One of the latest trends is the Furminator grooming treatment.  We have customers who request this deshedding process at our store and they have seen a decrease in shedding with their dogs.  The trend has gotten so popular that we are noticing that dog owners are taking the initiative to purchase the Furminator tools and treatment and attempt the process on their own.

What they do not realize is that it is an extensive process and that by having the Furminator tools, shampoo and conditioner is not enough.  It is an extensive process where you are getting rid of the loose undercoat with the correct brush, (not necessarily the Furminator raking tool) making sure the conditioner sets for a while, blow drying until the dog is completely dry and then you finally get to use the Furminator tool.

So it’s not as magical as some people think and just having the tools and treatment will not necessarily guarantee a good grooming job.    Some long dog hairs take up to a minimum of 2 hours to really see the benefits of a deshedding process.   If you do not have a powerfull dryer I would not recommend doing this on your own. The dog must be thourougly dry before you can finish the process and the ordinary house hold dryer and towels will take forever to get a dog dry, especially a long hair dog.

Take the time to ask yourself do you have the right tools and patience to see this deshedding process through before purchasing a kit.  If not save yourself the headaches and have your local groomer do it right.

The holidays are here and we celebrate by being with friends, families and gift giving.   What you might assume to make this holiday event even more spectacular is a cute little puppy in our pictures?   Sounds like a scene from a lifetime movie.   The reality is that unless you have few guests and events you will not have enough time to devote to a new puppy to get situated in his or her new home.

A new puppy needs your full attention to become a good dog later.  The longer you wait to train the harder it is to break any bad habits.   If you had your full attention devoted to the puppy you can start right away on potty training, getting use to his or her bed and obeying your commands.   If you do not pay attention to this right away your puppy will create his or her own rules which could result in chaos in your household. 

Picking up poop during your holiday party or ripped up Christmas presents does not sound fun at all.

During these hard economic we are all trying to save money.   However you might end up paying more by going with the cheaper mass produced pet food.  Your pet will eat more of  the bi-product food.  They will crave more nutrients and will keep eating until they are satisfied. 

You might be saving per bag but it will cost you more depending  how fast your pet consumes the food.  So on average if your pet eats around two cups of healthy all natural food they will eat about three to four cups of the cheaper bi-product to be satisfied.  The average large bag of all natural pet food will be  consumed in a month when compared to the cheaper bi-product brand that will be consumed in 2 or 3 weeks.

Even eating more of the less healthy food will cause other issues like bad digestion and your pet may feel less energetic.

I almost feel guilty for selling plush toys at our store that rip apart in 10 seconds once your dog gets to them.  We sell them because our customers like the cute fuzzy animal characters.  So when one of these toys are purchased we make sure to tell out customer to grab the cotton stuffing before it’s gobbled up from their dogs.  Now I have not heard any dog being sick for eating the cotton and normally it comes out.  My proof was in the backyard. 

However for dogs to maintain their healthy digestive system and prevent diarrhea we advise either to get a more durable toy that won’t be destroyed instantly or pick up the cotton stuffings right away and let your dog chew on the outer cover of the stuffed toy.  Some dogs get to the stuffings faster than others so be on alert.

For a durable toy take a look at our Kong balls or West Paw Zogoflex toys.  They should last a lot longer and you don’t have to worry about your dog swallowing unhealthy material.

One of the questions we get from our customers is “What do you do when your dog hears a loud sound?”  The customers concern is that any loud sound will terrify their dog.  If you have a puppy you can start right away with praising or rewarding when they hear a loud noise and do not react.  That way the puppy associates loud noises as positive.  Remember dogs can distinquish sounds up to 4 times as much as humans.  So if it is loud to human  it’s definitely loud to dogs.

One event that comes to mind is Fourth of July where you can expect  fireworks and many loud noises.   If you know there is going to be any loud noise ahead of time there are things you can do to assist you dog so they are not scared. 

• Avoid the area and get of town where there are no fireworks being set off.
• If you can’t get out of town drive to a place where you know there is going to be the least amount of fireworks.
• Have treats or a toy to distract your dog
• Have cotton balls available to stick in your dog ears to dampen the noise.
• If you hear a loud noise cover their ears up with your hands and praise for not reacting.  

These are a few suggestions to make it positive for your dog to deal with loud noise.  Eventually your dog will not be afraid or associate the noise as a way of them getting a toy or treat.

 Deshedding process.  Cuts down on the shedding.