Urban Dog Living - Hot Weather and Your Dog

Hot weather and cities go hand in hand.  The sheer amount of concrete in cities can make them 10-15 degrees hotter than surrounding suburbs.  When you take your dog out for a walk or exercise in any heat over 85 degrees you need to be on the lookout for heatstroke.  Symptoms include:

• Rapid, sometimes frantic, excessive panting
• Tongue and mucus membranes are bright pink or red and the saliva is thick and tenacious (drooling does not mean that your dog is hydrated! Check the consistency of the drool!)
• Vomiting and sometimes diarrhea that can be bloody
• Unsteady, staggering gait
• Nose and ears dry and hot to the touch
• Body (rectal) temperature is 104 degrees or higher (normal dog temp is 100-103)

What to do when you see these symptoms:

• Move your dog to the shade
• Drinking cool water alone will not fix the problem! Do not let your dog guzzle large amounts of water at a time.
• Immerse your dog in cool NOT icy cold water. Use a garden hose or bucket to cool the undersides including the groin and arm pits. Use a wet towel or bandana to cool underside if a hose is unavailable
• Pack ice in wet towels and use on underside and head to help cool dog
• Get the dog to a vet! Even after he seems to be cooled down!

Tip for the Day:
 Carry an extra bottle of water for your dog on your walks.  Watch out for exposed areas of concrete that can burn your dog's paws.  Manhole covers will get very hot in direct sun.

Urban Dog Living - Getting to the Dog Park

Dog parks, as mentioned in the last post are great places to exercise your dog.  Many dogs get very, very excited when they realize they are headed in the direction of the dog park.  Some are so excited that it can be painful and or difficult for the owner to keep a hold on the leash. 

If your dog drags you:
 a. out the door
b. toward the dog park
c. on you face through the gate into the dog park

You probably need to work on your "dog park approach walk".  This is a similar, but different approach than the loose leash walking and will require a lot of time and patience.   When your dog goes to take off like he has a rocket on his butt you need to have some salmon or other super stinky treat in hand.  Stop walking and wait for your dog to come back to you.  He has to come back to you on his own, don't call him back.  If you have been working on your loose leash walking your dog will probably come back to you faster.  
Keep in mind that his focus is on getting to the park, the treat would be nice, but the park is what he really, really wants.  Getting his attention to focus on you could take a little longer than normal.  This needs to be repeated for every instance the dog takes off.  Doing this on a weekend or day off is a good idea.   The idea is for the dog to learn: "If I want to get to the park I need to walk politely."
If your dog only gets excited when you are close to entering the gate you can practice your sit-stay at the gate while you open the gate and walk through first.  If the dog breaks the stay, take him back to where he got up and tell him to sit again. 

Tip for the Day:

Practicing walking like a sane, obedient dog towards the dog park is a great goal to aim for.   Keep in mind that once you start training the 'dog park approach walk' you need to keep the training ongoing.  That means every time you go to the park you need to be consistent in the training and behavior you expect from your dog.

Urban Dog Living - Dog Parks

Many cities have off leash dog parks where urban dwellers can take their pet-dogs to play.   There are usually small dog and big dog areas so that little dogs don't get stomped by big ones.  In DC you need to have a Dog Park Tag on your dog to enter the park.  The Dog Park Tag is free and can be requested when you renew your dog license at the end of June.

Make sure you have your dog vaccinated before you go to the park.  Puppies under 4 months of age are usually not allowed in dog parks.  This is to protect their little immune systems from the assault of germs and bacteria.   Older dogs and dogs with compromised immune systems should also avoid dog parks.   Dogs with injuries should also be kept from the dog park until they are healed.   Dogs can have a pack mentality in a dog park and can prey on weak or injured dogs.  Essentially, your happy fun dog becomes a dog-bully.

Human children and babies in strollers have no place inside dog parks.   Bring your spouse along to sit with the kids outside the fence.  There are too many things that can go wrong with kids inside the park.  Keep in mind that even though your dog accepts your children someone else's dog might not.

In Washington D.C. the SW Dog Park Group, PAWS of SW, is currently in the final stages of getting a design and build contract for a 10,000 square foot dog park.  Volunteers are always needed for events and community involvement is encouraged.  They meet on the 1st Monday of each month at different locations around the SW community.   The best way to ensure you have a great dog park is to be part of the dog park group!

Tip for the day:
Join your local dog park group!   Help make your neighborhood dog park a great inside the fence and outside!

New York Dog Parks: http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas
DC Dog Parks: http://dc.gov/DC/DPR/Facilities+and+Permits/Dog+Parks
Berlin: http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=dog_parks&find_loc=Kreuzberg%2C+Berlin

Urban Dog Living - Technology and your Dog

In this super connected world we live in it can be hard to put the smart phone away.   Email, text, and phone calls are now almost as addicting as nicotine.  As tempting as it is to talk on the phone, text or compose an email - resist the urge when walking your dog.  

Cities are crowded, busy, and (potentially) dangerous places for people (and dogs) who are not paying attention.   People get hit by cars while running and listening to music.   Now imagine you are writing an email and your dog wanders into the street - but you don't see it - yes that is not a pretty picture. Paying attention to your dog means that you both will enjoy the walk.  Your neighbors will also enjoy that you are aware of what dog is doing is while you are out.

Tip for the Day
Put away your phone, ipod, and other distractions and enjoy your walk with your dog.   Practice obedience during your walk instead.   2 - 45 minute walks a day training your dog rather than texting adds up to be 10.5 hours worth of free training time a week!   If you were to attend a 7 week dog training course you would only get 7 hours of training over the course of 7 weeks.   Most dog training classes run anywhere from $100 - $350 for a 7 week course.  In that same 7 weeks (if you practice only 90 minutes a day with your dog) you could have trained your dog for 73.5 hours! 

Urban Dog Living - Off leash dogs and you or How to break up a dog fight

Living in urban areas doesn't lend itself to let your dog off leash frequently.   Most people will walk their dogs on leash.  If you and your dog are approached by an loose dog you should position yourself between your dog and the other dog.   Hold out your hand like a crossing guard and shout "NO!" at the loose dog.   This will usually startle the loose dog enough to discourage them from approaching closer (or allow the owner of the loose dog a chance to come and collect their dog).

If the loose dog doesn't have friendly intentions then you will have a problem.   If the loose dog charges your dog and starts to fight your dog - drop your leash.   Your dog is at a disadvantage if you are yanking on the leash.   DO NOT grab at the collars of the dogs to separate them, you will be putting yourself in the middle of the melee.   Grab one of the dogs by the back legs, lift the legs in the air like a wheelbarrow and back away quickly and swing the dog away from the fight.   This is done easiest by 2 people, one for each dog in the fight.   By grabbing the back legs you will make it nearly impossible for the dog to swing around and chomp you.   This is the worst case scenario, but it can happen.   Being prepared can save you and your dog.

Tip for the Day:

Again! Practice your recall with your dog on leash.   There are hundreds of opportunities to practice this on a walk.  Let your dog walk to the end of the 6' leash and then call "Poochy come!"  while running backwards.   Make it fun and bring lots of treats!   If you are the most exciting thing - your dog will come running!   Once your dog is 110% on coming every time you call -then you can go to the dog park and practice around distractions.  

Urban Dog Living - Exercise and your dog

Living in a city can present a unique challenge when exercising your dog.  People, cars, multiple street crossings; your dog will encounter more of these in one walk than any suburban dog would in a week.   You need to make sure you are exercising your dog enough too.   Herding, hunting, terriers, hound breeds will require much more exercise to keep them physically and mentally fit than others.   Again this is just a short list.  You need to base your exercise regime on your dog's personal energy level.  Older dogs or dogs with medical problems will require less outdoor exercise and might be more stimulated by a treat dispensing ball.

In any urban environment it is tempting to use the church yard, ball park or other open field to let your dog run off leash.   Unfortunately most cities have laws and ordinances requiring dogs to remain on leash.  This is done for everyone's safety.   If your dog rushes into a group of children on the playground, not only have you made all dog owners look bad, you probably have scarred most of those children for a good long time.   Use common sense.  Don't use school yards when school is in session or there are children around. 

Tip for the Day:

Train your dog to sit when you stop at every curb.  In an urban environment there is no shortage of opportunities to practice this behavior.   Not only could it save your dog's life in a pinch, but you dog's good manners will be noticed and appreciated by the entire neighborhood.