Hunting dogs have a job to do. They flush game, they find game, and they retrieve it. As a hunter, you know that the areas you are working are rarely manicured like park grass with the ability to see for several yards in all directions. Rather when hunting, there are tree, tall grasses, and bushes – visual obstacles that make it challenging to find your dog. Now, the folks who bring you car navigation systems, that help you find out where you are and get you where you want to go, also have a GPS for your dog.

Tell me more about Dog GPS

One of the best known and regarded makers of GPS devices is Garmin. Headquartered in
The Caymans with its primary offices in Kansas, the company is the leading manufacturer of GPS devices for personal, marine, and aviation navigation. Garmin offers its dog GPS products on-line and through major retailers including WalMart, Sams, and The Great Outdoors.

The Garmin dog GPS is for larger dogs since the unit is strapped to your pet via a neoprene harness. The Garmin Astro 220 comes with VHF antenna and DC 20 wireless transmitter with VHF antenna, a neoprene harness, a collar attachment plate, a carrying case, a lithium-ion battery pack for the DC 20 transmitter, a vehicle power adapter and AC adapter for the DC 20 transmitter, a trip and waypoint manager CD, a USB cable, a wrist strap, a belt clip, an owner's manual and a quick reference guide.

The unit is easy to use and is generally weather proof. Many new owners also purchase the Garmin Mapsource that makes the operation more accurate and readable. The unit transmits your dog's position to your handheld device every five seconds, showing current location as well as direction on the handheld’s map. Be prepared for the price, however. The Garmin dog GPS retails for over $600.00

There are a couple options to the Garmin GPS dog tracking system including Love My Pet available from PetGadgets. This product is less expensive than the Garmin dog GPS retailing at around $200 and features a glow-in-the-dark collar. You receive tracking information via a computer connection or over the phone. And then there is RoamEO system that includes a portable, handheld receiver that displays information received and a GPS-enabled collar. The handheld device uses a color LCD to show the location, direction and velocity of your dog. The RoamEO sells for less than $160.00.

Who might want to use dog GPS?

Although hunters are obvious potential users of dog GPS, the unit will also be useful to bird watchers and hikers who take along their pets off lead on outdoor adventures. If your youngsters did not mind the collar, it might work for them, too.

Posted by Barbara.

It’s hard to leave your best buddy home alone while you go to work or off to run errands. Most days my dogs probably sleep and let time pass in oblivion until I return. But, not always. Some days when I am walking out the door, the look of abandonment on their faces could just break your heart.

Well there are many dog lovers among musicians and some of them have put together collections of quiet music to help your dog stay calm and feel secure while you are away.

Songs to Make Dogs Happy is a musical CD that has research behind it. The  Laurel Canyon Animal Company involved 200 canines and assessed their responses to find out what music dogs love. The result is the Songs to Make Dogs Happy CD.  There are 12 songs including “Scratch My Back”, a smooth jazz number “Cookies”,  Sweaky Deaky featuring background squeaky toy sung in English and Spanish (perhaps for your bi-lingual dog), Adventure Dog, I’ll be back, and 7 more sure to please songs.

Musician and producer Skip Haynes worked with an "animal communicator," Dr. Kim Ogden-Avrutik to test out the music. Haynes says that by being in the room when the album is played for the first two or three weeks, owners can create a positive association with the music so that later when you are away, the music calms pets until you return.

A second highly rated option available from Amazon (customer rating 4.5 stars) is Music Dogs Love: While You Are Gone. Compiled by Bradley Joseph, the CD can be purchased for $12.99 or songs can be individually downloaded as MP3s for $.99 each. There is also a companion (no pun intended) DVD. On the CD you pet will be entertained by songs like: “Paws and Reflect”, “Wet-nosed Wonder”, “Puppy Kisses”, and “Chasing my tail”.

Now it may seem a bit much to you to get a CD just for your dog and then there are the mechanics of getting continuous play or setting a timer to play the CD intermittently. But, it is a cute idea and might make a special present for that hard-to-find-unique gift for a dog-loving friend. And, who knows, this might really be a special treat for your pooch, too.

Posted by Barbara.
 

You may have noticed that your older dog’s eyes seem to be cloudy rather than bright and shiny like they were when it was young and you think to yourself, "oh no, Fido has cataracts - he’s going blind."  Although it is possible that your pet has cataracts, there is another more common explanation for the cloudy look in his eyes - nuclear sclerosis. And, that is actually good news.

Nuclear sclerosis is a normal change that occurs in the lens of older dogs. Fortunately, "dogs with nuclear sclerosis tend to have pretty normal vision," says Dr. Hamor, a veterinary ophthalmologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. This aging change, which most often starts in dogs around seven years of age, is usually found in both eyes and is symmetrical. Although detailed vision of near objects may be slightly compromised in pets with the condition, their day and night vision should not be affected.

What’s happening to my dog’s eyes with nuclear sclerosis?

Nuclear sclerosis is caused by a hardening of the lens. As humans and animals get older the lens fibers in our eyes continue to regenerate and the center becomes more densely packed. This causes the lens to become less flexible.  In humans this lessening flexibility often sends us off to the drug store to get a pair of "reading" glasses.

Nuclear sclerosis appears as bluish-grey haziness at the nucleus, or center of the lens and is usually seen in both eyes. Your veterinarian can accurately differentiate nuclear sclerosis from a cataract by shining a penlight into the eye and the noting reflectivity. In nuclear sclerosis, a reflection from the tapetum (a layer of tissue in the eye that is behind or within the retina that reflects visible light.) will be seen. If you dog has cataracts, the reflection will be blocked.

What if my dog has cataracts?

According to Pet Education from Drs Foster and Smith, treatment for canine cataracts involves surgical removal of the lens. With the increase in veterinary surgical skill and equipment, the surgical procedure to remove the problem lens is becoming increasingly common.

Before committing to cataract removal, a veterinary ophthalmologist will assess your pet’s overall health to determine if it is a good candidate for successful surgical outcome. For example: diabetic animals that are not regulated, aggressive animals that are difficult to treat daily, or animals in poor or failing health, are not good surgical candidates.

If you are concerned about your dog’s eye sight, have your vet check either with a special appointment or as part of your routine wellness check and vaccination visit.

Posted by Barbara.