I am still in DC attending the Taking Action Foir Animals Conference, it has been an emotional and eye opening experience. As much work that I have put in to caring for animals and their issues, I have found it is not enough. I will post another blog on this event next weekend.

Anyway, several dogs are given up or thrown in animal shelters and abandoned because people are not patient enough to take the time to housebreak their dog, they get tired of cleaning up after their dog and eventually give him up. I have been asked several times how I keep my home so clean and free of dog urine and marking and accidents. I have also been asked what do I do to housebreak my dogs and rescues, so I decided to blog my response, in hopes that it will help those to train and hopefully keep their dog, so here it is:

As soon as you get up, take your dogs outside, I do it as soon as I am up off my bed and before I even go to the bathroom myself. so I take them out for about 10 minutes, bring them in and feed them, then you get yourself ready, showered and have your breakfast, then take them out again, preferably 20-30 minutes after they eat. bring them in for the day, have a cue that you give your dogs so they know you are leaving, I usually give mine a round of treats or baby carrots. Then as soon as you come through the door again, take them out again before you do anything, dogs need cues, my guys usually run for the back door when I come in because they know they are going out for a potty break. Depending on how many times you are in and out always remember when you come in, they go out asap, they should always go outside a few minutes before you leave the house, if you are lucky enough to come home and check in on them during your workday, then that is great, but if you are not, then as soon as you get home, take them out, feed them their dinner, wait 20 minutes, take them out again and then take your dogs out every three hours therafter or 1 hour before bedtime, whichever is applicable. If you have a dog that may be urinating at night in the house, take up the water 2-3 hours before bedtime.

When housebreaking a dog, you should always use some type of confinement, block off your kitchen or dining room with a baby gate and possibly lay down a wee wee pad until your dog is fully housebroken. If your dog is really having a hard time being housebroken, then you may want to consider using a crate. When using a crate, the same rules apply, you get up, take out the dog, feed him and take him out again 20 mins after his breakfast, crate him before you leave, take him out as soon as you get home, feed him dinner, take out again 20 mins after dinner, and then use the 1 hour before bedtime or every three hour rule until bedtime.

Key Factors:

Keep your dog on a routine

Provide cues

Confine until he has earned the privlege to roam the house

Clean up thoroughly after each accident, make sure all urine or feces has really been cleaned up

Use a wee wee pad when your dog is confined

Use a belly band for those with the tendency to mark, until they are housebroken

Dogs need consistency, cues and a tight schedule, they need structure, if your schedule is all over the place, then your dog does not have a routine to help him figure out what he needs to do. A dog should never have full run of the house until he is fully housebroken, it is his right to earn that privlege. Dogs need leadership and guidance, it is up to you to guide them and offer them some structure, I am almost certain that if you do, they will follow. The only other reason that your dog may not be responding to training may be that he/she has a Urinary Tract Infection.

I hope this has helped you all, please feel free to write if you have questions.

pug hugs

Eev/The Pug Hotel

Diet is the most important component in keeping a pug healthy. Pugs are prone to diabetes, heart disease, blindness, obesity, skin allergies, breathing problems, and knee problems (luxating patella). A lowfat, lowcarb diet will help keep your pug healthy and will be the best preventative for any of the diseases mentioned above.

FOOD

Most dog foods are not made or measured to provide a pug with the best nutrients. They are measured out to feed dogs with other body makeups. Since pugs frames are short and stocky, I would not recommend feeding your pug the suggested amount on the packages. Pugs should eat no more than 1/3 a cup of dry food with maybe 1 tablespoon of wet food 2 times a day. I do not recommend free feeding or feeding once a day for a pug. A pug needs to metabolize his/her food like we do, so small feedings twice a day are better than one large feeding.

I recommend the following foods : Merrick, Wellness, Eagle Pack Holistic (only), and Solid Gold, all of these foods were not part of the recall. All of these foods are available in wet and dry.

SNACKS

I recommend no more than 2 dry biscuits along with one natural food treat a day. Some great prepackaged treats are : Eagle Pack Holistix, Natural Balance Duck and Potato Treats, Wellness Sweet Potato and Whitefish and the Rodeo Ring Treats. Sold Gold also has many great treats!

Natural foods as treats are also great. My list includes:

Baby Carrots

Papaya

Sliced Pears or Apples

Mangoes

Raw String Beans

Mashed Blueberries and Bananas (1-2 tablespoons)

EXERCISE

Keeping your pug at a healthy weight is very important because this will help keep your pugs knees from needing surgery in the future and will prevent your pug from having hip problems. My husband and I hike with our pugs a minimum of 5 days a week. We prepare for our hike by packing a lot of water, a squirt bottle with water to squirt their heads when they get a little overheated and take plenty of breaks. If your pug is overweight, start slowly and walk only in the morning or in the evening when it is cool.

Keeping your pug under 22 lbs is optimum unless he is a pug that is tall and with a large frame, if so then 27-28 lbs is good.

WHAT YOUR VET WON'T TELL YOU

Many pugs suffer horribly from skin allergies and vets are quick to prescribe antibiotics. Eating a clean and healthy diet will prevent your pug from skin allergies. If you pug is itchy, licks his/her paws, scoots their butt on the floor, has dark spots on his/her body, has stinky underarms, it is a clear sign of food allergies. Most vets do not pick up on this and will treat a pug with antibiotics for a very long time, I have even heard of vets saying, "Sorry, there is nothing else I can do". I have heard many stories of vets telling their patients that it is OK to eat foods like Beneful or Pedigree or any other food that is readily available at your local supermarket. RULE OF THUMB: IF YOU CAN BUY IT AT YOUR LOCAL A&P, IT MOST LIKELY IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR PUG!!!!!

Keep your pug on a clean and healthy diet and you will not only save a ton of money on vet bills, but your baby will live a longer and healthier life. For those pugs with severe allergy symptoms, stay tuned, I will post my next blog with some helpful information to help rid your pug of yeast and food allergy symptoms!