Tips for Brushing Your Dog

Do you brush your dog often? I do. I have a Goldendoodle that is very wavy. I like to comb him  to prevent matting. Here are a few tips for keeping your dog's coat in good shape.

* Brush your dog good before you wash him because brushing a wet dog can break and damage his coat.

* Allow his coat to air dry and then brush again.

* If you notice matting, brush your dog good before bathing. Wet, matted hair just gets tighter as it drys.

My Dog Calls Me to Play Outside?

Murphy loves to play outside and does the most bizarre thing, he will bark to get me to come outside. I did not pick up on this behavior at first, but now I know how this game works. It goes a little something like this.

I usually let him outside to do his thing and when he is ready to come in he barks one time at the front door and I let him in. This time I hear him bark so I go to let him in and he grabs his toy and runs back on the front lawn. I figured he changed his mind so I turn around and leave him outside. As soon as I get  into the kitchen I hear him bark again. So I head back to the front of the house to let him in. I see he grabs his chicken toy and heads back down the stairs. This happens yet again and finally I walk out on the porch to figure out what is going on. When I sit down he brings his chicken to me and wants to play fetch. Now I know what he was doing...he was calling me to play outside with him!

There are times where we play this game and he will just lay on the front lawn. As soon as I go back in the house he is on the porch and lets out his bark again. He just wants me to sit on the porch while he sits on the lawn? Is this possible? I would have said it is not, but after doing this a few times, I realized that he just wants someone around. After 10-15 minutes he is content and I can go back to doing what I was doing.


Has anyone experienced anything like this with their dog?

Walking Your Dog with A Harness

Do you use a harness when walking your dog? I sure do. Each and every time we go out for a walk I slip his harness on. It allows me to have more control of him should he begin to pull at the sight of a rabbit or another dog.There is no worry about him slipping out of his collar either.

 A harness is just a safer way of walking your dog. It eliminates pressure from your dogs neck and prevents trachea damage should you need to pull him away or if he begins to pull you after something he finds interesting.

If you begin to use a harness at an early age you will teach your puppy not to pull because the pressure from the harness is evenly distributed around the dog's body. She may require a treat in the beginning to get her familiar with the feeling of the harness on her body. Soon enough she will associate the harness with a fun trip to the dog park or a walk around the block.

Harnesses are now a bit of a fashion statement with so many different styles to choose from. Pick up a cute harness today and safely walk your dog in style.

Does Your Dog Have Emotions?

Murphy is happy to sit outside! 

Does your dog have emotions? I don't know about you but I think they sure do.

All I need to do is say the word "walk" and my dog suddenly becomes excited. An excited, happy dog is what I see. Tail wags and dancing at the door shows me that he knows something fun is going to happen. I can almost hear him say, "Let's go! I want to go see my friends."

If you spend a lot of time with your dog you should see a variety of emotions. When I was sick, my dog sat at my feet all day while I was on the couch. He did not bring me toys or gesture to go outside often. He knew I wasn't feeling like myself that day. If he takes something he is not suppose to have and I say, "Who took my stuff?" He puts his head down and slithers away slowly. He knows he is wrong and that is his way of saying, "It was me, I did it."

Scientists have debated this topic for years and I believe dogs are a lot like us. Some dogs are very outgoing while others are more subdued. Either way, dogs have a way of being happy. Just like humans, dogs seem to have their own personalities. Every dog owner can agree there is no better way to be happy than to live life with a dog. Live, Love and Bark with your dog today.

Does Your Dog Like to Ride in the Car with You?

Does your dog like to tag along for the ride? My dog sure does! He loves to sit in the front seat and hang out the window. I know this is not the safest way for him to travel with me but it makes him so happy. Every time you see someone with their dog in the car, the dog always has his head out the window, right? Although dogs love the ride and fresh air, it is very unsafe for him to ride in the car with his head hanging out the window.

Most of the time we are just taking a quick drive to drop something off at friends house or pick up the boys, but things can happen even on a short drive. Small particles could get into your dog's eyes, he could jump out, or if there is an accident, he could be badly injured or even killed. Things we do not often think about when we ask, "Do you want to go for a ride?".

If we are cautious and careful, we can still take our dogs for a ride in the car.  Here are a few things I do with Murphy when we hit the road. I make sure he has his collar on and I always put a leash on him. I slip the leash on my wrist in order to have control of him if I should need to. I let him do his thing (hang out the window) as we depart slowly down our street. The window will go up slowly in order to prevent his upper body from hanging out the window. If we need to hit the Thruway, all windows go up!

If we are careful with our surroundings and take precautions with our dog, we can still allow him to take a ride in the car with us and get some fresh air.

Play Tug with Your Dog Instead of Tug of War

Tug of War sounds pretty cool but it could lead to bad habits with your puppy. If she likes to play tug with her toys there is nothing wrong with a good game of tug just be sure you are not teaching her to be rough and aggressive.

My dog loves to tug with his toys and we play tug all the time. If he brings me his toy and I see that he wants to play I take the toy from him and say, "Take it." He will grab the toy while I hold onto it and the game begins! We go back and forth and travel around the living room all while having fun. I am very careful in tugging as I would not want to hurt his mouth or teeth. I tell him to "drop it" or "give" and when he does I pick it up and toss it across the room. He will bring it back and the game begins all over.

If you are playing with a puppy, you will need to teach her how to play tug as described above. You can use a treat and praise her when she drops the toy in the middle of play. Treats usually reinforce a behavior quickly. It will also let her know that she is pleasing you and you will stay in charge of the game. When you are ready to end the game, YOU want to be the one with the toy in your hand.

I like to use a toy that is soft, sturdy and can be thrown easily in the house. Our favorite dog toy for this has been Larry, the mail man. Check him out...he is pretty cool dog toy.

A Dog Safe BBQ

Will you be hosting a BBQ this weekend? You sent your invites, and you are planning the menu now. Don't forget to make this party dog friendly too.

Here are a few pointers that will help keep your dog safe now that BBQ season is here.

*Bones and corn on the cob can be deadly to dogs. If these make it into your dogs mouth there is a chance it could pass through his small intestine which could be fatal. Keep these items in a secure garbage can or in a location where your dog will not be tempted to go.

*Skewers, foil, bottle caps, plastic wrap and pits from fruit can also cause harm to your dog.

*Provide fresh cold water and a place in the shade where he can lay down.

*Ask your friends not to feed your dog the food they do not want.

*If you dog is on a run, be sure he can not reach the grill. You would not want him to get tangled and tip the grill over.

Just a few simple BBQ dog rules for a fun and safe summer on the grill.