Tag: Boston dogs

Keeping Your Dog Well Hydrated on Hot Summer Days

Poppy may be young but she does not like the heat and would prefer sitting on a bench sipping water to walking, when it's above 75 degrees.

On hot days, we try to get out earlier and choose the shady side of the street and the canopy of trees on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall for our exercise. A walk along the water can be a bit cooler, especially if you have a breeze and some shady trees.

We carry water on our walks most of the year because Poppy loves to jump up on a bench for a rest and a nice cool drink. Like Maggie Mae before her, Penny swears Poppy has a look she gives us when she wants a drink. And, like most dogs, she is a drippy drinker.

There are lots of products designed for dogs to drink from when you're out and about.

Here are a few of our favorites.

We love our H2O4K9, Dog Water Bottle and Travel Bowl. You can clip it to your belt and the cap becomes a drinking container. Ed carries it in a Mesh Water Bottle Carrier that we've had for ages.

Penny keeps a Silicone Pop-Up Water Bowl in her backpack so we always have a way to share water with a thirsty dog. You can see Poppy drinking from her Pop-up in the photo below.

You can use a plastic bag

If you came out without a special water dish for your dog, you can use a plastic bag. Just slide your hand inside, cup your hand, and pour in some water. It won't leak the way your hand does without the bag, and you won't waste water as you would if you let your pup drink from a bottle.

Here's our dear little Maggie Mae back when she demonstrated the plastic bag method.

This summer we decided to get an early start on keeping Poppy well hydrated. Since she is fed a raw, homemade diet, we've added water to our recipe and we pour extra water into her dish with each meal.

We also carry a back-up bottle of cold water in an insulated water bottle carrier for the people on the walk and to tempt Poppy with a bit of cold water when she doesn't seem interested in her own supply.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs (and other critters) at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino, edited for BostonZest from her City Paws Newspaper Column.
Photography: 2008-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 31, 2016
Tips to Protect Your Dog on Hot Days

We've had a few hot days and seen lots of people taking great care of their dogs. As we chat with friends, all of us share tips on how we're rearranging our routines to make things safer for our canine companions. Here are a few of those ideas.

Arrange your walk schedule so that longer treks are in the cooler parts of the day. Slow down and let your dog take more breaks and maybe even a short snooze, if that's what works for him or her. Offer drinks of water often.

If you use dog walkers, ask them to adjust how long your dog is out in the heat.

This is especially important if your dog is in fragile health, elderly, or one of the flat-faced breeds that are susceptible to brachycephalic syndrome, a condition that makes breathing more difficult.

Carry water for your dog. Most pet supply shops sell water bottles with attached caps or covers that serve as a dog cup. There are collapsible water dishes that you can fill from a water fountain or your own bottle of water.

Check the Heat of the Pavement

Press your hand on the blacktop for 10 seconds as a way to determine if it will be uncomfortable or dangerous for your dog.

On hot days, let your dog walk on grass or dirt as much as possible to give those paws a break.

If you are visiting an even hotter climate than ours this summer, consider putting boots on your dog, if that’s the only way to protect bare paws from the hot pavement.

We've also discovered that the white lines painted as crosswalks are much cooler than the blacktop, so we direct Poppy's paws along that path as we cross streets.

At the beach, sand can be as hot as pavement, check it with your own bare feet. Walking along the wave line or in shallow water can give your dog a break from the hot sand.

It should go without saying that you should never leave your dog in a car in hot weather. The American Veterinary Medical Association warns, “The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes.” They also say, “We've heard the excuses: ‘Oh, it will just be a few minutes while I go into the store,’ or ‘But I cracked the windows …’ These excuses don't amount to much if your pet becomes seriously ill or dies from being left in a vehicle.”

Here's a post we did on that topic complete with a video by a veterinarian who stayed in a hot car to show what happens.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino (edited for BostonZest from one of our City Paw newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 24, 2016
Tips to Protect Your Dog on Hot Days

We've had a few hot days and seen lots of people taking great care of their dogs. As we chat with friends, all of us share tips on how we're rearranging our routines to make things safer for our canine companions. Here are a few of those ideas.

Arrange your walk schedule so that longer treks are in the cooler parts of the day. Slow down and let your dog take more breaks and maybe even a short snooze, if that's what works for him or her. Offer drinks of water often.

If you use dog walkers, ask them to adjust how long your dog is out in the heat.

This is especially important if your dog is in fragile health, elderly, or one of the flat-faced breeds that are susceptible to brachycephalic syndrome, a condition that makes breathing more difficult.

Carry water for your dog. Most pet supply shops sell water bottles with attached caps or covers that serve as a dog cup. There are collapsible water dishes that you can fill from a water fountain or your own bottle of water.

Check the Heat of the Pavement

Press your hand on the blacktop for 10 seconds as a way to determine if it will be uncomfortable or dangerous for your dog.

On hot days, let your dog walk on grass or dirt as much as possible to give those paws a break.

If you are visiting an even hotter climate than ours this summer, consider putting boots on your dog, if that’s the only way to protect bare paws from the hot pavement.

We've also discovered that the white lines painted as crosswalks are much cooler than the blacktop, so we direct Poppy's paws along that path as we cross streets.

At the beach, sand can be as hot as pavement, check it with your own bare feet. Walking along the wave line or in shallow water can give your dog a break from the hot sand.

It should go without saying that you should never leave your dog in a car in hot weather. The American Veterinary Medical Association warns, “The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes.” They also say, “We've heard the excuses: ‘Oh, it will just be a few minutes while I go into the store,’ or ‘But I cracked the windows …’ These excuses don't amount to much if your pet becomes seriously ill or dies from being left in a vehicle.”

Here's a post we did on that topic complete with a video by a veterinarian who stayed in a hot car to show what happens.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino (edited for BostonZest from one of our City Paw newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2014-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 24, 2016
Danger of Xylitol for Dogs Update: More Products That Contain It

This article from the Pet Poison Helpline with even more information on products containing the chemical Xylitol, that can be deadly to our precious dogs, came across my desk this week.

Last summer I wrote one of my City Paws newspaper columns on this topic and republished it here on BostonZest. Here's a link to that article.

Dogs in Danger from the Xylitol Around Your Home

The update from Pet Poison Helpline includes a long list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, and foods that contain this toxin for dogs. Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT, Associate Director of Veterinary Services, Pet Poison Helpline, wrote the article. She has also stressed how low the toxic levels can be and what you should do if your dogs might have ingested any of these products.

Review these items in both articles and if you have any of them, be sure to put them in dog safe containers and out of reach. You might want to make your own or buy poison stickers to attach to any item that could be harmful.

One action we have taken is extra care when disposing of sugarless chewing gum. It is only put in trash receptacles that our Poppy has absolutely no way of exploring. And our gum is placed in screw-top glass jars just to be extra sure it doesn't attract her attention.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 17, 2016
Danger of Xylitol for Dogs Update: More Products That Contain It

This article from the Pet Poison Helpline with even more information on products containing the chemical Xylitol, that can be deadly to our precious dogs, came across my desk this week.

Last summer I wrote one of my City Paws newspaper columns on this topic and republished it here on BostonZest. Here's a link to that article.

Dogs in Danger from the Xylitol Around Your Home

The update from Pet Poison Helpline includes a long list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, and foods that contain this toxin for dogs. Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT, Associate Director of Veterinary Services, Pet Poison Helpline, wrote the article. She has also stressed how low the toxic levels can be and what you should do if your dogs might have ingested any of these products.

Review these items in both articles and if you have any of them, be sure to put them in dog safe containers and out of reach. You might want to make your own or buy poison stickers to attach to any item that could be harmful.

One action we have taken is extra care when disposing of sugarless chewing gum. It is only put in trash receptacles that our Poppy has absolutely no way of exploring. And our gum is placed in screw-top glass jars just to be extra sure it doesn't attract her attention.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Dogs in Danger from the Xylitol Around Your Home

What's on Your Spring Dog Adventure List?

Give a Big "Thank You" to Your Dog Walker!

July 17, 2016
How to Check Your Dog’s Vital Signs: Great Instructions via Go Pet Friendly

Go Pet Friendly is a wonderful resource for those of us who like to travel with our pets. But whether traveling or not, I always gain valuable information from this great site.

Update: 01/28/17 – With Canine influenza moving slowly towards the Boston area, this seemed like a good time to feature this post on how to check your dog's vital signs.

Here's a related post we wrote about canine flu and the vaccinations for it.

I found myself making a note to reread a post, "How To Check Your Dog’s Pulse, Respiration, and Temperature," that appeared on the site's "Take Paws" blog this past spring, because I wanted to reinforce what I had learned.

While we rely on professionals to diagnose serious illnesses, we all should know how to do a basic assessment of a dog's vital signs. This post does a great job of telling you how to do just that.

You might be able to spare your pup the trauma of a scary visit to the vet if you assure yourself that all his vital signs are normal and that he's just tired from something like an extra long dose of exercise and not sick.

As you can see, some puppies (like our Poppy when she was only a few months old) are not at all upset by vet visits. She has been known to kiss the vet tech and fall asleep on the exam table! But most dogs would rather have you, the human they trust the most, doing things to them than some stranger.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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July 10, 2016
How to Check Your Dog’s Vital Signs: Great Instructions via Go Pet Friendly

Go Pet Friendly is a wonderful resource for those of us who like to travel with our pets. But whether traveling or not, I always gain valuable information from this great site.

Update: 01/28/17 – With Canine influenza moving slowly towards the Boston area, this seemed like a good time to feature this post on how to check your dog's vital signs.

Here's a related post we wrote about canine flu and the vaccinations for it.

I found myself making a note to reread a post, "How To Check Your Dog’s Pulse, Respiration, and Temperature," that appeared on the site's "Take Paws" blog this past spring, because I wanted to reinforce what I had learned.

While we rely on professionals to diagnose serious illnesses, we all should know how to do a basic assessment of a dog's vital signs. This post does a great job of telling you how to do just that.

You might be able to spare your pup the trauma of a scary visit to the vet if you assure yourself that all his vital signs are normal and that he's just tired from something like an extra long dose of exercise and not sick.

As you can see, some puppies (like our Poppy when she was only a few months old) are not at all upset by vet visits. She has been known to kiss the vet tech and fall asleep on the exam table! But most dogs would rather have you, the human they trust the most, doing things to them than some stranger.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Related articles

Once Upon a Time Dogs Sold Soap

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July 10, 2016
Duchess Poppy Speaks Up About July 4th Fireworks Noise

Hello there Boston Dogs, Duchess Poppy here!

I can tell you from experience that Boston's July 4th Celebration is going to be noisy. And I do not like noise! I like things cool, calm, and quiet.

Did you know that there are silent fireworks? Penny found this article about a town that made things better for us noise averse critters by choosing those.

Update: Here's another article from the Boston Globe.

But here there will be lots of flashing lights in the sky and big booms going off along the river. I'm planning on staying home, but even if I hide in the bathroom, I know it will make my building shake.

I found a bunch of tips Over on PetFinder about preparing for big parties like this.

Tap your paw or click on the poster for easier reading.

And, just in case you were wondering, dogs and cats are not allowed at the Boston Pops Concert on the Esplanade. Only official, working, or service animals may attend. (But I don't know why any of us would want to go to this noisy, crowded place. Besides, we would only distract the police dogs who have important work that day.)

Have a safe and Happy July 4th!

Duchess Poppy Whitehead

P.S. Here's a link to all our Sunday Dogs. I'm in charge of recruiting the talent for these features, so let me know if you want to star some week.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Duchess Poppy Whitehead (Edited by Ed)
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

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July 3, 2016
Duchess Poppy Speaks Up About July 4th Fireworks Noise

Hello there Boston Dogs, Duchess Poppy here!

I can tell you from experience that Boston's July 4th Celebration is going to be noisy. And I do not like noise! I like things cool, calm, and quiet.

Did you know that there are silent fireworks? Penny found this article about a town that made things better for us noise averse critters by choosing those.

Update: Here's another article from the Boston Globe.

But here there will be lots of flashing lights in the sky and big booms going off along the river. I'm planning on staying home, but even if I hide in the bathroom, I know it will make my building shake.

I found a bunch of tips Over on PetFinder about preparing for big parties like this.

Tap your paw or click on the poster for easier reading.

And, just in case you were wondering, dogs and cats are not allowed at the Boston Pops Concert on the Esplanade. Only official, working, or service animals may attend. (But I don't know why any of us would want to go to this noisy, crowded place. Besides, we would only distract the police dogs who have important work that day.)

Have a safe and Happy July 4th!

Duchess Poppy Whitehead

P.S. Here's a link to all our Sunday Dogs. I'm in charge of recruiting the talent for these features, so let me know if you want to star some week.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a Birthday or Wedding gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Duchess Poppy Whitehead (Edited by Ed)
Photography: © 2013 Penny Cherubino

Related articles

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July 3, 2016
“The Eyes Have It” When it Comes to These Sunday Dogs

Dogs use their eyes for many reasons. Around my house, if Poppy’s meal is a few minutes late, Ed and I are treated to penetrating laser eyes as a silent reminder that she wants dinner now!

Poppy says, "I'm so worried I won't be served my dinner on time! "

Photography

I love to focus on dogs' eyes when I photograph them, but it’s often difficult because my large camera lens looks like a big eye to some dogs and they avoid looking at it. When I have time to get to know a subject, I’ll put the lens cap on and offer to let them sniff my camera before I use it again.

For dogs, eye contact takes on many meanings. A direct stare from a person or another dog can reassure, threaten, welcome, warn, question, or demand attention. For someone who wants a great relationship with dogs, there is a lot to learn about eye contact.

Communication

Before you can train your dog to do anything, you need his or her attention. Some folks use the cue, “Watch me!” pointing to their eyes and holding the dog’s gaze as they praise their pal for the correct behavior. That simple, “Watch me!” can come in handy when you need to distract your dog from something that might cause him to bark or react in some way that you don’t allow.

Once this is mastered, you can move on to training your dog to follow your gaze by looking and pointing to an object thereby directing the dog’s attention to something else. Start with fun things such as a toy you’d like him to bring to you or a place you want her to go to settle down.

Your dog may also try to communicate with you by making eye contact and then gaze at what they want or need. I love to let my dog solve her own problems and she usually does a great job of figuring out how to free a stuck toy or hold a chew to get the best angle of attack. But, occasionally, she will turn to one of us for an assist. Often, I can tell what she needs by the look in her eyes and where she tries to direct my eyes.

There is an emotional bonus to all this eye contact. A recent study by animal behaviorist Takefumi Kikusui found that, “When interacting and exchanging gazes, both dogs and their owners experienced rushes of oxytocin in their brains.” This increases your emotional bond.

Don’t make eye contact if …

While eye contact with your own dog can be beneficial, you really have to have a clear understanding of canine body language if you are going to make eye contact with a strange dog. An unfamiliar dog may read your stare as a form of dominance or aggression and react accordingly.

If you’re lucky, the reaction might be submission, but you could also find yourself facing a snarling canine. You are better off approaching a strange dog with your eyes slightly averted, speaking quietly, and using soft body language.

When you have the opportunity, observe dogs who are experts at using their eyes. Watch a sheepdog use her eyes to control sheep or a hunter keen on his prey. Notice how a retriever can focus on the object he’ll locate and return to his person. Pay attention to the way a guide dog checks the traffic before leading a blind person across a street. The eyes have it!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (Adapted for BostonZest from one of her "City Paws" newspaper columns.)
Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino plus the last photo from iStockphoto.com

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