Doggie Blog

10 Tech Gifts That Will Make Your Dog Jump for Joy 0

Think of how tech products enhance your everyday life. You perhaps have a watch to monitor your heart rate, an app for avoiding traffic, and a mobile wallet for buying stuff.

You probably even use technology to waste time (Temple Run, anyone?). Why not let your furry friend enjoy the same sort of benefits that you do from technology?

After all, you want your dog's days to be filled with joy and exercise. Here are the 10 best tech gifts for your dog!

1. A Camera for Facetiming

If you get a two-way audio and visual camera, you can directly face-time with your pup. That comes in handy if you and your dog miss each other while you're at work, running errands, or traveling.

You can also use the camera to see what they're doing (hopefully nothing mischievous!).

2. Calming Device

Separation anxiety affects 20-40% of dogs, with many others having anxiety continuously. This means most dogs require something to deal with the disorder.

Calming devices, like a calming collar and speaker that plays soothing sounds, can help your pup feel at ease.

3. Automatic Ball Thrower

Dogs need 30 minutes to two hours of exercise per day, according to petMD. An automatic ball thrower can ensure they run and have fun as they should, even if you're busy or tired.

4. LED Glowing Ball

Have a dog that likes to play fetch all day and night? This kind of toy was made for them.

5. Virtual Assistant

Well, this is more for the dog owner. Life can get busy, as you know. Having a virtual assistant allows you to quickly order the dogs all the necessary things on the go.

From multivitamins for staying healthy to shampoos for staying clean, you can get what your dog needs by just telling Alexa.

6. Cooling Collars and Pads

As veterinary experts note, heat strokes can kill dogs. And when you go out in the summer, your dog still has that layer of fur, while you have a cozy t-shirt and shorts.

To help avoid overheating, get a cooling pad and a cooling collar. This, along with avoiding overexertion and drinking water, will reduce the potential for a heat stroke during those hot summer days.

7. Paw Cleaner

Dogs get dirty. It's part of having a blast!

Instead of doing all the paw cleaning work manually with a towel, get a paw cleaning bucket. These buckets are lined with gentle silicone bristles that scrape mud and debris off your pup's paws. This way, your home doesn't get messy.

8. Automatic Dog Feeder

Every dog has a preferred diet pattern. An automatic dog feeder enables you to customize eating schedules, regardless of where you are during the day.

Plus, if you see that your dog has been behaving well, you can use these automatic feeders to give your loved one a treat. Just remember: Treats should only make up 5-10% of your pup's diet.

9. Dog Treadmill

Looking for a way to keep your dog active during bad weather days? Consider a dog treadmill.

You could even go for a run alongside your furry pal (and be workout buddies!).

10. GPS Tracker

The ASPCA® estimates 15% of dog owners have lost their pet at some point. 85% of those owners recovering their loved one, but that's still a lot of people losing their dog.

To prevent such a terrible situation, get an advanced GPS tracker on your dog. Your pup will hardly notice it, and you'll be able to locate them quickly if the unfortunate happens.

Making the Most of Tech for Your Dog

The nifty pet gadgets on the market today can improve your dog's physical and emotional health, as well as make life more enjoyable for you.

To enhance your dog's life, even more, get the best dietary products. Health supplements, such as multivitamins and hip and joint supplements, can make them feel better on a daily basis. That will ensure your pup lives a happy and fulfilling life and can make the most of all these awesome tech gadgets you have for them.

5 New Tricks You Can Teach Your Old Dog 0

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but is that really true? Sure, puppies and younger dogs might learn faster than a senior dog, but many older dogs are still puppies at heart and are just as eager to please. Let's take a look at some new tricks you can teach your senior dog. You'll both have fun in the process and what's more, learning new things is great for mental and physical agility and could even prolong the life of your best friend.

1. Target Training Using Touch

This is a great one for less mobile dogs as it's really simple and doesn't require any agility on their part. The outcome of this trick is to get your dog to touch something with his nose. It could be your hand, a toy or even a light switch if you want to get fancy. The great thing is that you can start off really simple and then add complexity as you and your dog get more confident. Start with your hand as the target. Call your dog and hold your hand out to him. His instinct will be to sniff. As he does so, his nose will come into contact with your hand. At this point, you can use a clicker and small treat to signal he has done a great job. Repeat a few times with the word "touch" so that he understands what you want him to do each time.

2. Putting Toys Away

Even grown-up doggies need to tidy away their toys when they are done playing. It's also a fun game that your dog will love to take part in. Start with an empty box that your dog could easily drop his toys into. If you have a small dog, a shallow tray may be best. Take one of your dog's favorite toys and encourage your dog to come to you to play. Drop the toy on the ground and let your dog pick it up. Move the box closer to him and if he drops the toy near the box, give him lots of praise. As you continue to play around the box, give him lots of praise if he drops the toy into the box, even if it is by accident. Repeat with the command "tidy time" and give your dog a treat every time he manages to put his toy away.

3. Yawning on Command

This is a cute trick that your dog can learn. This one is all about capturing and encouraging behavior using clicker training. It's very much like the target training touch trick, but you will have to wait for your dog to yawn to capture the desired behavior. Whenever you catch your dog yawning, say a keyword like "yes" or "good boy" and click once on your clicker. Reward your dog with a treat or his favorite toy. Once your dog learns that yawning gets him a reward, you can start to encourage him to do it on command. Use a fun command like "take a nap" or "sleepy time" to really take this trick to cuteness overload.

4. Ring a Bell to Go Outside

This is a trick that all owners will love! With the bell trick, you will always know when your dog needs to go outside to play or do his business. Tie a small bell to a piece of string and hang it on your door. The idea is to get your dog to nudge it with his nose every time he wants to go outside. If he's already mastered the touch trick, great! If not, start with the touch trick and gradually work up to the bell. He'll soon learn that nudging the bell brings him the reward of being let outside.

5. Find It

This is a great trick for dogs of all abilities, even those that might be less nimble or have sight or hearing problems. The "find it" trick teaches dogs to use their noses with purpose to find a hidden toy or treat. Start with one of their favorite toys. Don't hide it the first time. Put it somewhere your dog can see it and then say "find it" with enthusiasm. As soon as your dog picks up the toy, give him a treat. Do this a number of times before you hide the toy. Your dog will start looking around for the toy and eventually use his nose to flush it out.

Reveal Your Dog's Inner Puppy

It's amazing how much your older dog can do with a little encouragement. What's more, learning together is a fun and rewarding experience that will benefit you and your dog in so many ways. Above all else, have fun experimenting with your dog, push his limits a little and stop when he's had enough. You'll find his inner puppy in no time!

Acclimating a New Dog With the Dog You Have 0

Many people have dogs as pets and for those who think of their dogs as family (and well they should), sometimes it's better to have more than one. You probably have plenty of room in your heart for another dog but does your current dog feel the same?

Here are some tips on acclimating a new dog with the dog you have.

Take It Slow

Allow plenty of time for your dogs to get to know each other and do it in a safe environment. Always have control over both dogs - even if that means having someone help you. Allow them to see each other but don't rush things. And never just let your dogs loose together before they get along.

Use Neutral Territory

One way to preempt any fighting over territory is to have the two dogs meet on neutral ground and while leashed. Take both dogs for a walk and allow them to be near each other on a leash, away from home. Walk to a park, or with permission, use a neighbor's yard. Just keep them out of the house for a closer meeting at first.

If you feel they are getting along well, try it with the leashes dragging. Do this only in a secure place but allow plenty of room for them to get to know each other from a distance, if necessary. Always be ready to grab a leash at any time. And don't be off-leash in public places since it is typically against the law to do so.

Home Sweet Home

Once things are going well, try to let your dogs meet closer at home. First, try the yard if possible and then move into the house if things seem to be working out. Make sure the meetings aren't long at first. Short and sweet is the ticket to a more natural acclimation to each other. If you see the first signs of discord, remove the dogs from each other's space. The key is to be aware of how they are reacting at all times.

Continuing Acclimation

Once you have the dogs getting along, give it more time. Don't leave your dogs together without you being there. A fight can break out and you wouldn't be there to stop it. This doesn't have to be forever, just till the dogs are fully comfortable with each other and there's no growling, attacks, or fighting. This is where crates or even separate rooms come in handy.

3 Tips For Taking Your New Rescue Pup To The Dog Park 0

Bringing your new furry friend home from the shelter is the first step in welcoming a new member of the family. The first few weeks are a whirlwind of walks, snuggles, and the realization that your pup might not be housebroken just yet. Sooner or later, you're going to want to take your pup to the dog park to get some exercise and start socializing. Here's how to prepare to make sure your pooch is ready.

1. Practice Letting Your Dog Off Leash At Home

A fenced in yard is a great place to test if your dog can handle being off leash. By now you've taught your dog to respond to a few basic commands. "Stay", "come", and "no" are critical commands for your first trip to the dog park. Let your pup off leash and see how responsive he is when distracted. Younger dogs will likely sprint around for a few moments before being receptive to commands. You may want to bring a whistle or treats for positive reinforcement. If your dog ignores commands at first, don't get discouraged. It may take a few tries before your pup is ready to learn. You want to be confident that if you give a command, your dog's ears will perk up.

2. Try Socializing While On Leash

Another way to gauge whether your pup is ready for the park is giving him a chance to socialize while on a leash. This could be on a jog or just walking around the neighborhood. Odds are if you walk around for a few minutes you'll come across several other dog walkers. Watch how your pooch interacts with other dogs. Is he friendly and receptive? Does he let other dogs approach without getting tense or aggressive? Those are good signs that your dog will be able to interact with other dogs off leash. Try getting in the habit of walking your dog on the same route at the same time each day. Seeing the same dogs over and over will get yours comfortable with repeated interactions. Once you're sure that your dog is ready, it's time to head to the dog park!

3. Bring Treats & Toys To Reward Good Behavior

It's finally the big day! You and your pup hop in the car and head off to the dog park. Success! Your pup is curious but gets along with all of the other dogs. Now it's time to reinforce all of that good behavior. When your dog promptly responds to commands, throw him a tasty treat. Some dog vitamins or dog supplements are just as tasty and give your dog the nutrients he needs. You can also bring a tennis ball or any other toy (that will likely be shared by the other dogs). You want to make sure that your dog picks up the proper behaviors when he's off leash.

Getting your dog ready for the park comes down to two things: practice and reinforcement. You need to get your pup comfortable with being outside and off leash before heading to the dark park. You also need to reinforce good behavior with healthy treats for dogs, toys, or maybe just a good scratch behind the ears. A dog park is a great way to spend a Saturday morning and with these tips, your pup will be ready in no time.