Adopting pets.

Adopting pets is not a new idea. However, there are now many groups involved in this worthwhile cause. If adopting a pet is something you are interested in, return to our blog for updates. We will be listing several places we are checking on to be sure their website, or pet adoption group is something we should mention.

The dogs in this picture have been placed. Their original owner has possession of these little guy's parents. One family took both puppies, so they will always be in the same home. When these dogs were adopted, they were taken to a veterinarian to be spayed by the new owner. The current owner believes in a holistic approach to pet care. If this is something you are interested in, use Google to search for veterinarians in your town who practice what you believe.

Grooming more than one pet can get expensive. Many owners at least some of the pet's grooming needs at home. If you are not sure about some things that need to be done for your pet it is possible to learn by watching videos online. I found several great videos on eHow.com that convinced me we could cut down on the grooming costs by at least 50%. Yes, it is great to take the dogs for a professional fluff sometimes. However, if you want to save on expenses, give this some thought.

If you would like to have a pet featured here let us know in the comment section.

The photo on this blog
are property of
Pat Anthony.





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How To Groom Your Dog At Home

If you want to groom your dog at home, but don't have a clue where to begin, think about this: If you take the time to learn some of the basics to groom your dog at home, you could save several hundred dollars each year.

Saving money is something most of us are interested in these days, but face it-we don't know how to do everything. We may have to hire someone to dig a well if we don't have the equipment. But, grooming a dog? The basics should be fairly easy to comprehend. This does not mean you will not use a professional several times a year. However, with the economy the way it is, we are all being forced to do more things than we did before.

The groomers we usually use are great. They have expertise no one in our family even begins to have. However, with our pet bills being close to our monthly utility bills, we had to make some adjustments.

We do have a dog washing tub, which is a welcome addition to our Florida room. We have the correct shampoos, some clippers, and the proper brushes and combs for our dogs.

If you have dogs that have long hair you may feel they need to be bathed weekly. Some vets say this is fine as long as you are not using a shampoo that is not for dogs. The vet we use told us to rinse the hair, but don't shampoo every time. Rinsing is enough to get the mud and dirt out of the dog's hair. This vet also recommended oatmeal shampoo to prevent dryness when we do shampoo. Your vet may have a different recommendation, depending on the breed of dog you have.

The dog washing tub we installed is sold as a laundry tub. The tub is deep enough that most dogs can't see what is going on outside of the tub. This tub has a spray faucet, which is ideal. With a cabinet under the tub for supplies, it was a bargain at Lowe's Home Improvement for a bit more than $100.

If you use a tub of any sort, place a shower mat under the dog so it does not slip. Be sure all shampoo containers have tight seals so they will not leak if dropped while washing the dog.

Before we wash our dogs, we are sure to brush and comb them thoroughly. When washing the dogs, we do not allow water to get into their ears, or use the spray of water to get near their eyes. We wash the eyes and ears with a wash cloth, and plain water. We haven't found a need to use anything other than water in these areas, and have never asked our groomers what they use.

We use a standard hair dryer set on medium. We dry about half of the hair, and let the rest of the hair dry naturally.

Once the dog is dry, we comb and brush the hair again. If we feel the dog's hair should be trimmed, we have a table near the washing tub that is just for this purpose. It allows the dogs to be at the height needed so that we do not have to bend over the table. Learning to trim long haired dogs seems to be an art. We give trims, not styles-that the groomer will do.

The dogs may not look perfect, but we feel the $400 or so we saved in the last 12 months is worth these pets looking a little less then Hollywood.

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Finding the right crate for your dog.

If you are in the market for a pet crate, you will soon find there are many choices. Not only are crates easy to find online, often shipping is free. If you prefer to shop local pet stores, you may find the selection is somewhat limited.

You can purchase a crate that matches your decor. First, you want to decide what type of crate you need. If you feel you need something that will fit in with your decor, rather than a typical crate, look at www.pet-super-store.com.

Folding crates are easy to store. Perhaps you only need something for traveling You can find folding crates on several sites, including www.petcratesdirect.com. We have also spotted such crates at our local Walmart. These crates are easy to store, and easy to clean.

Most pet shops carry these crates. If you are looking for a crate to train a dog that is new to your household, you may want something simple, and easy to care for. Most local pet shops and Walmart will usually offer this type. They are fairly easy to fold, and easy to store.

Your local pet store may be willing to order a crate for you. If you don't like ordering things online, your local pet store may be willing to order a crate for you through one of their suppliers.

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