Archive for the ‘Pet Store’ Category
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Here Is Your Puppy “DO NOT EAT” List For The Holidays
Christmas time is a time to indulge. It’s expected that you want to spoil your puppy too with some extra treats during this period.
However, most of the foods you enjoy eating during Christmas aren’t necessarily good for your canine buddy. You need to be extra careful because this period can bring along extra dangers you need to look out for.
Here’s your puppy’s “DO NOT EAT” list for the holidays.
- Chocolate
Chocolate is a common treat for many during the holidays. However, chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Ensure you keep it completely out of your puppy’s sight and reach.
- Onions
Onions are commonly used in Christmas stuffings. It contains thiosulphate, a substance harmful to dogs. Ensure you avoid onions in your puppy’s diet.
- Grapes
Grapes can be highly toxic to dogs and just one or two, if consumed, could turn out fatal. Make sure you keep them away.
- Raisins
Just like grapes, raisins can be highly toxic to dogs. Stay vigilant so your puppy does not eat any treats containing raisins.
- Granulated Sugar
Sugar is generally bad for dogs and is unhealthy. Sweeteners like xylitol, common in peanut butter, are also dangerous to your puppy’s health.
- Raw Potato
Raw and green potatoes contain solanine in their skin which can cause poisoning.
- Garlic
Garlic belongs to the same family as onions, leeks, and chives and is equally toxic to dogs.
- Avocado
Avocados make a nice addition to human dishes but can be fatal for dogs because of a toxin called persin.
- Macadamia Nuts
Sweet macadamia nuts are a common snack during Christmas. They can however be dangerous for your canine buddy.
- Caffeine & alcohol
Leaving cups of alcohol, tea, or coffee around with dogs in the house is never a good idea. Dogs are sensitive to alcohol and caffeine in coffee and other drinks.
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Accessorizing Your Dog for the Holidays
Playing dress up with your pup can be so much more fun than you can imagine. This is because there’s such a wide range of clothes and accessories to explore. Jackets, shirts, bows, scarves, sweaters, leashes, tags, designer handbags! There’s so much that the ideas just keep flowing.
If you’re looking to dress your pup up and turn Ruby into a fashion icon, here are some pretty remarkable ways to go about this:
Matching Outfits
Do you think you have a pretty epic fashion sense? Then perhaps dressing your pup to match your outfit isn’t such a bad idea. This is definitely one that would turn heads.
‘Cool’ Get-Ups
Sunglasses, bandanas, dog booties, floral shirts, bow ties, if dogs could vote, your pup would definitely cart away the top dresser of the year award. In addition, outfits and accessories like this look awesome in pictures!Matching Kids’ Bows and Dogs’ Bows
It’s not uncommon to see parents dress both pups and kids in matching bows. They’re both such sweet babies after all, and they do look absolutely adorable.
Designer and Blings!
Who says only humans get to wear designer clothing and expensive jewelry? You can get designer clothes and bags custom made for your fur baby. You could also take it a step further, investing in a nice necklace suitable for your pup.Jackets, Sweaters, and Scarves
Winter is coming! How best to keep your pup warm outdoors than by opting for clothing options that are practical, yet fashionableInvesting in some cuddly and fashion forward sweaters, jackets and scarves make for Ruby looking like an elegant lady.
Beyond looking great, always ensure that your pup is totally comfortable in any outfit or accessories. This is primary.
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Holiday Puppy Palooza: How to Convince Your Family to Get a Puppy
If you and your family are considering adopting a dog or getting a puppy this holiday season, we couldn’t be more excited for you! Dogs are some of the best companions and a testament to how magical unconditional love is.
Even with all the warm fuzzies you get from your pup, the messes and the midnight potty breaks can seem overwhelming at times. Plus, we know your vote probably isn’t the only one that counts if you share a home with other people.
There are lots of preconceived ideas about pet ownership. Whether you grew up with pets or not, you might have opinions and concerns about what it might be like to get a new four-legged family member and you’re not alone!
We’re here to help you figure out what breed is right for you and go over some of the most common reservations so that you can feel confident in your decision.
Keep reading for a list to help back-up your arguments in favor of getting a new fluff-ball of joy.
Let’s Start with the Basics
A simple list of why owning a dog is the best.
- Companionship and comfort
- Encourages a daily routine
- A source of positivity
- Demands a certain amount of exercise
- Endless humor (I mean the TikToks with dogs + voiceover get us through the work week – SO CUTE)
- Easily adaptable, dogs can adjust to moving homes or across states fairly easily
- Infectious energy
- Helps to fill out an aspect of life outside of work or family that isn’t easily replicated
- Long-standing commitment that fosters responsibility
- Boundless love
What Breed Is Best for You?
It’s imperative that you focus on the dog breed that aligns best with your lifestyle.
There are so many to choose from but it can be difficult to not be swayed by adorable little fuzzy faces, we get it. The daily routine each dog requires is a big part of what you’re signing up for and eventually the cuteness will not outweigh their needs. If you are extremely active, then couch-potato breeds like French Bulldogs are perhaps not the right choice.
Common Concerns
Shedding is a big concern for new potential pet parents. “What will it be like when my house is covered in dog hair?” Depending on the size and breed of dog you choose it could be much less of an issue than you think. Dogs with hair instead of fur only shed a fraction of the amount of their furry cousins. Even for the worst shedders, it goes through seasonal cycles and after a year or so of getting a routine down, you will have it mastered.
Behavior Issues are a potential worry, particularly for anyone who has had a less than friendly encounter with a dog before. Rest assured, there are lots of options for monitoring behavior and aggression in pets is usually easy to recognize and curb. There are options to adopt adult dogs whose temperaments are set and that will minimize any surprises along the way. You can also opt for a puppy of a notoriously friendly breed and take training classes so that you and your dog learn how to interact with other dogs of all backgrounds.
Budget. While you should ideally have a budget in mind for your pet’s initial cost, typical monthly expenses include food, waste bags, and toys, with things like vet bills, grooming, and boarding coming up various times through the year depending on your dog’s breed and the amount that you travel. If you’re concerned with establishing a realistic budget, definitely do your research and keep in mind that the AKC says the cost of dog ownership is roughly $121/month.
Considerations
Our main suggestion is that any barrier you may think stands between you and your furry friend is more easily dealt with than it might feel with proper research and training.
The only reason to avoid dog ownership is not wanting one! It’s always better to go with your gut and wait until absolutely sure before jumping into this exciting chapter.
We hope that if you’re considering adopting a pet to do your research and feel empowered to. And know that looking up how to be the best pet parent you can be is a great place to start!
Is it a labor of love? Yes, but surely beyond worth it.
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Top 5 Small Breed Purebred Dogs of 2021
Most people see small breeds as big dogs in little bodies. Frankly, this is somewhat true for some. But there are other small breeds that enjoy calmer lifestyles.
Small breeds often get a bad reputation because of their personality. Yet, a lot of them make excellent pets for both individuals and families.
Not all small breeds develop the big-dog syndrome, particularly if they’re naturally happy and social dogs. There are a few small breeds that have amazing athleticism and are capable of running circles around big breeds.
If you’re searching for a small cute fur baby, here are 5 top small breeds you can consider:
Yorkshire Terrier
Despite having small bodies, Yorkshire Terriers have big personalities they aren’t afraid of showing off. Yorkies are brave and tend to stand up to almost everything they consider a threat and alert the household.
Shih Tzu
Shih-Tzus were originally bred as aristocratic companion dogs for royalty. There’s nothing they love more than being spoiled lapdogs.
They can be pretty stubborn, however, they’re quite easier to train than most other small breeds.
Dachshund
The Dachshund’s stumpy short legs and elongated bodies have earned them the name ‘wiener dogs’. Dachshunds can be very clever and smart dogs. But they’re stubborn and can be difficult to train.
Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are the world’s smallest dog breed. They have become infamous for the fierce loyalty they show their owners. They can be pretty feisty too.
Chihuahuas can be excellent companions and great pets for individuals and families alike, but they have to be socialized frequently and early to prevent territorial aggression.
Pomeranian
There are only a handful of dogs that are more recognizable than Pomeranians. Poms are famous for their spirited personalities and fluffy coats.
They require lots of training to avoid excessive barking. Other than that, they make excellent companions.
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Do Dogs Actually Like Wearing Clothes?
Are you trying to get Fluffy to wear a dress and it seems she doesn’t want to keep it on? You’ve seen a lot of other dog owners walk their dogs all dressed up and looking fab. This has probably left you confused as to whether dogs do not like to wear clothes or it’s just Fluffy. Well, the truth is that it depends on the dog. Dogs are individuals and are different from one another.
Some dogs feel better when they wear a hoodie on a cold day. An anxious dog can feel more secure in clothes. Other dogs enjoy the attention they get when they are dressed up.
However, not all dogs like to wear clothes. If you notice your dog getting stressed or upset when you dress them up, maybe it’s just not for them. But really, most dogs just need a little positive reinforcement.
You can dress up your pup when the weather is a bit chilly. This is especially if they have a thin coat and not a lot of body fat or if they are getting old. You can also dress them up to take photos or for special occasions like Halloween.
You can decide to spice things up by throwing in some accessories like sunglasses and scarves.
Be careful when dressing up your furry friend. Their comfort is your priority. Make sure to check their body language. They’ll generally show signs of unhappiness if they don’t want to wear the clothes or if they are uncomfortable.
You should avoid clothes or costumes that extend to your pup’s feet or involve footwears. Most dogs really don’t like anything on their feet.
If you have a pup, it helps to dress them up while they’re still young. This way they get used to dressing up and don’t mind it as much when they are older. -
Build Your Pet’s Intelligence; 4 Ways!
Dogs are naturally intelligent creatures. They have a base level of intellectual ability that develops over time. This is why it is possible to get your pup to learn new words, understand hand signals, and obey new commands.
Just like humans, a dog’s intelligence can be improved with education and training. Smart dogs are the ones who are so well trained that most of their actions become second nature.
So, if you want to get your pooch’s IQ even higher, here are four tips that can help:
- Start Training Early
Starting to train your pup early in life is an almost certain guarantee of impressive results.
Remember that it isn’t a military camp, so you’re looking to keep it fun and informal. Bits of training spread over the course of the day are advised.
Training daily or as often as possible is a great idea too. This is because frequent handling would make your pup adjust to the idea of accepting changes.
Also, he would be more inclined to learn new commands. Similarly, if your pooch is older, you could try too. It’s really never too late to start.
- Use the Power of Association
Pups typically understand certain words that imply pleasure for them even without you consciously training.
They would typically cock their ears in your direction when they hear words like ‘treat’, ‘walk’, or ‘toy’ because they derive pleasure from these things.
You can teach your dog to link words to actions or activities by applying the same technique. The use of positive reinforcement in training is a great way to expand your pup’s vocabulary.
Daisy would easily respond to words and signals based on the anticipated reward of treats.
- Constantly Stimulate Their Intelligence
One practical way to stimulate your pup’s intelligence constantly is with the use of food. Pups love food, so why not make them work for it?
You can opt for food bowls that require his intelligence to figure out how to eat. This would aid mental stimulation significantly.
Also, you could set up a treasure hunt with kibble as the reward, or hide treats and let him sniff it out with all the barriers in the way.
You could also help make use of food-dispensing toys. Practicing any of these on a daily basis would keep your pooch entertained and their brains in top shape.
- Use Lots of Hand Signals
By their nature, dogs are more biased to visual cues and seem more inclined to understanding them. For instance, pointing in the direction of an object or toy almost guarantees that your pup would pick it up.
In addition to voice commands, include hand signals as well. A combination of these two would make for the powerful force that makes your dog respond fast and excitedly.
Dogs are also able to note the tone of voice, so keep this in mind when you embark on your training.
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Best Practices for Outdoor Dog Safety
The great outdoors is a beautiful place to be, extra wonderful for your furry companion thanks to enhanced sensory organs.
Activities like a walk in the park or rolling around in the garden is super fun. Your pet gets his exercising in and you get to spend some quality time together.
However, the great outdoors isn’t all rosy. There are elements that can constitute a danger to your pet, and this article is all about helping you avoid them:
- Avoid Parasite-Infested Areas
An area with mosquitoes singing their melodies is a no-no. Avoid areas that generally look unkempt or harbor a body of stagnant water.
Mosquitoes can transmit heartworms which can result in some lung and heart damage to dogs via a single bite. Hence, avoiding unhygienic locations is essential.
Finally, a good idea would be to check out these areas on your own before taking your pet there. This way, you can avoid unpleasant surprises.
- Keep an Eye On the Weather
Extreme temperatures can cause problems for your pup, however, you can still brave these conditions. What you would need to do is take some extra precautions.
On hot days, ensure that your pet doesn’t get overheated. Spend less time outdoors and provide lots of cold water for drinking. If you notice excessive panting, move your pet to a shaded area.
Going out in the cold depends on your pet’s breed. Larger dogs with thick coats like German Shepherds would tolerate the cold longer than a chihuahua would. However, ensure that they are dressed for the occasion, a jacket would do.
- Minimize Contact With Other Animals
You can only trust the grooming and health status of your pup. Other dogs that you come in contact with may carry parasites, therefore, avoid or limit contact.
If you’re at a local dog park, keep an eye out so that you can stop skirmishes before they get out of hand. Also, bite wounds are absolutely one of the more common injuries that you should protect your pet from.
Similarly, wildlife like rabbits and squirrels may carry parasites or contagious diseases. Limit the amount of chasing after these animals that your dog does to reduce chances of infection.
- Prepare Supplies
When you’re headed to the great outdoors with your pooch, ensure that you have the necessary supplies including lots of water, a sturdy leash, and an ID tagged-collar.
If you’re going in your car or with a backpack, you could keep a mini first aid kit handy as well. This would come in handy in the face of medical emergencies.
Treats for good behavior is a great call too.
- Ensure Vaccinations are Up to Date
If you intend to spend a lot of time outdoors with your pet, vaccination is a no-brainer.
A good number of infections can be avoided with a simple vaccine shot. So, ensure that your pup’s vaccination is complete and still effective.
An essential vaccine is one against rabies. For other beneficial vaccines, have a talk with your veterinarian.
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Basic Pet Parenting Skills
Puppies, while adorable to a fault, can be quite a handful too. And believe it or not, you do need some parenting skills when it comes to raising your pet.
There’s always the option of learning on the job, a good choice. Another option is learning ahead about the essential skills that would improve your cohabitation.
That’s exactly what we’re setting out to detail in this piece. Here are 5 essential pet parenting skills you need to inculcate:
- Handling and Training Skills
Building the right foundation for your relationship with your pet is an essential item on this checklist. For starters, you have to be at ease with working in a hands-on capacity. Physical contact is one of the major building blocks for a loving relationship with your pup.
To build lasting handling and training skills, you should be familiar with fundamentals like basic obedience techniques, using positive reinforcement, and creating reward systems amongst others.
You need to be familiar with handling stressful situations too, as pups tend to go rogue sometimes.
- Communication Skills
Effective communication is the holy grail of any relationship, particularly with your pup. You need to ensure that you’re not sending confusing signals, particularly in the early training stages.
Confusing communication can send your pup into a spiral since he doesn’t know which command to follow. Clear communication begins from using clear verbal communication and extends to even non-verbal communication.
Using the right tone, watching your pet carefully so that you understand their reactions to your commands, reinforcing the right responses, are proper strategies for great communication.
- Observation Skills
Pets try to communicate with us in various ways, however, there’s a tendency to overlook some of the signs that they give. You always have to keep an eye out for behavioral changes or altered feeding habits — these might imply a developing health problem.
This would also warrant that you’re privy to basic canine health issues, especially those that are prevalent with your pup breed. Close observation can help to nip potentially major problems in the bud.
- Grooming Skills
Outside of the regularly scheduled visits to the vet that would probably consist of a comprehensive checkup and grooming, you should possess some grooming skills yourself.
As a dog parent, you should be familiar with basics such as trimming nails, removing mats, cleaning ears, and brushing out hair.
Your pup’s grooming is vital to guarantee that he remains in prime health for a long time. Also, regular grooming can help you detect potential health problems early and deal with them.
- Patience
Less of a skill and more of an attribute, all the same, you would need to hone it as a skill. Pups can be a handful sometimes and these times call for patience and restraint.
This is an essential quality if you’re going to have an incredible relationship with your pet.
When your pup disobeys commands or does his business inside the house or chews a hole in one of your favorite socks, remember patience.
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Top 10 Toxic Items to Your Pet
If your dog gets into everything, you’re likely used to putting food items away right after meals and keeping your shoes in the closet.
Did you know there are much more subtle threats to your furry family member you may not even think twice about?
Check out our list to see if you can avoid a trip to the vet by taking care of these risks before they cause a problem.
Wood Chips
Luckily, most puppies chew wood chips because the porous texture feels good on their budding chompers and are not usually interested in having them as an afternoon snack. The real danger here is three-fold: splinters, pesticides, and obstructing their bowels. We know, none of those are appealing. Best to smell the flowers in a grass-lain garden versus on your neighbor’s front lawn (or anywhere that harbors these pesky chippings).
Air fresheners
There is one main concern when it comes to air fresheners: phthalates leaching into the oil and being released into the air.
Phthalates are essentially chemicals used to make plastic and help them keep their shape and contain whatever is inside the product (shampoo, bleach, etc.).
For air fresheners that you plug in the wall, the scented oil that sprays out in a puff is usually heated which warrants a concern of the phthalates in the plastic leaching into the oil and being released in the air that way.
This, combined with the proximity our furry friends have to these devices since they are closer to the ground poses the concern that they may be ingesting these toxins which can harm the respiratory and reproductive systems.
Garbage
The tricky thing about this treat is how garbage is not a constant mix of certain items — it changes for most of us every day. Not to worry; the biggest thing to look out for are any toxic foods (keep reading to see some of the worst), and raw meat (for those not on a raw-only diet) as it poses the risk of E. Coli.
Dogs get into the garbage usually out of hunger or boredom but baby-proofing the top of the garbage can easily combat this!
Toxic Foods
We don’t pour our dogs a cup of coffee every morning (though that scene in Lady and the Tramp is adorable) but did you know caffeine is toxic? Here are some other foods to avoid splitting with your pup:
- Xylitol (often found in peanut butter)
- Grapes (and raisins)
- Macadamia nuts
- Onions
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Caffeine in any form
- Fruit peels/pits/seeds
While technically not food, the kitchen garbage also poses a risk to our pets. Containing rotting or potentially moldy food as well as the debris that food is stored in like chip bags or wrappers, it definitely makes the list of risky things to watch out for.
Other Threats
Try to keep these out of reach of wandering puppy paws too:
- Houseplants
- Medicines
- Cleaning Supplies
- Alcohol
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5 Interesting Dog Facts
Pups embody the perfect companion. They are loyal, empathetic, loving, and unbelievably selfless. It is no wonder then that they are man’s best friends.
Now, in addition to these natural attributes of theirs, there are some others that you probably don’t know about.
Here’s five of them:
- They Sneeze to Indicate Zero Aggression
You’ve probably noticed a bit of sneezing going on between pups when they are tangling together. They use these sneezes to communicate the playful nature of their entanglement.
This helps to prevent things from getting out of hand. It’s really not about dust or pollen in the air. Other interesting signals would include stretching out their paws; if a pup does this to you, it’s an indication of friendliness or invitation to play.
- Dogs aren’t Big Huggers
Hugging or putting your arms around the shoulders of your pet means something altogether different to them. They enjoy other types of physical contact, but hugging is seen as an attempt to dominate.
You would sometimes notice a pup place his foreleg over the shoulder of another pup. The position is called “standing over” is a form of assertive or superior behavior.
A better way to show physical affection is scratching behind their ear or rubbing their belly.
- Humans and Dogs Share a Similarity In the Locations of the Brain that Responds to Vocalization
According to researchers at Etvs Lornd University in Hungary, the reason why pups can understand your happy sounds is that they have sections in their brain that respond to vocalization.
This allows your pups to react differently to you based on the various voice tones that you use depending on the emotion that you’re feeling. Furthermore, these regions are located in a similar area to the human brain.
- The Wetness of Dogs’ Noses Helps them Absorb Scent Chemicals
This answers a riddle that has probably crossed your mind several times. Pups have a wet nose because it helps them absorb scent chemicals.
The nose initially secretes a specific mucus for the sole purpose of absorbing the chemical. Once the mucus has done its work, your pup then licks his nose to ascertain the exact nature of the smell.
Now the folktales can finally go to rest.
- Dogs Can Actually See Colors
Popular belief is that dogs only see in monochrome and they detect outlines in objects using the difference in brightness.
However, this is not entirely true. Following the discovery of scientist Jay Neitz that dogs’ eyes possess two cones, researchers at the Russian Academy of Science performed their own experiments.
They selected eight dogs of different breeds and sizes and tested their eyesight. Using four pieces of paper, all four of different colors, they used this to detect whether dogs identified via brightness or color.
6 out of the 8 dogs picked based on color 9 or 10 out of 10 total times.
