Baby gates

Baby gates are a great way to keep your puppy from wandering all over your home - when he's too young to do it safely. They are great to block access to stairs, kids' playrooms, rooms within open floor plans, etc. There are all kinds of gates in a wide range of prices. They can be spring loaded, mountable or free standing, made of wood, metal or plastic.

Read more about puppy safety in Puppies chew shoes, don't they?

  Google "baby gates" for lots of options.

Break-Away Collars

Rather than a standard buckle collar, start your puppy off with a break-away buckle collar. Choking and strangulation are very real concern for puppy parents. Puppy playtime can turn into tragedy if a puppy's regular collar gets caught on something like:

• steps, gates, fences, and decks
• shrubbery
• kennels and crates
• air conditioning/heating units, vents
• another dog's jaw (they wrestle and play and one dog's jaw gets caught in the other dog's collar)

The beauty of the break-away collar is that the buckle releases when pressure is applied. Used properly it does double duty as a collar you can attach puppy's leash to. Here's an example: the KeepSafe.

Think this can't happen to your dog? Listen to this episode of Bark Radio called "Not Ready for the Rainbow Bridge."

Do you have a story about a puppy and his break-away collar. Send it along so we can share it with our readers. Woof!

Ho, Ho, Ho ... Scary Christmas?

Your holidays may include a picture-taking event for your puppy or dog - perhaps one that includes the guy in the red suit. If this is something new to your dog, watch his body language. If upon seeing Santa your dog starts backing up or barking or tries to run away, he may be afraid. Don't force him to have his picture taken with someone who scares him. Cut him some slack. Take him to the park instead. 

And consider this: rather than paying for a portrait with Santa, give generously to a local doggy rescue group. Santa will be pleased.

Exercise Pens

If you are reading Puppies chew shoes, don't they? for Kindle, this post goes with Chapter 2.

Exercise pens are a good way to contain your puppy. They come in lots of sizes, heights, and materials. Some you can use outside: you garden, puppy plays safely in his exercise pen. Make sure you get a size appropriate to your dog's breed. Google "exercise pens" for a big selection.

Here are three examples.

Wire.

Plastic.

 

Soft-sided.

 Woofs 'n wags!

Kindle edition coming soon!

Puppies chew shoes is a great gift for anyone getting a puppy. Soon it will be available through Amazon and readable on your iPad, Kindle, or iPhone.

Choosing a veterinarian

If you are reading Puppies chew shoes, don't they? on a Kindle, this post goes with Chapter 1.

Many dog owners know only one dog professional ... their vet. Make certain that you trust yours enough to put your puppy's life in her hands. To help choose the right vet for you and your puppy:

1. Look into an accredited American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) vet clinic near you. I recommend AAHA vets because as a service dog trainer, I have accompanied families nationwide on that first puppy wellness visit. Across the board, AAHA accredited vets were consistent in their knowledge of veterinary medicine and offered appropriate recommendations for socialization, toys, training, etc. Because they have to follow standards set down by the accrediting agency, the vets seem to be those who continue their education and are, therefore, up on the latest best practices.
2. Consider an integrative/holistic vet. Learn all about this approach to keeping your dog healthy for life at the Veterinary Institute of Integrative Medicine. 
3. For complex medical issues or for a second opinion, know where to find local veterinary specialists. Start with the AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialists.

When you take your puppy the first time, make sure your puppy is comfortable with your vet. Personally, I also want friendly, helpful people at the front desk and I want to be able to call my vet with questions and not be put off.

To better understand your dog's health issues, the one of the best online resource for articles and videos is Dr. Karen Becker's Healthy Pets website.

Keep that smile on your puppy's face with good health for life!

The Fabulous Furminator

Note: If you are reading Puppies chew shoes, don't they? on a Kindle, this post goes with Chapter 1.

Lots of Labrador retrievers live at my house. They have double coats. They shed. Year 'round. The only grooming tool I need for my furry beasts is the Furminator. The company calls it a de-shedding tool. I call it amazing.