard and promptly plonked himself in the puddle.... In no time, he looked like a water buffalo, his entire body covered in mud. I had to give him a thorough wash to clean the mud away. Overall, he had a fun day and was dead tired by the end of the day.
Zorro found a small puddle of water in the backyard and promptly plonked himself in the puddle.... In no time, he looked like a water buffalo, his entire body covered in mud. I had to give him a thorough wash to clean the mud away. Overall, he had a fun day and was dead tired by the end of the day.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
New Year!
The New Year has been lucky for Zorro as my mom came visiting on 9th Jan 2009 for about a month.
As he does with everyone, he welcomed her with open arms (paws) and went hyper for 30 mins when she got home. Mom though was not very confident of being able to handle a adrenaline junkie like Zorro - mainly because of his size and because his activity levels.
Zorro soon sensed that my mom would not dominate him and took it upon himself to show her who's boss. He wants to play with her 24x7, is constantly at her side asking for attention and being around her in general.
The past few weekends, I have taken mom around to show her around Muscat and Oman and being the priviledged (four legs are superior than two) one, he tagged along and had a blast during each of these trips.
Will be posting some of his mis-endeavours in the recent past.....
I am sure he will miss her more than me when she leaves the coming Thursday. Unlike me, he is happily oblivious to the fact that she will be leaving soon.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Trip to Jebel Shams
During the Eid Holidays last week, we decided to go camping to Jebel Shams (the tallest peak in Oman)
On Wednesday afternoon we set off to Jebel Shams and reached by sunset. We immediately setup our tent which Zorro inspected and gave his approval. Later on, as the temperature dipped, I put on his jacket on him and this provided some respite from the cold. Even though Labs can handle sub zero temperatures, Zorro has been a dog who has been accustomed to the heat of the desert and I didnt want him to catch a cold or fever from the chill in the air. Anyway, since he didnt complain after I put on his jacket on him, I assumed that he was comfortable in it. He ate an early dinner and spent some time playing with a football that his friend Pawan brought along and later on sat by the bonfire with a stick in his mouth. He was quite content just lying down in front of the bonfire with a stick in his mouth and listening to all of us chatting. He also contributed once in a while.
We hit the sack just after midnight and I tucked him in in his crate. He slept along with me in the tent and was snoring away just a few minutes later. We woke up at 7 in the morning and after his walk, ate a gala breakfast and slept all through the trip back to Muscat. Once back in Muscat, he took a nap again in the afternoon and also went to bed early.
I am sure he is waiting to camping again soon! So am I!!
On Wednesday afternoon we set off to Jebel Shams and reached by sunset. We immediately setup our tent which Zorro inspected and gave his approval. Later on, as the temperature dipped, I put on his jacket on him and this provided some respite from the cold. Even though Labs can handle sub zero temperatures, Zorro has been a dog who has been accustomed to the heat of the desert and I didnt want him to catch a cold or fever from the chill in the air. Anyway, since he didnt complain after I put on his jacket on him, I assumed that he was comfortable in it. He ate an early dinner and spent some time playing with a football that his friend Pawan brought along and later on sat by the bonfire with a stick in his mouth. He was quite content just lying down in front of the bonfire with a stick in his mouth and listening to all of us chatting. He also contributed once in a while.
We hit the sack just after midnight and I tucked him in in his crate. He slept along with me in the tent and was snoring away just a few minutes later. We woke up at 7 in the morning and after his walk, ate a gala breakfast and slept all through the trip back to Muscat. Once back in Muscat, he took a nap again in the afternoon and also went to bed early.
I am sure he is waiting to camping again soon! So am I!!
Zorro down with Diarhhea again
About a fortnight after we got back from India, Zorro again fell sick with Diarhhea. I rushed him to Dr. Svetlana who said that he probably has a very sensitive stomach and his hyperactiveness is complicating his sensitivity.
We also ran a complete blood profile on him and most of the indicators were within limits with the exception of his liver. He was given a shot to give his stomach some relief and he has been advised Liv52D (Ayurvedic Tabs by Himalaya) for a couple of months.
He also has been asked to visit the vet every week to check on his progress.
Update: He has been doing good so far. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
We also ran a complete blood profile on him and most of the indicators were within limits with the exception of his liver. He was given a shot to give his stomach some relief and he has been advised Liv52D (Ayurvedic Tabs by Himalaya) for a couple of months.
He also has been asked to visit the vet every week to check on his progress.
Update: He has been doing good so far. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Zorro's Trip to India
When I decided to take my annual vacation in October 2008, it was decided that Zorro would be accompanying me to India.
We had some complications in his travel to India as the Quarantine Officer at New Delhi changed (the new Quarantine Officer is Dr. Vijay Kumar) and he was not willing to give us an Import Permit prior to our arrival in India inspite of providing him with all the required documentation. Thanks to Vijay (our contact in Delhi), he finally managed to convince the Doc to provide us with the Import Permit.
Getting an export permit from Muscat was a piece of cake...... I was asked to bring Zorro to the airport the night before our departure so that the vet could take a look at him and give us the certificate. The entire process took about 10 mins...
However, reserving space on the aircraft for Zorro was a problem. The flight on the 2nd of October was full and I was told that there was no way that they would be able to accomodate him. I had to postpone my ticket by a day and on 3rd Oct, we were able to take the flight (together) to New Delhi.
I noticed that Zorro had become very quiet during the days prior to our journey. He could sense that I was preparing to travel and I think he was worried deep down that I would leave him alone. The night before we were due to leave, he became very sad and was very lethargic in his movements. He spent the whole night lying down on the ground right next to my bed and moaning throughout. My efforts to tell him that he was travelling with me and that I would not leave him alone fell on "deaf" ears. In the morning, when I went to load the luggage in the car, he started barking like I have never heard him before. He stopped only when I took him downstairs and put him in his crate.
The flight to New Delhi was uneventful, but on landing in New Delhi I found that someone had scribbled "I like your Dog, Will you give it to me" on his crate. I thought to myself, "Yeah Right! You wish!!" The minute Zorro saw Curie at the airport, his joy knew no bounds. Once we reached Chandigarh, he spent an hour wagging his tail at supersonic speed and running to greet everyone including Hakuna (Mama & Papa's 13 yr old Pom). Hakuna was not very welcoming of the new arrival in the family and treated Zorro with some caution. Who wouldnt? Hakuna has been the Queen of the Apartment in Chandigarh and one fine day to find a dog twice your size demanding everyone's attention is bound to make anyone jealous.
However, both of them did manage to get along well with each other. Hakuna has a habit of running up to the main door and barking each time the door bell rang. Zorro immediately picked up on this and started giving back up to Hakuna. Hakuna would bare her teeth at Zorro at every opportunity she got and whenever she thought that none of us were looking, only to be admonished by one and all. Poor her! Zorro on the other hand would charge at her from behind, to prod her to come play with him and when she ignored him, he would peck at her back which would make her snarl at him. He used to derive great pleasure in doing this until he would get admonished by me.
Zorro also loved to interact with dogs and humans alike in India and got his yearly shots too.
He again fell sick on the day of his travel back to Muscat. The trip to New Delhi was eventful because we had to stop every 1 hour to walk him and he would try to "go" which resulted in blood stools. By God's grace, he didnt mess himself up in the flight back to Muscat. He was subdued the whole time until we reached home. He was back to his normal self in no time.
Overall, even though it was a hectic journey for Zorro, I am sure he had a blast during his trip to India and cant wait to do it again.
We had some complications in his travel to India as the Quarantine Officer at New Delhi changed (the new Quarantine Officer is Dr. Vijay Kumar) and he was not willing to give us an Import Permit prior to our arrival in India inspite of providing him with all the required documentation. Thanks to Vijay (our contact in Delhi), he finally managed to convince the Doc to provide us with the Import Permit.
Getting an export permit from Muscat was a piece of cake...... I was asked to bring Zorro to the airport the night before our departure so that the vet could take a look at him and give us the certificate. The entire process took about 10 mins...
However, reserving space on the aircraft for Zorro was a problem. The flight on the 2nd of October was full and I was told that there was no way that they would be able to accomodate him. I had to postpone my ticket by a day and on 3rd Oct, we were able to take the flight (together) to New Delhi.
I noticed that Zorro had become very quiet during the days prior to our journey. He could sense that I was preparing to travel and I think he was worried deep down that I would leave him alone. The night before we were due to leave, he became very sad and was very lethargic in his movements. He spent the whole night lying down on the ground right next to my bed and moaning throughout. My efforts to tell him that he was travelling with me and that I would not leave him alone fell on "deaf" ears. In the morning, when I went to load the luggage in the car, he started barking like I have never heard him before. He stopped only when I took him downstairs and put him in his crate.
The flight to New Delhi was uneventful, but on landing in New Delhi I found that someone had scribbled "I like your Dog, Will you give it to me" on his crate. I thought to myself, "Yeah Right! You wish!!" The minute Zorro saw Curie at the airport, his joy knew no bounds. Once we reached Chandigarh, he spent an hour wagging his tail at supersonic speed and running to greet everyone including Hakuna (Mama & Papa's 13 yr old Pom). Hakuna was not very welcoming of the new arrival in the family and treated Zorro with some caution. Who wouldnt? Hakuna has been the Queen of the Apartment in Chandigarh and one fine day to find a dog twice your size demanding everyone's attention is bound to make anyone jealous.
However, both of them did manage to get along well with each other. Hakuna has a habit of running up to the main door and barking each time the door bell rang. Zorro immediately picked up on this and started giving back up to Hakuna. Hakuna would bare her teeth at Zorro at every opportunity she got and whenever she thought that none of us were looking, only to be admonished by one and all. Poor her! Zorro on the other hand would charge at her from behind, to prod her to come play with him and when she ignored him, he would peck at her back which would make her snarl at him. He used to derive great pleasure in doing this until he would get admonished by me.
Zorro also loved to interact with dogs and humans alike in India and got his yearly shots too.
He again fell sick on the day of his travel back to Muscat. The trip to New Delhi was eventful because we had to stop every 1 hour to walk him and he would try to "go" which resulted in blood stools. By God's grace, he didnt mess himself up in the flight back to Muscat. He was subdued the whole time until we reached home. He was back to his normal self in no time.
Overall, even though it was a hectic journey for Zorro, I am sure he had a blast during his trip to India and cant wait to do it again.
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