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Tag: regulations

  • Prong or Choke Collars Now Illegal in Some Places

    Recently Toronto enacted a few new laws that canine guardians will want to know about should you be traveling there with your dog. 

    • "No person shall use a choke collar, choke chain, pronged collar or any similar device at any time on a dog" (this does not apply to martingale collars)
    • "… no person shall keep an animal tethered where a choke collar, choke chain, pronged collar or any similar device forms part of the tether.
    • "No person shall tether an animal unsupervised for longer than one hour."

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    Here's our pal Marley in a nice, wide martingale collar. These are designed for dogs who could pull out of a collar because they have a narrow head. She is also very well trained and walks politely beside us. In this photo, she's watching a squirrel. 

    Cheers for Toronto!

    They are not alone in this action. If you plan to travel this summer with your dog, you should check to see if something still allowed in this area is illegal where you are visiting.

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    What You May Not Know About Choke/Prong Collars

    Think about your dog’s anatomy and important body parts that are just under the skin on their neck. W. Jean Dodds, DVM, one of the leading experts on thyroid disease in dogs says, “The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ just in front of the larynx and trachea, and the mandibular salivary glands are found on the side of the face just below the ears. Thus, they can be easily injured by trauma and sudden pressure forces (like could occur from the slip ring and chain of metal collar, and a metal prong or hard braided leather collar). A harness or ‘gentle leader’ type collar is preferred these days, especially for strong dogs that like to pull and lunge out when on a standard collar and leash.”

    Naturally, your leash should be short, strong, and always attached to the dog when you are not in a legal, off-leash recreation space. Since the training goal is to have your dog walk quietly by your side, there is no reason to use dangerous extendable leashes. We avoid walking near anyone who uses one since we’ve seen the damage they can do to dogs and people. Dogs on these devices are uncontrolled and unpredictable.

    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: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino except choke collar which is courtesy of Positively.com

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  • Taking Your Dog Along When You Travel to Canada

    Today we share a resource link from our friends over on Go Pet Friendly.

    Taking Your Dog Along When You Travel to Canada

    Last month they updated their page on "Traveling with Your Dog to Canada."

    I learned I could not bring my Poppy's homemade, raw diet into Canada. I would have to substitute a product that is "commercially packaged and sealed with ingredients listed in English."

    They cover all the basic information you will need and include an important section on breed-specific regulations you must know about if you plan to travel to Ontario or Montreal.

    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: screenshot courtesy of Go Pet Friendly.

  • Taking Your Dog Along When You Travel to Canada

    Today we share a resource link from our friends over on Go Pet Friendly.

    Taking Your Dog Along When You Travel to Canada

    Last month they updated their page on "Traveling with Your Dog to Canada."

    I learned I could not bring my Poppy's homemade, raw diet into Canada. I would have to substitute a product that is "commercially packaged and sealed with ingredients listed in English."

    They cover all the basic information you will need and include an important section on breed-specific regulations you must know about if you plan to travel to Ontario or Montreal.

    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: screenshot courtesy of Go Pet Friendly.

  • Welcome to Boston Dog Lovers: What You Need to Know…

    Each year around this time, we welcome a pack of new pups to the city. We have checked the links and updated this post for 2017.

    Now that most of the families with dogs have settled into their Boston homes, we want to say hello and help them find out what they need to know about having a dog in Boston.

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    Miss Maudie was less then 6-months-old when she posed for this photo.

    Legal Matters

    Massachusetts state law requires that any dog more than 6-months-old must be licensed. In Boston, you can pick up a license at City Hall or download an application online from the Animal Care and Control page on the city website. 

    Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston.

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    Felix prefers a leather leash or halter for his walks around the Back Bay.

    Legal exceptions to the leash law are the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End and Ronan Park in Dorchester. 

    One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with your pup, if asked, you must be able to show that you are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags to your leash.

    Even if you use recycled bags to do the majority of your clean ups, the roll will give you back up supplies if you are stopped after your dog’s business is done, but the walk isn’t.

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    Emercency Services 

    The one bit of guidance we do give to any dog family is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “…every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” We keep their number on our cell phones in case of an emergency. And, it can't hurt to take a ride to the location so you will know where you are going in a stressful time.

    On upcoming Sundays, we'll fill you in on a few more things you might like to know about taking care of, and having fun with, your dog in Boston. And, if you have a great Sunday Dog you'd like us to feature, let us know in the comments below.

     

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

     

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     Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino (Some of this material was previously published in Penny's City Paws newspaper column.)
    Photography: © 2013-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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