Why Daycare is the best thing for your puppy!

As a puppy parent, we want our puppies to grow up to be the best they can be, right? We
picture our puppies being able to play with any dog, have manners, and be well-behaved. Although obedience training is a great tool to ensure this, there is a secret ingredient most dog-parents don’t think about:

THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO A DOG-FRIENDLY PUPPY IS DOGGY DAYCARE
Socialization is so incredibly important in a puppy’s life. You would never expect an isolated human baby to interact with adults if it was not taught how to do so properly. The same goes for puppies! Here at The Barking Lot, we are very fluent in puppy socialization.
Puppies can come to The Barking Lot as early as 12 weeks of age, and we have chosen that time for two very important reason. Firstly, safety is our top priority, and at 12 weeks marks the time when your puppy can receive all his/her vaccinations. Secondly, 12 weeks is the beginning of an important period in a puppy’s life where they undergo physical and mental changes. We call this stage of development ‘The Socialization Period.’ Physically, a puppy’s motor skills mature enough to allow active interaction and reaction, perfect for playing. Mentally, the nervous system matures, which allows the puppy to learn more effectively and precisely. Basically, the socialization period is a puppy’s perfect time to learn everything they can, so it is incredibly important to expose your puppy to EVERYTHING, so they won’t have issues when they are grown adults. Many social problems with adult dogs’ stems from improper use of The Socialization Period. A dog can develop a fear of loud noises because of that one time you and your puppy were strolling down the sidewalk and an 18-wheeler drove by. If you have not corrected that behavior by going through that event again, but on a more positive note, then your dog will always be afraid of loud noises. Same goes for dog-dog interactions. If your puppy has never had a social interaction with another dog, they will never learn how to be socially accepted, or how to be a dog!

This is where The Barking Lot comes into the picture. We have created a fun and safe environment for your puppy to become fully socialized and learn how to be a dog! Our Dog Care Assistants pride themselves on supervising and monitoring dog play so that it always remains positive, creating the perfect atmosphere for our dogs to feel comfortable and most importantly, to have fun!

Antioxidants

Several of my past blog posts have contained the word ‘antioxidant’ and I’ve realized I haven’t really explained what they are. So, this is my perfect chance to enlighten you, the people of the dog world, to what antioxidants are and why your dog needs them in their diet.

First things first, there are many chemical reactions like digestion and metabolism, that go on in the dog’s body 24/7. Without even trying to, the body produces little leftover molecules from all of these chemical reactions called free radicals. Those radicals are allowed to roam free, and cause oxidative damage to cells which can cause diseases like cancer, and can lead to death.

The body has a few defense mechanisms to combat free radicals, but they can’t keep up with the environmental stressor a dog faces every day. For example, UV rays from the sun, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, industrial fumes and even breathing can increase free radicals formation. Also, age has a factor on free radical destruction. The aging dog has fewer defense mechanisms to combat free radicals and is one explanation to why older dogs have higher cancer rates.

This is where antioxidants come into the picture.

Antioxidants take high energy free radicals, and dissipates their energy so they cannot cause damage.

Let’s make it simpler: Antioxidants are like oven mitts and free radicals are like a hot potato. If you take a hot potato out of an oven with lots of heat and hold it, it will burn your hand. But, if you take it out of the oven with oven mitts and pass it around from place to place while the heat dissipates, there will be less to no damage to your hand.

All in all, free radicals can cause a lot of damage to our dog’s body but our dogs can be protected easily by supplementing antioxidant rich foods in their diet! Stay tuned for next week when I highlight one of my favourite antioxidant-rich foods!

Happy Eating!

Dogs and Carbohydrates

There are so many different opinions on grain-free diets for dogs and it can be rather confusing. Some veterinarians say that complex carbohydrates are good, others say they are bad. What is the deal?

THE TRUTH IS:

Dogs DO NOT NEED carbs at all in their diet because they can get the same nutrients found in carbs from meat and fat!

Let’s break it down even further:

From a digestive system standpoint, dogs are considered omnivores, which means they can eat just about anything; plant or animal. We all know the dog was evolved and domesticated from the wolf, who are considered strict meat-eaters. Honestly, our dog’s digestive system is not drastically different from the meat-loving wolves, so why are grains usually the number one ingredient in most commercial dog foods? That’s an easy answer: grains are cheap. They cost exponentially less than meat and create a binding agent for kibble. Most dogs can digest these grains and live their lives in fairly good health, however, the increase rise in cancer rates and obesity are believed to be caused by grains in their diet. Several studies have been done to try to figure out if dogs could process grains and the results were pretty shocking. Grains in a dog’s diet can lead to poor gut health, decreased immune function, and chronic inflammation, which in turn leads to some very sick puppies.

Although dogs don’t necessarily need carbohydrates in their meals, some fruits and vegetables have been found to have multiple health benefits. Fruits and vegetables contain essential and accessible vitamins and minerals that dogs require in their diet.  Adding digestible fruits and vegetables can create a balanced diet, especially if you cook for your dog!

Dogs can efficiently digest certain carbohydrates found in their diet, which is why they are considered omnivores. However, more research has led to scientists believing complex carbohydrates, like grains, lead to damaging inflammation in the gut. The constant inflammation can lead to overall ill health and has been linked to the rising cancer rates. Dogs can greatly benefit from a grain-free diet, and be healthier for it!