Tuesday, June 25, 2019

10 things to do with your dog this Summer





10 things to do with your dog this Summer

Summer (weather) is on the way – this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I hear!!  So, here’s 10 things to do with your dog (not in 3 days mind you but over the Summer months!)  There’s also some general and practical tips for helping shy dogs in public.

(ThatMutt.com has great articles but please bear in mind this has an American focus so adapt for Ireland as appropriate!)

1.    Swimming tips for dogs – safety and training
2.    Visiting pet friendly stores
3.    Frozen summer treats for dogs
4.    Socialising with your dog
5.    Attending sports events and festivals
6.    Summer hiking with dogs
7.    Camping with your dog
8.    Summer holidays with your dog
9.    Best water toys for dogs
1-  Summer games and puzzles for dogs

Swimming is stimulating exercise, fun and keeps him* cool!  If he’s not into swimming, paddling is also good! Check out the tips on how to get your dog used to water, how to keep him safe and recommendations for the best dog swimming gear in the link below. Obviously hoping the swimming ban for south Dublin beaches will be lifted asap.
Your dog will enjoy a trip to pet friendly stores as there’s loads of new scents, new foods, other dogs and maybe other animals to interact with – plus as a bonus, the store may be air-conditioned on hot days!!
You can make your own frozen treats for your 4-legged pal but remember if they’re high calorie to reduce his calorie intake from other foods.  3 frozen treats are suggested including recipes and they are: Frozen Bone Broth; Frozen Watermelon & Banana Treats and Frozen Goat Milk.  (See link below.)
Socialising/holidaying with your dog – referred to as “Visiting breweries and patios with your dog” in the link below.  I recommend checking out Woof Advisor and Pack the Pooch to find pet friendly places in Ireland.  You can also google ‘pet friendly places in Ireland’ or whichever county you fancy.  Woof Advisor has some great info on overseas dog friendly hotels etc also.  The article does give tips on how to get your dog to behave in cafes, restaurants, etc.
If you’re thinking of bringing your dog to a Festival or sports event, check first if they’re allowed and if so, only bring a dog that is well socialised and is happy in crowds/busy places.  Ask yourself would he be happier at home, does he get over-stimulated or anxious when there’s lots of people around.  And if he’s food-oriented, remember at festivals there will be plenty of food to tempt him – not the type you would normally feed him!
Hiking is a great thing to do with your dog and you won’t have most of the concerns you would have at a Festival as much fewer people around!  Have a look at the tips in the article that u should bear in mind if planning a hike. (photo: Kurgo.com)
There’s a lot more details on each of the points above plus suggestions for the following in the link below:

·      - best water toys;
·       -summer games and puzzles suggestions for your dog.  The article suggests them for the -days that are too hot to go outdoors – in our case, for when it’s too rainy to have the dogs out for long!!
·       -Camping with your dog;
·       -Family holidays with your dog
·       -Tips for helping shy dogs.

So, well-armed with all this info, do enjoy the Summer with your dog!

*means him/her throughout.


Sunday, March 3, 2019

Does your dog have separation anxiety? Teach your dog to walk to heel & more....






Does your dog have Separation Anxiety?  11 ways to help….
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, it’s distressing for you as well as for her.  11 practical tips on how to ease this and calm your dog are featured in this article in Modern Dog magazine. These include daily exercise, work on basic obedience commands, using a baby gate, distraction, ignoring her and CBD Oil.  2 no-nos are leaving an anxious dog in a closed crate while you’re out and/or using an anti-bark collar.
These following tips sound tough – ‘tough love’ maybe?  They advise ignoring your dog for 20 minutes before you leave and for 20 minutes when you arrive back.  Effusive greetings and goodbyes only make separation anxiety worse.  They also recommend using a baby gate to keep your dog in a separate part of the house to you for part of the time when you’re at home.  And a ‘desensitisation’ programme is recommended whereby you come and go from your home numerous times in a day which wears the dog out.  Something that can be done at the weekend perhaps when you have the time.  They remind you not to return to the house if the dog is barking or howling as that rewards this behaviour.  Read more here ……

Teach your dog to heel – 13 tips
The walk starts at the front door and you shouldn’t leave your home unless the dog is calm – this is the first of 13 excellent tips on teaching your dog to walk to heel from thatmutt.com  “A calm dog can pay attention and learn. A frantic dog can’t.”
Other tips include:
·       make your dog sit every time she lunges forward (the walk could take a while, but it’s worth the time investment!);
·       buy a dog backpack or get her to carry something – thus the dog sees it as her job to carry rather than pulling;
·       stay relaxed yourself and don’t get stressed as the dog picks up on this;
·       don’t keep looking down or staring at your dog – if you do, she is in control;
·       walk at different speeds and in different directions.
More here ……https://bit.ly/2GU0TrW
(Photo: TheLabradorSite.com)

Does your dog eat poo?!
Yes it’s disgusting but some of them do!  Why?  Because they like it!  And they can get nutrients from it.  However, dog owners don’t like it – and if your dog has allergies, it mightn’t be the best idea.
According to this piece on Dogster.com there are two elements to managing this problem of your dog eating poo– or coprophagia, as it’s known - prevention and training.  Prevention includes keeping your garden or yard as free of poo as you can.  Another suggestion is to condition your dog to wear a muzzle.  In terms of training, it’s teaching her to ‘leave it’.  More here …..https://bit.ly/2EmU2nd

Not in this article but just an observation – we’ve all heard suggestions of what you can add to your dog’s food which makes it unappetising when it comes out the other end e.g. pineapple, broccoli etc!





Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Overweight dog? Grooming in Winter & Dogs of 2018!




Is your dog overweight?
6 myths about overweight dogs are dispelled in this article which also features comments from dog owners on how they combat having an overweight dog.  The myths include: A definition of ‘overweight dogs’ exists; It’s the number of pounds on the scale that matters; Measuring food – kibble v commercial canned food; Low fat diets aid weight loss; Overweight dogs automatically become diabetic and overweight dogs must lose at least 10% of their weight.
No official definition of ‘overweight dogs’ exists according to this piece on dogster.com and the number on the scale doesn’t matter!  However, the medical definition of obesity as being 30% over the ideal weight is agreed on.  Re the number of pounds, it’s the dog’s fat percentage that matters.  It advises us to watch the high calorie treats as we can give more of them than we realise!  See more here …….
https://bit.ly/2RqSW2
(Infographic: Dogster.com)

Dog grooming just as important in winter
Grooming isn’t just for the Summer. A healthy dog’s coat is like a thermos – it keeps the warmth in during Winter and the heat out during warmer days!  Basic care will help keep it healthy – bathing, brushing, moisturising and eliminating matting and tangles.  PetMD.com tells us that there are 5 grooming issues in particular that need attention in the cold weather – nails, hair between the toes; dog boots/wax; dry skin and regular brushing.
Nails don’t wear down as much in winter due to less activity and also snow and ice can form a barrier between harsh surfaces and your dog’s feet.  De-icers might get caught on your dog’s paws and between its toes – de-icers can contain chemicals that are harmful to dogs.  Check out the other tips here……

And finally, a smile!
You can’t but enjoy this short film courtesy of Joe.ie - “The Dogs of 2018” from WeRateDogs on Twitter – no doubt you’ll have seen a few of the clips before but always worth another view!