JLW's Doghouse.com

Are you considering getting a dog for Christmas or thinking about giving someone else a puppy as a present? Taking on a puppy is a BIG responsibility that someone must be ready for and the decision should not be a last minute thing that the family have not thought about properly.

Puppies aren’t toys that you can put to one side when you get bored with them. Puppies require constant attention and supervision, they need to be fed three to four times a day and they need to be properly housetrained. All of this takes a considerable amount of time and effort and at Christmas people just do not have the time it takes. Also, very often people simply do not realise the cost involved with keeping a puupy and for all of these reasons they often end up at the dogs home after just a short time.

This is also why you should never give a pet as a present unless that person has already agreed to take responsibility for it – hopefully after much thought and planning!

Having had puppies myself I can tell you that the commitment required is similar to looking after a young baby so before deciding to have a puppy – or any other animal – you should remember the famous slogan created by Clarissa Baldwin, the Chief Executive of the Dogs Trust in 1978……….

“A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”.

I was chatting to a friend earlier today about losing weight and dieting. She is dieting at the moment but finding it a real struggle and then everyone keeps reminding her that dieting alone is not going to work and she needs to do some regular exercise. She hates the gym! She wouldn’t mind going out for a run but now that the winter is on its way she’s not sure how long she will keep it up for. If you are looking out of the window at the rain or snow then it’s so easy talk yourself out of going in the first place!

Despite the well-documented positive benefits of exercise, research shows that very few adults meet the recommended minimum weekly activity level of 30 minutes moderate-intensity physical activity, five days a week .

What I told my friend and what I would say to anyone who struggles with a weekly exercise regime is “get yourself a dog”! Dog owners are more likely than those who do not own a pet, to get the recommended minimum amount of exercise each week and dogs are the greatest motivator for getting you out, indulging in physical activity, even on those cold, dark wintery mornings. Don’t want the commitment of owning a dog but know someone close by who does? Great! Then grab the leash and become a regular dog walker.

Dogs, like humans, need regular exercise to stay happy and healthy and when we exercise them, we exercise ourselves, too!

As I write this, the temperature outside is mid-twenties with light cloud in the sky. Is it really October?

During the hot summer weather most of us know the dangers of leaving our dogs in the car, even for a short time but once the summer is over we don’t expect it to be so hot and we will quite happily leave our dog in the car while we pop into the shops without a second thought. Many people leave their dog in the car thinking that parking in the shade with the windows open slightly is enough to keep them cool, but this is still dangerous because the sun moves and temperatures can increase very quickly. The power of the sun can even penetrate light cloud cover and quickly convert a car into an oven.

Dogs pant to help keep themselves cool. In a hot stuffy car, dogs can’t cool down – leaving a window open or a sunshield on your windscreen won’t keep your car cool enough. So, if it’s warm outside and you’re going out in the car, think very carefully about what you are going to do with your dog. You should never leave a dog alone in a car.

I posted a blog a little while ago about how your dog may be affected by separation anxiety, a disorder that causes dogs to feel extreme anxiety when left home alone. Dogs are creatures of habit so if you have kids who have recently gone back to school have you thought about how this change in routine may affect your dog?

Getting back into the school routine is hectic and you and your family just don’t have as much time to spend with your dog as everyone has to get used to a new schedule. It’s easy for your dog to get lost in all the chaos. Boredom, loneliness and confusion can lead to depression, illness or behavioural issues. You can stop these problems before they begin by ensuring that your dog gets plenty of exercise and has a variety of interesting, mentally stimulating toys to play with. Make sure you get them used to being left alone again gradually and give them a new routine with regular feeding times, walks, and time with you.

You get back home, walk into the house and the kids immediately complain about the doggy smell!

Many things can cause the doggy odour, but oily skin is a common cause. Some dogs, like Labradors, have naturally oily skin, or sometimes your dog may have an allergy that irritates the skin, so the dog’s body produces an overabundance of skin oils to help combat the itchiness and inflammation. The odour problem is made worse as these oils don’t just stay on your dog, they can get left behind on sofas, chairs, carpets, etc.

There are many products out there designed to remove odour caused by dogs, but one of the simplest yet most effective of these is a dog brush. By brushing your dog regularly, you remove dead hair and the oils on that dead hair that can cause dog smell.
I’ve spent my life living in a house with dogs so I’ve had no choice but to learn a few tricks to eliminate odour.