The martingale, which is often referred to as the “humane choke chain,” is a great training tool when used appropriately. Best known as being used on greyhounds that are prone to slipping out of collars, thanks to necks that are significantly wider than their heads, these collars are also great for dogs that routinely escape collars or harnesses. There are certain precautions that pet owners should take, however, when finding the right martingale dog collar for their needs. What is a Martingale? A martingale collar is composed of two loops: one large loop, which goes around the dog’s head, and a second smaller loop, which attaches to the leash. When pressure is applied to the leash, the smaller loop will tighten the larger loop, placing pressure on the dog’s neck. This method is considered more humane than a typical choke chain because the wide fabric ensures that pressure is more...
Continue reading » Dog ProductsNo Comment In many ways, dogs are just like human children. They require mental stimulation, quality time with a “parent,” and can be destructive when bored. Interactive dog toys, which force a dog to solve a puzzle in order to earn a reward, can provide all of the above mentioned needs. Interactive dog toys come in many sizes, shapes, and difficulty levels. Perhaps the first and most well known interactive toy is the KONG, which forces dogs to figure out how to get all of the cheese, peanut butter, or kibble out of the rubberized toy. A more difficult toy may hide treats in compartments that the dog must figure out how to open in order to find the tasty reward. No matter your dog’s skill level, there is sure to be a toy that fits his or her needs. Mental Stimulation Dogs require mental stimulation throughout their day in order to...
Continue reading » BehaviorNo Comment This is extremely common. Most dogs are afraid of the vet and this happens due to a number of reasons. Unfortunately, the vast majority of veterinarian professionals have had little or no education on dog behavior. As a consequence, they fail to notice the subtle signs of fear and stress that end up escalating into aggression a few months later. Everything starts to fall apart right at the first visit, when the dog is still a young puppy. The first time he goes to the vet, he feels scared and uncomfortable; then, he is taken into a room where a strange person touches him and invades his personal space. That weird person places a thermometer in his booty, opens his mouth, grabs his ears and, in the end, stabs a needle into his skin! By the time the puppy is leaving, he already hates the vet. I mean, who wouldn’t?...
Continue reading » PlanningNo Comment Does he really? What makes you say that? “Well, he’s the pack leader because he walks in front of me, he growls when I get near his food bowl and he refuses to get off the couch when I tell him to.” Or maybe you can say “He’s the pack leader because German Shepherds are dominant dogs.” The answers may be very different and varied since no one really knows what a dominant dog is. In fact, every single person would give me a totally different answer if asked them to define dominance. What is a dominant dog, after all? Does your dog fit into that category? First of all, the dominance theory is just a myth. Why? Well, due to several factors. The dominance theory came up after a succession of occurrences and ideas that were wrongly applied and extrapolated. First mistake: people observed wolves living in captivity and...
Continue reading » BehaviorNo Comment Dogs can act strange, sometimes. They hump pillows, they eat their own poop and they chase their own tails. We may look at them and wonder if they’re normal. “Are dogs supposed to do that? Is my dog normal?” Well, a “yes” or “no” answer may not be adequate when it comes to explaining dog behavior. Some behaviors are quite normal whilst others may be the result of a problem. In order to understand which behaviors are normal and which aren’t, we need to make sure we have the correct definition of “normal”. A behavior is considered normal when it offers the animal who displays it an evolutionary and adaptive advantage; when it allows the animal to cope and deal (in a more effective way) with its surroundings. However, when such behavior is used in an inadequate situation, intensity or frequency and it jeopardizes the animal’s ability to maintain his...
Continue reading » BehaviorNo Comment Yes, he can! In fact, raw food has been growing in popularity during the last years. You’ve probably heard of the BARF diet. BARF, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, is a diet that combines raw meat, vegetables, fruits and bones. According to its creators, the aim of this diet is to “maximize the health, longevity, and reproductive capacity of pets and, by doing so, minimize the need for veterinary intervention.” Simply put, raw food diets try to mimic the diet that the species’ ancestors had on the wild, which includes muscle meat, bone, fat, organ meat, and vegetable ingredients. For example, in a particular BARF formula one can find chicken meat, offal, liver, kidneys, heart, tripe and bones, broccoli, spinach, celery, carrot, cayenne pepper, apple, pear, grapefruit, eggs, kelp and alfalfa. The formula can also be supplemented with cod liver oil, vitamin E, zinc and manganese. One of...
Continue reading » Dog Health, Food/TreatsNo Comment Dogs go through a few different sensitive periods during their lifetime, when it comes to their physical and behavioral development. Some of these periods are quite important, due to the impact they’ll have on the dog’s personality and behavioral health. We can identify nine different phases; in this article, we’ll discuss some of the particularities of each of them. Phase One The first phase is the fetal period. This includes the development of the fetus up to parturition. During this period, the puppy will be influenced by the mother’s experiences. If she’s exposed to high levels of stress, the puppies will be prone to develop anxiety and fear. It is also during the fetal period that the male’s brains will go through a masculinization process, due to the production of testosterone. This will make them more likely to exhibit typical male behaviors such as urine marking, roaming, inter-male aggression and...
Continue reading » Behavior, Dog Health, PlanningNo Comment Today we will be looking at Darwin dog food, their treats, etc. Basically looking at the company overall, what experts have to say about them and what my dog Rosco actually thinks about their products. Before going any further, we are going to assume that you already know about raw dog diets. If your dog is not on a raw diet but are researching if this type of diet is for your dog or if you are looking how to switch to a raw dog diet, we suggest reading out article called “Can My Dog Eat Raw Food?“. You may want to follow us on Facebook so you know once we have it ready (we also post cute photo’s lol). So, Who Is Darwin’s Natural Pet Products Gary Tashjian is the mastermind who founded Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. He did this after having health issues with his ten year old...
Continue reading » Dog Product Reviews, Dog Products, Food/Treats2 Comments There are so many dogs waiting for a forever home. The best place to get a dog is an animal shelter. Especially the American Pit Bull Terrier. You may be thinking different things as you see that name, like they are scary or they are a very bad breed. First of all, a pit bull is not a breed, and secondly pit bulls are only bad if they are raised a badly. However, sheltered pit bulls have been know to love a person even after they’ve been through a rough life in the past. Adopting Adopting a pit bull or any dog can be rewarding for you and your dog. The pit bull will have a lot of personality traits, and since it’s been in a shelter it was most likely abused, abandoned, or used for dog fighting which sometimes can bring up aggressiveness in the dog. A pit bull ...
Continue reading » PlanningNo Comment Some dogs look like authentic kangaroos. They jump at everyone! If you just got home from an extremely intensive workout at the gym, you probably wouldn’t mind to have your dog jumping on you. You’re going to shower anyway so a bit of dog hair and drool won’t hurt. However, if you’re an 80 year old lady, who suffers from painful arthritis and can easily break a bone just by sneezing, things are very different, especially if your dog is a half-a-ton Great Dane. Most dogs will begin to jump at people when they’re puppies. They are small sized and they try their best to stay a little bit closer to their owners. Also, they’re just so happy to see them! They get so excited they end up jumping on them when they walk through the front door. And who wouldn’t like to be welcomed by a tiny, happy puppy?...
Continue reading » BehaviorNo Comment Page 18 of 32« Prev 1 … 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 … 32 Next » 
