Tahoe Outdoors

Getting your pet in shape the safe way

As summer begins to wane, the cool air is becoming more inviting to go on a nice evening walk or jog.  You have decided that it’s time for you to get off your couch and get in shape.  Have you thought about taking your couch potato pooch along, too?  Exercising can be much more fun when you share the experience with someone else.  So, as you lace up your walking shoes, keep these pet conditioning tips in mind.

If you know you are in good health, then you may not need to visit your doctor.  But, if your pet isn’t one to exercise all the time, then a trip to the veterinarian is probably in order.  You veterinarian can make sure your pooch is physically ready to start an exercise program.  A checkup visit is never a bad idea, since your vet can identify and address any other problems or concerns.

Once your vet gives the go ahead, the pull out your favorite pair of tennis shoes.  It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to run a marathon your first day exercising, so don’t expect your pooch to, either.  If anything affects you, remember that it could be affecting your dog.  That includes muscle and joint pain, soreness, heat exhaustion, thirst, basically anything that’s a result of exercise.  So, take extra precautions when it comes to exercising.  Start slow, so you and your dog can get conditioned together.

Before you hit the road, there are additional things to consider.  First, your pooch can be a victim of dehydration or heat stroke fairly quickly.  Plus, a hot pavement can burn his paws.  For these reasons, you should neither exercise during the hottest part of the day, nor overdo it.  Second, you probably don’t eat a three-course meal right before a jog, so don’t feed your dog right before your exercise.  Move his meals around to where he isn’t exercising full or empty.  Third, always make sure you and your pooch have access to water.  You don’t necessarily have to take it with you, but it should be readily available when you return home.

It’s a good idea to establish a routine from the beginning.  Even though it’s okay to change things up, having an exercise schedule can help you get motivated, while giving your pet something to look forward to.  If you are “exercise rusty,” then start with a twenty to thirty minute walk three times a week.  During this time, keep your dog on a leash, and teach him the basics of street etiquette.  He’ll need to learn commands to keep him out of trouble, including when to cross the street and what to do if a car heads your way.

You can increase your walk to more times each week.  Many breeds (and owners) are fine with daily walks and do not necessarily need to run.  However, if you would like to start jogging, then treat it like walking:  start slow, and gradually increase frequency and duration.  If you are not up for a more intense routine but your pet needs one, then come up with ways for him to get additional exercise.  You could ride a bike or roller skate while he runs beside you.  Or, consider inviting other pooches over for a play date.  A few games of fetch will have them worn out in no time!
Whether you are walking, running, or playing, it is important that you pay attention to how your pet feels.  An “exercise rusty” pooch may experience paw pad problems.  So, you should check the bottom of his feet daily.  Look for blisters or cuts.  If he seems to be in pain (whether it’s from his paws, joints, etc.), then slow it down or interrupt the routine for a couple of days.  If your pet is not recovering, then take him back to the veterinarian for a checkup.

As the weather begins to cool, a daily walk can be hard to resist.  Instead of going on a walk alone, why not take your pooch?  He needs exercise, too!  But before you hit the road, get the veterinarian to okay your exercise plan, ruling out any possible health problems.  Start a routine, but take it easy.  It may take a few weeks for the both of you to exercise without experiencing exhaustion.

This article was provided by pet super store an online pet site featuring dog crates, pet doors and orthopedic pet beds.

Are you sick of walking outside your back door and stepping into a pile of poop? Have your dogs turned your beautifully sodded lawn into a race track? Is it impossible to enjoy your patio set without your dog begging at your feet? Maybe it’s time you separated your dog’s backyard space from your own backyard space. It’s time to build a dog run.

Step 1: Decide which part of the yard you’d like to designate as “dogs only.” Consider the view from inside your home. (You don’t want to look out your backyard to see Fido lifting his leg at every turn.)  You also want to consider what gardens you already have in existence. (You probably don’t want to close your pup in with your veggies…)

Step 2: Decide on the style of fence that will complement your home. There are many options available; picket fences, vinyl fences, chain link, wrought iron,

Step 3: Determine the height of fence that you will need. It would be extremely frustrating to spend time and money building a run only to watch your retriever bound over the fence with little effort. Also determine where the gate(s) that allow access to the dog run will be located.

Step 4: Measure out the distance of fencing and purchase the materials you will need. Aside from the fencing and fence posts, you will need a fence post digger, cement, spray paint, level, leveling string, and hardware for the gates.

Step 5: Determine where the fence posts will be located and spray paint their location onto the ground. Use the leveling string between posts to ensure that you have created straight lines.

Step 6: Start digging! The depth of the holes should be between ¼ and 1/3 of the height of the fence posts. Pour the cement mixture into the holes, insert the posts and use the level to ensure they are upright and straight. This is a good time to take a break as the cement needs about a day to dry with the fence posts in it.

Step 7: The next day will be like connecting the dots. You will connect the posts with the fence lengths, attaching the lengths to the posts with the hardware that is appropriate for the fence style you chose.

Step 8: Install the gates in the desired locations, using the hardware purchased.
Your dog run is ready to be tested! The only other thing you might want to consider is the surface of the ground inside the dog run. You want something that will be easy to maintain, soft on the dog’s feet, but also easy to shovel poop off of!

This article was provided by pet-super-store.com which is an online pet shop that carriers the pet industries leading manufactures: PetSafe, Innotek & Dogtra

If you are new to the pet-owning arena, then you may be trying to figure out exactly what kind of animal you want to take home.  The possibilities seem endless, since you can choose from fish, to birds, to reptiles, to cats and dogs.  For the purpose of this article, the dog versus cat dilemma will be examined.  There are a thousand in-depth reasons for choosing one over the other; but for the sake of your sanity (and mine), let’s stick to a few of the main, more obvious things to consider:  time, family, housing, and well, “other.”

Time:  Pets can take up lots of time but some require more than others.  No matter what type of animal you bring into your home, you need to be able to provide enough of your time to feed, groom, and exercise or play with the pet.  If you don’t have much extra time, then a puppy may not be a good idea.  Like small children, puppies require lots of attention and training.  However, an adult dog that is already trained will not be as demanding as a puppy.  Cats, on the other hand, are more independent than dogs.  You will still need to play with your cat, but you will not necessarily have to take her for a daily walk.

Family:  If you have other members in your household, then take them into consideration.  Small children will have to be monitored when they are around the pet, so this could make a difference in what type of animal you want (a small animal may be more easily injured than a larger one).  An older family member may enjoy the soothing therapy of petting a cat, while not liking a rambunctious dog.  Also, if you will have help caring for the animal, then consider the limits.  Your child may be able to feed a cat, but may not be able to exercise with a dog.

Housing:  Where you live can have a lot to do with what type of animal you choose.  If you live in an apartment, then your choices may be somewhat limited.  Don’t get me wrong, a dog can easily live in an apartment, but you will have to carefully select which breed you want in the small space.  You must also consider how the pet will act when you are away from home.  Since neighbors are in such a close proximity, they may not tolerate a yapping pooch.  But, cats are not always ideal in a small space, either.  If not cleaned at least once each day (sometimes multiple times depending on the cat), the litter box can release foul odors that spread through the apartment.

In addition to your living space, you must think about where the pet will live.  If you want the pet to stay outdoors, then you still must provide it with housing.  Cats and dogs can both reside outdoors, so that may not be a problem.  However, will you be able to handle a dog digging underneath the fence or a cat destroying your garden?  There are additional precautions you must take when you keep pets outdoors.

Other:  There are a number of other things you must consider when it comes to a pet.  Perhaps you, or a family member, are allergic to pet dander.  Sometimes, a person can experience an allergic reaction around a cat but not have a reaction around a dog.  There are also “hypoallergenic” pets that cause little or no reaction in allergic humans; you can find hypoallergenic cats and dogs.  If you have a child in the home who is allergy sensitive, then this may also affect your decision.  Until recently pets have been thought to cause allergies in young children; now, studies are showing that animals in the home can actually prevent asthma.

If you want a pet for security or for social reasons (i.e. alerting you when someone arrives or going to the dog park), then a loud cat probably won’t be your best choice.  But, if you are looking for an animal that will enjoy your company without being entirely dependent upon you, a puppy may not fit that mold.  There are tons of reasons why you would want a cat over a dog and vice versa, so try to think things through.

So, maybe this article didn’t make the cat versus dog decision for you, but hopefully it helped put a few factors into perspective.  Deciding what type of pet to get involves more than just money; you have to take time, family, housing, and other matters into consideration.  Cats and dogs are both great pets to have; it’s up to you to decide which best fits your lifestyle.

This article was provided by pet-super-store an online pet shop featuring aluminum dog crates, dog doors and dog carriers.

If you have been working on obedience training with your pooch, you have probably been pretty amazed with your results.  Dogs are just fast, competent learners!  Sometimes, though, you may have a problem with getting your dog’s attention.  Sure, he’ll sit and rollover; that is, once you yell his name a dozen times.  Establishing eye contact with your pooch can be a huge help in training; it can also keep him safe if a dangerous situation arises.  Here are a few tips for training your pet to look at you.

If you take your pet to a public place (even if it’s just a walk through your neighborhood), then it’s extremely important that you have control over your dog.  Yes, a leash can help, but dogs do not always react to leashes the ways we would like for them to.  Establishing eye contact with your dog not only gets his attention, but it also gets him ready for whatever you need him to do.  In essence, it gives you control.  This can be especially important when the dog across the street is tempting your pooch.  As your dog ages, he may lose his acute sense of hearing.  Having eye contact training already established can help you with a deaf pet.

So, now that you know a few benefits of eye contact training, it is time to get started.  Before you gather the supplies, think about what verbal command you want to relate with eye contact.  If you want, you can simply use your pet’s name to get his attention.  This is not always ideal, though, because there are cases where you do not want your pet to look at you every time you say his name.  So, come up with your own command.  “Watch me” or “look here” are always good options.  Now, it is time to move onto the training.  As with all training, you’ll need a pocketful of treats.  If you use a clicker for training, then you should go ahead and grab that, too.  Take your pet to a quiet room in your home with no distractions, so that he can focus on you.

The methods of teaching eye contact are numerous.  This is just one way, but there are many others.  If you want to modify this training to fit your pet, then feel free to do so.  Some people recommend having your pet on a leash that is tied around your waist; that way, if your pet is easily distracted, there are not too many directions he can look.

Have your pet sit in front of you.  Pull a treat from your pocket, but be careful not to show it to your pooch yet.  Say your chosen command as you display the treat out of your pet’s reach.  He will probably be hypnotized by the treat in your hand, staring hard.  But, most pooches will look to their owners when it comes to something they want.  Keep the treat in your hand until he looks up to you.  The moment he looks up to you, praise him with a “good” or any other verbal praise, and let him have the treat.  If you use a clicker to train, the click the clicker the instant he looks to you and give him the treat.  Repeat this a handful of times.  If your pet refuses to give you a glance, then you may have to move the treat towards your face.  Let’s your dog’s eyes follow as you put the treat nearly level with your eyes.  Repeat this several times, but then move the treat away from your face.

As your pet begins to make eye contact, you should begin to add your own distractions.  With the treat in hand, move your hand away from your body.  Your dog will look at the treat and then you.  Give the command.  Once again, when he looks at you give him the reward.  Eventually, he will learn that looking at you, instead of looking at the treat, gets him the treat.  Then, move the training into an area where there are other distractions and continue the routine.

Getting your pooch’s attention is necessary for a number of reasons.  Training him to look at you is not a tough instruction, but it should be tailored to fit your pet.  For instance, if you are clicker training, then use the clicker; if your pooch likes to be pet instead of getting a treat, then give him a good rub.  Once your pet understands what you want from him, then practice the training outdoors.

This article was provided by pet-super-store an online pet shop featuring pet carriers, dog houses and dog gates.

Pets are our family members. Plain and simple. We nurture them, watch them grow, take pride in their accomplishments and revel in their companionship. For these reasons, and so many more, the loss of a pet can be a devastating and traumatic experience.

Step 1: One of the most difficult aspects of grieving for a pet is dealing with the lack of understanding that you might receive from others. Many non-pet owners simply don’t acknowledge the bond we experience with our pets and have a hard time accepting that we feel we’ve lost a member of the family. Be prepared for insensitive comments such as, “It was only a dog!” and even prepare a standard response to people who are hurtful in your time of loss. You might try something like, “Scooter was a beloved part of my family and I would appreciate your support while I grieve for him.”

Step 2: Accept the stages of grief as they come. Most likely you will experience regular stages of grief: denial, bargaining, anger, depression and acceptance. They may not come in that order and they may overlap each other, but just be prepared to experience them.

Step 3: Find a friend to talk to who has been through the loss of a pet. Sometimes, only those who have been through it can truly offer us comfort.

Step 4: Do something with your grief. It’s not enough to talk with friends. You can create a memorial in your home with your pet’s favorite photo, his paw print, and a few special written memories. You can plant a tree in your garden and place a stone with your pet’s name in front of it. You can volunteer at an animal shelter or make a charitable donation to one. If you’re creative, create a scrapbook or decorate a picture frame.

Step 5: Continue the activity that you shared with your pet. It might be hard at first, but if you hiked a special trail with your animal, continue to do so.

Step 6: Allow yourself time to mourn. Everybody grieves differently and there is no unique timeline for your grief.

Many pet owners wonder when it is appropriate to get another pet. Again, there is no magic timeline; you will know when the time is right to open your home and heart to another pet.

About the Author: written by Jessica Taylor and provided by pet-super-store.com a pet site featuring aluminum dog crates, dog doors and dog beds.