Choosing the best dog for your family

 

The best dog for you and your family

I was asked one time, if I could pick out or name the best dog I ever had.       Yes- sir-ree I replied…and I told him… the best dog for me was a chili dog with onions and a side order of fries!

Chile Dog

Boy oh boy, you should have seen the look on his face… he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! Now, you might wonder why I replied this way. I did this to drive home a very import point about choosing a dog as a pet. The point is… each and every dog has its own personality and its own quarks!   It is these traits which allow a pet dog to put joy and laughter into its owner’s life and family!    The game of… I’m master…you dog begins the very second the two of you meet.    Consider the way your soon- to- be- pet dog greets you for the very first time!

Dog looking for a home

    Some dogs come right to you, greeting you like a long lost friend, while other dogs just sit there looking at you with an expression which seems to say… what is with this guy or this guy has to be from the bottom of the master barrel! This dog is the quite, thinking type pet and (I have found out from experience) is best matched up with more experienced owners…. More on these types later… You see, you must first begin the pet selection process by knowing what your daily routine and home environment is… i.e.    I work long hours and I am not at home a lot… or… I have lots of “stuff” lying out in the open areas of my home.

Dog pulling girl

Now this first step will become clearer to you as you learn about the two most common types of pet dogs.    First, let’s look at that friendly dog.    This long lost friend type dog usually will require a lot of lessons in calming down… learning to control its seemingly endless energy!    So, if you pick out this dynamo pet dog, you better have lots of spare time to train your pet!    Also, living in a concrete bunker with unbreakable everything will definitely help you keep you blood pressure down!

kids hugging dog smiling

Now, the up side in choosing this friendly pet is two fold…

1) if you have children, this boundless energetic ball- of- fur will wear the kids down…thus giving you time to relax!

2) Usually, but not always, this friendly type dog will jump up and knock the smaller kids down… kissing and  licking them with a nicely “wetted” tongue … a yuck to us… but consider how clean each kid will look… also, consider how much you will save on SOAP!

Dog with bow in her hair

  When selecting the just sitting there dog type, you must consider your ability to be patient!   Why?   Because this pet type will need lessons dealing with trust and confidence building… in both of you!   (Now don’t get me wrong, there are dogs in between these two groups… But as an owner of two dogs now, and having experience learned from  many past pet dogs… combined with having trained a few too) I want to pass on information concerning the most common pet types.   Now let’s look at this next laid back pet dog.

Dog asleep on book

Generally speaking, this quite… laid back type dog… if handled correctly will make your home a safe haven.   Why?   Well, I have found that in getting used to its new home, this pet type sets its territorial boundaries, its place to eat and sleep similar to other new pets… BUT with one very important difference!   This dog picks out the places where it can watch what is going on in the daily routine of its master or masters!

Dog showing his teeth

Let something happen out of the daily patterns and Mr. Cool pet lets you know in no uncertain ways… Barking, growling, and just pawing at you until you get up and correct what IT thinks is needing to be done to make things normal.   You get all this commotion from these pets because they have watched you, studied your habits and learned what you like or dislike!   How do they learn this? Simple… they test your patience and I mean constantly!   i.e. they pull things off of beds or furniture… they carry off items belonging to only one member of the family… like A sock, A shoe or a shirt…. Why do these dogs do it?    The answer is simply this… BECAUSE THEY CAN!   And after these laid back rascals have tested you and are satisfied about your routines, they will suddenly seem to… read your mind… to know when to console or just be there for you!   When you are sick or feeling plain lousy, you will have these big lugs snuggle up to or lie next to you… as if they are saying… move over and make room for a fellow suffer!

Princess and Buddy

Now, I know some people might disagree with me about these observations and that is alright with me, BUT DON’T say anything to Princess (our FRIENDLY Boston Terrier) or to our Buddy (our LAID BACK mixed breed)… you see they have tender feelings and if they were to hear you, both of them would promptly go into their Moping mood…….. Hope some of this info will help you select a suitable pet or if you have already have a pet… hope this info will help you enjoy it more!   …John

Trimming your Dog’s Toe Nails

If you ever had your dog jump up and land on your bare skin causing you to jump back due to those sharp toe nails, then you need to know how to trim a dog’s nails.   Now, don’t do the Hebe-geebe dance just because I wrote TOE NAILS and trim in the same sentence!  The hardest part of this job is getting Mr. Dog to sit still while you trim! If you have never trimmed your dog’s toe nails before and is your first time to trim toe nails on a dog, we suggest you  have your vet show you the first time.  It’s not hard to trim them, but you do need to know how and where to trim the nail.

First, you will need to purchase a nail trimmer.  I like the style where you insert the nail and squeeze just like a pair of pliers. Also, be sure to buy some styptic powder which you may have to use if you cut too close to the quick and cause bleeding.  This styptic powder will stop the bleeding. You will also need a good nail file to round off some sharp edges that might occur from the trimming.  Now begin by… first, examining the nails. You are looking for nail color… if the nail is all one color i.e. black, dark bone to brown, you must use extra care and not cut back too far on the nail.  I suggest you start out by just barely trimming the end of each nail and then file it smooth.  Why is this the best way, you may ask?  Well, if you look at your own nails, you will see that if you cut your nails back too far you get into the quick area and usually they start bleeding.  This is the reason why I told you to start small and not go back to far into your dog’s quick area.  If you do and bleeding occurs…just slap some styptic powder on it.  Now, if you examine your dog’s nails and find they are light colored… your in luck because you can see the pinkish quick.

Dog Nail to be Cut

Just remember to stay ahead of it when you are trimming. Finely, be sure to establish a regular schedule for trimming your pet’s nails because those quick areas will stay to the back of the nail providing you trim regularly, so remember to trim at regular intervals.  Some articles say, you should trim once a week.

For more information on trimming your dog’s toe nails, visit PetMD – How to Trim a Dog’s Toenail @ http://www.petmd.com/dog/grooming/evr_dg_how_to_trim_a_dogs_toenails#.UWlaysqyIxQ…  Here they show pictures of step by step on how to trim your dog’s toe nails.

dog treat

AND…as always be sure to give your dog a treat after trimming their nails.  If you need some help or if you have questions just drop us a line at Doggy Dog Coats… thanks!