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You might think the most important bit of dog health advice would be to let your furry loved on spend all day enjoying the outdoors. But you'd only be half-right.

You know we must protect our children and ourselves and from the sun. But do you know that leading canine health experts now say that the most important dog health advice they can give is to protect your dog from the sun, too?

Dog Health Advice: Identifying Dog Sunburn

Like us humans, dogs need sunlight to help balance their bodies’ levels of calcium with their metabolism.

Yet too much ultraviolet radiation can irritate our dogs’ skin as it does our own, causing sunburn.

Identifying Dog Sunburn

Dog sunburn begins as redness and hair loss.

Where sunburn first appears

• bridge of the nose


• tips of the ears


• belly

Dog Sunburn Dangers

• aggravates any existing skin problems


• skin ulcers (sores)


• infection


• cancer

Sunburn and Dog Breed

Pale and short-hair dogs are particularly prone to sunburn,
usually on the nose, abdomen, groin, and inside of the legs. Being close to the ground, they not only are affected by the downward sunlight, but also by sun reflecting up from pavement or hot sand.

Some breeds, like Weimaraners and Boxers, are predisposed to cancer.
Therefore, they must have extra protection from the sunburns and UV rays to avoid a kind of skin cancer.

How you can protect your pets:

Think about the precautions that you take to prevent yourself from sunburn and UV exposure. You stay out of the sun at the peak hours like noon to 3PM, use sunblock and cover up, don’t you? Those same suggestions can work for your dog.

Here’s more dog health advice:

• 
  Be sure that your dog is inside the house or in a shaded area during the sun’s peak hours, even on overcast days.
  


• 
  Apply sunblock to the bridge of the dog’s nose, ear tips and other small, sensitive areas whenever the dog is outside for more than a few minutes.
  


• 
  Consider some sort of covering for your dog. Some veterinarians say that the most important and effective protection is a type of bodysuit for dogs, which is designed to block ultraviolet rays and prevent sunburn.
  

Our dogs give us hours of pleasure and years of unconditional love. In return, all we must do is love and keep them healthy.

It's still good dog health advice to let your dog play outdoors. But spare your “best friend” the pain of sunburn and its consequences.

About the Author

About the author: You can read more of Joel Walsh's articles on dog issues such as Dog Health Advice at: http://www.i-love-dogs.com

Written by: Joel Walsh

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Dog Health Food Article

House training is one of the most important elements of creating a well trained dog and trusted family member. Problems with house training and similar issues are the number one reason that dogs are surrendered to shelters, so properly house training your dog can literally save his or her life.



House training a puppy does not need to be difficult, but it is important to take the process seriously, plan ahead and take things slowly. Some dogs will be easier to house break than others, so it important to work with your dog. Rushing the process can be counterproductive and cause you to have to start all over again.



When it comes to house training a new puppy, it is important to know what to expect. Unless the owner is able to supervise the puppy round the clock, it is difficult to complete the house training process until the dog is at least six months old. It is important to know this ahead of time so you can be prepared.



Young puppies have bodies that are constantly changing and growing, and puppies younger than six months often have not developed the bowel and bladder control they will need to be properly house trained.



When the owner is not at home, the puppy should be confined to a small room and the entire floor should be covered with paper. Of course it is important to puppy-proof the room, that is removing any items on which the puppy could be injured. In the beginning, the puppy will most likely eliminate anywhere within the room. In addition, the puppy will probably play with the papers, chew them, etc.



This is perfectly normal and should not be grounds for punishment or distress. Cleaning up each day should simply be part of the routine of living with a new puppy. Simply clean up the soiled papers and put down new ones each day.



Time for paper training

During the time that the puppy is confined in its little den, it will begin to develop the habit of eliminating on paper. After a little time has passed, the puppy will begin to exhibit a preferred place to eliminate. After this preferred spot has been established, the area that is papered should be slowly diminished.



The first papers to be removed should be those that are furthest away from the "toilet". Eventually, the owner will have to lay down only a few papers. If the puppy ever misses those papers, it means that the papered area has been reduced too much and too soon.



After the puppy is reliability doing its business only on the papers that have been left, the papers can be slowly and gradually moved to a location of your choice. The papers should be moved only gradually, as little as an inch a day. If the puppy misses the papers, again it means that they have been moved too soon and too far. In this case it will be necessary to go back a few steps and start over.



It is important not to become discouraged. The puppy will eventually understand the concept, and you will be able to choose your puppies toilet area and move on to the next step.



House training when the owner is home

Obviously the more time you can spend with your puppy the faster the house training will go. The objective should be to take the puppy to the toilet area every time he needs to do his business. In most cases this will be either every 45 minutes, right after each play session, after he first wakes up or right after he eats or drinks. It is important to provide effusive praise for the puppy when he eliminates in the established toilet area.



As the puppy becomes more used to using his toilet area, and as he develops improved bladder and bowel control, he will be able to begin spending more and more time outside his den with his owner in the rest of the home. It is important to begin this process by allowing the puppy access to one room at a time.



It is also important to allow the puppy in the extra room only when he can be supervised. When you must leave the room, be sure to put the puppy back in his den.


Copyright Jonathan Cheong - http://www.absolute-dog-training.com



Written by: Jonathan Cheong

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