There are virtually millions of animal lovers around the planet and a significant number of them keep dogs as domestic pets. The point to note, however, is that few dog owners are aware that the health of their families is, in a way, inextricably linked to sound dog health. Here is some useful information on good dog health care, for those who may already own one, or, those who do not but intend to. If you count yourself among either, read on. Regular check-ups are the key: As any qualified veterinarian will tell you, this constitutes the very basis of good dog health care. Periodic check-ups can reveal whether your dog may have rabies, tumors, or any viral, bacterial, skin, fungal, heart, gastrointestinal diseases, etc. As the saying goes - 'prevention is better than cure' - this also holds true to avoid any dog health problem. Preventive treatment should include such imperatives, e.g., vaccination, dental care, parasite removal, etc. This will ensure that your dog enjoys good health at all times. Moreover, this is not just a commitment to your family's health but one that will also contribute to good public health. Good nutrition is a healthy choice: Another important factor to ensure all-round, dog health care is good, balanced nutrition. Keep in mind, feeding your dog with little scraps of leftover food at the table, is not good and must be avoided. Your dog's diet should include an adequate mix of nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Avoid overfeeding, as this can lead to obesity, a dog health problem that is common and growing in several western countries. Another critical factor to ensure good dog health is to avoid such food that may contain toxic ingredients. Do consult with any qualified veterinarian who can guide you on what dog foods are dangerous and those that are not. Sound reproductive health is wealth: This doesn't just apply to humans but also plays an important role in total dog health care. Spaying (a term applicable to female dogs) or Neutering (applicable to both, but particularly males), is primarily a sterilization process involving the removal of the female's ovaries and uterus or the male's testicles. This is usually recommended by all animal control agencies or such organizations as ASPCA, when dogs are no longer needed for, or capable of, breeding. Apart from ensuring good post-sterilization, dog health, this will also help to avoid unwanted puppies. All-round hygiene keeps dogs happy: Nothing will make your dog happier than to be free of parasites, e.g., ticks or fleas. Such parasites can also cause a dog health problem. Dogs free of ticks or fleas are also free of stress as well as more comfortable and relaxed. Therefore, make sure to bathe and shampoo your dog regularly, while also removing parasites. You can find good animal hygiene products at any medical store or supermarket near you. Lastly, in addition to the above, there's another critical aspect that can also contribute to good dog health care, and that is humane treatment. If you treat your dog well, he or she will show it in many, many ways. Look closely, you'll detect that smile, you'll see those ears fold back and a vigorously wagging tail. After all, it's not for nothing that dogs have proved to be "man's best friend".

When I talk about problem solving so many times I end up using the word escalation. The reason I use it so much is that in dealing with problem solving issues I have seen very small behavior problems become full blown behavior problems when not addressed. You can see that in Housebreaking, Getting in the Trash, and just about any problem that an owner will need to deal with. SEPARATION ANXIETY is one of the biggest examples of that. SEPARATION ANXIETY is a problem that can really vary from dog to dog, and some dogs have a little anxiety naturally. Others let this anxiety manifest into something that can become a serious issue that can cause major stress on the dog. Most of the time SEPARATION ANXIETY originates from the animal not wanting to be left alone. As I had mentioned, what you will find with SEPARTATION ANXIETY is that there are different degrees or levels of a specific problem, and SEPARATION ANXIETY could be exhibited in a number of different behavior problems. If the owner has caught a behavior problem early enough, the animal will have never had a chance to let the minor behavior problem become a major one. But if it is something that has gone unnoticed for a period of time, it could take a lot more time to deal with. From what I have seen, it seems like some of the dogs that will show more cases of SEPARATION ANXIETY are some of the smaller dogs that can be a little more temperamental such as Shi-tzus, Maltese, and Chihuahuas, and many of the Toy Group. But I have also seen some large dogs have the problem as well. As the name suggests, most of the time this behavior problem stems from a dog not wanting to be left alone. From what I have seen, there seems to be something that goes on in the animal's head which really can elevate the level of anxiety within the animal. I think that if you understand how this escalates, it may help you understand the behavior itself, and most importantly, help you eliminate it. If you take a look at a dog with SEPARATION ANXIETY and were to watch him when the owner were to leave the house, the same pattern of events would happen. If a dog is allowed to run loose, one of the first things that happen is that they seem to want to pace right off the bat. As a matter of fact, many times they will run and move in a certain pattern, and that pattern quite often remains the same. It may be along the perimeter of a fence, it may be back and forth in front of a screen door, and it may be running back and forth throughout the house. And as the dog begins to pace, it can be done at a slower speed or faster speed. This pacing is the animal's own unique way of dealing with stress of being away from the owner. Here's where things start to change within the animal. As the animal becomes a little more stressed out, and things begin to escalate, this pacing now is coupled with the animal whining and even barking. This whining and barking really will vary within the breed and individual personality of the dog. In extreme cases, you will hear nonstop barking or whining all day long. As the animal becomes a little more stressed out and things start to increase even more, he may begin to start digging at the door, gate, or the last place he/she saw you. It really doesn't matter if it's inside or outside either. If he is in the house, it may very well be the front door that the dog will scratch at. He may also choose the carpet, chairs and couches to dig at. If the dog is in the backyard and the last place the dog saw you was walk through the sliding screen door, he may very well dig at the screen door. In the backyard you may also begin to see the dog start to dig holes and dig up plants. As things continue to elevate even more, and the dog begins to not only dig at things, but the digging begins coupled with chewing and tearing. Once the dogs starts tearing at things such as screen doors, and those things are torn, quite often the dog will start chewing on them. If your dog is in the house, the chairs or couch he has once dug at, now become things he chews on to deal with the stress. And probably the most severe type of SEPARATION ANXIETY is when the animal is so stressed out that he begins to lick, and even chew on himself. As you can see, there are certainly different levels of this problem. The solution to dealing with SEPARATION ANXIETY, as well as many of the behavior problems, is to eliminate the opportunity for SEPARATION ANXIETY to escalate. The method that I have seen that has been very successful involves CRATE TRAINING. Our goal is not put the animal in a situation where he can have a chance to get stressed out. At the same time, we are going to try to find things that he likes that he can have when we want him to be alone. Many times, a dog likes the security of a CRATE because they are naturally "den animals". This means they like enclosed areas naturally.

Dogs getting into the trash, or getting into other places that you don't want, are behaviors that can really develop and manifest into major behavior problems. The main reason these unwanted behaviors occur is that the owner simply never corrected the dog for them. Sometimes you want to put yourself in your dog's place. Why does the dog go into the trash? They go there to eat. Because they have found that out over time, this has become a very reinforcing thing. They will continue to repeat it over and over. Remember that the completion of the bad behavior is what is reinforcing to an animal. This makes them feel good because they got what they wanted which was the trash. It doesn't matter whether it was to eat the trash or just tear it apart. Just getting to do it was rewarding enough to them. There are three things you want to remember in attacking this problem, and these things are common in dealing with many behavioral issues regarding an animal getting into an area you don't want them in.

• EXTINGUISHING THE BEHAVIOR - The first thing you want to think about is extinguishing the behavior, and that means get rid of it 100%. This is going to take consistency with everyone who has contact with the dog. You need to have a game plan that everyone is taking seriously, and it is really important that everyone living in the house is following that game plan.
• PHYSICAL CORRECTION - The second thing you need to do is send a message to the animal that the behavior is not acceptable. This correction can be a variety of different things. It might be nothing more than you saying the word "No". This means that ideally you want to set up a situation where the animal is able to go into the trash. Yes get into the trash!! In order for your animal to understand, there is an exact time that is essential the animal should be corrected, and it is just as he begins the behavior. If you think about it from their point of view, they need to be corrected for thinking about going into the trash. This sends a message to them that just as they are getting into the trash that this is not acceptable. Timing is very important here. The mistake that some owners and trainers make is correcting the animal either BEFORE or AFTER they get into the trash. By correcting the animal just before they get to the trash, in their mind they might have thought they were corrected for being near the trash can. If they were corrected after they were at the trash can eating the trash, in their mind they were corrected for eating the trash. What we want to do is send a clear message to the dog that the idea of getting into the trash is what is NOT acceptable. This is why the timing of the correction is so important.
• The third thing involves PREVENTATIVE TRAINING. You do not want to give the animal the opportunity to get into the trash when you are not home. This involves making sure the dog is never in the area to get into the trash when you are not there. In all situations where you are attacking a problem, you need to be consistent.