Pet Tips

Why Crate Train My Dog
Why Crate Train My Dog? A few years ago, before I decided to stay home with my kids, I worked as a veterinarian technician in an animal hospital. While at that job I saw so many clients who would bring in their dog and be upset because they had eaten something in the house, other than food, and were now sick. One client brought in her chocolate lab that had gotten into her sewing box and eaten a pincushion, pins and all!!! Off to surgery the dog went and the owner was out about $1,500. Case number two was a giant poodle that, while the owner was away, got into her closet and ate a pair of panty hose. Unfortunately this dog did not make it through surgery. The pantyhose got wrapped around its intestines and the doctor was not able to save the dog. The above stories are a couple of really good reasons why you should crate train your puppy or dog, especially if you have a dog who likes to chew or eat things they should not be eating. By putting your puppy or dog in a crate you are giving them a sense of security and a place they can call their own. Dogs actually like having a den to cuddle up in. By putting the dog in a crate while you are gone it will also give you peace of mind knowing that they are in a safe place, away from harm, and not doing any damage to your belongings or themselves. Crate training will also help with potty training. Make sure you put your pet on a regular schedule for potty breaks and use the crate when you are gone or need your pet to rest. Dogs will typically not go in their home. They like to keep it clean and will hold it until you can take them outside to eliminate. Remember to always praise your pet when he eliminates in the area you want him to outside. Puppies have very small bladders so they cannot physically hold it for very long. I would suggest that you take the puppy out every two hours. As puppies get older, naturally they will gain the bladder control and be able to hold it longer. Eventually this time should increase to 8 hours or more. Another thing to consider when purchasing a crate is to make sure that you buy a crate big enough to accommodate the full growth of your pet. When your pet is a puppy and you are crate training, make sure that the crate has a divider panel. You can adjust the placement of the divider panel so that the puppy does not have full use of the crate thus creating the den feeling that will make your dog feel comfortable and cozy. In this situation the dog will not want to go in its den and will keep the area clean. If you give the puppy the full area of the crate it may be too large and the dog will make one area of the crate his potty area and the other area as his sleeping area. Adjust the divider panel so that the dog has enough area to get up and stretch but not enough room to eliminate. Crate training your puppy or dog is just a smart thing to do for you and your pet. It will give you the sense of security and peace knowing that your pet is not getting in harms way while you are away. Jenny Saylor CratesPlus.com Jenny Saylor is the owner of <a href="http://www.cratesplus.com"> CratesPlus.com </a>, specializing in quality dog crates, pet carriers, accessories, and more. .
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How Important Is Pet Dental Care?
Dental care is an important part of caring for your pet. Just like humans ? dogs have teeth that can cause problems if they are not cared for with a proper dental routine. You may have already noticed, but dogs can suffer from bad breath just like humans can. Your vet is an important part of this dental care. Ask your vet to show you how to brush your pets? teeth properly. Your vet knows how to brush their teeth properly so your beloved pet doesn?t get gum disease or any of the other conditions associated with poor oral hygiene. You are going to need to spend some time finding the right toothbrush for your dog. You can use a child?s toothbrush ? but it is recommended that you rather buy a special toothbrush for your pet. It will make brushing easier and will be worth the money. To buy a toothbrush you can visit your vet or local pet supply store. You might be surprised to see how many variations of pet toothbrushes and toothpaste?s there are. Rather ask for help if you are not sure about what kind to get. There are some rules for choosing the best brush for your dog. You need to make sure that the bristles are soft so they don?t damage the dog?s gums. You also need to make sure you choose the right sized brush (just make sure its? not too big or too small for your dogs mouth). Lastly check that the handle is big enough for you to comfortably get a grip on the toothbrush. You cannot use human toothpaste on your dog. Rather use a special high quality toothpaste with ingredients specially formulated for dogs. You need to spend some time choosing your toothpaste too. Cheaper brands might use ingredients that are harmful to your pet, and there are some common ingredients can make your pet sick. Read the labels carefully and check that the toothpaste does not contain salt, detergents or enzymes as these are dangerous for your pet. There is a huge choice at most pet supply store?s so ask for help and read the labels carefully. Brushing your dogs? teeth for the first time can be difficult; especially if they are not used to it. This can be avoided by starting when they are puppies ? but if it?s too late for that don?t worry. The key is to be gentle, speak in a soft voice and do not force the dog. He must learn that it is not a big deal. Start from the back of the mouth and work your way forward in small circular motions. If your dog really does not want to allow you to brush his teeth without a fight you can use a towel first. Try rubbing his teeth so he gets used to the sensation as well as your fingers in his mouth. Speak encouragingly and softly; you can even sing a little tune to calm him down. After a few patient weeks the dog should allow you to brush his teeth without any hassles. You should be brushing your dogs? teeth daily; but if you can?t manage that ? once every second day should be fine. It?s important that you start too see your dogs mouth as your own. By doing this you will ensure that your dogs? teeth will last well into old age; and of course his dog breath will improve. Gary Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu?s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies he occasionally has for sale at <a href="http://allmypuppiesonline.com">All My Puppies Online</a> Gary is also the author of two consumer guides, <a href="http://carpetsecrets.com">Carpet Secrets</a> and <a href="http://movingsecretsguide.com">Moving Secrets Guide</a>
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