A Housetrained Dog Doesn’t Necessarily Have to Ask

I read a great tip from an article by dog trainer Kathy Diamond Davis the other day.

The question was how to bring an outdoor dog inside. The dog was an adult and had never been housebroken. Her perspective was this:

“I don’t train my dogs to ask when they need to go outside. I take them outside on a schedule. Their bodies easily adjust to wait until the next scheduled [potty break]. I get many questions from people who don’t consider their dogs housetrained until the dog will get their attention and persuade them to stop what they are doing and take the dog out every time the dog needs to go. In many cases, this is expecting too much from the dog.”

Kathy’s distinction between training a dog not to soil the house and training a dog to let you know when he/she needs to go out is important.

Without knowing it, I have trained my dogs the same way. We go outside first thing in the morning, after every meal, whenever I come home (no matter how briefly I’ve been gone) and last thing at night before bed. This way, the dogs have predictable breaks, and they “hold it” until the next break. Of course, if they’re not feeling well, have drunk too much water at the dog park or otherwise need an extra break, they get extra breaks. I also let them out if they’re hanging out at the door.

But I like Kathy’s suggestion that we take responsibility for getting our dogs outside for a potty break, rather than giving that responsibility to our dogs.

Check out Kathy’s book, Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others, or read her blog at http://kathydiamonddavis.blogspot.com/

- Lisa

http://www.dogtoysandtreats.com

 

Top 5 Summer Dog Care Tips

Summer days will give you a chance to enjoy long walks in the company of your dog and to have outdoor
fun. Though your dog will love the summer, as well, it is important to put emphasis on safety and pet
health.

Here is a list of the top five dog care tips for looking after your dog in the summer.

1. Keep Your Dog Hydrated
Hydration is essential for your dog during the summer. Dogs will drink a lot of water during the hot summer days because their cooling mechanism is less effective than sweating in humans.

Put several water dishes in the house and make sure that the water in them is cool and fresh. Change it frequently to stimulate your dog to drink more. A pet fountain could be a great idea for the summer because it is fun and your dog would love to drink from it.

Even when it’s not hot outside, and even with the windows cracked, it can become hot inside a car quickly.

2. Leaving Your Dog in the Car is a Bad Idea
Leaving your dog in the car during the summer is a very bad idea, regardless of the circumstances. Even if you keep the window open and the car is parked in a shady spot, refrain from making your dog stay there.

Dogs can get overheated and dehydrated easily and even a few minutes in a stiflingly hot car could result in a heat stroke. If you have to go shopping, you better leave your dog at home. The temperature inside the car will rise dangerously quickly, once the vehicle stops moving. You will endanger your pet’s health and life this way.

3. Vigorous Exercise is Suitable for Cooler Days
Dogs love to run and chase things but you should leave such activities for the cooler part of the day. Make
sure that your dog is not over-exerting itself in the heat. Have your play time early in the morning, before the heat has become exceptionally intense. Avoid walks in the early afternoon. The sun and the hot asphalt can affect your pet’s health adversely. Taking a walk after the sun is set is also advisable.

4. Understand the Symptoms of Heat Stroke
A heat stroke is one of the most common problems during the summer. Learning more about the symptoms will help you react quickly.

The symptoms of the heat stroke in dogs include breathing difficulties, heavy panting, a bright red tongue, thick saliva, diarrhea, high temperature and possibly even coma. If you notice any of these symptoms, take measures to cool down the dog immediately. A trip to the vets is advisable, as well.

5. Anti-Parasite Treatments
All kinds of parasites hide in the summer grass. Make sure that your dog gets the proper anti-parasite treatment for the hot months. Ticks are a major risk and a problem for both pets and humans. Fleas and mosquitoes could attack your dog, as well. These parasites can cause medical conditions like Lyme disease. By protecting your pet you will also be protecting your family from these potentially dangerous conditions.

The health and well-being of your dog is your responsibility any time of the year, but during the summer months you’ll need to take extra care to ensure your pet doesn’t suffer unnecessarily. – Amol Kotkar

 

The Next Big Thing

Think about the cool new products that have taken the retail market by storm. Most of them have one thing in common: They were started by consumers just like you and me who saw a need and stepped in to develop a product to meet that need. They took a risk, they worked diligently on a solution, they tirelessly marketed the final product, and soon, momentum increased.

Just ask Marie Moody, founder of Stella & Chewy’s, or Pasha Cook, founder of All-Natural Pet Delivery, or Tabitha Washington, inventor of the Treatstik. These people and others have taken a rock-star idea and made it happen. And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever before.

Websites like indiegogo.com allow people with great ideas to get funding for them. Sean Kelly, founder of Redogulous Labs, has a very cool idea for a dog collar that uses wireless technology (and a bunch of other cutting edge tech) to let your dog communicate with you during the day via your smartphone. You can track how long your dog sleeps (or barks at the window) while you’re at work, how much he chases the cat, how many calories he burns on his daily walks with you, and much more.

Love the idea? Contribute your feedback and — more important — your dollars here. Even $5 can help a great idea get off the ground.

Got a great idea of your own? Get started today, and remember, necessity is the mother of invention (and financing is the father)! If you like, tell us an idea that you think would make a great  product for dogs.

 

How to Help Dogs Suffering from Separation Anxiety

One of the most common forms of distress for canine companions is separation anxiety — the stress they feel when their owners leave them on their own. Before getting a dog, always ask yourself if your lifestyle is suitable to owning one. If you are frequently away from home and unable to take your dog with you, leaving it for prolonged periods on its own, then perhaps dog ownership is not for you.

However, it is sometimes unavoidable that your pet will have to be left alone. Here are some tips to help reduce stress your dog may experience as a result.

1. Provide Stimulation and Entertainment

Give Your Dog Something to Do When You’re Away

If your dog is left alone, ensure that it has a selection of toys to help keep it stimulated and engaged. There is a wealth of toys on the market and whilst simple toys are always a comfort, consider investing in one designed to provide stimulation. This could be a simple treat ball, like the one made  popular by Kong, or a more complex game of the sort which Nina Ollsson products. Always ensure that these toys are not a choking hazard. A great range of interactive toys is available from Dogscorner.co.uk.

2. Plenty of Exercise

Any dog that is being left for more than a couple of hours should be given a good long walk
beforehand. This will tire it out and help to ensure that they do not become overly excitable and
destructive whilst you are away. Dogs need to be exercised (in varying degrees according to breed)
every day; by making sure you do this before you leave, you can ensure that this happens. Otherwise
you might return tired and your dog will miss out– which is simply not fair to the dog.

3. Look for Outside Help

Rope in a family member or friend that you trust to come spend some time with your dog whilst you are away. It need not be for long but it will help to break up the day and keep the dog entertained. During a period in which I was unavoidably away for a good part of the day each week, I employed the services of my next door neighbor’s teenage daughter to come and walk my Westies. It only cost a few pounds each day and she would have been more than happy to do it for free. If your dog isn’t micro-chipped, make sure it has one of those dog collars with an ID tag on it — you don’t want to lose your dog whilst it’s in someone else’s charge.

4. Get a Second Dog

Dogs can become the best of friends — so getting a second dog is a good idea. Having a pal to play with is one of the best means of preventing separation anxiety. However, there is a caveat; you should not see this as a replacement for your affection. They will both need to spend time with you — so think very carefully whether you can spend time with two dogs before getting a second one.

5. Spend Quality Time with Your Dog

When you get home, show your dog lots of love and attention. It’s likely you will be tired after a hard day, but these are the sacrifices which a dog owner must make. If you don’t think you will have the energy to spend fussing over your pet then re-evaluate whether your lifestyle permits you to have one.

6. Consult your Vet

Many pet owners are reluctant to consult their vet over suspected separation anxiety — but this
shouldn’t be the case. Psychological conditions can be just as detrimental to your dog’s standard of
life as physiological ones. Do not be afraid to seek help and advice.

Do you have a favorite way to keep your dog entertained and busy while you’re away from home? Share it with other dog owners here.

 

Dominance and the Dog Park

The popularity of dog parks has been a boon to urban dog owners who love to let their dogs run off-leash and play with each other. But any group of dogs seek to establish a pecking order, or dominance  rank. This is when problems can occur. Two dogs who are trying to be dominant (because they are at home) often fight. Sometimes one of them will give up quickly, but other times, the fight can be more serious. Owners often don’t know the signs of a dominance confrontation about to happen:

• Mounting – many people think this is funny or cute, but if you tolerate it, you give your approval. When your dog is the one being mounted, he may feel that you’re not going to protect him, which can affect the trust he has in you.
• Eye contact
• Standing tall, erect or moving in a stiff-legged way
• Putting the head over the back of another dog
• Taking a ball or stick away from another dog
• Chasing

A dog park puts a group of strange dogs together, so the first order of business (they think) is to find out who’s on top.

These signs can tell you which dog in a group is vying for dominance. If the other dogs have no problem with him/her taking dominance, there can be peaceful play. If another dog wants dominance, however, there can be conflict. It usually starts with growling and snapping. It may escalate from there to full-on fighting if the owners do not intervene.

Fearful dogs who are being chased can trigger a predator instinct in a dominant dog, especially if they vocalize. If your dog has gone still, is turning his head away from the other dog, and is showing the whites of his eyes (i.e., looking around by turning his eyes rather than his head), he is very stressed and may be about to bite. Don’t be shy about stepping in and giving a sharp, “No!” to a dog who’s being aggressive, even if it isn’t your own dog. Dogs often respond to authoritative commands from anyone, and if the owner is not going to control her dog, you are in your rights to step in.

Other signs that a dog is fearful or stressed

• Lip licking
• Tail tucking
• Shaking off, like they do when they’re wet
• Sneezing
• Yawning
• Standing with one foreleg off the ground
• Freezing
• Looking away
• Whale eye (showing whites of the eyes)

What should you do if you notice a situation developing but it isn’t fighting yet? Remove your dog. Call her to you and play elsewhere, or leave the park and come back another time. If she won’t come to you, go get her with calm confidence and quietly take her away. If your voice becomes anxious, she may begin to protect you from the other dogs, which may escalate the situation.

One effective way to split up dogs who are fighting is for one person to grab each fighter by the back legs, like you would in a wheelbarrow race. If it’s not your dog, don’t let go of those legs until the dog’s owner comes to put a leash on the dog. You can do this if your dog is attacked by an off-leash dog around the neighborhood, too. If there’s no one else around, just grab the offender; the victim will likely move away once the aggressor is disabled.

 

Product Review: Snaps Collars

Here’s a cool idea for a customizable, changeable pet collar. It’s called SNAPS (TM). It’s a collar and interchangeable snap system with tons of fun snaps to add, combine and switch out whenever you like. (Sorry for the red dog hair on the black collar in the photo. I actually do test these products on my own dogs.)

24 themes, five designs each, ranging from holidays to causes, regional to animals, bugs to flowers. They come in sets of 10 (two each of five designs) and the collars have 10 solid brass, nickel-plated snap studs on them. The great thing is that you can buy the snaps individually, so you can choose two from this group and one from that group. You could put together a sort of charm bracelet of your dog’s favorite thin

The collars come in two options: leather or nylon. Nylon collars are available in black, red or pink; leather collars are black. They come in four sizes to fit necks 8″ to 22″. gs by cherry-picking which snaps you like. With over a hundred designs, ou’ll find plenty of choices. All snaps fit any size collar.

The snap ornaments are silk screen painted brass, which holds up very well to chipping and scratching. They have a high tension socket for a secure fit. They need firm pressure to put them on, and I found my fingers fatiguing after I had put a few on. But then I used the heel of my hand and they went on quite easily. I don’t mind pushing hard though; I don’t want them to fall off while my dog is scratching her neck at the dog park. Nor would I want one dog to be able to chew them off the collar of the other dog when they’re playing. These snaps are REALLY on there!

SNAPS (TM) features a unique way to create the perfect fashion accessory to highlight your dog’s personality and charm, to to give him/her a a distinctive style for the holidays. There’s even a birthday collection!

This is such a clever idea! I used to have a different collar for Christmas, summer, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day (I have an Irish Setter), and Halloween. Now, all I have to do is swap out the ornaments for a totally new look. It’s a snap!

Product Name: Snaps

Cost: Leather collars with 10 studs, $14.99 – 17.99 each, nylon collars with 10 studs, $12.99 – $14.99 each. Ornamental snaps: .90 each or $8.99 for a set of 10.

Where to buy: http://www.snapsstore.com

 

Product Review: Lickety Stik Lickable Dog Treat

A liquid dog treat! Who knew?

Ever heard of a liquid dog treat? I hadn’t, until I saw Lickety Stik at our local Pet Supplies Plus store. (Yes, even though I’m a retailer and able to buy everything wholesale, I still visit pet stores to see what they’re selling , and to buy anything that I need only one of, not a whole case.)

So here’s this roll-on bottle sitting at the checkout. I picked it up and saw it was a lickable liquid dog treat. I though, “What a great idea!” I have a nine-month-old Shiloh Shepherd whom we work with on leash and off. I need to drill commands and treat frequently for new commands, so a lickable treat (with only 1 calorie per 10 licks) seemed a good thing to try.

I purchased the chicken flavor and tried it out. The bottle says to shake it before offering it to the dog, then just unscrew the cap, hold the bottle down and let the dog lick. My Irish Setter was a little ambivalent at first, but the Shiloh LOVED it! We say “Sit!” and her bum hits the deck so fast it’s a blur. When Finnegan (the Irish) saw how much fun it was, his interest became a little keener. Now, they both do back flips (not literally) for the Lickety Stik.

I found the smell of the chicken flavor to be a little … not what I would think chicken would smell like. However, I’m not the target audience here. The dogs love it and that’s what matters. The smallish bottle holds over 500 licks, which is a good value for $6.99. That comes out to a penny per treat. Try beating that in a tough economy. There are other benefits, too.

• It’s quick! No fumbling in your pocket or bait pouch for a kibble or treat. No dropping it on the floor or pulling out two or three, which take longer to eat. The dog can be rewarded right away when he does what you’re asking him to do. He can consume the treat quickly, too, without having to stop and chew it up, then clean up the crumbs on the floor. By then, you’ve lost some momentum. A quick treat is much better, especially for teaching new things.
• It’s precise. If you’re working with more than one dog, or you’re training in a class around other dogs who might be interested in what you’re giving your dog, you have more control over making sure the right dog gets the treat. Food aggressive dogs who might want to swoop in and get the treat away from you or your dog have a heard time when it’s a quick lick or two.
• It’s low cal. You can treat often without worrying about caloric intake. My dogs are very slender, so I don’t worry about that, but I’ve had other dogs that shouldn’t be given 30 treats a day. With this treat, I can reward as often as I wish.
• No spilling. I don’t worry about treats spilling out of my treat pouch or pocket all over the sidewalk when I bend down to pick up after my dog.

Lickety Stik is available in three flavors: Liver, Chicken and Bacon. It retails for $6.99. Manufactured by PetSafe, the people who brought us the Drinkwell water fountain and the self-cleaning litter box. Gotta love the creative minds over there. What will they think of next?

 

Mimi Green Engraved Buckle Collar

There are so many collar manufacturers out there that I’ve lost track, and most of them don’t seem to offer much in the way of innovation. But there are a few that do, and Mimi Green is one of them. They have an exhaustive selection of dog collars, leashes, and harnesses, from basic to designer and everything in between. Whether you want a classic design, something innovative, fabric, leather, synthetic, laminated, webbing or something totally different, these folks probably make it. And they make everything in the USA, which is even better.

We tested a leather collar with an engraved buckle. I like this design because there’s no collar tag jingle, and because the tag cannot come off.  We had just got a Shiloh Shepherd puppy and wanted something sturdy, good-looking and adjustable (at 8 months, she was nearly the size of our full-grown Irish Setter).

The collar arrived quickly and was more than I expected. Although the company could use cheaper leather and probably 80% of consumers would never know the difference, I could see that the leather they use is nice quality bridle leather. No cracking, oily India leather here. This is gorgeous, full-bodied, supple, strong leather, the kind that gets better with age and lasts for a dog’s lifetime.

The stitching is firm and even, with small stitches (large stitches are faster and less expensive, but don’t hold up as long as small stitches). The buckle is nickel-plated die-cast metal, which should hold up to years of use. The side-release mechanism operates smoothly. All the hardware has a heavy, quality feel to it. (Note that I chose a collar for a large dog; the smaller sizes have quality hardware that will not be too clunky for smaller dogs.)

The personalized buckle collar also comes in fabric webbing in 18 colors.

We’ve tested the collar for three months. During that time, our Shiloh has been her active self. She scratches, swims, and generally causes mayhem for her collar. But this collar has held up well. The leather is as smooth and supple as it was when we got it. I was glad the buckle would never get scratched up so badly that it would be difficult to read; the laser engraving is guaranteed never to wear off.

We’ve had to enlarge the collar once, so I was glad that it was adjustable. A Chicago screw holds the collar at the desired size. A screwdriver (or a dime) will get the screw out so you can place it in the next hole if your dog is growing or gaining/losing weight. It adjusts up to 2 inches.

You can get up to three lines of laser engraving on the buckle, so you can put either your dog’s name or your name on it (or both), plus a phone number or two, a microchip notification, and/or an address, or any combination of those.

The engraved buckle collar is available in webbed or leather styles. Shipping is reasonable and the company is friendly and responsive. They have loads of other designer dog collars, too. In my view, the price is very reasonable considering the quality of the materials, craftsmanship and engraving, which is included in the price. And isn’t that refreshing? Most places would charge you by the letter. Thanks, Mimi Green!

Personalized Engraved Name Leather Collar

Price: $41.99 any size

Sizes: 12 to 26 inches

Colors: 4 leather colors

Engraving: 15 fonts, 3 lines, 15 characters per line

Get it from: shopmimigreen.com