A Dog's Christmas

A
Dog’s Christmas

Author, Jan Casey

According to the
American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 44.8% of households in the U.S.
owned a dog in 2006. From their survey, that equates to approximately 73.9
million dogs. They report “The overall majority of pet owners buy their pet a
gift, usually for Christmas or often for no occasion at all, spending an
average of almost $20.00 per pet gift.” Now that you see you are in good
company, what will you buy for your dog?

An article sent to me by
Bob McMillan of the Herald-Citizen prompted the topic for this column. The AP
wire service published a story about the latest offerings for the doggie
in-crowd. Included were puppooses (crocheted slings in which to carry your dog
across your chest), non-alcoholic dog beer, and wigs for dogs. Wigs for dogs?
As if they didn’t already leave enough hair behind. Rather than send you on a
search for these people-pleasing as opposed to dog- pleasing gifts, I have some
suggestions to make.

Most dogs like toys.
There are the usual toys – balls, stuffed plush animals, Frisbees, to name a
few. Better than those, look at toys that not only exercise the body, but also
the canine mind. Buster cubes, Kongs which can be stuffed with food, and treat
dispensing balls are great. For owners and dogs who know the rules of tugging
(a must before you play tug), a new tuggy toy or combination tug/leash is
great. For dogs that are well-socialized with both people and other dogs, a
gift of doggie day care would be wonderful. How about a sandbox for digging?

Food gifts are also high
on the list as dog gift favorites. Due to recent and ongoing scares within the
pet food industry, my first suggestion is to get online and research some
homemade doggie treats. There is such a wide variety of treats available with
just about every conceivable ingredient. Of course, if you think the smell of
baking liver or tuna might not add much to the wonderful smells of Christmas in
your house, check out some of the wholesome treats available through some of
the local retailers here. A few retailers subscribe to the Whole Dog Journal
which tracks the quality of pet foods and stock only the best suggested foods.
As the Journal does not accept advertisements, it can report in a completely
unbiased way.

While I doubt I would
find equipment on your dog’s wish list, it is something many folks give to
their pets at Christmas. You could make your selection more appealing to your
pet if you replace any aversive equipment (choke collars, prong collars, shock
collars) with more dog friendly equipment. There are wonderful new anti-pull
harnesses out there such as the Easy Walk and Sensi if you have a dedicated
puller. Many of the smaller dogs in my classes have arrived sporting very
flashy material harnesses, a great alternative to collars that can easily
damage tender throats and tracheas.

Of all my
recommendations, I most strongly suggest you give your dog the gift of more
time, not just during the holidays, but all year long. Dogs are social
creatures who want to be a part of the family. Buy yourself a book on games to
play with your dog. Enroll in a class with your dog – take something fun like
agility, flyball, or Rally-O. If your dog is lacking manners, take a basic
manners class that emphasizes building your relationship with your dog as well
as learning behaviors which make them more welcome companions. Commit to
walking a little more with your dog. It will do you both good. When the weather
is nasty, have some good inside games. Hide the dog’s toys. Make it easy at
first by showing the dog where you are hiding the toy, then ask him to find it.
As the dog gets good at this, make it harder. There is a game called 100 things
to do with a box. Set out an ordinary cardboard box and shape your dog into doing
different things with that box. Teach your old (or new) dog some tricks.
Nothing makes clients more tickled than to see their pups learning to hit the
Staples Easy button for a treat or learning a simple shake hands. There are
plenty of books available on trick training.

Christmas is a season
for giving. If you have the available funds, please remember the animal
organizations in the area that need donations – both money and goods – for the
many animals that will not be a part of someone’s Christmas celebration at
home. If you don’t have a dog or any other pet with which to share your life,
give yourself one of the best gifts ever – adopt a pet in need of a home.
You’ll get more back than you can ever imagine.

Jan Casey is a
reward-based trainer in Florida
at Courteous Canine, Inc. www.courteouscanine.com
and owner of Smiles and Wags Pet Services
www.smilesandwags.com. Mrs.
Casey is a member of the Association of Animal
Behavior Professionals. Mrs.
Casey is a columnist for the Cookeville,
Tennessee Herald-Citizen Pet
Pages and Kid's Korner . This column was originally written for the Herald-Citizen www.herald-citizen.com.

Gifts for Dogs From the People who Love Them

28 Christmas Gifts for Dogs From the People Who Love Them
Author, Jan Casey
Today is November 22nd. And yes, Thanksgiving is still a few days away but chances are you have put some thought into what to get for the one who gives you unconditional love, who greets you at the door with enthusiasm that makes Titans fans look subdued, who loves nothing more than to be with you. That special someone is, of course, your dog! According to the American Pet Association, over 31,000,000 owners buy Christmas gifts for their dogs, so that should help you feel a little more comfortable about celebrating the holiday with a gift for your furry friend.
So what would Spot like this year? There is no shortage of dog gifts on the market and prices range from nearly free to thousands of dollars. The best gifts are perhaps those which require some interaction between you and the dog since dogs are social beings who need companionship to remain mentally healthy. I took a look at several items that might be of interest – those that provide exercise for the dog and a chance for you to get outside and enjoy the scenery at the same time. As usual, there are warnings: you must research the proper use of this equipment, your dog should be in good physical shape, and children should always be supervised when interacting with the dog. Dogs, of course, should have basic skills including sit, stay, and down.
There are quite a few dog harness activities. Though I have seen few here in Tennessee, perhaps it’s time to begin to enjoy some of these sports here. Depending on the size of your dog, carting can involve pulling loads of materials to carting a person. A DVD available from www.Dogwise.com by Beth Ostrander titled Introduction to Canine Carting would be a good place to start. Once you understand the mechanics, carts and harnesses are available from a number of merchants such as American Cart and Harness (www.k9carting.com) or Dogworks (www.dogworks.com). A similar concept that involves human and dog teamwork and which requires a bit more exercise on the human’s part is a dog powered scooter found at www.dogpoweredscooter.com. The creator of this scooter has also created a dog powered trike and is currently working on a dog powered skateboard as well! As someone who has tried bicycling with her dog on a leash (and come crashing down - not a pretty sight), I would be much more inclined to try some of these dog powered transports as they offer a lot more control. The Southeast seems ready to take on the challenge. Check out www.dogsacrossamerica.org and note there is a link to Southeast Dryland Mushers, a Yahoo Group uniting people in the South interested in organizing fun runs.
Okay, so maybe you just aren’t the outdoors type or Spot doesn’t meet the size or physical fitness requirements for harness activities. What else is new this year? One site that offers new and creative toys for dogs is www.activedogtoys.com . Toys of interest are the X-Tire Blinky Ball or, for those dogs who are not sensitive to sound, the X-Tire Ball with Animal Sounds. For the small dog with a couch potato owner, I found the Dog Fisher, basically a fishing pole with a lure attached for the dog to chase and a reel so the owner does not need to leave his seat to retrieve the toy. Again, for the activity-challenged owner, there is a Jumbubbler that blows giant scented bubbles for the dog to pop and an automatic tennis ball launcher called the “Go Dog Go.” Little dogs have plenty of options just their size at www.smalldogmall.com with toys sized from small to mini. For folks with big dogs who are big chewers, check out the “indestructible” toys at www.bigtimedogtoys.net/ultra-tough-toys.html . If you have a puppy, one of the newest toys on the market is the Snuggle Puppies, complete with a warmer and a heartbeat, and found at www.petexpertise.com .
Of course, finances are tight for a lot of people. That doesn’t mean the dog has to be left out of the loop when gifts are handed out! A little creativity and you can make toys for your pup using materials you may have laying about the house. While I hesitate to suggest using clothing as toy material (dogs have trouble distinguishing between your wardrobe and their toys), socks make great toys. You can stuff them with other socks, tie them together in knots, or use them to hold tennis balls or rubber toys. Old ropes provide a great way to play tug and can be used alone or threaded through a tennis ball. If you have old fleece from pajamas or sheets, you can make an excellent tug toy by following directions at http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/fleece-rope-dog-toy/index.html . One friend places a soda can inside a large plastic popcorn jar and her dog goes nuts chasing it about. Look around your house and use your creativity!
Jan Casey is a reward-based trainer in Florida at Courteous Canine, Inc. www.courteouscanine.com and owner of Smiles and Wags Pet Services www.smilesandwags.com. Mrs. Casey is a member of the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. Mrs. Casey is a columnist for the Cookeville, Tennessee Herald-Citizen Pet Pages and Kid's Korner . This column was originally written for the Herald-Citizen www.herald-citizen.com.