It's That Time of Year again...

That's right, folks! Fireworks season has hit again. Here are my tips for keeping your dogs safe during this raucous time:

1) Leave Sparky at home
         I know you love those fireworks. Most people do. And while I know you want to include your dog in all of your festivities, this is one time where you are better off leaving your furry friend at home. It is astounding how many pets are lost this time of year, most because they run away - trying to escape the booming and strange flashes of very bright lights. Make sure you leave your dog home, secured, where he is safe for your return.

2) Don't share
         That picnic food is delicious, and you love your macaroni salad - and I'm sure your dog would too. HOWEVER, loaded with onions and spices and artificial ingredients doesn't make for healthy treats for your pups -- and yes, those onions CAN kill them. Stop sneaking your left overs under the table - especially that barbequed chicken wing!

3) Don't leave your little buddy outside by himself
          I will reiterate that this is the biggest time of year for lost pets. Don't think that just because you have a fenced yard your pet is safe. Not only is a scared dog likely to find anyway he can to escape, but there are far to many people now-a-days stealing dogs from right out of their yards. Seriously. It's scary. And please, definitely do not leave your dog chained out (or on a line) unsupervised. I had a dog strangle himself that way. You never recover from something like that.

4) Keep the ID tags on ALL THE TIME
          If your dog does happen to get lost, you definitely want a way to get them back. Microchipping is great - but not everyone thinks about it, so it's good to have tags on with a phone number where you can be reached, and possibly your vet's number too. I definitely advocate for a combination - it's always good to have a back-up.

If your pup is really scared, there are some things you can try:

• Bach Flower Essence are said to work wonders. You can add it to their water, or rub a bit on their gums to help calm riled nerves. It only takes a drop or two to be affective!
• Thundershirts are suppose to help a dog feel more comfortable. I have never tried them. Let me know if they work for you?
• TTouch and acupressure are both great tools to add to your dog care knowledge base! Great for many situations.
• Let them have a safe place - whether it's a crate, under the bed, in a closet, or balled up in a space that is half the size of them - just let them stay there, and try to comfort them - no, cooing at a scared dog won't help them get over their fear, but it won't make it any worse, either.
• If all else fails, you can take the dog for a drive FAR AWAY from the offending situation.  

Overall I want to wish you an uneventful holiday season, with lots of love to your furry friends!

Well, well, Guess who's back!

Sooooo... it's been a year... Whoops!

You know how things can sometimes slip away from you for a bit? Well, the blog slipped away. So, let's play catch-up, shall we?


...


Yeah, nothing has really happened that's worth noting... just been plugging along day to day. HA!

Oo! Okay, I started a new training method for my own pack. I've always tried to use an R+ method, with a little P- mixed in (meaning, You did good! Here's a cookie! or That's not acceptable, now you can't have the ball anymore). This is effective when you want rote memorization and response to "sit" and "down" (which, if I'm honest with myself, weren't reliable here anyway - especially at a distance) but can get boring to not only the dog, but I WAS GETTING BORED AS WELL! Hey, I never claimed to be a brilliant trainer... I love dogs, and they love me, and I'm a great dog walker. I admit I have a lot to gain in the training aspect of things, though. And I want to be GREAT! I want my dogs to be GREAT! Good enough isn't good enough anymore.

Cut to present day: I have come upon a grand new tool in Susan Garrett's Choice Training. Contrary to what I was doing before, I am now not only encouraging my dogs to make their own decisions, but teaching them how using GAMES!! I haven't gone very far yet, but I've seen amazing results!

Maggie, who is reactive at the fence and on leash, has become much easier to redirect,

while Max's recall is improving dramatically,

and Stella is getting to like a crate. Her recall has also gotten so much better!

It takes time and patience, and I know I have a long way to go yet, but my dogs and  I are HAVING FUN training again! And that is worth a million dollars to me! I can't wait to see where it takes us.

Otherwise, I've been walking as much as I can (I did take some time off for some medical issues, but things have gotten back on track and we are walking again!). Just a reminder that I do walk in all safe weather - snow, sleet, wind, a little rain never hurt anybody - as long as it's not too hot/cold, or storming, I am out there helping our furry buddies get their much needed exercise!

I am taking on a couple new clients. If you're interested call me today! These spots will fill up quickly.

Puppy Play groups!

Starting June 12 I will be hosting a "Puppy Playgroup" at my home! 

Cost is $10 per week - Every Wed night from 6:30-8:30

So bring your dog out to romp and play and get to know other pups in the safety of my home - I have a large fenced in back yard!  Also providing the opportunity for socialization with my dogs (3 sizes!) and cats! 

Call or email now for more information!

A little more about nutrition...

We have been intermingling kibble and raw feeding for a while, to get the dogs ready for summer trips and hiking.  Yesterday I returned 2 cans of Blue Buffalo Wilderness dog food.  Why is this important? Well, because BB is a "high quality food" and it's Wilderness line is touted even higher.  I use to agree with this.  Until 2 weeks ago, anyway.  You see, when I feel kibble - knowing that it is a way too dry substance and dogs have a lower sensitivity to their thirst recognition than people - I try to top it with a wet food too.  I like to rotate, to keep my dogs' digestive systems open to recognizing new foods, just in case I have to make a fast change or something.  So, I give my pups their Evanger's kibble (which they have been on for weeks) topped with wet wilderness and merely a half hour later we are pooping puddles!

Max, who always tends to be slightly constipated, is having what would in other dogs be considered normal poos, while the 2 girls are squirting rivers.  Needless to say, they did not get anymore Wilderness, and were given probiotic yogurt for the rest of the week.  The runs lasted for about a week and a half - they were otherwise eating and drinking normally, so we didn't visit the vet (believe me, had they been doing otherwise, or lethargic, or otherwise acting strangely we would have been right off to the vets' office. But other than the chocolate shoots, all was normal).

So,  I don't know if BB changed their recipe, or if it was just a bad can - but we're not taking any chances.  Blue Buffalo has been scratched off our safe list.

Here is a good list of foods from best to worst, from a vet who seems to know what she's talking about:

I also wanted to remind you that M&T Pro Pet Services is working with local No-Kill shelters!  When you purchase a 3 month package, 10% of that purchase goes to help local animals in need.  Our current shelter is the SPCA in Danville.  You can see who needs a good home see who needs a new home here!

Spring Has Sprung!

Now that we are all looking forward to the weather getting nicer, we are drawn to be outside more.  So are our pets!  Here are a few things to remember before things get too crazy!

1) Treat your yard for fleas!  Do it now, before they get out of hand.  First, make sure you mow (and rake up) your grass -- this will help to limit any hiding places.  Get some Diatomaceous Earth (food grade -- NOT the stuff made for swimming pools!) and cover your lawn with the floury white stuff.  Done.

2) Make sure you are watching what you plant!  Some plants that are toxic to dogs, cats and rabbits include (but are not limited to)

• Azalea
• Bittersweet
• Caladium
• Clematis
• Crocus
• Day Lily
• Death Camus
• Easter Lily
• Ferns
• Foxglove
• Hyacinth
• Iris
• Lily of the Valley
• Morning Glory
• Oleander
• Rhododendron
• Tiger Lily
• Tulip

Remember, fertilizers and weed killers are poisonous too! Keep an eye on your pets when outside.

3)Does pollen make your eyes water?  It may do the same for your furry friend!  That's right, dogs and cats can suffer the same allergies as humans -- be it food, dust, pollen or plants.  Symptoms may be as docile as sniffling/sneezing, life-threateningly serious anaphylactic shock!  If you suspect your pet is suffering from allergies, please visit your vet asap!

4)Those birdbaths look cute, and I'm sure the birdies love them, but then again, so do the mosquitoes! Standing water is where these bitey bugs lay their eggs, and this includes flower pots, trashcan lids, gutters, ditches, and ponds.  "So my dog will be itchy for a few days, no biggie, right?" Wrong! Mosquitoes carry HEARTWORM!! (Dun dun dun!!)  So, other than ditching the stagnant H2O, what can you do?

• Place plants around your yard to deter the mosquitoes from entering:
  Marigolds, catnip, Rosemary, Citronella grass and Mosquito Plants (kind of a duh, hmm?) all have mozzy repellant properties, and they look nice to boot!

• K9 Advantix II (not safe for cats - suggested to not allow contact between treated dogs and cats for 24 hours after use)
• Keep them indoors during mozzy's most active times - Early morning and Dusk
• Spray a DEET free mozzy repellant on a bandana and tie it around your pup's neck for while it's outside.  Make sure your dog is use to wearing a bandana first, so it is not biting at it and risking ingestion of the toxic chemicals.  DO NOT SPRAY PESTICIDES DIRECTLY ON YOUR DOG.

Get outside and enjoy your dog!  And don't forget the sunscreen!

PS - Happy first birthday Stella!

Keeping Your Dog Entertained

Let's face it, sometimes we get bored.  Well, sometimes our dogs get bored too!  How do you know when your dog is bored?  Well, generally they sleep when they're bored (Did you know that dogs can sleep 18 hours a day?! Whoa!).  But some dogs (especially puppies) tend to act out when they are bored.  This is where counter-surfing, cupboard raiding, tearing up your important papers and digging up your yard come into play. 

So, how do you stop this atrocious behavior?  You give the pup something to do!  The best option is working on training or going for a nice long walk, but if you are working or otherwise  busy when your dog needs something to occupy his mind, there are lots of things out there to help you out!

A favorite in our house and the one I generally fall back on, is the Kong toy, which can be found in most pet stores.  I fill them up with their food (make sure you measure so you can subtract it from their daily serving.  All calories count!)  and then seal it in with some natural peanut butter.  Pop it in the freezer for a bit so the PB hardens and... TADA! Instant free time -- uh, I mean playtime.  Yeah.  Also, these bounce really funny and go all over the place, so they make "ball" more interesting, fyi.

There are also many interactive dog toys popping up on the market recently, such as:

• Nina Ottosson
• DogIt Mind Games

I have not tried the 2 above, yet.  But I will review them as soon as I do.

What are your favorite Interactive Dog toys?

But I have a yard!

I hear it over and over:  "I don't need a dog walker, I have a yard my dog can run in."  It seems logical.  Heck, even my partner had this ideology when we first got together.  If you have a good sized yard (comparable to the size of your dog) then the dog should be able to get all the exercise (s)he needs, right?

The truth is, no matter how much acreage you have, most dogs won't take the opportunity to exercise on their own until they have so much energy pent up that they are doing zoomies in the yard.  Or they expel that energy by digging or hunting anything and everything that steps foot into "their territory."  Max use to be this way.  He had 2 acres to roam, mostly wooded.  He spent all of his time (okay, when he wasn't sunning himself in the driveway) patrolling the line looking for groundhogs.  We had a fresh carcass in the yard several times a week, at least.  Fun. 
Maggie, though she had the same 2 acres to roam, would lay on the back porch until someone came out to play ball with her. 
Stella will run circles like a crazy if she doesn't get her daily walk - which is cute, because she's little, but I know that it is a sign that she has way more energy than she can handle, and we didn't walk long enough today. 

Then there are those dogs who only get let out in the yard, and so they bark at everything.  Constant yapping and snapping, because it is their only outlet.  Then they get yelled at and ill spoken of from the neighbors, when it is not their fault!  They are just trying to release the built up energy any way they can!

Try it!  Take your dog for a nice long walk.  If they are coming home and running circles you did not walk far enough.  See the difference in their behavior and willingness to listen.  It is mind blowing!

A walk isn't just about exercising the body, you are allowing your dog to experience new things, and actually learn.  By walking your dog (properly) you are actually making him/her smarter!  New experiences cause new brain wrinkles, which allows more neurons to fire and brings the whole body to a new level of existence! 

It is truly amazing what an hour a day will do!

Schedule your FREE consultation today!