HUSKY Feeding - Why Is a Husky's Diet So Important?

 

A copper "bi-eye" Siberian Husky. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 

 I know that you really do love your Husky. After all your husky is loyal, loving and your best friend.  Of course, you want to make sure that your Husky is as healthy as possible. There are numerous ways that you can make sure that your husky is healthy. Good nutrition is the cornerstone of your husky's well-being and has the greatest influence on how long your friend will remain with you.

It is scientifically proven that if a husky is fed the wrong type of food over an extended period of time, they will become depressed and lethargic. You need to do your homework about what is best for your husky to eat. This will ensure that they enjoy life to the fullest.

Key Points to Consider with Husky Feeding

Although it may cost a little more, selecting high-quality pet food for your dog will add years to their life. Basic Vitamins and Essential Minerals are the two key aspects of a husky's nutrition.

Combining these two ingredients with a diet that your husky enjoys is a challenge but the results are well worth it. Nutritional supplements are also worth considering. Glucosamine and fish oils have become popular in order to combat arthritis and skin ailments. These supplements are not compulsory for your husky but they are definitely worth speaking to your local vet about it.

The Results of Good and Bad Nutrition

Your husky's energy levels will go up or down depending on the quality of their diet. If your dog is lacking the required nutrition you may notice them becoming lethargic. Huskies are very active dogs and you need to keep this in mind when feeding them. Although they eat relatively little once they are fully grown, make sure what you do give your husky is dense in basic vitamins and essential minerals.

Other Benefits of Good Husky Feeding Habits

The better quality the food that you feed to your husky, the more they will take into their system to sustain their health. What this means for you is that there will be less excrement around your yard to clean up. This is a big bonus for any husky owner. The consistency of your huskies poop is a very good indicator of the quality of their diet. You want your huskies poop to be firm but not too hard or soft.

The Risk of Obesity

Obesity can affect your husky just the same as it affects people. Along with regular exercise, a good diet is essential to make sure your husky stays within a healthy weight range. Use treats sparingly and only for training purposes. Treats soon add up and they can lead to serious health problems if your husky is overeating.

Avoiding Allergies

If your husky has been suffering from a mystery ailment then a change of diet may be just what the doctor ordered. There is the possibility that your husky is allergic to something that is inside their regular pet food. Keep in mind that diet affects every part of your dog's life. Monitor their nutrition constantly and maintain annual checkups at the vet.

The Benefits of a Healthy Diet

You will certainly notice that your Husky's coat will have a great shine with good nutrition. Combine this will good grooming and not only will your husky feel great, but they will also look great.

A healthy mouth is another byproduct of good husky feeding patterns. Dry food is very good for polishing and sharpening your husky's teeth. On the other hand, all the preservatives and sugars in canned food can cause plaque and tartar build-up.

Think Holistically With Husky Feeding

The saying 'you are what you eat' definitely applied to your husky. Everything from the skin condition, coat, teeth, weight and psychological well-being is affected by nutrition. Consult with a vet and experience husky breeders when making choices about husky feeding.

By Kurt Tully - Article Source: EzineArticles

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Bedding For Your GOLDEN RETRIEVER

A 15-year-old Golden Retriever dog, unusually old for a larger breed such as Golden Retriever. The dog's name is Spencer.  - (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bedding for your Golden Retriever is very important, as this is where he will be spending quite a bit of time - especially at night.  The ideal bedding for your Golden should be a natural fiber, such as wool, as wool absorbs most moisture and will keep your companion warm.  When you get your blanket, you can try thrift stores, as they aren’t very expensive.  You don’t want to buy an expensive blanket, for the fact that Golden Retrievers love to chew.  They can chew or tear the blanket in no time at all, which would make an expensive blanket a waste of money.

When bringing your Golden puppy home, he may be a little upset having to leave his mom and the others of his litter.  The scents and memories that he comes to know and love are now being replaced with totally new ones.  If you provide a towel for your Golden to sleep with, it may help to ease him a bit.  Towels are a great way to remind Golden puppies of their mom and their litter, which will help them to sleep and relax.

If you are planning to have your Golden Retriever sleep with you, you should be ready to get up in the middle of the night and take him outside to use the bathroom.  You should keep his food and water near his bedding at all times, so if he gets hungry or thirsty he can get what he needs.  Then, you should be planning on taking him out around an hour or so after he has eaten.

If you plan to leave your Golden Retriever outdoors, you’ll obviously need to use a different style of bedding.  Doghouses are essential for Golden’s who stay outdoors, as it helps to keep them warm and free of weather.  Inside of the doghouse, on the other hand, most people tend to use a straw so the Golden can make a bed out of it.  You can also use a blanket or quilt as well so that your Golden can wrap himself up in it should he get cold.

You can also use wooden shavings as well, as most Golden’s tend to like them.  Newspapers work well as well, as they give your Golden something to lay on besides a wooden floor.  Although doghouses work great for outdoor dogs, you should take your dog for walks on a daily basis and let him join you in activities that he finds enjoyable.  This way, you can build a unique and lasting friendship with your pet.  Golden Retrievers can quickly become the best friend you have ever had - as long as you take care of them.  Making sure that have the proper bedding is a great place to start.

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The Role of Calcium in Your DOG'S DIET

It is important for your dog's diet to contain all of the essential vitamins to ensure excellent health. One of the important nutrients in your dog's diet is calcium.  When we think of calcium, strong teeth and bones come to mind. 

Your dog's diet should be rich in calcium to support healthy teeth and bones, but a delicate balance exists in relationship to calcium and your dog's diet.  

It is possible to have too much or too little calcium in your dog's diet.  When a dog's diet contains too little calcium, your dog may develop a condition called rickets.  This condition creates soft bones that bend under the weight of your dog.      

In contrast, too much calcium can create bone abnormalities, as well.

Large breed dogs, for example, who are given too much calcium as puppies in their diet, will develop large bones that are low in density.  Strength is a problem with such bones due to a large number of calcium supplements.  

When your dog's diet contains appropriate levels of calcium, such bone abnormalities occur infrequently.

This is just one more reason to carefully select an appropriate diet for your dog.  Always consult with your veterinarian to determine the best amount of calcium in your dog's diet.  

Calcium plays an important role in your dog's diet, but other vitamins and nutrients work hand in hand with calcium.  Some minerals are interdependent.  Calcium happens to be one of such mineral nutrients. 

Calcium works together with phosphorus.  A balance of the two nutrients calcium and phosphorus must exist in a healthy ratio to ensure a dog diet that will maximize the potential advantages for your pet.  Studies involving animal nutrition show that a ratio of 1.0 to 2.0 parts calcium should be coupled with 1.0 part phosphorus.  When calcium and phosphorus ratios vary greatly from this range, bone troubles result.  

Dog diets consisting exclusively of meats, will not provide the proper amount of calcium and phosphorus to create healthy bones.  Such a diet results in a ratio of about 1.0 part calcium to 18 parts phosphorus.  The range of absorption is where the trouble begins.

Vitamin D is another nutrient that influences the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.  If a dog's diet lacks the appropriate amount of vitamin D, the other nutrients will not provide all the benefits to your pet.  Excessive amounts of vitamin D can have toxic effects on your dog.  It is imperative to maintain appropriate levels of vitamin D in your dog's diet.  Again, feeding your dog food from a reputable company will allow your confidence in knowing that your dog's diet is healthy.  

 

During pregnancy or when your dog is nursing, higher levels of calcium are important in your dog's diet.  At this time, feed your pet extra amounts of balanced dog food.  You should not have to supplement your pet at this time.  

Milk fever, or eclampsia, cannot be avoided with calcium supplements.  Eclampsia is not a nutritional deficiency, but a metabolic condition that affects the dog after the pups have been born and begin nursing.  

Avoid supplementing your dog's diet with calcium or other nutrients without specific discussion with your vet.  When calcium, for example, is out of balance, health can truly be affected negatively.  Feeding your dog a balanced diet is essential.  Reputable dog food companies have researched animal nutrition to ensure the best possible health for your dog.  Providing your dog's diet in a healthy, balanced formula may be the best way to take care of your pet.  

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Cultivating OBEDIENCE In Your Dogs

Chihuahua mix and Great Dane (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They are man's "best friend", but like your real friends, dogs also have annoying habits that you normally despise. But because you love them, you suffer for it until you can't take anymore. Just as we all try to talk to our human friends about their bad habits, it is also vital that we do the same for our pets. This is not impossible since dogs are proven to be intelligent animals. Experience also proves that they can pick up and understand instructions with proper training. In fact, training your human friends to ditch their bad habits is harder than training your pets.

Dogs are natural diggers. It might be some part of their genes that make them such enthusiastic diggers. It is amusing to watch them dig and bury whatever they like. But, it is equally irritating when your pets leave unsightly clumps of dirt on your manicured lawn. Other than the cartoon tradition of burying bones, there are other reasons why your pets dig. These reasons also differ depending on their breed and age. Younger and more "macho" breeds like Great Danes or Rottweilers dig because of pent-up and excess energy. If this is the case, frequent exercise walks, and training release these energies. Your pets are likely to be too exhausted to think of digging and your lawn efforts are not wasted. However, if your mutt is of the breeding age, the most likely reason behind its digging is a female. Your pet is probably digging to reach the next door bitch. Having your pet neutered is the only solution. However, there are cases when your pets dig because they just want to. In cases like this, your best bet is to train your dog not to dig by spraying the grass with non-toxic repellants. You can set aside a portion of the yard in which your pets can dig as much as they want. Remember to find them a spot in your backyard and not on your front lawn.

Other than lawn-digging, destructive chewing is a common problem of most pet owners. There are three reasons why mutts engage in this activity: attention, boredom, and teething. Neglecting your pets' playtime but chasing them when they got hold of your shoes are common scenarios. Scenarios like these teach them that chewing stuff is a way to frolic with you. Bored pets also have strong inclinations to be chewers. Teething is also a likely cause of chewing problems especially with younger pets. A way to stop your pets' chewing habits is to spend time with them through playing. Provide dogs with chewable toys and play catch. They will soon understand that these chew toys are the only things they are allowed to chew.

These problems are easily prevented if you make it clear to your dogs that you expect obedience from them. There are dog training camps for unruly pets and lots of articles on the internet for personal dog training. Dogs are not problems at all if you cultivate obedience in them.

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AINU DOG Breed History and Description

Ainu Dog

Description: 

The Ainu is thin but sturdy and muscular. Here is a spontaneous and speedy dog. The Ainu has upright triangular ears; these are at right angles to the dog's brows. It has small but triangular dark brown eyes. The teeth are non- protruding, solid and healthy. In some dogs, we see black spots on the tongue. 

The muzzle is straight and ends with a black nose. The tail has a curl like the Spitz family. The legs are straight and lean. It is 18-22 inches in height and the weight is 45-65 pounds. This breed has a double coat that is harsh and straight. The colours are white, wolf, brindle, red, brown, and sesame. The life expectancy is 11-13 years.

History: 

This dog came from Japan and is part of the Japanese Spitz family. This breed is still rarely seen outside of the country. The start, and history, of this breed is not known, but we know that they were in Japan some 3,000 years ago where they were brought by the Ainu tribe. This led to the tribe, and the dog, being pushed onto the island of Hokkaido. Here the dogs' role was one of the guardian to the local villages as they are very alert.

The Ainu is thought to be one of the oldest dogs' of Japan. The blue-black tongue shows a distant relationship with the Chow Chow and the Shar-Pei. This dog is good at big game hunting such as bears and has now become a designated Japanese Natural Monument. Some of their talents are in guarding and hunting. This dog has been used for sledge pulling and can be trained to be defensive. 

The dog has a fantastic ability to sense direction and can find its owner over vast distances. This dog is also called the Hokkaido, after the area it lived, by Thomas Blankiston in 1869. This is a rare dog breed.

By Scott Allan Lipe - Article Source: EzineArticles

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