You can't stay mad...

Chips please!

If a puppy barks and wags his tail?

'When a puppy wags it's tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?'

- Anonymous.

It's too hot!

With this heat set to stay for the next few days here are some excellent tips to help keep your pooches cooler;

• If needing to exercise make sure it does very early in the morning or later at night. Also, purchase your dog poochy shoes, available at most good pet supplies. Dogs absorb and release heat through their feet and the hot ground is very sensitive on their pads.
• If your still wanting to give your doggy exercise but not go for a walk a swim is ideal! There are dog pools around but the beach is perfect. This is a great bonding exercise and also keeps you and your pup cool.
• Make sure there is plenty of water available, if your dog is staying outside for the day make sure there are multiple bowls placed around the yard in shady spots, remember the sun will move throughout the day and you can never supply too much water.
• Ideally it would be great to bring your dog inside on some cool tiles, if you have air conditioning or heating as well. If this isn't an option set up a kiddy pool in the shade outside. If you are going to be home throughout the day spray your dog with cool water underneath and on their feet. This is how dogs to cool down to spraying them on their back is less affective.
• Wet a towel and lay this down for your dog rest on, this again will help to cool them from underneath.
• Dog's don't understand sometimes why they are inside and not going for their walk, allow them every now and then to step outside and check the weather, and also have a toilet break!
• If your dog wants to dig in the warm weather and there is spot in the garden that they can do so, then allow them too. This is a natural way for dogs to cool down with the coolness of the dirt underneath them.
• NEVER EVER for any reason leave your dog in a parked car even when the weather is only slightly warm. Dogs over heat very quickly and the temperature in the car can rise rapidly. 
   
  
   

Heat stroke.

Althought summer has passed up - or so they claim- we thought it was best to have another look at the way heat affects our dogs.

What is Heat stroke?

Heat stroke or heat stress is a case of extreme hyperthermis that results in thermal injuries to the tissues. It is a very serious condition that can lead to multiple oragan damage and even failure, this includes the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, the blood system and the brain - these all can be fatal.

What causes this?

When the heat generations exceeds the body's natural ability to loose heat, causing the body to over heat.

What can add to the risks of Heat Stroke?

• A warm, hot or humid environment
• Lack of water and shade
• Lack of ventilation
• Obesity
• Short nose breed dogs
• Respiratory issues
• Cardiovascular disease
• Elderly or younger dogs.
• Central Nervous system issues.

What are the signs of Heat Stroke?

Symptoms may vary but can include;

• Constant panting
• Weakness, fatigue
• Vomiting
• Diarrheoa
• Muscle tremors
• Muscle spasms
• Signs of confusion, delirium
• Staggering
• Laying down or collapsing

How to lessen the chance of your dog suffering from Heat Stroke;

Provide your pets with plenty of cool shaded area that has plenty of ventiliation at all times. Adequate air flow is vitaly important to allow dogs to cool down via evaporative cooling (panting)

Plenty of clean, fresh water and extra in case of spillage.

Bring your pets indoors if possible on the hotter, humid days, allowing them access to open windows, air coniditioning, shade or fans if able to.

If your pet is required to stay outside, move their bedding into the shade, some dogs may continue to lay in their bedding even if in direct sunlight.

Don't exercise your pets in hot, humid conditions. Try and walk them as early as possible or later in the afternoon to avoid the hottest part of the day.

DO NOT leave your dog lock in a vehicle, even when the windows are down it is too easy for a dog to overheat and pass away in a short period of time.

How to treat Heat Stroke?

Firstly, a vet should be contacted immidetly. Given the seriousness of this condition it is a lot safer to get your dog examined before it's too late.

Initial treatment should begin at home to try to normalise the body's temprature. Apply or spray cool water on the pets fur or skin and fan the wet fur. Do not use extremley cold watre or ice as this may exacerbate the 

Nellie - March Dog of the Month.

So it seems Gemma & Frodo need my help after they stole my Friday blog spot! Lucky I'm a laid back kind of chick and don't mind helping my friends out!

The Great Dane is a giant and powerful dog that is a very old breed and referred to as the ‘Apollo of all dogs.’ There has been images found that resemble the Dane on Greek money dating back to 36B.C. They have also been found in drawings on Egyptian monuments from roughly 3000 BC. Over this time they have been admired for their ability to bring down wild bears and boars. They are believed to be a Wolfhound mixed with old English Mastiffs but with selective breeding the Greyhound was added in to mix.
Aside from being used as a hunter they were also excellent guard dogs and used to guard estates. They’re name is mistaken for them originating from Denmark but they have nothing to do with the area.

The Great Dane is huge dog and will always turn heads wherever they go. Males grow on average up to 86 cms with females up to 81cms. The larger the dog, the more prized they are. Being such a large breed dog they are prone to hip dysplasia and having a broad chest they are susceptible to bloat. Jogging and high energy exercise is not suggested whilst this dogs are young, daily walks are necessary but should be limited as their bones grow.

Great Danes make great family pets and are extremely docile dogs. They loved to be in the mix with the family and just getting plenty of attention. Surprisingly enough they do well in apartment living, as long as they get their daily walks they will prefer to laze around the house all day. 

And this is why I'm awesome :)

Until next week - Nellie xxx. 

 

Gemma & Frodo - we're early!

We know, we know - we're a little excited about this week's news and we've jumped in a day early for our blog! But don't worry, our good friend Nelly, March Dog of the Month, is going to fill in tomorrow for us!

Today, Friday 8th March is International Women's Day!

This is a day that has been observed since the early 1900's and over it's period has become an official holiday in many countries including Afghanistan, China, Russia, Vietnam and Uganda.
It is a day dedicated to recognising and appreciating all the fantastic work, love and time that women across the world give. In some countries it is seen similar to Mothers day and many children will give small gifts to their mothers and grandmothers.

So let's celebrate International Women's Day by thanking all the fantastic women that put in so much time, effort and passion into Dogs Country Club and make this Resort the fantastic place that it is!
It wouldn't be possible without you ladies!

Thank you Hayley, Sam, Tania, Hailey, Dawn, Shaylah, Belinda, Lisa, Elise, Meaghan, Eve, Lorraine, Stacey, Donna and most importantly THANK YOU to Cory & Jill!

Where's my brother?

To enjoy a dog...

'In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be a semi - human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.'

- Edward Hoagland.

Miss Bobby & Miss Brandy!

There's a difference between an Akita and an Akita Inu?

Strangely enough there is! The original breed of Akita, known as the Japanese Akita or Akita Inu is native to the island of Honshu in the region of Akita, it's breed standard has remained unchanged for centuries. The Akita Inu is the largest of all the Japanese Spitz breeds and is a solid powerful dog. They are an extremely strong breed, both mentally and physically and their main separate feature from their American breed is their image. The Akita Inu will never have a black mask, brown is permitted on white but black is preferred.
The American standard Akita though has a wide variety of colouring including white, bridle or pinto, white Akita's will have no mask though black masks are accepted in the American breed.

In Japan, U.S.A, Canada and many other countries around the world the two different breeds of Akita are recognised as separate breeds and both can vary in different sizes also.

The American Akita male averages around 66 - 71 cm and can weigh up to 54kgs, while females grow to around 66cm and weigh up to 50kgs.
The Japanese Akita is a smaller dog with males growing up to 66com and weighing up to 54kgs, females can get to the same size as the males also.

The Japanese Akita Inu.

The American standard Akita.

Guess this breed...

We spend quite a bit of our time introducing everyone to different and quirky breeds but it's always interesting to find out what people already know!
So we're going to test your brains and see how much we all know about some quirky breeds!

This is Basil, can anyone guess what breed Basil is?

Your Dog, Hot Spots and this time of year...

What is a hot spot?

A hot spot is a localised area of inflamed and infected skin. The infection can be superficial or deep.

Hot Spots are also known as moist dermatitis and acute moist dermatitis and can appear on any part of the body.

What causes hot spots?

There are a number of reasons your dog may have hot spots. Fleas, mites or other external parasites, an insect sting or bite could be causing irritation. Allergies, most common being food or environmental. These irritation cause the 'hot spots' on the skin which leads to your dog  biting, licking or scratching the area. This then only makes the wound worse. Some dogs have also been known to start a hot spot out of pure boredom or stress related psychological problems. 

How to treat hot spots.

The first thing you can do is speak to your local Vet, due to the fact hot spots can spread rapidly and there is a possibility of deep skin infection it is wise to begin treatment. Hot spots can also be extremely painful so you want to try and narrow down what is causing this irritation.

To soothe the hot spot you can;

• Shave the area - the first treatment is to dry them out and allow the area to air. Hair loss may occur due to licking, biting etc but the hair can also mat over the inflamed area.
• Cleanse the area with cool water. Black or Green tea bags are also great to help dry and clean out the area.
• Compress the area 2-4 times a day with a cool, wet cloth
• Depending on the result of your consult with your vet, you may be prescribed antibiotics, sprays or special shampoos.
• Although the area is irritating, you need to give it the chance to heal so an Elizabethan collar (also known as the buckets that go around the dogs neck) may be required.

If you have any other further concerns or worries, make sure you consult your local Vet immediately.

Examples of hot spots;

 

Some more great tips at;

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogdiseasesh/a/hotspots.htm

Gemma's Update.. Frodo was busy!

Have we told you yet about how awesome our Luxury Penthouse Suites are?

Although they've been up and running since before Christmas and many of our guests have already been lucky enough to experiences the luxuries, as always, we continue to add and improve all our facilities at Dogs Country Club.

Our Luxury Penthouse Retreat takes our guests to a relaxing, calm environment where everything revolves around them. We've just added some finishing touches to our Penthouse Retreat and we just had to show them off, we know you'll be impressed!

Some new signage, lighting and postal box added to front of Suites. 

All Retreats are now complete with their door signage, beautiful room art work and own special spark. Guests can enjoy their stay in the Beach Retreat, or why not relax in the Farmhouse Retreat or enjoy the luxuries of the Rainforest Retreat? 

Lovely new couches for our entrance and beds for our outside yards....

Frodo was unavailable for this weeks photo shoot, he had prior arrangements with a pigs ear!

March Dog of the Month - Meet NELLIE!

We are so excited to introduce you to our March Dog of the Month, Nellie!

Nellie is a beautiful Great Dane - and she is a big girl too, weighing in at over 50kgs!

Nellie is like family at Dogs Country Club and we just love her to bits! She has such a beautiful nature and is always so happy to see everyone.. and give them a famous Nellie cuddle (which really just involves your entire body being hugged by a giant dog!)

All the Doggy Doaters are very excited when Nellie visits and we hope she enjoys her month as 'Top Dog!'

I'll come on holidays too....

Happiness.

'Happiness is dog shaped, I say.'

- Chapman Pincher.

What is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever?!

Well…. A Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever looks like this…

 ..Similar to a smaller Golden Retriever.

They originated from Canada and are a mix of retrievers and working spaniels. It is believed they accompanied their masters from Great Britain to Nova Scotia, hence their name. They were a breed developed to lure (toll) ducks and are a very skillful creation. The Retriever was used to take on the skills of a fox when hunting; their masters would throw a stick parallel to the shore and very quickly, but without barking, the Toller would retrieve it. It may take a few times, but doing this makes the ducks or geese extremely curious to approach the shore. Once the inquisitive ducks are within shooting range the hunter will call his dog back, shoots the target and the Toller then retrievers the catch.
They are a very loyal and devoted family pet also and very easy to train. Aside from their amazing skill you can’t see past their adorable looks and heart melting eyes!

Guess Who....

Thriller!

Food Aggression.

Food aggression is a common problem amongst all breeds of dogs. It can also develop into more serious problems such as the dog becoming obsessive over their toys & other objects.

Food aggression is a dog’s way of trying to claim the food as their own and this is a strong display of dominant behavior. This behavior can vary in severity whether it being a growl or snarl or just scoffing the food down before anyone can take it.  This can lead to health problems as well if your dog is eating too fast and making themselves sick.

Keeping your dog calm around food is a great way to counter act this behavior. Mixing things up can also help this issue. For example, use different bowls and feed at different times. Make sure to always feed your dog after you have eaten, this will show your dog that you are the pack leader and in charge of the situation. Project calm and assertive behavior when your dog is showing dominant behavior, this can also help to calm your dog down. Never reward your dog with food when they are in an excited state.

Being able to take things out of your dogs mouth can be very helpful in particular cases, especially if your dog has something dangerous. It is also especially important if there are young children involved. From a young age you should always teach your dog that you are allowed to place your hand around, in and take away their food bowl. 

If you feel your dog has an issue with food aggression or any type of dominating behavior it is best to seek the advice of an animal trainer or behaviorist to learn the safe ways to approach this.