Does Your Dog Bed Smell?

How to eliminate doggy bed odors.

A lot of times our dog beds will acquire that good old “doggy smell” and although our dogs may think it smells heavenly, sometimes it’s nice to eliminate the odor so you can’t smell it laying in your bed!

What we recommend is taking apart your dog bed (should you have a cover on it) and throw it in the wash along with any blankets your dog may use in his bed.

After you wash and dry your dog’s bedding, we recommend sprinkling our Clear the Air Furniture Odor Eliminator on the padding before zipping up the cover around the dog’s bedding. Your dog’s bed should smell fresh and with Clear the Air in your dog’s bed, the doggy odor will stay away for longer.

If your dog bed cover can not be unzipped and separated from the padding within the bed, place your dog’s bed outside in a well ventilated area and sprinkle Clear the Air Furniture Odor Eliminator all over the bedding. Leave on the bed for 24 hours and when done, shake out the granules and vacuum any leftover granules.

It is also a good idea to hang our Clear the Air Odor Eliminator Bags above your dog’s bed to absorb any “doggy” odors your dog may leave behind.

Do you have any questions about eliminating odors? Please comment on our blog or contact our customer service agent!

Prepare Your Dog for a New Baby

Tips to get your dog ready for a new baby.

Bringing home a new baby can be stressful on your pets, especially if you have always treated them like your “babies”! Check out Adopt A Pet’s helpful tips on bringing home a new baby and how to prepare your dog for the new family addition.

What does your dog expect when you’re expecting? We’ve heard stories of dogs curling around pregnant bellies, stealing baby toys, and many other silly and wonderful stories from our pregnant friends and family about their dogs behavior when a human baby is on the way!  Our friends over at Bark Busters —the world’s largest dog training company—offers tips to help families ensure a smooth transition for their dog when bringing home a new baby.

If you are expecting a baby and you have a dog, take time now to prepare your dog for the day you bring home your new child. “Dogs can feel rejected and become confused or stressed when parents suddenly shift their attention from dog to baby,” said Liam Crowe, CEO and master dog behavioral therapist of Bark Busters USA. “A dog doesn’t understand why a baby is being elevated above the dog in the pack. In trying to regain his pack position, the dog may seek attention through behaviors such as barking at the baby’s cries, jumping up, or chewing on baby’s things.”

Head on over to the BarkBuster’s Tips to Help Prepare Your Dog for the Arrival of a New Baby for help reducing bad behavior, easing everyone’s stress, and help to keep baby safe.

http://blog.adoptapet.com/prepare-your-dog-for-a-new-baby/

Can A Dog Tell When You’re Sad?

Dogs are much more perceptive than we think.  You may not be able to talk with him about your bad day at work but when he lies next to you with his nose on your lap, you can tell he just gets it.

Did you know a dog’s mind is roughly equivalent to that of a human two-year old’s and they have the social consciousness of a teenager? The following are emotions dogs can sense you are feeling:

Sadness: When you are down in the dumps, your dog will probably act extra-tame. Why do you think they use dogs for therapy for sick and elderly people? Scientists are still a few steps away from saying dogs have true empathy for humans but they are optimistic. In a study published in the journal Animal Cognition dogs would lick all around sad people’s hands or faces and some sweetly brought over toys.

Unfairness – Your dog may notice if you play favorites with other pets. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that when dogs saw other dogs getting treats for a trick they’d been performing unrewarded, the uncompensated dogs became visible distressed. In the study, as long as both dogs received a treat, one with a piece of sausage, the other with a piece of bread, both dogs were happy.

Priorities – When a baby comes home from the hospital and your pet is not longer the focus of your attention, he’ll pick that up pretty quickly. In some cases it can even lead to depression. Make sure you show love to your dog as well as your baby. A good suggestion is to bring an extra swaddling blanket to the hospital, wrap the baby in it, then bring it home and put it where your dog sleeps. This way your dog gets used to the scent from the very beginning and associates it with something he likes.

Annoyed or mad – If you’re angry with your dog, he’ll act submissive. That’s where the puppy dog look comes in. Interestingly enough, dog owners who scolded their pets whether or not they acted up, found the guilty look didn’t necessarily correspond to the dogs that actually had been naughty.

Fear – If something is menacing in your home, say a rat or intruder, as soon as you give off scared vibes, your dog will pick up on them. Unless you have a breed of dog that acts more as a guardian, your dog will most likely be just as scared as you are in that frightening situation. Your dog will usually mimic your emotion you put out. For example if you act cautiously and shy away, your dog probably will too.

Generosity – Did you know dogs watch and listen to your social interactions with other humans? In a study done out of the University of Milan, researchers had dogs observe two actors: one who kindly shared his cereal and sausage bits with a beggar, and another who shooed off the beggar harshly. Scientists found that, more often than not, dogs approached the more generous person when prompted—and it seems that a friendlier tone of voice made a difference. So beware: Your dog may judge your personality while you yell at your husband or kids.

Sickness – Believe it or not, it is not an urban legend that dogs can sniff out sickness. A fascinating research shows that many diseases, like lung cancer and prostate cancer, cause the body to give off odors that dogs are able to detect. In certain situations, a dog’s nose is between 1,000 and 10,000 times better than a human being’s. Dogs may not necessarily know if something is wrong, but they can tell something is definitely different.

Attention – Your pet is most likely sneakier than you think. In a study, researchers put treats on the floor in front several dogs, forbidding them to eat the food. The dogs behaved as long as the person watching them stayed in the room. When the person left, the dogs ate the treats within 5 seconds.

Why Does My Dog Roll In Things That Smell?

My dog smells!

Have you been on a walk with your dog and he runs off to pick the smelliest thing possible to roll around in? Don’t worry its normal!

We’re not sure why exactly dogs do it, but when they smell something that may smell bad to us; they have a tendency to roll in it.

Why do dogs roll in foul smelling things?

Maybe it is because they want to mask their scent just as their ancestors, the wolves do. Wolves roll in decomposing carcasses or the feces of herbivores to disguise themselves. By covering up their odors, their prey will not be alarmed by their scent allowing them to sneak up on their pretty and having a better chance at making a kill.

Another reason for dogs rolling around in things that have a strong odor is to tell their pack mates where they’ve been and what they’ve encountered in their adventures.

How do I prevent my dog from bringing home the smelly odor? Remember, rolling around in something that is smelly is a natural action for your dog. You should not punish your dog for this behavior but you can discourage him from doing it with these tips:

• If your dog rolls around in his own feces, immediately clean him up in your yard.
• Keep your dog on a short leash when walking him to prevent him from rolling around in other dog’s poop or other smelly things.
• You can also try making a loud or sudden noise when your dog starts to roll in something smelly. He will start to associate rolling around with the unpleasant experience of the noise you make.

Of course, if your dog rolls around in something foul smelling, the easiest way to eliminate the odor is to sprinkle Clear the Air’s Pet Odor Eliminator directly on his coat. It is non-toxic and 100% all natural.

How To care For Your Dog’s Teeth

Caring for your dog’s teeth.

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to caring for your dog’s teeth. Avoid disease with these helpful tips:

Starting a dental care routine as early as possible in your dog’s life will help him get used to the feeling of having his teeth brushed and inspected. Puppies have 28 deciduous teeth that typically fall out by about six months of age. By this time, your dog should be getting his teeth brushed regularly.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind when brushing your dog’s teeth:

• Use a “finger brush” or special long toothbrush designed for use on dogs. When starting out with brushing, the finger brush can help ease your dog into it, as these do not feel as awkward as hard brushes.
• Don’t ever use human toothpaste to brush your dog’s teeth – it can make your dog sick. Use special enzymatic toothpaste made especially for dogs. The same goes for oral rinses. You can pick these up at The Country Feed Store.
• Plaque begins to turn into tartar / calculus within 24-48 hours, so daily brushing is recommended. Work your dog’s tooth brushing into your own routine – consider brushing his teeth around the same time you do yours so it will be easier to remember.
• Before you begin, ask your veterinarian to show you some techniques to make tooth brushing easier on you and your dog.

If you are not able to brush your dog’s teeth, there are other options. Consider using oral rinses made especially for dogs. You can also purchase special dental treats. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastrointestinal upset, they may also cause tooth fractures.

How To Eliminate Odors From Your Dog Bed

Eliminate “doggy” odors from your dog bed.

Does your dog bed have the “doggy” smell you can’t seem to get rid of? Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to making your dog bed smell a little less “doggy”!

If you have a cover you can take off of your dog bed, we suggest washing that in the washing machine along with any blankets your dog uses in his bed. Once you wash the cover, before you put it back on, sprinkle a thin layer of our Clear the Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator in your dogs bed. Now put the cover of the bed on and invite your dog to c0zy up! Having Clear the Air in the bed will help keep away that doggy odor for up to three months. Once three months is up, you will probably want to go through that process again.

If your dog bed does not have a cover and you cannot easily wash it in the washer machine, take it outside. Once outside, sprinkle Clear the Air Carpet/Furniture Odor Eliminator on the bed and let it sit outside in a well ventilated area for 24 hours. You may need a second application depending on how strong the odor is. After 24 hours, shake off the Clear the Air and vacuum the dog bed. Your fresh smelling dog bed is ready for use!

We also recommend hanging a Clear the Air Odor Eliminating Bag above your dog bed. As you know, Clear the Air does not have to come in contact with the odor producer, it will simply pull the odors like a magnet and eliminate them.

Do you have questions about keeping your dog bed clean and smelling fresh? Please comment on our blog or call us!

Crazy Facts About Dogs

Great Dog Facts!

Check out some of these dogs facts we have compiled together. Do you have some crazy dog facts? Share them with us by commenting on our blog!

• Boxers were named after their habit of playing. At the beginning of play with another dog, a Boxer will stand on his hind legs and ‘box’ at his opponent.
• The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.
• Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.
• Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet.
• A dog’s nose has over 200 scent receiving cells.
• 21% of dogs and 7% of cats snore.
• Newfoundland’s are such great swimmers because of their webbed feet.  Basset Hounds cannot swim at all.
• All dogs are the descendant of the wolf that lived in eastern Asia about 15,000 years ago.
• Dogs are natural pack animals and they are naturally submissive to any dog with a higher pack status – human or canine.
• 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave them messages on an answering machine.
• A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the sent glands in its anal region which a very vulnerable part of the anatomy. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs, the tail between the legs action is the dog’s equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
• A dog’s nose print is as unique as a human’s finger print and can be used to accurately identify them.
• Soulmates: More than half of us say we share characteristics with our dogs!
• During the Vietnam war 4500 working dogs were sent to aid the troops.
• The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be the Border Collie, the Poodle, and the Golden Retriever.
• A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a humans.
• Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star… and he really signed his movie contracts, all 22 of them with a paw print!
• A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human.
• Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.

How To Potty Train Your Dog

Potty training tips for your dog.

Do you have a new puppy learning how to potty train? Clear the Air works great for eliminating odors from your dog’s accidents in the house. Plus, it is non-toxic and completely safe even if ingested.

Click Here to learn more about eliminating dog urine and feces odors.

Check out some helpful potty training tips for your dog:

1. Restrict your dog’s access to the house. Making his environment smaller makes him less apt to have an accident. This same process can also be used for crate training.
2. Keep your dog with you, or keep an eye on him. Dogs usually like to sneak off to have accidents, if you can’t see him, he might be getting into something he shouldn’t be.
3. Go outside with him when teaching your dog to potty train. If you don’t see him urinating and defecating outside he might just be playing and not taking care of business. Plus going out with him teaches you about his routine.
4. Quietly praise your dog for going potty outside. Don’t reprimand him for making a mistake, just distract him and get him outside as soon as you can.
5. If you have a dog that likes one particular area specifically, you can put his food near that area and he will not urinate or defecate where he eats. But be careful, this sometimes doesn’t address the problem and the dog finds a new spot.
6. Utilize a crate, or a baby gate, or an exercise pen when you are not home. If you are diligent about keeping your dog with you when you are home, but he pees or poops as soon as you leave it is defeating your hard work. Crates are a wonderful tool for potty training.
7. Do not use puppy pads or indoor aids when potty training if you want your dog to potty outside. Encouraging potty indoor sometimes, but then wanting them to go outside is confusing. Choose one or the other and stick with it.

Be consistent and use lots of praise while controlling his environment and soon your dog will be happily going potty outside. Do you have potty training tips you’d like to share? Please comment on our blog.

Helpful Dog Walking Tips

Dog walking tips for you and your dog.

It is important to give your dog the exercise he needs to stay healthy and in shape. Check out some helpful dog walking tips from Clear the Air.

If you have a dog, you will probably have key words or actions you do before you take a walk that your dog picks up on. Whether he knows the word “walk” or knows what shoes you put on, your dog has already shown his excitement to get out.

First, it is important to keep you dog on a leash. If he is always pulling on the leash, consider using a different collar which will increase your control and comfort. Visit us and talk to our experts to find out what is the best type of collar for your dog.

If you have a smaller dog, you can use a retractable leash and is the best way to give your dog a little extra slack while you walk.

Make sure you pick up after your pup. You can purchase poop bags, or just bring along a grocery bag. Place the bag over your hand, pick up what you have to, turn the bag inside out and tie the end closed.

Make sure that if you are taking your dog on a walk somewhere new, dogs are allowed at your destination. Some parks and beaches do not allow dogs.

Carry enough water for both you and your pet. You can pick up a foldable water dish and carry it with you.

If you are getting winded and tired, chances are your dog may be too. Find a shady place to rest. Dogs keep cool by panting, finding shady areas, walking in water and drinking water. If you are near a stream or lake, find a safe place to let your dog swim. This is an excellent way for your dog to get some exercise as well.

Don’t forget to put your dog’s tags on. If your dog happens to get lost while you are on your walk, he should have a tag with his name, your name and phone number on it. Of course you should always have your dog micro chipped. If your dog’s collar slips off with the tags on it, should someone find him and turn him in to the local shelter, he can be identified and reunited with you!

Train your dog for long hikes and runs. If your dog hasn’t exercised in quite a while, deciding to take him on a 7 mile hike might be a little too much for him. Work him up to the longer more strenuous outings by doing shorter distances with him first.

Do you have some tips you’d like to share with us? Please comment on our blog!

How To Keep Your Pets From Getting Bored

With the colder winter months here, it is sometimes difficult to get your dog out for his normal exercise. Cats may not be keen on going outside when it’s raining or snowing either.

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips to keep your pets entertained and avoid bad behavior when it is difficult to get outside:

• Just like humans like to be entertained by technology, cats can too. Have you ever had your cat follow your mouse pointer on your computer screen? What about a laser toy for your cat to run around the house and chase? As crazy as it sounds, there are even apps you can download on your iPad just for cats!
• Use a clicker to train your dog indoors and teach him new tricks. In clicker training, a distinct and consistent signal marks a desired behavior of your pet in real time. Once you click, follow the signal with a motivating reward like a treat. Because your dog understands which action earned the click and reward, he will learn new behaviors quickly and enthusiastically.
• Cats love hunting and love to explore hidden things. How many times have you unpacked a package you received and watched your cat be entertained for hours with the box? I know our cats love new things like that! Try putting a couple treats in a paper cup and letting them bat the cup around until they find the treat.
• Both cats and dogs can perform agility training by navigating through obstacles such as a hoop or tunnel, especially if a treat is rewarded at the end of it. Set up different obstacles for your pets and put a treat at the end of it.
• Have your dog use his nose and search for a treat. Nose work is a variation of search and rescue and a popular way to keep your dog moving by tapping into their natural scenting abilities.
• Use items around the house to make a toy for your pets. Poke a hole in a plastic jug so food comes out of it when your pet rolls it around. Of course it is important to monitor your pet to make sure he doesn’t chew or ingest any bits of the homemade toy.
• Get a toy designed to keep your dog busy. Stop by your local pet store and ask them what they suggest to give to your dog to keep him entertained. If you have to leave for a while, give him a toy that will keep him busy while you’re gone. One of the ones we like to use on our dogs is the Kong. You can easily refill it with peanut butter or anything else your pet likes.
• Associate your dog with other dogs at indoor dog parks. There are many doggy day cares which offer socialization with other pups.