TLC, exercise and fun for your dog while you are busy.

Dogs, they want to have fun! Get your dog off the couch and let her/him enjoy a day of camp!

Animals, like people face the risk of joint damage as they age.  To keep our dogs and cats resilient, it’s important to prevent joint damage.  Age, weather conditions, genetic predisposition, and exercise all impact on our dogs health.  One product that we use daily mixed in with our dogs morning meal is PetHealth OPC with Glucosamine.  It’s tasty, our dogs love it, and it protects cells in joints and other tissues, while working to keep our beloved pets healthy.

I only promote products that I have used longterm for my own dogs and believe in.

Dog Only Adventure Trips.

Our goal for 2010 is to offer daily and weekend DOG only trips…a vacation experience in and around NH for your dog to enjoy.  It will include eight to ten-hour outward-bound excursions to dog-sanctioned beaches, nature trails, and walks in town, overnight accommodations in our NH home, and will end with a spa experience at our favorite place:  Club Canine in Portsmouth.  Your dog will return to you tired, clean, AND WELL exercised and ready to rest!  Please continue to check in with us for the upcoming schedule of events.  We cannot wait!

 The Purple Paw Campaign is a huge success.   Our daily clicks have influenced the lives of homeless animals living in shelters and sanctuaries across the country!  Because of free daily clicks on the Animal Rescue Site  the amount of free food to animals in need is a resounding success for 2009!  Let us continue with our efforts of daily clicking on the Animal Rescue Site to end hunger for animals in shelters!  Thank you for following our dedicated Facebook page to click daily and for making a huge difference.  God Bless!  Let us make even a greater difference in 2010! 

From the official Animal Rescue Site:  In 2009, your clicks (78.7 million) + your shopping (13.2 million) = 92 million bowls of food!

“Most pet owners don’t need reminding. Animals make people feel good. But we’re talking about more than feeling glad they’re around. Your favorite animal can make you healthy and help you stay that way. You may be surprised at just how many ways a pet can improve your health.”  27 Ways to Stay Healthy With Your Pet.    Pet Health Slideshow: 27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health on RxList.com  www.rxlist.com

The “American Humane Society” offers strategies to make holiday time a safe and healthy time for your pets which in turn takes lots of added stress off you! We all know that one of the biggest ways to de-stress for both you and your dog is to hit the pavement, or ice and snow, a lot, before, during and after the holidays. This will reduce stress, build a healthy heart, and while walking off stress, you will eliminate some of those extra unwanted calories from holiday parties. Wishing you and you dog(s) a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Check out those new Reebok sneakers! They promise the user a better butt and leaner legs. LOL!

Thank you to the American Humane Society for the following useful information about keeping our pets safe during the upcoming holiday season. The following is taken directly from their website for our benefit:

Humane Holidays With Your Pets
While holidays bring good times and cheer for many, they also bring a unique set of circumstances for companion animals. Here are special issues for you to consider in keeping your pets safe and happy year-round.

Safe Ways to Celebrate
Make the holidays special for your pet
Provide your pet some extra love and attention to let them know they’re not forgotten during busy holiday times.

Take your dog for an extra walk — it’ll help both you and your pet relieve some of that holiday stress.
Keep a supply of pet treats handy and reach for one before you’re tempted to toss your pet that little bite of “people” food.
Let your pet get into the gift-giving spirit by making a donation (e.g., food, litter, toys) to your local shelter in his name.
Perhaps your dog would like a new bed, or your cat a new scratching post. Birds love mirrors or other fun items for the cage. Get creative!
Enjoy some extra snuggle time.
Whichever treat or special activity you choose, you’ll be enhancing the bond you share — and your pet will love it!

Stress
Holidays can bring stress to all of us, and pets are no exception. When routines are disrupted and new activities occur, your pet may be the first to notice. Follow these tips to make the holidays more relaxing for everyone, including your companion animals.

Shy animals can get stressed with the hustle and bustle of holiday guests, so provide a quiet room where your pets can escape the hustle and bustle. Provide plenty of food and water and let your pet catch up on some Zs.
Holiday guests may not know your pets’ routines. If your guests smoke, make sure they are careful with their cigarettes. Also, let them know in advance whether they are allowed to give treats to your animals.
As your holiday visitors come and go, there will be many escape opportunities for your pets. Make sure that your pets always wear identification tags, and watch the door at all times!
Always keep your veterinarian’s number handy, along with the number of the animal poison control center, in case of emergency.” (American Humane Society)

Many of us believe that colder weather and snow is synonymous with saying goodbye to Ticks, those nasty spider-like creatures that threaten humans and pets alike, and welcoming the newfound freedom of long walks along nature trails. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Each year, it has been commonplace to find at least one or two ticks walking around on or even attached to our dogs. A little research into the subject brought to light that anytime in the winter when the weather raises to above 40 degrees those nasty ticks resurface and are ready to feast on an unsuspecting host.
I have been patiently waiting for at least the first frost to take my own dog into the beautiful nature trails, one of my favorite, is Mill Pond in West Newbury, Ma. Today, I was tempted to do just that but settled on taking Beauty, our Golden Retriever and our guest Tiny for a walk in the fields of Rebecca Farms Homestead in Danvers, Ma. Mindful of ticks, we remained on the wooded paths and away from the tall grassy fields.
Curious, about the upcoming chilly weather and the fate of ticks in NH, I consulted the UNH Extension website to learn more about the incidence of ticks in our area and the life cycle of this nasty creature. I have taken the liberty to include information from their website for your review. It is clear that ticks are alive and thriving all year in our area. Soft and hard ticks are of concern to us and pose the threat of serious health risks. Here is what the folks at the UNH Extension have to say on the subject of the winter ticks we encounter, and be forewarned, it is not pretty:

NEW HAMPSHIRE TICK SPECIES – WINTER TICK UNH EXTENSION FACT SHEET BY ALAN EATON, UNH COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SPECIALIST, AND ENTOMOLOGY: MAY 2009

“In New Hampshire winter ticks have been collected as far south as Durham, Nottingham, Wilton, and Roxbury, but the species is more common farther north. Hunters or other people active in the woods in October and November occasionally sit on, or place a hand on the ground in a group of larvae waiting for a host. As many as 50 larvae have been found on a glove or pant leg after such an encounter. The larvae are brown, slightly smaller than a pinhead. Sometimes moose are found in winter with large patches of bare skin, carrying hundreds of winter ticks. Such heavy infestations sometimes kill the moose. Normally ticks are found in lower numbers (not hundreds per animal) on moose and deer. Adult winter ticks look like slightly elongated versions of the American dog tick.
The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is uncommon in New Hampshire, though it probably occurs throughout the state. This species is slightly smaller and slightly different in shape than the American dog tick. It is reddish-brown in color and lacks the mottling the Dermacentor species have. It has a life cycle very similar to other three-host ticks (like the Ameri¬can dog tick). It can be a problem in kennels and zoos, but rarely bites people. It has a strong tendency to crawl upwards and hides in cracks in kennel roofs or in ceilings or porches. In heated buildings, it can appear at any time of the year. It is unlikely this tick would be found anywhere but in or adjacent to kennels or houses where dogs are kept. This species can spread two diseases to dogs: canine Erlichiosis and canine babesiosis.
The blacklegged tick (deer tick), Ixodes scapularis, is our second most common species. Until 1993, northern specimens were considered a dif¬ferent species, called the deer tick (Ixodes dammini). It looks similar to the tick species mentioned above, but is smaller and more rounded. It lacks the mottling of Dermacentor species. Adult males are very dark brown, almost black. Adult females are two-toned: dark chestnut browns on head, legs and sputum, and orange-red on the rear half of the body. Nymphs are about the size of a pinhead (1-2mm), and adults are just over 1/16″ (2-3 mm) long. When fully engorged with a blood meal, an adult female-blacklegged tick can swell to 3/8-inch (10 mm) long.
This species has received much attention because it is the vector of (transmits) the organism that causes Lyme disease. A 2007 study also found two additional pathogens in some NH black legged ticks: the pathogens that cause babesiosis and anaplasmosis in people.” Alan Eaton, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Entomology: May 2009

In a few moments we are heading out for our long hike!  I love walking through trails because the dogs are off leash and can run and play freely and socialize with other dogs.  Beauty always stays close by and if I am out of sight, she will double back for me.  I keep Tiny on a 20 ft. lead so she can have lots of freedom.  Because she is a guest, Tiny, will remain on her leash for safety reasons.  Dogs in my care are always leashed to prevent problems.  But, we are creative in giving our guest dogs lots of free space by using long, lightweight leashes.
Enjoy your Monday and hope you enjoy your daily walk too!

Rainy day essentials

Before braving, the elements with your fur friend make sure to check out the things you will need to make your return home a pleasant one with your wet friend!  You will need the following waiting for you when you get home:

ü  A large dry fluffy dry towel for drying your pet.

ü  Several paper towels for spot drying of paws.

ü  A towel in the entrance to stand on to preserve your floors.

ü  A blow dryer to use after toweling on low heat for ears and paws.

ü  Natural & delicious treat to reward your dog for cooperating.

ü  Hot cup of tea, hot cocoa, or coffee for you!

Do not forget to include some paper towels in your pocket to wipe off your hands when they are wet and muddy from the leash!  Some warm gloves may be comforting to you as well!  In addition, if it is gloomy and dark out there, please remember to use your orange safety vest for you and your pet!

Enjoy! 

Rose, and our fur girl Beauty, and our guest “Tiny.”

For the Dogs Staff

Our girls enjoying Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester, Ma

The temperatures are soaring and it feels like a wet blanket out there, not to mention how difficult it is to breathe.  We all want to cool off in water!  Unfortunately, so many local and favored spots cater to humans and leave out our pampered pooch.  What’s up with that? 

Try Jenness State Park in Rye after 7 pm.  The beach is clean, the people are laid back, especially the after 7 pm crowd who are aware that the beach will transform into a dog panacea.   

Walking the beach is so refreshing.  Walk along the waters’ edge with your fur girl or guy.  We keep our girl on a long leash for when she needs some quick behavior correcting.  She loves little kids who are running and splashing not to mention gourmet dinner spreads.  You know what I am talking about!  Those organized folks who have eating on the beach down to a science…the buffet tables ng with gourmet dishes that are  out with food that is marinated for hours before it reaches that heavy duty paper plate.  And, don’t forget the delicious wine being slowly savored by guests enjoying each others company and the idyllic ocean scenes.

If your dog is sometimes unpredictable like mine, it is sometimes common for me to suddenly be shocked into reality from  peaceful daydreaming  and falter, as I kick the water to form a kalidescope of droplets that  gleam like diamonds under the fading sun to notice my big, wet, sand covered dog sprinting at high speeds to partake of the feast while the unsuspecting victims savor their treats.  I look like a crazy person as I run after our girl, trying not to yell, trying to remind myself to uphold the wisdom of Cesar Millan:  “to gain control over your dog, you must remain calm and assertive!” 

Thankfully,  I can grab the long leash attached to her collar  before  damage occurs.   The banquet is saved, no real damage done!  The almost victims smile and laugh while commenting that ”our girl is beautiful, sweet, how she reminds them of the antics of their own beloved dog….”

That leash is a great save!  Thanks goes to Beauty’s trainer for this technique!  (Terrance at My Dogs Mind, Hamtpon, NH)

Enjoy the beautiful beach with your dog! 

And, if you are to busy to take this early evening walk because of work or social commitments, don’t hesitate to call us to take your beloved fur girl or boy with us!