Tips for traveling with your dog (s)

The last big holiday weekend of the summer is upon us. 

 Triple A has forecasted that about 33 million people will be traveling at least 50 miles or more this holiday weekend.  Of those millions of people traveling, many are bringing their dogs with them.  So, is your dog or dogs prepared for their journey, or should I say, have you prepared for your dog's journey?  I hope to offer some helpful travel tips for you and your pets.

Those people traveling by air really only have two options.  If you are traveling with a small dog then many airlines will allow you to bring your small dog on board with you in a pet carrier that will fit under the seat in front of you.  However, if you are traveling with a larger dog, then you will need to make sure that you have a crate large enough to make your dog comfortable during the flight.  Keep in mind though, that even though Fido is our beloved best friend, to the airlines, he or she is just another piece of cargo and may be treated as such. 

With the economy the way that it is, many people are still traveling but maybe not as far and therefore have just decided to travel by automobile.  This is probably a better option for your dog or dogs.  But, you still need to make sure that your dog is ready for the trip in the vehicle.  Usually, our dogs are accustomed to trips in our vehicles when they have to visit their vet.  But, if that is their only experiece with riding in the car, you may want to drive them to a few other places before your longer trip, say a trip to the dog park.  This will help your dog become less anxious while traveling.  Ideally, you should be stopping at least every three hours to give your pets plenty of breaks so they can get out and use the restroom, get a drink, and just stretch their legs.

When you travel you want to plan ahead and make sure you have the following supplies:  dog collar with up to date name tag and contact information, a leash for when you let them out to stretch or walk them,  water bowl, treats, one or two toys, doggie bags to pick up waste, blanket or dog bed, medications if needed, and either a dog seat belt or dog crate/kennel/carrier. 

No matter what your mode of transportation, you also want to plan ahead to where you will be staying.  If you are going to be staying in a hotel/motel, make sure they approve pets and what their fees are.  You are staying with friends or relatives then again you may want to check out their rules in regards to pets and what kind of area your pet will be able to get around in.  If you know that the home you are visiting does not have a fence or if you are staying in a campground where there are no fences to keep your pet in his or her area, then a wireless dog fence would be a perfect solution for you.  The wireless dog fences are easy to install in usually less than an hour and are very portable so you can take them anywhere.  You many even want to consider an indoor containment system if you are going to be staying with someone who does not want the dog in certain sections or parts of the home. 

The key for your upcoming long weekend trip is to plan ahead.  While you are packing for yourself just make sure you are packing everything you need for your dog or dogs as well.  At baddogsupplies we carry almost everything you will need for your trip.  Check us out.  As always, if we don't have what you need or want then let us know so we can try and add it to our product list. 

I hope this has helped you plan for your trip and have a great and safe long weekend!

Using Dog Bark Control Collars

How do dog bark control collars work?  First, let me start by saying that there are different types of dog bark control collars that are used to control nuisance dog barking.  The different types of collars are as follows:  citronella collar which will emit an unpleasant odor in front of the dogs face when she or he barks, a tone correction bark collar which will emit a loud noise to distract the dog when he or she starts to bark, and a stimulation bark collar which will emit an electrical impulse once the dog begins to bark.  All three types of collars are very effective in curbing nuisance dog barking and the one you choose for your dog is really up to you and the type of correction you think will work best for your dog. 

All three types of collars work by emitting one of the three types of stimulus discussed above when the dog begins to bark.  The corrective stimulus interrupts the dogs barking and the dog will then associate the barking behavior with the corrective stimulus to help stop the barking. 

As with any training device, the amount of time it takes to train your dog with a bark control collar will vary from one dog to another.  The bark control collars (http://www.baddogsupplies.com/collars.html)

are not meant to be worn forever and are again used only as a training tool to curb your dogs nuisance barking behaviors.  Now remember, you are talking about dogs and they are meant to bark.  That is their nature.  What you are trying to do with a bark control collar is control nuisance barking. 

So, if you are trying to control nuisance dog barking then try a dog bark control collar (http://www.baddogsupplies.com/collars.html).  They come in different types as discussed above and some are automatic and some are handheld.  The automatic types will pick up on the vibration of your dogs bark from their vocal cord and then initiate the response whereas the handheld ones will be manual stimulation that you provide through a handheld device once the dog begins the nuisance barking.

As stated, there are different types of collars.  All are safe for your dogs and all are effective.  Pick the one that you think will work best for your dog and begin training your dog today and you will soon get rid of that nuisance dog barking behavior that you and your neighbors are annoyed with. 

As always,  check us out at baddogsupplies.com for all of your dog supply needs.  If we don't have it, let us know so we can find it for you. 

How Do You Train Your Dog with a Dog Containment System?

As mentioned in previous blogs, it is important to use your wireless or in-ground dog fences as a tool in training your dog or dogs.  Your dog will learn the boundaries through the visual aids with the flags that you set up around the perimeter as well as with your voice commands.  The in-ground or wireless dog fences are additional aids in learning.  


We have mentioned it in the past and we will reiterate that you do need to utilize the flags with training so that the dog has a visual aid.  This will especially be useful if you have a dog that has hearing problems because they may not hear the warning signal from your in-ground or wireless fence, so they can use the flags to guide them.  During the training period, you do want ample flags.  The flags should be left in place for at least two weeks but may remain in place for up to one month.  Once into the training and after the initial two weeks, then you may want to slowly start to decrease the amount of flags that are present.  


It is recommended that you start the training with the dog containment systems with dogs that are about three months old.  But, these systems can be used at any age and some dogs may need to be trained sooner if they are a little more advanced.  You can still use these systems with older dogs too.  The actual amount of training that a dog will need in order to learn this system will vary on the dog itself as well as the amount of time you spend with the dogs and your experience.  On average, if you spend at least ten minutes a day with your dog, then it should take roughly two to three weeks to train your dog with the dog containment systems.  The recommendation is to spend the first week training your dog while the dog is on a leash, then one week with a 20-30 foot line, then the last week with the dog off the leash.

Now, to get down to the actual training and what you will actually do with the dog to begin training.  With the first week, while the dog is on his or her leash, you will begin to walk the dog toward the boundary with the collar next to his or her ear.  When you hear the collar beep, hit the flag with your hand and rush your dog  back toward the center of the yard.  Praise your dog at this point.  After your have completed this training for one week while the dog is on a leash, then start adding some distractions for the dog.  Try to let the dog correct himself.  If the dog does not run back towards the center of the yard as trained, then use the leash to guide the dog back towards the center of the yard.  As stated above, after you have done this step for at least one week while the dog is on a leash then you will switch to using a long line.  Again, once you have worked with the dog some time with this step then you will need to add distractions.  You will then spend at least one weeks time training the dog off the leash and with you out of the dogs line of vision.  


If you have found in the past that your dog or dogs are more difficult to train then you may want to consider a stubborn dog containment system such as the Petsafe In-Ground Stubborn Dog Fence, (http://www.baddogsupplies.com/catalog/item/8482923/9419887.htm).


As always, please visit us at baddogsupplies.com for all of your dog supply needs.  If we don't have what you are looking for then let us know and we will do our best to find it.