Dogs: Leash or Muzzle?

Dog rental in Japan is booming. The number of companies dedicated to renting out pets in Tokyo alone has risen from 17 in 2000 to 134 today.

In the cities, a shortage of space, apartment regulations and long working hours often means that people are unable to keep a dog of their own, full time. So with dog rental, its possible to have a dog for just an hour or two at a time.

And with costs as low as 1,500 yen (£6.30) an hour to rent a dog - the most popular rental animal - the practice is as accessible as it is popular.

Many people are now ‘regulars’ and rent their favourite dog for a walk and playtime every day. Its also become a social event, with friends renting together. Others use the dog rental scheme as a ‘trial run’ for having a dog of their own.

Maybe it will catch on in the rest of the world, who knows????

dog care

I just read about a great scheme - and I hope that if you’re reading this and you are involved in dogs or youth work in anyway, you might be able to adopt the scheme too.

The scheme involves teens aged 11-17, with programs to help learn social skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities.

They are working with the local dog shelter.

Shelter dogs are often under-socialized, under-trained, and full of energy: in other words, full of potential. It takes hard work, patience and determination to turn an unruly lab or suspicious spaniel into a well mannered house pet. Unfortunately most homes don’t have the time for intense training and most shelters certainly don’t have the staff or resources.

But the teens are making a real difference. By training and socialising the dogs, the dogs have a much higher chance of finding a new home.

Great idea!!!!!!!!!!

dog training

Thankfully, the days of shampooing your dog in washing up liquid or baby bath are over as there are now special dog shampoos easily available.

But the growing number of shampoos poses another question - which one is right for your dog?

Here are some general guidelines:-

* For dogs with greasy skin, look for a shampoo with benzoyl peroxide as the active ingredient. This is the same medication used in many acne medications, and it helps kill bacteria and dissolves grease.

* For dogs with dry,flaky skin (dandruff), look for a shampoo with sulfur and salicylic acid as active ingredients. These help to dissolve loose flakes off the surface of the skin.

* For dogs that have generally itchy skin, shampoos containing oatmeal protein are helpful.

Always look for shampoos without many artificial colours or perfumes as these can irritate the dog’s skin.

Be careful not to get any shampoo in the dog’s eyes, or down his ears.

And always rinse the coat thoroughly so no shampoo is left in the fur as this too can cause skin irritation.

For more information, visit

dog care

Is your dog on DoggySnaps yet?

http://www.doggysnaps.com/

Now dogs have got their own social networking site, nicknamed ‘FaceBark’, where dogs have their own profile, their own friends and can send their favourite dogs a treat!

The website has a serious side too. It has been created by the Dogs Trust who care for more than 14,000 dogs each year and the site contains entries from stray or abandoned animals the charity is trying to rehome.

Sounds good to me!

Have a look at my Monty

Montgomery Burns

and send him a treat!

dog care