Should You Avoid The Asphalt When Walking Your Dog? Why?

Since it's officially summer time here in the United States we need to start thinking about how hot not only we can get during the day but also how hot the pavement gets because we walk our dogs on that hot pavement and it can do damage.  If you have ever walked barefoot across a parking lot in the summer time you know it hurts.  It's the same thing for your dog.  We cannot think just because they are animals and have paw pads that they are indestructible because that is simply not the case.  If they walk too long on the hot pavement it will burn the skin off those pads.

This is what can happen if your dog is allowed to walk to long on the hot pavement.  It's painful and obviously need treatment.  If you live in a place where it doesn't get hot then you will need to protect their little feet from extreme cold if that is your weather.  Most cold weather places do use mitts on their dogs paws to protect them from the ice and snow.  That is something that will protect your dog from the heat as well.  Just be careful that this doesn't overheat your dog because animals release heat through the pads in their feet as well as their tongues and other mucus membranes so pay very close attention to their breathing and take water along for them as well so they can cool off too.  Walking in the shade or grass is best, if possible.  If it's too hot for you to go without shoes it will be too hot for your dog.

http://www.activedogs.com/product.php?id=125

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753821

The above links are for two types of mittens for your dog's paws when walking in cold or hot weather.  I highly recommend these for hot summer days and cold snowy or icy weather or if you just want to keep your dog from sliding on slick surfaces to prevent shoulder and hip injuries.  It will be a very weird sensation for them at first but they will get used to it and will be pros at walking in them in no time!

If you have concerns about this please ask your vet or trainer to get suggestions or advice.  We want your pet as safe as possible.

We welcome comments, questions and concerns so do not hesitate to ask.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Flipbook!  As always, thanks for reading.

The Weekend! What Are You Going To Do?

Well it's the day most of us wait for...Friday!  So what do we do?  Wash the car?  Mow the lawn?  Why not take the dog out to the park or better yet walk down the trails in your area?  Take him/her to the local pet store if the weather is bad for some extra socialization.  My dog, Lucien, absolutely loves the pet stores because he gets tons of attention and gets to see other dogs which just makes his day.  I don't have to buy him anything at all.

What are some other ideas?  Why not work on some of your training with fido? If your dog is already properly trained then there's no reason you can't either teach a new trick or go over some old ones.  Working on recall is always a good one because if your dog runs toward something (a rabbit, for instance) then you want really good recall with your dog so you can get curious fido back.

If your dog loves to swim then there is always the local lake to take a swim in and maybe throw a ball or stick in the water if he/she likes to retrieve.  It's great exercise and also a really good way to show off how well trained your dog is because we all know what proud parents we can be when they actually do what we taught them to do.

This was too cute not to post.  Newfies are great water dogs and awesome swimmers.

Swimming is also very low impact so it's great on their joints but such a wonderful workout for them as well by strengthening muscles just like in humans.  It does the very same thing without the added stress of impact like running or even walking gives.

If your dog does love to walk or run then by all means take them out! We all need exercise so what better way than to take the dog.  It not only gets him/her out in the fresh air but also occupies their mind and you can also work on some things like sitting at intersections and sitting when a car passes which is always good and extremely safe.

Let us know what you like to do with your dog when you take him/her out.  Post some pictures too!

As always we welcome comments, questions and any topic you'd like to see discussed here.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and of course tell your family and friends about us.  Thanks for reading!