Tip of the Month

September 2010

Did you know that you don’t need to give your dog booster vaccinations?  Vaccinosis is the term used for over-vaccinating and may be the cause of some very common medical problems in dogs that include skin allergies, autoimmune disease, tumors etc.  Please read all about this with facts from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the FDA on this site in the Resources section under Health and Well Being.

August 2010

Setting your dog up is crucial in training.  Why wait until your dog eats your sandwich out of your hand? Take the time to teach your puppy not to grab food from your hand or off of your plate.  Teach the LEAVE IT command when you are prepared as this will save a lot of time spend in negative attention and missed lunches.

July 2010

Don’t feed your dogs food to deer or any other wildlife as it can make them very sick and it attracts them to your campground and this in turn will attract other pesty wildlife like raccoons, mice, rats to your own campground.

June 2010

When traveling with your dog make sure that you have updated vaccination information as some hotels, state borders and campgrounds require proof of vaccination.

May 2010

Don’t over exercise your dog in temperatures over 90 degrees. A short walk or hike is fine but skip intense exercise as dogs can overheat to the point of heat exhaustion and potential death.  Dogs don’t know when to stop chasing balls, sticks and each other. It’s our responsibility to make sure that they don’t over exert themselves.

April 2010

Don’t leave your dog in a car on hot days—even if the windows are cracked. Hot is anything over 80 degrees. You may have parked in the shade when you left but in time the sun shifts, leaving your dog in a car that could heat up to deadly temperatures. Unattended dogs are very vulnerable to heat stroke and potential death.

March 2010

Puppy proofing your home can save a life as well as sentimental things. Electrical cords should be out of the way, floors free from debris, trashcans out of reach and anything treasured or sentimental put away. Just like babies, puppies find the smallest things to put in their mouths and aren’t very discerning. Check under furniture for potentially dangerous items lost long ago.

February 2010

Put your animals in your will so they are taken care of if something happens to you.

January 2010

Your family emergency plan should include your dog and other pets. Make sure dogs have proper identification tags on their collar and a microchip if available. If you move, update the microchip and ID tags.

December 2009

Don’t keep a choke chain on your dog as her regular permanent collar. It can get it caught on something and accidentally strangle your dog.  It can be used as a training tool not as an identification collar. It’s also a good idea take off choke chains while your dog is playing with other dogs so that they aren’t in danger of getting caught up in each others collar.

November 2009

Don’t put plastic baggies in a trashcan without puncturing holes in it.  If you have a dog that likes to get into trashcans, he could accidentally get the baggie stuck over his muzzle and suffocate.

October 2009

Many over-the-counter flea and tick products are unsafe and even toxic to your pets. Do your research before applying to your pet. The FDA has announced a crackdown on toxic flea products that are killing our pets.  Please read article on the Resources page.

September 2009

Crate training can be very useful as it simulates a den environment instinctive to dogs. Be careful though not to misuse the crate. It is a training tool not to be used for punishment. Even adult dogs should not be left in the crate for more than four hours at a time unless it is bedtime. Using a crate to keep a dog out of the way is misusing the crate. A dog can’t learn good house manners if you lock him in a crate.

August 2009

Find the time to train your dog, every day.  Make it fun and be creative.  Spending good quality time training your puppy will ensure him to grow up as a well adjusted and well mannered dog.  If you are spending 15 minutes in your whole day disciplining your dog for negative behavior then you can spend that 15 minutes in training time which is positive training and you’ll both be happier.

July 2009

Have fun with training. If you are bored with it, don’t like it, or have turned it into military school,  your dog certainly won’t enjoy it either—and you’ll both fail.  Training is a time of bonding, shaping and learning. It should be a party! Make up little games for distractions, get outside in the fresh air, meet other dogs and people and watch your puppy flourish.

June 2009

Don’t jog or run a puppy under two years of age.  They are growing leaps and bounds their first two years and their bones and muscles are not ready for the steady pace of jogging or running.  Quite a bit of damage can be caused by this at too young an age. and the ramifications—premature arthritis is not worth it. Hiking off leash where the puppy can run, walk, lie down or rest is much easier on his body.  This kind of exercise is much safer and more gentle on their growing body. Happy hiking!

May 2009

You dog should have two wipe-out sessions every day, once in the morning and once in the early evening. She needs this physical release to have more balance in her life. Let’s face it, a tired dog is a happy dog. A wipe-out session can be 20-30 minutes spent at a dog park. on an off-leash hike, a play date with a doggie friend or a game of plain old fetch in the backyard.  You’ll both be happier for it.

April 2009

Train your dog every day for the first 2 years, which is when she hits her age of maturity. Yes, that’s right! Pups are pups until they hit their age of maturity which is between 1 .5  to 3 years of age. Training in distractions for at least half an hour a day will challenge your dog enough to form the basis of respect.

March 2009

Start socializing your puppy right away with other friendly and healthy dogs of all sizes and ages. Choose wisely an appropriate playmate with regard to size and age.

February 2009

A must read for all pet owners:  Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life. This bestselling book by NANCY KAY, DVM is enjoyable and enormously helpful.

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Email:   jill@shewhisperer.com