Welcome back to DoggieDogCoats

 A lot has happened since we last posted and the world does not look the same including our DoggieDogCoats.com website.  We first started out with several suppliers for our web site, and one by one, they have closed their businesses due to health reasons, have closed due to decline in their business, or have had to close permanently due to the Covid-19 Virus.  Our lovely lady that made our beautiful dog clothes had to close; our maker of raincoats, and sports clothes, closed; the maker of unique dog costumes went out of business; another supplier has had to downsize their business, and the list grew of losing suppliers.  Each time we had to change our website and the products we could offer.

We were now down to one supplier. (Mirage Pet Products). But this is not your regular company/supplier of dog, pet products, but a veteran owned USA company that has gone through many challenges.  The normal person would have thrown in their hat…. but not this company (Mirage Pet Products).  After many years of growing pains and building up their business, they were wiped out by a catastrophic fire losing their building, equipment and all their supplies in 2019.    

Fire at Mirage Pet Products

Catastrophic Fire – Total Loss (Mirage Pet Products)

But the fire did not defeat them.  Their staff and others within days, helped them start looking for a new building, getting new equipment, and buying new material to again start making new USA quality made products (Dog collars, hoodies, shirts, dresses, just to name a few).  Once again, our web site changed again to the new products we were going to sell.  And, as they were able to manufacture their products, we were able to update our products.  You would think… all would be well now…. but not so.  In 2020, the Covid-19 virus hit and Mirage Pet Products were ordered to shut down along with several other businesses in their town, since they were defined as unessential.  My little Boston Terrier, Princess would not think she was unessential or that the company making her clothes, collars, etc. was unessential.  She looked forward to their pet products!   But again, Mirage Pet Products owners & staff’s patience paid off, and were given the word they could reopen again.  It has taken Mirage Pet Products several months, to get their full high-quality supplies remade, but as of today, they are up and running full speed. God Bless Mirage Pet Products and their staff, and the wonderful work they have been doing.

On my next post…more about our little Boston Terrier Princess and the Rainbow Bridge.

Do you have a Bad Dog or a BAD MASTER?

I saw a dog being let out of a car, while I was dumping our RV’s tanks after one of our road shows.  As I watched this dog, I noticed it was sniffing every thing i.e. the grass under its paws, a single weed growing away from any others, a tree standing all alone and each time this dog sniffed an object, it would back away!

Dog sniffing flower

Shortly, the man who owned the dog came over to my RV and started talking to me.  We talked about how he had noticed my wife as she walked our TWO dogs, Buddy and Princess.  He was amazed that they seemed to stay right with her and did not  try to PULL her arm off like his ONE dog did all the time!  He asked me how I trained the dogs to do this.

Walking two dogs

I asked him how old was his dog?  He told me the dog was given to him by his aunt and he did not know the age. I told him about noticing how his dog was reacting to the outdoors!  I also told him, the dog seemed to be frightened and unsure of everything.  Then he told me the dog had always been in the aunt’s house or let out into its pen which was attached to the aunt’s house itself!  I told him his dog’s problem seemed to be along the lines of not being a socialized dog. In other words, his dog was not introduced to any thing else but his aunt’s house… simply put his dog was a house dog and did not know how to accept new and/or strange things.

This chance meeting got me to thinking about how our pets today have to adjust to our work schedules, our family’s coming and goings or our resting times. An example is this… dad and mom work days, the kids are in school, and the pet is all alone at home!  Is this fair to the dog?  When mom and dad get home, both are tired from work…doggie wants to play!  (You might consider a pet care center while at work, or someone to take your dog for a walk while you are at work or a dog walker).

Dog begging to play

So…you are now home from work or school… instead of getting up and going outside or walk somewhere to play with rover… rover is played with indoors i.e. tossing a ball down the hallway or across the room… OR is just told to go lay down!

Go lay down

Dog laying down

Today, most dogs are found in a city or urban home environment.  These are the dogs I am mostly talking about in this blog.  I have found that, farm dogs or dogs having large back yards to run around and play in, have a better chance at becoming a well socialized pet dog.  But some of this blog information can be applied to any pet dog you want to train as a COMPANION dog.

Man with dog..His Companion

When I say a companion dog, I am talking about a dog able to go with you and act civilized… i.e. it  gets out of the car and waits until you are ready to go, a dog which does not bark, growl, or seemingly tries to rip your arm off chasing something!  All of these bad behaviors can be corrected or at the least be improved!  First, remember this, a puppy or young dog will learn faster than an older dog.

Man training dog to shaking hands

So be patient and start by leashing your dog and taking a doggie walk. A doggie walk centers around Master and dog walk someplace where few people are met and master is able to interact with the dog by… reaching down and petting the dog, by rubbing or touching the dog all over its body and most importantly taking the time to sit down and rough house with that dog!  Why, you ask? It is this simple process which allows you and your dog to bond, to get to know each other’s voice tones, to get to know what is allowed and what is not allowed!  Look what happens on a typical doggie walk: master and dog walks along… dog tries to pull the leash taunt and go, master gently pulls the dog back and pets the dogs, talks to the dog using a soft re-assuring voice.  The walk continues again… at masters pace. I can assure you… this will be repeated many times, but with patience’s from you, your dog will learn to walk with you at YOUR pace.  Be sure to incorporate into your doggie walks a time I like to call, petting time.  Petting times get your dog used to being touched all over its body… this accomplishes two things. First, it lets the dog know through touch that master loves and cares for him.  Secondly, this all over touching will allow other people to pet you dog.

Child petting dog

When you take the time to rough house with your dog, you have to use many tones of your voice.  Over a period of time, you will see your dog begin to respond to a certain tone of your voice, in a certain way… i.e. he is biting you too hard, so using your loud, sharp voice you tell him… STOP. Without you knowing it your voice instantly lowers to a softer tone and you usually say something like…”come here boy, its o.k.”  This is that bonding I’m talking about!

Man playing fetch with dog

When you and your dog bond, the dog will do things and react in ways that will bring your approval voice… your dog will do better if your good voice is followed by a nice rub down too. And remember, if your dog is alone for long hours while you are at work…consider a doggie day care center while you are at work, or have someone some into your home to walk and spend some time with your dogs….or hire a dog walker.  I hope this blog helps you and your dog to get together better and enjoy each others company more… From all of us Doggie Dog Coats we wish you happy doggie walks!

Pets and Fire…Do you have a Plan?

Pets and Fire…Do you Have a Plan?

House on Fire

What happens to your pet dog if……?

We had a catastrophic fire on Presidents Day, February 18, 2013 which required an evacuation from the flaming home… without a moments hesitation!

Our house is on fire

The pets were rounded up gotten out of and away from the burning building… AND I MEAN JUST IN TIME!!

Fireman carrying pet

Hours later, after everyone was trying to settle down in our home… (You see the burning house was next door to our home and was being rented from us by our single- mother -daughter- Carole Jane…C J !  So… since C J had only the uniform she wore to work left and since… Austin, our grandson had only the clothes he wore left… we took them in!)… As they were trying to get a good night’s sleep, I just sat there in the dark thinking and thanking God for His protective Hands.

Giving thanks to God

Then, I suddenly thought about getting  J C’s two pet dogs out and away from those swift moving flames, hot gases and that acidic, blinding smoke… So I am writing this blog to pass on some very hard learned lessons that this catastrophic fire taught us, and maybe help you prevent suffering the loss of a beloved pet… or even a loved one!  So here I go with our lessons learned so far:

Have a fire escape plan

HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN… AND PRACTICE IT!

Our fire started out with a lot of blinding, hot smoke… you couldn’t see where you were at or where you were going! Be sure your plans include not only the fastest way out, but also drop and crawl fast… the aim being to get out fast. Be sure every member of your family knows where the DOG LEASH is kept… believe me; you won’t have time to look for it!

Ditty bag with dog Supplies

Keep a small ditty bag next to your exit site…

it should contain a few of these items: bottled water, a non-breakable jar of dog treats, small bag/can of dog food, another dog leash (in case you need to tie Rover up to prevent him from getting in the way) and be sure to pack a “stress” toy for later use) and ask your Vet for his advise on what medications might be needed.

Written agreement for your pet

Written permission/ agreement for treatment

Ask a friend if they would be willing to dog sit in case you are not there or something happens to you.  Be sure and give this friend a written and signed permission slip to treat your pet as their own!  Just in case something would happen while Rover is in their care and you can’t be reached.

   I know you can not prepare for every single event in your life, but you can be prepared to act quickly when the need arises, simply because you have given fore thought to you and your pet’s safety!

All of us at Doggy Dog Coats hope these ideas will help you and your pet feel safer… Will help you put together a plan that answers the question…. What will happen to your pet if….?

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!

Dog Behaviors – The Diggers

 

A close friend of mine and myself were exchanging stories about our dogs behaving in strange ways, this exchange led me to read up on dog behavior.  I discovered some breeds of dogs seem to have behavior patterns born in them. In short, some dogs do what they do because they can’t help themselves i.e… loving to chase things or can’t avoid getting into water and then THERE ARE THE DIGGERS…                     When I was younger and lived on a farm with a large grassy front yard I was given a dog which I named Shep.  We would play in the yard…chasing each other and digging for buried treasure.

 

Dog getting ready to dig

Now most country dog owners do not worry about a few extra holes in the yard, but to the urbanize dog, digging is the surest way to loose their happy home! I began to notice that Shep liked to dig up gopher holes… when I say dig… I mean Shep’s diggings would put any gopher to shame!! If you’d put him out in a field, he’d have it plowed up before noon! I tell you I could have sworn the gophers were watching his digging techniques from the side lines!! Two good things came out of Shep’s digging behavior… first, we got rid of all those pesky gophers … I suspected they either could not find any un-dug ground to dig in so they left …or… else they died of humiliation trying to match old Shep’s digging speed!

The second good thing to come out of all this was… I did not have to mow the lawn very much…it was too hard on the push mower and ME due to all the holes. One day I went out to find Shep and lo and behold Shep was gone! I told Dad about this discovery and dad’s reply was Shep probably dug his way to China during the night! I did not believe this because there were no big holes in the front lawn… I figured old Shep just went someplace to find new digs…it must have been someplace far away because all of our neighbors had not seen Old Shep and there did not seem to be a lot of holes in their lawns!

Our little princess.

Over the years I have always had a pet dog around the house…each dog had their own odd behavior habits… and that is what makes them part of the family!

 

Even now, there is a real live Princess in my life and she is a Boston Terrier named Princess who  likes to dig when we dig!

Planting new plants.

Last Spring, as we were planting tomatoes.  Princess saw us digging holes for the plants, so she started digging holes too. With a little guidance from us she dug nice straight rows too! I Sure hope this Spring Princess does not turn into a Shep!! ….

Dog in sunhat

Do any of you have a dog with odd behaviors or likes to dig? We’d like to hear from you about YOUR DOG’S ODD BEHAVIORS.    From all of us at DOGGY DOG COATS …we wish you a Happy New Year. …John

Doggie Fashion Show

The Fashion Show for Dogs

The other day,  I watched of all things A DOG FASHION SHOW! Each dog was decked out in such items as… Suits with matching coats, boots, dresses, and

Dog with necklace and hair clips

hats…AND…READY…Matching jewelry.

Dog with pink jeweled color

Crystal dog collar with attachments

Yep, I mean real diamond-studded dog collars…

Chihuahua Wearing Glasses

                                                                                                                                                                    Some pooches even wore sunglasses!

When the emcee started to describe each outfit I wasn’t surprised, however, when he quoted the prices of these outfits I almost had to CALL 911 due to having heart failure!

Dog in wedding dress

Dog in mink jacket

Boots are by … and only cost $100 a set… The suit by… can be purchased for   $300…

Dog in tuxedo suit

And Mr. Dog’s jeweled collar may be purchased for $ 2,000. This show explains why there is a rise in dog walker’s muggings…If you know of or have an application FOR a dog walking position PLEASE let me know!!

Crystal Dog Necklace

All I can say is this… You will not pay these prices at Doggie Dog Coats or at our Doggie Pet Shop!

Dog tear drop necklace

We do carry jewelry… and other “bling” items to make your pet look sharp when you take it for a walk or go out into public places.

Dog dressed up for A Night at the Opera

I like to think of our Doggie Dog Coats many items as making this type of statement…

I may look like a million dollars, but I really don’t cost that much…So, please do not mug me instead pet and hug me!

Until next time…     John

PS… I have posted a video of a Dog Fashion Show on our doggie dog coats facebook page.  Check it out!

Feeding Your Dog – To feed or when not to Feed

More Dog Tips – To Feed or When Not to Feed

Yellow Lab Lying by Empty Food Dish

In my last Doggie dog coat blog, I talked about ways can you over feed your dog.  Your dog’s eating habits and what they eat are the most important areas of your dog’s care agenda! Now, if you have a young pup or young dog it is vital you watch their diet and their eating habits BECAUSE what they eat as a young dog will help or hinder them in later years.  Just like in humans getting fat, leads to poor health and early death, so it is with your pets. To avoid this problem and prevent over feeding, I have gathered what the general dog savvy people and most vets agree are a few basic rules for feeding your dog.

Veterinarian holding small dog

 

Read Label – Nutritional Facts

(1)  Carefully read the labels of your dog food and while you are doing this, KEEP IN MIND your dogs level of activity. Also, keep in mind your family’s activity level. Why? Because if your life style is laid back or fairly active, changes are your dog will be just as active as you! So the food content must be able to meet your dog’s activity level’s need. The secret here is… protein and fat content must be kept in balance with your dog’s activity level. If this is not done your dog will either gain or lose weight. The best advice to follow will come from your family vet, so ask him or her about your dog’s diet needs.

(2) …To feed or not to feed… that is the question! Yep, that’s ‘err alright.

Dog food and Dog Bone

WHEN?  Well, there is no set in stone time table for this.   But remember, if you are feeding them more than one time a day, keep the portions smaller.  (Don’t feed them each time as it was the only meal they will be getting that day.)  Best advice is to match your pet’s eating to yours.  JUST remember if you don’t want to be forced out of bed in the middle of the night, be sure to feed PET early enough  to have a bowl movement before your bed time. This hard learned advice comes from our own pet experiences.  Another advice pet owner’s forget…Always give your pet fresh clean water at least three times a day and more if PET slobbers a lot! And always carry your home water with you when Pet goes on your trip….If you don’t get ready for the scoooooots…even days after getting home.

cocker spaniel licking ice cream cone

Good luck with your pets …Love to hear from you about your pets… John W. and http://www.DoggieDogCoats.com

Our New Blog Begins

Looking for a new Niche

We have been involved on an online business for over 10 years. As we first started, we were delighted to see our traffic and sales continue to climb. Then suddenly about the last 7 – 8 years we noticed things had changed…traffic had slowed down and sales had dropped off. Like everyone else, we blamed it on the economy and our lack of business skills. We both are educated but not in the fields of business. To remedy this we started to get some education about website development. So…we started shelling out the cash for coaching programs which were designed to help us remedy our business problems. Yes, this was costly, but we learned many things about what we had done wrong in our first endeavors in setting up our website. (You can read about our errors in our giftsandcollectiblesgalore wordpress blog.) One of the first things we realized was we needed to start over with a new website and a new product line. Letting the past website continue to run, (not doing anything with it right now), we started looking around for our niche and a product to fill that niche.

Doggie Dog Coats is Launched

So in 2011, we joined a coaching team to learn more about an online business. Our plan was not only to set up a new business but to take what we were learning and use it on our old  website also.  Our first goal was to find a niche.  My husband and I spend a lot of time listing all our experiences, education, loves, what we do best, etc.  We finally arrived at our first love (besides our children and each other)…our dogs. This was a natural because; over the years we have always had dogs in our lives.  Our children have had dogs in their lives. Our neighbors around us have had dogs…and when we took walks we head many dogs barking!  It suddenly dawned on us…Could dogs be our niche?  Deciding it was, we next set out to find products for our dog niche.  Dog apparel, dog carriers, dog beds, dog food, dog insurance, and even dog jewelry were looked into.  This also took many hours of research in order to find products and suppliers for our dog niche. We also thought of a name for our site…Doggie Dog Coats. We also needed a domain name for our Doggie Dog Coats site.  And by luck, DoggieDogCoats.com was available.  And so we purchased our new domain DoggieDogCoats.com. If you get a chance PLEASE visit Doggie Dog Coats and give us your valuable opinion.

Hello and Welcome to our Doggie Dog Coats!

Welcome to our new Doggie Dog Coats blog.  This blog is about our Pet Boutique, Doggie Dog Coats, from its beginning to the present.

Check out our Pet Boutique!  You will find professionally designed dog coats.  And, if fashion is what you are seeking, we offer doggie dog coats which are continually updated to stay in style. From casual to high fashion our Pet Boutique dog coat designs can’t be beat.  We even offer a tuxedo or a wedding gown for special occasions or for holiday dog photos!  Your dog will be the talk of the town as they wear our doggie designer dog coats, motorcycle jackets, sweaters, vest, and more. We continue to add new products and have increased our lines to include dog collars, dog leashes, and hair accessories for dogs.  We will be adding dog jewelry in the near future.  Be sure to check us out from time to time as we offer more doggie items.

Thanks for letting us share our new blog with you.