Pet Friendly Getaways

A recent survey from one of the nations leading pet care manufacturers asked Americans, if given a choice, would they prefer to travel with their pets? Over 70% of those Americans answered yes, they would prefer to travel with their pets. This is why many hotels, parks and other travel destinations are welcoming travelers with their companion animals. Before deciding to take your pet with you during your travel, make sure this is something your pet wants to do and not something that it is being made to do.

Take for instance, most dogs enjoy going for car rides and generally most cats don’t. You would most likely take your dog camping with you than you would your cat. Dogs seem to make the best travel companions than a cat would, especially on long car rides. Of course, there are those exceptions. Bottom line is your pet would much prefer to be near you than in a kennel somewhere, but only if this is a good idea. You don’t want to take a dog with you that has panic attacks in the car or one that will crawl all over you while you are trying to drive.

If you plan on traveling with your pet, consider these travel tips to make your trip as safe and enjoyable as possible.

1. Schedule your pet a check up with its veterinarian and ask for a certificate of health, along with proof of current vaccinations such as the rabies, distemper, and bordetella. It would also be a good idea to have your pet micro chipped, in case it should get lost. You would want to have your pet returned to you as quickly as possible, especially if you are traveling out of state.

2. If your pet is on medication, bring plenty of it so you’re not running out of medication when it’s needed. It would also be a good idea to have your veterinarian contact information in case you loose the medication, so the vet can call in a prescription should the other get lost.

3. Is your pet well socialized? A well socialized pet will travel more easily and tolerate the stress of traveling better than a pet that is not used to be in a car or around other people. You want the trip to be enjoyable for both you and your pet.

4. Is your pet well behaved? Although there are now many places that allow pets, no one wants to listen to a dog barking all night or during the day. You also want to keep your pet occupied so it’s not chewing on the hotel furniture or going potty on the carpet. You don’t want your hotel room to smell like a kennel and neither does the hotel staff or your next door neighbors.

5. Find out ahead of time that the hotel you make reservations at will accept pets. You don’t want to assume that there is a pet friendly hotel in a town you intend to stay in and when you get there, you’re turned away for having a pet or the one’s that allow the pets are all booked up.

6. Make sure your pet wears a collar with tags. One tag should be a current rabies tag and the other tag should have the dogs name, your name, address, town, state, and phone numbers. If you have a cell phone, add your cell phone number to the ID tag.

7. Most people choose to travel with their pets by car. Airline travel can be very stressful for pets, because they are treated like cargo and not like living beings. If you choose to travel by air plane, then contact the airline and ask them what their policy is for pets. Some airlines will allow small dogs to be a carry on as long as you have the proper airline carrier that is found in most pet stores.

You should also consider bringing along your pets food dishes, bed or pillow and a couple of its favorite toys. Having familiar items along for the trip can help ease the stress of traveling and make the trip more enjoyable for both you and your animal companion.

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Pets: How to Take Care of your Dog

The Bond that can come between a person and a dog can be extremely strong, especially if that bond had been strengthened living with each other for many years, I have personally cried after loosing our family dog that had been like a best friend to me from my birth till I as 15 years old, when he was hit by a car one morning.
 
Dogs serve many different needs for people. Some people get a dog because they are lonely and need a loyal friend or because they want a dog to protect the home. A dog that is taken good care of and given attention to regularly will give his life to help protect his home and his owner. For the blind a dog can be a pair of eyes to help them get around and for the police a dog can be an important tool and a loyal partner, with a nose that nothing can beat.

The first thing you need to know about taking care of a dog is that dogs need lots of exercise. This is the same for large dogs and small dogs. All dogs need to be let out at least once every 8 hours and should given at least a 20 minute walk to give the dog some fresh air, exercise and a chance to relieve themselves.

It is also important to play with the dog on a regular basis. This can mean going to the park on a weekend or day off and having a good game of fetch, tossing the ball around in your back yard or just wrestling on the ground with the dog, just make sure if you are ruff housing with a little dog that you don’t accidentally hurt the dog. Playing with the dog for a half hour a day, is not only good for the dogs physical health but a dig that is played with regularly is mentally healthier and less likely to become a depressed dog, it also lowers your blood pressure as well and it will form an unbreakable bond between you and your pooch, which will extend to your family if you should start having one after having the dog.

What you feed your dog is very important to the dogs continued good health. The better dog foods will be marked for what are groups the food is appropriate for. Younger dogs need certain vitamins and minerals in larger amounts then an adult dog, and the same goes for an elderly dog they need more calcium in their food to help protect their bones and joints. Feeding your dog the wrong food can stunt the dog's growth and opens the dog to a larger risk of surgery when they are older.

Just like a person a dog should be taken to the veterinarian's office every 6 months, and must receive their shots every year. Regular checkups and vaccinations will also help assure that your dog grows to be an old happy dog.

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Barking Problems: Train Your Dog To Stop Barking!

All dogs bark, it’s their way to communicate a message. Dog barks for various reasons: to greet, to alert, out of boredom, to attract attention or when they are excited.

Although some barking from is acceptable, too much barking is certainly annoying, especially for your neighbors and eventually leading to complains. The easiest way to stop a problematic barker is to control his barking while you are at home:

1. Set up a situation where your dog will always bark. For example, you can ask someone to ring your doorbell or knock on your door.

2. When your dog charges to the door and start to bark loudly, approach your dog, grab his collar and give the command “quiet” – no shouting please, it doesn’t help.

3. If he stops barking, praise and reward. He’s a genius and deserves it.

4. When he continues barking, close his mouth with your hand, wrap your fingers around his muzzle – use both hands if needed, and give the command for him to keep quiet. Praise if he stops.

Most dogs would be able to learn the “quiet” command with repeated training like this. Set up similar situations to "lure" your dog to bark and repeat training whenever possible.

If you happen to own a hard-core persistent barker, use this method:

1. Vinegar-Water solution – mix a proportion of 7/8 water & 1/8 vinegar together. Pour the mixture into a water pistol or what kids call “super soaker” for longer distance shooting.

2. Aim and shoot at his chest whenever he can’t stop barking even on your command. Dogs hate the smell of vinegar and would usually back off and stop barking. He’ll even sneeze a few times. It’s harmless so you need not worry.

3. As always, praise him when he stops barking.

For your information, your dog might still be barking noisily and disrupting your neighborhood when you are not at home. In this case, you’ll need a training equipment known as “bark collars” to help train him.

There are several types of bark collars on the market. Some of these collars send an electric shock to your dog when he barks, some make a high pitch sound or emits a squirt of citronella which is annoying but safe for your dog. Usually, these collars can help you solve a problematic barker.

Personally, I’ll recommend the high pitch sound or citronella collars. They are very effective and more humane dog training tools.

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Can You Control Who The Alpha Dog Is When You Own Two Dogs

 A dog owner named Beth writes:

Dear Mr. Katz,

I have two cocker spaniels that are one year apart. The red and white female (Cassie)is almost two and spayed. The buff male (Peanut) is just one 1 years old and neutered. Peanut was rescued from a cocker shelter in October of 1999. He is incredibly devoted, a very good listener and quick learner. He is the ideal dog as he is very eager to please. Cassie on the other hand is the most independent and stubborn dog I have ever encountered (you've probably seen worse). She used to only listen to commands when she wanted but I have put a stop to that. I have had numerous problems with her dominant tendencies but have come a long way. She now views me as the alpha and only displays aggression when she is in pain - specifically when I brush her. She has been diagnosed with allergies, is on allergy shots and has bad skin. This is not my problem though as I think I can work through this one with the use of the training collar.

ADAM INTERJECTS: It's very difficult to correct pain-response aggression. It's more of a reaction than anything else. Use the muzzle and restrain the dog when you need to give her shots. Other times (just so that she doesn't build a negative association to the muzzle) put it on, take it off, and then give her a cookie. Do this at random times.

BETH CONTINUES: Cassie displays a lot of dominance aggression toward Peanut. She growls when he tries to pick up a bone near her and when they play (or fight) she will "hump" him. I always feed her first, give her treats first, pet her first but Peanut just doesn't seem to get it. He will walk through the door before Cassie but after me. He is always one head length ahead of her when we walk outside. Further, I think he is trying to challenge her because the playing time more recently has turned into fighting. It's more barking than anything -- to date there has been no blood. However, Cassie usually is on top of him, pinning him to the ground, and he lets out this barking/yelping noise when she releases, he goes right after her again until I break it up.

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Could Your Dog Be a Sports Star?

Dogs were traditionally working animals. They would have expected to be active all day, every day. However, in these modern days a dog's life can often be confined to indoors and with very few physical activities.

Dogs are animals that need exercise on a regular basis; in fact it should be daily.  There are many reasons for this.  For example, it can help to control the dog’s weight its appetite.  It can also help to insure good quality mental health as well.  If you do not provide for the dog’s daily exercise, she will likely find it in her own way, which may be a destructive manner.  A dog that is bored is one the can become destructive digging up the yard and chewing on shoes.  But, when you take this energy that the dog has and apply it correctly through various toys and exercise, great things can happen.

One game of catch a day is not enough exercise for your pet.  Quantity and quality are quite important.  For example, you can provide your pet with a daily walk.  If you do so at the same time of the day each day, the pet will begin to look forward to it.  And, take them to someplace different as often as possible.  This will help your pet to explore with his senses.  It is also a special time of bonding between you and your pet.  Take your pet to a dog park where the leash can come off and he or she can do some socializing with other animals.

Sports for dogs?

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