The Perfect Collar for Your Dog

Dogs come in many different sizes and so do their collars. The perfect collar for your dog is one that fits properly. You can buy a designer collar, preppy collar, or even a cool collar, but if it is not the right size, then it is not the perfect collar for your dog. A collar that is too small will cause your dog to be uncomfortable and one that is too big may put him in danger.

To find the perfect collar for your dog, measure his neck where the collar would sit with a soft tape measure. If you do not have one, use a piece of string and simply measure the string. Once you have measured around your dog's neck, add two inches, you now have your dog's neck size.

Check your new collar by trying it on your dog. It should be snug, but there should be room for you to slide two fingers between your dog's neck and the collar. Your dog should be comfortable wearing his collar and at no time should it be too tight or too loose.

Most dogs wear one of four sized collars;  Small, Medium, Large or X-Large. Puppies may go through a few sizes as they grow, especially large breed puppies. Your dog may gain or lose weight over time and it is up to you to see that he is wearing the perfect dog collar.

Dog Paws

Dogs grow hair between their toes and foot pads. The softer coated dogs are more likely to form mats in the foot area. This mat is a clump of hair that gets stuck together and can trap in dirt. It can be very uncomfortable for your furry friend to walk with a mat between his toes. It would be like walking with a rock in your shoe.

You want to keep the hair around the foot area trimmed and you can do this with hair scissors. Simply, trim just a bit at a time. Hold the paw out in front and trim the hair you see sticking out between the pad. You do not need to trim all the way down, nor do you need to do all four paws at one time.

If you find mats while checking your dog's paws, I would have them removed by your groomer.

Frozen Dog Treats with Two Ingredients

It was going to be a warm weekend so I made my dog, Murphy, a frozen treat with Greek yogurt and bananas.

I used two bananas and two 5.3 oz containers of Greek yogurt. After mashing the bananas I added the yogurt, mixed and dropped spoonfuls of the mixture into a silicone ice cube tray. The tray I bought makes smaller cubes than normal. It also allows you to "pop" out the yogurt cubes. They are the perfect size for a small dog or a large one.

He loved them and so did my niece, Hannah! She was over and wanted to give Mr. Murphy (that is what she calls him) a treat. Before I knew it she was asking if she could try one. It was only frozen yogurt and bananas, so I thought....Sure go ahead! She must have enjoyed it because she asked for another one.

It is a quick, low fat and inexpensive treat for all!

Walk, Wags and Wine Wednesday

Some people call it Hump Day....but we like to call it Walk and Wine Wednesday.

Meet Murphy and his girlfriend, Summer. Tonight we took the dogs for a walk and while we got our exercise, so did they. 30 minutes of walking followed up with some wagging around the yard equals a glass of wine and girl talk.

Pick one night a week to get together for a walk. It is a great way to socialize your dog and catch up with your friends. Walking is a great way for you and your dog to exercise together!

Wag along.....tomorrow is Thursday! My favorite day of the week.

Life With A New Furry Friend

Congratulations on your new puppy or adopted new friend! They sure are cute, but they require a lot of your time and are sure to keep you busy

This is Murphy when he was a puppy

I bet you find yourself asking, "How do I get my housework done without using the crate all the time?" You need to run your errands and clean the house without allowing your dog too much unsupervised freedom. Whether your new furry friend is a puppy or an adopted dog, he is still in a new environment and will require supervision to avoid accidents and mischief.

I found the best way to give my puppy attention while I was cleaning the house was to keep him close to me! How did I do that? I used a leash. He was able to explore a bit and I was able to easily keep an eye on him. The leash I have is 6 feet long and has a handle that you can slip over your wrist. You could also attach the leash to your belt if you like. I was able to get my work done, the puppy was safe and I did not feel guilty about putting him in his crate.