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We all know that exercise is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For all of us dog lovers, we like to have them participate in our activities, but we have to remember that our energetic little friends have limits that differ from ours.

Here are some potentially hazardous scenarios to avoid when exercising with your pup.

High Jumping- While dogs love to chase around a ball or Frisbee, tossing these objects too high or off of a tall structure can cause your dog to land awkwardly. Unfortunately this accounts for the crippling of many canines each year. Be sure to keep the objects lower to the ground to protect your pet from over extending themselves and causing an injury.

Dangerous Objects- When fetching, use lightweight safe toys like a tennis ball for instance. Heavy and hard objects can damage dog’s teeth when caught. Sticks can also pose a hazard to pups when caught, because they can easily extend to the back of the mouth or throat causing an injury.

Over-Exercising- Our dogs may seem like they have an endless supply of energy, but the reality is, they experience fatigue just like we do. Without moderation a dog will become tired, lethargic, and extended bouts of extreme exercise can lead to more serious conditions like heat stroke or dehydration. Always bring water to keep your canine friend hydrated throughout exercise sessions.

Heat- In South Florida we are accustomed to a hot climate. We have to remember that unlike humans, dogs have an inability to regulate body temperature efficiently. Dogs that have short muzzles, black and long-haired dogs, and especially young or old dogs are most susceptible to overheating. Remember that the top temperature for a working (or allowing a dog to play excessively) is about 85° F. However 85° would be too hot for those dogs that are most susceptible to overheating. Also remember the humidity, as the heat index increases with the level of humidity.

Warming Up- It is crucial to have your dog warm up before sessions of intense exercise like pulling a sled or doing a lot of running. This can prevent strain and fatigue. Light activity allows the pup to warm up his muscles and get moving before taking on a heavier activity load. The rest period after activity is also vital as it is the time allotted for muscle recovery.

Following these basic guidelines will have you and your pet living a happy, safe and healthy lifestyle together. Now all you have to do is get moving!

 

February 20th is Love Your Pet Day and we’re here to help celebrate the day by giving you 20 fun facts you might not have known about your favorite furry friend!

This section is for the Ailurophiles which is a name given to those people who love cats!

• Studies have shown that cats have better memories than dogs, monkeys or orangutans.
• Cats spend almost 30% of their lives grooming themselves.
• Your cat's heart beats twice as fast as yours.
• Cats almost never "purr" at other cats. The sound is reserved for humans.
• One litter of kittens can be produced by more than one father.
• Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat door.
• It’s not just from the movies; cats really can be trained to use the toilet as their litter box. Some can even be taught to flush when they’re done.
• Cats have five toes on each front foot, but only four on each back foot.
• A cat can jump up to five times its height in a single bound.
• Just like fingerprints. Every cat’s nose pad is different.

This section is for “Amantes de los perros” which is Spanish for dog lovers!

• The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in seventeenth-century England. During heavy rainstorms, many homeless animals would drown and float down the streets, giving the appearance that it had actually rained cats and dogs.
• Dalmatians are completely white at birth.
• Some dogs can detect cancer that is too small to be detected by a doctor and can find lung cancer by sniffing a person’s breath.
• Despite their breed or size, all dogs have 42 teeth and 321 bones—all breeds.
• The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
• Louis Doberman, a German tax-collector, created the Doberman breed in the late 1860s to protect him while he worked
• The only sweat glands a dog has are between the paw pads.
• The U.S. has the highest domestic dog population in the world.
• It has been established that people who own pets live longer, have less stress, and have fewer heart attacks.
• The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the border collie, (2) the poodle, and (3) the golden retriever.

Not everyone is aware of the challenges that come with caring for a deaf dog. The training process itself requires a lot of commitment and patience since you are basically substituting words with physical signs and facial expressions.  The luxury of yelling commands across a room in order to stop your dog from digging in the trash is unfortunately not your best option. However, do not be discouraged! Dogs are smart and they will surprise you in how quickly they’ll adapt to your new sign language. You will notice that it is easier to interact with your dog while you’re indoors, but the exciting setting of being outdoors may hinder your communication making it more difficult to retain your dog’s attention. Here are a few helpful tips in how to keep your deaf dog’s attention.

1. Loose Leash: keeping your dog on a leash is very important in the early stages of training for the obvious reasons. However, make sure that while trying to establish contact, the leash is not tight. That way they are forced to watch you rather than just feel you through the leash, so keep that leash loose!
2. Reward: the act of praise plays a vital role when training a dog, deaf or not. Since they cannot hear the sound of your voice, giving them a treat is the best way to reward a deaf puppy. Each time they respond correctly to a sign, reward them by instantly whipping out a tasty treat! Remember; keep the food out of sight until you are ready to give it. This will prevent the treat from becoming, in the dog's mind, an actual part of the command--or a bribe.
3. Creative attention methods: if your dog is facing away from you, one of the simplest things to do is to wait until they turn around. Indoors, if you walk up behind your dog, they may feel the vibrations of your approach and turn around or touching them lightly so you don’t startle them. Outdoors during the day, you can also try tossing a small stone or ball near your dog to get his attention. Be very careful not to hit your dog!
4. Vibrating Collar: possibly the best way to retrieve your dog’s attention when they are distracted is with the use of a vibrating collar. A vibrating collar works much like a pager. It has 2 parts, a hand held unit for the person, and another unit that the dog wears as a collar. This device is very popular for owners with deaf dogs and usually become less necessary once their dog is past their adolescent phase and are trained to the point that their owners feel confident that the dog will "check in," and come when called.

Remember to always train your dog in this sequence: 1) do the sign, 2) move away, 3) give praise when they follow, 4) take out treat, 5) give it. Always conduct at least 3 to 5 repetitions in a row before you release the dog's attention. This is what teaches them to sustain that attention on you until you release it.  Be patient and loving and your dog will do the rest!

Having a hard time finding the perfect gift for the pet-lover in your life? Look no further! Here are some ideas to help you discover the best gift for that special someone.

Make this Valentine’s Day a special one with a customized gift from 4 Paws Forever. 4 Paws Forever creates one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry from the actual paw print of pets--- and since every paw print is unique, just as no two fingerprints of a human are the same,  this gift is completely original! Just visit www.4pawsforever.org to get started on a custom gift to give this year.

You can spread the love AND help out a charity when you buy a gift from the Animal Rescue Site! Each item you buy provides at least 14 bowls of food for shelter animals in need---could it get any better? From jewelry to measuring spoon sets, you are bound to find just the right thing to give for Valentine’s Day this year at www.theanimalrescuesite.com.

Finding just the right gift for your pet-lover is SIMPLE when you shop on Dog is Good’s website. Even better, a portion of the proceeds for some of these gifts benefit rescue! Dog is Good is proud to enable dog addicts worldwide and only offer the best, and sometimes the funniest, products to their customers! Check out what they have to offer at www.dogisgood.com.

Sites like these take the hassle out of gift giving. Now you should have no trouble discovering something special and unique to give on Valentine’s Day! 

February is National Pet Dental Health month, so we decided to celebrate the most appropriate way by giving you some tips and the importance of taking care of their dental health. Many pet owners don’t realize the importance of brushing their cat or dog’s teeth, and tend to neglect it. The key to maintaining good oral hygiene is to brush their teeth daily in order to remove plaque, which is a collection of bacteria that builds up at the gum line. If you don’t remove this plaque routinely it will form tartar, which will irritate the gums and could lead to infection or the loss of teeth. You don’t want your pet to get an infection under the gum line because it can spread to the liver, kidneys, and heart.

If you brush your pet’s teeth daily, you will not have to have them cleaned by a veterinarian as often. You should examine their teeth monthly and check for yellow or brown material where the tooth meets the gum line. If there is a lot of yellow or brown material, bring your pet in for a professional cleaning as soon as you can. If you perform daily brushings at home, start by picking a soft-bristled or finger toothbrush and apply only toothpaste purchased from your veterinarian. Do not use human toothpaste because it is harmful to your pet and has detergents that shouldn’t be swallowed by them.

Begin brushing your pet’s teeth as soon as their puppy or kitten teeth surface so that you can get them used to the procedure. Also, brushing their teeth is very necessary in the removal of plaque. There are also many precautions that you can take to try and avoid a large buildup:

• Hard food helps remove plaque from teeth. The combination of special diets and daily brushings is the best way to keep the teeth clean.
• Chewing on objects harder than teeth may lead to dental fractures. Cow and horse hoofs commonly cause fractures of the upper fourth premolars.
• Tug-of-war games should not be played, especially in young dogs and cats to avoid moving growing teeth.
• Throwing toy discs can cause trauma to the teeth, resulting in pulpitis (an inflammation of the pulp).

Remember, humans aren’t the only ones who need quality dental care. Give your pet a sparkling smile and they’ll thank you for life!