Safety Tips for Winter Car Traveling With Your Pet
If you’re going on car trips this winter and are planning on bringing your dog along, there are certain things you should do to ensure that everyone stays as safe as possible during the ride. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a quick trip, say, half an hour away—you should still follow our checklist to make sure that everyone has a good trip. 1) Warm Up the Car Before Starting to Drive This is less of a suggestion for engine efficiency and more of a suggestion for personal comfort and warmth. While your warm coat may protect you from feeling the chill of the first ten minutes of your trip while your heater revs up, your pooch may not have that luxury—though they do have fur, that may not be enough to keep them warm and cozy. Instead of suffering through it, just turn on the car a few minutes before you head out with the dog. 2) Bring Blankets Even if your car gets nice and toasty, it’s still a smart plan to have some blankets on hand, either to use as a dog bed in the backseat during drives or as a backup in case your car breaks down or you get into a car accident and you need a secondary way to stay warm. 3) Consider Using Dog Seatbelts With slick roadways and snowstorms, it’s not a bad plan to implement dog seat belts to ensure your dog stays put during more precarious driving conditions. Even if your dog is very well trained and stays put during car rides, any driver distraction when weather is bad can be the difference between safe traveling and a car accident, not to mention there’s always the possibility of needing to suddenly stop your car—in this instance, or if you slide on an icy road, you dog might get hurt if he or she is not secured in one spot. 4) Make Sure to Stop for Potty Breaks The stress and excitement of being in a car can be a lot to handle for some dogs—it’s important to let them relax every couple of hours for a few minutes by pulling over and letting them take a potty break. You don’t have to let them run around for too long, and of course only do so if there’s a safe place to so, but it’s important to let them get some air, especially on longer drives. 5) Bring Along Their Treats and Food Another precautionary measure, bringing along your pet’s food and some treats is a good idea just in case you get stuck somewhere for a long time and need to keep them occupied and calm, or if your car stalls somewhere and you have to find a new way to get to your destination (which will inevitably get your there later your original arrival time). Hungry dogs can become agitated, so it’s nice to have some snacks on hand for them. Drive safe this holiday season!
Paw Care for Your Pet During the Winter Months
When it gets colder out, we humans put on boots, gloves, scarves, hats and heavier coats. Unfortunately, dogs don’t have the same choice to simply put on protective outerwear on their own—they rely on us, their owners, to help them out. Keeping your dog safe and warm during the winter calls for more than just a cute warm sweater, though—too often, dogs’ paws suffer due to chemicals on the sidewalk, cold, and more. Follow our tips to help keep your dog’s paws healthy all winter long. Keep Hair Trimmed If your dog has long hair, be sure to trim between his or her toes to ensure that the hair doesn’t soak up chemicals or snow when you take your dog for walks. This not only minimizes discomfort, but can protect your dog from getting these harsh chemicals stuck against their skin, which can result in painful chemical burns. Make Sure Paw Pads Are Moisturized One thing that can help safeguard against irritation is to make sure that your dog’s paw pads aren’t dried out or cracking when you take them outside. Using moisturizers or Vaseline on their paws can help protect the skin from harsh conditions outside. This can also soothe chapped paws. Clean Off Your Dog’s Paws Every time you come inside from a walk, use a warm, damp cloth to clean off your pet’s paws. This not only ensures that you are removing any chemicals or ice that have clung to your dog’s paws, but it also warms up their feet—what’s not to love about that after a cold walk outside? Consider Using Boots Of course, if your dog will put up with it, having them wear boots when they go outside will keep their paws most protected from the elements as well as from chemicals like ice melter crystals. Many dogs will want to kick boots off, but if you are persistent and put them on each time you go outside, most dogs get used to wearing them after a while. Keep Walks Short If the weather is very cold, and if your dog simply refuses to wear boots, you’ll want to keep their walks short so that they don’t get hurt. Try to keep dog walks under 20 minutes. This might mean more walks, but that’s okay—if you need help keeping your dog properly exercised during the day, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker to stop by a few times a week.
Holiday Gift Guide For Your Favorite Dog
When you’re getting your holiday shopping done this year, it’s important not to forget about your best non-human friend—your dog! While some dogs are afraid of wrapping paper (and everything else), they’ll still love getting some new toys or gifts, even if they don’t understand the concept of presents. Like any other gift-buying experience, there are some things that are more popular or practical than others. Check out our list for best picks for dog presents. Toys If your pup doesn’t yet have a KONG rubber “chew” toy, this season might be the time to splurge. They’re a bit pricier than the average toy, landing in the $10-20 range, but where a simple $5 plush toy will be destroyed in mere minutes by many dogs, these rubber toys are designed to be nearly indestructible. Plus, they’ll keep your pet occupied for quiet a while, especially if you use KONG fillings or treats. The company also produces stronger, more durable plush toys if your dog loves stuffed animals but you’re tired of throwing them out once they’ve ripped a seam. You can also get your dog a laser pointer—similar to how cats will chase the red dot around the house, many dogs will, too. This might, however, be better if you have a smaller dog—larger breeds might cause too much chaos in the house chasing after it. Squeaky tennis balls are also always a good choice. Clothes Since most of the country is cold during winter months, you can consider getting the dogs in your life sweaters, coats, or even snowsuits. If they’re the type of dog that would be ok with wearing boots and won’t immediately kick them off, getting boots might be a good idea to keep their paws safe from chemicals like ice-melter as well as from cracking pads due to dryness caused by snow and cold. As with any other type of clothes, make sure it’s not too constricting on your dog, as that can make it difficult for them to breathe. Accessories Things like a new collar, a new leash, or waste pick-up bags are always things that dogs and dog owners need. If you know a dog that doesn’t have a nametag with contact information listed on it, that can also be a good gift, as it increases the chance that the dog will find his way back home if he gets out of the yard or breaks from his owner’s grasp during a walk. Treats Of course, treats are always welcome, too. Pick out ones that are low calorie and safe to digest—ones that are made from quality ingredients, rather than filler. If you’re purchasing for a friend or loved one’s pets, you may want to ask if their dog has a special favorite treat! Gift giving for dogs is easy—after all, they won’t ask for a gift receipt, and they’re not picky about presents! Enjoy your holiday season, and don’t forget Fido under the tree!
November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month
If you’ve been considering adopting a pet but don’t want to deal with things like house training a puppy, teaching it not to destroy your couch, or keeping up with an 8-week old ball of energy, adopting a senior dog can be a very rewarding thing to do. Adopting an older pet not only takes a dog from a shelter who has likely been there longer than most of the other dogs, but gives them a renewed sense of hope and love, since most of the time, senior dogs end up in shelters when either their owner passes away or their owner decides they can’t emotionally or financially handle the needs of an elderly dog. Choosing to adopt an older pup may have a few “cons,” but it has more than enough “pros” to outweigh them. He’s Already Calmed Down Puppies are cute, but dealing with an 8- to 12-week old dog can not only be exhausting, but overwhelming. Many people, shortly after adopting a brand new puppy, may ask themselves if they knew what they were getting into. Puppies need constant attention—they’re small, they chew on everything, they pee everywhere, and unless you’re ready to take on a nearly 24-hour job of paying attention to the new dog, they can cause a lot of trouble. Older dogs still need attention, but they’ve mellowed out. They probably won’t thrash around your apartment, gnawing at the couch and peeing in every corner like a puppy would—instead, they’ll curl up with you on the sofa for a quiet night in. You Probably Won’t Have to Housetrain Older dogs have mostly already learned that they are not allowed to go to the bathroom inside, which is often the most frustrating part about getting a new pet—cleaning up all the accidents. Older dogs have learned the basics about how to go about their day-to-day lives—this goes back to them having calmed down. They know that they need to go outside to use the bathroom, and they know not to eat things out of the trash—all things that puppies don’t know. If your senior dog has some incontinence issues, you can always hire a dog walker to stop by during the day to alleviate that issue. He Needs Less Attention While puppies need your eyes on them nearly constantly, older dogs are a lot more relaxed. They might still follow you from room to room the way puppies do, but chances are they won’t be bothersome. Instead of making you chase him around the house, trying to get that sock from the laundry basket back, he’ll likely curl up in his bed and take a snooze break. They May Be More Loyal Older dogs that wind up in shelters may have trust issues, particularly if their original owners had them for a long time. They may take a bit of time to warm up to you, their new family, but once they do, they’ll be hooked. Puppies like being around you, but they have other things to do in life, like smell all the freshly fallen leaves during autumn, prance through the snow, and more. Older dogs know that what’s outside will be there when they need it to, and will have no problem at all sticking by your side. Once you’ve gained their trust, they’ll be yours forever. Adopting senior dogs can be very rewarding. Many people who adopt older dogs often joke, “Who rescued who?” when talking about their pups—meaning, they may have rescued the dog, but it was truly the dog who rescued them. If you’ve been considering getting a dog, consider adopting one that’s a bit older—around 6-9 years old, depending on the breed.
Thanksgiving Hazards for Dogs
You already know that your dog isn’t supposed to eat chocolate, but with Thanksgiving coming up, it’s important to review the various hazards that can present themselves on the big day—and they’re not all just foods. Follow these tips to ensure a happy, healthy holiday for the whole family. Food and Water Making sure your pet has enough water on Thanksgiving is key. While you might not be giving any scraps, there might be someone visiting your home that doesn’t know you don’t plan to give table scraps that is sneaking your pet snacks. For this reason, it’s important to leave enough water out so that if your dog does eat an errant salty snack, they’ll be able to mitigate thirst. As for foods they shouldn’t eat, it’s important to be mindful of too many table scraps overall, which can cause a stomachache, as well as foods that can be poisonous, like grapes and raisins, onions and potatoes—just a few things that appear on most menus for Thanksgiving. Space & Time Alone If you’re having a lot of people over for the meal, make sure your dog has a quiet place to hang out by him or herself. Being around a lot of people can be overwhelming for dogs, so it’s important that they have access to some time away, whether that’s in the form of their bed, a room that’s off limits to guests, or a gated off section of the hallway. Let them rest a bit throughout the day so that they don’t get over-stimulated and aggressive. Don’t miss walks just because you have company, either—your dog needs exercise, even on holidays. If you think you’ll be too busy during the day, ask one of your guests for help, or even arrange to have a dog walker stop by for a brief visit. Other Dangers Other dangers may not immediately occur to you—things like a garbage can unattended or turkey bones on a platter might not seem like they could do any damage, but if your dog is the curious type, these things could cause real problems. Garbage cans can not only include too many food scraps and debris, but other, non-food items like aluminum foil, plastic wrap, etc., that can be harmful to your dog if ingested. As for turkey bones, they are similar to chicken bones in that if your dog eats them, they can cut or get stuck inside your dog, leading to costly surgeries or worse. Don’t let that happen to your pets! Thanksgiving is a fun time for gathering your loved ones, and that should include your dog. Be mindful of the potential dangers during the day, and keep everyone safe.