Pets Smile Plus

Your dog is more similar to you in their emotions than in their mentality. Some of their emotional reactions are so much like ours, that we tend to humanize them. The dogs emotions are visibly expressed in his eyes and face, his ear and tail movements, his posture, and general behavior. Sometimes they are vocally expressed as well. Your dog can feel and express the same emotions as we do: love, hate, joy, sorrow, grief, anxiety, jealousy, remorse, anger, fear, and even more subtle ones such as distrust and resignation.

Pet dogs have an endearing tendency to imitate their owner?s emotional reactions, which may not weigh much in an argument, but it certainly offers much in moral support. They are no more individual in expressing their emotions than we are. Dogs approach and seek contact with objects and beings that inspire friendly feelings, and avoid or shy away from those they fear. Often a dog will pretend not to see a person or animal he dislikes. A crouching position and a watchful eye mean that he has not yet made up his mind to trust or distrust.

Some facial expressions are much like ours. Worried frowns, angry glares, adoring gazes, suspicious squints, questioning looks, seductive glances, humor, and even genuine smiles. A smile, accompanied by half-closed eyes and ears held low signifies intense pleasure. Dogs express their feelings thru body language more so than facial expressions. A wagging tail and friendly grin are invitations to approach and perhaps make friends, while a snarl, a fixed stare, stiff, straight legs and tail are warnings to keep your distance. The question of distance is important to the dog because of territorial concerns and of survival instincts.

Dogs usually give voice to the emotions, and their meanings are generally clear. A happy dog gurgles or squeals with pleasure. A gentle whine says ?please?, and snarling is definitely hostile. Dogs yelp from pain or fear, whine from frustration or pain, and sigh for the same reasons we do. Puppy cries are easiest to interpret, they scream when they are too hot, whimper when cold, and protest loudly when hungry. Barking is usually done to attract attention or to work excess energy if the dog is constrained such as in a kennel. Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures and gestures.

An owner who takes the trouble to observe his dog and pay him the courtesy of listening to him, can establish a simple two-way communications system with his pet. Canine messages are usually very elementary, as he asks much less of us than we do of him. ?I?m hungry?, ?I?m thirsty, ?I need to go out?, or ?Come with me?, are among the messages he manages to convey very well, considering his limited means. His most eloquent utterance is perhaps the emotional gurgle or barks that mean to say, ?It?s about time you came home, I?ve missed you!?

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed the website http://joncopets.com/ on the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest trendy items for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://joncopets.com/

Your dog is probably stronger and healthier than most humans that you know. However, by taking him from his natural environment, where only the strongest survive, to the artificial one in which most pet dogs live, we have exposed him to an entirely new set of dangers which their instincts are not designed to cope with.

A dog?s health is influenced by the genes inherited from his parents and by the care given to his mother during the prenatal period, as well as to the puppy during his first 2 or 3 months of life. A puppy, whose mother was properly cared for during pregnancy, will be more able to handle the hazards of growing up.

The majority of dogs lead perfectly healthy, normal lives. They overcome occasional skin rashes, chills, and upset stomachs, recover from cuts and bruises with ordinary care, sensible first aid when necessary, and professional diagnosis and treatment of serious ailments. Chances are that if you give you dog a normal diet, a healthy home environment, a well balanced life, you will only need to see the vet for check-ups and vaccinations.

A healthy dog?s temperature, taken rectally when he is rested, is about 101.2 degrees in an adult dog, 102 in small breeds, and 102.5 in a puppy. It can fluctuate one way or the other, being lower in the morning and higher in the late afternoon. Long-coated breeds have a slightly higher normal temperature than short-coated ones. His pulse is taken at the femoral artery, high inside the thigh. There is no normal pulse rate for dogs. It can range from 120 beats per minute in a young puppy, to 70 or 80 in an older dog. Count the beats during 30 seconds and multiply by 2. Normal respiration ranges from 20 or 30 respirations per minute for a puppy to 16 per minute in an older dog.

A normal eye is bright and clear, although the lens becomes pale blue as he ages. His nose is moist and cool most of the time, but a dry, warm nose doesn?t always mean a fever or illness. His tail wags and he carries himself normally. His coat is shiny and sheds normally. He eats his meals without gulping compulsively and without being coaxed, drinks a normal amount of water after meals and exercise, and more during hot weather. His bowel movements are regular and well-formed, his urine is clear and both process?s are painless. As a puppy he sleeps most of the time, but as an adult only about half the time, and he is generally friendly, alert, and inquisitive.

A sick or ailing dog will have a temperature over 102 degrees, a sign of fever, or under a 100, a sign of weakness. If it does not return to normal within 24 hours, call the vet. If his temperature is as low as 99, or as high as 104, call the vet immediately. His pulse may be weak or irregular, his respiration at rest may be irregular or labored, panting or weak. His eye may appear dull, red or yellow with a sticky discharge. His nose may be dry and hot, also with a discharge.

His tail may be immobile, carried stiffly or between the legs, his coat may be dry and stand up when it should lay flat, the skin may be itchy and flaky and there may be bald spots, or red patches. He may eat with a good appetite but usually doesn?t want food at all, and is usually reluctant to swallow any water. His bowel movements may be abnormal in form or color, have a bad odor, and contain blood or mucus, or he may be constipated with no movement at all. The urine may be dark, cloudy, or painfully produced.

He may sleep all of the time and hide in dark corners; his breath may have a bad odor and be labored. He may show very obvious symptoms of disorder such as swellings, protuberances, lameness, pain, prolonged wheezing or coughing, and unusual sensitivity in some part of his body. His overall general behavior will be lethargic and unresponsive when he is normally friendly and active, or nervous and excitable when he is the quite type with snapping or snarling for no apparent reason.

The symptoms offered here which are fairly obvious and not too far from our own human symptoms, (good and bad). It?s the severity of the symptoms for an ailing dog that will determine whether you should call the vet. Far sighted dog and cat owners select a veterinarian as soon as they become a pet parent, for sooner or later they get sick to some degree, and your chances of prompt attention are better if the vet already knows your pet.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest fancy dog collars, dog dresses, fancy dog beds, and more for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://www.joncopets.com

Dogs are a major American pet status. Every year billions of dollars are spent on dog items, dog health, comfort, and entertainment. There are even stories out there of owners that have put their health care second to their dog?s health care?

In today?s world some couples have opted not to have children but have taken on the responsibility of a pet as a surrogate child. A few years ago, pets were not as important to their owners as they are now, People now think of them as children. They dress them up: celebrate their birthdays; all these things indicate how elevated a place our animals take in our lives.

Older people are living longer and may; have lost their life mate but they have the companionship and entertainment of a dog or cat.

Pets can be quite entertaining as I can attest to. One summer in Montana where we have no TV, we spent untold hours watching our dogs roll a ball that dispensed food. Not lonely was the toy a source of food and entertainment, but exercise. Our dogs were constantly on the move trying to get their goodies.

Dogs are being used for the eyes and ears of their owner and now also for sniffing out cancer. Some dogs are used with law enforcement and go home with the officer to be part of their family. Search and rescue dogs live with their handlers and love going places and having people talk to them and pet them. In some situations, dog owners who take their dogs on the water are opting for wet suits that help keep the dog afloat as well as protecting from hypothermia.

So it stands ?Dog is Mans Best Friend? and we humans are willing to spend millions, to protect, dress and entertain them.

About the Author Judi Burns lives on a small horse ranch where she breeds and trains horses. She has three constant companions Libby (Border collie), Red and Wendy (Aussies). Libby is a retired Search and Rescue dog. Judi and three of her horses are certified and active in Mounted Search and Rescue. Judi also sells on-line dog apparel.

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