dogIDs "How-To" Dog Blog

Want to know how you can help give back this holiday season? Here at dogIDs we strive to improve the lives of dogs. This mission has driven us to create our Paw It Forward and Sponsor.Dog programs. We have set up programs that make it easy for you to give back to a dog in need. Along with our pawesome programs, dogIDs has charity gifts that give back. Find a perfect way for you and your best-friend to help give back this holiday season.Paw It Forward In January, 2015 we started our Paw It F …

I leave my dog in the car from time to time. I live in a coastal town where the mornings are cloudy, and we have a cool sea breeze. My dog waits for me while I run in to pick up a prescription or whatever it might be. I love my dog very much, but I know some people would find my actions inexcusable. There are, of course, very serious risks to leaving a dog alone in the car, and anyone who does so has to accept those risks: The dog could bite someone who decides to reach thro …

Some dogs have a tendency to guard their food, toys, bones or whatever they view as valuable. They may guard these “valuables” from other dogs, or they might guard them from people, too. Some dogs will just growl, while others will actually try to bite. The following are some ideas on how to prevent and manage this type of aggressive behavior, often referred to as resource guarding. For the sake of this post, I’m focusing on one of the most common issues – guarding the food bowl. As al …

At dogIDs, our mission is to improve the lives of dogs. With our Paw It Forward program, we are able to donate to deserving organizations thanks to our customers. With your help, we have raised an amazing amount for Best Friends Animal Society, World Vets and Military Working Dog Team Support Association Inc in the past year! To celebrate our year of Paw it Forward, we're featuring our first paw it forward partner, Best Friends Animal Society for Quarter 1 of 2016. Stay tuned to find out whic …

The scruff, the loose skin around a dog’s neck, plays a vital role in canine behavior and communication. From a young age, dogs experience interactions involving the scruff, primarily through their mothers. A mother dog uses the scruff to carry her puppies, keeping them safe and under control. This natural action is instinctively understood by puppies, who go limp when carried in this manner, trusting their mother’s guidance.For humans, however, the scruff presents a more complex subject. While …

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already a dog lover. But how much do you know about the various breeds out there? We wanted to find out which breeds were the most popular in the U.S., so we’ve compiled this list, based on information from the AKC and around the Internet. See how much you know about popular dog breeds! Popular Dog Breeds Labrador Retriever Topping the list year after year is the Lab, and this includes Yellow, Black and Chocolate. This fami …

What Do You Do When a Dog Charges you? You’ve probably been out walking your dog, minding your own business, when someone’s off-leash dog charges you. While this is often annoying, it’s usually no big deal as long as both dogs are friendly. But what if your dog isn’t friendly? Or, what if the approaching dog isn’t friendly? The following are some tips on possible ways to handle an approaching dog, keeping in mind that every situation is different. What not to do wh …

We hear about the importance of socializing our dogs and puppies to new things, but what exactly does that mean? At what age should we begin exposing our puppies to new places and other dogs, and how can we go about it without scaring them or exposing them to diseases? I reached out to some professionals for their ideas on how to socialize a puppy safely. Here’s what they had to say. Tips for socializing your puppy Allow the puppy to stay with his litter for 8 weeks “A large amount …

Clean dog ears are very important. If your dog is pawing at his ears or shaking his head more than usual, he may have an ear infection. Or, maybe he just needs his ears cleaned. This post will go over some basic ear care tips you can follow for your dog. It will also help you decide when you might want to seek help from a veterinarian. At-home tips for keeping your dog’s ears clean Katherine van Ekert is a veterinarian with VetPronto, and she gave me some ideas dog owners can try to …

How did you go about choosing a trainer for your dog? Did you read reviews? Did you choose the trainer a friend recommended? Did you make your decision based on cost? We would love your feedback because choosing a trainer can be such an overwhelming process for new dog owners. The following are some ideas from two professional trainers to hopefully help you make the best choice for your dog if you need help with training. Also check out our post on common dog training mistakes. How to choose th …