Taking your pet to the spa can be very expensive and time consuming, but you don`t have to pay big bucks to get your dog into a special spa. In fact, you can do your own spa treatment right at home. It`s a great way to bond with your dog and since most dogs prefer to hang out with their own humans, this is something that your dog is bound to enjoy.

What You`ll Need

There are a few essentials that you`ll need in order to give your canine friend a good experience. Items such as a comb or brush, shampoo and towels are all a very necessary part of bathing your pet. However, these are just the basics. To make the at home spa treatment something different from a normal bath, here are a few items that will make the whole experience better.

Clipping your puppy´s nails at home can save you a lot of time and money, but it can also be rather stressful if you don´t prepare your puppy for it. Making sure that a dog is ready to have his nails clipped is easiest to do when they are young, so start getting your puppy used to the idea early on and you´ll have a more compliant adult dog when it comes to nail clipping, whether you do it at home or take your dog to a vet.

First Steps

When your new puppy first arrives home, you will want to make sure that you play with his paws frequently. Lift them up one by one, rub the pad gently, tap the toe nails and just generally get him used to having his feet handled. This should not be playtime. Make sure that your puppy understands that he needs to sit still while this is going on.

Dog allergies are fairly common and can be the cause of dry, itchy skin. If your dog is scratching a lot, he could be suffering from environmental allergens like pollen and dust, or even from inflammation caused by flea bites. Another source of itching could be the dog shampoo or grooming products used on your pooch. This is because a dog's skin is ten times more sensitive his caretaker's. This makes them highly susceptible to the irritants found in their surroundings.

Getting to the heart of the matter may take a multi-pronged approach due to the numerous causes for canine itching. Making time to do this however, will be essential in diagnosing and subsequently curing your dog?s skin ailment.

It seems to go without saying that people who tend to be very planet conscience are also big animal lovers. Why wouldn't they be? Planetary conservation is dependent on the survival of all animal species, not just the human one. In conjunction with this green living ideology, these loving pet parents should start to think in term of purchasing eco-friendly products for their animals, especially dogs.

Many pet owners are discovering that it is far more convenient to do their own dog grooming at home. Not only do you save on grooming fees and gas, which is a big expense these days, but you save time, as well, not having to commute to take your dog to the groomers. DIY grooming has several other benefits, as well. You'll get to bond with your dog and get to know him better through the grooming process.

Having everything you need on hand is very important since you want to be able to do each grooming step after the other, avoiding distractions. This is easier on the dog and will keep you organized, as well.

Rescue dogs are frequently used to aid in finding missing people, whether in avalanche areas or in the forest, since they have such a fine sense of smell. Just one dog can do the work of nearly two dozen rescue workers, by covering the same amount of ground in a fraction of the time and far more thoroughly. But how are these dogs chosen and what type of dog training do they go through?

The Selection Process

Most rescue dogs are chosen as puppies. The first selection is usually done around two months of age, but the puppies will be weeded out to select the best candidates again at one year, once they`ve matured a bit. While there are some specific breeds (German Shepherd, bloodhounds, etc.) that work better for this type of training, they still need to meet certain standards.