As much as how we love our dogs, it is quite frustrating when you have a inside dog that decides it wants to use your bed, the sofa or the carpet as it's toilet. I have a shoodle (shih-poo, mix of poodle and shihtzu) that gave me hell in my home. She pooed under the bed, on the carpet, peed on the sofa and anywhere she thought would soak it up. I can tell you that potty training your dog takes time and patience and it won't happen overnight,especially if you have a tough headed mutt that just want's to do his/her thing. But with time and persistence, i got my dog to start using the potty and as been doing so ever since.  Lets get starting on the basics of potty training your dog.

If you have ever been a parent and had to actually nurture the child from birth to teen, then you would have probably gone through a similar potty training with that child. Trust me, it is not that different with dogs. Lets now go into the steps of potty training.

1. Decide where you want the dog to poo.

• Do you have an area where you have created for your dog to relief itself? The first thing you must do is have a specific location where you want your dog to poo and pee. Mark out this area and place something which relates to your dog in that area, so the dog can identify that area as part of his little space. (do not place toys in this area)
  

2. Time your dogs Feed and Poo

• Develop a regular feeding pattern so you can estimate by timing the time from eating to the time your dog want's to poo. All you need to do when you ascertain that time is to bring the dog at the area where you have the potty   and secure the animal with its leash until it poos in it's pooing area.
  

3. Bring your dog's poo to the pooing area.

• When ever the dog poos or pees in areas he/she should not, bring the dog by leash to the area where it pooed. Scoop up the poo and tell the dog "No". Then bring the poo to where the dog is suppose to poo, let the dog walk with you there and place the poo there and let the dog see. Then release the dog from the leash, dispose of the poo.
  

Many dog owners have doggy doors where the dogs are able to go outside to release itself. But apartment dogs do not have that luxury and hence the only alternative is potty training.  Remember the three basic approach listed above will be repetitive and it will take time and patience. If you have a dog that is already trained to understand the basic commands, such as sit, stay, stop, go etc. The training may be easier as the dog as already had an appreciation for commands.

You arrive home and your pooch gets all excited, he runs up and down and can't wait for you to get inside. He jumps on you and greets you with slurps from his drooling toung. As he pants, you smell the most awful thing ever. You dog has very bad breath. So he never had breath before, now what gives? Well lets take a look at how dogs get bad breath and what you as a dog owner can do about it.

What Causes Bad Breath In Dogs
Bad breath is caused by the build up of bacteria in the mouth, stomach or lungs of your dog.  You see, bad breath in humans is no different than bad breath in dogs. A canine with a rotting tooth or a gum disease may emit that bad odor. If you dog does not get natural foods to eat such as raw meet which can naturally clean the dogs teeth, plaque and tartar can develop and over long periods of time will form tooth decay and bad breath. Persistent bad breath could be an indication of a  larger medical problem in the mouth, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, or internal organs.

How To Help Prevent Bad Breath In Your Dog
Once you understand what causes bad breath in the animal, you will then know how to take some basic steps to minimize your dog having bad breath:

Bring your dog to the vet for regular checkups: I really have to emphasize this point. Dogs are not humans and once we have domesticated them, it is our duty to take care of them. When you bring your dog to the vet, he/she will be able to determine any existing or developing problems, therefore you are able to quickly do corrective measures.

Change Your Dogs Diet: How many lions or hyenas do you see sporting weak decayed teeth, they are in their natural environment which also helps to naturally take care of their health. Dogs were designed to eat raw food. Raw diet complete with raw meaty bones or a fresh food diet that’s not laden with starch  is enough to prevent and even helps to treat dental disease. The surprise belief is that raw meat must be bad for your dog and may even cause bacteria development. Well, that is quite the opposite. Raw foods contain naturally occurring enzymes that help protect the teeth and gums.

Get your Dog's Teeth Cleaned
Bring your dog to the vet and let the expert take care of your dogs gum and teeth. Teeth are very important to a dog. It is his guard, his offense and defense.

Brush Your Dog's Teeth
If you don't feed your dog raw meat with bones, you have the option of brushing your dogs teeth. You can brush the dogs teeth at least twice per month.

Keep You Dogs Water Fresh Plentiful
Since bad breath comes from bacteria, the more water the dog consumes the more bacteria gets washed away.

WARNING!!!
DO NOT USE TOOTHPASTE USED BY HUMANS ON YOUR DOG!

• Toothpaste is not such a great thing, not even for humans. But when you brush a dogs teeth, it tends to swallow the toothpaste.  This can lead to major internal problems for your dog.  Many toothpaste contain sudsing agents that causes the toothpaste to  foam brushing. Dogs that ingests enough of it can develop liver damage.
  
  
• There is also a chemical called xylitol which is used in the production of human toothpaste. It acts as a sweetener. This chemical can also be found in sugar free gums and even chew-able vitamins. Brushing your dog's teeth with paste which contain this chemical will allow the dog to absorb this into its blood stream. This may cause a surge in insulin, then a drop in blood sugar, if left untreated, may lead to severe liver problems.
  
  
• There are also many items on the market that are like mint to humans with bad breath, they do not solve the problem, they only mask it. I do not recommend you give your dogs any of these items. If you plan to brush your dog's teeth, ask your vet about a recommended toothpaste for pets.
  

Many dog owners have often wondered if their pet can experience a headache. How would you know if your dog head is hurting? Well, one thing for sure is that you can't ask the dog if his head hurt, unless you were kidnapped by Ezekiel's Wheel and given all knowledge and hence understood dog language. But many animal specialist who have studied dog and veterinary professionals have given us some signs to look for our dog which may be a result of the dog having a headache. Here are six signs:

In all honesty, there is not much you can do, but you can simply make the environment more comfortable for him, you can do some of the basic things like:

• Cutting down the Volume On Television Or Radio
• Avoid Loud Conversations
• Let your dog sleep it off
• Use Lavender Oil (Place two drops in every three to four cups of water)
• Give him softer food, if you suspect the dog has an headache, don't give the animals hard food to crunch or crack to apply any more tension to the pain in his head.
• Provide cooling for the animal. Do not put the Air condition on blast, this will make matters worst. The dog just needs to keep cool.
• Continue to provide the love and care you always do.
  

An headache is just that, an headache. As long as there are no constant contributing factors to this, your dog should shake it off in a few and be back to his usual barking, licking and jumping self.