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The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 11-17

What a week it was here in the Pets Blog last week. I thought I had troubles trying to find Wayne something from Murphy, Tabby, and Kitty for Father’s Day, but my problems were trivial when compared to what Aimee and Moose had to endure. (Okay, they were trivial anyway, but Aimee’s situation really brought that point home.) If you feel like you missed something, check out the daily recaps below to get caught up. Monday, June 11 Aimee, Moose, and Lally’s move has been anything but smooth. Unfortunately Moose’s bad luck continued last week when he broke free of … Continue reading →

Training Your Dog With the Gentle Leader

Wearing a Gentle Leader is going to be an unusual experience for your dog — especially if he’s only used to wearing a traditional collar. The nose loop may feel very weird, kind of like a person wearing glasses for the very first time. His nose may itch or tickle. What might your dog do to resist the Gentle Leader? Paw at his face. Roll on the ground. Rub his face on furniture, people’s legs, or the carpet. Bark or whine. Petting your dog and telling him “it’s okay” will reinforce this behavior. Save the praise for when he is … Continue reading →

The Gentle Leader

Is your dog a puller? You may want to try the Gentle Leader. This head-collar is not a muzzle — the dog is able to eat, drink, pant, play, bark, and even bite when the Gentle Leader is on. The Gentle Leader has two straps — one loops loosely around the muzzle and one loops around the neck. The nose loop helps mimic pack behavior — an alpha will grab a subordinate’s muzzle in his mouth to demonstrate dominance. The nose loop lets your dog know that you are his superior. The neck strap puts pressure at the back of … Continue reading →

New Pet Products for 2011

Before Christmas pet website Zootoo published a list of new holiday pet products. None of the items are explicitly Christmas-themed, however, so I thought I’d share them now; maybe you might even be able to find some of these at post-holiday discount prices. The Walking My Dog Kid-Sized Leash is the latest product meant to make those dog walks easier. My little 20-pound shepherd/beagle mix gives the leash such a hefty pull that I use a Gentle Leader with her on walks, so I can imagine how difficult it might be for children to hold a lead for many dogs. … Continue reading →

How to Use a Choke Chain Properly

When I wrote about why we never leave home without Murph’s choke chain, I mentioned a recent incident where I ran across someone who took exception to my using a choke chain on Murph. It’s not the first time it’s happened. I wasn’t always key on the idea of a choke chain myself. I remember thinking, “Wow. That seems like kind of a mean way to discipline a dog.” But that’s before my neighbor shared a video with me where a guy gave a great explanation on how to use a choke chain humanely. (Unfortunately I don’t remember either the … Continue reading →

Why We Never Leave Home Without Murph’s Choke Chain

Murph’s leash and choke chain Spring fever is most definitely in the air. Since we’ve had some spells of excellent walking-in-the-park or on longer-walks-through-the-neighborhood weather recently, Murph and I have been getting out more. So has everyone else. Inevitably we stop to chit chat. Sometimes with strangers, sometimes with people we already know. Some of these encounters are pleasant, some are not. Lately I’ve had two people on separate occasions comment about Murph’s choke chain. Mainly they’ve expressed unfavorable opinions about the use of them. “I think that is so cruel. Those things are so painful,” one lady said to … Continue reading →