Adventure Dog Blog

Since starting my dog daycare last year, I’ve seen all kinds of dogs, each one with a very distinct personality. However, large or small and no matter the breed, I saw some traits that were common to a certain group of dogs.

These dogs were fearful, shy, and aggressive. They would freeze and cower when approached by my dogs, and were quick to growl and snap when anything got too close. Sometimes it would take three days to get a dog like this to warm up to playtime.

What was the common ground that these particular dogs shared? They were all unsocialized. Sometimes the owners had warned me in advance that their dog hadn’t really played with other dogs before, but others thought that taking their dog to play with a friend’s dog once in a blue moon had been enough.

A dog needs to be exposed to all kinds of dogs in order to be properly socialized. You want them to meet dogs of different sizes, shapes and colors so that they will not be fearful on meeting a dog that is new.

It’s especially important for owners of small breeds to realize that their dogs are perfectly capable of learning how to play and socialize with dogs that are much larger than they are. In my daycare, the small dogs are the most likely to be unsocialized, probably because they require so much less activity than larger dogs, and due to their owners fears of large dogs hurting them.

My dogs have played at offleash parks since they were just a few months old, and we go to meetups where owners get their dogs together to play. Of course the doggie daycare means that we constantly have new dogs coming into our home, which is something most owners can’t do. However, you can take your dog to attend a dog daycare once in awhile to give them a chance to play with other dogs.

Socialization is an extremely important part of a dog’s life, especially when they are a pup. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for exercise and mental stimulation.

If you have a dog, remember to take them to play with other dogs! It teaches them some very important manners for future encounters and friendships.

In New Zealand, a song that can only be heard by dogs, topped the charts at Christmas. The song, A Very Silent Night, was released to raise money for the SPCA.

I’m not sure how a track that’s completely silent gets to the top of the charts, but I’m glad that they raised a lot of money for the SPCA.

I’m wondering if my dogs would react to this song at all. I’m betting Anna would completely ignore it. She doesn’t notice the television or even raise an ear to weird sounds of the radio. Chublet on the other hand pays more attention to such things and might just like the song. Who knows!

When I was a child, I had a chronic cough and none of the doctors could figure out why. I was subjected to just about every allergy test imagineable, blood tests, needles, pricks, probes, and breathing tests. Nothing ever came up positive and most doctors just shook their heads. It wasn’t until much later in my life that doctors began to realize that a chronic cough could be a symptom of asthma just as much as hindered breathing was. It appears I had mild asthma.

Regardless, throughout my whole childhood, my mother insisted that I must have allergies, and there were various things I was not allowed to have or do. Owning pets was out of the question and the possibility of allergies was always mentioned, although I’m certain it was more because my parents didn’t want to have pets.

As soon as I moved into my own home and had a backyard, I got a dog for the first time in my life. Anna. She’s fantastic, and guess what? I’m not allergic.

I was reading an article on ScienceDaily.com that explained how many people who believe they have allergies in fact don’t. It made me wonder how many people believe they have allergies to dogs when they really don’t. (Read the article here)

If you are thinking about getting a dog, allergies don’t have to stop you. First, you might want to visit your doctor and find out for certain that you are indeed allergic. Second, you can ask them about the latest treatment options that may afford you opportunity to live with a dog.

Failing that, there are several breeds of dog that are considered “hypoallergenic”. Now this doesn’t mean they are guarenteed not to set off your allergies, it just means that they give off less allergens. Most people that are allergic to dogs are allergic to their dander, the flakes of skin that come off and float around in the air. Dogs that have specific types of fur and those that have very little fur tend to give off less dander.

You can find a list of “hypoallergenic” dog breeds on Wikipedia here.

Here are some tips that can lower your allergic response to dogs:

• Keep dogs out of your bedroom and close the door. This will help keep dander levels to a minimum.
• Keep dogs off of the furniture. Dander collects in the upholstery.
• Wash your dog often. Bathe your dog once per week to lower the amount of dander, but do not wash more often as drying their skin can cause even more dander production.
• Brush your dog often, but do it outdoors. Brushing your dog will help remove dead hair and dander. Doing it outdoors means the dander that’s released is not released into your home.
• Get a HEPA air filter. The right air filter can remove allergens and drastically reduce the amount of dander present in the air.
• Clean clean clean! Launder your dog’s blankets and pillows often. Dust all surfaces with a wet cloth often. Vacuum with a hepa filtered vacuum often. Don’t allow dust and dander to build up.

If you are still too symptomatic to own a dog, it may be possible to find other ways to spend time with dogs. Perhaps you can volunteer time at an animal shelter or rescue foundation. You could work part time in a pet store or grooming parlour. You can visit friends that have dogs or take someone’s dogs out for a walk. Allergies do not have to be the end of your love of dogs!

When we left town for the holidays this December, we needed to leave our two dogs at home. My parents do not want animals in their home, and since Chublet isn’t entirely potty trained, I didn’t think it was fair to push my luck.

When I leave my dogs behind, I dislike leaving them at a dog kennel. I have done so in the past, and it just seems like a less than ideal situation. While the kennels I’ve been to have been clean and run by very wonderful people who did everything they could to ensure my dogs’ comfort, I just felt that leaving them in a cage for a few days can’t have been enjoyable for them.

I recommend looking for a doggie daycare run in someone’s home that offers overnights. This is actually a service I offer out of my dog daycare. I run a dog daycare out of my home and we let dogs come stay while their owners go away for business or vacations. We’ve had all kinds of dogs come to visit, and their owners like the fact that their dog is staying in a home setting where they are free to roam the house and play with my dogs when they feel like it. They also get to sleep on the floor, the couch, or some of them even opt to sleep in my bed at night.

While not all dog daycares will allow your dog to sleep on a bed at night, they do offer an environment that is a lot more welcoming than your usual dog kennel. But how do you know that you are leaving your dog somewhere safe and trustworthy while you are away? It’s natural to be concerned, and it’s important to ensure your dog’s safety.

Here are some tips I’ve compiled to help you choose a good dog daycare. I am using my experience as a dog daycare owner and as a dog owner to tell you what I might look for in a quality care setting.

1. Can you book an appointment in advance so that you and your dog(s) can meet the dog daycare owner and see the daycare? I allow dog owners to make an appointment to bring their dogs to meet me, meet my dogs, and sniff my house. This not only gives the dog owner a great chance to see what type of person I am and what kind of environment I provide for their dog, it also gives me a chance to get to know their dog’s temperament and plan ahead for any special needs they may have.

2. Is the daycare environment clean and safe? You can’t leave your dog in a home that’s littered with tiny toys or garbage and you wouldn’t want to leave them with someone that can’t even bother to clean up before an appointment made in advance to meet you. The daycare home should be neat, tidy, and clean.

3. Does the daycare kennel the dogs? This is a good question to ask the daycare owner. I have heard of dog daycares run in human homes where they still lock the dogs in kennels for much of the time, and only let them out for scheduled walks and playtime. This is the environment you were attempting to avoid. Some daycares, like mine, will use kennels only when necessary. I’ve kenneled a dog once because he was still awake at 1am and bugging all the other dogs and humans in our home. Otherwise, I will only kennel dogs at night if that is what they are used to doing at home, or if a dog prefers to have a kennel to escape to when they want to be alone or feel safe.

4. Does the daycare have an outdoor play space? Do they have a back yard or a dog run? Is their yard fenced or will your dog be tied to a leash? Will the daycare owner supervise play in the backyard in person, or do they let the dogs play outside together alone? I always go outside with the dogs when they are under my care as I like to supervise all play times to make sure everyone is safe. I don’t think this is absolutely necessary, but you want to make sure the daycare has a secure and safe outdoor space for your dog to relieve themselves.

5. What prior experience does the daycare owner have with dogs? How long have they run the daycare? Have they owned dogs themselves or are they a dog lover? I would never leave my dogs with someone that had never owned dogs before. People who have not owned dogs simply do not realize the sheer responsibility that goes into owning a dog. I want someone with experience who feels confident at all times caring for dogs.

6. What happens in an emergency? In the event of an emergency, will the daycare owner take the dog to the nearest vet? Do they have a vehicle to do so? Have they any first aid training? I have taken a dog first aid course, though this is probably not an easy class to find in smaller communities.

7. Are there forms to fill out? Any good daycare owner will have you fill out forms with information about how to contact you in case of emergency, plus information about your dog. They will need to write down your dog’s eating habits, any allergies or medical information, and so on. If they don’t write this down, you can bet they will forget. They should also be getting you to fill out a form that grants them permission to make any necessary medical decisions for your pet in the case of an emergency in which they absolutely cannot get ahold of you. If you aren’t asked to fill out any forms, I wouldn’t leave your dog behind.

8. What does your gut say? In my lifetime, I can’t think of many circumstances in which my gut was wrong. If your gut is warning you not to leave your dog with someone, listen to it. However, keep in mind that it’s normal to be nervous. Most dog owners that have left their dogs with me were worried about whether their dog would be alright, and I can say that ALL of the dogs I’ve babysat have been just fine. Even the most anxious dogs that refused to come out of their kennels for the entire first day would come out of their shell and start playing. Most dogs had an incredible time and didn’t once remember their owner until they heard the doorbell again.

If you consider the questions I’ve given you, you should be off to a very good start when looking for a good place to board your dog overnight or longer. More and more dog daycares are popping up in people’s homes and it’s getting easier to leave your dog in comfort while you are away. Even your dog gets a vacation these days!

I was just reading a post on Bark Blog that discusses a news item about a family who took their dog to the vet with tumors that required surgery they couldn’t afford. They decided to have the dog put down. The story gets a little confusing here, but essentially what happened is a visiting vet decided to do the surgery on the dog and keep it. Eventually, the family was contacted and reunited with their dog, and left quite upset over the whole ordeal.

In Bark Blog, they raise the question of what can be done to help animals that are being put down because their owners cannot afford surgery.

This isn’t the only scenario where I’ve seen dogs suffer because someone can’t afford their surgery. At my local animal shelter, they often have older dogs up for adoption that require expensive work on their teeth. The shelter will only let someone adopt the dog if they pay for the surgery and have it done first, and so often these dogs will go un-adopted. There must be a way to help these dogs as well.

There are a few problems that need to be solved besides saving the dog’s lives. The first would be having the surgery paid for and completed. The second is finding some way to keep the dog with it’s family.

1. Create a pool of vets who are willing to perform surgeries on animals to ensure they are more easily adopted from animal shelters, and for families that cannot afford surgeries on their pets.

2. Create a fund that provides financial assistance to families that need it to pay for these surgeries.

3. Find a way to provide better payment options for low income families who require surgery for their pets.

Unfortunately, there is a shortage of vets who are willing to work for free, probably because there are just too many animals and families needing help. A vet has to earn a living. Maybe this issue could be solved if all vets donated a certain amount of time per month to the pool.

Who would start and maintain the fund for assisting families financially? And can vets offer better payment solutions?

Hopefully this is an issue that more people will think about and the ball will start to roll.

Anna and Mr. Meaty are pretty excited to hear that there are Scout Troops for dogs! Dog Scouts of America has troops all over the U.S and a few in Canada. They are a non-profit organization “dedicated to educating the public about responsible dog ownership and the important role of the human/canine bond.”

On their website you’ll find a LOT of information about dogs, with subjects ranging from activities, sports, training, behavior issues, responsible ownership, containment, puppies, and more. There are articles on various dog sports, activities, and fun things to do with your dogs.

If you are interested, there is a map of existing troops, or you can find information on starting your own Dog Scout Troop. Find out about Dog Scout camps and register for a lot of fun!

Visit Dog Scouts of America today.

I’ve always loved dogs, and as a child I noticed which yards had dogs and which didn’t. At the time, I didn’t think it was odd that many dog owners in our neighborhood kept their dogs tied in the backyard or had outdoor pens in which the dogs lived. Now that I’m older, I’m horrified to think someone might never allow their dog in the house.

This page offers some good facts and information about dogs and how much harm can be caused by keeping them locked out in the backyard or tied up all the time.

If you love dogs but believe they should be left outdoors, please visit the link above and read.