The country’s parks continue to become more and more pet-friendly. Dog parks are popping up everywhere, as well as dog beaches, pet-friendly restaurants, and more. While it is great to let your dog roam off-leash while at the dog park, this is not appropriate at just any outdoor location. If the park is made specifically for dogs, then they are usually allowed to be off-leash. All owners who bring their dogs are doing so by choice and are aware that there are some risks involved when bringing their dog to an off-leash park. However, when you are in a public park that is not a dog park, it is another story.

It’s important to keep your dog leashed when in public parks because of the potential risks to your dog and other dogs. Although you may know your dog very well, others do not know your dog well and you definitely do not know others’ dogs well. If your dog is a well-behaved off-leash dog, that is great, but only if there are not any other dogs around. If your dog likes to approach other leashed dogs, you never know when the other dog may be nervous or scared or lash out at your dog. If there are multiple off-leash dogs in a public (non-dog) park, then it is difficult to judge their behaviors. There is always the potential of dogs fighting.

The most difficult part about having a dog off-leash in a non-dog park is that you do not have full control over the situation. Typically these parks are not fenced like dog parks are, so you cannot control whether or not your dog may run off. Just as well, you cannot fully prevent your dog from approaching other dogs or people without a leash. For safety and insurance, it is best just to keep your dog leashed unless you are at a designated off-leash area.

Question by squirt: where can i get a retractable dog leash that connects to a run?
we have one of those dog runs where the cord is connected to the house and the garage and then the long leash that slides up and down the cord, but she’s always getting the leash tangled on stuff…is there such thing as a retractable leash that i could hook up to the run?
when we use a shorter leash she can’t go far at all

Best answer:

Answer by Aidriana
Your local pet store may have one, if they don’t you can always compromise. I use a normal retractable leash, and just tie it to our hook. It works really well. It isn’t quite as long as some, but it still works good.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Walking Your Dog – 6 Important Steps

By Adekunle Gbelee

Every dog owner at some point in time walks their dog. The question I have at most times is whether the owner is really walking the dog or the dog walking the owner. In the following I’ll discuss about walking your dog and tips on properly walking your dog. The goal here is to have your dog walk on your terms.

The past week one of my friend’s was going on vacation and she asked me if I could watch her dog (Jack) while she was gone. I gladly accepted because Jack is a happy dog and my friend has been training him on a daily basis for the past 6 months or so. However, when I walked Jack along with mine, it appeared that Jack has no walking etiquette. My 85 pound dog appeared as a saint next to the 60 pound Jack. It didn’t take a maverick to figure out that Jack definitely needed help!

Why is walking your dog important? Here are some key benefits of walking your dog.

Walking is a good exercise. It loosens up your muscles and gets the blood flowing.

On sunny days you get a good dose of Vitamin D from the sun.

You develop a bond between yourself and your dog.

You get to have a happy dog.

Best of all, you get to be social and know your neighbors.

Now that I got your attention that you should be walking your dog on a regular basis, the question that comes up is whether you properly walk your dog. I live in a neighborhood that has plenty of people having dogs. I would say that on an average only 1 in 20 people walk their dogs properly.

Next time you are walking your dog try to make some mental notes on the following questions.

Does your dog try to get past you when you open the door of your house?

Once outside, is your dog walking in front of you?

Is their tension in the leash?

Is the dog yanking your shoulder whenever it sees something interesting?

Is the dog stopping and sniffing when ever it desires to?

Is the dog crossing your path while you walk?

If the answer is “Yes”, to any of the above questions, you need to train your dog. If on the other hand you are not sure how to correct the situation, accept the fact that you need training in walking your dog.

Here are some tips for walking your dog. In the following discussion, I am going to refer to the dog as “it”, to make no distinction between a male or female dog.

First and foremost principle is that You should be able to walk out the door first. The training starts right at this point. Always note that You are the leader and the dog is the follower. If the dog tries to get past you, correct it gently with a firm “NO” and give a gentle touch and go back inside your house. Repeat this as many times as possible until it gets the picture. If your dog already has some kind of training and understands the “Stay” command, you can use the same and walk out the door first.

If you normally walk your dog with a retractable leash, I would suggest that you get a 4′ or a 6′ leash. The longer the leash the difficult it is to control your dog. Make sure that while walking your dog, it is next to you at most times. There should always be some slack in the leash. While walking my dog, I just rest the leash on my fingers and let gravity hold it in place for me. I have gone a long way in getting my dog to this state. If everything goes good for you, technically you should be able to hold the leash with two finger tips. Initially this will not be possible as this might be something new to your dog. If you note that the dog is constantly getting ahead of you, use your leg and place in front of it and say “NO” firmly. You should definitely see that your dog stop and give you a confused look.

If the dog is constantly creating tension in the leash, depending on the size of the dog hold the leash really close to it. If it gently walks towards the side to do some business, by all means allow that to happen. Once the business is done, the dog should be back close to you. If the tension factor repeats, pull the dog towards you sideways. That normally throws them off-balance. Your dog will definitely put a fight. No one said this was going to be easy. You might have to repeat numerous times. If this process gets on your nerves, stop your walk and take a few deep breaths.

Sometimes when the dog sees something interesting, it will just give you a solid surprise pull. You cannot let that happen. Pull him back with an almost equal force back in place and say “NO”. Be gentle with the small ones.

If your dog is constantly stopping and sniffing without doing any business, try not to let that happen. The walk is supposed to be an exercise and training combined routine. I do not encourage my dog to do this. Once she has done her business, she is not allowed to sniff around every time she sees or finds something interesting. Perhaps once in every five times or so I might allow her to sniff around.

While walking your dog, it should never cross your path of walk. If the dog must go to the your other side it must go behind you. The next time it tries to cross, firmly say “NO” and guide the dog to go behind you. Always note that consistency is the key. Eventually your dog will get the point. If you decide to jog with your dog at a later time this will come very handy. You do not want to trip over your dog while running, do you?

Benefits of properly walking your dog:

A step closer to being a well balanced dog.

Your friends would not mind pet sitting.

Makes it easy for your dog walker

Makes other dogs calm.

I would definitely recommend you get a good book about training your dog. Keep in mind that training your dog is an ongoing process. Discipline is equally important as is play time. You will notice how many simple things which you thought were problems disappear by simply walking your dog the right way. Always note that a well balanced dog equals a happy owner. You reap what you sow…

Dogs are known to be very loyal beings and if you own a pet dog, you should do your part in showing him how much you care and love him. Of course, the very basic way to do so is by providing him all his basic needs. These basic needs include food, water, medical care and time. You can also give your dog enough attention so that he can really feel how important he is to you. Aside from giving the basics, you can also give your dog some types of accessories such as dog collars.

One hot item these days is a personalized dog collar. When having made, you should keep some tips and pointers in mind for your pet’s best interests. Take a look at the following important pointers:

A dog collar can indeed make your dog one of the most stylish in the neighborhood. If you care much about appearances and if you want your pet to be presentable anywhere you bring him, then making him wear a personalized dog collar is a great idea. The good thing is that you can practice your creativity because you can practically have limitless choices when it comes to dog collar designs, fabrics and collar imprints. You can have one collar made for everyday use and a few for special occasions. When having dog collars made, it is also important that you consider functionality. Some owners want to have their phone numbers imprinted on the collar to serve as a level of protection just in case their dog wanders away from home or gets lost. By having your number printed on the dog collar, people can find you and your dog is easily traced back to you.

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It is also important that you consider the materials used for . Be sure to keep your dog’s comfort and safety as top priorities. The best material for dog collars is nylon fabric. This kind of material is very durable, weather-resistant and can be expected to last as long as you take care good care of it. Dog collars, of course, come in different sizes and also have different notches so you can adjust the size based on your dog neck size.

It is important to choose a personalized dog collar maker that is reputable. First, of you do not want to waste your money on a dog collar manufacturer who does not give his heart into making the dog accessory. One good company to consider is Collar FX since they have been tried and tested by time and by hundreds of dog owners in producing high quality and great looking .

Designing your personalized dog collar is also one exciting option to take. You can choose to upload photos and have them printed on your pet’s collar; you can have your name or your dog’s name imprinted on it; you can even create your own design and send the finished file to Collar FX or other trusted dog collars designers. The idea is that you can have full liberty at how you want your personalized dog collar to come out.

I usually make 100+ collars at a time, so I thought you might enjoy seeing the process. I’m working on Halloween and Autumn themed collars in this session. Enjoy!
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