Your dog is more than a four-legged friend, he is part of the family. If you have recently adopted a pup or have enjoyed your pet for many years, you know you have a great responsibility in taking care of him. More than that, you must help your dog relate well to other people. When you take your dog for walks or out in public to a park or outdoor event, you need to make sure your dog won't leap forward a nip at somebody. Your dog may act defensively as a means of protecting you and family, but a bite from a well-meaning pet can spell trouble for you later.
It's one thing if somebody tries to assault you and your dog acts to prevent it. If somebody is walking past you without provocation and your dog rushes that person and bites, you may be liable for any injuries and medical bills that result. It's important, therefore, to make sure your dog behaves in public and other situations where people visit your home.
To ensure good behavior in your dog, you have a few options. You can work to condition your dog to keep still around people, and also inform those who wish to interact with your dog of any quirks. If your pet appears skittish around strangers, you may wish to curtail the time spent in public, or use less populated paths for walks. Gradually, bring your dog into places where he will see other people, but keep a close reign on him.
When walking your dog, watch his behavior as he comes into contact with others. Does he appear nervous or scared? Keep him close with the leash and assure him of your proximity. A calm demeanor can help your dog feel safe. If people ask to pet your dog, have them hold up their palms so your dog can sniff. This is a dog's way of knowing people mean no harm.
If you have serious concerns about how your dog will react to a gesture or approach, consider looking into an obedience course. It may prove helpful, too, if your dog is involved in an incident with another animal or person. Having the obedience training may not absolve you of liability, but you can show you took precautions with your dog.
Your dog is part of your family and a friend who wants to protect you. A random lashing out, however, could cause trouble in the long run, but if you're proactive with training and discipline, hopefully you need not worry about such issues.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Maryland personal injury lawyers and Fairfax personal injury lawyers.

Doesn't it feel great when you come home after spending an exhausting day of fun-filled adventure with friends? And don't you look forward to the next time you get to do it? After all, it was so much fun! And let's face it-we need days like that. Your dog needs days like that too, but with other dogs. For dog-owners who do not have regular playgroups with other dog-owners, taking your dog to a doggie-daycare can be an excellent choice. Once a week is a good low-end goal to aim for, but even just twice a month can be helpful. And with prices typically being significantly less than boarding, it can be surprisingly affordable.
Benefits for your dog.
Taking your dog to doggie-daycare provides several benefits for your dog.

• Mental Stimulation

If you have ever had too much time on your hands, you know how it adversely affects your mind. It's that "I'm so bored it's driving me crazy!" feeling. In our crazy busy worlds, it's easy to envy our dog's easy-going life. But put yourself in their paws for a moment and consider how frustrating too much idle time can be. Your dog needs the mental stimulation that comes from playing with other dogs.

• Physical Stimulation / Exercise

A tired dog is a happy dog. While those with toy or small-size dogs may be able to wear them out with a good jog around the neighborhood, many breeds have been bred to work all day-and they can outlast most of their owners. Other dogs can keep up with them and wear them out in a fun way.

• Socialization

I'm referring to exposing your dog to new experiences, including environments, people, and dogs. While this is especially important for puppies, it is good for dogs of any age. The more they are exposed to, the better equipped they are to handle other new experiences. It is one of the most important parts of training a dog to live in a human world.
Benefits for you.
Yes, your money isn't just going to the dog-you get some great perks, too.

• A Better Behaving Dog

One of the leading causes of behavioral problems in dogs is simple boredom. Just like kids (and even adults), they are going to try to find something to do just to have something to do. Too often, what they find manifests itself in destructive behavior (chewing, digging, etc.). Doggie-daycare relieves boredom, and because of the socialization, also helps reduce behavioral problems resulting from a dog that does not know how to handle a new situation.

• A Calmer Dog - Just like a person, a worn-out dog is going to want to relax after a tiring day. It can make for a nice, relaxing evening for both you and your dog.

While not every dog is suitable for doggie-care, most are. And with many doggie-daycare programs costing well under $15 per day, it is an affordable, good time for both your dog and you.

Written by Jill Manty for the owner of http://www.meadowlakepetresort.com/. This article can be reproduced in whole or in part, providing this byline is included along with a followable link to http://www.meadowlakepetresort.com/.

Commercial dog food brands are in a mad dash to get a dominant chunk of the market. In an attempt to entice and convince dog owners that their product is the best for pets, manufacturers are incorporating unconventional dog food ingredients in addition to the usual ingredients in pet food rations.
Quality pet food should be formulated with the dog's daily nutrient requirement in mind. It should be noted that different life stages have different nutritional requirements. Thus, it is very important that food for your dog should be intended for his age.
You might have observed that commercial rations for puppies are priced higher than those marketed for adult dogs. The amount of the protein component of the food usually dictates the price. Since puppies and growing dogs need more protein, and protein sources are quite expensive, their rations are inevitably priced higher. On the bright side, you can feed a smaller portion to meet your dog's needs.
In an effort to cut overhead costs and make more profit, there are manufacturers that use meat substitutes and fillers. These dog food ingredients are definitely substandard and subsequently fail in fulfilling the required nutrient intake. To make matters worse, meat substitutes such as meat by-products have been linked to various health problems in dogs.
As a responsible dog owner, you should know how to read and interpret the composition and/or ingredients of pet food brands. Many manufacturers have been adding unusual dog food ingredients that may be harmful to your dog. Some of the most common ingredients that you can notice listed in dog food labels include additives, binders, carbohydrate sources, coloring agents, fat sources, flavoring agents, fiber sources, fruits and vegetables, preservatives and certain supplements.
Additives
The most common additives include Glyceryl Monostearate, Phosphoric acid, and Propylene Glycol.
Glyceryl Monostearate is an emulsifier commonly used in the foodstuff industry. It can contain butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) of more than 200 ppm.
Phosphoric Acid is often used as flavoring and emulsifying agent of inferior quality dog food.
Propylene Glycol is added to prevent semi-moist kibble from drying out. It can be toxic when added in large quantities. Countries under the European Union have not approved Propylene Glycol as a food additive.
Binders
The binders that you can commonly see in dog food products include corn gluten and wheat gluten. These ingredients are recognized as potential allergens of dogs. In fact, these have been linked to a major percentage of food allergies in dogs. Gluten meals are inexpensive by-products with low nutritional value.
Carbohydrate Sources
Brewer's rice has been used by manufacturers as a low-quality and inexpensive substitute for whole grain rice. Other non-desirable carbohydrate feed sources which are often added to pet food rations include grain fermentation soluble, cereal food fines, oat meal, maltodextrins, soy flour, and potato peels and culls.
As you can see, these are mostly by-products of human food processing and consequently do not have desirable nutritional values.
Coloring Agents
Color additives are known carcinogens. Cases of allergy reactions that have been linked to food coloring have also been recorded in dogs. The most common coloring agents found in pet foods include Blue 2, Red 40, titanium dioxide, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6.
Flavoring Agents
The flavoring agents commonly found in pet food products include animal digest such as lamb digest, chicken digest, or poultry liver digest. Most of these ingredients come from animal tissues with the likelihood of "4-D animals" (diseased, disabled, dying, or dead).
Fiber Sources
A dog's digestive system is not designed for efficient digestion of fibrous feed ingredients. Although fiber is needed in small quantities for its cleansing effect on the digestive tract, high amounts of fibrous ingredients in dog food is not desirable. Many pet food manufacturers incorporate fiber sources to add consistency and bulk to poor quality food. A few of the common fiber sources you can find in dog food ingredients include corn bran, cellulose, oat hulls, peanut hulls, wheat mill run, and soybean mill run.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals however most of those used as a dog food ingredient are by-products of processing. They are also a likely source of residues from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Fruits, such as grapes, also contain a substance which is toxic to dogs.
A responsible dog owner is a vigilant dog owner. He takes time to get to know a pet food product by reading the fine lines of ingredients. The key that can unlock the mystery of whether a particular product is the best one for your dog is to know the dog food ingredients that make up the product.
Written based on input from vet Dr. Cabriles.

Senior Writer, Daily Wetnose
http://DailyWetnose.com
Ken is a dog lover (proud pet parent of 2 Min Pins) and is Senior Editor at Daily Wetnose. This dog blog is a fun and informative place for dog lovers, owners, breeders and other pet professionals to meet, greet, sniff and celebrate pooches.

Happy Halloween!
Right now, many of you are preparing to greet the neighborhood children with scores of sweet treats. While the impact of candy on the health of children is debatable, it is disastrous for pets. The digestive systems of dogs and humans are very different. We would not consume raw meat, but our pets thrive on it. In the same way, there are foods that we eat that can have serious negative health effects on our loved ones.
Alcohol
Let's get one of the obvious ones out of the way. Alcohol has many of the same effects on dogs that it has on humans, but it takes far less to accomplish the same result. Loss of coordination can occur, along with dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and death. This doesn't have to be as malicious as fratboys having the house dog do a kegstand... it can be as simple as leaving a wineglass unattended.
Avacado
Many of us (except me) love guacamole. Avacados are a great source of healthy fats for humans. For dogs, they are a great source of vomiting and diarrhea, caused by Persin (harmless to humans). Keep the pit away too, as this can be a choking hazard.
Dough
Dogs have no biological requirement for carbohydrates in their diet. What makes dough so much more dangerous is that it can rise while inside your pet. This can lead to gas, extreme pain, and can even cause the stomach or intestines to rupture.
Chocolate
Another obvious one. Even a few pieces of chocolate are enough to lead to tremors, rapid heart rate, and death. The darker the chocolate, the higher concentration of methylxanthines, which are the catalyst.
Coffee and Tea
In the same family as chocolate (methylxanthines), coffee and tea are a bad idea for dogs. The caffeine present can lead to excessive thirst, tremors, abnormal heartbeat, hyperactivity, seizures, and death.
Onions
Onions contain a chemical that does damage to red blood cells, and can lead to anemia. They can also irritate the GI tract.
Grapes and Raisins
While the exact compound responsible is unknown, grapes and raisins are extremely potent. They lead very quickly to kidney failure.
Sugary foods
I have an uncle (a medical doctor) who believes sugar to be a "modified poison". If sugar is that bad for humans, how bad must it be for dogs? Answer... really bad! Dogs who ingest high amounts of sugar, especially artificial sweeteners, run the risk of liver failure. Sugar, and its variants, can induce loss of coordination, seizures, depression, and trigger a sudden drop in blood pressure.
Macadamia nuts
Even just a few nuts can cause a serious reaction. Symptoms include vomiting, tremors, and depression.
Salt
Last weeks article touched on this important fact. Excess salt in the diet leads to sodium poisoning, elevated body temperature, excessive thirst and urination, vomiting, diarrhea, and death.
Mushrooms
Even edible species of mushrooms may contain toxins that may lead to liver and kidney damage.
Human vitamins
Many people think that their own supplements can be used for their dogs. This is a common mistake. The real danger comes from feeding supplements with high concentrations of iron, as this can damage the lining of the GI tract, and lead to liver and kidney failure.