The Therapy Dogs of Houston Hopsice

If you haven't seen or read this article on therapy dogs from Houston Pet Talk, please do now. A friend sent it to me last week, and since working dogs are near and dear to my heart, I loved this story about how working animals can really work some miracles:

http://www.houstonpettalk.com/headline/the-therapy-dogs-of-houston-hospice/ 

 

Heat and Your Dog

Sawyer and I live in Houston, Texas. It gets pretty hot and humid here, but Sawyer still needs his daily walks. Here are three tips to handle the heat: 

1. Take a water bottle and fill the majority with ice. Sawyer loves ice. In fact, it's one of his favorite treats. If we are going to a walk at the park, which is about 1.25 miles, I typically fill a water bottle half way, and fill the rest with ice. If he looks like he's getting hot, I'll stop and give him some of the ice cubes. Sidenote: Sawyer likes to carry his water bottle with him in his mouth. Not a mandatory requirement :)

2. I always try to incorporate a walk near a body of water. In this case, that would be the bayou along our normal route. He isn't a swimmer, but he does like to cool his paws off in the water. It's a nice, little break in the middle of our walk.

3. If it's really hot outside, I'll drive to our trail, instead of walking there. That gives him a chance to enjoy the AC on the way home! 
  

Traveling with your Dog

Sawyer, Aaron (Aaron's dog, Buttercup) and I are headed out of Houston this weekend to Belton, Texas. We will be doing this. I thought it would only be appropriate to talk about traveling with your dog. Sawyer hasn't always been the best traveling companion. It took some work to get him to learn proper car etiquette- and especially proper etiquette once we arrived at our destination. He is much better these days, and he loves going to Belton.

Sawyer loves Belton for two reasons (see below):

Meet Tex and Charlotte- Barbados Sheep

Sawyer loves Aaron's parents' sheep- Tex and Charlotte. I kind of like them myself. Growing up in California, it is really a neat experience to spend some time in the "country." Sawyer likes to go because they have lots of room to run around, and tons of things to smell!!!!

Sorry for the sidetracking. Sawyer is all packed and ready to go. So, here I am with my tips:




1. Pack a bag for your dog with all his necessities

I always pack for Sawyer, just like I would pack for myself if we are going somewhere overnight. I know that everything I will need will be all in one spot when we arrive at our destination. Here is Sawyer's must-have list for traveling:

• Bowls for food and water
• Food (I separate into separate bags for each meal- Sawyer eats twice a day)
• Leash and collar WITH all his proper ID tags and pickup bags 
• His favorite sleeping mat (he prefers to sleep on his crate mat when we go places)
• Bottle of water (for the car)
• Dog biscuits
• Toy

*I used to bring his crate with me, but he does fine without it and it is pretty large - we are talking space for an 80-pound dog here. 

2. Pack an easily accessible water bottle and bowl for the car ride (if it's a long trip)

It can get hot in Texas- even in an air conditioned car- not to mention that traveling can sometimes stress your dog. I keep a bottle of water and bowl within reach just in case the dogs need some water. Or if we stop along the way, I can give them a drink. They are fine with sharing the same water bowl, so it seems to be a non-issue. 

Sawyer and Buttercup

3. Seatbelt
 As I mentioned above, Saywer used to be horrible at traveling in the car. He would love to jump right up front with me, and would be moving around in the backseat constantly. Not safe for either pup or driver. I knew I had to do something, so I got a seatbelt for him. The seatbelt was not so tight that he couldn't move, but it did restrain him from moving around too much, as well as jumping into the front. It also prevented him from bolting out of the car when we stopped. I used it for several months, and now he no longer needs one. He is the perfect, little big backseat rider- and sleeps pretty much the entire ride. I got this one from Petsmart.

But they also have these: 

Get this one HERE

Get this one HERE

 Or if you are a sucker for cute colors like I am, they have options: 

Get this one HERE

Forbes recently did a list on the best seatbelts for your four-legged companion.  

 The ASPCA also has a great list for traveling with your pups!

And, we're off: