Maria Daniel Deepak

Category: Dog Parenting/Training

  • Trixie Collars & Leashes: Reasonably Priced

    I brought home our third dog last year. I named her Velu Naachiyar. She is an energetic pup belonging to the Kombai breed, a type of breed known for bravery.

    Since her arrival, I couldn’t focus much on her training. She expels her energy as she pleases leaving us with torn sandals and leashes. At our home, we ran out leashes in usable condition because of this naughty pup.

    I was looking for leashes that are durable and reasonably priced. I was more inclined to purchase HUFT collars and leashes. I’ve used ’em before and I know HUFT products are durable. But they are priced relatively higher.

    Prior to HUFT collars and leashes, I’ve used Trixie products on my dogs. I can vouch for their durability and practicality. When I checked the pricing, I was surprised to see Trixe collars and leashes cost half the price HUFT collars and leashes.

    So I went ahead and purchased Trixe collars and leashes.

    If you’re looking for easy-to-use, reasonably priced and durable collars and leashes, I suggest you give Trixe products a try.

    Happy dog parenting!

  • [Adopted] Lab Puppy For Adoption

    Update: Thanks to the Almighty. We found a family for the puppy.

    I’m fostering a female Labrador Retriever pup since a week. I’m looking forward to meet a family who will be interested in adopting the pup.

    Adoption — Any caveats?

    Unfortunately, adoption conveys a wrong message to the wrong ears. Adoption does not mean taking home a pup at no cost.

    Instead, we, the caretakers of the parent dogs, want you to invest the money you would spend on buying a pup to the well-being of the pup. We’re more interested in letting go of the puppy to the right family than making money. We have day jobs that pays our bills.

    We aim to find the right family to take care of the pup like one of their own. We don’t stop there but educate the family so they can raise a companion dog that is joyous to have around. Finally, the dog ends up with a family that cares.

    So our aim with this adoption is to end up in a win-win-win situation. We win. The family wins. And the dog wins too.

    I’ve come up with a list of things that will help you raise the dog of your dreams. Before you roll up your sleeves to pick up the puppy, remember, you will be the puppy’s mother for the next 15 years of your life.

    1. By walking your dog at least 30 minutes twice a day, your dog would quietly rest throughout the day allowing you to do your chores.
    2. By spending at least 30 minutes bonding, you and your puppy would end up having a beautiful friendship. The stronger your friendship, the better the compliance from your puppy.
    3. By bathing your dog once every fortnight, you will ensure that your dog is free of ticks and fleas. In addition, your dog would smell good when you snuggle.
    4. By consulting with a veterinarian once every three months, you would ensure your pet’s health.
    5. By spending ~ 100 INR per day feeding good quality meat, you ensure your pup’s nutritional needs. Turkey / Rabbit / Beef / Quail / Mutton / Chicken are suitable for dogs in the listed order. This would save you from huge medical bills that occurs when you feed foods that are of low quality / not suitable to dogs.
    6. By spaying your dog at the right age, you would save your dog from physical and mental trauma. I strongly discourage artificial selection of dogs in breeding, unless the person who breeds knows the science of genetics.
    7. Labrador Retrievers do shed a lot. By investing in a good vaccum cleaner, you will save yourself from embarrassment when guests arrive at your doors.

    Can we meet the pup’s parents?

    You’re most welcome to meet the parents of the pup. Indeed, I strongly suggest you to meet the parents before meeting the pup.

    Health history

    The puppy was born on Dec 23, 2021. The pup is 3 months 3 days old at the time of writing this post. The puppy is vaccinated and the vaccination records will be handed over to the family. Both the pup’s parents were inspected by veterinarians shortly before the breeding. Out breeding technique was used. In other words, the parents are not related to each other.

    Training

    The puppy is currently being potty trained. In addition to potty training, the puppy is also socialized with kids, adults, loud sounds and various other real time scenarios of a urban lifestyle. The training would continue until a suitable family is found.

    Immediate expenses

    Like I mentioned earlier, adoption does not mean taking home a puppy at no cost. We would want you to spend on your pup’s well-being. If you choose to adopt this puppy, your immediate expenses would include the following.

    01. Flat leash and collar. I use the Birdie Collar and Leash Set for my other dogs and I strongly recommend the same because of the durability and convenience.

    02. Crate. If you have children under 14 years of age, I strongly recommend you to purchase a crate. I’ve seen my clients use M-Pets Voyager Wire Crate with 2 Doors and I recommend the same. You can get any crate but ensure to get one with a flat flooring for the dog to step on.

    03. Basics of foundation training course. This is an online course designed to help you communicate with your dog. You will also learn about the various training techniques that you can use to train your dog any behaviour using positive reinforcement. This course is priced at INR 9,999 /- But, I love to offer this course for you at INR 6,999 /-

    Interested In Adoption?

    If you’re still reading then you’re probably interested in adoption. Please fill up the Google form and I shall contact you. Preference will be given for people residing in and around Salem.

  • Is Your Breeder Ethical? Five Questions To Ask

    Yesterday, I ran into a breeder over a phone call. We had a conversation, of course, about breeding. I asked a couple of questions and his answers raised a lot of red flags.

    I was furious at first. But then I realized that people like him stand a chance because of lack of awareness amongst people. So I thought of sharing list of questions to ask that will help you differentiate ethical breeders from the unethical ones.

    01. How do you ensure your dog’s well-being?

    Ethical breeders care a lot about their dogs well-being (both physical and mental). They tend to meet their dogs biological, emotional and social needs.

    Learn more about how to keep dogs happier. So you can ask your breeder the right questions to know whether the mother and the pup were happy with the breeder.

    What does Animal Welfare Board Of India (AWBI) say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (7)

    02. How many dogs do you raise?

    Note that each dog demands at least 30 minutes of attention a day. Paying attention individually becomes challenging when there are more than 5 – 8 dogs.

    What does AWBI say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (24(5))

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (24(6d))

    03. Do you breed your bitches in all heat cycles?

    Like humans, dogs need interpregnancy interval to restore their physical and mental health. Bitches can be bred in alternate but NOT in all heat cycles. Bitches less than 18 months and more than 8 years of age should NOT be bred.

    What does AWBI say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5(2))

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5(3))

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (6(4))

    04. What breeding technique do you use?

    Out breeding is the only recommended technique unless the breed is at the verge of extinction. The parents are not related at all in the out breeding technique.

    What does AWBI say?

    fer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (6(2))

    05. When do you usually re-home a pup?

    Puppies need to be with the mother and their litter until at least they’re 6 weeks old. Re-homing a pup after 8 weeks is recommended. The 8 week period is crucial for their immunity, early socialization and bite inhibition.

    What does AWBI say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (8a)

    06. Vaccinations & De-worming

    Mother feeding is very important for pup’s immunity. So are vaccinations and de-worming. Your ethical breeder would educate and be happy to share those information with you.

    What does AWBI say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (7)

    07. The size of a dog’s shelter

    Dogs should be housed in comfortable shelters. The length of the shelter should be four times the size of the dog and the breadth should be two times the size of the dog.

    What does AWBI say?

    Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5)

    Note that my views on each section is in accordance with Animal Welfare Board Of India. The breeder whom I spoke to was neither ready to accept my views nor he had documents / references to exemplify his views.

    As dog parents, we’re responsible for selecting the right breeder. We would only be supporting puppy mills, otherwise.

  • Handling My Male Dog Around A Female Stray In Heat

    Every few months one or the other female in my neighborhood goes in to heat. The scent of the female in heat intrigues my male Labrador and managing him becomes very challenging.

    I have bred my male dog with suitable females a couple of times. However, his urge to reproduce is only on the rise.

    Whining, squealing and pacing are common, out of barrier frustration, in male dogs when they sense a female in heat. Here is what I do to manage my male dog during those times.

    1. Stay more vigilant and turn around long before my dog sees a female in heat during our walks.
    2. Play more games at home with my dog to keep him occupied. Tugging, chasing toys and brain games are our favourites.
    3. I don’t pester my dog when he shows little to no interest in food. Reduced food consumption is common during these times.
    4. Use therapeutic aroma oils like Lavender oil or Tea tree oil to calm my dog. An electric diffuser would be handy and easy to use.
    5. Restrict access to outdoor view points in the house like windows, doors, L-shaped stairs. I restrict because my dog would constantly bark if allowed otherwise.
    6. Last, but not the least, we have to remember that our dogs will learn to cope as they mature. Yes, patience is our friend.

    Do you face challenges managing your male dog? How do deal with ’em? Let me know in the comments. I would love to read your strategies 🙂