Black Dog Syndrome Even For Black Labrador Retrievers
Regardless of what kind of dog you are looking for you may want to consider a lab mix puppy. The only type of dog that really does not work for a lab mix puppy are dogs from the toy category. In general these dogs are desirable because of their small size, but when you mix them with a Labrador they will no longer retain that tiny size. However, just about every other class of dog will work in for a lab mix puppy.
Black Dog Omen
Black dog syndrome is used by people who work or volunteer in animal shelters. For some reason, all black dogs, even purebred black Labrador Retrievers are almost always passed over in favor of other colored dogs. Any other color dog does better – even if they are the same breed. This also happens to black Labrador Retrievers, especially in shelters. A golden, yellow, white or chocolate Labrador Retriever will almost always be picked over black Labrador Retrievers.
Superstition
Although we claim to not believe in superstitions, our subconscious proves we do. Quite often, we pass over anything black because of the negative bias towards the color black. The only things that seem to escape this bias are diamonds and horses. However, there are a lot of myths, legends and stories about black dogs being somehow bad. One of these is that vampires can change into black wolves – or black dogs (even black Labrador Retrievers).
Probably the most famous bad black dog was the Hound of the Baskervilles, which went after the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Many scholars and psychologists think the reason why the Hound of the Baskervilles is so famous is because a large black dog fits our subconscious idea of what an evil creature looks like, even a dog with floppy ears like a black Labrador Retriever.
Hecate And Paganism
In some pre-Christian pagan religions, black dogs were seen as sacred. One of the most powerful and respected Goddesses (still worshipped by modern day Pagans) is Hecate (or Hekate), known as the Goddess of Witches. One of her symbols was the black dog. It was said that She could appear to people in the form of either a black snake, a black mare or a black dog.
Whenever Christianity overtook paganism, anything associated with the old Deities was immediately demonized. This is probably what happened to all black dogs, even in this modern day and age, causing the black dog syndrome seen today in pet rescues and animal shelters.
A Good Dog Is Never A Bad Color
If you are considering adopting a dog (and good for you), then please be sure to take a second look at all of the black dogs in the shelter. Perhaps they will look ordinary, but that’s only on the outside. If you specifically want to adopt a Labrador Retriever, be sure to tell the breed rescue or animal shelter that you would accept a black Labrador Retriever. You will certainly gain not only the shelter worker’s respect, but the friend of a lifetime.
Dog Health Inside Your Home: You Could Be Killing Your Dog Without Even Trying
Commonly referred to as “man’s best friend”, most dog owners regard their dogs as members of their family; in fact, some of them prefer to sleep next to their pet dogs rather than share the bed with their spouses. In recent years, dogs have become fashion icons, many thanks to Paris Hilton’s love for Tinkerbell, her female Chihuahua that not only became an overnight sensation for “writing” its memoir, but also for setting the trend among “accessory pets”. Most dogs do not have Tinkerbell’s celebrity status, but their owners surely love them just as much. Or, so Linda thought.
Linda Kajda of Massachusetts adores her Pomeranian Pebbles, who she felt helpless for when Pebbles started shedding her hair and not even her Vet could offer permanent relief.
Imagine her shock when she was told that she could lose her precious Pebbles to alopecia, a hormonal imbalance, which caused Pebbles to shed her fur, not in strands, but in clumps!
Dog’s Best Friend Can Be Its Enemy
Linda embarked on research that led to her discovery that it was SHE who caused her dog’s misery. Just like Linda, you could be killing your dog too without even trying. It just comes “within the territory.”
Despite the TLC she’s getting from you, your dog can get sick inside your home. Linda wrote a book about her discovery on dog health problems; here is an excerpt of that book on what you can do to save your dog’s life, without seeing your Vet:
1. Does your dog suffer from dandruff, which may cause he or she to shed its fur just like what happened to Pebbles? Give your dog an oatmeal bath and you will see immediate results.
2. Have you installed a new carpet in your home lately? Carpets can cause your dog skin disorders.
3. Do ringworms feed on your dogs? Give your pets a good bath with rosemary or marigold petals and dandelion leaves to kill the pests and promote dog health.
4. Worried about fleas? Start feeding your dog with natural foods, such as fruits and some helpings of vegetables and notice how the new diet will starve fleas off your dog’s back!
5. Frequent visits to your vet’s clinic due to your dog’s recurring skin problem brought about by ticks can cause a dent in your wallet. Soak a cotton ball in liquid soap and apply it on the affected skin of your dog. See what happens.
Your dog’s environment and diet can contribute to its health – or death. The good news is you can do something about it. There are natural and home-made remedies that you can apply on your dog’s skin disorders and providing your dog with a good helping of natural foods can restore health, without shelling out hundreds of dollars to Vets, unless it is extremely necessary.
Linda has proven that her new found household remedies work and she would like to share these with all dog owners as much as possible.
Save your dog early. Waiting for another day may just be too late.
Linda?s website DogSkinSolutions.com provides access to more valuable resources on how you can take care of your pets without seeing your vet, unnecessarily. If you purchase ?Solutions to Your Dog?s Skin Problems? today, you?ll receive 3 more books, originally valued at $64 – but absolutely free-of-charge to you!
Grooming Golden Retriever – 6 Even Ways For best Grooming!
Brushing your Golden Retriever regularly will help prevent shedding (especially important if you have allergies) and matting of his fur. Matting is not only unattractive, but it’s uncomfortable for your dog as well. Brushing also helps you remove burs and other foreign matter that could threaten his health. Regular grooming will help maintain a shiny, healthy coat and enhance your Golden Retriever’s quality of life.
Grooming your Golden Retriever is a time-consuming process. Grooming should be done at least once, preferably twice, ever week. You can expect to spend about one-half an hour in the grooming process. The first step in the grooming process is a good brushing. Brush the entire body, from head to tail. When you’ve finished brushing, you can use a comb to remove any remaining loose hair and help distribute oils evenly throughout your Golden Retriever’s coat. While you’re accomplishing hair removal, you can also inspect your pet’s roots and skin for ticks and fleas or skin irritations. This will also be a good time to inspect his ears to be sure they’re clean and healthy and trim his nails.
You should give your Golden Retriever regular baths, too. Though it’s a little complicated, the path will keep his coat and skin in good condition and reduce your exposure to allergens. After brushing to get rid of tangles and loose hair, bathe your Golden Retriever with a shampoo designed specifically for dogs. Human shampoos are too harsh for a dog’s sensitive skin. You’ll find that two baths a month will be sufficient to maintain your Golden’s coat. If you do it consistently, your Golden Retriever’s coat will be easier to brush and clean.
Because Golden’s have longer fur, it is important to prevent matting. Daily brushing will accomplish this best, especially if you use metal combs or brushes. Taking the easy way by cutting the matts out is not advisable, as it could injure your pet, and it will certainly detract from his naturally beautiful coat. Avoid using scissors for grooming. Brushes and baths are the best way to prevent matting and maintain your Golden’s health.
Trimming your Golden Retriever’s nails regularly is also important. Too-long nails are bad for your dog’s health. They can split and bleed profusely. They can change the shape of the foot and cause other joint problems if they force your Golden Retriever to walk so as to protect the too-long nails.
If you have never done it before, it might be wise to take your Golden to the vet to learn how to do it properly. Most dogs don’t like having their nails clipped, and you may pick up some good hints on how to do it without a struggle. When you do clip your Golden’s nails, you should be aggressive, trimming them about 1/16 inch or 2 millimeters, from the quick. You can expect to see some bleeding now and then, so keep some styptic power nearby. You’ll probably need to undertake this task every few weeks.
Now, about your Golden Retriever’s ears. Their ears are easily infected if you don’t clean them regularly. Ear infections are very painful for dogs, and you’ll want to assure your Golden is free of this health risk. Symptoms that may indicate ear infections include head shaking and scratching the ears, painful reactions when the ears are touched, discharges or foul odors coming from the ears, and blisters, swelling, or redness on or around the skin. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should take your Golden to the vet before the problems get worse or become irreversible.
You should clean his ears once a week using a commercial ear-cleaning solution to prevent infection. Many people don’t realize that hair can grow inside and into dogs’ ears. Use a hemostat to carefully remove any hair inside the ear canal. Then use cotton or a cloth with the cleaning solution to gently clean no further than one-half an inch into the ear. Do NOT use Q-tips or alcohol to clean your Golden’s ears. And do not use water or a syringe to clean his ears. Leave this delicate and sometimes dangerous task to the vet. If you use tools like a hemostat, be sure they are sterile.
Good, regular grooming is essential to the health and well-being of your Golden Retriever. It takes some time from your daily routine, but it also helps you bond with your pet. If you don’t have the time, you should take your Golden Retriever to a dog-grooming professional. Now matter how you do it, you must assure that your Golden receives regular grooming and baths.
Abhishek is an avid dog lover and he has got some great Dog Health Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 80 Pages Ebook, “How To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health” from his website http://www.Dog-Tale.com/192/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.