It’s obvious when you look at your dog that she is healthy. Her fur and skin tell you a lot of what you need to know. A shiny coat that doesn’t flake is a good coat. On occasion it happens that dogs get skin allergies. If your malamute Eubie develops one and her fur starts falling out and her skin starts looking strange, red and even puffy, it is time to figure out what is wrong so that you can help her feel better. The causes of dog skin conditions run the gamut from autoimmune conditions to eating the wrong foods. A trip to the veterinarian, some tests and a little detective work can help to determine what is going on with Eubie’s skin.

Poor Nutrition

Feeding Eubie a low-quality food can cause skin allergies. Missing hair and scaly spots that make Eubie itch are two signs of a canine food allergy. If food allergies are the cause of Eubie’s skin problems, you should work with the veterinarian to discover what the best food option is for Eubie. The food shouldn’t include soy, wheat, corn or other fillers. Generally, a holistic food or a raw food diet is the best option to feed Eubie since neither of these options are likely to contain allergens that will make her skin allergy flare up.

Frequent Washing

Washing Eubie a lot keeps her smelling good, and it keeps her clean. For some dogs, frequent washing can cause dry skin and scaly skin. Your dog’s skin produces an oil called sebum, which helps keep her skin and coat shiny. When you bathe Eubie, you wash the sebum away. This makes Eubie’s skin and coat dry and dull. To prevent skin issues from frequent washing, brush her often instead. As you brush her, you distribute the sebum through her hair and along her skin. At the same time, you brush away dust and dander. Only bathe Eubie when she is smelly or obviously dirty. If even occasional baths give Eubie the itchies, try using a sulfate-free shampoo as they are detergent-free.

Seborrhea

Seborrhea is the dog version of dandruff. The dandruff may be dry and scaly or it may be greasy and flaky. Pimples and bumps are also common. The treatment for seborrhea is washing Eubie with a medicated shampoo. The type of shampoo you need depends on the type of seborrhea. If Eubie has dry and scaly skin, you need a shampoo that contains salicylic acid. If Eubie’s skin is greasy and flaky, you need a shampoo that contains coal tar, selenium sulfide or benzoyl peroxide. 

Pemphigus

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the skin cells. Pemphigus has four subtypes: pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus vegetans, pemphigus, erythematosus and pemphigus foliaceus. The subtype is based on the layer of skin affected by the disease. Regardless of the subtype, the treatment consists of topical corticosteroids to treat the lesions and ulcers caused by the condition and systemic medications to suppress the immune system.

Hot Spots

If you see raw round spots on Eubie, she may be suffering from hot spots. The lesions are moist, red, painful and inflamed. Eubie’s hair will likely be missing from the area. In most cases, hot spots are caused by incessant licking or biting at the area. Hot spots are commonly associated with other issues, such as biting fly bites or flea bites. Ear infections and anal gland infections are common if the hot spots are near the ears or by the anus. If Eubie is diagnosed with hot spots, the treatment consists mainly of allowing the hot spots to heal. Clipping the air around the lesions to allow air to flow around the inflamed area, cleaning the lesion and applying a topical medication are usually necessary. If the area is inflamed, oral antibiotics are needed.

Regardless of what Eubie’s skin looks like, a trip to the vet is a must to rule out conditions like mange and to ensure that she is treated properly for the problem.

You got yourself a new best friend! Congratulations! Now your life will be changed forever. You will have to consider Chewy’s needs every day you are together. He will require the best food you can afford, vet check-ups and treatments, toys and treats, and most importantly attention and love. It is your responsibility to make sure Chewy gets everything he needs.

So what will you do when you take your Alaskan cruise next month? He can’t come with you, unfortunately, but you do have a couple of options. In the past, you would have had one choice: leaving Chewy at a kennel. Boarding facilities have been around for many years. You pay a nightly fee and Chewy stays in his very own doggy hotel room.

Today, there is a second choice. Pet sitting is a relatively new part of the forty billion dollar pet industry in the United States, but a fast-growing one. What makes pet sitting different from boarding is that Chewy stays at home and a sitter comes in to check on him, walk him, feed him, and give him love and affection.

Which is the best choice? Both can be great ways for Chewy to be cared for while you travel. The decision will depend upon cost, Chewy’s temperament and needs, the businesses available near you, and your comfort.

Cost

The costs of boarding and pet sitting are highly variable. It depends greatly upon location. Within one geographical area, pet sitting rates will be fairly constant and could be anywhere from $30 to $60 per day. Boarding rates, on the other hand, can vary more because of the different types of kennels. A typical, bare-bones kennel may charge around $25 per night, while a swanky pet hotel could charge twice as much as that. Keep in mind that a simple, inexpensive kennel is not necessarily a bad thing. They just may not offer spa services or rooms with televisions.

Chewy’s Needs

Many dog owners who choose pet sitting over boarding do so because they believe their dog will be happier staying at home. Some animals are anxious in new settings and are more comfortable at home in familiar surroundings. If Chewy gets nervous when you take him to a friend’s house or a new dog park, he may prefer pet sitting. If he is relaxed around others and loves to meet and play with new dogs, then he may enjoy a kennel. Of course, if he is aggressive towards other dogs, he needs to stay at home and have a sitter visit him.

Your Needs

Chewy’s needs come first, but you should also consider your own needs when choosing his accommodations. If you will be a nervous wreck leaving him at home and worrying about him being alone for so many hours, boarding may be for you. If boarding makes you nervous, however, maybe pet sitting will be best. Dog owners sometimes have bad experiences with kennels. Dogs can be neglected or get sick while being boarded, so it is understandable. Think about what will make you most comfortable before making a decision.

Availability

Finally, there is no sense in choosing pet sitting if there are no such businesses in your neighborhood. As a newer industry, pet sitting has not completely penetrated every market. Do some research and find out what pet sitters, if any, and what boarding facilities are in your area.

Whichever option you decide to go with, be sure to select a kennel or pet sitter carefully. We’re talking about caring for your best friend after all! Any pet care business that is reputable should be able to show you proof that they are insured and references to vouch for how well they care for people’s furry babies.

A fight between a couple of competing alpha female dogs can be a scary sight. If you have had to break up nasty brawls between your otherwise sweet and gentle babies, you know what we’re talking about. Your adorable Robyn and Ashley might get along with the neighbor dogs, but with each other they are going for blood. You may have a dominance challenge on your hands.

Not all fighting between a couple of lady dogs is a serious matter, but it certainly can be. The alpha female in the ancestral wolf pack is the leader of the whole group. Males can be dominant as well, but the alpha female is number one in the pack. Some of that behavior has been preserved in our domesticated furry friends. So when Ashley and Robyn go at it, whether as play or for real, they are acting out a struggle for lead position.

Fight or Play?

When two naturally dominant female dogs come together, the results can be explosive. A better pairing is a submissive dog and a dominant dog. If it’s too late for that consideration and you have taken in your beloved babies only to discover they are both dominant you first need to decide if Ashley and Robyn are playing at dominance or if they are serious.

Often a fight between two girls looks and sounds fierce, but is nothing to worry about. They may be snarling, gnashing their teeth, biting each other’s faces, and butting heads in the most literal sense. If they are not drawing blood and if you can stop them without getting injured yourself then it is likely nothing to worry about. If the fighting causes injuries, you have a problem. If you are uncertain about what is going on with those two, your best bet is to have an expert such as a behaviorist observe and make a verdict. This expert can also help you figure out how to bring a stop to the fights.

Serious Dominance Issues

If you or an expert determines that Ashley and Robyn are truly at odds with each other, dealing with the situation can be very difficult. In the worst cases, neither dog will give up until the other is dead or seriously injured. If the fights are getting out of hand, the first thing you should do is get both dogs to the vet. There is a chance that there is a physical problem underlying the fights. If the dogs have been living happily together for years and this came on all of a sudden, a health problem may be the key.

Sometimes, a younger dog will only challenge the alpha female as she gets older and weaker. Some dog owners have found out their older dog had a health problem because the younger one began to challenge her. Dogs often sense these things long before we do. If the older dog is ill, the younger one may see it as her chance to get into the alpha role.

Be the Leader

Whether Robyn and Ashley are in real combat over their positions or they are simply playing at dominance struggles, you should be the one to determine how they behave. Dogs will only be serious about positioning if their human is not their true leader. If you set yourself up as the pack leader, fights will become insignificant. Becoming the leader is not necessarily easy if you have been letting the girls get away with fighting. You will want to enlist the help of an expert trainer or behaviorist to establish yourself as the alpha and bring the fighting to a halt.

Have you ever noticed that your two dogs, both of whom are from the same litter, are such completely different creatures? Both of them are German Shepherds, and while Lily appears to be as German as her ancestors, her sister Hanna has you believing she was born and raised in San Diego where it never goes below 70 degrees. Lily loves to romp and play in the snow, but Hanna takes one look out the window and retreats to her bed. Different dogs react differently to cold weather. It probably has you baffled since they’re the same breed, but every dog is different. Unable to split yourself in two, what can you do? Do you spend more time outside with Lily, which leaves Hanna at home alone or less time outside, which makes Lily miserable? With a little preparation, though, winter can be pleasant for both types of dogs and for ones that are in between.

Shelter
When it gets cold outside it is easy to think that our dogs have natural winter coats and will be fine outside, and for some breeds this is true – at least to a certain extent. Although it seems to you that Lily and Hanna are the same, it’s very possible that with Lily’s slightly longer hair or her bigger build, mean that she and Hanna may not all that alike after all. If Lily really seems more comfortable being outside, you can always let her sleep outside – provided she is in a house with a heated bed. When it gets even too cold for her comfort, it’s an easy way back into the house to warm up.

Grooming
Some breeds of dogs, for example, Shi Tzus and Poodles, have hair rather than fur. If this is the case then you may want to consider leaving their hair a little longer over the winter months to offer some natural protection from the cold. Having a long coat doesn’t substitute for good shelter, but it can make your dog more comfortable.

Clothes
If you have a short haired, a small dog, if you keep a long hair dog groomed short, or even if your dog has fur that doesn’t thicken that much in the winter, then you should consider having your California girl wear a sweater when going out in the cold. These can help a great deal in keeping Hanna warm and protecting her from the elements. Not all dogs will wear clothes though and if that is the case, be sure to minimize the amount of time they spend outside and keep a close eye on them.

It is also a good idea during winter months to have your dog wear booties outside – if they will tolerate it. Booties can protect their feet from the cold and also from objects on the ground that are obscured by snow.

Thing to Be Cautious About
Whether or not your dog loves winter, you should always use extreme caution when walking on ice. In particular running on a frozen body of water should only be done if you are absolutely sure there are no weak spots. If you wouldn’t let children on the ice, then the dog should stay off as well.

If either Lily or Hanna gets into antifreeze it can kill them. If you think that your dog has had any exposure to antifreeze, go see your vet immediately. Even a small exposure can be extremely dangerous.

Obvious Signs Your Dog Wants to Go Back Home
While some dogs shun the cold others love to romp and play. If you have a dog that loves the snow and cold weather, it is still important to keep your eye on her. If she starts shivering or shaking then it is time to get her back home, even if she is having a good time. Sometimes dogs don’t regulate themselves well and it is important to look out for their best interest.  If your dog doesn’t seem to warm up after getting into shelter or displays signs of hypothermia or unusual behavior, take her into the vet immediately.

One of the best things to do with your dog in the winter is cuddle. Their body temperature is actually slightly higher than ours, so as warm blooded as Lily is, she can make a great heating blanket.

Dogs bite. It is their primary defense against aggressors. In fact, more often, dog biting is not an act of aggression, but an act of self-defense. The problem with fear biting comes in when the fear and anxiety are out of control, and your dog snaps as a reflex action to imaginary threats. If Skippy snaps at you when you walk past him, or if you reach out to pet him when he’s not expecting it, he’s exaggerating danger signals, and the fear biting is at a dangerous level.

Ways to Control and Reduce Fear Biting in Dogs

Make sure you don’t accidentally heighten Skippy’s fear levels. When pets startle or show fear, a common reaction from pet owners is to coddle them, and speak in soft reassuring tones that are meant to convey “everything is okay.” Unfortunately, dogs often interpret that as there is something really scary that you have to comfort them from. The only thing this does is to heighten the fear and in turn feed whatever aggressive state Skippy is in. Instead, when Skippy is afraid or jumpy, act completely normal, and divert his attention to something else. If you find this isn’t work, you can use a firm voice that lets him know that you are in control of the situation and he doesn’t need to take control. This will relax him far more than any baby voice you use.

Once Skippy’s fear actually develops into snapping at anything in the vicinity here are a few ways to handle it:

• Wait until Skippy calms down before approaching him. Invading his personal space while he is in defense mode will probably result in a bite.
• Take him out often to places where there is a lot of commotion. If Skippy has a big problem with biting, keep him under complete control and on a leash at all times, even in places where it might otherwise be okay to let him be loose and socialize such as a dog park. Choose mildly active places to start with, and gradually increase the level of activity as he gets used to it. The logic behind this is exposure. You can’t keep him in his backyard forever and exposure to stimuli that would arouse his fear biting in situations where you are in control are a way to start teaching him.
• Don’t run up on Skippy, or approach from behind. If you are behind him, talk to him as you approach so he knows you are coming.

• Getting Out of a Dangerous Situation with Strange Dogs
• When faced with a strange dog exhibiting common signs of fear such as baring teeth, growling or shaking, stop what you are doing. Back away from the dog, but keep your eyes on him. If you have something in your hands, try to keep it between yourself and the strange dog in case he lunges at you. Do not reach out, or try to calm the dog down by petting him.

Never approach any strange dog in a vulnerable position, or reach out to pet them unless you know how they will react. Treat all strange dogs as if they will bite you, and never let small children run up to strange dogs. Even otherwise calm dogs that wouldn’t normally bite may snap at a small child darting up to them. Children can resemble small prey making them “targets” for the predatory instincts in a dog that doesn’t know them. The jerky arm movements of a child and the tendency to be rough even when they don’t mean to be may also aggravate even a mild tempered dog.