Plan a dog-friendly holiday & binge-watching Netflix with your pets!

Pets & binge-watching Netflix

According to a Netflix survey in the US, 71% of its users say pets are the best bingeing companions - and 30% even set up a separate profile for watching with their furry friends!

The reasons pets make the best bingeing partners include because they’re great at cuddling (40%); they don’t hog the remote (23%); they never share spoilers (20%); and they’re always up for watching another episode (18%)!!

According to this article on Petbusiness.com, “Narcos”,“Marvel’s Daredevil” and other action-filled shows are preferred by dog owners while cat owners are more into sci-fi series, such as “Black Mirror” and “Star Trek Discovery.”  More insights here…….

https://bit.ly/2FiE4sC

Planning a dog-friendly holiday

When looking to book a holiday that includes your dog, make sure you look for somewhere that’s dog friendly – as opposed to just dog tolerant, which many places are.

Amongst the things a genuine dog-friendly place will have are an enclosed exercise area and a Welcome Pack which highlights all the dog-friendly amenities, cafes and restaurants and attractions in the area.  Thorough advance research is a must and the author recommends reading the small print on websites etc – find out exactly where in the hotel/accommodation you can bring your dog.  And when you do arrive, check out the Visitors’ Book for helpful and insightful comments.  Good tips here……

http://www.yourdogholidays.co.uk/dog-travel-advice/how-to-plan-the-perfect-dog-friendly-holiday

(photo credit: Passpawt)

Reducing your eco-pawprint

This article in Modern Dog magazine offers tips on how to reduce your eco paw print and improve you and your dog’s health in the process.  The tips include detoxing your home (specifically by reducing the amount of chemical household cleanser – and it suggests how to make your own); go on a plastic diet (ensure your dog’s toys are made from natural materials such as wool, natural rubber, organic cotton etc) and source your dog’s food as locally as possible.

https://bit.ly/2r5xmkD

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13 great dog movies, snowy walks & don't feel guilty using a crate

Binge on 13 great dog movies

As these few snowy days are definitely duvet days, here’s a list from PuppyLeaks.com of 13 recommended dog movies from the 90s and also 7 dog documentaries on Netflix that you can binge on!  I have to admit I hadn’t heard of most of them!

The exceptions were – Beethoven, 101 Dalmations, the Homeward Bounds movies and Lassie.  Never saw the Homeward Bound films and loved the Beethoven ones and 101 Dalmations.  While I didn’t see the 1994 Lassie, the TV programme of the same name was a stalwart of my viewing when growing up!  Amazingly that programme ran from 1954 (before my time!) to 1973!  And there have been 7 Lassie movies – I know I saw a couple of them as a child.  Always a soft spot for Lassie!  Check out which films you’ve seen…

http://bit.ly/2FhANOt

(photo: Pinterest)

Keep your dog safe on snowy walks

Dogs don’t care that it’s snowing, in fact they love playing in it!  So when it’s safe to do so, you can still walk them in this weather – but keep the walks shorter.  A few tips from Dogs Monthly include: make sure you can both be seen (reflective clothes, leads, armbands etc); have a winter coat for your dog especially if he/she has thin fur and is older; pay special attention to their paws – snow can get impacted there, salt from the roads can irritate their paws and chemicals from de-icers are toxic if they lick their paws.  So vital to wash their paws when they get home.  Trimming the fur between their toes is also suggested.  Read more here…

http://bit.ly/2t1jMTq

Don’t feel guilty about crating your dog

Dog owners shouldn’t feel guilty about putting their dog in a crate, according to Lindsay Stordahl of ThatMutt.com.  It keeps the dog safe when the owner isn’t around and helps with training.  The routine of being crated helps calm them, prevents them from getting into the bin or scratching doors or showing other signs of anxiety or boredom. 

Lindsay recommends stuffing kongs with peanut butter and freezing them – and then leaving one with the dog while out – the dog will get hours of fun from this (I’ve used these in my van to distract dogs who don’t like being in the back of the van!). She also says they need plenty of exercise before and after being in the crate.  Have a read…..

http://bit.ly/2F3hHIs

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Does your dog growl & bark at other dogs, 10 Commandments for Puppies & 'Spanish Tummy' in dogs

What to do if your dog barks & growls at other dogs

Does your dog bark and growl at other dogs on walks?  This great article on ThatMutt.com has loads of practical tips on prevention and cure, so to speak.  The prevention measures include: get the right training collar; keep your dog at your side rather than in front of you; enrol in an obedience class and exercise, exercise!

‘Cure’ tips include: distraction with highly valued treats; keep your body between your dog and the other and do a u-turn and walk the other way.

They highly recommend a book called, “Feisty Fido” for reactive dogs.  It covers identifying triggers for your dog’s behaviour, setting up positive experience and slowly changing your dog’s reaction over time to those triggers.

http://bit.ly/2BcJumR

(photo: 4Knines.com)

How to treat vomiting or diarrohea in your dog

Not one to read if you’re eating!  The brilliant Pete the Vet tells us that stomach upsets in dogs are usually due to scavenging or eating inappropriate foodstuffs.  It doesn’t happen with cats as often as they are much more fastidious eaters.  He advises that science backs up the tried and trusted treatment of bland food (chicken, fish, boiled rice) for 1-3 days which relaxes the digestive system combined with rehydration.  If your dog remains bright and active that’s often enough.  But he also outlines warning signs to look out for that necessitate a visit to the vet and the treatments that vets will give.

Pete has a great slot on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk every Thursday where he addresses a topic of interest to pet lovers and owners and also answers listeners’ questions.  The link below outlines his key points on the ‘Spanish Tummy’ issue and there’s also a link to the podcast.  Pete also writes for the Telegraph in the UK and features on various other media.

https://www.petethevet.com/what-to-do-if-your-dog-has-vomiting-or-diarrhoea-pete-the-vet-podcast-on-newstalks-pat-kenny-show/

10 Commandments for your Puppy

As well as affection and kindness, puppies need the security of routine and constantly reinforced rules, according to this trainer.  Otherwise, they can’t magically grow into well behaved adult dogs – they need to be trained very early in their young lives so that parameters are set. 

She has 10 training commandments and for each of these she describes in this article how she trains puppies to: Pay attention when my owner/a person talks to me; Stuff you can trash and stuff you can’t; Always toilet outside; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not shout thy mouth off; Recall means come back NOW; Stay means Stay; Don’t whine or yap the minute you feel frustrated or don’t get your own way; The purpose of a lead is not to pull your owner and finally, in the main, co-operation brings far more good stuff in life than rebellion.

http://www.yourdog.co.uk/Puppy-Advice/the-10-puppy-commandments.html

  

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Keep pets away from mistletoe, 8 tips for if your dog runs away & reading moods

Keep your pets away from the mistletoe

Choosing your Christmas decorations carefully is one of the 3 tips for pet safety this Christmas.  Mistletoe and holly are toxic if ingested by your pet as is tinsel.  This feature on petbusiness.com also reminds us to keep rich festive food out of reach of pets – some of it is toxic for them and it’s generally just not suitable for them.  Also ensure to advise any guests not to give in to the pleading eyes and feed them titbits!  Finally, it is recommended that, no matter how sociable your pet is, to create a safe space for them away from guests, in a busy home which can be full of people over the festive period.

http://bit.ly/2BDUMFw

(photo: CollegeTimes.com)

  

What to do if your dog runs away

I love the really practical articles on ThatMutt.com and this one gives 8 great tips on what to do if your dog runs away:

If you see your dog heading off, try and capture his attention including making an unusual sound or you running in the opposite direction; Leave something of yours e.g. a jacket where you last saw your dog; If you’re with a group of people, spread out and search; Wait where you are; Ensure the dog has id on his collar and is microchipped; Trust your dog; If he/she is missing for a while, contact all local shelters and pounds and finally, ensure you have an up to date photo.

http://bit.ly/2jyPYtq

Dogs much better at reading moods than we are!

Dogs are good at reading our moods but we’re terrible at reading theirs according to research!  They have proved that dogs have better social skills than their human owners and also they have a much greater emotional intelligence than we give them credit for.

An example of how bad we are at mood reading was the reaction to a recent study earlier this year which revealed that dogs hate being cuddled and show signs of distress.  Yet many dog owners responded by saying, “oh, that doesn’t apply to my dog, (s)he loves a hug!”

The findings form part of the upcoming Royal Institute Christmas Lectures being given by Sophie Scott, a professor of neuroscience at University College London which will be shown on BBC 4 on 26^th, 27^th and 28^th December at 8pm.  Worth checking out!

http://www.mirror.co.uk/science/dogs-good-reading-moods-were-11674963

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Heavy Metal? Not for Dogs!

Heavy Metal?  Not for Dogs!

I think we all know that having music on in the background can affect our dogs’ behaviour – but did you know that the kind of music makes a difference?!  Recent research saw dogs video-ed while different genres were played to them including a compilation of popular music (e.g.Britney Spears and Robbie Williams), classical music (including Grieg's “Morning,” Vivaldi's “Four Seasons,” and Beethoven's “Ode to Joy”) or heavy metal rock bands such as Metallica.

According to this article in Modern Dog Magazine, heavy metal music is “not their thing because the dogs became quite nervous and restless and began to bark when it was played. Classical music, on the other hand, seemed to have the most calming effect on the dogs. While listening to it, their level of barking was significantly reduced and the dogs often lay down and settled in place.”

But the latest research went further - as well as monitoring behaviour, they fitted heart rate monitors to the dogs and also took regular urine samples to check the level of stress hormones.  The dogs were exposed to a different style of music each day and interestingly, they found that

stress reduction effects didn't disappear over time, the way it had been shown to do when one category of music was played all of the time.

University of Glasgow professor Neil Evans noted that not all dogs responded to the music to the same degree.  “Overall, the response to different genres was mixed, highlighting the possibility that, like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences. That being said, reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behaviour.”

But I heard years ago that dogs prefer talk radio in the background while cats prefer classical music?!

http://bit.ly/2grDPFm            

Does your dog bark all day?

Most dogs settle down after a few minutes once left alone but some continue to bark all day long – leading to irate neighbours.  This has been called ‘separation anxiety’ but in reality, it’s pent-up energy and boredom.  This common sense article on ThatMutt.com suggests 9 great practical tips to alleviate this including: Run, Bike or Rollerblade with your dog first thing in the morning; Buy a dog backpack; Buy a kennel (not as a punishment, as a treat); Ignore a dog that cries or barks (difficult, I know) and Don’t make a big deal of leaving or arriving home.  See the article for details on each of these and for the remaining tips.

http://bit.ly/2ypjqYj

Could your dog be a blood donor?

Unlike the UK, Ireland doesn’t have a blood donation and storage facility for dogs so we rely on our local vet who has to source blood for his or her canine patients.  According to Pete the Vet, many vets keep a list of patients whose owners have offered their pets as blood donors.  So, next time you visit your vet, why not discuss your dog being a blood donor?

https://www.petethevet.com/could-your-dog-be-a-blood-donor-pete-the-vet-on-ireland-am-discusses-blood-transfusions-in-dogs/

(Photo: Bark Post)

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Your dog's zodiac sign; 4 dogs > Instagram followers than u!

Instagram tips from 4 dogs with more followers than you!

Instagram and social media generally is full of photos of cute dogs and animals.   This feature on entrepreneur.com features 4 short videos from dogs who have more followers than you and me!  In fairness, the owners give the tips!  They don’t just post spur of the moment photos of cuteness – they talk about the importance of authenticity, consistency and connecting with audiences.

For example, Glee’s owner advises that you must be consistent in the number and timing of your posts.  He says people tend to log on to their favourite social media channels at the same time each day and will expect you to be there. @goldens-glee has a very impressive 304k followers!

The owner of Mochi - @MochiAndTheCity who has 90.7k followers – reminds us that we are posting content for people and that we must know our audience.  Mochi’s audience are female millennials who live in urban areas and love Taylor Swift – so her content is focused there. @ChloeTheMiniFrenchie, who has 176k followers, focuses on travel and pet-friendly destinations in particular while the owner of another Chloe - @ChloeKardoggian (great name, eh?!!) says it’s vital that the dog enjoys being on camera and the content-generation process.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/299276

What does your dog’s star sign say about them?!

I’m a Scorpio – the sign most astrologers seem to hate or at least, like the least – but I’m not bitter, oh no, not me.  It’s not about me – or is it?!  I decided to see what this article on dogtime.com said about Scorpio dogs.  Dogs born under this illustrious sign are intense and have no chill button, they say.  They have a fierce loyalty to those they love – but this can quickly turn to envy or jealousy.  (See what I mean?)  But apparently despite their somewhat intimidating personas, a Scorpio dog is so worth it as its owner will benefit from its undying love.  So does astrologers’ discrimination extends to dogs??!!  Check out your dog’s zodiac sign here and also check out your own!

http://bit.ly/2wV2et3

How to teach your dog that playtime is over

Dogs can over heat or over exert themselves while playing as they’re so fixated on catching a ball or whatever the game is, that they don’t even pant to show you they’re tiring.  So if this sounds like your dog, you may have to teach him/her the ‘off’ switch. This is another good and concise article from ThatMutt.com featuring a few practical effective tips. These include deciding on a word or phrase you will use e.g. “that’s enough” or “done”.  Then, once you’ve said it – truly ignore your dog to show play is really over.  Lindsay Stordahl owner of ThatMutt.com says you may need to give your dog a toy or something to chew on while he is on his own.  You may also need to put him in a crate or kennel for a while for down time – not as a punishment.

http://bit.ly/2h2pjzR

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Dogs go thru stroppy teenage phase, DogTV & how to stop your dog jumping up on people

Dogs go through stroppy teenage phase!

Don’t say you weren’t warned – but dogs exhibit adolescent behaviour at around 8 months!  Research amongst potential guide dogs found that at 8 months, puppies can forget previously learned commands, become very impulsive, are easily distracted and their behaviour is a bit erratic!  The researchers also found that how a dog is treated when young is more important in determining how it will socialise with humans than its breed or DNA.  The socialisation period for puppies is between 3-12 weeks and this is when they learn what is ‘normal’ and what they should perceive as a threat.   As with humans, the good news is that the stroppy teenage phase doesn’t last! 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4724174/Dogs-stroppy-teenage-phase.html

DOGTV

With 57% of US dog owners leaving their TV on all day for their dogs, Ron Levi decided ten years ago to create DOGTV and it’s now available in 14 countries and 120 million homes worldwide!  This article in Modern Dog magazine features a Q&A with Ron Levi and it’s a great insight.  They produce 3 different kinds of programmes – for Relaxation, for Stimulation and Exposure – the latter is science-based programming featuring sounds and visuals to desensitise dogs to situations and stimuli that they’re afraid of.  Dogs don’t see red or green so they don’t use those colours and content is filmed from a dog’s point of view.  As dogs have a short attention span, programmes are between 2 and 5 minutes long.  DOGTV is available as an App on iOS and Android.  Kind of a no-brainer to keep your dog entertained?!

http://bit.ly/2uJmqe3

How to stop your dog jumping up on people

Dogs jump up on us to get our attention – and it usually works!  The ThatMutt.com website has excellent training tips with plenty of details so you know how to implement them.  This particular article recommends a few ways of stopping your dog jumping up on you or other people.  Ignoring your dog is the answer – but the author say, you have to ignore the dog completely – no eye contact, nothing.  If ignoring does not stop the problem, she suggests a number of things including: Have a Plan – know what you want the dog to do instead; Instruct other people to ignore your dog; Stand on the lead to limit movement and/or use a pet corrector.  Have a read…..

http://bit.ly/2ver8Dw

Image: TheBark.com

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