While I understand Grady’s desire for a “Holiday Feast for Dogs,” I think it is important to note there are some Thanksgiving foods that are potentially dangerous for dogs to consume. Here’s a list of ten foods to avoid. Read More
Training Tips
Not giving it up! No way, no how!
So you have a dog that you’d love to play fetch with but they refuse to bring the ball or frisbee back to you. Or, you are training them and as a reward, you toss your dog a toy only to find that they proceed to fly by you with the toy without any intention of relinquishing it. Who came blame them, really? A toy, especially a squeaky one, is a marvelous thing and ownership of a toy is super fun. Who in their right mind would want to give all that up?
It’s that time of the year! Time for joyous celebration, shopping, overeating, overdrinking, visiting relatives, crowds, traffic, the inability to decide what to buy for Aunt Betty, the sudden realization that what you bought for Aunt Betty won’t work at all, and, finally, the overwhelming need for a nap.
January 26th, 2015
It’s gonna be a long, long winter’s day is all I kept thinking as Dawson’s energy level grew. For a week (or six months, I don’t know. I’ve lost track of time), the weather has been either bitterly cold or rainy so there is little opportunity to do some serious dog walking. And 9 month old Dawson needs his walks. They help calm him and if he has a long walk, he doesn’t harass Grady as much. Grady, being the gentleman-dog that he is, refuses to tell Dawson when he’s had enough. Instead Grady leaves the room or hides behind a piece of furniture hoping that the, “out of sight, out of mind” theory works with Dawson (it doesn’t). Poor Grady.
- Number of dogs per day. The more dogs there are, the more chances of something happening. Find out the staff to dog ratio.
Which do you like better? A dog that is trained to have good manners or one that hasn’t a clue that tackling you like a NFL linebacker is a bad thing? Certainly you’d agree that it’s great fun to be dazzled by a pooch that displays a variety of tricks simply for your entertainment. And, we’ve all been mesmerized by those agility dogs effortlessly running the course – they make it look so easy!
Having a dog that comes immediately when called is a marvelous thing. When I was training Grady to come promptly when called (dog trainers often refer to this as a recall) I had one goal. I wanted Grady to find the sound of my voice irresistible.
This summer has had record breaking temperatures so it is good to be reminded of how the heat can affect our canine friends. In fact, it really doesn’t take much for a dog to get overheated in hot temperatures since their body temperature is higher than humans’ (average temperature range for dogs is 100 F to 102 F and higher than 104 F warrants an immediate trip to the veterinarian because dogs can die from overheating). You cannot accurately determine by touch if your dog is overheated so you need to know the signs.
1. Pay attention to your dog’s breathing. Their panting will be noisy, fast and profuse.
2. Check your dog’s tongue. The hotter the dog is, the longer their tongue hangs out of their mouth. It gets wider too. A bright red tongue can also indicate overheating.
3. Gums can be either bright red or blue.
4. Dogs can also be clumsy, disoriented or suddenly fall down.
5. Vomiting and or diarrhea can occur.
6. Seizure
Ways to cool your dog:
1. Keep your dog’s tongue wet with cool, not cold, water.
2. Get in air condition or shade. Make sure it’s a well ventilated area so the heat will evaporate.
3. Run cool, not cold, water over the dog.
4. Once you know your dog’s temperature has started to go down, stop the cooling process. The dog’s body will continue to cool on its own.
The information above was gathered from the websites below. Please check out these websites for more detailed information. You never know when you’ll need to know this information so be informed!
www.gshepherd.com/heat_stroke.htm
www.vetlive.com/2011/05/28/overheating-in-dogs/
www.petplace.com/dogs/be-a-cool-owner-don-t-let-your-dog-overheat/page1.aspx
www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/2009/05/dog-overheating
There are several benefits of Doggy Day Care. Here’s what I consider to be the most important benefits for your dog.
I used a clicker to train Grady but you don’t have to – just be consistent with treating your dog for the behavior you want.
Here are some general suggestions to help you be successful:
If you’re dealing with a dog who refuses to cooperate and take his pill, I feel your pain. For 14 days I had to give an antibiotic to my pill resistant dog, Tucker. It about drove me crazy. He was quite a challenge during this time and I had to get pretty creative. I decided to make a list of what worked for me in case there were other dog owners dealing with a similar situation. I’ve also included food suggestions.
Fetch yourself something adorable!
-
Unlikely Friends
$13.00 – $19.00
-
"Be Dog Happy" Car Magnet
$8.00
-
Large "Be Dog Happy" Bumper Sticker
$4.00
-
Fabulous Frisbee Dog
$23.00 – $25.00
-
Be Dog Happy
$17.00 – $19.00