Hoh Hoh Hoo! Here is another Holiday Season.
Watch Off Leash Dog Training trainer Turk Akbay in another episode of Carolina’s Dog Master for WCNC36 Charlotte Today Show
Turk Akbay of Off Leash Dog Training in Charlotte visited Lary Sprinkle and Charlotte Today Show crew for another episode of Carolina’s Dog Master. This episode was (so timely) on Holiday Safety for families with dogs. Our dogs are family ™ so we do want them to be with us during holiday season and not locked up in a room. Here is a link to past TV Shows with Turk Here is a link to other holidays and dogs articles
To continue the discussion about this episode Visit our Forum
Holiday season is approaching fast.
As far as your dog is concerned Holiday season is insane time. More people are in and out of the house, family’s energy is out of whack. Not to mention lots of strange boxes & plants are being placed in the house. In fact very little is familiar. Here is a past episode of Carolina’s Dog Master series with WCNC36 Charlotte Today Show
I view our dog’s need during the holidays in two categories. 1) Dog Sanity and 2) Dog Safety.
1 Try to enjoy the season. Stay calm. We all get stressed out during the holidays, and our dog picks up on our stress. She looks to you as a leader. If you are calm, she can be calmer. If you spend a little quiet time with your dog every day – it will help you, too.
Review your dog’s basic obedience training exercises daily. Don’t teach your dog something new during this stressful time, but review what she already knows & reinforce yourself as a pack leader.
2 Keep the routine with your dog: Keep your dog’s regular daily routine. Feed and walk her at the same times as you usually do. Changing her routine can make her stressful, and she may seek attention by misbehaving.
3 Play with your dog before your party. If you tire her out, she’ll be too tired to get into any mischief when guests arrive. If that is not possible, hire a dog walker or take him to doggie daycare.
1 Tree water at the base of live trees can be harmful to your dog if preservative chemicals have been added to prolong the life of the tree. Cover the tree basin with foil or a tree skirt to keep your dog from drinking the water.
2 Anchor the tree with cord or wire to the ceiling directly above the tree’s trunk to prevent your dog from knocking over your holiday tree. REMEMBER ! Don’t attach it with wire to a wall behind the tree because your dog could get caught in the wire if be darts behind the tree.
3 To keep your dog from accidentally swallowing something that could get lodged in his throat hang your ornaments with ribbons rather than hooks
4 Don’t use toothpicks. Because your can eat the toothpicks if they are dropped on the floor and they can get stuck in his throat or puncture internal organs.
5 Tie up loose electrical cords of the lights used to decorate the tree and keep them concealed by attaching them with wire or cord to the trunk of the tree.
Once again the Holiday Season is here. It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of the season and forget that this is a stressful season for our dogs. Here is a quick video from Carolina’s Dog Master series
We have lots of great clients who are dedicated to well being of not only their dogs, but dog community as a whole. So often some of my clients will foster (or consider fostering) dogs from various rescue organizations.
Here is a question I received from one of my clients:
Q: Hi Turk, Question for you…
Do you think Marley can handle an adult male foster dog? He is a pit that was found stray with old bite/scar wounds (possible bait dog) Rescue has stepped up but he needs a foster and I wanted to ask your opinion about this. You’ve seen Marley in my home and in group classes so hoping you have some thoughts. I fostered the female puppy this summer and she was okay but not sure about males. He is said to be very dog and people friendly. Thanks for any advice or suggestions you may have!
Megan
A: WOW Megan tough call without seeing the dog, but I would be VERY VERY CAUTIOUS. The scars is what concerns me most indictaing some sort of an altrecation even if it’s not initiated by the new dog. Although fostering is a noble cause not at the expense of damaging your existing pack. I’d take MArley to meet that dog THERE first, then judge from there. ABSOLUTELY NO TOYS, FOOD, etc etc etc at least for a week.
Good Luck let me know
PS Check the ENERGY LEVEL of the new dog and MANNERS.
To learn more about how to introduce a new dog to your pack you can read this article here.
To watch the episode of Carolina’s Dog Master on the subject on WCNC36 Charlotte Today show click here.
The great outdoors is one of the best places to spend time with our dogs. They love all the new smells, sounds and sights. They get to interact with nature and explore the world as they were intended to, and we get the benefit of spending time with our dogs as well as being in nature.
If you are planning to take a camping trip with your dog, here are some things to consider:
Make sure your dog is healthy
Get current on all shots and vaccinations and obtain a Rabies tag for your dog’s collar.
Consider a possible Lyme disease vaccine.
Obtain a current copy of their records and vet’s phone number. Check in with your vet and let them know where you are planning to go in case your dog needs a new kind of vaccination.
Make sure you have an updated ID Tag
Make sure your dog is wearing proper ID/Rabies Shots tags at all times. I ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING TEMPORARY ID TAGS WITH YOUR CAMP SITE’S CONTACT INFORMATION.
Bring extra leashes/collars/whistles – (FYI- Our clients don’t need leashes)
Just in case your dog thinks his leash is a chew toy, it’s best to be prepared. Be sure and bring extra collars and leashes. If you use other tools (whistles, clickers, remote collars) to maintain control of your dog, bring an extra set of those as well.
Bring a Brush to get out all the fun stuff that gets stuck
Your dog is likely to be just like you when you went to the beach for the first time. Running around, and round, and round. If she has long hair, she will naturally pick up every prickly thing she can get her paws on and wear it like a Great Outdoors Badge of Honor. Make sure you have a brush with you to keep her head scratches safe for both you and her.
Bring a First aid kit
Your dog may end up finding a porcupine or something even worse. We don’t like to think of these things, but for those unexpected situations, pack first aid items for your dog along with a few extra towels. It’s always a great idea to obtain the phone number of the vet in the area where you are staying before leaving.
Consider your options for where your dog will sleep at night
A lot of critters are out and about at night and your dog might be tempted to play a game of chase. Unfortunately there is a great potential for this to be fatal. It’s the safer option to tether your dog under the stars. This way you are not only protecting your dog, but he is protecting you.
Nothing will come near your camp without your dog letting you know.
Most Importantly Have Fun!
Go on hikes! Swim in the lake! Roast marshmallows!
And remember as your gazing into the night sky that there’s nothing like the bond between you and your dog. Camping is a great way to allow your dog to be a dog, and for you to just Be.
This year has been especially hot one. That’s why we have been doing a lot of shows on heat and effects of extreme hot weather on our dogs.
As suggested on earlier blog post on Code Orange days If you usually walk your dog around 30 minutes, you should limit the walk to about 15-20 minutes.
If you are planning to take your dog on a boat or pool party here is another video about water safety.
On a Code Orange Day be careful with the dog walks; you should limit their walk to slow and easy ones. If a dog is old or very young, this is especially important. Don’t let him have a lot of water before or after the walk if it is 30 minutes or longer.
If you usually walk your dog around 30 minutes, you should limit the walk to about 15-20 minutes on Code Orange days.
You and your dog can enjoy playtime inside after a few ice cubes. Be careful with the humidity, even on a Code Orange day – your really old or young dog should be limited on the time spent outside.
On a Code Red Day, limit your outside time with the dogs to enough time for the dog to do #1 and #2. If a dog is old or very young, this is especially important. Their walks should also be slow and easy ones. Don’t let them have a lot of water before
or after the walk if it is 30 minutes or longer. Use ice cubes as a source of water. Again, outside time should be limited to letting the dog do its business with playtime inside after a few ice cubes.
Be careful with the humidity, especially on a Code Red day – your really old or young dog should be very limited on the time spent outside.