All domesticated dogs are descendants of wolves.  To better understand your puppy’s language, it might be helpful to know more about wolf communication and signaling.  Once you have spent ample time with your puppy, you will start to notice that his barking is for different reasons at different times.  He might bark to let you know someone is at the door, or that his water bowl is empty or that he’s hungry.  If you haven’t paid him any attention for a while, he will bark because he wants you to spend time with him and to play.

Here is one infographic that sheds light on the reasons dogs bark, to better help you understand your puppy:

With the holidays just ending and now the year coming to a close I have been feeling a little more stressed than usual.  There are few things that can help me to chill out and relax.  A glass of red wine can often do the trick, but the best cure for my stress has got to be looking and laughing at cute little puppies.

I figured you all might be having the same issue as I am with all the hustle and bustle from the past holiday and the fact that 2012 is just days away.  So I created cute puppy Thursday!  Let’s look at cute puppies now!

 

Little English bulldog pups have fun frolicking and rolling around in their sweet round bodies.

Here you can watch tiny little Chihuahuas play and romp around. Talk about energy, these pups have got it.

Oh how I adore pug puppies. They are just so cute! In this video you get to see a darling pug puppy playing with a ball. He is pouncing around in the most adorable way ever.

I hope you enjoyed cute puppy Thursday, and I hope you all have a very happy New Year!

• The best lighting for your pet photos is natural lighting.  A flash from the camera can cause a couple of issues.  It can create red eye or a glow that is very unnatural looking on your pet.  A flash might also startle your pet and you will lose your model.  For the best lighting, go outside or use a room that has many windows and is well lit naturally.
• Get on your pet’s level when taking photos.  You will want to get down to get a straight on angle instead of taking a photo from up above your pet.  Be sure that your pet is comfortable too.  If you have to drag your pooch to the spot where you want the picture taken, he might not be too thrilled and it will show.
• Capture who your pet is.  If you have an outgoing pup, then catch him in the moment of having a good time.  If your dog loves to lounge around and be lazy, catch him yawning or stretching.  You want his personality to shine through the photo.
• Treats are your friend.  One of my dogs is the best listener.  You tell him to sit still and he does.  On the other hand, I have a crazy rambunctious pup that will only listen if you have a treat in hand.  If you have this kind of furry pal too, then don’t hesitate to break out a treat every once in a while.

Often, the cat will have lived in the house already for a long time before a new puppy is introduced, but the reverse might also be true.  If you are bringing a new kitten home to live among your canine companions, knowing the differences and likenesses of cats and dogs can help you anticipate the right behaviors to encourage to build trust between them and a lasting, loyal friendship that will make having a mixed pet household lots more fun.  Check out this infographic for more:

Pug.  Pugs are not the type of dog to require a lot of physical activity.  They do not get very big in size, and they are extremely friendly and fun.  Most pugs can get pretty yappy though, and they like to be the center of attention, but they are loyal and will be your best friend.  If you can handle a little bit of high maintenance, over-the-top personality, then a pug is great for you.

Dachshund.  A dachshund does not get very big in size, and they are incredibly sweet dogs.  Exercise is not on the top of their to do list, so apartment living is quite perfect.  Minimal grooming and little shedding also help to make dachshunds top contenders for apartment pups.

Miniature Pinscher.  These little guys are fun, loyal, and full of energy.  They are compact which means apartment living is a good fit, and they are not easily intimidated, so you will find that you have a little guard dog on hand too.

Shih-Tzu.  Another smaller breed dog that does not need a lot of exercise, the shih tzu is a great companion for an apartment.  Be patient when house training, and after that you will have a good natured, attention loving pooch to share your space with.

Labrador Retriever.  A Labrador retriever is the largest on the list, but the are incredibly intelligent pups that can adapt to all kinds of environments.  They are also found on other lists like most intelligent, best family dogs, and more!

To start off, make sure that breed of your new dog is one that doesn’t have a history of aggression or is not recommended for families with children if that is relevant to your particular scenario.  Some breeds are inherently more aggressive and do not get along with other dogs as well domestically as others.  A few breeds that are known for getting along well with other dogs are labs and golden retrievers so if you are investigating a new type of dog, keep this in mind.

If you are adopting a puppy, it will be easier to help that young one adapt to the new surroundings and the new friend since it has not been used to another family or environment.  When you first bring the puppy home, make sure that the entire family doesn’t spend all their time with the puppy and abandon the existing dog.  This often leads to the older dog acting out by being disobedient or by being aggressive toward the puppy for no reason.  You need to show both dogs that you care about them and that they deserve your attention.  Many children often forget this fact and become absorbed in the cute little puppy, forgetting about their other dog and leaving it to feel lonely.

If you are adopting a grown dog from another family or from a shelter, don’t force the dogs to be together all the time at the very beginning.  Start by introducing the dogs and seeing how they get along first.  If they seem to have some hesitance, try taking your old dog to the park for a while each to give him some time without the other and to show to him that you still care.  Dogs are very sensitive to the amount of attention that is given to them relative to that given to other dogs.  If you can clearly indicate to both dogs that you love them equally, they will be more likely to get along better with one another in general.

There are five different reasons that your pooch will bark:  warning, alarm, command, play, and for needs.  Usually a warning bark is a howl bark following a low growl.  An alarm bark is most likely to happen when your dog can’t see what is going on.  Your dog can bark on command, and while playing to show that he is having fun he might let out some barks as well.  Your dog might also be letting you know that he needs to go outside or eat with a bark too.  Find out what your dog is trying to tell you.

If you own a dog, then you obviously know that their needs can be very similar to your own.  However, they also have some special needs that you and I do not have.  Clearly this is the case because humans and dogs are entirely different species.  If you have ever really wondered about all that is truly different between dogs and humans in an anatomical sense, then have a look at this infographic that I came across the other day.  It is really cool.  I had no clue that some of these things were so different.   What I found most interesting was the amount of sleep.  I feel like my furry buds get more than 12 hours of sleep, but maybe that’s an average total.

The first time I noticed problems with my pugs skin folds, he had this weird smell around his face.  Sure enough when we went to the vet, the vet lifted his skin fold over his nose and he had a yeast infection.  I thought I was the worst dog owner ever.  For a couple of weeks I had to daily clean his ears and folds on his face.  Now, it is done on a regular basis for maintenance.  If you have an issue with goo and ear wax and other gross things, I do not recommend you get a pug.

My little man has some very sensitive skin.  When the weather changes or if a flea looks at him, my pug will begin his annoying and incessant licking and scratching.  Twice a year typically he has to go on Prednisone for skin allergies.  He also cannot use regular old topical Frontline for his flea and tick prevention, but he needs a pills that I have to fight with him to take.  Talk about high maintenance.

His weight was a battle for the first couple of years of his life.  One minute he was too heavy, after a diet too thin, and I was going crazy trying to figure out what to do.  See my pug never eats people food or anything like that so it wasn’t like I was causing this weight issue, we had to try three different types of dog food to find the perfect balance.  Now, though his weight is taken care of.

He still gets an occassional ear infection, and the skin allergies are unavoidable but he is a healthy pug.  Good new too is that my pug is a light snorer unlike others.  Just know that if you are looking for a companion in a pug, they do come with some health related issues.  Be prepared but know that there is nothing better than pug love.