Archive for November, 2009
Citronella Bark Collar-More Effective-More Humane
Barking is one of the top reasons dogs are surrendered to shelters. How sad is
that? Armed with the right tools, these dogs could have been great pets.
I have found that a citronella bark collar and a little time and effort on the part of the owner can make all the difference in the world. The citronella collar is almost twice as effective as a shock collar and much more humane.
Easy Walk Dog Harness-How Does It Work
There seems to be some question about how the Easy Walk Dog Harness works. When you put a dog in a traditional harness it can actually encourage your dog to pull harder because of the “opposition reflex.” This reflex is what makes sled dogs do what they do.
With its unique front-chest leash attachment The Easy Walk Harness stops pulling by tightening slightly across your dog’s chest and shoulder blades. It gently steers your dog to the side and redirects his attention back towards you. The Easy Walk Harness never causes coughing, gagging, or choking because the chest strap rests low across the breastbone, not on the delicate tracheal area.
View the videos below to see how to fit and use the Easy walk harness or Gentle Leader harness as it is sometimes called.
A Cat Harness For Your Christmas Kitty
Picture this. You are walking down the street and you see someone walking
their pet. You glance down to see what kind of dog it is and to your surprise it is not a dog. Its a cat. It brings a smile to your face.
If trained properly most cats will enjoy the fresh air and walks as much as dogs. However, you should never just hook a leash to your cat’s collar to take him for a walk. They don’t call them break-away collars for nothing. If your cat decides to bolt, you will look pretty silly walking with a leash and an empty collar not to mention the danger your cat could now be in.
A cat harness and leash made for walking your cat is the answer. It allows more control, keeping your cat safe and secure. The proper cat harness will allow for a custom fit so it will not put pressure on the cats delicate throat. So go on out there and enjoy the fresh air with your cat!
A Cat Collar For Your Christmas Kitten
In most states, collars with an ID tag and vaccine tag are required on both cats
and dogs. Because cats like to climb and get into places that dogs would never go, it is important to get a cat collar that is made specifically for cats. Cat collars should be break-away collars that open up when tension is applied. This safety feature prevents your cat from getting caught on something and not being able to get away. From cute cat collars to plain nylon cat collars, you are sure to find the perfect match for your pet.
Although I do not advocate letting your cat roam free outside, I know a lot of people do. Even if you do not plan on letting your cat run outside, sometimes they just shoot through the door before you can stop them. For this reason, I like reflective cat collars that also glow in the dark after being exposed to light. It makes your cat so much easier to find in the dark. With the added visibility of a glow-in-the dark reflective cat collar, your cat will be much easier to see by motorists should your cat go on the road.
A Cat Bed For Your Christmas Kitten
So you have decided to get a kitten for Christmas. You have kitten food, a litter
box and litter and you have already gone through the house to make sure there is nothing harmful that your new kitten get into. Now lets think about some other things you might want get for your new baby.
Lets talk about cat beds today. If you own a cat already you probably know this but if you are a first time cat owner, you may be surprised that most cats will sleep 16 or more hours a day. Although cats sleep where ever they want, it is still nice for them to have a bed of there own to curl up in. You will want to find an out of the way place to keep the cat bed so your cat will feel safe and secure when sleeping in it and will not be disturbed. Make sure the cat bed you pick out is washable.
Dog Days
We are so used to having dogs in our lives that we don’t realize that it wasn’t always the case. Dogs, for the majority of their existence have actually been wild creatures. We can trace the evolution of the first dog to one hundred thousand years ago when dogs evolved from their wolf predecessors. For the next 85 thousand years, dogs roamed the eastern hemisphere wild.
Then human beings found that dogs could be trained and this made them useful to our survival. We could not throw a dog harness on these animals, as with later large domesticated animals, but they were quick and willing to fetch. For the past fifteen thousand years, we have been enmeshed in a symbiotic relationship with dogs.
Martingale Dog Collars For The Escape Artist
Also known as greyhound collars, martingale dog collars were designed to
prevent greyhounds and other sighthounds that have necks larger than their heads, from backing out of the collar. Because of this feature, it has become popular with all breeds.
Control and safety should always be a concern for the responsible dog owner. You instantly loose control of your dog when he escapes from his collar, putting your dog in a potentially dangerous situation. The fear of your dog running into traffic or being confronted by an aggressive dog or wild animal could easily become a reality. A martingale dog collar could prevent this from happening.
Training Your Christmas Puppy
Training your puppy should start as soon as you bring him home. Make a list
of the things you want your puppy to do and not to do. Decide how you want to train your puppy and then be consistent. Everyone in the household should be on the same page. If one person is trying to teach your puppy not to do something and someone else allows the behavior, you will have problems.
I have found success with clicker training and I especially like using the Clik Stick. It is an all in one clicker and target stick, so it frees up one of my hands. I like this method of training because it works on positive reinforcement.
Helping a Dog with His Eating Etiquette
My dog has a number of lovable qualities that make him an endearing member of our family. For instance, he always greets my young son the moment he gets home from school with an expectant bark. He never begs for food, but he always seems to be in the right place at the right time to vacuum up errant table scraps. He’s also the most obedient pet I’ve ever owned; I can probably count on one hand all the times he has failed to heed my words.
If I had to pick out one trait of Rover’s that could stand some improvement, it’s probably his table manners. I’m beginning to suspect that he’s never so much as read a word of Emily Post, given that he’s constantly spilling bits of kibble across the kitchen floor. When he stoops to drink some water, half the bowl goes sloshing over the side. Luckily we were able to remedy the problem with a spill proof dog bowl, and Rover hasn’t even needed to change his eating habits.
Dog Toys For The Christmas Puppy
Dog toys are very important in training a puppy not to chew on things it
shouldn’t chew on. If your puppy starts chewing on something he shouldn’t, redirect him to a dog toy. He will eventually learn what he can and cannot chew on.
Before you bring your puppy home go through your house on his level and pick up anything laying around that he should not chew on. You might also want to get a product made to deter your puppy from chewing on furniture and power cords. If your puppy should get a hold of a shoe or something else it should not chew on, take it away from him and redirect him to a dog toy. Then roll up a news paper and swat yourself a couple of times for leaving it in the puppies reach.
Look for chew toys that are made for puppies, durable enough for extended play, yet soft enough to be easy on their developing jaw muscles.