My Golden Retriever

If you are having a dog join your family for the very first time, there are a lot of things that you’ll need to know and expect before you choose your breed. Some people go with whatever breed of dog happens to be available, while others seek out a specific breed or look around at different breeders until they find their perfect match. Regardless of what type of dog you choose, preparing your home and lifestyle for their arrival is crucial to giving them a happy and fulfilling life. Fortunately, knowing what to expect with your first dog isn’t too difficult to find out and will prepare you for everything that lies ahead.

Going to the Vet

When you first bring your dog home, you’ll likely need to schedule an appointment with the veterinarian to have their shots done. This can actually require a few visits because there are several different things your dog will need to be given shots for. As time goes on, the number of visits to the vet will decrease as the puppy turns into a full-grown dog, but you’ll still need to bring your dog in for regular checkups and maintenance at certain times. Your dog’s health is not too different from your own except they visit a veterinarian instead of a doctor.

Choosing Their Food

Choosing your dog’s food is very important to the way they look and feel throughout their life. A good diet will produce a healthy and shiny coat of fur which is a clear indicator that their diet is properly balanced. Conversely, a poor diet will have the opposite effect and dogs can even develop skin allergies if their food contains too many types of filler. Just make sure you are buying a quality dog food that has real meat as the first ingredient rather than corn to ensure it is good for your dog. Also, there are several things like onions, black olives, and chocolate that can actually harm your dog, so make sure you educate yourself on what to avoid.

A Dog’s Behavior

A dog’s behavior is completely contingent on two things; proper training and consistency. Most owners opt to bring their dog to a training class so they learn all the proper and basic skills and techniques to behave properly. However, it is ultimately up to you as pet owners to follow through with that training and maintain consistency. Additionally, there are a few things that are virtually impossible to control such as a dog’s reaction to loud noises like fireworks or thunder. Even the flash from lightening or bright light from burning sparklers can cause your dog to get scared and bark. Just try to be patient, use commands, and never get angry with your dog because it simply doesn’t work.

Going Out of Town

One of the most difficult things you’ll have to do as a pet parent is leaving your dog at home while you go out of town. There are plenty of paid kennels that will take care of your dog for you, but they will be locked up in a small kennel most of the day instead of enjoying the comforts of home. In my experience, having a friend or family member stop by a few times a day to feed your dog and let them outside is the better choice. It can take some careful planning, but making arrangements for your dog to stay at home it usually the best choice.

How to Cut the Cost of Dog Insurance

Cutting the price of pet insurance is a great way to save some money and feel you’re not being ripped off. Pet insurance can be notoriously costly, especially if you don’t use it. That said we all want to have peace of mind for our pooch – so what’s the answer then?
Breed
A lot of the reason pet insurance companies charge a lot for dogs is that they are of a specific breed. The higher the pedigree of dog, the more likely it will be to cost you money – this is because some dogs are so highly bred they have developed specific genetic issues. These can be commonplace and also costly to treat and so the price of the insurance is a lot higher than it would be for a low risk dog, such as a mixed breed. So, before you get a new dog, it’s often worth checking what the potential insurance costs will be.

Where you Live
Like a car or any item the place you live will also determine the amount of money you will pay for a dog. If you live in a busy area with a lot of traffic you may find that the insurance is higher than it would be if you live in a place where a dog has less chance of being knocked down. Anything that increases the risk of injury will cause the dog insurance to be higher.
City and Economy
In some areas of the UK the price of going to the vet is a lot higher than it is in other areas and this means that people tend to end up paying a lot more for insurance. Pet Insurance companies will charge more for dogs that live in areas with higher pet bills – it’s a simple fact of the insurance industry, though not always an ideal one.
Compare
By comparing your dog insurance you can go a long way to reducing the cost notably. There can be big differences in the price of dog insurance, especially if you don’t compare. Like car insurance or any other sort of insurance, comparison sites often offer a clearer view of where you can be saving on insurance and are a good bet if looking out for new cover.
Age
The age ofthe dog will also impact on the insurance costs. An older dog is going to be far more likely to have issues than a younger dog and so the premium will reflect that. This can cause all sorts of problems for the insurer if they leave it too late – so get your animal insured as a puppy and you won’t have nearly as many issues than you would if you left it later.

These tips are great if you have a dog that you need to insure and can help save a pretty penny when it comes to covering your dog.

Are you thinking of adopting a dog? Well then, you’re going to need a name! You will probably have your dog for many years, so it’s important that you pick a name that you like, and that you can stick with! The name you pick for your dog should be a name that your dog can easily recognize and understand, but you also might want a name that’s popular and fun! There are a few things that you should consider, as well as tips and tricks you should use, when naming your female dog.

Although you definitely want to pick a name that you like, a crucial factor in choosing your female dog’s name is picking a name that she can recognize, and remember. This doesn’t mean you have to pick a super-short, one-syllable name! But, you should stay away from extremely long, complicated names. If your dog can’t distinguish her name from the rest of your sentence, she won’t be able to respond to you. Simple names with a couple of syllables, such as Daisy or Bella, are ideal for helping your new dog respond to you.

Once you have a list of dog names that are simple enough for your new dog to understand, you can start picking some names from that list that you personally like! You might want a cute name that your kids will like, such as Daisy. Maybe you want to name your dog based on color, in which case you might want to name a chocolate Labrador retriever Brownie, or name a white dog Snow. If you want to use your new dog’s name to memorialize your dog that has passed away, you can use your deceased dog’s name for inspiration! If your dog was named something with a Christmas theme, like Snowflake, maybe your new dog can be named a related name, like Holly.

If you’re having trouble brainstorming a name (it actually is harder than it seems!) consider just choosing a popular dog name that others have recommended! Like baby names, female dog names have different trends, and different names are popular from year to year. In 2013, for example, the top ten names for female dogs were Bella, Lucy, Bailey, Daisy, Lilly, Molly, Lola, Maggie, Sadie, and Chloe. Some of these names, like Bailey, Bella, and Sadie, were in the top ten lists in the preceding years, and are still popular this year. So far, the top female dog names for 2014 alone include Luna, Piper, Willow, Marley, Layla, Nala, Athena, Cali, Maya, and Charlie. Although the lists do vary year to year, some all-time popular dog names that you  might use for inspiration in naming your own dogs are Coco, Maggie, Ginger, Sasha, Madison, Penny, Lady, and Stella; and, as mentioned before, Bailey, Bella, Sadie, and Daisy.

For most people who don’t have a canine companion a dog lead is just a dog lead and the science behind its construct does not even require a single thought. The image of a busker leading his dog using a piece of old rope would lead us to believe that this was all that was necessary to keep our valuable pets tethered and unable to run around causing danger to themselves and others. When the time comes to choose a lead for your do, Ezydog leads provide us with the greatest choice to ensure that we select a lead that will give our pet the confidence to learn how to behave the way we would like it to.

Dog Training

Dog training has developed over time as our relationship with dogs have gone from being a strictly working one to one where we treat our pets as one of the family. However compliant our dog may seem, we always have to remember that they are an animal that has its own understanding of their place in the world and that it is up to us to show them and train them to know where that place is. Some of us will remember the assertive tones of Barbara Woodhouse, using her dominance method to train dogs, although her methods are now not necessarily considered to be the best anymore her phrase, ‘There are no bad dogs’, is probably very true and it is up to the owner to provide the dog with security by training them well.

Origins of Ezydog Leads

Ezydog leads were established in Australia over nine years ago providing a large variety of shock absorbing leads for you to choose from. For example the Ezydog Mutley lead comes in a variety of different colours and the handle removed when the dog is running free. If you would like to keep your dog close and in check an Ezydog Mongrel 12” Dog Lead is a good choice. EzyDog Vario 6 Dog Leads boast a total of six functions and ways to ensure your dog is safe and that you can feel in complete control.

Leader of the Pack

One of the nicest things about dogs is that they all have different personalities. Some are born with a placid and good natured temperament but other needs a little more training to fit in with family life. Whatever the training needs of your dog are, you are most certainly the leader of the pack and need to show your beloved pet that you are in charge and that he must follow your house rules. Getting the right tools for the job – from decent leads to good quality, luxury dogs beds – can make the task of training your hound a lot easier.
Ezydog leads give you the confidence to be an assertive owner because they will provide you with the definite and confident grip necessary to make your dog feel secure and owned by someone. Training a dog can be hard work and challenging, but the joy your dog shows when you pick up his Ezydog lead to go for a walk will make all of your hard work worthwhile.

A Vizsla puppy is a beautiful dog with high energy, lots of loyalty and extreme intelligence. They make great companions to people who prefer an active lifestyle and they are usually a very gently pup. If you have recently brought home one or more vizsals puppies then you have probably already realized how easy it is to train them, but here are a few additional tips just in case:

Tip 1: Vizslas are known for being very high energy pups. Make sure to exercise your dog daily with long and brisk walks or games of fetch in open fields. Without at least an hour a day of vigorous exercise, your dog might become destructive.

Tip 2: Vizslas puppies like to chew on toys while they are alone. Leave lots of chew toys out and about for your pup to amuse himself with throughout the day, as the alternative may mean he chews on shoes and furniture. Remember that chewing is a natural activity for dogs and should be encouraged properly.

Tip 3: Since Vizslas are so intelligent they are fairly easy to train. Try teaching your dog some basic commands such as “sit” and “stay.” Often these dogs are so eager to please their owners that they take to these simple commands quite quickly.

Tip 4: The Vizsla is a very social dog who enjoys human interaction and companionship. Create a sleeping space (whether a bed or a crate) for your dog near where you are so he will not feel alone. Vizslas also like to accompany family members all throughout the house. Be prepared for this.

Tip 5: Try to feed your Vizsla dog a high-quality, protein-based diet to keep him in the best shape possible.

By preparing yourself and your family members beforehand and establishing ground rules, you will likely have a very enjoyable experience owning Vizslas puppies. They are fairly easy to care for and will provide you with companionship, loyalty and friendship for years to come.