Doggie Dog Coats - My Online Pet Shop

Pets and Fire…Do you have a Plan?

Pets and Fire…Do you Have a Plan?

House on Fire

What happens to your pet dog if……?

We had a catastrophic fire on Presidents Day, February 18, 2013 which required an evacuation from the flaming home… without a moments hesitation!

Our house is on fire

The pets were rounded up gotten out of and away from the burning building… AND I MEAN JUST IN TIME!!

Fireman carrying pet

Hours later, after everyone was trying to settle down in our home… (You see the burning house was next door to our home and was being rented from us by our single- mother -daughter- Carole Jane…C J !  So… since C J had only the uniform she wore to work left and since… Austin, our grandson had only the clothes he wore left… we took them in!)… As they were trying to get a good night’s sleep, I just sat there in the dark thinking and thanking God for His protective Hands.

Giving thanks to God

Then, I suddenly thought about getting  J C’s two pet dogs out and away from those swift moving flames, hot gases and that acidic, blinding smoke… So I am writing this blog to pass on some very hard learned lessons that this catastrophic fire taught us, and maybe help you prevent suffering the loss of a beloved pet… or even a loved one!  So here I go with our lessons learned so far:

Have a fire escape plan

HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN… AND PRACTICE IT!

Our fire started out with a lot of blinding, hot smoke… you couldn’t see where you were at or where you were going! Be sure your plans include not only the fastest way out, but also drop and crawl fast… the aim being to get out fast. Be sure every member of your family knows where the DOG LEASH is kept… believe me; you won’t have time to look for it!

Ditty bag with dog Supplies

Keep a small ditty bag next to your exit site…

it should contain a few of these items: bottled water, a non-breakable jar of dog treats, small bag/can of dog food, another dog leash (in case you need to tie Rover up to prevent him from getting in the way) and be sure to pack a “stress” toy for later use) and ask your Vet for his advise on what medications might be needed.

Written agreement for your pet

Written permission/ agreement for treatment

Ask a friend if they would be willing to dog sit in case you are not there or something happens to you.  Be sure and give this friend a written and signed permission slip to treat your pet as their own!  Just in case something would happen while Rover is in their care and you can’t be reached.

   I know you can not prepare for every single event in your life, but you can be prepared to act quickly when the need arises, simply because you have given fore thought to you and your pet’s safety!

All of us at Doggy Dog Coats hope these ideas will help you and your pet feel safer… Will help you put together a plan that answers the question…. What will happen to your pet if….?

September 18, 2013 at 6:14 AM Leave a comment

To travel or not to travel with your pet

To travel… or… not to travel with my pet… that is the question we must consider!

I once worked with a young man whose name was Billy.  Now Billy was a very avid coon hunter.  Every chance he got to go ”coning” away he would go with his coon dog named… Ham Bone!  Now, if you got Billy talking about going hunting  coons , you were in for a FULL eight hours of constant chatter on the subject of coon hunting!!   Don’t get me wrong… Billy was a really good friend… his only flaw was COON talking all the time!!   Once when we were talking… I found out Bill was married and had kids too.   I jokingly asked him if his wife and kids were covered with black rings and washed their food before eating!   Billy caught me off guard when he replied… nope, they are all normal… except they howl at the moon a lot!   The reason for this story is to show you just how much this Coon-hound meant to Billy.  

Old Ham Bone went everywhere Billy went.  Billy would pick up his shot gun and old Ham Bone would be waiting at the old Ford pick-up…ready to go!   I was off work for 7 days and when I came back, Billy wasn’t there!   No one knew what was wrong!   I called his home and was told Billy and old Ham Bone had been in a bad wreck… Billy was banged up a lot, but would be alright after a few weeks rest!   THEN THE BOMB SHELL… Old Ham Bone was killed… His neck was broken in the accident!   When Billy came back… I was assigned to work along side of him and sort of keep an eye on him!   Gradually the facts of Old Ham Bone’s death came out.   Billy and Ham Bone was headed for Billy’s favorite hunting spot, when all of a sudden a  farmer swung his big combine into Billy’s path…   It was too late to do anything but hit it at 50 mph! Bill told me old Ham Bone hit the windshield at a full head-on blow… Billy said he knew old Ham Bone was dead!   Then WE BOTH CRIED for a while and went about our work quietly!   On dinner break, Billy went outside to his car… choosing to be alone for a while.   I then told the crew what had happened to Billy’s pet… Ham Bone!    Every one had a story about loosing a pet or knew someone who lost a pet in a wreck.   Pretty soon a plan was hatched… we would get Billy a new Ham Bone!   I cleared it with his wife and gave the go ahead to the team… operation… Ham bone was a GO!

Three weeks later two team members, Tom and Jerry Lee, brought a large box into work. Inside was the most beautiful, long- floppy- eared coon-hound puppy dog I’d ever laid eyes on!   With the help of our foreman the puppy was hidden until dinner break time.   Dinner time came and we all went into the break room to eat… as we entered and sat down at the long picnic table… someone noticed this big box in the corner…They went over and told everyone his box was for someone called …Daddy Coon Dog!   Yup that’s what it said because Billy’s wife called him that when…???…  Well , let me just say It was Billy’s nick name!   Poor Old Billy was shocked to hear this “SPECIAL NAME” called out in front of every one… especially his co-workers!!   Billy often told us about coon’s being “curious critters” and if you’d wait awhile, the raccoon would come out to if it was all clear, then you had him.   I guess this trait rubbed off on Billy, because before long, Billy got up, went over to the box, looked at the shipping label… reached down and opened just one box flap… Man-oh-Man that puppy flew out of that box and landed right in Billy’s arms… It’s tail was wagging so fast we thought it was going to fly around the room!   It’s tongue was going even faster, and in between licks, it’s puppy whines turned into high pitched yikes!!   Billy turned to all of us… and with teary-eyes and a broken voice said thank you!  

Of course none of us GROWN MEN had teary eyes either… all that moisture came from the water tanks we worked in.   As we sat there watching this Grown man playing on the dirty floor, in came an unexpected visit from our foreman!   And in his hands was a home made back-seat dog cage which had tie down straps to keep the dog safe when ever Billy took his new “cooner pup”on a road trip.

This story happened many, many years ago, but its lesson is still vital for us today.   Most of us are guilty at some time or another of just letting our pets loose inside our cars as we drive along. Some of us even let our pet stick its head out a window or lay its head in our lap. WHAT WE FAIL TO SEE is the danger of these practices!   Consider this… You apply the brakes hard because someone has cut you off… or something jumps in front of your car and you instinctively lock your car’s brakes!   If you are traveling at any speed this means EVERYTHING was going at that same speed when you applied the brakes! Everyone or thing constrained by seat belts or tie downs will stop when the car stops…However, any thing that isn’t fastened or tied down, will continue on at the PRE-BRAKING SPEED until it is stopped by something or SOMEONE!   Please don’t learn the lesson of Billy and Ham Bone the HARD WAY. Whenever you travel by truck or car and take your pet with you, be sure your pet is safe too!   Buy a seat belt harness or car carrier which allows you to fasten it to the car’s seat belt system.   Remember a pet is part of the family too, so buckle up ALL FAMILY MEMBERS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE… If you need a harness, leash or safety belt for your dog,  please feel free to check out Doggy Dog Coats!  P.S. If you are wondering what Billy named his new coon dog… HE CALLED HIM CORN BREAD!

Thanks from all of us at Doggie Dog Coats.

July 25, 2013 at 6:35 AM Leave a comment

Choosing the best dog for your family

The best dog for you and your family

I was asked one time, if I could pick out or name the best dog I ever had.       Yes- sir-ree I replied…and I told him… the best dog for me was a chili dog with onions and a side order of fries!

Chile Dog

Boy oh boy, you should have seen the look on his face… he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! Now, you might wonder why I replied this way. I did this to drive home a very import point about choosing a dog as a pet. The point is… each and every dog has its own personality and its own quarks!   It is these traits which allow a pet dog to put joy and laughter into its owner’s life and family!    The game of… I’m master…you dog begins the very second the two of you meet.    Consider the way your soon- to- be- pet dog greets you for the very first time!

Dog looking for a home

    Some dogs come right to you, greeting you like a long lost friend, while other dogs just sit there looking at you with an expression which seems to say… what is with this guy or this guy has to be from the bottom of the master barrel! This dog is the quite, thinking type pet and (I have found out from experience) is best matched up with more experienced owners…. More on these types later… You see, you must first begin the pet selection process by knowing what your daily routine and home environment is… i.e.    I work long hours and I am not at home a lot… or… I have lots of “stuff” lying out in the open areas of my home.

Dog pulling girl

Now this first step will become clearer to you as you learn about the two most common types of pet dogs.    First, let’s look at that friendly dog.    This long lost friend type dog usually will require a lot of lessons in calming down… learning to control its seemingly endless energy!    So, if you pick out this dynamo pet dog, you better have lots of spare time to train your pet!    Also, living in a concrete bunker with unbreakable everything will definitely help you keep you blood pressure down!

kids hugging dog smiling

Now, the up side in choosing this friendly pet is two fold…

1) if you have children, this boundless energetic ball- of- fur will wear the kids down…thus giving you time to relax!

2) Usually, but not always, this friendly type dog will jump up and knock the smaller kids down… kissing and  licking them with a nicely “wetted” tongue … a yuck to us… but consider how clean each kid will look… also, consider how much you will save on SOAP!

Dog with bow in her hair

  When selecting the just sitting there dog type, you must consider your ability to be patient!   Why?   Because this pet type will need lessons dealing with trust and confidence building… in both of you!   (Now don’t get me wrong, there are dogs in between these two groups… But as an owner of two dogs now, and having experience learned from  many past pet dogs… combined with having trained a few too) I want to pass on information concerning the most common pet types.   Now let’s look at this next laid back pet dog.

Dog asleep on book

Generally speaking, this quite… laid back type dog… if handled correctly will make your home a safe haven.   Why?   Well, I have found that in getting used to its new home, this pet type sets its territorial boundaries, its place to eat and sleep similar to other new pets… BUT with one very important difference!   This dog picks out the places where it can watch what is going on in the daily routine of its master or masters!

Dog showing his teeth

Let something happen out of the daily patterns and Mr. Cool pet lets you know in no uncertain ways… Barking, growling, and just pawing at you until you get up and correct what IT thinks is needing to be done to make things normal.   You get all this commotion from these pets because they have watched you, studied your habits and learned what you like or dislike!   How do they learn this? Simple… they test your patience and I mean constantly!   i.e. they pull things off of beds or furniture… they carry off items belonging to only one member of the family… like A sock, A shoe or a shirt…. Why do these dogs do it?    The answer is simply this… BECAUSE THEY CAN!   And after these laid back rascals have tested you and are satisfied about your routines, they will suddenly seem to… read your mind… to know when to console or just be there for you!   When you are sick or feeling plain lousy, you will have these big lugs snuggle up to or lie next to you… as if they are saying… move over and make room for a fellow suffer!

Princess and Buddy

Now, I know some people might disagree with me about these observations and that is alright with me, BUT DON’T say anything to Princess (our FRIENDLY Boston Terrier) or to our Buddy (our LAID BACK mixed breed)… you see they have tender feelings and if they were to hear you, both of them would promptly go into their Moping mood…….. Hope some of this info will help you select a suitable pet or if you have already have a pet… hope this info will help you enjoy it more!   …John

April 25, 2013 at 6:43 AM 7 comments

Trimming your Dog’s Toe Nails

If you ever had your dog jump up and land on your bare skin causing you to jump back due to those sharp toe nails, then you need to know how to trim a dog’s nails.   Now, don’t do the Hebe-geebe dance just because I wrote TOE NAILS and trim in the same sentence!  The hardest part of this job is getting Mr. Dog to sit still while you trim! If you have never trimmed your dog’s toe nails before and is your first time to trim toe nails on a dog, we suggest you  have your vet show you the first time.  It’s not hard to trim them, but you do need to know how and where to trim the nail.

First, you will need to purchase a nail trimmer.  I like the style where you insert the nail and squeeze just like a pair of pliers. Also, be sure to buy some styptic powder which you may have to use if you cut too close to the quick and cause bleeding.  This styptic powder will stop the bleeding. You will also need a good nail file to round off some sharp edges that might occur from the trimming.  Now begin by… first, examining the nails. You are looking for nail color… if the nail is all one color i.e. black, dark bone to brown, you must use extra care and not cut back too far on the nail.  I suggest you start out by just barely trimming the end of each nail and then file it smooth.  Why is this the best way, you may ask?  Well, if you look at your own nails, you will see that if you cut your nails back too far you get into the quick area and usually they start bleeding.  This is the reason why I told you to start small and not go back to far into your dog’s quick area.  If you do and bleeding occurs…just slap some styptic powder on it.  Now, if you examine your dog’s nails and find they are light colored… your in luck because you can see the pinkish quick.

Dog Nail to be Cut

Just remember to stay ahead of it when you are trimming. Finely, be sure to establish a regular schedule for trimming your pet’s nails because those quick areas will stay to the back of the nail providing you trim regularly, so remember to trim at regular intervals.  Some articles say, you should trim once a week.

For more information on trimming your dog’s toe nails, visit PetMD – How to Trim a Dog’s Toenail @ http://www.petmd.com/dog/grooming/evr_dg_how_to_trim_a_dogs_toenails#.UWlaysqyIxQ…  Here they show pictures of step by step on how to trim your dog’s toe nails.

dog treat

AND…as always be sure to give your dog a treat after trimming their nails.  If you need some help or if you have questions just drop us a line at Doggy Dog Coats… thanks!

April 13, 2013 at 8:58 AM 2 comments

The Lost Pet – Don’t Let the Next Lost Pet be Yours

Nothing is more heart rendering to me than the sound of a pet owner calling for… THE LOST PET!  Never in the History of man has there been such large numbers of lost pets than we have experienced in the last twenty or so years!   Super Storms… Hurricanes…

Flash flooding and even Fire Storms are mostly to blame. When families must get out fast…They too often are forced to leave everything behind except the clothes on their backs! Tragically, this means the pets are left behind also… with the promise of returning to get them as soon as it is safe! Afterwards, it is too late for some and for other pets it becomes a …LOST DOG ending!  It is true, a small amount of lost dogs are found… but by far the majority of lost dogs aren’t found. In today’s fast paced world there is HOPE!

Vet with dog

New technology has been developed in the GPS system which now allows an inexpensive small radio transmitter to be placed on a dog’s collar. So, when Rove goes missing you can literally track him down! And, like all electronics there are draw backs i.e. Rover’s collar has to have a battery change now and then! OR if the collar is not the correct type it could fall off! I believe these draw backs are nothing compared to the peace of mind you will get from knowing your beloved pet can be found if it’s lost. This fact alone makes it worth getting a GPS locator collar for your pet. For more information on this subject I suggest you contact the following:  the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery at www.akccar.org

or Tagg Pet Tracker at   www.pettracker.com .  The collar can be worn by cats also.  Be sure to search the internet about lost pet options too.  There are programs where lost animals they go out and picked up lost pets from these natural disasters.   If the agency is not contacted by owners or if the pet does not have any information on them, the agency will try to find a  nice home for the lost pet.

Our pets are special.  We call our dogs… children with a fur problem!!  Pets have been in the news for saving their master’s and families from fire, and other dangers.  Now it’s our turn to protect our pets from nature’s fury.   Check out the microchip or the pet tracker features for your pets.  This is a step closer to knowing… The next lost pet will not be yours.

March 1, 2013 at 4:36 AM Leave a comment

Poisons and keeping your Dog Safe

   I was introduced to pets and poisons at a very early age…THE HARD WAY! And here’s how… My childhood home was surrounded on three sides by heavy bush and ragweed fields which butted up to woods. In order to control weeds, dad would spray and cut down a wide strip of these weed- fields from around our house. Another reason for controlling the weeds around our house was…MY MOTHER!

Why? Mom was hanging our clothes on the clothes line when she reached down to pick up a dropped clothe pin and very suddenly came into contact with…( in mom’s own words ) a mile long Snake! When dad got home he was informed in no uncertain terms that he had two choices… the first being… the weeds and snakes had to go… second choice was …if choice # 1 did not happen then she would go! So, to keep the peace… WAR WAS   DECLARED on the weeds and snakes!  First, we cut down the tall rag weeds and put them in a pile to burn later. Next, we mowed about a 30 foot wide strip around our house. After all this, mom still was not satisfied. So, Dad DECLARED BIO WARFARE on everything related to those “ mile long snakes” ( now remember this was according to my mom who was the only eye witness as to the snake invasion ).

Now enters the poisoning lessons of my youth! At this time I had a Brindle Bulldog named Pepper who loved to chase rabbits. That night after the spraying, I let Pepper out just like I did every night before bedtime. Guess what was waiting outside in our yard? A big juicy, high speed… RABBIT… which Pepper saw before I did! And off he went running and barking as usually he did when chasing a rabbit. A short time later he came back and we went to bed.

The next morning when I got up Pepper lay at the foot of my bed… shaking like he had swallowed a vibrator! Also, he was gasping for each breath in between body spasms. After racing to the vet’s office and waiting for what seemed a life time, the vet came out and told us Pepper would be alright, but would need special care. The poison had entered Pepper’s body through his exposed skin areas. These areas had to be washed and oiled daily to prevent infection.

Our weed spraying had almost poisoned my dog to death. Later, as I walked through the weed field and woods I saw other wild life that hadn’t fared so well. To this very day, I don’t use weed killers or household sprays without reading all the label’s product warnings.

Now that you have read about my experience with poisons vs. pets, I would like you to read this short list of common toxic plants you might find around your home or your neighbor’s home. Also, it might not be a bad idea to ask your vet about this or call your poison control center and ask for a list of common toxic plants.

Here are a few common toxic plants commonly found around homes: Angel’s trumpet, Azaleas, Avocado- just the leaves, Bittersweet vines, Buck eye nuts, Castor- beans, Cherries-both wild and domestic-seeds only, basically most lilies- esp. the bulbs, most ivy vines- esp. English, devil, Boston, poison!

These plants are the most common to the mid-west, but remember there plenty more! That is why at Doggy Dog Coats we advise pet owners to check with your vet… Remember the life you save, may be your pet’s!!

February 22, 2013 at 7:10 PM Leave a comment

A Lesson about Poisons and Your Pet

My neighbor and I were talking one day and he happened to mention that his dog was getting sick all the time.      His Vet bills were really getting to be too much for him to pay.  As he began to tell me about his dog’s symptoms, it suddenly dawned on me, I had seen these same symptoms before when I was working  for a farming friend who had two dogs.

man with dog

One day I almost let Bill’s two dogs out while the crops were being sprayed for bug pest.   Luckily, Bill stopped the dogs before they got out!   Bill told me his dogs got really sick one day and he took them to a Vet who told Bill his two dogs were suffering from a mild case of contact poisoning.  Both dogs would be fit as a fiddle in a few weeks.   The Vet then told Bill that a rash of this type of dog illness seemed to happen around crop spraying time.   I told my neighbor about Bill’s two dogs and their contact type poisoning .  He asked me if I would help look around his place for a possible source of poisoning.

dog sleeping

  I asked my neighbor about Bruno’s habits, especially where he eats and sleeps.    I was told, Bruno eats in the kitchen where my neighbor eats.    Bruno eats every time my neighbor eats…Bruno even had his own dog food and water dishes!    At night, Bruno slept in the garage which was heated.    Also, whenever the weather got bad Bruno was place in the garage or let into the house.    I next asked my neighbor if he kept any plant, bug, or other sprays around the house.    His answer was yes and that these items were kept in his garage in a metal cabinet.

When we checked out this cabinet, we discovered a sprayer can had rusted through and allowed the liquid beetle spray to run out…GUESS WHAT?    Bruno had made his sleeping place right next to that cabinet!    We gathered everything up…especially Bruno’s bedding and disposed of it.    My neighbor told me three weeks later that Bruno was doing just fine because Bruno was now allowed to sleep in HIS master’s bedroom in his own specially made doggy bed.    This little story shows just how a taken for granted storage locker almost caused a pet to die!    The lesson should be… keep every type of pest killers sealed in a glass container and then kept away from any areas your pet may wander into!!     Please let me hear about any close-call poisonings you may have had with your pet or pets…  Thank you and be safe out there!  

My next article will be about common household plants which are toxic to pets!….John

February 8, 2013 at 7:37 PM Leave a comment

Older Posts