For people who have always been around dogs, talking to their four-legged friends is probably easy and almost second nature. But at the beginning of the relationship, it is important to immerse yourself in the dog's world and meet it where it is coming from. So you have to learn its language—not the other way around.
Dogs come from their own world, where they have learned their own rules, laws, and ways of communicating. In order to learn to speak a "language" with your dog, you should start by observing it: dogs communicate through their behavior and body language... You just need to watch closely and share experiences with your dog.
The most important aspects of living with your dog should be understanding, trust, and security. Be patient and motivate your dog repeatedly with lots of praise. Then, sooner or later, you should succeed in developing a "common language."
Your dog shows its feelings through certain behaviors. Here are some typical behaviors of a dog—and what they can mean:
Your voice and body language give your dog signals that let him know what you want him to do. During the training phase, you teach your dog certain commands such as "sit," "down," and "off"—always in combination with hand signals—and try to communicate with him as calmly and quietly as possible.
Punishment, shouting, and other aggressive forms of training have no place in dog training, or in any form of education. Consciously put your emotions aside and remain patient, loving, and consistent. Dogs need to be spoken to in the same way so that they can understand your language. Never forget: praise is the key to bonding and successful communication.
Unfortunately, our pets are not immune to cancer either. Malignant lymphoma is a malignant tumor that originates in cells of the immune system. Since these cells are mainly found in lymph glands, it is also referred to as lymph gland cancer.
A doping scandal in dressage riding brought this condition to the attention of riders and owners a few years ago. But what exactly is this condition? More and more horses, especially sport horses, are now affected by this neuromuscular disease, the causes of which are still largely unknown. It is considered incurable and can severely impair a horse's performance. Large, heavy horses between the ages of 4 and 7 are particularly at risk, as are horses with naturally high muscle tone. Male horses are more commonly affected than mares.
This disease, also known as endothelial dystrophy, is a change in the cornea of the eye and is similar to Fuchs' dystrophy in humans. This disease causes damage to the endothelial cells that form the innermost layer of the cornea.
"My horse isn't too fat." That's what many horse owners think – and they're wrong. Assessing a horse's weight isn't easy, and horse scales aren't usually available on site. With a little practice, you can use body condition scoring to assess your horse's nutritional status yourself.
This infectious disease caused by the coronavirus affects only cats and occurs worldwide. The disease remains one of the most common causes of death in cats. The name is derived from the most common symptom of this disease, peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining).
The West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes between birds, but also to humans, horses, and other mammals. For a long time, it only occurred on the African continent. However, since 1999, the West Nile virus has also spread to the US. In 2018, it was detected for the first time in birds and two horses in Germany (Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt). Since then, infections have occurred in the summer and fall months. Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony are particularly affected. However, more and more cases are now also occurring in Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Bavaria. West Nile infection is a notifiable animal disease.
The prostate gland is the most important sex gland in male dogs. It is located behind the bladder and surrounds the beginning of the urethra. The secretion produced by the prostate gland is a component of semen and is ejaculated together with the sperm produced in the testicles. Prostate disorders are usually diagnosed in older, unneutered male dogs. These disorders can cause various changes in the gland.
Claw disorders are relatively rare in dogs. However, injuries, excessive licking or poor grooming can cause the claw bed to become inflamed due to the penetration of bacteria or fungi. Symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO) is the most common form of claw bed inflammation in dogs. This rare but extremely painful disease of the claw bed mainly affects large dogs (Great Danes, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, German Shepherds) and can be triggered by various factors.
This brain disorder, which has not yet been fully researched in dogs, causes seizures that can be very frightening for dog owners. Epilepsy can be treated very effectively with medication, but its cause is still not fully understood.
When the body develops antibodies against its own structures, this is referred to as an autoimmune disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body, damaging certain functions and organs and even destroying them completely. Autoimmune diseases in dogs include individual forms of pemphigus and lupus, which will be explained in more detail below. The individual diseases are distinguished based on the different target structures in the body.
Behind this complicated name lies an aggressive form of cancer in dogs, also known as malignant histiocytosis, which mainly affects Bernese Mountain Dogs, Retrievers and Rottweilers and is one of the most common causes of death in these breeds as a hereditary disease. It primarily affects male dogs between the ages of two and eight. The disease is relatively rare in other dog breeds.
The soft palate is a muscle extension approximately 10 cm long that separates the nasal cavity from the throat. As the name suggests, dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) describes a change in position in which the soft palate temporarily or permanently covers the epiglottis, leading to coughing, difficulty swallowing, and breathing problems.
