Posts from — November 2008

Our last dog, Joe, was a food addict. He loved food so much, his tastes made no distinction between his food and human food.

When Joe came to us at six weeks old, attempting to keep our new puppy healthy and happy, I bought a bag from each of the many varieties of dog food. When the veterinarian asked me what I was feeding Joe, I told the veterinarian I was waiting to let Joe make that choice; although, Joe did not care, since he did like all food.

The veterinarian said I had done just the right thing, because one food had one kind of nutrition, while another one had another kind and it was a smart idea to let the dog feed on several varieties. This was in 1979, and given the circumstances, probably it was the best that could be done. Our dog, however, took to begging for whatever the kids were eating, and since both boys were in love with him, they fed him anything he asked for.

In those days, Joe’s kind was predicted to live eleven years at the most, but our dog lived to be more than eighteen years of age. So I thought we did something right. Well, maybe.

Maybe, because during the late nineties, I read that euthanized pets and road kill meat were being added to pet food. That made my hair stand at end. I don’t know if this is still true, but I read that this was legal. What if this gruesome mix they put into the pets’ food contained cancer or other communicable pet diseases? It is said that during the processing of the dry pet food, very high heat is used, therefore eliminating that possibility. Anyhow, this practice has horrified me. If I get another pet, I am sure I will cook for him.

Disregarding the horrid practices of the pet food industry, what a pet owner can do, in the least, is to inspect the food packaging before he buys it, especially where moist or semi-moist foods are concerned. If the cellophane is ripped, the can is warped and has lost its shape, it may mean that the food inside may be contaminated.

In addition, the dog owner should always keep in mind that if the dog food label says chicken flavored, the food may not contain chicken at all, but other things and flavoring.

Dry food, because it is made by exposing whatever is inside it to the highest heat, is safer than canned or semi-moist food, but it usually lacks the fats the dog needs for good health and disease prevention. The deficiency of fats can be remedied by feeding the dog some meat, fish (after all the fishbone is eliminated), eggs and milk products.

The harder working and the more energetic dogs need more protein and fat in their diet. If you feed your dog from the food you eat, in moderation of course, most anything should be okay, except for grapes and raisins that can make him sick.

Some dog owners, nowadays, opt for natural foods for their pets. Others choose the raw food diet products that have recently surfaced in the market. Although expensive, the raw food diet is closer to the food nature intended for the canines; however, this is a new approach and its negatives are not fully determined yet. Should you decide on a raw food diet, be sure to get your veterinarian’s opinion first.

Feeding smaller meals throughout the day than feeding the dog only once is better for his digestion. Also, cleanliness of his bowl, adequate fresh water, and the frequent emptying of the stale food are very important.

Giving the animal good, clean food, fortifying it with supplements like doggie vitamins, and keeping him under a constant veterinarian care is the best a dog owner can do for his dog. That way, dogs will thrive on the variety in their food and a lot of love from their family of humans.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with PetLovers.Com/ PetLovers.Com/ which is a site for PetLovers.Com/ Pets. Joy cagil is an author on writing.com writing.com

Whether you are an amateur and have bought a puppy recently or have an unmanageable dog at home, don’t feel that his training can wait till you find a professional dog trainer, or that you are to inexperienced to train him. Your dog needs training and so do you. Training develops a sense of mutual respect between you and your new pet. You are always training your dog – whether intentionally or not, your dog is always learning from you.

Often there are several benefits if a dog is trained by his owner.

1) Bonding – A training phase means more communication with your dog. This means more understanding and mutual respect. When you start training your dog, start by doing very little correction at this stage. Instead of putting him in restrictions (like keeping your dog tied to a chain), use toys or food to motivate.

Remember you are training your dog to obey you. Too much restriction will result in making him adamant. Your dog should understand exactly what you want him to do and that takes time. So be patient when your dog disobeys at the initial stage. It might be simply because of 2 reasons.
a) Your dog does not understand you. Be patient in this case and repeat your instruction with body language.
b) The second is more typical, your dog does not find a reason to do what you say. Use a variety of methods of motivation by giving him toys or food.

2) Obedience – A good trained dog is an obedient dog. Proper training initiates respect from your dog. When your dog respects you, he is easier to manage. This will also mean that you will have to use less force or restrictions (like always keeping your dog chained up, or locking him up.)

3) Acceptance – You and your dog is more accepted in society and other places if he is manageable. A trained dog is easier to take along anywhere without being a nuisance.

4) A trained dog is a happy dog – A misbehaving dog can cause trouble not only to others and his owner and but also to himself, since if a dog misbehaves, he is bound to be chained up or locked up and thereby giving him less freedom. This causes anguish both on your side and your dog’s leaving you both strained up.
If your dog obeys you it is easier to give him more freedom and leave him unchained and that results in more fun and happiness. It is easy for you to leave your dog unlocked or even taking him out to play if he obeys you.

5) Training saves your dog’s life – Imagine anyone adopting or looking after a bully dog? On the other hand a trained dog can easily be given for adoption or to be looked after if you are moving to a different place or going out for a few days.

I would like to recommend “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” by Adam Katz. dogtraining.dotpacket.net . One of the reason I personally liked this book, is Adam methodically explains each stages of the training process, which according to him can be divided in 3 important phases – The Learning Phase, The Reinforcement Phase and The Proofing Phase.

Another thing that he mentions in the book is ‘consistency’ in training. In other words, insisting on a certain behavior every time. Once the dog has learned what the command means, he needs to be “re- taught” the command in a variety of different settings. Because he will more likely only associate response to the command in the initial setting you’ve trained him in, he needs to “relearn” the command in different types of areas.

The methods mentioned here are workable and easy to understand, although I do not say that this can be your complete guide book – you may not agree with a few methods and find a different approach better, I recommend that you read his arguments and then take your own decision. After all you know your dog and environment better, but the basic training methods and information I found in this book is priceless.

Check out other Dog training sites
Online Dog Training Site : dotpacket.net/dogonline
Step By Step Dog Training: dotpacket.net/dogstep
Potty Train your dog in 7 days : dotpacket.net/pottytrain

I have found these sites very useful;
“Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer” : dogtraining.dotpacket.net dogtraining.dotpacket.net
Online Dog Training Site : dotpacket.net/dogonline dotpacket.net/dogonline
Step By Step Dog Training: dotpacket.net/dogstep dotpacket.net/dogstep
Potty Train your dog in 7 days : dotpacket.net/pottytrain dotpacket.net/pottytrain

AGGRESSION IN DOGS

Training a puppy can result in a well-mannered pet. It can also mean the difference between life and death. Ten million dogs are euthanized each year because of bad behavior, it’s the number-one reason pet owners put their dogs to sleep. In addition, one million people, over half children under 12, are treated for dog bites each year. Aggressive behavior must be addressed immediately; the longer it continues, the harder it is to change.

Learn to recognize the early warning signs of aggression by reading your dog’s body language. Aggressive threats can be made offensively or defensively. Aggressive dogs making offensive threats use body language that makes them appear larger and more intimidating.

* Tail up.

* Ears up.

* Stiff straight-legged stance.

* Hairs on back stand up.

* Lips retracted – ’smiling’.

* Move toward victim or lean on victim.

* Make direct eye contact.

WHY DOGS ARE AGGRESSIVE

Aggression is the most common behavioral problem in the country. The most common types of aggression involve dominance, fear and possession. Territory, pain, food, play and protection are other types of aggression. Most dogs have two or more forms of aggression. The average number is four. The record is nine. Learning to recognize early warning signs along with prompt behavioral intervention won’t eliminate aggressive problems completely but usually diminishes them significantly. Most cases of aggression can’t be cured but can be controlled. Therapy is geared to gradually desensitize the dog to the specific situations that cause him to react aggressively. Specific treatment protocols depend on the individual case.

Dominance aggression is the most common type of aggression in dogs. It usually develops when dogs are socially mature between 18 and 24 months of age. These dogs challenge and threaten people to gain control by staring, barking or growling when they are given a command. They might grow or bite if disturbed while sleeping and like to get the last word in when corrected verbally. Intervention involves teaching the dog to yield to the owner for everything he or she wants. For example, learning to sit and stay for all affection, food, play and grooming. The dog must learn to take all his ‘cues’ from the owner.

Food related aggression is relatively common and is often a precursor of dominance aggression. All pups seven weeks of age and older should be taught to sit and stay. Use physical affection, verbal praise or food as the reward. Practice making your puppy sit and wait to be fed. When he’s done eating, take his bowl away. At the first sign of any aggression use a firm ‘No’. Remove your puppy from the area and remove the food. Your puppy must then earn his or her food back by sitting and staying. Sitting and staying are natural behaviors that correspond to lower positions in a dog’s social hierarchy. In this situation they act as a ‘time out’ and train the dog that the owner is the leader and deserves the deferential behavior. The pup must take all his cues as to the appropriateness of his behavior from the owner.

WHAT YOUR VET CAN DO TO HELP

Aggressive behavior can result from medical or psychological disorders. First, see your veterinarian. An abscess tooth, infected ear, or arthritic hip causes pain which makes dogs irritable. Hormonal and neurological problems also influence behavior. A thorough work-up including a physical exam and lab tests will rule out most medical causes responsible for aggression. You will then be referred to a veterinary behaviorist. They are best suited to deal with psychological disorders since mishandled aggression is potentially dangerous.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Before you buy a dog, there are a few things to keep in mind. Be responsible and don’t buy on impulse. Be honest with yourself about the amount of time and work you’re willing and able to put into a dog.

A dog is a 15- to 20-year emotional commitment. A little extra time and planning will help make this a positive, rewarding experience for both of you.

If you have children, choose the breed of dog carefully. Temperament is the most important consideration when it comes to kids. Try to match the personality of the dog with the personality and lifestyle of yourself and your family. Don’t choose the most aggressive puppy or the most timid one in the litter. Look at the whole litter, see how they act, and take to your heart the puppy that takes you to his. Once you pick out your puppy, then it’s time to begin socialization and training.

Obedience training and puppy kindergarten help people get to know their pets and teach both how to interact appropriately with each other. Dogs also learn how to interact properly with other dogs, which can be very important for dogs those isolated from other dogs. These classes also help owners recognize early signs of possible behavioral problems by teaching them about normal variations and responses in their dog’s behavior during training.

Most dogs with behavioral problems are not just misbehaving. They are not normal. Expecting ‘normal’ responses by intensifying corrections in these cases is potentially dangerous for the pet and the owner. Behavioral Specialists are best qualified to work with these cases. Eighty-five percent of aggressive animals improve with appropriate treatment. An accurate diagnosis and client understanding of canine behavior are both critical factors necessary for treatment success.

Aggressive dogs making defensive threats assume fearful postures to protect themselves:

* Tail down.

* Ears down or back.

* Eyes dilated.

* Hairs on back may or may not stand up.

* Crouched position – lean away from threat.

* Stand still or move away from threat.

* Avoid eye contact.

Many dogs assume offensive and defensive body postures in a given situation.

Copyright 2007 Dr. Carol Osborne

Dr. Carol Osborne is the inventor of PAAWS, the pet anti-aging wellness system seen on TV. VitaLife is Dr. Carol’s newest line of pet vitamin supplements and is the best supplement available for arthritis and anti-aging in dogs and cats. PAAWS and VitaLife are revolutionary breakthroughs, with all natural nutrients that virtually peel away the years, seeming to reverse the aging process normally experienced by pets.

Get FREE pet advice from Dr. Carol at CarolonPets.com/ CarolonPets.com/

Visit Dr. Carol’s blog at CarolonPets.com/blog/ CarolonPets.com/blog/

Buy PAAWS and VitaLife dog and cat vitamin supplements and other pet health products at DrCarol.com/ DrCarol.com/

Once upon a time there were millions of wild mustang horses roaming the Western plains. Today there are fewer than 50,000 wild horses roaming. Despite government regulations designed to protect them, due to limited resources, their numbers continue to decline.

In 1971 the Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress to preserve wild mustangs, but it has had little effect. Despite the fact that these horses have survived through hundreds of years of harsh winter, having a very high birth rate, and few natural predators, their numbers continue to decline.

Unfortunately, the numbers grew too fast for the land to support them. There is only so much government land to support these horses and that is why, at certain times surplus animals are rounded up and adopted. The cost to adopt a wild mustang horse is $125 at a government auction.

Sadly up to 25% of these mustangs never find homes and are put in government sanctuaries in Kansas and Oklahoma. Only after not being adopted through five rounds of auctions, they are put in government sanctuaries. These government sanctuaries are full of older horses and are often overcrowded due to limited resources.

Fortunately there is at least one private sanctuary that is capable of caring for surplus horses. It is located in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and called Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. It is now home to over 400 wild horses.

It is very expensive running this private sanctuary every year. Some money is brought in by tourists, numbering 11,000 every year. Another way they keep the costs low is with the help of dozens of volunteers, and the sales of colts.

An American icon, the Wild Mustang horse is starting to go away, but thanks to some private sanctuaries, and volunteers, many of there horses are finding homes. There are many ways for you to help preserve these horses, the first step is educating yourself about the problem.

Visit my horse website for more information: free-online-veterinarian-advice.com/horse.html Wild Mustang Horses.

The very first step and probably the most important step is to determine the type of breed that best suits your household and family.

Your dog will be a part of your family for 10-16 years bringing you a lot of love and companionship and friendship. First you need to do research before you buy that cute little puppy dog. This puppy will not stay a puppy for very long.

Your dog will be a long term commitment. A dog is a living creature that requires care, and attention. It is not a toy that you can put in the corner when you are tired, grumpy, or even sick. There are many books or internet websites that can help you make the right choice.

Some of the issues to take into consideration are:

-time available to spend with the dog

-money available to care for the dog

-do you have children? What are the ages? How many do you have?

-are you a young family or an older couple?

-do you have a large, medium, or small property?

-will you have lots of time for exercise, walks and play? Or, do you prefer a “couch potato” dog?

-can you handle housetraining or would you even prefer a mature dog instead

-is everyone in the household in agreement with getting a dog?

-do you want a pet that is friendly to all who come and visit you; or, do you want a guard dog for the family?

There are many different issues to consider.

Once all of you decide on what breed of dog you want you need to research from where to purchase your dog. One of the best ways to purchase a dog is to get references from people you know, or know of.

And, before you even buy your dog…find a veterinarian close to your home. Introduce yourself and discuss your choice of dog breed with your new vet. It is always best to know your vet before you bring your puppy home.

And before you bring your puppy home make sure you already decided on your choice of dog training method. This is the second most important step you can take. Again, do the research. There are so many dog training techniques available. Some you can do from the comfort of your home with the whole family involved.

Next Article: Your new puppy comes home.

Ruth is actively involved with the internet, and she finds it very exciting. Her passions are pet health and dog training. She is a wife, a stepmom a dog owner and a business person. She is married for almost 30 years to Chris who has been, and still is, battling the monster MS. Two of her dogs are Certified Therapy Dogs. She is currently working from her home.

Her Home Blog
mimfreedom.com/blog mimfreedom.com/blog

Her Dog Training Page
ruthsinformationabout.com/dog-obedience/sitstay/index.html ruthsinformationabout.com/dog-obedience/sitstay/index.html

Her Pet Blog
happypetstop.com/blog happypetstop.com/blog

Once your young dog has learned the basics of how to behave in a socially acceptable manner, its time to move on to more advanced training. Just what you will teach your dog, and how far you will take it’s training, depends on several considerations. First of all, what do you expect? Have you a special role in mind for the dog? Or do you just want it to learn some more advanced obedience skills? Much depends on your goals in owning your dog, and what if anything you expect it will contribute to your work or your hobbies: a guide dog, rescue dog, herding dog, gun dog, guard dog, whatever. If you have specific plans, your training objectives and program will follow logically. The breed of your dog may determine what you can teach it, and how high you should set your expectations. Some dog breeds have been developed for show ring appearance at the expense of performance. Others have been bred to perform certain tasks better than others. The genetic material you are working with will largely determine what you can accomplish with your dog. It is far easier to train it to perform in ways that come naturally than to try and impose behaviors that seem strange and unnatural to the dog. It is a simple fact of life that a border collie will naturally want to herd stock, while a retriever will want to recover ducks you shoot. A setter or pointer will want to quarter the ground in front of you to search out game birds, while a greyhound will want to chase rabbits and hares at speed.

A dobermann pinscher will be especially alert to strangers, while a terrier is more likely to become extremely interested in digging up a rabbit hole. A dog bred for the show ring may seem to wonder what these other dogs are on about, and reveal no such specialized interests. The majority of rough coated collies of “Lassie” fame, for example, long ago lost most of the genes that once made them successful working dogs on sheep farms, as they were increasingly bred instead more for their appearance in the show ring than their herding performance. It is true that any dog can be trained to do almost whatever you want, but some things come more naturally to some breeds than to others. If you set your expectations consistent with your breed, and train to reinforce what comes naturally to that breed, you are likely to be far more satisfied with both the training process and the outcome. Beyond the basics of obedience common to all breeds, it is a lot easier if you go with the flow and you encourage your dog to build on the natural advanced skills it has inherited from generations of breeding selection. If your dog is simply to be a companion, you may decide to be content to limit your advanced training to a few useful or entertaining “tricks”. Most dogs enjoy basic retrieval tasks, for example, and exhibit far more patience and energy for the repetitive chasing of balls and sticks than you have. Channeling that energy into collecting the morning paper from the front yard has much to commend it as a training objective, to make one possible suggestion, though this particular task may be a challenging concept for some breeds to get their heads around.

Whatever you choose to focus on will work much better if it becomes a routine part of your dog’s daily life. You could consider advanced competitive obedience or agility training, which is a recreational and social activity pursued by many dog owners. There are clubs in most cities. This activity challenges all dogs, but you will find some breeds have a natural advantage over others in these sports. If you take up the sport to win, you should choose your breed accordingly. Showing your dog is another popular competitive club activity, especially with breeders, and requires your dog to learn presentation skills. Just being an acceptable companion requires certain skills and familiarity with routines to be developed by your dog. Simply not running off when you take him along for a jog around the park, sitting quietly in the back of the car when you are driving, refraining from jumping all over visitors, sitting on the mat in front of the fire and not on your favorite chair, chewing a bone not your slippers, and other such learned behaviors, are themselves useful advanced social skills that can be taught. The value to you of acceptable, predictable and reliable behavior by your dog should not be underestimated as a training goal. It can develop into quite a sophisticated and challenging pattern of behavior to learn. The benefits are great if your dog is to maintain good relationships with all members of your family as they go about their daily lives.

Shelby Wright grew up working with sheep herding dogs on a farm, and later bred and showed gun dogs. For more helpful information see Shelby’s review68.com/dogs/review.html” target=”_blank reviews of dog training guides and dog care. Shelby also contributes private label rights articles to plrwrittenarticles.com” target=”_blank PLRWrittenArticles and writes an review68.com” target=”_blank information products review blog.

Giving your Boxer a raw, natural diet (as opposed to commercially prepared one) makes the feeding task flexible and you get to control the quality of the food your Boxer is getting.

The Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or “BARF” diet is easy to prepare. You are basically feeding him “bones and raw food”, adding in or taking out supplement as needed.

It is better to first understand the principles behind this feeding method. And there are excellent reference books available on this subject matter.

Basically, the BARF diet is made up of raw meat and raw meaty bones, raw processed vegetables plus dairy products, eggs, fish, offal, muscle meats, fruit and maybe some supplements. It is a very balanced diet and you get to control the ingredients as well as the quality. Some people leave out dairy products or grains.

On the other hand, an owner suggests that you keep a Boxer healthy with occasional yogurt treats.

Boxers tend to have lots of food allergies. One owner put an ailing and lethargic Boxer on a strictly venison diet and the dog finally thrived, gained weight and became very active.

There is also a recent concern about eating a large amount of grapes or raisins, since they can be toxic to dogs, leading to acute kidney failure.

The reports concerning this grape/raisin poisoning have only just surfaced and the information is still sketchy at best. The Animal Poison Control Center in the US is investigating this new medical development.

Some questions remaining to be answered are:

• How much grapes or raisins eaten could become toxic to your dog?
• What is the toxic substance?
• How does it affect the kidney?

To be safe, have your veterinarian check your Boxer if he has eaten a large amount of grapes or raisins because a healthy kidney is key to its survival.

John Samuels is the proud owner of two beautiful boxers called Napoleon and Buck. If you found this tip useful and would like some more tips on boxer care please visit my boxerdogtraining.evenpick.com Boxer Dog Trainings site at boxerdogtraining.evenpick.com boxerdogtraining.evenpick.com

The Halloween holiday can be a scary and dangerous time for your pet. By following some simple rules and advice you can keep your pet safe and comfortable without infringing on the family fun this halloween:

1. Don’t put costumes on your pets unless they are used to it. Wearing clothing can make pets uncomfortable. Be especially careful in warmer climates as tight fitting costumes will cause heat exhaustion very quickly.

2. Candy and especially candy wrappers should not be left lying around the house. These small objects can cause life threatening blockages in the intestines if eaten by your pet.

3. Chocolate is toxic to animals. It can make them very sick and can be life threatening. Make sure that the “after Halloween” candy is stored safely so your pet can’t get to it, especially the chocolate. I personally see a good few animals at this time of year at my emergency clinic because of chocolate poisoning. Why not give them a pet treat instead?

4. If you think your pet has eaten some Halloween chocolate contact your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. Dark chocolate, especially, can be life threatening. If you can’t reach your veterinarian you can call the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at (888) 426- 4435. (A $50 consultation fee may apply)

5. Avoid taking your pet out when you go out to “Trick or Treat”. Loud noises and strange costumes may frighten your pet into the road and cause accidents.

6. It’s best to put your pet in a separate room away from the door, so he/she won’t be bothered by the presence of strange people and noises.

7. Remember to make sure your pet is wearing his/her pet tag or that the identification microchip is present. That way, if the door is repeatedly opened to allow guests in and out and your pet escapes, there is more chance you will get them back sooner if lost..

Dr David Brooks is the co-founder of whydoesmypet.com” target=”_blank WhyDoesMyPet.com – Expert answers for all your pet questions. Visit us today to ask you pet question.

If your feline friend could speak your language, here a few things she would probably like you to know.

1) I am the boss of you. Get used to it. I decide when I want your company. I am not a dog who relies on you to make these choices in our relationship.

2) I am fenicky. I like the food I like and I will not eat the cheap stuff. I prefer to have the nasty, overnight water left in my dish dumped first thing in the morning. If you cannot accommodate this need, Do Not Yell At Me when you see me desperately dipping my head into the toilet for some fresh water. Believe me, it’s not something I Want To Be Doing – But If You Don’t Take Care Of Me Properly – I simply have no choice.

3) I like my space. I choose my space. I pick special places through out Our House to lay in the sun, take my afternoon nap, relax after dinner etc… Deal with it. Do not expect me to clean up my own hair. I cannot help it if I shed on your precious sofa, and I personally don’t really care if I leave a little bit of me behind on my Favorite places.

4) I do not want to have a new “sister” or “brother” ie: feline relative. If they came to live with you when I did that’s fine. If you’re trying to improve the quality of my life by giving me a new friend, Forget About It… I don’t want one. I like being the Queen/King of Our Domain. I do not want to share my palace with anyone.

5) I like you and I like your children (or most of them). But I chose when I want to be bothered with the youngsters. Please do not push them on me when I’m clearly not in the mood to play, which consequently results in me being forced to let them know I do not want interact with them in the only way I know how – by hissing, scratching, or trying to run away. My actions inevitably lead to you yelling at me for showing my feelings. So we could make life much simpler, if You prevented this whole scenario from the start.

6) I have certain innate needs – like the need for something to scratch – Please make both of our lives easier by getting me something just for this purpose… So I do not have to resort to using the back of the chair, the carpet, the comforter or the front porch screen (which will definitely result in you having to Yell at me yet once more for something that I have a natural desire to do…)

7) Remember You picked me. You decided to bring me into your home. I did not pick you. I had no choice. Yet I treat you with respect and love, thus you should treat me equally as well…

Resource Box – © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine – A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like – love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at – bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp

The death of a beloved pet is something that all of us animal lovers dread. It’s probably even easiest not to think of this possibility until absolutely necessary. That, of course, is our natural response. So what can we do when we are confronted with the passing of a canine friend? I’ll tell you.

It will be emotionally draining to come to terms with the death of a dog whether you’ve had time to plan for the final goodbye or not. It is important to remember that you can and will live through this difficult time not just for yourself, but for your beloved furbaby as well.

Those of us who choose to improve our lives and those of animals by living with canine companions know that our animals want, above all, for us to be happy. Living through your dog’s death is a tribute to him or her.

Follow the W O O F technique to begin to live through the pain:

Wait
The death of a pet is a highly emotional time during which it is hard to make decisions very clearly. The first step to living through this time is simply to wait. Take some time to breathe, to calm yourself and to think about what needs to be done.

Write your thoughts and ideas down in a journal, make a to do list, let yourself grieve. Not allowing yourself the necessary downtime will just make the process more difficult.

Own your feelings
Step two is to really come to terms with your feelings and accept them. You will feel the entire spectrum of emotions. It is reasonable to expect that you will feel angry and betrayed, that you’ll be overwhelmed by sadness, or even that you’ll laugh when you have a funny memory of your pet.

Whatever the feeling you’re having, accept it. Use a journal to write down your feelings, it will help you to see the progression in your emotions. Know that all of your feelings are justified. It is what makes you a living and compassionate being.

Offer your memories
Once you’ve started to work through and accept your feelings, it’s time to remember your dog. First write about your pet: How long was he/she with you? Where did he/she come from? What memories do you have? Collect any pictures you have and think about the life you had with your dog. Share your stories and photos with family and friends who love you and your dog. Ask them for their recollections.

This celebration of your dog will help to remind you that above all he/she wanted you to be happy and that his/her happiest moments were spent being with and living with you. Respect your dog’s life by continuing to live yourself.

Free yourself
Finally, free yourself from the pain and the guilt that inevitably come with the death of a loved one. Know that your dog is at peace and does not blame you for his/her death. Open yourself up to living and loving. When you free yourself to live, you will allow yourself to be open to new possibilities. Work to improve the lives of other dogs through volunteer work or donations. Eventually you may want to share your home with another pet. Life has unending potential if you allow yourself to live.

Living through the death of a dog is not something that happens overnight. Take the time that you need to come to terms with the death, but don’t prevent yourself from living. Know that you are not alone; your canine companion is always in your heart and always wants the best for you. Remember the steps: Wait, Own your feelings, Offer your memories, Free yourself. Follow the WOOF and live happily.

Robin Jean Brown is author of an ebook on petlossguide.com pet loss which you can download by going to PetLossGuide.com PetLossGuide.com