With the snow falling and the temperatures dropping, many dog owners find themselves spending more and more time indoors with their dogs. However, boredom and a lack of exercise can lead to many undesirable bad habits including excessive barking, pestering, hyperactivity, or destructive behavior. Rest assured, there are options available to entertain your dog indoors throughout the winter … [Read more...]
How to Keep Your Dog’s Paw Pads From Tearing or Getting Cut While Walking
Whether your dog likes to hike, participates in sports like agility or flyball, or they just walk a lot, you are probably concerned with making sure their paw pads don't tear, get cut, or otherwise get injured. One of the biggest keys to preventing your dog's paw pads from getting damaged is to toughen them up and make sure they are flexible while being durable. In this article, I share … [Read more...]
Can Dogs Go in an Infrared Sauna?
I'm getting an infrared sauna next month and I wondered if my dogs can go in an infrared sauna with me. Yep! I'm that crazy dog lady that wants to share as much of my life, and activities, with my dogs as I can. I wondered if they would enjoy the dry heat of an infrared sauna because they love to soak up the hot sun in the back yard. I wondered if the high temperature was safe for … [Read more...]
How to Make Sure Your Dog Doesn’t Die of Heat Stroke
As dog owners, we like to think we are always being careful and bad things won’t happen to our dogs. I remember the first time Gretel got heatstroke. It was scary. It was a hot day in Seattle so we decided to hang out on the water in hopes of staying cooler. We went paddleboarding for a few hours on the lake by our house. It was warm but it didn’t feel particularly hot. There was a nice … [Read more...]
Can Dogs Get Altitude Sickness?
Whether you are moving to Colorado or hiking a to mountain peak over 10,000 feet, you may be wondering if your dog can get altitude sickness. I became curious about this a few years ago when I was planning a road trip to Colorado with my small dogs. Article originally publishes August 2015 We planned to stay in Denver, Leadville, and several other high elevation towns. We also planned … [Read more...]
The Head of a Tick Was Left In My Dog – This is what Happened
My dog Gretel got bit by a tick. Despite my best efforts, the tick broke when I tried to remove it, which left a tick head embedded in my dog's skin. If this has happened to you, and you're like me, you started to freak out. But don't worry too much yet. It's not always a terrible thing,The first time I pulled a tick out of my dog and the head stayed in, this is what … [Read more...]
Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Cutting Their Dog’s Nails
This article is a case of do what I say, not what I do because I've made a lot of mistakes when it comes to trimming my Dachshund's nails. For the most part, their nails are ok but Gretel has nails that are a bit too long. It's a long story but, in short, she has back issues and, despite working with her for years, she fights me to the point I worry I will injure her so I have to take her … [Read more...]
Protect Your Dog from the Elements by Layering
If you are taking your dog outdoors, a key to keeping them safe in all kinds of weather is layering their clothing. I don’t know about where you live, but in Washington State, we pretty much have to be ready for any weather condition at any time. As they say around here (I've actually heard people from all over the world say it about where they live), “If you don’t like the weather, wait 5 … [Read more...]
Easy DIY Insect Repellent Dog Bandana
UPDATED: APRIL 26, 2020 One way to help prevent nasty critters from bothering your pet while camping, hiking, or hanging out in your back yard, is to have your dog wear an insect repellent dog bandana. You've probably seen these available online or in pet stores. But did you know it's super simple to make your own? There are several reasons that you may want to make your own instead of … [Read more...]
Why I Chose Vectra 3DⓇ Flea and Tick to Protect My Dogs
I admit that I didn’t use flea and tick protection for my dogs for a long time. In Western Washington, it used to be rare for us to run into fleas or ticks so we didn’t need to. However, that has been changing over the last few years. Today, the number of these pests has increased in the region so it's more important than ever to protect your dog from flea and ticks if they venture … [Read more...]
Ticks, Ticks, Ticks: Remember to Protect Your Dog When Hiking
I never worried about ticks when I was growing up. Although I do remember my parents saying our family dog had a tick once; ticks weren't mentioned often and I hadn't seen one. I didn't realize how lucky I was, until later. You see, I grew up in Western Washington State where ticks are rare. I also didn't hike as a kid. And, as a child, I wasn't responsible for our pet's safety so nasty … [Read more...]
How Much CBD Oil Should I Give My Dog?
Whether you are talking about how much CBD oil, or dog treats that contain CBD oil, to give your pet, the discussion is really about the amount of CBD the product contains. One CBD dog treat from one brand might not contain the same amount of CBD as one treat from another. The amount of CBD, measured in milligrams (mg), you should give your dog depends on a lot of things like weight, your … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Make Your Own Hemp CBD Dog Treats
You've heard how CBD dog treats could benefit your dog. Maybe you want to give it to them to reduce seizures, anxiety, arthritis, inflammation, pain or one of the many other health issues CBD can help with. You have decided to go with dog treats instead of oil, but you are having difficulty finding them or your dog doesn't like the taste of the ones you've bought. Have you thought about making … [Read more...]
Why I Feed My Dogs Raw Food and Choose Darwin’s Natural
I ventured into the raw feeding world when Chester was 8. I'd given Chester and Gretel a little raw food here and there and not noticed the differences that a lot of raw feeding devotees claimed they saw. However, once I switched his diet to 100% raw, I did see a change. It gave him the zoomies. He not only started acting like a puppy again, but he started acting more spunky than he ever did as a … [Read more...]
How Old Should My Puppy Be Before They Hike?
You wanted a hiking buddy with lots of energy and that was always excited to go when you are so you got a puppy. You can't wait to hit the trails with your new pup and introduce them to a life of adventure. But should you? Puppies shouldn't go on substantial hikes until their bodies have fully matured. This article is about hiking with your puppy but the same information applies whether you want … [Read more...]
Disaster Happens: How to Protect Your Pet When You’re Not Home
I hear a lot of people say that they would never separate from their pet in the case of a natural disaster emergency. I feel the same way. However, I have worked in emergency management before. I know the truth is you can't always choose to stay. Also, it's quite possible you could be away from home when disaster strikes. In that case, there is a very good chance you won't be allowed back into … [Read more...]
Layman’s Guide to Buying a Cold Laser for Your Dog
So you read my article about how cold laser therapy can help your pet with things like arthritis, ACL and other ligament tears, Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD) and other spine problems, general pain, healing wounds.... well, some claim a cold laser can cure about anything. Now you want to buy a cold laser for your dog but the information out there is overwhelming and … [Read more...]
Washington’s Toxic Plants Your Dog Should Avoid
Guest Post by Elena Edwards UPDATED: 9/3/2020 Moo and I went on a camping trip with some friends in the Hood River area of Oregon over Memorial Day Weekend. The area was super secluded, so I felt good about letting Moo off the leash to explore a little and have some fun herself (Moo’s not much of a wanderer, so she stays within sight). The hills were painted with bright yellow Tansy … [Read more...]
When You Want to Go Hiking but Your Dog Gets Carsick
If you were to ask me what my picture-perfect weekend would look like, it would involve packing up my favorite human, my beloved pup, all my necessary gear, and driving to the mountains. I imagine that there are quite a few people who would agree with this notion. That being said, these outdoor excursions can be cut short, or made incredibly stressful for all involved, when our mountain-climbing … [Read more...]
Winter Hiking With Dogs: Watch for Hypothermia
Chester and Gretel venture out in colder temperatures than most small dogs do. Or, at least, they are outside in cold temperatures longer than most dogs. Our average winter hike is in snow, at 25-30o F temps, and 3-4 hours long. I've never had a serious problem with Chester and Gretel in the many years we've been braving the elements. However, I would be lying if I said they never got … [Read more...]
