Baby it’s HOT Part 2…

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Most of us enjoy taking our dogs places with us. For many, it’s one reason to get a dog. Summer is OFFICIALLY here, and I want to add a couple of safety tips to my post from a few weeks ago.


Too hot

A good rule of thumb: if the pavement or sidewalk is too hot to hold your hand on it, assume it is too hot for your dog’s feet! This is doubly true for puppies whose bottom pads haven’t toughened up yet.

If your dog has extremely pale or pink pigment with not much fur to cover, you may need to protect them with sunscreen! Check with your veterinarian about whether YOUR pooch is at risk.

Many dogs HATE fireworks! It can scare and send them into a serious state of anxiety. Talk to your vet about ways to keep your dogs calm and cool during the upcoming 4th of July festivities. Reconsider bringing them to loud celebrations. It’s not worth having them freak out due to a a few unexpected firecrackers – better safe than sorry!

Reduce their stress whenever possible, and try to be prepared by expecting the unexpected!

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Stacie & Ronan

A Day Late and a Dollar Short…

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Sorry – no post this week.  Life got a little nutty – out of town visitors, running around, start of summer craziness!

We’ll be back next week! Stay tuned for some new announcements coming in the near future!

XO,

Stacie & Ronan

Baby it’s HOT Outside!

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I saw something very surprising the other day that has really stuck with me. I feel compelled to mention it in hopes of teaching even one person, and helping even one dog.

I was looking through a magazine and saw an ad for protein powder.  The ad talked about adding this to your diet along with a healthy lifestyle. And the picture??? It was of a woman in a bikini jogging on the beach with her – get this – English Bulldog!!! Do they not have any brains? I cannot believe they would make it look OK to run a brachycephalic (short-nosed) dog in the sun!

Why is this so terrible? Because the shorter the nose the more difficult it is for a dog to cool himself. Dogs breath rapidly (called panting) as a way to cool off the body. The shorter the nose the less distance the air can travel and get cool. Brachycephalic dogs can also be prone to more respiratory issues.

It’s HOT. It’s almost officially summer. Modify exercise and time outdoors when the weather is this warm. Make sure there is plenty of shade and fresh water available without letting your dog drink too much at one time. Many dogs will want to be with you so badly that they may continue in this type of heat long after it’s safe. Therefore, YOU may have to initiate cooling breaks with calm rest in this type of weather more often.

It is OUR job to keep our dogs safe.  Every breed, and every dog is a little different. Do whatever it takes for the safety of your own dogs, your friends’ dogs, and even those dogs you’ve never met!

Stay cool and keep it SAFE!

Stacie & Roan

Rain Rain Go Away…

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…Roni wants to go out and play!

What’s one of the best rainy day activities? Hide and seek! Challenge your dog and have fun in the process. Start with one person gently holding the dog by the collar. Another person runs into a different room and calls the dog (and person #1 lets go of the collar).

You can start easy and reward with a treat, then advance to more difficult where you really hide. It’s fun when your dog not only relies on eyesight but also starts to use his nose to sniff you out! Build up to a sit & wait so you can do this by yourself. Hide under a bed, behind furniture, in a closet, behind a bathroom door – you get the idea!

Elsa Christmas bone

Elsa’s staying with bone on nose

Most of us don’t enjoy these dreary rainy days. Active dogs feel the same way and if you don’t exercise your dogs rain or shine, they need some way to get rid of pent up energy.

Another idea is to teach your dog something totally new – roll over, bow, balance a treat on his nose. Have fun and be creative. Your dog will thank you for it! And you will probably have more fun than you anticipated!

Yours in all weather training,

Stacie & Ronan