10.13.08
Children Who Own Pets Have a Better Chance of Fighting Obesity
Deakin University, in Australia, conducted a study amongst about 1,100 children between 5-12 years old, finding that pet ownership could help children to maintain a healther weight and lifestyle.
These children were found to have a better likelihood of staying fit and not becoming overweight or obese if they owned a dog, even if they didn’t regularly walk the dog. It’s believed that the interaction (i.e. playing) children have with the dog helps to keep the weight off. These researchers also found from one of their prior studies that “young girls who owned a dog were more physically active by 30 minutes than those without pets“.
Children who are younger have shown to benefit the greatest – “20% of those who owned a dog being overweight or obese compared with 25% of children who did not live with a pet“. Also, “30% of 10-12 year olds who did not have a dog suffered weight problems compared with 27% of their peers with a pet“.
Have you or someone you know physically benefited from owning a dog?
Source: The Age.com.au
06.05.08
Preparation Before Getting A Dog
So many people think it’s so easy to get a dog and do little reading on what type of breed is an appropriate match for their personality. This can lead to issues later on for a dog owner and therefore it’s important for people to do some reading before getting themselves a dog. A person will be able to avoid making a rash decision of getting a dog because it’s cute, but will be able to make an educated decision, because they already learned about the breed’s mannerism, how difficult or easy it will be to train a specific breed, and the responsibilities involved with caring for a breed.
Before getting a dog, here are a few tips to help you prepare along the way:
- Do research on the different type of breeds you’re interested in. When deciding on the breed, you should take into consideration how the dog will be able to interact with both you, the people living with you (if applicable), and your lifestyle.
- Understand the mannerisms for specific breeds. Do you want a dog that is very obedient? Or do you prefer a more dominant or aggressive dog?
- Think about the time you have available to train a dog. Certain dogs need you to dedicate more time in training them such as Springer Spaniels, while others require a shorter time for training such as Pugs.
- Reward your dog! When your dog does something good, make sure you provide it with lots of positive reinforcement and praise. Toys or regular food treats will also work just as well.
- Be consistent and patient. Though you may get frustrated with training your dog, don’t show any negativity. “Dogs can sense your negative energy and will shut themselves down. Give your dog time to process the information that you’re giving”.
- Consider help from professionals in the industry such as: boarders, daycares, groomers, sitters, trainers, walkers, etc. Check out our dog service directory to find dog services in your local neighborhood.
