בס''ד
Thank-you so much for reading our first Patchy's World! newsletter / blog. I received encouraging private notes and blog comments. If you have a suggestion or something special you would like to see on our newsletter / blog, please contact me.
The four essentials:
What we feed our pets is an important part of owning a dog or cat. Dogs in general are beggars. They give you that ‘look’ and your heart melts.
Giving them something they shouldn’t have can prove to be disastrous for them and you.
Hartz Dog Food tell us each day it’s important to feed your dog from all of the essential food groups on a daily basis.
Protein: Dogs need a minimum of 18% protein in their diet for maintenance when they are adults and 22% for reproduction and growth.
Fat: Fats keep your dog's coat healthy and provide energy. Adult dogs need a minimum of 5% fat in their diet.
Vitamins: A vitamin supplement will provide those nutrients above and beyond the minimum, which are required to meet his particular needs.
Water: Your dog's water needs depend on his activity level.
Feeding the right quantity:
Most dogs should have two small meals a day. A recommended serving size is provided on nearly all packaged foods. Here are the guideline that most pet products follow:
Toy dogs 3-12 lbs: 1/2 - 1 1/4 cups
Small dogs 13-25 lbs: 1 1/4 – 2 cups
Medium dogs 26-50 lbs: 2 – 3 3/4 cups
Large dogs 51-100 lbs: 3 3/4 – 6 3/4 cups
Extra Large dogs over 100 lbs: 6 3/4 plus 1/2 cup for each 10 lbs of body weight over 100 lbs.
The aged old argument on whether to feed your dog package food or homemade food is something to discuss with your vet. He /she will be able to give you the pros and cons.
Feeding people food:
Our 4 legged friends love treats. Fruits and vegetables are great for dogs but some fruits and vegetables are just downright dangerous.
Be sure to wash all fruits and remove rinds, inedible skins, seeds, and pits before feeding.
10 best fruits and vegetables: pet360.com has a very informative slideshow on the best 10 fruits and vegetables Have a look!
Toxic fruits and vegetables:
From iheartdogs.com we learn that some fruits and vegetables are dangerous. Watch this slideshow and learn what fruits and vegetable are toxic.
Our pet friends love people food:
Patches loves people food. What about your furry friend?
pets.webmd.com has a slide show of people foods we can serve our dogs.
And Foodbeast.com tells us why and what foods we should never serve our pets even when they have begging eyes.
Home baking:
There is nothing like home baked cookies. When looking for a good recipe to bake cookies for Patches, I came across this site. Everything looks delicious and relatively easy to make.
Frozen Pupsicles
Chicken Wild Rice Dog Treats
Mint Buckwheat Dog Biscuits
Small Batch Peanut Butter Banana Dog Biscuits
Puppy Power Smoothies
positively.com
Sarah Lukemire is the author of this page. Click her site page. She has many interesting articles.
If you have a good recipe you would like to share, contact me.
And onto other important topics…
We all love our pets. Whether going to work, school, shopping, we sometimes have to leave them at home when we go out. What would happen to your 4 legged friend if you took sick or were in an accident? Who would make sure they have someone to look after them while you recuperate.
The Dogington Post has the solution. Print out this form and keep it in your wallet.
And lastly from Paws in the City this friendly reminder:
That’s all for now. Please feel free to comment and share.
Miriam and Patches
בס''ד
Welcome, welcome to the first posting of Patchy’s World blog/newsletter. The plan is to post a new blog / newsletter once a week.
Today, our dogs and cats are more than just pets. They are friends and 4 legged furry family members.
And so here is a little reminder………..
Super idea:
An Ikea store in Germany had a super idea. They installed a "Parking Lot for Dogs", so customers don't leave their dogs in hot cars while shopping.
SPCA ISRAEL:
The SPCA does wonderful work saving abandoned animals. If you are looking for a dog, please consider a rescue dog. There so many 4 legged furry friends looking for a good home to be loved and give love.
From the mission statement of the SPCA: The Society takes in abandoned animals and tries to find adopting homes for them. Similarly, we provide various services to the community: a veterinary clinic with comfortable prices, a boarding facility for pets, rescue and collection of animals in trouble and a department of education and guidance.
SPCA ISRAEL or on Facebook SPCA Facebook
And now about Patches:
Patches joined our family 4 years ago, when she was 6 weeks old. It didn’t take us long to realize how clever she was.
Today, Patches is a loyal friend. She loves her family and we love her.
After the ‘ooing and yawing’ of your new arrival..the learning begins for both you and your new friend.
I found this wonderful posting on Care2
Nine Basic Training Tips for Dogs:
Here are nine great tips to help you successfully teach your puppy the basics:
Simply set aside about 10 to 20 minutes daily to work with your puppy.
1. Have one person in the family conduct the training. Even if everyone in the family is using the same verbal commands, their timing will be slightly different, which could confuse the dog. It should be someone who is patient. Have other family members work with the dog later, after her learning is well under way. Just be sure everyone in the family is using the same commands. If the puppy seems confused or backslides when more than one person works with her, return to having only one family member conduct the training.
2. Use positive reinforcement. Reward the dog as she learns, and never punish the dog or become unpleasant when she doesn’t catch on right away. If the dog associates obedience with something pleasant, she is more likely to obey. If she associates obedience with scolding, she won’t learn as well. Training is not the time to issue the word “No.” “No” should be used only to correct inappropriate behavior. A puppy that doesn’t catch on right away to training is not misbehaving. She just hasn’t yet learned what you want her to do. Use treats to encourage your puppy. Don’t use them every single time, however; otherwise you’ll find yourself with a dog that only obeys when you have a treat in hand!
3. Teach one command at a time. Move on to an additional command only after the dog has caught on well to the first.
4.Keep your voice cheerful. Some dogs respond best to a very playful, coaxing voice, whereas others respond better to a slightly stern–but still pleasant–voice. Again, experiment to see which tone of voice gets you the best response.
5. Keep your sense of humor. Puppies are distracted easily and can try your patience. Focus on your puppy’s accomplishments, no matter how small they are, and enjoy your time with her. She won’t be a puppy for long, after all.
6. Train in various places. All the commands can be practiced in the house, in the yard, or with the dog on leash at a neighborhood park. If you vary the places you train your dog, more likely she’ll learn to obey wherever you are. Training her in different places will also help socialize your puppy.
7. Train your puppy as you play. For instance, if you are playing fetch with a ball, ask your puppy to “Sit” before throwing the ball. Say “Come” as she returns with the ball. This reinforces your formal sessions, and since playtime is fun, it will help the dog learn to associate obedience with something pleasant.
8. Integrate training into daily life. As soon as your dog learns a command, begin using it routinely, not just during training sessions, and continue to reward the dog appropriately. Say “Heel” as you go from the kitchen to the living room, for example, and reward her when she obeys. Integrating commands into daily life as soon as possible will help ensure that your dog learns to listen in all types of situations, not just during your training sessions.
9. Do not expect a dog of any age to obey every command every single time. Dogs
are living creatures, not robots. They have good days and not-so-good days, just as people do. Sometimes they concentrate better than others. This is why keeping your dog on a leash anytime she is not in a fenced-in yard or in the house is imperative. Most dogs can, however, learn to obey commands most of the time if you are persistent with training.
Adapted from The Puppy Owner’s Manual, by Diana Delmar (Storey Books, 2001).
Hebrew University veterinarian saves the day:
Military dogs are a very important part of the team and when they are injured they must be cared for immediately.
While serving in Afghanistan, Dano, a 7-year-old Malines (short-haired Belgian Shepherd Dog), was wounded, fracturing his left upper canine tooth, known as fang to those who have been bitten. The Multinational Forces turned to a Hebrew University veterinarian dentist, who saved Dano.
Dano's military service included two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where his responsibilities was explosives detection.
Military Dog
Facebook:
Patches has a Facebook page. If you would like to be her friend, the link is:
Patches on Facebook
If you have a pet Facebook group and would like your address posted on this blog / newsletter, drop me a note at patchessworld@gmail.com
That’s all for now. See you next week.
Miriam and Patches.
