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Pet Insurance – Is it worth Buying for YOUR Dog?

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Pet Insurance - Is it worth Buying for YOUR Dog?

Pet Insurance Is It Worth Having?

I was at my veterinarian last week for an annual exam on one of my dogs. While I was standing at the counter I started looking at the flyers and one that I picked up was for Pet Insurance. This is not the first time that I have looked at pet insurance for one or more of my dogs. Although I normally just toss these advertisements.

This time, however, I happenedpenned to stick a few brochures in my back pocket, along with the $206 (!!!) bill I’d just paid.

 

Pet Insurance for Dogs

It’s been a long time since I had looked at pet insurance, probably 10 years. I was surprised to find that like the rest of the health care system, much has changed. The flyer was from one of the many pet insurance companies out there.

I started Googling the Pet Insurance company on the flyer (there are just too many out there, some ‘quality check’ research had to be done). After a couple hours sifting through different options and reading a lot of their fine print, I changed my mind about the Pet Insurance world (which had evolved a lot).

"If the cost of insurance is less than the financial benefit it will provide, then it makes sense."

Here is one I can safely recommend to you – Nationwide Insurance for Pets.

Their service is great (from my own experience) and IT’S FREE TO GET A QUOTE from them. Want to know your potential fees? Click here to find out.

Pet Insurance might be worth having

Having a dog is a significant responsibility. Not only from the everyday aspects of taking care of a dog but there are also the financial requirements.  Food is one of the biggest costs of having a dog, along with treats, equipment, and hopefully some real dog parental training. (see my last post about adopted dogs).

Veterinary care for your dog can be very expensive, approximately 30% to 40% of your entire “doggie care budget”. Nationally, the average annual cost of just normal yearly vet care is around $400 (also depending on where you live).

These days, Pet Insurance can provide a buffer to some of these costs and actually save you money. For the most part each of these companies have two or three levels of coverage. You can buy Catastrophic coverage or Major Medical with some kind of Wellness program

I took the time to get “Major Medical Coverage” quotes from a couple different companies and I was pretty pleased with what I got back.

Swimming Labrodor
Copyright: actionsports

Nationwide’s Insurance came back to me with a plan for under $40 per month with just a $250 deductible. 

That would definitely have saved me money on many of my vet bills!! My dogs have experienced pretty significant injuries both in the field plus in training and competition.

Upper level dogs are no different than any other kind of human athlete. My dogs have torn their ACLs, broken bones, been badly cut, and all sorts of indescribable injuries.

If you are running high level agility trials, or Master level AKC or NAHRA tests or trials, it makes good sense for you to at least get a MAJOR MEDICAL Quote so that you can consider if it makes good financial sense to invest in coverage.

For the non-competing dogs, Wellness Care coverage would be the better option.

I then decided to get a few quotes for the “Wellness Care” and again Nationwide came back with what I thought was the best coverage and the best price, at least for me.

Most of the providers cover the same things, annual exams, vaccinations, worming etc. The care that you should be providing your dog on an ongoing basis. Where the big difference comes in is when you look at the deductibles, co-pays, and limits versus the cost of the plan.

The Nationwide insurance quotes on my boy Roz (a labrador, 6 years old) was for under $18 a month with no deductible and no co-pay – with a $400 limit per year and good for any vet in the US.

  • Physical exam:
  • Vaccinations:
  • Heartworm or FeLV/FIV test:Vet with a Golden
  • Fecal test:
  • Deworming:
  • Nail trim:
  • Microchip:
  • Health certificate:
  • Flea control or heartworm prevention:
  • One additional test: (1) Health screen (blood test) or a Radiograph (X-rays) or an Electrocardiogram (EKG)

When I added up the numbers for what we did on this visit I actually would have come out pretty well. Now my boy is already chipped. But I do go to Canada on occasion (I’m just 300 miles from Calgary) so I need to have a Vet Certificate when I cross the border.

I also don’t keep Roz on Heart worm medicine all year but I have him tested about this time of year to make sure he does not have heart worms and then I will start him on the heart worm medicine next month, just before we start to see those pesky little mosquitoes.  I did not have a fecal test this trip but I did worm him. We don’t have much for fleas in my part of Montana so I don’t worry about them.

Based on my visit and then adding up what the insurance would have paid if he was covered, I would have had a “free” visit. based on the quote that I received they would have covered up to $220.00 if the bill had been that much. For this visit I would have been at a break even when factoring in the annual cost of the pet Insurance. The annual premium for Roz would be $213.00 ($17.75 a month). However, we are not finished with the vet for the year. I have my dogs vaccinated for Bordetella , also known as Kennel Cough, two times a year. and I will worm him again about half way through the summer.

If he was a puppy I would save on having him chipped and on his X-rays at 6 months to a year on his hips, an additional savings. In my case, based on where I live and the age of my dog a wellness policy would make sense to have. And I probably will have it but because I have already been to the Vet it does not make sense for me to insure him now, I’ll wait until we are closer to our next visit. : )

Pet insurance has really changed since the last time I looked at it. It now makes financial sense for me to buy coverage for some of my dogs.

Till next time – Happy Tails!

I like Nationwide Pet Insurance policies so much that I’ve decided to highlight this insurance on my blog – I believe it has the best in terms of cost-coverage benefits.

If you find a better deal please let me know so I can check it out, too.

Rescue Dogs The Joys and The Challenges

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Rescue Dogs The Joys and The Challenges

Rescue Dogs Make Great Pets

Dog-looking-for-a-family

Adopting a rescue dog is a great option if you are looking for a new best friend. However, there is a huge difference between adopting a dog and getting a puppy. Raising a puppy can be challenging enough. However many, if not most, rescue dogs display some kind of behavioral issues. In my experience most of these behaviors stem from a lack of socialization or just plain neglect and then there are those that have been physically abused. There is not a single day that I am not contacted by someone who needs help with a rescue dog.

If you are reading this and are in the process of deciding between a puppy and adopting a dog don’t let what I said above scare you off. I don’t think it is fair to stigmatize rescue dogs, they are still what they are; dogs.

Given the right kind of environment, an adopted dog can end up being one of the best dogs you will ever own.

There are many good reasons for adopting a dog

I think the act of bringing a rescue dog into your home is reason enough. Giving a dog a chance at survival compared to the other choice is just a great thing to do. Plus you get to skip the puppy phase and there are situations when that is the smart thing to do. Rescue dogs can be great pets but you have to be a great dog owner!

I used to work with the Bitterroot Humane Association taking “retriever” type dogs that they felt were not adoptable but were too nice to put down. I didn’t take a lot of them but I did several and though it took a couple months working with them, each one turned out to be nice dog and all of them did get adopted. I didn’t really do anything different with them than I do with a pup. I just put them to work. Starting right away with obedience, not to mention the crate training, housebreaking, general good doggy manners. The key is providing the right kind of environment and the right kind of leadership.

This is especially important with rescue dogs. Puppies have the chance and the time to learn the habits within the home. They get to grow into their place in the home.  Rescue dogs if they are older than around 9 months are much closer to an adult dog so it does not have this opportunity. At the same time your rescue dog may have been moved around quite bit without being able to settle into any of the places that he or she stayed. This is particularly hard on dogs as it is quite contrary to their psychological need to be part of a stable social group.

Even though there is a lot of discussion on the importance of the humans in the house being the “pack leaders” it is still the area where most problems with our canines stem from.  The social structure in dogs is very complex. However, the most important thing to understand is that dogs do best in a well structured environment, not a lot different than children. And like children, dogs need to have some responsibility within the household. This is not so much about being dominant as it is about being a leader. It is not hard to acquire these canine leadership skills you just need to make the commitment and take some time to learn these skills.

It takes a fair amount of time and effort to adopt a dog these days. Also, there is the cost of the adoption, and then all the things that go along with bringing a dog into your home. Collars, leashes, toys, beds etc. People tend to spend a lot of money on their dogs. However, the one area where people don’t invest enough is in educating themselves in how to be a better dog owner. I’m not talking about a college education in canine psychology and I am not talking about spending thousands or even hundreds of dollars. Your dog is going to be with you for years, hopefully a lot of years. Is it unreasonable to do everything you can to set the stage for success? Success for both you and your dog.  A well mannered dog is a joy, but an out of control dog can be a nightmare.

Adoption-certificate
Doggy Dan can help with Rescue Dogs

There is a lot of good free information out there. I am sure you could spend the next year on YouTube watching dog “training” videos. However,  I think your better off getting your education from someone that has a true training program. And when it comes to rescue dogs I believe the program you choose should have a strong focus on behavioral training. My program is based on building quality working field dogs. That does not mean that I can’t raise a good house dog, I can and I have raised many. It also doesn’t mean that I lack the knowledge to deal with any number of behavior issues. However, I am not a trained behaviorist.

If your truly vested in having the best chance for success then I highly suggest taking a look at “The Online Dog Trainer“.

 

This is far from a review which I may do in the future but here are the highlights.

Daniel Abdelnoor who is known as “Doggy Dan”  is a full time Professional Dog Trainer. Dan is a Certified Behaviorist and probably most telling for me, Dan is fully endorsed by the The SPCA. 

If you are in the process of adopting a dog or have an adopted dog or any dog for that matter that is exhibiting any of the following behavior issues.

Separation Anxiety Issues
Aggression Towards Other Dogs or People
Uncontrolled Barking
Hyperactivity
Fear of Other People or Dogs
Fear of Loud Sounds (Fireworks etc.)
Problems With Submissive Urination

Then Dan’s training program might just be the answer your looking for. Everyone of the above behaviors can be corrected, but you need the right information. There is a $1 trial so you can check out the site and the training and if you decide to sign up for Dan’s program it does not have to be a long term commitment, a few months should be plenty.  The monthly cost for Dan’s program is about the same as a months worth of high quality dog food.

Make an investment in you and your dog’s wellbeing, I believe you will find that it is the best decision you ever made for you and your dog!

So You Have Your New Puppy – Now What?

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So You Have Your New Puppy - Now What?

You have a new puppy – Now What?

It’s not a big question but it will require a pretty long answer. Hopefully you picked up all the things that you need prior to getting your new puppy home.

  • Food
  • Food and Water Bowls
  • Leash and Collar
  • Toys
  • Baby gate(s) if needed
  • Dog Crate
  • And you have picked a Veterinarian

If you read my previous post – “If you want a Better Dog then raise a Better Puppy“

Lab-Litter

Then you know that I really focus on doing all that I can with my new dog in the first several months that I have him or her. That post was a bit more philosophical whereas this article is much more actionable.

These are the things I do when I get a New Puppy

Before I bring my puppy home I do a pretty good inspection of the house and look for potential “dangers”.  If there are areas that you do not want your pup to go in the house then use baby gates to keep them out of those areas. If you are in a home with small children, make sure that toys ( child’s toys ) are picked up and stored properly away. Also, if there are small children, especially toddlers, then there needs to be careful consideration as far as the safety of both the children as well as the puppy. Children and puppies go well together but they need to be supervised.  One thing that little children like to do is to hug puppies around the neck, to the point that the child might be chocking the puppy. Puppies will defend themselves and it is hard to blame them if they are choking. If your child is not old enough to understand then Close supervision is needed.

 

Logan-and-puppy

If your child is a little older then a chat about what is and is not proper is in order, and supervision is still warranted at least in the beginning. Children also have a habit ( tendency ) to carry food around, or a sippy cup. be sure to watch closely in these situations to make sure that your child is not slipping the puppy food and drink it should not have. Common sense should rule the day.

The first few days or so with your New Puppy

The first several days when your pup get’s home can be a little stressful for both you and your puppy.  The human stress level can certainly be lessoned with good planning. However, for the puppy there is just so much you can do.

During the first few days that I have a new pup I just let them get settled in. They are more than likely a bit anxious and they have been pulled out of their pack and placed into a new one.  So they need a few days to get settled in and relax.

Hopefully, you asked what puppy food the breeder was feeding. If you are going to change it, do it a little at a time. Switching out the food to quickly can really throw off their digestive system. So I like to change slowly. Your puppy needs to eat 3 X’s a day until 6 months. During the first day or so keep the puppy on the same food that it was being fed prior to you picking it up. Let them eat that for 2 days. Too many changes at one time causes too much undue stress. After a couple days you can do a 25/75 mixture. That is 25% of the new food and 75% of the previous food. Then you can go 50/50 and then 75/25 and then on the 4th day 100% of the new food. This is much easier on their body and mind.

Crate training a new puppy is a post all in itself.

I crate train all my dogs right from the beginning. The key things to keep in mind are these. Dogs are denning animals and even though you may have to listen to some Weep Weeping for a couple few days your dog will be much better for it. There will be crying either way so you might as well get something out of it. 

Dog-in-crate

 Pick a crate that is the appropriate size for the puppies current size. If you have a St. Bernard don’t buy a giant sized crate at least not yet. I know that means that you will buy more than one crate over time but the crate needs to fit the dog. It’s not a playpen it’s a crate. There should be enough room for you to be able to put a food and water bowl in the crate and still have enough space so that the puppy can move around comfortably behind the bowls. Enough room to stand, and turn around without being too constricted. If the crate is too big then they will have more chance of going to the bathroom in the crate. Crate training is very much part of Housebreaking. I think it is the easiest way and that is after probably close to 100 dogs that I have crate trained.

I feed my dogs in their crates, in fact I do more than just feed my dogs in the crate, I teach my dogs to eat. One of the things that the pack leader does is control the food. Though our dogs are domesticated they still carry over 99% of the genes of a wolf. Their understanding of the pack is the same. In a wild pack when there is a kill the Alpha male and female get to eat first. And they eat what they want, All the animals in the pack that are below them have to wait their turn.

Black Lab Retriever Puppy

We can use some of that pack mentality with our dogs as well. I feed on a pretty set schedule, one because it helps in housebreaking but also dogs have an uncanny sense of time and if they are on a consistent schedule then they have the expectation of the next feeding time.

Right from the beginning, with my young puppies they get their food, but I only give them about 10 minutes to eat and whether they are finished or not I take their food bowl up.  You will find that after the first several days to a week, When it is feeding time your puppy will be happily following you to their crate so that they can eat. It help make the crate a happier place. Also, by feeding this way your dog will “learn” to eat when they get feed which helps avoid any eating problems later on.

I do not like to use any kind of cloth bedding or toys with my young dogs unless they are supervised. I have seen more than one dog swallow enough torn up cloth to end up having to have surgery. When they are a little older and past the teething stage then a nice soft bed is fine. I still don’t let my dogs have cloth toys, they don’t last anyway.

Something else to be aware of when they are little and still getting their puppy shots is that they are still somewhat susceptible to illnesses like Parvo and Bordetella ( kennel cough ) so just be a little cautious what dogs you let your pup come in contact with until they have had their third set of shots. I am talking about dogs you don’t know. As long as you know that the dog(s) that your new puppy has contact with have been vaccinated then that is fine. I would try to avoid the unknown dogs in those first few weeks.

After I have had my pups for a few days to a week and they are pretty settled in then we begin some puppy training. The first thing I want them to know is the leash or lead.

A plain old nylon collar is perfect and a standard 6 foot lead. It’s time to teach the puppy to walk on the lead. If you can find a collar that has a buckle, not the ones with the plastic snap connectors. they are harder to find in the small collars but if possible they are best. When you put the collar on your puppy you want it tight enough so that it can not slip off. This is very important. We don’t want to choke the dog but we want the collar snug enough that there is not possible way that if the puppy pulls on the lead that the collar comes off, slipping the collar is what we call that.

Since positive influences are quickly imprinted. We can’t let the puppy slip his or her collar. Just one time is enough for the dog to learn and then you have a dog that at least for a time will test that over and over to see if they can slip it again.

Collar

This is easier done outside but inside is ok if you have enough room. put the collar and leash on and try to take the puppy for a walk. I say try because the puppy is going to fight the leash. Encourage your pup to walk with you. when it stops to fight the collar, just stand there and hold the leash and let the puppy work it out. They might act like a fish on a line but if you just stay calm and don’t say anything and just let the puppy do what ever it is going to do he or she will stop pretty quickly. Once it quits then try walking again, with lively  encouragement. Don’t drag the puppy around, when the puppy stops or starts to fight the lead again, just stand still.  We are not teaching healing, that comes later. This is just to get the puppy to “give to the lead”. As you progress and the puppy starts to walk with you then as soon as the puppy gets out in front of you turn around and go the other way. This works quite well on a sidewalk. The first couple times you do this the puppy will probably fight it, again just stand still and let the puppy do what it is going to do until it stops and then start again. Don’t make these sessions too long, about 10 minutes should be fine.

You can do this every day if you want. But don’t over do it. Young puppies have a short attention span. It is important to keep things fun.

The other thing that I work on are puppy sits. This is not formal training just like all of this, it should be light and fun. You can do this inside. Just get down on the floor have the collar on the pup and do some sits. Since a at this age puppy is pretty small it is easy to work with. One hand holding the collar and then you can pull up just a little ( we are not lifting the front feet off the ground ) and then take your other hand and run it down the dogs back and then down its butt and then move your hand inward at the hocks making the legs collapse so the puppy sits. Be easy and make it fun, make it a game in the puppies mind. To do this correctly just as your hand comes in under their back legs and you just pull up slightly and say “sit”, “sit” in a light voice, then praise.

I don’t want your dog to be a treat junky, but an occasional little treat will help enforce the action.  If you do these 4 or 5 times a week, even a couple times a day for 5 minutes or so each time you will find that in a week or two your puppy will start to pick this up pretty quickly.

Star-sitting

The last thing that I work on in the very early days is the recall, “Here” or “Come”. Again this is puppy training. For me and my dogs the recall is somewhat related to a retrieve. So I combine these two into one exercise when they are little. If you have a hallway where you can close the doors so you can sit at one end and the puppy has nowhere to go except in the hall or past you then that is perfect. Grab a couple socks, balled up. Since the puppy is in a hall it can’t go anywhere and so coming back to you is the only way out. Now this is very much a game and if at any time either you or the puppy are not having fun, stop.

You have your two socks, take one and move it around get the puppy excited and toss it down the hall. The puppy should chase it. If it does not don’t throw the second one we have that one for a reason. Just go get the first one and do it again. If the pup is not quite into it, then play a little keep away and get the puppy excited and then try throwing it again. The puppy will figure it out, chasing comes very natural to dogs, however, coming back does not. So now your puppy is down the hall and has the sock. Just let them be for a moment, usually they will play with it for a bit and then a couple things might happen, the puppy might loose interest. If so just go pick up the sock and start again or the puppy might decide that the sock is ok and that it now “belongs” to him or her. This is where the second sock comes in, if the puppy gets the sock and is playing with it give it a few minutes and then start playing with the second sock. Toss it up in the air bounce it off the floor, whatever you need to do to make the sock you have look more fun than the sock your puppy has. When you pup starts your way, say “here” “here” a couple time while your puppy is coming down the hall to you. When the puppy get’s to you, give it lots of praise but DO NOT try to take the sock from the puppy. Just let it hold it while you love the puppy up. Usually the puppy will drop the sock at some point, however, some dogs are a little more possessive. If so then start playing around with the other sock you have, roll it around, toss it up in the air, if you make that second sock look pretty enticing your puppy is going to drop the sock it has to try to go for the one that you have. When that happens you can then pick up the sock that the puppy had so that you now have both of them again. If you try to take the sock from the puppy it will not take long for your puppy to stop coming back to you. It’s not going to come back if it’s toy is taken away each time. Let the puppy drop the sock on it’s own then you can just repeat this until the puppy starts to loose interest at which time, it is time to stop.

Wyatt-Puppy

 

These are the things that I like to do with my pups in the first couple or three weeks that I have my dog. It gives you good play time. The puppy is learning some things even if it is play and I think more importantly, it makes the puppy think. The more we can challenge that little brain the more it will develop which leads to better learning skills later in life.

This is fun time for you and your puppy, enjoy it, these days go fast.

Don’t forget to sign up for my Quick Tips, I send out a ton of additional information in my newsletters.

Till next time……

Happy Tails

Jeff

Holidays – Dogs and The Grinch

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Holidays - Dogs and The Grinch

dogs-holidays

Keeping your dogs safe during the Holidays

Now that Thanksgiving is over people are turning their attention to the upcoming holidays. I thought an article about how to keep your dogs, especially the young ones, safe during the holidays might be helpful at this time of the year.

You don’t have to be the Grinch but you do need to keep your dogs safe over the holidays

There are 3 Things to be aware of…

The first is food.

As you decorate one of the things that you might be doing is placing bowls of treats around your home. Many holiday goodies are poisonous to dogs. Anything with caffeine needs to be kept away from your dogs. Things like chocolate and anything else with coffee (caffeine) are dangerous for dogs.

Also many candies these days have artificial sweeteners in them, Xylitol, which is found in many candies as well as gum is toxic to dogs. So be very careful with with any candies that you might put out. Sugar is fine but no Xylitol.

Nuts are another common item that are put out for snacking on. Most nuts are fine, however,  Macadamia nuts, Walnuts and since these many times go together, Raisins are also toxic.

So just use common sense when it comes to these foods. Watch your dogs and when it comes to puppies, I would suggest that you not let them have access to areas where they might be able to get to any of these food items.

The second thing are certain plants

There is a wide misconception that Poinsettias are poison, they are not. They can cause slight skin irritation but otherwise they are fine. So go crazy with the Poinsettias.

However, the following is a list of very common plants that we use doing the holidays are quite toxic for dogs.

  • holly
  • mistletoe
  • amaryllis
  • daffodils
  • lilies

Each of these plants are very dangerous to dogs. Be sure to keep these out of the reach of your four legged friends. Be especially aware of your dogs behavior during the holidays. If you observe anything out of the ordinary, throwing up, acting drugged or sleepy. Respiration can be another sign of distress. If you think that your dog might have ingested any of these things, call your Vet. Do your best to determine what it might have been but call the Vet. Mistletoe will kill your dog, don’t wait.

Holiday Wreath

If you happen to catch your dog in the act of eating any of these things, try to figure out how much he or she consumed and then get your dog to vomit as quickly as possible. Hydrogen Peroxide works very well, it will not hurt your dog, it is cheap, I always have it on hand. It is given orally and the general dosage is one CC ( ml.) per pound but do not give more than 40 CC’s total regardless of how big the dog is. If you live in an area where you can get a syringe, any feed store that caters to cattle should have syringes. Otherwise a turkey baster works ok too just don’t give too much.

Here is a link to some additional information on using Hydrogen Peroxide to make a dog vomit.

I just went through this about 2 years ago. I was renting a house and was gone for a few weeks.  I asked my landlord to check on the house while I was gone. While she was there she placed mouse/rat poison blocks out around my house. She didn’t tell me, and don’t ask me why, she has dogs and she knew I had my dog. Anyway, I get home with the dogs and go in the house and I barely get my bag on the floor and I see Roz, my current Lab chowing down on some green thing. My dogs don’t get a lot of treats, and they don’t get anything like this. It kind of looked like one of the dental chews. So I grab this thing out of his mouth and I quickly start looking around and I found another one. So I’m like oh $?&#!!!

I could tell that it was some kind of poison bait but the little green block didn’t have any kind of information other than “Keep away from domestic animals” I immediately called my landlady, and though she could not tell me what exactly the product was she told me where it was on the shelf at the hardware store.

I grabbed a syringe and the Hydrogen Peroxide and squirted about 10 CC’s down his throat. Fortunately he was very cooperative and puked up everything he had in his stomach within about 10 minutes.

poison in Vomit
poison in Vomit

I know they are not pretty but you can see the green pieces in the pictures.

Once we got finished getting this stuff out of his stomach we headed for the vet. I just happened to have to go past the offending hardware store so I stopped so I could see what poison I was dealing with. I was figuring it would be one of the anti-coagulant but no, it was Bromethalin.

I know they are not pretty but you can see the green pieces in the pictures.

Once we got finished getting this stuff out of his stomach we headed for the vet. I just happened to have to go past the offending hardware store so I stopped so I could see what poison I was dealing with. I was figuring it would be one of the anti-coagulant but no, it was Bromethalin.

There are no tests to diagnose Bromethalin poisoning in pets. The signs of poisoning include include severe muscle tremors, fits, extreme sensitivity to being touched, seizures that appear to be caused by light or noise. However, the symptoms can be delayed for several days. There is no antidote for Bromethalin.

Sorry, I digressed, however, my point here is that you have to be prepared. If I had not had the Hydrogen Peroxide, I very well could have lost my boy.

Here is the list of symptoms to look for in a dog that has eaten Mistletoe.

• Drooling  • Vomiting  • Diarrhea   • Abdominal pain • Hypotension  • Walking drunk  • Collapse  • Seizures  • Death

Not a lot of difference in the end…… Please be prepared for the holidays, really for every day of the year.

Lastly as far as food I think it goes without saying no alcoholic beverages for the dogs.

The last thing we need to be aware of are the decorations themselves.

Lot’s of fun shiny things for Holiday dogs

While you are stringing the lights and setting up the tree one thing to watch for is where you run the electric cords. This is not as much a problem with the older dogs unless you have one that really likes to chew. However, for puppies electric cords are very enticing. And those little puppy teeth can go right through those rubber cords. Electrocution is not pretty, so be careful with the cords.

Then we have the tree. I have seen more than one Christmas tree pulled over by a dog. With all those pretty ornaments and candy canes etc., the tree is a puppies dream. Don’t leave a puppy alone with your tree even for a second. If you have raised children through the terrible two’s then you understand, when I say things can happen in the blink of an eye. This is just one of the reasons that I prefer people not get puppies during the holiday season, but that is a subject for a different post. Don’t shuffle your puppy off to solitary confinement – but at the same time be careful where your pup goes.

Dogs and Holidays can co-exist quite nicely

All it takes is a little preplanning and common sense and you, your family and your dogs can enjoy a fun and safe holiday season.

Happy Tails

Jeff

Training Great Dogs!

I have been around dogs since the day I was born. I am better at talking about dogs than I am about myself but here we go. My parents were dog people, I grew up with a couple Boxers named Bo and King.

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