Pet Goddess

Gates can be essential to keep your new puppy or dog  confined to an area while he is being housebroken and so you can supervise his every move in order to keep him safe. It can be used in addition to a crate, to help train him more fully and keep your house neat and clean too.

It can also be useul to keep a senior or sick pet confined, or away from other pets and people while it recuperates.

Before buying your gate, consider where you want it, the width of the area you are tying to gate and the size of your dog.

Is it a high traffic area that you will need to go through too? Or is it just to keep him confined.  There are different models from the kinds that slide back and forth or even lock into place, to the ones that are like a swing gate so you can just press down with your foot and it will open easily in either direction (really handy if you have a toddler as well!)

Desirable features in gates include a durable material, sturdy, easy to clean, safe, and easy to use.

You also need to consider if you want a permanent style (such as that bolts into the wall) or a temporary style gate what just slides back and forth. Depending on the size of the dog, a temporary one might be just too flimsy to keep him contained.

An idea choice is a good quality plastic and metal gates can be can both be safe and durable. We do not recommend wooden onesdue to the risk of chewing.

Posted September 27, 2008 Comments(0)

It seems that a day does not go by where we do not see ads for Depends, Tena and other adult incontinence products.

 But what about for dogs?

 The good news is that senior dogs do not have to cause problems in your household, when there are aids that can help them.

We had a 10 year old male bichon we found wandering in the street who was covered with urine burns on his FRONT legs, and was all yellow all over all 4 legs, that was how much he was leaking all the time. We looked on line and found a seamstress who actually made custom made belly bands for male dogs.

Fortunately, they have now become mainstream in the past 10 years, so you can buy them easily at Drs. Foster and Smith, http://www.drsfostersmith.com.

For females there a bloomers, which can also be used for when she is in season. They cover fecal incontinence as well, so all you need is a pad inside the belly bad or bloomer to absorb liquid, and your pet is good to go.

We have tried every pad-take our word for it, the Poise pads are the best product of its kind, so you get what you pay for. Is your dog is medium sized, to save money, you can get the longest length of Poise pad, and then cut them in half. They absorb many, many ounces of urine without any problem.

 
Occasionally if you don’t put it on securely, it might slip off, or the weight of the pee in the pad will make it come off, but most days my girl is clean, dry and happy.

It is also good for animals who are very houseproud but might have an accident if you are away longer than you expect, and get upset.

They are also great if you are concerned about little accidents in the car and elsewhere. They open and close easily with velcro and are easy to wash and dry.

When I go visiting, I put them on my pet before we go into our friend’s houses, and then she is an elderly but welcome guest. I even take my pet to the office with me, and she also sleeps here on a pee pad.  

They can be a good training aid, and a godsend if you have to leave them at home while you head off to work.

 So remember, Poise pads are not just for humans, they are for your senior pet as well, along with a bloomer or belly band!

Posted July 20, 2008 Comments(1)

30. Last but certainly not least:
When you are around your dog avoid emotions such as fear, anxiety, harshness or nervousness. Your dog can sense these emotions and will see you as weak. This will escalate your problem as your dog feels an even stronger need to be your leader.

Think Big and Powerful and be calm, assertive, and consistent. Remember, there is no hiding our emotions from our dogs. They can in a sense, read our minds, in reading our emotions, and they can also detect scent. This energy is the universal language of animals. Talk less, using more body language. Picture yourself, in your own mind as big, powerful and very sure of yourself.

Pull your shoulders back and stand up straight. Your dog will feel this. This is your number one resource when it comes to communicating with your dog. Your dog will be happy and secure knowing he has a strong pack leader to care for him. Then he will not have to be the alpha dog.

By incorporating all these behaviors into his regular routine, your dog will realize that you the human are alpha over him, and he is beneath you. He will respect you, and obey your commands.

Obedience exercises and classes are great and very useful, however, obedience training alone does not address pack behavior problems. Continuous reinforcement, with reward and punishment as appropriate, will. That way you will have a happy dog and a happy family and friends.

Posted July 7, 2008 Comments(0)

26. Small dogs or puppies who demand to be picked up or put down should NOT get what they want until they sit or do another acceptable quiet behavior. They should not be put down unless they are settled quietly in your arms.

27. Puppies should never be allowed to nip or chew uncontrollably, or destroy property.

28. Dogs should NEVER be left unsupervised with children or anyone who cannot maintain leadership and control over the dog. And especially not with someone scared of dogs.

29. To reinforce your position even more, you can make your dog lay down and stay there for 20 to 30 minutes a day. Tell him to lay down, then tell him to stay. If he tries to get up, correct him.

Posted July 6, 2008 Comments(0)

23. Dogs own no possessions. Everything belongs to the humans. They are all on “loan” from the human family. You should be able to handle or remove any item at all times from the dog with no problems from the dog. Even if you are taking a chicken bone out of the dog’s mouth (which of course should NEVER be given, but you would be amazed at how many they can find on the street!)
Some breeds, like cocker spaniels, are VERY fond of toys, so take them away often, rotating them in and out of a drawer or toy chest so they don’t get too greedy and aggressive.

24. Dogs should NOT be allowed to pull on the leash. When they do this they are leading the way and it is the humans that need to lead the way and show they’re higher up in the pack order. (In the wild, the leader of the pack always leads the way; the leader leads the hunt.) They must be trained to walk to heel. A choke chain will help curb the tendency to pull in a very willful dog.

25. When on a walk, the dog must walk beside you, or behind you, never in front of you, as the leader always leads the way. A dog must not be allowed to sniff or eliminate anywhere he wishes. One marking against a tree is enough for male dogs. The dog should be taken out daily for a walk.

Posted July 5, 2008 Comments(0)

PLAYTIME RULES
18. Games of fetch or play with toys must be started and ended by the Human. Reward them if they bring it back. Make their error clear if they do not.

19. Very dominant dogs who have a problem with growling should not be allowed to lie on your furniture, as the leader of the pack always gets the most comfortable spot.

20. Dogs belong on the floor. If you do decide to allow your dog on the furniture, you must be the one who decides when he is allowed up and you must be the one who decides when he is to get off, by inviting him and telling him to get down.

21. No tug-of-war, as this is a game of power and you may lose the game giving the dog a reinforcement (in the dog’s mind) of top dog. It also encourages aggression, and so should be avoided.

22. Dogs need to be taught a “Drop it” or release command. Any objects the dog has in his possession should be able to be taken away by all humans.

Posted July 4, 2008 Comments(0)

More Around the house rules for you and your dog

14. Always use a crate for your dog.  It is not a prison, it is their home and den where they can feel secure, and go to rest and relax and get away from the children. It can also be used for time outs if the dog is a bit uncontrollable or has been bad.

15.  Dogs must NOT sleep in your bed. The comfortable bed is reserved for the higher humans. It is your territory, in the same way that the crate is his.

16.   Dogs must never be allowed to mouth or bite anyone at any time, including in play.  Do not permit a nippy dog, even if it is teething. Give it appropriate toys to play with. Homeopathic baby tooth gel can help with a teething dog, especially for large breeds, or terriers.

17.  Any attention given to the dog, including petting should be given when the human decides attention is to be given (absolutely NO Petting when the dog nudges or paws you or your hand or leg, or tried to ‘hold hands’ by putting your hand in his mouth. . This would be letting the dog decide and reinforcing, in his mind, that he is higher on the scale than the human. DO give them structured time and play on a routine basis every day so he knows what to expect.

Posted July 2, 2008 Comments(0)

More Around the house rules for you and your dog

10.   You are the one who greets newcomers first, the dog is the last who gets attention (the pack leader is the one who greets newcomers and lets the rest know when it is safe to greet the newcomer)

11. If a dog is laying in your path, do not walk around the dog, step over the dog.

12.  During the time you are establishing your higher pack position, no hugs should be given to the dog by you, as a dominant dog may consider this a challenge of power.

13. If you establish eye contact with the dog, the dog must avert his gaze first. If the human averts first, this reinforces the dogs higher power position. Tell the children NOT to have staring contest with the dog. If they avert or blink first, it will only reinforce, in the dogs mind, that He is Top Dog, and he could get aggressive with them.

Posted July 1, 2008 Comments(0)

More around the house rules

8.     A simple obedience command such as “Sit” should be given before any pleasurable interaction with the dog. (i.e. play session, petting, feeding or a walk etc…)
The children should give the dogs commands at least once a day and reward with a treat when the command is followed.
A simple “Sit” will do. No treat should be awarded if the dog does not follow the command.  Show your dog he does not get anything for free.
His food, water, treats, even praise/love have to be earned by doing something. Even something as little as sit, come, or making him wait for the treat while you hold it in front of him should be expected, then praised and rewarded. Make sure the dog takes the treat from your hands gently. Do not tolerate a mouthy or nippy dog.

9.     You should not lay on the floor to watch TV when the dog is around, and no one should ever roll around the floor playing with the dogs. A human should never put himself in an equal or lesser height position than the dog. And showing your belly would be considered being subissive to your dog.

Posted June 30, 2008 Comments(0)

Around the house rules

5.    Humans must not let the dog go through any doorways first, or up or down the stairs first. Dogs must always go through the doorways or up and down stairs AFTER the humans, as the leader of the pack always goes first.

If the dog does not stay behind the humans, the dog must be told to “stay” and given the command to “come” after all humans have passed through. (You should know the basic list of important commands all dogs should know, such as sit, stay, come and so on. These commands are vital in the communication between you and your dog and should always be taught.)

6. When you have left the house or the room, even for a minute and come back in the room, ignore the dog for a few minutes.

7.NEVER make a huge fuss over the dog when you first come in, or give in to attention grabbing behavior. Go about your routine of getting settled in the house first, then give quality time and attention to the dog when you are both more relaxed.

Posted June 29, 2008 Comments(0)