Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

Last night I was looking around on the internet for gps systems. There are lots of them on sale it seems these days and if the price was right I could be interested. My wife travels on occasion for work so it's not a half bad idea. It's a pretty good safety feature.

After the microchip post I was thinking if they make gps tracking systems for dogs and sure enough after looking through google they do. It's amazing. A gps device is placed in your dog or pet collar. That way if the collar is still on your dog you can track them if they run away or get lose. As we talked before, the benefit of chipping is that if the collar falls off or is torn off they can still track down you as an owner. I guess the gps collar for pets will help you find them if they keep the collar on but I am still a big fan of the microchip.

My close friend was looking at doing some travelling over the summer. Specifically he is thinking about doing one of those European cruises. When I asked him what he was going to do with his dog he wasn't sure because he hadn't thought that far in advance yet. Well that is one of those things you have to plan for if you are doing any travelling this summer. You want to make sure you can leave your pooch with a friend or family member that is responsible enough and familiar with your dog breed so they can give them the proper care. Otherwise, you are looking at a kennel. Which is more than fine but make sure you scout out a good one. Ask around to other dog friends you have or go online and read as many reviews as possible.

Finding a "good" dog breeder can be one the hardest things you will ever have to do. It's funny how many people will research the heck out of buying a stereo or will get a half a dozen free insurance quotes but will buy a puppy or dog from the first person they go to. It just doesn't make sense. Here are some tips or some information to help you choose the right breeder.

If a breeder accepts money from you right away without talking to you first and gettng to know you and your family and what your plans are with the dog or puppy you should probably throw up a red flag. No respectible breeder is going to let their puppies go to just anybody because they have cash in hand. A real breeder cares about their puppies and where they are going.

A reputable breeder will also provide you with a contract and guarantee of health. You should also ask for pedigree information and any good breeder will be able to provide you with the proper documentation.

You should be able to go to the house and see where the dogs were bred and inspect the general living conditions to how clean the environment is. The last thing you want to do is bring home a puppy that was raised in unsanitary conditions.

Most times out of ten a good breeder will breed just one flavour of dog. If you are going to a breeder that has three or four different types of dogs on the go then it is time to look elsewhere. Don't support puppy mills, you will regret it in the end.

If you aren't sure call the AKC or the CKC and ask if they are members and members in good standing. You can also call any organizations or groups dedicated to the breed you are looking for and see if they can recommend a good breeder.

A little off topic but I recently switched to a new to me older computer. It was newer than my last one but as far as technology goes, it's old. I have been having some problems watching videos online and may need to start looking at video cards. I have already scouted a few out online. It's amazing how inexpensive a decent video card can be. I haven't replaced any hardware in quite some time. The last time I was looking at such things the prices were out of this world. I hope to find something soon so I can start posting some good training and labrador retriever videos.

The decision to microchip your dog can be a tough to make as there are advantages and disadvantages to having this done. Getting all of the information about microchipping can be as confusting as choosing something like term insurance.

It is my contention that the advantages for outweigh the disadvantages. The first advantage obviously is that if your dog or puppy becomes lost a microchip is a permanent way to find him or her. What I mean by this is that many people believe that having a collar or dog tag is all they need to have but collars and tags can become lost. Especially if your dog is an escape artist. The collar can come off when they escape through a fence or even through bushes. A microchip is something that will identify your dog and never become lost.

These days most veterinarians have the ability to read microchips. The only drawback of the chip is that not all chip readers will read all microchips. I have read that there are many different companies making different chips which are not compatible with all machines. Your best bet would be to contact the vet that you go to and get as much information about the best kind of chip or most popular chip that can be read my machines. I would prefer to get one that my vet can read.

If you are thinking about getting your pet microchipped it is best to do so at an early age. And remember if you go with a microchip, keep your informaiton on file up to date so they can find if you do lose your pet. Especially if you move.