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5 Tips For Driving With Your Dog

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Dogs are on the go with us these days.  Wherever we go, our dogs go with us, too.  Whether we’re traveling across the country or just going to the vet, dogs spend a lot of time in our vehicles.  Here are some tips for safe driving with your dog.

1.  Use a crate or harness for your dog when he’s traveling with you.  Whether you have a large dog or a small dog, it’s much safer for your dog to be in a crate or safely harnessed in your car.  Just as you are safer wearing a seatbelt when you ride in your car, your dog is safer when he is protected by a crate or harness. If you have an accident a dog in a crate will not be thrown through the window.  If the crate is thrown around the vehicle your dog will have more protection.  If the crate is thrown from the car, your dog won’t be loose on the road.  Pet harnesses also provide some degree of protection in case of an accident.

2.  Don’t let a small dog ride in your lap.  If your dog slides down he can interfere with your use of the gas pedal and brakes.  A dog in your lap can interfere with you when you’re steering. Driving with a dog in your lap is very dangerous.

3.  When you travel with your dog in your vehicle make sure that he is wearing a collar with up to date contact identification.  Your contact information should also include your vet’s address or someone who can take care of your dog in case of an accident.  If you are in an accident you want people to be able to identify your dog immediately.

If you are taken to the hospital your dog would be separated from you.  Anyone responding to the scene would need to be able to contact your dog’s ID information and speak to someone who could take care of your dog while you are being treated.  Most veterinarians can take care of a dog for a few days while an owner is laid up.  If you’re in the hospital longer than that other arrangements can be made, such as having a friend take your dog.  So, make sure that your dog’s ID and contact information is up to date.

4.  When you’re driving with your dog you should take along a water bowl and some water from home or bottled water.  You never know when your dog may get thirsty when you’re out together.  It’s good to have a water bowl for your dog that stays in the car at all times so it’s always there when you travel.

If you are going to be gone for more than just a few hours you should plan accordingly.  Take your dog’s food, feed dish, bedding, favorite toys and other indispensable items for overnight trips.

5.  Keep a copy of your dog’s vaccination records in your glove box.  Your dog should be wearing his rabies tag and other local tags on his collar when you travel.  It’s always possible that law enforcement or some other organization could ask to see proof that your dog is up-to-date on his shots.  Most states require that your dog be current on his vaccinations when entering their state.  This information is rarely asked for, but it can be requested if you are stopped by the police, for instance.

If you keep these tips in mind then driving with your dog you can have many safe and happy driving experiences on the road together.

5 Tips For Driving With Your Dog courtesy Dog Articles.

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How To Do Doggy Pedicures

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Are you comfortable with bathing and grooming your dog, but are concerned about nail trimming? Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as hard as it seems to get your dog’s nails down to a good length.

The first thing to ease your worries and give you a good idea of how to trim your pet’s nails would be to watch someone who is experienced in pet nail trimming. A friend, a groomer or your vet won’t have a problem letting you watch and maybe even giving you some beginner tips.

Some dogs may never need their nails clipped. Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors wearing them down should have them relatively short already, or your animal’s nails may just flake away at the ends without you even knowing. Some breeds, however, do need their nails kept short- a couple examples would be Dachshunds or Basset Hounds.

Remember, accidents happen and there may be a time you will cut a nail too short. If this happens, it may begin to bleed so be prepared, but don’t be startled if it happens.

The first step to trimming your dog’s nails would be to purchase a good nail trimmer. You can ask your vet or someone in your local pet supply store which they recommend. The trimmers that have two pieces you squeeze together in your hand and a small blade that cuts the nail are the type that you want to get.

Start from underneath, not from the top downward. Slide the opening of the trimmer over the nail, but be sure to remain on the whitish area of the dog’s toenail. The pink area of the nail has blood vessels running through it and if you cut it that far, the nail will bleed.

Some dogs have very dark toenails where you won’t be able to see where the live part begins or where the white part ends. In this case, trim a little from the bottom of the nail at the time, checking the end of it as you go. The dead part will be white and as you get close to the live part of the nail, it will get dark.

When you are ready to trim, make a quick, easy squeeze on the handle of the trimmer. The end of the nail will fall of itself, you don’t have to pull it off. If you like, you can file down the ends of the nail, but taking your dog for a walk on the sidewalk or street will file them just as easily.

If you do cut the nail too short and it starts to bleed, hold a piece of tissue against it with some pressure for a few minutes. Another good idea is to keep some cornstarch or flour handy when you trim your dog’s nails and to put some of this against the bleeding nail. If your dog’s nail continues to bleed longer than a few minutes or if it looks like he is losing a lot of blood, call your vet.

Nail trimming really is not as scary as it seems. You can do a little bit at a time or all at once every week, but just remember that you are not harming the dog and that it needs to be done.

How To Do Doggy Pedicures courtesy of Dog Articles.

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Guide To Service And Assistance Dogs

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Dogs are often said to be man’s best friend, and they certainly are, but there are some dogs out there who go above and beyond the call of that loving bond. From police service to personal guides to herding sheep or cattle, service dogs offer a lot to their trainers and masters.

In addition to working for us, there are some particularly trained dogs out there who work with us. Assistance dogs are there to aid those who have some sort of limitation and may not be able to get around without the help of a well trained four-legged friend. Those who are disabled and having an assistance dog will be more than willing to tell you how essential their animal is to their everyday life.

A short list of the different ways assistance dogs can aid the disabled is as follows:

Guide or ‘Seeing Eye’ Dogs:

If you were to ask someone about assistance dogs, this would be the first one that comes to mind. These dogs are specially trained to help those who are visually impaired  function more easily and safely in the everyday world. These dogs help their masters find their way around, get up stairs and cross streets. An indispensable tool to those who need them, they keep their masters safe in situations that could otherwise be dangerous.

Hearing Dogs:

Hearing dogs aid those who are hearing impaired. They are trained to get their owner’s attention when they hear specific noises. When someone comes to the door, calls on the phone, or when they hear a horn (among other sounds), they alert their masters to the sound.

Mobility Assistance Dogs:

For those of us who have a hard time getting around, these animals are trained to pull their wheelchairs, carry small equipment and items in their special doggy service backpacks and other such tasks.

Seizure Response/Alert Dogs:

These dogs are with their master all of the time and constantly on the look out for trouble. In case of cardiac arrest or seizure, they are trained to hit a certain button connected to a special phone line that directly dials 911. The 911 operators recognize that the incoming call is coming from a service dog line and will notify paramedics that there may be an emergency with the registered owner of the service dog.

Psychiatric Service Dogs:
For those with severe mental illness or phobias, these dogs are continually by their side and offer emotional comfort and security to their owners. Service dog owners with autism are helped to stay focused by their psychiatric service dog. This working dog provides a stable and constant relationship for their owners to seek comfort in.

Combination Service Dogs:

For some owners with multiple limitations or disabilities, their service dogs are trained to perform multiple assistance jobs. Their impressive ability to learn to aid their owners with more than one limitation is only surpassed by their consistency in doing their jobs. These dogs become a big necessity to their master’s lives and are widely recognized as very intelligent and very hard working.

The tasks these service animals learn are vital to their owners’ lives, but just as important is the constant companionship and comfort they offer to their masters. They function as helpers, but they are also incredible friends.

Guide To Service And Assistance Dogs courtesy of Dog Articles.

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Going To A Backyard Breeder

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In some cases, the owner of an AKC-registered female dog will breed her to a friend’s unproven registered dog of the same breed.  Are puppies of such matings likely to be satisfactory canine pets for you? The answer depends on the quality of each of the parents, not the cuteness of the puppies.

If both dogs are fair representatives of their breed, have few hereditary problems, and demonstrate acceptable personalities, their offspring may suit your needs.  However, if both parents are quite young when bred, and nothing is known about their ancestors’ qualities, especially conformation and disposition, their litter may not be the one you are looking for! Genetic diseases may be first exhibited after several years of age, and these conditions may be prevalent in both the male and the female bloodlines.

These facts should make you wary of obtaining a backyard-bred puppy.  Judicious advice admonishes you to buy soundness in a big dog, not cuteness.  Look for the best pup, not the most available one.

Mixed breed and crossbred big dogs

Sometimes, a big dog may be inadvertently bred to a neighborhood fence jumper or a female dog of one large purebred may be purposefully mated with a purebred of another large breed to produce crossbred puppies.  What can we predict in such pups?  Again, only the puppies in question and the people involved can answer these questions.

Something can be said for the hybrid vigor of mixed-breed pups.  Sufficient research has not been done to prove that the offspring of such matings are truly stronger or more vigorous than the progeny of purebreds.  Commonsense genetics tells us mixed-breed puppies should have fewer hereditary problems, but the wider gene pool behind them does not assure that these pups will be free of all such problems.

Crossbred offspring conformation is relatively unpredictable on the first mating.  If a large purebred female is bred to a large purebred male of another breed, anything is possible, and few assumptions can be made about the variety of appearances or sizes of the puppies until the litter is several weeks or months old.  Previous matings of the same two dogs may predict the size of these crossbred puppies.

Often, personalities of mixed-breed and crossbred pups are quite attractive, but are probably less predictable than those of purebreds.  Even though individual dispositions may vary, purebred puppies’ characters are likely to be similar to those of their ancestors.

However, if you are not concerned about the actual size or appearance of your big canine partner, and if you find a mixed or crossbred litter, go for it! If the dam is a big dog and the sire is of equal or greater size, the litter has an excellent chance of containing at least a fair percentage of big puppies.

Going To A Backyard Breeder courtesy of Dog Articles.

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