1. Watering the Christmas tree is not the same as lifting your leg on the pine in the front yard . . . Don’t do it . . . as tempting as it may be.
2. A turd on the rug does not a present make.
3. Remember that not all the packages under the tree are for you . . . even the ones that smell yummy!
4. Oh . . . and about that tree . . . don’t drink the water under it.
In my 10 years of working with dogs, anal glands have become, sort of, a normal topic of conversation for me. While I still find it disgusting, it’s not as terribly repulsive as it used to be. And as common a topic as it is for me, I’m finding some dog owners don’t even know what the anal glands are! So . . . I’m going to dish out the dirt . . . literally, because it’s kind of gross.
Dogs experience digestive upset like vomiting, diarrhea and constipation . . . partly because we have a tendency to eat things we shouldn’t like dad’s leather shoe, the contents of the garbage can, the remote, a dead carcass . . . and many other yummy treasures we find out in the lawn.
I am often asked by prospective dog owners, “What dog can I get that won’t shed?” My answer typically is if you want a dog that does not shed, then don’t get a dog.
If you share your home with a dog, you will have fur to deal with
. . . in my home, it is always present and a constant reminder of how lucky I am to have them in my life.
But seriously, whether it is an issue of allergies to dander or a desire for minimal grooming maintenance and housekeeping, there are lots of breeds that shed less and produce less dander.
For those of us whose lives are blessed by our dogs, their health is very important, and vaccinating for disease is part of our routine care regimen.
Vaccines are given to introduce the disease to the dog in a weakened or modified state (a live vaccine) or a killed state, in order to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to fight it.