Petmate

Owning a dog brings many things with it: joy, happiness, companionship, and responsibility. Almost all of us who own dogs were first time dog owners. Some were lucky enough to have parents or relatives who could help them out when they got their first puppy, but previously many people have had to rely on books from the library for information when they got their first dog. Now, with the Worldwide Web, all of us can research quickly and easily any question we might have about our dogs.

Petmate understands this and is dedicated to helping all dog owners with the best and most knowledgeable information possible. The more we know about our dogs, the better we can take care of them. There are a number of factors that go into keeping our canine companions happy and healthy. All dogs need good food, a comfortable place to sleep, dental care, grooming, leashes and collars, toys, and lots of attention and love. You won’t be able to buy those last two anywhere, they come free from you.

Attending to Food and Water

Keeping your dog’s food and water safe and healthy is nearly as important as the food itself. All dog owners should make certain that their dog’s food and water bowls are washed daily. We actually would wash out our Frenchies’ bowls several times a day, when they got a little gunky. They really appreciated the clean bowl and fresh, cool water, too.

Are you looking for new bowls for your dog? Probably the safest and easiest-to-clean food and water bowls sold by Petmate would be those made of stainless steel. These bowls have some weight to them and are among the most hygienic bowls you can provide for your dog:

• Petmate Stainless Steel Bowl can be used for both food and water. Stainless steel bowls are literally indestructible by even the biggest dog. The large bowl holds seven cups and the x-large twelve cups. I’ve found that even dried-on food can be cleaned from stainless steel easily. Petmate Easy Grip Stainless Steel Pet Bowl makes it easy to pick up the bowl for filling or cleaning. This bowl is also offered in a small size for your Yorkie or Chihuahua.

• Puppies and small dog breeds can benefit from stainless steel bowls. PetFusion Premium Brushed Anti-Tip bowls are also a great choice. We all know how frisky puppies can be, and it’s easy for them to upset their food or water bowls. These anti-tip bowls will help assure that what’s in them will be more likely to go into the pet, rather than onto the floor. Easy to clean, these bowls hold just under a pound, and come as a set of two.

Plastic bowls are an economical choice and might be appreciated in households with multiple dogs. Also, if you have a puppy and plan to graduate to larger bowls when the dog grows, well-made, but more economical plastic bowls could be just what you need. Petmate offers some very nice plastic bowls to meet your dog’s needs: JW Skid Stop Basic bowl is available in two sizes, medium and jumbo. This bowl helps prevent your dog from chasing his or her dish across the floor. Another good choice might be the Petmate Crock Bowl For Pets. Made of recycled materials, this is a solid bowl that resists bacterial growth.

When It’s Time for Beddy-Bye

Unless you let your dog or dogs sleep with you in your bed, you will sure want to make your pooch as comfortable as possible when it’s time for sleep or just resting. Dogs need more sleep than humans, and unlike us, they will simply flop down to sleep when they feel like it. Petmate has plenty of different styles of beds to help assure that your dog is comfortable and snug.

• Many dogs like to dig around before lying down to sleep and the PetFusion Calming Cuddler Dog Bed is designed to support that instinct. The top is in the form of a loose blanket that lets your dog dig around to their heart’s content before circling and settling down. The plump sides and back of this bed let your dog elevate his or her head while sleeping, too.

• A small dog like a Cavalier Spaniel might feel a bit lost in a bed that is too big for him or her. If your dog is a toy, how about trying the Aspen Pet Round Bed? This lovely bed offers nice soft sides, too, to help your wee one feel safe and secure. Dogs tend to have oily coats, so when the Aspen bed needs it, you simply can toss it into the washer.

• Some dogs not only spend their sleeping time inside, but also outside. If this is the case with your dog, the La-Z-Boy Gatson Indoor Outdoor Dog Bed is perfect. The bed is a full yard long and thirty inches wide, so that nearly every size dog can be comfortable on it. Special filling resists compression to assure comfort. Not only is the fabric resistant to water, it also resists mold and mildew. A great choice if your dog sometimes sleeps outside.

• For the ultimate in doggy sleep and lounging luxury La-Z-Boy Dog Couches definitely fill the bill. If your dog weighs up to 50 pounds, the La-Z-Boy Tuscon will be perfect. For those with dogs up to 75 pounds, the La-Z-Boy Newton, Bartlett, or Solana Chaise provide an extra measure of comfort and sophistication.

Petmate also carries kennel mats, elevated beds, lounger beds, and pillow beds to help assure that your dog, regardless of breed or size, enjoys comfortable and restful sleep.

For the Well-Groomed Pup

There’s no doubt that some dogs will need grooming attention more than others. Our Frenchies, being a short-haired breed, didn’t require too much in the way of grooming. We would run a brush over them once a week and a bath only when they really needed it, but otherwise, they were pretty fuss-free. They hated baths, of course, but mostly we needed only foot baths when they had stepped in mud, or other nasty substances outside.

However, not all dogs are so carefree as regards grooming needs. Hunting dogs can pick up dirt and ticks while on the trail. Long-haired dogs require daily brushing to make sure their coats do not become tangled and matted. Afghan Hounds require help to keep their beautiful, flowing coats healthy. Your Old English Sheepdog or Rough Collie likewise require fairly constant attention to their coats. I can remember the Collies a friend of mine had when I was a child; the mother of the house would brush their coats, then go over them with a comb to remove ticks. All that attention paid off, though, the dogs looked magnificent and never became sick from a tick-borne disease.

Brushes and combs are the first line of defense not only against matted coats, but also against fleas, ticks, and burs. Dogs should be checked every time they have been running through brush, and the JW Gripsoft Pin Brush is great for preventing tangles and mats in dogs with medium or long hair. For everyday brushing either the JW Gripsoft Slicker Brush or the Aspen Pet Furbuster will do the job.

French Bulldogs aren’t the heaviest shedders, but we did notice that our fawn chaps shed much more than our brindles. Some dogs, however, seem to shed all the time. If you have this problem with your dog, try one of the JW Gripsoft deshedding tool, rake or blade. These just might help prevent windrows of dog hair in your house.

Fun Time for Your Dog

Don’t ever believe that old nonsense saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Dogs are smart at every stage of their life, and while adult dogs may lack that intense friskiness of puppies, most of them enjoy playing. Providing your dog with toys is a way to keep his or her mind and body agile, and help to bond your relationship, too. With so many different kinds of toys to choose from, it shouldn’t be hard to find some toys to keep things lively in the house and yard. Whether your dog wants to play all the time, just some of the time, in the house, or outside, Petmate has a great selection for you and your dog:

To Crate or Not to Crate

Crates can be useful for a number of reasons: potty training, safety while traveling, calming a dog or puppy down. As with most things, crates can be used correctly, or used incorrectly. We had one Frenchie, Aster, who viewed her crate as her den. The only time we closed the door was if we had to go outside and leave her alone with the other two (she had a tendency to get a bit nippy without our supervision), but that was all. We never used it as punishment or just to lock her up for hours on end. Probably the longest she was confined to the crate was half an hour, which was probably why she continued to like it so much.

When choosing a crate, it’s important to not only choose one for its purpose, but also to comfortably accommodate the size of the dog. The dog should be able to turn around in his or her crate without problem.

• Petmate Pet Porter by Aspen Pet, 19” long, is perfect for small or toy dogs like Maltese.

• Aspen Pet Pet Porter is great for dogs weighing between 25 and 30 pounds including French Bulldogs.

• Ruffmaxx Camo Kennel comes in three sizes for dogs from 30 to 90 pounds. A Clumber Spaniel would fit this size crate.

Keeping your dog safe while traveling or when needed in the house can be much easier when you choose the proper crate. Always remember to keep the door closed for as little a time as possible, the crate should never be an instrument of punishment.

Keeping It Clean

Our dogs can’t use our toilets, so it’s up to us to make sure that we clean up after our dog. Unless you live in a very rural area where your dog can run out into the field to do their business, you will have to take steps to remove dog poop. In a few days, your yard can become a literal mine field, especially if you have several dogs. If you take your dog for walks on a public street or in the park cleaning up is an absolute necessity. Not only is dog poop smelly, nobody wants to step in it, and it can attract vermin like rats. Fortunately Petmate can help make the job easier and less onerous.

• To keep your yard clean, try the Petmate Pooper Scooper Set. This set has a long handled pan and a spade to allow you to easily, and at a distance, pick up what your dog has deposited. It’s easy to hose off, too.

• Carrying a pooper scooper along on a walk through the neighborhood or in a park might be a bit awkward, so why not carry along several Arm & Hammer Cornstarch Waste Bags. It’s easy to pick up your dog’s present with this bag and drop it into the nearest waste receptacle.

While most dogs will defecate at the most twice a day, always keep in mind that if you feed them food made up mostly of grains and fillers, you will be much busier than if you fed them a higher quality food. We found that out fast with our Frenchies and changed our tune quickly.

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