Dogs

The Orvis Dog Blog features informative posts on wide-ranging topics, including canine health, behavior and training, and the products your dog needs. Learn more about the Orvis-Morris Animal Foundation Canine Cancer Campaign, and our work supporting Petfinder Foundation’s dog rescue efforts.

How to Leash Train Your Dog

The best way to leash train a dog is to get them comfortable wearing their collar and attached leash around the house, then slowly introduce them to walking inside while you’re holding the leash. Then, add commands like “come” and “wait” while they’re wearing the leash. Finally, teach them to “heel” by offering treats immediately at your side while they walk beside you. Once they are comfortable with basic commands on leash and can “heel” without pulling on the leash, try taking them outside for real-world practice.

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Check Out the Latest Batch of Orvis Cover Dog Winners!

It’s that time again to announce our Orvis Cover Dog Contest winners who will appear on our 2023 Spring and Summer Dog Books. As always your photos and participation did not disappoint. These winner were chosen from among more than . . .

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What Size Crate Should I Get for My Dog?


Photo via orvis.com

Your dog’s crate should allow for 4 inches of space between your dog and the sides, back, and top of the crate. This ensures the crate is big enough for your dog to comfortably rest and turn around in, but not too big, as a crate that’s too large can interfere with housebreaking training. Most dog crates are sized by the dog’s weight, so you’ll need to know your own dog’s weight before deciding on a crate size. In general, small or toy dogs should use a small crate, while the largest dogs like Newfoundlands should use an extra-large crate. However, most dogs will fall in between these extreme sizes…

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Story and Photos: Rocky Mountain Retreat

Shed antlers, thawing streams, and snow-specked hikes: for Doug and Corrine Garvey and their rescue dogs—nine-year-old Brittany spaniel Maple and eight-year-old Lab mix Jett—spring in Colorado is an invitation to adventure. . . .

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Creating a Dog Drool-Protected Home


Photo by: Kathryn, Smithfield

To protect your home from dog drool, you need to:

  • Understand what causes excessive drooling

  • Cover high-use areas, like where your dog sits on the sofa or bed, with a dog-proof throw or furniture protector

  • Be ready to clean fabrics and other susceptible surfaces to reduce the impacts of drool

But that’s not the whole story. Owning a dog makes life a good measure happier—and messier. Constant fur to vacuum, muddy paws to manage, and full-body fur shakes after rainy walks. But the slimiest canine mess is the dreaded dog drool puddle. Your dog puts your devotion to the test when you sit on a drool-soaked couch cushion or slide across the hardwood floor on a patch of…

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Where Should Your Dog Sleep?

Dogs should sleep in a place that’s comfortable for them, like in a crate or on a dog bed, but where your dog sleeps will always be a compromise between you and your dog. At the very least, you should create some sort of sleep routine for your dog, so he knows where to go when he gets tired and can sleep with minimal disruptions. Whether he sleeps in your bed, his own dog bed in one of his many strange sleeping positions, on the couch, or in his dog crate will vary depending…

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