Why I Choose a Raw Diet Over Commercial Dog Food. Please read until the end.

Why I choose a raw diet over commercial dog food. Please read until the end.

Let's start with what usually appears as the protein source and the primary ingredient in pet food: Meat byproducts or meat meal. Both are euphemisms for the parts of animals that wouldn't be considered meat by any smart consumer. The well-known phrase "meat byproducts" is a misnomer since these byproducts contain little, if any, meat. These are the parts of the animal left over after the meat has been stripped away from the bone. "Chicken by-products include head, feet, entrails, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, stomach, bones, blood, intestines, and any other part of the carcass not fit for human consumption," writes Henry Pasternak in Healing Animals with Nature's Cures.

Home Remedy For Repelling Ticks & Fleas

It is that time of year again!! Fleas and ticks are starting to be reborn just to terrorize us and our beloved animals.

However, there is good news!! You do not have to go broke treating your animals, yourself or your yard to repel these nasty boogers.  You can make your own using natural ingredients at half the cost.  Below are a few ways to keep the ticks off you, your pets and your yard.

Garlic;

• Ticks HATE Garlic so as my Grandmother and Ben Franklin use to say.... "An ounce of prevention is greater than a pound of cure." Plant garlic in your yard, around your yard or anywhere you do not want the ticks to live.  Not only will these deter them from your yard, you will also have fresh garlic when you need it.  You can also eat raw garlic or take garlic tabs so it is in your blood. They can smell it and will not attach themselves to you if garlic is in your system. (Garlic tabs are safe for your dogs as well.

Neem Oil;

• You can either use neem oil or soak neem leaves in hot water and then apply this on the skin.
• For Pets; Prepare a general flea and tick spray by mixing 2.5 ml (1/2 ounce) of organic neem oil with 1-2 ml (1/4-1/2 ounce) of mild soap or detergent and 2 cups water. For a stronger solution if there is a problem or the dog will be going into deep bug country, mix 5 ml neem oil, 2 ml mild soap or detergent and 2 cups water. Use warm, not hot, water to dissolve the oil. Mix water and soap first and then slowly add neem oil for flea and tick control. Add to sprayer and use immediately. Discard after use. Neem oil is unstable and breaks down after 8 hours. Mix new each time.
• Place a few drops of neem oil on palms and simply rub hands through your pet's fur for effective flea and tick control. Neem oil is best used this way for dogs, only, not for cats. For sensitive dogs, dilute the neem oil 1:10 in a light carrier oil like almond or jojoba and rub palms first. Then run hands thoroughly through the dog's coat for natural, effective flea and tick control.
• Warnings
  Caution is advised when using neem oil on animals that are breeders or about to be bred. Use neem oil at half strength for flea and tick control.
  Do not treat cats with concentrated neem oil that is left on the skin. Using neem leaf tea is far safer for felines.  

Tea Tree Oil; 

• Tea Tree oil is a great repellent. Once mixed, you spray it on the skin or fur and rub in.  I also make sure and pray it on our shoes and pant legs if we are going camping or into the woods so we don't carry home any piggy back riders.
• To make; Mix two ounces of tea tree oil in water and pour it in a spray bottle. Spray this regularly on your skin.
• You can also Spray your yard area with this mixture.

Other effective natural remedies:

• Natural herbs; Lavender oil, Lavender plants, Lemon Grass, Peppermint or citronella are all very effective in keeping fleas off your yard. We make sure to have some every year and we have not had to use chemicals on our yard/ house or body for fleas, ticks or mosquitoes in 3 years now. 
• A few more ways to repel fleas and ticks; eucalyptus, myrrh, rosewood, or Lemon.
• Lemon; Take 6 lemons and cut in half. Boil these in a quart of water and steep for a few hours. Strain the solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the solution on the pet’s fur but avoid the eyes.

These are just a few of the simple ways you can prevent an infestation of fleas or ticks in your living area and make the family pet a happy go lucky Fido instead of a miserable, itchy one.

Please feel free to leave ideas and other remedies in the comment section below!!

Schutzhund Vs Personal Protection Training For Your Dog

(Note: Before reading any further I want to make it clear that this article was not meant to offend anyone.  I have done research on the topic discussed and am providing you all with the results of the research.  This topic is controversial and the matters can be sensitive.  I welcome everyone’s opinions and comments int he section below at the end of the article.)

In a previous article I talked about the importance of having your dog trained to remain silent and to speak and how it can benefit you in a survival situation.  In this article I am going to go in-depth about the difference in Schutzhund training and how it is different from a personal protection trained dog.  (PPD)

Training Your Dog For Survival

Training Your Dog For Survival

There are millions of people out there who would never leave their dogs behind in any emergency situation if they can help it.  That is wonderful and that sort of love and loyalty is to be commended.  So I ask, why not take it one step further and train your dog to benefit you in a survival situation?

Dogs have natural survival instincts already in them so there are some things you do not have to worry about.  It has been my experience that the majority of dogs can assess a dangerous situation and let the owners know by barking at the threat.  Teaching your dog to speak, or to be quiet, is not as hard as you think and can mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation.  If you do not want someone to know your location then being able to keep your dog quiet on command is of the utmost importance.  If you are in a situation where you need to be found then having a dog that can alert others on command is very important.