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How to Stimulate Your Dog's Mind

··5 mins
Dogs have a natural need to use their mouths to gnaw, lick, rip apart and explore items or objects around them. This need is a separate reservoir of energy, which needs a natural outlet on a daily basis. Even if the dog is properly exercised, their mind needs activation and work as well. If dogs are not directed towards meaningful, allowed activity, it can turn into destructive behavior or even apathy.
Eve enjoying a mush meatball with the help of a KONG activation toy.
Eve enjoying a mush meatball with the help of a KONG activation toy.

Playing with Your Dog with the Help of an Activation Toy #

Based on reader feedback, we turn our attention to toys and activities which will help you play with your dog in a way that challenges their mind. Why we say play with, is that activation toys, like food, should be used to strengthen your role as your dog’s leader and access to the toys you use to play with her should be controlled by you.

Washing Your Dog

··4 mins
As a dog owner, you have probably faced a situation where your pet has been spellbound by some foul smell and decided to tumble about in whatever the smell is emanating from, be it rotting fish, a carcass or particularly smelly ditch. Why your dog does this is a mystery, even if theories range between your dog wanting to camouflage its own smell down to simply being overcome by some strong odour so compelling that is a must have - on her fur.
An extreme example of when your dog really needs a bath.
An extreme example of when your dog really needs a bath.

Be as it may, the resulting task for you as her owner will be to bathe your dog and try to get that smell and grime out of her fur. Of course the need to wash your dog can arise from something less extreme as well, for example rainy weather or having to make her presentable for a dog show.

Measure Twice: How much does a dog eat?

··7 mins
In the previous section, we started our journey into dog nutrition and looked at how often should you feed your dog. In this section, you will learn how to measure the right quantity of food for your dog at each mealtime, without having to use a gimmick such as the Eukanuba measuring cup.
A cute hovawart puppy eating her kibble.
A cute hovawart puppy eating her kibble.

The crux of the problem lies in the fact that food manufacturers announce daily portions as weight in grams and you measure the quantity with the help of a measuring cup, which tells you the volume. Below, you will learn how to convert the daily portion in grams into a number of measuring cups per day.

3 Concrete Reasons for Buying Dog Food Online

··3 mins
In the previous section, you found out about things that dogs should not eat. In this section, you will discover links to products, which have proven to be excellent for dog nutrition. By using our affiliate links below, you will support this site.
A hovawart puppy waiting for a permission to eat her kibble.
A hovawart puppy waiting for a permission to eat her kibble.

I have chosen to pair up with Zooplus UK, since:

Once or More? Dog Feeding Made Simple

·2 mins
Feeding your dog is a topic, which is shrouded in myths and beliefs. This write-up and the ones following it will give you practical advise on how to feed your dog properly. The posts are aimed especially at new dog owners, who perhaps like you, are wondering about the basics such as: how much food should I give my dog or how often should my dog be fed.
A cute hovawart puppy eating her kibble.
A cute hovawart puppy eating her kibble.

If questions such as these are puzzling you, then you are in the right place. Don’t worry, feeding your dog is not rocket science, but there are a number of things you must know, to get it right from the start.

New Puppy at Home: Starter Kit for Your Puppy

··7 mins
A friend of mine asked me what to buy for his new puppy and I thought I would compile a list of essentials to get before your new puppy enters her home. I approached this “survival kit” from three different angles: feeding your puppy, walking your puppy and caring for your puppy.
An adorable Hovawart Puppy.
An adorable Hovawart Puppy.

Of course you won’t have to buy everything at once, but it is important to have the necessities ready before your new family member arrives.

Easy Weight Control for Dogs

··3 mins
In the previous section, we looked at kibble feeding tables and how to measure the daily portions for your dog, be it a growing puppy or a thriving adult.
A Hovawart puppy eating her kibble.
A Hovawart puppy eating her kibble.

In this section, we will discover how to control your dog’s diet by measuring her weight on a weekly or monthly basis. A puppy growing up should be weighed on a weekly basis, whereas an adult with no problems with her weight can be weighed on a monthly basis.

5 Practical Tips for Feeding Your Dog

··2 mins
Feeding your dog is a topic which even experienced dog owners struggle with. On this site, you will find a number of practical write-ups on dog nutrition, which aim to answer some basic questions on how to feed your dog properly. Most of the texts are aimed at new dog owners, but a number of experienced dog owners have found the information useful as well.
A hovawart puppy waiting attentively for the break command.
A hovawart puppy waiting attentively for the break command.

My focus is to demystify dog nutrition and focus on the essentials, since after all feeding your dog should not be that difficult.

Easy Tick Removal Tips for Dog Owners

··3 mins
In my experience, one of the most frustrating parts of dog ownership are ticks. Living in a coastal area in Helsinki Finland, ticks abound whenever the average temperature rises above 5 degrees centigrade. This is why every trip to the forest or park is terminated with tick inspection at home. The record number of ticks I discovered on Eve’s fur after one trip is 17, six of which had already attached to the different parts of her body!
Eve, a happy Hovawart dog, enjoying her freedom in a Finnish forest.
Eve, a happy Hovawart dog, enjoying her freedom in a Finnish forest.

What diseases do ticks carry? #

The biggest risk ticks pose for your dog is of course her catching a tick borne illness, such as Lyme’s disease. In practice, I have some bad and good news for you. The bad news is that yes, your dog can catch Lyme’s disease from ticks. For example, my previous Hovawart, Helmi, caught it why we were living in France. She was medicated and did not suffer from any ill effects, but it made me wary.

In Search of the Perfect Dog Bed

··3 mins

I have to admit that confusion is a good term for describing my emotions, when I was scouting the online stores in search of a new dog bed for Eve to sleep on. Her current donut-shaped bed, which seemed immense when she weighed 6 kilos is now way too small for a 30 kg Hovawart to sleep on. The sides of the donut-shaped bed crumple under her weight and she looks comical curled up in a ball inside it.