Safety Measures While Keeping Your Pooch Active In Winter

Keeping active in winter is tricky for everyone. For new pet owners, however, keeping their dogs active and fit during the cold season can feel like an impossible challenge if you lack experience. Indeed, despite their natural coat, dogs can feel the cold too. If you’re planning on enjoying the great outdoors, you need to make sure that you can play safely with your dog during wintertime without putting your pet at risk of hypothermia or other cold-related issues. 

What are the precautions you need to take to keep your dog healthy? 

You need to understand that there is a variety of different cold weathers and a variety of dogs, all different in size, coat, strength, and health. Your role as an owner is to find the right balance to keep your pooch active in winter.

Should your let your pooch play in the snow?

Your dog needs exercise no matter what

First of all, dogs need to stay exercised to maintain both their mood and their health. Thankfully, your dog’s needs are simple so that going for a walk can act as an exciting exercise for your pet. 

Regardless of the season, you should walk your dog at least twice a day, morning and evening. You can alternate routes and pace to entertain your dog and keep the walk enjoyable. Ultimately, even if you can’t do anything else in winter, going for a walk can be plenty of fun and exercise even in winter.

Be mindful of rain and deep puddles

However, the winter weather can force you to consider safer and more accessible paths to avoid puddles and cold water. Indeed, your dog can suffer from hypothermia if they jump in freezing water. 

You want to make sure that you keep young and excited pooches on a tight leash in winter to stop them from jumping into cold lakes and rivers during your daily walks. It’s a good idea to invest in a waterproof leash to maintain your grip even under the rain! If your dog jumps and swims into the water despite your best efforts, always try to dry her coat as soon as possible.

Protect your pooch

While some dogs have a thick coat such as Siberian Huskies, others tend to have a thin coat and suffer more in the cold, such as Greyhounds. Dogs who are used to cold temperatures and have double-layered coats handle the winter weather much better than others. You can help your dog make the most of your daily walks by investing in a pet-jacket or coat to protect her. You can also prep the paws using balms and sticking to proper grooming techniques. Cleanse your dog’s paws after a walk to remove all the toxic salt and de-icer. You can also use little boots to keep her feet healthy.

Should you adjust the diet?

Last, but not least, there’s no denying that body fat is designed to keep us warm. That being said, it doesn’t mean you can allow your pooch to put on weight in winter. However, you can focus on a vitamin-rich and nutritious diet that provides all the elements your dog needs to maintain her weight during the cold months. Be careful not to overfeed her!

Keeping your dog active in winter is not about the amount of exercise you prepare for her, but how you ensure that the outdoors time remains safe and healthy. From keeping your dog away from cold bodies of water to protecting her paws, beware of the risks of winter!

Pamper Your Pooch With These Seven Suggestions

We humans are biologically built to be selfish. We make a conscious choice to be selfless with our time and our love, but when it comes down to it, we do what we can for survival. Dogs? Dogs will put themselves at risk to save our lives - and sometimes, we don’t deserve it. 

Dogs are the animals in our lives that will do everything to make us happy, from the moment we walk in through the door after work to the moment they beg for a walk, all dogs do is try to make us happy and stay loyal. Dogs are so much more than just pets, too. 

They are hunters, they are protectors, they are intuitive beasts that can sense more than we know, which is why there are dogs out there that can sniff out illness, drugs and even rescue people from harrowing situations. For all their loyalty and their love, dogs need to be pampered.

Pampering your pooch is so much more than just chucking them a treat every now and then. Our pets get the best attention and loyalty from us, and we have to put the effort in to make our dogs feel as loved as they make us feel. And the best thing is that our dogs love to be pampered as much as we love it. 

They love to know that they’re loved, as they show us every single day just how loved we are. With all of that in mind, here are seven ways that you can spoil your dog and make them happy, enhance their lives and making them feel loved.

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Make Your Treats Homemade.

There’s nothing wrong with the shop bought treats; they’re convenient and they’re sold as products designed for dogs. However, homemade treats? So. Much. Better. You would rather a home cooked roast dinner over a microwaved meal, right? Your dog will agree, too. Baking dog treats at home with these recipes can be so much better nutritionally for your pet. Not only can you make high-quality treats, you can make them as natural as possible. Homemade treats really go down well and you can really see their happiness at your effort.

 

Doggy Spa Day, Anyone?

Good grooming, that’s all. Dogs are the ones that look forward to a pet, a bath and a brush, and positive grooming experiences can leave your dog feeling amazing. Take your dog to the groomers for a bath, brush and a cut if necessary. You can also hire people to come and make your dog feel relaxed and calm as part of the experience with doggy massage. Pooch spa days are very popular, and you can have your dog feeling secure and reinvigorated whenever you book them in.

Plan A Pooch Vacation.

We love to take our dogs away from home for a while and go for hikes in the forests, wanders in the woodlands and gambols in the green. No one likes to put their dog into boarding if they can avoid it, but there are special dog boarders that is almost like a luxury dog vacation! Pet resorts are a thing, and they get walked group play and one to one time with a professional puppy person. You don’t have to board your pet if you don't want to, because luxury dog carers who live in their own home or who can come to yours exist!

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Pay For Doggy Day Care

You’re at work all day, and that’s not always fair for your dog. If you spend a lot of time away from your dog, you’re going to have to consider how much interaction they’re getting. Doggy day care can give your pet a chance to get out, run around, train and feel secure and loved while you aren’t there. The socialization is great for them and the constant running around can make them happy and tired for being ready to be at home again. You can even find daycare facilities that will collect and drop off your dog!

Vets, Ahoy!

The dog doesn't like going to the vet. You don't like taking your dog to the vet. However, it’s one of those things that we have to do even when we don’t want to. A part of pampering your dog is to ensure that they are healthy from teeth to toes, and it’s one of the ways that you can spoil your dog. His health is important, as is yours, and you can really help your dog to feel calm and happy purely by making sure that their vet appointments were attended each time.

Backyard Heaven

You have the space, and your dog needs the exercise. If you create a backyard heaven for your dog with a fence to keep them secure, shelter from the elements and a self-filling water dish that your dog can drink from when they want to. You can even add in a little zone where they can dig down and get muddy without ruining the rest of your garden. If you have a cat, and they’d be okay with it, install a doggy door to the house so yours can come and go as he pleases.

Sleeping Time

Your dog is likely to want to sleep on the sofa or up on the bed where you sleep. However, that’s not always okay! You can buy your dog a stylish bed or area to sleep piled with lots of blankets and pillows to make their space comfortable. Older pets with arthritis will always feel appreciative of a heated bed with tons of pillows that’s easy to get in and out of.

Your dog needs to be pampered and all your pet wants is your time and to know he’s loved. Take the time to pamper your pooch and let him know that you care about his well being. Dogs pick up on a lot more than we think, and we should do what we can to show them as much loyalty as possible.

Getting The Basics Right: What You Need To Consider When You Get A Puppy

There is so much you need to think about when you decide and make the commitment to get a pet dog. In theory, this is an additional member of your family unit. Whether you have children or not, they are part of your family, and so you do need to ensure that they are treated this way. It is a big commitment to make. One that requires your love, devotion and attention. 

A puppy especially can be quite demanding, as everything is going to fall on your shoulders in terms of what they learn and their level of care. There are many things you need to be considering now that you are a puppy owner, here are some of the things to think about to help you get started on this new journey.

 

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Think about the level of activity they are going to get

When you first bring your puppy home, the last thing you are probably thinking about is the level of activity they are going to get when it comes to dog walks and such. However, it is only a matter of weeks before your puppy will be allowed out of your home, so it is definitely worth thinking about.

You may want to think about booking puppy training to help you with the basics and start off on the right foot. In terms of walking, they may likely won’t be up to long walks in the fields or hills, so working out a route close to home to build up the stamina will be a good place to start. 

Are they left alone for too long?

The next thing to think about would be how often and for how long they are or are going to be left alone for. Puppy's need love and attention, and will not thrive being left alone for too long. Before you make the commitment you may have already given some thought to this. It could be that you change your routines with working, or call on friends and family to help you by visiting your puppy often. It might be worth taking the time to consider this carefully before making the commitment. It isn’t fair on you or the puppy if it is something that you can’t commit to.

Do they have everything they need?

The next thing you will want to think about is whether or not they have everything they need. A puppy won’t be toilet trained at first, this is something that you are going to need to do yourself. So it may be time to start thinking about toilet pads that can be laid on the floor. You might also want to think about a bed, a designated area for your puppy if you don’t want them sleeping on your bed or with you. It is also going to be a good idea to think about other things such as vet appointments for vaccinations, grooming products, blankets and dog leads.

Are you sure this is right for you?

Finally, the last big question to ask yourself is whether or not this lifestyle change and commitment is right for you and your life right now. It a big decision to make, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.

Let’s hope reminding you of the basics and what is needed when taking care of a puppy helps you make the right decision for you.

The Dos and Don'ts Of Keeping Your Dog Calm

Dogs can get excited or scared for a number of reasons, and being prepared for them is a must if we want to avoid things like awkward situations, excessive barking, mess in the house, chewed up furniture, and other things. Knowing the dos and don'ts of keeping your dog calm will help you to ensure your dog is happy and free from anxiety most of the time, and that you can both live together in harmony.

Do: Know Your Dog’s Triggers

Pay attention to what your dog’s triggers are. They may not like large groups of other dogs, so they act out at the dog park. Perhaps they hate it when you leave the house, and get terrible separation anxiety. Whatever your dog’s triggers are, pay attention and come up with a plan to help them. Usually, this means exposing them to what they are afraid of just a little bit in a way that you can control, to show them that the world is not ending.

Don’t: Throw Your Dog Into The Deep End

If you think repeated exposure to what your dog hates will help, you’re wrong. This could lead to a deeply depressed, anxious, and timid dog. You want your dog to be happy. Just because they may eventually get used to you leaving them for hours and hours on end, doesn’t mean it’s ok to do so or fair on them.

 

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Do: Consider Various Methods To Keep Your Dog Calm

There are so many options out there that could help you to keep your dog calm, depending on what you’re looking for and what the situations is. A Thundershirt, for instance, can wrap tightly around your dog and will help to ease anxiety when there is a storm, or fireworks are being let off. CBD treats every day can help to keep their anxiety on an even keel and make them far happier - just make sure you choose the right treats and give them the correct amount. Then, there are options like anxious pet therapy. Dog massage, soothing music - the list goes on. You’re going to need to pay attention to what works for your dog in certain situations.

Don’t: Get Angry With Your Dog Or Punish Them

This is not the time to get angry with your dog or punish them. They cannot help feeling anxious or scared. Imagine being a dog and not really having any idea about the world around you. When you hear loud noises, it would seem obvious that you think something bad is going to happen. When you leave, it won’t always be obvious to them that you’re going to be back in an hour. This is why you absolutely must stay patient. Do your best to train them from when they are very young, and this will make it easier for them as they age. Training an older dog is possible, but it can be a little more difficult to get them out of bad habits that they may have picked up.