Selecting a New Dog

When selecting a new dog to take home there are many things to think about and to take into consideration. For instance, the biggest question to ask yourself is why you want a dog? Do you have children who have been begging you for one, or have you decided you need a dog outside to warn of intruders? Maybe you had one as a child and miss the companionship the dog gave you. For whatever reason, dogs...

Continue Reading

How To Love Your Dirty Dog and Change Your Life!

Judie Dahl


How To Love Your Dirty Dog (and Change Your Life or at least your attitude!)
City loving executive living in the perfectly clean, perfectly decorated home, driving the very expensive and regularly detailed car suddenly finds dirt, hair and slobber everywhere, completely shifts life style and falls in love with all of it. Does this sound familiar to you? You are not alone!
So how did you end up with your dog? If you are anything like me, all it took was one look from Chan, the beautiful Chow or perhaps in your case the look from Lucy the gorgeous Labradoodle or Buddy the regal Boxer.
I met my boy Chan a few days after he had lost his life-long doggie pal Kaiya. He was miserable. He wouldn't eat, just laid around. What else do you do, but help him through his grief? We fell in love.
Bless his heart, at six years old he was as neat and tidy as I am. He wasn't big on beaches or mud puddles, didn't mind having his feet wiped, and thanks be to heaven, never slobbered. Another clean freak!
When my Channie moved on to doggie heaven at 14 years of age, I realized how much I had grown to love the "doggie" lifestyle.
Two months later, I was still missing my canine pal, and generally feeling miserable.
The ad in the newspaper read: Blue Chow puppies. What's that? Perhaps I should "take a look." Just look. Honest.
How could you resist this little grey ball of fur? Wagging so hard her entire bottom was in action and piddling everywhere out of excitement. They just have a way of steeling your heart.
Driving away with her on my lap, like most of us would, I wondered "what the heck I have I done?" She looked up, gave me a little lick, and all was well in my world.
However, all dogs are not created equal. Unlike my boy Chan, my girl Keisha was no clean freak. Playing in the ocean, digging in the sand, and hanging out in mud puddles, were a bad combination for my car seat.
How do you cope with the dirty paws on your carpet or the slobber and sand on the car upholstery?
The mess in my car was enough to motivate me to start a new business. There had to be others like me; dog lovers who also love a clean car and house. My company, Practical Pet makes dog car seat covers that actually work. Other products coming on line soon include non toxic, bio degradable odor discs, cleaning fluids and other "Practical" products for pet owners.
So, all's well that ends well. We create lives around these precious ones that allow us to live life more fully. Like you, often much to our surprise new careers, homes and attitudes emerge for us dog lovers. Who knew what you were in for!
I love my new life, and with my doggie inspired creative thinking, can once again enjoy my white carpets and clean car seats.
About the author: About the Author Judie Dahl spent most of her life as a career driven Marketing Executive who has lived in Toronto Canada, Amsterdam and the south of France. She now resides in Vancouver, Canada where she enjoys the mountain trails and the ocean beach with her dog. She is now an entrepreneur whose business "Practical Pet" was a result of wanting a less stressful and therefore more enjoyable relationship with her dog.

Puppy Behavior and Training

Puppy training can be a trying time. The key to this time is to really remember that all puppy behavior is normal. They like to mouth, jump, bark, dig and piddle wherever they are. They aren't doing it to annoy you, they are just doing what they have learned so far. It is our job to train them not to do these things. Think of it as teaching your child to read. You wouldn't punish your child for not knowing the alphabet if they have never seen it before right? So we don't need to punish our puppies for things we haven't taught them. Here, we will talk about normal puppy behavior and ways to encourage...

Continue Reading


The latest information and news on Dog Care Advice:

Google
Dogs hunted after sheep killings (BBC News)
Night vigils to search for dogs responsible for killing dozens of sheep and an ostrich are carried out by Kent Police.
Dogs that attacked Molalla man will be euthanized (The Oregonian)
Two dogs that attacked and injured a Molalla man on Christmas Day will be euthanized, probably this week, Clackamas County Dog Services officials said today. Molalla Police on Sunday cited the owner, Prudencio Escobedo of Molalla, on two counts of...
Woman strangled pet dogs in bath (BBC News)
A mentally-ill woman strangled two dogs in the bath at her home after hearing voices, a judge is told.
Donations for Dogs (KULR-8 Billings)
Donations are pouring in to help nearly 200 dogs temporarily housed at MetraPark. The dogs were seized from a Ballantine breeder last week.
Dogs Have No Comment on Bark Ban (NBC4 Los Angeles)
Owners face fines of up to $500 under an ordinance designed to silence noisy dogs.
Melbourne?s runaway dogs terrified by fireworks just want to go home (Leader ...
DOZENS of petrified dogs have fled their homes in terror during a spate of illegal fireworks set off by New Year's Eve revellers.
Three new police dogs graduate (Capital News 9)
The streets of the Capital Region are three dogs safer after a police K-9 graduation at the Rensselaer County Jail on Tuesday.
'Dogs Haunt Phantoms in 4-2 Win (OurSports Central)
Hamilton, ON - The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Philadelphia Phantoms 4-2 in front of 2,752 fans at Copps Coliseum on Tuesday evening. Bulldogs newcomers Steve Gainey and T.J. Kemp each recorded a goal in their ?Dogs debut while Loic Lacasse made 19 saves on 21 shots.
Life With Ferris: Dogs Are Trouble (The Chattanoogan)
I don?t know what I?m going to do with my dogs. Really. They are a workout. I am not the ?pack leader,? but instead a namby-pamby, semi-master who can only make them sit at one specific time, and in one specific area. Immediately after dinner, they will sit in the kitchen.
Exclusive Hotel for Dogs Clip (Coming Soon)
ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at a new clip from DreamWorks Pictures' Hotel for Dogs featuring Don Cheadle (upcoming Iron Man 2 and The Avengers ). The comedy adventure, opening January 16, co-stars stars Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon.

Dog Kennel Training

There is great controversy about dog kennel training. Many believe that cages, kennels and crates are today's answer to quick convenient punishment. Although not as much controversy as there is about dog collars that choke a dog and give them electric shocks. Many dogs find comfort in their own place and some find quite strange places to call their own- the washing basket, the tumble drier, the bottom drawer. . . . . When dog kennel training you must ensure that you do not put your dog in there when he has been bad as tempting as it may be. Also dogs can't be in the kennel for more than four hours...

Continue Reading