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Show dogs certainly take the title in the grooming department. Like a shiny new sports car, man's best friend, when properly nurtured, can turn heads and slack jaws. But how do you get a coat that shiny? Everyone knows the importance of diet when considering a dog's coat, but here are 3 secrets for a dog show-worthy coat from handler Matt Stelter. Matt looked after the collie that won the 2002 Best of Breed title, and has a few tips for a show ready coat. Brush Before Bathing Matt says the first and most important step of grooming is to fully brush the...

A dog's fur is a reflection of its health. When a pup has a shiny, luxurious coat, chances are it's pretty healthy on the inside and out. So how can you ensure that your pet is living the good (healthy!) life and looking like a million bucks? Focus on three things: quality of diet, frequency of bathing, and grooming. Healthy Diet with Lots of Protein A dog should always be fed a high quality protein-based dog food. Many processed dog foods don't contain the ingredients necessary for a healthy, balanced diet, and you know what that means - a low energy dog, with dull-looking...

Many people think that dogs, when they reach an older age, just naturally start moving more slowly and experiencing the aches and pains of old age. However, this isn't and shouldn't be a foregone conclusion, as much of the time these aches and pains are a result of a very specific condition - osteoarthritis. The Arthritis Foundation in the U.S. reports that this condition affects one in five adult dogs, and is caused when the cartilage around joints slowly decays, leaving the dog with decreased mobility and painful movement. While the best medicine is always preventative medicine, which in this...

Human beings have an advantage over dogs. Our bodies can produce Vitamin D from exposure to the sun, and that's pretty miraculous, actually. Dogs, however, need to get their Vitamin D from their diet and their diet alone. Guess how many pups don't get the amount that they need from food? A whopping 75%! That's bad news, and it's why you need to be aware of this controversial little vitamin. Vitamin D Here's the scary part: too little Vitamin D can cause dogs a whole host of problems. Bone deformities, congestive heart failure, inflammatory bowel disease, immune system dysfunction, and even cancer -...

You care for your dog's health. You go out of your way to go to the best groomers, make sure they are up-to-date on all their shots, and buy the best rated high-quality dog food. Unfortunately, no matter how caring you are for your dog, they're still not getting optimum nutrition from their commercial dog food, not the way that they would if they were hunting in the wild.  We've already discussed the importance of fatty acids in a doggy diet. This time we're looking at another necessary, required, absolutely vital nutrient that many pups unfortunately don't get enough of. Vitamin E Have...