Dog Beds & Dog Houses

Even when not all dogs choose their own dog beds to sleep, a dog's bed or a blanket are very important because they represent their very own space, a territory in which they can feel isolated, calm and safe from everything. It is also important to save a place for them to eat because letting them know when their food is also contributes to make them feel secure. Ideally the dog should have a dog house of its own.

GOOD NIGHT

Sharing or not your room with the dog is a personal choice, choose what you want (but what you want, not what the dog wants!). Many people with large houses want the dog to sleep in their rooms (either under their beds, on their beds or on the floor) and there is no reason to persuade them from that. It has always been said that letting the dog sleep in the mere heart of the lair or in a privileged position can lead it to feel dominant; however, there are two way of avoiding this.

First, if you let your dog to get on your bed, you must demand a perfect conduct from the dog. If it tries not to let you lie on your own bed or leave it, this is a symptom of conduct problems and you should take dog out of the room until you find the way to work it out. Second, no matter how comfortable it feels on the bed, the animal should get down when you demand it. These two rules should be established from the very first moment and with no hesitation, otherwise the dog may get confused about its social position in the family and provoke conflictive situations.

If you have special considerations about the bedclothes or hate the snores, it will be better to provide the dog a bed of its own. Hygiene is surely important and besides that, all dogs need a little space in the world that belongs only to them. Special beds for dogs can be that space and there are all kinds of models and sizes to choose from; from the typical rugs to the beds filled with polystyrene balls. There are even thermal blankets currently available, specially made for dogs that can't stand cold weather.

Whatever you choose, always make sure it is easy to clean and that both, the bed itself and the material it is filled with can be regularly washed. The wicker baskets are traditional debs for dogs and look very nice and decorative when new, but can hardly be washed and dogs tend to chew them with delight.

Beds made of rigid plastic, along with a washable blanket may be the best option in the long term. For puppies that are teething, it will be enough with a cardboard box, because they will chew it anyway.

A HOME FREE OF Dog FLEAS

Fleas represent a real danger for dog owners. Contrary to what people think, they spend only a little part of their life on their host's body and most of it in the environment. The houses that have central heating are their favorite shelters and they grow and reproduce there at an incredible speed if you don't take the precautions. Fleas are, in a great deal, the reason why the blanket that covers the dog's bed should be frequently washed.

Don't fall into the temptation of using the cheapest anti-fleas powder or shampoo you can find at a pet shop; fleas are very a resistant species that has evolved without rest to survive since the arrival of mammals to the earth and even before. They have adapted to overcome our attempts to get rid of them by becoming immune to the successive commercialized chemical products. This is why it is a lot better to buy anti-flea sprays, drops or shampoos at a veterinary clinic, because it is very probable that there you will find the newest and most effective products up to now.

A PLACE for the dog to EAT

Dogs love eating always in the same place and this also helps them to understand and follow the same routine.  For hygienic reasons, you shouldn't serve dog's food in recipients used by humans and the dog's bowl should be washed and stored separately. A dirty eater can bring flies, so it is convenient to take out and wash the bowl right after the dog finishes eating. Never leave the food the dog hasn't eaten on the floor for too much time, unless it is just dry food. It is better to choose a surface that is easy to clean to serve the dog's meal (the kitchen's floor for example), specially when you provide very big servings because the dog will take it out and tear it apart of the floor.

BURIED BONES Before their domestication, when they didn't use to eat everyday yet, dogs and wolfs used to hide the leftovers of meat underground to protect them from other animals and during the hot seasons also from fleas. Typically, the burying was produced near the place the prey was killed. Dogs, as their ancestors the wolfs, eat as much as they can when they are hungry and if they have some food left, they take it out, to the garden, and bury it. As the commercial food can't be taken out and buried, only few dogs have the chance to store the leftovers in that way. However, if the majority of the dogs, hungry or not, are provided with a bone, they will try to bury it, answering their instincts that proceeds from the times in which any portion that may not be torn apart or eaten was instantly saved as a reservation for the shortage times.