A Note From The Editor

Hello & Welcome to Puppy Pawprints!

Happy March everyone!

Puppy parenting can be an uphill struggle sometimes, just like human parenting really! Some days it seems that your 'furchild' is never going to 'get it' (and the 'it' can be anything from housetraining or learning basic good manners, to understanding that the garbage can/cat litter tray/laundry basket is NOT an alternative food bowl!)

At the same time, your little angel can melt your heart (and score extra treats) with one glance from those puppy dog eyes. It's a bit of a roller-coaster ride isn't it?

Here at The Puppy Dog Place, we want to make your ride a little smoother. We've 'been there, done that', and although we don't by any means think we know it all (how could we? There's always a puppy ready to disprove that particular theory), knowing that you're not the only one struggling with a particular puppy problem or behavior can be very reassuring.

We have several areas on our site where we invite you to participate by asking questions, giving feedback/comments, sharing your favorite puppy dog stories/poems/quotes etc., showing off your precious pup and more.

There are also several pages with puppy stuff that's just for fun, including... online jigsaws, a fun puppy personality test, adorable puppy videos, a way for single, puppy parents to meet other people who share their interests, and more.

Check out the links below, and have some fun while helping us to build an interactive, online community of puppy parents.

• Help inspire and encourage others to consider adoption when thinking about adding a new pup/dog to their family by sharing your puppy dog adoption story. You can also read the heart-warming stories other visitors have sent in, and add your comments or rating


• If you have a favorite puppy dog poem (and it can be one you've written yourself or one that you found in a book, magazine, online etc.) send it to us and we'll add it to our Puppy Poems page. The same goes for your favorite quote on our Puppy Quotes page.


• If you have a question that you just can't find the answer to (and don't think any question is too small/silly/unusual for us!), you only have to ask us!. You'll get a quick, personal answer!


• For non-emergency, puppy health issues that require professional help, you can get a quick, expert opinion on our Ask A Vet page.


• Everyone knows their puppy is just the cutest thing on four legs! Well, we're giving you the chance to prove it...by entering your furchild in our monthly, Puppy Photo Contest.


• If you like jigsaw puzzles, why not try your hand at the free, online jigsaws on our Puppy Jigsaw page? If you want some for the kids, try our Kids Jigsaws page. The best part? There's no fiddly little pieces to get lost!

Well, enough from me...enjoy this issue of 'Puppy Pawprints' and don't forget to check out the-puppy-dog-place.com regularly as we're constantly updating our site with new information, tips and resources for puppy parents.

Whether you're a regular visitor and receiver of Puppy Pawprints, or a brand new visitor, I want to extend A BIG THANK YOU for making my job so much fun and so rewarding!

Knowing that you find my site useful and interesting, helping people find solutions to their puppy care problems, and seeing all the adorable entries to our Pup Of The Month Contests (that arrive in my e-mail box daily) has been a wonderful experience.

You can subscribe to our rss feed by clicking on the rss box below the nav bar buttons on each page. That way, you'll definitely not miss out as you'll automatically receive all our updates and news items delivered right to your computer!

Is your puppy a natural?

Of course, your pup is probably 'a natural' at a whole ton of things, but I'm talking about taking a natural approach to feeding and healthcare for your little guy or gal.

Proper mainstream veterinary care is absolutely essential to your puppys' health and well-being, but feeding a natural dog food, using natural/herbal products or supplements, and exploring natural/alternative therapies/treatments can also play a very important role.

The benefits of natural feeding and health care for your puppy are significant. Here are a few of the most important ones -

• A stronger immune system - this means your pup is better able to fight off infection/illness (but it doesn't mean that you don't need to have your pup fully vaccinated, or provide appropriate veterinary care!)


• Fewer allergies - less exposure to chemicals and other 'triggers' (like certain grains/additives in commercial dog food) reduces the chances that your pup will develop allergies. The stronger immune system mentioned above also plays a part in this.


• Less digestive problems - with a more natural diet, your pup is able to get the maximum nutrition from his food and will have less 'waste' to eliminate later on (definitely a good thing if you're the 'pooper-scooper' in your family). Your pup is also less likely to experience tummy upsets such as diarrhea or flatulence.


• Longer life - yes really! A natural approach to diet and health care will help your dog live longer - and equally important, it will improve his quality of life considerably by helping him stay healthy and vigorous for longer.


• Faster healing/recovery - another side effect of a stronger immune system. If your dog is sick or injured, his body will be able to heal faster and more efficiently


• Lower vet bills! - this one is for you..... of course, your puppy will still need to receive all his vaccinations, regular check-ups, and appropriate veterinary attention if she should become sick or hurt. However, a robust immune system and a strong, healthy body will help prevent many problems from taking hold in the first place.

A natural diet

How you do this is depends on your own resources, lifestyle, beliefs and so on. It may simply mean that you choose a dog food that is as chemical/additive free as possible, maybe an organic food.

Or there is the raw alternative, the BARF (Bones And Raw Food) diet, which is considered by some to be more biologically appropriate. If you're interested in finding out more about feeding your dog the BARF way, check out BARF World for lots of information and advice.

Feeding a more natural dog food can help reduce the chances of your dog developing dog food allergies, or help reduce/eliminate symptoms of an allergy that has already begun. It may also boost immune function, help protect against illness, and increase longevity.

You can learn more about the benefits of a natural diet on my Natural Dog Food and Products and Organic Dog Food pages.

Natural Supplements

Many common behavioral issues, such as anxiety and fearfulness, can be treated with herbal supplements. Separation anxiety is fairly common in a lot of puppies, and a gentle herbal supplement or product can often relieve a lot of the emotional impact of this, without the side effects of medications.

You can also be proactive in working toward preventing potential problems such as bone, joint, skin issues and allergies by using holistic/herbal products and supplements.

Digestive system problems such as constipation, flatulence, hairballs, bladder issues, even motion-sickness, can also be alleviated, or prevented, by using natural remedies which support immune system function and maintain the correct (and delicate) balance in your puppy's 'gut'.

You can find a comprehensive list of natural remedies for all sorts of problems and conditions on my Natural Remedies for Dogs page. Take a look, you may find it quite enlightening!

Natural Parasite Prevention

If you prefer not to use traditional de-worming treatments or flea preventatives, there are some natural alternatives that are gentle and effective.

If you're interested in learning more about the huge range of natural products available today, check out these two online stores.

I highly recommend both of them, and you'll find they have a comprehensive range of products and lots of useful information that can help you decide what's best for your pup.

Dr. Kim and her Neopolitan Mastiff, Shadrach, are authors of the well-known Bark-N-Blog and can also be found at aspenbloompetcare.com and at her online radio show blogtalkradio.com/animaltalknaturally

Most Popular Pages

There may well be one (or several) that have the information and advice you've been looking for!

Puppy Diarrhea
Puppy Shots
Adopt A Puppy
Puppy Development
Dog Food Ratings
Dog Illnesses
Puppy Health
Puppy Blog
Puppy Worms
Best Dog Breeds For Children Fun Puppy Stuff

Cute Puppy Alert!

March Puppy Photo Contest?

You can take a look at previous months entries, and see our slide show of winners here

Feel free to email us at Editor.PuppyPawprints@the-puppy-dog-place.com or go to our Contact Us Page

Our site is designed especially for puppy parents and is full of FUN, FRIENDLY and FREE information and resources on all aspects of puppycare.

Please visit us at The Puppy Dog Place soon!

If you enjoy our site, why not let your other dog-loving friends know about us? There's a simple way to spread the word and it'll only take a minute..just go to our Share This Site page and see what I mean.

Well, that's all for this month. Watch out for our next Issue of Puppy Pawprints... coming to your Inbox in April!