Dog

BARF is amongst the trends that most dog owners are now familiar with. But have you actually heard of whole prey? We will explain what this independent feeding method consists of and what advantages and disadvantages are associated with it.

Most people know the term “cold-pressed” from olive oil, but have you ever wondered what is behind the term “cold-pressed dog food”? We will explain the difference to conventional dog food and give tips on searching for the right dry dog food.

When both cats and dogs form part of your household, you may ask yourself if it would be harmful for them to eat from the other animal's bowl. There is a clear answer to this: dogs and cats need their own specific food. However, it's no cause for great concern if your canine companion occasionally has a nibble at the contents of your cat's bowl or vice versa. Be aware though that 90% of illnesses that cats and dogs suffer from can be traced back to inappropriate food.

Is your puppy feeling at home with you after the stressful first few days? Then now is the best time to start attending a puppy play group. We will explain why learning through play under the supervision of a dog trainer is important, how to find a good puppy play group as well as puppy games for at home.

When dogs don't want to obey, this is both stressful and from time to time rather dangerous. Stopping an instinct-driven dog that ignores its owner's commands can be a challenge. But why do some dogs refuse to be obedient? How can you avoid errors in training and how can you teach your dog to be obedient?

Be it with traffic lights, stairs or doors, a guide dog helps its blind or severely visually impaired owner get safely through day-to-day life. This allows many blind people to live a more independent life. Intensive training is behind this. Read here what guide dogs can do and what training is like.

Incontinence describes uncontrolled urination or defecation, which can be triggered by several diseases. In contrast, continence is the ability to retain urine or faeces. In most cases, we assume incontinence to be of the urinary form. Urination is made possible by numerous anatomical and functional characteristics of the system. It helps to take a look at the anatomy in order to understand this in more detail.

Bad dog breath is very unpleasant and a sign for underlying diseases in the mouth cavity. So that you and your canine friend can breathe easily again, we have summarised the most important information on the subject of bad breath in dogs for you.

Hip dysplasia (HD) affecting dogs is a genetically caused joint development disorder. External influences like environmental factors, housing and diet can also have a negative effect on joint development. Hip dysplasia predominantly affects medium- to large-sized breeds, with smaller breeds less frequently affected. It often emerges with breeds like the Golden and Labrador Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Rottweiler, German Shepherd and St Bernard, rarely with Greyhounds or Borzois. Dogs aren’t born with hip dysplasia but have the genetic predisposition for it. At the age of around 12 months, affected puppies develop dislocated hips (subluxation). The femoral head isn’t fixed firmly enough in the hip socket and moves around instead. Changes resulting from this like hip joint arthrosis emerge from the age of four months. Many dogs with a mild form of hip dysplasia often only show symptoms such as lameness in old age. Factors such as a heavy body weight or quick growth can intensify HD, which is why a healthy diet with a moderate calorie and adapted mineral content is so important in the puppy phase. An excessively high provision of energy or minerals like calcium can have a negative influence on hip dysplasia.

The small Yorkshire Terrier with long, fine fur and a spruce appearance has plenty of tricks behind its little ears. As a former rat catcher from the county of Yorkshire in northern England, this dog is very self-confident and wishes to be taken seriously by its owners as a domestic and companion dog too.

With its loving nature, attentive gaze and rustic beard, the German Wire-Haired Pointer soon wins the hearts of many dog lovers. Despite its many positive qualities, however, this breed is reserved to a certain group of people with good reason: the German Wire-Haired Pointer is a high-performance hunting dog historically used for hunting.

A sporty dog from the US Midwest, the American Water Spaniel is rarely found both in Europe and its country of origin.

Cheap and yellow – tennis balls are popular dog toys. Read here why there aren't suitable toys for your dog.

Many people are currently spending more time than usual at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Not just gym closures have led many people to look for opportunities to keep fit in the four walls of their home. All the better if their dog benefits too. So how about dog yoga? We'll offer tips for interested yoga fans and those who want to become one.

Only for big dogs? No way! Small dogs too can have plenty of fun with agility. Find out here whether your little dog is suited to this dynamic dog sport and which five factors you as a dog owner have to take into account.

Dog lovers like to take their four-legged best friends everywhere with them. As long as it's just ventures within the city, it's self-explanatory that our four-legged family members go everywhere with us. But what's the situation when it comes to holidays? What are the possibilities for animal lovers when moving a long distance? Is there the opportunity to take a dog on a plane? Or is it better for dog owners to tackle long journeys by car?

Is your puppy feeling at home with you after the stressful first few days? Then now is the best time to start attending a puppy play group. We will explain why learning through play under the supervision of a dog trainer is important, how to find a good puppy play group as well as puppy games for at home.

The joy surrounding a new puppy is huge and we animal lovers usually concern ourselves at the start of the new friendship with subjects like diet, great toys or the right training. It's often the case that we only ask ourselves whether and how puppies can be bathed when they first jump in a muddy puddle. All important information is summarised in the following article in order to answer this question for you:

No question about it – vaccinations help protect your dog from deadly infectious diseases. But which vaccinations should your dog have? What does your puppy actually receive in its initial immunisations, and how often should your dog have boosters to ensure life-long protection?