Choosing a Suitable Collar for Your Dog

Collars come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and materials. The two common types of collars are training collars and buckle collars.

The purpose of a training collar is for you to be able to guide your dog or to check your dog if necessary. (A check is a tug on the leash followed by an immediate release of tension on the leash.) A check is used when you want your dog to stop doing something. However, the check is a form of negative reinforcement and an unpleasant experience for any dog.

Collars for the trained dog are called buckle collars. They are either leather, nylon, or canvas. For the untrained dog, buckle collars are virtually useless. Trying to control a dog with a buckle collar would be difficult. Some dog owners prefer to use a harness, which is perfectly fine for dogs that do not pull or for small dogs, where pulling is not terribly objectionable. But for a medium-sized or large dog that pulls, harnesses are not a good idea because you give up the control that you are trying to achieve. The dog literally leans into the harness and drags you wherever he wants to go. The only exception for using a harness on an untrained dog is if the dog has a neck injury.

Good Grooming

Although you can customize your product selection to your type of breed and to specific products you want to use, below is a general list of the kinds of products you will want to consider for stocking your grooming station. The products listed are necessary for the basis of good dog grooming. Optional products are also included for dog owners who want to go the extra mile in grooming their dogs.

The following are eight necessary products essential for grooming your dog:

1. Shampoo for your dog's coat type
2. Coat conditioner for your dog's coat type
3. Petroleum jelly to protect your dog’s eyes and ears
4. Nail coagulant or styptic pencil
5. Medicated ear powder or other ear cleaning liquid such as rubbing alcohol or a product designed for this purpose
6. Eye drops for moistening and cleaning eyes
7. Cotton balls
8. Cotton swabs

The following is a list of optional products for your grooming:

1. Talcum powder for keeping skin wrinkles dry
2. Lanolin or oil based coat spray for sheen
3. Mineral oil for polishing nails
4. Cologne or other scented coat spray

More on Your Dog's First Aid Kit

Keep a canine first-aid kit on hand for general health care and emergencies. You should check it on a regular basis to make sure that liquids have not spilled or dried up, and replace medications and materials after they are used.

Your first aid kit should include: Activated charcoal tablets; Adhesive tape (1 and 2 inches wide), antibacterial ointment (for skin and eyes), aspirin (buffered or enteric coated, not Ibuprofen), bandages such as gauze rolls (1 and 2 inches wide) and dressing pads, cotton balls, diarrhea medicine, dosing syringe, hydrogen peroxide (3%), petroleum jelly, rectal thermometer, rubber gloves, rubbing alcohol, scissors, tourniquet, towel, and tweezers.

Your puppy cannot tell you when he is sick, but if you spend enough time with him and are observant of his behavior, it will be easy for you to notice when he is not feeling well. The purpose of a first aid kit is for you to assist a dog in an emergency situation before you reach the vet's office. Such assistance should be minimal, so as not to make matters worse and it must be safe for the dog and his rescuer. If possible, alert the veterinarian immediately.

Crate Training and X-Pens

While a puppy can last in his crate for the night when he is asleep, you cannot leave a puppy in his crate for longer than four hours at a time during the day. Your puppy will soil his crate, which is definitely not a habit you want to establish.

If your schedule is such that you cannot keep an eye on your puppy during the day or come home to let the puppy out in time, a suitable alternative is an exercise pen. An X-pen is a smart confinement and uses the same principle as a crate, except it is bigger and has no top. An X-pen can also be used outdoors.

You need to acquire an X-pen appropriate to the size of your dog. Place it where the puppy will be confined during your absence. To get your dog comfortable in his X-pen, follow the same procedure as you would in introducing him to his crate. When he is in the X-pen and you are ready to leave him for the day, cover 1/3 of the area with newspapers. He will quickly understand what the paper is for. Cover 1/3 of the remaining area with a blanket and leave 1/3 uncovered.

First Aid Kit for Your Dog

Although you cannot prevent emergencies from happening, you can prepare for them by having the necessary supplies readily available when you need them. When traveling with your dog, you should carry a first aid kit that is specifically designed for your dog. The kit should include the following 14 items in addition to your cell phone:

1. Your veterinarian's phone number, because 911 will not put you in touch with canine emergency personnel.
2. Antibiotic cream, 1 tube
3. Bandage roll, 3-inch gauze
4. Cotton balls, 1 small package
5. Eyewash or a bottle of artificial tears to flush foreign material from his eyes
6. Disinfectant, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
7. Muzzle, about 4-foot length of soft cotton rope
8. Pad and pencil
9. Scissors, blunt tipped or bandage scissors
10. Soap for cleaning skin wounds (liquid organic iodine type)
11. Syringe, 12-cc capacity for flushing wounds or administering oral medication
12. Styptic stick for minor torn nail bleeding
13. Tape, one roll of 2-inch adhesive
14. Thermometer, rectal, electronic, or mercury