Using antibiotics incorrectly may harm, rather than help, your pet.
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Select your new dog with your lifestyle and living situation in mind. In addition to your new family member's personality, consider its temperament, size, and coat as well. Some breeds have traits that may be objectionable in certain circumstances, such as hyper excitability or a tendency to bark. Your veterinarian is a valuable resource and should be consulted before you acquire a pet of any kind.
Breed Selection
There are two types of dogs--purebred and mixed breed. The 124 recognized breeds are grouped into seven categories: hound, working, terrier, toy, sporting, non-sporting, and herding. There are thousands of mixed-breed combinations. Each purebred or mixed-breed dog has a unique personality. Dogs originally bred for a specific purpose tend to retain these characteristics. These dogs may require additional training and patience. Selecting a specific breed does not guarantee a particular behavior, but choosing offspring from animals with desirable temperaments does increase one's chances of getting the best pet. Mixed breeds can be as beautiful, intelligent, loving, and companionable as purebreds.Veterinarians, breed-specific books (usually available at libraries and pet stores), and dog shows are excellent sources of information about individual breed characteristics and needs.
Friend or Protector?
Most dogs, even tiny ones, bark when strangers approach their home or yard. This bark is usually enough to deter intruders. A pet should not be trained as an attack dog. Attack-trained dogs require special handling and knowledge to prevent accidental injury to people, including members of your own family.
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What You Need to Know About Antibiotics
Category: Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
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Training Tips for Your Pets
Category: Newsletter Library
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World Rabies Day
Category: Newsletter Library
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Why A Vet Is Your Best Defense During A Zombie Apocalypse
Category: Newsletter Library
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8 Common Reasons Why Your Dog is Snoring
Category: Newsletter Library
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Becoming a Service Dog: Training and Temperament Are Key Factors
Category: Newsletter Library, Behavior & Training
Service dogs help thousands of disabled Americans become more independent. The first service dogs guided visually impaired people, but today, the dogs assist people who have a variety of disabilities, ranging from hearing loss to seizures to cerebral palsy. Before a dog can become a service animal, it
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How to Make Vet Visits a More Pleasant Experience for Your Pet
Category: Newsletter Library, Behavior & Training
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Should Your Dog Wear a Backpack?
Category: Newsletter Library, Behavior & Training
Thinking about buying a backpack for your dog? Consider these factors before you visit the pet store.
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Secondhand Smoke Affects Pets Too
Category: Newsletter Library, Pet Dangers
The effects of secondhand smoke on people are well-documented. Exposure to tobacco smoke causes a variety of serious health problems, including stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not surprisingly, secondhand smoke also increases the risk
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Identifying Dementia in Senior Dogs
Category: Newsletter Library, Keeping Pets Healthy
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Could Those Sniffles Be a Symptom of the Feline Flu?
Category: Newsletter Library, Cats
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How to Help Your Cat Get More Exercise
Category: Newsletter Library, Cats
When's the last time your cat worked out? Daily exercise can help keep your furry friend healthy.
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9 Reasons Your Cat May Be Losing Weight
Category: Newsletter Library, Cats
Does your cat look thinner than usual? One of these nine reasons may explain why your cat is losing weight.
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The Canine Genome and DNA Testing
Category: Newsletter Library, Visiting the Vet
Have you ever looked at your adopted dog with its short legs, shaggy hair and brown spot encircling one eye, and wondered what dog breeds are in there? Now that science has decoded the DNA of dogs, science can tell us many things. Harvard and MIT programs unraveled the canine DNA sequence in 2006, which
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What to Do If Your Pet Eats Grass
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
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Euthanasia: Saying Goodbye
Category: Newsletter Library, Recognizing Illness
It's not easy to say goodbye to cherished pets, even those that have lived long, happy lives. Although you may hate the thought of life without your pet, euthanasia can be the kindest decision you can make when your friend is suffering. Making the Decision If your pet has been seriously injured in a
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