Gadget review - FURminator

Background

I have always wondered if I would ever be able to reduce the amount of shedding hair of Cookie. It sticks to everything, everywhere in the house. So, I usually try to choose clothes in neutral colours like light brown, light blue, or pale pink so that Cookie's hair on my clothes wouldn't stand out. Although black is the most popular colour among New Zealanders (maybe because of All Blacks), that is the last colour I would choose!

A couple of months ago, I found this 'FURminator' in a Beagle forum of a social networking site (SNS). It was introduced as a remarkably effective tool to reduce shedding by getting rid of loose undercoat hair. As soon as I scraped Cookie's back once with this tool, I was just amazed!!

However, it seems FURminator is not an ideal tool for removing Cinnamon's loose hair. While Cookie has a thick undercoat covered with a bristly (and wavy in some part) top coat and his neck and bottom soon get fluffy like wearing woolen underwear, Cinnamon's hair looks almost like a single coat and her hair doesn't become fluffy. But, it doesn't mean Cinnamon doesn't shed much. Her loose hair doesn't stay in her coat, as her coat is very soft and straight. So far, a human's hand seems to be the best tool to remove Cinnamon's hair.

Pros

• It does reduce shedding! Superbly effective!!
  
• It makes dogs' coat shiny
  
• Easy to use

Cons

• Only a small amount of hair can be removed by one scrape
  
• Although it doesn't make as much a mess as an ordinary brush does, it is still advisable that you use this outside
  

Verdict



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What are you doing, Cookie?

It feels nice. Why don't you try it too, Cinnamon?

Look, this is Cookie's undercoat hair

This much hair was removed today

Wow, it feels really nice!

Real bones, ultimate treats!!

In the weekend, Cookie and Cinnamon ate real bones two days in a row, plus Cinnamon ate another little bone, which she happened to find on a footpath and picked up before I had a chance to stop it!

I was reluctant to give them real bones after one of Cookie's teeth broke for unknown reason. When it happened, he had to have the root canal of the broken tooth removed and filled with dental cement by an animal dentistry specialist, which cost a fortune!! So, since then, I had usually given them dried venison or sheep ears instead as well as brushing their teeth using doggy toothpaste.

But, after reading a recent post by Honey the Great Dane about the importance of cleaning teeth with bones for dogs, especially those who eat soft raw food only like Cookie, I decided to start giving them real bones regularly again.

Of course, both Cookie and Cinnamon were very excited to be given such special treats!! While Cookie ate his bone at the place where I had given it to him, Cinnamon quickly hid behind a bush with her bone and ate it there!

Yum-yum...

Leave me alone!

Clicker training - nose touch

A clicker, a target stick, and a guidebook of clicker training I ordered have finally arrived and we have started clicker training!

The guidebook I bought is written in Japanese, which means I had to have it sent from Japan to New Zealand by international mail. Do you wonder why I don't use books available here in New Zealand? That is because most guidebooks written in English don't have many pictures like Japanese guidebooks do. Before ordering the Japanese guidebook, I went to the library and looked at several books about dog training, but they all were full of text, including the one I borrowed ("The Only Dog Tricks Book You'll Ever Need"). It was a very good book and I enjoyed reading it. But, I wished there had been much more pictures!

Among other things, what I was surprised at about the Japanese guidebook is that it demonstrates how to cut commercial dog treats into smaller pieces, showing different pictures for different sizes of dogs! For example, it recommends to cut an original piece of a particular product into two for large dogs and six for small dogs. So precise!!

Well, going back the training, the first step in clicker training is the nose touch, according to the guidebook. Its purpose is to make your dog learn that he can get some treat right after a click. The process is: 1) Place your hand at a short distance from your dog, 2) Click, if the dog comes and touches your hand with its nose, and 3) Give a small piece of treat. When you give your dog a piece of treat after a click, you can throw it instead of letting the dog get it directly from your hand. Although you may wonder that it might teach your dog that he can pick up food on the street, it won't be a problem as long as the dog is picking up food thrown right after a click, because he will learn that he is allowed to pick up food when he hears a click. Also, your dog can't get treat if he bites or mouthes your hand.

Both Cookie and Cinnamon did the first step very well. So, we are going on to the next step this weekend.

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At Waiatarua Reserve on Thursday

Gadget review - Easy Walk Harness

Background

I've been trying to avoid using collars to control my Beagles as much as possible, since I knew that Beagles are prone to slipped disks in the neck. So, when I started training Cinnamon, I looked for something I could use in place of a check chain. Check chains are meant to give the dog a short, sharp snap rather than a strong squeeze, as Honey the Great Dane reminded me in her comment (Thanks, Honey!). But, from my experience, it seems inevitable to put pressure on the dog's neck from time to time, especially in case of Beagles who shut all other senses once their nose is set on something.

Although I often saw people using Halti collars, I thought they didn't look nice and they couldn't avoid putting pressure on the dog's neck either. Then, when I was searching for alternatives on the Internet, I found the Easy Walk Harness. The idea is same as that of a Halti collar.

Pros

Very easy to handle

Easy to put on

It stops the dog from pulling the lead effectively

You can avoid putting pressure on the dog's neck

Cons

It slips off easily when the dog wiggles

Some trial and error might be necessary to adjust the size

It can't stop other unwanted behaviours than pulling

Verdict


(As a training tool to stop pulling)

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At Cinnamon's agility class last night

Cutesy poo...

Cookie's dad took so many photos of Cookie yesterday, wanting to get a superb shot or two of him. Among the photos taken yesterday, I found a couple of cute shots, which I just couldn't help sharing with others.

Will you give me treat if I stay still for the photo?

Do I look cute enough? Then, give me treat!!

Love dog gadgets!!

I love dog gadgets. Every time I find some inconvenience in traditional tools, I look for alternatives on the Internet. Unlike countries like US, UK, and Japan, the variety of merchandise is very limited in New Zealand because of its small market size. You may often encounter a situation where multiple dogs, who happen to be at the same place at the same time, wear same collars. So, I usually need to get products, which I've found on the Internet, from overseas.

The first gadget I bought from overseas was a Premier Collar, which I wrote a review about in my last post. I am thinking about writing more reviews about dog gadgets I have tried later on.

The latest gadget I've ordered is a Clik Stik, a target stick with a clicker attached.

When Lenni, Vekku & Ressu's mum kindly suggested target training in their comment on my previous post ("Oh, it's me who has to learn..."), I had already been thinking about doing clicker training, but having the dog's attention focused on somewhere in short distance from your hand instead of your hand itself sounded an even better idea (Thanks, Lenni, Vekku & Ressu and their mum!!). However, conventional target sticks used for clicker training require a separate clicker which you have to hold in one hand along with the stick, which I thought would be difficult. Then, I found this 'Clik Stik'.

The Clik Stik I ordered hasn't arrived yet, but I will write a report about it after I try it.


At Waiatarua Reserve this morning

Gadget review - Premier Collar

Background

Cookie has always been unwilling to walk since he was a puppy. He often stops suddenly and pulls himself backwards, wanting to go home, during walks in the neighbourhood (He walks happily in a new environment, as he loves to explore). I don't remember how many times his collar slipped off his head when he did that. He had a choke chain, which wouldn't have slipped off, but I didn't feel comfortable using it for daily walks when we were not in training mode.

I found half-choke collars when I was looking for alternatives, but I was still not satisfied. So, I kept looking for something else, and then, in a mail order catalogue of a pet shop, I found a collar that perfectly met my needs, which was the Premier Collar.

I stopped using Premier Collars only because I started using harnesses after Cookie had an operation for a slipped disk in the neck.

Pros

Looks more comfortable for dogs than ordinary collars

Doesn't slip off when the dog suddenly moves backwards

Comes in many different colours

Cons

As a training tool, not as effective as choke chains

Not as easy to put on/off as buckle collars

Not very fashionable

Verdict

No wonder!

After writing my last post, I visited K9 Natural website and found that they had changed their feeding recommendations. On the package of K9 Natural Frozen Free Flow, there is a table that shows recommended amounts for various weights of dogs. According to the table, their recommended ratio is 1%. But, on the website which has been updated recently, it is 2%. No wonder Cookie has lost weight!! (Cinnamon has both dry food and raw food, so she hasn't lost as much weight as Cookie has.)

Also, I would like to thank Honey the Great Dane for telling us about her raw food diet in her comment on my last post. Yes, it is true that dogs should have something to chew on in order to clean their teeth, if they eat only soft food like K9 Natural frozen food. Currently Cookie and Cinnamon have some beef brisket every week or two and natural dehydrated venison or sheep ears from Truman's Treats (email) every other day. But, they would be delighted if I gave them bones more frequently!

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I am pleased to announce that Cookie and Cinnamon's new Japanese blog is now open! Their dad has chosen the third photo shown in my last post.

Photoshoot at home

Cookie and Cinnamon's dad is preparing to set up their Japanese blog page. They have their Japanese homepage already, but their dad is thinking about switching it to a blog. Today he asked me to find fabric to use as the background for photoshoot, because he wanted to take photos of Cookie and Cinnamon for their new blog page.

These are some of the photos taken today.









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Cookie has lost some weight, since we changed his diet to raw food (K9 Natural Frozen Free Flow) two months ago. When we first noticed the loss of weight a month ago, we increased the amount of food from 120g a day to 130g a day. But, his weight still kept declining, so we again increased the amount. Now he has 75g twice a day.

Cookie and Cinnamon's weight

March the 8th:
Cookie - 11.5kg
Cinnamon - 10.8kg

March the 31st:
Cookie - 11.1kg
Cinnamon - 10.9kg

Today:
Cookie - 11.3kg
Cinnamon - 10.5kg

Cookie and Cinnamon's bath time

As confessed in yesterday's post, Cookie loves having a bath. He loves to be brushed and shampooed, but what he likes most is bathing in tepid water.

On Good Friday, he enjoyed his favorite bath time after a walk at Mission Bay.



He is tied, just in case, so that he won't run off, lie on the ground, and smear the dirt over his freshly cleaned body. But, that might be unnecessary, as he loves his bath time in deed.

Cinnamon doesn't like being in the water, so she is reluctant to sit in the tub. But, over time, she may learn from Cookie how comfortable it is to be in warm water.

Cookie and Cinnamon's secrets

We went to two different beaches for walks with friends yesterday and today. Yesterday we went to Mission Bay, which is about ten-minute drive from Cookie and Cinnamon's house, with Anko & Kurosawa and today we visited Mellons Bay, which is about twenty-five-minute drive away, with Scoobie.

At Mission Bay, we met two Beagles, which doesn't happen often, and greeted each of them and their humans. It seems Beagle owners have some sympathy among themselves, so they just cannot help talking to the owner whenever they find another Beagle.





We had never been to Mellons Bay before. It is not only a beautiful beach but also a great beach to walk dogs. Accoding to Scoobie's mum, there are about 50 dogs on the beach in the evening!




Honey the Great Dane has given Cookie and Cinnamon the Honest Scrap Blog award. Thanks, Honey! They are honored to be given such a wonderful award.

However, there is one problem. When accepting this award, you have to tell 10 honest things about yourself and choose at least seven blogs which you think deserve this award. However, being beginner bloggers, Cookie and Cinnamon don't have many blog friends, so they cannot choose seven blogs. Would it be rude to turn down the honer of this award?

Nevertheless, we think it is a good idea to list honest things about yourself. So, we will tell you 10 honest things about Cookie and Cinnamon.

1. Cookie bit his mum when he was two months old.
   
   
   At that time, he didn't mean it. He just jumped toward his mum's face and accidentally his teeth scratched his mum's lip. However, he later developed a bad habit of biting his mum (See 'Obedience training').
2. Cookie lost a tooth when he was three years old.
   
   
   Some blood was still visible when his mum, who was trying to brush his teeth, found a tooth missing. We don't know how the tooth broke.
3. Cookie doesn't mind wearing clothes. Actually he loves it!
   
   
   This coat was made by his mum.
4. Cookie loves having a bath.
   
   
   He stays in his bathtub happily until his mum tells him to get out.
5. Cinnamon cried like an avian dinosaur when she was very little.
   
   
6. Cinnamon escaped from her puppy pen more than once. No one knows how she made it!
   
   
7. Cinnamon ate a whole tube of dog toothpaste, leaving only the screw part of the tube, when she was about eight months old.
   
   Sorry. No photo.
8. Cookie lost his ambulation completely once, due to a slipped disk in the neck.
   
   
   This photo was taken at ICU of a pet hospital after an operation.
9. Cinnamon has many stuffed toys which she loves destroying.
   
   
   This gorilla has lost the upper half of his face, having gone through numerous operations.
10. Cookie doesn't like walking in the neighbourhood unless he has his friend with him.
    
    
    With his girlfriend, Bertie, he enjoys walking (See 'Laziness or sickness?').

Honey, thanks again for giving us a chance to make such a memorable list.

Hope I am improving too

Cinnamon is apparently beginning to understand how to negotiate weave poles. To my surprise, she voluntarily moved zigzag to go through weave poles when we practiced at home on Monday. And, at yesterday's agility class, she weaved very well, although the weave poles were set up in tilted angles so that dogs could go through easily.



I hope I am improving too. The timing of my commands is still a bit too late, but at least I was not hopping when Cinnamon jumped.

Welcome, Louie!

A new Beagle came along to the Hound Racing Club coursing yesterday. His name is Louie. Cookie and Cinnamon sometimes meet him in their morning walks in the neighbourhood.

Louie

Louie is very obedient unlike most Beagles. I have never seen him taking off when he is off leash, as he always stays close to his human. I wonder how you can train a Beagle to be so well-behaved!

Yesterday, Louie looked a bit nervous in the coursing field, maybe because of the large noise of a reeling machine, but I hope he will get used to the environment and learn what to do after several attempts. In fact, it took Cookie nearly a year to understand what he was supposed to do when he first joined the club at ten months old.

At yesterday's coursing, Cinnamon was a star! She focused on the lure throughout the races. She never disappoints us at hound racing!

Lots of running!!

Happy tired Beagles

P.S.
I forgot to write something important. Louie, we were very happy to have you with us! Cookie and Cinnamon look forward to racing with you again!

Cookie and Cinnamon meet Honey

Cookie and Cinnamon went to the Devonport Dog Parade to see Honey the Great Dane and her friend Kira's canine freestyle routines. It was actually a reunion of Cookie and Honey after three or four years.


After two dogs performed their routines, Kira danced with another dog. They did very well. They didn't look like beginners at all!! I know it was a result of their lot of efforts, but their teacher must also be very good (Yes, that's Honey's human)!


And, finally, it was Honey's turn. She looked so cute despite her physical size. We enjoyed their new routine, especially the part that Honey touched her human's bum from behind! We hope to have more chances to see them dancing.


Cookie and Cinnamon also met their friends, Chloe and Yebisu. They are lovely Labradors.


It was another great dog day out for Cookie and Cinnamon.

In the car on the way back home