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Christmas Puppy – Are They A Good Gift?

November 27, 2009 By 18 Comments

You’ve seen it before maybe in a commercial or in a clever magazine advertisement with the image of a Christmas puppy in the stocking. It’s irresistible! How can anyone pass up the chance to purchase a Christmas Puppy for their loved one on the twenty-fifth of December?  The holidays just wouldn’t be right without your rollie pollie little Christmas puppy playing with empty gift wrappings and ribbons…[fade from dream sequence back into reality]

Christmas Puppy?

Christmas Puppy

Photo by Fauxen

While all sounds wonderful in the thoughts and images of a new puppy for Christmas I have to put my foot down and say “DON’T DO IT!”

I’m not going to look up the statistics right now, but I’m willing to wager that a number of these so-called Christmas Puppies end up in animal shelters anywhere from a few weeks to a few months later.

Why Not?

Let me start off by saying a puppy is a lot of a work…A LOT OF WORK…

I get tons of emails at this site saying

I just got a new puppy:

  • How do I get him to stop crying/barking/howling?
  • How do I get him to stop peeing/pooping in the house?
  • How do I get him to stop biting/mouthing?
  • How do I get him crate trained?
  • How do I get him to stop chewing my valuables?
  • How do I…

The list goes on and on.  I admit that puppies are very cute.  They seem like they would make a great Christmas gift, but just say NO!

Puppy As A Gift

Here’s how I’d go about getting a puppy as a gift.

  • I like surprises so I’d just plan a day with my girlfriend and behind the scenes I’d set up an appointment(s) with a puppy rescue(s).  You can find local puppy rescues by searching through the Petfinder.com website.  We volunteer with a great puppy rescue called Cuddly Canines if you live in the Orange County, California area.
  • Purchase a great puppy training book like the Puppies For Dummies book and wrap it.  On the way to your first puppy rescue you can give your girlfriend the book and explain what your going to be doing for the day.
  • If your girlfriend is uninterested in a new puppy as a gift then you can just spend a nice day together looking at puppies (who can resist puppy watching?).  If she is interested then you can start the discussion of the responsibility of caring for a puppy as well as seeing some prospects during your day.

You may need to adapt this for Christmas as I’m sure puppy rescues would not be showing their puppies on Christmas day.

A few more pointers:

  • If indeed you decide that a puppy is in your future please avoid purchasing your puppy from the pet store.  The majority of these puppies come from puppy mills which are horrible places.  Read more about puppy mills here.
  • Again if you do decide that a puppy is in your future then please consider adopting your puppy from a local animal rescue or shelter.  If you’re like us and you’re interested in becoming a more green eco-friendly family then one of the greenest things you can do is adopt your puppy from the shelter or animal rescue.
  • Make sure you’re informed and know exactly what your getting into.  I’d suggest reading the entire Puppies For Dummies book before making any decisions on purchasing a puppy.  There are some great tips in the book on how to choose a puppy: puppy temperament tests, breed selection, and many more.

One final thought.  If you plan on getting a Christmas puppy then make sure your significant other is ready to take on the responsibility of a new puppy.  A puppy as a Christmas gift is usually a bad idea because people just simply aren’t ready for that kind of responsibility.

I think that pretty much sums it up.  If your truly bent on getting your loved one a  puppy for Christmas then please try following my “Puppy As A Gift” idea rather than taking the full plunge without the consent of your girlfriend or boyfriend.

This article contains affiliate links.  If you click the links on this page and make a purchase we will receive a small monetary commission that we will use to help cover the costs of running the Puppy In Training website.

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions, Featured Tagged With: , , ,

Should We Discount Price On Dog Adoptions?

November 2, 2009 By 4 Comments

Do you think our shelters should discount dog adoptions?  The question arose (in my head) when I was reading an article about Animal Shelter has dogs for half-price adoption. My initial reaction is “that’s great…hopefully we can get more dogs and cats adopted by discounting the adoption fee.”  However, on second thought I’m not so sure it is a great idea.

Discount Dog Adoptions

Image By Gore Fiendus (Jerry Frausto)

After further review of Discounting Dog Adoptions I’ve come to the conclusion that there are good and bad things that may result from discounting.  Lets start out with the good:

The Good of Discounting

  • Discounting may be that final incentive someone needs to adopt a dog.
  • A discount gives a person more money to spend on dog toys, veterinarian bills, etc.
  • Marketing your discount program brings in more prospective adopters.

The Bad of Discounting

  • If there is a discount the shelter receives less money.
  • Okay, lets be honest…if you can’t afford the full adoption fee ($75 from the article) then should you really be adopting a pet. – my point being that the adoption fee should be the least of your monetary concerns when adopting a dog.

Shelter adoption fees are probably one of the smallest expenses you’ll spend on your new dog.

Here is an example of some of the fees you encounter during dog adoption: I brought Linus home from the shelter for somewhere in that price range of $35-40 adoption fee.  We then proceeded to spend approximately $200 on supplies including dog food,kennel, dog toys, treats, grooming supplies, etc.  When we got him home we noticed he was sluggish, infested with fleas (he had encrusted blood in his ears), stomach virus, worms, and was very anemic.  We took him to a self grooming shop, purchased a flea comb, medicated shampoo, and proceeded to clean him up – that was another 50 bucks.

The next day we took Linus to the veterinarian for a checkup.  He got his regular vaccinations, medication for his stomach virus and worms and we got another bill for about $200.  Finally, the shelter offered to neuter Linus at no charge…no thanks…Instead of bringing him back to the shelter we used our veterinarian.  When all was said and done another $250.  All of these fees piled up to nearly $1,000 in the first few weeks after adopting Linus.

On a positive note, Linus did receive his initial vaccinations from the shelter and they did offer to neuter him free of charge.  My fear of bringing him back for neutering was that he’d end up with fleas, worms, and another stomach virus.

Dog Adoption

A question I often get asked is what would I do today if I were to adopt a dog?  After all my experience with dog adoptions, rescues, shelters, fostering, guide dogs, puppy raising my first choice would be to establish a relationship with one of the our wonderful local dog rescues like Cuddly Canines and over time be patient and select a dog that would fit my personality and energy level.  I believe most rescues charge somewhere in the neighborhood of a $200-300 donation.  However, that usually includes spay/neuter which most rescues will do before you take home your dog, up to date vaccinations, de-flea and de-worm.  Also, dogs and puppies usually stay with a foster for at least 14 days for health and temperament evaluations.

Of course every dog rescue is different and I’d check with your favorite rescue volunteers to see exactly what their rescue has to offer before adopting.

How about you?  What kind of experience do you have with dog adoption?  Do you think discounting is a good way to “sell” adoption?

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , , ,

Puppy In Training Blog Carnival – October

October 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Welcome to the October 28, 2009 edition of puppy in training carnival.  So this time around I’m trying the Blog Carnival InstaCarnival.  Of course with my witty comments about each article and a little bit of editing here and there.

So lets get it on! (too much MMA for me)

Canines

The Pet Chatter presents It’s a toxic world, especially for our pets. posted at Pet Chatter, saying, “Our world is full of dangerous toxins that present a threat to the lives of our canines. Be informed and be safe.”  Beware…this is a sad story.   Hopefully it helps others be more conscious of the dangerous toxins in our everyday lives.

Dog

Surbhi Bhatia presents Doggie Woes posted at The Viewspaper » The Viewspaper.  A good article questioning why so many love there purebred, hybrid puppies, but look down to the mutt on the street corner.

Gary Mullen presents 50 ways to entertain your dog posted at World of Pets Blog.  Are you at home bored with your dog?  If so, take a look at this list and I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to do.

Puppy

edieness presents Afraid of the Dark posted at Unspecified Mass, saying, “I started this blog and was not sure which way to go with it. Then I got a puppy and she seems to be taking over Unspecified Mass.”  Yep it’s always good to blog about your puppy.

That concludes this edition.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of puppy in training carnival using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

If you’re interested in sharing your blog or a blog article with us then let us know at our Puppy In Training contact form.

Filed Under: Shelter Dogs

Riverside Humane Society Raises Over 46K

October 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Wow!  $46,000 raised at the Riverside (CA) Humane Society Pet Adoption Center’s 12th Annual Comedy Night.  That’s pretty cool and very encouraging to see that there are so many generous people in our community.

The main reason this article caught my attention is because the Riverside Animal Shelter is where we picked up the seven little German Shepherd puppies that we fostered for two months.  We also made several other trips to the shelter as volunteers and fosters for the Cuddly Canines Rescue.

My brother and his wife adopted George: the cute little (he’s ginormous now!) black and tan puppy in the bottom right corner.

Riverside Animal Shelter

It’s wonderful that so many people were able to donate to Riverside Humane Society.  However, I have heard that the Riverside Animal Shelter receives way more animals then they can handle so please if you have the time I’d encourage you to volunteer as a foster with an organization like Cuddly Canines Rescue that saves many puppies and dogs that would otherwise be euthanized.

I must reiterate that it’s great to see so many people give their hard earned money during these difficult economic times.

Here’s the link to the original article: Over $46,000 Raised at Riverside (CA) Humane Society Pet Adoption Center’s 12th Annual Comedy Night.

Have you been volunteering with a rescue organization?  If so, we’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pet Top Portable Drinking Device Review

September 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Over the last few weeks we’ve been reviewing dog bowls specifically dog food bowls for fast eating dogs.  I had perfect test subjects: Stetson and Derby my two Labrador Retrievers.  If you know Labrador Retrievers then you know these guys love to eat.  If you’re interested in checking out the bowls we reviewed then go to this page: Dog Bowl Reviews.

As a Guide Dog puppy raiser we are out in public all the time and we need dog food and water bowls for traveling.  Well, dog water bowls aren’t always “dog water bowls.”  In the case of today’s review our “dog water bowl” is actually just a device used for dispensing water out of an ordinary plastic water bottle.  Confused?  Well let me enlighten you with this weeks Dog “Product” review…The Pet Top Portable Drinking Device.

Pet Top Portable Drinking Device Review

We first saw the Pet Top Portable Drinking Device at the OC Pet Expo a couple years ago and used it quite a bit with both Stetson and Derby.  Here are the specifications on the device:

Product: Pet Top Portable Drinking Device
List Price: $5.99
Product Features:

  • Designed to supply a neat and clean water supply to your pet when your on the go.
  • Fits most standard water bottles.
  • Unique ratchet-action keeps the Pet Top® portable drinking device open at your desired setting while in use, so your pet gets the right amount of water throughout!
  • Dishwasher safe

Product Description

Our unique patented Pet Top® portable drinking device for pets is designed to provide a neat and convenient water supply for your pet when you’re on the go and can’t be bothered with the mess, hassle and waste of pouring water into a bowl.

Take the Pet Top® portable drinking device with you to the park, in the car, on a walk, or anywhere your pet needs a drink. It’s small enough to fit in a jogging pack, purse or pocket when not in use. And since it fits most standard water bottles, you’ll always have a ready source of water nearby. You can even reuse a water bottle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028CJ6X0?ie=UTF8&tag=minlikwat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0028CJ6X0

Puppy In Training Product Review

Pet Top Portable Drinking Device Video Review

Once again Stetson is our trusty test subject.  He was pretty thirsty on this day and did a great job licking away at the Pet Top Portable Drinking Device.  Take a look at the video:

What did you guys think of the video?  The Pet Top Portable Drinking Device worked as advertised and I can confirm that it does fit on pretty much every water bowl I’ve tried.

My Thoughts on the Pet Top Portable Drinking Device

What are my final thoughts on this product.  Well for starters it worked great and is very portable.  One of the main features I like about the Portable Drinking Device is the fact that I can grab this little orange cap, a couple water bottles, Stetson, Linus, and I can share the water very easy and conveniently.  It’s easy to keep clean and my dogs required very little training to use the device (I just had to wait until they were thirsty).

The one thing I didn’t like about this device and actually a bit of a deal breaker for taking with my Guide dogs was the fact that the water dripped outside Stetson’s mouth.  This was really unavoidable even after adjusting the water flow by tightening up the cap.  If I’m in doors with one of my guide dog puppies I can’t have water dripping all over the floor or carpet I need something better suited for indoors.  Also, another negative about loosening and tightening the cap: if the cap is too tight very little water comes out and it takes forever to quench your dogs thirst.  If you loosen the cap then you end up with a bigger mess of water on the floor which is not that big a deal as long as you’re outside.

To sum up:

Pros:

  • I love how portable the device is.  It’s fits easily in your pocket (in my cargo shorts)
  • It’s great how it fits on most any water bottle
  • Easy to keep clean and interchange water bottles between people and dogs

Cons:

  • Water drips on the ground.  How much depends on how much you loosen or tighten the cap for water flow
  • Even when you have the Pet Top on very loose for maximum water flow Stetson sat there for minutes drinking water (I time lapsed the video to speed things up)

It’s great that it fits on any water bottle, but we’re trying to be more green and eco-friendly by avoiding the plastic water bottle – I originally had this as a con, but in reality I’m sure you can find a used water bottle just about anywhere from anyone of your friends which does promote recycling.

Overall we really enjoyed the Pet Top Portable Drinking Device and we would recommend it to people as long as they know that some of the water will drip to the ground.  Of course this is not a problem if your just taking your dog to the park, camping, or hiking.  However, if you need to give your dog water indoors you might need a device or dog water bowl that does not drip or cause a mess.

Filed Under: Dog Products, Shelter Dogs Tagged With: , , , ,

5 Tips On How To Save Money On Your Dogs

September 18, 2009 By 1 Comment

It’s a tough economy out there and we’re doing our best to save a little money here and there.  Lucky for us we still have our day job although we did receive a cut in pay a few months back.  So that brings up the question How Can You Save Money On Your Dogs? There are a number of things you and I can both do to help save money on our dogs.  Here are five areas where I try to cut my expenses:

5 Tips On How To Save Money On Your Dogs

Puppy Bath

Photo by jsmjr

  1. Buy your dog food in bulk.  This one is a no brainer for me because I have two large dogs.  However, if your dog only eats a cup of food a day you might be buying the smaller dog food bag.  We buy the large 30 pound bag of Natural Balance Potato and Duck allergy formula because we suspect Stetson has dog food allergies.
  2. Grab your old stuffed dog toys and sew them back together or better yet start making your own dog toys.  We’ve been rebuilding our stuffed ducks, rabbits, and squirrels for years.  More recently I’ve been pondering the idea of making a plush toy snake (built out of a sock) or a stuffed clam made out of an old pair of blue jeans.
  3. Exercise, train, and give your dog plenty of attention.  Make sure you do these things and you won’t have to come home to a chewed up TV remote, piece of furniture, or your favorite baseball cap.  Believe me I’ve witnessed the demise of all these items.
  4. Are you looking for a new dog?  Try dog adoption.  There are so many homeless dogs out there why waste money on buying a dog which can cost up to several thousand dollars.  Adopting a dog is a great thing to do and you can also save money.  When we picked up Linus the adoption fee was only $37.  I just checked the LA County website and the fee to adopt a dog is $50 or $30 depending on how long the dog has been at the shelter.  The fee includes Microchip, rabies, and animal wellness vaccinations!
  5. Stop taking your dog to the groomer and take care of grooming yourself.  After all grooming is a great time to bond with your dog.  A groomer can cost $100 or more for one visit.  Head on over to Amazon.com and purchase the necessary grooming products including a brush, shampoo, nail clippers (or Dremel), etc. A few hints on grooming:

    • Make sure you thoroughly rinse all the soap out of your dogs coat.  I rinse my dog’s coat once until there’s no more soap.  Then I rinse him again for good measure.
    • The FURminator works great at getting to your dogs undercoat.  We highly recommend it for heavy shedding dogs.
    • When it comes to nail clippers I don’t like the Guillotine version as much as the regular clippers.  This pair has worked well for me in the past: Nail Clippers.  Make sure you get the correct size for your dog.
    • Lately we’ve been using a Dremel instead of nail clippers.  We like the Dremel 750-02 Minimite 4.8-Volt Two-Speed Cordless Rotary Tool over the PediPaws Dremel because it has a rechargeable battery, has different speeds, and comes with several sander bands.

Those are just a few simple hints on how you can save money on your dogs.  Hopefully this list helps you during this rough economy.

Do you have any hints on how to save money on your dogs?  If so, please leave us your pointers in the comment section below.

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make A Commitment To Your Dog

August 31, 2009 By Leave a Comment

I was just thinking about the many abandoned dogs and cats. The homeless animals living in the shelters and streets. It made me think of this video I posted a while back on dog abandonment.

Before you decide to pick up that adorable kitten or cute cuddly puppy remember that you need to give that pet love and attention for it’s lifetime. If you’re getting a cat or dog this can easily be a 10+ year commitment (with my dogs I hope it’s much, much longer).  Make sure you think about that…”Where will I be in the next 10 years?”

Dog Abandonment

Photo by Aplomb

Give Your Dog Lots Of Love And Attention

We always had a family dog growing up.  Our dogs were outdoor dogs, but they were still a major part of the family.  As kids we tried to sneak our dogs into the house when my mom and dad weren’t looking.

Throughout my life I always wanted to have an indoor dog that could bond more closely with me and get showered with love and attention.  Five years ago I did just that when I brought Linus home from the Carson Animal Shelter  I wanted my dog to be an integral part of the family, not just a possession.  I made sure I took Linus to training including puppy kindergarten and three basic obedience classes to date.

When you take your dog to training class, work on his basic obedience, behavioral issues, and treat him like a member of your family you form a special bond.  Many dogs are turned over to shelters because of behavior problems that are manageable and could have been prevented with proper training.  Today I could not fathom ever abandoning my dogs or turning them into the local shelter.  They are family members.

The Importance Of Dog Training

I see many people falling in love with puppies because they are adorable, cute, and cuddly.  However, I also see them fall out of love with these same puppies as they grow up.  Why do so many people fall out of love with their puppies?  It’s my thought that by the time their puppies enter adolescence and adulthood they do not receive proper training and become unmanageable without basic obedience and also may manifest specific behavioral issues without early and ongoing training.

I think that dog training can be the simple fix to this problem.  Dog training can sometimes be as simple as getting the latest dog training book, DVD, or online training resource and applying the techniques to your dog on a consistent basis.  I’m also a major advocate of group dog training and believe that the socialization of your puppy is invaluable for teaching him about the world outside the home.  Private in house training is another great option for any behavioral issues you may be encountering and also gives a trainer the chance to see how your dog behaves at home.

I’m not too sure what today’s rant was all about, but I guess I just had some things I felt like expressing today.  After reading through my thoughts I guess the moral of today’s story is:

  • First think about the commitment your making when you get a dog and
  • Second if you do get a dog make sure you give him love, attention, and training.

What do you think?  How important is dog training for you and your dog?

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , ,

Inmates Show The Importance Of Training And Dog Adoption

August 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

We’ve seen other programs where inmates train service dogs benefiting not only the individual receiving the dog, but also the helps in the rehabilitation of the inmate.  Dogs sure are wonderful creatures.  These dogs are making a significant impact on not only one, but two individuals.  Canine Support Teams is one example of inmates raising service dogs.

Adoptable Dogs Well Prepared By Inmates

However, the article I read today was about inmates helping to train dogs from the local shelter. Va inmates help prepare dogs for adoption tells how inmates are helping to train and prepare dog for adoption from the local Orange County Animal Shelter.  Once again this is a great way to, in this case help:

  • The Inmate – the program helps in rehabilitation through training and preparing the dogs.  And as mentioned in the article it gives the inmates “…something to worry about besides themselves”
  • The Dog – Dogs that are not socialized, trained, and basically not prepared for adoption will often be euthanized in overcrowded shelters.
  • The Adopter – The person who adopts the dog definitely benefits from the “leg up” these dogs are given by receiving extra attention, training, and grooming.

I’m always happy to hear about programs like these that benefit our sheltered dogs.  The more dogs we can save the better.

Have you ever heard of other programs like the Va inmates help prepare dogs for adoption?  If so, let us know about it in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , ,

Orange County Super Pet Adoption 2009

May 18, 2009 By 2 Comments

The third annual Orange County Super Pet Adoption Event at the Irvine Animal Care Center is just around the corner.  We were at the Super Pet Adoption Event last year and plan on checking out the festivities again this year.  If you’re interested in adopting a pet then this is a must see event as there are over 40 rescue groups in attendance with approximately 700 homeless dogs, cats, and rabbits.  I even saw several pigs, chickens, and goats at last years Pet Adoption.

Here are some more details on this years Super Pet Adoption:

OC Super Pet Adoption 2009

WHAT: Orange County Super Pet Adoption EventOrange County Super Pet Adoption
WHEN: Sunday, June 7th 10am – 5pm
WHERE: Irvine Animal Care Center, 6443 Oak Canyon Road, Irvine, CA 92618

More than 40 rescue groups will bring about 700 homeless dogs, cats, and rabbits.

Other activities include:

  • Food Court
  • “Ask the Vet” booth
  • “Ask the Trainer” booth
  • Silent Auction
  • Raffle
  • Low-cost Microchips
  • Vendors
  • Special Guest Appearance by Snoopy from Knott’s Berry Farm

This is one of the larger pet adoption events in Orange County.  If you enjoyed the Orange County Pet Expo back in April we highly recommend visiting the Irvine Animal Care Center June 7th for the Orange County Super Pet Adoption

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions, Dog Events, Rescue Dogs, Shelter Dogs Tagged With: , , , ,

Dog Adoption Labrador Retriever Pointer Mix

January 15, 2009 By 7 Comments

Here at Puppy In Training were back advocates of dog adoption.  It’s been a while since I talked about the Cuddly Canines Rescue and as many of you already know I used to volunteer as a foster parent for Cuddly Canines.  I’m sure I’ll volunteer again in the future when I have more free time in my schedule.  Anyhow, I went ahead and visited their site to take a look at the puppies and dogs they have for adoption.  It looks like their website is under maintenance, but they still have all their adoptable dogs posted at petfinder.com.

One litter of dogs caught my attention…the Labrador Retriever Pointer Mix.  It looks like they have four Lab Pointer mixes from the same litter.  The one that caught my attention was a little female puppy named Madison with a heart shaped marking on her left side.  Take a look at the picture:

Lab Pointer Mix

Lab Pointer Mix

See the nice heart shaped mark on her side.  It kind of reminds me of the story about the little puppy named Heart-kun.  Another heart shaped marked puppy.

If you’d like to see the other puppies in the Labrador Retriever Pointer mix litter than visit the Cuddly Canines website and check out their list of puppies.  If you’re interested in adoption then check out their Cuddly Application for dog adoptions.

Filed Under: Dog Adoptions Tagged With: , , ,
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