Why do Dogs Eat Grass?

     Your outside on a hot summer day just doing yard work or hanging out. You turn around and your dog is over there eating grass and you wonder "What the heck are you doing!?".  You'd think that dogs diets were mainly carnivorous, meaning it should only eat meat. 

     But to make it worse, after your pup eats the grass...it comes back up. Why does your dog do this? Well, I'm going to answer that for you.

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     Dogs are mainly carnivorous, but they can also survive on a vegetarian diet. Cats on the other hand must eat meat to survive. Like all living creatures, dogs need a combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water in a balanced diet that provides enough calories to meet their daily needs. 

     Don't worry, your dog isn't a psycho or a mental dog just because it eats grass. It is normal for a dog too, and if yours hasn't it probably will. But why do they throw up? or do they eat grass to throw up? Well, most veterinarians believe that they just like the taste, vomiting just follows. When canines consume grass, the grass will act as an irritant and will lead to vomit. 

    
     Some vets believe that dogs eat grass because their prepared diets are lacking in greens and so they eat grass.Often times they will say it is because of the certain dry food product given to the dog might not contain the vitamins and minerals needed.

     But don't worry, eating grass is considered "normal" for a dog. Make sure that you are giving your dog a healthy nutritious diet that provides a combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water in a balanced diet that has enough calories to meet their daily needs.Also, be careful to check that the grass your pooch eats doesn't have any pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

                                     ~Abby

Pit Bulls- Good Dog, Bad Rap.

     Now, I have posted something similar to this before, but I am just going to update it as I am still fighting for Pit Bulls.

     As some of you may have heard, Governor John Kasich  signed House Bill 14 which repealed a statewide discrimination law against dogs. Ohio is the only state in the U.S. where as if you own a Pit Bull -or any other dog that is muscular and has short haired who can be mistaken as a Pit Bull- it is automatically considered 'viscous'.

     Some animal lovers rejoiced with happiness while other ignorant people still assumed that the dog would kill you if it had a chance. Why do you think that? Did you hear it from the media? Have you ever even met one(and don't say your friend has and it was mean, that doesn't count)?

     I absolutely hate it when someone who doesn't even know the dog, goes around and tells people to hide their children and family because it is going to come and attack them. Really? Look at me. Even from what happened on 9/11, I don't hate Muslims. I haven't met one in person so why should I hate them. I love the quote from Nelson Mandela which said    "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."   I believe the same goes for the Pit Bull. You aren't born hating it, you learn to hate it from what you hear.

     PLENTY of people will disagree, but it is always the owners fault for a dog attack. It doesn't make sense to think other wise. I mean, whose fault is it for failing to train the dog properly? Whose fault is it for failing to socialize the dog properly? Whose fault is it for failing to control the dog or keep it on a leash? My point is responsible owners can prevent this.  You can take an animal to obedience class and teach it that biting people is wrong. Is it never going to nip you or bite you? No. They follow their instincts, and some dogs need alot of work to correct them. If you can't take the time out of your day or you can't afford it, then in my opinion you are dumb and selfish. IF that dog attacks someone because you wanted to spend that money on some Arbys or a couple packs of cigarettes, not only will the person who got attacked will suffer; you will have to pay a large fine and more importantly, your dog will probably have to e euthanized.

     Pit Bulls can be nice and loving! I bet you didn't know this, but the Pit Bull was declared best family dog in the 20th century. But, you probably still might hate them. You probably hear that a chihuahua is just as likely to attack a person as a Pit Bull, but you may think that the difference is that a Pit Bull is more dangerous. I do agree, all dogs can attack, but the difference is who can inflict more pain(Still the owners fault for an attack regardless though) People will say that they would rather be attacked by a German Shepherd than a Pit because a Pit can "lock its jaw". False. There is NO mechanism in the Pit Bull's jaw that allows it to lock. Some foolish people will even believe that Pit Bulls have natural steroids or enzymes in its body that makes it randomly attack. That's also false.

      Often times people don't read about their dog before they adopt it, and sometimes(almost every time they are euthanized though) a Pit Bull or a Pit Bull/Mix was fought by drug dealers for profit. Usually, a shelter will test an animal before declaring it "adoptable" but sometimes certain situations may remind a PB of its past or another dog will provoke it. But, again, only doing what the previous owner trained it to do. Just ask Michael Vick.

     In August 2007 an investigation began of a property in Surry County,Virginia, home of Michael Vick who was the quarter back of the Atlanta Falcons football team. OVER 70 dogs-most of which were Pit Bull Terriers- were seized from the fighting operation. Vick was suspended from the NFL and was ordered to pay the Atlanta Falcons a proportion of his earnings. Allegations included Vick's direct involvement in dog fighting, high-stakes gambling,and brutal executions of dogs. Brutal as in hanging, drowning, electrocuting, and shooting dogs. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison. Vick's response: "It's a call for me to really tighten down on who I'm trying to take care of.... Lesson learned for me."

     So, there is a proportion of his story. It goes to show you anyone can dog fight. Apparently, people claim that he is now a "good guy" and has "learned his lesson".  I sure hope so. Innocent dogs had to suffer to make a quick buck. I think he should have been in jail MUCH longer, I don't care who he is or what he does. If a human did all that to another human, they might have gotten life in prison or worse.

I love the Pit Bull myself. I don't recommend it for first time owners because they do take ALOT of work, training, and money. I do recommend if you are getting one to introduce it to your family and pets to insure that they can get along and no matter what you do, you MUST train it and bring it to obedience school!

P.S: If you disagree with any of this, PLEASE say why you disagree. Oh, and don't give me a story about a Pit Bull attacking some one, because you know my answer. If you disagree, tell me WHY and if you have met one in person, not if your mom has or if your best friend has..if YOU have. a good one.




 SO vicious right!?