Interactive Tether Tug Dog Toy Review

teathertug-corgiMental and physical Fun for your Pup!

I recently discovered this amazing interactive tug toy for  my corgi Eddie. Eddie is a very active  Cardigan Welsh Corgi that is constantly on the go and is always ready to retrieve a ball. Recently, Eddie pulled the sheath off  of one of his toe nails and running and ball playing were not allowed.. and although he has been healing up nicely, his technique of sliding into the retrieve, often caused him pain and more limping.

I bought the Tether Tug Dog Toy for one of my other dogs that is more into rope toys, never thinking that  the corgis would enjoy it so much, but after a little bit of interacting with him and the rope, he caught on quickly and now it is one of his favorite things to play with in the yard.

This Tether Tug toy is  a great stress release for him as I have noticed when the dogs across the road are barking, instead of running to the fence to bark back, he runs to his “tugger” and starts pulling and shaking.. The amazing thing is that because of his stature, his front toes do not take any abuse, and his sensitive toe is just about all healed up, with the added benefit of keeping him fit (he is an agility dog) and strengthening his core  at the same time.

I can’t stress enough how much this has helped Eddie maintain his happy outlook, all the while, keeping him from painfully banging his toe and causing any further injury.

Here is my Product Reviewteathertug-BC

PRODUCT NAME:  Tether Tug XL
PRICE: 59.99
INTRODUCTION: No matter what size dog you have, I would recommend you get the largest size you feel comfortable with. Mine is an XL and certainly a great choice for my corgis who are not XL..  Easy to install, using a large hammer, and, the pole lifts out for easy lawn maintenance.  

The XL comes with:  

  • 55 inch tether tug pole that slides into a in-ground base
  • A knotted rope toy with a quick connector 
  • The XL is designed for all dogs over 60 pounds including Pit Bulls, and has a larger heaver duty base.

This toy is great for any active, high energy dog or any dog that likes to play tug. Often times , both my corgis will pull at the same time, against each other and against the pole.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW;  As with any dog toy that is played with roughly, the rope should be monitored for damage and can easily be teathertugreplaced with tether tug replacements, or you can make your own tether tug replacement with fleece.  
RATING; 8 out of 10 . When installed correctly, this toy provides hours of entertainment for your dog(s). The one worry that I have about it is the “snap” that holds the rope toy to the pole. My taller dogs tend to reach higher toward the top of the rope and occasionally would mouth the snap. I wrapped it with a bit of duct tape, to prevent teeth from getting  caught, and that solved that issue.
FINAL OPINION:  This is a great toy to add to any dog lovers arsenal of toy options for your dogs! Certainly can’t replace the time you spend with your dog, but can help burn off some excess energy and strengthen at the same time.
WHERE TO BUY; Amazon.com

I would love to hear about your dogs adventures with their Tether tug.. Or have a question I can help with? Drop me a note… I LOVE to talk dog..!

Shelley

Find the Best Interactive Dog Toys @ ActiveDogToys.com


Eddie Thunder’s review of low light laser therapy

IMG_7609My Name is Eddie Thunder

Well Actually that is my stage name..  imagine  Ed McMann  saying it.. that’s how I like it.. I am a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, yes I have a beautiful Tail , and, I have a beautiful tale.  I am 6 years old and live on a small farm with my sister, Dixie, and the rest of the gang, which includes a lot of cats, a horse, two goats, some chickens.. well you get the picture, it is a hard job to keep them all in line.  Any way,  I want to tell you  about how low light laser therapy has helped me feel so much better that now I can fly again.  Being a Cardigan Welsh Corgi isn’t easy.. I’ve got some big dog shoes to fill, and don’t call me little, I might be short, but I can run circles around most other dogs, and I practice doing it every day. I have to keep the other boys in line,  protect the chickens, keep the goats in, and make sure mom has a tennis ball all the time.

The Trouble with little legs

Eddie Flys!
Look at me Fly! Check out that Tail!

There are not a lot of corgis doing agility. Although my kind were bred to herd cattle, most of us don’t get that opportunity very often (although I did chase some sheep once.. ahh,  but that is a different story) and many of my kin turn into couch potatoes. Me, well I like to be outside. I got some great ears and I can hear things before anyone else, so I am kinda on high alert all of the time. Thing is sometimes it is hard for me to settle down and rest, unless I am really tired. Before I moved in with my mom, she used to do agility with my sister, Dixie, but Dixie was just not suited for Agility and mom was hoping that I would like it, Boy, did she ever get her wish. By the time I got my mom trained on how to do Agility, I was addicted to red kong frisbees. Mom was a bit worried about my addiction. If she didn’t watch me close I would destroy a Frisbee every day, so she started using my favorite toy only when we did Agility, (this is when I got addicted to tennis balls, but again, another story). Funny thing is Mom is a really bad Frisbee thrower, or maybe she is so impressed with my flying ability that she likes to keep me on the ground, anyway I catch a lot of ground throws. I am really good at it too. Just as I am within grasping distance, I spread my back wings and slide, like a pro baseball player, into the prey, oops.. I mean Frisbee, grab it with my teeth and shake it, of course I return it to her, so she can throw it again. One day I was helping mom move  my jumps and Eddie Overthings around and she was throwing my Frisbee for me.. I am pretty persistent.. I think maybe she threw it a little to much, because later that day I was unable to get up as my back wings were just worn out (mom said I strained the muscles on the inside of my thighs from sliding).

A Few of my Favorite Things

Bored Eddie
Ribbons bore me!

Like the song, I like to think of my favorite things when I am hurting, and one of my most favorite things in the whole world is when mom lets me sit on her lap, especially when she get the flashie flashie thing she calls the Laser. I don’t know how she does it, but when she holds the Laser on my skin I just relax and my muscles relax and before long I feel so much better. Before mom got the laser thing I was pretty stiff and tried my hardest, just like always, but sometimes I knocked down the bars when I would try to fly over them, and I know that I should not knock them down. Now, I get to be the athlete  I want to be, and I can Fly again.  I can do with out all the fan fair and ribbons, actually the ribbons kinda bore me, but I sure am glad that I can run and play Agility with mom again because it sure is a lot of fun going to different places just so I can get a chance to get that red Frisbee again.

Love Ya All, Well, except for strangers… so don’t be one

Click here to find out more about Multi Radiance Medical lasers and how you can get one for your best friends.

“SMART” Rabies Tag Review

“Smart” Rabies Tags Review

These are COOL! Unlike earlier versions that can be bought on amazon, these “smart” tags will last for years.  These tags contain the smartphonepettag-herolatest in digital Smartphone Technology. Like a normal rabies tag, each tag shows the current required information, the Vet Clinic name and phone number on the front, but on the back, the tag contains a QR code that provides key information on the Pet, the Owner and the Veterinary Clinic. Each Tag also provides a digital Pet Health Profile with the Pet’s complete medical and vaccination history. And if the pet gets lost, a finder with a smartphone can scan the tag which will automatically send a text and an e-mail alert to the owner and a GPS location of exactly where the pet is. If your vet doesn’t have these yet,  Have them contact Stone manufacturing &Supply Com.  AlsoCheck out this smartphonepettagsweb site  http://www.vetidtags.com  This is where you go to register your pet’s tag.

This is a great option, along with a microchip, to make sure that your pet is always returned to you if he gets away or lost

where to buy:  www.stonemfg.net

Price: only available from your veterinarian, $10.00 -$15.00

My Rating :  9.9 out of 10

 

 

 

Crate training in a multiple dog household

dog in crate

Crate training your new dog has many advantages, but is especially important in a multi dog house hold.  Not crate training your dogs is one of the biggest mistakes dog owners make  and one of the main reasons that dogs end up in shelters, with issues like housebreaking, inappropriate chewing and separation anxiety. When Introducing a new dog in a multi-dog household, a crate or kennel not only provides the new member a quite, safe place of his own, but also allows the training to start off with positive reinforcement.

 Adding a crate to your house does not mean forever or always, but… a crate should always be used for a puppy or a dog with an unknown history.    A crate is the most important tool you will use, next to a leash, to teach your new pack member impulse control, manners, patience and housebreaking.  In return, a crate provides your new dog a place to call his own, a place where the other dogs are not allowed.  Your new dogs crate provides a sanctuary for him and lets him feel safe and secure. For this reason I prefer shipping crates, but a wire crate with a blanket covering 3/4 of it works nicely also.  Along with a bed, your new dog should initially be fed in his crate, he should have water at all times and he should have things to chew on like antlers or nylabones, And Yes, some dogs will complain, especially puppies, if they have recently been  separated from their  mother and siblings, puppies will cry and should be given age appropriate things that will help comfort and distract them.

safe kennel
Aspenpet Pet Porter Kennel, For Pets 70-90 Pounds, Dark Gray

Choosing an appropriate crate should not be difficult, however, there are a lot of crates to choose from so knowing a bit about what kind/size of  dog you are looking at will help you make wise choices.  I highly recommend a “shipping crate” and here is  why:

  • Safety! I have seen dogs get their teeth around the wire of a wire crate ,  un-weld,  bend   and destroy  the crate.  Although this dog was not crate trained and his human put him in a crate in a new environment and left. This dog, who I call Budda, is a very high energy lab who now loves the downtime his shipping crate offers him, is happy to go into his Aspenpet Pet Porter Kennel, and is safe and secure when left .
  • Ease of use!  From the Human perspective, the door says it all! A Crate with a squeeze door latch not only offers you the option upon installation to determine which way the door opens, but can be opened and closed easily with one hand.
  • Comfort..!  My dogs seem to love to use the sides of their kennels as support when laying up side down. A kennel that uses wingnuts to attach the top to the bottom is the best choice for safety and security.

He Won’t go in his Crate! Okay so you understand the importance of using a crate for your new dog, but HE doesn’t!..  Cookies! lots of Cookies!  You may initially have to physically put the dog into the crate for the first few days. However it is important to first throw in a high value treat of some sort.. maybe a piece of cheese, or a piece of chicken. Say the word that you want to associate with going in the crate, I use the work “Kennel”, toss in the special treat and be ready to assist. NEVER be angry or upset with with the dog when teaching him to go in his crate, It should be a happy, peaceful place for him. Once he is comfortable with this, his own personal space, the crate can be used as a “time-out” when your dog is over stimulated, stressed or upset.crate trained golden

A Crate is no place to live…   So now you have another crate in your house. This is a great opportunity for the other animals in your house hold to be able to meet your new member through the safety of the door, but this crate does not have to be a permanent thing. Most dogs, once housebroken and  comfortable with their surroundings, their fellow pack members, and the security that living in a home with a loving family gives them, adapt well and learn that the entire house is theirs to feel safe and secure in.  It is however, important to remember that dogs in a multiple dog household  can cause quite a ruckus when left unattended for any period of time, and any small animals could be threatened by “pack mentality”, therefore,  It is always a better option to kennel the dog(s) that are high energy, young, nervous or just worried, for the safety of all.   Three of my 7 house dogs go into their crates  when I am not at home and when I go to bed, all for different reasons, but  mostly it helps them feel able to shut down and rest. All three run to their crates when I say the word, and they get a cookie.. Life is Good..!praise for success

A Quick Word on Housebreaking.. Housebreaking your new dog is not a difficult process using a crate… IF you are observant, consistent, patient and positive!  Depending on your circumstances and your new dogs age, the basic goal is to get your dog to go “Potty” outside. Like any reward based training,the reward comes after a successful trip outside in the form of verbal acknowledgement (Good Dog!), cookies, and freedom in the house. If your new dog is a rescue and you still have reservations about the safety of your other pets then the “freedom in the house” should be on a leash. Again depending on the age of the dog, and time of the day, Freedom may last only 30 minutes. All dogs kept in a crate for any time should be  taken outside immediately  after being let out of the crate, If the dog does not “potty” when taken outside, it is recommended that the dog be put back in the crate for 30 minutes or so and then try again. Shortly, the dog will connect  Potty = reward and freedom.. Puppies generally take a little longer as they learn to regulate their growing bodies, and housebreaking is usually the first human/dog learning that they do.. It is imperative that this first learning be positive and rewarding thus setting up future training success.

Never leave your un-housebroken dog unattended.

pee on the floorPotty training an older dog … is usually an easy process. If your new dog is a rescue that has not been living in a house he may not understand where the proper place to potty is. Dogs are very in-tuned with our body language and tone of voice, even a new dog will understand a firmly stated”OH NO! WHAT HAPPENED?” , however it is important to  remember that rescues often have history and can be very sensitive to a negative tone. Handle a rescue gently and watch his response when correcting bad behavior, lead him to his crate, toss in the cookie and leave him for a bit until it is time to take him outside again for another try.. Never hit, yell scream or grab a new dog for the small infraction of a puddle,   hopefully, you will see him potty out side shortly and can lavish him with praise. Often one mistake is all it takes with an adult dog to understand what is expected.