If your elderly dog is “off his feed” and doesn’t attack his bowl of kibble like he used to, try some home cooking. Homemade meals can be a healthy alternative to store-bought kibble if they’re prepared with your dog’s needs in mind. And he’ll be thrilled you made it yourself.

Seniors’ Nutritional Needs

In general all dogs need the same basic essentials in their diets. Protein, fats and carbohydrates are all necessary to keep your dog healthy. You’ll need to do some adjusting for your geriatric pooch, though. As your dog ages his protein needs stay the same, but his metabolism slows down. That means he’ll need to get the same amount of protein but do it while taking in less calories. Increase the fiber, cut the carbs and use sources of lean protein like poultry, fish, lamb or extremely lean beef to accomplish this.

Supplements

To assure that your older dog is getting all of the vitamins and minerals he needs, you might consider adding some human grade bonemeal and a few drops of a vitamin supplement to the food you make for him. Omega-3’s are another supplement that you can add that will help keep your dog’s joints and heart healthy as well as keep his coat shiny and soft.

Talk To Your Vet

Once you have a plan and know what you want to put into your elderly dog’s homemade meals, talk to your vet to get advice on foods and nutrients that your dog might need based on his health. Certain medical issues like kidney disease, heart disease or diabetes may affect what ingredients you can use in your dog’s food and how much of it you can put in. Show your vet the recipe you intend to use and get his thoughts. He’ll also be the best person to ask about vitamin supplements. Just because your dog is older doesn’t mean that he has a vitamin deficiency. Instead of OD’ing your dog on vitamins, make sure your vet recommends adding them — or any supplement — to his meals.

Basic Senior Recipe

A basic dog food recipe that will be tasty and healthy for your senior citizen canine is easily made by crumbling 1 pound of ground turkey into a large pot containing six cups of water and one teaspoon of dried rosemary. Stir to distribute the turkey and rosemary evenly and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes. Add 8 ounces of frozen vegetables, like carrots, broccoli and cauliflower — thawed and cut into small pieces — and cook for five minutes more. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature before you feed it to your dog. Store the leftovers in the fridge in a covered container.

Once called the “lesser” or “St. John’s” Newfoundland, the dog we know today as the Labrador retriever was originally bred for water retrieving. It still excels at this task today, but it has also soared in popularity as a family dog. According to the American Kennel Club, it is the most commonly owned dog in America. The AKC recognizes three different colors for Labradors; black, yellow and chocolate. These intelligent, friendly, easygoing and energetic dogs have come to be known as “labs.”

Use a Crate

Using a crate is not cruel. Your chocolate lab can come to enjoy a nap or some time away from young children inside its crate. Labs dislike going potty and sleeping in the same place, so a crate can help you potty train your lab by eliminating messes while you aren’t home. To save money, purchase a crate that will be large enough for your adult Labrador (which can weigh up to 80 pounds) to stand up and turn around. If your lab is still a puppy, purchase a divider to shrink the space down so that your puppy won’t have room to use a corner as a bathroom area. Tuck treats into your dog’s bedding inside the crate to encourage it to explore the crate on its own. Give it time to get used to the crate before locking it inside.

Frequent Potty Trips

Your chocolate lab should be able to hold its bladder about one hour for every month of age. This means that a four-month-old lab can reasonably be expected to hold it for four hours, but you should give your lab opportunities to relieve itself more frequently than that. Walk it outside on a leash every two to three hours. Go to the same spot every time. Encourage your chocolate lab to go potty. When it does, reward it with treats and praise. Your affectionate lab will love the attention it is getting from you. You can also play a quick game of fetch as a reward. This type of positive attention will teach your lab that it is going potty in an appropriate place.

Correcting Mistakes

Unless a health problem is causing your lab to make messes in the house, it probably doesn’t know where it is allowed to go and where it isn’t. Your job is to teach it. Using positive reinforcement when your dog potties in the yard will help. In addition, teaching it not to go inside the house is simpler than you might think. Interrupt your lab with a noise whenever you catch it making a mess in the house. Take it outside, encourage it to potty and reward it when it does. Labs are affectionate dogs and don’t respond well to punishment or negative reinforcement. These methods can create fear and further complicate house training.

Teach Your Lab to Ask

As your lab learns where it is supposed to potty, you can start to teach it to ask when it needs to go out. Tie a bell to your doorknob. Show it to your chocolate lab and encourage it to “touch” the bell with its nose. Reward it with praise and a treat when it does this. After your dog learns to touch the bell, start requiring it to touch the bell before taking it outside. Don’t open the door until it does ring the bell. When it does, let it out immediately. After your lab goes potty, praise it and reward it with treats. Eventually you can start withholding the treats, but your chocolate lab should always be rewarded with a trip outside when it rings the bell.

Bringing home a rescue dog changes that pup’s entire life in a profound way, but that also means a few changes in your life. Because of the horrible past experiences many rescue dogs go through, they sometimes bring along a few problematic behaviors and tendencies with them. But with enough time and training, you can correct even the worst behaviors.

Trust and Anxiety Issues

There are some cases where rescue dogs immediately warm up to their new owners, giving lots of kisses and love. But many pups who are rescued have moderate to severe trust and anxiety issues, and it’s no wonder. Some of these dogs have been tossed out in the cold, others dealt with long-term abuse and some lived in horrible conditions, surrounded by their own waste. They’ve been dealt a pretty bad hand in life, and they haven’t had a good reason to trust anyone or anything. They’re worried about how their new owners will treat them and what they will encounter. How they act depends largely on their past experiences. If a pup suffered abuse at the hand of a man, she may be more trusting of women and flee to her secure spot if a guy comes within five feet of her. And sometimes the dog may not trust anyone, shying away from all interaction.

Irrational Fears

A lot of times, rescue dogs haven’t experienced anything aside from neglect. The first time you brighten one’s life and bring her home, she’s seeing and hearing things that can be really scary at first. You would think every dog loves squeakers, or at least tolerates them, but dogs who’ve never had toys before may freak out when they hear that first squeak. On the flip side, there are certain stimuli that a rescue dog may have associated with negative experiences. A classic example is a newspaper. It’s harmless in your hand, but your new furry friend may have been smacked with newspapers before, so when you lift one up, she cowers.

Aggression

It’s not uncommon to bring your little rescue girl home and hear a deep growl when you walk past her food bowl, struggle to keep her from lunging and sinking her teeth into another dog or otherwise witness aggression. Something usually triggers the aggressive episodes. If she grew up in a hoarding situation, she may have had to compete for food, which would explain possession aggression. If she was neglected, she may act aggressively out of fear. Even though you removed her from her awful situation, her aggressive tendencies still remain. She doesn’t know that another dog won’t steal her food or that she doesn’t need to fight for her life upon encountering another canine.

Bad Habits

Some rescue dogs may not have any trust issues, few irrational fears and not an ounce of aggression, but you can almost guarantee they’ll all have bad habits. The first few weeks, months or even years with your new rescue will probably result in you trying to break some of those nasty habits. She may jump on people, rip up the couch, destroy things when you leave, relieve herself on your floor and may act like she’s deaf when you try to stop her.

Fixing All the Issues

Remember that no matter what problems your rescue comes with, she can be trained and counterconditioned so that all those bad habits, aggressive tendencies, fears and trust issues will go by the wayside. Showing her lots of love and teaching her basic obedience with positive reinforcement will help her warm up to you and mold her into a better behaved canine. As for deep-seated fears, aggression and severe behavior problems, talk to a certified dog trainer, especially if she’s aggressive.

Using morsels of food is a surefire way to get your puppy to do just about anything you want. If he has allergies, the typical selection of doggie treats isn’t going to do you any good. You still have plenty of things you can feed your young pooch to encourage good behavior. From fresh meat to certain processed dog treats, find something that fits the special needs of your puppy.

Fresh Meat

Some of the most common meat allergens are beef, chicken, lamb and fish. While these are some of the primary types of protein available at the market, you still have plenty of other options available. Pick up pork loin, duck, turkey or venison — the leanest cuts possible. Boil the meat until it’s fully cooked. This cooking method keeps it moist, giving it the ultimate meaty aroma. Dice up the cooked meat into small bite-size pieces and store it in your refrigerator. When it comes time for some hard-core training, take out those meaty morsels and make your pint-size canine work for them.

Pieces of Kibble

When your vet determines which types of allergies your four-legged comrade has, he can write you an allergen-friendly prescription for food. These prescription dog foods are only sold at veterinarian offices or pet stores with an on-site veterinarian. Rather than pouring a bowl of kibble at meal times, make your puppy work for his food. For instance, if you have puppy training in the evenings, pack up his supper in a plastic bag and take it to school with you. He’ll be famished at that point and likely will do whatever you say, just to get a piece of kibble.

Canned Food

Most prescription dog foods have corresponding wet canned foods. Don’t worry, you don’t have to feed your pup handfuls of wet food. Instead, scoop it out onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Each scoop should only be about the size of a piece of kibble. Freeze the wet food overnight and use it for the next day’s training session. Frozen wet allergen-friendly dog treats are super smelly, making them highly desirable for even the pickiest of puppies. These frozen treats soften quickly though. Use them only for short training sessions, so they don’t thaw and make a mess.

Hypoallergenic Treats

Processed dog treats often have fillers such as soy, wheat or corn. While these ingredients generally are safe for a healthy canine, they’re not safe if your fur ball is allergic to any of them. Once your vet narrows down the allergy, pick out a treat that’s made specifically for dogs with allergies that doesn’t contain the problem ingredient — a prescription isn’t always required. These types of treats are made with meats and carbohydrate-containing ingredients that aren’t usually the culprit of allergies, such as duck and potatoes.

When your sweet pregnant dog goes into labor, it’s extremely important for you to be available to help her, should she need you to notify a veterinarian for any reason. Although many canine deliveries go smoothly and successfully, some complications can occasionally arise. The easier you can recognize a tough whelping experience, or “dystocia,” the better.

Discharge

Your pregnant dog might be experiencing birthing difficulties if you notice any conspicuous genital discharge prior to any of the youngsters emerging. If her body is giving off a substance that is black, green or brown, contact a veterinarian immediately. Extended vaginal bleeding during birthing also points to a problem, so do the same in that situation, too.

Lack of Moving Forward

A lack of development and moving forward in labor also usually signifies a problem. If a mama-to-be has been trying hard to birth her puppies for around 40 minutes with no sign of any of them, there could be an issue. Excessively long amounts of time between puppies also often indicates a problem. If her previous newborn came out between two and three hours ago and she’s still making a serious effort to get the rest out, immediately contact your veterinarian.

Relaxation Time

If your dog decides to take a break between birthing her puppies, pay close attention to the amount of time she spends taking it easy. If you observe that she’s been relaxing for more than four hours, it’s time to get a helping hand and let your veterinarian know what’s going on. If it’s clear to you that your dog is suffering with discomfort in any way, don’t ignore it.

Unusual Signs

Any unusual physical signs also can denote whelping issues. If the pregnant doggie is breathing with her mouth hanging open, there could be a problem. Shivering is another key sign of a problem. Be alert to any and all indications of malaise.

Dystocia

Any female dog can undergo complications during pregnancy, whether younger or older, small breed or large breed. However, canines of certain breeds are often more susceptible to dystocia and its associated dilemmas. These breeds include shih tzus, Boston terriers and French bulldogs. Brachycephalic pooches such as these are particularly vulnerable. Brachycephalic dogs are those with somewhat wide and “flattened”-looking visages.

Long walks with your dog are among the best ways to grow a human-canine bond while developing the dog’s trust in your leadership. Dogs with seemingly boundless energy can benefit from wearing a canine training backpack with an appropriate amount of weight inside. Such devices help them burn off extra energy within the time frame of your walk.

Selecting a Backpack

Most canine backpacks are composed of two saddlebags connected by a pad resting on the dog’s shoulders and upper back. Choose one with an adjustable chest strap that allows you to position the pack so it does not slide down to the dog’s lower back, which can cause problems. The pack should be hand- or machine-washable. The best packs for training have straps inside the saddlebags that hold the bag’s contents in position.

Introducing the Backpack

Introduce the backpack several days before heading out on a hike, using a treat reward to help your dog acquaint the pack with a pleasant experience. On the first walk, place a small amount of weight in the pack, increasing on subsequent walk. Using half-liter bottles filled with water can provide extra hydration for you and your dog on a long hike, or you can use bags filled with rice or sand that will conform to your dog’s body. You’ll increase the weight in the saddlebags over time, to a maximum of one-third of your dog’s body weight.

Dogs are excellent companions and can be a dependable source of protection when properly trained. Canine security training is a worthwhile endeavor for dog owners who wish to give their dogs proper behavioral formation. Although the beginning stages of security training can be started by dog owners, professional help is recommended for those who desire advanced canine security training.

Benefits

Security dog training will allow for greater home security. Protection dogs are trained to perform various security tasks. For example, the Global K9 Group Training Program teaches dogs to investigate suspicious noises and check on children, protect property including vehicles, and still be friendly to strangers and guests. Security dog training also encourages bonding between dogs and their owners.

Features

Many types of training programs are available for security dogs, including K9 programs for police and personal use, the Koehler method and Schutzhund training. All types of security canine training utilize the dog’s “prey drive,” which is a dog’s drive to chase, grab and shake objects. This drive comes in very handy for security purposes, but owners must be very comfortable with this behavior and recognize that their dog is simply “playing a rough game of tug.”

Time Frame

Most training programs last for two to three months, or eight to 12 weeks. Many training programs have a designated age for dogs, usually between six months and one year. All dogs should be obedience trained before they begin a canine security training program.

Breeds

Certain dog breeds are better inclined to security dog positions than other dogs. These breeds include the Doberman pinscher, American bulldog, mastiff and bullmastiff, boxer, German shepherd, Great Dane, rottweiler and malinois.

Misconceptions

Security training will not make your dog aggressive; rather, it will teach the dog to channel its natural instincts for the protection of your family. Dogs who complete security training successfully are quite sociable and attached to their owners. Negative behaviors, such as extreme aggression and disobedience ,are normally only found in security dogs who lack affection and companionship from their owners.