Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
How to Build Underground Dog Fence
Article by
Robert Holmes shows people how to build underground dog fences on this website, I asked Robert to provide answers to a few basic questions about
them as a brief introduction to the subject for my readers. One of the
things about these electric dog fences
that piques people's interest in them is that being buried in the
ground, they are invisible. So if you build one, you're not left with an
intrusive structure that may not complement your yard very well -- yet
you still have an effective mechanism for keeping pets at home.
A. Underground dog fences use a boundary wire that goes around your property. The boundary wire emits a radio signal. Your dog wears a special collar that picks up these signals. When the dog gets too close to the property border, the collar emits a warning beep. If the dog continues to approach the property border it receives a static correction. With a bit of training the dog learns to stay within bounds to avoid getting the correction.
Q. An advantage of building specifically an underground dog fence is that it remains invisible. But what if I don't mind having a barrier show? Can I save myself some work and not bury the boundary wire?
A. It is not necessary to bury boundary wire to create an underground dog fence. Especially in areas that do not require mowing, many people just secure the boundary wire to the ground using lawn staples. The boundary wire is pretty robust and can endure a bit of light traffic.
Many users of these devices already have a physical barrier on their property and are trying to stop their dogs from digging underneath them or jumping over. Where there is already a barrier in place, you can just zip-tie or staple the boundary wire to the existing barrier and skip the burial.
But there are advantages to building an underground dog fence. Burial protects the boundary wire from predators such as lawnmowers! And burying the boundary wire also hides it out of sight. But burying boundary wire is not required to create a functional containment system.
Q. What is the easiest way to bury the boundary wire?
A. If you decide to bury the boundary wire and build a truly underground dog fence, then you can save a lot of time and effort by renting a trencher with a cable laying attachment from your local tool or garden store. Trenchers are typically used for laying down sprinkler system lines, but work just as well for laying boundary wire. The trencher performs three functions; first it cuts the trench in the ground, second it lays the boundary wire in the trench, and third it backfills dirt over the boundary wire. It will allow you to install boundary wire around a half acre plot in about two hours. Trenchers cost about $50 for a day and fold to fit in the trunk of most cars. Many people also dig the trench manually using a flat shovel or a lawn edger, but these methods are much slower.(We did it this way and it works but it take a lot more work)
Q. How do I get the boundary wire across my driveway or pathway?
A. There are three ways you can install boundary wire across a driveway: over, under, or through. The last option is the most common as it is easier than tunneling under a driveway and more durable than going over the driveway. Just find an expansion joint in the driveway and make a very shallow cut along the expansion joint with a circular saw. There is no reason to go much deeper than half an inch. Then lay the wire in the cut you made and caulk over the cut with an outdoor caulk.(We have gravel so cut a garden hose to the right length and split it so the wire would fit then buried the hose)
Q. How do I find a break in the boundary wire?
A. First, walk around the path of the boundary wire and look for any obvious disruption in the ground near the perimeter. Most breaks happen where a power edger has severed the boundary wire where it crosses a driveway or footpath.
If you can’t find it by visual inspection you will need to get an RF-Choke. You can get this component at most electronics stores for less than two dollars. When you fit it to the system, it makes the boundary wire sing in a way you can hear on an AM radio. Take an AM radio along the boundary wire path and "listen" to the boundary wire. Where the noise stops, you know that there is a break in it.
Q. How do I repair a break in the underground dog fence boundary wire?
A. To properly repair a break in your boundary wire, take the two ends and strip off a half-inch of insulation on each side. Then join the two. It is important when you splice the two together that you use a waterproof splice. If you use a regular splice, your join may short when water seeps into the splice.
Q. Do underground dog fences work equally well for all dog breeds, dogs of all ages, and regardless of training?
A.
An underground dog fence is going to work with any dog that has been
trained. It is more challenging on dogs that have lost their sight or
hearing, because they can’t hear the audio cues or see the visual cues
so you should budget extra time and patience for the training on these
dogs.
You should not train a pregnant dog or a puppy under 6 months. Pregnant
dogs should not be trained out of an abundance of caution. Puppies
require some time to mature to accept direction, so wait a little while
before training them.
Q. Can underground dog fences harm dogs?
A.
A good modern containment system is extremely unlikely to harm your dog.
The corrections have an automatic shutoff to stop the dog from
receiving excessive corrections. But relying on such a device is a
serious undertaking. If you are going to rely on it to keep your dog
safe and contained in your property, you need to make sure your dog is
well trained on the system. If the dog is not properly trained and
escapes into the street, there is a real risk of harm.
This means that if you are going to install the device, whether you do
it yourself or get a professional installation, you need to be committed
to doing the two or three weeks of training necessary to get the dog to
understand the new rules. Training is not difficult but must be
consistently done, with 2-3 sessions a day for fifteen minutes. Without
the training the system will be ineffective and we would not entrust a
dog's safety to the system.
Q. Robert, how do these containment systems work?
A. Underground dog fences use a boundary wire that goes around your property. The boundary wire emits a radio signal. Your dog wears a special collar that picks up these signals. When the dog gets too close to the property border, the collar emits a warning beep. If the dog continues to approach the property border it receives a static correction. With a bit of training the dog learns to stay within bounds to avoid getting the correction.
Q. An advantage of building specifically an underground dog fence is that it remains invisible. But what if I don't mind having a barrier show? Can I save myself some work and not bury the boundary wire?
A. It is not necessary to bury boundary wire to create an underground dog fence. Especially in areas that do not require mowing, many people just secure the boundary wire to the ground using lawn staples. The boundary wire is pretty robust and can endure a bit of light traffic.
Many users of these devices already have a physical barrier on their property and are trying to stop their dogs from digging underneath them or jumping over. Where there is already a barrier in place, you can just zip-tie or staple the boundary wire to the existing barrier and skip the burial.
But there are advantages to building an underground dog fence. Burial protects the boundary wire from predators such as lawnmowers! And burying the boundary wire also hides it out of sight. But burying boundary wire is not required to create a functional containment system.
Q. What is the easiest way to bury the boundary wire?
A. If you decide to bury the boundary wire and build a truly underground dog fence, then you can save a lot of time and effort by renting a trencher with a cable laying attachment from your local tool or garden store. Trenchers are typically used for laying down sprinkler system lines, but work just as well for laying boundary wire. The trencher performs three functions; first it cuts the trench in the ground, second it lays the boundary wire in the trench, and third it backfills dirt over the boundary wire. It will allow you to install boundary wire around a half acre plot in about two hours. Trenchers cost about $50 for a day and fold to fit in the trunk of most cars. Many people also dig the trench manually using a flat shovel or a lawn edger, but these methods are much slower.(We did it this way and it works but it take a lot more work)
Q. How do I get the boundary wire across my driveway or pathway?
A. There are three ways you can install boundary wire across a driveway: over, under, or through. The last option is the most common as it is easier than tunneling under a driveway and more durable than going over the driveway. Just find an expansion joint in the driveway and make a very shallow cut along the expansion joint with a circular saw. There is no reason to go much deeper than half an inch. Then lay the wire in the cut you made and caulk over the cut with an outdoor caulk.(We have gravel so cut a garden hose to the right length and split it so the wire would fit then buried the hose)
Q. How do I find a break in the boundary wire?
A. First, walk around the path of the boundary wire and look for any obvious disruption in the ground near the perimeter. Most breaks happen where a power edger has severed the boundary wire where it crosses a driveway or footpath.
If you can’t find it by visual inspection you will need to get an RF-Choke. You can get this component at most electronics stores for less than two dollars. When you fit it to the system, it makes the boundary wire sing in a way you can hear on an AM radio. Take an AM radio along the boundary wire path and "listen" to the boundary wire. Where the noise stops, you know that there is a break in it.
Q. How do I repair a break in the underground dog fence boundary wire?
A. To properly repair a break in your boundary wire, take the two ends and strip off a half-inch of insulation on each side. Then join the two. It is important when you splice the two together that you use a waterproof splice. If you use a regular splice, your join may short when water seeps into the splice.
Q. Do underground dog fences work equally well for all dog breeds, dogs of all ages, and regardless of training?
A.
An underground dog fence is going to work with any dog that has been
trained. It is more challenging on dogs that have lost their sight or
hearing, because they can’t hear the audio cues or see the visual cues
so you should budget extra time and patience for the training on these
dogs.
You should not train a pregnant dog or a puppy under 6 months. Pregnant
dogs should not be trained out of an abundance of caution. Puppies
require some time to mature to accept direction, so wait a little while
before training them.
Q. Can underground dog fences harm dogs?
A.
A good modern containment system is extremely unlikely to harm your dog.
The corrections have an automatic shutoff to stop the dog from
receiving excessive corrections. But relying on such a device is a
serious undertaking. If you are going to rely on it to keep your dog
safe and contained in your property, you need to make sure your dog is
well trained on the system. If the dog is not properly trained and
escapes into the street, there is a real risk of harm.
This means that if you are going to install the device, whether you do
it yourself or get a professional installation, you need to be committed
to doing the two or three weeks of training necessary to get the dog to
understand the new rules. Training is not difficult but must be
consistently done, with 2-3 sessions a day for fifteen minutes. Without
the training the system will be ineffective and we would not entrust a
dog's safety to the system.
Friday, April 13, 2012
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Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Watch Out for Pet Poisons in Your Purse
PetMD Warns Pet Owners to Watch Out for Pet Poisons in Your Purse
Published: Monday, Mar. 19, 2012 - 6:05 am
MIAMI, March 19, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Do you know the source of the top five pet poisons found in your house? Your purse! That's right; your handbag is a reservoir for lots of things toxic to dogs and cats. In honor of Animal Poison Prevention week, petMD.com urges pet owners to hang up their purses! Or at the very least, keep a watchful eye on your dog or cat if you have the following items on you.
1. Sugarless Chewing Gum and Breath Mints: Xylitol and dogs don't mix. Have sugarless gum or mints in your purse? Most sugarless gums, including some Trident, Orbit, and Ice Breaker brands, contain xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Some sugarless mints, flavored multivitamins, toothpastes, and mouthwashes may also be made with xylitol. When ingested, even small amounts of xylitol can result in a life-threatening and rapid drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and if large amounts are ingested, dogs can suffer from severe acute hepatic necrosis (i.e., liver failure). Signs of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, collapse, tremors and seizures.
2. Human Medications: Admit it — most females keep a small bottle of ibuprofen in their purses. These pill vials are irresistible to some dogs — they are easy to chew through, rattle when chewed, and resemble a chew toy to our dogs! Common drugs ingested by pets include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs like Advil, Aleve, and Motrin), acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), and antidepressants (e.g., Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac). All of these can cause serious harm to dogs and cats when ingested. NSAIDs cause stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure, especially in cats. A single Tylenol tablet (containing acetaminophen) can be fatal to a cat, and a larger ingestion can lead to severe liver failure in dogs and dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Antidepressants can cause neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors, and seizures.
3. Asthma Inhalers (albuterol): Asthma inhalers are commonly stored in purses for emergency use. When accidentally chewed and punctured by dogs, asthma inhalers can cause acute poisoning. Asthma inhalers often contain concentrated doses of beta-agonist drugs (e.g., albuterol), and each inhaler often contains 200 doses in one vial. When dogs chew into them, they are exposed to massive amounts of the drugs all at once. This can lead to severe poisoning, resulting in life-threatening heart arrhythmias, agitation, vomiting, collapse, and death.
4. Cigarettes (nicotine): Not only are these bad for you, but they are equally bad for your pets! As few as three cigarettes can be fatal to a small dog, depending on the "strength" or "lightness" of the cigarettes. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even smoking cessation gums contain nicotine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Nicotine poisoning causes clinical signs rapidly — in as short as 15 minutes — and can be fatal if not treated. Signs of elevated heart and respiratory rates, neurological overstimulation, uncontrolled urination/defecation, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and death can be seen with accidental ingestion.
5. Hand Sanitizer (alcohol): In our germaphobic society, most of us now carry hand sanitizer in our purses. Many hand sanitizers contain high concentrations of alcohol (ethanol) — nearly 100 percent alcohol! When a dog chews and ingests a small bottle of hand sanitizer, it can have the same effect as a shot of hard liquor. Signs of alcohol poisoning include a severe drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia in dogs), lack of coordination, a drop in body temperature, neurological depression, coma, and death.
Finally, if your pet should accidentally ingest one of these poisons, call the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-213-6680 immediately.
About petMD petMD is a leading online resource focused solely on the health and well-being of pets. The site maintains the world's largest pet health library, written and approved by a network of trusted veterinarians. petMD was founded to inspire pet owners to provide an ever-increasing quality of life for their pets and to connect pet owners with pet experts and other animal lovers. petMD is a subsidiary of the Pet360 family of brands, which also includes PetFoodDirect.com – the most complete pet food and supply retailer online, and NationalPetPharmacy.com– a fully certified, full-service pet pharmacy delivering pet meds, vitamins and comprehensive pet health and wellness products.
1. Sugarless Chewing Gum and Breath Mints: Xylitol and dogs don't mix. Have sugarless gum or mints in your purse? Most sugarless gums, including some Trident, Orbit, and Ice Breaker brands, contain xylitol, a sweetener that is toxic to dogs. Some sugarless mints, flavored multivitamins, toothpastes, and mouthwashes may also be made with xylitol. When ingested, even small amounts of xylitol can result in a life-threatening and rapid drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and if large amounts are ingested, dogs can suffer from severe acute hepatic necrosis (i.e., liver failure). Signs of xylitol poisoning include vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, collapse, tremors and seizures.
2. Human Medications: Admit it — most females keep a small bottle of ibuprofen in their purses. These pill vials are irresistible to some dogs — they are easy to chew through, rattle when chewed, and resemble a chew toy to our dogs! Common drugs ingested by pets include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs like Advil, Aleve, and Motrin), acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), and antidepressants (e.g., Effexor, Cymbalta, Prozac). All of these can cause serious harm to dogs and cats when ingested. NSAIDs cause stomach and intestinal ulcers as well as kidney failure, especially in cats. A single Tylenol tablet (containing acetaminophen) can be fatal to a cat, and a larger ingestion can lead to severe liver failure in dogs and dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Antidepressants can cause neurological problems like sedation, incoordination, agitation, tremors, and seizures.
3. Asthma Inhalers (albuterol): Asthma inhalers are commonly stored in purses for emergency use. When accidentally chewed and punctured by dogs, asthma inhalers can cause acute poisoning. Asthma inhalers often contain concentrated doses of beta-agonist drugs (e.g., albuterol), and each inhaler often contains 200 doses in one vial. When dogs chew into them, they are exposed to massive amounts of the drugs all at once. This can lead to severe poisoning, resulting in life-threatening heart arrhythmias, agitation, vomiting, collapse, and death.
4. Cigarettes (nicotine): Not only are these bad for you, but they are equally bad for your pets! As few as three cigarettes can be fatal to a small dog, depending on the "strength" or "lightness" of the cigarettes. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and even smoking cessation gums contain nicotine, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Nicotine poisoning causes clinical signs rapidly — in as short as 15 minutes — and can be fatal if not treated. Signs of elevated heart and respiratory rates, neurological overstimulation, uncontrolled urination/defecation, tremors, seizures, paralysis, and death can be seen with accidental ingestion.
5. Hand Sanitizer (alcohol): In our germaphobic society, most of us now carry hand sanitizer in our purses. Many hand sanitizers contain high concentrations of alcohol (ethanol) — nearly 100 percent alcohol! When a dog chews and ingests a small bottle of hand sanitizer, it can have the same effect as a shot of hard liquor. Signs of alcohol poisoning include a severe drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia in dogs), lack of coordination, a drop in body temperature, neurological depression, coma, and death.
Finally, if your pet should accidentally ingest one of these poisons, call the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-213-6680 immediately.
About petMD petMD is a leading online resource focused solely on the health and well-being of pets. The site maintains the world's largest pet health library, written and approved by a network of trusted veterinarians. petMD was founded to inspire pet owners to provide an ever-increasing quality of life for their pets and to connect pet owners with pet experts and other animal lovers. petMD is a subsidiary of the Pet360 family of brands, which also includes PetFoodDirect.com – the most complete pet food and supply retailer online, and NationalPetPharmacy.com– a fully certified, full-service pet pharmacy delivering pet meds, vitamins and comprehensive pet health and wellness products.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Dog Ticks and Fleas Q&A WebMD veterinary experts answer commonly asked questions about fleas and ticks on your dog. By Sandy Eckstein WebMD Pet Health Feature
By Sandy Eckstein WebMD Pet Health Feature.
Although there are more than 2,200 kinds of fleas, it only takes one type to cause a lot of misery for you and your pet. We went to internationally known flea and tick expert Michael Dryden to find out how to fight fleas and eliminate ticks. Dryden has a doctorate in veterinary parasitology, is a founding member of the Companion Animal Parasite Council, and has conducted research on almost every major flea and tick product on the market.
Q: How did my dog get these fleas and ticks?
A: The way animals get fleas is some other flea-infested animal - a stray dog or stray cat, or some other neighbors’ dog or cat, or urban wildlife, mainly opossums and raccoons - went through your neighborhood, your yard, and the female flea is laying eggs and the eggs are basically rained off into your environment. We call them a living salt shaker. And then those eggs developed into adults and those fleas jumped onto your pet. That’s how it happened.
Dogs generally get ticks because they’re out in that environment, walking through the woods or high grass, and these ticks undergo what’s called questing, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass, generally 18 to 24 inches off the ground and they basically hang out. And when the dog walks by or we walk by and brush up against these ticks they dislodge and get onto us. Ticks don’t climb up into trees. That’s an old myth. They just lie in wait for us. It’s sort of an ambush strategy. They can live well over a year without feeding.
Q: Can fleas and ticks cause my dog to get sick? What kinds of illnesses can she get from them?
A: Probably the most common thing is, when these fleas are feeding, they’re injecting saliva into the skin. These salivary proteins are often allergenic and animals end up with allergy. The most common skin disease of dogs and cats is what’s called flea allergy dermatitis, where they bite and scratch and lose their hair. It can take only a few fleas for this allergy to become a problem.
If you have a lot of fleas, since they’re blood-sucking insects, especially if you have puppies, pets can become anemic and even die with heavy infestations. Fleas also commonly transmit tapeworms to our pets, at least one species.
With ticks, there are a dozen to 15 or more tick-transmitted diseases that our pets get from ticks. There’s Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and more. Many of these diseases can kill pets.http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-ticks-and-fleas
Although there are more than 2,200 kinds of fleas, it only takes one type to cause a lot of misery for you and your pet. We went to internationally known flea and tick expert Michael Dryden to find out how to fight fleas and eliminate ticks. Dryden has a doctorate in veterinary parasitology, is a founding member of the Companion Animal Parasite Council, and has conducted research on almost every major flea and tick product on the market.
Q: How did my dog get these fleas and ticks?
A: The way animals get fleas is some other flea-infested animal - a stray dog or stray cat, or some other neighbors’ dog or cat, or urban wildlife, mainly opossums and raccoons - went through your neighborhood, your yard, and the female flea is laying eggs and the eggs are basically rained off into your environment. We call them a living salt shaker. And then those eggs developed into adults and those fleas jumped onto your pet. That’s how it happened.
Dogs generally get ticks because they’re out in that environment, walking through the woods or high grass, and these ticks undergo what’s called questing, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass, generally 18 to 24 inches off the ground and they basically hang out. And when the dog walks by or we walk by and brush up against these ticks they dislodge and get onto us. Ticks don’t climb up into trees. That’s an old myth. They just lie in wait for us. It’s sort of an ambush strategy. They can live well over a year without feeding.
Q: Can fleas and ticks cause my dog to get sick? What kinds of illnesses can she get from them?
A: Probably the most common thing is, when these fleas are feeding, they’re injecting saliva into the skin. These salivary proteins are often allergenic and animals end up with allergy. The most common skin disease of dogs and cats is what’s called flea allergy dermatitis, where they bite and scratch and lose their hair. It can take only a few fleas for this allergy to become a problem.
If you have a lot of fleas, since they’re blood-sucking insects, especially if you have puppies, pets can become anemic and even die with heavy infestations. Fleas also commonly transmit tapeworms to our pets, at least one species.
With ticks, there are a dozen to 15 or more tick-transmitted diseases that our pets get from ticks. There’s Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and more. Many of these diseases can kill pets.http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/dog-ticks-and-fleas
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Lesson 2- How to get your dog to like the kennel.
Second step in kenneling your dog is to get the dog willingly in the kennel. Now if it is a puppy it should be relatively simple to get the puppy in the kennel. Right! you can put him in there but if I am right he isn't going to stay willingly. So you have to have a strategy ready. treats, time, and lots of patience.
- Place the kennel in a spot that is quiet
- close to where you are(like next to the bed or sofa)
- cover all but a small area of the kennel
- have a bed, or blanket in the kennel
- a favorite toy should also be placed in the kennel
- take the puppy outside, play ,potty and then try the above steps.
- stay close to the kennel comfort the puppy but make him stay in for a short time (like a nap)
- when he wakes up, play , take outside, treats,
- never use kennel as punishment;
The Ground Work to become aa Pack Leader
http://leerburg.com/puppygroundwork.htm
I Want you too be the Pack Leader. this article will get you started.
The Ground Work to becoming Your Puppy's Pack Leader
http://leerburg.com/puppygroundwork.htm
A very complete article to get you started with that new dog.
A very complete article to get you started with that new dog.
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