collars

With help from last week’s DogTails post, you’ve now decided what breed is a good fit for you and your family, and perhaps you have even the found the perfect puppy already! Congrats! Bringing a puppy home requires a lot more work than just picking it up and putting it in the car, however. DogWatch Hidden Fences encourages all new puppy owners to make sure they are properly prepared to welcome their furry new addition. Here are our tips (and checklists) on how to do just that.

First things first: puppy-proofing your house. A new puppy is akin to a crawling baby or toddler; it can and will get into anything and everything, and has a compulsive tendency to put things in its mouth. Here are our suggestions to protect both your puppy and your property:

Puppy-Proofing Checklist
Inside:

____ Put away floor plants, decorations, shoes, and clothing. Puppies won’t know that plants aren’t food or that those decorations are choking hazards, and they certainly won’t be able to tell the difference between your beat-up old Keds and your brand-new Louboutins. And as they’re learning potty-training, they may also have difficulty telling the difference between their wee-wee pads and your cashmere cardigan. Best to remove anything that could be hazardous if ingested, or that you don’t want potentially turned into a chew toy or bathroom spot.

____ Secure or remove tablecloths and other hanging fabrics. These are an irresistible temptation for puppies, especially if they’ve begun to learn to play tug-of-war with you using a rope toy. It may look like fun to them, but one tug and everything on top of that cloth could come crashing down on top of them.

____ Put away breakable and small objects on low-lying tables, ottomans, fireplaces, or other surfaces. Anything the puppy could break and/or eat should be removed from its reach. Also, enthusiastic tail-wagging has been known on many occasions to shatter a vase or glass or picture frame, so pay close attention to objects at tail-height.

____ Lock up cabinets and secure hazardous materials. Make sure your puppy doesn’t have access to chemicals, medications, alcohol, detergents, household cleaners, and any other substances that could be hazardous to it. One good way to do this is to invest in the cabinet-locking mechanisms used in baby-proofing. They can be found at your local superstore for a reasonable price and are generally easy to install yourself.

____ Secure phone wires and electrical cords. Puppies love to chew and tug on things, and they won’t know the difference between these cords and the rope you use to play with them. To avoid accidentally disconnected phone or electric service and your puppy potentially being shocked by chewing through the cord, we recommend tucking these cords as far out of reach as possible and covering them in plastic sheathing or PVC tubing, which you can find at your local pet store or hardware store.

____ If there are children in your household, make sure they put away their toys and any small parts or accessories. General rule of thumb? If the part is smaller than the puppy, put it away. Also, having kids put their toys away when they’re done will limit the amount of tears shed when the puppy chews their favorite stuffed animal or destroys their new Lego creation.

____ Double-check every nook and cranny for small or neglected items that could pose a danger to your puppy. Common overlooked places? Under and behind furniture, tables, cabinets, and appliances.

____ Consider having a DogWatch indoor barrier system installed to keep your puppy out of the places you don’t want him going, or that aren’t safe for him.  Contact your local DogWatch Dealer to learn about the options and to find out when your puppy will be ready to be trained.

Outside:

____ Clean up the yard. Put away any hoses, tools, toys, or other objects the puppy could chew on or try to eat.

____ Prevent access to dangerous areas like the pool or well. Even though your dog’s breed may be known for its swimming prowess, it may take your puppy time to learn, and he may have difficulty finding his way back out of the pool. Puppies have also been known to slip through the grating over storm drains and wells. A DogWatch Hidden Fence system is the perfect way to keep your puppy out of hazardous areas like these! Contact your local DogWatch Dealer to learn more.

____ Secure lawn products and chemicals. This includes fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides, paint and paint thinner, antifreeze, and any other potentially hazardous chemicals. If you wouldn’t ingest it yourself, it should be kept well out of your puppy’s reach.

____ Check for escape routes and install a proper fencing system. If you plan on letting your puppy off-leash in your yard, you need to make sure there’s no way the puppy can escape into a neighbor’s yard, or worse, the street. Traditional fences do not always succeed at this; puppies can dig under the fences and even get themselves stuck in them. Your local DogWatch dealer will be happy to install a DogWatch Hidden Fence for you that will keep your new puppy both safe AND secure in the part of your yard you designate. Contact your local DogWatch Dealer to learn more.

Phew! Now that you’ve prepared your house and yard for the impending puppy invasion, it’s time to focus on what you’ll need to care for the puppy itself! There is a whole arsenal of supplies that you will need before you can safely bring your puppy home. Most, if not all of these, can be purchased online or at your local pet store. Some of the supplies we’ll mention can be considered optional, in that you will most likely eventually need them, but will probably be just fine without them initially. Ultimately, it’s up to you, and your puppy, which ones you’ll most need and when to add them to your kit. Read post »

Two weeks ago, we took a journey into the often outrageous world of dog accessories. After listening to your reactions, we find that Dog Tails readers are strongly divided on the subject. Some Dog Tails dogs proudly sport their custom outfits and other “bling” as they walk around the town, while others refuse to wear anything other their own fur and a smile. Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, all dogs wear one important accessory for most of their lives – a collar.

This week, DogWatch Hidden Fences provides you with tips on how to select the perfect collar for your dog. We also share some tips on how to make sure your pet’s DogWatch collar is properly fitted.

Traditional Collars

For most dogs, a simple collar around the neck is all they need. Yet in today’s booming world of dog products, there are countless collar options to choose from, each with their own unique benefits. From a fashion perspective, there is no limit to the number of colors, patterns or fabrics to choose from. (Have a favorite sports team? There’s probably a collar with their logo and colors on it!)

From a utilitarian perspective, there is also a wide variety of collar features to meet your dog’s specific needs. “Break-away” collars include an easy-to-release buckle that prevent your dog from choking should they get tangled up during play or other situations.  Martingale collars are popular among greyhound owners, who need a collar that will not slip over their dog’s thin, slick frame but will also not be too tight for the dog’s comfort. These collars (see image at left) have an adjustable design that pulls tighter when the dog attempts to pull away and loosens when the dog relaxes.

Just as important as selecting the correct collar, dog owners must make sure that the collar is properly fitted. The collar should fit snugly but not too tightly around the dog’s neck – a good guide is to leave enough room for you to fit two fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck. The collar should also be tight enough so that it cannot slip off the dog’s head. Finally, collar fit is particularly important for growing puppies. Check your puppy’s collar fit regularly and adjust as needed. You can also use a tape measure to measure their neck, adding two inches so as not to restrict breathing or movement.

Harnesses and Halters

Neck collars are an easy way to display your dog’s all-important ID, registration and immunization tags, but they are not the best or safest way to fasten a leash and guide the dog through their daily walks, especially if your dog tends to enthusiastically pull ahead of you, unexpectedly take off to chase squirrels, etc.  For most dogs, the use of a harness, such as the ones shown in the picture to the right, is a safer more comfortable option.

Harnesses are particularly beneficial for walking small dogs, who can slip out of traditional collars. They are also recommended for brachycephalic breeds (i.e. those with pushed-in faces, such as pugs and bulldogs), to prevent further breathing problems. If your dog pulls on the leash, a front-clip harness such as SENSE-ation or Easy Walk can help control pulling and encourage the dog to heel.

Similarly, Halters are a traditional collar substitute that also acts as a training tool. Halters actually wrap around the dog’s snout instead of the neck, and, like front-clip harnesses, apply gentle pressure that encourages the dog to stop pulling, jumping or engaging in other problem behaviors on their walk.  Popular halter brands are Gentle Leader and Halti. It is important to note that these collars should be fitted with care, as they can be overly restrictive or, the reverse, ineffective, if not fitted correctly. Dog owners often benefit from working with a professional trainer at the beginning of the halter training process.

DogWatch Collars

Your dog doesn’t have to stop exercising and enjoying the outdoors after you are finished with your walk. DogWatch Hidden Fences pet containment systems allow your dog to run freely and safely in your yard, exploring the outdoors as they were born to do. The specially-designed DogWatch collar is a key part of this system.

Here are seven quick tips to make sure the DogWatch receiver collar on your dog’s neck is properly placed:

1. The collar should be worn snugly on the dog’s neck. This is extremely important!
2. Place no more than one thumb width between the contact post and dog’s neck.
3. When checking snugness of collar, the dog’s neck should be facing down (sniffing position) as this is where the dog’s neck is the smallest.
4. If the collar is too tight, it might cause skin irritation if worn for long periods of time without being removed occasionally.
5. If the collar is too loose, the dog will not receive the intended correction if he or she wanders into the Avoidance Zone.
6. Remember to periodically check for irritation around the dog’s neck.
7. DogWatch recommends that the collar be removed daily for some period of time, such as when the dog is inside the house or overnight.

The lesson here is to adjust the collar as needed. Remember — collar fit is critical! During colder months, you dog’s fur may be thicker and you may need to trim some of the fur under the receiver collar to ensure proper fit. If your dog has a naturally thick coat, you may need to trim the fur year-round. Longer contact posts are available for especially heavy-coated dogs.

Your DogWatch dealer with help you fit, test and adjust the collar to make sure it is comfortable and works properly. Feel free to reach out to them or to DogWatch Customer Service (available Monday to Friday, 9AM-5PM EST at (800) 793-3436, extension 622) with any questions regarding collar fit.

Now that you know all about dog collars, we encourage you to get out there and enjoy some playtime, fetch and long walks with your canine best friend! Summer is almost here, and we can’t wait!

Does your dog have a cool collar?  We’d love to see and share it here!

Greyhound image credit: JAGwired via Flickr.

Boston Terrier image credit: Lee Nachtigal via Flickr.