Dog Kennel Guide

There are many people up and down the country who love nothing more than to spend all their free time on board a boat be it a canal boat, yacht or cruiser.  Large numbers of these people are also dog owners and many of them, rather than leave their dog at home in his dog kennel, have their pets accompany them on their boats.  Though most dogs can swim rough conditions, cold water and strong currents could put the dog at risk and very young or elderly dogs may struggle if they find themselves in the water.  A dog life jacket is a practical solution that will give its owner valuable time in which to rescue it should it fall into the water and will prevent the dog from tiring too quickly.

A dog life vest is one piece of dog clothing which is a necessity for those who are going to spend any length of time on the water with their pet and there are certain features that you should look out for.

Firstly, all good life jackets are made from high visibility fabric and contain some reflective strips so that a light would reflect off the surface if you were searching for a pet who had gone overboard at night.  Some dog life jackets have handles on the top for ease of removing the animal from water from the safety of the boat and others have a chin support so that a dog who has become tired from spending an extended time in the water doesn’t drown even whilst wearing his jacket.

It is not only dogs on board boats who sometimes have a need for a pet life jacket.  Some dogs are overly confident about jumping into bodies of water, often paying little heed to whether or not it is safe to do so.  If you have a dog like this then you may want him to wear one when you are near to a river or lake and, if you employ someone for their dog walking services then make sure that they always use it too.

Basically a dog life jacket will be required by all dogs who spend time on the water with their owner.  All it would take is a strong gust of wind, a slippery deck or a rough sea to send a beloved pet overboard and it may be that all there is between him surviving or not is his dog’s life jacket.

When you first hear the term ‘Dog Clothing’ you may think that it sounds like something dreamed up by a crazy person with too much time on their hands.  However once you start looking more closely at the ranges of apparel available you will realise that most of it is of a very practical nature.

Dogs are now kept as pets in many areas of the world where they did not evolve naturally.  On top of this, with modern breeding techniques, there are large numbers of dogs who don’t have the thick coats of dogs bred for particularly cold climates or else are clipped over certain parts of their body.  If this is the case for your dog then you may want to look into the kinds of clothing available to keep him warm.

It is all very well having an insulated dog kennel but, in severe winter temperatures, a dog sweater will give him an extra layer of protection.  Small dog clothing can look a lot like children’s wear but it has been specially designed so that it fits their longer bodies and has holes for all four legs.

As well as practical clothing items there are also clothes which help to keep your dog safe. For anyone who takes their dog on boat trips with them is a doggie life jacket.  Though it is well known that dogs are good swimmers, even they would struggle in rough waters or if they had to spend a long time in the water.  Another great item is a reflective jacket or bandana so that your dog can be seen by drivers on dark nights or in poor weather conditions.

If you work long hours and so put your dog into doggie day care or employ someone for their dog walking services then you may wish to provide a waterproof dog coat so that he will be able to join in with all walks, no matter what the weather.

Though most dog clothing and accessories are of a practical nature, to keep you dog warm and dry, designer dog clothing is becoming an every larger market with everything from diamond studded designer dog collars to cashmere sweaters available for the furriest member of the family.

You may think that large dog clothing will be the most difficult to acquire but there are plenty of companies out there who cater specifically for bigger dogs and so a bit of research on your part will soon come up with results.

Everyone knows that dogs need walking.  Their age, size and breed will determine how much walking they need but all dogs will need to be taken out at least once per day (unless they are ill or extremely elderly).  Of course for many people part of the attraction of owning a dog is to take it on lovely long walks in the countryside but in the modern age of everyone in a family working, often long hours, it is not always practical or possible to do this.  If you are someone who finds it hard to fit in dog walks on the days that they work then you should consider paying someone for their dog walking services.

Leaving your pet in his dog kennel all day is not just boring for him, it is also unkind.  Dogs like to run around and sniff at new and interesting discoveries.  If you leave him in the same place all day he is likely to develop behaviour problems and to become unhappy.  Even an outdoor dog kennel, which gives him access to outside space will soon become tiresome for him if he doesn’t get to go out as well.  Luckily there are many people up and down the country who are advertising their dog walking services.

Look on the internet or in the local papers for people advertising as dog walkers and then ask for references from some other people who are using them.  These people will come to your home as many times in a day as you would like, collect your dog and take him out for a walk for however long you have specified.  Often they will have more than one dog to walk and so your pet will be getting some social interaction and company as well as some much needed exercise.

You will need to make sure that they have specific instructions such as whether he can be let off the lead, any fears he may have and whether he should be returned to the house or his dog kennel.  It is also very important that they know whether he is disturbed by other dog or children as you won’t want them to get him into a situation where he ends up in trouble.

You may also find that someone advertising dog walking services is also willing to do some pet sitting for you if you need to go away for a night or maybe even longer.