One of the best parts of having this site is the chance to connect with other people who truly care about animals. Liz from Ottawa Dog Blog is one of those people. Liz’s site has a lot of great information on dog
Why Do You Want A Dog?
Do you want a dog?
There are a lot of wonderful reasons to want a dog to become part of your life. People want a dog for love, companionship, and even an exercise partner. But beware if you want a dog for one of the following reasons.
For your child When you buy a puppy for your kids, be well aware that the person cleaning up the dog poo, filling the water dish, letting the dog out at six in the morning will be… you. Do you think that your children will take care of the dog’s feeding, watering, and walking? If so, think again…
Borrow A Dog or Pet Sit For a Friend
If you’re serious about buying a puppy or adopting a dog, borrow or pet sit a dog.
To really get a feel for living with a dog, borrow the dog for as much time as possible: a week or two would be ideal. If you borrow a grown dog, consider how much extra work a puppy would be on top of taking care of a dog.
Deciding to borrow a dog is especially helpful for first-time dog owners, who often underestimate the work involved in choosing a dog. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of how much fun it will be to cuddle with a new puppy and take her for walks.
It’s a lot easier to forget how much work it is to walk the dog after work when you’re tired to the bone, clean up dog poo in the back yard, feed and water the dog, and clean up after accidents.
Spoil your New Puppy Rotten! Yummy Dog Treat Recipe
Buy your new puppy a home-made doggie bakery treat!
Dog bakeries are a huge business these days, and have yummy offerings like doggie biscuits and home-made ice cream.
If you can’t find a doggie bakery near you, you can always make your own, using the recipe below!
Dog Training.com: Does Online Dog Training Suck?
You bank online, date, make friends, order groceries, choose dog names, so why not learn to train your dog online?
The problem with online puppy training is that your pup is in the real world. In other words, eventually, you have to get off your arse and do the work. If you’re prepared to do some real work after all your browsing, dog training .com may be for you.
What online puppy training is any good? If you do a Google search for online dog training, or online puppy training, you’ll come up with millions of results. The trick, then, is to figure out which site is worth your time.
Best Dog Life Jackets
A good dog life jacket should have a sturdy top handle for grabbing your dog out of the water. Quick release buckles can make it much easier to get your dog in and out of the water.
Life jackets with a breatheable mesh underbelly can help keep your dog’s stomach and chest area drier. At the same time a dog life jacket with a neoprene underbelly can help keep your dog warmer in cold water.
The life jacket should fit so that the dog can go pee with the jacket on. Well designed dog life jackets have a cut out in the middle for male dogs. This will eliminate potential accidents, and save you the hassle of struggling to get the dog out of the jacket in a pee emergency.
Should you get a Puppy or an Adult Dog?
There’s no denying that puppies are absolutely adorable. They nuzzle into your neck, give warm kisses, gaze at you with soft, trusting eyes, and have sweet puppy breath. For many people, these benefits are well worth all the trouble that a puppy can cause.
When deciding to get a puppy or adult dog, it’s wise to consider that puppies are trouble in a cute little package. Puppies are definitely great at trouble . They chew shoes, soil carpets, ruin furniture, cry all night, bite toes, pull down drapes, chase the cat, bark at nothing, refuse to go outside to pee until 3:00 am, and generally disrupt everyone and everything around them.
Many people want to get a puppy because they can train and socialize it exactly the way they want. This is actually a pretty good reason to get a puppy, as long as you’re willing and able to undertake the huge responsibility of training and socializing, and aware of the uncertainties that come with getting a puppy.
Hypoallergenic Dogs
Are you considering a non-shedding dog to help alleviate allergies or asthma?
Here’s something you might not have heard before: it’s not dog hair that triggers problems in humans. So, the best dogs for allergies aren’t necessarily non-shedding dogs.
Proteins in dog skin, saliva, dander, and even dog urine are what trigger allergies and allergic reactions. Dog fur can also collect allergens like dust, mold, and pollen. All of this means there are no real hypoallergenic dogs.
Getting a non-shedding dog will do little to reduce asthmatic or allergic reactions, since all dogs have the proteins that cause problems. Unfortunately, truly hypoallergenic dogs simply do not exist, despite what some unethical breeders may say.
Thinking about getting a Purebred Dog?
Purebred dog lovers swear by the reliability of their breeds temperament and looks. Getting a purebred from a reputable, caring breeder can be a wonderful choice for you and your family.
Physical characteristics One of the key advantages of purebreds is that their basic physical characteristics, such as size, weight, color, and coat are fairly fixed. For example, Golden Retrievers are known for their long, golden coat and size. If you want a purebred Golden Retriever puppy, you can be quite certain that she won’t be 20 pounds, with a short, spotted coat.
A purebred is a great choice if you want a dog that is a specific size, or has a specific type of coat (for example, a short or non-shedding coat).
Often tested for health or genetic defects Have predictable temperaments Have predictable physical characteristics Choosing a purebred is great if you’re looking for a dog for a specific function, for example, a guard dog, a hunting dog, a dog to herd sheep, pull a sled, or even dig for truffles
Finding the Best Dog Life Vest
Do dogs really need a life vest? Most people believe that dogs are naturals in the water. This is a common misconception; some dogs hate the water and will panic if they fall in unexpectedly. Some dogs like greyhounds have almost no body fat, and so don’t float well, and get cold in the water quickly. Breeds like labs love the water, but can run into trouble as they become older or overweight. Even fit water dogs can become tired when overexerting themselves in the water, and can drown from this fatigue.
Dogs are also just as vulnerable as people in a boating accident. A dog can be injured during a boat accident, making it difficult for the dog to swim. Dogs can also jump off boats when you’re not looking, and drown while waiting for you to rescue them.
Besides, a dog life vest is ridiculously cute. Your dog will be the hit of the party in snazzy new waterwear.