All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label Blog the Change. Show all posts

Monday, April 15, 2013

Dog Leashes: Be Aware of Dangers

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy jeffk via Flickr.com
Even a Short Leash Can be Dangerous

Whether you choose to go 'plain Jane' with a nylon webbing leash, organic cotton or hemp, or one of the fancy-schmancy designer leashes of all kinds that are available out there, leashes have their place and their dangers.

First and foremost, leashes are the law in most states. Walking your dog without one is not only dangerous for your dog, but could be dangerous for others if your Fido is hit and becomes aggressive out of fear. Don't think this can never happen to you. If you choose to walk your pet off-leash, select the location with extreme care--off the beaten path, yet not in the woods where wild animal scents could lure him astray. Lost dogs are another reason for leashes :)

I'm sure we're all in agreement that leashes should be the mainstay of dog ownership. Every dog needs a leash, collar, tag and food. While other 'essentials' may not actually be necessary, these most certainly are.

Keep in mind, though, that leashes should never be left on your dog when he is unsupervised. Many a dog owner has tied up their dog only to return and find him injured or strangled.

Further, this danger does not end with you. I'd like to take a more serious tone here. As your pet's caretaker, I'd like you to take the selection of pet professionals who care for or provide services to your pet, seriously. Feel free to ask if your pet will be crated or tied up while awaiting his turn at the groomer's, veterinarian, training facility or boarding kennel.

It's your duty to know if a leash will be involved. If so, please ask that your dog be supervised at all times while attached to a leash. Just the mention of this will remind even the most diligent of professionals that they are responsible for the safety and welfare of your pet while in their care.

Accidents happen, but with supervision, your pet will likely never have more than a minor injury if tangled in a leash. Keep your pet's professionals aware of your wishes on this note and together you can prevent a devastating accident from taking your pup from you.

Read more about the dangers at Pi Love Unleashed and talk to others on their Facebook page.

Happy tails,

Friday, April 15, 2011

Drown-Proofing Your Dog
on Blog the Change Day

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Can You Swim?

This past week I had a canine visitor. An adorable, calm, friendly, albeit big and stocky, Pit Bull, wandered up while I was outside with Tanner and Oliver. He wore a beautiful leather collar that spoke volumes of the fact that he had a home. But there was no tag to indicate where that home might be. Little did we know that he was about to become the topic of our Blog the Change post today.

Our new friend hung out on our cul-de-sac throughout the day, wandering in and out of my screened porch while the door was propped open for easy in and outs to do yard work and such. Tanner and Oliver greeted him nicely and they had a non-eventful afternoon... until....

Later, while Tanner was on the porch enjoying some fresh air after dinner, he came running inside with great anxiety evident in his body language. He seemed to want to show me something. It was a Lassie moment. You know:

"What's that girl? The barn's on fire?"

I followed Tanner to the porch only to find our earlier visitor struggling in the pool. He clearly was not a swimmer, even though he apparently lives nearby in this densely waterway-rich area of Central Florida that we call home. I managed to salvage his roughly 60 pound brawn by grabbing that beautiful leather collar and guiding him to the steps where I lifted him, with the help of the water, to the first step. Whew!

At this point the poor fella was spent. I don't know how long he was in the pool, but the evidence of his slip and fall was found at the screen door, which he pushed his way through in order to visit Tanner again--apparently. The fall had to be traumatic, as a chair and a flower pot went into the drink with him.

It took him a while to rest up under my Elm tree before he decided he was ready to head for home, wherever that is. I wanted to attach a note to his collar:

Needless to say, I would have felt horrible if I had found a drowned dog in my pool, despite the fact that he plunged through my screen door. I hope his owners would have too.

All dogs need some basic swimming experiences; most do actually. Having some water stamina and the understanding to look for steps in a pool seems critical to those that have water nearby in any form. Even our sea-walls along the lake prevent exit unless you can find a ladder or steps to the surface. This is definitely a learned skill.

My Papillon, Oliver, is no Olympian. He'd probably prefer NOT to swim at all. But with a pool and a lake in his back yard, I have not given him a chance to get his way. As soon as he was old enough and it was warm, we taught him to swim, and to know where the steps were in the pool.

With some regularity, I place him in the pool at different locations along the edge and tell him to swim to the steps. He always knows which way to go, and can even do a 180 degree turn to head in the right direction. Yay Oliver! At 10 lbs., he could easily be knocked into the pool when he and Tanner play on the pool deck, so drown proofing Oliver seemed a necessity.

I've linked to my post on teaching Oliver to swim, as well as one about helping him learn to find the steps. These outline my easy-does-it approach for anxious dogs who are not eager to be amphibious. Yet you could take this approach with a young lab as well. Who doesn't like to be taught a scary skill with patience and gentleness?

This drown-proofing cause is near and dear to my heart here in Central Florida, where lakes are everywhere and swimming pools...ditto. Whether your area has lakes, rivers, retention ponds, or the ocean, your dog should have some basic swimming skills, and be exercised enough to maintain treading water for several minutes until he is able to find a shallow area, steps, or another way out of the wet stuff. Please don't wait till it's too late!

Before I close, let me mention that even Oliver had some thoughts on this topic. He's shared them at "Water Safety for Us Pups" at 5 Minutes for Fido. There's a video there of a dog saving another dog from a swimming pool. Lucky dog. Hopefully it won't be yours.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Love your Dog Park?
You Can Help Save it!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

What's happening with dog parks in your area? Although my meager efforts to monitor things is clearly not thorough, I can't help but notice news flashes about the occasional dog park that is closed due to lack of funding for maintenance. I know if it is happening here, it is likely occurring in other areas as well. Times are tough for cities, with tax revenue lagging behind previous years; this means non-essential services have to be cut. Dog parks are sometimes first on the ax list.

Worse yet, some communities don't have a dog park at all, and have no hopes of getting one during these challenging economic times. My mother's town has only a paid membership dog park, although it is a nice one. Thankfully she enjoys her membership several times a week to keep her little Jacque well socialized and exercised.

So, perhaps you're asking yourself what you can do about this. I've made a small effort to get something going here--awareness. If you're concerned about the fate of your own dog park and don't want to risk losing it, you can adopt it. Here's how:

Let your city know you'll be walking the park each week, picking up trash and missed landmines in an effort to assist with the upkeep.
Tell them how important your park is to you and your fellow dog lovers, and their dogs. Ask if your park is at risk.
Encourage others to keep up their end of the bargain by following the park rules and cleaning up after their own dog.
Finally, if you learn that there may be trouble brewing, be proactive. Rally a group of regular park-goers to help with maintenance throughout the week.

One more thing--by following up with regular training and good leadership, we can all bring a better-behaved dog to the park. Why is this important? Because a dog with issues may be a ticking time bomb at a dog park. Be sure your dog is ready before bringing him into a busy, high-spirited play group. If your dog needs socializing and has shown any signs of anxiety in groups, start small and work up gradually to larger groups of dogs. Choose off days and times in the beginning, so your dog can learn the ropes and practice his social skills without being overwhelmed.

Finally, I'll be happy to include you or your dog, as the sponsor of your local dog park, on my Adopt a Dog Park site. Send me your name or your dog's name, along with a photo of Fido if you like, and I'll post them on the site. My email address is LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Check it out and join the fun; dog parks are a great way to meet other dog lovers, while your dog enjoys the social exercise and playtime he craves.

Before I go, there's one more piece of business. Be sure to stop by Btc4Animals to thank them for sponsoring this Blog the Change day. You'll find links to loads of other causes that may pull your heartstrings. Check 'em out and pick one to get involved in; it's great karma. See you at the park!