My Verbosity

Agility training can help keep you and your dog in shape while offering a fun way to work out for both of you. To teach your dog how to jump, or trip see saws you need to have specific agility equipment for dogs on hand.

Agility training has one great advantage over other dog and owner sports. It welcomes all different kinds of dogs from small through big to cross-breeds. It’s more of a mental game than a physical education for the animal, but you may want to add a regular aerobic exercise to your morning schedule if you plan on keeping up with him.

To make your dog do things you want him to do, you have to either come up with a way you can achieve obedience, or learn from others. It's necessary to have him listen to you before you can take agility training for dogs seriously. This part of the process is free and a few square feet of open space in your backyard should be an adequate piece of 'equipment'.

As soon as your dog takes training seriously and he listens to you, you have the most important part of a future champion of agility competitions done. You can get further pieces of equipment to train him better either online, or at any local pet store. You don't have to buy the most expensive tunnels and see saws at the first time, but safety has to be your first priority.

Do not train your dog with low quality equipment or an injury may cross your plans. Go for pieces that don't have sharp edges and are of proper size for your pet. Desks, tables and jump bars are cheap parts for your equipment. If you go for the absolute minimum you can have the essentials for less than $200 total. Considering that just a registration fee can be that much in bigger competitions, it's not that big of a commitment.

Dogs suffering skin allergies require special attention from their owners. One of those extra treatments that can be required is more frequent bathing. When performing this bathing the dog allergies will need to be treated with shampoo and conditioner rather than plain soap.

When choosing a shampoo and conditioner for your dog, particularly one that is suffering from an allergy, choose the mildest shampoo you can find. Look for a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner because these types are less likely to irritate your dog’s skin.

The shampoo and conditioner that you bathe your dog with will remove allergens from the dog’s skin and hair and will then condition and rehydrate the skin. It will reduce the flakiness of the skin and generally decrease any inflammation and itching. Starting with a more frequent bathing routine and then scaling back will play a vital role in treating any dog allergies.

photo credit: Wedding Photography by Jon Day

No I am sure you have got around to insuring your kids - no I mean the really cute family member, do you have puppy health insurance?

If you are worried about the price of human health visits then you might be in for a bit of an eye opener when the cute little puppy goes to the Vet for his first lot of vacinations or a general health check. Vets spend longer training than GPs do - and guess who is going to have to pay for all those loans- yes you the consumer!

Pet health insurance is relatively new in many countries but it may well be worth investigating particulary if you are worried about having to make the hardest decision of all - what woul happen if you had to have that cue puppy down because you couldn't afford the vets bills?