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Showing posts with label new puppy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new puppy. Show all posts

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Train a Dog to Find People for Fun Sport and Work on Audible Kindle Amazon Paperback

Now on Audible!



Start Mantrailing for Fun, Sport and Work 

Train a Dog to Find People

Mantrailing is a K9 Search and Rescue specialty that is quickly becoming popular as a sport and recreation for all dogs to enjoy. Mantrailing dogs use the nose to scent discriminate one person from all other people to locate the one particular person.

A truly amazing fact about Mantrailing is how quickly most dogs’ take to this type of training, and how quickly the dogs find people. Dogs love to use their nose to find people. The fun part of Mantrailing is that we follow the dog and allow them to lead the way!

By listening to this audiobook, you and the dog will be finding a person from the first day of training and beyond. Each training session uses a time tested and proven step by step method for solid reliable success on the trail. You will learn to read the dog, and the dog will learn to tell you what they find. Both of you will have a great introduction to the world of K9SAR.

This audiobook is suitable for training as a dog and handler team to work actual missing person’s incidents, sporting dog events, as well as a fun activity that will amaze you and anyone who watches a dog use its nose in the most incredible way. I encourage you to ask friends and family to participate by using the exercises in this audiobook for a fun outdoor adventure.







Friday, January 7, 2022

How to Move On from Losing a Pet

 Losing a pet is never an easy thing, especially when they are members of the family. It can be very difficult to move on from this loss and get back into your normal routine. However, if you're having trouble moving on, there are some things that may help make it easier.

Photo by Johann from Pexels

#1 Accepting the loss


The first step is to accept the fact that your pet is gone. It's hard, but it's important to remember that they are no longer with us. This doesn't mean you have to forget about them, but rather that you need to come to terms with their death.


It may help to talk about your pet with others who understand what you're going through. There are also support groups available for those who lose a pet. This can be a great way to share memories and get advice from others who have been in the same situation.


In addition, writing about your pet can be a great way to help process the loss. This could be in the form of a letter, journal entry, or blog post. Finally, talk about your pet with others who understand what you're going through.


#2 Explaining what happened to kids


If you have children, it's essential to talk to them about what happened. They may not understand why their pet is gone, and they may be scared. So it's important to answer any questions they have and let them know that their pet is in a better place.


It can be helpful to find a book or video that talks about loss so your child can learn more about what happened—letting them know that their pet is in a better place. One of the best ways to help move on from losing a pet is by helping your child remember all the good times they had together. This could involve making a photo album or scrapbook, writing down memories, buying one of the many pet caskets available for a proper funeral or even creating a memorial garden.


For some, memories can make it harder to move on from losing a pet. If you're having trouble with this step, consider getting rid of your pet's things and keeping only the items that are truly important. This could be something like an old toy or blanket they loved playing with before they passed away. 


Having these belongings may just remind you too much of all the good times you had together and make moving forward tricky for people who have lost a pet. One way to help get past this stage is by creating new happy memories with other family members and friends without your pet around.

#3 Give yourself time and space


It's important to remember that you don't have to rush the healing process. Grieving for a pet can take time, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. It's okay to be sad and feel like your life is turned upside down.


In addition, try not to overload yourself with work or other commitments in the early stages of grieving. This may just make things harder for you. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself and doing things that make you happy.


If possible, try to avoid placing blame on yourself for what happened. It's natural to go over what we could have done differently, but this won't help anything. Pet loss is a difficult thing to cope with, and it's normal for it to take time. 

#4 Moving on


It's okay to still think about your pet. They will always be in your heart, and they can help you remember them by keeping their things around the house or visiting the place where they passed away. Remember that this doesn't mean you don't love them anymore, but rather that you're trying to move on from losing a pet so life can get back to normal again. You may feel guilty for forgetting about your pet too quickly, but know that everyone heals at different rates, and there is no "right" way of doing things when moving on after losing a loved one. 


For some people, having something physical like an urn or memorial garden can be helpful during this stage of recovery. This could keep memories alive even if we aren't thinking about them all the time. Also, remember that it's okay to cry and be sad when you think of your pet. They were a massive part of your life, and there will always be a hole in your heart that they used to fill.

#5 Getting a new pet after losing one


It's okay to think about getting a new pet after losing one but know that this isn't for everyone. Some people feel like they need another animal in their life right away, while others may not be ready for a long time. If you do decide to get a new pet, take your time in picking out the perfect one and make sure it's the right decision for you. It can be helpful to go through an adoption agency or visit multiple shelters before making your choice.


While it won't replace the pet you lost, a new furry friend can help with the healing process and provide lots of love and happiness. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time before taking on such a big responsibility. In addition, don't forget to talk about your old pet with the new one. They may not understand what happened, but it can be a great way to help keep their memory alive.


It's okay to still think about your pet, and there is no right or wrong way of moving on after losing them. Getting a new pet can be helpful for some people, but make sure it's the right decision for you before taking such a big step. memorial garden


There are many different ways to help move on from losing a pet, but the most important thing is that you don't try to do it alone. Lean on your friends and family for support during this difficult time. They will be there to help you get through it. Pet loss is never easy, but you will eventually start feeling better with time and patience.



Thursday, November 7, 2019

Could A Shiba Inu Be The Perfect Dog Breed For You?

The Shiba Inu is a breed of dog that originally came from Japan, and is becoming a lot more popular. They’re a good medium sized breed and they’re very intelligent as well. They’re an adaptable dog and they get on well in both urban and rural environments, which is why they are the most common dog in Japan and they’re becoming more popular around the world.

They tend to be good natured and friendly, which makes them the ideal companion, and they come in a range of different colors as well. If you are looking for a new dog, these are just some of the reasons why a Shiba Inu might be the perfect breed for you.




Pixabay CCO License
Loyalty 

When you are choosing a dog, you want one that will be a loyal member of the family. Shiba Inus are an incredibly loyal breed of dog and you will find that they take to family life very easily. When they are a small puppy, they are very affectionate dogs, but as they get older, they will take on the role of protector a bit more. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t want to play with you as well.

 

High Emotional IQ 


When people say that Shiba Inus are very intelligent, they don’t mean that they’re good at learning tricks. In fact, if you want a dog that will do lots of tricks for you then you should go for a different breed because they’re not that great at it. But they do have a very high emotional IQ. That means that they are very good at reading people and understanding when there is something wrong. 

This makes them ideal emotional support animals because they know if you are upset and they will comfort you. However, if you want to form a good relationship with your dog, it’s important that you respect their intelligence when you are training them and you do not try to use aggressive training methods because they will quickly become angry. 


Good Overall Health 


Certain breeds of dog, like King Charles Spaniels or Pugs are prone to a lot of health issues and as they get older, it is likely that you will spend a lot of time at the vets with them. When you are a dog owner, it’s important that you manage the health of your dog properly, and that can be tough with certain breeds. You also have to consider the financial aspect because vet bills can be very expensive and if your dog needs treatments on a regular basis, it’s tough to manage the cost. But you won’t have that problem with a Shiba Inu because they have very good overall health. They are very active dogs and they have a good build, and aside from a few potential eye issues and a slight risk of hip dyspepsia, they do not have any serious health problems.


The only potential issue is weight gain because they are very active. If you don’t exercise them enough, they will quickly put weight on. But as long as you get the right dog food for Shiba Inu and you take them on regular walks, they should be fine. If you do not have the time to walk them regularly enough, you should go for a different breed that does not need as much exercise.


Cleanliness 


Any dog owner will tell you that owning a dog is going to be messy. Most dogs like to get outside and roll around in the dirt, and they won’t bother cleaning themselves off before they start running around the house when you get home from your walk either. It’s just part of owning a dog and you just get used to it. But if you really hate the idea of a dog that makes a big mess in your home, you should consider a Shiba Inu. They’re often described as being part cat because, unlike most dogs, they love to keep themselves clean. 

When you take them out for a walk, they will avoid all of the muddy puddles instead of jumping in them, and they can often be found grooming themselves. That means that you don’t need to give them a bath quite so often as you would with other breeds. They’re also a low-odor dog so if you don’t like the dog smell that develops in your home over time, they’re ideal. They are also good for people with allergies because, although you will never find a completely hypoallergenic dog, a Shiba Inu comes pretty close.

If you are looking for a new dog and you are trying to decide on a breed, you should definitely consider a Shiba Inu.



Friday, September 27, 2019

Things To Consider Before Bringing A Dog Into Your Home

If you are your family have been thinking about bringing a dog into your home, you need to have gone through everything on this list first. All of these considerations need to be taken into account before you can bring a four legged little friend into your home. If you don’t do this, you are going to end up with issues that you can’t fix, and then you are going to have to say goodbye to your dog. You aren’t going to want this to happen, and as such, you need to consider all of these things before you go and search for a puppy.


Is Your Home Ready?


The first thing that we are going to look at is whether or not your home is ready to accommodate a dog. There needs to be enough space for it to walk around, with somewhere for it to sleep if you aren’t going to allow it to sleep on the bed. As well as this, your dog is going to need to be able to play whether it is inside the house or outside so there needs to be enough room for them to get a bit silly.

You’ve got to have enough room for them to play with their favorite toys, or else they are not going to be happy in the home. Yes, you need to take your dog on a walk, but that doesn’t mean that they are just going to head to sleep for the entire rest of the day.

Do You Have Young Children?

A lot of dogs are fine with young children, but some seem to take a disliking to them. We are not saying that if you have a young child, then you shouldn’t get a dog because this is absolutely not the case, but it does mean that you should think about it before you commit. You should also think about the size of the dog if you do decide to get one. Larger dogs tend to be more protective, but it is going to be easier for them to knock your small one over by accident. This is not 100% going to happen, and there are plenty of families with large dogs and young children, it is just something to think about.

Buy Or Rescue?

Source Location - CC0 Licence
You are then going to need to think about whether you want to buy or rescue the dog that you are getting. If you are looking for puppies for sale, then you could take a look at Chocolatelabradorretriever.ca's site.Go through these, find the one that looks like it could be the perfect addition to your new family, and then head to the location to meet it. A lot of the time, these are still going to be puppies, so make sure you remember this when they are jumping at you and full of enthusiasm.

Do You Have A Garden or Fenced Yard?

Above, we said that your dog is going to need somewhere inside to play, and while this is true, they are also going to need an outside area to play in. You cannot just count on that one hour walk that you go on every day to be enough exercise. They are going to need to run around, chase after balls and so on to make sure that they are staying fit. For this reason, you need to think about whether or not you have a garden, and if not, is the puppy going to get to run free often enough?

Who Is Going To Walk It?

As well as this, you need to know who is going to walk it every day. Having a puppy is a big responsibility, and you need to be able to take the best care of it possible. Part of this is making sure that there is always someone around to walk the dog, once in the morning and then once again before it is time to go to bed. This will tire them out so that they have a good night of sleep, and then they will be fully rested for a new day of mischief tomorrow.

If you don’t think that there is going to be anyone who is able to look after your dog, then we do not recommend getting one. The simple reason for this is that without their daily walk, your dog's muscles can start to seize up, and then they are going to cause them pain. Seeing your dog in pain is going to be the last thing that you want, so ensure that you are taking every possible measure to get them at least one walk per day.

Can You Afford It?

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The big question is, are you going to be able to afford a puppy? Now, the reason that we are asking this is that it is not as simple as to pay a one off payment to the owner, become the owner and that’s that, no more money on the dog. Your dog is going to need food, and depending on what brand you get, this can be expensive. You then need to think about getting pet insurance in case they hurt themselves at any point. You don’t want to be standing there with a 900 bill that you can’t pay because the dog is not insured.

Further than this, you have all of the nappy sacks that you are going to need to pick up their poo. You are also going to need to think about whether or not you are going to be able to pay all of the other bills that come with having a dog. This is going to include taking them to the vet to have their immunizations done, buying them food, buying them toys and treats, and so on. There is so much stuff that you are going to have to buy and pay our for, so you need to be sure that you can afford this before you commit.

Is There Someone To Look After It?

Finally, is there going to be someone around to look after the dog all the time? Obviously, is you are going to leave the dog alone for one hour every now, and then this won’t be a huge problem, but if you are planning on going out for like three or four hours per day and not taking the dog with you, then you are going to have a big problem. Your dog will then start acting out for attention by causing havoc across your home and destroying things. To combat this, you just need to make sure that there is someone at home to look after your friend when you go out.

This doesn’t need to be someone with tonnes of experience either. If your kids are old enough, then they are going to be able to do this while they are not at school, and someone else can take over when they are. Like we said, it doesn’t necessarily matter who you leave at home, as long as the dog knows that they have not been abandoned and they are not on their own. This is going to be especially important if you have a rescue.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now know what some of the things to consider are before you bring a dog into your home. Good luck, and we hope that your new friend is everything  you hoped and more.



Monday, May 13, 2019

Mastering The Art Of Dog-Walking



If you are thinking about getting a dog, you are going to need to think about a lot of different things in order to make sure that you really know what you are getting into. The truth about dogs is that they are a lot of fun, a lot of love and also a lot of energy - and you need to be prepared for that energy, otherwise you will find it considerably less enjoyable to be able to look after and have your own dog. There are a few things in particular you are going to need to focus on, and one of the main ones is walking them. Walking your dog is something that you will find is actually much more of an art than you might have thought, and requires a lot of skill and patience. Let’s take a look now and see what might be involved here.


Frequency


If you are to actually provide the benefit that walking your dog has, you need to make sure that you are doing it as frequently as necessary. You need to be sure that you are actually giving them the exercise they really need, otherwise you might find that you are in trouble and not really doing it right. The frequency, however, along with many other things, depends on the dog. You need to do your research regarding the breed and size of your dog, and you should also just pay attention to your individual dog’s needs, as you will find that it might differ to what other people’s dogs are like, or even other dogs of your own. However, in time you will come to see the kind of frequency that your dog needs to go walking for, and that will mean that you know how much you need to make that a part of your daily life.


Routine


It’s great if you can develop some kind of a routine with walking your dog, so that you can help them to understand when it is time and when it is not. It can also help with some of the more difficult aspects of the process. For instance, a lot of owners will have trouble getting their dogs on their leads, but if you do it as part of the routine, your dog will soon get used to it and expect it, and even make it easier for you by sitting still for it to happen. Likewise, if you need to clean your dog's afterwards, you should make sure you do so in the same way every time, so that they will eventually play along. Visit KingKanine.com to see some paw-cleaning products which can help here.


Length


Finally, be sure to be clear on the length of time that you need to walk your dog for every time you take them. It should be enough to get them tired, as that shows that it is good exercise, but you should not push them too hard in case you end up causing them some damage. As long as you get this right, you can be sure that the exercise is giving them what they need.



Thursday, November 2, 2017

Hound Health: Do You Know How To Handle It?


When you first get a dog, you may think that you’re going to know how to take on their healthcare needs. After all, you’re a human - and we tend to have quite complex healthcare needs, so theirs are going to be a breeze - right? Or so you first thought. Because actually, dogs need just as much care, if not more, than any human. It’s not always enough to assume that your dog will be healthy, just because. You have to make a conscious effort to improve their health levels. If you’re not really sure what you should be doing, then you’ve come to the right place. As we’re about to walk you through the five things you need to take care of when it comes to hound health.

Exercise Regularity

You probably already know that your dog is going to need exercise, that much is for sure. But, do you know how much exercise they need? Because it’s often specific to each breed. So you’re going to want to get to know what your kind of dog needs in terms of their exercise. Some breeds that need the most exercise include retrievers and collies, boxers and Jack Russell's. Of course, if your have a smaller dog, then they may not need as much vigorous exercises as some of the larger dogs, but you still need to know that they actually need.

Total Nutrition

Then, you’ve also got nutrition to think about. Again, you’re going to know that you have to feed your dog, and feed it the right foods. But do you really know what they are? And, more importantly, do you know what you need to stay away from? Speak to your veterinarian about the best nutrition for your breed, but be sure to avoid feeding them any human food if you want them to stay healthy.


Canine Health

From here, you’re also going to want to cover off their dental health. It’s easy just to assume that a dog's teeth can take care of themselves. But they can’t. Some people will want to use dental treats to help clean off their dog's teeth in a really easy way. But you can actually brush their teeth too. In fact, it’s something you should be doing, if your dog will let you. Get a dog toothbrush and start when they’re a puppy - it’s the best way to take care of their teeth.

Total Protection

Then, you’re also going to want to keep them protected from parasites. Just like we have to get shots to keep ourselves safe, you should use something such as Nexgard Spectra to do the same for your dog. Then, you’ll know that they’re covered when it comes to catching fleas and ticks.

Coat Care

And finally, there’s also their coat to think about. Although their coat health can often be determined by what they eat, you also need to take outer care of it too. That means bathing and brushing. Again, you should speak to your vet to get a personal recommendation, but in general, bathing once a month will keep them clean, and ensure their coat stays healthy.

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Tips and How to Evacuate with Your Dogs Help

 How to Evacuate with Your Dog's Help click above to see my book! If you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters, such as hur...

Author Amber Higgins

Author Amber Higgins
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Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links that I have reviewed and approved. Additionally links to products such as at Amazon are products I have personally used. Affiliate links means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. The proceeds earned are not much and used to keep this Family Disaster Dogs website free to the public. Thank you for your support.

Welcome UK and Worldwide Visitors

Welcome UK and worldwide visitors and friends to Family Disaster Dogs online! Although I'm an American author and dog professional the worldwide web has given me the opportunity to connect with some wonderful folks who have contributed pictures for my books. The "Start Mantrailing" book features RRI K9 North Scotland trained Search and Rescue Dog "Amber" on the cover and her teammates training in the book, plus American dogs using my training methods. A portion of sales of the Start Mantrailing book or copies were donated to RRI North Scotland. The children's picture book "My Puppy Can Find Me" has my daughter and bloodhound as illustrations by UK cartoonist Scotty King. You can find the books on Amazon UK or use the contact page to order from me. When you click the links will take you to your own county pages of this site.

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