The Best Dog Bed: Durable and Inexpensive

by Belle's Mom on April 18, 2012

in Dog accessories

Belle on Her Dog Bed

Belle on Her Dog Bed

Both of our dogs are indoor/outdoor dogs. We have hardwood flooring, so when they are inside, they prefer to sleep on a dog bed. Finding a dog bed that works for us required a little thought.  Here are the things I look for in a dog bed:

  • Able to wash it often
  • Holds up well
  • Doesn’t show too much hair
  • Isn’t too expensive
  • Has enough cushion/softness
  • Fits well with décor of house
  • Is the right size for the dog
  • Doesn’t show stains
  • Inexpensive
  • Fits in a crate

We’ve had some beds that although they were nicely shaped to hug the dog (kind of round with a high back), they were impossible to wash. Some were just too thin to provide enough padding. Some just didn’t stand up to the frequent washings.

Beds are nice comfort for dogs, but let’s face it, they can get pretty gross if your dog is an outside dog too. Being able to wash a bed and having a bed that doesn’t show stains or dog hair very much is a big plus.

I got tired of spending money on dog beds and decided to give the Sporting Dog Solutions Dog Bed a try. Technically they call it a mat – but it has plenty of cushion and our dogs really like it. They come in three different sizes, so we were able to get one that fit both Belle and Georgia – and the cost was pretty great. We got green (olive) ones.

They withstand the washings, the color helps it to not show stains or dog hair, and it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb in our rooms. It’s also the right size for a dog crate, so if we need to use it in one, we can just pick it up and move it.  I also like the funny tab at the end. It makes it easy to pick up and carry – though I’m not sure what it was originally for. It’s also somewhat waterproof as things spilled on it run right off.

It’s a functional bed and meets our needs, and it wasn’t very expensive. I would definitely recommend this one to my friends.

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Portable Dog Ramp: Getting into the Car

by Belle's Mom on April 14, 2012

in Dog accessories

Let’s face it, Belle is pretty short. She’s just slightly shorter than a beagle.  It must be the corgi genes in her. When I bought my new car – a hatchback – I realized that she isn’t going to be able to get into it all by herself.  Georgia can jump in by herself, since she is about 8-10 inches taller than Belle.

She and Georgia ride in the back when they are going to the vet and to the groomers, so it’s important that I don’t have to lift her up all of the time. I once used a bale of hay as a stepstool, but that isn’t a practical solution.

I recently discovered the portable folding plastic dog ramps. I have one that folds up into thirds and then closes with a latch so you can store it easily in your car. It’s light-weight, opens and closes easily, and my dog is pretty used to it now.

There are two small complaints I have with this ramp. One, it can get kind of slick when wet. I might try adding some grit tape on it to try and fix that. Two, if you aren’t careful, you can pinch a finger or hand when putting it together. That is mainly a human error. I did it once on the palm of my hand by pushing it together right at the break. Not a good idea.

Overall though, this works for me. I love that it stores easily, it’s easy to lift, I can put it together with one hand (and foot), and my dog is comfortable using it. I just take the leash and lead her up the ramp.  It works out well.

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Don’t Forget Your Dog ID Tags

by Belle's Mom on April 13, 2012

in Caring for your dog, Dog accessories

It’s that time of the year again when people are getting new puppies and letting their dogs outside more. Three times this week I had people come by and ask if I had seen their dog or puppy that had gotten loose. Each time when I asked them if there was a phone number on their dogs collar, they answered “no.”

I very much hope that they got their dogs back, but something as simple as putting an ID tag on their dog’s collar can save them a lot of trouble and worry when it gets loose. We have great animal control officers in our town who will do whatever they can to return your dog to you. But if it doesn’t have an ID tag, off to the Humane Society shelter it goes.

So, this is my plea folks, for your dogs, put an ID collar on them so that if they ever get out, someone can call you to get them back.

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Dog Problem: Snapping at Treats

by Belle's Mom on April 9, 2012

in Dog behavior

The Food Aggressive Dog

I’ve already mentioned that Georgia is food aggressive and very possessive of food. We don’t keep any food items (or even things that can be misconstrued as food – like leather gloves, wool yard, etc.) where she can reach them.  We’ve found out the hard way that she will eat anything remotely food like.

Anyway, while we keep the dogs separated at meal times, I have begun giving them treats at the same time.  I keep an eye on them while they are eating them to make sure Georgia doesn’t go after Belle’s.

Georgia and I are still getting comfortable with one another, and when I started giving her treats, she was snapping at them to get them quickly. This made me nervous and I would often drop the treat in front of her to make sure she didn’t accidentally bite me.

One day I just decided that I was being silly, and I should control her behavior rather than vice versa.

Now when I give them treats, they are both sitting down. Because Georgia always nudges Belle out of the way, Georgia often gets hers first.  But now, she is not allowed to have the treat until I let her.  I even put the treat on top of  her nose, but I make her wait until I say “ok” before she can have it.

When I first started this, I had to pull the treat back when she didn’t understand the command.  I use “wait” to let her know she is supposed to wait until I release her.  Then the verbal “ah” noise I use to let the dogs know they are doing something they aren’t supposed to.  Then after she is calm and not trying to get the treat, I say “ok” and give it to her.

Not only does this make it easier for me to control the situation, it makes me more comfortable around Georgia.

I have started doing this with her dog food too.  She is required to sit and wait while I put the bowl down and is not allowed to get it until I say “ok”.  It works really well, and with such a food-driven dog, we will be able to use treats to help train her easily.

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Introducing A New Dog Into the House

by Belle's Mom on April 3, 2012

in Dog behavior

Georgia moved in with us a few weeks after we settled in to the new house.  She is a hound mix of some sort and is taller and heavier than Belle.

When she was a puppy, she was found out in the woods half starved and with a large piece of her hide missing from her backside.  With the way her flesh was cut, it was probably done by humans.

As a result of her puppy-hood, she has some behavior issues.  The biggest of which is food aggression.   She’s also very possessive and gets jealous when another dog gets attention from us.  With this in mind, we slowly introduced Belle and Georgia.

What We Did to Introduce the Dogs

We first tried walking them by each other in passing without getting too close.  With Belle’s dog aggression, this wasn’t working well.

So, we only have one dog pen and we both work, so we had to figure out a way to have both dogs outside at one without begin alone together.

Luckily, a friend of ours came up with a great idea. Bring another (transportable) dog kennel to our yard and put it right next to the original pen.  This way, they might get used to each other being next door.  We tried this for about three or four weeks.  They were still growling at each other, so we knew they weren’t ready to be in the same pen.

Next step, we moved the transportable pen inside the other dog pen.  That way, they couldn’t ignore each other at all.  Another week of this, and we decided it was time to put them together.

We first let them loose in the same kennel together and stayed inside with them to moderate.  It was a little sketchy at times, but it worked ok.

During the day while we were at work we kept them separated, but began bringing them in the house together with us.

It took several months, but they are now getting along well.  As long as we keep food and toys from causing complications, they seem to tolerate each other.  Knowing the food aggression problem, we kept the portable kennel inside the outdoor kennel so that we can physically separate the dogs when we feed them.  This helps a lot.

While they will never be best buddies, they sleep next to each other and no longer fight.

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