Save Money by Grooming Your Dog at Home

Many dog owners prefer to leave haircuts to professional groomers. It’s a job that really takes some know-how and experience to do properly – particularly for dogs with long, continuously growing hair.

But there’s no reason that you can’t become an expert at cutting your dog’s hair, though there may be the occasional comic result along the way! The great thing is that hair grows back, it might take 1cm per month, but eventually that slightly uneven first attempt will start to look much better!

EQUIPMENT

Clippers can be extremely cheap and you can certainly use any style of clippers, rather than having to buy specialised pet clippers. Some are able to be sharpened, which will extend the life of the clippers. When humans use clippers they usually use plastic guards to clip at a longer length. These tend to snag in longer hair coats so are less useful in pets. For around the paws and ears, a sharp pair of scissors is useful, as some areas will be fiddly to use with the clippers. Also make sure you have plenty of treats on hand and a good brush.

GETTING READY TO CLIP

When you start out, having someone to hold your pet is ideal. Groomers will save their backs by always using an elevated table and may even have an apparatus to hold the dog in place or to clip the collar to. Clipping up on the kitchen table can be a great way to keep your dog from moving, but make sure you put a non-slip mat on the table first.

Top coupon for Pet:  PetSmart Coupon Up To 30% OFF Sale Items + FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more! Go through this link and save! Visit at here

HOW OFTEN?

If your dog has a continuously growing coat, clipping every 6-8 weeks is ideal. If you are able to brush your dog regularly and prevent mats from forming, grooming is not as necessary, but if your dog matts easily you may need to clip the coat short more often. In some ways a longer coat can provide an insulating layer to protect against heat and cold. For dogs that feel the heat however, clipping the belly so your dog can cool down by lying on the ground can help, while still providing protection from the sun.

CARE OF YOUR CLIPPERS

To keep your clippers clean and running smoothly it is worthwhile investing in some clipper spray to keep the blades clean and lubricated. The spray can also be used if the blades are getting hot while clipping your dog. Keep the blades sharp; they are more likely to cut if they are blunt. You will need to have them professionally sharpened in the same place that would sharpen knives. After you use your clippers, brush them free from hair with a toothbrush and apply some blade oil or the clipper spray.

Here are a few tips for doing the job properly. Select a quiet place free from distractions and remember the hair will end up everywhere, so find somewhere easy to clean!
• If your dog is dirty bathe your dog first, using a shampoo made for pets.
• Once the fur is dry, brush out any snags or mats.
• Use clippers in the direction of hair growth in long smooth strokes.
• Use scissors for touch-up and for trimming around extremities: legs, ears and face.
• To clip the paws, brush against the direction of hair growth to push the hair between the toes upwards and cut with the scissors. You can use the clippers to do the underside of the feet.

• Around the eyes, ensure there is no hair growing over your pet’s eyes that could interfere with vision. If your pet is wiggly, using blunt-tipped, curved scissors helps.
• After brushing give your pet a good brush, or if you haven’t already bathed your pet, give him a bath.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR NERVOUS DOGS

If your pet is a little nervous about the clippers, get some treats and get him accustomed to the noise of the clippers first. Keep any sessions short and give lots of praise, attention and treats for staying still, even for a short time. Having an additional helper on hand to give your pet treats while grooming is also useful for nervous pets. For pets that tend towards anxiety it may be even more important to groom your pet at home, as you will be able to spend more time acclimatising your pet to the process, while a busy grooming parlour will need to move more quickly. That being said, some groomers offer grooming rehabilitation for nervous pets if you ask. When selecting a groomer rely on word-of-mouth and find a groomer who is very good with anxious pets. The level of care your pet receives is much more important than the quality of the cut afterwards.

MATTED DOGS

For dogs that have matts, sometimes using the clippers can be very painful. It may be necessary to de-mat first using a specialised comb  If the matts are not too close to the skin, using the clippers on the shortest setting would be the best approach to take the matts off close to the skin. You will need to start somewhere where there are no matts to get to the base of the coat. If the process will be too extensive and painful, consider discussing with your Vet giving your pet a sedative and having the procedure done in hospital instead. Once the matts are gone it will be much easier to maintain the coat with brushing and clipping before they start to develop again.

Grooming can be a bonding experience with your pet and we hope you enjoy this new skill. And once you master the basics, let your creativity flow and try out some of the more adventurous clips.

17 Dogs On Trains Who Were Just Too Cute

1. “You said the Bakerloo line wouldn’t be busy. Yousaid it’s not that bad at 6:30pm. Well, look at us now, Karen.”

Twitter: @joepublic_

2. “Wow! according to this advert I can get a great return on my investments! … What are investments?”

Coupons for your Pets: 

The latest Petsmart Grooming Coupon $10 OFF & Petsmart Coupons 2016 when shop at Petsmart.com

3. “I simply can’t bear the hubbub. Thank goodness you’re here.”


4. “I’m glad someone had the respect to give their seat up for the elderly.”


5. “I see you eyeing up the free seat I’m going for. Don’t. You. Dare.”

Twitter: @charley_francis

6. “Please, keep talking loudly to your friend. In fact, talk louder. The whole tube wants to hear your scintillating wit.”


7. “Oh yay. The train’s just stopped. It’s not like I have a dinner party to go to. My food will almost certainly be cold by the time I get there.”


8. “Just one more stop and I’ll be at the dog park to see my cousin Charlie. It’s been years!”


9. “Two more stops and I’ll be at the dog park to see my cousin Toby. It’s been years!”

Twitter: @hlp

10. “Please, let’s go to the front. I want to pretend I’m driving the tube. I brought my conductor hat and everything.”

Twitter: @davideastUK

11. “I always say I’ll bring a book and I never do. Well, thirteen more stops of doing sweet FA.”

Twitter: @MoniqueScarlet

12. “Hello. Yes, I see you opening a bag of crisps. You surely won’t be able to finish them all. Why don’t you share them…with me?”


13. “Yep, that’s right, I’m stretching so you stay out of my personal space. Get the hell away.”


14. “I hope nobody asks to take my photo for their style blog.” *ahem* “I said, ‘I HOPE NOBODY ASKS TO TAKE MY PHOTO FOR THEIR STYLE BLOG.’”

Twitter: @clairejarmo

15. “Oh gosh, the next stop is mine. That means I’ll have to mind the gap. I hate the gap. Why is the gap so much bigger than me?”

Twitter: @riah_osborne

16. “Did he just complain about a smell in the carriage? I… I hope he doesn’t mean me.”


17. “Well, evidently someone likes their music so much they want the whole carriage to hear it.”



Jasmin Nahar is a junior staff writer at BuzzFeed UK and is based in London.

Here’s Why Pet Lovers Are Freaking Out About Hugging Their Dogs

A blog post written by a professor at the University of British Columbia is breaking the hearts of dog owners, one by one. The thesis: don’t hug your dog.

John Howard / Getty Images

Writing for Psychology Today, dog behaviour expert and psychology professor Stanley Coren said there are some telltale signs hugs are actually stressing out your canine pals.

They include:

• Turning their heads away to break eye contact.
• Low, flat ears.
• Small “stress yawns.”
• The whites of their eyes showing.
• Lip licking.

Coren wrote that when dogs are in trouble, their instincts tell them to run. A tight, fluffy hug impedes that escape route, which is what could potentially upset your pup.

To prove his observations, Coren evaluated 250 images of dogs being hugged sourced through searches on Google and Flickr. What he found was plenty of evidence.

Purestock / Getty Images / Via Creative Commons

In all, Coren said 81.6% of the photos showed dogs displaying “at least one sign of discomfort, stress or anxiety” and only 7.6% showed dogs that were “comfortable with being hugged”

For the remaining 10.8%, there was no strong sign either way.

Shop hot items for your Pets at Petsmart.com and PetSmart Coupon Up To 30% OFF Sale Items + FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more! Go through this link and save! Click here

His conclusion:

The clear recommendation to come out of this research is to save your hugs for your two-footed family members and lovers. It is clearly better from the dog’s point of view if you express your fondness for your pet with a pat, a kind word, and maybe a treat.

Basically, this is all pretty devastating for anyone who knows the best thing about having dogs around is getting to hug them.

BUT DO NOT LOSE ALL HOPE. Maybe some dogs don’t like some hugs from some people in some photos. But maybe your dog isn’t one of those dogs.

giphy / Via media.giphy.com

As the New York Times pointed out, Coren may be an expert in his field but this was a blog post, not a peer-reviewed study. The dogs in the photos could have been stressed for any number of reasons, the hug only being one of them.

Marc Bekoff, another animal behaviour expert, has already written a rebuttal onPsychology Today.

His take is pretty simple: get to know your dog and its behaviour. If they respond to hugs happily, keep it up. If not, give them some space.

In short: everything in moderation. Even puppy love.

Via rebloggy.com

And if your dog hugs you first? Lay back and let it happen. 

Instagram: @solomonloveslife

Kitchen Confidential: The Pros and Cons of Home-Cooking For Pets

It’s one of veterinary medicine’s dirty little secrets: many of us veterinarians are so cozy with the concept of commercially canned and kibbled food that we’re unwilling to consider any other approach to meeting our patients’ nutritional needs. So much so that we largely overlook the possibility that the kind of good old-fashioned home cooking considered best for ourselves and our human families might not actually be most appropriate for our pets too.

To be sure, it’s comforting to know that pets are receiving a predetermined, nutritionally-balanced diet based on years of science (even if that science remains a little squishy given the serious limitations to our understanding of nutrition in general –– and not just for pets!). Which is why the common veterinary view in support of commercial feeding is absolutely understandable. More so when you consider that some of us have seen more problems from feeding home-cooked diets than from feeding commercially prepared diets.

Nonetheless, the tables have started to turn on this issue so that it’s become a topic of great controversy in animal medicine. More so in recent years because of the following factors (among others):
the massive pet food recall of 2007, in which at least a few thousand animals lost their lives due to the inclusion of a Chinese-sourced, melamine-tainted, protein-boosting ingredient
the since-then ongoing increased oversight of commercial pet diets, with its multitude of mini-recalls (chicken jerky has been an especially fraught menu item)
 

Fundamentally, the conflict within veterinary medicine is over the issue of pet safety in general and, increasingly over the role of human health (but only where raw foods are concerned). Yet from a pet owners’ perspective, the concept of a veterinarian protecting their pets’ safety seems oddly misaligned with physician recommendations to feed our human families fresher foods and higher quality ingredients.

Coupons for Pet Food at Coupon4share.com

• Up To $5.00 OFF On Select Hill’s Science Diet Dog Products

Save Up To $5.00 OFF On Select Hill’s Science Diet Dog Products. Valid 4/4-5/1.

• $8 OFF on NEW Grain Free Nutro Dry Dog Food

Take $8 OFF on NEW Grain Free Nutro Dry Dog Food from PetSmart. No coupon needed.

• $5 OFF On NEW Wellness Complete Health Grain-Free Recipes Large Bags Of Dry Dog Food

Take $5 OFF On NEW Wellness Complete Health Grain-Free Recipes Large Bags Of Dry Dog Food. Shop now!

Check out Petsmart grooming coupons 2016, petsmart coupon code 20 off, petsmart grooming coupons 10 off, don't miss out, get now!

Given the current cultural shift toward free-range, organic, and fresh in general, it only makes sense that a rift between vets and pet owners would emerge on the subject. And, to be fair, veterinary medicine has been slow to respond to this shift in attitude. Indeed, the bulk of veterinary medicine remains entrenched in its staunch position against home cooking –– raw diets, especially –– but all home-prepared diets are subject to this same bias.

It’s true that in-the-know pet owners can, to some extent, rightly blame our veterinary education in nutrition –– in particular, it’s lack thereof and/or its sponsorship by commercial pet food companies –– for our reticence on the subject of home cooking. But it’s also undeniably true that home cooking has its pitfalls. Here’s my list (for a list of reasons against raw diet feeding, in particular, reference the aforementioned AVMA recommendations on raw feeding):
Nutritional balance matters
Veterinarians generally recommend that pet owners feed commercial diets that are labeled “complete and balanced.” These words are the signal that a pet food has been determined by the Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to meet the currently accepted balance of nutrients our pets require for optimum health.

There is no such guarantee when it comes to home prepared diets. How do you really know you’re feeding a diet with the correct nutritional balance?
Oversight is peace of mind
AAFCO also requires that all commercial pet foods meet eight criteria before pet foods can receive AAFCO-certified labels. This oversight also gives veterinarians confidence that the foods are safe and effective as well as nutritionally complete and balanced.

Oversight is an issue for veterinarians who want independent confirmation of a product’s track record. We would hate to recommend any food that wasn’t defensibly considered safe and effective. Can you always say the same for your home-cooked fare?
The inconvenient truth
Making your own pet food can be expensive, time-consuming and just plain inconvenient.
Nightmare scenarios
Any veterinarian in practice more than a couple of years will have encountered at least one patient with a nutritional disease. In my experience, most of these have suffered malnutrition due to neglect or abandonment. Others, however, have been the victims of the altogether too common “he’ll only eat this” diet. A shocking lack of bone density and concurrently severe unthriftiness is the most typical finding among our “he’ll only eat this” patients, with some pets even suffering fractures as a result.

A veterinarian faced with such a dramatic example of malnutrition due to home feeding is more likely to take issue with all kinds of home cooking. So might you if you’d seen one of these unfortunate animals.

But this is not necessarily the kind of home cooking we’re talking about here. When undertaken in concert with a veterinarian’s directives –– especially when consultation with a veterinary nutritionist is part of the plan ––home cooking has many points to recommend it:
Safe and tailor made
You know what your pet likes. Your veterinarian understands your pet’s individual medical needs. Should the two of you decide to create a very specific diet for you to cook at home, the furthest either of you need look is to the American Academy of Veterinary Nutritionists.

Here you can seek out the services of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (either by yourself or along with your vet) so you can come up with a safe diet tailored to your pet’s individual medical needs.
Freshness
Much is made of freshness in human nutrition –– especially when it comes to preventing chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But, in contrast to this newer thinking on the human side, freshness doesn’t figure much in veterinary circles. Again, that’s because achieving the ideal nutrient balance is considered veterinary science’s gold standard for feeding our pets.

Unfortunately, we don’t really know enough about animal nutrition to properly evaluate the role of fresh ingredients. Because science is based on what we do know and can measure, and because relatively few pet owners are willing to cook fresh foods for their pets … the world may never know for sure whether fresh is best for our pets. We can, however, rely to a large extent on human nutrition, which currently considers the increased consumption of fresh foods to be a very good thing.
Preservatives, contaminants, dyes and other additives
Though they’ve been used for millennia, “preservatives” and “contaminants” are the bane of so many healthy-eating humans. The truth is that some are healthy and necessary. Salting, pickling and fermenting are perfectly appropriate ways in which we humans have learned to preserve our foods naturally to stretch the seasons and allow us to access nutrients we might’ve formerly been forced to ignore.

The trouble comes when newer, artificial preservatives are added. The long-term effects of many of these agents have not been fully teased out. At present, for example, a new study has linked BPA in plastic bottles to childhood obesity.

While it’s tough to know what’s real science and what’s being overblown by the media, the question remains: Why stress about all these unnecessary ingredients should you be willing to cook for your pets?
Engagement
I find that lots of pet owners who choose home cooked diets over commercial acquire a great deal of knowledge and confidence in their pets’ healthcare. The greater sense of control they feel over what they feed their pets means they’re more engaged pet owners who are, on average, better able to advocate for their pets’ health.

But it’s up to you. Whatever you decide, just be sure to seek professional help.

Apart from the American Academy of Veterinary Nutritionists, pet owners are also free to ask their veterinarians to recommend the nutrition services of a local veterinary school. Two additional resources commonly cited include:
petdiets.com (Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc.)
balanceit.com (Davis Veterinary Medical Consulting; see under "Pet Lovers")

So now it’s time to ask three pertinent questions: What’s your policy on feeding? What’s your veterinarian’s? If you do home cook for your pets, do you use a professionally-sourced recipe?

- See more at: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/hot-topics/home-cooking-for-pets#sthash.lPKVtqWY.dpuf

Behavior and Nutrition Can Be Linked

A friend of mine is an elementary school teacher who presently teaches kindergarten. She knows which children come into her classroom in the morning after having a breakfast with protein and which have had sugar cereal. She says the kids who have eaten cereals are excited – sometimes to the point of not being able to sit still – and then later in the morning they crash and need to take a nap.
Food and Behavior

Many dogs – especially puppies and young dogs – are the same way. I see these puppies come into my puppy classes more wiggly than is normal even for puppies. They have a hard time concentrating and their owners say their puppies have a difficult time learning. As a general rule these wiggly puppies are eating foods high in cereal grains – corn, wheat, and rice – and when changed to a food higher in meat proteins with carbohydrates supplied by vegetables and fruits, rather than cereal grains, the puppies’ behavior calms to a more normal level. Up To 30% OFF PetSmart Special Offers + FREE Gifts + FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more! Redeem this Petsmart coupon $5 off $10 and save!

Pica is also a fairly common problem that can be related to food. The practice of eating nonfood items is called pica and there can be many causes of pica in dogs. Boredom is certainly a common reason. A dog may chew on a stick out of boredom and then ingest small pieces of wood. However, many dog trainers and behaviorists also believe that when a dog is consuming a less than optimal diet (for that individual dog) the dog may begin eating other items to satisfy a need. Dogs have been known to eat dirt, rocks, wood, stucco off the side of the house, and many other decidedly non-food items.

Many trainers and behaviorists are also trying to determine if there is a link between aggression and a high meat protein diet. Nothing conclusive has been determined yet but discussions continue.
Recommendations

Even though dog trainers and behaviorists know that nutrition can affect canine behavior in a variety of ways, few independent (unrelated to dog food companies) studies have been done concerning dog behavior and nutrition. Therefore, recommending changes and finding the right answer can be difficult and is often a matter of trial and error.

If your dog has some behavior issues that you feel might be caused by nutrition, talk to your dog trainer or behaviorist. She has probably dealt with similar issues in the past and may have some suggestions for you regarding foods you may want to try. Before making any changes, however, talk to your veterinarian as well. Your veterinarian will want to evaluate your dog’s health and she can let you know if there are any foods or ingredients that your dog should or should not eat.

If you decide to change your dog’s food, do so slowly. Begin by giving your dog ¼ of the new food to ¾ of the old food for a week. Then feed half and half for a week. If your dog is doing well and has no gastrointestinal upsets, you can probably switch over entirely to the new food on the third week.

Behavior changes take time to resolve themselves at any time but especially after a diet change. Give your dog several weeks after completing the diet change before you evaluate her behavior. Your trainer may also recommend some behavior modification or training to be doing at the same time. After all, behaviors – even those caused by diet – can also turn into habits and habits take time and work to change.

- See more at: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/pet-care/behavior-and-nutrition-can-be-linked#sthash.sjjHedwV.dpuf

When to Consult a Veterinary Nutritionist

Most people know when it's time to see a specialist –– their veterinarian tells them! But it’s not always so simple –– especially when it comes to seeing a nutritionist.

Let me explain:

When pets suffer disorders like fatty liver disease, torn cruciate ligaments, severe allergic skin disease, and end-stage cataracts, practitioners like me recommend specialists like internists, surgeons, dermatologists, and ophthalmologists (among other specialty groups).

It’s not that general practitioners can’t treat these diseases. Rather, it’s that we know others are better qualified than we are to manage them –– at least in the acute phase, or when very specialized equipment or procedures are employed.

Yet as it turns out, not all areas of specialization are treated equally. Consider cardiologists, surgeons, and neurologists. They get plenty of our patients when bad diseases require fancy equipment and even fancier footwork. But nutritionists?

… not so much.

Don’t believe me? Go ahead, ask your own veterinarians for a list of specialty areas in companion animal medicine and I’ll bet nutritionists come very close to the bottom of the list. That is, if they remember to include them at all. (In case you’re wondering, I’m no exception to this not-so-collegial kind of memory lapse.)

Which is kind of sad, really, given the crucial importance of nutrition to the history of veterinary medicine and to pet health in general. After all, keeping pets in the home didn’t catch on until pet food manufacturers made pet-friendly diets cost-effective and convenient. And what’s more obvious to the maintenance of good health than what goes into our pets’ bodies?

Yet nutrition has gotten short shrift in veterinary medicine over the last decades. For plenty of reasons too numerous and complex to detail here, veterinary nutrition has arguably not kept pace with other veterinary disciplines –– and not just when it comes to collegial respect.

Indeed, veterinary nutrition is widely regarded as an industrial rather than clinical branch of vet medicine. And it’s precisely because newly minted nutritionist talent has long been channeled into the pet food manufacturing industry that plenty of veterinarians –– myself included –– have lost respect for nutrition as a clinical practice over the past few decades.

In other words, directly ministering to individual pets in need of veterinary assistance hasn’t historically been the focus of veterinary nutritionists. Fortunately, veterinary nutrition as a discipline has undergone a considerable shift in the past few years. To wit, far more modern veterinary nutritionists are committing their careers to treating particular pets rather than ministering to vast populations under the auspices of big-name pet food companies.

Petsmart coupons 2016

Shop food for pets at Petsmart.com and Get Petsmart coupon code,  Petsmart coupon code $10.00 off for saving now

Trouble is, too few general practitioners like myself have been made aware of this growing trend towards individualized clinical veterinary nutrition. Indeed, too few of us know that we can actually refer our clients to these specialists, much less know who they are or how to find them. Which is why too few of you have been referred to one and why too few pets have reaped the benefits of this growing font of knowledge.

Which brings us back to the point at hand: When should your pet see a veterinary nutritionist? Here are but a few brief reasons to help get your wheels turning on the subject of clinical vet nutrition as you seek newer and better ways to improve your pets’ quality of life:

You should consider a veterinary nutritionist when…
Your veterinarian recommends a specialized diet (aka, “therapeutic” or “prescription” diet) your pet doesn’t want to eat. Palatability is a huge issue.
Your pet suffers from two or more conditions that require different (and even competing) specialized diets.


It’s not uncommon for pets to require one diet for their body’s propensity to form urinary stones and another to help manage their diabetes, food allergies, and/or dietary intolerances. When this happens you shouldn’t stress. Consider it a perfect opportunity to consult a vet nutritionist!
You trust your own home cooking over that of any pet food manufacturer.


Though pet food manufacturers are actually very good at offering a safe and wholesome product (consider the many millions of pets they feed and the relative dearth of adverse events), it’s understandable that many of us would want to cook for our pets. And when you make that decision, how better to do it than to get a recipe from a bona fide nutritionist? This way you know for sure you’re offering a complete and balanced diet.
You make very specific dietary choices for your family and want to extend those to your pets, whenever possible.
There’s nothing specifically wrong but your pet doesn’t seem to thrive on any one diet.

In these cases, you have nothing to lose from consulting a veterinary nutritionist.

So go ahead, ask your veterinarian for a recommendation. And in case he or she doesn’t have one readily on hand, check out the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition’s website. There you’ll find plenty of resources, including individuals, vet schools, and other sources to help you find a veterinary nutritionist that’s right for you.

- See more at: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/pet-care/when-to-consult-a-veterinary-nutritionist#sthash.317xJ6dm.dpuf

10 Best Supplements for Dogs and Cats

10 Best Supplements for Dogs and Cats

Pet supplements sales enjoyed double-digit growth for many years. Market watchers expect pet supplements to top $1.6 billion in sales by 2017. Yet, an early 2013 report shows some slowing as pet supplement manufacturers battle it out in a regulatory gray area between pet drugs and pet foods.

With pet treat sales staying strong throughout the recession, many manufacturers are now eyeing nutraceutical treats – in other words, treats with supplements in them.

Personally, I prefer to give straight supplements to my pets. For me, the treat angle feels like hype.
Veterinary Skeptics

Veterinarians remain tough customers in the pet supplement market. Demanding detailed information on ingredients and scientific proof to back up claims, veterinarians often approach supplements with a healthy dose of skepticism.

So, what do veterinarians expect to see in the supplements or herbs pets take?
Safety (not toxic, no dangerous side-effects)
Known mechanisms of action (how they work in the body)
Evidence of effectiveness (through scientific studies)
10 Best Supplements for Pets

According to Narda G. Robinson, director of the Colorado State University Center for Comparative and Integrative Pain Medicine, the following 10 supplements or herbs meet these three criteria.

As with all medicines, supplements, or herbs, discuss their use in your specific pet with your veterinarian. Even safe supplements can cause minor side-effects and can adversely interact with other drugs your pet takes. For example, too much Omega-3 fatty acids too fast can cause diarrhea and valerian can interact with anesthesia or pain medications.
Omega-3 fatty acids address inflammation, brain health and gastrointestinal toxicity related to cancer treatments.
Milk thistle can treat acute and chronic hepatitis (liver inflammation). It also helps protect organs from the effects of radiation, chemotherapy, other drugs and chronic diseases.
Glucosamine promotes cartilage health and reduces the release of inflammatory triggers. It’s often used as part of comprehensive pain-control measures in pets with joint problems, such as arthritis.
Lavender, diffused in oil form, helps calm dogs and is often used to treat travel upset.
Botswellia shows promise in treating arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Theanine (from tea) helps the body better neutralize free radicals. It also aids in relaxation for anxious pets

Valerian reduces stress, anxiety and insomnia in pets.
Probiotics can help pets with inflammation, allergies, infections, diarrhea and other conditions by promoting “good” bacteria in the intestines.
CoQ10 is an antioxidant that lessens toxicities in the body, especially relating to the heart.
Curcumin offers anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
Share Your Experiences

Which supplements or herbs do you give to your pets? Did you choose them on your own or with your veterinarian’s help?

- See more coupons for pet foods at here or Get FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more. Valid within the contiguous 48 U.S. states and to military APO/FPO addresses! Offer Ends Soon!

Petsmart grooming coupons 2016 & Finest Fetch Training Treats and a Reactive Dog

The List of the latest Petsmart grooming coupons 2016

Today's top PetSmart coupon: Discounts On Grooming & Training. Find 10 PetSmart grooming coupons and promo codes for 2016 on http://coupon4share.com/

• Up To 30% OFF PetSmart Special Offers + FREE Gifts + FREE Shipping

Up To 30% OFF PetSmart Special Offers + FREE Gifts + FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more! Redeem this coupon and save!

• PetSmart Coupon Up To 30% OFF Sale Items + FREE Shipping On $49+

PetSmart Coupon Up To 30% OFF Sale Items + FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more! Go through this link and save!

• FREE Shipping on $49+ at PetSmart

Get FREE Shipping on orders of $49 or more. Valid within the contiguous 48 U.S. states and to military APO/FPO addresses! Offer Ends Soon!

Up To 50% OFF Treat of The Week + FREE Shipping W/ PetSmart Coupon

Get Up To 50% OFF Treat of The Week + FREE Shipping W/ PetSmart Coupon. Save now!

30% OFF Tetra Fusion Aquariums at PetSmart

Take 30% OFF Tetra Fusion Aquariums at PetSmart. No coupon needed.

Up To 25% OFF Select Habitats

Save Up To 25% OFF Select Habitats from PetSmart. Offer valid 2/29 - 4/3/16.

Up To 15% OFF On Select Bird Cages

PetSmart offers Up To 15% OFF On Select Bird Cages. Buy now!

Shipping at rate of $1 with Gift Card

Enjoy Shipping at rate of $1 with Gift Card. Enjoy now!!!!!!

Buy Online & Pick Up In-Store

Buy Online & Pick Up In-Store! Valid for a limited time at PetSmart!

Not long ago, I wrote about my interview with Andre Millan; Cesar Millan’s son and the Field Reporter for Nat Geo Wild’s Pet Talk.  During our conversation about my dogs’ reaction towards bicycles, he expressed the importance of respecting my dogs’ nature.

So I started doing just that; respecting that Rodrigo will always have a drive to react towards cyclist.

Rodrigo’s reactivity has been a thorn in my side for five years.  I’ve taken flack from dog trainers, from other dog owners, and the cyclists are not fans of me or my dog.  Rodrigo curbs his need to chase the cyclists when he’s outside with J, or when we’re working with a dog trainer.  But all bets are off when he’s outside with me.  This may sound surprising, but the fact that he shows some control gave me hope and I continue to work with him.

A Pocketful of Training Treats and a Trigger Word

Over the years, I’ve figured out that having a nervous energy while the thought “I hope Rodrigo doesn’t chase a bicycle” always ends badly.  I swear I’m broadcasting intent to my dogs and things go downhill fast.  So, instead, I focus on the fun we’re going to have in the yard.  I believe some dog trainers call this having a “quiet confidence.”

After my discussion with Andre Millan, I changed my approach with their training from screaming “Back In The Yard!” and “Leave It, LEAVE IT!!!” to walking around with a pocket full of Finest Fetch training treats and pointing out the bicycles in a tone that relays fun and a game to my pack.

My pack knows the word “bicycle” and they react immediately – and the training treats are helping me change that reaction from racing towards the trail to running to me to be rewarded for “seeing a bicycle.”  This new attitude works!

We’ve been doing this regularly – on days it’s not raining and we’re more likely to see cyclists – and the dogs are picking it up quickly and we’re having fun. I no longer dread sunny days in the yard with the dogs; I look forward to the opportunity to train.

Why I Use Finest Fetch Training Treats

I alternate between using Carna4 kibble and Finest Fetch training treats to keep our dogs surprised.  The Finest Fetch training treats have a great smell, the ingredients are all natural, human grade, and contain no allergens (for my dogs).  And my dogs love them.

And also, since I don’t have a huge bag of treats – I started to alternate between rewarding with food and rewarding with affection and celebration.  Our dogs love either option and it’s nice to know that they’re behaving, because it pleases me – not just for the food.

When I Become Overwhelmed

Rodrigo and Zoey have been fairly consistent for over a month.  I’d say that 98% of the time, they come to me instead of running towards the trail.  I still bring the dogs in when I’m tired or I feel overwhelmed (too many bicycles).  I heard from other dog owners that this was the wrong thing to do – I was punishing my dogs by taking away the fun; I disagree.  When I feel my energy level drop and frustration rising, it’s time for me to have a change of scenery or things go downhill fast.

Although going inside is the consequence of the dogs not listening (because I’m no longer feeling like a leader), it’s also a way for all of us to reset.  I grab a handful of Finest Fetch training treats and call them to me for a “Sit.” When we get inside, the dogs get a chew – we have loads of options:

• something from The Real Pet Food subscription box
• Beams by the Honest Kitchen (fish skin chews)
• duck feet
• bully sticks
• Jones Natural Chews treats

Does that sound like I’m penalizing my dogs by taking away the fun?  If so, I think my dogs wouldn’t mind being penalized a few times a day.

The Next Step in Our Training

Testing Our Dog’s Focus and My Confidence

Recently, I started allowing the dogs to start towards the trail and then call them back.  I only do this once, but the process is training them to (1) stop doing what they want and return to me and (2) give me more confidence that I can call refocus our dogs in a high energy moment.I’m going to start rewarding more with praise than treats.  I’ll always keep treats on

So far so good.

Fortunately, with the spring season and all the rain, the plant life is growing quickly, which provide and effective, natural barrier so the dogs can’t reach the trail should I fail.

Rewarding with Praise and a Party

I’m also going to start rewarding more with praise than treats.  I’ll always keep treats on hand, because we’re still new at this training. But I ultimately want to dogs to stop racing towards the trail and begin associating bicycles with hugs and kisses from me.

That might be a long ways away, but I have time.