Fifer`s Schnauzers

The dogs are our children, especially when we have no human children. We treat them like children, often openly spoiling them. That can be a problem when a baby arrives to the family. If we neglect the dog, he may feel jealous and hurt the baby. Or even, he can inadvertently hurt the baby or the mother who has just given birth or had a c-section. Therefore it is important to take certain precautions to prepare the way for the arrival of a new family member:

First of all educate the dog in time. Click here to find out how. A dog who knows how to walk properly next to the master, who can follow simple commands such as sit, stay, pick up or drop something, is easier to handle. So if you have not done it yet, do so as soon as you can, make this a priority, so that when the baby arrives, and the dog has been obeying for several months.

Restructure the dog’s routines to what you think will be the new family routines with your baby. What time you will rise, will feed the baby, bring him out in the sun, nap, etc. Include among those activities, dog activities. Ideally, the dog will learn to go out to the yard at the same time that we will bring the baby out, so he will not be asking when we are busy with feedings or bath.

Have a routine of structured time for the dog. The dog will learn that there is a time to play with him, pet him, brush him, etc. And keep it once the baby arrives so that the dog will not feel left out.

Buy baby things including lotions, powder and perfume, early. Let the dog smell them and get used to the new smell. Set up the baby’s and let the dog come in and explore. Educate him to not climb on the baby furniture now that the baby has not arrived yet, so he has learned it when the baby arrives.

Finally, after returning home from the hospital, after a couple of days off it’s better to have someone else hold the baby to enter the house, so the mother can attend to the dog until it calms down. Once calmed, the mother may sit with the child in her arms, and the father aside in case of an emergency, and let the dog smell the child to know him.

It will take a few days to adjust to the routine of having two babies at home, but with a little effort and organization, it can be achieved.

Dogs and humans have been best friends for centuries. While dogs give unconditional friendly, love and loyalty to their owners, owners are, in return, responsible for their overall wellness and providing them with food and water, safety and shelter. As a matter of fact, if you do not provide the proper care for your dog, it is not only likely to suffer from physical problems, but behavioral complications as well. In this blog, we will provide you several dog-care basics that you need to follow and in order to help you out with the task, we have listed a number of dog caring tips.

How to take good care of your dog

•  Collar your dog and attach an ID to it, with the dog’s name, your name, address, and telephone number written on it. With the help of this information provided in case it gets lost, someone will able to bring your pet safely back to your home.
• Bathing your dog regularly, however, bathing on an exceedingly frequent basis can dry out its skin and coat or even result in skin infections. Our advice is to bathe your dog once in a month.
• Groom your pet on a daily basis. Move a brush or comb through the hair of your dog, ensuring that its coat remains smooth and healthy.
• It is necessary to undertake a proper physical examination of your dog by a veterinary professional at least every few months. Also, when possible, check the pad of its feet for any injuries. At the same time, make sure to keep its ears as well as teeth clean.
• Provide you dog with the best diet possible according to its needs.
• Make sure that it gets plenty of exercise. Keeping its physically active will also help keep behavioral problems under control. Remember that the level of exercise that your dog should get depends upon its age and breed.
• Provide proper shelter for your dog, mainly in the form of a dog house and fence yard if possible. Do not leave your dog alone for long periods. Most pets need constant human attention in order to be well.

It is a scientifically proven fact that physical contact is necessary for humans. So much so that we get sick for lack of it and we improve upon receiving it. Science has also shown that contact with a pet helps to alleviate the ills of body and soul.
Many doctors recommend, in addition to medication, that the patient has a pet to keep him company and cherish. According to research, 92% of respondents have achieved health improvements arising from the relationship with their pets. 76% considered that their stress has decreased, 65% said that mental health is better and 31% have improved their fitness by exercise performed with their pet.

This is why there are groups that have trained animals to go to hospitals and nursing homes to bring a little joy to those who live there. The patients show better immunity, which helps them tolerate infections that they catch because they are weak from other diseases. Their blood pressure lowers and in general they show, along with improved mood, improved health.

And is that animals help improve our mood, contribute to a more pleasant and healthy life. There are even studies that proof that having a dog prolongs life.
Having to take care of an animal keeps us active, and this activity helps to maintain good health. Pet and play with a pet makes us forget the problems and so the stress levels go down and stops being as harmful to our wellbeing.

The unconditional love our pets give us also helps to feel important, needed and loved. All this helps to prevent and improve depression.

Walking the dog helps to exercise and is an aid to socialize with other dog owners in the park. Socialization is also important part of wellness.

So make a space in your home and your heart and adopt a pet. You will not regret it.

They are called working dogs or assistance dogs to help us humans in specific tasks. That is the case of rescue dogs, or those seeking for drugs or explosives at airports, defense dogs, those who pull sleds, aid in hunting, pastors and those who guide the blind.

Among them, a very special group is the dogs that help disabled people. Disabled people need help, and having to rely on someone else to help take away a lot of autonomy, and in many cases, if there isn’t a relative available but someone hired, could be very expensive.

The assistance dogs for the disabled are trained to perform many functions depending on the needs of the owner. The most common is to pull the wheelchair, pick up things from the floor, turn off lights, and call the emergency number with the help of a special telephone that has a big button the dog can press with his paw.

If a hearing impaired person, the dog can alert them of any danger or that the phone is ringing, if he/she does not see the light that tells them, because they are looking the other way. They are trained to go wake up the person if they notice any danger or hear any alarms.

For people who are in wheelchairs, the dog learns to open and close doors, open and close drawers, get things out and bring them to the owner when he/she asks.

These assistance dogs for disabled persons are carefully trained and must meet health and temperament requirements. Because they are essential to the performance of the disabled person are allowed in places where pets are not allowed.

The service dog, although it is a loving animal to its owner, should not be considered a pet. It is important to remember not to pet a working dog that we see on the street. If you ever see a person with a beautiful dog who is attending them, admire it from afar, but never get closer, or offer him food. These behaviors are outside of their training and could affect the performance of the dog, distracting him from his obligations.

If your dog is curious and playful, as many pets are, it’s practically inevitable that he or she will be the victim of a bug bite or sting at some point. Even dogs that spend most of the time inside the home often get bitten by common insects. While in most cases bug bites are not deadly, these can be irritating and incommodious for your dog.

Be aware of signs and symptoms of dog bug bites in order to help and provide relief from pain and irritation if necessary.

Dogs are sometimes plagued by fleas and ticks, which are small, wingless insects. External parasites such as these feed upon the blood and cause bites. Your dog’s actions can offer a clue as to whether or not fleas or ticks are at the root of your pet’s frustration. For example, dogs with fleas tend to bite and scratch persistently at different parts of their body. It is also possible to observe fleas and ticks with the naked eye by combing through your dog’s coat and looking for the tiny insects crawling over your pet’s skin.

When a dog is bitten by a mosquito he or she will experience swelling and itching at the site of the bite, and the area may become red and slightly inflamed. Stings from bees, wasps, and hornets will also cause swelling, usually in greater proportions. A dog that is stung by a bee or wasp will also suffer extreme hurting at the actual spot of the sting. In the case of spider bites, or if your dog has been stung various times, additional symptoms may be occur, such as shivering and vomiting. These signs are critical and if displayed by your pet, you should rapidly consult a veterinarian.

The guide dog wears a harness that has two parts, leather body that surrounds the animal’s chest, above and below the front legs, and the metal handle that is adjusted depending on the dog’s and the user’s needs. The handle is metal to keep it rigid, so that the user can immediately feel any of the dog’s movement in his hand.

The guide dog is trained to walk on the left side of the user, however you might also train it to walk on the right side if necessary, for example, if the user had problems with his left arm or was missing it.

The user walks beside the dog, near the hindquarters. This gives him/her time to react if the dog swerves to avoid an obstacle or stop suddenly. The dog must walk in a position to guide with enough tension on the harness so that the user can follow, but without causing much stress to the dog and hinder their work or cause future health problems.

The blind person walking with a cane uses tactile references, both with the stick, as well as touching with his hands. Learning to let go of the stick and be guided by the dog is a process. Now the user must rely on his dog, and feel the dog’s movements in the hand that is carrying the harness.

He/she also uses his/her other senses for guidance. The hearing and smell, will help them know where they are regarding the environment. For this reason the guide dog is trained to walk in a straight line in the middle of the pavement. The dog also read the pedestrian traffic lights to alert the user when to stop and when to follow.

Pug & Schnauzer

The Pug is one of the oldest breeds known today, believed to have originated before 400 BC. There is somewhat of a debate over the origin of the Pug. Most researchers agree that the Pug originated from Asia descended from a short-haired Pekingese. Another theory is that it is the result of crossing a small Bulldog, while other speculates that it is a miniature form of the French Mastiff. This breed became popular during Victorian times in the 19th century. Tibetan monasteries kept Pugs as pets. The breed made its way to Japan and Europe where it not only became a pet of royalty but the official dog of the House of Orange in Holland. In France, Napoleon’s wife, Josephine also had a Pug named Fortune. A funny fact is that on their wedding night, when Napoleon refused to allow the dog to sleep in their bed Josephine told him if the dog was not allowed on the bed, she would not sleep in his company. It is also believed that when Josephine was sent to prison she used her pug to send secret messages to her husband by placing a note under the collar.

The Pug is a small, stocky and thickset dog. The round head is massive with a short, semi- square shaped muzzle. Moles on the cheeks are considered original beauty spots. The teeth meet in a slight undershot bite. The very large, prominent eyes in pugs are dark. The small, thin ears are either rose or button shaped. The face has large, deep wrinkles and the tail is curled over the back The short coat is soft, fine and smooth. Coat colors come in colors such as beige, apricot, black and silver.

Pugs usually have a happy attitude. They are animated, spirited, loyal, loving and affectionate with their owners. They are also playful, lively and rambunctious, a breed sure to keep you laughing. Highly smart, pugs can get bored easily without variety in their training and daily activities.

The pug is a great dog which can easily live in an apartment. It is relatively inactive indoors and will do pretty okay without a yard to play. It has difficulties withstanding hot or cold weather and should be kept indoors at a comfortable temperature.

In almost all developed countries there are training schools for guide dogs. Most of these schools are grouped into different federations in their respective countries. There is also the International Federation of Guide Dog Schools.

The guide dog gives more autonomy and independence to the blind, for that reason, the fact that there are such schools to train dogs, is seen as a sign of development in terms of social security services. So you can consider the existence of dog training centers as a gauge of development.

In Panama there are no training centers. According to Patronato Luz del Ciego, the problem is that the Panamanian state of the streets is not suitable for the use of such dogs.

As for the breeds used for this activity, the most widely used are the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, a cross between them, and the German Shepherd.
Among the factors to consider when choosing a breed, consider the health of the parents, the size, coat, that there are no genetic defects of temperament. To choose a guide dog is taken into account adaptability, degree of dominance, concentration, motivation and aggressiveness.

The training of dogs consists of different stages, starting with the upbringing of the puppy. Since childhood, the puppy should get used to living in a family, not to be nervous with the noise and get along with people. This stage also includes basic obedience, such as not to soil the inside of the house, not breaking things and walk on a leash.

Then go to the specific training phase, which is delivered at the center, and starts when the dog is one year old. At this stage the dog learns to walk a straight line and avoid obstacles, among other things. Once the dog has learned different skills he will be given more responsibility and is exposed to progressively more difficult situations.

The third stage is the most complex of all. This is to get the user and the dog to work well together. The blind person should take a course to learn to use the dog, and together they are trained to fit each other and training specific to the needs of the user, his home and the routes used.

Completed all these steps, over the working life of the dog, he will have to attend training sessions every 6 months for follow-up.

One use that we all know for dogs, but in which we barely think about is the dog as a working animal. Of the many functions that can play a working dog, the most common is the guide dog for the blind.

The first known records in terms of guide dog training are from 1827 in Austria. Leopold Chimani wrote a book in which he talked about how Joseph Resinger, a man who had been blinded at age 17, had trained three dogs.

Then in 1819 Johann Wilkelm Kleim wrote a book about training techniques, perfecting Resinger’s techniques. After this book there wasn’t any other until 1845 that Jacob Birrer published his. Modern principles of guide dog training are based on these techniques, refined over the years.

The growing number of soldiers blind as a result of the First World War resulted in Dr. Gerhard Stalling opening the first training school for guide dogs in the world in Germany in 1916. Dr. Stallings decided to use as the German Shepherds breed because they performed very well in rescue, patrol and search.

In 1927, the American dog breeder Eutis Dorothy, who lived and trained rescue dogs for the Red Cross in Switzerland with her ​​husband, George, heard about the German school and went to visit it and to learn their techniques. The American newspaper “The Saturday Evening” asked Mrs. Eutis to write an article about their dogs, but she would not reveal their secrets and instead wrote an article on the importance of guide dogs in the U.S.

That article was the beginning for Ms. Eutis to open her training school “The Seeing Eye” in Nasville Tennessee, USA.

Having a pet is a big commitment. This animal will be spending many years with you. So, before you go to a shelter or rush into purchasing your new pet in the store, it is important to ask yourself the following several questions:

• Am I emotionally, financially, and personally prepared to take on the responsibility of having a new pet?
• Do I understand the housing, nutritional and health requirements of this pet?
• Have I acquired the necessary items needed to take care of this pet?
• Have I ‘made my house safe for this pet?
• Do I know what type of pet I want? e.g., breed, size, temperament, age, gender, and energy level? Jot down the characteristics you are looking for. There are people who have gone and adopted a different type of pet than what they had in mind and have later regretted their decision. Be sure of the type of pet you are looking for and that it matches your lifestyle characteristics.
• Are the members of your family in agreement about getting a new pet?
• And last but not least…Have guidelines been set for the feeding, discipline and training, and don´t forget… who will be responsible for cleaning up after the pet?