Dog Lover Community

My dear owner,

Thank you once again for giving me shelter. (Lick, slurp, lick, slurp) Aside from food, shelter and love, my needs are simple and few! Since I am dependent upon you to provide for me, we should discuss my basic needs. I can lend you the canine insight that you may lack as a human, particularly if I am your first canine companion pet.

Of course, I require a steady supply of food and fresh water, and while I long for the same quality of culinary delight that you routinely enjoy, I know that’s an unrealistic expectation. As long as you feed me something that’s nutritionally suited for my species, I’ll happily devour whatever little morsels of people food you throw my way. I’m not particularly fond of that stuff that comes from the tap, but it’ll do in a pinch. I draw the line at drinking from toilets.

Splish splash

In addition to my regular veterinary care, I’ll need a flea and tick collar at a bare minimum. How would you like those critters crawling all over you? Please help me to prevent them from crawling on me.

If you want to show me off for company, how about you pick up some grooming aids so I can look my sexy best? I SO look forward to weekly shampoos. Who needs rubber duckies when you get to splash at humans at bath time? I understand that humans multitask, and I love those massages with the grooming gloves, so we could watch TV together while you give my coat a nightly massage. I cannot vacuum after myself (but maybe you could suggest that as an advanced course at obedience school), so you might want to pick up some of those hair pickup tools for yourself.

A bowl of my very own

I could use a doggie bowl or two, something simple, yet elegant, perhaps something with my name on it. It’s not that I mind sharing your everyday bowls, but it would be nice to have something that’s all mine when it comes to feeding and watering troughs. I’ll need one for food and one for water, and an everyday pattern will sufficeno need for an expensive china pattern.

Collars and other jewelry

I look forward to our walks together, but it’s just too tempting for me to stray when you walk me without a leash. I think the government suits must be on to us doggies, since they’ve enacted those pesky leash laws everywhere. So, if you want to continue spending this quality time with me, you’ll need to find a leash that fits me properly, is strong enough to hold me, and is the proper length. If it’s too long, I’ll trip all over myself, but if it’s not long enough, I won’t have the room I need to roam. I know that there is a dizzying array of leashes available, but please use a little discretion and choose one with the right “look” for my breed so that all the other doggies don’t make fun of me. They can be so darn cruel!

Creature comforts

I was told that most humans have jobs, so I understand that you’ll be spending time away from me. If you could see your way clear to leaving a few creature comforts behind, it would really help. First, I don’t want to hog your people furnitureit’s too big for me anyway. I could use one of those nice, comfy doggie beds. Floors are meant to be walked on, not lounged upon. I know that there are a number of places that I should not go when you’re gone, so spray that indoor repellent, and I’ll learn the first time. I’m a quick studysomething about Pavlov!

Dogs in toyland

Toys will help me pass the time, assist me in my development, and most importantly, distract me from the fact that you’re not here. I could have some REAL fun if you’d get me my very own cat, but I realize that is not likely. Here is a list of things that I would really, really enjoy if you cannot get me my own cat:

- A nice supply of those rubber, chewy thingies

- Squishy, squeaky, talking toys

- Rawhide chews, dental chews, anything that I will mistake for a bone

- Treats, treats, and more treats - a never-ending supply of treats

Special occasion gifts

You humans have your porches, your patios and your tree houses. I would give my doggie eye teeth for my very own dog house. You could have Santa deliver it in time for the holidays, or you save it for a birthday treat. Either way, it’ll give me my own little hideaway and protect me from the elements, should you take temporary leave of your human senses and leave me outside while you run one of your many errands. If you can’t swing the canine estate just yet, maybe we could negotiate a doggie door?

Above all, I require the same devotion and attention that you expect from me. Treat me right, and I’ll be your best friend for life.

Love and kisses,

Your beloved doggie

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for dog supplies and needs and treats for dogs. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

Tags: dog, dog collars, dog food, dog houses, dog supplies, dog toys, dogs, pet, pet supplies, petsdog, dog collars, dog food, dog houses, dog supplies, dog toys, dogs, pet, pet supplies, pets

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Electronic dog training collars are a hot topic of debate amongst many dog lovers and dog trainers. Tons of people ask if they are useful and if they are a tool that a dog owner should use. The answer seems to be yes in most circles. The one thing that everyone can agree on is that if you are to employ an electronic dog training collar you should follow a few guidelines and we have listed them here.

An electronic dog training collar should not be used as a first line of defense. If you have never attempted to train your dog before then traditional training methods should be used first. The shock collar is only meant for dogs that have behavioral problems which have not been able to be curbed with normal non-electronic training methods.

Use the electronic dog collars sparingly. This is not to say that you should not correct your dog every time it makes a mistake, you should, but if they are making lots of mistakes cease activity for the session or the day so that they are not getting zapped too many times.

Do not ever use the electronic dog collar to punish your dog. The purpose of the electronic dog training collar is to teach the dog not to punish.

Lastly speak to a certified trainer and your veterinarian to see if your dog would benefit from the use of an electronic dog collar.

For more information about electronic dog training collars or to speak to fellow dog lovers on our pet forum, visit http://www.spectacularpets.com.

Tags: dog collars, Dog Obedience Training, dog training, electronic dog training collardog collars, Dog Obedience Training, dog training, electronic dog training collar

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Carl Icahn, the hostile takeover master who was THE original corporate raider, is often quoted as saying, “In this business, if you want a friend, get a dog!” The rest of us already knew that dog was man’s best friend, and with good reason. Dogs as pets date back at least as far as the days of Pompeii, where the remains of a dog stretched out next to a little boy were recovered from the rubble at Pompeii.

We all know that dogs are cute, warm, and cuddly, requiring little more than food, water, shelter and affection to return unwavering devotion. Dogs have earned their rightful place as a family member. In fact, what family portrait is complete without the family canine?

Dogs earned their place of prominence years ago among their blind and deaf owners and in local, state, federal and international law enforcement. Hint: be sure to rid your coat pockets of doggie biscuits the next time you travel, unless you want to be attacked by a drug and bomb-sniffing dog.

A quick glance through the amazing true stories ripped from the headlines below demonstrates that dogs may never fall from their pedestal as man’s best friend! While it’s true that we must do for dogs what they cannot do for themselves, have a look at the things that dogs have done for us that we could not or did not want to do for ourselves.

Dogs CAN smell cancer

On September 24, 2004, the Associated Press reported that the first scientific experiment to prove what has long been suspectedthat dogs can smell cancerwas successful. A dog’s sense of smell is far superior to that of a human’s: 10,000 to 100,000 times better. The results of the study appeared in the British Medical Journal. The study proved that dogs could indeed smell cancer. What remains to be determined is whether dogs can effectively communicate the presence of cancer. What’s most promising is that dogs may well be able to detect the presence of cancer before high-tech medical testing.

Dogs help seniors live longer

In 1999, a study reported in the Journal of American Geriatrics concluded what many have known intuitively and anecdotally for a long time: seniors with pets live longer and fuller lives both physically and mentally. Once again, science proves common sense. Dogs require walking. Active seniors with pets have lower blood pressure, visit their doctors less frequently, require hospitalization less frequently and when they are hospitalized, the duration is shorter. Assisted living facilities and nursing homes have moved almost en masse to allowing visiting pets or housing a resident pet for their residents. The Delta Pet Partner certifies pets to visit nursing homes and hospice facilities. If you have an elderly parent, consider giving the gift of life, a companion dog.

Hostage miniature dog escapes and eludes captors

In 1992, a teeny tiny 11-year-old Pomeranian was reportedly stolen from its home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The following January, a father/daughter team in Corpus Christie, Texas, saw a van chasing the little dog. The driver abandoned the van and began chasing the dog on foot, but could never catch the dog. Finally, the dog’s captor fled the scene, abandoning the dog, an animal perhaps 1/20th the size of its captor. The daughter chased the dog, and the dog willingly jumped in her arms. Since the dog wore tags, the father/daughter team returned the dog to its owners.

What’s next? Courier dogs?

Actually, that’s old news! In 2001, it was reported that a then five-year-old golden retriever named J.C. delivered its owners’ prescriptions from the pharmacy. The pharmacy was located in the same strip mall as the owners’ shop in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, and J.C. always accompanied the owners to the pharmacy. The dog began carrying the prescriptions back from these outings. J.C.’s not just any old dog. It was reported that he took instruction well, and when instructed, he ran down to the pharmacy and returned with prescriptions in tow.

Since the beginning of their relationship with humans, dogs have fended for their owners, rescuing them from all sorts of perilous situations. Won’t you consider rescuing a dog from the loneliness of life without an owner?

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for dogs, dog toys, and more. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

Tags: dog, dog collars, dog food, dog houses, dog supplies, dog toys, dogs, pet, pet supplies, petsdog, dog collars, dog food, dog houses, dog supplies, dog toys, dogs, pet, pet supplies, pets

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