Beware of Hot Pavement When Walking Your Dog

by Lorna | Jun 18, 2018 | BLOG, Tip of the Week

Beware of Hot Pavement When Walking Your Dog

The weather is getting hotter and hotter so beware of the pavement when taking your dog for a walk. DOG WALKING ON CEMENT

DOG WALKING ON CEMENT

Try this little experiment: Press the back of your hand firmly against the pavement for 10 seconds. From that, you can gauge how warm it is and if it will be comfortable for your dog to walk on it.

Here’s a short list that indicates the temperatures that you might be submitting your dog to while walking it on a street during a hot day:

If the air temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit the pavement will have a temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the air temperature is 86 degrees Fahrenheit the pavement temperature will be 135 degrees Fahrenheit
If the air temperature 87 degrees Fahrenheit the pavement temperature will be 143 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other factors could add up to make an even worst scenario:

Direct sunlight
Lack of any wind
Very low humidity
High radiant energy

Here are some interesting facts about the temperature of the pavement during a summer day:

At 125 degrees Fahrenheit, it can cause the skin to burn within as little as one minute
at 131 degrees Fahrenheit, you could fry an egg in as fast as 5 seconds

So, the lesson here is that while we love taking our dogs for a nice walk during the warm summer days we must be mindful of a hidden danger – hot pavement can seriously burn a dog’s paws.
And remember, hot pavement and cement can cause more severe burning on the tender feet of young puppies!

10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash

by Lorna | Sep 25, 2017 | BLOG

A retractable leash is not so much a leash as it is a length of thin cord wound around a spring-loaded device housed inside a plastic handle. The handles of most retractable leashes are designed to fit comfortably in a human hand. A button on the handle controls how much of the cord is extended.

Retractable leashes are popular primarily because they aren’t as confining as regular leashes, allowing dogs more freedom to sniff and poke around on walks. But unfortunately, there are many downsides to this type of leash.

The length of retractable leashes, some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.

In the above scenario, or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It’s much easier to regain control of – or protect — a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he’s 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string.
The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. (more…)

Learn How House Training Your Puppy Can Be Beneficial

by Lorna | Jul 23, 2017 | BLOG

The number one priority of any new puppy owner is house training! This is a learning procedure for you and your puppy.

Teach them where you need them to go potty.
Teach them to ‘hold it’ when they don’t have access to the potty area.
Teach them how to reveal to you when they need to go potty
Teach them an expression or word to go potty when you require for her to go.
House training your puppy is similar to potty training your child.

If you would not do something with a child then please do not do it with your puppy!

This process is easy unless you do things that make it difficult. Punishment has no place in house training and will make this process both more difficult and take longer. For ease of communication, I will assume you are outdoor training your puppy. For indoor training simply substitute ‘outside’ for ‘potty area’.

Equipment

Start by gathering the correct equipment. Think for a moment about your field of expertise. Does using the proper equipment make things easier?

You will require:

Great quality puppy food.
Buckle collar or harness 3-4 foot non-retractable lightweight leash
15-foot non-retractable cotton web long line
A place to confine your dog = this is the biggest zone your puppy will keep tidy and not bite up-commonly a carton or exercise pen A place to walk your canine for outside training
For indoor training either 2 canine litter boxes or 2 outlines that hold small pee-pee pads and a decent supply of pee-pee pads.
Little easy to swallow treats.
Carpet cleaner a decent measure of tolerance a comical inclination.

Consider these things before you begin:

Feed your puppy on a schedule.
What goes in comes out!
The puppy that eats all day will need to go at unpredictable times.
Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy needs to eliminate.
The best place for your puppy to rest is in a little wire crate beside your bed.
It is a smart thought to have a bigger crate in another area of your home where you spend the most of your time.
Consider utilizing an indoor exercise pen on the off chance that you have to leave your puppy for longer then four hours.
Pick a key phrase that the whole family concurs with. I use ‘hurry up’ with my puppies. You may also say ‘business’, ‘go potty’, ‘or ” water the grass’. The main thing is that you are comfortable saying the expression out in the open!

The Five Concepts of House Training Your Puppy

We should review the 5 concepts of House Training your puppy.

It is essential to show each of the five concepts to your puppy! There is no specific order to educating these:First is the means by which to educate your puppy where to go potty. Choose where her potty zone is and reliably take her there. Make sure to state “Outside” as you go outside or “Inside” as you go to her indoor potty range. Give your treat five seconds after she has got done with going.
Second is to educate your puppy where not to go potty. Abstain from unnerving and additionally rebuffing your puppy. Avoid frightening and/or punishing your puppy. Redirection without fear is the fastest way to results.
Third is to educate your puppy to hold it. Utilize repression to show this when you can’t watch your puppy. Utilize your leash (securely) inside when you can watch her.
Fourth is to instruct your puppy how to disclose to you she needs to go potty. I propose showing her to ring a chime as opposed to barking, whining, or scratching at the door.
Fifth is how to condition a keying expression to get your puppy to feel desire to go potty when you require for them to go. You will find that every one of the five concepts weave together as to persistently educate your puppy what you expect from her. I do not believe that there is such a thing a partially house trained dog. Your puppy is either house trained or she is not. You can utilize these five concepts to instruct a puppy or educate a much older pooch, as long as the pooch is of sound personality and body. It is, substantially quicker and simpler to educate these concepts in puppyhood!