Archive for March, 2009

How to Select a Dog Crate

Monday, March 30th, 2009

There are several types of dog crates to choose from. It all depends on what you need the crate for and how big your dog is. There are a few things that you must keep in mind while shopping for a new crate for your dog. Are you traveling and how? How big is your dog? Is your dog scared of people? Does your dog like to bark a lot? What can you fit in your budget?

There are crates that are more like fence material. There is also plastic that you may want to choose from. There are some that you would have the convenience of collapsing and storing easily.

Remember that puppies grow. So if you invest in a small crate or kennel for your small boxer puppy, keep in mind the cost of the crate and the fact that the puppy will get bigger. Are you willing to invest in something that he will outgrow in a couple months?

Is this something that you are wanting your puppy to stay in during the day while you are at work? Keep in mind that if it is enclosed, your puppy may be uncomfortable and scared. Perhaps a larger fence like crate may be in his best interest. That way he has room to roam a little. It is an open crate to where he can see things around him. Also there is plenty of room for him to grow.

There may be times when you need to travel on an airplane and need to bring your pet with you. In this case, you may consider a light plastic crate because it is easier to carry and it is enclosed to where other animals won’t cause him to bark or he won’t get nervous. Not to mention you want one that he can just fit in and be secure. There are certain requirements for traveling on an airplane with dogs as well. Be sure to check with the airline to see about their guidelines and rules.

If you plan to use a crate on a regular basis, the best thing to do is to make sure that he starts out using it as soon as possible so that he can get use to it. For instance, if he needs to be puppysat, it is best that he gets use to the crate because as he travels to other places and sees other people in a strange environment, he would be familiar with the surroundings within his crate.

It would be (to him) a lot like home. It would provide him with the security that he would need so that he feels much more content. A lot of people would want to use a crate for the purpose of keeping him contained at night. In this case the crate is his ‘bed’. It should be a place where he is comfortable and secure. It is not recommended to use it for punishment and security, because that would be two separate purposes and may even confuse the puppy.

When shopping for a crate, keep in mind whether or not you would want plastic or metal. Some puppies like to chew a lot and that can even be the case as they get older. In this case the best type of crate would most likely be a metal crate versus the plastic type. When this happens, be sure to include toys and raw hide bones. Not to mention they can be very lonely and bored all day in a little confinement. Eventually they will get use to it but it is still good to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible.

Some dogs have separation anxiety, such as a Mastiff, so purchasing the largest crate is the best. The reason being is so that they have some space to move. Definitely start them out as soon as possible so that it becomes part of their everyday routine.

Another good thing to remember is that dogs that are being house broken may have a hard time being broken. Therefore, you may want to put them in a crate. Dogs are less prone to pottying in their bed area. They are less likely to dirty it up and will wait as long as possible before pottying. With that said, crates are good for house breaking dogs.

You may consider a large crate and in this case it is best to get one that is collapsible so that you can store it when you are through with it. They have some that are stainless steel so that they will last a long time. Then for moving and traveling or for your smaller dogs. The choice is up to you so keep all of these tips in mind. There are many benefits for you, your dog and even your home, in using a crate. You can find them in pet stores and even online.

Be sure to visit our house pet supply store for your dog food supply.

DT Systems Dog Training Collars A Must Have Hunting Dog Supply

Sunday, March 29th, 2009

Most hunting dog owners use a dog training collar. When you are searching for a name you can trust, the one to turn to is the DT Systems dog training collar line. The DT Systems line is, in today’s market, one of the highest-ranked collars. They are widely available hunting dog supplies at many stores and online.

DT Systems H20 1800 Series Dog Training Collars

This is the most affordable line of DT Systems dog training collars. The H20 1800 Series is completely waterproof and works at distances up to one mile. With sixteen levels of stimulation, including a gentle touch stimulation, the DT Systems H20 1800 Series is the most affordable and versatile of dog training collars.

DT Systems EXT Plus 5000 Train & Beep

If you’re looking for a system that allows you to locate your dog as well as train proper behavior, the DT Systems EXT Plus 5000 Train & Beep System is the one you’ll need. This system allows you to use intermittent as well as continuous stimulation modes and also allows you to locate your dog up to a quarter of a mile away. The system is completely waterproof and offers a way to gently correct your dog to enhance training.

DT Systems SPT 2430 Shock Collars

The very best in the DT Systems line of products is the SPT dog training collars. The SPT 2430 training collar is great for those who are looking for a collar that is waterproof and offers a high level of flexibility for training dogs for water fowl hunting as well as field work. Another SPT collar benefit is the Jump and Rise technology, which will allow the trainer to increase correction levels at the touch of a button. This will allow you to instantly correct your dog instead of using confusing levers. A very convenient function of the SPT, you can improve the quality of your training by allowing you to respond quicly if your dog is not listening or if he is in an unsafe situation. Also featuring waterproof protection, this styem will work in a range of up to 1.3 miles, which makes it the perfect choice for field training.

No matter what you’re looking for in the line of dog training collars, the DT Systems line offers an array of products. This line will not only work hard to train your dog out on the field but will also help keep your dog safe and sound.

Need A Great Training Tool? Try Dogtra Shock Collars

Friday, March 27th, 2009

Obedience training is much easier and more effective if you have a dependable, safe hunting dog supplies that are easy to use. Dogtra offers products that fit this criteria cost-effectively. Dogtra has training collars for multiple uses such as hunting dogs, pets, and service dogs.

Dogtra , as a brand, is very well known and is one of the famous brands when it comes to electronic dog training collars. Thanks to its great quality, Dogtra products are durable, have multiple benefits, and are waterproof. No matter what kind of dog you’re training, products like Dogttra Obedience and Service K9 Series offers many features that will help you train your dog.

One of the outstanding features of the Dogtra collars is their low profile, which allows you to place the collar on your dog and prevent others from identifying them as a training collar. In addition to their waterproof receivers, these collars are especially good for small and medium sized dogs. The Dogtra collars are also the collar of choice for training service dogs as well as household pets.

Dogtra collars have many stimulation levels from the proprietary “nick” feature that lasts a fraction of a second to the longer levels that last several seconds. Another exclusive feature is the “pager” feature that allows you to signal your dog without any electric stimulation at all. All features are fully programmable from the remote, which allows for the trainer to use whatever best suits the situation at hand, giving full flexibility for the training and correction process.

If you are looking for the best possible value and all of the features, you will need to train your dog you will want to look at the Dogtra 200NCP Gold, which offers not only the best possible value but also all of the features you need to train your dog. The Dogtra 200NCP Gold offers the following features:

Expandable collar, up to 18”
NI-MH extended life batteries, included with purchase
Will work in a range of up to .5 mile
Lightweight receiver
Lightweight transmitter
A 2-year warranty
Car charger (optional)
Optional dummy collar
print and electronic manuals

Whether your dog is a pet, show animal, or a working hunting dog, Dogtra has dog training collars that fits your needs to effectively train your dog.

Basic directives To Use In Training Your Dog – Free Helpful Tips

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Training your dog is just a way of ensuring that it acts in a disciplined and adequate approach. Dog training certainly is a process that involves a series of well-articulated directions repeated unfailingly enough for a dog to get used to and respond to. There are uncountable aspects of dog training. However, obedience dog training is a fundamental training process that a dog must go through first. It is the desire of all dog owners’ that their dogs obey their order. Once you can train your dog to obey, every other thing falls into place.

In obedience dog training, there are five basic directions or behaviors that a dog is taught. They are:

- Down: This order is normally uttered to calm an especially exuberant dog. Your dog may be the overly excited kind that loves to paw human beings, lunge at them or even tug at their clothes. Teaching a dog to stay down when you order it to can assist to keep its excesses in check. The ‘down’ order is certainly a position of subservience the dog adopts when it is being excessive in its behavior.

- Sit: You can train your dog to sit down in a precise place. This order is good for situations where you can’t go into precise places with your dog. Teaching your dog to sit down and stay put while you shop or acquire something prevents it from wandering off and getting lost.

- Stay: The stay order is almost similar to the sit order except that you use it in situations where you are going to leave your dog alone for an exceptionally long period of time.

- Recall: Calling your dog to you is a order that establishes you as the master. The recall order is manufactured to call your dog’s attention to you and to get it to come to where you are.

- Close or loose leash walking: You need to teach your dog how to respond to a leash. One basic dog-training tool, the leash enables you to do a variety of things ranging from walking your dog to correcting your dog. A dog that isn’t used to a leash may not be able to respond favorably to your other directions.

Each of these directions is executed using different words depending on the dog trainer. Use words that your dog will easily comprehend and get used to.

Ras Reed offers you more insightful resources on Dog Training such as How To Train Dogs, as well as Personalized Dog Collar on his website.

For the house training dogs visit this blog.

Don’t Let Roundworm Effect Your Gun Dogs

Sunday, March 8th, 2009

Heartworm, or roundworm, is very serious can affect all types of hunting dogs. With gun dogs, working dogs, and other outdoor dogs, you must be especially concerned because they are more susceptible to heartworm. The worse case scenario is that an affected dog can pass it on to humans, as well as other dogs. In turn, you can also pass on heartworm to your own dog.

Prevention of heartworm is crucial, especially when you consider that once your dog is infected with this parasite it made lead to death. Of greater concern is other in animals that come in contact with your dog such as coyotes, fox’s, and others may have roundworm and may transmit that disease to your dog.

Preventing Roundworm/Heartworm

Fortunately preventing heartworm is really not complicated. How worm prevention medications come in a variety of forms including tablets and food additives. You may offer the tablets to your dog as a treat once a month or you may included mixed in with their food. You must ensure that your dog receives monthly treatments so you must keep track of when you provide each dosage of heartworm medication.

If you live in an area where you have all four seasons, you should know that the number one carrier of heartworm are mosquitoes by means of passing on infected blood to another area when they sting their target. Where there are more moderate climactic change, roundworm is usually spread from one animal to another. No matter which scenario suits you, preventative measures should be taken each and every month, regardless of weather.

Symptoms of Roundworm

Unfortunately roundworm infection is not necessarily easy to identify. It may be a few months after being infected with roundworm that your dog shows any symptoms at all. While this is the period of time that roundworm is most easily treated, it is often the time when they are noticed the least.

Symptoms will begin as a cough, a loss of energy, and weight loss. You will see your dog become weaker and less interested in normal daily activities and fun. Take your dog to a veterinarian immediately if you notice these symptoms, as they can be many sicknesses, including roundworm.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Roundworm

A blood test is required to diagnose roundworm definitively, but it is a simple test that most vets can do easily. The next step is to determine whether an early infestation is primarily female or male roundworm, which will decide early treatment.

Once diagnosed, the treatment can start right away. In the later stages of infestation, extensive and costly treatments will be necessary. Roundworm can be treated with drugs and/or dialysis in order to be completely killed. This is hard on your dog’s internal system and can lead to weight loss and listlessness, especially if the worms start showing in the stool. After treatment, follow up treatments should occur for months to make sure that your dog is completely rid of roundworm.

Damage to organs can also be a result of roundworm infection and can mean lifelong treatment for that as well. This is why it’s so important to catch the infection as early as possible and to not delay in getting treatment for it.

When you have any sort of hunting dog, you should always keep in mind that you should always keep your dog’s health as top priority. There are also lots of different hunting dog supplies that you should have on hand for your dog such as electronic dog collars or dog collars.