Pet Dog Insurance: Weighing Your Choices

Dogs are the most common pet in any household. Their loyalty and gentleness could endear them to their owners making them not just a pet but a part of the family. But most dog owners have no idea how expensive their dog's medical bills could get, especially when it gets older. This is where pet insurance becomes useful.

Most dog owners would consider that getting their dog a pet insurance as unnecessary and a luxury that only the rich could afford. In fact, only 3% of dog owners have pet dog insurance.

What are some of the reasons for not buying a pet insurance?

It's too expensive - When dogs get older, they become vulnerable to a lot of ailments like arthritis, cancer and diseases of the heart, liver and kidneys. Compare spending a $30 a month premium on a dog insurance now to spending around $500 a year on medication and a support harness for an arthritic dog later on.

It won't cover all my dog's health cost - Of course, it's impossible to find a plan that covers everything. It's the same with your own personal insurance. But I believe that having a plan is better than nothing.

I don't know what policy to buy - Most people don't know either. But you could start by checking online. This is where you can find companies, different policies and insurance prices that you could compare and select from.

Now let's look at the reasons why you need to cover your dog with a pet insurance:

You don't need to worry about health expenses for your pet - it is inevitable that your dog will grow old and could develop various diseases. The American Kennel Club's survey shows that an average dog owner spends around $1500 a year on health care for their dogs. Having a pet dog insurance could really help lessen your expenses.

Helps reduce the risk of loss - The insurance company will help you find your lost pet and will provide burial processes for your beloved canine.

It could increase the lifespan of your dog - Having a good health treatment could insure your dog's good health thereby giving you more years to enjoy with him.

It could cover damage fees caused by your dog - Your insurance could help you pay any damage to property that your dog might cause. This is an unexpected situation that you don't need to worry about.

It could cover legal fees caused by your dog - Your pet could cause some injury to other people, which could bring you into a legal situation. If ever this happens, your insurance will be there to cover the cost.

Your pet may cause injury to other people. This can happen if your pet is quite aggressive. This incident can bring you into difficult legal situation. When this happens, you don't need to pay the legal fees from your own pocket because the insurance will cover this need.

After reading this, you can now weigh the pros and cons of getting a pet insurance. Decide fast! It just might be too late.

Train your pet to be comfortable in dog clothes

It is not in an animals' character to wear clothes and dogs are no different. However, there can be many reasons you would want to put clothes on your dog. You may require them to wear clothes for a special occasion, to protect them from the weather or to help them regulate their body temperature. Your pet needs to be accustomed to moving around in clothes and making dogs wear clothes requires training as it is against their nature. However, this task can be easily accomplished with the help of patience and positive reinforcement.

If taught from the beginning, dogs can learn to be comfortable in clothes. Training is the key to ease your pet into getting used to wearing dog accessories and clothes. It is best to begin training them when they are young as they learn things quickly during that period. However, if you did not train your dog at an early age, don't fret because it is never too late to start.

The best way to start training your pet to be comfortable in clothesis with easy-to-wear clothing. The clothes have to be comfortable enough and should not cover their hind legs, feet or head. Try to avoid clothes that have to be worn from over the head as this can be a frightening experience for them.

To begin with, reward your pet when they look at you pulling out their clothes from the closet. The motive of this exercise is to simply develop a positive association with clothes in their minds. When your pet sniffs their dog clothes, reward them with another treat to signify this act as one that is positive or desirable. The next reward is given when they stand in place when you approach them with the outfit and do not run away. Once you have clothed your dog, reward them again with a treat if they do not move from their place during the process. Once your dog is dressed, keep him/her busy with an activity so that they are occupied and distracted from the feeling of being in clothes. Begin keeping them clothed for short periods, increasing the duration with each session till they are completely at ease. After taking off their clothes, reward them again for their co-operation.

The rewards should be reduced when your dog is not in his/her outfit. This makes them look forward to wearing clothes and they begin associate wearing clothes with fun or "treat time". Your dog will soon be trained to wear clothes with little fuss and stay in them without any discomfort. Using the tools of positive reinforcement elucidated above will help you train your dog to be comfortable in clothes.

Dog walkers without 'poop bags' face fines

Dog walkers who leave home without “poop bags” could face fines of up to £100 – regardless of whether their pet fouls or not.

Daventry district council in Northamptonshire said owners should have to prove how they would clean up after their dogs to cut down on the problem of fouling.

Those who fail to pay the £100 fine under the new powers – which will be introduced on 1 December – could face a penalty of up to £1,000 if the case is taken to court.

The authority said the idea of forcing dog owners to carry plastic bags was not unreasonable and the fines under the Public Space Protection Order would not be levied until the turn of the year.

Mike Warren, the council’s health and housing official, said: “This order will give us greater powers to take effective action against the minority of dog owners who do not pick up after their pets.

“We will be advising them to make sure they have extra poop bags with them at all times to ensure they have the means to pick up, regardless of how long they’ve been out and about with their pet.

“It’s not unreasonable though, for example, to expect someone who has just arrived at a venue to walk their dog to be carrying poop bags.”

A council report said: “It was difficult to catch people who had not picked up their dog’s faeces and that was why the proposals had been made to enhance the dog control powers.”

Top 10 Best Pet Dogs

How can I become a dog trainer?

Many people express interest in the field of dog training, but are unsure of how to get started, or what qualifications are required.  This article aims to clarify the process.

The first thing to know is that training dogs is primarily about working with people, so prospective trainers must enjoy interacting with people on a daily basis.  In short, trainers teach people to train their own dogs:  very few trainers actually train the dog.  A love of learning is required, as well as patience and understanding of a variety of learning styles. 

Secondly, “trainer” is not a defined term.  Anyone can call themselves a “trainer,” since no federal or state certification is required at this time (more information on available certification will be discussed below), so finding qualified professionals to learn from is crucial.

Here is a series of steps the AHS Training School recommends for people considering a dog training career:

Read as much as you can about animal behavior science, particularly the science of animal learning.  Some excellent resources for beginners are Don’t Shoot the Dog! by Karen Pryor, Excel-erated Learning by Pam Reid, The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson (2nd Edition), and any books by Ian Dunbar.  More titles can be found at www.dogwise.com, under a search by subject.  Steer clear of sources that downplay animal behavior science and claim instead to have learned the trade “by living with dogs all (my) life.”   Living with dogs, even many dogs, doesn’t automatically provide the skills and insight necessary to safely train other people to handle their dogs.

Learn about the profession itself by reading any of the following books:  So You Want to Become a Dog Trainer by Nicole Wilde, Coaching People to Train Their Dogs by Terry Ryan, and It’s Not the Dogs, It’s the People, also by Nicole Wilde.  Both authors are highly respected trainers who give realistic and helpful advice about the profession.  These books can be found at www.dogwise.com.

Become a volunteer at a local shelter (such as AHS!) so as to develop or improve your own dog handling skills.  Even if you have raised many dogs yourself, you will benefit from handling large numbers of unfamiliar dogs:  it’s a very different experience than working with your own!  For further experience, you might also consider becoming a Training School volunteer.  For more information, click here.

Visit some local dog training classes, particularly those using science-based, positive reinforcement techniques.  Watch how the trainer in each class teaches and how the dogs respond.  If you own a dog, consider enrolling him in the class, even if he has had previous training.  This will allow you the perspective of a student as well as a prospective trainer.

Look for a trainer willing to take you on as an apprentice.  This is how most trainers learn the profession, as relatively few dog trainer programs are available throughout the country.  Apprentices watch their mentors teach classes, take notes, and gradually assist with larger and larger portions of class.  This allows trainers in training to gradually learn the profession under the supervision of an experienced professional who can provide feedback and guidance throughout the process.  Apprenticeships vary, but most last from 6 months to a year or longer.

Take advantage of behavior classes and seminars in your area.  Check listings in the local paper, training schools and so on.
After completing your apprenticeship, look for local training schools, shelters or small training businesses that are hiring trainers.  Ask about their methods and training philosophy to determine whether or not their methods are consistent with your own.

Contact the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers for additional information about the profession and eventual certification. Trainers who have received certification and hold the title CPDT are required to obtain continuing education credits on a regular basis in order to retain their title.