There are certain actions and habits which your canine chum carries out that you would much rather they did not and excessive licking is high on most dog owner’s lists!

Now I know dogs will lick and it is only natural but they do not wash and clean themselves the same way that a cat does, they might lick their paws when they are wet from the rain for instance but generally they do not really do that much washing. So what causes a dog to lick and what can be done to stop the behaviour?

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You have decided it is time to add a new puppy to your household and everyone is really excited at the prospect of the bundle of fluff’s big arrival day that is everyone but the resident dog! He or she really does not know what all the fuss is about and cannot understand the air of excitement running through the whole household and begins to wonder why another canine chum is required in the first place.

It is so easy to become caught up in the moment and overlook the fact that there is already a beautiful pooch living with you and that right now they are probably feeling a little left out.

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Deciding to welcome a puppy into your life and home is the easy part but selecting just the one little pup from a litter of five or six cute bundles of fluff is considerably harder. If it is your first puppy it will help if you are slightly clued up prior to visiting the pups.

So what exactly do you look for in a healthy puppy? There are several signs and indications to be aware of and however difficult it is when all the puppies surround you at once you need to try and keep your head together! You are not just looking for a healthy appearance either you are also attempting to discover their personalities, now you might wonder how you can possibly do this as you are not a qualified dog behaviourist but it is possible to gain an insight into a puppy’s character simply by meeting them briefly.
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So Christmas has now been and gone and if most of us are honest we have probably consumed one or two extra mince pies and chocolates than we should have done! Your canine chum has undoubtedly turned those ‘puppy-dog eyes’ on you and your guests and because it has been Christmas they have worked their charm and now Fido is looking rather chubby!

Right, so what can be done? Well the easy option is to turn a blind eye and pretend that both you and your faithful friend are fine, there is no extra weight and you are still super fit and healthy; yep that is the easy option but we are not taking that route as it is time to turn over a new leaf my friend and time for you and your pooch to have a workout.
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