In our line of business, we are often asked for
advice on everything from products - like food, toys and training
equipment, to services - like pet-sitters, dog washers and groomers.
While we know that the needs of each dog and situation is unique,
from time to time we come across outstanding products and services,
as well as some folks that go above and beyond when it comes to
dogs. This page is dedicated to helping you find the right solutions
for your needs.
RESOURCES
Electronic
Training Collars
This is a hot
and heavy topic with dog owners, as well as
in training circles today, and rightly so.
The reason this topic tops our own list of
resources is to help prevent dogs from
becoming victims of improper and
inappropriate use of electronic collars.
Electronic
training collars are certainly not for every dog, not
for every owner, and should definitely not be
used by some trainers we've had the
misfortune to witness in action. In the
wrong hands electronic collars are indeed
the inhumane devices referred to by the
derogatory nickname they've earned as "shock
collars".
Even in the
hands of an ethical owner or handler, the
wrong type of electronic collar, the wrong
configuration, or simply the way it's
fastened onto a dog can result in borderline
cruelty. It is for this reason that Dog
Training For Owners has become an authorized
distributor of the Dogtra line of electronic
collars. Note that we do not resell any
other collar, or any other product for that
matter. The only reason we became a Dogtra
dealer is because Dogtra manufactures the only electronic
collars that won't result in abuse when the
appropriate collar is selected, the collar
is configured with the proper options, and
the collar is fitted properly on the dog.
So, if we can help an owner select the right collar
and proper
options for the collar, we believe that's half the
battle for us helping to save dogs from
needless suffering.
If you've
decided that you really want to acquire an
electronic collar, please do yourself and
your dog a favor, and let us assist you in
obtaining the appropriate electronic collar
for your dog. We will ensure that it is
pre-configured with the correct options for your particular dog and your
specific application.
Click here.
Should you opt
to train your dog via use of an electronic
collar, we implore you to also obtain proper
training on the application of an electronic
collar from a trainer that is well-versed in
electronic collar training. Don't be afraid
to ask to see a demonstration with a dog
that was trained with an electronic collar,
either. Observing the behavior of such a dog
will tell you a lot about whether or not the
trainer used the proper techniques. For
example, when asked to "Come", a dog that
was trained properly will come
enthusiastically, whereas a dog that was
"shocked" with an electronic collar will
indeed come, but in a more dejected manner.
Nutrition
Because each dog is different, a food
product that's good for one dog may not
necessarily be optimal for another. For example, a
very active German Shepherd was fed a
top-of-the-line organic and grain-free dry
food based on chicken. While the dog was in
excellent shape and had a beautiful coat, in
order to
maintain the dog's ideal weight of between
75 and 80 lbs., the dog needed to be fed 6 cups
of the kibble per day. As part of a rotation
diet, the dog was switched to another
top-of-the-line grain-free food, except this
time the main meat ingredient was red meat,
such as beef, lamb, buffalo and venison. It
was discovered that to maintain its same
condition, the dog only required a daily
intake of 4 cups per day of the food based
on red meat.
While you can do the research yourself,
it might be worth your while to speak to
someone who has demonstrated to us some
valuable knowledge on nutrition.
In Placer County, California, contact
Sherrie or Melisse at
The Doggie Bag pet boutique, at 916-786-9003.
In
El Dorado County, California, contact Ken or
Robin at Bark Avenue, at
916-941-7400.
In Sacramento
County, California, contact John or Bob at
sBarkles, at 916-984-0102.
Pet Sitting
If you've ever
had to travel but could not take your
beloved best friend with you, we don't need
to tell you how hard it is to find someone who
you can trust to properly look after the welfare of
your best friend. While we normally don't
ferret out pet sitters, by change we
happened upon
Waggy's Pet Sitting, which is owned
and operated by dog lover, Chris Wagner. You can be sure
that Chris will not only keep an eye on your pal, but
she and her handlers will treat your pal
like it's their very own.
General
Dog Merchandise
Pet Product Mall may be the next best
thing to a one-stop shop online. They carry
thousands of products, and if you prefer to
do your shopping online this is the place to
do it.
Protection
Training Equipment
While they
don't carry everything for protection
training, a lot of good products can be had
at
DogSport Gear. They also have some great
tug toys. The operation is owned and
operated by a World Champion Schutzhund
handler who provides top-notch
customer service, which is a rare find these
days. We buy some of our own equipment from DogSport Gear, and to date have never been
disappointed.
REVIEWS
Ruffwear Hover Craft
The Hover Craft is by far the best flying disc we
have tested, and we have tested a vast number of
discs.
The Petstages Orka and Kong products
are indeed durable, but they fly like bricks. They
might be fine for a game of simple fetch, but if
you want your dog to be able to catch a disc in the
air, these two discs are virtually useless as
they'll hit the ground in no time flat. Although
the Petstages Orka supposedly floats, after
experiencing the poor performance of the product's
main feature, we didn't bother testing that aspect
of it. In our opinion, these two products are
nothing more than chew toys that look like discs.
While the Nylabone-Frisbee model with the bone molded into the top
does fly, it only performs decently in certain
conditions. It can really only be flown into a
wind, otherwise the bone molded into the top
produces drag that weighs it down, as well as
causes it to cantilever to one side. Because it can
only be thrown into the wind, albeit only a light
breeze is needed, due to the nature of its design,
and the material used, no real flight distance can
be achieved. The bone on top also gets ripped up
quite quickly, which renders the product useless,
and if you remove the bone altogether, the product
then surprisingly doesn't even resemble "flight"
when it's thrown.
Another Nylabone-Frisbee model that looks like a traditional
Frisbee (without a bone molded into the top) is
billed as "flexible", however it is quite hard -
harder than even the tournament Frisbee for humans.
This model is so hard on a dog's mouth it isn't
even funny. One dog ended up with a large gash on
her tongue after only a few short rounds. Thinking
that was an anomaly, we tried it again a week
later, and ended up with the same result. The hard
plastic is also hard on teeth and gums. It appears
that no real world testing was employed before the
release of this model.
Aspen's Booda Soft Bite Turbo Disc is a beautiful product that
LOOKS as if it is perfect. With a disc made of
soft, flexible plastic or nylon stretched over a
reinforced frame, its presentation shouts "This is
the ultimate disc." Three throws and retrieves of
this product resulted in crushed and punctured
plastic! 'Nuff said.
All the nylon, firehose, etc. "soft" discs on the market are fine
for good old fetch, but since they don't really fly
like a disc should, again, they are useless when
trying to use them to have a dog catch a flying
disc.
The Ruffwear Hover Craft may LOOK like a toy, but this baby is one
for the record books. We rigorously tested the unit
sent to us for six months, and it is used daily. It
was used in a variety of areas and conditions. It
was tested on grass and dirt. It was tested in the
surf at Huntington Beach, California. It was tested
in Lake Folsom near Sacramento, and even on cement
at Disneyland. Believe it or not, there was not one
scratch or tear in the covering material. In daily
use, this Hover Craft was out through the ringer.
Part of the ritual was to have a dog wash the Hover
Craft in a bucket periodically during sessions.
Upon returning from the bucket, sometimes the dog's
grip had the Hover Craft folded in half. Imagine
our surprise to find that it did not crush under
such circumstances. After multiple submersions, the
Hover Craft can be thrown sopping wet, however, it
will take on an out-of-round shape if soaked and
not allowed to dry flat. But, no harm done, because
soaking it and letting it dry flat restores it's
original shape.
As far as flight is concerned, the Hover Craft's performance belies
it's appearance. Even though it looks like it won't
fly far or float in the air, the product is superb
in both regards. To increase speed, dipping it in
water adds weight, enabling you to throw it harder.
We've found that you can actually adjust weight by
varying the amount of water. For example, a quick
dip and it takes on only a little weight. Complete
submersion for 30 seconds and you get more weight.
The covering material itself does tend to get dirty over time,
especially if you play with it in dirt, but it does
not affect its performance. During first use, you
can easily see teeth marks, which might be cause
for alarm, especially if you've already been
through a myriad of other products that do not
last, but surprisingly, the material is never
punctured, which in itself is amazing, even when
snatched in mid-flight by dogs that sport a
scissors bite pattern, like German Shepherds. Not
that they would intentionally crush the disc, but
under moments of excitement, you can imagine how
hard they would take a disc out of the air. In
fact, with high throws you can easily hear their
teeth snapping from a distance of 30 yards or more.
The only real signs of wear on the Hover Craft after rigorous use
is some very light fraying on the molded edge, some
indentations from teeth marks on the underside, and
interestingly the most apparent wear is the
stitching that adheres the Ruffwear label is
unraveling. We still use the same disc Ruffwear
initially sent us, and it's bit dirty now, but
other than that it is completely intact! Kudos to
the Ruffwear design team!
Ruffwear Hover Craft
Ruffwear Quick Draw Leash
We consider the Quick Draw leash to be a vital
accessory for all but the smallest dogs, and only
because they don't fit on small dogs. This
ingenious idea for an always-on, instant leash
gives you control when you need it, and is as
durable as any standard nylon webbing leash, unlike
the collars into which leashes are feebly
integrated.
Ruffwear Quick Draw Leash
Quick appointments available for Sacramento and surrounding areas
including Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Granite Bay, Roseville, Loomis, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Placerville, Lake Tahoe and more. We are
available for travel to other areas
of California and Nevada on a case by case basis.
Contact us for details.
The Hover Craft is by far the best flying disc we
have tested, and we have tested a vast number of
discs.
We consider the Quick Draw leash to be a vital
accessory for all but the smallest dogs, and only
because they don't fit on small dogs. This
ingenious idea for an always-on, instant leash
gives you control when you need it, and is as
durable as any standard nylon webbing leash, unlike
the collars into which leashes are feebly
integrated.
