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Welcome to Shiny Dogs Gift Shop! & Blog

Shiny Dogs gift shop has unique designs on more than 50 products, excellent Dog lover gifts and t-shirts for loving dogs.

Scroll down to read our blog with tips about your loved ones.

Select your preferred breed

Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier seems oblivious of its small size. It is ever eager for adventure and trouble. It can be aggressive to strange dogs and small animals. In other words, it has true Terrier heritag

Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever
These are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm. They are easily trained, and always patient and gentle with children. Loyal, confident, sweet and eager to please. It is active,

Shih-Tzu

Shih-Tzu
The Shih-Tzu is an alert and spunky little dog. Happy and hardy, has loads of character. They are royally dignified, courageous and sometimes arrogant.

Beagle

Beagle
The Beagle is a gentle, sweet, lively and curious dog that just loves everyone! A happy little tail-wagger! Sociable, brave and intelligent. Calm and loving, excellent pet!

Chihuahua

Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is a good companion dog, it gives and demands affection. temperamental and saucy, Chihuahua's are intensely loyal and become very attached to their owners, even to the point of jealousy.

French Poodle

French Poodle
Poodles are sensitive and remarkably intelligent. Highly responsive, and they are said to be one of the most trainable breeds.

I love my dog

I love my dog
It's hard not to love a dog, unlike other animals, they are loyal, loving, caring, and of course, great listeners :p

Beware of Dog

Beware of Dog
Beware of my small Dog, don't step on it!!

The greatest dog

The greatest dog
No matter the breed, the age or gender, you know your dog is always the greatest.

Cute Puppy

Cute Puppy
Let this cute puppy take your heart, she is from texas, her name: cowgirl

German Shepherd

German Shepherd
German Shepherds are highly intelligent, agile and well-suited to active working environments. famous for being police dogs all around the world.

Proud Dad - German shepherd

Proud Dad - German shepherd
Proud Dad - German shepherd, because We all are proud parents.


Thursday, August 2, 2007

Should Your Dog Eat Table Scraps?

It’s a familiar sight to every pet owner who has sat down to a meal with their dog in the room: Your furry friend scoots as close to the table as he can get. His big, pitiful eyes stare longingly - first at you, then at your plate. He licks his chops over and over again, hoping to get just one bite of whatever you are eating. As hard as it is not to give in to those sad, soulful eyes, there are many reasons NOT to feed your dog table scraps.

The most obvious reason is because many of the foods that humans eat are just not good for dogs. The best diet for a dog is a consistent diet. Talk to your vet about how much food to give your dog, and then feed the same amount at the same time each day. There are ways to make his meals more interesting, such as adding gravy that is made for dogs, without sacrificing his good health.

Dogs that eat a lot of table scraps tend to be overweight. If you are eating a steak and want to give your dog a treat, what part of the steak does he usually get? The fat. Eating pure fat isn’t good for your dog’s weight. Dogs that are overweight have less energy and are at greater risk for developing health problems such as cardiovascular diseases.

Some foods are a direct threat to your dog’s health. Chocolate is the best example of this. Chocolate contains a substance that is toxic to dogs. While humans love this sweet treat, it can cause great harm, even death, to your dog.

Digestive disorders are another common problem among dogs that eat a lot of table scraps. Again, the healthiest diet for dogs is a consistent diet. You’re not doing your dog any favors if you feed him scraps that cause him to vomit or have diarrhea. Even a food that isn’t always toxic to a dog can upset his digestive tract enough to cause these unpleasant symptoms.

Table scraps do not provide the nutrition that dogs need. Tossing your dog a scrap of chicken now and then is different than feeding your dog a diet that consists mainly of table scraps. Dogs need different things nutritionally than humans do, and the best way for dogs to get what they need is to eat a food that has been formulated for dogs. Even if you offer him nutritious dog food along with an abundance of table scraps, he is less likely to eat his own food if he is filling up on yours.

In addition to the health problems, there are behavioral problems that can develop as a result of feeding your dog table scraps. You need to ask yourself the following questions.

Do you really want him to beg? You need to ask yourself this question every time you are tempted to give in to your dog. If you start feeding your dogs scraps from the table, he is going to sit there like Old Faithful at every single meal. Do not reward begging at the table unless you WANT him to beg at the table. Rewarding that behavior even one time may make it difficult to train your dog to stay away from the table. Even if it doesn’t bother you terribly, you may want to entertain guests in the future who won’t appreciate Fido sniffing their plates as they try to eat.

Help your pet be a good dog by NOT rewarding bad behavior such as begging.

Do you want your dog to be a picky eater? Since the healthiest food for you dog is dog food, it’s a good idea to make that dog food as appealing as possible. Setting his dry kibble next to a juicy steak probably isn’t the most effective way to accomplish that. By feeding your dog a lot of table scraps, you are helping him develop a taste for your food. In some cases, this will cause your dog to become finicky about what he eats, and his dry food will not seem as appealing as it once did.

Do you want a dog who steals? A dog who is allowed to eat human food on a regular basis will begin to assume it is his right to eat the pot of spaghetti you left on the counter. He may also be more apt to rummage through the garbage to get a hold of some of the scraps you neglected to give him. This may cause serious problems as many items found in the trash are very harmful to your pet.

There are many good reasons not to give table scraps to your dog on a regular basis, but there are ways to treat your dog that are not harmful and that will not encourage bad behavior.

If you want to give your pet an occasional treat of leftover meat, just follow a few rules.

* Be sure that small bones are removed. Never give your dog chicken bones. Some dogs have a bad reaction (severe vomiting and diarrhea) to other types of bones, so it’s best to remove the meat from the bones completely.

* Do not feed directly from the table. After the meal, when the dog has stopped begging, take the leftovers to his normal eating place and put them in his bowl. Do not let him see you walk directly from the table to his bowl.

* Do not do anything that causes your dog to see a relationship between his begging and you giving him table food. Do not feed him table scraps every day. His main diet should be of a food that contains all the nutrition he needs. In other words: dog food. Only feed hand selected table scraps as an occasional treat.

As much as you might want to give in to his begging, you must keep his best interest in mind. Dogs don’t know what is good for them. It’s your job to help keep them healthy and to help them behave, not give in to their every whim.



About The Author

David Beart is the owner of professorshouse.com. Our site covers pets, household finances, family, cooking and other household issues.

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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Tips On Choosing The Right Sized Dog Bed

Have you ever noticed how your pet dog loves sleeping beside you in your bed? You frequently tell your dog to get off but it just wont listen to you. Yes, you adore your pet, there's no question about it. However, you just can't let your dog sleep beside you no matter how adorable it may seem. Admit it, the way your dog snores and drools in your bed really keeps you up at night. In situations like this, you should finally get your dog its own dog bed.

Getting your beloved pet its own place for sleeping is as essential as a man having his own bed. However, you can not just choose any dog bed products for your pet. There are some things that you need to consider first such as the right size of the dog bed. Keep in mind that it's more comfortable for dogs to lie on a bed that is just the right size for them.

The following are some helpful tips when it comes to choosing the right sized dog bed:

1. Consider the size and breed of your pet dog first. Since you are going to choose a bed for your dog, always keep in mind the physique of your beloved dog. If you own a small dog such as a Teacup Poodle, then of course, you will be looking for a small-sized dog bed. However, if your pet dog is a large one such as a St. Bernard, then you are set to look for a large-sized dog bed. Also, if your canine pet is still a puppy, then you have to choose an adjustable bed for your dog to grow up with. Bear in mind that dogs have different life spans as compared to humans. This means that dogs grow up faster than we do.

2. Make sure that the dog bed product you choose has enough space so your dog can move easily in it. Sleeping on a dog bed should be a soothing moment for your pet and not an exhausting one. Your dog must be able to fit in the bed yet still has enough space to stretch its body. Take note that space is what pets are usually looking for in a dog crib. Dogs are hyperactive and have the tendency to move around even while they sleep.

Also, there might be instances when pet dogs other than your own, such as the ones owned by your neighbors or friends, may drop by at your place and share the dog bed with your pet. Make them as comfortable as possible by providing a dog bed with the size just right enough for them to share together.

3. Know your dog well. If you really know your dog, then shopping for the right sized dog bed will not be that hard to do. Everything will have to depend on your pet dog's preferences and needs. When buying a dog bed for your pet, it is better to ask specialty stores for a sleep trial using your prospect dog bed product. This way, you will know the most suitable size of dog bed that best fit your beloved pet dog.



About The Author

Jerry Brecken is a writer for dogbedsforyou.com, a website where you can choose among the varieties of pet supplies such as dog beds for your beloved pet. For more information about dog beds and accessories, visit http://www.dogbedsforyou.com.

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