Welcome to the September 2009 issue of Woof Notes. In the last issue we talked about different ways to help your dog stay cool in the heat. Several readers wrote back with some really good ideas that I’ll be saving to share with you next summer. Thanks to those of you who sent emails with tips! We passed them along to customers while it was hot.
By the time you read this we will be well into the fall season. Another wonderful Washington summer has come and gone. Now it’s time to put away the summer clothes, drag out the sweaters and jackets, stock up on firewood, and start thinking about the holidays. Every year we tell ourselves that we’ll get ready early and avoid the rush, right?
It’s also time to think about getting our dogs ready for the fall and winter seasons. The kids are going back to school and some dogs will be spending long days alone in the house, kennel, or yard. Some dogs will have trouble getting used to being alone. They might try to get away and find some company or their loneliness could also manifest in destructive behavior, chewing, digging, bad potty habits, etc.
With all the things that we have to think about in this season, it can be easy to forget the impact that change has on our pets. Maybe you’ve been going for regular walks with your dog all summer, but now that the weather is changing you may have opted to get your exercise at the gym instead.
The bottom line is that every change we make in our busy lives also affects the lives of our dogs because they are such closely bonded members of our families. Trainers and behaviorists I’ve talked to tell me that it’s actually good for dogs to spend some time alone when they are young so that they don’t experience separation anxiety later when their owners go to work, on a vacation, or the dog needs to be boarded at a kennel for some reason.
While it’s not harmful for dogs to spend some time alone; it can be very boring, especially for the more “high energy” breeds. Fortunately there are lots of toys and other gizmos that we can provide to help them pass the time. A toy for a dog can be anything, from a bone, to some very elaborate “boredom busters.” The thing to remember is to give them something to do with all that energy so they don’t take it out on your yard or your furniture!
There’s no other kind of love quite like the affection that a dog shows to kids getting off a school bus or the master returning from a long day at work. The only way we can ever repay them is to love them back and give them what they crave more than anything else in the world which is simply our attention in carefully measured doses.
By the time you read this we will be well into the fall season. Another wonderful Washington summer has come and gone. Now it’s time to put away the summer clothes, drag out the sweaters and jackets, stock up on firewood, and start thinking about the holidays. Every year we tell ourselves that we’ll get ready early and avoid the rush, right?
It’s also time to think about getting our dogs ready for the fall and winter seasons. The kids are going back to school and some dogs will be spending long days alone in the house, kennel, or yard. Some dogs will have trouble getting used to being alone. They might try to get away and find some company or their loneliness could also manifest in destructive behavior, chewing, digging, bad potty habits, etc.
With all the things that we have to think about in this season, it can be easy to forget the impact that change has on our pets. Maybe you’ve been going for regular walks with your dog all summer, but now that the weather is changing you may have opted to get your exercise at the gym instead.
The bottom line is that every change we make in our busy lives also affects the lives of our dogs because they are such closely bonded members of our families. Trainers and behaviorists I’ve talked to tell me that it’s actually good for dogs to spend some time alone when they are young so that they don’t experience separation anxiety later when their owners go to work, on a vacation, or the dog needs to be boarded at a kennel for some reason.
While it’s not harmful for dogs to spend some time alone; it can be very boring, especially for the more “high energy” breeds. Fortunately there are lots of toys and other gizmos that we can provide to help them pass the time. A toy for a dog can be anything, from a bone, to some very elaborate “boredom busters.” The thing to remember is to give them something to do with all that energy so they don’t take it out on your yard or your furniture!
There’s no other kind of love quite like the affection that a dog shows to kids getting off a school bus or the master returning from a long day at work. The only way we can ever repay them is to love them back and give them what they crave more than anything else in the world which is simply our attention in carefully measured doses.
