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The Lil' Tyrants
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Laurie's Dog-Owning Tips - Stuff I've Found Useful
Here are a few products and ideas I've found helpful over the
years. I'll add more tips as I think of them, so stay tuned.
- Bee Stings. What to do if your dog is stung by a bee.
- Modified Choke Collar for the Bullie. For months
I'd been in quandary about how to keep a collar or harness on Juniper.
One or two days after outfitting her with a new one, I would come home to
find her naked again and the chewed-up collar lying dead on the pen floor.
After some investigation it became apparent that Max was
the culprit. Nylon or leather it didn't matter, he considered any kind
of gear on the bullie (a.k.a. The Omega Dog) fair game for munching.
(Max wouldn't dare touch her
Highness Tatiana!)
Surmising that the metal
links of a choke collar might discourage him, it seemed the next best
alternative. But for safety reasons I didn't want to leave one on
Juniper unattended. The solution? Fashion a non-choking version of the
chain collar by fastening a key-ring around the collar's two end-loops.
Whew. Now I can keep identification on the little beastie in case she gets
loose in the neighborhood.
- Old English Scratch Cover for hiding the results of
your critter's mistaking the coffee table for a chew toy. Argh.
- Nail Clipping. My guys used to misbehave horribly at
any attempt to trim their nails. Finally I read somewhere that you should put them
up on a table first (as groomers do) to gain the upper hand. The whole point of the
table is really just to keep them "off-balance" on an unfamiliar surface. I don't use a
table though. Instead, I anchor a leash in the bathroom (to the top of the shower-door frame)
and march them in one at a time (divide and conquer!).
They each get a treat before and after the clipping is done. Between the treats and the
"weirdness" of being held captive in the bathroom, they've calmed down considerably.
In fact, the bullie, once the worst offender, now lets me do her nails outside of the
bathroom, while she's napping on the bed.
- Basement Exercise Pen. A true godsend when you're away all day and want to come
home to find your house still standing. I don't like the idea of crating
dogs for extended periods of time, but a pen at least gives them some
room to romp. We built our first pen with a raised plywood floor and
several sections of interlocking pen panels from R.C. Steel (now PetSmart).
- Orange and Yellow Lacrosse Balls. Need to "de-edge" your dog?
When the natives get restless, out to the backyard we go. A few minutes
of retrieving a Lacrosse ball tossed up the hill, and they're ready for
a nap. The Lacrosse ball works better than old tennis balls because its
slippery rubber surface doesn't pick up the dirt, leaving the bright
orange or yellow easily visible against the green (or in my case,
yellow-brown) grass. Tennis balls, on the other hand, attract the dirt,
quickly causing even the neon pink ones to blend in with the earth-tones of
the grass.
- Neighborhood Dog Run. If you've never taken your pooch to a
dog run, you're missing out on a great adventure. Dog runs are public
parks designed for off-leash exercise and socialization. When I visited
our local run, Green Park in Gaithersburg, I was truly amazed by how
well the large and diverse group of canines romping about the lot there got
along. The friendliness and camaraderie of the other owners was also a
treat. Yep, I like dog people.
- Dog Toy Baskets. Tripping over Nylabones and
squeekies? I keep several baskets tucked out of the way on floor corners
around the house to hold the pups' myriad chew toys (spoiled? who,
my dogs?). Placing the baskets on the floor provides the pooches with easy access
to their toys. Haven't figured out how to get the critters to put their toys
away yet, but I'm working on it. :-)
- Coupler Lead. As an alternative to using two leashes on those long walks, a
coupler lead harnesses two dogs to a single leash. Couplers are also
manufactured in the three-dog variety, handy if you own a small herd of
canines.
- The
Well Dog Book, by Terri McGinnis D.V.M. Thorough and
well-written, this is an excellent source of information about canine
health problems and treatment options, including practical advice on
home care.
Running Related
- Wolf Packs.
Indispensable for taking your pooches on those long walks or jogs,
doggie backpacks lighten your load by having them carry their own
supplies (e.g. water and poop bags). And, unbelievably, the pups really
enjoy doing their "pack-mule" impersonations. They can't wait to get
suited up as soon as they hear the leash stir. Max and Tatiana each
carry two, liter-sized water bottles (recycled club soda bottles),
balanced one in each pouch and "cushioned" by the poop bags. Max
carries the house keys as well.
- Poop Bags. The plastic bag that the morning newspaper arrives
in allows you to do your civic duty keeping the neighborhood "doo-doo"
free while walking/running the dog. When you need to scoop up droppings,
slip the bag on like a long evening glove, and you're ready for action.
Then reverse the bag over the droppings and tie a knot to seal in the,
um, odoriferous contents. The extra length of the newspaper baggie
makes it easy to tie that knot. Deposit your little package in the
nearest trash can - no fuss, no muss. Double or triple up the bags for
added protection.
- Pronged Pinch Collar. For on-lead only--you don't want
your dog wearing a pinch collar unsupervised. Also, this type of collar
is not recommended for aggressive dogs. I shied away from
pinch collars for a long time because they look so brutal. Originally I
was using a standard choke collar, which worked only slightly better
than a regular collar in preventing pulling. But after a particularly
chaotic run with Tatiana, who does more pulling than running, my brother
suggested a pinch collar, fearing she was in danger of damaging her
windpipe. And I've been amazed by how effective the pinch collar has
been. Both Tatiana and Max now pace themselves with me instead of trying
to drag me around the neighborhood after them. I'm careful to remove the
pinch collar immediately after each run, as soon as we walk in
the door.
- 15-Foot
Retractable Leash with Built-In Flashlight. Great for night
running, the pups love the retractable cord because it gives them more
freedom to explore, and they pull less with a longer leash.
Tips from other sources...
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