A TRIP TO THE VET

We take our dogs, Jack and Joe, to the vet every year for their annual check ups which usually include shots. It is fun to go and the dogs don't seem to mind. Afterall, they are riding in the truck and they love the word GO. It is always a race to see who can get to the truck first!

But, this last time was an emergency visit. Joey was out in the field running and having fun when he started to rub his head on the ground. We thought he was rubbing on something dead and smelly (which he sometimes does, why do dogs have to roll in the foulest smelling thing they can find) and made him stop. By late afternoon I notice his right eye was all red and we thought he probably had something in his eye so we started washing his eye out with Visine. By the next morning we noticed his eye was tearing profusely so we immediately called our Veterinarians Office.

Thankfully they could see Joey in an hour. I loaded him up in the truck and we were off. The Vet tried to take a look but Joey (a very stubborn dog, German, you know) would not let him get very close. Doc could not see anything and decided he needed to get him sedated so he could take a good look. I wasn't prepared to leave him there, only because he had never been left alone before and I was afraid he would be scared. But, I knew I had to and reluctantly handed the leash over to the doctor's assistant. I could come back in 3 hours to pick Joey up.

While at home Jack kept looking for Joey as he has never been separated from him since we brought him home a year and a half ago. I don't know if Jack was thinking "finally, they got rid of that pest" or "hey, where did Joe go, I miss my buddy".

Well, I couldn't wait 3 hours; so, in 2 hours I was on my way back to the Vet's office. Joey was out of surgery and coming out of the anesthetic, although still dis-oriented and wobbley. Was I ever happy to see this dog even though he didn't come running into my arms, as I had hoped. He staggered like a drunken sailor not sure of which way to go. Poor baby!

The vet took a piece of ornamental grass from Joey's third eye lid. The dog third eyelid rarely is noticed in a healthy dog. When the eye is closed, this fleshy membrane extends through the eye surface below the external eyelids. Poor Joey was a sight for sore eyes!

It has been 7 days since his trip to the Vet and he is almost back to normal. The redness is gone and there is just a little swelling on the lower lid. Thanks Doc!

THE GREAT OUTDOORS!

The season is changing and even though my preferred season is warm and sunny my "boys" Jack and Joe love the Fall. It is time for the temperature to cool down so running around outside is much more fun. Here is Joey running through the deep grass and having a blast. Both our dogs love to run in the deep grass but their favorite is the corn field behind our house. They get in those rows of corn and fly! I can't figure it out but they sure enjoy spending time out there. Jack is the serious one and has found something in the field that has captured his attention.

Somehow they both know that it is Hunting Season and soon they will be out in the fields with their noses to the ground picking up the scent of pheasants. Their energy has changed along with the changing of the seasons. They are looking for the tell tale signs of hunting, like which socks are you putting on today and are you sure you want to wear those pants!

If you own a hunting dog you know what I mean. Somehow your dog just knows what season it is. My husband tries to sneak his gun and vest out to the truck and even though the dogs don't see him, they know what he is doing and follow him like a shadow. You can't turn around without tripping over one of them. You can almost see the smile on their faces (yes, dogs do smile) when you say "let's go", and you better get out of the way because nothing is going to stop them from getting to the truck.

Our dogs are German Wirehaired Pointers and they have a lot of energy. They are not the kind of dogs that sleep all day and you don't know that they are around, no these dogs are in your face spend time with me dogs. If you want a good hunting dog that loves to be part of a family and you have time to get them outside to run and play, then this is the dog for you. We love our GWP's, energy and all!

The Importance of Dog Treats

If you have a dog or have had dogs in the past, you know the importance of Dog Treats. They are used for so many reasons.

TOP 2 REASONS FOR DOG TREATS

#1 - Training, then there is training, oh ya and training. Are you getting the idea? Dog Treats are one of the most important elements when training your dog. You will be using dog treats from the very earliest training times.

#2 - Rewarding. Rewarding your animal when he has accomplished what you have asked of him is like giving your son or daughter a hug. Dogs understand dog treats. The word treat will make his tail wag and put a smile on his face.

You've heard the saying "food is the way to a man's heart"... well, dog treats are the way to your dogs heart. When your dog is a puppy you will want small little treats that can easily be chewed when he is being trained. For every act of obedience you will give that pup a tasty dog treat. After a while he will get the idea of what you are asking of him and do that "trick" every single time. Before you know it he will respond to your command without receiving a dog treat. These dog treats will be used for basic training of the sit, stay, come and down commands. Your goal should be to have these commands obeyed verbally, without dog treats, by the time your pet is 6 months old and if you are very deligent in your training your dog will obey these commands even sooner.

Read the labels of your dog treats. Look for high amounts of protein and low amounts of sodium. Be especially mindful of labels that say by products (this means that if it is a chicken product they are using the beak, feet and basically everything but the feathers). And, if you can, find products that contain glucosamine, this is very good for the animals joints.

Some dog treats are very good for your dogs dental health but stay away from the rawhides. This is what my vet has told me because digestion problems. If you have ever seen a dog with rawhide you will notice that after your dog has chewed on it for awhile it becomes soft and pliable and if swallowed could be very hard to digest. We have several of the nylon bones but you also must be careful with them because once chewed small parts become jagged and could cut your dogs mouth.

There are several very good products on the market so be very selective and read the labels.

As you can see, our oldest dog, Jack loves big tree branchs that he hauls out of the woods next to our house. He then proceeds to chew them up all over the yard. Thankfully he doesn't eat them he just chews them to pieces!

And yes, in the picture above that is sweet corn that our dogs are eating. That is their preferred dog treat. At the time Jack was 2 years old and Joey was only 4 months old, but nothing has changed, they still love sweet corn.

DOG TRAINING COLLARS

The dog training collar is used primarily for hunting dogs and a good dog training collar can make all the difference to you and to the success of your dog. There are several models on the market today and you need to find the product that suits you and your dog. I am not an expert but I can tell you that we have two excellent bird dogs and we have had great success with the collar we chose.

All dog breeds can benefit from the dog training collar but before I go into the specific dog training collar lets look at some dog training ABC's. There are 5 basic steps in dog training that you should practice without fail.

***FIVE BASIC STEPS IN DOG TRAINING***

#1 - A young puppy at 8 weeks old is ready, able and more than willing to please you. So start your dog training early. You'll be surprised at how much a young puppy can learn.

#2 - You need to have perfect timing. Praise at the exact time your puppy does something correctly is when you need to pile on the praise. Get excited and let him know how happy you are. But remember, the timing has to be perfect!

#3 - Patience, I say patience is as important as anything when you are training your puppy. If you get upset and impatient your puppy won't want to spend time in training. This is not play time but he has to be enjoying the dog training.

#4 - Consistency. If you say sit one day and down the next he won't know what you want. Sit has to be sit every single time. Choose short one word commands. Say them crisp and clear.

Sit should mean sit, down must mean lay down and off must mean stay off, whether that is on the furniture or a person. Off is off. Again, I must say, use short one word commands.

#5 - In the beginning you must praise all correct behavior not only with words but also with treats and petting. Be enthusiastic, let him know how happy you are. As the weeks go by you can start eliminating some of the treats but always praise your puppy when he has correct behavior.

Now, back to the dog training collar. When you are first training your dog you will want a light weight nylon collar that snaps on and off very easily. You will also want a nylon leash. These items will help you with your dog training and one of the things you will want your puppy to do well is walk on a leash. You certainly don't want to be pulled through the park!

At about 4 months old we got a hunting dog collar for Jack. This collar would give him a shock if he needed one or it would give a beep if you needed to locate him. Your dog can easily get lost in the tall brush while out in the pheasant hunting fields. There are some collars that continually beep while on your dog but I don't favor this type of dog collar. We chose the Dogtra dog hunting collar. The controls hang on your neck, so you can easily beep or shock, whichever is needed, and you have your hands free for hunting. You can adjust the level of shock but once the dog knows that if he misbehaves he is going to get a poke you will rarely need to use that button. We have two dogs and they each have there own hunting dog collar and the one remote operates both collars. This hunting dog collar is rugged. Our dogs have been in the water, snow and mud with their collars on and they still operate like they were brand new.

THE RAISED DOG BOWLS

We have always had dogs which meant we needed dog collars, leashs, dog bowls and dog beds. And, to be honest we have never thought much about the dog bowls other than it had to be big enough. Especially when it comes to the dog bowls that hold the water. You want something that holds a lot of water so that you are not constantly refilling the bowls and the dog food bowls needed to be the right size to hold the amount of food that was needed.

Now with our little minature poodle it was an easy task finding the right dog bowls. She was a little dog and all she needed was small bowls. Of course they had to have some style but that is a different story. But now we have German Wirehaired Pointers. They are a middle sized breed and so we purchased medium sized dog bowls for both of our boys. We selected stainless steel dog bowls for both the water and the food. They are easy to clean, light weight and they travel easily with no worries of breaking if they are dropped.



Then came along our little Joey. This is his picture. He was laying down to eat!
Was he lazy? Well of course not. He was tiring us out with all his energy. Why in the world would he lay down and eat like that?

Then I got on the internet and started looking at different dog bowls. I couldn't believe the choices. Different materials, colors and styles. And then I discovered the raised dog bowls. What a wonderful concept. The little dogs like our little miniature poodle would never need to have her dog bowls raised but the German Wirehaired Pointers have long legs and being a medium sized dog having a raised dog bowl would really be helpful whether they are eating or drinking.

Of course I purchased two raised dog bowls. One for Jack and one for Joey. Each raised stand holds two dog bowls, one for water and one for food. The bowls are easy to clean and when we travel the bowls stack inside one another for easy storage.

If you have a medium to large dog and you don't have a raised dog bowl please consider it.

How to Care for a DOG!

Selecting a dog for the family is a very important step. There are so many breeds and each breed has its distinct personality. There are no hard and fast rules to follow when selecting your puppy but there are several guidelines to follow.

So that you know how to care for a dog you must pick the right dog for your family and situation. For instance, if you don't have time to spend with an energetic dog you probably will not want a German Wirehaired Pointer or Golden Retriever or any hunting dog for that matter. These breeds have high energy and love to run and need some room. To care for a dog you must be willing to spend time with him especially when it comes to training.

To care for a dog it is important to understand how and at what age a puppy develops.

Here is a schedule of DOG DEVELOPMENT which will help you care for a dog !

Birth to 7 Weeks old: To care for a dog at this age he needs food, sleep and warmth. He needs his mother for security and discipline and his littermates for learning & interacting with other dogs. Puppies learn to function as a pack and this is where they learn pack order of dominance. This is a time to start socializing the puppie with adults and children, but just for short periods of time.

8 Weeks to 12 Weeks Old: To care for a dog during this period of time it is important for him to start socializing with the outside world. His brain is fully developed and he needs to change from the canine pack to the human pack because human dominance is necessary. A fear period occurs during this time and you should avoid fright and pain.

13 Weeks to 16 Weeks Old: To care for a dog during this time you should start with his training and formal obedience. Less association with other dogs and more association with people, places and situations. Remember, this is the time your puppy is changing from a baby to an adolescent. You need to be firm but fair. His flight instinct is very prominent now, keep your eye on him. Being too lenient or over discipling can do permanent damage. Praise your dog for good behavior. Remember, he wants to please you.

4 Months to 8 months Old: To care for a dog at this time be cautious because this is another fright period. It doesn't last long but be cautious. His sexual maturity is reached (a good time to think about neutering). Your dogs dominant traits are established and he should understand these commands; sit, down, come and stay.

These are pictures of our Joey. He has lots of energy, loves to be outside and has a passion for pheasant hunting. How to care for a dog..... Training, Time but most of all LOVE. Look at that face...how could you not love this little guy!

How to care for a dog - your dog. Find a good book on the breed you have chosen. It will give you a step by step for all you need to know about your breed.

The Dog Bed Game

Where does your dog sleep? Does he have a dog bed? What kind of dog bed does he have? Sorry, too many questions.... But it is very important to have a place for your dog to sleep and he should have his own dog bed. There are so many to choose from and it will depend largely on where he/she will be sleeping.

Again, I am no expert but, currently I have 2 German Wirehaired Pointers (which I adore) and I can only tell you what has worked for me.

Now some people won't allow their dogs in the house. Personally I can't imagine having a dog and keeping it tied up outside. It breaks my heart to see how some animals are treated. I know they are only dogs but dogs have feelings and I know that they can feel sadness. I just have to look at the eyes of my boys when I tell them "you have to stay home" you would think that they are going to cry but when I get home....well, smiles on their faces and their eyes light up. So you just can't tell me that dogs don't have some of the emotions of we humans. But I have lost focus and should get back to the dog beds.

As for our house, even though we have a larger breed of dog, our dogs are house dogs and they sleep in dog beds. Well, at least most of the time! There are a lot of different kinds of dog beds and you will have to decide on your prefered style. I don't really think it matters what kind of bed you choose what is important is that your beloved animal have a place of his own. The dog bed will be a place he retreats to when he wants to be alone or needs a nap. When you first bring your puppy home and you use a kennel or crate you will need a dog bed inside the kennel.

Here are some suggestions.

#1 - Coolaroo Steel Pet Bed - Now this dog bed is built on a steel frame with a material mat to sleep on. It looks like an Army cot but in much prettier colors.
The advantages of this dog bed are the facts that it is easy to clean and the air circulates for cooler sleeping.Coolaroo Steel Pet Bed with Knitted Fabric

#2 - Midwest Quiet Time Pet Bed - Now this is a furry dog bed which works well in any corner of the room, it has sides which our dogs like. Some of the advantages of this bed is the fact that it is easy to move from room to room and it fits inside your kennel.Midwest Quiet Time Pet Bed

#3 - Solvit Deluxe Bench Seat Cover - Now this isn't a dog bed unless your dog sleeps in the car. This is a cover for your car or truck seat when bringing your best friend for a ride. This is a great cover to have. It is easy to clean, easy to install and best of all it gives your dog a little security because it doesn't slide around on the seat.Solvit Deluxe Bench Seat Cover


As for my dogs we have all of the above items at our house. Now Jack sneaks away in the middle of the day where his prefered resting place is my bed! I've allowed this to happen since he was a pup but if you don't want your dog to make your bed his dog bed keep him off when he is a puppy. Oh, and by the way our dogs, Jack and Joe, sleep in our bedroom at night but they are on their dog beds.

I guess the important thing is that you love your dog and it really doesn't matter where he sleeps, if it is on the floor, on a rug or in a dog bed. But, I can guarantee that he will want to be near you if he can be.

How to Care for A Dog

You might think it is easy to take care of a dog. But it isn't. Dogs are a lot of work, especially if you care for them properly. I am no expert in dog care but I do have some hands on experience with dogs as we have had several and I must say our dogs have always been well behaved and a joy to be around. I've loved dogs since I was a little girl and all these years later I still love having a dog (or two) around.

........................................TIPS ON HOW TO CARE FOR A DOG.....................................................

How to care for a dog #1 - LOVE.. You really need to love that puppy. You need to expect that there will be a few problems when you bring the puppy home. Imagine, he's been taken away from his mother and siblings for the first time in his short little life; he's in a new environment with new sounds and noises and he really doesn't know what is expected of him. So, even the discipline needs to be done with love. Your new puppy wants to make you happy and he will love you unconditionally!

How to care for a dog #2 - BE CONSISTENT.. That means with everything. You should feed your puppy at the same times every day and remember their tummies are small. A puppy should be fed 3 or 4 times a day and the feedings should decrease as the dog matures... Your training periods should be at the same time every day...and for heavens sake if you don't want your dog on the sofa then no means no everytime he tries to get on the sofa not just some of the time.

How to care for a dog #3 - TRAINING.. This is very important. Your puppy has no clue as to how you want him to behave. He's a puppy and all he knows is what he has been doing with his litter mates. Pick the same time every day and work on the basics. You know sit, come, stay and heel. These are the most important and your puppy will work hard to please you. Be firm when you are training. Don't over work your puppy when you first start you might only spend 5 or 10 minutes with him and then gradually increase the time, but never overdo you want him to enjoy this time not hate it.

How to care for a dog #4 - EXERCISE... Now this is fun time but it is also very important. This will keep your dog physically fit and mentally sound. This makes for a happy dog. The amount of exercise depends on the breed of dog. Now we have German Wirehaired Pointers and they need lots of exercise. We run them twice a day for at least an hour. They can't tell time but somehow they know when it is time to go for their run because they go sit by the door.

How to care for a dog #5 - GROOMING... Dogs need brushing and bathing, nail clipping and teeth brushing. Yup, teeth brushing! Again, how often will depend on the breed of dog. If you start getting into the habit of brushing and start when the dog is young you can both enjoy the experience. Generally speaking bathing is only needed a few times a year unless your dog has rolled in something that smells so bad you want to gag or if and when that skunk gets them. Yes, both my dogs have been skunked. As for the nail clipping, we take our dogs to the vet and have it done however there are good products on the market for home use and if your dog is patient and doesn't mind having his feet touched you can do this yourself. Now for the teeth brushing. I will say this again, start this right away and let him get use to the brush in his mouth. This is good teeth maintenance for your dog and his teeth are very important to him.

These are a few tips on how to care for a dog and I hope they are helpful to you. We love our dogs and try to take very good care of them. The time spent with training is well worth the effort and it will make your dog a joy to be around.

Dog Collars

DO YOU HAVE A PUPPY? If you do this is a very busy time for you. Or is your dog fully grown and becoming your pride and joy (after the children of course). I can only tell you about the experiences we have had bringing our puppies home.

After going to the breeder and picking River Jackson, our German Wirehaired Pointer, out of the litter we soon found out that was the easiest part and that wasn't easy at all. So many cute faces and little round bodies all clamoring for you to touch them. Well, once we got home and reflected on the little one we choose it was time to go shopping. Thats right. SHOPPING! The first on the list was a dog collar and leash. I think the dog collar is a very serious decision. So many colors, materials and styles. Dog collars really do come in all shapes and sizes and selecting the right one for your pup is important. We selected a nylon collar with a nylon leash as our first dog collar. It was lightweight and easy to clip on and off plus it adjusted as he grew and believe me puppies grow fast. The next dog collar was chamo, just because he was a hunting dog and he needed to be "cool". Once he was out in the field hunting he just had to have a hunters orange collar and the best dog collar of all is the DOGTRA Training or Hunting collar.

Here are a list of things that should be on your shopping list.

1. dog collar and leash

2. dog food and water bowls

3. dog crate and crate pad (this is for training purposes and a place to sleep)

4. dog toys (very important because puppies are teething and they like to chew)

5. dog food

Once you get your puppy home the "potty training" starts and it starts immediately. You will want to have a good cleaner so that when the puppy has his accidents, and he will, you can immediately spray the area to eliminate the odor. A good one that is reasonable priced is Pee

Away.

You will want to put his dog collar on right away. At first it will be an irritant to him and he will want to scratch it off but keep the dog collar on and he will adjust to it very soon. Now with Jack since he had his dog collar on all the time, day and night, it was easy to attach his leash and take him outside for his "potty calls" and for his fun time.

THIS WORKED FOR ME! To show Jack what his boundaries were, and where he could and could not go, every time I took him outside with his dog collar and leash I would let him investigage our yard and if he went to an area that was "off limits" he received a firm jerk of the leash and told OUT! To this day he knows where his yard stops and the neighbors begins plus he stays out of the flower garden. What a good boy!

Jack was out in the field guiding pheasant hunts by the time he was 8 months old and yes he was pointing and putting out pheasants. From his very first hunt we knew we had a very special dog.

Jack needed a good hunting dog collar and we selected the DOGTRA. It has a button on the remote to beep the dog so you can find him in tall brush and you have the "zing" button if you need to use it.

I hope some of these tips are helpful to you and your new puppy or even your adult dog.

Hunting Dog Collars

Don't you just love dogs. We do in our family. We have two German Wirehaired Pointers. The oldest one is Jack. Jack is 3 years old and he has a very serious personality. He is all business all the time. Whether you are throwing a frisbee, a tennis ball or a stick he is very determined in what he is doing. You've heard the term "shop til you drop"....well this dog would "hunt til he dropped!" You can't say the word pheasant or hunting without him going totally beserk (we now have to spell words we don't want him to hear)and whatever you do don't let him see his hunting dog collar. You see he has his everyday collars, like the blue one you see here in the picture or his hunters orange collar, but that hunting dog collar means he gets to go hunting. When that hunting dog collar comes out he won't even eat!

Now you might ask "What's the difference between a collar and a hunting dog collar?" Well, it is a huge difference. The hunting dog collar is two pieces. The collar itself and then the remote control. Something like the TV remote only with fewer buttons. With some remotes you can "tone" your dog or if he is doing something you don't want him to do like chase deer, you can give him a little zing. The hunting dog collar we use has a locator button so if your dog gets out ahead of you or if the brush is too deep and you are having a hard time finding him, you just push the locator button and it will beep. This collar also has a "zing" button. We use the DOGTRA hunting dog collar and just love it.

This is a wonderful tool for you as well as for the dog. Jack learned very quickly what the tone meant and what the beep meant and the best thing is that he knows when that collar is on he had better be very obedient. It's like having invisible fencing, only less expensive. We even use it at the house when we are outside. It keeps Jack in his yard and out of the road. Like I say, Jack has learned to be very obedient with his hunting dog collar on. But then Jack is the serious one and has always been a great dog. A quick learner and very social.

Now our youngest German Wirehaired Pointer is Joe. Joe has a totally different personality and is not so serious unless he is hunting. Joey is just 1 year old. He likes to make you laugh and you can just see it in his eyes that he will get into mischief any time you are not looking. We put the hunting dog collar on Joe anytime we take him outside. He knows that if he doesn't mind he gets a little zing. Joe was out in the field guiding a bird hunt when he was 4 months old, of course he had his older brother Jack out showing him the ropes but he was pointing his first birds and his points were picture perfect.

The DOGTRA collar we have is a double collar. So we have 2 hunting dog collars with 1 remote. The hunting dog collars are waterproof and very durable.

I can't wait to tell you more about our two GWP's. There is so much to tell and so many great pictures of them.