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Johnson Pet Door - relief for your pooch

An article I found about Johnson Pet Doors - Charlie

I used to work just 10 minutes away from home. As you can imagine, this was very convenient for many different reasons -- not the least of which was being able to stop by during my lunch hour in order to let my dog outside for a walk. This arrangement was great, and I never had to worry about coming home to an unpleasant "surprise" left by him. However, when I was transferred to a different office location, I had to find an different solution for my dog, who had become quite accustomed to his midday outing. After thoughtful consideration, I decided to purchase a Johnson pet door.

Johnson pet doors are considered by many to be the best in the business, so there never really was a question of getting a different brand. I spent a lot of time reading consumer reviews online and saw many positive comments from satisfied Johnson pet door owners. The wide variety of styles and colors, the ease of installation, and the safety features were some of the key points that were praised over and over again.

Once I decided which Johnson pet door I wanted, I went to the store to get one. Unfortunately, I hadn't looked at the prices when I was reading reviews online, so I experienced a bit of sticker shock when I saw how much money I would have to spend. Since my budget was pretty limited at the time, I had no choice but to delay my purchase.

But then got the idea to look for my Johnson pet door on the Internet. I didn't think of this option at first because the product is so big and bulky that I figured it would be easier to just get it from a store. I checked out a few websites and saw that shipping expenses wouldn't be as much as I expected. Plus, the prices these websites were offering for Johnson pet doors were absolutely incredible! Even with shipping charges, I would be saving at least 15% off the prices I saw at local stores. And by ordering online, I wouldn't have to struggle with trying to load my new Johnson pet door into my car.

I've had my Johnson pet door installed for several weeks now, and it is working great. Now I don't have to rush home from work right away, and I can even enjoy longer outings on the weekends. My dog seems to enjoy his new found freedom as well. All in all, I'm not exaggerating when I say that my Johnson pet door has been one of the best and smartest purchases I've ever made!

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Lighted Dog Collars For Safety

Some items that are designed for safety end up being so amusing that it’s easy to forget that they are a safety item and begin to treat it like a toy. Things that come to mind include glow sticks, reflectors placed on clothing in an outline of bizarre pictures that light up when a headlight is shined on them, and the current favorite in our household: the lighted dog collar.

I wish I knew who came up with the idea that a dog should wear a collar around its neck with bulbs that light up like a Christmas tree. I realize it originated as a safety precaution, but in the dark out in the yard at night, especially on a black dog, a lighted dog collar can be a very amusing spectacle. It’s almost as good as the night we discovered that we could break open glow sticks, put silly designs all over our cats' bodies and then let them run around in the neighborhood. It’s really a jolting image to see a fluorescent smiley face traveling at full speed close to the ground across a dark parking lot.

The first time I saw a dog wearing a lighted dog collar I was on the beach at night and I saw what looked like a glowing line running along the beach toward the water. I thought I was hallucinating until I looked closer and realized that the glowing line was attached to a dog’s neck. Right there, I was convinced that every dog should wear a lighted collar at night because it looks so cool. The very next day we went to the store and bought our pet a lighted dog collar of his very own.

Our dog freaked out the first time we fitted him with his lighted dog collar and let him run around the yard in the dark. He acted as though something was chasing him, and he kept trying to bite at his own neck. It was kind of like watching a cat chase its own tail. After a while he got used to the lighted dog collar and stopped noticing it. It was then that the real fun began. We would play fetch with him by tossing a glowing frisbee across the yard for him to catch. We sat on the deck and laughed each time the dog caught the frisbee and ran it back to us with his whole head practically glowing (from the combination of the glowing frisbee in his mouth and the lighted dog collar on his neck). We eventually grew tired of laughing at our dog, and went in for the night. Now we only break out the lighted dog collar when we have company, and we let them marvel in the freaky magnificence.

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Sit, Stay, Fetch: Dog Training Secrets
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Leather dog collars

I found this interesting article about leather dog collars. Hope you enjoy it, Charlie

My husband and I have a side business of training dogs. We specialize in training retrievers for hunting. When at all possible we train the owners at the same time as the dogs. Through the years I have been surprised how many people have ill fitting collars on their pets. There is a great variety in collars available. We have found that the best type to purchase is leather dog collars. They last a long time and seem to be comfortable for the dogs.

Leather dog collars come in a variety of lengths and widths. It is important to purchase a collar that is wide enough that it will not cut into the skin, but yet not be so wide that the dog is limited in their movements. Many people make the mistake of purchasing leather dog collars in longer lengths than are needed for puppies. They think that the puppy will grow into the collar. The puppy most likely will, however having too long of a tag end can result in the puppy getting caught on things. If people do not have enough money to have proper fitting leather dog collars for the puppy, we suggest buying a cheaper nylon collar for the puppy. Once the puppy has reached its adult size the leather dog collars can be purchased to insure proper fit.

Many people like the option of using a choke collar on their dogs, especially for training to walk on a leash. We recommend using a choke collar only during training and then switching back to the leather dog collars or the collars made of nylon. The reason for this recommendation is that the metal choke collar is cold in the winter and can also discolor the dog’s fur, especially when the fur gets wet. Retrievers spend a great deal of time in the water so their fur is wet often.

The main disadvantage of leather dog collars is that they can develop an odor from the oils in the dog’s coat. Frequently cleaning the collar with leather cleaner helps reduce the odor and also increases the life of the leather. We often remove the collars when our dogs are in the water. This preserves the collar and reduces the risk that they could get snagged on something in the water. When your dog is well trained you do not have to rely on controlling them with their collar. A well trained dog responds to verbal commands. A collar is needed so the dog can be identified if he is lost, and to walk with a leash, it should not be your means to control behaviors.

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The above article about leather dog collars was reprinted with permission of the author.

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