Dog Training Ultimate Guide

Treva and I first for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels when we got Oliver for my 50th birthday.

At the ripe old age of 4 years, I became the proud owner of Whimpy, a black Cocker Spaniel farm dog. He was my best buddy. We chased rabbits together and generally had a wonderful time around the farm in Northwest Oklahoma. Whimpy went with us when we moved to Wichita, Kansas for my Dad to finish his education. Then came the big move to California. Dad decided that it was in Whimpys best interest to stay on my Uncles farm in Oklahoma rather than have to learn to be a city dog in California. I was 9 years old when Whimpy and I wept together during my long goodbye talk with him on the back step of the old two story house on South Dodge Street. We went on to California and Whimpy lived on to be 14 years old before he finally ran out of dog lives on my Uncles farm. It was a sad day.

After I was married I repeatedly told my wife, Treva, and our kids that one day I would have another Cocker like Whimpy. He had a very special place in my heart. Well, just before my 50th birthday, my wife and two grown kids all said, Dad, if youre ever going to get another Cocker Spaniel, its about time you did it. Well, I said, youre right. I had better do it. But, I had heard that some improper breeding had allowed some serious defects to become common in the breed, so I decided I would do a little homework before buying a problem I wouldn’t wan to live with. My reading confirmed the hearsay and I decided I didnt want to take a chance on a Cocker. So, I decided my next dog wasnt going to be a Cocker after all. I still did want to get that dog that was going to be my good buddy like Whimpy was. So, Treva and I sat down and first made a shopping list of the characteristics of the dog we wanted to have in our home. It had to be small, have the sweet soft look of the spaniels, have a sweet temperament and require that I get out and give him a good walk on a regular basis (because, of all things, I needed the exercise).

Eventually, we discovered the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. And in particular, we found Oliver. He was a joy and about 9 months later we decided he needed a friend and so we then. found Emma Rose, a female Cavalier. What a wonderful life we had together for 12+ years before they both succumbed to Mitral Valve Disease, a heart condition all too common in Cavaliers. With a great amount of grief and lots of tears we sent Emma Rose off to the Rainbow Bridge shortly before her 12th birthday as she battled with her second episode of congestive heart failure. Ten weeks later and shortly before Olivers 13th birthday I sat on the floor of the Vets office and loved on him as Doc and I said goodbye to my sweet good buddy Oliver ” also sometimes known as Whimpy II ” a second tearful goodbye following years of joyful delight with the two of them, Emma Rose and Oliver

Almost immediately after they were gone I began noticing how Treva was pining for the presence of another Cavalier in the house. She would talk about getting in touch with our breeder and getting another puppy but I knew that with the changes that had taken place in our lives that a brand new little puppy wouldnt work for us. So, we turned to Cavalier Rescue and after a couple of months were rewarded with Max. What a character he has turned out to be. Four and a half years old, full of life a bit of mischief and at least as much love. Max was healthy and in pretty good shape. He had obviously been loved. His previous owner had, unfortunately, run onto hard times and couldnt afford to keep him.

About a year later, we were called upon to help out with another rescue situation that wasnt so good. There was an old female Cavalier, probably ten years old, no one knew for sure, who had been abandoned in an Orange County shelter and there was no one closer than us to pick her up. At first, we were just going to act as foster parents until a home opened up for her. Then we saw her, Charlotte Rose. Charlotte was the most pathetic little thing I had ever seen. She was nearly starved to death. She had lost most of the fur from her body due to extreme flea allergy dermatitis. She was very anemic and had mammary tumors along with a fair amount of arthritis. It was quite obvious that some cruel breeder had just pumped all the puppies they could out of her and then abandoned her to her own devices. Its a wonder she didnt become a Coyote or Hawk meal. She also had a heart murmur, the first tell tale sign of Mitral Valve Disease. There was a terrible odor from the awful skin condition that would take a few weeks to clear up.

Four months later she is practically unrecognizable. In fact, one neighbor of ours did think we had a new dog when she saw Charlotte after a few months. She has had her treatments for her skin disease with antibiotics and two baths a week with medicated shampoo the first few weeks. And she started out with 4 big meals per day, countem, 4! As soon as she had gained enough strength she was spayed and had all the tumors removed ” major surgery for such a weak little one. Then came a good dental treatment and cleaning during which she had several extractions to clear up some problems in her mouth. She has increased her body weight by 17.5%! She’s no fatty either, just a healthy weight for her skeleton. I have been thrilled with how healthy her coat has grown back in. It is really thick. Charlotte Rose is now a beautiful Cavalier old lady ” and she found some folks to love her as she deserves. We are happy.

Well, this little short term foster girl is now becoming a permanent resident with Max and Treva and me. She has her new forever home and we have the joy of another wonderful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Its a good story.

With the recent manufacturer recalls on dog food, people have wondered is dog food safe? The fact is, safe dog food is not easy to find. Commercial dog foods do not offer many safe formulas, their labels are confusing and difficult to understand. And no wonder. The grocers, food processors, and pet food manufacturers have all fought the FDA for years to keep the labels from being easily understood.

Most commercial dog foods contain “meat meal.” Do you have any idea what meat meal is?

Would you believe meat meal is made up of dead dogs and cats? Animal shelters and highway road crews send their euthanized animals and their “road kill” to rendering plants. Often the animals are still wearing flea collars, ID tags, and some are wrapped in plastic bags. This delightful stew is then rendered down to make meat meal, or its equivalent.

Many vets and animal activists have warned that commercial dog food contains residues of the very lethal chemicals that were used to put the animal down. Dogs and cats have been riddled with diseases of the liver, kidney, immune system, and other vital organs. Cancers are common and vets report dogs loaded with tumors whose life spans are cut in half because of the dangerous nature of commercial dog food. Is this dog food safe?

A logical alternative is to make your own natural homemade dog food. This might seem like a radical step, but dog lovers who do it say it is neither messy nor time consuming (many do it as they are preparing family meals).

Dog lovers prepare their dog food for several days at a time and freeze it. The food they use is not expensive, in fact most people actually save money. Hundreds of recipes are available in books and on line. This is a natural solution, and those that prepare healthy meals for their dogs no longer ask is their dog food safe. They know it is.

As an overweight society, we are constantly being reminded that this food is bad and that food is unhealthy. How about for our pets? When we feed our dog, do we think about the food we are giving her? Is it good for her? Or is it bad food for dogs?

Don’t you get inspired when you see someone go from fat and unhealthy to trim and fit? Like the gal in the marketing department that dropped 70 pounds and is suddenly leading a step aerobics class after work. When you asked her about it she said she simply started exercising, eating right, and avoiding bad foods.

Our pets also need to have a fitness check. They require more exercise and a healthy diet. There are specific foods dogs should avoid like chocolate, some nuts, fish and chicken bones, etc., but these can be prevented in a balanced diet. Our dogs, on a whole, don’t get a balanced diet. They eat what is placed in their bowl, and most of what is put in their bowl is bad food for dogs.

Commercial dog food is not all it is cracked up to be. Much of what your pet feeds on is actually the rendered remains of dead cats and dogs! These animals were euthanized at various animal control centers and their carcasses sent to pet food companies. Highway departments do the same thing with their putrid road kill.

If you aren’t bothered by the idea of your beloved pet eating dog and cat, consider this: Vets have warned for years that this food contains the residue of the very chemicals used to put down the animals. Even poison residues from flea collars and plastic bags have been routinely found.

Dog lovers everywhere are refusing to feed their pets this bad food for dogs, and have chosen to give their animals healthy, natural homemade dog food.

You may balk at the idea of making dog food at home. You might think it terribly expensive, messy and time consuming.

When you see how other dog lovers do it, you’ll find a weeks worth of meals can be simply made at one time without mess. And feeding your dog natural home made dog food is actually cheaper than buying the commercial brands.

On the list of bad food for dogs is commercial dog food. It is no wonder that dog breeders and dog lovers everywhere have abandoned it for the healthy alternative of making natural homemade dog food. Their dogs are healthier and happier and love them for it.

Of course you want to know is your dog food safe. Recent headlines have shouted out the fact thousands of dogs have become sick or died because of poison dog food. Do you know what’s in your dog food? Have you tried to read the ingredients lately? Did you understand the label?

Have you ever noticed a dog food label that inlcudes meat meal? If so, did you wonder what meat meal is? Sounds pretty innocent. Meat meal. It’s very concise. Meat meal. Do you suppose meat meal makes dog food safe?

Meat meal generally comes from rendering plants. That is to say, it is made up of a slow stew of dead carcasses of animals from varying sources. These include animals euthanized at animal centers.. It also includes putrid road kill that is picked up by state road crews. Often times these animals are still wearing flea collars, have I.D. Tags, and are even wrapped in plastic bags. And they are all put into the rendering vat to be turned into meat meal. Do you think this dog food is safe?

Many vets and animal activists have warned that commercial dog food contains residues of the very lethal chemicals that were used to put the animal down. Dogs and cats have been riddled with diseases of the liver, kidney, immune system, and other vital organs. Cancers are common and vets report dogs loaded with tumors whose life spans are cut in half because of the dangerous nature of commercial dog food. Is this dog food safe?

It seems the only logical alternative is to feed your pet natural homemade dog food. At first this may seem like a messy, time consuming and expensive remedy. But dog lovers who have been practicing this method of feeding their animals say it is neither messy nor particularly time consuming.

Natural homemade dog food can be prepared once a week and frozen. The ingredients need not be expensive. In fact most people actually save money making safe dog food at home. Hundreds of recipes are available both in books and on blog sites. It is no wonder that more and more pet lovers are opting for this method of providing their pet with natural home made dog food. They no longer have to ask: Is this dog food safe?

Many pet owners today are bypassing store-bought dog foods and opting instead to make natural food for dogs. This includes everything from hamburgers to the cute little bone-shaped biscuits one sees at those specialty pet stores. Why? Most pet owners are concerned about the quality of the commercial dog food brands available on the market today, especially after hearing about one recall after another in the news.

Lets face it – pet owners are scared. But they are also concerned about good nutrition and avoiding the preservatives and fillers found in most of the commercial dog foods out there today. The logical solution is to look to natural food for dogs just as we look to natural foods to feed our families.

But it’s not just for Rovers health. The word on the street is that pet owners are finding it just plain fun to create natural food for dogs. So, if you find the idea of making natural food for dogs as scary as feeding them the standard fare offered on your grocery stores shelves, you can relax. It’s far simpler than you thought to create healthy meals for your pet. By following the few simple rules listed below, you too learn what constitutes natural food for dogs and your own family pets can benefit from that knowledge.

*Remember – Max needs a diet consisting of at least 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch. You can’t go wrong if you keep this well-balanced formula in mind when preparing Ruff’s meals.

*Dogs, like people, need variety, so when making natural food for dogs, dont forget to rotate Dukes menu occasionally.

*Watch the sales and your weekly grocery ads for specials. Many also turn to Costco or Sam’s Club for their bulk meats and other ingredients used to prepare their natural food for dogs.

*Try preparing Barkley’s meal at the same time you prepare your own. Remember, dogs like variety too, so you might stick a few veggies in for their nutritional value. Omega oils are great for the heart and skin. Or add an egg to your natural food for dogs.

*Make it a family affair. Give the kids the satisfaction of knowing they are personally making a contribution to Old Blue’s health.

Give your “best friend” the best that you can give him. Making natural food for dogs is an act of love. Your four-leglged friend will ove you all the more as he enjoys the positive results of your labors – a long, healthy life, a shiny coat and boundless energy.