Dog : Which Indoor Potty Option Should You Choose?

Which Indoor Potty Option Should You Choose?There are many different choices for indoor potty areas. The old stand-by is newspapers, but there are now also products designed specifically for dogs, including potty pads, dog litter boxes and turf pads. In this article we list some pros and cons to help you choose the best option for you and your dog.

Newspapers

Pros:

Great for people who read a lot of newspapers and don't know what to do with themCheap, especially if you start gathering newspapers from your friends and family (after they've read them, not off the front lawn before the sun comes up!)

If Fido can read, he'll have something to do while you're gone

Dog Indoor Potty Training

Dog Indoor Potty Training
Although most dogs are trained to relieve themselves outdoors, it sometimes makes sense to teach your dog to have an indoor potty area. This method is most commonly used by people with very small dogs, people who are unable to get outside easily due to health issues or living in a high rise and people who work such long hours that their dog can't reasonably be expected to hold it and wait to go outside.

Generally, we recommend indoor potty training only for owners whose dogs will permanently be trained to go indoors, since it can be difficult to train your dog to go outside once he's been taught that he's supposed to go indoors. If you work all day and can't get home to let your young puppy out, you may be forced to do temporary indoor potty training, or at least partial indoor potty training, until your puppy is old enough to hold it for the full day. We don't want to force him to have an accident, so we'll give him an indoor option that he can use while you're at work, but you should be sure to work diligently on his outdoor housebreaking program at all times when you're at home and able to get him outside.

There are several options for creating an indoor potty area for your dog. The old standby is just several sheets of newspaper laid out on the floor, or you can use absorbent potty pads from the pet store. You can also use a dog litter box or a tray lined with artificial turf. The pros and cons of each are discussed in the article "Indoor Potty Options". The general rules for training using any of these options are the same, so in the instructions we'll just use the term "potty area" to mean newspapers, potty pads, litter box or turf pad.

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog

You might call this my Supplementary Housetraining Edition, because it takes up three of the most common housetraining questions after the big “Why can’t I housetrain my puppy?” One, “Can I / Should I use pee pads?” Two, “What about using a dog door?” and three, “How do I teach my dog to let me know when she wants to go out?” 

The podcast version of this article was sponsored by Go to Meeting. With this meeting service, you can hold your meetings over the Internet and give presentations, product demos, and training sessions right from your PC. Visit gotomeeting.com, click the try it free button and use promo codePodcast.

And one, two, three, here we go.

Should You Use Pee Pads with Your Dog?

Pee pads are not the spawn of Satan. Climate change notwithstanding, winters in much of the world remain cold enough that many tiny little dogscannot comfortably walk outdoors no matter how well insulated those adorable coats and booties are. By all means, teach your shivering Chihuahua to relieve himself on pee pads in the wintertime.

Question about Dog pee pads

I just adopted a small dog with special needs. Because of her health problems, she cannot be walked regularly and thus has come to rely on wee-wee pads to relieve herself at home. But throwing them out and replacing them every day (even the ones made of recycled materials) seems wasteful and breaks my heart every time. Can you suggest a more sustainable solution?

Until your question arrived, I had not given much thought to the “wee-wee pad” issue. My personal experience with the world of wee-wee pads is (thankfully) limited, so I hope your fellow dog owners will chime in here.

The way I see it, this problem is akin to the diaper debate: Should you use disposables, which add heaps of non-biodegradable, plasticky waste to our landfills, or reusables, which require heaps of water and energy to clean? In fact, with 4 million babies born each year in America and about the same number of puppies, we have ourselves a startling parallel. Factor in dogs with special needs and others left indoors to do their business for various reasons, and we might be looking at a full-on wee-wee crisis.

Indestructible Dog Toys

Indestructible dog toys, is there really such an item in existence? One geared to withstand the onslaught of an animal with teeth equipped to chew, tear, cut and grind whatever is before him. I set out to find the answer; My dog toy tester, my six year old German Shepherd (Kenai).

The Mighty Kong: Introduced in 1976 this toy established the standard in the dog toy industry for durability. Enthusiastically endorsed by veterinarians, dog breeders, and dog trainers, Kong leads the market in dog toys. Able too last through years of vigorous play and action, Kong was created by a dog owner whose German Shepherd (Fritz) loved to chew on rocks. The rock chewing created wear- and- tear on Fritz’s teeth.

How to Choose the Best Dog Chew Toys

How to Choose the Best Dog Chew Toys 

Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs and you need safe dog chew toys to direct this behavior to appropriate items (and not your shoes or furniture!) Here are some tips to help you choose the safest and best dog chew toys.

Desirable Features in Dog Chew Toys

• Size – large enough that your dog can't “swallow”
• Safe
• Durable
• Easy to clean/wash
• Guaranteed 

Veterinarians Unleash Probiotics to Ease Doggie Discomfort

A growing number of veterinarians are prescribing supplements of friendly bacteria for dogs, but is there enough scientific evidence to justify it?

All dog owners who have had to clean up after their beloved pooches know that people aren't the only ones who experience gastrointestinal disorders. Many animals, including man's best friend, also suffer from both short-lived and chronic digestive woes. As a result, some veterinarians have begun prescribing supplements containing friendly bacteria, or "probiotics," to ease related symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, gas and bloating. But some animal experts say there is little solid evidence that the supplements are effective.

Gastrointestinal (GI) issues are the second-most common health problem in dogs after skin diseases, according to Richard Hill, a small-animal internist and clinical nutritionist at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville. He notes that common causes include parasites such as hookworm, whipworm and giardia as well as "dietary indiscretion," which could mean anything from gorging on table scraps to drinking from the toilet to raiding the garbage.

Dog Probiotics information

The world is full of bacteria; many kinds are harmful and can cause illness, but there are also beneficial bacteria. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract uses bacteria to digest food and to make certain vitamins. Most of these helpful bacteria live in the large intestine (colon). Stress, illness, medication, or change in diet can upset the balance of bacteria in the large intestine, which can lead to minor problems such as gas, or more major problems such as diarrhea. Having the right balance of bacteria helps your dog to make better use of food and can help prevent some GI illnesses.

Dog Probiotics information

Healthy Dog Food for Your Dog's Digestion

Healthy Dog Food

We all know dog food is essential for the health of our dogs. But what's more important is what is in the dog food. A dog's digestive system, which is mainly responsible for breaking down food, absorbs the nutrients from the dog food and distributes it throughout the body and prevents toxins from entering the bloodstream. In fact, research indicates that 70% of a dog's immune system lies in the digestive tract. So then, what are some of these ingredients in dog food that can help maintain proper digestive health for your pet?

1. Probiotics

What are probiotics? They are the "good bacteria" that help improve the digestibility of ingredients and are an essential part of the immune system. By feeding your dog food with live probiotics after it has been cooked and cooled (to assure maximum survival) reinsures you are re-inoculating the digestive tract.

2. Prebiotics

Prebiotics are similar to probiotics. However, according to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), "prebiotic targets the microbiota already present within the ecosystem, acting as a 'food' for the target microbes with beneficial consequences for host." Basically, the prebiotic serves as the nutrition for the health and performance of the "good bacteria" in your dog's digestive tract. Some examples of prebiotic ingredients to look for in your dog's food include beet pulp, soybeans, raw oats and inulin.

3. Natural fiber

If you've ever had issues going to the bathroom than you probably know what fiber has to offer. Fiber promotes the digestive regularity by helping to move food waste from your dog's digestive tract through the colon at an optimal speed. While it may not be pretty, your dog will thank you. Common sources of natural fibers in healthy dog food include flaxseed and oatmeal. You can also find some sources of fiber that can serve as prebiotics too, such as beet pulp.

4. Digestive Enzymes

Your dog breaks down the food in much the same way you do — with digestive enzymes. Produced by organs such as the pancreas, digestive enzymes break down the food so that the intestinal tract can absorb all those great nutrients, which are then distributed throughout your dog's body. When digestive enzymes are added to dog food, it helps to increase digestibility and reduce the stress on your dog's bodily organs.

5. Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are found in the skins of vegetables and fruits. They act as powerful antioxidants and are known to help neutralize free radicals in order to keep the cells of the body healthy. They are few other natural dog food ingredients that enhance the immune system and help protect a dog's body like phytonutrients.

So next time you're buying dog food remember this … Feeding your dog healthy food that contains probiotics and prebiotics, natural fiber, digestive enzymes and phytonutrients will help maintain a healthy digestive tract and a strong immune system.

Human Probiotics for Dogs

Dogs can benefit from probiotics in yogurt and cottage cheese.

Human Probiotics for Dogs 

Probiotics are as beneficial to a dog’s digestive system as they are to his owner’s health. These friendly bacteria promote regularity throughout the intestinal tract. Dogs are especially vulnerable to gastro-intestinal troubles because canines typically devour anything they find on the ground, which may include toxins. Some pet foods are supplemented with probiotics, but you may also share human foods with your pet that are enhanced with these living microorganisms.

Yogurt