What to Know About Getting a Small Breed Dog
If mastiffs, German shepherds and other big dogs aren’t your style, and you’re thinking about getting a small dog, there are some things to prepare yourself and your home for to make the transition a smooth one. Just Because They’re Small, Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Have to Train Small dogs have a reputation for being cute, docile beings, but sometimes, they’re more energized than dogs three times their size, and many times they have aggressive tendencies. Due to their size, they can’t do nearly as much damage to a person as a much larger, stronger dog, and for that reason, many owners of small dogs don’t train their pets properly. If you get a small dog, remember that the training commitment you make should be the same as if you were getting a much bigger dog. You’ll Need to Watch Their Calorie Intake With bigger dogs, a few extra treats here and there won’t make a huge difference in their weight, but if you have, say, a 6-lb. dog, a few extra treats can add up pretty quickly. Because these dogs have smaller bones, it’s important to keep them at the proper weight so avoid injury or bodily stress. If you want to give them treats as praise, think of giving them little bites of carrot or other vegetables, as these are low-calorie ways to help them learn. They Need Just as Much Exercise as Bigger Dogs It’s true that some large dogs are perfectly content basking in a sunbeam in their owner’s apartment or house, but small dogs sometimes need more room than some big dogs, and even more exercise. Their energy can get pent up if they’re not entertained and exercised, which can lead to unnecessary bouts of aggression. If you can’t walk them enough to keep up with their seemingly endless amounts of energy, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker. Be Careful When You Walk Whether just inside your home or on a walk outside, it’s important to keep a close eye on where the dog is and be careful where you walk. Little dogs can get under your feet and get stepped on or kicked by accident, which—depending on how small they are—can cause serious injury. Always Supervise Their Interactions With Other Dogs Small dogs can have a tendency to scare easily and become aggressive, and can often feel threatened when interacting with dogs much larger than they are. Always be sure to keep an eye on your little guy or gal when they’re playing to make sure things don’t get out of hand. This is especially important at dog parks, where multiple dogs can start playing together and quickly escalate—your dog is a bit less “sturdy” than a larger dog and can get injured more easily.
Making Sure Your Dog Gets Enough Exercise in Winter
When it gets cold outside, it makes sense that most of us avoid heading out for long dog walks multiple times a day. While your dog probably doesn’t mind staying inside where it’s warm, it’s still important to make sure that they get enough exercise all season long. Follow our tips to make sure that your dog stays in good shape. 1) Take Your Dog on More Frequent, But Shorter, Walks Just because it’s colder doesn’t mean that your dog should be stuck inside all day. Instead of 3 half-hour walks, try four 10 to 15 minute walks each day. If you can’t fit in more walks into your current schedule, you can bring on a dog walker to stop by your home a few times a week or once a day to help out. On weekends, bring your pooch to the dog park where they can run around and enjoy some socialization with other dogs—this will tire them out pretty quickly, and you can head back home. 2) Bundle Up If you’d prefer to keep your dog’s schedule constant, you’ll have to bundle up—and we don’t just mean you wearing a heavy coat. Your dog will need to wear something to keep them warm, like a sweater or jacket, and if it’s icy or snowy outside, boots might be an appropriate way to keep their feet safe. Once you do come inside, make sure that you dry off your pup if it was snowy or wet outside, and if they weren’t wearing boots, wipe off their paws with warm water—pay extra attention between their toes—to remove ice melting chemicals and debris. 3) Sign Up for Doggy Daycare or Dogsitting Groups If you or someone you know works from home, and they also have dogs, you can suggest a meet-up wherein one of you watches both of the dogs indoors, and the dogs can wear each other out by playing with one another. Alternatively, sign your pet up for doggy daycare a few times a week, where they can go and play with a handful of other dogs. Ask anyone who’s had a dog go to daycare—their pet always comes home tired out. Not only is this good for socialization, it’s good exercise too! 4) Create New Ways to Exercise Indoors If your dog likes playing fetch outside, transition the activity to the inside of your home. Find a long hallway and have your dog play fetch in there. If you don’t have a long hallway in your house, try throwing a ball across the largest room in the house or play tug of war to help them burn off some energy. Another way to make sure your dog stays in shape over the winter is to reduce their food intake just slightly. Cutting back by just a few tablespoons a day can cut their calories enough to make up for slower-exercise months.
What to Do About a Dog Who Has Separation Anxiety
Having a dog can be great—until you have to leave the house, that is. If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, you might feel overwhelmed about what to do or how to calm your dog down. Separation anxiety can seemingly come from nowhere—even if you got the dog when it was a puppy and it grew up with you, it can still develop anxiety when it’s left alone—so what can you do to alleviate the stress that you leaving causes your pet? Tire Your Dog Out Before You Leave One way to calm your dog down is by making sure they’re a little tired when you have to go. Do this by taking them on a walk or playing fetch or tug of war with them before you get ready to leave. This will tire the dog out a bit, and then you can reward their calmness with a treat just before you leave. Over time, this will teach your dog to associate you leaving with getting a treat, and gradually, you’ll be able to leave without even giving your dog the treat! Of course, this will take some time, so don’t expect it to happen in just a few nights or even a few weeks. Don’t Make a Big Deal of Leaving One of the most important things that can curb a dog’s separation anxiety is making sure you don’t make a big deal out of leaving every time you go. That means not cooing and hugging your dog as though it’s the last time you’ll ever see him, and instead leaving very nonchalantly every time. Be quiet as you walk out the door and ignore any barking—don’t immediately open the door to shush the dog, as this will just reinforce the idea that barking will get them attention when you leave. Instead, after you close the door when you leave, just go about your business and ignore the dog. Eventually, they will get the idea that you aren’t coming back inside and they’ll find something else to do. You can work up to this with the next tip. Practice Leaving for Short Times, Gradually Getting Longer If your dog is prone to barking or whining the second you leave, try working with them to minimize their fear. Try leaving for very short periods of time – try three minutes, then five, then 10, working little by little up to longer periods of time that the dog will be alone. Reminding your pet that you will indeed come back can mitigate their fear of being left alone. Separation anxiety can be especially prominent in dogs that were in a shelter, as they may have been abandoned by their original owner, or spent a lot of time alone without company. Building up a mutual trust with your pet is one way that you can help your dog’s separation anxiety fade over time—remember to go slow and exercise plenty of patience. Anxiety issues may take a long time to work through, but if you’re dedicated to working with your dog, you can tackle anything. Another way to help your dog overcome loneliness is by hiring a dog walker to visit a few times a week. This can let your dog know that someone will come and spend time with them at some point, and can alleviate the stress of being alone.
Unique Ways to Get Your Dog to Exercise More
If your dog could lose a few of the old L-Bs, it’s time to think about doing more for your pal than taking him on a slightly longer walk a few times a week. If you’re looking for better ideas for getting your dog to run around some more, check out these helpful tips. Go for a Run This seems pretty obvious—because it kind of is—but if you enjoy running (and your dog is not a flat-faced breed), running short distances with your dog can be a great way to burn calories—for both of you. Keep in mind though that if you go for a jog with your dog, it’s not your running time, so if the dog wants or needs to stop, you should let him. Try Out Agility Courses If you have a high-energy dog—or at least one with longer legs than a Dachshund—agility courses can be fun for them. Not only is it great exercise, but it helps your dog develop new skills as well as confidence. Group Exercise or Play Dates If your dog seems bored in your yard, you might think they’d behave the same way at a dog park and write it off as a waste of time. However, some dogs simply need the stimulus of other dogs to get them riled up and ready to play. For that reason, scheduling play dates with other people you know who have dogs, or taking your pet to the local dog park, can be great ways to get your dog to run around a bit more. As an added bonus, this will also help your dog learn socialization skills. Find Stairs How much do you hate the Stairmaster? A lot, probably, thanks to how tough of a workout it can be. The same can be said for your dog—running up and down stairs can be a great workout. After just a few trips up and down the steps, your dog will be pooped. Note: it may be advisable to check with your vet to see if your dog’s hips are healthy enough for running stairs; dogs with bad hips may not benefit from this exercise. Use a Laser Pointer We’ve all seen them used with cats, but laser pointers can be great for dogs for the same reasons. Point it on the floor, on your dog’s paws, really anywhere except in your dog’s eyes, and watch them chase it around like mad. Schedule in Even More Walks If you don’t already have a dog walking service, you might want to consider adding one to your dog’s schedule. Going on more walks throughout the week is a good way to gently add more exercise into their routine. No matter what your schedule and needs are, you’ll be able to find a walker that can accommodate your situation. Use a Treadmill or Visit Pet-Friendly Stores You can use treats (though it seems counterintuitive, it’s not) to get your dog to walk slow speeds on the treadmill. Never tie or leash your dog to the treadmill, if you do try this method, as it can be dangerous. However, you can hold your dog’s leash to guide him. Use training treats to help your dog learn how to walk on the treadmill, and once he is comfortable, you can very slowly increase the speeds. Getting your dog to exercise more is your responsibility. After all, pudgy pets may be funny and cute looking, but they’re not healthy, and they deserve to live their best lives—and that means one where they don’t have to carry around excess weight.
How to Prepare Your Home for a New Dog
If you’re preparing to get a new dog, either through adoption or a breeder, you’ll want to take some measures to protect your home and get your space ready for your new companion. Past simply buying things like dog food, a bed, a leash and other essentials, there are some things you may not even think of—scratches on the floor, chewing problems, etc. Getting your home ready for a dog isn’t complicated, and with a little bit of planning, the transition will be easy for everyone. Protect Your Furniture and Flooring Bringing a pet into your home opens up the possibility that your furniture may get a bit damaged at first. Cats can be scratchers, and dogs can be chewers. Whether you rent or own, you’ll want to protect your home from the damage that a new pet can cause—so how do you go about doing that? Of course, you won’t be able to protect floors completely from a dog’s nails, but you can schedule regular grooming appointments for nail trims so they aren’t dragging sharp or overly long nails across wood floors. As for furniture, you can consider using slipcovers on couches or armchairs. If your dog turns out to be a chewer, you can purchase bitter apple spray, which is a harmless spray that you use on furniture and other places where your dog might chew—wood trim, door frames, etc.—that has a very bitter taste to repel your dog. Secure Exits and Other Problem Points If you’ve got kids and you want to keep the dog out of bedrooms, investing in a baby-gate can be a good idea, provided your pooch isn’t big enough to outsmart it by jumping over it. You’ll also want to come up with plans for your home’s exits, particularly if your pup is sneaky and good at getting out. If you plan on using a doggie door, installing those is a good prep activity before you get the dog as well. Basically, you want to make your home as welcoming, yet as safe, as you can. Consider Hiring a Dog Walker If you plan on being away for long amounts of time—say, during the day while you’re away at work—you may want to consider setting up a dog walking schedule with a local dog walker. Dog walkers can stop into your home once a day, once a week, or whenever you need them to come by so that your dog can grow accustomed to a routine. Hiring a walker can also facilitate the housebreaking process, since your pup will be able to go out more frequently. Prepping your home for a new dog doesn’t take much time, but the few things you can do ahead of time can definitely save you some headaches! What advice would you give to a new dog owner?
How to Make Sure Your Dog Gets Enough Exercise in Winter
Photo Credit: 1.ytimg.com Outdoor exercise isn’t the only place that your dog can get some activity in. Play fetch inside—this is especially great if your home or apartment has a long hallway. You can also bring your pooch to a dog-owners meet-up ahere sometimes, an indoor play space is rented out for people to get their dogs to socialize when it is too cold for dog park visits. Alternatively, you can bring your dog to the local pet store where you can browse for the pet supplies you need to buy anyway while getting a little bit of indoor walking in. This might not be the best or most convenient idea, but it helps in a pinch. Indoor Entertainment With the temperatures dropping rapidly and Chicago winter becoming all too real, it’s hard for a lot of dog owners to be able to give their dogs the exercise they need. It gets more difficult to go on long walks when it’s too cold to be outside for more than 10 minutes, and a lot of dogs are also resistant to going outside for longer periods of time. So how can you make sure your dog gets enough exercise in the winter? There are a few ways. Outdoor Excursions Your dog will still need to go outside, of course. The best way to accommodate for winter weather is to take them on more walks with short distances rather than just a few longer walks each day. Unfortunately, not a lot of people’s schedules can accommodate for mid-day walks, so dogs are often relegated to two or three walks per day out of necessity. One way around that is by bringing your dog to a doggie daycare center or, even easier and more convenient, hiring a dog walker. Dog walkers can bring your dog out for a short walk during your workday, so that not only does your dog get a little bit of extra exercise, but when you come home they won’t be as jumpy—they’ll have had the opportunity to burn off a bit of energy, thanks to the dog walk. Dress Your Dogs If you want your dog to better acclimate to the ever-lower temperatures, it’s important to dress them. While some dog owners scoff at this idea, the truth is some breeds have shorter coats that do not keep the animals as warm, and even 5-minute walks outside can make the dog extremely, dangerously cold. This is especially true with smaller breeds. Coats and sweaters are popular, and it’s also important to protect a dog’s paws. Not all dogs are receptive to wearing boots (funny as they may look!), so it’s up to owners to wash off their dog’s paws when coming back inside, as the salt can be harmful to their paw pads.
The Importance of Your Dog’s Exercise Routine
It’s a well-known fact that a tired dog is a well-behaved dog, but unfortunately, a lot of owners don’t have enough time or enough motivation to keep their dogs properly exercised. A dog’s exercise routine is crucial to his or her overall well being, for several reasons. What Is Considered Exercise? Although you may consider a leashed walk to be exercise, the truth is your dog needs more than just a quick walk around the block for it to be considered proper exercise. Hikes or longer, 20- or 30-minute walks (2-3 times a day) are ideal for exercise. For variety, pet owners can also bike or jog with their dogs, take them swimming, or bring them to a dog park where they can run around and play with other dogs. Dog parks, provided your dog is friendly and gets along with other dogs, are great for both exercise and socialization. Keeping Dogs Entertained Exercising your dog is great for keeping them entertained. As previously mentioned, a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. It is easier to train your dog if he or she has had an adequate amount of exercise. If a dog is tired out, they’re better companions, as well, as they will be calmer. Since dogs don’t entertain themselves, it’s important for owners to provide their pets with entertainment—this could mean throwing a stick and playing fetch, providing an adequate amount of toys, or even giving them treats in treat-dispensing toys that keep their minds sharp. Exercise Helps Dogs Stay Healthy Unfortunately, since many people can’t or won’t dedicate enough time to exercising their pets, a lot of dogs are overweight. Since dogs are much smaller than humans (usually, anyway!), even a couple of pounds can be a big difference when it comes to whether they are truly as healthy as can be. While man dogs need at least an hour of exercise per day, there are some breeds that require much more. If you don’t have the time to dedicate to do that, you can hire a dog walking service to help meet you half way—even adding another 20-minute walk to your dog’s exercise routine can make a big difference for their overall health.
The Importance of Routine Dog Exercise
Most dog owners and/or trainers may understand the importance of routine exercise for dogs, but simply put, routine mental and physical activity for a dog is just as important to the dog’s lifestyle as activity is for humans. Many dog owners who live in the city rely on dog walking services in Chicago because they understand their “best friend” needs routine exercise. Those who live in the city live very busy lives and it is impractical for them to find the time or even space to give the necessary routine needed for his or her dog(s) to be as healthy and happy as possible without some help. Cruisin Canines, like many other pet care professionals, is a dog walking service in Chicago that knows how important routine exercise is for a dog’s physical and mental health. Your dog is a part of the family Those who have dogs, or have had dogs in the past consider their “best friend” to be an important member of the family. And like all of our loved ones, we want to do everything in our power to ensure our dogs have the best lives possible. Since many dog walker services in Chicagoare not always equipped to give your pet the type of exercise and routine he/she needs, your dog’s well being is still very much your responsibility. It is customarily true that dogs tend to imitate the personality of their human companions. It is also truethat some of these habits may not always be healthy. That being said, the best way to give your dog a lifestyle adjustment is to give yourself one as well. Border Colliesneed to run daily. Their stature and muscle mass means that they are prone to arthritis and hip problems when they age. The problems are often caused by a dog’s lack in physical activity. While aging is inevitable, you can prolong a Border Collie’s life by giving them extensive exercise on a routine basis. It is possible to find a dog walking service in Chicago that can provide your dog with physical activity on a regular basis, but it is important that you take the majority of the responsibility. Let your “best friend” get the care they need Residing in a place like Chicago is an indication that your lifestyle is fast-paced and taking the time to ensure your dog is getting the exercise and attention it needs on a regular basis might be challenging. If you feel that you can devote enough time to your dog’s physical needs, you might still want to find local dog walkers for the occasions when emergencies come up so thatyour dog never loses out on his or her walk. It may be possible to find local dog walkers that are willing to take the time to give your dog a personalized exercise routine in Chicago. For current dog owners, it may be less plausible to find dog walking services in Chicago that will embark on a daily 3k run with your Border Collie. If you are restricted to Chicago but heart-set on a dog, don’t rely on a dog walker in Chicagofor your pet care. Instead, find a dog that you can take care of with minimal help and that will suite your lifestyle. Having a dog is a rewarding experience, however for those who find it difficult to maintain an active lifestyle and routine exercise for their dog then there aredog walking services in Chicagothat can help. This way, you ensure your dog lives the happiest and healthiest life possible.