You may be anxious to flex your culinary muscles for your pup, which can be great for both of you. Duke probably will appreciate a tasty, healthy alternative to kibble and you may save some spare change. Keep in mind, it’s not about ingredients, but more about nutrition.

Proper Nutrition

Though it requires time and effort, cooking for Duke gives you ultimate control over his diet. During the past several years, there’s been controversy surrounding pet foods, including the safety of manufactured pet food and the wisdom of feeding dogs and cats raw food. Homemade cooked food for pets has evolved into a satisfactory middle ground for many people, including veterinarians, provided the diet meets the animal’s specific nutritional needs.

Protein Requirements

Dr. Ronald Hines recommends protein ingredients comprise 20 to 45 percent of a dog’s diet. Options include ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, fish, eggs and dairy. If Duke loves beef, try a mixture of two-thirds to three-quarters of extra lean beef, with ground chuck filling out the balance; Duke will meet his dietary fat requirements without the benefit of supplements. Turkey that has 7 to 15 percent fat will work well in a homemade diet for a dog that isn’t watching his weight. If your pup has a taste for seafood, salmon is a good choice, with high omega-3 fatty acids and low mercury. Dr. Hines recommends limiting fish to two meals per week. Whole cooked eggs and cottage cheese are good sources of protein, though some dogs may have a difficult time digesting the cow’s milk in cottage cheese.

Carbohydrate Requirements

According to Dr. Hines, carbohydrates can comprise between 20 and 35 percent of Duke’s diet. Rice is a solid choice because it contains protein, as well as important minerals, such as phosphorus. If your pooch enjoys macaroni, it can be added to the mix, as wheat products don’t tend to cause dogs problems. Cooked potatoes are also fine and provide fiber and vitamin B-6. Dr. Hines recommends adding high fiber carbs such as oatmeal, canned pumpkin, cooked carrots and sweet peas gradually to the diet to avoid developing diarrhea.

Fat, Minerals and Vitamins

Fat is important to Duke and should comprise about 5 to 10 percent of his diet. Chicken fat, beef suet and flax seed oil are a few options for add-ins if your pup isn’t getting sufficient fat from his protein. The basic ingredients for protein usually aren’t quite enough to ensure your dog’s proper nutrition because meat and fish are too low in calcium and vitamins. Calcium carbonate antacid tablets are a fine addition to the homemade mix. A professional supplement, such as Balance IT, may give you peace of mind that Duke’s getting the minerals he needs. Too much of one vitamin can be as harmful as a deficiency, so it’s not a good idea to add vitamin supplements just in case. If you’re serving a well-balanced diet, you won’t need to worry about supplements.

Research is Important

If you want to cook for Duke, do your research to be sure your recipes are balanced and nutritious. It’s also a good idea to consult your vet to make sure your pup doesn’t have any special needs or issues to consider. Your vet should be able to guide you on the potential need and use of supplements.

While little dog breeds can be more temperamental and high-strung than their larger counterparts, their diminutive size provides an advantage during house-training. Tethering a dog to your side or quickly urging him to an appropriate elimination area is easier and more efficient when he weighs 5 pounds rather than 75.

Get on a Schedule

Housebreaking is just as much about training yourself as it is about training your dog. Get into a regular routine of taking your dog to his appropriate elimination spot. Potty training generally begins to be effective after 6 weeks of age — no eariler. You can expect your pup to “hold it” for about one hour per month of age, plus one hour — so an 8-week-old pup should go out for potty breaks, at minimum, every two to three hours or within 10 or 15 minutes of eating, drinking or chewing. It’s tempting to pick up a tiny dog and take him outside when it’s time to go potty, but it’s better to train the dog to go under his own volition when you command. A common strategy for training is to use a key word, such as, “Outside,” regularly. Use a leash, and go out the same door every time to encourage good outside bathroom habits.

Tether Your Pup

While it’s tough to attach a big dog to your side via leash all afternoon as a way to watch for potty indicators, it’s much easier to take this approach with a small dog. If your pup is sneaking off to do his business in an inappropriate location or has regular accidents, keep his leash on him when you’re at home and tie the leash to your belt or wrist. Keeping your dog under constant supervision will help you recognize signs that it’s time to “go.” Take your pup to his designated spot, praise him for going to the bathroom and reward him with a treat.

Make Bathroom Places Safe

Individual dogs of smaller breeds can be intimidated by the great outdoors, so make sure your designated outdoor bathroom area feels like a safe place so your puppy will be comfortable doing his business without fear. If possible, avoid high-traffic areas, thick woods, tall grasses or areas that larger animals frequent. If your small dog gets frightened when it’s bathroom time, it can inhibit your housebreaking efforts. Opt for a secluded, and perhaps even fenced, area for your pup to do his business in solitude.

Clean Up Accidents

Little dogs have little accidents, sometimes so small that you won’t even notice them until the smell starts to accumulate. Keep an eye out for accidents, and clean them thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of odor and prevent remarking. Invest in a black-light pee detector, and use it regularly during the housebreaking process to ensure accidents don’t go unnoticed and untreated.

Indoor Potty Options

You can successfully housebreak some small breeds to pee pads or an indoor potty, which can be especially beneficial if you live in an apartment or condo, or if you’re housebound. Follow the same outdoor housebreaking guidelines using a designated spot in your home, preferably in a low-traffic area that’s out of the way, like a bathroom or a laundry room — a room without carpet serves best.

Though your pup may be happy, he may not be able to control his weepy ways. There are different reasons a dog may have weepy eyes, and a few breeds are a little more prone to eye discharge. Any dog can have tear stains; washing Buddy’s face regularly will wipe those stains away. Have a question? Get an answer from a Vet now!

Epiphora

There’s a name for all those those tears Buddy’s been shedding: epiphora. Formally referred to as “watery ocular discharge,” excess tears is a common issue for pet owners. If your pooch has excess tears running down his face, over time, they’ll stain his fur to a reddish-brown color. Sometimes it’s hard to notice the stains on a dog with a dark face, but dark-colored dogs experience epiphora as often as their fair relatives. Over time, chronic excess tearing can lead to skin irritation, odor and infection.

Weepy Breeds

Brachycephalic is not a word you see or hear much, but if you break it down to its Greek roots, you’ll understand: “brachy” means short and “cephalic” means head. If Buddy’s a pooch with a short or pushed in face, he’s vulnerable to epiphora. Breeds in this class include shih tzu, Pekingese, boxer, pug, Boston terrier and bulldog. These dogs have shallow eye sockets or hair growth in the skin folds around their eyes, which makes tear drainage a problem. Bichon frise, Maltese and poodles have the same issues, and poodles and cocker spaniels are more prone to blocked tear ducts than other breeds.

Why The Tears

Buddy doesn’t have to be of a breed that’s vulnerable to weepy eyes to have them. There are two reasons a dog may have weepy eyes: irritation and poor tear drainage. Allergies, stray hairs or objects, environmental irritants such as smog or dust, and ingrown hairs all can cause irritation leading to epiphora. If that’s Buddy’s problem, the vet should be able to address the issue and put an end to the crying and the stains. However, sometimes the tears don’t drain properly. In a healthy eye, when a dog’s eye tears up, the tears will go through small “drain holes” in his eyes to his nasal passage down to his throat. Conditions interrupting this process include shallow eye sockets, eyelids that are turned inward, blocked tear drainage holes and hair growth around the eye, which redirects tears onto the face.

Controlling Tears

In some cases, surgery can help dry up those excess tears. A blocked duct can be flushed out and some eyelid problems can be corrected surgically to eliminate the irritation. If the irritation is due to something in the environment, minimizing Buddy’s exposure to it will help. There’s nothing to do for a dog with shallow eye sockets; after all, it’s the way he’s made. Your best option is to keep on top of his tear stains by gently washing around his eyes with a wet, warm paper towel. Your vet can recommend appropriate wipes to safely keep his face clean and tear-stain free.

Search and rescue dogs provide an invaluable service to law enforcement officials and crime scene investigators. Many search and rescue dogs focus on specialized search methods, such as dogs trained to detect human remains. These dogs, also known as cadaver dogs, pick up scents for bodies, either whole or parts, in various stages of decomposition. In order to perform this service, the dogs and their handlers need to receive certification from accredited schools located across the country.

Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States

Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States trains dogs for Type 1 Human Remains Detection (HRD). With this training type, the qualifying dogs should be able to detect human remains within natural debris fields or wilderness areas within a 200 by 200 foot area. They should also be able to locate buried bodies within a 75 by 75 foot area. The dogs must exhibit self-sustainability for 24 hours and have the stamina to endure 12 hour search missions. At the conclusion of the course, the dogs and handlers must pass a standard HRD test.

Mountain View Dog Training

Mountain View Dog Training is owned and operated by dog training specialist Sheila K. McKee. Mountain View trains any working breed of dog for human remains detection but notes that retrievers often work best. Dogs should be 10 months to 2 years old with good social skills and in good health in order to complete the training. Training for HRD certification takes 160 to 200 hours. Mountain View uses FEMA Canine Search Readiness Evaluation Type II Elements, focusing on obedience, agility and directional control. While the school does not offer the HRD evaluation, it states that dogs trained there should be able to pass with little effort. Mountain View also offers an 80 hour handler training course, as well as lifelong handler/dog communication.

Highland Canine Training

Highland Canine Training offers both obedience and working dog training, including human remains detection. Highland Canine Training trains HRD dogs for both water and land detection. Dogs can be trained to alert handlers with an active move or a passive one. The facilities feature FEMA regulated agility courses, a rubble pile and a pond for training. Evaluation for a dog’s potential as a HRD dog is free of charge but the training courses, including handler training, do cost money.

Bear Search and Rescue Foundation

Bear Search and Rescue Foundation earns its name from the courageous rescue dog Bear, one of the first rescue dogs who headed to Ground Zero to seek out survivors and deceased persons after the 9/11 attacks. Following Bear’s passing, his owners created the foundation in order to train other dogs to follow in Bear’s footsteps. While based in New York, Bear Search and Rescue travels around the country teaching trailing and cadaver courses. The courses provided work for both beginners and higher level cadaver dogs. Introduction courses last about three days, while the intensive training courses last about four to five days.

Whether you’ve recently adopted your canine companion or moved with him to a new home, he will need some time to adjust to his new environment. While Fido may initially experience some upset when relocated to an unfamiliar home, including some behavioral issues, with training and encouragement, he should eventually settle in and enjoy his new surroundings. If he doesn’t, visit the vet to rule out a medical issue causing his distress.

Familiarity

A new home has lots of unfamiliar smells, sights and spaces that can intimidate your pooch. Calm him by immediately unpacking and providing him with his old bed, bowls, toys, blankets, leash and crate. Don’t wash these items prior to giving them to him, so that they smell and feel the same to him. Feed him the same food he was eating in his old home or in the shelter you adopted him from, so that you don’t cause him any stomach upset with a new diet. Abruptly changing Fido’s diet can lead to diarrhea and house soiling issues.

Routine

Canine companions thrive when they have a daily routine to follow, which reduces their anxiety in a new environment. Establish this routine during your pup’s first few days with you or, if possible, keep his feeding, exercise and sleeping times the same as in his old home. You also want to keep the locations of his sleeping spot and food and water dishes the same in his new home as in his old one. For example, if you fed Fido in the kitchen and kept his doggie bed or crate in the living room of your old home, do so in your new one. This keeps his routine consistent, even in a different space.

Positive Reinforcement

If Fido is moping around his new home, having potty accidents or being destructive, avoid punishing him for this behavior, which may make him uncomfortable in his new environment and afraid of you as well. Instead, reward him when he’s behaving in a happy or calm way with attention and treats. Walk him around his new neighborhood, rewarding him with treats along the way and slowly introducing him to the new sights, smells, people and other dogs who live in the area. Establish a new potty spot for him outdoors that you consistently bring him out to several times daily to prevent accidents in the home; reward him when he eliminates outside.

Considerations

Bring Fido to the vet if any behavioral issues develop and last for more than a few days after coming to your home. Your vet can rule out a medical condition for any unusual or destructive behavior. Keep a positive attitude and demeanor around your dog during your move and when setting up your new home. Canine companions pick up on the emotions of their caregivers and may become anxious if they sense you are stressed out. Further diminish his anxiety by using a synthetic dog pheromone spray around your new home to put Fido at ease and get him used to his new environment.

Your older dog has been with your family for years, and it’s up to you to keep him happy and healthy for as long as you can. Adjusting the kind of care you give your dog as he gets older and working closely with your veterinarian will help you give your pal the most years and the best quality of life he can have.

Nutrition

As your buddy grows older, his dietary needs change. Older dogs generally need food that is lower in fat while still maintaining protein content. Feeding your dog smaller meals more often is easier on his aging digestive system. Your veterinarian might also suggest adding supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C or antioxidants to your dog’s diet, depending on his health. Giving your dog some pork hide to chew and brushing his teeth with dog toothpaste after meals will reduce his chances of gum disease and prevent the introduction of harmful bacteria into his system, potentially adding years to his life.

Environmental Changes

Older dogs will benefit from a few creature comforts they didn’t need in their younger years. Your pal can’t regulate his temperature as well has he used to, so give him a warm, dry place to sleep and don’t let him get too hot when exercising. He may also need more time inside and could use a ramp instead of stairs to make climbing easier on his joints. If your dog is having vision problems, try to keep your house’s layout predictable so it’s easier for him to navigate.

Veterinary Care

Consistent veterinary care and preventative testing will help keep your pal healthy in his later years. Yearly blood tests and a blood titer to see if he needs any booster shots on his vaccines may be a good place to start, if your vet recommends them. Getting your dog a checkup a few times a year instead of just once will also give him an advantage. Be on the lookout for signs that something could be wrong, such as a decrease in appetite, sudden weight gain, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, weakness, changes in housebreaking, increased thirst or rapid or strained breathing even when at rest.

Physical and Mental Exercise

Proper exercise is important to keep your pet sharp and healthy. Keep your dog as active as he can safely handle to help him stay healthy. Dogs who get little to no exercise often lose their health much more quickly, while dogs who stay in a healthy weight range live an average of 1.8 years longer, so keep your buddy fit. You should also spend time with your dog and give him a little mental exercise, whether you ask him to do tricks (as long as they’re easy on his joints) or just interact with him, to help keep his mind strong.

Chocolate may intimidatehttp://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/DM-Resize/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/251/147/86525295.jpg?w=600&h=600&keep_ratio=1&webp=1″ you because of its possible effects on your waistline, but the sweet stuff is actually far more risky to your dog — it’s actually toxic to him. Because of that, it’s crucial to avoid ever giving your pet any chocolate, regardless of how crestfallen his brown eyes look when when he watches you eating it.

Theobromine and Chocolate

The poisonous factor in chocolate is its theobromine, which is a type of methylxanthine. To humans, theobromine produces subtle stimulating responses. Those responses, however, are markedly more intense in dogs. Tiny portions of theobromine from chocolate can be hazardous to pooches, often leading to throwing up, unusually antsy behavior, panting, loose stools, quivering and problems with heart rhythms. In severe situations, significant consumption of chocolate can even bring upon seizures and comas in dogs. Some dogs can pass away from it, too. This is why it’s so important to never give your pet chocolate. It’s also important to make sure he never gets it on his own, whether by going through your kitchen cabinet or exploring the contents of your trashcan.

Kinds of Chocolate and Toxicity

“One piece” of chocolate can mean many different things. Different kinds of chocolate contain varying amounts of theobromine, for one. Not all single pieces of chocolate are the same size, either. Darker chocolate, in general, has more theobromine and is therefore more hazardous to dogs. Baking chocolate and good dark chocolate often have 130 to 450 milligrams for every single ounce. Milk chocolate, on the other hand, generally has markedly less, with a typical 44 to 58 milligrams for every ounce. Lastly, white chocolate has the least theobromine, as it typically has just 0.25 mg for every ounce. Since there’s absolutely no reason for your dog to have chocolate in his diet, the smartest thing you can do is make sure he never even has the slightest taste of it. If it’s large enough, one piece of chocolate can indeed be detrimental to your dog’s health, especially if it’s dark.

Chocolate Size and Toxicity

A single “piece” of chocolate can sometimes be as big as 8 ounces. If your curious mid-sized dog gets his paws on a giant milk chocolate bar of 8 ounces and eats it, it might be enough to bring upon toxic effects in him, indicates veterinarians Justine A. Lee and Ernest Ward on VCA Animal Hospitals’ website. This applies to dogs who weigh around 50 pounds. If your pooch is smaller than that, he could experience toxicity with a more minimal amount. Baker’s chocolate is even more hazardous. A mere single ounce of baker’s chocolate can be dangerous to mid-sized canines. Remember, single squares of baker’s chocolate often are 1 ounce. If you ever see your dog eating any type of chocolate, get immediate veterinary assistance for him, no matter the amount. Seek veterinary care even if you don’t notice any symptoms.

Ban Chocolate in General

White chocolate is less toxic to dogs than darker kinds, but it’s still nowhere near safe for your furry buddy. Paler chocolates are fatty, and as a result can bring upon diarrhea and throwing up in dogs. Fatty foods can also make dogs more vulnerable to pancreatitis, which is a potentially deadly disorder that involves the pancreas swelling. Keep all chocolates out of your pet’s mouth, period. Never feed your dog any human food unless your veterinarian tells you that it’s safe.