How To Avoid Injuries To Your Dog

Your dog is your best friend - or will eventually be if you recently got the dog as a puppy or from a shelter. That bond and relationship you build over time is a beautiful one and often enough, but we all wish that dogs could live just as long as humans can.

However, all those years of happiness you give them, they will return with unconditional love from the beginning to the very end. It’s important that you avoid injuries to your dog which can harm your pooch’s quality of life in general. 

Dogs can get into accidents and cause injury to themselves. Sometimes that can’t be avoided but when it can, it’s good to know what you can do to prevent the injuries from happening. 

Here are some helpful tips on how to avoid injuries to your dog.

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Understand your dog’s risk factors

First and foremost, understand the dangers that are present to your dog specifically. Every dog is different and therefore what might harm one dog might not harm yours. If there are certain health problems that your dog has had in the past, then you might wish to avoid doing anything that could trigger it to happen again.

For example, some dogs are known to pick up anything and everything, sometimes swallowing what they have, even when it’s not edible. As a result, some dogs end up getting foreign objects stuck in their intestine and needing some pretty life-saving surgery in order to recover from it.

That sort of injury is something you want to avoid from happening again, especially as it could be fatal the next time around.

Look at your dog’s risk factors and consider what you can do to avoid them from recurring again.

Brush up your knowledge of the dog breed and health conditions

In general, every dog breed has their own health conditions that they’re more susceptible to. The reasons for this could differ from whether they’re a mixed breed or if they are a certain shape or size which makes them more prone to the health condition itself.

Brushing up on your knowledge of the dog breed and the health conditions that are common with the breed is worthwhile. Learning more can help you put the preventative measures in place needed to reduce any risk of injury to the dog itself.

You might also find that some health conditions are better prevented with earlier care and others might be inevitable. This is something you should do fairly early on in your ownership of the dog, albeit before you even decide on what dog breed you’re going with.

Take your dog for a regular walk every day

A regular walk each day can keep the vet away. As the same saying goes for doctors, but in the shape of an apple, you should be doing what you can to keep your dog away from the vets. Other than any annual vet booster, you hope that your dog doesn’t need to keep going back to the vets at some point in their life time.

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Taking your dog for a regular walk every day is going to keep them healthy. Even for lap dogs or dogs that love to lounge on the couch all day, even those dogs need a bit of walking every day.

Twenty minutes should be the baseline for most dogs, with some needing slightly more and others needing well over an hour to tucker themselves out. Consider taking your dog for a good walk every day to mentally stimulate them and ultimately ensure they’re getting a good amount of exercise daily.

Keep your dog cool indoors and outdoors

Heat can be a problem for dogs, especially as they can only regulate their own temperature so much before needing help from their dog owner. If you’re taking your dog out in the heat during the day for a walk, then this can be dangerous to their health.

For some dogs a hot day can prove fatal so depending on the weather keeping your dog indoors is better than letting them get too warm outside.

The indoors can also be a warm place, particularly over the summer. That’s why you should be looking to keep your dog cool indoors too. Making sure there’s plenty of water out throughout the day, to opening windows and even filling a bath of cool water for your dog to take a dip in every so often. The more you can do to keep them cool, the better for their health.

Avoid slippery surfaces

Just like humans, slippery surfaces can be dangerous. When your dog loses control of their footing on a slippery surface, whether it’s wet and therefore slippery, or just does not have enough grip, it becomes dangerous.

Your dog could end up banging into a piece of furniture, which in turn could collapse onto them, causing injury. It’s best to try and keep surfaces as dry as possible and add gripping points in the form of rugs where possible.

Consider dog supplements for joints

Dog supplements are great and can be a good way to provide your dog with some extra nutrients. Your dog’s joints will be sprightly when they’re young but become more brittle and vulnerable as they get older.

There are plenty of dog supplements on the market that are great for joint care, so this is something that’s worth considering. If your dog has problems with their legs or they have trouble with their mobility, then Hero Braces are a great way to provide support and aid injury where it’s required.

Watch for signs and fatigue or overexertion

Finally, be aware of the signs and symptoms of fatigue or overexertion. Fatigue can quickly turn dangerous and some dogs don’t know how to slow down or take a break from their playtime. Try to look out for the signs, like excessive panting or fatigue itself as the indicator that you need to stop play for a bit.

These tips will help avoid injury so that your dog can live a long and healthy life in the future.

Why Every Dog Owner Needs to Get Pet Insurance

 

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When you bring a dog into your life, it's not just a pet that you're adding to your family—it's a heartbeating, tail-wagging bundle of joy. And just like any loved one, ensuring they have the best care is essential. Seriously, you have insurance, right? If you have kids, they also have insurance, right? Well, your dog needs this, too; in fact, no matter what type of pet you have, they all need this. So, with that all said, how can pet insurance be beneficial? 

Well, the last thing you want to deal with is some major disaster, such as your dog getting a bite, a freak accident, or something worse. At the end of the day, insurance is meant to help you, the owner. But still, why get pet insurance? It’s optional! Well, here’s exactly why!

A Degree of Legal Protection

Alright, just to a small degree, now, in case you have to get a dog bite injury attorney or there’s a case against you, to a small degree, pet insurance can help. So, this isn’t liability insurance in the slightest; liability insurance for your pet is something else. 

But some (not all) pet insurance companies will offer coverage in case a freak accident were to happen, and legally speaking, you need to protect yourself and your dog. Again, it’s going to vary based on the insurance, but depending on which one you have, this can be seen as a positive. 

Financial Buffer for Vet Visits

Let's face it: vet bills can be too much and way too overwhelming, especially when unexpected illnesses or accidents happen. So that’s exactly why pet insurance acts as a financial safety net, covering a significant chunk of medical costs. 

This means you won't have to choose between your wallet and your pet's well-being. Whether it’s routine care or emergency surgery, having insurance in place ensures you’re financially prepared for both the expected and unexpected. Hopefully, it never gets to the point where it’s needed, but in case that happens, you and your dog will be in good hands. 

Encourages Early Veterinary Care

So this one might vary from person to person, but usually, just knowing that you have pet insurance can encourage you to take your dog to the vet at the first sign of trouble. Why wait and worry when you can get a professional opinion and nip potential health issues in the bud? Besides, early detection and treatment often mean a better prognosis for your pet and less invasive treatment, which can be easier on your dog and your budget.

There’s Something for Every Budget

Like all insurance, this one can be pretty expensive, but it can also be affordable. You just need to keep in mind that pet insurance isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal. The beauty of it is in the flexibility. You can choose from a variety of plans to find one that suits your budget and your dog’s needs. So, honestly, at this rate, there’s no excuse for any pet owner. 

What is a Family Disaster Dog? It's Your Dog Trained to Rescue You!

 What is a family disaster dog? It is a dog trained to find and rescue you!

The Family Disaster Dog Book shows you how easy a pet dog of any age, size, or breed can be your very own search and rescue dog! Any size dog, from the little Chihuahua to the Great Dane, can help its owner survive...and they find you every day already when they want to play or eat, so why not learn what else they can do to help you!

One of our biggest fears and chores during a disaster is losing or finding a loved one, and every dog has the ability to find its family members or friends. We, as dog owners, only need to learn how to use the natural ability of the dog to the full advantage during emergencies.

The Family Disaster Dogs book is full of fun and easy lessons that are tailored for the family to learn disaster preparedness with pets, including search and rescue skills in the comfort of the home during daily activities by former Search Dog Instructor Amber Higgins, who spent over a decade breeding and training AKC Bloodhounds for nationwide Search and Rescue FEMA volunteer work along with German Shepherd Dogs.

Here's a few of the skills you and your dog can learn:

Ask any dog to find family members and friends who are lost or missing !

Learn how your dog can be a messenger dog !

How any size dog can carry extra supplies if you have to evacuate.

Learn how to pack and use a Dog Bug-out Bag with 3 days of survival supplies for you and your dog.

Teach your dog to alert you to danger and warning sirens with these easy at home lessons.

If you are trapped in an earthquake. Your dog can find you, dig you out or bring you first aid until rescuers arrive !

Send your dog for help or to your partner or child on command, it's easy to do with this book. 

Teach your dog to bring you items by name and much more !

Teach the whole family how to use the family dog as their own search and rescue dog in tornado, floods, earthquakes and to find lost loved ones !

Don't have a dog then this book is a great gift for a friend or neighbor who has a dog and they can come to your rescue too !

Use this book to form a neighborhood Family Disaster Dog group at church or clubs to help neighbors until emergency response arrives ! 

Be sure to have a look at the "My Puppy Can Find Me" children's picture book by Amber Higgins for young children and parents to learn what to do if a child is ever lost or missing. The children learn a fun game to play with the family dog to "go find mom or dad". Parents learn how to use their dog to find a child that wandered off or is missing. 

Sometimes first responders and the police are overwhelmed with calls for help and they may not reach you right away. 

Do you know what to do if help cannot reach you? What if the roads are blocked by high water or downed trees? What do you do if you cannot find a loved one? What if you are out camping and a family member gets lost and does not return to camp. Waiting for help to arrive often takes hours and during that time the person may go further away from camp, may get injured or worst. That is why I wrote these books. To help you help yourself and loved ones when help is not near. Time is critical when a person's life is at stake. 

If you have a dog in the family, these easy fun lessons will teach you and your dog what to do. These books have helped people all over the world to learn how to save a person's life. Why not have a look at the books and the 285 page Family Disaster Dogs blog ? 

I keep the four books free on audible and kindle so everyone can afford to be prepared and learn these valuable skills. Sharing this information with you at no cost is my mission, my way of helping communities worldwide. I spent many years training daily with my own dogs and volunteering to find missing person with county search and rescue squads. I learned a wealth of information during those years about emergency response and disasters, information that is not readily available to the public due to the amount of knowledge required and liability laws. That information is what I share with you, the public, and as a seasoned educated writer I try very hard to keep the lessons simple so even a child can learn. 

Have a look at the books on the book page in the page menu above or visit my author page at Amazon. 

If you do not use Amazon the books are available at book stores and retail outlets worldwide, a simple internet search will show you where. Please feel free to ask me for a copy  or to train in person if that is easier for you! I will be happy to meet with you anytime and work with your dog, just ask!

Mantrailing Bloodhound History

Bloodhound History

My Sammy 1 yr old Bloodhound Mantrailer
all rights reserved Amber Higgins

Not long ago, the bloodhound was the only breed in the USA that was a Mantrailing dog. Which is a trailing type of hunting dog that is used for find living human beings who are on the move and not animals.

A Mantrailing dog follows the person's scent as the person moves and leaves a trail of scent. The dogs will go anywhere the person or scent has gone until the end of the trail or they find the person. Many times the person may no longer be living but the bloodhound will find the body because of the scent trail the person created. If a recently deceased body is moved the bloodhound will continue to follow the scent.

Other breeds are and were known as tracking dogs. And, the bloodhound was the only breed of dog that was allowed to be used to prove a person’s identity in a court of law.

Photo by A. Higgins all rights reserved

The phrase Mantrailing was first used by bloodhound handlers because the breed was used to trail people. Over time training standards and methods developed to be used to train newcomers how-to handle the breed. In the past, the breed was rarely only a pet and not long ago there were not many breeders across the USA, we as breeders either worked to find missing persons or to preserve the breed in the show ring. The breed was then considered a rare breed.

Here in America, the breed was first used to find runaway criminals and yes, runaway slaves back when the breed came with our founding fathers to build the USA. When Search and Rescue became an organized volunteer effort, the bloodhound and other breeds were used as search dogs.

Today in the USA, the incredible nose and stamina of the bloodhound continues to be used for “Mantrailing” with police and trained volunteer Search and Rescue teams.

In the last decade the breed has become more popular as a pet, although they are difficult to train in obedience and manners, and often are called stubborn because of the determination that has been bred into the breed to continue on a trail to find a missing person.

They really are not stubborn but very willing to please when they are not following their nose which they often do constantly because a good mantrailing dog is bred to do just that.

Photo A. Higgins-all rights reserved

Pictured above is my bloodhound Gus who I rescued last year after him and brother Sam were abandoned during very cold weather. They are young and still growing in these pictures

The bloodhound will follow a scent off a high mountain rock wall, up a train track even with a train coming at them because they are so focused on the scent its as if they are wearing blinders blocking out the surroundings.

The breed gets lost easily which is rather ironic because they find person but will get lost themselves. For this reason it’s always recommended to keep them leashed because once they find a scent they like to follow, away they go and many do not back track and find their way home. They will run for miles and finally when they stop they do not know where they are.

The name bloodhound is often thought to be given to the breed because they track or follow a blood trail. This is not true. The dogs are actually named a bloodhound because they were one of the first breeds of dogs that had a pedigree, Therefore it was a blue blooded hound or purebred.

The bloodhound was originally bred in a monastery in Belgium for over 700 years and the monks kept a pedigree of the dogs they bred, those dogs were called Saint Herbert Hounds. Back then the dogs were solid white. 

When explorers and travelers found the monastery, the monks would often give a pair of hounds to the travelers to take back to their own countries.

Consequently, the white hounds were considered quite sacred coming from the monks. When the dogs arrived in the other countries they were bred with local hounds and they lost their white coats. Slowly over time the breed became black and tans, liver and red in color. They also became known as the Bloodhound because they were a pure blooded hound.

If you would like to learn more about mantrailing, have a look at my books on the book page, I hope you enjoyed this post.

Happy trails to you in the new year, 

Amber Higgins

Founder and author of Family Disaster Dogs