Muddy dogs

The spring rains are here and so is mud, lots of it. One of our dogs loves to run down to one of our creeks and roll in the Outer Banks of it to cover herself in mud. I don't know what it is about that dog but she just loves to roll in the muddiest part of the creek.

To clean herself off she then rolls in tall grass and she comes out clean! Interesting behavior to say the least.

Overweight dogs

How to tell if your dog is overweight. You should be able to feel your dog's ribs without digging your fingers into their sides. The ribs should be only slightly noticeable while looking at the side of your dog. The ideal dog would have their ribs not seen by the eye but easily felt when touched. They waistline should look trim and not bulge below the ribcage.

That is only a rough idea of what you should look for in your own dog for the ideal weight. What do you do if your dog is overweight? You can't just find a website that lists best rated diet pills for dogs, they just aren't there and are not recommended. Feeding them less would be the first step. Look for a dog food that is high in protein and low on filler foods like grains. The more meat and less grains in their diet would make a huge different in their weight. Dog foods that list rice, wheat, soy or other grains as their first or second ingredient should be avoided. They are simply dehydrated bread with meat flavoring.

If you cannot locate a dog food that is low in grains you might want to look into the option of making your own dog food. Organ meats such as hearts and livers when cooked and poured over a small amount of dry dog food will add the much needed meat to an overweight dog's diet.

Wagging tail damage

Have you ever had a dog that wagged it's tail so fast that it hit the coffee table or tv stand and injured the tail? I have had 2 dogs that did that. I wonder if it is just more than a coincidence that they were both lab mixes. If Dobermans and Weimaraners did not have docked tails would they also have a high incidence of damaged tails from frantic wagging? It seems that the heavier breed dogs suffer more from wagging tail damage than the lighter breed dogs. Anyone else have a dog that damages it's tail all the time just by hitting furniture with it? I would love to hear your stories. Just leave a comment.

On the road with Rover in Texas

Are you planing a trip to Dallas this year? If you are then you can take your dog too. Among the many Dallas Texas hotels there is at least one that accepts pets. It is called the Hotel Lawrence. They cater to both dog and cat owners. There is one catch, the dog must be under 30 pounds so you have to keep your giant breed dog at home or in a boarding kennel.

Some of the amenities that the hotel offers dog owners is a list of all the local businesses that welcome dogs, from restaurants to dog parks. They even have a dog walking service. There is no excuse to not go on vacation this year without your dog.