» Dogs

How To Trim Your Dogs Nails

onlinepetdepot — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:05:05 +0000

Your dog’s nails should just touch the ground when she walks. If her nails are clicking on the floor or getting snagged in the carpet, it’s time for a pedicure.

Use trimmers designed for pets. Ask your veterinarian or a groomer for advice about what types of nail trimmers are best for your dog and how to use them properly.

Make sure the clippers are sharp.

Start at the tip of the nail and snip a little at a time. Look at the cut edge of the nail. When you start to see pale pink tissue near the top of the cut edge, stop. You can use a nail file to smooth the edges further.

Avoid cutting into the quick, which contains nerves and blood vessels. It is painful and will bleed easily. On white nails, the quick is the pink section.

Be extra careful when cutting dark nails, because the quick is difficult to see.

If the tip of the nail begins to bleed, apply pressure using styptic powder or a substitute such as baby powder or cotton.

Avoid wiping the blood clot off the tip of the nail once the bleeding has stopped.

Remember to trim the dewclaw nail, on the inside of the leg. Since it doesn’t touch the ground, it wears down less rapidly than the others.

Trim nails once or twice a month. The quick will lengthen if you don’t trim the nail regularly, and long nails can cause traction problems or become ingrown.

Care Instructions For Your Dog Gone Smart Crate Pad / Mat

onlinepetdepot — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:43:08 +0000

Follow these few simple steps to care for your Dog Gone Smart Crate Pad / Mat:Because Dog Gone Smart crate pads/mats stay clean longer you don’t have to wash them as often as similar products on the market. When you do wash them they come out looking brand new just follow these simple instructions:

Machine wash, gentle cycle, wash with similar colors

Use regular detergent

NEVER use fabric softener, dryer sheets or bleach as
these will alter the finish of the fabric

Tumble dry at high heat

Ironing is recommended

These Mats are great I purchased a few of them for my dogs and they absolutely love them and they are very easy to care for. I highly recommend these Mats. The beds are also great!

Dog Training Obedience Clicker, How Does It Work?

onlinepetdepot — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:15:25 +0000

What is a clicker?

A clicker is a small device that you can carry easily, attach to a jacket, or keep in a pocket. When you press on it, it makes a distinctive clicking sound. They are sold at pet supply places, quite inexpensively and usually in groups, as it’s handy to have several around.

You can click a clicker much faster than you can say “Good!” or any other praise word. I have experimented with making a clicking noise with my mouth, and have found that it’s much slower than clicking a clicker. Since dogs can do a lot of different things in a short time period, the faster your click, the more likely you are to have indicated the exact behavior you wanted to reward.

One of the most important aspects of animal training is the timing. In order for the dog to learn that a certain behavior gets him a reinforcement, the reinforcement must be delivered while the behavior is taken place. The more accurate we are, the easier it is for the dog to learn. The more we postpone the reinforcement , the less is the ability to associate between the behavior and the consequence. For example, if I want to teach my dog to sit, I need to deliver the treat (reinforcer) right as the dog’s behind touches the ground. This is where the clicker comes in: by establishing a connection between the “click” and the treat, I can manage to deliver information to the dog immediately.

How does the training clicker work?

We create an association between a “click” and a treat. We click and immediately treat, we click and treat. We repeat this dozens of times and the dog realizes “ok , when I hear this sound, I get a good thing”. Now, when this association is made, we can use this click to deliver information to the dog about his behavior. We will click the clicker the instant a behavior we want occurs. The dog sits, we click immediately when the dog’s behind hits the ground and deliver the reinforcer right after – the dog realizes “ok – putting my behind on the ground is good”. The clicker eliminates the need to deliver the treat as fast as possible. It allows for a gap or bridge between the behavior and the reinforcer.

It is important to note that once the association is established, it is important that every click is always followed by a treat. If you click and you do not treat, you weaken the association.

The reinforcer does not have to be food. Many dogs would love to work for a game of tug, or a Frisbee throw. The reinforcer that comes after the click can be anything the dog wants at the moment and it is important to know your dog and what he/she loves.