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People Foods Safe for Your Dog

art by Jodi Laycock of Fur Real Pet Portraits on FB

One of the enduring cliches of dog ownership is the frequent begging for table scraps. When sitting down to their meals, many owners are met with the pleading stares of their dogs looking for snacks, either handed out or accidentally dropped. Fortunately, our canine companions are able to consume and digest a fairly wide variety of “people food” even though they’re technically carnivores. But indulgent dog lovers want to know:
what are some of the better food choices one can make when it comes to sharing a bite with a hungry mutt? Here are 10 comestibles that are good for you and for man’s best friend

Peanut Butter

Some dog owners like to put a bit of peanut butter on the roofs of their dogs’ mouths because it’s funny to watch a dog smack its lips to get the sticky treat into its hungry belly. Fortunately, peanut butter is safe (and delicious) for dogs to eat. And because dogs are generally quite fond of peanut butter, it can be used to conceal yucky medicine. It almost goes without saying that your dog is best off eating natural, unprocessed

peanut butter without added salt, sugar and preservatives. (And that goes for you too.)

 Cheese

Cheese is one of those foods that most of us can agree on. Almost everyone loves at least some cheeses, and you probably have a few lactose-intolerant friends who lament the one thing they really miss eating is cheese. Well, the same is true for dogs. They’re usually eager to gobble up some cheese, and generally it’s perfectly safe. But like us, dogs can be prone to lactose intolerance, so tread lightly. Cottage

cheese is a good choice because it’s gentle on sensitive tummies.


Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the best treats you can give dogs for the same reasons it’s so often recommended to humans: it’s packed to the rafters with probiotics, vitamins, protein, calcium, riboflavin, zinc and potassium. But be as judicious with selecting yogurt for your dog as you should be with yourself. Avoid yogurts that are chock-full of sugar, preservatives and other additives. By the same token, fat-free yogurt is

an acceptable option for dieting dogs, but be careful not to choose a brand that replaces the fat with an artificial fat substitute. All-natural is the name of the game here.

Watermelon

Summer is almost upon us and our dogs are just as excited as we are for warm weather, fun in the sun, playing at the beach and stuffing our faces with juicy, delicious watermelon. Yes, dogs can eat watermelon. Other melons are good for dogs to eat too, but stick to the familiar fruit-salad basics like watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe instead of anything exotic that you might find. 

Blueberries

You’re barely out of bed and your furry pal is already at your feet, giving you those puppy-dog eyes, looking for handouts. Is it safe to share a handful of the blueberries you’re adding to your morning cereal? It’s more than safe; it’s downright healthy. Fresh or frozen, berries are good for dogs for the same reasons they’re good for us: they’re packed with vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals. But don’t share too

much, because dogs are just as prone as we are to the digestive discomfort that can come from berry overindulgence.

Salmon

When it comes to “people food” for our pets, fish is typically thought of as a favorite meal of cats, and that’s true, but it doesn’t mean dogs can’t also enjoy the health benefits of some fresh, delicious salmon. The fish is a great source of protein, and it boasts a ton of omega-3 fatty acids which promote a strong immune system, healthy skin and a shiny coat. And if your family has both dogs and cats in the home, that’s all

the more reason to stay stocked up on this nutritional powerhouse

Green Beans

“Eat a green thing every day” is an age-old dietary tip that stands for people and their dogs alike. Getting your kids to eat green beans can be an ongoing battle, but your dog will probably wolf them right down. You already know that green beans are nutritious because they’re full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and since they’re so low in calories too, they make a great weight-management snack for dogs that have put on a

few extra pounds.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a wonderful, cost-efficient treat you can share with your dogs. These sweet spuds have got fiber, vitamins and carotenoids up the wazoo. What’s the best way to prepare them for canine consumption? You wouldn’t want to eat sweet potatoes raw, and neither would your pooch. Serve them up in a dog bowl cooked, mashed or even dehydrated. Just don’t add salt or butter.

Carrots

Carrots are an excellent choice of a vegetable snack for dogs. Dogs love to chow down on carrots because they’re sweet and delicious, and they’re healthy because of all the vitamins, fiber and potassium they carry. As a bonus, carrots are great for canine dental health too. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker suggests baby carrots as a snack to help remove plaque from your dog’s teeth and keep its breath fresh and pleasant.

Pumpkin

Yes, pumpkin. Like its orange friends, sweet potatoes and carrots, pumpkin is bursting with vitamins, beta carotene and fiber. It’s also low in calories, and you can feed it to a tummy-aching dog to settle its stomach or help relieve diarrhea. As always, fresh is best. If you really must buy the canned stuff, make sure you select a brand of pumpkin that’s not full of sugar and preservatives.

Fur Real Pet Portraits - Digitally Painted

art by Jodi Laycock of Fur Real Pet Portraits on FB

 For more work from the artist Jodi Laycock of Fur Real Pet Portraits on FB please visit the link below from the site 500px.com and it will take you there...

http://500px.com/goliath

If you would like to order a portrait of your pet please contact Jodi at Fur Real Pet Portraits

Can My Dog be Gay???

Art by Jodi Laycock of Fur Real Pet portraits - copyrighted

Apparently biologists claim that 'gay' animal behavior has been spotted in 1,500 different animal species. Given that common arguments used by homophobes in the past have been that "it's not natural", and "animals are never gay", it's understandable that there are now many who may wish to use the reverse argument: if it happens in animals, homosexuality must be as natural as heterosexual behavior.

What about pets? Can pets be homosexual? Do you know, I don't think pets regard this subject with the same anxiety as many humans. Pets tend to be either asexual (as in spayed and castrated pets, and females when they're not in season) or sexual (as in females when they're in season, and entire males for most of the time).

When they’re asexual, pets often enjoy male and female company equally, having close social relationships with the same sex and with the opposite sex .

When pets are in a sexual phase, under the influence of reproductive hormones (testosterone in males or oestrogen in females in season), they are often utterly focussed on the act of copulation rather than worrying about the gender of the object of their attention. Think of a Jack Russell Terrier hanging onto your lower leg for dear life, or a female Collie in season doing escape artist tricks to get away from the confinement of the human home to have fun with her friends.  One scientific study, reported in the Telegraph , described ‘the first recorded case of homosexual necrophilia in the Mallard duck’.  The main message is that when the reproductive hormones are coursing through animals' veins, the gender (or indeed, species) of the object of their affections may not be high on the list of considerations.

One of my concerns about the increasing 'humanisation' of  pets is that there may be a trend towards considering our pets’ sex lives as something that we should be worried about. I've already had one client who was incensed when I explained how neutering and spaying involved removal of his male and female dogs' gonads. He was adamant that his pets should have the right to enjoy a sex life. Why couldn't I just tie their tubes, like humans? Indeed, there are a few vets out there who believe that neutering and spaying are a form of sexual mutilation that humans impose unfairly on animals.  Could ‘entitlement to a sex life’ become 'the sixth freedom', as part of a long term battle for animal rights?

I'm going to stick to my old fashioned guns on this one. Neutered and spayed pets don't know what they're missing, and if anything, they're happier without those pesky trouble-making hormones. Population control and a calm social environment are far more important than human-imposed ideas of what pets should or should not do ‘in the bedroom’.

We’re allowed to euthanase pets because we know that it can be the best way to prevent suffering, and they don't know that it's about to happen to them. We are allowed to control pets’ sexuality for similar reasons, and that's the way it ought to be, for their own sake.

‘Homosexual or heterosexual?’ is the wrong question to ask about pets. Instead, we should ask whether they are ‘sexual or asexual’, and for their own sake, the more that we move into the asexual category, the better.

Friend therapy

art by jodi Laycock of  Fur Real Pet Portraits on FB or contact vraiment@sasktel.net

Canadian Hero Dogs - 2013 we applaud you

Titan (blue RIP) and Charlie (rescue)

In May of 2013 the Purina Animal Hall of Fame recognized four Canadian dogs' extreme acts of bravery, courage and devotion at its annual ceremony at Toronto's PawsWay.

Bella, Vicious, Snickers and Teak were all honoured for "the extraordinary actions they took to protect a human life — demonstrating the unique and powerful bond that exists between animals and people," a press release stated.

"The tenacity of our 2013 inductees to rescue and protect people from harm — whether it's a wild animal, house fire, criminal or a medical emergency — showcases the connection animals have to humans and the physical risks they will take to keep them safe," Purina PetCare Legacy executive director Mary Siemiesz said in a statement. "This year's inductees remind us of how much animals enrich our lives, and that pets and humans are better together."

Bella, a 2-year-old Bernese Mountain dog from Milton, Nova Scotia, was recognized for her quick-thinking heroism. She pulled her injured owner, Chris Laroque, from their burning home.
"Without Bella's devotion, strength and courage, I would have died in the fire that destroyed my home," Laroque said. "She is truly our family hero, and we're so happy that Bella is being recognized for her life-saving efforts by the Purina Animal Hall of Fame."

Another honoree, Vicious, a 12-year-old border collie/Labrador cross from Trail, British Columbia, was praised for lunging at a cougar attacking owner Angie Prime in her home. Conservation officers agreed that without Vicious there to attack and then chase away the wild cat, Prime would not have survived the ordeal.

Snickers, a 4-year-old border collie/pointer cross from Oshawa, Ontario, barked aggressively in his neighbours' driveway, blocking them from leaving for work. They called the police, who noticed that Snicker's owner, Gregory Gould, who suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, was lying unconscious on his living-room floor. Snickers had repeatedly thrown himself against the screen door so he could get outside and bark for help.

The "Service Dog of the Year" award went to Teak, an 8-year-old German Shepherd from Vancouver, British Columbia. Teak and his partner, Constable Derrick Gibson, responded to an armed robbery in progress this January. Teak caught and tackled the suspect, but was stabbed multiple times in the process. After two surgeries, Teak has healed from his wounds. He has since retired from duty.
Since its inception in 1968, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame has inducted 159 animals: 132 dogs, 26 cats and one horse.

Training collars For Dogs

Training a dog can be a difficult undertaking, which is why there are various training aids available. One such aid is a training collar, which is used to emphasize certain types of training and to make your job a little bit easier. Training collars should not be inhumane -- in fact, most of them aren't -- and the way you use your training collar will directly impact the speed and effectiveness of your training program. There are literally dozens of different types of training collars on the market, but here are a few of the most common.

Prong Collars

The very mention of a prong collar is enough to send some people running for the hills, but I've effectively used it on two of my giant breed dogs and if used correctly, they can work wonders. A prong collar is a training collar that consists of metal links through which metal prongs are spaced about an inch apart. When you correct your dog with the leash, the prongs lightly pinch the dogs neck, symbolizing the corrective action the mother dog gives her pups by picking them up by the scruff of the neck.

A prong collar can be inhumane when used in correctly as a training collar. For example, if your dog is the type to pull against the leash consistently, he or she will not benefit from the prong collar because it will lose its effectiveness. Dogs can easily become "immune" to the pinch of the prong collar after frequent use, and it should only be used as a corrective aid.
As training collars go, the prong collar is comparatively easy to use. Simply fasten the collar around your dog's neck, leaving approximately 1/2 inch of space between the prongs and your dog's skin.

Halti Collars

If you have a dog that is aggressive or is prone to lunging or snapping at other dogs or humans, the Halti collar might be the best training collar for you. This type of collar fits over the dog's head, keeps the mouth shut and helps to restrain the dog. It allows you to control the motion of the head, thereby exacting more control over the body. Some people consider this training collar difficult to use because most dogs will resist it at first. However, as a matter of safety, this training collar is one of the most effective.

When using the Halti Collar, make sure that the device is secured properly. You should never jerk on or pull up on a Halti collar because you run the risk of damaging your dog's neck or back. If you don't think that you can control your dog without jerking on the Halti collar, you might want to put your dog in training with a professional.

Choke Collars

Like the prong collar, the choke collar is surrounded by a wealth of controversy. Most dog owners recognize this training collar as effective and humane, while others fear the potential damage that can be caused by an overzealous dog or owner. It's true that the choke collar can cause permanent damage, or even death, to a dog if used incorrectly. However, this training collar is recommended by most dog trainers.

The choke collar works by tightening around the dog's neck either when the owner pulls the leash or the dog pulls on the collar. As soon as the tension is relieved, the collar ceases its "choking" action.
Training collars are not for use by the inexperienced and you should always learn how to use it before attempting to put it on your dog.


*with help from Steve Thompson and Jodi Laycock