The Dumb Dog.com Blog

A customer was complaining that the bargain disc he bought at the pet store shattered when it hit a tree.  His big concern was that the dog picked up the Frisbee at the bottom of the tree and cut his mouth!  It was not a serious injury, but it could have been a lot worse.

They need to ban all discs that can be broken when hitting a tree. That is a danger to humans as well as dogs!

So he wants to know which is the best floating disc for his dog. I can’t make that choice, as I do not know the dog or the owner. This is why I offer many different styles. Click on the links to the names of the Frisbees to view that product.

The DogMate Disc O Dog will not shatter.  It’s main feature is the spike on the bottom that makes it easy for the dog to pickup. It’s a harder construction  than most Frisbees, but is not hard on gums or teeth.

The Booda Turbo Disc has a hole in the middle for easy pickup and is a little softer than the DogMate. It has a reinforced outer ring for better durability and flight characteristics.

For floating Frisbees, I would choose the Orca. Very durable, chew proof and is a good flyer.  A little on the heavy side, it could double as a chew toy ( a no no in the Disc Dog World)

Similar to the Old Navy Frisbee, the DogObie is a soft rubber, flies VERY far, and also floats. I also rank this one high on the list.

I like floating Frisbees, and taught my dog a trick with one.  It was a hot summer day, and I pulled out the kiddy pool and put 6″-8″ of water in it.  After a 20 minute Frisbee session, my dog’s tongue was almost to the ground!  I tossed the Frisbee into the kiddy pool and told the dog “Wash It Off!” ( meaning to wash off the Frisbee )  into the kiddy pool he jumped to cool down and get a drink.  I didn’t have to give the command twice

Be sure to give your pup ear rubs from me.

Spring has Sprung, The Grass has Ris.  Where the heck my Flea meds is?

Tick and flea season is a year round problem in many areas, but spring is here, and ticks and fleas are getting spring fever!

So what about buying flea and tick meds online?  Yes they are cheaper, but take heed, they could be lethal to your dog or cat. Medications and dosage limits are regulated by the country of origin.  For example, the pyrithin levels for dogs is in Australia 5 times the level than the same chemical dosage allowed in the US.  It is hard to tell the country of origin for many of these products.  The other downside of buying online is the shelf life of the product.  You don’t know if the seller has had the product for over 6 months, whether it was purchased as closeout od discontinued product.  It may be good, but then again, it may be bad.  This, among other reasons is why TheDumbDog.com does not offer flea/tick medications.

Arm yourself with knowledge.  Know your product and the proper US approved dosage.  Most manufacturers have detailed web pages where you can get this information.  I’m not a Vet, so you won’t get recommendations or FDA warnings from me.  You will need to goto the source to get that
information.

Where do I shop?  My Vet is choice #1  My local Pet Supply Store is #2 Shopping online?  Be sure to pick a well known company that sells fresh product.  Petco and PetSmart are common places to go.  You can also shop at Dr. Fosters & Smith , and Valley Vet is another great place to find meds online.

Be sure to give your pup ear rubs from me.

Yes, it’s a real sport for real dogs.  It’s called Flyball, and here is how it works:

You get two teams of 4 dogs and they line up on a racing lane.  There is a set of Christmas Tree Lights, just like at a drag race.  The light changes to Green, and you send the first dog.  He runs over 4 jumps, 10 feet apart. At the end of the run is a box.  When the dog hits the box, it shoots out a tennis ball.  The dog catches the ball, then returns across the 4 jumps.  Once they cross the finish line, you send the second, then third and fourth dog.  First team back wins!

Now it is 50 feet to the box, and fifty feet back.  The world record for all four dogs is UNDER 16 SECONDS. Here is a link to a YouTube Video that shows a team from Hutto Texas having fun.  Why is this sport so popular? Well, ANY dog can play Flyball.  All breeds, pure and mixed, are welcome.  Small dogs are sought, as jump height for the team is determined by the smallest dog on the team.

It’s all about the dogs.  Humans get little recognition for there efforts.  In fact, the NAFA (North American Flyball Association) database only keeps records of the dog’s scores and points.  What makes this sport so FUN?  Ask the dogs.  Nothing is finer than Dogs Racing Dogs … and yes, they know its’ a DRAG RACE.

More info:  http://www.flyballdogs.com http://www.flyball.com

http://www.xcergy.com (boxes and jumps)

Shopping online is one of the safest and easiest ways to find what you are looking for from the comfort of your computer.  Here are some of the things I look for when shopping online:

Safety and protection from ID theft are one of the many reasons shoppers visit Amazon, eBay, and other major online retailers because they know their payment is safe, and the seller will deliver the goods in a timely manner.  I mention these two sites in particular, because they both have a  feedback system where you can rate the seller and see how well they have done in the past.  I also sell on both Amazon and eBay and you are welcome to shop in either of my stores.  Shopping on both venues does come at a price.   You may or may not see a difference in price, but know this:  Both eBay and Amazon charge ~15% to the seller to sell their items on their site.  This is one reason many sellers, like me, have their won website.  Cheaper pricing and better service often comes from these sites.

How do you trust a site?  Just because it is the first site you see when surfing Google does not make it the best bargain or service.

Trust a site?  Well, I hope you have anti virus software and spyware running on your computer.  That is the first line of defense.  Having Google Toolbar would be second.

ASK QUESTIONS! Don’t be afraid to ask questions! It is the only way to find out what kind of customer service your ’storekeeper’ has.  If you don’t get an answer in less than 36 hours, you just found out who they think their Customer is! Also while shopping look to see how they handle checkout.  Look for an authorized seal of approval, such as VeriSign, or Authorize.net.  PayPal is good. Excellent in fact, as they also offer a Security Key.  You password will NEVER get stolen or compromised if you have one of those.   Other’s prefer Google Checkout.  That’s good too.

Just be sure when you are checking out that the address bar at the top of the browser starts with https:  (not http:). This tells you that you are on a secure server, and that the connection is encrypted for security.

When the sale is completed and you have your product, please take time to leave feedback.  No I’m not talking about a form or page on eBay/Amazon, take the time to communicate directly with the seller, especially if there is a problem or concern with the product of service you received.

Happy Shopping, and give that furry eared pal of yours ear rubs from me.