Pampered pets in Hong Kong

Six-storey Dog One Life is THE place for pampered pooches in Hong Kong. The dog cafe caters to dog parties for birthdays and other pet events, and:

When the pets finish eating at the dog cafe, their owners can shop at the products and accessories store, and bring their pets to the grooming section, photo studio, obedience center, and top it off with a stop at the rooftop open- air playground and swimming pool. "This kind of one-stop service has become quite popular in Japan, so when I found this place with ample space and relatively cheap rent, I decided to give it a try," says Howard Cheung, director of Dog One Life.

Watch your dog when you feed treats

Honey (my Jack Russell) loves treats, as do most dogs. However, with the number of news stories about dogs getting treats lodged in their throats, it's a good idea to watch your pet as he consumes the treat.

Greenies are the treats which are most in the news for creating obstructions:

The manufacturer says small dogs shouldn’t get big Greenies. The company’s Web site, www.greenies.com, offers advice on the correct size for different dogs. Hause says flatly: "Don’t give small dogs Greenies. Small dogs or cats." Dr. Michael Leib agrees. He teaches at Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blackburg, Va., and tracks Greenie problems. So far, he’s counted about 60 cases of obstruction and five or six deaths. He says larger dogs can have Greenies, if owners watch carefully and if the dogs gnaw the treat into little slivers.




Keep an eye on your pet, and you'll both be happy with the treats.

Socialise your pup from its first weeks with you

"When dogs attack" from the ABC offers some advice to new puppy owners. The program says: "... between 3 and 14 weeks of age (is) the ideal puppy socialisation period - it's a window of opportunity for us to expose puppies to lots of different situations, different dogs and people."

Early socialization lessens the risk that the puppy (or older dog) will become aggressive, because most dogs' aggression is based on fear. When the dog is frightened, it reacts instinctively, and this can lead to fights and to bites.

As soon as your puppy is vaccinated, take him out with you to get him used to new environments, other dogs, and people.

Take your dog to work

The joy of working from home is that your pet has company all day. You can play a game of frisbee in the yard when it's time for your morning coffee, or go for a short walk. If you don't work from home, and wish you could take your dog to work with you, look for a company which lets you do that.

Yes, pet-friendly companies exist. A survey by
Dogster found around 400 companies which were dog-friendly.

Apparently people who take their dogs to work work longer hours than those who don't, so you might drop "bring dogs" into the company suggestion box.