Dog Safety

As dog owners, we need to make sure that we do our best to keep our pets as safe as we can. This is generally common sense, but sometimes, unless you have experienced a particular problem you may not think about some things.

My hub is to hopefully point out some ways to keep your dog safe throughout the year, when travelling, in your home, in the garden and when out walking.

There are various products on the market to help us keep our dogs safe, but also various tips you can follow

Heat - if you live in a hot climate, then you do need to be careful of excess heat. Dogs can very quickly get heatstroke. So here are a couple of tips:-

Try not to walk your dog in the main heat of the day, instead go out in the morning before the sun is too hot, or in the evening as it has cooled down.

When taking the dog out in the car, don't leave him or her unattended when it is hot. A car works just like an oven, and the temperature soon becomes unbearable. Even leaving a window slightly open is not necessarily going to be enough. A dog suffering with heatstroke needs immediate medical attention if it is to survive - prevention in this case, is much better than the cure.

Water needs to always be available inside the house and if you take the dog out. I always carry a portable bottle of water that has its own drinking section, so it is easy to carry around.

Some parts of the world can bring extreme cold weather, with snow and ice.  If your dog is kept outside  and you do not intend to bring him in for the cold spell, then you will want to make sure he is comfortable outside.

First thing is to ensure that he has shelter from the wind and rain, with plenty of nice warm bedding in his kennel.  Keep a close check on his water bowl, as it can often freeze over very quickly.

For dogs that are kept indoors, you may find that your dog really does not want to go out for his walk in the snow, and he may therefore appreciate you buying him some booties to help look after his feet.

Generally dogs will withstand the cold weather on their daily walks, but some of the very short haired breed, or those whose belly is quite near the ground may need the help of a coat.  These can easily be bought and do not cost a fortune. 

I know when I have been out and about with Shellie, I have often noticed dogs really shivering with the cold, and really there is no need for this at all.  Just remember that your dog will also feel the cold and if you notice he is shivering, then it's time to cover him!

If the cold weather lasts a long time you might want to think about adding some omega fatty acid supplements to his meals, as this will help to stop his coat and skin from drying out.

The one other thing to remember is that it is probably best not to bathe him unless it is absolutely necessary.  A wet dog will feel the cold and stay colder for much longer.  You can buy some powder shampoos which will do the job.

Nowadays there are many times a year when people let off fireworks in celebration, and it can be a nightmare time if you are a dog owner, especially if your dog is scared of noise.

So to help keep him or her safe you need to make sure that he is inside your home wherever possible, and keep the noise out as much as you can - sometimes he will be better in a confined area of your home.

If your dog is really frightened (our last dog Cassie was really, really scared of loud noises of anykind) then you need to keep calm and try to ignore the frantic signs the dog gives you. If you sympathise with him he will immediately think he is right and there is something to be scared of. So whatever you do, don't comfort him, you are giving off all the wrong signals. I know it goes against the grain, but as soon as we learnt this, Cassie was much less frazzled by it all.

If your dog is still excessively scared, then you can purchase dog appeasing pheromone (DAP). This is available either in the form of a diffuser which you plug into your electric socket, spray cans which you use in the area the dog is in, or collars that the dog wears. These produce smells that your dog will associate with its mum, and should help to make him feel calm. Obviously you need to start using this before the fireworks start, several weeks before, if that's possible.

Remember that if a dog is really scared, and is outside, their instinct is going to be to run! So many dogs go missing when fireworks are being let off. If he is outside for any reason, make sure he is securely tethered, and that your fencing around the yard is secure. Preferably he should be in the house - for a dog that is concerned about the noise, keep him in a confined space like his crate, so he is much less likely to escape if he's scared.

Have your pet microchipped, this is when a tiny chip is put under the skin, it is over in a second.  Your vet can do this when your dog is a pup.  This way you know that once the chip is in place, you have much more chance of your dog being returned to you if he does run off at any time.  All officials, ie. vets, wardens, pounds etc have equipment to read the chips and can then access a database to get your details so you can be reunited.

Luckily Shellie takes fireworks in her stride, but if your dog has an issue with them following some of the tips above may just help him (and you!) through it.,