Well, if your dog has been bad recently, that does not mean it cannot rest or that you won't consider the dog beds question… More seriously, the concept of beds for dogs derives from the fact that very often our friends like our beds better than the doormat. Or, obviously, the floor.
The trouble is we like our dogs, but we don't like hair loss. Neither do we like to have to clean our bed cover each time we want to sleep. Furthermore, some other family members may have hair allergies.
Dog beds for dog health.
Another reason why getting our dog its own bed is fundamentally … health. That is often the case with aging dogs, but should we wait to provide him or her with some great comfort ? So instead of going for any dog bed, an orthopedic one would be a better decision.
The benefits of such dog beds are substantial, when you come to think of it : pain relieving in case of arthritis and hip dysplasia (some breeds are sadly likely to get that trouble). Those special beds will also help with joint and muscle stiffness.
It is very easy to tell whether the dog like its new bed or not. Has it been restless at nights ? Is it now that it got its (new) own bed ? If the dog does not move further once it has hopped on its bed, you've got a winner.
Orthopedic dog beds
I personally came to discover orthopedic foam beds after I witnessed my friend's old dog really enjoying sleeping on the one his master brought to her, while being perfectly still at nights. That was a revelation, because that dog had been so agitated for months before.
If you would like to know more about the cool foam dog beds that enabled my friend's dog to get real rest at last, click here to read about the one he bought.
photo © 2008 Brent Ozar | more info (via: Wylio)There is a lot of misunderstanding as regard to clothes for dogs. Certain types of dogs definitely would benefit them in winter.
Clothes for dogs – Not wolves
Have you ever secretly thanked your clothes for protecting you against the cold ? Do you know that in general dogs won't complain when they suffer if they cannot relate their suffering with an event that just happened ? So that they won't complain about the cold ?
Dogs are not wolves. The latter breed has been designed by mother nature to sustain the cold. For the former, it really depends on the breed and the weather conditions. So in core winter times, don't fool yourself believing that your dog does not need extra protection against the elements.
Some breeds have no problem with winter times. Huskies even welcome them because of their huge fur. That is also the case with malamute dogs, that usually love to play outdoors in the snow.
While other simply cannot cope. There are furless dogs. Those should not be allowed outside in winter without protection. In case you forgot, they will certainly find a way to let you know they do not want to go out. Besides, as a general point, small dogs will have a hard time maintaining body temperature without help in winter.
Watch for the signs. If your dog is shivering or whining when outside, or even refuses to go, then you will know for sure it will appreciate a warm coat. However don't think the dog might be safe with an extra coat on alone. Watch for its paws, exposed to hazards such as antifreeze liquid and salt. Salt can and will sting, whereas you absolutely don't want your dog to lick antifreeze out of its paws, for its safety. According to vets, one lick of antifreeze could kill a dog.
If you think that clothes for dogs should not be for the sole fancy of a dog owner, I am fully on your side.
However, if you don't happen to own a dog breed that can perfectly stand the cold by design, then clothes for dogs are not an option. At all.
photo © 2010 _StefwithanF | more info (via: Wylio)I know it could seem a bit strange to using dog clothes patterns as a gift idea for your four legs best friend.
However, since it won't profit from the patterns but what you do with them, will your dog give you an angry look for that ?
Dog clothes patterns – Do something nice for your dog.
Anyway, there is more to it here than going downtown and buying your dog some present or treat.
Well, you will still buy things, but this time, you will also take your time and your skills to design and sew a piece of clothing, for your dog, by yourself.
It may seem surprising, but there are actually places where you can get free clothes for dogs patterns, whether you want to do crochet or use a sewing machine.
You might also want to take a look at other cheap dog clothes patterns sources here for example.
Some other dog lovers have already thought it out, therefore you can come up with anything customized. Collars, all sorts of them, leashes, shirts, coats, rain coats, even dog ties, you name it !
Granted, you will have to have some sewing or crocheting skills beforehand. You don't ? What a great opportunity to learn something ! You would for example take used or rather no more used old clothes, get the patterns, and off you go through the trials and errors process to eventually proudly put a great piece of clothing on your dog !
Using dog clothes patterns will bring joy.
The satisfaction you will get from this is nowhere near the one you have when you simply take your credit card out of your pocket to buy something that many dog owners probably already have as well.
On make and build dog stuff for example, you will be provided with plenty of ideas and patterns, many for free, some to be paid for (not costing you an arm). There are also unexpected plans for things like ramps or small bridges specifically designed for dogs. Things that you can build during a week end.
Whether you are wondering what cool thing to do next week or simply feel love for your dog, you just got very interesting ideas as regard to clothes for dogs : good old dog clothes patterns.
photo © 2010 George of the city | more info (via: Wylio)So, you decided to go boating and you are considering getting a dog life jacket in order to allow your best friend aboard.
But although there are plenty of resources for buying a life jacket for humans (that is mandatory for any boater), this is another story for dogs.
It is strongly recommended that for the first buy at least, that you bring your dog with you. Indeed, since there is no standard as to sizes, every manufacturer has its own guidelines.
A dog life jacket should provide handle and ease.
There are two things that you need to be sure of. First, that the dog life jacket has a handle to enable you to quickly get the dog out of trouble.
Second, it is important that the vest does not get in the way of the dog. This is supposed to help the dog swimming, not to increase its fatigue.
You need to pay special attention if you happen to own those kind of breeds : Doberman pinscher, boxer, and as a general rule dogs with low body fat, since they can have trouble in water. In addition, according to many veterinarian, no matter how we think a dog can swim, when we actually supervise it, a dog can also drown. Period.
Dog life jacket buoyancy.
A little common sense will tell you also that a dog can be tired, can lack of exercise and can momentarily loose sense of orientation. Any dog life jacket has a specific buoyancy, that should even more push you to do some testing before making your decision. Buoyancy should be the second most important parameter to take into account as to this piece of equipment.
The next thing to test for is how easy the jacket is to put on and to take off. Is there sufficient strap length ? If it comes in excess, you will want to cut it so that it does not impede the dog's ability to swim.
The final tip will be easy to implement : talk to other dog owners about the canine life jacket topic ! They are your best advisers as to the dos and the don't regarding handles, straps, buoyancy, ease of dog lifting, and dog comfort.
After that, your mind will have better options for deciding which life jacket to get your best friend. As for humans, clothes for dogs have to be carefully chosen.
photo © 2005 Paul Downey | more info (via: Wylio)Some pets owners dread the perspective of a dog shock collar.
They may think that this is something that a beloved dog should never have, regardless of its education and training needs.
This way of thinking is lacking essential piece of knowledge, to say the least. Here I will try to discuss the alternatives, and argue why a canine shock collar is in many ways better a choice than similar items.
A dog shock collar can do what a classical collar does.
First, the classical collar, that comes in all kinds of materials and colors. Its main purpose is to put some id on a tag or in an attached small can.
Before dog ear tattooing or micro chipping was invented this was useful for retrieving a lost dog. Well it does not work 100 %. One of my former female dog got lost never to be retrieved although she had proper ear tattoing. I was left hoping the new owner / stealer treated her well. But I digress.
The second use of a classical collar is it helps you walk the dog with a leash and it allows you to grab the dog quickly should an emergency case arise. But this does not help you educate your dog that much, especially if you have a strong, big and kind of vivid one.
Choke chains vs dog shock collar.
So you might think of a choke chain as an alternative. Those kind of chains are made of strong metal prongs that pinch the dog whenever it tries to pull. Often times this is enough to stop the dog from pulling. But this solution has proven to be counterproductive in many cases as well. Indeed, those chains have the drawback of being quite noisy, a characteristic that the dog might not like at all.
So as a result the dog might be willing to avoid shaking it to prevent it from producing the dreaded noise. But more importantly, the dog shall fear the walking sessions, instead of looking forward to them as a recreation to be free to exercice and breathe.
Any electric dog shock collar does not have those drawbacks. Properly used and coupled with remote control, an electric collar might even allow you to keep the leash home while going out with the dog.
Now you have a little more information, go ahead and get your dog a deserved dog shock collar !
photo © 2007 mahalie stackpole | more info (via: Wylio)It may seem surprising to read the words freedom and dog shock collar in the same sentence. There, you see, I did it 
.
Seriously, those devices have been designed with those precise apparently contradictory terms in mind. A dog shock collar purpose is to enable your dog to have freedom and in the same time represents a great way for you to educate it.
You can forget about leashes, or having the dog closed indoor or in its kennel for fear of its bad behavior.
Say also goodbye to your irritation, to having to yell at the dog or worse to strike it, such actions not considered as desired outcome in your man best friend's opinion.
The yard and the dog shock collar.
So let's try to explore one very real world situations where you will certainly be happy with a canine shock collar. If you happen to have a yard, I am pretty sure you like flowers, vegetables, and you might not like fences. You like a hedge better. But small trees are not known to be able to stop a dog. Especially a young one, that likes to spontaneously dig under the trees to pay a visit to that cat at the neighbor's house.
See what I mean here ? Granted, an electric fence is not for those who are on a tight budget. But for those who can afford it, what a great relief ! You can put it completely underground, so no one will be aware of it, except your dog. Then, with a bit of easy programming, the dog will quickly learn about its boundaries without having you worried about it.
The dog shock collar as a teacher.
At the beginning, you will even be amused to watch the dog being surprised, not shocked, by the nagging impulse delivered by its collar as it came too close to the fence. Can you think of another efficient way to keep the dog within those limits ?
You can easily extend this to a different common situation : dog digging. This one will require your attention, since it would be tricky to program it. But again, no nerve cracking, no yelling, and the certainty that the dog gets the message loud and clear.
So with or without the fence option, see how a dog shock collar can educate your dog and set you free ?
photo © 2009 Craig Howell | more info (via: Wylio)Every time I go to work in the morning at this time of the year I can see different types of coats for dogs.
It is kind of funny to notice how good or bad the owners tastes are, as well as the “I don’t care” look of the four legs wearing them.
What is for sure is in this cold winter time (that is somewhat too cold too early), I haven’t seen a dog without something warm on its back.
Small dogs are more in need of coats for dogs.
However, it seems that much more of small dogs owners are considering coats for dogs than those who have middle sized or big dogs.
There is sound reasoning behind that fact. Actually, dogs are no different than humans : the bigger the size, the more likely it is they have sufficient fat layer to help them maintain their body temperature.
You can have proof about this by thinking of the reverse condition : have you ever watched any bid dog behavior at the peak of summer ? See how it is suffering from the heat, and constantly looking for cool places ?
My personal big dog loved to come along jogging with me. The thing is when it was too hot outside, he was smart enough to spot some fresh mud place nearby a road turn, and went right into it. He knew I would come back in the opposite direction after about a quarter of an hour, so he was not worried of losing me.
A smart thinker, and in a way lazy dog. But the simple truth is since he had some husky genes, he was simply not able to cope with too much heat, despite all his loving for his running master (who was suffering from heat either).
Coats for dogs happiness.
So now what does this tell you about any small or slim dog in winter times ? Will it enjoy doubling its natural coat with an extra one ? You bet it will. I have personally noticed a friend of mine’s dog refusing to go out if it did not get its warm coat beforehand. Not able to talk, but capable of communication.
So if you haven’t thought of any Christmas gift for your four legs best friend yet, hit the internet again or head to downtown and get a bunch of coats for dogs !
photo © 2007 Mike Baird | more info (via: Wylio)I live for the most part of the year in a big city where I do not stumble upon dogs wearing a dog life jacket that often, if at all.
But still, there are situations where I would be surprised to find dogs not wearing it. Here I would like to explore a little further two of them.
Dog life jacket and cold water.
Situation 1 : I live nearby a lake where I regularly jog around. I see other people doing the same, sometimes with their dogs. All kind of dogs, but mainly middle or big sized ones. So four legs best friend is running around the lake with its owner, as happy as it can be.
Now suppose for a moment this is a young dog. Suppose it likes to play with anything and tends to grow excited very easily. For example when it sees ducks swimming on the cold lake water. Suppose the dog decides it wants to play with the ducks and fancies the idea of joining them in the water.
You would better be sure of different things. One your dog won’t be shocked by the cold water. Second it won’t be surprised by unfriendly fishes or aggressive swans that do not understand the playing mood. Third that you are not afraid of going into cold water to save your dog in case of any problem. See what I mean ? Now think about how a dog life jacket will instantly remove all those kind of annoying perspectives.
Situation 2 : I like to go to the sea whenever I get the occasion. It doesn't matter whether it is summer of winter times, since I enjoy so much the landscape there. When I get there I like to play on the beach with my dog, using a wooden stick or a tennis ball. The tennis ball part is the cool part and the daunting one as well. Imagine for a second the tennis ball has the stupid idea to bounce to the sea while the dog is running after it, trying to catch it.
Dog life jacket and unfriendly water.
And boom the dog without too much thinking jumps into water. Again, water is not necessarily friendly in winter times. And I certainly don’t want to deal with all kind of cold contact in winter because my dog is in danger. So then again, those are the ideal parameters to have me put the dog life jacket on my dog’s back, so I can rest assured and play safely on the beach with my canine friend.
This is not fun to tell, but there are stories each year of owners drowning while attempting to save their in turn drowning dog !
photo © 2010 Eco-Pup | more info (via: Wylio)Have you ever wondered why there seem to be more fuss about small dog clothes than for big ones ? I would argue this has nothing to do with dogs expressing their minds, but rather our own projection about what dog needs could or would be.
Indeed, it is no secret among human beings that the heavy are far more resilient to bad weather conditions implying cold, rain, wind or snow. Anything that endangers our ability to maintain our body temperature in fact. The drawback being for heavy people that they surely suffer in hot summer times.
Small dog clothes for protection.
So, not surprisingly, we assume small dogs as being more sensitive to the cold because their bodies are sometimes so tiny there is not even enough room to put fat on.
Well I must say I haven’t seen much chihuahuas or yorkies that appeared overweighted. Another reason would be that small dogs are in general quite swift and more dependent on their nerves, so that do not facilitate fat formation. We all have the image of our good old big calm dog. Quiet doesn’t that often qualify small dogs.
So be it. Small dog clothes exist because small dogs need those more than big ones. Maybe that is the reason why I see more dressed small dogs having a walk with their masters anytime I go out, compared to bigger ones running along their jogging masters.
Are small dog clothes special ?
Now, are there any specificity about these kind of dog clothes ? The truth is there are ! Since their main purpose in winter is to keep the animal warm, you have to make sure this is the case. You will want to to avoid being lured by the fancy stuff that turns out not providing heat at all.
Second, since outdoor winter conditions are often times dirt, ash, mud, etc, those kind of clothes will have a tendency to be more exposed to dirt. So you also have to be careful as to their wear and tear capability.
One thing is for sure, though : there are many sources to get interesting clothes for dogs, including ways to design them yourself.
So why not think of that sort of special gift as a hand made bunch of warm small dog clothes ?
photo © 2007 George of the city | more info (via: Wylio)It could be surprising to talk about dog life jacket as we tend to think more about human beings carrying this kind of equipment.
That would be a better subject for human summer water play conditions, at first sight. However, everytime the cold season arrives in western world, I see many clothes for dogs on our four legs best friends running alongside their masters, doing their jogging.
So more people have developed the correct awareness about their dog’s comfort in the cold.
What about thinking about all kinds of activities implying water way in advance (or at the right time for those who live in tropical or ever warm countries) ? We will get into that in another article.
For the moment, let’s examine the necessity of a dog life jacket in winter or say, cold weather conditions.
How necessary is a dog life jacket ?
First of all, maybe your job or your duty have you regularly face water, in all kinds of weather. Maybe you just like going fishing on a lake with a small boat. Maybe your dog is always with you and you never thought about the risks of dog drowning. After all, dogs have a built in swimming ability, don’t they ?
Most of them do, many don’t or aren’t as good swimmers as we would like them to be. Besides, there are many factors that could seriously diminish the dog swimming ability. Such as very cold water, unfriendly water conditions (wind, waves, …), a sudden unexpected fall off overboard that triggers anxiety, the presence of other wildlife species or unfriendly fishes, illness, age, too much weight, or not enough body fat… Sadly, there have been reports of owners deaths trying to rescue their drowning dogs.
So if it would not be for helping the swimming, think of a dog life jacket as a piece of cloth with a very handy handle or hook to make it very easy to take the dog off water.
The dog can stay afloat and warm with a dog life jacket.
There are two other factors that cannot be ignored as regard to a dog life jacket. The first one is making sure the dog stays afloat, especially those with diminished swimming abilities. The second and often overlooked is maintaining the body temperature, which in turn can cause problems once the dogs gets back ashore in summer conditions.
Fortunately, there are all kinds of models, sizes and even fashion for a wide range of dog breeds. You can afford it. You dog, well, cannot afford not having one.
