My Golden Retriever

You’d think that dogs would by nature know how to fetch. While most dogs know how to chase a thrown toy, they usually need to be taught to bring the toy back to you. Does your dog know how to fetch?

What is Fetch?

Fetch is a game where you throw a toy (think a flying disc or some other favorite toy) for your dog. Your canine companion is then supposed to chase after the toy, pick it up and bring it right back to you. The game doesn’t involve your dog running off with the toy or running off and expecting you to chase after him and the toy! The game typically needs to be taught in stages, so your dog learns how to play correctly. Continue reading →

Many dog owners swear by their GPS dog fences and there are more to choose from every year. One thing that distinguishes them from other invisible dog fences is that they work regardless of terrain or weather, as long as the sensor in the dog collar is in contact with at least four GPS satellites. This makes them much better on uneven land than other wireless systems.

GPS fences cost anywhere between $100 and $650, making them much cheaper than a real fence and they are even easier and quicker to install than systems with wires that have to be buried. Another benefit is that you can take your GPS fence with you when you travel or go camping. A GPS fence will not block your view and it can be used to keep your dog out of smaller parts of your property such as a garden or a pool.

Things to be aware of include boundary wobble and retreat response. Boundary wobble is the distance that the invisible boundary can change from moment to moment. It can be a fluctuation of up to several feet. Retreat response is the distance the dog must back up from the boundary to make the shock correction stop. With some systems, the dog has to back up quite a distance before the shock stops. Both of these distances can confuse the dog and make it hard for it to learn what exactly the boundary is that it must not cross.

If you use a GPS fence, be sure to take the time to train your dog with it. Don’t just install the system, put the collar on your dog and let it figure out that the shock means it has reached a place it shouldn’t go. Dogs don’t understand things the way we do. If it feels pain, it will look for a visible cause of the pain. If the location where it feels the shock is within view of a place where the public walks, the dog might correlate the shock with strangers and become hostile to people it doesn’t know.

Start by setting a visible boundary, like flags. Teach your dog that it is to avoid the area beyond the flags. After that you can use an audible beep to enforce the boundary and last of all, add the shock. Progressing from the visual to the kinesthetic allows your dog to make the connection between the physical space and the shock it feels through the collar. This is how to teach your pet about the boundary and not confuse it with what will seem to your dog like a random pain. Continue reading →

Technology and automation is creeping up more and more in almost every aspect of our lives and the animal industry is no different.

One of the most useful recent advancements in technology aimed at our pets is the programmable, automatic dog electronic feeder.Here are some examples of the best pet automatic feeders on the market today. Continue reading →

Does your pitbull have a difficult time building up muscle? Then you need to introduce some changes to the lifestyle and diet of your companion in order to help him build muscle. Here is a list of few important tips, which you can keep in mind when you are trying to assist your pitbull build muscle. If you stick to these tips, you will be able to notice some significant changes in the physique of your pitbull after a couple of weeks. Continue reading →