All About Dog Toys

Just like children's toys, dog toys can also be harmful, easy to destroy and may end up being very costly. Below are some helpful ideas for purchasing dog toys that your pets will enjoy and will not put a strain in your wallet.

Safe Toys Your Dog can Enjoy

For large dogs who have a lot of 'chew power', it's better to invest your money in toys like 'Kong' toys because they come in all sizes and tend to be very durable. Besides being very safe, dogs love them! Tennis balls are very good to fetch with but again take care that the size is suitable for your dog. Another popular toy are "rope" toys that you can play tug-a-war with your dog. Bones and raw cow hide can also be a form of toy because they can keep your dog content for hours by themselves.

Safety Tips for Buying Dog Toys

When you purchase toys, buy them according to the size of your dog and any habits they may have like chewing, fetching or pulling. Avoid toys with parts your dog can swallow or choke on. Examples are price tags, ribbons, staples or strings. Stuffed animals seem like a good idea but keep in mind they can be dangerous because of the eyes can be chewed off and the stuffing can be eaten. This is the same idea if you buy toys that are too small for big dogs who may end up swallowing them,

Home-made dog toys

If you are a crafty person, especially one that enjoys sewing, perhaps making your own home-made dog toy is something you'd be interested in. Toys can easily be made by gathering some old tough material and cutting them into any shape you desire. Make sure to cut two of each shape. Be careful for the size of your dog and make it big enough for them to play with without being able to swallow. Sew the edges of your duplicate and cut shapes then stuff the toy with padding. Once the stuffing in in, sew closed with a needle and thread the open end. If you are not so crafty and can't sew if your life depended on it, then another good idea is to take that same old tough material, loop and tie it in a knot before giving it to your dog. Remember, dogs don't care how pretty the toy is, they just want you to play with them.

To a dog, a toy can be anything as long as they can chew it, tug it, fetch it, and destroy it. If your looking to avoid spending too much money on toys, a good kind to buy for large to medium sized dogs are 'Kong' toys. These are durable and dogs love them! Making dog toys are also inexpensive and very easy to do with an old sweater or sweatpants. Just remember to buy toys that are safe and the proper size for your dogs. No matter what kind of toy you decide to bring home, your dog will love it no matter what as long as it can keep them entertained and allows you to play with them as well.

Learn more about dog car seat covers and pet car seat covers

Anna Sandpakdee owner of a pug and a mother of two and who loves to cook and eat Thai and Laotian food.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Sandpakdee

All About Dog Toys

Maggie Fishing - A Feather

Maggie Fishing - A Feather

How About Those Irresponsible Dog Owners Who Don't Clean Up After Their Dogs?

I live in a rather large apartment complex. One of my neighbors is a young man in his 20s that has a mixed breed dog of medium size. He is the WORST dog owner I have seen in a long time. The poor dog, who is only about 1 to 1 1/2 years old gets very little exercise. The owner, who by the way is home all day and night long, only takes her outside long enough for her to do 'her business' and then he drags her back inside again.
I hate to watch this as I feel SO sorry for the poor girl. She is young and wants to walk and explore and of course, run. He practically has to drag her back inside. Now to my point. This guy is very lazy and refuses to clean up after his dog. Here in Sweden it is the law that you must pick up dog poop from public places. They sell black 'poop bags' in every store and they are very cheap. There are also special doggie doo-doo receptacles placed all around and we have several here in the area that dog owners drop the bags into. This guy did, in the beginning, pick up the poo, but now he simply does not.
My partner ran into him a week or so ago while out with our dog Maggie and told him directly that he must pick up the dog poop. He only stared at her and turned and went back in with his dog. It was mentioned also to him that if we saw this habit continuing that we would call the apartment complex to complain. Our point is that since it is a privilege to be able to have a dog here in a rental building, his negligent behavior could jeopardize things for every dog owner who rents from this company.
Well, as the days passed, the dog poo piles outside that entrance door have grown. He simply is too lazy to pick up after his pet. So...today a call was made to the main office of the rental company. The woman on the other end of the phone said that she would call him and give him a warning.
We hope it changes things. Not only is it unsightly to look at, it could end up putting all dog owners who rent from this company in danger of not being allowed to keep their dogs in the apartments.
What do you think? I personally feel that this person's dog should be taken away from him. He only does the bare minimum with the dog. He is NEVER seen out walking or playing with the dog.

How About Those Irresponsible Dog Owners Who Don't Clean Up After Their Dogs?

Adopt a Shelter Dog and Save a Life

Many dog owners turn their pet dogs over to local shelters for a variety of reasons. Sometimes when people re-locate they are not allowed to keep pets in their new homes or apartments, while others discover that family members have become allergic to the dog and they are forced to find a new home for their beloved pet. There are some dog owners out there that just do not feel they have the time and/or the resources to keep the dog any longer and feel forced to give it to the nearest shelter for re-adoption. Whatever the reasons, the fact is that there are tens of thousands of dogs sitting in shelters today all across the United States who are waiting to be adopted.
If you have been thinking of getting a dog, instead of looking through your local newspaper for puppies for sale, consider giving a shelter dog a home instead. Sadly, most shelters are extremely over-crowded which means that the if the dogs are not adopted within a couple of weeks, the shelters will be forced to euthanize the dogs. I took a tour through a large dog shelter in Michigan a few years back and the tour included a peek inside the 'freezer room'. This room was nothing more than a walk-in freezer which contained dead dogs and cats, wrapped in plastic, stacked as high as the ceiling, awaiting burial somewhere in a mass grave. Although that scene stuck in my head for many years, I totally understand why shelters are forced to put thousands of dogs asleep each year-they simply do not have the room to keep the dogs nor the resources available to build bigger shelters. Dog shelters are faced with rather strict budget restraints and they often get their funding from volunteer donations. Most of the folks that work at the shelters are donating their time and are caring for these abandoned pets out of the goodness of their hearts. Shelters all over the U.S. are overflowing with adult dogs that only need a second chance in life. The dog shelters do their best in assessing the dogs they take in to see if they are used to being around other dogs and pets, if they are good with children and whether or not they are housebroken and trained to walk on a leash. You may be surprised to find out that a great many of these dogs would indeed make outstanding pets and that they were abandoned by their original owners for reasons well beyond the dog's control.
Adopting a dog can save you an incredible amount of money compared to buying a purebred from a breeder. Often shelters will charge you for only for the cost of vaccinations and the basic care they have provided. You can often walk away from a shelter with a wonderful and deserving dog for less than $100 and sometimes for less, depending on the circumstances. You may be pleasantly surprised too that the shelter has micro-chipped your dog to ensure that he or she will be returned to you if it happens to wander away from your home or yard.
So, instead of looking online at young puppies for sale, please do consider getting in your car and driving to your nearest dog shelter. The dog shelter that I visited told me that whenever new people come in to view the dogs that are up for adoption that the shelter staff does not allow the visitors to look at the puppies until they have viewed all of the adult dogs up for adoption. This is done for obvious reasons as people find puppies irresistible and won't even consider looking at a full grown dog when there are puppies up for adoption at the shelters.

Adopt a Shelter Dog and Save a Life

Shelters in California Have Overflow of Chihuahuas

The state of California has more Chihuahuas then it knows what to do with and workers at shelters are blaming Hollywood. There are so many Chihuahuas at the shelters in Oakland that the shelters are being forced to send the dogs to shelters in neighboring states. The tiny breed makes up at least thirty percent of the total dog population at shelters across the state. Experts say we can blame the likes of Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus as well as other celebrities for the problem as people have rushed to buy Chihuahuas to tote around and to use as a status symbol of sorts.

Thankfully, at least for now, the problem seems to be specific to the state of California as Chihuahuas are the most popular breed in Los Angeles and thus has become the breed that is abandoned the most. Some shelters report receiving an average of ten Chihuahuas every single day. The reason given by the owners who bring the tiny dogs to the shelters range from statements saying that the dog has become “too old”, or that the dog is “too yappy”. Many of the owners also state that their dog has nipped or bitten someone in the household.

California has also seen a rise in the number of backyard breeders who are trying to cash in on the popularity of the Chihuahua. Unfortunately, many people have no problem in kicking a Chihuahua, and due to the small size of the dog, many Chihuahuas are mishandled by children and adults alike.

Now, back to Paris Hilton. In September of this year a news story came across the wires saying that two of Hilton's Chihuahuas were killed by coyotes. Neighbors as well as paparazzi had reported that they have often found some of her dogs roaming the streets after they had gotten out of her compound--due to not being watched. It was reported that Hilton did not even find the bodies of her two dogs until the day after she discovered them missing. We can only hope that she does not buy more dogs to replace those two. The Hollywood heiress was the first person to use her Chihuahua Tinkerbell as a fashion accessory, toting the poor thing around with her from nightclub to nightclub in a handbag.

Thankfully, most of the shelters who are getting the overflow of Chihuahuas from California report that they are having success placing then often abused and neglected dogs into new and loving homes. In my opinion, it's time for people in California to wake up and quit looking at Chihuahuas as 'fashion accessories'!!!

Shelters in California Have Overflow of Chihuahuas

Greyhound Dog Racing-The Dirty Truth

The national greyhound protection group called GREY2K USA ran a successful ballot campaign against greyhound racing in the state of Massachusetts in 2008 and this year they took the battle to the state of Florida where they are out to close down the thirteen dog tracks in that state.
Christine Dorchak, president of the group, says that dog racing is cruel and inhumane and that the dogs live miserable lives in confinement. The state of Florida does not require race tracks and kennels to maintain published records of injuries or deaths.
GREY2K USA shot video footage showing two greyhounds who died as a result of injuries they received while racing. One of the dogs was a two year old greyhound who suffered two broken legs while racing at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.
Dogs live in small cages that are barely big enough for them to stand up or turn around in and most greyhound race tracks house one thousand dogs in warehouse-like structures. The general public is unaware of the fact that thousands of greyhounds are seriously injured every year while racing. These injuries include broken bones, heart attacks, broken necks and paralysis due to spinal cord injuries. Greyhounds are forced to race in the most extreme weather conditions, both on the hottest summer days and in sub-zero temperatures during the winter months.
When greyhounds are no long pulling in a profit, they are killed. It is estimated that at least 5,000 greyhounds are unnecessarily killed every year across the United States. In Wisconsin in 2002, a greyhound trainer was videotaped injecting several greyhounds with an anabolic steroid and in Florida, over 100 dogs tested positive for cocaine between the years 2001 and 2003. The state of Florida did nothing to find out how the dogs had ingested the cocaine. To add insult to injury, greyhound racing dogs are fed low quality and cheap meat-often diseased and dead livestock.
The greyhounds need to be protected and greyhound racing needs to be shut down. Until dog racing is outlawed, these dogs will continue to be sentenced to inhumane treatment and living their lives in small cages. It is time people stood up and told their state legislators that greyhound racing should be illegal--in every single one of the sixteen states that allow greyhound racing today.

Greyhound Dog Racing-The Dirty Truth

Walking Your Dog Should Be Pleasant

Walking your dog on a leash should be a pleasant experience for both your dog and for you. It is important that you take your dog out for regular walks if you don't have a fenced in yard. Dogs need exercise and it is in their nature to explore the environment. I have a neighbor who owns three dogs, two Chinese Crested dogs and a Standard Poodle. The owner has no control whatsoever over his three dogs and allows them to jump and bark at people and other dogs that they pass on the street.
The poodle is absolutely hysterical on the leash. He jumps and barks constantly and when the owner tries to stop this behavior, the dog stands on his hind legs, and his owner allows the dog to do this. It is very obvious that the owner is embarassed by the dog's behavior and that he has no control over any of this three dogs when they are out walking.
As a dog owner, you must always remember that your dog looks to you to give the directions. Dogs are pack animals and need to have a leader, and the leader is you, the owner.
When you are out on a walk with your dog and another dog is approaching, if your dog starts pulling, barking, jumping or exhibiting any other undesireable behavor, immediately shorten the leash and turn the dog away from the approaching dog. Do not allow your dog to win this small 'battle'. Simply turn the dog away from what it is that he is overly interested in, and then move along.
Walking your dog should be fun, relaxing, and a pleasant experience. If you feel that you need help in training your dog how to behave while walking on a leash, you can take a short course that will teach you and your dog how to enjoy a walk. Most cities offer dog training courses and it would be well worth the time and the small amount of money the course costs.
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Walking Your Dog Should Be Pleasant