Archive for the ‘Dog Collars’ Category
Special Dog Harness Part 2
As stated in part 1 the specialized dog harness, Bottom’s Up, is a special leash that helps your pet walk when they are having some problems with their joints or have a neurological problem. The Bottom’s Up leash help to support the rear end of your dog by looping straps around their hinds legs so that you can help hold up the rear end. The leash supports your pet but does not hinder their ability to relieve themselves.
I previously stated some medical reasons that you may need this leash. I wanted to continue on with one last one that is extremely important to me.
Degenerative Myelopathy
Degenerative myelopathy is a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs. The disease has an insidious onset typically between 8 and 14 years of age. It begins with a loss of coordination (ataxia) in the hind limbs. The affected dog will wobble when walking, knuckle over or drag the feet. This can first occur in one hind limb and then affect the other. As the disease progresses, the limbs become weak and the dog begins to buckle and has difficulty standing. The weakness gets progressively worse until the dog is unable to walk. The clinical course can range from 6 months to 1 year before dogs become paraplegic. If signs progress for a longer period of time, urinary and fecal incontinence may occur and eventually weakness will develop in the front limbs. Another key feature of DM is that it is not a painful disease. It is also usually the last diagnosis after all other tests have been performed.
There is no cure for DM at this time and it is so heartbreaking to see you four-legged family member go through this. But they are not in pain so that can be some consolation.
DM is the reason I began the hunt for specialty items such as the rear harness and dog carts (wheel chairs). I have been through DM with my lovable dog Charlie who developed DM when he was 8 yrs old and progressed over the following year to where he needed assistance walking to go outside. This disease however did not deter him from wanting to chase squirrels! I couldn’t run that fast. Watching him made my heart melt and want to do something to help him. So like I stated, I purchased the rear harness and helped him get where he wanted to go. It was the best purchase I have ever made as it also relieved the pressure on my shoulders and back from trying to hold him up from behind and more convenient than using a towel which didn’t sit in the right places for him to relieve himself.
So if you are ever in doubt check out the rear harnesses to assist your pet through some hard times.
Animal Safety to Keep You Pet Cool
Dogs in hot cars face an immediate crisis that is entirely preventable,” Alexis Raymond, Communications Director of the national non-profit, told Zootoo Pet News. “By educating pet owners and others that leaving a dog in the car when the weather is even mildly warm, we hope to save many animals from suffering and dying.
Download your reminder and share with others. I found these 2 posters on
http://www.mydogiscool.com/downloads/HotCar-Store-Sign.pdf
http://www.mydogiscool.com/downloads/MDIC_poster_8×11.pdf
This post is all about being aware of who you carry in the car with you. I know my dog, Baby, discovered she loves taking car rides now. So every time I pick up my car keys she is dancing around. I would love to take her everywhere I go but I also have to keep in mind that I may not be able to take her in the various companies that I have to visit. It is for their safety not our companionship that should be taken into account.
Another part of the safety issue is leaving their dog leash on them unattended. There is always a possiblity of it getting caught in the seat or over the headrest. This creates a whole new problem for your pet. Just please be aware of any and all dangers.
So I am asking you to please think before you accidently do something to harm the health and safety of your pet.
Cummuter Dogs
I thought you might enjoy this story. Dogs are allowed on public transport in all of Europe, but generally with their master. This is even more interesting.
Here is a Canine commuter…. A wild dog waits on the platform!!
STRAY dogs are commuting to and from a city centre on underground trains in search of food scraps. The clever canines board the Tube each morning. After a hard day scavenging and begging on the streets, they hop back on the train and return to the suburbs where they spend the night.
Experts studying the dogs say they even work together to make sure they get off at the right stop after learning to judge the length of time they need to spend on the train…
The dogs choose the quietest carriages at the front and back of the train. They have also developed tactics to hustle humans into giving them more food on the streets of Moscow.
Scientists believe the phenomenon began after the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, and Russia’s new capitalists moved industrial complexes from the city centre to the suburbs. Dr. Andrei Poiarkov, of the Moscow Ecology and Evolution Institute, said: “These complexes were used by homeless dogs as shelters, so the dogs had to move together with their houses”.
Because the best scavenging for food is in the city centre, the dogs had to learn how to travel on the subway to get to the centre in the morning, and then back home in the evening, just like people.
Here is an experienced dog enjoying a nap on the underground. Dr. Poiarkov told how the dogs like to play during their daily commute. He said: “They jump on the train seconds before the doors shut, risking their tails getting jammed”. They do it for fun. Sometimes they fall asleep and get off at the wrong stop.
This dog is tired … A mutt naps on tube seat in Moscow.
The dogs have learned to use traffic lights to cross the road safely, said Dr. Poiarkov. They use cunning tactics to obtain tasty morsels of shawarma, a kebab-like snack popular in Moscow. They sneak up behind people eating shawarmas then bark loudly to shock them into dropping their food.
With children, the dogs play cute by putting their heads on youngsters’ knees and staring pleadingly into their eyes to win sympathy and scraps. Dr. Poiarkov added: “Dogs are surprisingly good psychologists”.
The Moscow mutts are not the first animals to use public transport. In 2006 a Jack Russell in Dunnington, North Yorks , began taking the bus to his local pub in search of sausages. Two years ago, passengers in Wolverhampton were stunned when a cat called Macavity started catching the 331 bus to a fish and chip shop.
This article is from http://animalconnectionshow.com/wordpress/pay-it-forward-friday-572010
Pet Assistance
There comes a time when you may have to assist your pet moving around. This is a difficult time as it usually occurs with age due to arthritis or injury. There are many products out there to help you so you can help your pet. The Bottoms-up leash is one of those products.
Since you will also have to take your pet to the veterinarian or maybe to the park, there is also a product to help lift your pet into the car. You can use any of these products to assist your pet up or down the stairs.
Have you used any of these?
The Glam Pet For 2010
Give them a gift of a New Look!
In 2010, give your pet the gift of glam! A regular grooming regimen will make your pet feel proud, pampered and healthy. After all the pampering of their bath and brushing and teeth cleaning, why not dress them up in a new dog collar and outfit. Or purhaps you will need a new halter for your horse or a lead rope.
What will you do for you pet today?
Is A Halter Better For My Dog?
Many people today want to use the gentlest method possible for controlling and training their dog. Choke collars, pinch collars, and prong collars make many people uncomfortable. Some people prefer to use halters such as the Halti or Gentle Leader for their dogs but there are pros and cons to these head collars. Should you use one for your dog?
A head collar is different from an ordinary collar for dogs. Most regular collars fit around a dog’s neck. Head collars work like a horse halter. They have straps that fit behind your dog’s ears, along the cheeks and over your dog’s nose. It is this nose strap that really controls your dog. There is a D ring on the underside of the head collar where you attach your leash.
It’s important to properly size a head collar to fit your dog. Otherwise the halter won’t be effective at all.
Most dogs don’t like a head collar at first. Some dogs never get used to them. When you put the head collar on your dog you should allow plenty of time for your dog to get used to it. Let your dog wear the head collar in the house a few times before you ever try to take him anywhere wearing the halter. Give him some treats when you put the head collar on. Give treats and take the head collar off. You can do this a few times so that he associates the head collar with something pleasant. You can even put the head collar on before you feed your dog and let him eat while he’s wearing it.
After your dog has gotten used to wearing the halter you can attach your leash and practice walking your dog. You can practice in the house before going in the backyard or on a quiet street.
It’s a good idea to have a standard collar on your dog and an extra leash with you, just in case. It’s always possible that the halter could break and you might need to attach your leash to the back-up collar.
Walk your dog on a loose leash and let him walk in front of you. Head collars are great for controlling boisterous dogs and dogs that aggressively pull. They are often chosen by small people with very large dogs since they help them control the dogs better. Your dog should be walking more quietly for you with the head collar.
You can practice walking 10 to 20 feet, then give your dog a treat. Keep this up for a few days and your dog should be walking quietly for you.
Those are the basics of training your dog to walk with a head collar. It’s not hard to teach your dog but there are pros and cons about using a halter on a dog. Some trainers believe that a head collar is a “quick fix” for a training problem. If your dog pulls when you walk him with an ordinary collar, you haven’t really solved the problem by putting your dog in a head collar. You have only increased your control. If you put your dog back in an ordinary collar your dog will likely still pull.
Other people dislike using the head collar because, with the nose strap around the dog’s muzzle, it looks like your dog is wearing a muzzle. This can give people the impression that you have an aggressive dog which makes many owners uncomfortable.
By far the most serious negative about using the head collar is that there is the potential for soft tissue damage and damage to the spine from using the halter. The head collar works on a dog’s nose instead of the lower neck. If a dog moves out to the end of the leash and yanks or is pulled back, or if you simply don’t see what he’s doing, his head can be whipped to the side at the top of the spine. This is similar to a facemask injury in football, with the head being whipped around to the side and it can cause a lot of physical damage to your dog, especially if it happens repeatedly.
And, as already mentioned, many dogs simply seem to hate the head collars. They don’t seem to like having something placed on their nose, especially so close to their eyes. Although the halter is similar in design to a horse halter, the head of a horse and that of a dog are very different.
Head collars are very effective for dogs that pull a lot, especially for small people trying to control large dogs, but you’ll have to make your own evaluation about the pros and cons and whether you think the good outweighs the bad.
<a href=”http://information.i-love-dogs.com/dog-articles/dog-training/4190-Halter-Better-For-Dog.html”>Is A Halter Better For My Dog?</a> courtesy of <a href=”http://information.i-love-dogs.com/dog-articles/”>Dog Articles</a>
Gift of Adoption
If you read the newspapers or watch the news you have a slight idea of the animal abuse that occurs day in and day out. It is a never ending battle of what the American Humane Society fights daily.
I am taking a hint from the American Humane Society and asking that if you are thinking of adopting a pet for a family member or friend, please remember that it is a huge decision to take on your own. You may have the best of intentions to rescue an animal in need but if the receiver of that gift that does not appreciate the gesture than it is more heartbreaking and confusing for the animal to have to return the adoption center.
The best way to give the gift of adoption is to wrap a dog collar, dog toys or a horse halter in a box and present that as a gift with a card. In the card let them know that you are giving the gift of adoption to them at a time when they can visit a shelter and choose the best pet for them.
Providing a gift in this way is providing happiness for both the animal and the person receiving your gift.
Check out www.americanhumane.org for more information on adoption.
Canine Wheelchair
I am in the process of developing a new wheelchair for dogs. I have found, after having to purchase one for my dog Charlie, that it is a very expensive tool. There are also very few brands to choose from ranging from$300-$575. My thought on this topic is that it is not at a price point that most can afford. To think that you would possibly have to euthanize your pet because of a medical condition that can be assisted is absolutely heartbreaking.
I would like to ask a few questions from others that have had this experience or those that may soon face the need to purchase a canine wheelchair.
1. How much would you pay?
2. What are some concerns (i.e. portability, weight, etc)?
3. Would it beneficial to have it size adjustable?
Massage for Your Dog?
I remember about 10 + years ago I began a new part of life and started attending massage school. I had to go at night because I also had a full time job. Well…I also had a family and 7 dogs to care for. So I get home feed the entire family and then go to school. I usually got home around 11pm. By then I was absolutely tired. I made the mistake (?) of giving a massage to each of the dogs one night when I got home. After that it was…a habit? No sooner did I walk in the door, of course I had to put the dog collars and dog leads on all to give them a walk and then all of the dogs lined up to get their daily dose of massage. It was great and they were so patient waiting for their turn but by the time I finally got done it was well past midnight. I know they like the special touch and the connection I was making with them but I was getting worn out.
10 years later SURPRISE!! I have now found my new best friend…a dog bed that has heat and massage, all in one. I am absolutely in seventh heaven and so are the members of my dog family that I have left. Miracle is 15 years old now and has a hard time walking due to a lot of health issues and she is always trying to find a comfortable place to lie down. I think now I am going to get the dog bed for Baby and Marina now. They still get a dose of massage periodically, but I get to bed a little earlier now.
Charlie’s Chair Needs A Home
I have written about Charlie before, but I wanted to elaborate further on what his condition is and the wonderful people, besides my family, that helped me through it. Let me first tell you about Charlie. He was a bouncy, furry, loveable little boy. He was always up for chasing a ball or, of course, the squirrels. He would always squeak with joy when you came home. When he turned 8 we noticed that he was dragging his back paws. Then he started tripping over nothing. When we took him to vet he was, basically, “diagnosed” with something call Degenerative Myeolopathy (DM for short). It is a condition that affects the spinal column and basically breaks down the body and systems of the body. We were told that there was no cure. He would gradually deteriorate. The vet gave him a few months until he would have to be “put down”.
Well, I found the best website, www.mzjf.com, that contained a lot of information for me and everyone else going through this. I never realized that it was happening to so many. Their forums were wonderful support and had recipes and medicine (through a Pharmaceutical company) to help slow down the progression.
We bought him a wheelchair in February 2008. That was about 6 months after he was diagnosed. He was in doggie diapers and we used a sling to move him around in the house. He happily used the wheelchair for a year before it was his time to cross the rainbow bridge. I wanted to share this information in case you thought you were alone in this. Feel free to contact me through my website to get information on Charlie’s wheelchair as I have it sitting in my garage waiting for someone who may need it.
I have already found homes for his dog harnesses, orthopedic dog bed and other supplies and his dog toys have been handed down to his sister and “cousins”.