How to choose the best breed for your lifestyle.Part 2

Size

What class of breed will your puppy belong to? Will it be a toy breed, medium breed or a large breed?  Ask how big your puppy is going to get once he is all grown up. You need to ask these questions in order to know if your house will be comfortable enough for your new BFF.

Some dogs such as toy breeds can do well in small apartments.But if you have a big house , then its a problem solved. A lot of Nigerians prefer large breeds and its always a surprise to them when they see an adult toy breed looking small. You keep hearing questions like "Is this really an adult breed or is it still a puppy? Will it grow bigger than this ? "

So, conduct your research properly and decide the size of dog you prefer. I believe that every dog is adorable, no matter the breed or size.

The energy level

 Can you cope with a high energy breed ? Are you a person that loves to sit down on the couch and watch TV ? Are you an active person who loves to work out and go for jogs in the morning ?

If you are the "indoorsy " type, then a low energy or laid - back breed may be more suitable for you. Check out this link to see a list of breeds that require little exercise.

These breeds require little exercise and are okay just sitting on your lap and watching TV with you.
But if you are an energetic person with a lot of time on your hands , then a high energy level breed may be ideal for you . It will be a great time bonding while going for long walks with your pet and doing lots of fun exercises together.
Note that high energy level breeds get bored easily and may become aggressive if left idle for too long.

Shedding level

Heavy shedder or not ? Seasonal shedder or not ? Truth is every breed sheds but some shed more than others. This shouldn't make you upset though. You can set up measures to tackle this and minimise the amount  of hair that is shed.

Suitability to your climatic location

Do you live in the tropics? Is your country as hot as Nigeria ?
Or is it cold like Siberia ?

Breeds like the Alaskan Malamute will do well in cold regions.
This is because they originated from the temperate regions.
So also, brachycephalic  (short - faced breeds) such as the English Bull dog , the pug etc. will be very comfortable in the cold regions.

The presence of a thick coat of fur and long hairs coupled with short faces in the Yorkshire Terrier , the Lhasa Apso, the shi tzu , make living in the tropics a bit stressful for these breeds.

Breeds that do well in the tropics include short-haired breeds like the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) , the Rottweiler, the chihuahua and others.  Click here to read more about the best hot weather breeds.

Temperament

Busy, stubborn, intelligent, mellow, friendly, gentle, people - pleasing, attention - seeking, docile , happy , playful , snobbish , stubborn , goofy , etc.
Find out the temperament of your soon- to - be BFF, from experienced breeders or people who own your preferred breed.

Health related conditions

Some breeds are more susceptible to particular diseases. It is better to know early, so you can prevent it or minimize its occurrence.

For example, large dog breeds and the Dachshund breed are prone to hip dysplasia. The chances of occurrence can be reduced by regulating the weight of your pet, monitoring your pet's diet and feeding low calorie diets.

In conclusion
Note that none of these points highlighted above is given to scare or discourage you.
Don't be decieved by anyone that there is a "perfect" breed . Nothing like that exists.

Providing the right environment together with love , tenderness,  care and proper training will eventually turn your puppy into the perfect dog, irrespective of the breed.

So, its up to you to make out time or money for training sessions, so that your puppy gets the right training that he /she needs.

Once you find out any "not-so-pleasing" information about your preferred breed , you may be tempted to give up and choose another breed.

The truth is the next breed will definitely have its own .

What you need to do is,  relax and find a way to solve or reduce the problem.

For example, if your breed is a cold - weather breed, then get an A.C. installed in the house. If they are high energy ,then get a dog walker.If they are stubborn and difficult to train, then get a professional dog trainer.
There are a lot of Nigerians who have breeds that can't stand our hot climate like the Lhasa Apso , Samoyed, the English Bull dog , the Terrier etc., yet they make them comfortable by installing air conditioners in the house.

The good thing is you found out early which gives you more than enough time to fully prepare for the arrival of your new puppy.

Have a wonderful time with your lovely pet. Remember , let's fall in  love with them all over again.

A beautiful pet sits on the bus quietly and obediently.

These pics were sent to me by Dr Adah from Glasgow. Such a well -trained and obedient dog.

"I travelled with this dog for an hour.He was with the owner seated opposite him. He sat on this chair like this and maintained his cool. Looking out of the window and at people passing by the length of time .I left the dog in the bus.Not a sound except small sounds of acknowledgment when the owner talked to him. He sat there like a passenger all day long. I left the dog in the bus. I couldn't believe such self restraint. It was awesome."

Yes indeed. I can just imagine that feeling. Its amazing seeing how intelligent dogs can be.

"It's all about pets. Let's fall in love with them all over again."- Vet2tu

How to choose the best breed for your lifestyle. Part 1

There are so many breeds of dogs around us today.Breeds come in different sizes, temperaments, energy levels etc.
According to the American Kennel Club , there are over 160 dog breeds in the world.

Well....that's a long list to choose from.Besides, they are all too cute and it may be a bit difficult when you are trying to decide the breed from which to choose your BFF.

Perhaps you already have a breed in mind, or you don't know which to choose from, or you already have a cute, fluffy pet at home. Never mind , we are here to help.

We want to talk about how to choose the best breed that will suit your lifestyle.

The first thing you do is... Ask Ask Ask.
Ask questions about your preferred breed.Ask experienced dog breeders , ask people who have that particular breed , ask your friends who are dog lovers , ask even your friend ; Mr Google *smile*.
Google is the only friend who you can ask questions at any time of the day and it will never get tired of answering your questions. So, just go ahead and ask.

"It's all about pets. Let's fall in love with them all over again." - Vet2tu

Image source: Instagram // @vet2tu

Which vaccine does my puppy need ?

      Rabies, Canine distemper and Canine Parvoviral Enteritis are some of the most common diseases seen in dogs in Nigeria.

     It is paramount that you vaccinate your puppies against these common diseases. Vaccination provides the immunity your dog needs to help fight against diseases.Studies have shown that vaccinated dogs have a very low risk of coming down with diseases for which they were vaccinated against.

     The main vaccines your dog will be given are DHLPP and ARV.
DHLPP is a combination vaccine i.e it is a vaccine that is prepared from several antigenic types within a particular specie.
DHLPP vaccine protects your puppy against the following diseases;
Canine Distemper
Hepatitis
Leptospirosis
Parainfluenza and
Parvovirus.
Three doses of the vaccine are administered. The first dose of DHLPP is administered when your puppy is about 6 - 8 weeks old.
The second dose is given when he is 10 - 12 weeks old while the third dose is given at about 14 -16 weeks of your puppy's age. Depending on when the 1st dose is given , your local veterinarian will schedule the date for the 2nd and 3rd dose of DHLPP. The interval between doses is usually 3 - 4 weeks.

The other main vaccine is the ARV; which is the Anti - rabies vaccine.
Only one dose of ARV is administered, when your puppy is about 12 -24 weeks of age.
Your local veterinarian will decide the exact date for your puppy's vaccination and will schedule accordingly.

Note that the DHLPP and ARV are to be repeated once every year for the rest of your puppy's life.

The wonders of a dog's nose.

German Shepherd

Image source: Flickr /Magnus Brath

Bloodhound.

Image source :Flickr/sally9258

There's a reason why dogs can sniff out various scents.They can sniff out cancer,diseases, drugs,escaped convicts, bombs, carcasses, and so many other things.
As such , they are engaged in various services such as search and rescue , bomb sniffing, drug detection, cancer detection etc. The sense of smell of a human is not anywhere as strong as that of our little furry baby.No matter the size of his nose, your cute ball of fur can sniff out thousands of scents. The ability to sniff out scents varies according to the breed.Some breeds have more smell receptor cells than others. Research has shown that long nosed breeds are better sniffers than short nosed breeds. The bloodhound breed with over 300 million olfactory receptors,(compared to our 5 million olfactory receptors) tops the list of best sniffer dogs.
Lynn Hayner wrote an article on Dogchannel about our cute doggy's nose.According to Hayner, "Scientists guess the dog’s sense of smell is somewhere between 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than ours.... While all dog breeds smell better than humans (love that double entendre!), the dog breeds with short noses, such the Pug, have less space for scent detecting cells. For example, the Dachshund has around 125 million smell receptor cells, while a Fox terrier has 147 million and the German Shepherd has about 225 million. "

Click on this link to read the full article.

Download this pdf to learn more about the anatomy and physiology of the dog.

Cuteness is a four-legged word.

So cute. Two babies having a nice chat. Cuteness is truly a four-legged word. Good morning everyone. Have a lovely day. Watch the video and say Awww.

Nietzsche the heroic labrador.

A very touching story. Kisses to all the wonderful pets in the world. Thanks for making our lives better.

Nietzsche the black Labrador, was nominated for this year's hero dog awards. Kristen Beitzel who was diagnosed with Lupus in 2009, has been saved so many times by this little black Labrador. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Read the touching story after the cut.

"In 2005, this little black Labrador came into my life. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was suffering PTSD. Naturally, every time I had a panic attack she would react by body slamming me, licking me excessively, or even bringing someone to me. She could instinctually sense my panic attacks before I even knew what a panic attack was. I was in a pretty dark place with flash backs, cutting, and suicidal thoughts. Eventually, I was diagnosed and my doctor was amazed when I told her how Nietzsche responded. After some proper obedience training and legal licensing matters; Nietzsche was certified by the state of California at the age of 2. She has helped alert me in public giving me the opportunity to focus, subdue my anxiety, or if necessary, leave the area completely. Not only has Nietzsche proven herself as PSD, she has morphed into a mobility dog. In 2009, I was diagnosed with Lupus which is sometimes a debilitating auto-immune disease. I can tell by how she won’t let me out of her sight that my immune system is in the process of going haywire. She “braces” for me, helps me with stairs, and will even pick up items when needed. I truly believe I would not be here today if this miracle hadn’t come into my life. This petite Labrador has saved me in more ways than one! We also advocate that not all disabilities are visible. She is a natural hero! "

Image source : Instagram/ @squeakz5
The little Labrador has been nominated for this year's Hero Dog Award. Follow this link to vote for Nietzsche.