Giving these dogs a good home is the most important thing that you can do. But if adopting a dog is just not an option right now, there are other things that you can do to better the lives of shelter dogs. Below are several suggestions to keep in mind.

1. Visit your local shelter and spend some time with the dogs. Donating some of your time to simply hang out and play with these canine residents can make a huge difference to their lives. Most of the time, shelter staff are very busy with their work and they do not have the extra time to interact with the dogs. Shelter employees can always use the help of others to come and play and socialize with their residence. They are more than happy to show you around and figure out what you can do to help out.

As a volunteer, you can take the dogs for a walk around the block, give them a little pampering by brushing their coats, or just be there and hang out with them. Shelter dogs get very little attention, and a short visit with them does a lot to improve their well-being.

2. You may volunteer to take these dogs to an obedience class that will better their chances for an adoption.

3. Take one day of the week to help wash and groom the dogs and then bring them to adoption fairs.

4. Sponsor a fund raising party and donate the cash to your local rescue organisation. You may also ask for donations of items that you can bring to the shelter. These include blankets, food and treats, collars, leashes, toys, kennels, etc.

5. You may also volunteer to be a foster parent and keep the rescued dog at your house until he or she finds a permanent home.

6. Inform people about dog adoption and being a shelter volunteer by placing an ad in your local paper or putting up signs on bulletin boards and at dog parks.

7. And last but not the least, keep in mind that the best way to prevent shelter overcrowding is to spay or neuter your pets and to spread the word about the benefits of getting these house pets fixed.

Find out more about dog adoption.

The thing is, however, there is a responsible way to adopt a dog and, by definition, an irresponsible way to go about it.

The number of ‘boomerang dogs’ (dogs that are adopted and then return to shelters) is a real cause for concern.

Adopting a dog entails the same level of commitment as any other form of dog acquisition.

Committing to a dog means exactly that. The dog’s life will be in your hands until the end of its natural life.

Responsible Dog Adoption Checklist:

• Find out as much as you can about the dog’s background
• Speak at length to the rescue shelter about the dog’s personality
• Decide early on who will be the dog’s main carer and make a plan regarding time availability at home
• Budget for dog ownership (it can be expensive)
• Don’t panic if a dog develops a minor behavioural problem (they are easily fixed most of the time)
• Make contacts with dog trainers and responsible owners BEFORE you get the dog (they can be an excellent source of practical advice later down the line)
• Ensure the dog’s health is catered for by having regular vet checks
• Don’t expect shelters to just give you the dog of your choice – you will be interviewed and screened and you should view this experience as a positive thing
• Consider the type of dog that is going to best suit your lifestyle (as well as its age, breed type and personality)

Being a responsible dog owner is a joy and adopting a dog responsibly can double the enjoyment!

In today’s busy lifestyles, not all of us have the time to cook and – literally – hand feed our dogs from a menu according to their daily whims and wishes. Some people do though. And, not surprisingly, they are often the people who will argue their dogs won’t eat otherwise, without perhaps considering that it is a self fulfilling cycle – they have, perhaps unwittingly, made their dogs fussy eaters. So, what can we do with the dog who is picky over their food?Dogs tend to require about 18% protein for maintenance when they are adults, and 22% for reproduction and growth. Fat should be around 5% for adult dogs, and 8% for reproduction and growth. But the more fat that is in the diet, the more protein there should be. Fat makes dogs, as well as people, eat less by making them feel fuller. If they eat less, and there are less of other essential nutrients like protein and vitamins and minerals, the dog will not get the nourishment it needs. Understanding ratios and nutritional requirements is important if we are to fully understand why some dogs are selective in their eating habits.

Whether you feed your dog a commercial diet or home made dog food, there are a few things to keep in mind so you don’t end up with a fussy dog:

* dogs should be fed once a day once they are no longer puppies, or two small meals, no more. Feeding your dog too frequently when he is older can turn him appear like a fussy eater, when he is actually full. Eating should be an event. If your dog believes that food is on tap, wherever he wants it, he may react accordingly and become blasé about when he eats.

* feeding your dog too regularly can get him into the routine of expecting to eat at those times, too, and may lead to weight gain. Letting him get hungry, and feeding sensibly, will not harm him. In the wild, dogs would eat for once a day until they were completely full and they would eat a diet that was mainly made up of meat. You will often find dogs that don’t particularly enjoy kibble, will be more responsive to meat.

* Don’t stand and stare at your dog waiting for him to eat. He will likely think something is wrong, or something else is coming, and won’t eat.

* Don’t give into your dog and give him something else straight away if he refuses his meal, as he’s effectively training you and not the other way around!

* There’s nothing wrong with feeding your dog a varied diet, but don’t keep changing the food because he seems fussy and won’t eat it. Make sure nothing is wrong with him physically first, then if he is healthy, take charge of the situation. Put his food down, leave him to it, and then 30 minutes later go and check to see whether it’s been eaten. If it hasn’t, take it away, then at the end of the day put down some fresh food. Repeat the process, and take it away 30 minutes later if it still isn’t eaten. This way you’ll train your dog to eat his food, and not reinforce his behaviour.

Brian Kilcommons has a very interesting method for teaching dogs to eat their food. When the above fails, he prepared the dog food in front of the dog, making lots of ‘yummy’ noises whilst he did it. He made it slowly, and when the dog still wasn’t interested, he put it down in front of his face, then took it straight away and threw it out. He did this first at breakfast, then at dinner. At dinner, the dog in question was more interested, but he still threw it out after putting it in front of him. The next morning, the dog was jumping up and down whilst the food was being prepared. He put it down, pulled it away, then looked at him for about a minute, then left it for him to eat. That dog now eats anything put down for him.

* If your dog suddenly goes off his food, it could be because he has dental problems, or a stomach problem. Get him checked out by the vet.

* Some dogs do actually prefer a certain type of food, just as people do. Try your dog with a variety of foods, and if he only eats one type, and will starve himself if he doesn’t get it, the best solution can simply be to feed him that type of food that he enjoys. Sometimes the foods that our dogs enjoy might not always be the type that we want them to eat. For example, you may want your dog to eat an easily available commercial complete diet but your dog only enjoys food from a tin – ultimately, we all want happy, healthy dogs and we have to acknowledge that they are all individuals with different tastes and preferences.

* Don’t feed your dog a high fat diet, or junk food, including chocolate. It’s not good for them and, in some cases, can be fatal.

Nowadays we are much more aware of the advantages of natural ingredients. Healthy, natural ingredients should be high on your list of priorities when selecting a food for your dog.

The trouble with health fads is that they have a tendency to cloud popular opinion of some relatively new or lesser known treatments that actually work.

Hydrotherapy works. It is not a fad and many dogs have reason to be grateful for its existence.

What is Hydrotherapy?

Weightless Exercise

Hydrotherapy offers a therapeutic, relaxed and enjoyable workout, which many dogs are deprived of in day to day life, especially through arthritic joints, after an injury or surgery. Controlled swimming allows muscles to be stimulated and exercised without the stress element associated with land based exercise, causing potential pain.

Vets recommend a course of hydrotherapy for pre- and post-surgical conditioning, to reduce weight in obese animals, for painless exercise for pets with arthritis or dysplasia, cardiovascular workout for seniors, rehabilitation for stroke sufferers, and pain management. It is therefore of use in many orthopaedic conditions both pre-operatively to improve muscle tone to affected limbs (for instance, prior to total hip replacement) and post-operatively to improve repair – for instance in post-operative care of cruciate ligament rupture, osteochondrosis or fracture repair where light swimming can begin as soon as the sutures have been removed.

Preliminary observations suggest that hydrotherapy, if initiated early in the course of disease, can help to maintain muscle tone in cases of degenerative radiculomyelopathy (CDRM) and other neurological diseases with similar presenting signs.

In show dogs and racing dogs, it provides an effective means of maintaining fitness and toning muscle, particularly in the winter months, and is a valuable aid to weight control in the obese pet.

Immediate Benefits

Hydrotherapy techniques help to relieve pain and strengthen and re-train muscles; because the animal is effectively weightless when swimming. Hydrotherapy acts by encouraging a full range of joint motion, thus improving muscle tone without imposing undue stress on damaged tissues. This is why results can occur so quickly.

Each hydrotherapy session should be tailored to an individual dog’s condition and fitness level – all dogs should therefore visit through a referral from a veterinary surgeon. An assessment of the dog’s condition will be made and the treatment given at each session recorded. In this way the progress that the dog makes can be monitored. The rate at which such progress is made will be dependent on the breed of dog, condition for which it being treated, age and fitness level.

Health & Safety

There are no set dimensions for hydrotherapy pools. What is ideal for a Yorkshire Terrier will be significantly different to that needed by a Newfoundland. All pools should have water heated to a temperature in the range 24 to 300C and should allow all year round operation.

The combination of water and electrical circuitry makes it essential that the operation adheres to strict safety standards. All CHA members will have the appropriate safety certificates as well as insurance cover for animals when undergoing treatment and third party liability to cover visitors to their premises. Cleanliness of the water is a critical factor. All regulated pools must regularly test their water quality and in busy periods this would be several times each day. The key aim is to ensure no harmful bacteria are present and there is no risk of cross infection. Canine Hydrotherapy Association members are required to keep detailed records of water quality.

Regulation

The Canine Hydrotherapy Association (CHA) is a UK-based non-profit organisation that provides self-regulation for the animal hydrotherapy sector. The Association sets benchmark standards of treatment, operation, training, supervision, first aid, record keeping and water quality for all its members. In this way veterinary surgeons, pet insurance companies and – most importantly dog owners – can use a CHA member pool with confidence. All members of the CHA display a certificate of their membership and are proud to make use of the CHA Logo.

Malcolm Adler, Company Secretary of the CHA, and a Director at the Hydrozone Therapy Centre in Hertfordshire explained: “There is no statutory requirement for Canine Hydrotherapists in the UK to undergo training. Unfortunately there are many untrained operators not fully competent in caring for the dog’s well-being. The CHA represents approximately one third of the Canine Hydrotherapy marketplace. Therefore it is most concerning that some two thirds of the marketplace (in excess of 100 pools) do not operate within a Code of Conduct and are not audited to ensure set minimum quality Standards are operational or maintained. The CHA is pioneering the way forward and has already introduced training programmes to include canine first aid, water management and practical hydrotherapy. It further approves and supports Accredited Hydrotherapy Courses and is actively exploring formal qualification options.”

Malcolm added: “It is always advisable to visit a hydrotherapy pool before you begin any treatment programme, to inspect the facilities, ask about qualifications and training, check water quality and insurance cover, and discuss your dog’s condition and the treatment programme. The key aspect is quality treatment for your dog and this is why the CHA has set benchmark standards in canine hydrotherapy.” Worth the cost Rates for a hydrotherapy session are set by individual therapist and will vary according to the facility and its location. Typically a session will allow for up to 30 minutes, to include time for drying the dog afterwards. Fees are normally in the range of ?10 – ?25 per session. In most centres, owners are encouraged to attend sessions to help reassure their dog during its initial exposure to water”

Further Research…

There is an enormous amount of case history and glowing customer testimonials on the benefits that hydrotherapy has brought to their dog’s condition and overall well-being. However, there is still a lack of formal study and scientific data and one of the aims of the CHA is to promote such work, and the Association welcomes inquiries or contributions from any interested party in this respect.

Whatever type of dog you own whether they’re a pedigree Pomeranian primed for the show ring or a mixed bag of Beagle, Boxer and Bassett, you always like them to look their very best. A wet nose, waggy tail, glistening coat and bright eyes are the hallmarks of a happy, healthy handsome hound. Here, Better British Dogs brings you expert advice on how to get your dog into show-stopping condition.

Some Dog Grooming Basics:

Grooming is essential to ensure a healthy, good-looking and happy dog. But it is also a superb opportunity for owners to bond with and train their dogs. Some breeds clearly require more attention in this department than others, but most potential dog owners will have taken into consideration the practicalities of a longhaired or double coated dog before buying.

If you are the proud owner of a Shih Tzu or any other breed of a long haired dog then a twice weekly combing of the coat is essential. Anything less will sooner or later result in your dog developing problems such as matting, which can lead to problems called hot-spots or even insect infestations.

Any extensive matting which leads to felting of the fur may require shaving off. This must be done with great care, as the dog will probably be in discomfort already, maybe hiring a professional would be a wise choice. Breeds of dog which are prone to matting include St Bernard’s, Maltese, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier, Collie and other similar breeds.

Double coated dogs require a similar or larger amount of attention for the benefit of the household as well as the dog. Hair balls commonly develop on their fur and this can be a nightmare for the house-proud dog owner. It is also an irritation to the dog if he is developing hairballs. The process of malting in this type of dog begins at the haunches and progresses forwards along the body.

Dogs with a soft, silky, short coat such as the Wheaten Terrier will benefit from grooming using a fine tooth comb. This is an effective way to groom but it is also a very good method of flea control. All dog owners will have the need for one of these implements at some point in the dog’s life. It is important to note that even short haired dogs are prone to some tangling around the ears.

Effective grooming can be done at home. The best time to start, as with most owner/dog activities, is when he is still a puppy. This is useful for many reasons. It provides good interaction between you and your dog. Pack dogs groom each other and it comes naturally to any dog to groom itself, however, by grooming him yourself you are promoting subordination on his part, which is always conducive to a good relationship, particularly during puppyhood. The obvious advantage is that your dog will receive a healthy coat and should enjoy the whole experience.

Bathing is another important element of grooming. It is very important though, not to bathe him too frequently as this can dry out a dog’s skin which can lead to skin irritation and could even see the dog shedding fur almost constantly.

Specialist shampoos and gels are available too. They can enhance the condition of a dog’s skin and coat. Don’t rely on a shampoo alone in order for your dog to sport a shiny, glossy coat, as the condition of the dog’s coat is affected mostly by his diet and overall health.

Bathing is also the ideal opportunity to inspect the overall health of your dog’s skin and coat. You can also use the experience to feel the dog for lumps and bumps or any breaks in the dog’s skin.

If your dog receives proper grooming and has a healthy diet, yet has a poor coat, fatty acid supplements in his food might help. Thyroid problems often present themselves by way of a poor, dull coat and may be a possibility if your dog’s diet and grooming is not the cause. Consult your vet if you feel your dog’s condition is inexplicably subdued.

The ears are a spot where fungi can thrive if given half a chance so regular inspections are a must as more serious problems can arise from ear infections.

Dogs get very irritated when the ear is infected and they will often shake the head violently. This can damage blood vessels in the head and may lead to your dog’s ear swelling up – often resulting in the need for a vet to lance the area and your dog being left with a genuine cauliflower ear – not a pretty sight (even on a Boxer!)

Droopy ears are particularly needy of constant attention. Products are available from the vet which can dry out the ear and reduce the risk of any infection occurring or spreading.

Pay special attention to your dog’s paws. Dogs are susceptible to getting debris lodged between their pads which can be extremely painful for them and can lead to other problems such as infection if not addressed immediately.

Trimming of the claws is important if your dog does not have the opportunity to keep them trimmed naturally by walking on concrete, roads etc (chewing their own claws is not an example of a dog keeping them trimmed naturally).

Be warned, unlike ours, the dog’s toenails contain a nerve and a blood supply. So be careful if you are going to trim their paws yourself not to trim back the nail too far, or the dog could experience great pain and blood loss. If this does happen apply a small amount of corn starch to the end of the claw to stop the bleeding and take the dog to the vet. A good idea would be to ask a vet or groomer to trim their claws and watch how it is done. Also ask what equipment they used and where you can purchase it from. The last thing you want is a panicked, bleeding Great Dane running round your kitchen because you purchased a cheap pair of clippers from the supermarket!

Grooming should be an enjoyable experience for both of you provided you have trained him to accept human contact and you are confident that you are not overstretching yourself in terms of grooming skills required – remember, professional dog groomers make a lot of things look easy but that’s down to training and experience. Basic grooming is not only simple, it’s extremely important that you provide it. Grooming offers a great chance for you to bond with dog and the result should be a happier, more handsome hound.

5) In situations where your dog shows fear towards strangers or visitors to them home, try and explain to visitors that you would prefer if simply ignored the dog completely, not even looking at the dog once or paying them the slightest bit of attention. Very often visitors feel the need to try and ‘comfort’ the dog and this can lead to the dog feeling even more threatened.

Once the dog has learned not to react at all to visitors, ask the occasional ‘dog-knowledgeable’ guest to nonchalantly and without any ceremony, simply drop a treat by the dog and then walk off in another direction. It is important they don’t try and make a fuss of the dog or offer the treat from the hand. Doing this regularly with different guests will accustom the dog to the idea that all visitors are not intruders to the ‘den’ and they are not intent on causing harm to the dog or his pack.

4) Complimentary therapies and treatments can be very helpful for aiding nerves. Diet also plays an important role. If a dog is unusually nervous, listless, depressed or lacking coat condition a change of food may be in order. There are specialist dieticians and holistic vets who may be able to greatly increase your dog’s physical and psychological well-being, thus improving the dog’s confidence and reducing nervousness. Try the Internet or Yellow pages and look for holistic vets and animal dieticians.

3) Keep in your mind at all times how your body language impacts the shy or nervous dog. You are a very large creature with an ability to make all sorts of frightening noises (hoovers, washing machines, shouting at the TV). Imagine another creature that was the equivalent distance in size to what you are to a dog and you will have an appreciation of how the shy or nervous dog may see you.

Now imagine that creature ‘bearing’ down on you with wide eyes, a booming voice and hands the size of saucepans on their way to touch your face. Frightening isn’t it? Well, to a shy or nervous dog that can be how they see the world of humans and your body language can be interpreted wrongly by the dog.

The fact that you are so much bigger than him and the fact that people at large generally have a tendency to approach dogs from a standing position thus bearing down on them can make the world a scary place. Always try and narrow the size difference with a nervy dog by getting down to their level. Avoid direct eye contact at all times, don’t wear sunglasses (to a dog, they look like a pair of wide, staring eyes that never go away) and remember how the dog sees the world from different angles than you. Body language is vital in helping nervous dogs overcome their fears.

2) Make use of other dogs. Dogs, as a rule, will copy and emulate their canine counterparts. If you have a nervous dog it can be a wonderful experience for him or her to meet a carefully selected friend. Just one other dog to begin with. Let them play, let the explore and the nervous dog will very soon begin to absorb the confidence of their bolder playmate and mimic their behaviour around people. It may take a while but regular ‘play sessions’ with other dogs can be the ultimate technique for curing many of the nervousness dog’s hang-ups about life.

Ensure the play mate is well selected, is playful but not boisterous and has no aggressive tendencies. Don’t, under any circumstances try and help a nervous dog by introducing them to an equally nervous playmate, it will double the problem. Meeting other dogs is a pastime best done socially where a ‘screening’ process can take place. Taking a nervous dog somewhere where there are likely to be lots of other dogs can be problematic. Explain your problems to friends, family, co-workers and be honest about your need to find a well-mannered, confident dog for yours to play with from time to time.

1) Consistency is a word used by all dog trainers and behaviour experts on a, well, consistent basis. Never is it more pertinent than in the case of the nervous or shy dog. You may be an erratic person, disorganised, impulsive, loud, prone to bad moods or shouting with none of these characteristics meant for the dog’s consumption. However even the most ebullient of pooches will catch the vibes if something’s ‘up’ in the household.

Ensuring stability, calm and an even tempered approach to home life will not only allow you to live longer and avoid an ulcer it will, above any other training tip or technique, help the more nervous of dogs to adjust to the world. Be patient, be calm, be understanding and be empathetic towards the dog’s disposition. Even if he or she has done something particularly naughty you must accept that there are certain ways to correct the problem that may work on 99.9% of dogs, even on dogs you have previous owned, but on THIS nervous or shy pet, the wrong response from you could literally kill their spirit.