But if he has bad breath, you could be overlooking a serious problem with your dogs health.

"Dog Breath" is such a common condition that we make jokes about it. Sometimes we even tease our human "friends" using "dog breath" in play-ground style name-calling ( although hopefully this is limited to teenage boys.) And I know many pet owners who comment that they love their dog or cat like a child, but just can't stand smell of animal's breath! Well, guess what? "Dog Breath" isn't normal. It's estimated that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over age of three suffer from periodontal disease — a serious deterioration of gums and supporting bones of teeth. Yes, it's periodontal disease that's responsible for "dog breath". But problem doesn't confine itself to your furry baby's mouth. It's an infection, and tiny creatures responsible for it can break loose and enter bloodstream. Once they do, they can infect vital organs such as liver and kidneys, endangering your dogs health by causing a far more serious illness.The best way to insure your dogs health, especially where periodontal disease is concerned, is with prevention. It can make all difference. 

Periodontal disease begins as gingivitis, which is virtually harmless and completely treatable. If allowed to move to next stage--Periodontitis-- it can be stopped, but not cured. And worse it gets, faster it progresses. This applies to all animals, two legged and four legged alike. Think of a car parked at top of a hill. The emergency break is released, and car begins to roll downhill. Now, if you hit breaks right away, no harm done. But farther car rolls faster it goes, and more momentum it builds. It gets harder and harder to stop it. By time it's halfway down hill, you could be headed for disaster! You can maintain your dogs health nicely with proper home care. But, like rolling car, if disease is already present, stopping and controlling it is a bigger job.

Prevention involves, above all, regular veterinary checkups and professional cleanings beginning early in your dog or cat's life. I'll show you how you can help maintain oral health at home, but it's impossible to do a thorough cleaning on an animal who's awake. Trust me on this. It's hard enough to do a thorough job with a cooperative human patient. When we're talking about animals who don't understand what we're doing or why, forget about it.

Most veterinarians recommend annual cleanings, but more frequent or involved treatment may be needed depending on your animal's condition. Please, no matter what you're doing at home, follow vet's recommendations. As for your part, introduce your dog or cat to idea of having his teeth brushed as early as possible. I know, it's not easy, and it takes time and daily conditioning to get your little guy or gal used to it. But your dogs health is worth it!

So how do you prevent most common of threats to your dogs health? Brush her teeth, of course! Every day. Just like you would your own (twice a day for you, and floss too!!). This isn't easy, but it can become an expected part of your dog's routine if you do it right. Here are some suggestions:

Start when your dog is a puppy. The earlier better.

The more I listen to others, read books on subject, look at different articles, and watch and listen to tapes, more I discover how different people claim their methods of horse training are correct ones.

I often find one trainer will adamantly oppose a technique where another will adamantly swear by its effectiveness. Even more interesting, each has his or her own reasons why.

On one hand, I find it fascinating that trainers think their way is truly correct way. On other hand, I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think other people are persuaded to believe those trainers who push their methods as "the only one".

Why?

Because I've discovered a percentage of horse owner population think what they learned is all that's available. The problem with that is this: Not every horse will respond to technique in same way. Then, a different approach is needed. If horse handler doesn't know another technique, he is now limited to knowing something that doesn't always work.

But why wouldn't a trainer believe his is correct? After all, if it works for him then it IS correct...for him.

Personally, I don't subscribe to any one trainer's ways completely. For example, if trainer "John Doe" taught his method and said "do it just like this" chances are I wouldn't. I have my own things that work and some them are similar to or same as what John Doe does.

I'm a BIG advocate of learning all you can from everyone who has something good to show you. Never, never, never learn one person's techniques and be satisfied. If you do, you will miss out on some of neatest techniques ever. You limit yourself and what you could REALLY do.

Although I push what I know, I'll be first to admit I don't know it all and that you MUST learn all you can.

Even if you learn different ways, then you must proceed with caution because some of things you learn will seem hard to grasp. Sometimes, they'll seem unreachable. At times, they'll seem ridiculous.

Let me cite a couple examples.

A while back, I ordered a video of a trainer from Germany. His name is Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling. The video is called "Coming Together".

Unfortunately, this video is more than a bit abstract. It doesn't teach a whole lot but what it does teach is a bit unusual.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not putting down video. Actually, I kind of enjoyed it. Still, when it was over, I felt like I was left hanging.

This trainer uses his body to establish leadership, friendship, and trust. Briefly, he describes what he does but you don't really get how it all fits together.

Clearly, horses he works with have a connection with him. But his style of training is quite unorthodox compared to much of what I've seen and read.

Could average horse owner do what he does and do it effectively? I'd have to say "no" because his methods would require him to be right there with you for weeks (months?) training trainer. Not only that, much of what Hempfling explained on tape seemed so abstract. It wasn't easy understanding all his principles.

The worse part is once you've watched this you may think to yourself you could never do what he does so why try to be a horse trainer. That's one of things that worry me about aspiring horse owners and trainers.

They see someone getting results with horses using seemingly "not from this world" techniques. Then they silently say to themselves, "What's use...I could never do that."

Luckily, there are powerful alternatives. I'll explain in a minute or two.