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Unlike some aspects of dog ownership, naming your dog is just plain fun! The pets themselves don’t require much; they just need a pleasing dog name they can identify with when you give them commands. But if you plan to show a purebred dog in competitions, there’s a lot to consider when it’s time to choose a dog name for your dog’s American Kennel Club certificate. Let’s start at the beginning.

The name of the kennel your dog came from is part of his show name. Usually, it’s the first part of his name as it appears on the certificate. If you purchased your dog from a show kennel, then the kennel’s name should be first, such as: Dexy’s Fido. If you bred the dog yourself, then use your own original kennel name. You can also use a combination such as ‘Dexy’s Fido of (your kennel name here)’ so that your dog’s name reflects both where he comes from and where he now resides.

Originality is important when choosing a show dog name. The American Kennel Club (AKC) doesn’t allow duplicate dog names, and will ask you to choose another name if your pick is already taken.

Unusual dog names with creative spelling attract attention to your dog in a show catalog, while reducing the chance that you’ve nearly duplicated another dog’s name. For example, ‘Dexy’s Hi-Jac’ is a cute play on the word hijack. It’s catchy yet original, and offers a great built-in theme for the future if you advertise your dog in breed and show magazines. You could use “He’ll hijack your heart” for your ads. Cute, right?

Once you’ve selected your dog’s ‘paper name’, the work isn’t over. You’ll still need to settle on a shorter dog ‘call name’ for everyday reference. Using our example of Dexy’s Hi-Jac, the name Jack immediately suggests itself for the dog’s call name, while directly referring us back to his official dog name on the AKC papers.

So, now that you know the basics of dog naming, you’re ready to choose a dog name that will serve you well both at home and in the show ring.

About the Author: Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of Poodle-oo, your source for small dog clothes. Stop by for small dog couture and home decor, designer dog collars, PuppyPurses and the Small Dog Blog.
http://www.poodle-oo.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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You lucky Dog you, that is until baby comes along. Is it
possible for pets and babies to co-exist in peace! From
every corner I received advice on how things will have to
change with our dog once the baby comes along. Everyone said
there is no way they can live together in the same house
without baby getting sick or worse still being bitten. How
wrong they all were!

There is no doubt about it, you certainly need to take great
care when mixing pets with babies and you should definitely
never leave a baby or child alone with any animal. However,
we couldn’t have got a better playmate for our little
toddler. He absolutely adores our little white powder puff.

There are some tips though to ensure that all goes smoothly
when you bring baby home from the hospital. If you do decide
that your indoor pet is to become an outdoor pet, you need
to make this change well in advance of your baby being born.
It is important that your pet doesn’t feel resentment
towards your baby. Therefore, start getting your pet used to
being outside at least 6 months before the baby is born so
that they don’t associate the baby with being put outside.

You can also help your pet get used to the scent of your
baby before you bring them home from the hospital. Purchase
a cheap bunny rug and wrap your baby in it while at the
hospital for one night, then bring it home and give it to
your pet. This way your pet will get used to the smell of
your new baby and they won’t be so anxious or curious once
baby finally comes home.

Also, make sure you give your pet attention when baby is
awake so they know they don’t have to wait until baby goes
to sleep to get any playtime from you.

Ensure that all pet bowls and litter trays are way out of
reach of children. Don’t let animals play with baby’s toys
and vice versa. Both are sure to put the toys into their
mouths! Pets that are wormed and vaccinated are unlikely to
pass diseases on to your child, however make it a habit to
always wash hands after touching the pet and before eating
meals.

Lastly, make sure that your pet has somewhere to call their
own where they can get away from toddlers little hands and
sleep uninterrupted.

If things do start to get out of hand at home, call a
Behavioural Animal Specialist to see if they can help you
sort things out.
About the Author

As well as being a fulltime Mother, Monique is a partner in Bella Creations, an online gift shop specialising in unique gift arrangements & individual gift products for Men, Women & Babies. To view her gift range, log on at Baby Gifts Australia.

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Does your dog always having a lush, soft coat?

Does your dog’s skin remain rash and itch free?

If you said yes to either or both of the above questions, yours is a very fortunate dog.

More likely, like me, you said “No”, or, perhaps “Sometimes”.

Most of our dogs suffer from a dull coat and/or a skin irritation of some type from time to time. Some poor dogs seem to be plagued by skin problems, which often causes them to molt, or even to pull their own fur out in an attempt to relieve the itchiness.

This can be caused by a number of things, including a vitamin deficiency.

Even if you think you’re feeding your dog an ideal diet, it may not be so. For years my vet complimented me on the great health of my dogs due to the largely raw diet I fed them, but little did I realise that down the track they would begin to develop degenerative conditions which I can now only attribute to a failure to supplement with vitamins and/or balanced holistic food.

Yes, diet can impact on your dog’s skin condition and the look and feel of your dog’s coat in a big way.

And fleas also, of course, can cause major skin irritation for your dog.

But for now, back to the external, and non-parasitic, causes of an irritated, dry or itchy skin.

Kara, my Rottweiler, has pretty sensitive skin - she gets a rash from coming into contact with the pollen from certain plants.

My Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jet, is more hardy in the coat and skin department. Jet’s pretty lucky. She doesn’t get incessant itches very often at all, although she has been known to molt once or twice in her 10 years.

To keep your dog’s skin and coat in tip top condition and health, a good dog shampoo is really important. When my dogs were younger I sometimes used cheap shampoos from discount stores. I came to the conclusion that this was really false economy. They cleaned the coat reasonably well, but weren’t particularly beneficial to the skin.

Now I use an all-natural, enriched shampoo which helps relieve itching and dry, flaky skin. And the coat comes out really silky and it really seems to have a lovely shine. And it has a tearless formula, so it’s kind to your dog’s eyes! If you’d like to check it out, see below, at the end of the article.

If your dog is anything like my Rottweiler, Kara, your dog’s fur is often dusty and not so great to stroke. Kara loves rolling in the dirt outside. When the dirt in the backyard is dry, I can brush out the dust and dirt without too much trouble.

But when it’s damp Kara needs to be washed to really get her coat clean again. And when it’s been pouring rain for a day or two, I actually try to keep her inside the house as much as possible. Because, yes, she rolls in the wet, sticky mud, when she gets a chance. You should see the mess she gets in. She can be covered in mud from head to toe. And she’s most put out when I won’t let her in the house in that state!

That’s when the shampoo really comes in handy!

(c) 2005, Brigitte Smith, Healthy Happy Dogs

About the Author: Brigitte Smith is a dog lover with a special interest in holistic dog health. Pick up your special FREE dog health report here: http://www.HealthyHappyDogs.com . And the dog shampoo is here: http://www.DogShampoo.BrigitteRecommends.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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