Poodles come in three sizes – Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle and, Standard Poodle.

The Poodle is recognised as the National dog of France, and is generally referred to as the French Poodle. In France the Poodle is known as the ‘Caniche’ or duck dog. Poodles have been around for about 400 years and the French Poodle is believed to have been bred from the French water dog the Barbet.

In Germany Poodles were known as ‘Pudel’ which means water dog. Poodles used to retrieve water fowl. The Poodle has a thick coat that was clipped so as not to weigh them down in the water, although the hair on the leg joints was left on as protection when swimming.

Poodles have also been bred to sniff out Truffles, a fungus delicacy that grows underground.

FACTS ABOUT POODLES

Getting enough water to drink is essential for health for both us and our pets. Since our pets are lifetime companions we want them to be in the best health possible for years to come.

One of the ways to help ensure they stay in tiptop shape is to make sure they’re constantly getting fresh clean water. Sure you can just put down a bowl of water for the pet but that has its downsides. A bowl of water just sits and stagnates over time. You also have to deal with pet hair and dirt falling into the water dish.

A good way to solve that problem is to get a pet drinking fountain.

And one of the best we have found is the Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain which provides a constant flow of water off a dedicated power supply. This ensures that your pet has fresh clean water available all day long.

How It Works

The Platinum Pet Fountain uses a small pump to circulate water from a reservoir to a bowl and back up. As the water circulates it passes through a charcoal filter to remove any nasty odors.  The fountain also has a debris screen to catch any dirt or hair that might get in it.

What We Like:

• The fountain has a removable water reservoir for easy refilling. You don’t have to lug the entire unit over to the sink to refill it. Just detach the reservoir from the unit, fill it, and then snap it back into place.

• Another really nice feature is the detachable power cord. This means that when it comes time to clean the unit it can be unplugged and taken outside for easy washing. Also, the filters are removable so you can just rinse them off and stick them back in the unit with minimum hassle.

• This is a solid unit. It can stand up to a pet. It’s nice and heavy with rubber feet so you don’t have to worry about a pet knocking it over and dumping water all over the floor

Buy the  Drinkwell Platinum Pet Fountain
to provide your pet with fresh water at all times.

Golden Retrievers have similar characteristics to bloodhounds and water spaniels. It is believed that they were bred by Lord Tweedmouth at Inverness-Shire, Scotland around 150 years ago.

Golden Retrievers are noble dogs with coats that come in shades of gold or cream.

Their intelligence and great temperaments make this an ideal family dog.

FACTS ABOUT THE GOLDEN RETRIEVER

The Doberman was bred as a guard dog by a 19th century tax agent named Louis Dobermann of Apolda in Thuringia, Germany.

He needed an animal that could accompany him on his rounds and protect him against thieves.

Louis Dobermann was the keeper of the local dog pound and therefore had access to a number of strays with which he could continue to breed until he developed a dog that displayed the qualities he required such as courage, alertness and stamina.

Dobermans exhibits all these qualities as well as being suitable as a family pet, providing it receives the correct training.

FACTS ABOUT THE DOBERMAN (DOBERMAN PINSCHER)

If you own a dog then at some point you will probably have a problem with fleas. Flea control is important for both you and your dog. If fleas are on your dog then they are probably in your home. Summer is generally the time when fleas appear in large numbers so flea control around this time is vital.

Fleas can be seen with the naked eye and can be found anywhere on your dog but are more commonly seen on the lower back near the tail. For effective flea contol you need to treat the fleas when they are spotted. The longer you wait the more fleas you will get.

There are a large number of products available to control fleas but for effective flea control you need to kill fleas not only on your dog but also in their bedding, in your house and in your garden.

Best Offers

• DELUXE FLEA COMB with HANDLE – This comb can be used easily to remove fleas from your pet. Chrome plated steel with rounded teeth for a gentle touch. The teeth are spaced ultra close to trap fleas when combing. Complete with easy instructions for maximum effectiveness.
• Flea and Tick Shampoo -  A variety of shampoos to choose from. The easy way to  kills fleas and ticks very quickly, but also clean the animals skin and coat, leaving it shining and pleasantly scented.

Flea Collars are an effective form of flea control with herbal flea collars becoming more and more popular. Flea collars are generally a deterrent rather than a cure and should be used as such.

Flea Combs are quite effective as they are made specifically to catch fleas and drag them out. Use the comb everyday and also after each wash.

Ensure your dog is bathed regularly. Bathing will kill some of the fleas but not all of them. Use your flea comb after each wash as any fleas that aren’t killed will be stunned and easier to remove.

Wash your dogs bedding regularly and keep the area around your pet’s bed as clean as possible.

Vacuum regularly. Shake flea powder into the vacuum bag before using otherwise the fleas will just jump back out once vacuumed. Better yet, if you can afford to, throw away the vacuum bag after each vacuum.

Products such as Frontline have been known to be a highly effective form of flea control as they kill not only the fleas but also the eggs and the larvae for up to three months. It is easily applied to your pet and is completely waterproof so your dog can continue to swim and be bathed without losing the effectiveness of the product.

Flea control can be difficult but fortunately there are products out there that can help. By following the tips described above and using some of these products you should find your flea problems are over.

Pet hair gets everywhere. Sure we love our pets but constantly chasing down fur balls and trying to vacuum out the couch?

When it comes to keeping the house fur free there are only a few options available. You can either chase after dog or cat with a broom, dustpan, and vacuum or you can limit the amount of hair the pet sheds.

There are all sorts of ways to control pet hair. You can use trimmers, shedding brushes, and combs.  One of the better options we’ve seen though is the FURminator deShedding Tool .

The Furminator comes with a plastic handle and replaceable blades.

How it works:

The Furminator pulls loose hair out of your pets under coat.  By removing this hair build up your cat or dog won’t shed nearly as much. In addition it leaves the pet’s coat shiny and soft. The Furminator doesn’t cut the hair but instead just grabs a hold of loose, dead hair that’s trapped in the pet’s undercoat.

If you’re sensitive to pet dander then the Furminator help. By reducing the shedding in your house you’ll be able to keep the hair and dander to a minimum reducing the risk of allergies kicking up.

What We Like:

• The Furminator works faster than other hair removers. A pet can be groomed with just the Furminator instead of a variety of brushes. The only caveat though is that pet hair needs to be tangle free before starting otherwise it might snag in the coat.

• We really like that this is a manual brush and not one of those vacuum cleaner attachments. The pet feels like it’s being petted. Your pet will sit still and enjoy being groomed instead of running in fear from a loud noisy vacuum.

• The Furminator is a quality grooming tool with replaceable blades. All one has to do is pop in a new blade instead of buying a whole new unit.

BUY NOW or read what others are saying.