My English Springer Spaniel

If you hate harsh chemicals, you are in need of a natural flea killer. These range from herbs to harmless dish soaps that can be purchased in virtually any grocery store. This is highly useful for those who react poorly to chemicals or do not want kids or pets exposed to them.

When selecting a natural flea killer, there are several things that you want to keep in mind. First, you will want to decide whether the use of any chemicals is allowed. Products such as some varieties of lemon dish soaps can repel fleas, as well as borax soap. These products are not 100% natural, but they are commonly used in households, which make them good alternatives.

The next thing you need to keep in mind when selecting a natural flea killer is how toxic you wish to go with them. Just because something is natural does not necessarily mean that it is safe. Some compounds should not be left where children and pets can gain access to them.

If you need a 100% safe and natural flea killer, you can use herbs such as Pennyroyal or cedar wood chips. Both of these are harmless to pets and children, and make an excellent addition to any flea killing regime. They can even be used in conjunction with pet treatments such as Front Line and Advantage to help kill off a flea infestation. By preventing the fleas from affecting your pets, plus establishing a warded area through scattering the herbs and chips around your home or kennel, you can remove fleas quickly and efficiently.

If you want to directly protect yourself and your pets, there are still options for you. Essential oils can act as a natural flea killer, while also providing benefits to your skin. Citronella, Lemongrass and Lavender are all known to provide benefits while also serving as a flea repellent.

Using a natural flea killer, or a combination of several, is not enough to protect your home from fleas. You need to make certain that you do not expose your pets to fleas. If you have pets that go outdoors, you need to make use of flea collars and flea shampoos, as well as proper flea medications. While a natural flea killer regime can significantly increase the number of fleas that enter your home, only good habits will ensure the fleas do not return. Natural Flea Killers may seam less expensive than treatments like Frontline, but are not as effective, so over the long run, if you are trying to treat your dog inexpensively, be aware that these solutions are more useful for dogs and humans that are looking to avoid chemicals. 

If you have a severe flea infestation, it is strongly suggested that you take all needed actions to remove them as quickly as possible, as flea bites can transmit disease and cause discomfort for several weeks. 

It is that time of the year again! All the shopping and baking and parties, just the thought of it all makes me exhausted! At least Eliot is not picky about what he wants Santa to bring him. He does not make a list or watch the commercials on television for gifts that cannot be purchased anywhere except E-bay for twice as much as the item is worth. Thank goodness, a sweet Springer Spaniel is easy to please on Christmas morning.

Eliot loves to unwrap his gifts along with everyone else on Christmas morning. However, Santa knows that he can not place his packages under the tree unless they are wrapped and have no food scent to the item. Springers must have a good memory, because every Christmas morning Eliot knows how to unwrap his gifts and enjoy!

Holiday gifts for dogs are easy! Just check out Doctors Foster & Smith Holiday Catalog or your local pet store. There are all kinds of treats and biscuits of every shape and size and even dog Christmas cookies! There are warm sweaters, jackets and hoodies for winter walks and doggles for eye protection from the glaring snow. New leashes and collars are a great idea. For the traveling dog there are all kinds of travel carriers and accessories. Dog beds, cages and even heated pads for your senior dog can be found. Stuffed toys, rope toys, Frisbees, balls and Kongs are always loved toys. Pre-made stockings are also an easy gift.

Here are some other holiday ideas. If your dog has a favorite family member or grandparent you can make a pawprint ornament as a keepsake. You can also bake your own doggie Christmas cookies for your dog. You can knit or crochet your dog a sweater or sew a collar bandana. But no matter what is under the tree for your best friend, your dog will love just being with you on the holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and your best friend!

Most people include their dogs as part of their family and since camping is a family activity lots of dogs go camping. There are several things to do when preparing to take your dog camping. First check when you make your camping reservations for dog restrictions and rules. Some campgrounds limit the number of dogs you may bring and others may restrict certain breeds of dogs or big dogs.

Be prepared to clean up after your dog. I carry a pooper scooper with me when I camp. If you do not want to do that, be sure to carry plenty of plastic bags.

When you are outside your dog will also want to be outside. So be sure to bring along leashes, tie outs or fencing. I carry a long web leash that if you tie onto a tree it will not dig into the bark of the tree. Many of my friends carry the folding fencing. Fencing is great for small dogs.

Don’t forget dog food, treats and dog bowls. A dog can work up a big appetite while camping. Also, don’t forget any medications that your dog is currently taking.

Toys and balls are great too. I always take a Kong camping as well as peanut butter, just in case I need to keep my dog busy.

If you have a long haired dog like I do, you might want to take along a brush. My dog loves to walk in high weeds and usually has all kinds of things hanging on his fur.

Your family and your dog can have a great time camping together! See you in the dog walk!

One hot summer day in August, I went to work just like any other day. At the time we did not have central air conditioning but units that you placed in the windows. The air conditioner units were quite old, but they still worked great except the accordion slides that were used to fill out the remainder of the window were no longer usable. So every summer, my husband would use a piece of plywood to keep the area around the air conditioners sealed closed.

When I returned from work, I was shocked to find my second Springer, Spencer, waiting inside the fence. He was very happy to see me! I know that when I left for work, I did not leave him outside. I looked around for my husband’s truck, but it was nowhere in sight. Then my neighbor approached me and said, “Your dog has been outside all day.” Now this was a mystery!

My husband was home soon after I had arrived and I explained the situation to him. He said that he did not leave Spencer out before he went to work, nor did he come home anytime during working hours. When I went inside the fenced yard, I noticed that Spencer had been sick sometime in the day with diarrhea. We all went inside and found that Spencer needed to be outside to use his yard, and worked to remove the plywood from the side of the air conditioner unit and crawl through the window. I do not know if we were lucky and Spencer just happened to use the window that took him to his fenced yard or if he realized that was the window he needed to use!

Every dog has his or her own distinct personality. They do things differently and like different things. My second Springer, Spencer, loved to lie in the dirt. He also loved to lie in my daughter’s sandbox. Spencer first started to dig an oval shaped hole inside his fence. My husband filled the hole several times, but Spencer could dig faster than my husband could fill up the hole and Spencer won this challenge.

Spencer dug the hole only large enough for him to lie down inside the hole. After it was large enough for him to completely hide himself, he stopped digging. If you were in the back yard, you could not see him unless he had his head above his dirt hole. He spent many spring, summer and fall days curled up in his oval shaped dirt hole, just taking in the sun. If he was not in his dirt hole, he was inside the sandbox just enjoying the feel of sand and sun. That dirt hole remained until he passed away and then my husband filled it up and planted grass seed. My third Springer, Eliot, never bothered to dig there or anywhere else inside the fence.

Did your dog ever get you in a situation that made you call for help? Well, that happened to me and my second dog, Spencer! At one time my office was in the basement. I went downstairs to work like I did every day and was working for awhile when I heard a loud bang. I went upstairs to investigate the problem. However, when I got to the top of the stairs, I could not open the door! The door knob would turn, but the door just would not open. Now Spencer was barking and trying to help. I knew just what the problem was!

My husband, Jim, bought a piece of plywood the day before and brought it into the house and leaned it up in the hallway. Spencer must have leaned against the plywood and it fell over and rested on the basement door. When I went to open the door, the plywood pushed up and under the door knob, locking me in!

While I had several hours of work to do in my office, I did not have access to the bathroom and considering this happened early in the day, it would have been a long day until Jim came home. I tried to get Spencer to move the plywood, but all he would do is bark and avoid contact with the plywood. If only Lassie would have been there to help! There was only one thing to do. Call Jim and have him leave work for a short time to rescue me!

A daily walk is great exercise for both you and your dog. Dogs love a walk and it teaches your dog several lessons. It enforces the heel, sit and wait commands. It also teaches your dog to be a good social member of society. If I stop to talk to someone, Eliot will either sit or lay down until I am ready to continue the walk.

It also introduces dogs to the sight of other dogs. Be aware, you never know how a dog will react to another dog! So be very cautious when introducing your dog to another dog! I try to keep Eliot focused on me and his walk while passing other dogs. It is a great test, and sometimes he does fail, but for the majority of times he comes through with flying colors!

Once you start a routine, your dog is a great motivator to help keep you walking. Your dog will know when it is time and be ready. However, be prepared your dog thinks this is a great time to relieve himself. I tie several plastic bags to the leash or stash bags in my pockets.

If your dog is a very young puppy, be prepared to carry him or her when they get tired, or do not stray to far from home. An active puppy needs a daily walk of a half hour or more. A tired puppy is a good puppy!

A senior dog might need several walks during the day instead of one long walk. This helps to keep their joints limber. A walk is also a good bond for you and your dog. Happy walking!

If you are a dog owner you know there are leash laws everywhere. While I do keep my Springer, Eliot leashed, I wish the law applied to cats as well as dogs. Oh well, that is another issue, back to dogs on a leash. I know lots of people who train their dogs to stay within a certain area and expect the dog to obey that training no matter what happens. I have seen this at campgrounds as well as at private residents.

A rabbit, squirrel, or a deer can definitely catch any dog off track of previously learned lessons! Unfortunately, cars sometimes follow these elusive creatures putting your beloved dog in harm’s way! Also, other dogs off leash can cause serious bodily injuries to your family’s loved dog!

Every dog likes a good run, but be aware there are dangerous situations everywhere. Unless you and your dog are hunting and your dog has been trained for hunting, it is best to keep your dog leashed. I do not think of the leash as a constraint for Eliot but a device used for his protection and safety. There are long leashes and retractable leashes for that taste of freedom. As that old saying goes; “It is better to be safe, than sorry!”

My husband, Jim and I are campers and we love to travel. But due to the high cost of diesel fuel we decided to take a seasonal site in a nearby campground. The campground is quite a large and to get around the area, we use golf carts and all our friends use them too!

Eliot knows the golf carts as “cookie-mobiles”! All our friends carry dog biscuits in their carts and keep them in the “glove box”. So when our friends see us out walking with Eliot they stop to talk and Eliot hops into the carts and puts his nose in the “glove box” in search of cookies! Eliot’s favorite kind of cookie is peanut butter.

After he locates the cookies, he immediately takes a good dog position! If they ignore him, he places his paw on their lap! In the end he always gets several cookies!

If Eliot sees a golf cart, he immediately heads in that direction! He is like a child that sees the ice cream truck!

We all had toys that were well loved. And dogs are no exceptions. Spencer loved Frisbees, even if they were not his. He could make them his in a short time with chewed and rippled edges. He acquired several of my daughter’s Frisbees that way! However, Eliot had no desire to chase a Frisbee!

Spencer and Eliot loved tennis balls and they were best when they were new and had lots of bounce to them!

The toy that Spencer and Eliot loved the most was their Kong! They could chew it for hours and it is indestructible. A Kong is great for filling with treats or peanut butter and keeps dogs busy for hours. But be aware that dogs (such as Eliot) can master this and lick the peanut butter out of a Kong in several minutes. It can also be refrigerated or frozen for a longer distraction.

Kong has been making dogs toys since 1976 and now makes all kinds of toys for your pet. There is an Air Kong with a rope that is perfect for training your dog for hunting purposes.

Eliot rarely plays with toys any more, but he does look forward to peanut butter in his Kong!