Shout About Pets

Like it or loathe it the market for dog fashion and accessories is simply booming!  There is an amazing amount of clothes, scarves, hats and upmarket collars and leads available ranging from the practical and economic to the designer and premium priced.  Should you go running out the kit your pooch out with the latest fashions or is this in fact a no no for the well-being of your dog?

Well, there are some good reasons for buying your dog a coat for example.  Not all breeds are designed to withstand cold damp weather and can get a chill when out and about in the winter months.  My own dog is a Shih Tzu and I used to find that after his trip to the groomers he would be quite shivery without his full coat.  I’ve learnt that to avoid sniffles its best if I put a coat on him for a few days to allow him to acclimatise! 

On another practical level in wet and muddy weather a coat can protect your dogs against the elements and it also makes it easier to keep him clean.  There are some excellent waterproof coats available from most pet stores that are well worth the investment. 

In terms of whether your dog appreciates being clothed is another matter.  My dog is quite happy and I have been known to put him in a gimmicky T-Shirt at Christmas which he accepted with good grace and got into the spirit of things without a grumble! 

When choosing the name of any pet it can be a difficult task and you will be inundated by advice and suggestions from friends and family.  There are plenty of tip on the web suggesting using human names or names of famous people or characters out of books.  However here are some tips that are worth considering when choosing a name that will make the handling of your rabbit much easier.

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Whether you’re bringing a puppy home for the first time or moving house with your existing dog it can be a traumatic experience for the animal and you need to act sensitively to ensure they settle in quickly.  Animals are not great fans of change and for a dog much is based around scent. When you move home or when a puppy leaves its litter there will a mass of new and strange scents.  Sights and sounds will be different and may unnerve them too. 

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There’s no way round it.  You’re very unlikely to get a pet that actually enjoys going to the vets.  Most animals will soon cotton on to the signs that you are about to whisk them away to their least favourite place.  If you find that you feel a little tense when you go your pet will pick up on that too.

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When introducing a cat to a dog it can be quite a challenge.  If your cat is an older cat they may be reluctant to accept a new family member.  As cats are very territorial they can take longer than a dog to accept a new addition.  However if you are introducing a kitten and a dog you will have an easier time.  At this stage the cat hasn’t built up any of it natural fear of dogs and still views everything with hapless curiosity.

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I had a scare today when my neighbour let her rabbit out in the garden and simply walked away without supervising it.  Being unaware that her pet rabbit was on the mooch I had let my own two dogs outside to soak up the sun. I noticed they were frantically scuffling around near the fence and there I spotted a rather terrified looking rabbit that was transfixed to the spot close enough for scrabbling paws to touch her.

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The nights have started drawing and the dreaded fireworks have already begun in my neighbourhood!  Your pet may not be affected by the noise of fireworks but in the main most animals will find the loud banging disturbing and frightening so you need to take precautions:

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When you first get your puppy you may be initially swamped by the sheer weight of responsibility this little creature suddenly puts upon you or you may simply be bewitched by the cuteness of your new little bundle of fun.  However don’t forget to start setting boundaries straight away.  Training at the early stages of puppy hood is the best time to start and you are much more likely to have success.  If you leave it later on habits will have formed and you have a bigger challenge on your hands.  Here are some top tips for training:

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Dalmatians were made globally famous by Dodie Smith’s famous children’s novel ‘101 Dalmatians’.  They are easily recognised by their distinctive while coat spattered with black spots and it is believed they originated from Dalmatia in Croatia.

From a character point of view Dalmatians are courageous, loyal and intelligent.  They have bundles of energy and have long been a popular choice with US fire departments for their fire station mascots.  In the past they worked running ahead of fire trucks clearing the way ahead.  These days they are primarily companion dogs and although they have always been a popular breed they are most definitely making a big come back.

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We are becoming and increasingly portly nation and this now includes our pets with fifty per cent being obese.  It can cause more harm than simply making your pet puff a little when it exercises.  There are a plethora of obesity related illnesses that can plague your pet from low energy to heart disease to osteoarthritis to diabetes. 

For a cat putting on just 1 kg is the equivalent to a woman putting on 16kg so you can see how quickly things can get out of hand. 

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