5 Reasons Your Dog Enjoys A Walk

   January is National Walk Your Dog Month. Dogs love going on walks. It is probably one of the most exciting parts of their day. Bentley and Pierre know when we are about to take them walking. They bark as they hurry to get their harnesses and leashes attached. I asked Bentley what makes walking so special for dogs. The following are his answers.

1. It’s great to get out of the house for a while. Staring at the same four walls gets so boring.

Why Does My Dog Eat Dirt?

   Don’t you love watching your dog running around outside enjoying life? You watch them roll in the fresh grass, chase squirrels and play fetch. It is a great day to be a dog parent and you are proud to raise such a well-adjusted pet. Then out of the blue, your dog begins to eat dirt. WHAT?!?! Why is your dog eating dirt?

5 Tips to be a Bad Pet Neighbor

   A few weeks ago I shared 5 tips for Being a Good Pet Neighbor. It seemed only fair to give equal time to ways you can become a bad pet neighbor. I could have also titled this post, 5 Ways to Ensure that the Neighbors will Hate You and Your Dog, but that seemed a bit too long. Let's start with #5 so the anticipation can build.

#5 ~ Have overconfidence in your dog’s recall

    If you want to guarantee your neighbors will hate your dog, be one of “those” people that think it is okay to allow your dog in the front yard or on a walk without any type of restraint. Imagine a neighbor walks, jogs or rides a bicycle past your home and your dog decides to run out to join them.  You are confident that calling your dog’s name will immediately have it running into your loving arms. That is until it actually happens. Then you are screaming the dog’s name and “NO! I said come HERE!!” using the high-pitched voice of a lunatic. The dog is barking and nipping at the person’s feet or pedals and they are frantic to get away from you both. Congratulations, now they hate you and your dog.

A Dog's Head Rest

    “Don’t mind me; I’m just going to rest my head here for a bit.”

Baby, It's Cold Outside for Pets

   This is the time of year when warnings about leaving your pet outdoors in the cold weather are everywhere. The temperatures in many parts of the country plunge into the single digits or below. There is a time when it is just too cold for your dog or cat to be out in the elements without proper shelter.

Cuddle Dogs

Bentley: “Guess what we are celebrating today?”

Pierre: “Is it my birthday? Will there be cake?”

Bentley: “No and no. It is National Cuddle-Up Day. You know what that means…”

Pierre: “Let’s make a break for it!”

Is It Time That Your Dog Relaxed? #DrHarveys

   There are two times of the year that strike fear in the heart of Bentley. One is the 4^th of July and the other is New Year’s Eve. Most of you can probably guess why, but for those of you that have fearless dogs let me tell you…fireworks! The sound of pyrotechnics turns my otherwise brave Basset Hound into a pacing, hyperventilating mess. He refuses to go outside to the bathroom and has been known to “hold it” for hours until there is a lull in the action. Since we have two firework stands relatively close to our home, there aren’t very many lulls.

Resolve Not to Make New Year's Resolutions

   Every year at this time, the gyms are overcrowded, yogurt is sold out at the stores, the liquor stores are empty and Nicorette is sold out as we all try to keep ridiculously impossible promises to ourselves. The result is that we feel like complete failures before the end of January with eleven months still to go in the year. I gave up making resolutions a long time ago. It is one of those ‘wiser with age’ kinds of things. That wasn’t always the case.