Archive for February, 2008

by Lindsay Stordahl on February 29th, 2008
7 Comments »
A dog backpack is worth buying. For around $80, there are several brands and styles. I went with the Ruff Wear dog backpack, but there are plenty of other brands out there to choose from. I like Ruff Wear’s gear because it seems to favor usefulness and durability over style. But I also liked the look of the pack, and my mutt doesn’t mind wearing it. It fits him comfortably and doesn’t slide around. ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 28th, 2008
5 Comments »
I see pet ownership as a lifelong commitment to the animal. I can’t imagine giving up my mutt, or my cat. I believe it is my responsibility to care for them and make sure they are happy. But, what if I can’t make them happy? Would it really be so terrible to find them new homes? This is a question pet owners face every day. I’ll use my mutt as an example. ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 27th, 2008
20 Comments »
More and more people board their dog at a kennel while traveling, due to our increasingly busy schedules. Whenever I leave town, I ask myself who is going to take care of my mutt. Friends and family are a good option, but only if they are reliable enough and they actually want to take my dog for a week. I don’t want to ruin a good relationship by burdening someone with my dog. My friend and I often take care of ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 26th, 2008
10 Comments »
A prong pinch collar will make training and walking your dog a much more pleasant experience. If these collars are used properly, they will help you train your dog to walk nicely on a leash in all situations. These collars are not cruel or painful. Many trainers encourage them. My mutt is much better off wearing his pinch collar than without because he gets to go along to more places if he is under control. A pinch c ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 25th, 2008
4 Comments »
Every dog owner should have the goal of walking his or her dog every day. Even a half hour each day will make a big difference in a dog’s behavior. If you don’t have at least 30 minutes a day, then hire a dog walker. The number one cause of most dog-behavior problems is a lack of exercise. My mutt stays home while I am at work, and I work 10-hour shifts, four days per week (I let him out during my lunch b ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 24th, 2008
No Comments
One of the best things you can do to prevent your dog’s behavior problems is buy a kennel. Although I wish my mutt never had to go in his kennel, he still spends a fair amount of time there. This was most important when I first adopted him and did not know his personality or what kind of damage he was capable of. While Ace is in his kennel, I know he is safe. I do not spend any time worrying about him getting i ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 22nd, 2008
3 Comments »
If you want a realistic approach to choosing, training and living with dogs, “Katz on Dogs” by Jon Katz is a good book to start with. It’s perfect for someone thinking of getting a dog, a first-time dog owner or someone like me who has lived with dogs all of her life. I read it just before adopting my mutt Ace, and it reminded me of some very basic but important ideas to follow such as doing resear ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 21st, 2008
2 Comments »
I want to introduce myself, and my mutt, Ace. I know people like to talk a lot about their pets. My goal for this blog is to provide you with experiences I’ve had with dogs over the years. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes, share your stories, or at least be entertained. This ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 19th, 2008
2 Comments »
A 13-year-old Pomeranian bit a 2-year-old child in the face last ...
by Lindsay Stordahl on February 13th, 2008
3 Comments »
My mutt is not perfect, even though he has a perfect owner. OK, I guess if I were truly perfect, my mutt would be perfect too. Unfortunately, he’s not. Here are, in my opinion, some of the most annoying dog behaviors. I’m not including biting, mauling and attacking people in this list. I think that would be a little beyond annoying. My mutt is guilty of at least half of these and probably all of them at o ...
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