Dogs are wonderful to have. They are great companions, good protectors and some can even assist the disabled. It is common for people to have a dog as a house pet. With a dog in the house it is important to train him to attain an orderly household. Dog crates great tools to use in the house training process. They are multi-purpose; they can be a play pen for puppies, a safe way to transport your pet, and it gives your dog a home away from home setting.

It is crucial to choose the right crate for your dog. If it is any bigger, the dog will defecate in the empty corner. The key points in buying a crate are to get the right size and should be comfortable for your dog to lay and stand inside it. One way to get the right size for your kennel is to take measurements. First, determine the height by taking the measurement from the shoulder of your pet down to the floor. The second is to take the length by measuring head to the base of the tail. Once you get the measurements, add three inches to both height and length, then, you will have the minimum dimensions of the kennel that you should buy. If you have a puppy, think about buying a wire crate that has a divider. This will make the crate adjustable to the size of the puppy and you can continue to adjust it as he grows.

There are several basic crate types available in pet stores. You can choose from plastic to aluminum ones. Or, if you opt to, you can have kennels designed to your preference.

A wire crate is, in fact, very durable. It has the best ventilation and is very easy to clean. This type of crate is rust-proof, collapsible and comes with a slide pan. Its collapsible feature provides you with the convenience to pack away for easy storage.

When traveling with your pet dog, airlines approve plastic dog crates. Plastic crates works for everything; it is lightweight and is easy to assemble. Usually, its ventilation is situated at the side panels which give your dog a good airflow. Some dogs can be frightened by the panel’s enclosed sides. If you suspect that your dog is claustrophobic, you should test this kennel with your dog first before purchasing. But for most dogs, they find this crate to be cozy and comfortable enough as a pet bed.

Metal or aluminum crates are heavy duty. They are perfect for big, heavy canines. They come in collapsible varieties; most of these crates are pre-assembled and easy to clean. Although, they are slightly heavier than most crates, they are useful for traveling. Be sure you purchase the one with proper ventilation. Some aluminum crates are airline approved. Check on further airline guidelines before purchasing.

With all the fully-customized pet accessories we can access through your local pet store or on the internet, finding the best dog crate to fit your needs, lifestyle and your pets personality is an easy task indeed. Sizes and embellishments are yours for the asking if you find the right supplier.

The ease of mobility afforded to you by these dog crates is truly invaluable as they give your dog the opportunity to travel with you in style and comfort. The journey you take will be made all the more memorable if you take your best friend along.

Looking to find out more about the steps to crate training, then visit TW Bell’s site on how to select the best dog crate for your pets needs.

We all love our dogs, don’t we? We love to give them a little delicacy sometimes as well. Some dogs are so cute when they beg for a bit of what you are eating, but the fact is that some foods that are alright for us to eat are not so good for dogs. This should not come as much of a surprise as you would almost certainly be quite ill too if you ate a half-rotten bird that you found in the hedgerow.

The most common human food that will kill your dog is chocolate or more accurately the theobromine in the chocolate. Some chocolate has more theobromine in it than others. For instance, white chocolate has only 1 mg of theobromine per 28 g (1 oz) whereas baking chocolate has 450 mg per 28 g.

So how much theobromine does it take to kill a dog? Well, the response to that depends on several considerations like age and health but most importantly the weight of the dog. Let us say that an average, knee-high, collie-type dog weighs 20 kilos (about 45 lbs.), then it would take about 250 kg (560 lbs) of white chocolate to harm him, but he probably would have exploded by then anyway having eaten 12.5 times his body weight in food.

However, the scenario changes quickly when we examine other types of chocolate. It would take about 1.5 kg (3 lbs) of milk chocolate to have the same outcome and about a third of that in sweet cacao or half-a-kilo (1 lb). The most hazardous substance is baking chocolate. It only takes just over 100g or four and a half ounces of baking chocolate to give a medium sized dog life threatening problems.

Therefore, the biggest danger would be of a dog eating a chocolate cake with chocolate icing or topping. Children are the worst, albeit innocent, culprits: they frequently give dogs cake at parties and it is one to look out for.

So, what should you do if your dog eats chocolate? It depends on the quantity and the quality and your dog. The safest thing would be to take him to the vet as soon as possible, but if you are confident you could wait for symptoms like vomitting, diarrhea, twitching, seizure, palpitations or undue wetting.

Theobromine attacks a dog’s central nervous system so not all dogs will react in the same way, but you will definitely discern that your dog is perplexed, befuddled and distraught.

If you make your mind up to treat your dog yourself, the first thing you should do is stimulate vomitting all the while comforting your dog. A 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide should do the trick. Give your dog a teaspoon full if it is under 10 kg and a tablespoon if it is over 10 kg. Give every 15 minutes until it takes effect. After this, try to get some activated carbon into him to soak up any residual poison. Follow the recommendations on the box.

If you live miles from anywhere or you think that your dog is at high risk (the school vacation season is the worst), you could get a pet’s first aid box from your vet. They are not expensive and have a long shelf life and you will not be caught out if someone gives your dog chocolate.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on many topics, but is at present concerned with researching What to do if your dog eats chocolate. If you would like to know more, please go to our website at http://whattodoifyourdogeatschocolate.com.

There are many reasons why your dog may be scratching, here are some of the more common ones.

The first one is those irritating mites all pet lovers are aware of; the flea. You dog may have an infestation or have an allergy to flea bites. See if there are any fleas visible on your pets coat its an infestation.

If there are no fleas visible in his fur, still try a kind of flea control for a month. If he has had a flea bite allergy this should clear it up.

If there is an odor coming from your pet, or his skin is damp and reddened, it could well be a skin problem. Try him first with a therapeutic shampoo to see if it remedies the problem, if it doesn’t you will need a medication from the vet.

Another possible cause is Mange. If your dog loses fur when he scratches this is more than likely the cause.

If you think that your pet is suffering from mange, they need examining by a vet and scrapings taken from his skin. Laboratory testing will show if the mite is present and medication for your pet will be prescribed.

So you have ruled out all of the above yet your dog is still scratching, what d you do next? A major possibility is now an allergy to something in or around the home. This could be anything from dust to plants and pollen.

Is there a certain time of year that your dog scratches more? If this is in the spring and summer is may well be a grass or pollen allergy.

A dog can suffer extreme discomfort from persistent itching and it is well worth the time and effort it may take to pinpoint the cause. You dog will be so much happier.

See additional articles by this very writer dealing with products including the portable car battery booster and ways to buy car batteries.