The TecBlast Blog

Every day we hear more about the new “hybrid” dogs, or
“designer” dogs. Each feature is accompanied by pictures of
adorable puppies that are examples of this new “breed.”

Of course they’re cute! All puppies are! Should you pay
hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars for one?
Certainly not! The offspring of a mating between two purebred
dogs of different breeds is a mongrel, a mutt. And if you have
one, you should love it, train it and care for it as if it had
the bluest blood of the canine kingdom.

Every dog breed, and there are hundreds in the world, was
“created” by humans. Each breed was developed for a specific
purpose - whether that original job was guarding the flock or
being the ideal lap-dog. There’s no reason that development
shouldn’t continue. If there is a need for a dog with particular
characteristics, enterprising individuals will come forward to
fill that need.

However, it takes many generations to “breed true.” Compare
yourself to your siblings. Do you all have the same looks, same
personality, same interests and strengths? Chances are, you
don’t. Each of you has some of the “best” traits of your
parents. But those may not be the same traits. And each of you
has some of the worst.

Two of the best-known mixed-breeds out there now are the “Golden
Doodle” and the “Puggle.” The thinking behind these crosses is
fairly obvious: wouldn’t it be nice to have a Golden Retriever’s
personality and willingness to please combined with the Poodle’s
non-shedding coat and intelligence? Wouldn’t it be equally
delightful to have a small dog without the breathing issues of a
Pug, but quieter than a Beagle?

But there is no way of knowing you won’t get a high-strung,
noisy, stubborn, slobbering mutt who sheds like the dickens!

If you are considering spending the kind of money that these
“hybrids” are commanding, be sure to research all of the traits
of the contributing breeds. You will get a mixture of the two.
And an equally adorable mixture may be waiting for you at your
local shelter - the size you want, with the coat you want and
the adorable face that melts your heart.

If you require certain characteristics in your puppy - whether a
family member has allergies, or you have a very small, or no
yard, or your household requires a quiet, “easy keeper,” or if
you wish to fully participate in the world of canine
competition, consider a pure-bred animal. There are over 150
breeds recognized by the American
Kennel Club. Surely one of them is right for you.

In the United States alone, over 60 million households have one or more pets. Pet owners in 15 million of those households travel with their pets, and the majority stay in pet-friendly lodging. Fortunately, pet friendly hotels, condos and vacation home rentals do exist.

If you will be traveling with your pet, here are some pet friendly tips to remember for safe and trouble-free travel.

1 - When you make your reservation, double-check that pets are allowed. An important advantage of reserving online is that you can see - in writing - whether or not pets are permitted and any restrictions. Online, you can print out your reservation receipt that includes the “pets allowed” information. Verbal reservations leave more room for misunderstanding and miscommunication. If reserving by telephone, ask the reservation person to mail you a confirmation receipt that includes the “pets allowed” information.

2 - Is your pet an experienced traveler? If not, you should begin getting your pet more accustomed to traveling. Begin by making your car a fun place for your pet. Get in the car with them, play with them, give them a treat - have them enjoy being there with you. Then take a short drive with them. Gradually increase the length of time and distance that you drive with them. Before making a long trip with your pet, the idea is to have them comfortable with being in the car for extended periods of time.

3 - Remember that securing your pet while traveling in the car is crucial for their safety and yours. Consider purchasing a dog safety harness for your pet to use while traveling in the car. If you have a station wagon or SUV, you can purchase a vehicle barrier that keeps your pet confined to the rear area. They are usually sold at pet stores or are available online.

4 - Be sure that your pet has an identification tag and wears it while on the trip. The tag should have your pet’s name, your name and phone number. If possible, use your cell phone number, a home number and the number of where you will be staying.

5 - Carry a photograph of your pet with you on your trip. If your pet should ever become lost, you’ll be able to show others exactly what your pet looks like instead of just relying on a verbal description.

6 - Check with your vet for any recommended vaccinations appropriate for your trip - exposure to ticks while hiking, exposure to other dogs while boarding or heartworm prevention if your dog will be exposed to mosquitoes are examples of important preventative measures to take before your trip. If your pet is a dog, have an up-to-date rabies tag for your dog’s collar. If you decide to day board your dog while on vacation, you may be required to show paperwork proof of the rabies vaccination.

7 - Once you arrive at the pet friendly lodging, inform the check-in person that you have your pet. You can inquire if there are any restricted areas where your pet should not be taken. Pet friendly lodging staff should be very accustomed to answering these kinds of questions and will appreciate your awareness.

8 - In your hotel room, condo, cabin rental or vacation home rental - never let your pet use the furniture or beds to sit, lay or sleep on unless you’ve covered the furniture or bed with your own cover. Place your pet’s food and water containers on a mat or newspaper in the bathroom, where cleanup will be easier. When staying in pet friendly accommodations, you may choose to feed your pet outdoors.

9 - If you’ll be leaving your pet alone in the room or vacation rental, make sure the front desk or rental agent knows. Be sure that you leave your pet secured in their travel container or crate if housekeeping staff will be entering the room at any time to clean. You certainly don’t want a housekeeper to enter and be surprised or even attacked by your pet! A pet may also run out of the room when housekeeping enters if left unsecured.

10 - Be very careful in warm or hot weather with leaving your pet in the car. Even when the outside temperature is only in the 70’s or 80’s, the interior of a vehicle can reach 100 degrees and higher, especially when parked in the sun. It doesn’t take long at these temperatures to cause serious or even fatal harm to your pet.

Traveling with pets and staying in pet friendly lodging can be lots of fun - after all, your pet is part of your family too. Just using common sense and planning ahead makes for an enjoyable and surprise-free vacation.

About the Author

David Buster is Vice-President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.bestvacationrentalsonline.com - visit the website for more on pet friendly lodging and to find log cabin rentals, vacation home rentals, condos and chalets, places to get married, discount hotel rooms, adventure travel and more.

Tips for Traveling with Rover

By Ron Swerdfiger

www.web-rover.com

Wether it be on a vacation to your favorite resort, or just visiting the in-laws for the weekend, many people are choosing to take their dogs with them when traveling. Land or air, there are many things to take into consideration. The best advice is simply, be prepared. Below are some great tips for traveling by air and land.

Tips on preparing rover for air travel

Unless your dog is a frequent flyer, air travel is likely to be a very stressful experience, so you might want think twice about subjecting them to the friendly sky . Each airline is going to have their own set of rules for traveling pets. Be sure to know the details prior to making any arrangements.

- Have your vet sign a document (health certificate), stating that your dog is healthy, and free of disease.

- Make sure he is up-to-day with a flea tic program

- Do not feed your pet within 6 hours (some wait even longer) prior to departure. And no water 2 hours before takeoff.

- Make sure you have proper identifaction tags on him. This includes his name, and ALL your information…address phone number

- You MUST provide an adequate crate for you dog to travel in. The crate must be big enough rover to stand in, free of any “debris,”and strong enough to withstand the rigors of travel. Be sure to check with your airline for more specific requirement.

- Attach a note to the crate stating your dogs feeding and water requirements in the event that your flight is delayed or diverted.

- Carry a photograph of your dog incase he is accidently lost. Finding your dog will be a lot easier for everyone, If you have a picture.

Traveling by car

- keep your dog leashed whenever possible.

- Pack ID and a photo. Make sure your rover has his ID tags, with all important contact information (up to date). Along with his tags, make sure you have paperwork with current vaccinations and important health notes.

- Book your lodgings ahead. If your road trip involves staying overnight somewhere, insure that your accommodations allow dogs

- Is your dog ready for a long trip? If your dog is not use to long road trips it might be a good idea to get him accustomed to being in the car longer than a trip to the grocery store..

- Keep your dog cool. If you don’t have air conditioning in the car, make sure you have a window down to let in fresh cool air.

Traveling with your four legged pal makes a great trip even better. If you follow these basic guideline and educate yourself on rules and regulations for traveling and accommodations you will have a great memory of your trip, that will last a lifetime.

Here are some great resources for info on dog friendly destinations.

http://www.dogfriendly.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how_18753_find-dog-friendly.html

http://www.food4pets.com/destinations/

http://www.petswelcome.com/

About the Author

For more great Articles and dog info, visit www.web-rover.com

All dogs bark, it’s their way to communicate a message. Dog barks for various reasons: to greet, to alert, out of boredom, to attract attention or when they are excited.

Although some barking from is acceptable, too much barking is certainly annoying, especially for your neighbors and eventually leading to complains. The easiest way to stop a problematic barker is to control his barking while you are at home:

1. Set up a situation where your dog will always bark. For example, you can ask someone to ring your doorbell or knock on your door.

2. When your dog charges to the door and start to bark loudly, approach your dog, grab his collar and give the command “quiet” - no shouting please, it doesn’t help.

3. If he stops barking, praise and reward. He’s a genius and deserves it.

4. When he continues barking, close his mouth with your hand, wrap your fingers around his muzzle - use both hands if needed, and give the command for him to keep quiet. Praise if he stops.

Most dogs would be able to learn the “quiet” command with repeated training like this. Set up similar situations to “lure” your dog to bark and repeat training whenever possible.

If you happen to own a hard-core persistent barker, use this method:

1. Vinegar-Water solution - mix a proportion of 7/8 water & 1/8 vinegar together. Pour the mixture into a water pistol or what kids call “super soaker” for longer distance shooting.

2. Aim and shoot at his chest whenever he can’t stop barking even on your command. Dogs hate the smell of vinegar and would usually back off and stop barking. He’ll even sneeze a few times. It’s harmless so you need not worry.

3. As always, praise him when he stops barking.

For your information, your dog might still be barking noisily and disrupting your neighborhood when you are not at home. In this case, you’ll need a training equipment known as “bark collars” to help train him.

There are several types of bark collars on the market. Some of these collars send an electric shock to your dog when he barks, some make a high pitch sound or emits a squirt of citronella which is annoying but safe for your dog. Usually, these collars can help you solve a problematic barker.

Personally, I’ll recommend the high pitch sound or citronella collars. They are very effective and more humane dog training tools.

About the Author

Moses Chia is a dog lover and owner of http://DogsObedienceTraining.com - The dog training resource site for a happier and healthier dog. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.