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Bad Dog or Bored Dog? 10 Tips to Increase Good Behavior in Your Dog

Bad Dog or Bored Dog?

Is your dog bad or just bored?

If you ask me, there are no bad dogs, really. They are either bored and/or maybe justbad dog or bored dog haven’t been taught desirable positive behaviors. Dogs don’t want to misbehave. Quite the contrary, they want to make you happy. However, even when they have been taught/trained basic manners, if they are not getting what they need in terms of daily mental stimulation and physical exercise they may vent that energy in undesirable not to mention, negative ways.

 

See if any of these behaviors sound familiar…

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10 Important Questions to Ask When Hiring a Pet Sitter

10 Important Questions to Ask When Hiring a Pet Sitter

I’m sure like most pet owners, you feel that your pets are not just animals they are family members. As such you want to make sure that whoever is caring for them ishiring a pet sitter to provide pet care for your dog in your home qualified to do so. As a professional pet sitter, I have heard many horror stories from new clients regarding non-professionals they have used in the past. From pets left for days without food or water, to their pet sitter canceling on them at the last minute, to the person bringing other people, friends or family members into their home, to medications not being administered correctly or at all, to complete no shows and more! These tragedies and more are what caused them to seek out a professional pet sitting service.

There a many pet sitting clearing houses online these days such as care.com, rover.com, sittercity just to name a few. On these sites anyone can sign up and present themselves as a pet sitter. While there are professionals who post on these sites, BEWARE, many are no more than hobbyists or folks who have little to no experience at all.

 

REMEMBER, WHILE CARING FOR YOUR PET, THIS PERSON WILL HAVE FULL ACCESS TO YOUR HOME AND YOUR POSSESSIONS. [Read more…]

The Dangers of Foxtails and Your Pet

The Dangers of Foxtails and Your Pet

Foxtails -A foxtail is a spikelet or spikelet cluster of a grass, that serves to disperse its foxtails (grass awns) seeds as a unit. Thus the foxtail is a type of diaspore or “plant dispersal unit”. Some grasses that produce a foxtail are themselves called “foxtail“, also “spear grass”. – wikipedia

foxtails grass awnThese “foxtail like” weed clusters have barbs that when disturbed, fall and work their way into the ground making it hard for the cluster to come loose from the dirt. The outside part of the cluster also harbors bacteria composed of enzymes that break down cellular matter.  [Read more…]

House Training Your Dog in 9 Easy Steps

House Training Your Dog in 9 Easy Steps

House training your dog or puppy can go smoothly if you know what to do and you are consistent. Follow these 9 steps to accelerate the learning process. [Read more…]

6 Tips to Keep Your Dog Cool When Temperatures Soar

Keeping your dog cool when temperatures soar is easy if you follow these 6 simple tips.

When temperatures are extreme whether hot or cold dogs still need exercise. Young dogs, puppies or high energy breeds can get cabin fever and become Dog cooling vestdestructive if kept inside for to long without a way to release excess mental and physical energy.

It’s easy to use the excuse that it is too hot or cold to take your dog for a walk but remember that our dogs are solely reliant on us for their needs and one of their main needs is exercise. [Read more…]

Canine Flu-6 Steps to Protect Your Pet

Canine Flu- 6 Steps to Protect Your Pet

 
All this talk of the canine flu. What is it and how do we prevent it from affecting our pets?
 
There are two strains of the canine flu virus. The first one is the H3N8 strain which was first reported in the U.S. In 2004. There is a vaccine available for this older strain.
The second and newer strain is the H3N2 which was first reported in the U.S. pet insuranceLast month. Currently there is NO vaccine available for this strain.
 
Symptoms may include coughing, runny nose, eye discharge, lethargy, fever, loss of appetite and weight. However some dogs don’t exhibit any symptoms.
 
If your dog exhibits any of these symptoms seek veterinary care immediately. Although this is a virus and as such there is no specific treatment, a secondary bacterial infection is possible and medication can be prescribed.

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