Archive for the ‘Dog Harness’ Category
Special Dog Harness Part 1
While nothing will ever replace a dog leash, the dog harness the need has become more prominent in ou
r society to leash our pets. The laws and regulations regarding our pets have been put into place that you need to have a leash to walk your dog. When you have a pet with special needs sometimes the regular leash will not do.
There are a number of different product names and types to choose from depending on what your specific needs are.
Sling type dog harnesses are being used to help animals when they’re having problems walking. The Bottom’s Up Leash, actually supports the rear end of your dog and is one of many types of assisting harnesses for lifting or holding the rear end of your pet up. You can use this to assist your pet getting up the stairs, getting into the car or simply walking around.
Some of the conditions that may warrant a specialized harness
Canine arthritis
Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD), is a progressive, debilitating disorder characterized by a loss of cartilage and the death of cartilage-producing cells. DJD can occur in any joint, but is most often found in the hip. It can lead to permanent loss of function.
In most cases, DJD occurs secondarily to trauma, nutritional disorders or infections. It is prevalent in middle-aged to geriatric dogs. DJD may also occur in young dogs who suffer from canine hip dysplasia, a common developmental disorder of the hip joint found primarily in the larger breeds and breed mixes.
My dog, Baby, is 13 yrs old and is closely getting to the time where she will need a harness as she is getting slower walking up stairs. So I definitely know where to turn from experience.
I wanted to make this a shorter post so I will talk about other conditions that would warrant you to use a Bottoms Up Harness in future posts.
A Man, a Dog and Their Routine
I rescued my fawn pug Rufus from the city dog pound seven years ago, and he’s been my constant companion ever since. Over the years we’ve developed a routine, and Rufus is smart enough to pick up on my words and gestures. He seems to know about an impending trip to the vet well before I tell him to hop in the car. Most of all, he senses that it’s time to go for a walk based on a few subtle clues.
If it’s early evening and I begin lacing up my sneakers, Rufus starts wagging his tale tentatively; he’s still unsure at that point if a walk is really forthcoming. Then, when I start rifling through the cabinets looking for his nylon dog harness, he becomes downright giddy. He’ll bark expectantly when I pick up the final dog supplies required for the walk – his favorite leather leash.
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>
Travel Safe
A lot of people don’t realize that driving with a dog in your vehicle can be dangerous not just for you and the dog, but for other drivers as well. There’s nothing like veering and swerving to keep from killing an innocent animal and I’ve seen accidents happen because of it. I’ve seen dogs jump from the back of pickups or just go flying out the window when the driver makes a turn to sharply. That’s why I don’t go anywhere without my dog car harness.
Not only does it keep the dog securely positioned where they can still enjoy the ride, it keeps them from getting under my feet or worse. And the greatest fear I avoid with my dog car harness is the potential of the dog going out one of the windows and being killed by another driver. If you drive anywhere with your dog this is one safety product no pet owner should be without.
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?
Have Reindeer in Your Own Home
Have you ever seen the pictures of the reindeer laying in the front yard of someone’s home?
Well now you can have one right in your home for the holidays. Take a look at how wonderful your pet could look.
Some of the best pictures for the holidays can be of your dog in great dog apparel. I decided to include a picture of a great Reindeer dog costume to use as an example of a picture perfect moment.
With all of the great outfits available such as dog dresses, dog sweaters and dog coats why not look at this outfit as one of the regulars every year for the holidays. It even includes dog shoes to help keep your dogs paws toasty and dry when going outside. And just look at the antlers!!
They will be the talk of the party during the holiday season and make all the kids smile. I think they will get even more attention than they normally would. Have fun and enjoy the holidays and including your pet in all the activities as well. Hey, maybe he can help Santa in his sleigh!! By the way, all my husband can do is laugh at the dogs in their outfits. Hey, if it puts a smile on everyones face isn’t worth it?
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”.