Just like humans, the odor from your dog’s breath signifies their health. While it is believed that the most common health problem in dogs is heartworm, you may be surprised to know it’s actually Periodontal disease, which is caused by a buildup of tartar and plaque on their gums. If proper dental hygiene methods aren’t consistently performed, this disease can be lethal! Periodontitis is also common, which is the deterioration and bone loss around the tooth. So let’s avoid that altogether with a few tips on how to take care of those canine choppers before the company arrives…and for life.

Professional Dental Cleaning

Having your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned typically also involves a full oral examination, and can be extremely informative. If you aren’t comfortable with your dog being sedated for this procedure, we suggest performing and at-home alternative instead.

Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

To brush your dog’s teeth at home, you will need a double-headed canine toothbrush, and brush at a 45 degree angle (or as close to that as possible). We recommend tiring out your dog before brushing with a little extra playtime and exercise. This will reduce squirming. If this is the first time you’ve brushed his teeth, go slowly and and stop if your dog starts squirming or gets irritated. Always reward your dog with a treat afterwards. After a few consistent sessions, you should be able to brush for longer without too much resistance.  

Note: If brushing ends in blood, resist the urge to feed your dog soft food. Dry food is better for your dog, as soft food is more likely to stick to their teeth and cause decay.

Treats To Do The Trick

If the thought of brushing your dog’s teeth has you rolling on the floor laughing, we have just the solution for you. There are tons of synthetic bones and chew toys designed to clean and strengthen teeth.

Note: While giving your dog a delicious bone will certainly help remove tartar and plaque, it will not sufficiently clean the teeth, just like relying on mouth rinse won’t do the trick for humans.

The post Handle Smelly Dog Breath Before The Holidays appeared first on Dog Gone Amazing Education Center.

Malaika and Ripken show us how using consistent command words improves communication between you and your dog.

Highlights from Malaika’s lesson:

1. A successful command has a clear beginning and end. It is your responsibility to establish a beginning and end to your commands.

2. Your dog should fulfill the command (whether it’s to sit, stay or lie down) until you give him another one.

3. Be consistent with your behavior once the dog comes. Choose a way to react after your command, so it is more clearly defined for the dog.

4. Be consistent with your tone.

The post Using Consistent Command Words With Your Dog appeared first on Dog Gone Amazing Education Center.

(Note: Although this list is sure to keep your bellies full, Let us know if we missed a spot, and we’ll add it to our list!)

Paw-ruse the possibilities:

Restaurants / Bars / Grills

• 4th Street Bistro — 3065 W 4th Street
• Archie’s Grill — 2195 N. Virginia St.
• Buenos Grill — 3892 Mayberry Dr
• Baja Fresh Mexican Grill — 5140 Kietzke Ln.
• Freeman’s Natural Hot Dogs — 106 California Avenue
• Ghengis Grill — 191 Damonte Ranch Parkway (outdoor patio, on leash)
• Great Full Gardens — 555 S Virginia St #107 (outdoor tables)
• In-N-Out Burger — 8215 S Virginia St
• La Cucina — 3600 Lakeside
• Laughing Planet – 650 Tahoe Street (super dog friendly staff)
• Lili’s Restaurant & Bar — 2325 Kietzke Ln (water bowls on patio!)
• Old Granite Street Eatery — 243 S Sierra St
• Pignic Pub & Patio — 235 Flint St.
• Riverview Café — 1 Lake Street
• Süp Restaurant — 719 S Virginia Street
• The Stone House — 1907 S Arlington Avenue
• Wild Garlic Pizza — 670 Mount Rose St (patio)
• Wild River Grille — 17 S Virginia Street, # 180/H 395 (outdoor patio)
• Zpizza -3600 Warren Way

Breakfast / Brunch

• Archie’s Giant Hamburgers and Breakfast — 2195 N Virginia St
• Cafe Deluxe — 1690 S. Wells Ave.
• My Favorite Muffin & Bagel Cafe — 340 California Ave.
• Peg’s Glorified Ham & Eggs — 420 S. Sierra St.
• The Squeeze In — 5020 Las Brisas Blvd
• Swill Coffee and Wine — 3366 Lakeside Court
• Stonehouse Cafe —1907 S. Arlington Ave
• Two Chicks — 752 S. Virginia St.

Coffee / Smoothies / Etc.

• Coffeebar Reno — 682 Mt. Rose St.
• Hub Coffee Roasters —727 Riverside Dr.
• Jamba Juice — 5140 Kietzke Lane
• Jamba Juice — 1495 E Prater Way, # 123 (Sparks)
• Java Jungle — 246 W. 1st Street
• Swill Coffee and Wine — 3366 Lakeside Court
• Walden’s Coffee House — 3940 Mayberry Drive

Beer / Wine

• Craft — 22 Martin Street
• The Grape and the Grain — 7665 Towne Square Way
• Swill Coffee and Wine — 3366 Lakeside Court
• Whispering Vine — 4201 West 4th St.
• Whispering Vine — 3886 Mayberry Dr
• Whispering Vine — 85 Foothill Rd

Other

• Great Basin Community Food Co-Op — 240 Court St.
• Whole Foods Market — 5695 S. Virginia St.

Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Reno

The post Local Eats: Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Reno appeared first on Dog Gone Amazing Education Center.

Pooch: Shiloh

Age: 5 years

Breed: Golden Retriever

Training: How to get an anxious, excitable older dog to focus on a single command.

The Scoop: Even when they know commands, some dogs still get distracted or confused when asked to follow just one. With older dogs, many owners think the training window is closed and that this is just the way it’s going to be.

But it doesn’t have to be! Even with older dogs, if you begin establishing certain stationary commands for them to follow over the others that may be floating around in their heads (in this case “sit” and “place”) it will help them calm down and maintain focus.

Click here to see how well Shiloh did!

The post Video: How to Teach Your Old Dog New Tricks appeared first on Dog Gone Amazing Education Center.