Pet Auto Safety

It’s almost spring and time for vacationing again.  Spring Break is coming up too, so what will you do?  One popular vacationing pastime it is to go camping.  Camping is fun for your entire family.  Whether you stay in a cabin, motor home, or tent, there is nothing like exploring the great outdoors.  If your camping trip includes bringing your family dog, don’t forget some important pet safety tips.

Identification
Anytime you travel with your dog, make sure he is wearing his identification tags.  Make sure the tags are secure on his collar and that his collar is in good shape and not likely to break or come off.  Also consider having your pet microchipped.  We have heard some great news stories about lost dogs getting back home again thanks to microchipping.

Leash
Whenever you travel with your dog to a new place, make sure he is always on a leash.  A dog in a new environment could easily wander off and get lost.  Or something could frighten him and he could run off.  It’s tempting to let your dog explore the great outdoors, but getting lost is just one of the many dangers when camping with your dog.

Wild Animals
Encountering wild animals is more likely when camping with your dog.  If your dog is not on a leash, he may encounter dangerous wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, or snakes, just to name a few.  Raccoons can vicious when cornered and also carry diseases.  Skunks, of course, can spray and ruin everyone’s vacation.  Snakes could be venomous.

Harmful Plants
Watch out for harmful plants as well.  Know which plants can be harmful and keep yourself and your dog away from them.  Harmful plant can include poison oak, poison ivy, briar and other thorned plants.  Other plants could be harmful if eaten.  Most dogs probably won’t eat plants, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

Insects
Your dog is probably more likely to encounter fleas and ticks in the wilderness than at home.  Have him treated with a flea and tick product like Advantix or Frontline.  Flea collars don’t work very well, especially if your dog encounters a highly infested area.  Mosquitos could be another problem.  Mosquitos can transmit heartworms.  If your dog is not on a heartworm preventative, then find a pet safe mosquito repellant.  It is very important that you find a mosquito repellant that is specifically safe for pets.  Repellant which is okay for people may not be okay for pets.  Check your local pet store rather than a general merchandise store.

Fire Safety
Keep your dog away from the camp fire and barbeque pit.  It will probably be easy to keep your dog away from a campfire as dogs are generally instinctively cautious of a fire.  But watch out for his wagging tail.

Water Safety
If you are camping near water and your dog is not a good swimmer, consider a dog life jacket.  If your dog is a good swimmer but the current is swift, consider a dog life jacket.  If you will be going out on a boat, consider a dog life jacket.  Most dogs can swim, but not all, and not all can swim well in a swift current or if they get caught in the water far away from shore.

Leaving Your Dog Alone
If at all possible, don’t leave your dog alone at the campsite.  You dog could escape from a tent.  He may even be able to escape from a cabin.  And motorhomes have their own danger.  I have heard of the electricity going out of a motor home while the family was away and their dog who was left there alone died of heat exhaustion.  Extreme heat could also be a danger in a tent or cabin.  And don’t leave your dog tied up outside alone.  Besides the chance of your dog getting loose, he could also encounter wild animals and other dangers.

These are important pet safety tips no matter where you travel with your dog.  So no matter where you travel this spring, make sure your dog is safe.

If you are traveling to a water destination with your dog this spring, you may want to consider a dog life vest.  Even if your dog does not plan on going into the water, a dog life vest is as important for your dog as it is for a person when you are going on a boat.

My dog Maya, really likes to swim.  I get worried when she swims so much that she is exhausted so I don’t throw the stick or ball out as far into the lake.  The solution – she sometimes wears a dog life vest.

My parents have a sail boat.  Maya loves the water so much that I am afraid that she will jump out.  The solution – she wears a dog life vest.

A dog life vest should have a handle on the back so that if they fall in the water, all you have to do is lift them out.  Maya is a bit heavy, but if worse comes to worse, emergency personnel can help.

Check out this very informative post by one of our guest bloggers in the UK - Why, When and Where is a Dog Life Jacket Needed? By Juliette Morgan.  Juliette Morgan is very knowledgeable!  If you are in the UK, visit her website at www.edoglifejacket.co.uk.  The photo above is of her dog, Dougie.  Isn’t he adorable?!  If you are in the US, visit our Amazon Affiliate store at http://astore.amazon.com/outdoordoggear-20.

Have a tail-wagging time with your dog in Portland, Oregon.  Portland, Oregon has more dog friendly hotels than we can shake a stick at, several off-leash dog parks to roll over for, and a number of dog-friendly restaurants worth begging for.

Portland, Oregon is known as the City of Roses.  Take your dog to visit Portland’s first public rose garden, the Peninsula Rose Garden.  Dogs must be friendly, leashed, and picked up after.  Two other big rose gardens in Portland also allow dogs - the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park and Ladd’s Addition Rose Garden.

Other dog-friendly places in Portland and the surrounding area to visit are the Cooper Mountain Vineyards and Oak Knoll Winery, the Grotto, and the Hoyt Arboretum.  The Grotto is a Catholic Shrine and botanical garden.  Dogs are not allowed on the upper level, but they are allowed outdoors in the plaza an botanical garden.  The Hoyt Arboretum is 185 acres of trees and has about 12 miles of trails.  The trees consist of over 1,100 species from around the world.  Your dog would love to check out those trees!

Portland also has a number of dog friendly restaurants where dogs are allowed on the outdoor patio.  You’d think that places like the Iron Mutt Coffee Company and the Lucky Labrador Public House would be dog friendly – and you would be correct.  Other dog friendly restaurants include Monteaux’s Public House, Berlin Inn German Restaurant and Bakery, Casa Colima, Goose Hollow at the Cove, Kells Irish Pub, and more.

You can’t go wrong with your dog in the City of Roses.  Come visit Portland, Oregon and be sure to bring your dog!

Sephi loves her dog seatbelt.  But if you think your dog will hate a dog seatbelt, consider the various other pet travel supplies available on the market.  Keep him safe by keeping him in the back seat with a pet barrier.  Keep him secure in a pet travel crate strapped in with kennel restraints.  Or keep him comfortable in a dog car seat.

Love your dog this Valentine’s Day and keep him safe when he travels.  Spring is coming soon and he will want to go to the dog park and enjoy the sunshine again.

~

Love is playing in the park. Love is expressed in a joyous bark.
Love is taking him to the vet. Love is when he is more than just a pet.
Love is good food that puts him in a happy mood.
Love his giving him a nice warm bed even though he will shed.
Love is a nice long walk and a wagging tail.
And love his keeping him safe, whatever that might entail.

~

Say “Happy Valentine’s Day” to your best friend.

Check out these adorable videos at www.subaru.com/dogs.  Click the small Dog Tested Videos button on the middle left of their screen and enjoy videos of dogs test driving the Subaru.  Our favorite is the one above. 

Do we have any readers who have dogs and let them ride in their Subaru?  We’d love to hear a review!

Do you love the outdoors?  Are you considering traveling to Austin, Texas?  The Austin area is a great place for people who love the outdoors to visit.  In the city itself is Zilker Park and the Barton Creek Greenbelt.  North of Austin is Georgetown Lake.  (My dog, Smokey, and I went on a 3-day hike around the lake once.  It was awesome!)  East of Austin is Bastrop Lake.  (This place is great for taking the dogs swimming, hiking, or boating.)  These are just the places I am most familiar with.  There are many more outdoor places in the Austin area for you and your dog to visit.

Back when I used to live near Austin, Texas, I had Becky Ann, Achilles, and Smokey (pictured above left).  As you can imagine, traveling anywhere with all three of them in the car was a challenge.  That is when I first considered dog car seat belts.  I got one for each of them.  It took a little time, but Smokey, Becky Ann, and Achilles came to love their dog car seat belts and this meant that they got to travel to more places more often.

Our favorite place to go was Zilker Park.  It was nearby, it’s woodsy so there were lots of interesting smells for them to check out, it’s a beautiful place for anyone who loves the outdoors to visit, and it’s a great place for all of us to get exercise.  Zilker Park holds a lot of outdoor and dog-friendly attractions like the Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Zilker Park Boat Rentals, and my favorite, an entrance to the Barton Creek Greenbelt.

Dogs on a leash are allowed in the 31 acre Zilker Botanical Gardens.  Be sure to pick up after your dog, though!  We don’t want doggy smells overwhelming the beautiful smells of the garden.  The Zilker Botanical Gardens features several themed gardens such as the Fragrance Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Prehistoric Garden, and more.  These gardens also feature tranquil streams, picturesque waterfalls, and exotic ponds filled with Koi fish.  If you have a chance to visit, make it around March when the annual Zilker Garden Festival takes place.

Zilker Park Boat Rentals allows well-mannered dogs on the boat rentals.  If your dog doesn’t mind riding in a boat, this is a great way to see the beautiful scenery which Austin, Texas has to offer.  I am all about safety so my dogs wore dog life jackets when we went on the boat – especially Becky Ann who was the only dog that I ever owned who didn’t know how to swim..

As mentioned before, the Barton Creek Greenbelt was my favorite place in Austin, Texas to visit.  The Barton Creek Greenbelt features a 7-mile-long trail perfect for walking, hiking, or biking.  Dogs are required to be on a leash.  This is especially important so that your dog doesn’t get in the way of the people biking along the trail.  The main trail follows Barton Creek.  There are a lot of great swimming holes along the way.  If you are a rock climber, there are some great cliffs to climb.  You may also see waterfalls, wildlife, and caves.  Once in a while, you will see a house on the other side of the creek, but most of the Barton Creek Greenbelt is all natural landscape.

If you ever get a chance to visit Austin, Texas, bring your dog.  There are plenty of dog-friendly hotels.  Even the airport is dog-friendly.  If you drive, be sure your dog wears a dog car seat belt.  If you fly, be sure it is when the weather is at its mildest because bigger dogs are not allowed to fly when the weather is too hot.  This is because bigger dogs have to travel in the cargo area of the plane which is only moderately temperature controlled.

Put the dog car harness on the dog and drive to St. Louis, Missouri for a great vacation.  There is so much for you and your dog to do that you will all be dog-tired afterwards.  Visit museums, parks, wineries, pet stores, and hike on the 225 mile-long Katy Trail.

Stay at a number of pet-friendly hotels in St. Louis including Sheraton, Residence Inn, Hampton Inn, Red Roof Inn, La Quinta, Holiday Inn, just to name a few.  (Call first to make sure.  Some hotels have restrictions on the size of your dog.)  Eat on the outdoor patio of a number of restaurants including Chipotle, Atlas Restaurant, Duff’s Restaurant, and Coffee Cartel.  Shop at a number of pet stores including Petco, PetSmart, Cat’s Meow, Inc., Four Muddy Paws, Three Dog Bakery, Wolfgang’s Pet Shop, Pets in the City, and more!

Go sight-seeing at the Laumeier Sculpture Park, the Museum of Transportation, the Boathouse in Forest Park, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historical Site, and the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog.  With the exception of the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, dogs are not be allowed the buildings.  But there are lots of outdoor sites to see.  The Laumeier Sculpture Park has a lot of outdoor sculptures.  You can see all types of trains, automobiles, and planes outside the Museum of Transportation.  Dogs are allowed to ride the boats at the Boathouse in Forest Park.  There is even a pet-friendly restaurant at the Boathouse.  Dogs are not allowed in the buildings at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historical Site, but they are allowed to walk the almost 10 acres of land and see the historical buildings from the outside.

St. Louis also hosts a number of off-leash dog parks including the Frenchtown Dog Park, Shaw Neighborhood Dog Park, Taylor Dog Park, Lister Dog Park, and Water Tower Dog Park.  Dogs will also have a good time walking the Katy Trail.  It is 225 miles long but you don’t have to walk it all.  There are a number of entrance points and several points of interest along the way.  More than half of the Katy Trail follows Lewis and Clark’s path along the Missouri River.

Relax after a long day at several of the dog-friendly wineries in the St. Louis metro area.  There is the Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, Peaceful Bend Vineyard in Steelville, and Schorr Lake Vineyards in Waterloo.

For more information on these great dog-friendly places in St. Louis, Missouri visit dogfriendly.com.  Don’t forget to travel to St. Louis in safety.  Your dog should wear a dog car harness or be secure in another pet auto safety device.  Be safe and have fun!

If you and your dog are tired of being cooped up for the winter, it is time to get up and get out.  I know it is cold, but if your dog likes snow, he will love a snow day at the dog park.  Or just take him to the park with the kids for a little snow sledding.  But if you are not for spending time outdoors, go to a Starbucks drive through, get a hot coffee, and ask for a buttered croissant and give your dog a piece or two.  A trip to a pet store to look at all the dog toys would be fun too!

The benefits of traveling with your dog are many.  First, your dog will learn to be a better traveler.  Second, your dog gets more socialization and the more socialization, the better he gets with other people and other pets.  Third, the more your dog goes out, the more exercise he gets.  And finally, the better he gets at riding in the car, the more likely you are to take him on long road trips instead of leaving him at a boarding kennel.

Wherever you travel with your dog this year, be sure you travel in safety.  Have your dog wear a dog seat belt.  If he is not used to wearing a dog seat belt, take small trips like to Starbucks or pet stores or dog parks.  The more he rides with his dog seat belt on, the more he will get used to it and be ready for the long haul.

Have fun this year and travel safe!

This is the time of year to give and to help those in need.  When you donate your time, belongings, or money to children and people in need this year, don’t forget that there are animals in need too.  Animal shelters get overloaded right after the Christmas holidays so anything you donate now will help.

Why are animal shelters overloaded after Christmas?  Because people give pets as gifts and, more often than not, it doesn’t work out.  Also, pets sometimes get out and get lost during the craziness of visiting families or the going in and out for holiday shopping.  Donate dog food, blankets, dog toys, or money to your local animal shelter.  Do it for yourself.  Or donate on behalf of someone else as a gift.

Take care of your pets when you travel and help pets in need and have a happy tail-wagging Christmas!

Are you traveling a long distance for the holidays?  If so, you may be trying to decide what you should do with your dogs.  Should you take them with you, put them in a boarding kennel, leave them in the care of a friend or neighbor, or hire a pet sitter?  Perhaps you have tried one of these methods and they did not work out for you.  Maybe one of these options is not available.  Or perhaps one of these options is out of your budget.  If you are having some trouble deciding, consider the following advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Take Your Dog With You
Obviously this has the biggest advantage is that you know your dog will be cared for.  You will also be able to enjoy your Holiday with your best friend.  But if you are flying, that could be a big disadvantage in both cost and comfort for your dog.  Flying can be very traumatic for a dog - especially if they are bigger dogs which have to be put in the cold and dark cargo area of the plane.  Weather can also be an issue because animals are not allowed to fly in extreme hot or cold weather.  And cold weather is a big likelihood this season.  If you are traveling by car, consider how your dog travels in the car.  Do they get car sick?  Are they afraid of riding in the car?  Also, you will want to make sure your pet rides in a pet car seat or is wearing a dog seat belt.

Boarding Kennel
Most boarding kennels provide excellent care.  You will want to visit them before-hand to make sure.  Perhaps even consider a boarding kennel which was the new web cams so that you can see for yourself how your dog is doing.  An obvious disadvantage is the cost.  Many boarding kennels charge a flat fee for boarding, day play, and special attention.  But some boarding kennels charge extra fees for this service.  Even boarding kennels with a flat fee can be expensive.  In my area, it is about $25 per day so four days gone for the holiday is $100. Another disadvantage of a boarding kennel is illnesses which sometimes tend to frequent such facilities.  A boarding kennel may have the cleanest facility around but with so many dogs, the chances of your dog catching an airborne illness increases.  Be sure to select a boarding kennel which requires all dogs to get bordetella shots.  Also consider your pet’s temperament.  Some dogs, like my dog Sephi, would hate a boarding kennel.  Putting them in a place which they don’t like could cause more stress and in turn make them more susceptible to illness.

Hire a Pet Sitter
If your dog won’t like a boarding kennel, they may do better being left in the comforts of their own home.  A hired pet sitter can come by 2 to 3 times per day for feeding, walking, affection, and play time.  However, pet sitters can cost as much as a boarding kennel.  Also, if your dog craves attention, the limited visits of a pet sitter may not be enough.  And since a pet sitter does not visit as often, they may not notice any illness or depression issues.

Enlist a Friend
Having your friend or neighbor take care of your dog is a good advantage expense-wise.  It can also be a good alternative for dogs who don’t like boarding kennels.  And a dog who stays with someone they know and trust will be less likely to get depressed.  But finding a friend or neighbor who is going to be able to care for your dog over the holidays may be difficult.  Many people are traveling this time of year.

When I traveled to Oregon one holiday, my biggest concerns were expense and the temperament of my dogs.  We were going to fly to Oregon and taking the dogs was not an option due to cold weather.  Not only that, Sephi has flown before and hated it so I did not want to subject her to that again.  So my only options were boarding kennel, hire a pet sitter, or enlist a friend or neighbor.  Luckily I had a friend who could take one dog, but she couldn’t take both.  Since Sephi doesn’t like boarding kennels, I decided Sephi could stay with the friend.  Since Maya loves to play with other dogs and we had a good boarding kennel which gave all the dogs an all-day play session, I decided to board her.

Be sure that you also consider your dog’s health temperament when making a decision.  Their happiness and well-being is far more important than accumulating a little more holiday expenses.  Take your dog with you when you can.  Try to enlist a friend or trusted neighbor if you can’t.  And if neither is available, budget for a boarding kennel or pet sitter.