However, before you even think about a dog day care franchise, please do a self evaluation and make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

A dog day care franchise is a tremendous responsibility. It requires a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of resources.

Now, please understand that I am not implying that a dog day care franchise is not a wise choice for you. I am only trying to help provide you with some useful dog day care franchise information.

Here are some general questions to ask yourself before starting a dog day care franchise:

- Do I really love dogs enough to start a dog day care franchise?

Yes, I realize like many opportunities in life, you have the potential to make good profits with a dog day care franchise regardless of whether you really care for the dogs or not.

However, if you don’t have a love and passion for dogs, your success with a dog day care franchise will more than likely be limited.

- Next, are you willing to foot the bill for all of the necessary dog day care franchise resources?

Yes, even a dog day care franchise that comes with all the necessary information and tools is still going to cost you. Especially, if you are renting a building for leasing land.

These are just some of the reasons why I encourage people to do their research before taking advantage of a dog day care franchise.

So if you’ve read this article and find that a dog day care franchise is still a viable opportunity for you then great!

How often do you call your dog? Who will hear your dog’s name? Will you be writing to anyone about this dog?

Now that you think about the times you’ll use the name, maybe you should put some thought into what that dog name is.

I mean, if you have a Great Dane who weighs 120 lbs, you might not want to call him something like Baby or Tiny. Or you might… it’s a personal thing. Personally, Tiny would be hilarious to me.

I can just imagine calling, “Tiny, come here boy!” While a neighbor is watching and for the first time sees this “Tiny.” Now that could be an interesting look to receive!

Maybe you have a dog that has a bit of a fiesty side nd you think it’s a good idea to call him “Killer.” Maybe you weren’t thinking about the little old lady that lives by herself next door… waiting for “Killer” to go home so she can get to the grocery store.

Are these extremes? Of course! But, haven’t you heard some dog names that just didn’t seem… right?

My dogs have some sort of silly names. Actually, my Black Lab, Sadie, had a carefully chosen name. I was pregnant with my first child when we got Sadie. She was six weeks old and clever as they come.

Sadie was very majestic in all her movements and attitudes. So, we decided to look at our baby name book and see what we could come up with to suit her.

Sadie is actually a pet form of Sarah, which means “lady” or “princess” in Hebrew.

It totally fit her and is the best suited dog name I think we could have given her.

Two of her sons, however, were not so fortunate. See, two years ago Sadie had a litter of 7 pups, which we did not intend to keep. We already had four dogs and didn’t need any more.

We cared for the pups though and watched them grow each day. My husband and I would swap stories about the cute little things they did.

The dogs all looked so much alike that we found it confusing to talk about them without names. Eventually, names started emerging on their own.

For example, there was one brown dog in the mix. (How he got this color and look is a mystery.) So we called him Brownie. Not the cleverest of names, but it helped us identify him.

Next there was Tipper and Bubba, who we ended up keeping. Tipper has a tiny patch of white on the tips of his front paws… hence the name “Tipper.”

Bubba, as his name might suggest, is a big brute. He’s the biggest and the meanest of the litter.

But, if we knew we were going to keep these guys, we might have gone a different route in choosing a dog name. Bubba doesn’t exactly say, “Son of a princess,” but his attitude definitely does.

So here are some examples of the different ways a dog name can make a difference.

My advice? Think about all the times you’ll use the name. Find out a little about who your dog is before giving him a name. And, think of yourself 10 years older than you are now… will you still like to say that name and think… I chose that?

Why German Shepherds?

Many people have probably wondered why guide dogs and Seeing Eye dogs are so often German Shepherds. The reason is actually twofold. First of all the German Shepherd has a strong sense of loyalty to its owner, giving it a natural tendency to be protective. Having a very protective dog as a companion is an obvious asset for someone who may otherwise be easily attacked by less then scrupulous individuals. The other reason is far simpler; the first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provided assistance for those blinded in the war.

After the end of World War I the nation of Germany was devastated by financial depression. Many private businesses failed and the Potsdam, Germany school that trained the guide dogs for the blind was one of them.

The Beginning

An American woman named Dorothy Eustis had heard about the program and decided it was a very worthwhile endeavor. Because she owned a company that was training German Shepherds as working dogs, she decided she might try to train guide dogs for the blind. She did not start this right away, however. In fact she was still considering the possibilities when she penned a story for The Saturday Evening Post about the potential for guide dogs for the blind.

A Nashville man named Morris Frank had heard the story and decided to write to Ms. Eustis and ask her to train a dog for him. She did and Mr. Frank became known as the first blind person to use a guide dog.

As part of an arrangement he?d made with Ms. Eustis, Mr. Frank started training guide dogs in the United States. The foundation that Mr. Frank started was dubbed ?The Seeing Eye? and the so-called Seeing Eye dog was effectively born.

Today guide dogs are trained to assist people with many different disabilities. There are Hearing Ear dogs to assist the deaf and other dogs that assist the physically disabled. All of the people who have benefited from the use of a guide dog, however, owe their thanks to Mr. Morris Frank of Nashville, Tennessee.

Let me ask you a question, “Can you imagine starting your very own dog day care business?” If you asked yourself that question and still aren’t sure, let me give you a bit of dog day care business advice….

First, make sure that you truly love dogs. Second, study your area and see if there is a large dog population. Finally, get some legal advice.

You see, if you love and care for the dogs that you keep, the chances of your dog day care business being a huge success is much better than if you are just starting a dog day care business for the money.

Now the reason that I mentioned studying your area to make sure there are plenty of dogs is simple, no dogs equals no money for your dog day care business!

Here’s a dog day care business tip: See how many veterinarians are in your area. Also, be sure to look in the paper at the classifieds section.

Finally, I mentioned obtaining proper legal advice. A local attorney in your area can give you valuable information about starting a dog day care business in your area. You want to make sure you comply with all laws.

A dog day care business can be a lot of fun! Just make sure you enjoy dogs, research your area, and always obtain good legal advice.

1) Bob The Hair:
If you have a shaggy dog like a pomeranian, Pekinese or any such variation then listen up. Your dog needs a hair cut. Tha hair should be cut with scissors and not shaved. Do not cut around the whiskers but you can carefully trim around the eyes.The less hair on your dog the cooler he will keep. If you have a short haired dog no need for a trim.

2) Play it cool: Food can be lighter and given before it gets hot in the morning and after it cools down in the evening.Depending on the dogs normal diet, reduce or entirely eliminate meat. Replace with soya, mashed or cooked with meat flavour. When a dog is panting give ice to lick.

3) walk on the mild side:
Walks should be taken early and then again after sundown. Don’t encourage chasing, fetching games too much.

4) Cool it: If you enjoy airconditioning so does your dog.If you have a cooled space share it with your pooch.

5) No closed encounters: Never leave dogs in a completely closed space. If your dog is home, Leave on the fan. In a car, leave the window partially open.

6) Let it all hang out: Dogs sweat from their tongues so never tie or muzzle the mouth in the summer. Whilst giving medical treatment see if you can hold the head rather than tying the mouth. If you have to tie the mouth be sure to release as quickly as possible.

7) Do not bathe your dog more than once a month. Soap/ Cleansers strip their skin of natural oils and lead to skin irritation. when dirty you can simply towel dry with a damp towel.

Sight
It was once thought that dogs were ?color-blind? ? only able to see shades of black and white with some grey, but scientific studies have found that?s not true. Dogs can see in color ? ranging from blues and greens to greys and cr?mes, and of course, black and white. It?s been estimated that humans can distinguish somewhere between 7 and 10 million different colors. (We don?t even have names for that many colors!)

Picture courtesy of Dr. P?s site: http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/dog.htm
But dogs have it all over humans in detecting motion ? that?s one reason they can detect a cat up a tree at a much greater distance than you can! And their night vision is typically better than ours ? dogs have an additional reflective layer in the eye called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back into the receptor cells of the eye, which not only increases their night vision, but gives them that spooky appearance of eyes glowing in the dark.

Hearing
When your dog is barking like crazy in the middle of the night, don?t just assume he?s lonely and wants you to get up and keep him company. He may be listening to something that you can?t hear, that?s extremely upsetting to him ? like a burglar breaking in your basement window.
Dogs can hear at four times the distance humans can ? that means you might hear something from a 100 yards away your dog could hear from a quarter of a mile away. Their ears are also better designed to gather more of the available sound wave ? they have 15 different muscles that move their ears in all directions, plus they can move one ear at a time ? and independently of the other to absorb even more information!

Touch
Dogs also have a well-developed sense of touch, surprising perhaps under all that fur, although this sense is much less sophisticated than a human?s. Puppies are born with sensory receptors in their faces so they can find mama even if they?re separated before they open their eyes. But they also can sense touch all over their bodies, just as humans can. One reason your dog flops down on the couch next to you and tries to snuggle up on a hot day (or any other day for that matter!) is because he likes the comfort of feeling that you?re right there!

Smell
We can?t even come close to our dog?s ability to smell things. It?s been estimated that a dog?s sense of smell is 100,000 times more powerful than a human?s. Scientists think that humans have about 40 million olfactory receptors, versus 2 billion for your dog! That?s part of the reason dogs make such good trackers, and can trace scents across all sorts of distractions ? like across roadways or through dense woods.
Dogs also use their sense of smell as a communications tool ? when they?re running around the park with their nose to the ground, sniffing everything in sight, they?re actually reading the calling cards of everyone ? dogs, humans, cats, squirrels, and anyone or anything else, that has been there before him. Which is why he may not pay attention to you when you first get to the park ? he?s trying to see if any of his buddies have been there before him!

Taste
Just as with humans, taste is closely linked to the sense of smell ? the main difference is humans won?t eat something that smells bad; while dogs are the opposite ? the smellier the better. Dogs will gulp first and ask questions later.
While humans many times won?t eat something that doesn?t look appealing, let alone doesn?t smell good, dogs are more concerned with smell, than taste. They frequently gobble down food before they have time to chew it, let alone taste it. But that?s ok ? it?s why when we clean out our refrigerators our dogs think it?s time for treats.
So the next time your dog engages in some puzzling behavior, whether i

In fact you may have so many great choices that you could easily become overwhelmed.

So let?s start by learning how to narrow down the flood of choices a bit. Narrowing the choices to match the gift to the person will get you well on your way to selecting that perfect dog gift.

Tip #1 ? Determine How Much You?re Going To Spend

Deciding how much you?re going to spend on your dog gift is definitely going to narrow your choices.

But this is a good thing . . . because wonderful dog gifts are available in almost any price range.

And by narrowing your options based on price, you?ve just made your gift selection search a lot easier.

Tip #2 ? Decide Who The Gift Is For

Is your gift for a current dog owner? If so . . . would you like the gift for the dog owner or for their dog?

If you?re dealing with a bona fide dog enthusiast . . . either type of gift is appropriate and would be welcomed.

You?ll want to think about starting with what you know already about the person as well as their dog.

Deciding if the gift is for the person or the dog will help narrow the many choices even further.

Are you buying a gift for a dog caregiver? Maybe for your dog sitter, dog walker, dog groomer or veterinarian or anyone else who you trust enough to care for your beloved pet?

Is the dog gift for someone who is actively involved with dogs? Or are you looking for a gift for someone who just loves dogs, but doesn?t own a dog right now?

Tip # 3 ? What?s The Special Gift Giving Occasion?

Is there a special occasion coming up that calls for a dog gift?

Special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, get well wishes, pick me ups and pet loss condolences or memorials are all good reasons to give a dog lover a gift.

And there are times you may give a gift just because you care. What category does your dog gift fit into?

Some gifts can be personalized to special occasions with imprints, photos or amusing accessories.

A gift that is customized for the special occasion will be really welcomed and show that you put extra thought into your gift selection.

Tip #4 ? How Does Your Dog Lover Express Their Fondness For Dogs?

To select a great dog gift you?ll need to know a little about how your dog lover likes to express their passion or fondness for dogs.

Does he proudly wear dog breed clothing, display dog art prints & posters or like to collect dog figurines and other dog related knick-knacks?

Or maybe she likes to pamper her special pooch. Buying her little dog all sorts of treats, dog carriers, designer dog clothes and elegant dog jewelry.

Tip #5 ? Don?t Overlook Your Dog Lovers Other Interests & Hobbies

You may find that the perfect gift is one that combines a favorite hobby or interest with their love of dogs.

If your dog lover is a big sports fan maybe he would like a dog clothes outfit that reflects his favorite team.

Any dog gift with team colors and logos on them will be a hit when his friends come over to watch the big game. If you don?t think his pooch would like to wear a dog shirt, a dog bandana might be a better choice.

Do you need to get a dog gift for a dog lover who plays golf? Then she would probably love some dog breed golf club head covers.

They can really add a sense of fun and style while protecting their valuable clubs.

The choice of dog lover gifts seems endless, but now that you know how to narrow your focus you?ll be able to pick great dog gifts every time.

Just think about who you need the dog gift for, and have fun. The best gifts are the ones that make the moment special and get us all to smile.

You Must Be The Alpha Dog
First, let?s take a look at what a ?pack mentality? means. Dogs are born into packs ? in the wild, packs are the essential social order. Unlike humans, who use a variety of political processes to determine leadership and rank, dogs sort out their social order by dominance and power. In a wolf pack, there is a Top Dog ? a clear leader who is the dominant, Alpha male. He?s the Big Dog, with pride of place at the dinner table (well, if wolves had a dinner table!), first in mating, first in decision making for the pack.
Whether you realize it or not, your dog views your household as his own personal wolf pack. The pack mentality is so engrained in your dog?s psyche that he will either view you as a leader - or a follower - depending on your actions. If you are to have a well-trained dog, you must establish that you are the leader, and he is the follower. Your dog has to know in his heart that you are the Alpha Dog, the Head Honcho, the Big Dog, the Top Dog ? call it whatever you want, but your dog needs to know you?re in charge.
Dogs are a little like children in one respect ? they?re looking for someone else to be the leader ? they want rules and regulations because that makes their role in the pack more clear-cut and understandable. It?s scary being the leader ? if you?re not up to it, your dog may assume the role ? because someone has to be in charge!
If that?s what?s happened at your house, you need to re-establish your position as the Top Dog, or ?Leader of the Pack.? But here?s an important note: being the leader of the pack has absolutely nothing to do with harsh punishment. It has everything to do with consistency and setting limits.
A simple rule to remember (and one people have great difficulty keeping in mind) is that you are the leader, not your dog.

1. You Go Through The Door First
Even something as straightforward as who walks through the door first can reinforce your position as ?dominant dog.? Leaders lead. Followers follow. If you allow your dog to charge through the door ahead of you, he perceives that as asserting his dominance over you. Put your dog on the leash, and make sure you?re the first one through the door.

2. You Eat Before Your Dog
Who gets fed first in your house ? you or your dog? In a wolf pack, the leader eats first, and when he is done, the rest of the pack can dine. Do you feed your dog first because he pesters you when you?re cooking your dinner, and it?s simply more convenient to have him quiet and out of the way when you?re eating?
Food is a powerful motivator that can be used to clearly demonstrate who is the ruler of the roost at your house. In no way, shape or form am I suggesting that you withhold food from your dog ? that?s cruel and unusual punishment any way you look at it. What I am suggesting is that you control the timing of the food ? you should eat first, your dog second, after you?re done with your meal.

3. Don?t Walk Around Your Dog
Does your dog lie on the floor and expect you to walk around him? In the wild, dominant dogs lie wherever they want, and dogs lower in the social order go around so they don?t disturb the Big Dog. If you walk around your dog, he will assume this to be an act of submission on your part; therefore he must be the leader, not you.
If your dog is lying in the middle of the hallway, or right in front of your easy chair, make him move. If he?s on the couch and you want to lie down, make him move. Don?t step over him. Just gently nudge him and make him get out of your way. You?re the Big Dog, remember?

4. You Determine When Your Dog Gets Attention
Even asking for attention or affection can be seen as an act of dominance from your dog?s point of view. Dogs that demand attention are asse