Thursday, December 20, 2007

Why do dog's like sticking their head out the window?

Besides from looking cute, my dog's enjoy sticking out there heads every time we drive our car. They seem so happy, even when it's very cold outside. Riding in the car, is like a trip for our dogs. Honestly, I'm not sure why our dogs and other dogs like to stick their heads out the window, but they enjoy the breeze. I do have two reason why they enjoy doing this: (1) They may get car sick, so they need fresh air, or (2) They just like the fast movement of the car, therefore they stick their head out the window.

There might be many reasons to dog's behavior with window and car movement. One thing for sure, if we try not to allow our dogs stick there head out the window, they begin to cry and/or start barking. They truly enjoy the window, and every car ride they are in doggy heaven. Their facial expression demonstrates how much they love being in the car and being able to enjoy the fresh air when having their heads out the window.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Are dogs smarter than humans?


I've had many experiences with my dogs that have kept me thinking if they are actually smarter than I think they are. So, are dogs smart? Well, dogs have a sense of direction and discipline, they know how to sit, fetch, bark whenever they need something (their way of communication), and so forth.

Just like toddlers, puppies need to be taught certain things, like sitting and fetching, in order for them to learn discipline. I'm not trying to say that toddlers have to learn how to sit and fetch, but that both humans and dogs start learning developing their intelligence at a very young age. Dogs are smart creatures, and many studies have proven their intelligence.

Lucky, my three year old Pomeranian, was only two months when we first got him. He loved running around the house, especially peeing around the house and then hiding under the bed because he knew he was going to get in trouble. It took about three months to get Lucky to understand that it was wrong to pee in the house. It took time to teach him to wait until we took him out for walks in order to pee, everything else started to fall into place. He began to start understanding more about the rules around the house as the months passed by, and it showed us that he's intelligent. The same went with Bella, where she had to be taught to wait to be walked and pee outside the house.

Dogs are able to learn, therefore, they are smart, but probably not as smart as humans. They are able to understand humans and have the ability to learn new things. So remember, Dogs are able to be discipline and learn new tricks and/or demands, you just have to show them some love and care.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Bath and Dogs



Just like us, dogs also need their baths as well. About two times a week, I make sure my dogs take a bath, especially since I take them out everyday. You would think that bathing our dogs is normal and harmless. Unfortunately, taking our dogs bath frequently, could actually be harmful to them. Surprisingly, isn't it? Water is harmless to dogs, but the shampoos and/or soaps we use to bathe them is the main problem. Never use human shampoos and soaps on dogs, which can highly be hazardous to them.
From my personal experience with my dogs, it's best to be well prepared when bathing my dogs. Always have extra towels, and make sure to dry off your dogs completely. If shampoo or soap dries on a dogs fur, it's very likely that your dog will start scratching it self frequently. It's best to dry off your dog and making sure that all of the shampoo, conditioner, and/or soap is washed off the dogs coat. Ideally, dogs need baths in order to get rid of fleas, as well as to get rid off bad smell. If your dog starts to develop a bad smell, it's time for a bath.

Although dogs need take baths just like humans, they are still nervous and scared about taking baths. Its isn't clear to why dogs are terrified about taking a bath. Especially, since they get excited and start running around or roll over the floor, right after a bath. Dogs have there ways, but one thing for sure, they enjoy and dislike taking baths. It's a very balanced feeling for dogs, maybe.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Why do dogs love to lick people?

It's something normal, dogs licking people. Some people love it or hate the idea of dogs licking them. What's the real reason dogs love to lick people? After reading some articles on the subject, there are many reasons dogs lick, which is mainly to show and/or demonstrate emotion or to communicate. In fact, from what I have read and from my personal experience with my dogs, licking is a way to show respect, submission, and affection.

Since dogs aren't able to talk, dogs use licking as a way to communicate with other dogs and with humans. Especially around strangers, if a dog likes you, they'll normally lick your hand or even your face as a sign of acceptance. In the other hand, your dog might just want to be walked or of feed, which might be the reason your dog licks you. The list is endless to why dogs lick people, but on thing for sure is that it's something positive. A dog wouldn't lick you and then bark at you, right?

Even though I have had my dogs for three years, I'm still not 100% sure why my dogs lick me. It's like having a baby, where the baby cries for many reasons. It might need a diaper change, it's probably hungry, or just wants to be carried. The same goes for our dogs, they lick us because they want or need something, but either way, they sure are adorable.

Rocko


Rocko, a mix Chihuahua, is only one years old. He enjoys long naps, you could say he's kind of lazy. But once he's energized, this small dog goes wild...he runs and barks nonstop. One thing for sure, Rocko is very lovable, he will melt your heart with the constant licks to your face. He might seem adorable and hard to resist, but Rocko has major problem, and that is his lack of discipline. According to his owner, Rocko doesn't like to listen or learn anything, especially since he tends to pee a lot around the house.

Some people believe his behavior is based by the type of breed he is. Others believe he's just a slow learner. Either way, his owner considers Rocko to be lovable and loyal. Another thing unique about Rocko is that he always cries when he hears sirens from a police car, ambulance, or a fire truck. He always sounds like puppy that is crying, which is so cute to hear.

Why do dogs throw up?


About two weeks ago, our dog Lucky was throwing up too much. Usually, if he throws up during an upset stomach, he only throws up once. This time, he couldn't stop throwing up, which we began to worry. We began to search on the web about what could have been the cause of his nonstop throw up. Through out the search, we encountered a lot advices and experiences from other dog owners, and majority of them were based on dog's habit of eating grass. I didn't realize that dogs like eating grass because of the smell. To some dogs, eating grass could be harmless or could cause an upset stomach. Either way, dogs get an upset stomach for many reasons, but pint pointing one reason could be difficult.

After reading different sources online, we knew the best thing was to take him to the vet. Since it was a Sunday morning that Lucky wasn't feeling too well, we figured to wait until Monday morning to see if he felt any better. We kept thinking about what type of food he could have eaten the day before at my fiance's parents house. Finally, we found out that Lucky ate some
ribs the day before, which he isn't use to eating. The next day he seemed better, running around the house like usual.

Dogs need a lot of attention, especially making sure that they are eating right. Every dog has different eating habits, but each dog owner should be aware of what is good food and bad food for their dogs. The experience we went through with Lucky was sort of scary, not knowing what was wrong with him. Later on, after knowing the cause for his upset stomach, we just need to make sure we and everyone around him are aware of what he or our other dog cannot eat.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Cocoa and Lucky



This past week, my fiance and I went to Modesto for Thanksgiving. His older brother's dogs, Cocoa and Lucky, have grown so big since the last time I saw them. Cocoa, a three year old Pomeranian, is very hyper, yet timid at the same time. Every time I see him, he reminds me of a small stuffed teddy bear. Cocoa is very obedient to his owners, and also loves to be hugged by his owners and everybody else. His best buddy in the house is Lucky, a Black Labrador mix. Lucky just turned 7 yrs old a few weeks ago. He's a beautiful dog filled with lots of affection towards everyone. One major quality about Lucky is his humbleness, which grabs your attention very easily.

Lucky and Cocoa have been best buddies for about three years. So, they know each other pretty well. In fact, whenever Cocoa gets in trouble because of his crazy moments around people, Lucky usually tries to come him down by getting his attention to play around. They are very adorable and cute dogs.

This weeks question will be...Which dog cries like a baby, Lucky or Cocoa?

The answer to the question posted on Nov 13. is Sweetie.