Take care of your dog

People seem to marvel at small dogs wearing clothing. They are just so cute you want to hug them! Not only are they cute but clothing can be functional too! Short haired dogs benefit from sweaters or coats in cold weather. Long haired dogs that live in the house really benefit from a rain slicker in wet weather keeping the wet dog smell down.

Hunting dogs benefit from leather boots to protect their feet from sharp rocks. Rubber boots help protect the feet from tracking mud into the house. Insulated boots help with the frost factor in some of the areas that have lots of freezing weather. Antifreeze chemicals used in deicing streets in cold weather states hurt dogs paws, the animals may start licking them and end up ingesting the toxins. Ingested antifreeze toxins can shut down your dogs kidneys. To prevent this, it is necessary to wash the dogs” paws in warm water immediately.

An Article in the Moscow News

“Dogs need to go for daily walks-and because Moscow’s sub-zero temperatures and sidewalks may be covered in ice or harmful chemicals to melt it, warm clothing and even shoes for dogs become not only practical but also humane.” “In temperatures of minus 15 degrees Celsius or below, it is imperative to put coats on dogs.” Said Valeria Shishmaryova, a veterinarian at the Movet Clinic in western Moscow. When the weather is not that cold, Shishmaryova said, dog owners should take two factors into account: breed and age.

Because of the companionship, entertainment and unconditional love dogs give us it stands that we humans are willing to care for mans best friend by spending millions to protect, dress and entertain them.

Small dog clothes are clothing items and accessories specially designed for small dogs. They are a bit harder to craft, since their small size requires such exact detail, and are therefore not necessarily less expensive than large dog clothes. Beachwear, bathrobes, coats, harness dresses, full body suits, jackets, raincoats, robes, shirts, sweaters and knits and vests are popular cloths for small dog clothes. These clothes look cute and are made to fit the various breeds of dogs that weigh twenty pounds or less. Small dogs make great family pets and are fun to dress in stylish, designer garb. A variety of breeds such as the Havanese, Miniature Pinscher, Affenpinscher, Brussels griffon, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chinese Crested, English toy spaniel, Japanese Chin, Pekingese and the Papillon are dressed in this attractive apparel for dog shows and other significant programs highlighting dogs.

One recent addition to the small dog clothing market is the wide range of stylish designer collections. A number of bridal and wedding apparels are also available for small dog breeds. Further, small dog clothes are custom made according to the specification and needs of customers.

In the US, there are a countless number of stores and outlets that carry an array of attractive small dog accessories such as small beds, booties, carriers, collars, doggie hats, furniture, goggles, Halloween costumes, jewels, shirts, scarves and toys. The advent of and immense popularity enjoyed by small dog clothes point to the fact that the canine breed has now become an integral part of the family structure.

Choosing your dogs name is one of the most important decisions that you can make in your life concerning how your dog responds to you. Whether or not your dog is a puppy or a dog with some years on or even if you bought the dog from someone else. Having a name for your dog pertinent to the dog’s personality is vital.

Now I’ve brought up some issues about best names for dogs in that first paragraph that may raise your eyebrows but I will explain shortly what all of this means to you as a dog owner.

First things first, you must not confuse your dog. When you say something to your dog it should be clear, concise and to the point. Your dog must not hesitate in your commands and choosing best names for dogs is the reason to insure that your dog reacts the way you want him or her to do.

Dogs react more to vocal commands rather than verbal. I mean the inflection of the words must not be confusing to the dogs mind. The theory for best names for dogs comes from the premise that dogs must understand what and how you are giving commands.

How words sound to them is most important and must not be confused with other words in our language. For instance common words such as “no”, “know”, “blow” all sound the same but have different meanings altogether.

So if you name your dog “Joe” and you call your dog to come to you, your dog could get confused thinking you said “no” instead of “Joe” because they sound the same. Your dog could get totally confused and not respond favorably.

It’s not the dogs fault; don’t name your dog a name that could be confusing.

The best names for dog’s theory should go along the lines of naming your dog according to your dog’s personality. Now that may not come as quickly as you want but as you learn about your dog’s personality you could come up with something, I am sure about that.

You could go through a list of favorite names for dogs and see if your dog reacts to any one of these names is another way of selecting a name.

Now one more item of interest in the best names for dogs theory is that if you purchase a dog that already has a name that you should name it differently. Why? Since dogs can’t talk you do not know the history that this dog has with his name. If your dog was abused verbally or physically, you would never know. Oh sure, you could call your dog by their predetermined name but do you know if the name has been associated with distrust and anger? No, you don’t and you do not want to take the chance that the dog will remember the bad times with that name. For all that matters, your dog might associate you with the same crew that used his or her name before.

So when you get a new puppy or dog, give it a new name. Your dog and you will be happy with the results. Giving a new name to an established dog might take longer to accept but as long as you praise it, love it, and give affection with the new name your dog will respond to you well.

As you can see, giving a name to a dog is one of the most important foundational elements that you can do to insure a complete relationship. Knowing the psychology of a dog names insures that you will have a dog that will be obedient and one that you can be proud of.

Many people when they first decide to get a dog do their dog search and then determine what dog breed best suits them. In your case the Greyhound dog. More often than not what comes next is thinking of dog names even before other important considerations. This can tell you how important a dog’s name is to a dog owner. But most people are not aware that the dog names that they choose can have a strong impact on their relationship with their pet and has implications to dog health in general.

Dog names that are harsh sounding can be stressful to your dog, particularly for the more sensitive breeds, which you’ve probably discovered is a trait of the sweet Greyhound dog. A name can be harsh sounding due either to the letters used in the name or the meaning of the name. For example if you say the name Asha as opposed to Buck you can feel the effect on yourself, imagine the effect it would have on a sensitive little Greyhound puppy or shy newly adopted dog. This can have implications when training your dog as well because positive reinforcement will always give you the best results and using a name that is inviting and pleasing to your dog is a form of positive reinforcement. Ultimately training using positive reinforcement will not be a stressful experience thus contributing to over all dog health.

The best way to pick dog names is to choose names that feel and sound pleasant to you and end in vowels so it ends softly. Even better is a name that starts with a vowel as well. Don’t worry if you want to get their attention, even a gentle sounding name will get the attention of your Greyhound dog when you mean business, the tone of your voice will speak volumes -so to speak. Various other dog health issues will be discussed throughout this web site see the menu for direction.

Dog grooming is the basis for preventive health care for your dog and puppy. It gives you a chance to see small changes in and on your dog’s body that could lead to health concerns such as a lump or problems in his ears or with his teeth.

Dog grooming can be a time of further bonding with your dog. This is some serious one on one time when he gets loads of your attention.

So what do you do and when do you start grooming your dog and puppy? As with most things with your puppy, you need to introduce him to dog grooming slowly and help him be comfortable with it. Start with short sessions of about five minutes and work up to the whole routine as he adjusts.

Begin with brushing and combing. There are several different grooming tools used for brushing and which you use depends upon the breed of your dog and the type of coat he has. Ask the breeder you got your puppy from for the proper techniques.

Brushing should be done before you bathe your dog or puppy. Bathing your puppy should begin when he is about 14 weeks old or sooner if he is a very dirty dog. Most dogs should need bathing only once a month unless he gets dirty. Wherever you decide to bathe your dog, bathtub, sink or some type of tub, place a rubber mat within to give him something secure to stand on so he won’t slip around.

Soak down his body but not his face. Keep water out of his ears. You may wish to block his ear canals with cotton balls to prevent the water from getting into his ears. Lather up your wet dog with a dog shampoo. Rinse well. Any leftover shampoo in his coat is likely to cause dryness or skin irritation. Wipe his face off with a damp cloth. Squeeze off the excess water and then towel dry your dog. Complete the drying process with either a hair dryer set on warm, not hot, or by leaving him in a warm room until dry.

Be aware that a dog will shake just as soon as you release him. This is why some people want to run their dog outside quickly after a bath on a leash to prevent him from rolling and getting dirty again. If this is not an option, such as in winter, you may wish to consider a professional groomer.

A professional groomer may be a consideration for some of the more difficult haircuts and dog grooming considerations such as the stripping required by some wire-haired breeds. This depends upon your ability to do the required tasks and your desire to do them as well.