With all the concerns about products from China, it really makes me worry about items I give my precious pet. In early 2008 wheat gluten that was shipped from China contained melamine (a plastic) to increase the protein level and was used to make dog food. Several pets died of kidney failure as a result. Melamine contains nitrogen and adding it to any food can incorrectly suggest and inflated protein levels. Then just recently, some Chinese manufacturers were adding melamine to their infant powdered milk also to increase the protein levels, which lead to kidney failure and the deaths of several toddlers and babies. This issue also left several thousand babies with kidney stone problems.

I am very concerned about everything I give Eliot, from his food, treats, toys and also the bowls I use to serve him his meals. It makes me think that plastic bowls might not be the best thing for my pet, with all the information circulating about eating and drinking from plastics. Also plastic bowls are more likely to be chewed or spilled by your best friend. While stainless steel is a good choice for dog bowls they are also light weight and can easily be pushed around your kitchen floor.

I think a better choice is a stoneware bowl and I found a manufacturer in the good old USA! Yes, you read that correctly, they are made in Zanesville, Ohio to be exact! No need to worry about lead paint or toxic chemicals when your dog licks his bowls clean! These stoneware bowls are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe! And you can also be safe about your dinnerware too, for they not only make pet bowls but a variety of stoneware for your table to suit everyone’s taste! You and your pet can also have a matching set of dinnerware. Go to www.hartstonepottery.com and you will find a variety of sizes and designs for your precious pet! These safe bowls will give you one less thing to worry about for your pet in today’s world.

The pros for dogs living indoors with the family are a safe, healthier, and happier dog. Dogs are social animals that depend on companionship and thrive in the safe living environment of their pack. They bond with their owner and they are more likely to obey commands. If you are using your Springer for hunting purposes, he/she will do their best in the field to please you. You will be more aware of any health issues that might occur with your dog. Dogs find comfort in familiar surroundings such as dog odors are also a concern if someone in the home has allergies.

Pros for an outdoor dog is from a human perspective, shedding, dog hair and dog odors especially if someone in the home has allergies.

However, there are many cons for a dog living outdoors. Outside dogs have a lack of human contact and are insecure and more anxious. They are less social, due to long periods of isolation. They tend to have behavioral problems, and are more aggressive and territorial of their small area. Outdoor dogs tend to be excessive barkers and are more difficult to train. They can be subject to teasing and taunting, shot or poisoned. They can not defend themselves while being chained and can be injured or killed by other dogs or animals. If they are in an enclosed area, they tend to concentrate on ways to escape, putting them at risk being hit by a vehicle or lost. An outdoor dog tends to be less healthy and sunburn, heatstroke, frostbite, exposure, and dehydration can be a devastating health problem. They are also more likely to catch diseases. Theft can also be issue.

A dog reacts well to living indoors but having an area outdoors, such as a fenced yard for play and napping in the sun. An electronic fence may work well for some breeds, but be aware that a Springer is a hunting dog and his/her hunting instinct may ignore the shock of the electronic fence. Never leave your dog outdoors while you are not at home, they are like a small child and must be supervised. Their actions will surprise you!

Advantage Flea Medication is considered by some to be more successful than Frontline for killing fleas. It’s the second most popular flea product after frontline and is manufactured by Bayer. The downside of Advantage is that it is not safe for children, and it does not kill ticks. 

The most important thing about Advantage is that it is fast acting and will stop fleas from multiplying quickly.  By stopping the spread of fleas and killing the fleas that try to bite your pet, you will be able to work at ridding your pets and home of these troublesome pests. It is very important the fleas are removed from your home, as they can carry diseases and cause discomfort to dogs, cats, as well as humans.

Advantage flea medicine is easy to apply. Either in pill or lotion format, you treat your pet with the medications. The pet then absorbs the medication into their blood stream. When a flea bites them or comes in contact with the medication, they are poisoned. This prevents them from reproducing, as well as resulting in the death of the flea. By cutting their reproductive cycle and the number of fleas, you can use your pet as a flea removal tool.

Advantage flea medicine can be used year round, but it is suggested that for those who do not want to treat their pets all of the time, it is applied several weeks prior to the start of flea season. Flea season usually begins in April, so it is suggested that you start treatments in early march. Medication should continue until after flea season has ended, which occurs in December. As such, only January and February are realistically safe for your pets to go untreated.

If you have a flea problem, Advantage flea medication can help remove the problem. However, this method takes time. If you have a serious infestation, you may need to use flea foggers or other products to quickly remove fleas. As flea bites can linger for up to two weeks, fleas can cause a great deal of discomfort for both yourself and your pets. As fleas will bite anything warm with blood, they are also prime candidates for spreading disease. While they are not quite as good at transmitting diseases than an airborne carrier such as the mosquito, it is still a concern worth addressing.

What Advantage flea medication can do for you is prevent an infestation from occurring. This is particularly important if your pet goes outside, as the majority of flea infestations begin with a pet who has gone outside and has brought so much as a single flea indoors.

If you are trying to remove a flea infestation, you should take care to dispose of any items, such as vacuum bags, where fleas may breed.

If you ever wondered where all those lovely and cute puppies you see in pet stores ever came from, look no further. A very few of them might have come from parts unknown and a very few of them might be able to trace their ancestry back to the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, but most of the puppies you see in pet stores, come from various different puppy breeders. 

These people are the ones who make it their life’s work to breed certain type of pets. If the puppy breeders breed only one type of puppy, or they specialize in a certain type of breed, perhaps to use as a show dog, then the value of these puppies do tend to go up in price. Such was the case with Eliot. These, of course are the better breeders. Often, you’ll need to put your name on a waiting list with an elite puppy breeder and wait months or years to have a top bread show dog. 

Other breeders may breed their dogs in a barn, such as where our second dog, Spencer, was born.  You may find these puppy breeders in a newspaper or some place like craigslist.  A friend may even know of someone who had a dog that just had puppies. 

If you’re actively looking to get a puppy, and a pet store is your easiest option, you will first want to do some investigating into the background of your intended puppy. Where did it come from; what is its lineage; what illnesses can it have; have any genetic flaws or disease been bred out if it; and most important of all, where does it come from? 

These are all valid questions, and should be asked before you buy a puppy as it will help you to make a decision with a clearer understanding of the situation. For example, my daughter thought a bull dog would make the perfect low maintenance pet for her until she learned that they have a short life span of just 5-7 years.

The last question, “where does your pet-to-be come from?” is especially important if you care about such things as puppy mills. In these places, animals are churned out like in factory and the puppy have no proper care. They aren’t ill treated physically, although some can be, instead they are ill treated in the manner in which they are forced to live. This is why it’s always a good idea to check up on where your pet came from, and whether it came from suitable puppy breeders, or puppy breeders without a conscience who only care about the last dollar.

Not all puppy breeders are like that of course. Most love their pets, and breed them only with the best care and attention given to them. These puppies live in humane conditions, and enjoy a good life. 

Pet store puppies often look somewhat unhealthy in comparison to a puppy that you might buy from a local breeder, so know what a healthy puppy should look like.  Notice features like red, irritated eyes, runny noses, and an unhealthy coat that may be a sign of an underlying problem that could plague a new puppy through a very short life span.  

In this day and age it’s not so difficult to find the information you need, and a little judicious hunting around can help you to find pet breeders who are known and respected in the puppy breeding community, and who provide their puppies with only the best care. 

If you hate harsh chemicals, you are in need of a natural flea killer. These range from herbs to harmless dish soaps that can be purchased in virtually any grocery store. This is highly useful for those who react poorly to chemicals or do not want kids or pets exposed to them.

When selecting a natural flea killer, there are several things that you want to keep in mind. First, you will want to decide whether the use of any chemicals is allowed. Products such as some varieties of lemon dish soaps can repel fleas, as well as borax soap. These products are not 100% natural, but they are commonly used in households, which make them good alternatives.

The next thing you need to keep in mind when selecting a natural flea killer is how toxic you wish to go with them. Just because something is natural does not necessarily mean that it is safe. Some compounds should not be left where children and pets can gain access to them.

If you need a 100% safe and natural flea killer, you can use herbs such as Pennyroyal or cedar wood chips. Both of these are harmless to pets and children, and make an excellent addition to any flea killing regime. They can even be used in conjunction with pet treatments such as Front Line and Advantage to help kill off a flea infestation. By preventing the fleas from affecting your pets, plus establishing a warded area through scattering the herbs and chips around your home or kennel, you can remove fleas quickly and efficiently.

If you want to directly protect yourself and your pets, there are still options for you. Essential oils can act as a natural flea killer, while also providing benefits to your skin. Citronella, Lemongrass and Lavender are all known to provide benefits while also serving as a flea repellent.

Using a natural flea killer, or a combination of several, is not enough to protect your home from fleas. You need to make certain that you do not expose your pets to fleas. If you have pets that go outdoors, you need to make use of flea collars and flea shampoos, as well as proper flea medications. While a natural flea killer regime can significantly increase the number of fleas that enter your home, only good habits will ensure the fleas do not return. Natural Flea Killers may seam less expensive than treatments like Frontline, but are not as effective, so over the long run, if you are trying to treat your dog inexpensively, be aware that these solutions are more useful for dogs and humans that are looking to avoid chemicals. 

If you have a severe flea infestation, it is strongly suggested that you take all needed actions to remove them as quickly as possible, as flea bites can transmit disease and cause discomfort for several weeks. 

It is that time of the year again! All the shopping and baking and parties, just the thought of it all makes me exhausted! At least Eliot is not picky about what he wants Santa to bring him. He does not make a list or watch the commercials on television for gifts that cannot be purchased anywhere except E-bay for twice as much as the item is worth. Thank goodness, a sweet Springer Spaniel is easy to please on Christmas morning.

Eliot loves to unwrap his gifts along with everyone else on Christmas morning. However, Santa knows that he can not place his packages under the tree unless they are wrapped and have no food scent to the item. Springers must have a good memory, because every Christmas morning Eliot knows how to unwrap his gifts and enjoy!

Holiday gifts for dogs are easy! Just check out Doctors Foster & Smith Holiday Catalog or your local pet store. There are all kinds of treats and biscuits of every shape and size and even dog Christmas cookies! There are warm sweaters, jackets and hoodies for winter walks and doggles for eye protection from the glaring snow. New leashes and collars are a great idea. For the traveling dog there are all kinds of travel carriers and accessories. Dog beds, cages and even heated pads for your senior dog can be found. Stuffed toys, rope toys, Frisbees, balls and Kongs are always loved toys. Pre-made stockings are also an easy gift.

Here are some other holiday ideas. If your dog has a favorite family member or grandparent you can make a pawprint ornament as a keepsake. You can also bake your own doggie Christmas cookies for your dog. You can knit or crochet your dog a sweater or sew a collar bandana. But no matter what is under the tree for your best friend, your dog will love just being with you on the holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and your best friend!