Photo by Chris Johnson

Dog daycares help to establish the dog’s needs in our busy lives. Here are some key questions to ask when seeking out a daycare.

Three required needs of your canine friend:

1. Exercise
2. Discipline
3. Affection

Dog Enrollment

• What kind of temperament testing is done prior to admittance?
• What waivers and vaccination records are required?
• Take a tour of the facility and check for cleanliness.
• Meet staff and management.

The Play Area

• What is the size of the play area for the dogs?
• How many dogs are allowed to play in the designated play areas?
• How many handlers per number of dogs?
• Are there obstacles for the dogs to play on?
• What is the length of play times? (Dogs should have a rest break to be on their own)
• Are dogs separated by size?
• If you have an older dog, is there an area for them?

Experienced Handlers

• Are the handlers trained to address behavior issues?
• How do the handlers break-up dominant behavior or potential fights?
• Distractions, Water Guns, Whistles, Shaker Cans, etc.
  Caution: Water guns can cause ear infections.
• Dominant dogs should be controlled and aggressive dogs removed from play.
• Are handlers trained to work obedience to ensure standards are kept per owner’s request?

Dog Emergency

All dog daycares should be prepared for an emergency. The first step should be to call the owner. There may be a release to use an on-call vet or you can request your own vet be used.

Toys and Treats

Daycares should not allow toys and treats in the play area. This can help eliminate possession based fights that might occur. If a dog is treat or toy possessive, it is important the staff is aware of this so treat or toy play with your dog is done in a designated area outside of the play area.

Open communication with the staff at your daycare is a must to ensure your dog he/she is in safe hands!

This training tip was prodived by Mae Charron or K9 Attitudes.

Mae is an IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) certified trainer and CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator. K9 Attitudes is a wonderful positive reinforcement based dog training company which provides in home one-on-one training with pets and their families around Fairfield County.

Mae Charron
K9 Attitudes, LLC
203-283-4878
www.k9attitudes.com

Related posts:

1. The Importance of Exercise for your Dog
2. Train Your Dog to Come With a Whistle

We had a close encounter with a skunk in our backyard the other night. It reminded me of a great antidote to the foul odor emitted by these cute, yet stinky little guys.

When our first dog Dylan was a puppy he came face-to-face (or rather face-to-butt) with a skunk in the backyard. I ran over the the scene of the confrontation, careful to not get in the line of fire, but it was too late. He reared up on his front paws and sprayed a healthy load of natural “pepper spray” right in our curious puppy’s face.

It was awful. Dylan fled back into the house crying, rolling around and rubbing his eyes. We tried to clean it off best we could with a towel soaked in warm water. It seemed to sooth the burning a little but the stench was unbearable. We tried the commonly spread “tomato juice bath” solution, which was basically useless. It didn’t seem to do anything for the odor.

Having no clue what to do for the poor guy, we called our local 24 hr emergency vet. They informed us that although it is uncomfortable for him, the irritation will not last too long. They also gave us a recipe for a natural skunk odor reducing concoction using common household items. We followed their instructions and were amazed with the results. We now keep this recipe on our refrigerator door.

Thankfully we haven’t had to use it again, hopefully you won’t either. But just in case:

The Ultimate Skunk Odor Reducing Potion:

• 1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of liquid soap
• 1 gallon of warm water

Mix ingredients. Sponge bath. Air dry.

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The basic requirements to having a healthy, happy pet include feeding a healthy diet, making sure they get plenty of exercise and keeping up with their veterinary care.

But what about making sure they have a safe outdoor environment?

During this time of year, we all want to be outside enjoying our yards–especially our pets. As loving pet parents it’s important to know about the lurking dangers in our own back yards. Some of the products used commonly to enhance our lawns, like commercial fertilizers, contain chemicals and pesticides that can be harmful to our pets and children. It’s easy to assume that name brand fertilizers sold in national chain stores are safe, but in fact they can be harmful and in some cases even deadly to our beloved friends. Even the ones that claim to be “pet safe” can still contain toxins, which could lead to long term health problems. Some key products to be especially careful of are:

Fertilizers

They make your grass green, but certain types can be extremely dangerous, even deadly to your pets if accidentally ingested. Read the labels and follow the directions carefully. Keep your pets out of the area where you are applying these for at least the suggested amount of time on the package. The presence of heavy metals in these fertilizers like iron, can cause serious gastrointestinal problems if ingested. The best way to prevent an accidental exposure is to avoid using chemical fertilizers all together. If you have to, store them in a secure area your pet can’t get to. Consider using an organic alternative that’s safer and better for the environment.

Pesticides, Herbicides & Rodenticides

These poisons kill, bottom line. Many of the ingredients used in these baits to entice pests, smell appealing to your animals too. If you have to have these around, take every precaution to keep them in a place that is inaccessible to your pets. Depending on the type, ingestion can be potentially life-threatening.

“The most dangerous of these are: snail bait containing metaldehyde, fly bait containing methomyl, systemic insecticides containing disyston or disulfoton, zinc phosphide containing mole or gopher bait and most forms of rat poisons.”

ASPCA’s common questions to gardening and yard care

Do some research. The website pesticideinfo.org provides a searchable database of products and ingredients. You can see exactly what’s in these products and how harmful the chemicals are.

Common Plants

Many common house plants are actually poisonous to your pet. Some of our favorite outdoor flowers and shrubs like: azalea, rhododendron, lilies, kalanchoe and schefflera can be harmful if swallowed. Lilies are especially bad for cats. Small amounts can be life threatening.

17 Common Poisonous Plants
Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants

No cocoa mulch!

This product is made using cocoa, a toxic ingredient for dogs. It smells great to them, but can cause vomiting, diarrhea and elevated heart rates if eaten.

If you suspect your pet has been exposed to any poison, bring him to your veterinarian immediately. Contact the animal poison control center. If your vet is not open, bring them to the emergency veterinary clinic. If you suspect you pet ate a plant you can’t identify, bring a sample to a local nursery for identification.

Below is a list of numbers for local resources:
24hr Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435

Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center, Norwalk, CT: 203-854-9960

Try a Natural Alternative

Organic lawn care can produce a beautiful natural yard that’s truly safe for your dogs, cats and the environment. Your, pets, family and even your neighbors will thank you for reducing toxic runoff that can contaminate our local eco-system and eventually our own water supply.

Resources:

• The Truth About Cats, Dogs & Lawn Chemicals: A great documentary video about the dangers of lawn chemicals to your pets. A little long but worth the watch.
• Tips for Pet Friendly Landscaping: A short video with great tips.
• Raise a Green Dog: Natural pet safe lawn care tips with reviews of organic fertilizers.
• Easy organic lawn care from National Geographic.

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Exercise is the most important activity between you and your dog. The exercise fulfills your dog’s happiness and stability within the home. Walking will help your dog become familiar with territory and the environment surrounding you. The walk also helps your dog become socialized in public as well as in your own neighborhood. They will look to you as the leader when their behavior, such as heel and sit is controlled in new environments.

In a wild pack, dogs hunt many hours a day, play many hours and show affection to each other. These activities stimulate mentally as well as physically. Some breeds require different activity levels than others.

There are many ways to exercise your dog such as playing fetch with a favorite toy, walking, running, or hiking for 30-60 minutes twice a day. Your discipline would follow your exercise by teaching obedience commands. If you have difficulty in teaching your dog you should contact a professional for help to teach you and your dog the dynamics of basic obedience.

We get so wrapped up in our daily activities that we forget what pack animals crave and require instinctively. The most powerful bond you will build with your dog is through simple exercise.

This tip was prodived by Mae Charron or K9 Attitudes.

Mae is an IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) certified trainer and CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator. K9 Attitudes is a wonderful positive reinforcement based dog training company which provides in home one-on-one training with pets and their families around Fairfield County.

Mae Charron
K9 Attitudes, LLC
203-283-4878
www.k9attitudes.com

How do you Exercise your Pup?

We’d love to hear some of your thoughts or tips on exercise. Please leave a comment if you like this post and share some of the ways you exercise with your dog.

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Related posts:

1. Train Your Dog to Come With a Whistle
2. Picking a Dog Daycare
3. Adopting a New Dog or Cat

Bringing Home a New Pet

Animals at your local shelter are just waiting for someone like you to give them a new home. When you first visit the shelter, there are many mix breeds and purebreds. Purebreds account for 25 to 30 percent of a shelter’s population. In order to make a good match between you and your new pet evaluate your lifestyle. Speak with an adoption counselor or a professional trainer to evaluate the dog and his/her personality. Another advantage to shelter adoptions is that the fees are usually much less than adoption from a pet store or breeder. When researching animal shelters online, you can view the adoptive dogs and cats. National websites are www.petfinder.com, www.pets911.com, and www.adoptapet.com.

More info on how you can help make a difference in the lives of homeless animals can be found in our post on ways to help save homeless pets.

Moving Into New Home

Dogs

Our new best friends require special care when making a new transition. This is especially true when you’re moving into a new home or transitioning from a home into an apartment. When taking the steps to help your pet adjust keep him/her leashed while outside and allow them to explore supervised inside the home. Transition their bed and toys (scent) into the new home before arriving with them, this will help them recognize they have been here and adjust to their new surroundings quicker. Your dog should be introduced to new walks in the neighborhood and introduced to new dogs and people gradually in a neutral setting outside of your home and then gradually inside your home.

If possible, allow yourself and your new pet some time before you go back to work or start a new job. During the period of adjustment, start spending small amounts time away from your home, do not leave them full run of the house; allow only a limited area such as their crate or kitchen with baby gates.

If you cannot make these adjustments after adopting your new pet please consider hiring a pet sitter to come into your home to exercise your dog and/or contact a local doggy daycare center. Although, it may add up in fees, you can ask your pet sitter to spend more time with your dog initially, then slowly wean him/her back until he/she used to being alone.

Cats

Introduce your cat to their new home gradually, restricting to one room at first. Place the litter box, food and water in the same room. This gives the cat the chance to adjust to new smells and new pet friends in the house. After a few days of the pets adjusting to each other’s smells and show interest with each other, let them meet and greet with supervision.

If you need help transitioning with your new pet, please call a pet professional.

This tip was prodived by Mae Charron or K9 Attitudes.

Mae is an IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) certified trainer and CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator. K9 Attitudes is a wonderful positive reinforcement based dog training company which provides in home one-on-one training with pets and their families around Fairfield County.

Mae Charron
K9 Attitudes, LLC
203-283-4878
www.k9attitudes.com

Got adoption tips?

I’d love to hear some of your thoughts or tips on adopting. Please leave a comment if you like this post or have a story about adopting your pup or kitty!

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To the dogs who love flossies… your dreams have finally come true!

The newest addition to our treat bins are so huge they don’t even fit in our bins!

These massive versions of our best selling treats, Merrick flossies are fantastic. They’re made from a beef tendon, a great alternative to rawhide which is difficult to digest and can cause health problems. The unique design of this treat creates a natural chewing friction against the teeth which helps to clean a dog’s teeth.

These oversized dog treats are almost 2 feet long!

Ingredients:
Beef Tendon

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (Min.) 87.50%
Crude Fat (Min.) 2.76%
Crude Fiber (Max.) 0.30%
Moisture (Max.) 6.80%

We have not met a dog yet who has turned down one of these tasty treats.

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In our post How to Prevent Fleas & Ticks Naturally we discussed some the risks of these common pets.

As flea and tick season approaches full swing we’ve got you covered.
This article focuses on a few of our favorite natural flea & tick prevention products.These are great natural alternatives to toxic chemical flea and tick solutions like frontline, biospot, advantix, etc…

Best part is, these products are safe for your pets, your family and the environment.

Pet Guard Herbal Dog and Cat Collars

Naturally repels fleas and ticks through the use of a blend of aromatic herbs, with a fresh minty fragrance and absolutely no harmful chemicals. A safe alternative to harmful chemical flea collars.

Earth Animal’s Internal Powder

A special blend of natural ingredients that work together to repel fleas and ticks. Taken orally, the Powder produces an odor that is undetectable by humans and is loathed by fleas and ticks, mosquitoes, and black flies. All ingredients are human food grade with no insecticides, chemical preservatives, salt or sugar. There is also a yeast free version for pets with allergies. An excellent preventative product for both dogs and cats.

Halo’s Cloud Nine Herbal Dip

A concentrated blend of aromatic oils such as Tea Tree, Cedarwood, Peppermint and Citronella Oil. Popular among pet owners who choose to avoid chemical treatments to repel common outdoor dangers.

Those are a few of our favorite natural flea & tick prevention products.

What are some of your yours?

Related posts:

1. Dr. Goodpet Inside Flea Relief
2. How to Prevent Fleas & Ticks Naturally

Tips:

There are many whistles which have different tones and silent tones. Purchase a tone that motivates your dog. If your dog does not like a particular tone than don’t give up, try a different tone. Purchase a whistle that can be heard over noises, distance and wind. Good luck and Happy Dog Tones.

This training tip was prodived by Mae Charron or K9 Attitudes.


Mae is an IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) certified trainer and CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Evaluator. K9 Attitudes is a wonderful positive reinforcement based dog training company which provides in home one-on-one training with pets and their families around Fairfield County.


Mae Charron
K9 Attitudes, LLC
203-283-4878
www.k9attitudes.com

Related posts:

1. Picking a Dog Daycare
2. The Importance of Exercise for your Dog
3. Adopting a New Dog or Cat

It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, birds are chirping… and fleas and ticks are biting!! Every pet enjoys the outdoors. With the weather warming up, it’s now flea and tick season and it’s time to take precautions to keep your friend healthy.

What are the risks?

As you may already know, ticks can carry harmful bacteria. The most common tick-borne disease that your furry friend may encounter is Lyme disease. This disease is transmitted from a bacteria harbored by the tick. Early symptoms consist of rash and joint pain, yet further complications include kidney and heart failure. Other illnesses include Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Babesiosis, all of which may lead to neurological problems and organ failure.

Fleas are an even more annoying pest. These bugs cause discomfort to both your pet and the entire household. Fleas jump from host to host, so it is imminent that infestation will occur within an entire family of pets. Itching provoked by the fleas may lead to inflammation and infection of the skin. Pets may also be exposed to tapeworms transmitted by the flea. If left untreated, severe cases, or even mild cases in young pets, can cause anemia.

What can I do?

Naturally, a pet lover is going to want to keep his or her pet protected, yet chemical or drug prevention can be harmful to your pet, your family and the environment. Flea and tick “spot-on” treatments, dips, sprays, and collars contain chemicals and pesticides that can make pets and children sick. Some chemicals used in flea and tick products are believed to be carcinogenic if incidentally ingested. A “spot-on” treatment should only be considered as a last resort.

Resources:

• The Whole Dog Journal has an in-depth article on the harmful effects of “spot-on” flea & tick treatments that is a must read.
• A fantastic article detailing the facts you should know about Flea & Tick products can be found on the Humane Society’s website.

5 Steps to Flea and Tick Prevention:

1. Healthy Diet: Most of you have this step covered. A nutritious diet boosts immunity and resistance to parasites such as fleas.
2. Supplements: Garlic and B-vitamins make an animal less tasty. You may have heard garlic isn’t good for dogs but this is only the case if they eat massive quantities. Earth Animal makes a perfectly balanced supplement which we keep in stock.
3. Outdoors: Keep yard raked and grass cut short. Avoid moist, shady, and leaf-covered ground and tall grassy areas when walking your dog.
4. Indoor: Spring cleaning! Vacuum and wash floors regularly during flea season. Flea larve don’t like light so don’t forget under the furniture! It wouldn’t be a bad idea to steam clean the carpet once in a while too.
5. Grooming: After a walk, check the body for ticks. Pay close attention to the armpits, ears, eye area, between the pads of the feet, and the neck area. Comb your pet after being exposed to tick or flea harvesting areas. This can prevent attachment of the tick to the skin. A shampoo with Neem Oil is good for repelling fleas.

Related posts:

1. Natural Flea & Tick Prevention