Bark Collars - Teach Your Big Dog to Stop Barking

Posted on September 3rd, 2010 in Dogs by admin

Big dogs tend to have a big bark. When your dog tends to start barking, and gets difficult to slow down and stop, that’s a problem. If you own several big dogs, then that just multiplies the problem - and amplifies the racket you have to put up with. It’s time you sent a clear message to your dog - such barking will not be tolerated. In the market are various bark collars for large dogs, like yours, and dogs that are particularly stubborn to training. Shock or static collars are one of the most effective ways to curb this excessive barking.

Not every dog will respond to behaviour training in the same way - just ask many dog trainers. Some large dogs belong to this category, since some of them can bark despite the stimulus provided by the static collar they wear. For this reason, most static collars come with intensity settings you can adjust. Over time, you want to be able to settle on a setting that interrupts your dog enough to stop his barking. You should be ready to reward your dog, with treats or play time, when the cause for his barking comes to his attention - a stray cat, a loud truck, etc. - and he stays quiet. Your dog is to learn one of your rules in and out of the house - no excessive barking.

You also want to make sure the collar itself fits comfortably around your big dog’s neck. The easier your dog gets accustomed to the collar, the easier its training can go along; and this set up benefits both master and pet. You will want to ask about collars for big dogs, and about shock collars, in particular, when you visit a pet shop near where you live.

Try to conduct your own research into how the dog’s collar is activated. When choosing among bark collars, go for a model with a mechanism that will release a static correction only after your dog actually barked, and not due to some loud sound in the environment. That way when dog barks, only your dog will set off the static shock. You want a unit that can ignore loud sounds near the dog, and activates only when the dog wearing it barks. This is important, since you want your dog to associate the shock with his barking. As a final note, it’s advisable to choose collar that’s waterproof, since you don’t want some rain, puddle, or accident getting the mechanism of the collar wet and therefore ruined.

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Choosing the Right Dog Halloween Costume For Your Dog

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 in Dogs by admin

As Halloween approaches, you may wonder what to get your pooch attired in for the big event. With the selections available, you are sure to find exactly what you want.

Taking your own efforts into consideration, you will want one that is simple to put on your dog. Velcro closures do simplify the process, but some have too long a belly seam for male dogs. For this reason, tabs may be a better choice for your male dog.

It makes no difference whether your dog weighs two pounds or two hundred, the only thing that matters is whether your dog likes to get dressed up. There are some dogs that just do not like to get dressed up. Others think it is just the thing to play dress up for the holiday.

If you have ever been to a doggie Halloween costume party you have probably seen costumes of many varieties. The traditional to the most unlikely, you will see them all at these events. Every dachshund owner has the thought of dressing their pup as a hot dog. It is cute, but common. Perhaps for something different you may decide to dress them up as hamburgers. Hamburger costumes are available and it will show how creative you are.

Maybe that 160 pound mastiff can go as a fairy princess. Now that would be a show stopper for sure. It all depends on the personality of your dog. If it is one that objects to having a collar placed around the neck, it probably won’t want to be dressed in anything other than the collar when you go to a party.

Dogs do have feelings. Some like the revelry associated with dress-up parties and some do not. It depends on their tolerance. If they will let you put a hat or a pair of sunglasses on them, you may have reached the limit. Others will allow the dress, but don’t want you to touch the head. You know your dog best and should judge the outfit you select on what will allow the dog to be comfortable.

Small dogs are cute no matter what they are dressed as. A dog that is easy to dress will probably strut their stuff when they arrive at the party. Boots and shoes may not go well on your dog. If you have ever seen the awkward gait that a dog with boots has, you will understand. It appears they are trying to step out of a mud puddle with every step. Perhaps you should to stop at the costume level.

If you are planning on hosting a Halloween party for your dogs friends, you may want to put a theme to it. Choosing fairy tales is always a winner. The girls can come as Cinderella or Alice in Wonderland. The boys can come as Prince Charming or the mad hatter. Most of the other fairy tales have costumes available as well. From Little Red Riding Hood to Batman, someone has already thought of it.

A quick search on the internet will show all of the fairy tale or other costumes that are available today. Watch your prices and your shipping costs. There are times when you can buy the costume at a local pet store and possibly pay a little more, but come out ahead, due to the shipping. If you have a particular costume that you must have though, it may not be available at the local pet store.

Looking for a dog costumes for your pooch this year. Check out our online dog boutique for all your dog gift giving needs.

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Four Easy Steps to Stop Dogs Barking

Posted on September 1st, 2010 in Dogs by admin

When you own many dogs who bark excessively, that’s a big problem. Anything could set them off - a truck’s loud engine, your neighbour’s cat, etc. The resulting group barking remains a problem your neighbour might complain about. The situation is a migraine if you love silence in the house. Here are four steps to stop dogs from barking.

1. Spend time to observe your dogs. That way you get to see exactly what triggers their barking. Based on what you observe, you can decide on your next step. This includes whether you can shield your dog from the stimulus or remove the stimulus itself.

3. Shop for a bark collar for your dogs There’s an outdoor dog trainer device you can install outside your house, but the problem is you can’t take it with you when you walk the dogs. Once installed, it’s not designed to be removed easily. The alternative is to use a no bark collar on each of your dogs.

3. The right size and type matters You might own several dogs and they might not all be on the same size range, so it pays to be meticulous and note down their sizes. Choose from a range of sizes for small, medium, or large dogs. The three kinds of collars, depend on the mechanism used to deter barking - spray, static, and ultrasonic. Depending on the type a collar can let out a sound, a vibration, a low shock, or a scent.

4. Spend more time, to train your many dogs Don’t leave your dogs unwatch when they wear their new collars, as there’s no telling how they’d react. They will get used to it more when you praise them for being quiet. Keep watch over changes in their behaviour, in case you have to adjust the intensity settings on the collar.

You may want to talk to veterinarians and dog supply staff to check if you understand correctly how to use the collars you bought. It pays to read the instructions carefully, in case you might not be doing something right. Follow these four steps to effectively stop dogs from barking.

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No Need to Erect Physical Fences, with an Electronic Dog Fence

Posted on August 30th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

Some dogs tour the neighbourhood, leaving their owners sick with worry. Some dogs dog come back at the end of the day, but they do so with wounds. Some of them don’t come back at all. One effective way of keeping your dog at home, while giving him room to roam, is to install a dog fence. Some pet owners are sceptical about this kind of pet containment system, so here’s more info on the matter to help you decide.

The fence is not visible to the naked eye

An dog fence essentially aims to prevent your dog from leaving the designated area. It may be possible to keep your dog from leaving your house, if you lock him in, the same effect a physical, prison-like, fence is said to achieve. You would have to have the fences themselves installed in the surrounding area. Electrically charged fences, while it might work for large properties in wooded and in farm areas, are a tad impractical in urban areas.

The solution is to have an electronic fence installed. These can work in a number of ways. The most popular is for wires to be buried in the boundaries of the area where you don’t want your dog to leave. The dog wears a collar with a device that emits a distinct warning sound every time the dog approached the boundaries. Should the dog continue to leave the area, it gets a static correction. Over time, and with some proper training, your dog will remain in the area - even though there’s nothing visually keeping him inside.

Other systems of containing your dog work along the same lines. One set up involves the use of radio signals broadcast from a central source. When the dog leaves a specified radius, the collar it wears sends out a warning, and later on a shock. Another way is to rely for marking the area and tracking the dog on the Global Positioning System. Both methods avoid having to bury wires around a designated area.

The aesthetic benefits of the electronic dog fence

If you’re renting, it might be a problem should you decide to dig up the surrounding boundaries and set up a physical fence. The same problem holds for areas where such digging up and installation are prohibited by ordinances. Electronic dog fences work around those conditions. You don’t have to ruin the landscape of your home with such a fence, and neither will your dog look like it’s hemmed in. Physical fences can have that walled in effect, and with an electronic fence, your dog can still roam free, to some extent.

With an dog fence, you can be sure your dog won’t wander off, get lost, or hurt himself outside.

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Cheap National Movers: The Preferred Approach for Relocating with House Animals

Posted on August 30th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

One of the greatest problems that the human culture in the united states has today is folks turning in their animal friends when they have to move. Relocating is a sophisticated endeavor that requires several time and energy, but it is achievable to have your animal friends with you whenever you move. A great number of folks do not believe they can, or they may feel as if it is a lot of work to take care of, but there are actually details that you can do to make the process simpler. The best way to do this is to employ cheap national movers to assist. Your pet is a part of your family unit, and you owe it to them to try. Maintaining the family unit together is critical, especially when there is as much modification occurring as relocating gives. As an alternative to contemplating letting go of your pet, think of what you can do to keep him with the family unit he has come to like.

Relocating with animal friends will require a little bit of time and setting up, but in the end it’s worth the headache. You’ll find various methods to approach this kind of a transition, including locating a good corporation to move your stuff for you. A pile of cheap movers exist round the nation and each one of them delivers something different. It is a wise idea to do some searching prior to deciding to select which to utilize. Should you have precious time, you may want to consider a mover that just deals with the packing, hauling, and unloading. If you are brief on time, but do not mind paying a bit more money in the end, then you may want to look at a full service transfer. In any event, having assistance with the process provides you with additional time to take care of the focus and transport of your pet.

You’ll find special movers you can get that actually work with an assortment of animal friends, and they is definitely a great option for anyone who is looking for a method to move your pet and never having to set up the process on your own. Make sure that you look at the veterinarian before relocating day, however, to make certain that your pet is not sick and they are current on all their vaccinations. This really is critical for several motives. First, the pet movers is not going to move an pet that is not current on vaccinations and second, the location where you are relocating to probably has laws regarding animal friends and their vaccinations. Keep this proof on hand for when you need it. Make sure that you don’t pack it.

Relocating with a pet may be a tough prospect, but it is achievable. You can effortlessly keep your family unit together rather than giving up your pet when you move. While the process will require a bit of time and energy, it will be well worth it when you arrive at your new residence along with your whole family unit, including any animal friends that may be an integral part of it.

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Safety Worries When Buying a Pet Dog Door

Posted on August 29th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

When you install a pet dog door in your house, that set up becomes convenient for your dog, but it can affect your home’s security. Dog doors of the traditional variety, often just a frame under a door or on a wall, are often just plastic flaps. Even when they’re made of some sterner material, there are still security worries. Here are three factors to take into consideration when buying a pet dog door.

How big the door is. Since you want only your dog to come in and out, then the door should fit only your pet. If you have large dogs, then most likely a small person can squeeze in. Whoever can fit in that dog door could be anyone - your child, someone else’s, or a short thief. The last incident you want is for a child to be stuck in your dog door. You will also have to worry about other animals coming in and out of your home - via that dog door. So it pays to determine the right height for your doggie door.

Where to place it. Although it seems to be convenient to place your dog door on your front door, that practically announces to the world there’s a smaller, less secure entrance to your house. Many dog owners choose to install their pet doors on their backdoor, which usually leads to a secure backyard. Or at least on another door not in direct view of people passing by your house. You don’t want to give thieves ideas.

The kind you need. Some traditional flap doors comes with flaps made or sterner materials than plastic. Remember, too, that there are several lock settings you can choose from. The door can be set to swing open, outwards, or inwards; or just one direction, and then gets locked. This one side setting has advantages and disadvantages. This lock setting can either lock your pet indoors, or keep him outside; do you really want to risk an accident and leave your dog outside overnight? An automatic pet dog door is a solution - but costs hundreds of dollar. Your dog wears a special collar that the door can detect - so it opens only when your dog, and no other animal, is near.
A doggie door, remember, gives your pet some freedom to roam your home, and frees you from having to let the dog in and out whenever it pleases

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Dog Separation Anxiety Training - Help With Curing Dog Separation Anxiety

Posted on August 28th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

Many of us know the heartbreaking sound of our dogs barking and howling when we leave them home alone. Some of them destroy your valuables or get into things that are life threatening. My own dogs have gotten into prescription medications and ended up at the emergency vet costing more money and worry. I would like to share with you the dog separation anxiety cure that worked for me and my dogs.

The first thing you can do is to not make a big deal about coming and going. Be sure to practice leaving and returning. Make sure you exit and enter for varying periods of time, going through the same motions you would go through for a five minute outing as you would if you were going away for the entire day. This way your dogs will never know if you are gone for a two minutes or ten hours. This is the most important aspect of the dog separation anxiety cure.

When you return be sure to take no notice of the dog, showing them that it is not big deal that you were gone. Once they have calmed down you can give them a brief pat. Do not reward excitement.

The next most important thing you can do to cure separation anxiety in dogs is distract them when you are away. The thing that works best for me is a Kong stuffed with things your dog likes, their dinner, peanut butter, blueberries, or whatever treats your dog likes best. I like to use a mix of wet and dry ingredients and freeze the kong so that it takes them a long time to eat what is inside. This way they will be tired once they get to the end and might even fall asleep while you are away.

In order to cure separation anxiety in dogs do not leave the dog with access to look out the window. This may cause additional stress to the dog if he/she sees other dogs or people walking by and they feel they need to guard the house. Also leave a television on. Studies have shown that classical music is the most soothing to dogs with separation anxiety.

A couple other important aspects of the dog separation anxiety cure More tips from the separation anxiety cure: purchase Rescue Remedy and put a few drops on their tongue about an hour before you leave. You can also get a plug-in of Dog Appeasing Pharamone (DAP) or a spray that you can spray on their bed or on a bandanna around their neck to help them stay calm while you are not home.

Make sure to give your dog enough physical and mental stimulation every day. Dogs who do not get out of their house and yard are not having their needs met and may have built up energy that comes out as anxiety. A minimum twenty-minute walk just about every day is a great way to help them meet their need to roam with their pack. If you have an extremely anxious dog you may need to bike or jog to help cure separation anxiety in dogs

Equally as important is to integrate dog training into your daily routine. Dogs need to be challenged mentally as well as physically. Take an rally-o course so that you can build a deeper connection with your anxious dog. Training with your dog can be just as tiring (if not more) than biking and is a great way to build your connection!

Visit my site for more tips on dog separation anxiety cure.

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Not Every Doggie Door is Mounted on Doors

Posted on August 27th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

When you’re looking into buying a doggie door, then you want some peace of mind at home - dogs can be demanding. By far the most common or popular kind of doggie door is the door-mounted variety. When buying, consider the materials used for the flaps, whether some weather sealing is available, extensions for the tunnel, sizes (as some are designed for only small dogs), how easy the installation is, and whether you want an always open or automatic door. Should you want to keep your pets inside, in case of a storm, for example, dog doors have lock settings.

There are videos online detailing how easy it is to install a pet door on your door, what’s not common are some concerns of home owners who don’t want their doors touched, after all the time they spent choosing it. Sometimes, it’s a shame to saw through a beautiful door. Installing a patio dog door facing the wind might be a bad idea, in case you live in areas where there are particularly strong winds. It might even be a source of heat loss inside your home. That’s the reason there are variants, such as the wall-mounted dog door.

When planning to install your pet door on the bottom part of a wall, choose an area where there are few items to knock over or bump against - lamps, cabinets, etc. This is important so that the dog doesn’t injure itself.

With a properly mounted doggie door, owners no longer have to get up from what they’re doing to attend to their dogs who want to get out of the house. The dog will be able to do this on its own - get in and out as it pleases - and you won’t be resenting the dog for interrupting you.

Many dog owners agree that having doggie doors make for a healthier dog. If you’re a busy parent or professional, you might not always have time to play with your dog. Any pet would love some measure of freedom, to roam around as it likes. Also, being kept inside the house for too long can actually create some problems. Dog that have not undergone some socializing with other dogs may get excited should they see other dogs - this can result if scratched furniture, and knocked over house items.

Sometimes you may need to spend some time away from your house - a vacation, a visit to another country, a sabbatical - and whoever will babysit your dog might not understand the nuances in its behaviour the way you can. You don’t want your dog getting stressed out. Spare yourself all these worries by getting a dog door.

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Anti Bark Dog Collar - Teach Your Dog That Silence is a Virtue

Posted on August 25th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

When his work hours end, Mark is eager to come to Gabriel, his Labrador. Even before Mark unlocks his front door, Gabriel is already eager to see his master. Mark plays with his dog, even before he takes off his shoes.
It wasn’t always this good. There was a time when Mark’s neighbors phoned him at work, everyday, about Gabriel’s incessant barking. The barking got so bad Mark didn’t know how to calm down Gabriel.
It took some online surfing, but a solution - an anti bark dog collar - was found to be effective.

Controlling your dog’s barking

A responsible dog owner takes time - if only to avoid the nagging complaints from his neighbour- to teach his dog that barking is a behavior not to be tolerated. No one wants to be forced to take some time off from work just to find out what’s making your dog bark loud enough to disturb neighbours.
It can get worse - you could be driving, with your dog in your car, when all that barking happens. The noise is one thing, the added behaviour of tearing up furniture is another.

Mark discovered that dogs being walked at early dawn and mid-afternoon caused Gabriel’s barking.
Since Mark couldn’t always be at home to hush his dog, some dog training tools were needed. Mark decided to look into dog conditioning tools.

It won’t take you hours to shop for one

All Mark had to do was decide on a collar that fit Gabriel’s size, and to choose the deterrent mechanism on the collar. A harmless electric shock - the static collar type.
A chemical released near the dog’s nose - the spray type.
A sound emitted that only the dog could hear - the ultrasonic type.
Each of these posed no harm to the dog, but Mark settled on a spray type. He had learned through is online search that the spray was the probably the humane treatment.
After a few days of wearing the anti bark dog collar, Gabriel calmed down.

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Electronic Dog Fence - Does Your Dog Keep Gallivanting in Your Neighbourhood?

Posted on August 25th, 2010 in Dogs by admin

A traditional way to “fence” in dogs and other animals is through the use of physically erected fences. When erected high enough, they are said to prevent animals from getting in and out. They may be electrified or not. For owners who tend to worry about where their dogs run off to, such a pet fencing system is available. Some studies show, however, that a pet boundary control system, without the use of erected fences, tend to be more cost effective over time. Further, they’re more preferred in areas where ordinances prohibit installing physical fences.

A fence without a fence? How does that work?

It’s simple, the goal is for your dog to keep inside your area. An electronic dog fence is essentially an area bound by buried wires instead of erected fences. The boundaries are marked by small flags outside of which the dog is not to venture. When the dog approaches the boundaries, his collar gives off a warning sound. The collar sends out a mild shock every time he leaves the boundaries. Given some conditioning, the dog learns to stay inside the designated area, heeding the warning sound and the static shock he will receive.

Despite the absence of an actual, physical fence, the dog acts as though there was one - a clear benefit dog owners appreciate. This virtual fence does not affect humans, or any other animal not wearing the collar. Some dog owners prefer this electronic dog fence to actual fences for the sense of space reclaimed.

Other ways of keeping your pet inside a marked perimeter

There are alternative ways to this pet containment system’s set up. Marking the boundaries of the area, in an alternate set up, makes use of radio signals broadcast from a central device. There is a marked radius and when the dog is detected as nearing the edge of that range, the warning sounds go off, followed by the static correction should the dog continue to leave the perimeter. Another set up uses the Global Positioning System to mark boundaries and track the dog’s movement. The principle behind these two approaches are the same as that of the buried wire set up - should the dog get near the boundary, the collar sends off a warning, prior to the static correction the dog will receive should it continue to leave the perimeter.

The corrective shock to the dog can be calibrated to increase in intensity and frequency, depending on the setting the dog owner chooses. It must be emphasized that the dog takes some time getting used to interpreting the warning signal, hence the dog must be trained to and rewarded when he decides to remain inside the electronic dog fence.

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