GPS for dogs?

Steeler will go with anyone for a car ride!

With Steeler’s recent escape in which he headed down a dark highway on his own, Peter suggested we get him microchipped.

“He is!” I stated, “I had it done when he was neutered the second day we got him back.”

But microchipping does have its problems. For one thing, they are as small as a grain of rice and have been known to fall out of the dog, so it is important to have the sensor run over the dog every now and then during a vet visit to make sure it is still there. Also, if you have a change of address or phone number or if you transferred the dog to a new owner be sure to update that as well. Outdated information will surely find the dog in a pound and all that effort and money would be down the tubes!

The good news is that a study has been done and since microchipping started, the rate of returned cats increased to 20 times higher and the return of dogs via the microchip was 2 ½ times higher. So this lower rate of return in dogs could just mean that people are more likely to put some sort of ID tags on dogs whereas they may not put these tags on cats, possibly because in most states it’s the law for dogs.   Its not a bad idea for cats to be licensed and kept on a leash like dogs are. Sad really, because when you think about it, there are harnesses and leashes for pet rabbits and ferrets, so why not walk your cat? After all, cats are very smart and can be easily trained. I like to think I had the smartest cat ever. Cookie, who was with me until the age of 16 or 17 years old never crossed the street. He (yes, Cookie was a he, long story) would walk with you to the end of the driveway then sit down and watch you cross the street. This is why it made it so unbelievable to me that while my parents were walking up to the grocery store they found Cookie dead in the road and tearfully brought him home to bury him. Once buried, they went back to the store to get their groceries and upon their return home, they saw Cookie sitting on the porch. Whose cat they buried I don’t know!

Ah, but I digress, Peter was not talking about the normal microchip that we know of, he was talking about having Steeler outfitted with a GPS system so we could find him when he got loose. Yes this really does exist! Does this phrase sound familiar to you parents? “Don’t forget to shut the gate!” And while understandably this statement has to be said to younger kids, I am sorry to say that this statement also has to carry over to your children long past elementary school, it has to be said right through to the college age!


The dog GPS is not a bad idea, but like anything else electronic, it’s only as good as the battery that’s in it, but after seeing a special clip on Good Morning America on how the AKC is reporting an increase in dogs that are being stolen, it does make sense to somehow GPS our pets. GMA did a demonstration to show how easy it was to steal a dog. They of course set up a person to play a thief and one to play the part of the dog owner. It was incredible how easy it was for the thief to open a car door and take the dog out in front of John Q public even as he was telling the people mingling nearby that the dog was pretty and  how he thought he’d like to take it!

You can see the article and video on the site below (you’ll have to click on the video separately). I had a hard time believing people were that stupid, but, well you’ll see, anything is plausible! http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Pets/dognapping-rise-pets-safe/story?id=9398273

 click here for  video


I would like to see some type of GPS that is implanted in the dog just as the microchip is, or a chip so small that can be imbedded into a collar or harness so a thief would not realize it was there. Once word gets out that people are putting a GPS system on their dog’s collar I suspect the thief would rather steal and resell the GPS collar which is much easier and more profitable than caring for a dog the rest of its life!

I guess we have a ways to go on something like that to be sure that there are no ill effects on the dog’s health. The thought is good and we’re heading down the right path and I would be all for it as long as the well being of the dog was preserved.

 pet trackers can be found here. http://www.lovemypetsgps.com/

http://www.lovemypetsgps.com/

Staying clean: ground mats

This year, as we do most every year, Peter and I went to the dog show at the Bloomsburg Fair grounds to see all the beautiful show dogs. While Newfy’s were the object of our desire, there were quite a few Great Danes and Bernese Mountain dogs that also captured our hearts. Of course, what is a dog show without vendors and we would be remiss if we did not stop and check out each one!

All the vendors were outside this year rather than inside the building so I was not sure if it was just because the day was nice or if for some reason there wasn’t any room for them inside. It was a warm sunny day so we stopped at each booth to browse and noticed that most of the booths had floor mats that covered the grass under their tents. The mats came in a variety of colors and designs and since I am not into showing dogs, but more into dog gazing, I was a bit perplexed but interested in these mats. So what does one do when they are perplexed about an item? Why they buy it of course! Well actually, they whine and pine over it until their significant other buys it for them!

So that was our big purchase for the day. We thought it would be a good idea to try it out at the upcoming Bloomsburg Fair event that Chance and Steeler would be a part of. Generally you can’t escape fair week without at least one day of rain and our hope was that the dogs could lie on the mat keeping their fur free from dirt and debris. The mat was encased in a handy carry case which was long and slim but not bulky at all.
When we got home from the dog show I unfolded the 6 x 9 mat which is made out of plastic, and laid it partially on top of the carpet and partially on top of the hardwood floor in my bedroom where the dogs and I spend most of our day. Yes, yes, picture them all nestled at my feet as I slave over my computer working and sipping coffee.

My thoughts on this mat? I love it! Not only does it keep the dog smell and hair off the carpet but it also protects my wood floors from dirty wet dogs! In fact I think I would like to get more of them for the other rooms in my home where the dogs and I spend time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to take the doggie smell off of your dog, only a bath will do that, but it should keep the odor from oozing into the weaves of your carpet.

I must admit, I was still unaware of what these mats were normally used for and why I never thought to ask the vendor I bought it from I don’t know, or maybe I did ask the vendor but just don’t remember, either scenario is possible! Aside from seeing the vendors using them under their tents that very day, I don’t think I ever noticed them anywhere else. So I asked my friend and co- worker Nancy, who knows much more about showing dogs than I do, what they were used for. She explained that they are laid on the ground under the x pens to keep show dogs free from not only dirt, but also broken glass, cigarette butts ( I guess a lot of show people smoke), and anything that may get caught up in the coat or paws. She also told me that while the mats were good for that purpose, many show dogs have been on them since they were pups and so the dogs also get used to eliminating on them. This can be a problem later when trying to house break the pups. Essentially the pups are learning to eliminate on floor covering so when pups are in the home, how are they to discern that mat from other floor coverings? This is a perfect example of people who potty train their older puppies on wee, wee pads or newspaper laid on the floor. To the pup, the carpet in the home then becomes just another floor covering to pee on. This is not to be confused with laying down papers when you are caring for a very young litter of pups as it is more sanitary to dispose of the waste in this manner. What I am talking about is when someone buys an eight week old pup and is too lazy to take the pup out every two hours so instead they lay down pads, then wonder why the dog has started eliminating on the carpet. An eight week old puppy is old enough to learn that the grass outside is for potty purposes.

Anyway, I digress, and lucky for me my dogs are already potty trained so here’s the message I mean to bring. This is a great mat to place over your carpet or hardwood floors. It keeps the carpet a bit cleaner, the hardwood floors a bit drier, it is light weight so it folds up fairly flat and easy when you need to put it away, and it can be used for any event where you need to keep the dog off of dirty ground. It rinses off with the hose and you can bleach it as well to get off any germs or viruses. Looking at the website I see it can be used for more than just a dog carpet. If you don’t have dogs, you can use it for picnics, camping, or the beach! I’m sure if you’re imaginative and like clean areas you can think of more uses!

After a week on the fairgrounds this mat got a heavy workout from fair foot traffic, and we’re talking hundreds of people walking on it, and it is still in good shape. Once the fair was over I hosed the mat down, let it dry, and back in my bedroom it went.

You can find these mats in dog catalogs and possibly at other dog events where there are vendors. I do believe I will be getting another one in the future! And yes this is a hint to my significant other or a shout out to my kids!

This product gets four paws up from me, until of course some study comes out saying that the plastic can cause cancer!
Mats for x pens http://www.dog-training.com/groundmat.htm

comfy cone part two Casey

Comfy Cone part 2

This is a follow up on the comfy cone that I had put on Chance a few weeks ago because of his hot spots. After a two and a half week period of a fairly heavy workout with my Newfoundland Chance, the Comfy Cone held up through torrential downpours, gigantic mud puddles and the forceful head butts into door frames. Occasionally it needed a flip back into shape from me, meaning that Chance had flipped it so that it was laying on his back rather than it being over his face. For the most part I was satisfied as it held up much longer than a standard Elizabethan collar and did not need to be duct tapped back together on a daily basis like I would have to do with the plastic type collar.

I then tested it on Casey, my Golden Retriever, a more run of the mill breed that you might find in your everyday household. His weight is about 110 lbs, not quite as big as Chance and not quite the same force behind the head butting. Casey is also a bit more agile than Chance is. Don’t fret Casey is perfectly fine, I just wanted to see how he was able to move with the comfy cone on and as you can see by viewing the attached video, he did a pretty good job. Upon first putting it on Casey was a bit hesitant to move very far, which is normal with any type of Elizabethan collar, but it did not take very long for him to get moving and learn how to navigate his way around without much trouble at all. However, once I took it off of him he was just as happy to carry it around the house rather than wear it! When I asked him if he wanted me to put it back on, he dropped it and headed for the door! Hmm, I wonder if he could understand what I was asking!

The size of the Comfy Cone was for an extra large dog, but it still fit Casey’s neck just fine on the first out of three sets of Velcro straps. I’d still give this a one paw up and one down for a dog of Chance’s size and strength, but Casey had no real problems with it. So for a normal sized dog it would get a two paws up. I found it to be worth the money and because of Casey’s shorter hair I did not have the same problem with the Velcro attaching to his fur as I did with Chance.

I'd try it on Cody, but he's a cocker spaniel and it would probably cover his whole body!
movie of the comfy cone