connie's blog

Summer vacation is just around the corner so if your not planning on bringing your dog with you, now's the time to make those important boarding arrangements. If you're like me, you always feel a little guilty when leaving your furry best friend behind so assauge your conscience by doing a little advance planning to get her the best accommodation possible. Whether it be an upscale dog hotel or a more budget-conscious facility, there are a number of things you should consider before dropping Fido off in someone else's care. Here are some of my recommendations:

- Think about your dogs needs before beginning your search for a boarding facility. If your dog isn't well socialized he likely won't enjoy his stay. Consider instead an in-home service such as Rover.com or DogVacay.com. If your dog is an activity freak, make sure the facility you choose has an adequate exercise regime in place as well as space to run off that excess energy. Some boarding facilities provide lengthy nature walks, but expect to pay extra for this feature.

- Don't rush, always visit the boarding facility well in advance of your trip, making sure you get a tour of the sleeping, exercise and feeding areas, as well as a chance to meet and chat with the staff. Doing this will give you ample time to choose an alternate facility should it look disorganized, unclean or otherwise poorly managed.

- Ask for references or customer testimonials.

- If you feel uncomfortable about any aspect of the boarding facility, trust your instincts and look elsewhere. 

- Once you're satisfied with the facility you've chosen, be prepared to complete paperwork outlining your dog's history, veterinarian, your contact info, emergency contact, as well as the policy to follow should your dog require immediate veterinary attention while in their care. You will also need to prove your dog has up-to-date vaccinations. Avoid last-minute frustrations and get this done well in advance of your trip.

- The best boarding facilities are always the first to fill up so if you've left it too late and are not willing to settle, make your reservations for next year or consider either bringing Fido along or staying home. 

 -   Here's my dog Kaya having her own vacation at the Rex Dog Hotel in Vancouver:

For me, this holiday always marks the begining of summer and I'm so looking forward to spending some relaxing times at the beach, brisk ocean swims (I'm still trying to get my dog Penny to join me, but she's only comfortable wading up  to her underarms and nothing, not even the promise of her favourite treats, will lure her past that point... but maybe this summer?!), barbeques with friends, and lots of sun-filled outdoor activities. Here's to Summer! Of course, having Penny along makes most occasions more fun, but I try to be mindful of her not overheating, and also watching that a well-intentioned friend doesn't pass along too many barbequed treats. Penny is also terrified of fireworks so a little advance planning for our excursions together makes for a fun and safe time (I always bring along a bottle of Rescue Remedy to quell anxiety, it works like a charm!) and microchipping and an up-to-date ID tag are definitely essentials for any outing.

It never hurts to be reminded of some summer safety tips and this recent dispatch from the San Francisco SPCA pretty much covers it.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

Connie

• Keep cool! One of the most important tips for summertime is keeping your pet cool. Make sure your dog or cat has plenty of water and a shady place to cool off. Also consider that dogs are closer to the ground and don’t wear shoes, so be aware of hot asphalt pavement and your pooches’ sensitive paws. Furthermore, we cannot stress enough that dogs should never be left unattended in a parked car, even with the windows down. Temperatures within a parked car can quickly rise to dangerous levels, causing heat stroke or fatality.

• Fireworks are for people, not pets. While fireworks may be beautiful and exciting, they can be very scary for a pet. Resist the urge to take them to loud, crowded firework displays that often cause stress and anxiety. It's not uncommon for scared animals to run away from the loud sounds of fireworks, causing them to get lost (another reason to always ensure your animal has a tag and microchip). If your pet panics from the noise even while at home, talk to your veterinarian about options for relieving anxiety. Finally, keep in mind that curious pets can suffer severe burns if exposed to lit fireworks, or severe internal problems from ingesting unused fireworks.

• As the weather heats up, watch what your pet eats. Fourth of July fun may include parties and BBQs, but be aware that many of your favorite foods and drinks may be poisonous to your cat or dog. Foods that can cause health problems include chocolate, coffee, avocado, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, and raw meat. Keeping alcoholic beverages, matches, and lighter fluid away from pets is also crucial; if ingested they have the potential to poison pets.

By remembering to stay cool, avoid fireworks, and keep certain substances out of reach, you and your pet pals are on your way to a safer and happier Fourth of July holiday!

For more information about San Francisco pet adoption, call the San Francisco SPCA at (415) 522-3500 or visit sfspca.org

We just received a box containing Vivamune Health Chews and our dogs were climbing right into the box to get to them! Containing OxC-beta (oxidized beta carotene) these treats support the immune system and promote healthy joints and skin. Our dogs love these tasty, one-a-day treats that are available in both large dog formula as well as a small dog formula. Check them out at vivamuneforpets.com.

Voting is open for the 2014 Hero Dog Awards! Visit www.herodogawards.org/vote to cast one vote per day in each of eight exciting categories!

1. Law Enforcement Dogs

2. Military Dogs

3. Arson Dogs (sponsored by State Farm)

4. Search and Rescue Dogs

5. Guide/Hearing Dogs

6. Service Dogs (sponsored by Modern Dog Magazine) 

7. Therapy Dogs (sponsored by Zoetis)

8. Emerging Hero Dogs for ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things (sponsored by Trupanion Pet Insurance)

One vote per category per day can be submitted until June 6 when this round of voting ends. This year, 24 spectacular semifinalists (the top three in each category) will be chosen in the first round of public voting. The second round, featuring a combination of public and celebrity voting, will narrow the field to the eight category finalists, who will then compete for the grand prize of 2014 American Hero Dog.

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones from everyone here at Modern Dog! I hope that 2014 brings you much happiness, prosperity and growth.

If you haven’t yet declared your New Year’s resolutions, it’s never too late. Personally, I’m starting with my usual January de-cluttering resolution. As many of us can attest, it's very easy to accumulate stuff that you intend to deal with later and after a while, you don't even see it. Upon standing back and forcing myself to take a realistic look at the stacks of papers, boxes and "stuff" piled up in my office I realized that my build-up of clutter was breaking one of the most basic laws of Feng Shui, i.e., clutter blocks the flow of auspicious energy and in basic terms, if energy gets stuck, nothing new can come in.  So, I’m clearing out the old to welcome in the new...  getting rid of junk, sorting through piles of paper, recycling and generally clearing and beautifying my work space. I always feel better after, more organized and ready to dig into some new projects. 

For those more elusive dreams or goals why not try affirmations to make them become reality? To start, you will need to create a deliberate intent. For instance, if you’d like to get more fit, your deliberate intent might be to go to the gym three days a week to work out. Then, rather than saying you’re going to go to the gym three days a week, you say, “I go to the gym three days a week to work out and stay fit”,i.e., put it in present tense. Using this logic, you can train your mind to accept a yet-to-manifest outcome as being true, at which point your subconscious mind will begin to accept your positive statement as reality and start transforming your attitude, behaviour, and actions to align with your affirmation. Over time, you will see results.

A theme for many of us involves money (i.e., having more/enough of it). Oftentimes our beliefs about money cause us to never realize financial abundance. I’m sure most of us have heard “money is the root of all evil; money isn’t everything; money doesn’t grow on trees; if I get rich I’ll lose my current friends…” so creating a successful affirmation will oftentimes require first looking inward to understand just how you think about money (or relationships, body image… ). You can thereby create an affirmation to assist you in releasing those limiting beliefs and start welcoming abundance (or health, balance, happiness.. ) into your life. Affirmations have really helped me achieve my own goals and I encourage you to give them a try. A few years back I blogged about this topic, so if you’d like to learn more as well as find some useful books on the subject, please visit: http://moderndogmagazine.com/affirmations-secret-realizing-your-dreams#s...

Good luck with your goals and resolutions!

Connie