Archive for January, 2010
Pet owners with longhaired dogs have tried for decades to stop shedding with little success. Then along came the FURminator deshedding dog brush and people ran to buy the grooming tool hoping against hope this would do the trick.
While this dog brush did help relieve some of the shedding problems, it did not stop. Dog owners of longhaired breeds can spend hours brushing their dogs only to find that the next day they still have a house full of hair. In fact, there is no one grooming tool that will stop shedding.
The technology of the FURminator does just that. It removes the dead hair of the undercoat without damaging the top coat. The dog brush alone will help reduce shedding, however, when you combine the dog brush with deshedding dog shampoo and conditioner you can severely reduce shedding.
Customer reviews of these grooming supplies have all said the same thing; they have stopped the shedding for up to eight weeks. Therefore, if you are looking to truly enjoy the companionship dog ownership can bring but cannot because of allergies or frustration; cleaning daily with this dog brush and deshedding tools will help.
One the first training exercises you will embark on as the proud owner of a new puppy is housebreaking. A dog crate can cut that time in half when sized correctly. The crate should be large enough for your dog to stretch out, get up, and turn around, but not so large that they can curl up in one corner while leaving three-quarters of the crate empty.
Dogs will not defecate where they sleep or eat and having the right size dog crate is essential for housebreaking. However, do not expect your new puppy to hold his business for eight hours when they first come home. Successful housebreaking still takes time as new puppies will need to relieve themselves every half hour for the first week or two so be prepared.
What a dog crate can do for housebreaking is ensure that they will ask to go outside when the time comes instead using their dog crate or your carpet. Again, this depends on buying the right size crate. The best investment is a life style Midwest dog crate. These dog crates have a movable panel that allows you to add more space as your new puppy grows.
Most new dog owners have trouble walking with their dogs because they will insist on pulling on the leash. Especially when it comes to larger dogs, this can be a hazardous habit. To assist your dog in learning to walk with you, rather than pulling you down the street, here are a few options to consider:
~Step In Dog Harness – these will pull back on the dog’s front legs, slowing them down, and also allow the owner more control when walking the dog.
~Choke Collars – despite their name, these collars are made of chain links and do not ‘choke’ the dog, but rather pinch their neck when they pull too hard.
~Nose Collars – these collars work under the same principles as the choke collar, but instead pull back on the dog’s nose should they pull too hard.
With all of these solutions, over time the dog will learn to walk with you and the special equipment won’t be necessary.
A Must have For Anyone Who Travels With Their Dog
Up until last week, we had been using an old comforter in the cargo area of our Crossover to keep the dog hair out the car. We have a Dalmatian and a golden retriever so the dog hair has been an issue for us. Especially with the Dalmatian, since her hair sticks like glue and we have a black interior.
We decided to look for a dog travel accessory that would look better as well as do a better job. This cargo cover is great because it goes all the way up the back of the seats and has Velcro to help it stay in place along with adjustable clip-on straps that go around the headrests. It fits perfectly in our Crossover. Exactly the dog travel accessory we needed!
Electronic Dog Collars – What You Should Know Before You Buy
Electronic dog collars also have their place in accomplishing training goals. There are two goals, one to control excessive barking, and one for roaming with radio fencing. No matter how well you have socialized your dog some dogs just refuse to be good neighbors, barking continuously while in the yard.
The idea of electronic dog collars in this circumstance is when your dog is barking uncontrollably you press a button delivering a “shock.” Over time, they will learn proper behavior when in the yard. Radio fencing has become quite popular, as many new subdivisions do not allow standard fencing.
When your dog gets too close to the wire, it delivers a shock. This can work well if your dog likes to roam from the yard, however, a hound dog breed’s instincts will take over and they will chase anything smaller then they are. The damage in using an electronic dog collar is it will then prevent him/her from returning home when they calm down.
To dog owners there is nothing better in life the first time a new puppy is introduced to the household and the purchase of a new leather dog collar. Your new puppy is a bundle of energy with exploration the only thought. It can be easy for them to get out of the yard and to explore the neighbors next door or worse down the street.
The goal of the first leather dog collar for pet owners should be to hang your dog’s tags. Tags with the appropriate information can alert a neighbor to whom the puppy belongs. When your dog is still a pup, buying an inexpensive dog collar for this goal, as they will grow out of it quickly.
Once your dog is fully-grown, you will have the opportunity to purchase a collar from a wide range of choices from leather dog collars to fashion and spiked collars. This is where a pet owner can have some fun and purchase a leather dog collar to fit your four-legged family member’s personality.
With so many choices of dog collars in the market place, matching the goal with the collar function should be the first decision before purchasing. Whether your goal is training, fashion or a place for tags there are several selections available. Once you have decided the goal you and your dog will be working on you need to determine the proper fit.
The rule of thumb for proper fit is two fingers of space between the dog collar and your dog’s neck but not loose enough that your dog can wiggle his/her way out of the collar. The standard sizes for dog collars are:
- X-small/small – 7” to 11” (2-12lbs)
- Medium – 11” to 15” (10-45lbs)
- Large – 15” to 22” (40-120lbs)
- X-large – 19” to 29” (100-200lbs)
While there are always exceptions to the rule, you should use a measuring tape for your dog. Snuggly wrap the tape around your dog’s neck and then place two fingers under the tape. This will ensure a proper fit and provide the right length when you purchase your dog collar.
For the some pet owners trimming their dog’s nails can be a scary thought and unpleasant for their dog if done incorrectly. Using a dog nail clipper on a dog that has had his/her nails trimmed below the quick is not something they are likely to forget which the issue in our case was.
We use to take our dog to groomer that took care of trimming her nails. Sometime along the way, they were clipped to short. Now even if we pull open the drawer her nail clippers are kept she up and gone. We decided to try a dog nail grinder instead but were a little concerned with the noise and feeling.
After reading several online reviews, we settled on the Oster dog nail trimmer. It took a few times using the trimmer for our dog to get use to the noise but since then she no longer runs when the time comes to trim her nails. The trimmer is gentle on her nails only removing the exactly the right amount.
Most new puppies will tend to swerve all over the sidewalk, stop to smell various objects for several minutes, and pee at least three times each block. However, with a little bit of training, your puppy will want to walk in stride with you. To get started, you will want to buy a retractable dog leash so you can control the distance your puppy walks from you. You want to ensure that your puppy is within about two feet from you at all times, so adjust their leash length and correct them accordingly. Some puppies will want to pull you down the street with the leash, and some won’t. For puppies that pull, a simple tug on the leash and praise when they stop pulling should help prevent them from learning that pulling is okay. When a puppy stops to smell something, give them a few seconds, but don’t let them linger, let them know that you are in control.
Treats and praise are key to training a dog to do most anything. When you are training a puppy you will want to give out both freely, this will help them to learn faster.
Grooming a longhaired dog can be a lot of work; it seems no matter how mush hair you get out of your dog it never seems to end. However, make the switch to a dog rake and make your next dog grooming session stress-free. Below is a customer review of a great dog rake:
Well I have used this dog rake a few times now and I’m amazed each time I use it because it grabs SO MUCH hair! My German shepherd doesn’t mind it either, the dog rake is very gentle; the key is to NOT press down and scrape at their skin, just gently pull it along thru the hair and it does what it says it will… grabs the undercoat and holds it till you remove it from the rake. It does not tangle or snag the hair in the tines. it’s super-easy to comb with and remove hair from the dog rake. Definitely worth the money.