From 7 weeks to 6 months in 1 and a half minutes

Posted by Clare Bristow | Leave a Comment

I wanted to share this dog video with you - the title is self explanatory but in summary the video shows Brodie the Labrador puppy growing up fast from a cute 7 week old puppy to a six month old dog in 1 minute 39 seconds.

I've watched the video a few times as I love the way Brodie seems to 'grow up' before your eyes.

The video was recently posted on Dog Topics News - the social news and bookmarking site that's just for stories about dogs.

Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe to the Dog Topics feed to be notified every time a new post is added to this blog.


Keywords:

Filed Under Dog Videos, Blog 

Dog Frisbee - Richard Knerr's Great Dog Legacy

Posted by Clare Bristow | Leave a Comment

frisbee-dog

I read that Richard Knerr died in January this year. Richard was a co-founder of Wham-O, the company responsible for making the Frisbee (as well as the Hula-Hoop).

Wham-O launched the Frisbee in 1958 and Frisbee Dog World Championships have been held every year since 1975 - though there are now several organizations around the world that run annual disc dog tournaments.

The format of disc dog tournaments usually consist of 'Toss and Fetch' and 'Freestyle' events. In the Toss and Fetch event points are awarded for catches at varying distances and in the Freestyle event short routines choreographed to music, with multiple discs being used, are subjectively judged for things such as canine athleticism, degree of difficulty, and showmanship. Wikipedia has a good page on the sport of Disc Dog and provides more information on Frisbee dog competitions.

The word Frisbee has been replaced by Disc to avoid trademark infringement - so when you see the term Disc Dog it's the same thing as Frisbee Dog.

Here's a 5 minute video showing clips from the Alpo Disc Dog Tournament Freestyle Event:

I've briefly tried to get Fritz and Zoe interested in Frisbee but I've not had much success. For one I can't throw a Frisbee very well, and secondly, whilst Fritz is interested in chasing after the Frisbee he prefers to shake it to death when he's caught it rather than bring it back to me. Zoe is the sort of low energy dog who prefers to stand and watch the Disc fly over her head!

Despite these teething problems, I think I shall have another go at getting them interested; Zoe's sister Jazz is besotted with her fabric Frisbee so there is some hope for Zoe yet.

If you're interested in teaching your dog how to play Frisbee I've read that it can take several weeks to months to teach your dog how to take the disc, so don't get disheartened if you don't get immediate results.

Some dogs seem to be more natural at it than others - in many of the videos I have watched the dogs all seem to be Collies or Collie crosses. However, we aren't all wanting to train world champion disc dogs, so any dog breed should be able to play Frisbee without too much trouble. If you have a dog that has plenty of energy that you need to channel into something constructive then this might be the sport for you (I've just realized why so many Collies are involved in the sport).

If you've got a puppy, then it's fine to teach them to chase after and retrieve a Frisbee, but don't train them to jump and catch the disc until they have physically matured.

Here's another video in which world class Frisbee dog trainer Zak George shows you some of the freestyle routines he has taught his dogs.

I hope this has inspired you to try a new sport with your dog - if it's winter where you are and you can't get out to exercise much, why not get your dog used to the Frisbee in the house and see if he wants to make it his new best toy whilst you are waiting for Spring to arrive.

To find out more about Disc Dog DogPatch has a great page of links to disc dog clubs, events, training, internet groups etc.

Finally, thank you Richard Knerr for bringing us the Frisbee and giving us another way to spend time having fun with our dogs!


Keywords: , ,

Filed Under Exercising, Bonding and Games, Blog 

Winter Grooming Tips

Posted by Clare Bristow | Leave a Comment

glamorous-poodle

Winter can be unkind to your dog's skin and coat, so here are 5 grooming tips for keeping him looking his best this winter:

Brush Your Dog Regularly

During winter we keep the radiators/fires/heaters on most of the day with the windows firmly shut - although we stay warm this does leave the air in the house very dry.

A dry atmosphere can cause your dog's skin dry out and become flaky, both of which will irritate him and cause him to scratch and shake himself on a regular basis.

If you brush your dog regularly this will remove any flaky skin as well as stimulate his circulation which help to keep his skin and coat healthy.

Consider using a humidifier to reduce the dryness - a cheap alternative is to place a bowl of water in the room. You will know how dry the atmosphere by how quickly the water evaporates.

Remove Mats from Your Dog's Coat

One of the ways your dog keeps warm is by trapping warm air between his fur; this is called piloerection.

Keeping your dog's cost free of hair mats will help to keep him warm because matted hair cannot trap warm air.

Make Sure Your Dog Has an Appropriate Haircut

Whilst it's good dog care to keep up regular visits to the groomer, don't let your dog's fur be cut too short during winter - ask your groomer to leave your dog's coat an extra inch or two longer.

If your dog has a thick undercoat, and he spends a lot of time outside, make sure this isn't stripped out is it will help to keep him warm. Retaining the undercoat will be less important for dogs that spend most of their time inside.

Whatever haircut you go for, don't shave your dog - leaving your dog with no fur in the middle of winter is not going to help to keep him warm!

Don't Stop Bathing Your Dog

You'll probably be happy to bath your dog in winter - apart from covering themselves in mud, wet dogs tend to smell and need a bath to get rid of that doggy odor.

Bathing your dog is fine as long as you make sure he's completely dry before letting him outside. Wet dogs chill quickly and the risk of hypothermia increases.

Monitor Your Dog's Diet

Your dog will use up energy just keeping warm, particularly if he's outside during the day or you spend a lot of time on outside activities.

Make sure your dog is getting a good quality food and increase the amount of food he's eating during winter.

When a dog is underfed, one of the first things to loose condition is his coat.


Keywords: ,

Filed Under Dog Care, Blog 

« Previous Page


  • dog with fleas