Frequently Asked Questions

A: Dozer is a well trained German Shepherd who knows how to open and close doors, turn on lights, and many other useful things. When Dozer was stolen from Richard Brower's back yard a year and half ago, Brower would stop at nothing to find him.  The search went on for months, and Brower took help from all his friends - they approached everyone in the area walking a German Shepherd, hoping it would be Dozer. After eighteen months with no sign of Dozer, Brower pulled up his computer and searched for German Shepherd for sale. The first link took him to a website where a photo of his dog looked back from the monitor! Brower sent the photo to family members and got on the phone with the shelter. Luckily, his father was in the area, able to pick up the dog. No one knows what adventures Dozer might have experienced during all this time, but he came home that very day.

A: The holiday season is great for visiting with friends and family, but vetiq.com made a survey to find out what pet owners really want to do for the holidays. The results are both thought-worthy and amusing. A vast majority - 96 percent - answer that they would prefer to spend the holidays at home alone with their pet instead of leaving their pet at home to celebrate with in-laws. 85 percent of pet owners think a kiss under the mistletoe is okay for pets too. 85 percent also think their pets have been nice during the year. The survey doesn't report whether the 15 percent of naughty pets are the same 15 percent that won't get kisses... Only 24 percent of pet owners plan to travel with their pets during the holiday, and 97 percent of those who do will go by car. 54 percent say Santa Claus best describes their pet's holiday personality. 32 percent say Frosty, and 14 percent The Grinch. //youtu.be/_utgDQRUYlo

A: Rocky the Rottweiler is a British hero dog who not only saved his family from armed robbers, but also held one of them until police arrived. The thug is now serving a ten year prison sentence. The incident happened when Kasha Marie Weston was five months pregnant, and a gang of hooded and armed men broke into her home. One held a knife to her throat while the others beat her partner. Rocky wouldn't accept this - he broke through a door to come to the rescue. Rocky's fury scared the intruders off, but he wouldn't let it go with that. He followed them outside and cornered one until police came. Afterwards, Rocky would not leave Kasha's side, and he would nudge her baby-bump with his nose as if telling the baby not to worry.

A: The phrase "working dog" is normally associated with something big and robust. Like a German Shepherd working as a police dog, or a Labrador helping someone hard of seeing. Sometimes good things come in small packages; Lucy is a Yorkshire Terrier who recently set a Guinness World Record as the world's smallest working dog. Lucy weighs a mere 2.5 pounds and works as a therapy dog. She visits hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers, and works with children with disabilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS8Cejh7jxg The previous record holder was named Momo, and that is an eight-year-old Chihuahua who works as a police search-and-rescue dog in Japan.

A: Yesterday we talked about the most popular puppy names during 2014, and today it's time for 2014 kitten names. The list is compiled by the website vetstreet.com. Bella has been the most popular name for female puppies since 2006, and the most popular name for female kittens since 2007. Media absolutely has an effect on how we choose names for our furry friends; Elsa wasn't even on the top 50 last year, and this year the name of the main character in Frozen sits at number 5. The number one choice for male kittens has been Oliver for a few years, and Oliver stays in the lead. Most popular names for girl kittens in 2014: Bella Luna Lucy Kitty Elsa Daisy Lily Callie Lilly Gracie Most popular names for boy kittens in 2014: Oliver Milo Leo Charlie Max Simba Tiger Smokey Jack Kitty

A: PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is most often associated with military veterans, but can affect anyone. PTSD is triggered by facing a situation "larger than oneself," such as a car accident, home invasion, robbery, death of a loved one, natural disaster, or working in any type of medical or emergency field. These situations don't necessarily lead to PTSD, but they can. The symptoms are as varied as the causes, but the most common include nightmares, sleeplessness, recurring memories, irritability and anger, feeling numb, a sense of never being safe, and fearing crowds. This is difficult for the person afflicted with PTSD, of course, but also for loved ones who often have a hard time coping with personality changes and seemingly irrational behavior. PTSD is common. Almost 8 percent of Americans will experience it at some point. The number is much higher amongst military veterans. Almost 29 percent of veterans treated at VA medical centers have the diagnosis. For many who suffer PTSD, dogs are invaluable. A dog can give comfort and companionship without the need to talk. They help break out of isolation and keep depression at bay. K9s for Warriors is an organization in Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida. They specialize in rescuing dogs from shelters and training them as service dogs for military troops and veterans. The dogs are trained to perform special tasks, such as fetching things for veterans with physical disabilities. If someone feels uncomfortable in a crowd, their dog can be taught to "cover and block" which means standing between their person and any approaching people. PTSD service dogs are unique. Some dogs excel at the job, others aren't suited for it. Many who don't feel comfortable in crowds are able to trust their dog more than they trust themselves. Dogs are great observers of environment and body language, and dog often picks up on danger before a person. If a dog is relaxed, whatever danger the person perceives probably isn't real. Since the service dogs are rescues they come in all forms and sizes, and the person needing a dog is matched with one that will be suited for his or her needs. A tall person uncomfortable in crowds will need a taller service dog than a shorter person. The dogs are also trained to perform different tasks, and the organization strive to match the exact right dog with the right person. Training one service dog costs around $10,000, and K9s for warriors are funded solely by private donations. PTSD is not about what is wrong with a person; it is about what happened to a person. Everyone can help through showing common sense and respect. Don't insist that your children be allowed to touch a service dog. If a person shies away from you, it might not be because he or she doesn't like you; something in the past can have made the person sensitive to touch. If you want to learn more about PTSD and service dogs, visit K9s for warriors. You can also read more at the National Center for PTSD.

A: The New Guinea Singing Dog has been called a living, breathing, furry, and four-legged fossil. This breed is believed to be the rarest in the world and was local to New Guinea until 1957 when the first dogs left the island. Besides being rare, the dogs are also primitive in the sense that they were separated from all other dog breeds thousands - maybe even tens of thousands - years ago, and have developed virtually undisturbed. The dogs have adapted well to living as pets. They are agile, active, graceful, and alert. They are known to be affectionate with people they know, and they are both curious and clever. Being so close to the wild, they also have a strong hunting instinct, and they require a lot of exercise. They can climb trees, jump, and dig, so any yard must be very well secured. So, what's with the singing? The name comes from their melodious and distinctive howl. These dogs have a dramatic ability to vary the pitch. If they howl in a group, all the dogs will strike a different pitch. It sounds like a choir! They don't bark a lot, but are still quite vocal.

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A: Electronic dog doors take the convenience of a dog door a step further and provides the security of only opening when your pet needs to use it. The PlexiDor Electronic Dog Door is only triggered to open when your pet approaches wearing the state-of-the-art RFID technology key, clipped onto the collar of your dog or cat. The collar key automatically reads the pre-programmed code to open and close the door, allowing your pet access while keeping other animals out. https://youtu.be/A02KLkm0FGc There are three waterproof collars keys included with your electronic dog door; each collar key weighs less than an ounce. The keys securely clip onto your dog’s collar and no batteries are required. The length of time the door stays open is adjustable to suite your needs. Then, the dead bolt automatically locks to ensure the security of your home through a ¼ inch steel deadbolt locking system. The unit can be plugged into a standard household power outlet or can be directly hard wired. The heavy-duty aluminum frame and composite panel door are built to last. There will never be a need for replacement flaps again. The PlexiDor electronic dog doors can be installed in an exterior house door or a stud, brick, block or cement wall up to 12 inches thick. An aluminum tunnel is included with the door to connect the interior and exterior frame on the wall unit models.  PlexiDor has installers in all 50 states and Canada. The PlexiDor Electronic is available in bronze and white for both the door and wall applications and will accommodate dogs up to 125 pounds. The units are manufactured in the United States. The PlexiDor Electronic Series has a 5-year residential warranty. All our PlexiDor products include a 90 day money back guarantee. Contact us anytime via email or call our Customer Service department. They are happy to assist with questions Monday through Friday 8AM – 5PM EST at 888-PETDOOR.