If you are considering breeding your dog, we would strongly suggest that you get your bitch thoroughly checked by a vet before you try. Also it is important to take into account the heritage of both dogs involved.

Stages of a dogs heat cycle

• Proestrus: the first stage, where your dogs generally will start to have some vaginal bleeding/discharge and swelling of the vulva. Your bitch cannot get pregnant in this stage. This stage can be as short as 1 day, or as long as 19 days. There is no easy way to predict how long it will last. On average your dogs proestrus stage will last 9 days.
• Estrus: the second stage, this is when your dog is most fertile for breeding. Depending on your dog this window for breeding can be as big as 21 or as little as 4 days. Your dogs discharge will become a lighter redder colour, even to a light skin colour . This is when most experts say your dog is ready to be bred. Your dog will also start to flag, this is where she will lift her tail high, and start to rub her anus around the garden or house. Ovulating occurs during the estrus stage.
• Metestrus : the third stage, is where the dogs uterus readies itself for the pregnancy. If your dog does get pregnant the entire stage can take up to a week until the fertilised egg attaches to the uterus wall. If fertilisation does not occur your dog will go into the anestrus stage.
• Anestrus : the fourth stage, this is the longest stage (up to 5 months) where you dogs returns to a stage of “in between heats”.

Notes about Dog Breeding

• It is important to note that these time lines are just guidelines. As with human women, dogs too can vary from dog to dog. Even similar breeds are know to have varying cycle lengths. One important note is that larger dogs can have a delayed first heat cycle and can occur any time up to an age of 12 months.
• The good advice of letting your dog have a litter before spaying her has been disproven in recent years. If you are planning on spaying your dog, we recommend you do it as soon as possible. Doing it sooner, rather than later avoids complications in the surgery and there are possible health benefits (lower risk of mammary tumors or pyometra) for doing it before her first cycle. Talk to your vet about the advantages .

Differences in behaviour

Most people see males dogs as more aggressive than their female counterparts, and that they can exhibit strong sexual behaviours, even when they are ‘fixed’. Typically females are more moody and emotional than males and can be harder to deal with at times. Females who are not neutered, will have regular heat cycles and these can be a handful to deal with. Like humans, female dogs will experience increased levels of hormones and can at times result in excessive shedding of your dogs coat. In tact females, when in heat, have the ability to destroy a house with their hairs !

Generally dogs will go into heat twice a year, and can last up to 3 weeks long. During these periods, females are more likely to start fights with other females and to will seek to entertain males.

On the other hand male dogs tend to be more affectionate than their female counter parts. They are not as independent and generally demand more attention and time. Males are more outgoing, more likely to interact with other dogs. Males

Cost difference between Male and Female dogs

As a rule of thumb male dogs are less expensive as females, and are generally easier to come by. The reason for the price difference is because of the breeding possibilities with females. Also breeders are more likely to buy more females than males.

Another point to consider is the cost of getting your dog neutered / spayed / fixed. For females the operation is more complicated and can cost up to two/three times as much as it would for males.

From my experience males make better all round pets.

Beef Liver Treats Ingredients

• 200g of beef liver
• 3 – 4  tablespoons of garlic powder or 2 – 4 cloves of real garlic minced.

Note : Garlic powder is better, and garlic salt is not a substitute !

How to make dog beef liver treats

• Boil the beef in a small pot and add in your garlic powder. Let it cook through
• Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celcius
• Put your cooked beef liver on a baking tray and put into the oven
• Bake for 1/2 hour or longer until the beef is dry
• Allow beef to cool fully before cutting into small strips.

To store these I put about 10 treats in a freezer bag and pop them into the freezer. They will stay good for at least 6 months, but I’ve found I’ve used my treats well before then !

If you have your pick of the litter then you should perform these steps on all the available puppies.

• Dominant / Submissive Test : Place your puppy on his back, and see how he reacts. If he fights back at you, he will be more the dominant type. For working dogs you generally don’t want a puppy that is too dominant. Dominant doges are can be tough to train.
• Interactivity Test : Throw a ball of paper or a small bouncy ball to your puppy. If he shows interest in getting the ball, or curiosity in what is happening it shows that he has a certain level of intelligence.
• Independence Test : After playing with the dog for a bit, turn your back and start to walk away. If he follows you it will show that he is pack driven, and wants to follow a leader. When it comes to training young dogs you don’t want one that is too independent.

Picking a dog

By performing these three tests you should have a better idea as to the intelligence level of your puppy. It is also advisable to ask the breeder about the sire and the dam. Knowing if the parents were particularly good at something will also help you make a decision. Also, because the breeder will have spent longer with these puppies they may have noticed things about the puppies that you have missed. You should ask about how the puppies spend their day, do they play together or are they more isolated.

Picking a Breeder

It is also important to pick a good breeder, ones that you know have an interest in dogs, and are not in it for simply the money would be a good start. Good  breeders will also give health guarantees for their dogs, and some breeders in Ireland have started to give written contracts outlining the terms and conditions of the new puppy purchase.

Not all dogs are suitable for all living situations, and it’s important to make sure you do some research on dog breeds before choosing one. And even if you have picked a breed, it doesn’t mean that all puppies of this type are necessarily a good fit for your environment.

Dog Anatomy

Here is a quick overview of some doggie anatomy, dogs anal sacks are just inside the dogs rectum and it’s main purpose is for scenting. They use the glands which produce a unique odour to scent their area. These glands can get blocked and cause discomfort to your pet. Because the glands are too full a pressure will build up and case discomfort. One way they indistinctly try to empty their glands is to do so by dragging their bottoms around the place. If left alone the rectal area can also start to smell rather awful, and can even result in further complications. Extreme cases include bleeding and infection of the effect area which is not nice for your dog.

If your dog is dragging his bum for an extended period of time then you should certainly bring him to the vet and get it checked up. Most vets will check the glands during a typical visit, and will empty them there. If this is a regular occurrence you can ask your vet to show you how to empty the anal glands yourself.

Also some dog grooming services may offer this service, either during a typical grooming / bathing session, or as an added extra.

Emptying Dogs Glads

Empting dogs anal glands is quick and easy, and offers instant relief to your dog. You may want your vet to show you how to do it before attempting it yourself. The secretions can smell quite strong so be prepared (and wear gloves). Your dog’s anal sacks are located at 5 & 7 o’clock on your dogs bum. And what you do is start from the outside of the bum with your fingers and move towards the anus.

Note : In some cases worms can also cause an itching sensation and dogs try to relieve this by also dragging themselves.

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion in the market for buying dogs in Ireland. Many people still get dogs from the various animal shelters around the country, but for people who want dogs with a pedigree, it normally means buying from a dealer. With any industry there are scrupulous people, and the dog industry is no different. We have seen the emergence of puppy farms in Ireland. These places often have poor conditions for the dogs and inbreeding can also occur. Dogs.ie does not condone puppy farms.

Making sure it’s not a puppy farm

Normally it’s easy to spot when a dog is coming from a puppy farm, these dogs tend to me more shy, often malnourished and smaller for their age. Looking at the condition of their coat should tell you how healthy these puppies are. Signs of abuse, like scratches, open wounds, or infected scars are things that should set of alarm bells. When buying a puppy try to avoid getting them in the pet stores. Pet stores may be operating with the puppy farmers. Have a look in your local newspaper and see if there are any dogs available from private sellers, or better yet take a trip to your local animal shelter, there are many of these across Ireland.

What age should a dog be before take them from their mother

Puppies should be at least 8 weeks old before you separate them from their mothers. It is important that you don’t get a puppy before the age of 2 months, as in these days and weeks the puppy will learn important things from its mother. They learn social interaction between other dogs, hierarchy and how to play. Puppies also receive important nourishment and antibodies from their mothers via milk. From about 8 weeks puppies should be removed from their litter mates and should start to have human interaction. It is also advisable that you introduce puppies to young kids, but only in a supervised manner.

To make these doggie biscuits it couldn’t be easier. Plus you will have the added advantage that you will know that the ingredients are only the healthiest things for your dogs. This is why I don’t buy any of the treats in the shops anymore. With this you have my guarantees that your dog will be happy, satisfied and know you love him/her.

I’ve looked at a few dog cook books (yes there are some) and most of them are flour based. You can also use cornmeal and oats for an even more healthy meal for them. Here is mine !

Dog Biscuit Ingredients

• 150g of  flour
• 250 ml milk
• 50 g peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• one egg white
• (optional) a couple teaspoons of chicken broth for more flavor.

How to make dog biscuits

• Put all your dried ingredients in a bowl and mix them
• Put your wet ingredients (besides the peanut butter) in a separate bowl and mix them together.
• Mix your wet and dry ingredients in one bowl until they are completely blended together
• Now add the peanut butter and fold it until it starts to become a dough.
• NOTE : if they are too dry and brittle add some more milk, and if it’s wet add some flour.
• Put your dough on a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 180 – 190 degrees celcius.
• Bake dog treats  for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Extra tip, I generally make 2 batches of these at a time as they will keep for about a month !

Male boxers can grow up to 63cm tall and weigh 25-32kgs , females are smaller and are around 60cm tall. Boxers are very loyal animals but can be distrustful to strangers. They are high energy dogs, and will almost certainly need to be walked every day if they don’t have a large area to roam around during the day.

Because of their noted courage boxer dogs are often used as working dogs in the security sector. Boxers do make great guard dogs.

They tend to have litter sizes of between 2-10, and 6 is average.

1) Lack of Attention to Detail

When you are training your dog, you should take the time and effort to focus entirely on him. By not paying attention to him, and correcting him when he does something wrong you run the risk of your dog thinking that it is okay to do these bad actions. If your dog does something wrong, correct him, and show him the right way to do something. Repeat as necessary, but always be consistent when it come to dog training.

2) Start later than necessary

You may think that your puppy is too young to begin training, but this is not the case. Puppies can be trained to stay, be obedient on a leash or answering to his name from as little as 10 weeks old. Start when they are as young as possible to listen to your voice, and to react when you ask them to do something. Again if they step out of line, you should chastise them accordingly. When you are training your puppy to do a new trick be careful not to belabour the training. Young puppies will become bored easily, so try to think of something that will also interest the puppy and keep him focused on the task at hand. If you find your dog not responding, finish up with the days training and return to it the following day.

Dog Training

4) Forgetting to reward good behaviour

If your dog has done something right, and performed as you wished, you must let them know that they have done good. This positive re-enforcement could be a quick game with a ball or some tasty treats. Dogs need encouragement, and they need to be know that when they do something right that they will be rewarded. Try as much as possible to reward and gratify your pup as soon as possible after they have done something good. Using your voice in a positive way also helps to reassure dogs that they have done something correctly.

5) Failure to be Consistent

Along the lines of rewarding good behaviour, you should also try as much as possible to be as consistent as you can. This could mean that one member of your family takes responsibility for the training, so that dog gets the same human response every time. Whether your dog has done something good or bad, you need to be consistent in the reward or level of chastisement.