Reflective Dog Collars-Finding Your Dog At Night
A lady that walks her dog off leash in the park at night asked about reflective dog collars. She said that the collar she has only reflected light if they were in a lit area or near traffic. She was disappointed with the collar because she could not see her dog in unlit areas.
I would like to address a couple of concerns here. Most states have a leash law for public parks. With that in mind, should you really have your dog off the leash at all. The second concern is, what if your dog takes off after a rabbit or some other animal. How are you going to find him or prevent him from running into the street during the chase? And lastly, if your dog is running loose in the park and you can’t see him, does this mean you don’t clean up after him? That is really not very thoughtful of others that visit the park.
If you have found a place to walk your dog off leash where none of that is a concern, reflective dog collars are available that can aid you in this situation. With minimal exposure to the light, these reflective dog collars will glow in the dark, allowing you to see your dog in the dark.
Inappropriate Dog Toys
I was just surfing the web and came across a forum where someone had submitted a question. She said she had two small dogs and one was a puppy. They both liked to play with any socks that were laying around. Her question was, “How do you make dog toys out of socks?” Several people responded with different ideas for her.
In my own personal opinion, the best answer would be: Do not make dog toys out of household items you do not want your dog to chew on. Making dog toys out of socks or old shoes will give your puppy the idea that all socks and shoes are fair game. Puppies will not distinguish the difference between your good shoes and socks and the shoes and/or socks they have been given to play with. Should you choose to go this route, and your dog happens to find a good pair of shoes to chew up, roll up a newspaper and swat yourself on the head three times for letting your dog have access to them.
The best dog toys are dog toys. There are tough rubber dog toys that are much better for your puppy to chew on than socks or shoes. When you catch your puppy chewing on something inappropriate, take the item away from him and give him one of his own toys as a diversion.
Walking Your Cat In A Cat Harness
Cats are known to be a little more independent than their household counterpart, the dog. They are not always quite as accepting of things as a dog would be. One example of this is the adjustment to wearing a leash and being walked around.
It can be very risky to allow a house cat to roam free outside. Traffic and predators are safety risks for any cat, whether they live in an urban setting or a rural setting.
Although it might take a little longer to acclimate a cat to being walked around on a leash, it can be very rewarding for both the cat and the owner. It allows you and your cat to enjoy the great outdoors together in a safe, controlled manner.
When walking a cat, here are a few things to keep in mind. A cat collar should be used for ID tags and as fashion accessories only. Cats have an incredible ability to wiggle out of just about anything, including collars. Do not try to hook a leash to a cat collar to walk your cat.
Invest in a good cat harness and leash. A properly fitted cat harness will be comfortable for the cat and will help prevent escape. Once you get a cat harness, show it to your cat and then leave it out where he can see it and even play with it if he wants to. Take your time with each of these steps. You know your cat better than anyone else. Do not progress to the next step until your cat is comfortable with the step you are working on. After a day or two, put the harness on your cat. Leave it on for short periods of time until he is used to it. Once he is used to the harness, attach the leash to it and let him drag that around for short periods of time. When it seems he has adjusted to the harness and the leash, pick up the leash and walk around inside your house a few times.
Now that he has adjusted to all of that, it is time to take him outside. Keep your first few outdoor adventures short and close to the door. As your cat adjusts to walking, you can venture further away.
Even First Time Dog Owners Can Train Their Own Dogs
If you are a first time dog owner, training your new four legged friend may seem like a daunting task. So much so, that you may even consider taking him to a professional dog trainer. Everybody is different and that may be the best solution for you.
For those who like the hands on, do it your self approach and the pride that comes along with saying “I trained my dog myself”, there is a training tool called the Gentle Leader Headcollar. This training collar comes with an instructional guide and a DVD that will walk you through the steps to take to teach your dog to to be well behaved.
There is a misconception about Gentle Leader Headcollars and Haltis. It seems that a lot of people lump them together and think they are interchangeable, when in actuality, they are not. Although they may look similar, the Halti’s sole purpose is to get a dog to walk without pulling and lunging.
On the other hand, the Gentle Leader will teach your dog to walk on a leash too, but you will find it to be a useful training tool in almost all areas of your dog’s learning process. Following the instruction guide, you will be able to teach your dog basic commands (sit, stay, etc.), good manners, prevent jumping, control barking and more.
The Gentle Leader is endorsed by leading vets and trainers.
Dog Collars-Don’t Let Your Dog Go “Naked”
I do a lot of web surfing searching for relevant information for my readers and I recently came upon a comment from a person who said she never keeps a collar on her dog unless she is walking him. Her reasoning was that it caused “collar head”.
There are three good reasons for always keeping a collar on your dog.
- It is the law in most states that a dog should be collared.
- A dog collar carries your dog’s ID, dog license and Rabies shot tag and could be your dog’s ticket back home if he ever gets lost.
- If you need to restrain your dog quickly, it gives you something to grab on to.
If you are concerned about “collar head”, you probably have a long haired dog. There are collars on the market today that reduce the matting effect that traditional dog collars have. Two alternatives to consider are the Rolled Leather Dog Collar or the Martingale Collar.
Don’t let your dog go “naked”.
When Is The Best Time To Get A Puppy?
No matter when someone chooses to get a puppy, they always bring joy into our lives. Even when it is not our own puppy, there is just something about them that makes you smile when you see one. What a gift from God.
No matter when I have gotten a new puppy, it was always a welcomed addition to my home. I have to say though, that if I had my druthers, I would plan to get a new puppy in late Spring, Summer or early Fall. Living in the Mid-West has made me more aware of the climate when it comes to house breaking a dog. If you live in an area that has bitter winters, this is something for you to think about. When you get a puppy in the winter, it can be nasty getting up in the middle of the night during a snow storm or a below-zero cold snap to take the little one out.
If you are thinking about getting a puppy, think about how nice it is to just hook the leash onto the dog collar and walk out the door. I don’t even mind a spring or summer rain.
That is just my take on the situation. May is the beginning of puppy adoption season and it is coming up fast. So if you are thinking about it, now is the time to start planing. Go out and get a dog collar and leash, some dog toys and puppy toys, pet dishes and puppy food and maybe a dog crate and dog bed.
It is my humble opinion that the best place to get a dog is the humane society. Some humane societies even let you put your name on a list if you want a specific breed or age and they will call you when something comes in that meets your specifications.
Dog Collars-The Best Choices For Your Dog
This is the eighth and last in a series of posts delving into the pros and cons of different types of dog collars.
When choosing the right collar for your dog, a variety of factors must be taken in to consideration in order to make a good decision. There is no such thing as the perfect answer for every situation, nor is there a perfect collar for every dog or dog owner. As a matter of fact, many owners will find the best choice will be a multiple choice- owning more than one collar type. This allows the owner to make a collar choice based on the activity the dog is currently engaged in.
Below is a list of questions for owner assessment along with recommendations.
- Do I have more than one dog? Do they like to play rough with each other?
- Does my dog spend unsupervised time outside?
- Is my dog allowed to run off-leash when we hike in the woods?
- Is my dog always getting into things?
- Is my dog kept is a crate during the day?
If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above, your dog or dogs are at higher risk of potential entanglement and a Breakaway Dog Collar should be considered for daily wear.
- Do I walk my dog at night or in the early morning hours?
- Does my dog bolt through the door every time it opens, day or night?
If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, a reflective dog collar that glows in the dark may be in order for daily wear.
- Do I sometimes have to grab for my dog to restrain him or prevent him from bolting through a door or gate?
- Are there children in the home who might leave gates or doors opened?
- Does my dog slip or back-out of a traditional collar easily and escape?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be an indication for you to consider a martingale collar for daily wear.
- Does my dog drag me around when he is on a leash?
- Does my dog lunge unexpectedly when on walking on a leash?
- Does my dog jump on people?
- When we are walking, does my dog bark at other people or animals?
Answering yes to these questions indicates that a Gentle Leader Headcollar should be considered as a secondary collar to be used on walks. It can be worn with another collar, so if you walk at night you can still utilize the benefits of a reflective dog collar.
Again, I would like to emphasize that there is no perfect collar for every situation. Each owner must assess their own situation and base their decision on that. For example, if you have a dog that bolts through the door every time it opens, which collar is the better choice. Is it more important that you or your neighbor be able to quickly grab and restrain the dog by the collar? Then use a martingale collar. Or is it more important that the collar releases if the dog becomes entangled while wandering? Then the breakaway dog collar might be a better choice. If the dog has a habit of running out the door at night, a reflective dog collar that glows in the dark might be the best choice of all. It will make him easier to find and if he runs in the road, he will be more visible.
Each owner must evaluate their own personal situation and choose a dog collar or dog collars that offer the greatest benefit for their dog’s health and happiness.
Which Dog Collar Is Best For Your Dog
This is the seventh in a series of posts delving into the pros and cons of different types of dog collars.
For the last six days we have examined the pros and cons of different types of dog collars. Many dog owners will find it necessary to own more than one type of dog collar and will need to change it according to the activity the dog will be engaged in. Today we will do a quick recap.
- Traditional Dog Collar-This collar is the most commonly used option for daily wear. You can find traditional dog collars in a multitude of colors, patterns and materials. These collars do not directly influence behavior modification and they will not release if they become entangled. A well behaved dog will walk well when a leash is attached to the collar but if the dog lunges or pulls a lot, it can cause damage to the dog’s wind pipe.
- Rolled Leather Dog Collar-This collar works the same way the traditional dog collar works. A big plus for this collar is seen if you have a long haired breed (Collie, Sheltie, English Sheep Dog, etc.). The design of the collar reduces matting of the fur in the collar area.
- Reflective Dog Collars-Reflective dog collars are another variation of the traditional dog collar. They provide the added safety feature of higher visibility for those who like to walk at night or in the early morning hours. Some of these collars glow in the dark after minimal exposure to light.
- Breakaway Dog Collars-While designed to release under pressure to prevent collar strangulation and other collar related injuries, this collar could also release if you need to restrain your dog quickly and do not grasp the collar around the safety clasp.
- Martingale Collar-Also known as the humane choke collar, the martingale collar will prevent a dog from “backing-out” of the collar and the secondary loop provides a convenient handle to retrain your dog without a leash. It also provides more control than the traditional collar.
- Gentle Leader Headcollar-Although it does not serve as the most comfortable full-time collar, the Gentle Leader is a wonderful alternative for the dog that lunges and/or pulls on the leash and it also prevents “backing out”. The elderly and small children can easily walk large dogs on a leash. When used, properly it can have a significant impact on behavior modification. It does take some time to introduce the Gentle Leader to the dog and to learn how to use this training tool properly.
- “Going Naked”-This should never be an option for your dog. No collar means your dog won’t have any ID to help it get home if he gets lost.
Gentle Leader Headcollar-Which Collar Is Best For Your Dog
This is the sixth in a series of posts delving into the pros and cons of different types of dog collars.
Today we are going to focus on the Gentle Leader Headcollar. When fitted and used properly, the Gentle Leader can have a very positive effect on behavior modification. When walking on a leash, it provides immediate control by eliminating pulling and lunging without choking. This means that even the elderly and children can easily walk large dogs on a leash without fear of being pulled down or dragged. It also controls problem barking with a gentle pull on the lead, prevents jumping and manages other behavior problems, such as anxiety, fear and aggression. It can be used with a traditional collar, a breakaway collar, or a martingale collar and there has never been a reported strangulation accident with the Gentle Leader.
On the down side, it is not necessarily the most comfortable choice for continual indoor use. It does take some time to introduce the Gentle Leader to the dog and learn how to use this training tool appropriately. However, it does come with an instructional guide booklet and DVD.
It must be carefully fitted when used on bull dogs and other breeds with genetically limited airways or flat noses. If usual breathing difficulties increase when wearing the Headcollar, you should discontinue use. In cases like this we would recommend the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness.
Martingale Collar-Which Collar Is Best For Your Dog
This is the fifth in a series of posts delving into the pros and cons of different types of dog collars.
Originally designed for Greyhounds, the martingale collar has gained popularity for all breeds. Unlike a traditional collar, the martingale collar is composed of two loops to allow the collar to tighten. It offers greater control and it reduces the risk of your dog backing-out of his collar. If properly fitted, it is much safer than a choke collar because it has limited closure. It can be used with a leash or with your hand.
On the down side of this collar, it will not release if entangled. It will not significantly prevent leash pulling, so if your dog is a puller, it will place pressure on the trachea. When used on puppies, they are likely to try to chew the secondary loop, especially for the first few days of wearing it.
This collar is great for the dog that likes to shoot out the door every time it opens because it is easy to grasp the secondary loop. It is also great for the dog that has figured out how to back out of a traditional collar. Sighthounds are notorious for slipping out of traditional collars. With a neck that is larger than the head, it is easy for them to slip out of a regular collar. The martingale collar was developed with that in mind and significantly reduces that risk.