Choosing Pet Clothes for Different Seasons and Occasions

After a hectic and busy day, you will feel good when your pets with pretty gestures welcome you. Pet lovers always consider their pets as one among their family members and take a lot of care for their needs. One product which all the pet lovers show interest is the Pet clothes. When you clothe them, you protect them from the changing weather conditions. Even though the pets have natural fur and hair for protection from cold, clothes adds more beauty and the pets also look very cute by wearing varieties of pet clothes.

The pet clothing for your pet depends on your living environment. If you are residing in a cold region your pet may be exposed to cold climate for a long duration and hence you have to choose thick clothes for your pet. When you are residing in a place with temperate weather condition, you have to unbutton your pet clothes and so you have to buy thin coats for your pets.

Though there are multiple reasons for dressing your pet, you don't have to be worried about your pet clothes if any of the following fits with your pet. When the density of hair and fur is more on your pet, you don't have to additionally burden them with pet clothes. When you live in a hot climate your pet will not enjoy getting dressed. Lastly, if you’re pet refuses the pet clothes offered to it, don't force such clothes on it and don't ever try to make it wear pet clothes that it does not prefer. You can always beautify them by other means like hairstyles, jewelries etc.

Pet clothes are having increasing popularity as a lot of stores and suppliers now offer different ranges of pet clothes. Pet clothes are available in different varieties and styles for pet dogs when compared with other pets. This may be because the dogs show more of cooperation in getting dressed. Mostly sale of the pet clothes are focused towards pet owners who are fashion conscious and clothes are marketed with the multiple benefits your pet attains out of using them. Normally after winter walk, pets get tired and their body temperature undergoes sudden change and pet clothes can prevent them from catching cold. Another important benefit of providing clothing for your pet is to safeguard the pet's skin from scratching or aggravating any itching area. If your pet has undergone an invasive operation, then the pet clothes will protect the wound till it's healed. Some pet clothes are exclusively available for preventing family way in pets. Though it may look awkward but it prevents the number of pets in your home from increasing.

Most of the pet lovers choose sports style pet clothes like hooded tops, faux leather jackets, trendy vests, T-shirts and colorful knits as they add more of uniqueness in their appearance. Other fashionable clothes are pet's shoes and boots with matching pyjamas and there are also trouser suits that are waterproof available for your lovable pets. On special days if you don't want your pet to be left out, you can buy fancy costumes. The famous fancy pet clothes are bridesmaid outfit, wedding gowns, tuxedos, and seasonal costumes. When you love your pet and can afford more budgets you can buy fashionable pet clothes as a gift for your pet.

10-Week Basic Dog Obedience Training Formula

Learning new things can be stressful for your dog especially in the beginning when concepts and teaching methods are new. If your dog refused to eat during the early stages of training, stop the program and have a play session or calm your dog until it is relaxed and begins to accept treats again. This process may require 3 to 4 sessions but it is worth going through it to develop your dog’s positive attitude towards obedience.

Conduct 3 training sessions a day, each session lasting approximately 20 minutes while allowing at least 1 hour rest in-between sessions. In a 2-week period, there should be a total of 30 sessions.

Week 1 And Week 2

1) Teach your dog the “heel” command. Repeat a series of 3 to 5 circles and perform 5 series of 4-step “heels” per session.
2) Teach the “sit” and “release” command. Command your dog to “sit”, let it stay in the sit position for a moment then give the “release” command to release your dog from the “sit”. Repeat this series 5 times per session.
3) For each session, work on a series of 1 exercise and move to another exercise (i.e., work on one series of 4-step “heel”, then a series of “sit” and “break”, and finally a series of 4-step “heels”’).

Although dogs need repetition to learn a skill, you need a variety of exercises to keep them interested as they bore easily.

Week 3 And Week 4

1) Reinforce the “heel” command. Test the “heel” command from lessons learned from week 1 and week 2.
2) Reinforcing the “sit” and “release” command. Begin training your dog to hold the “sit” position starting from 5 seconds and gradually stretching the time to 10 seconds.
3) Begin teaching your dog the “down” command (use treats to lure your dog to teach it the command). Repeat the series 2 times per session in week 3 and 3 times per session in week 4.

Week 5 And Week 6

1) Continue to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands. Begin to include distractions when training “heel” and “sit” to train your dog to continue focusing on you even there are distractions.
2) Extend the concept of holding position to build patience by extending the “sit” from 5 – 10 seconds to 30 seconds – 1 minute before releasing the “sit” command.

When you test your dog, you should repeat each test until it passes the test 3 consecutive times.

3) Start to reinforce the “down” command in week 5 by removing the treat and shoulder help. During week 6, begin reinforcing without any bodily assistance. You can reintroduce treats as the reward but do not tempt your dog. Only reward your dog after it has successfully completed the “down” command.

Training sessions may become more stressful for both you and your dog as you progress from the teaching phase and enter into the more difficult reinforcing phase. If you find a particular test too tough for both of you; stop the exercise and continue to practice the skills individually, you can repeat that particular test a few days later.

While the length and regularity of the sessions remain unchanged since the first week, the sessions are becoming less predictable and require varieties to make them as interesting and effective as they can be.

Week 7 And Week 8

1) While continuing to reinforce and test the “heel”, “sit” and “release” commands, don’t forget to reinforce the “down” command as well. In 1 of every 3 sessions, add distractions to your basic commands. Improve “down from a stand” exercise with the “down” command.
2) Extend the time-span of the holding position and begin teaching the “stay” command.
3) Begin combining the different commands when training. Teach “sit” and “down” from your front and testing motion “down” and motion “sit”.
4) Start teaching the “come” command. Put your dog on “sit/stay” position, while walking backwards monitor the position holding skills. Body language plays an important role in teaching this command and sending the wrong signals sometimes causes your dog not to hold the position.

Week 9, Week 10 And After

1) Reinforce “stay” and “come” command. Always practice a short leash recall to reinforce the final finish position. Repeat at least 10 times per session. “Come” is the most important command but the least practiced of all the other commands.
2) Conduct test and reinforce all obedience commands. Practice all commands equally, working on each command as little as 1 or as many as 5 repetitions per series though you should avoid creating patterns.

Make exercises targeted towards your practical obedience application. Include distraction training in at least 1 out of every 3 obedience practice sessions.


DogTrainster aims to educate dog owners and lovers to adopt positive training approaches in training their dogs. To learn more us, visit us at DogTrainster.com - Ultimate Resource and Tips for Dog Training

How To Prevent A Dog Bite

Dog breeds in general have similar characteristics. Some dog breeds are more likely to kill than others and some breeds are more protective of their masters and physical surrounding than others. There has been a 20 year study to determine which dog breeds are more likely to actually kill human beings. This United States study was done for the years 1979 through 1998.

This study tracks 238 human deaths from dog attacks during a 20 year period. 24% of these attacks involved unrestrained dogs off their owners property. 58% of the deaths involved unrestrained dogs on their owners property. 17% involved restrained dogs on their owners property and less than 1% involved a restrained dog off the owners property.

Some of the conclusions of the study are not suprising. Yes, certain breeds are more likely to kill than others. Yes, deaths from dog attack are quite rare. Also it is sometimes difficult to determine the actual breed of a dog. Communities who try to ban specific dog breeds for public safety will find it difficult to define the parameters of what constitutes that breed.

Several factors interact with the dog to enhance the possibility of a human being attacked by a dog besides the breed of the dog. These factors include heredity, sex, early experience, socialization, training, health, reprodcutive status, quality of ownership and victum behavior. Additionally, this study did not look at intervening variable such as was the dog protecting his owner from serious harm or death or was the dog actually protecting himself from serious harm or death.

Male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite then female dogs. Sexually intact dogs,both male and female, are 2.6 more times likely to bite than neutered dogs and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite then unchained dogs.

One suprising conclusion of several studies is the fact that many varieties of dogs have been involved in a fatal human attack for one reason or another. Topping the list of deaths by dog in a twenty year period is the Pit Bull and Pit Bull mix at 66 human deaths. The Rottweiler and Rottweiler mix was responsibe for 39 human deaths. The German Shepherd dog and mix were responsible for 17 human deaths. The Husky type dog was responsible for 15 human deaths as was the Malamute responsible for 12 human deaths. The Chow Chow was responsible for 8 deaths while the Doberman was responsible for 9 human deaths. The Saint Bernard was responsible for 7 human deaths and the Great Dane was also responsible for 7 deaths. The Akita killed 4 people, the Bulldog 2, the Mastiff 2, the Boxer 2 and believe it or not the Labrador Retriever was responsible for 1 death while Lab mixes were responsible for 4 deaths. The following dogs were responsible for killing one human each during these twenty years: The Bullmastiff, Cheasapeake Bay Retriever, West Highland Terrier, Japanese Hunting Dog, Newfoundland, Coonhound, Sheepdog, Rhodesian Ridgeback and cocker Spaniel.

The conclusion that I make from this study is that almost any dog of size can be dangerous, particularly to children. Dogs must be properly trained, supervised, and care must be taken when choosing a breed with the propensity to be aggressive. Most important, keep young children away from male, sexually intact, chained dogs.

Below 40 Degrees Outside - Bring Your Pets In!

Care for your pets in cold weather just as you care for yourself. They depend on you to be sensitive to their needs and health. Animals left outside when temperatures fall below 40 degrees are not only subject to hypothermia, but they can even die.

Here are some tips to help make your animal companions more comfortable and safe during winter’s cold days and nights.

Keep your pets indoors, even if they have an enclosed cage or doghouse outside. Short-hair dogs and puppies are especially susceptible to frigid temperatures. An unheated garage or basement isn’t always the solution. Use a thermometer to determine if the temperature is consistently above 40 degrees.

If for some reason you are unable to bring your dog indoors, check their outdoor sleeping quarters for the following necessities. Doghouses should be large enough for your dog to stand up and turn around in and to allow for sleeping in a curled position, but it should not be too large. A large doghouse allows too much of the animal’s body heat to escape. The floor of the house should be raised a few inches off the ground and dry fresh bedding should be spread inside. Cedar shavings are the best if you don’t have a heated bed or mat. When using a heated mat, be sure it doesn’t cover the entire floor of the house to allow the dog to choose the degree of warmth needed. A flap of carpet over the opening will help hold in the heat.

Heated water bowls not only keep the water from freezing, but the warm water also helps to keep the core temperature of the animal’s body warmer.

Conduct regular ’paw checks’ for dogs brought in from outdoors. Be sure to clean away snow or ice from between toes and dry the paw pads thoroughly. Moisture, salt and other de-icers from sidewalks or roads can become trapped between the animal’s toes and cause sores or irritation to the point of bleeding.

Car engines provide a warm, inviting sleeping place for cats left out in the cold or in a garage, but serious injuries can be caused by the fan belt when the car is started. Be sure to tap loudly on the car hood or honk the horn before starting your car. Of course, cats are just as susceptible to frigid temperatures as dogs, so the best plan is to bring them indoors for the winter. There are heated beds and mats specifically for cats if they must be left in a cold garage or basement.

Antifreeze tastes sweet and delicious to your pet, but it is a deadly poison. Clean up any radiator drainage spots with water immediately. Ask for brands of antifreeze that are now safer for pets and more environmentally sound.

Frequent brushing of indoor pets is even more important in winter to remove dead skin and hair and help stimulate the animal’s oil glands. Low humidity can lead to dry, itchy skin and increased shedding.

Bottom line - use common sense when caring for your pets. Their life is in your hands.

How A Good Pet Care Guide Keeps The Vet Away

Just like human beings, animals have emotions and feelings too. They need the assurance that their masters love and care for them. In return, pets often reciprocate their love by demonstrating various forms of affection to their owners. These may include making soft purring sounds, licking and even body contacts like rubbing their heads or furs against them.

Pet care is an important responsibility of pet ownership. Pet care requires a lot of patience and is also a way of showing the animals that they are important to us. Pet care will include feeding our pets carefully and ensure that they are groomed properly to maintain a good health.

There are educational videos on pet care, that is, how to maintain the wellness and health of pets. These include various demonstrations on how to care for the different types of pets and what are the attentions required.

For four-legged pets such as dogs and cats, good pet care will include giving them regular baths, checking their paws and ears, trimming their nails as well as fixing regular health checks with a professional veterinarian.

Sanitation plays an important role to the health of the pets and their owners. Bathe your pets regularly and ensure that they are clean at all times. Buy a set of dishes especially for the pets and keep them separately from those used by human beings. After every use, wash the pets’ dishes thoroughly with soap and water, then give them a final rinse them with boiling water.

It is common for pets, especially dogs, to have fleas. Their bites are irritating and annoying; and make the pets feel uncomfortable if the scratching developed into skin rashes. Fleas are also the cause of other more dangerous and serious skin problems such as allergies or dermatitis. As such, good pet care will include conducting regular checks on the animals and getting rid of the fleas.

Dental care is another essential part of pet care. Most canine pets need to maintain a proper dental healthcare routine. A professional pet shop owner will be able to demonstrate the correct way to brush the animals’ teeth. This will prevent gum diseases or other health conditions related to poor oral hygiene.

Products such as detergents, cleaners, fertilizers and pesticides, must be kept well out of the way in the house. These contain chemicals that may be lethal or poisonous to animals and should not be within their reach. This is another way to exercise proper pet care.

Every pet owner, especially those first time owners, should be prepared for the big responsibility of having and owning a pet, as pet care takes more than just skills and experience. Value the existence of nature’s creations and ensure that the animals are given the best pet care. Lastly, always choose the best pet products and supplies so that your pet will have the best nutrition and pet care available.