Products Page Two

On This Page:

	Grooming Tools
	Taking Your Dog To A Groomer
	Shampoo

	Crate
	Ex-Pen
	Collar & Leash
	Food/Water Dishes
	Toys

Dog Food

Page Four

Page Five

	Club Membership
	Obedience Classes
	Information Online
	Links

Books

We highly recommend the proper use of a crate to aid in housebreaking the puppy, and to prevent destructive chewing when you’re not watching. We prefer the fiberglass Vari-Kennels to wire crates, as they are more den-like and many dogs feel more secure. Also we have found them safer as an avid chewer can do serious damage to teeth by chewing the bars of a wire crate (though we have also seen avid chewers do damage to Vari-Kennels too!). The Vari-Kennel 400 is the size we use for our Beardies. It measures 36”L x 24”W x 26”H. Beardie puppies grow very rapidly so it would be a waste of money to purchase a smaller crate initially, as the pup may outgrow it in just a few months! The cheapest place to purchase a crate is, again, the Pet Supply House. Local stores will carry Vari-Kennels, but will likely charge twice as much for them. Cherrybrook, a US mail order supply company, also sells Vari-Kennels and other supplies at good prices. We do not recommend purchasing the floor grate for the Vari-Kennel, as they can be dangerous. There have been stories of toes caught, or tags from the dog’s collar hanging through the grate and getting stuck resulting in near strangling. Instead, cut pieces from a carpet remnant for each crate, or cut pegboard to size for the floor. These are cheap, and easily discarded should they get soiled. Many dogs, ours included, prefer no flooring in the crate and will bunch up any blankets or flooring so they can lie on the cool fiberglass floor.

An ex-pen is a fold-up wire enclosure, generally consisting of 8, 2’ wide panels. An ex-pen comes in very handy if the pup must be left alone for long periods - too long a time to be kept confined to a crate - such as when its owners are at work. The pen provides a secure enclosure, large enough that the pup can stretch his legs and move around a bit, and gives you the peace of mind that the pup is safe and not getting into trouble. During housetraining the pen gives the pup enough space that if he can’t yet hold it and must go to the bathroom, he is not forced to sit in it as he would be in a crate. This is important because if the pup becomes used to lying in his mess, which goes against his natural inclination to be clean, he will be much harder to housetrain. Ex-pens come in various heights, but we use the 42”H ones. These are also available from the Pet Supply House or Cherrybrook.

Collar & Leash

Every dog needs these, and there are dozens of styles to choose from. Keep in mind that the leash should be comfortable in your hand so avoid those made of chain, or those that are very thin. 1/2” or 3/4” flat nylon or leather leashes, with a length of about 6’ are best. Flexi-leashes, retractable leashes that extend to 20’ or more, are great for giving your dog a bit more freedom to romp, for instance in a park, without the danger of him/her being off leash. If you have never used one before, practice until you are comfortable with it before using it with your dog. If you are unable to quickly retract it, it just becomes a very long leash which can get tangled around things, and can be dangerous if your dog is headed towards something harmful (eg. the road, an aggressive dog, a person who doesn’t like dogs, etc.) and you are unable to properly use the leash to stop him/her. Also, the standard flexi leads use a fairly thin round line which can cause injury if it gets wrapped around your leg or you inadvertently try to grab it in an emergency. Some newer ones use flat 1/2" nylon for the whole line which is much better.

Many dog owners use a 1/2” or 3/4” flat nylon, quick-release, adjustable collar. They’re great for pups who grow by the day, and probably do the least damage, either breakage or matting, to adult coats. The only drawback is that should the dog be seriously startled there is the possibility of him/her backing out of the collar. Plus I’ve found I often trap hair in the snap when I’m putting them on.

For these reasons my favourite collar is called a Premier collar. This is a flat nylon adjustable martingale style collar, which slips over the dog’s head and tightens enough to be secure if the dog tries to back out but not enough to choke. It is available from several suppliers, however we purchased ours from J & J Dog Supply. For Beardies we use the Medium size.

Another choice is a ‘choke collar’. We prefer the rolled nylon choke collars which snap around the neck rather than slip over the head. This way they can be more accurately sized. These can, however, bind up coat and end up pulling the hair, making it quite uncomfortable for the dog. Chain choke collars can be used but they will break off large amounts of neck coat. Flat choke collars made of 1/2" or 3/4" nylon are also ok, and these are probably gentler on a Beardie's coat than the rolled nylon collars. With any type of choke collar it is important that it be put on correctly (if put on incorrectly it will not loosen when a correction is given), and it is absolutely imperative that it NEVER be left on the dog. Many cases of dogs choking to death have been reported by owners whose dogs were wearing choke collars and accidentally hung themselves!

Personally I believe that choke collars aren’t necessary, and any training can be done without resorting to physically correcting the dog. Choke collars do offer more security for a dog that might startle and try and back out of the collar, since they do tighten unlike a basic snap collar, however since discovering the Premier collar which offers the same security in a much more humane package, I recommend that first and foremost.

Food/Water Dishes

Some Beardies can have a reaction to plastic dishes, resulting in loss of pigment on their nose and lips. For this reason, and for ease of cleaning and prevention of bacteria growth, we prefer stainless steel dishes.

Toys

When purchasing toys for your dog, safety should be the primary concern. We have found the safest, sturdiest toys to be: rubber Kong toys (and now bones, balls, and other shapes made from the same super strong rubber), large marrow bones, Nylabones, Galileo bones, and knotted rope toys. The Kong toys and marrow bones can be made more interesting by putting peanut butter, liverwurst, or cheez-whiz inside them. Depending on how destructive or avid a chewer your dog is, other toys that may be fine are stuffed toys, Gumabones, rubber tugs or rings, or large sturdy vinyl squeaky toys. Some Beardies will be gentle with the latter bunch of toys, while others will demolish them quickly and can swallow pieces of them, which can be dangerous. Keep in mind that with the very hard toys such as marrow bones and Galileo bones can cause tooth wear or possibly breakage in aggressive chewers, and some dogs can chew sharp 'splinters' off of certain marrow bones, which can be potentially dangerous if swallowed.

Toys that are NOT recommended are: Pigs’ ears and Chew hooves. Dogs love them but they are small and easily softened by chewing, making them prime candidates for being swallowed, causing choking, or blockages requiring surgery (they do not break down in the stomach). They also smell awful when chewed! Rawhides are another dangerous toy. Aesthetically they cause a goopy mess in Beardie fur when chewed; more seriously they are quick to soften and are then easily swallowed, again offering a prime cause of death by choking. As a treat we occasionally give some of our less aggressive chewers rolled 1’ long rawhide sticks. They are only allowed them under complete supervision, and when they get down to about 6” or 7” they are thrown out. The Nylabone edible bones (carrot, spinach, and other flavours) can be good for some dogs, but other dogs will try to swallow large chunks which could cause a blockage. They also should be given only occasionally since large amounts can cause digestive upset. The main message here is caution. Some toys may be fine for one dog but not another, and generally a few toys are better than a dozen.