Blog April 2017

Subscribe

Via Email:    

Archive



Blog Categories

5 ways to travel with your pet. We've come up with 5 ways how to travel with your pet. 5 Ways to Travel With Your Pet

Posted On: April 17, 2017

We've come up with 5 ways to travel with your pet.

#1. Advance booking is key. When you set an arrival date, you should book ahead. The site Booking.com is great, as it allows you to filter search results by those that are pet-friendly. But be sure to read the fine print. Some places say they're pet-friendly but require prior approval. Or you’ll arrive and find that they only permit small dogs. Specify that you’ll have your well-behaved pup with you, and call before booking if you have doubts.

#2. Local hotels are more flexible. While some, such as Kimpton and La Quinta, are pet-friendly, many are not, and they tend to have stricter policies that are applied across the entire chain. Local hotels or regional chains are sometimes more open to bending the rules (or creating new ones on the spot).

#3. Show and tell. Because not everyone’s a dog-lover, it often helps to share a bit about your dog. For example “She’s well-behaved, trained, does not bark and will not go to the bathroom inside.” If the staff is still unsure, give them a little show never hurts.  Just showcase a few tricks to demonstrate that she listens and obeys commands.

#4. Get references before leaving. Before leaving a hotel, ask a member of the staff to write a short review about your stay on company letterhead. Show this whenever you need to do a bit more persuading. Having a reference from another hotel is a great way to establish your credibility and prove that your pup does not cause problems.

#5. Don't forget the do hair! Dogs tend to leave behind piles of hair wherever they go. This can be a major put-off for hotels, which have to deal with it after you leave. Try brushing your dog before your stay, and travel with a pet brush. This will help reduce the amount of hair he or she leaves behind.


0

How to Bathe Your Dog

Posted On: April 03, 2017

The mother dog performs lots of canine hygiene chores by licking her puppies clean, but once the puppies start moving around or are away from mom, they can get awfully dirty from poop, newsprint if they are being paper-trained, dog food, or just plain dirt. Most times, all you need to do is sponge them off with a warm moist washcloth or a disposable wipe, but sometimes only a bath will do.

Even if they are just a few weeks old, if you do it carefully, you can safely bathe them. In fact, if your puppies are a breed that will require professional grooming, it’s a good idea to get them used to the bathing process early on. It’s also important to instruct new owners on the proper way to bathe a puppy before they go to a new home.

How To Bathe A Puppy

Bathing a young puppy is not much different than bathing a human baby. First and foremost, you need to keep them warm when they are bathed: a warm room, warm water that is comfortable on your own skin, nice fluffy towels, and warm air — not hot — from a blow dryer if they are full-coated and need blow drying. Of course, you should never allow them to go outdoors if they are damp. Not only could they catch a chill, they just might roll in whatever is handy, including grass, gravel, and mud, undoing all of your work in the process.

Fluffy-coated puppies need to be brushed thoroughly before they are bathed. Water adds volume to mats and tangles, tightening them up during the bathing process. Most puppies can be bathed right in the kitchen sink. Place them on a rubber mat to prevent slipping and using the dish-spray hose or a hand-held shampoo attachment used for travel, wet them down from the back end with a gentle spray so they won’t panic.

In most cases, a puppy tearless shampoo works best, but if your baby is really stinky, you may have to use a deodorizing shampoo. If the skin is dry or flaky, a soothing oatmeal shampoo would be a good choice, leaving the lather on for ten minutes before rinsing. If the puppy has fleas, for safety’s sake use a natural flea shampoo rather than harsh chemicals to get rid of those unwelcome visitors. Do not use shampoos made for humans; they have a different pH level and often contain harsher detergents than quality pet products.

No matter which shampoo you use, be sure to keep the lather out of the puppy’s eyes. I like to wash and rinse the face with a washcloth so spraying that area won’t be necessary. Always rinse very thoroughly as any shampoo left in the coat will cause dryness and itching. If you start bathing puppies when they are young, bath time will be a normal experience in their lives, not a traumatic experience.


0