Just as we are vulnerable to acquiring certain diseases, our dogs can also get them. And in the same way that our body feels terrible when we are sick, our pets can also feel weak and tired when they are inflicted with a disease.

One of the rather commonly affected areas in dogs is their eyes, and among the disease that can be developed are the following:

Cataracts

Distichiasis

Cherry Eye

Glaucoma

Cataracts

This is brought about by old age or a disease called canine diabetes. Breeds that are prone to this condition are Golden and Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Chesapeake, Poodle, Afghan hound, and English Sheepdogs. A visit to the vet will be very helpful. There is a specialist called a vet ophthalmologist who will take a look at your dog’s eyes and suggest a need for surgery, since drugs are not very effective to rid your dog of cataracts.

Distichiasis

This condition is brought about by the abnormal growth of eyelashes which then causes irritation and infections to the eye. This can be present in both upper and lower eyelids, and breeds that usually get afflicted with it are: Dachshund, Cocker Spaniel, Bulldog, Retriever, Sheepdog, and Poodle. Treatment is done through the removal of eyelashes by a method called electrology, or a dog can also undergo electrical depilation (hair removal), and if these will not work, surgery.

Cherry Eye

Another common eye problem, Cherry Eye strikes the 3rd eyelid prolapses by means of the growth of red mass in the eye corners. Breeds affected are usually Bulldog, Pekingese, Cocker Spaniel, and Mastiff. The only recommended treatment is surgery, because other forms of treatment such as gland removal will still require lifetime maintenance.

Glaucoma

This is a condition brought about by the production of liquid in the eye area which will eventually lead to blindness. Unlike cataracts, glaucoma may occur even with younger dogs, and breeds that usually get afflicted with it are: Cocker Spaniels, Poodles, and Terriers.

If it is detected early on, treatment can be in the form of drugs. However, since this condition spreads fast, it may require surgery if it is discovered late, to prevent blindness.

To prevent the condition from getting worse, always take time to examine your pet. If you notice that your dog is scratching his eyes more often, take a look at him and also have him checked by a doctor so that proper diagnoses can be made, and consequently, proper treatment. This could ultimately save your dog from going blind.

As if choosing a puppy was not hard enough, you now have the task of naming your new puppy. Since you can literally name your puppy anything, there are multitudes of websites on the net to help you decide exactly that. I was surprised to see the number of web sites dedicated to either female or male puppy names.

I’ve checked out several dog web sites and found that the most popular name for a female dog is Maggie. For male dogs the number one choice was Max. Personally, I would only use such lists as these to remove naming options from my own personal list. I would not want my dog to be the 122nd Max, or the 350th Maggie. I want my dogs name to be unique.

Additionally, I did find some very interesting tips on choosing a name for any kind of pet. Here are a few tips:  Pick a name that the pet can easily recognize. Typically pets will respond better to one or two syllable names than to really long drawn out ones. Choose a name that is both easy to call out and one that you are happy calling out. Calling out “Jack” or “Cody” in the park may be far less embarrassing than calling out “Death Breath”.

For dogs or puppies it is best to avoid names that sound like the standard commands of No, Stay, Sit, Come, Down or Fetch. For example “Joe” is probably too close to “No”. It can be difficult for dogs to tell the difference between similar sounding words. If you are thinking of choosing a longer name for your dog keep in mind the shortened version too. A longer name will inevitably be shortened, but it may ruin the effect that you were originally looking for when you first decided on the name.

The dogs breed heritage can also provide some useful inspiration. For example, Oriental names (Siamese and Burmese) , German names or words (Shepherds, Dachshunds and Schnauzers), French names (Poodle), Scottish terms (Terriers), or Irish words (Wolfhounds and Setters). The Human Name and Foreign Name categories may easily assist you here too.

Waiting a few days before you actually choose the name to study your pets behavior can actually help you pick the best name too. The Personality, Affectionate and Appearance categories may also assist you here. One other thing, it is very important that you pick a name that will grow with the pet. For example “Kitten” may be less appropriate for a full grown male cat.

When seeking the perfect name for your pooch or other pet, just remember to relax and do not be afraid to be original or adventurous. US psychologist and names expert Dr Cleveland Kent states that; “The name doesn’t directly affect the dog’s personality, but it does reflect the kind of dog the owner wanted.”

There are some basic things you should know when dealing with a pet dog:

1. First of all, a dog is not a human in disguise. A dog is a dog and he will never change his dog behavior because you don’t treat him like a dog. A dog’s psyche is hardly comparable to a human’s psyche. Also, he is not a baby and he won’t understand you if you tell him in all details that he has to stay in the car while you are going into the store and you will be back in about five minutes.

2. A dog has an extremely sensitive nose. He can even smell the chemistry in your body. You sure know the phrase that a dog can smell your fear. That is very close to the truth because he can smell even smallest concentrations of butyric acid in your transpirations. And if you are in fear of something, you will inevitably have amounts of butyric acid in your sweat and a canine will inevitably smell that.

3. Running and exercising is the favorite pastime of every healthy dog. So walk your dog as long as you can – he will love you!

4. Most of the day – at least 12 hours – the common dog spends sleeping. So don’t wonder if you see your dog almost all of the day snoozing on his bed. But hey.. if no one decides to play with him or let him herd some sheep.. what should he do all day long?

5. As you know, there are many different breeds of dogs that have been created over thousands of years. Every single breed has its own unique abilities and physical appearance. For example, the German Shepherd is built for herding sheep and similar animals. His power, speed and intelligence are oriented on the needs of herding. In the same way, the dachshund’s physique is ideal for getting into foxes’ dens and drive the foxes out straight into the arms of the awaiting hunters.

6. What a dog definitely needs to maintain a healthy body and mind, is a pack and especially a leader. I wil lexplain to you how to act as the pack leader in another article in the near future – you will find it here on the site!

7. Don’t feed your dog bones of chicken or other poultry bones as it is possible that this type of bone can – due to their physical attributes – easily splinter and these splinters can damage the canine esophagus. These injuries can be very serious, so don’t risk it!

8. Also, don’t give a dog your table scraps. First, it is not your personal garbage can. Second, this behavior makes sure your dog will get bad teeth and will grow fat. And you don’t want to have a fat dog with yellow teeth, do you? It’s for his and your own good if you resist his health and good looks.

9. Chocolate is poison for dogs! But still it is as tasty to them as it is for you. As a caring dog owner, don’t let your dog come close to chocolate! Also, onions, grapes and raisins should never be fed to a dog. The reason of the toxicity of these foods is the chemical theobromine, that is similar to caffeine which most animals can only hardly and slow digest.

10. This is the last and most important hint for dog owners. Reward your dog instead of punishing it. Neither you nor your dog will improve in any way, if you begin to shout at him, beat him or lock him into somewhere for punishment. Instead, you should reward him when he has done something right. BUT that does not mean you should let your dog do everything. Show him the limits with determination and conviction, not with scared or angry screaming.

The toy dog breeds are petite dogs that are rather small in size compared to that of the other type of dogs. Dogs which are a part of this breed are that of the Chihuahua, Japanese Chin, Miniature Dachshund, Papillion, Pomeranian, Poodle, Pug, Shih Tzu, and Toy Spaniel.  

Toy dog breeds are beautiful, charming and cheerful little dogs, which is why they are more often than not an important part of their owner’s life. They are also full of surprises given that although they are small creatures, they possess the ability to hunt and at the same time eliminate pests, which can be found around the house. Toy dogs are also good and reliable guardians since they have the tendency to bark at unfamiliar people. Because of these reasons, toy dogs are considered to be just as tough as those large dogs. Then again, the most fascinating feature about these toy dogs is perhaps their ability to fill in the sadness and loneliness of their owners.

In general, though some of them needs frequent grooming, dogs of these breeds can be easily taken care of thanks to their small size. For starters, they do not require a large amount of food serving. Also, their small body only takes up little space. Then again, they can be as hard headed as any child, so proper training is necessary so as to avoid future problems. And so, if one wants a cute, loyal yet easy to manage dog, then the list of the toy dog breeds is just the right list to choose from.

In deciding what type of dog would be recommended for you to own, you have to make sure that its dog breed traits perfectly match your own preferences. Buying a dog is has to be carefully planned out, from the type of temperament its breed is known to have to its personality it would likely develop. You also need to know that different dogs have different needs depending on its breed. For example, if you’re looking to get a hyperactive breed, you should have a backyard where they can freely run around because dogs from this type would require lots of space to move in.

To give you an example, here are two types of dog breed traits that you should consider in choosing which type of dog would be perfect for you. First, there are the active dogs like the Labrador retriever and dachshunds, which can make great pets for people who also live an active lifestyle. These dogs should be trained from an early age. So if you think you don’t have the patience to deal with training, then move on to the next breed. There’s the watchdog types of dogs that in general are very observant and make very good guards for your home. They would also require a bit of training that would be able to embed in them discipline early on.

So there you have it. If you’re in the process of choosing which dog would have the dog breed traits that would match your own, make sure that you have the proper means that would be needed to give the dog the attention it needs.