Summer is coming and “THE HEAT IS ON!”  Helpful tips to keep your favorite Fido safe and comfortable when the mercury rises.

In summertime dogs (and cats) can suffer from the same problems that humans do - overheating, dehydration and even sunburn. By taking some simple precautions, you can enjoy the season and keep your pooch happy and healthy.

• A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must; add to that a test for heartworm, if your dog isn't on year-round preventive medication.
• Do parasites pester your pooch? Ask your veterinarian to recommend a safe, effective flea and tick control program.
• NEVER leave your dog alone in a vehicle!  Hyperthermia (overheating) can be fatal.  A parked automobile becomes a furnace in hot weather.  Even with the windows open, temperatures within the vehicle can soar to over 120° in no time. Parking in the shade is not the answer.  While the shade of a nice tree may offer some protection, don’t forget, the sun shifts during the day and a car originally parked in the shade may end up in full sun.
• NEVER walk or play with Fido in the height of the sun.  The right time for playtime is in the cooler early morning or evening but NOT after a meal or when the weather is humid.
• Street smarts: When the temperature is high or the sun is strong, don’t let your dog stand on hot asphalt. His or her body can heat up quickly and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.  An easy way to check the asphalt is with the back of your hand.  If it’s uncomfortable for you, it’s too hot for Fido.
• Street smarts: When walking your dog, avoid areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or other chemicals.
• Street smarts: Be alert for coolant or other automotive fluid leaking from vehicles and keep Rover away. Animals are attracted to the sweet taste but ingesting just a small amount can be fatal. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 if you suspect that your animal has been poisoned.
• Always carry a thermos filled with cold, fresh water when traveling with your pet.
• Provide fresh water and plenty of shade for animals kept outdoors; a properly constructed & vented doghouse will serve well. Canopies and canopy tents are another way to offer shade for your pet. Add a small wading pool with 2-3 inches of water to give your dog another cooling option.
• Bring your dog (or cat) inside during the hotter part of the day to rest in a cool part of the house.  Cellars and basements are excellent for a cool reprieve without air-conditioning.
• Be especially sensitive to older and overweight animals in hot weather.
• Brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus, as well as those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.

• Good grooming can stave off summer skin problems, especially for dogs with heavy coats. Trimming the hair to a one-inch length helps prevent overheating.  NEVER shave your pooch down to the skin - it robs Rover of his natural sun protection.
• Do NOT apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
• Having a backyard barbecue? Always keep matches, lighter fluid, citronella candles and insect coils out of Rover’s reach.
• Please make sure that there are no open, unscreened windows or doors in your home through which animals can fall or jump.

Stay alert for signs of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting and/or drooling, lethargy, weakness, red tongue and elevated body temperature.

WATER SAFETY

For many families, summertime means swimming time. If your pooch will be joining you on your waterhole adventures, please follow these tips:

• A day at the beach is a no-no, unless you can guarantee a shaded spot and plenty of fresh water for your companion.
• Salty dogs should be rinsed off after a dip in the ocean.
• DON’T ASSUME all dogs can swim!  Some dogs are NOT good swimmers and longhaired dogs may struggle against the weight of their soaked hair to keep afloat. If water sports are a big part of your family, please introduce your dog to water gradually and consider using canine flotation devices.
• Do NOT leave pets unsupervised around a pool. Too many unsupervised dogs have met with tragedy around the pool.  Even the best swimmers are at risk if unsupervised.
• Rinse your pool-swimming pooch with fresh water after a dip – chlorine and other chemicals can irritate the skin if not thoroughly rinsed off.
• Try not to let your dog drink pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that can cause GI upset.
• Make sure all pets wear flotation devices on boats.

Be smart and consider your pet when making your summertime plans. Think ahead and be prepared by stocking a “doggy bag” with food, cool fresh water, bowls, flotation device, first-aid kit, towels, umbrella, leash and toys and you will be prepared for almost anything!

NOW YOU KNOW!

HAPPY TAILS!

Puppy Mills

Thinking of getting a dog this year?  We’ve all been tempted by that cute little puppy in the pet store window. Before you give in to the temptation and buy that furry bundle of joy, there are some things you should know. 
For one thing, that adorable little puppy probably came from a large-scale, substandard commercial breeding operation, commonly known as a puppy mill.  Puppy mills usually house dogs in overcrowded and often unsanitary conditions, without adequate veterinary care, food, water and socialization.  The breeding stocks at puppy mills (including the parents of that cute little puppy in the pet store that caught your eye) are bred as often as possible in order to increase profits.  Unlike that lucky puppy that will most likely go home with a nice family, the mom and dad will probably never make it out of the mill.

Impulse Buying

All right, we’ve all done it.  I still do it – but NOT with puppies – at least, not any more.  I’ve purchased pups from pet stores in the past.  Back then I didn’t know any better but now I do.  Yeah, I still pass them in the window and sometimes think, “Why not?  I’m here, that little guy is here, it’s meant to be.  Some one is going to buy him – why not me?”  My advice on this is, Walk on By!  Whenever I get the urge to see and hold puppies, I head over to North Shore Animal League or Little Shelter or some other shelter.  There are plenty of puppies there to get my “puppy fix”.  If I do fall head-over-heels in love and take one home, I won’t be part of the problem.
Harsh Realities
By buying a pet shop puppy, not only are you likely perpetuating and supporting a cruel industry, you—the consumer—run the risk of taking home a sick puppy!   Dogs from puppy mills have been reportedly diagnosed with ailments such as respiratory infections and pneumonia, as well as hereditary defects like hip dysplasia.  They may also be poorly socialized to people and other animals.  Also, your new “purebred” puppy might not really be a purebred.  Dogs at puppy mills are often bred indiscriminately and lineage records are sometimes falsified to misrepresent that the dog is a purebred when, in fact, the animal is a mixed breed.  Responsible breeders do NOT sell their dogs through pet stores.
How You Can Help
If you’re looking to make a puppy part of your family, check your local shelters first.  There are so many amazing dogs that need homes.  If your heart is set on a specific breed, keep in mind that one in four shelter dogs is a purebred.  Additionally, you can do an Internet search for breed-specific rescue organizations.  If those attempts still don’t give you the purebred puppy you’re looking for, you’ll need to learn how to choose a responsible breeder.

If you’ve already purchased a pup from a pet store, so be it.  But, please, please,PLEASE think twice before doing so again because…

NOW YOU KNOW!

How to Choose a Responsible Breeder

Responsible breeders are individuals who have focused their efforts on one or a select few breeds.  They are experts on the breed’s health, heritable conditions, temperament and behavior.  They acquire and grow their expertise through breeding, historical research and ongoing study, mentoring relationships, club memberships, showing, raising and training of these breeds.  Responsible breeders are well suited to educate and screen potential buyers/adopters and provide follow-up support after purchase or adoption. Responsible breeders take lifetime responsibility for the animals they have bred.

Practices of a Responsible Breeder:

• Never sells puppies to a dealer or pet shop.
• Screens breeding stock for heritable diseases and removes affected animals from breeding program.
• Affected animals are altered and may be placed as pets as long as health issues are disclosed to buyers/adopters.
• Removes aggressive animals from breeding program.
• Keeps breeding stock healthy and well socialized.
• Never keeps more dogs than they can provide with the highest level of care, including quality food, clean water, proper shelter from heat or cold, exercise, socialization and professional veterinary care.
• Has working knowledge of genetics and generally avoids inbreeding.
• Bases breeding frequency on mother’s health, age, condition and recuperative abilities.
• Does not breed extremely young or old animals.
• Often breeds and rears dogs in the home, where they are considered part of the family.
• Ensures neonates are kept clean, warm, fed, vetted and with the mother until weaned.
• Begins socialization of neonates at three weeks of age.
• Screens potential guardians; discusses positive and negative aspects of animal/breed.
• Ensures animals are weaned (eight to ten weeks of age) before placement.
• Offers guidance and support to new guardians.
• Provides an adoption/purchase contract in plain English that spells out breeder’s responsibilities, adopter’s responsibilities, health guarantees and return policy.
• Provides accurate and reliable health, vaccination and pedigree information.
• Makes sure pet-quality animals are sold on a limited registration, spay/neuter contract, or are altered before placement.
• Will take back any animal of their breeding, at any time and for any reason.

You CAN and SHOULD meet the breeder in person and view the breeding stock, puppies and living areas for yourself.  When meeting a breeder and touring the facility, you may not be able to determine if the breeder practices all aspects of a responsible breeder, but you can readily look for yourself for the practices indicated in red.  Those should be your minimum requirements when choosing a breeder.  In addition, talk to the breeder about any concerns you may have about his/her practices.  Any responsible breeder should welcome a dialogue and respect your concerns without taking offense.  If the breeder becomes defensive – beware!

NOW YOU KNOW!

Be Gone, Beggar, Be Gone!

You sit down at the table with your family for dinner and Fido is right there, circling like a vulture.  Maybe he even whines, paws at you or tries to grab the food from the table himself.  Is he so persistent that you finally give him something just to shut him up and make him go away?  Well, that worked for about 10 seconds and now the cycle starts all over again!  Of course, you just taught him that if being annoying doesn’t work, then being really, really annoying does!  Shouldn’t the family dinner be about enjoying your dinner and interacting with the human members of the family?  Well, it can be!

All feeding of your dog from the table MUST stop!  It’s best not to feed tidbits from the counter, either.  Your dog will have trouble making a distinction between food from the table and food from the counter.  In addition, you don’t want to add “Counter Surfing” to your dog’s repertoire of behaviors.  The entire family must consistently ignore all of your dog’s begging behavior.  Do not look at him, talk to him or touch him.  If he gets in your face, turn your body the other way.  If your dog does not receive a reward for begging, the behavior will stop.  Dogs do not continue a behavior that is not rewarded.

If your dog is a persistent beggar than, no doubt, he’s been rewarded for begging in the past.  When you decide not to reward him any more, beware!  The begging is bound to get plenty worse before he gives up!  Why?  Because it has always worked before and your dog will do what he has learned works.  When it stops working, he won’t be convinced at first and will try even harder to make it work for him.  But, fear not.  Stick to your resolve, don’t give in and, eventually Fido will give up begging as a dead-end behavior.

If his begging is so persistent that you think you can’t take it, don’t give in!  That will only teach him to be an even more persistent beggar.  Instead, put him in his crate or try putting him on a leash.  Tie the leash to a chair or wedge it in the door while you eat.  Tie your dog so that he is in sight but not able to reach the table.  Praise your dog when he is lying or sitting quietly.

You can also try distracting your dog with a nylabone soaked in broth or some other tasty chewy, just BEFORE you sit down to eat.  Don’t wait for him to start begging!  Remember, when your dog fixates on chewing his bone, he is much less likely to bother you at the table.

After the meal is over, you can reward your dog for good behavior with tidbits from the table if you so choose.  Just be sure to put them in his bowl and have him perform a sit-wait before you place the bowl on the floor.  Don’t allow him to go to the bowl until you have released him.  Now you are practicing good leadership while rewarding good behavior!

My dogs have never been rewarded from the table (at least not from me!)  They know traditional begging is useless and don’t bother.  They occasionally try it with guests (hope springs eternal, after all!), but they don’t persist.  They do beg, but they do it MY way and that’s a way I can live with.  They sit or lie quietly around the table, ever watchful.  They’ve learned that NOT begging is the only successful way to beg.  They know that’s the only way they will be rewarded, when the meal is over, with tasty little morsels in their food bowls.

These photos of Bam Bam would seem to tell a different story but all is not as it appears.  I had to pose my pooch for these photos and, I must confess, he was quite uncomfortable with his feet up on the table (as he should be!)  But, as always, he was a real good sport.