dogIDs "How-to" Dog Blog

Can Acupuncture Help My Dog?
Can Acupuncture Help My Dog?
Meet Ody! He’s an office dog here, at dogIDs, and his mom is Keely who works in customer service. Ody is a French Bulldog mix and his favorite thing to do is cuddle up with his momma. Being a French Bulldog makes Ody susceptible to lower back problems, like Disc Disease. Ody was diagnosed with Disc Disease 5 months ago and is now pain-free all thanks to dog acupuncture.What is Disc Disease?Disk Di…
Common House Plants That Are Harmful To Your Dog
Common House Plants That Are Harmful To Your Dog
Hooray! Spring is here! You know what that means. It is finally nice enough to leave the jacket at home, take your dog for long walks until the sun sets and start planting your garden.If you are thinking of testing out your green thumb, it’s important to remember the family pets before you introduce new plants to your yard or home. Adding some green to our living landscape has many benefits to us…
How to Break Up A Dog Fight
How to Break Up A Dog Fight
Hopefully, you’ll never have to break up a fight between dogs, but it could happen sooner or later, especially if you visit dog parks or work at a dog daycare.Thankfully, most dog fights sound worse than they actually are. There's a lot of growling, snarling and posturing, but you can often defuse the situation with a quick “hey!” or clapping your hands. Often enough, the dogs will just “shake off…
7 Methods to Exercise Your Dog
7 Methods to Exercise Your Dog
Dogs appreciate mental and physical challenges. Some dogs won’t feel tired or relaxed unless their owners find a way to accomplish both. Here are seven great options forExercising your dog:1) “Obedience” walksA walk is one thing, but how about a walk where your dog has to work his mind? Practice commands such as heel, sit, down, stay and come. Use treats if necessary to encourage your dog to pay a…
5 Life Lessons Dogs Teach Us
5 Life Lessons Dogs Teach Us
As a pet owner, this Thanksgiving, once again I am thankful to have happy and healthy pets. I can’t imagine my life without furry companions in it.When I sit back and think about the quirks of each of my pets, it’s really interesting to compare my cats to my dog. Captain is my old man cat and is cranky, lazy and finicky, albeit a cuddle bug at night. Little Girl is young at heart, rambunctious, a…
Dog Adoption - Planning Ahead
Dog Adoption - Planning Ahead
Are you thinking about adopting a dog? Congratulations! While adopting a new dog should be fun, it's still a little overwhelming to bring in a new family member - especially if you're the one doing all the work. It can also be stressful for your existing pets. While some stress is unavoidable, here are a few suggestions to...Help dog adoption go as smoothly as possible.Don't expect the new dog t…
How Do I Prep My Pet For My Vacation Away From Them?
How Do I Prep My Pet For My Vacation Away From Them?
Whether you’re going on a weekend getaway or spending two weeks abroad, an important step in your vacation prep is making sure your pet will be well cared for. Bringing your four-legged family members along for the trip is the preferred option, but sometimes it just isn’t possible. In order to help prevent anxiety and make sure your pet feels comfortable, here are some great tips on prepping for v…
What You Should Know About Active Duty Military Dogs
What You Should Know About Active Duty Military Dogs
What You Should Know About Active Duty Military Dogs Military working dogs are an important part of our military branches. After selecting Military Working Dog Team Support Association Inc. (MWDTSA) as our Paw It Forward partner for the last quarter of 2015, we quickly learned just how amazing these dogs really are. From this partnership with MWDTSA, the dogIDs pack was given the opportunity to v…
Playing fetch, with rules
Playing fetch, with rules
Have you met the dogIDs spokesdog, River? One of his favorite sports is fetch. If there were a professional fetching team, River would be captain.Playing fetch can be a great form of exercise for a dog, but it can also give the dog a mental workout if there are a few "rules." Adding rules to a simple game is a great way to build a dog's self control. While we want our dogs to have fun, it's also i…
3 Training Tips That Will Make Your Vet Love Your Dog
3 Training Tips That Will Make Your Vet Love Your Dog
The vet can be scary places for dogs. The bright lights, odd smells, sounds of dogs whining in the kennels and even your own nerves can all cause your dog to go on high-alert. Not every dog is super comfortable being at the vet, never mind being handled for basic procedures.Here are three easy training tips to ensure your vet visits go a little more smoothly. Putting on and Wearing a MuzzleA muzzl…
Should I Microchip my Dog?
Should I Microchip my Dog?
As a part of National Microchipping Month, the big question we want to answer is "Should I microchip my dog?"The short answer is YES. Why not take every step possible to improve the odds of your lost dog being returned home? However, microchipping is not enough. Only rescues, shelters and veterinary offices have the ability to scan a microchip. There are 2 main types of microchips on the market,…
How to Tips to Help Prevent Dog Bites
How to Tips to Help Prevent Dog Bites
Most dogs are friendly, but any dog can potentially bite, especially if the human fails to read the dog’s signals. This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association. It estimates there are 70 million dogs living in U.S. households, and more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. To learn more about how to prevent thes…
How to Stop a Dog From Begging While You Are Eating
How to Stop a Dog From Begging While You Are Eating
My dog typically stares at me and drools while I’m eating until I eventually smile or give him some of my food. My behavior of course encourages Ace to beg, even if I only acknowledge him 50 percent of the time.Since so many other dogs beg while their humans are eating, I asked a professional dog trainer for some tips on how to manage this behavior. Please leave your own suggestions or questions i…
Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe at Night
Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe at Night
Whether it's a long summer evening or a brisk winter walk after work, you and your dog like to spend time outside when it's dark out. You want to make sure you and your dog are visible to drivers when you’re out and about, so the following are a couple of safety tips to keep in mind, no matter the season.Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe at NightKeep your dog close Last October I was driving home…
Top Puppy Name Ideas - 11 Categorized Lists
Top Puppy Name Ideas - 11 Categorized Lists
We at dogIDs hope some of these 11 lists of top puppy names will spark some ideas and help point you down the right path to finding that perfect name for your new dog or puppy! What we've found in the past is once you find a name that resonates, a few others spin off of that initial name and one of those spinoff names turns out to be the perfect fit...Or one of the youngsters in your life just in…