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Dental Hygiene in Dogs

16 September 2024

Dental hygiene is an important part of any dog’s health, and something all owners should be aware of. Although dogs’ teeth do not require daily brushing in the same way as humans, good dental hygiene is still relatively easy to maintain. We recommend a healthy diet as the best starting point, with raw feeds being most conducive to promoting dental hygiene given their lower carbohydrate and sugar content. If a raw diet is not practical, your vet should be able to advise on other dental-friendly alternatives.

Tooth decay and poor dental hygiene become more of a risk if plaque is allowed to build up and turn into tartar. Apart from semi-regular brushing sessions, chew toys are an excellent way to remove plaque. As it utilises dogs’ natural desire to chew and explore with their mouths, we find this to be one of the best ways to promote good dental hygiene. Certain chew toys are specifically designed with dental hygiene in mind, and your vet will be able to advise on safe options.

Although most vets will offer a dental hygiene service, owners should also consider supplementing this with regular brushing at home. Teaching a dog to accept toothbrushes and toothpaste at home can make dental hygiene visits to the vet significantly easier and lower stress, while also offering valuable obedience training opportunities.

Ignoring or overlooking the importance of dental hygiene in dogs can have potentially devastating consequences including painful infections, reduced quality of life, bad breath, tooth decay, and occasional complications leading to death. These are all preventable by maintaining regular dental hygiene practices which should be staples for all responsible dog owners. For further advice, owners should consult with their family vet.

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31 October 2024

What is the Difference Between a Guard and Protection Dog?

Guard and protection dogs offer their owners very different capabilities which are all too often misunderstood and confused with each other. While both can be effective when employed properly, they do have distinct roles and are not interchangeable with each other. At the simplest level, a guard dog will generally be untrained and work off its instincts and genetics while a protection dog is trained and follows directions from its handlers. Traditionally, guard dogs have worked alone without direction and are oriented towards a particular site they view as their own “territory”. Whether or not a guard dog is able

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9 September 2024

What is The Difference Between a Sports and Protection Dog?

One of the questions we are most asked is what the difference between a sports and protection dog is, and whether sports dogs can be used for family protection work. Sports dogs are trained and bred to perform to predictable standards in a ring, whereas protection dogs must be ready to defend in the real world against any number of potential threats. Effective performance in the sports ring is certainly an achievement, but very different from the demands and rigours of real-life security work. The experience of owning a sports or protection dog can be very different, and this alone

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