You know the scenario, you are settled down for a good movie, you have the popcorn all made, your drink of choice is with you, and yes it is that time to settle down. The puppy jumps down off of the couch and runs over to there own bed or the covers that slipped to the floor, and they start to dig and scratch and roll around, make all kinds of funny noises.

You have to ask yourself. Is this normal? Do all dogs do this or is this just my kind of breed?

Well according to be.chewy.com, this is a very common and quite old instinct. Comes from wild animals that would settle down into there den at night and try to make as comfortable a sleeping condition as possible. Here are a few statements.

“Dogs aren't ‘denning’ animals, like groundhogs and other species that live underground, but mother dogs do create a maternal den of sorts into which they settle to give birth,” says Dr. Leslie Irvine, Ph.D., a professor of sociology and director of the Animals and Society Certificate Program at the University of Colorado Boulder. “My understanding from the research is that it's a comfort-seeking behavior, deeply ingrained from puppyhood. The digging and scratching gives them a comfortable surface to lie on.”

For wild dogs, digging in their beds can help them find any sticks, rocks or other uncomfortable objects that might’ve been pushed into their preferred sleeping spots during the day. It can also help them locate any predators like snakes or scorpions that might be hiding underneath them. Our pet dogs may, essentially, be doing the same, according to Dr. Haug.

“Many dogs do this to also make the bed more to their liking,” she says. “My dog always digs her blankets up on her dog bed, but she doesn’t do this on my bed.”

 

Image courtesy of: ariedana

 Here is the rest of the article

 

Photo By ariedana

As summer starts to get into full swing, the gardens are growing the grass has been cut a few times. The sun is close to full strength and is giving the beautiful gift of life for growing. 

We love to be outdoors and around water,  including fishing, but we need to keep an eye on our 4 legged friends and the water experience. As the summer sun is helping nature growing, it also helps to grow algae in the water.

Ever wonder how this stuff can effect your animals? Our friends over at dognews.com have an awesome article that covers this topic, and one surprising read is how salt water can actually be harmful to your pet!

 

If the water surface of a lake or pond is colored blue or green, it may indicate the presence of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. These microscopic bacteria also grow in backyard fountains, garden pots, birdbaths and anywhere there is stagnant water. Wherever it is found, blue-green algae can be deadly toxic to dogs.

What can you do if your dog gets into this situation? What are some things to look for?

 

Your dog may show signs of cyanobacteria poisoning almost immediately after drinking or swimming in contaminated water. Symptoms can begin anywhere from 15 minutes to several days after exposure. The signs depend upon the toxin involved.

Image courtesy of: torstenbehrens

 

Hope you can get out and enjoy the summer and the water!!

To get the rest of the article head over to dognews.com

Photo By ynaka29

With the onset of warmer weather brings the joys of outdoor activities! Hiking, camping long walks, and the joy of getting outdoors. But what else it brings may not be so pleasant. That would be the increased encounters with Ticks and Fleas. If you enjoy the outdoors like most people do, it is pretty tough not to think about your own health and the health of your pets! Everyone has heard the stories, I went for one short walk, never even thought about it….and now visits to the docs office… So that should bring up the discussion of how do we minimize our chances? There are basically 3 different methods of control. Types of clothing, chemical treatment and going with a natural defense. I tend to lean towards a more natural prevention, and our friends over at moonlightdogcafe.com have 5  good, fast and easy methods of prevention.

Image courtesy of: No Barriers USA

1. Keep your pet healthy as fleas are attracted first to unhealthy animals. This includes feeding a high quality bio-available preferably raw pet food and exercising your pet.

   • B vitamins are important for a healthy nervous system and raw meat is one natural source. Vitamin B are water-soluble and generally your pet can easily obtain these from raw meats, organs, fish and vegetables.

2.  Use flea and tick herbal repellents that are topical or as collars that can be worn by both dogs and cats. These contain geranium oil in a proprietary blend that at worst may cause a skin reaction.

3. Talk to your holistic vet about adding fresh ground/chopped/minced garlic to your dog’s food. Garlic is a powerful antibiotic, antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-fungal and the list goes on. The concern about garlic poisoning is due to the thiosulphate in it, which is lower than what is in onions. (Read here about what we’ve written about the study on garlic)

   • Cats, however, are more sensitive to thiosulphate than dogs. Please talk to your holistic vet about dosing right if you want to do this at all for your dog.
   • At the right dose, garlic is beneficial to your dog. We’d recommend grating fresh garlic and letting it sit for about 10 min before feeding as it forms an enzyme called allicin, which is great for repelling pests and active for about an hour before becoming unstable. In addition, allicin is also shown to inhibit cancer formation.

4. Do not over-vaccinate your pets. More pet vaccines are not better. For more information see Dr Shultz (expert in vaccinations recommendations)

5. Lastly, to ensure your pets do not have heartworm or any tick diseases, ask your vet for SNAP 4Dx tests annually to check for these diseases.

Photo By No Barriers USA