Dogs can easily get eye infections. As they scratch around their eye area, they can easily transfer bacteria and germs onto their eyes. Also, dogs love spending time outdoors in the tall grass and places where there are a lot of factors that can lead to eye infections.

If your dog's eyes are red, itchy, swollen, closed partially, or having a discharge that is white, yellow, or greenish, then your dog most likely has an eye infection. You can contact your veterinarian and ask for advice, but before you do that, you can try some home remedies. One way to lessen the redness and inflammation and soothe the infected eye is to clean it with cool water that had been previously boiled to make it free of any bacteria. Before you start cleaning the eye, wash your hands with soap first to disinfect them. After the water has cooled, take a cotton ball and dip it in cool water and gently clean the eye and the discharge around the eye to prevent further infection. If both eyes are infected, then use a separate cotton ball for each eye to stop the spreading of the infection. Clean the eyes several times a day, or whenever discharge is present.

An even better way to treat the infection besides washing the eyes with cool water is to use Chamomile tea. Basically, take some Chamomile tea that has cooled down first and rinse/cleanse the dog's eyes with the tea using a cotton ball. This is even better than just using cool boiled water because Chamomile also helps fight infection. You can also take a cold wet Chamomile tea bag or soak a piece of sterile cotton in the tea and apply it to your pet's eye for a few minutes (a compress) which will soothe the eye and also kill any bacteria that is present. You should do this 3 or 4 times a day. After a few days, you should start seeing less redness, swelling and discharge. If the condition does not improve, take your dog to the veterinarian to get prescription eye drops or ointment.

Another option you have is to make your own herbal eywash solution that is safe for your dog. Put a quarter of a teaspoon of salt in one cup of distilled or filtered water. Add about 10 drops of any of the following herbal extracts:

• Eyebright
• Calendula
• Chamomile
• Red clover
• St. John's wort

If none of the methods above work after applying them for a few days, then take your dog to the veterinarian as there might be something else that is causing the problem with your dog's eyes like allergies or physical injury to the eye. If you see that the condition of your dog's eyes is worsening or your dog's eyes are becoming cloudy, do not waste time and seek professional help immediately. 

Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass and shrubs, wooded and forested regions where they will wait to attach to a passing host. They cannot fly nor can they jump as some people believe they are capable of doing and there are different species of ticks. Ticks are very common around the world and can easily attach to your dog's skin or your own skin. Once they attach, it is not that simple to take them off. Ticks are known to carry various diseases such as Lyme disease, Q fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia, tick-borne relapsing fever, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Tick-borne meningoencephalitis, as well as anaplasmosis in cattle and canine jaundice.

A tick will attach itself to its host by inserting its chelicerae (cutting mandibles) and hypostome (feeding tube) into the skin. The hypostome is covered with recurved teeth and serves as an anchor. Many people in the past have recommended using different chemicals to suffocate or burn the tick once it attaches. These have be proven to be not so safe solutions to this problem. Some suggest rubbing the tick with salt, or mineral oils, or alcohol, or Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, or to burn the tick with a match. All these methods can lead to the tick dying before releasing its grip and regurgitating your dog's blood and other chemicals back into your dog's bloodstream. This is unsafe and can cause a serious infection. Also, trying to pull the tick with your hands can leave the tick's jaws still embedded in your dog's skin causing an infection.

The best way to remove a tick from your dog or a human is to use sterilized tweezers. Swab the tweezers with alcohol to disinfect them or put them over a flame. Also, rub the area around the tick with alcohol but do not apply alcohol to the tick. Approach the tick from the side and try to position the tweezers as close as possible to the skin and between the skin and the tick's jaws. Slowly and gently try to pull the tick and maybe even use a side-to-side motion when pulling to loosen its grip. Make sure that you do it slowly and do not try to rush it. It may take more than a minute to remove the tick as the tick will tire out and eventually completely release its grip. Do not jerk or yank on the tick as this can cause the head of the tick to separate from the body and leave the mouth parts still embedded in your dog's skin.

There are also different tick removers on the market now which you can purchase at your local store or online. They are usually made from plastic and do pretty much the same thing tweezers will do.

Once you have removed the tick successfully, disinfect the affected area with alcohol. If you notice any swelling or rash where the tick had attached itself, call the veterinarian, or in the case where you were affected, call your doctor. Make sure that you or your dog gets checked for Lyme disease or any of the diseases that ticks are known to spread. Lyme disease is usually also accompanied by fever-like symptoms. To prevent a tick from attaching itself to your dog or you, try to stay away from wooden areas or areas with tall grass as this is where ticks will wait to find their host. If a tick ever does attach, now you know how to safely remove it. 

Starting a dog kennel or breeding program is one thing, but successfully promoting it and establishing your name is a whole another story. Breeders with years of experience already know what it takes to reach the level where other breeders know you and respect you and how to build your potential customer/client list. 

With the help of the Internet, you can reach a much larger audience than ever before in a much quicker time period and at a lower cost. You can still use the traditional methods of advertising such as posting ads in your local newspaper, at your local pet store, supermarket, etc. These all work but are only targeted at your local community. If you want to reach even further and establish national or international recognition, then the best way to achieve this is using Internet marketing.

What are some of the things you can do to promote your dog kennel or breeding program? 

1. Create your own website with your own domain name. Register a domain name with your kennel name (e.g. KennelName.com) and also one containing the dog breed that you are involved with (GermanShepherdBreeder.com or GermanShepherdPuppies.com). Then direct both domain names to take the visitor to the same website. Always register .com for the top level domain if it is available because people remember it easier than .net or .org. Registering a single domain name will cost you around $10 a year and Web hosting is usually also around $10 a month for a personal website. Many Web hosts will also offer you free templates so that you can quickly build your website.
2. Make sure to keep your website updated. An outdated website will not attract new visitors and search engine crawlers/spiders will start to travel your website less often. Outdated information will just make your potential customers or clients less interested in what you have to offer or say and will just leave your website in the search for a more serious breeder.
   
3. Submit your website to different directories and dog breeder websites like K9Ring.com where thousands of people looking to find a breeder in their area and puppies for sale come.
4. Join the breed club in your area and your national breed club. This way you will build many connections with other breeders breeding the same breed of dogs that have a wealth of knowledge which they attained through many years of being in the business of breeding and showing dogs. Sometimes, people will also look for breeders in these breeder club directories so it is a great way for someone to find you and your kennel. Being a member of a breed club also gives you more credibility since to be a member, besides paying a fee, you usually have to follow the club's rules and regulations that are designed to keep dog breeders responsible and ethical.
5. Participate in dog shows or agility. Again, this will allow you to build connections with other experienced breeders and other like-minded people. 
6. Join forums about dog breeders and dogs in general and contribute useful information. Also, post a link to your website in your signature so that people visiting the forum can click on the link and find more information about your breeding program.
7. Join social networking websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and start looking for people to befriend. The power of such networks lies in the number of people that you can reach and that are interested in the services that you offer and what you have to say. Once you become an authority in your field by providing helpful information, many more people will recommend you to their friends.

Did your dog get sprayed by a skunk? This happens often, especially when you let your dog off the leash to run free around your property or park.

Dogs are curious animals and when they see another animal moving about, they want to meet the animal and see if the animal will want to play with them. Skunks are shy animals and will usually not attack other animals or approach them. Skunks that feel threatened will also give many warning signs before spraying their victim like growl or hiss, stamp his front feet rapidly, arch his back, or even walk a short distance on his front feet with his tail high in the air. As a dog approaches the skunk, the skunk's only way to defend himself is to spray the dog if the dog approaches too close.

After the dog gets sprayed, saliva and foam will start pouring out of his mouth and he may try to shake it off. Your dog will also smell like burnt rubber. If he got sprayed in the eyes, immediately rinse/flush the eyes with water since the skunk's spray will cause a burning sensation to the dog's eyes and even temporary blindness.

So how can you get rid of the skunk spray's foul-smelling odor? Many have advised in the past to wash the dog with tomato juice, spray with lemon or orange citrus, or using perfumes and Febreze. The truth is, none of these will completely remove the skunk spray odor. The best solution to remove skunk odor from you house (furniture, carpet, etc.), your cat, dog, or any pet for that matter is using the following mixture:

• 1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (If you do not have hydrogen peroxide and do not want to go and buy it at your local drug store, then a 2% vinegar solution will suffice.)
  
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid soap or dish detergent
• Mix these ingredients in a bucket (it will foam) and saturate your dog's hair with it. Rub it in nicely avoiding the eyes and ears.
  
• Use this mixture as soon as it made as it can become unstable if left to sit for a prolonged period of time.
• Rinse your dog or pet thoroughly with tap water afterward, and you can even repeat this process if you still smell the odor.

There are specialized shampoos sold at pet stores that also can remove the foul skunk spray odor, but if you already have the above ingredients at your home, you do not have to spend any extra money on any shampoos or to go to a store to buy one. The mixture above also works well on people who are too tempted to approach a skunk or just unlucky to come too close to one and end up being sprayed. Whatever you do, keep your distance from a skunk and keep food and garbage away from their reach since the smell of food will attract them to come to your yard and become a regular visitor.

A common problem of all dog owners is their dogs licking their paws. Why do some dogs lick or chew their paws? There are several reasons so let's list them first and see what is your dog's reason. Paw licking and chewing is a serious condition that should be stopped or prevented and not allowed to persist. Such behavior can become a habit even after the dog has been treated for the condition. If you allow it to become a habit, then you will have a harder time breaking this bad habit. 

Reasons for your dog licking his paw include:

Physical Injury to the Paw - cuts, sprains, strains, bruises

To identify a physical injury, check your dog's paws carefully for any cuts, embedded objected between the toes/pads, redness between the toes/pads, swelling or sores. If the paw that the dog is licking is much warmer than the other paws or exhibits redness or swelling, in most cases this means there is an infection that can be treated with different antiseptic and antibacterial solutions. If it is a bacterial infection, do not use any creams. Creams will only trap the bacteria inside and prevent air to get through to the infected area to dry and heal it causing even more discomfort. Sometimes a broken nail or a nail that is too long and is pushing back against the paw can cause a lot of discomfort. Make sure that you regularly trim your dog's nails. 

Allergic Reaction

The symptoms of an allergy include redness, itchiness, and swelling of the paws. Have you changed your dog's food recently or his diet? If you did and your dog started to lick or chew his paws, he could be allergic to the new food. Change your dog's diet until the allergic reactions disappear. Other allergens could be insect bites, like bites from ticks, mites, flies and mosquitoes. Your dog could even be allergic to pollen (inhaled allergy or canine atopy) and certain types of grass which can be confirmed if your dog licks his paws or chews them every time he goes outside and plays in the grass. Your dog can also be allergic to the soap you are using to clean his toys, bowls or your carpets. The shampoo you use when giving him a bath could also be an allergen. Try to use only shampoos or soaps that are approved for dogs. Check also the fertilizer that you use for your grass. Make sure that it has a label stating that it is safe for pets. Even then, you should not let your dog play in the grass right after you applied the fertilizer and watered your lawn. Allow at least 24 hours before you let the dog play in the grass. When treating allergies, some dogs respond well to antihistamines such as Benadryl, other allergy medication and medicated shampoos. Before using any medications such as Benadryl, please consult with your veterinarian first.

Cracked, Dry and Itchy Winter Paws

When your dog goes outside for a walk and his paws get in contact with the wet snow, ice and chemicals such as deicers and road salt, it can cause irritation to the paw pads. Road salt is known to dry the paw pads leading to cracking and infections. This can be prevented by having the dog wear boots, but as we all know, how many dogs want to wear boots? A very popular and effective product made especially for dogs who do not like to wear boots is Musher's Secret - The Invisible Shield - 200 gm. It will prevent burns caused by ice, salt, chemicals, sand, and hot pavement. It is absolutely safe for your dog since it is made from 100% natural waxes that are non-toxic, non-allergenic and will not leave any stains. It is perfect for mushing, ski-jorring, hunting, walking, or before any outdoor activity. An alternative way to solve the problem is to apply Vaseline Petroleum Jelly to the paw pads and between the toes before going for a walk and this will keep his paws moisturized and protected from irritants like salt and deicers. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly can also be used when your dog's paw pads are dry and cracked. Remember to wash and thoroughly dry your dog's feet after coming from a walk to wash off the salt and dirt and prevent bacteria from developing. However, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly will not protect your dog's paws from frostbite. To prevent frostbite, only take the dog for a walk when it is warmer outside or limit the amount of time the dog spends outside. You could also try to put boots on the dog's feet to prevent frostbite.

Fungal Infection

If your dog licks his paws constantly, this can lead to a fungal infection which can be treated with an anti-fungal solution. The reason is that constant moisture and wetness of the paws encourages fungal growth, especially between the toes. Proper grooming such as the trimming of the hair between the toes can prevent moisture from collecting and increase the airflow between the toes keeping the paws dry.

Stress and Boredom

When dogs are stressed, they will chew or lick their paws to relax themselves. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety or any form of anxiety, you need to use behavioral therapy to solve this problem. Also, when dogs are bored, they may resort to chewing their own paws just to release that excess energy and frustration that is built inside them. This is why it is very important to walk your dog regularly and provide plenty of exercise and mind stimulation.

How many times have you walked with your dog and he started pulling you after seeing another dog or animal like a rabbit? This is very common and is a result of poor control and training. Your dog needs to be trained while he is still a puppy that pulling on the leash is not acceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. Why do dogs pull anyways? One reason is that they just walk faster than us and want to let us know that our pace is too slow for them. Another reason is that they get excited after seeing another dog or animal and want to quickly get to them to play or in some cases their hunting instinct kicks in and they want to chase the 'prey'. 

There are different ways of training your dog not to pull and correcting this behaviour. One way is to use a front-clip harness or head halter which will give you more control over your dog while walking and also stop the choking that the choke collar creates. Choke collars may work for some dogs, while not for others so first test it on your dog to see the results. A front-clip harness or head halter can be used as a way to correct an already established pulling behavior and assist in training. However, these tools do not have to become your permanent solution. There are many other ways to train your dog not to pull and establish this as the norm. How can it be done? Let us start with the basics.

First, train your dog indoors where there are the least amount of distractions. Start off the training without a leash. Your goal is to teach your dog to follow you. This training works best when done on a young dog, but can work for adult dogs as well. Place an object in your hand or palm and try to get your dog’s attention by asking the dog to touch it with its nose (giver the command to “touch”). Make sure that your hand is down by your side. Walk a few steps and then stop. Let the dog touch the object but make sure he is not in front of you. If the dog walks in front of you, start walking again in a different direction and stop. Once the dog touches the object and is not in front of you, give him a treat or reward and praise your dog so that it becomes a game for him and not something that is laborious work. Do this until the dog understands that he needs to follow you.

If your dog does not understand the command to touch an object, then this other method may work better for you. Place a clicker in your right hand, treat in the left, and walk for a while (still indoors to avoid distractions). Once you stop, click and then drop the treat on the floor next to your left foot and tell the dog take the treat. If the dog tries to get in front of you or get past your left knee before you had the chance to click, turn around and walk in another direction and then stop, click, and drop the treat. You should also turn around if the dog goes to the right or tries to face you. Repeat this click and treat method 10-15 times and if you see the dog starts jumping on you or gets too excited, take a break. The worst time to teach your dog something is when he is excited. Once your dog keeps slowing down next to you on your the left-hand side and looks up each time waiting for you to click and give him a treat, you know that you can reduce the number of repetitions and that your dog knows to stay by your left side.

Once your dog knows how to stay by your left side, you can raise the bar. This time walk even further, around different objects (furniture), zigzag, speed up, slow down, stop and keep the treats on the opposite side of your body from the dog until you are ready to give him one. This will ensure that the dog is not just following your treats in your hand, but that you are rewarding voluntary behaviour. If the dog does not slow down each time by your left side, stop the training and leave for a while and ignore the dog. You have to repeat this training until the dogs sticks to you like glue. If you have a fenced yard, play the same game now outdoors when your dog is most interested and still without the leash. When your dog follows you on command, you can proceed with the next step.

Put on the leash that is 4 to 6 feet long and do not use any retractable leashes. Do this indoors and start with walking only a few steps in the beginning. Play the same “follow me” game that you played before but make sure that you are not using the leash to direct your dog. Do not yank the leash! You can have the leash attached to you at the waist, rather than holding it, to avoid accidental yanking from you. There should be some slack in the leash at all times. If the dog starts pulling repeatedly, take off the leash, and walk away ignoring the dog. Then come back at another time and try again. Once the dog is following you without caring about the leash and you feel confident that he follows you on cue, take him on the road. Walk a few steps only before rewarding. You need to start slow and then gradually increase the distance before giving praise or reward.

Keep giving treats every time the leash is loose and praise him. A loose leash should automatically follow a reward. Practice this technique and once it has become a habit, phase out the treats and just give praise unless you want to have to carry a bag of treats each time you walk with your dog. I thought so. If your dog starts pulling, do not walk a step further until he puts some slack back into the leash. If he is stubborn and still keeps pulling, turn around and go the other way. He will know that pulling will not get him where he wants to go. If there are other members in your family that walk the dog, they should also follow your methods and be consistent with what you have been teaching your dog.

There you have it. The method that I just explained is an effective way to stop your dog from pulling on the leash. It requires a lot of patience, persistence, and practice but does not require any expensive tools and is a permanent behavioral correction and not just a temporary fix. Whatever training approach you choose to implement, it has to be consistent and reward for the correct behavior.

During the hot summer months, it is very important to keep your dog cool. Dogs can overheat very quickly; it can take only a couple of minutes for a dog to overheat. Your dog's normal body temperature ranges between 100 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit and when his/her body temperature elevates above 106 F, his/her normal cooling mechanisms become overwhelmed, which can result in a serious condition which may require medical attention. High temperatures can lead to dehydration and blood thickening which puts extreme strain on the heart and results in blood clotting and subsequent death of the tissue. The first to be affected are the liver, brain and the intestinal cells.

Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to heat related problems than others. Large and double-coated breeds like the Chow Chow are very susceptible to overheating. Malamutes, Huskies, American Eskimos and Newfoundlands which prefer colder climates often have little tolerance for heat and humidity and should not be kept in very hot climates. Bulldogs, Pugs, Shar-Peis and Boston Terriers or any breeds with shorter muzzles have harder time coping with heat because of their short and narrow respiratory systems. Symptoms of a heat stroke:

• Bright red tongue
• Coma
• Diarrhea
• Rapid and frantic panting
• Staggering
• Thick saliva
• Vomiting
• Wide eyes

To prevent your dog from getting a heat stroke, here are some things you can do: 

• Keep the dog in a shaded, cool, and well-ventilated area during the hot hours of the day; dogs can also get sunburn on their ears, eyelids and nose from too much exposure to the sun (white and lightly colored dogs are more prone to sunburn); sunburn can eventually lead to skin cancer; use sunscreen that is approved for dogs and pets.
• Provide plenty of fresh and cold drinking water throughout the day.
  
• Limit the amount of exercise; exercise the dog early in the morning while it is still not too hot; hot pavement can burn the pads on the dog's feet.
• A haircut in the summer can help dog breeds with a long or double coat to relieve heat stress.
• Do not leave your dog in a parked car unattended even if it is for only a few minutes! The temperature inside the car can rise very quickly (reaching 120 F in as little as 10 minutes), especially if the car is in the sun and there is high humidity.
• Setup a small wading pool in the shade where your dog can refresh and cool down.
• If you are going for a walk with your dog or to the park, bring a bottle (handheld portable dog water bottles are great as they also include a dispenser tray - you can find one here:  Lixit Thirsty Dog Portable Water Bottle / Bowl) of cold water with you. You never know when they will need it, especially if they run a lot.
• If you are at the beach, make sure you let your dog go for a swim every hour or so which will keep him/her cool.

Is your dog's coat dry and matted/knotted? There are many ways to solve this problem, including using natural ingredients. Dogs that lack certain nutrients and vitamins will more likely have skin issues and even skin allergies. They can also experience hair loss and also a dull coat. Here are some ways to improve the condition of your dog's coat and skin:

• Using a conditioner - there are many dog shampoos on the market that also include a conditioner that de-matts and makes the dog's coat silky and soft. There are also products that can be applied by spraying them on the dog's coat after a bath to make the coat shiny and soft. Note: Bathing your dog too many times can damage the coat making it dull and dry since the shampoo can wash off the natural skin/hair oils.

• Carefully picking your dog's food - dogs that are known to have skin or coat problems should be fed with a different diet, especially one that contains fish as the main ingredient. Some dogs may even be allergic to certain kibble brands, so you need to experiment with the food until you find what works for your dog and his skin and coat.

• Adding fish oil to your dog's diet - fish oils from salmon, sardines, and anchovies are great for your dog's coat. You can add some fish oil to your dog's food that is either sold in a bottle or in capsules that can be opened and put the oil on his food.

• Raw eggs - raw eggs can help make the coat shiny and soft but should not be given often - maybe twice a week. The best thing would be if you can just give the yolk part and remove the egg white since too many raw egg whites by themselves can cause your dog to suffer from a biotin deficiency. Salmonella is another concern of raw eggs, but the probability that an egg is contaminated with Salmonella is 0.000033% (basically 1 in 30,000 eggs).
  

• Olive oil - a great way to rehydrate your dog's coat and protect his skin is to use olive oil. Wet your dog's hair and then rub it with olive oil. Let it sit for about 20-30 minutes, and then give your dog his usual bath to remove any excess oil that was not absorbed by the hair and skin. This method also works for human hair!

Spring is here! We just gave our dog (our lovable/hugable white boxer Mark) Revolution this morning. Revolution (selamectin) is a simple way to protect your dog from heartworms, fleas and other harmful parasites. Revolution Topical Parasiticide is available as a colorless to yellow, ready to use solution in single dose tubes for topical (dermal) treatment of dogs six weeks of age and older and cats eight weeks of age and older. Revolution kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching for one month and is indicated for the prevention and control of flea infestations (Ctenocephalides felis), prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, and the treatment and control of ear mite (Otodectes cynotis) infestations. Revolution also is indicated for the treatment and control of sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) and for the control of tick infestations due to Dermacentor variabilis. Prior to administration of Revolution, dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infections. At the discretion of the veterinarian, infected dogs should be treated to remove adult heartworms. We buy Revolution from our dog's veterinarian since they also perform a blood test for heartworms for our dog. You can also purchase it online on some Web sites, but you will need to have a valid prescription from the veterinarian before you can make the purchase. For the prevention and control of flea infestations, Revolution should be administered at monthly intervals throughout the flea season, starting one month before fleas become active. It is very easy to administer. You purchase Revolutiuon based on your dog's weight and then apply the solution that is already packaged in tubes so you cannot go wrong with the dose. TIP: If you have more than one dog, you can even use the same tube and apply half of the solution on one dog and half on the other without losing much of its efficacy. I got this tip from a breeder who does this as they have a couple of dogs that they have to protect and this is a good way to save money. We used this product on our dog since he was a puppy and we had no problems with it. It is a really nice all-in-one solution for heartworms, fleas, and parasites.

  Revolution for dogs 41-85 lbs. (6 month supply)