Greg Knows Dogs

12/20/2024

12 Tips for Dog-Friendly Holidays

‘Tis the season to be merry! With the holidays approaching, it should be a time
of merriment for everyone. Ensure your dog’s holiday joy by following these simple tips.

1. A tired dog is a good dog. Before guests arrive for festivities, walk your dog or play fetch to release excess energy.

2. Prevent holiday decoration disasters. Consider anchoring your Christmas tree to the ceiling or wall to prevent tipping. Hang non-breakable ornaments near the bottom of the tree.

3. Tinsel can land your pup in the emergency room. If dogs eat tinsel, it is likely to twist in their intestines and cause serious problems. Avoid using it, or use it sparingly.

4. Holiday sweets are not dog treats. Cookies, cakes, peppermints, and especially chocolates can trigger life-threatening illnesses. 5. Evergreens are not for everyone, especially a curious canine. Don’t let your dog drink the water from the base of the Christmas tree since this water often contains chemicals to help the tree last. If ingested, the water can cause severe indigestion. Pine sap and pine needles can also cause health problems.

6. Make no bones about it. Cooked turkey and chicken bones are not for dogs. They are thin and can easily break, causing choking. Stick with compressed rawhides or other bones specifically designed for dogs to chew.

7. Mistletoe is for kissing, not eating. Keep your pets away from mistletoe and amaryllis as these are toxic to dogs. Poinsettias are also considered poisonous, but they are not life threatening for dogs.

8. Keep the liquids flowing. When pets are stressed, they typically pant more, so keep fresh water readily available for them to drink.

9. ‘Tis the season to give, so add your pet to the list. To help your dog stay occupied and out of the holiday decorations, give him his own gift. The Buster Cube is indestructible and will distract your dog for long periods of time.

10. Do not give pets as surprise gifts. Some recipients are not thrilled with having a puppy that quickly grows into an adult dog. As a result, many of these holiday gifts end up at animal shelters. Consider adopting a rescue dog after the holidays. This will help ensure the lucky person receives the dog they wish to have. 11. How low can the weather go? Owners frequently put their dogs outside to get them out of the way when guests arrive. Responsible pet owners need to be aware of the temperature since it can quickly plummet in the winter. Additionally, keep your pets close to home and do not let them roam freely. Roads can be icy, making it hard for cars to stop when a dog wanders into the road.

12. Blowing snow is best left in the globe. Many snow globes contain anti-freeze which is extremely toxic to dogs. Keep snow globes out of the reach of tail-waggers. If a globe breaks, send your dog out of the room. Then clean up by absorbing the liquid. Dilute the spot with water and floor cleaner.

gregknowsdogs.com

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12/20/2024

12/05/2024

Do you want some ideas on a Christmas gift for your dog?

Looking for dog presents for the holidays? Greg Knows Dogs has some great suggestions, including a dog training gift certificate.

12/03/2024

BRRRR, it's gotten cold here in Norfolk (and Columbus). Here's some tips to help our dogs in this winter weather.

Columbus has brutal winters. Greg Knows dogs provides some winter tips for Columbus dogs.

11/19/2024

There are plenty of traditional Thanksgiving foods dogs can eat, from apples to pumpkins. But pet parents need to take precautions when preparing their pup's holiday meal.

11/19/2024

With the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be helpful to spend some time on reducing stress for you and your dog during the season. One way to reduce your stress is to be aware of dangerous holiday decorations and plants.

Most of us have more visitors over the holidays -- so calm and friendly greetings are very important. Make sure your dog has good door manners; start practicing them now if he doesn’t. My clients who are most successful with door manners practice this very, very often. You can also give your dog an extra long walk to tire him out.

Although a tired dog is a good dog, it’s also important to reduce stress by keeping a regular feeding and exercise schedule. My advice is to increase the exercise but try to keep it at the same time of day. Don’t skip his walks because you’re busy.

Does your dog have a crate or bed in a safe, quiet place? Dogs need to have a place to retire when they’re tired of our shenanigans. And instruct young children to stay away from the quiet place when your dog is resting.

During the holidays I used a pheromone collar on Maksim to reduce his anxiety. The collars last 30 days so you can cover the holiday season with one collar. I like the Sentry Calming Collar and the DAP collar by Adaptil.

Dogs pant a lot when stressed; be sure to keep the water bowl full. And that means you will also want to let him have more frequent toileting opportunities.

Your guests may be tempted to feed your dog some of the tasty food they’re enjoying. This could upset your dog’s stomach so be sure to review the canine rules with your guests.

One of your rules may be to close the door each and every trip out or in the door. You may even insist on ringing the bell each time so that you can practice your door manners. And I think it’s really important to have rules for this if you don’t have a storm door.

I hope these tips and ideas will help you and your pack have a more enjoyable holiday season.

gregknowsdogs.com

10/19/2024

Let’s make Halloween less scary for your dog by preparing her. Here are some tips to ready your dog for a safe Halloween.

Before :
Make sure your dog’s id tags and microchip are up to date. I recommend you keep her collar on for this day, even if you don’t typically have a collar on her.

If she is lucky enough to get a costume, try it on before the holiday. Not every dog will tolerate being dressed up; you’ll want to know that before showing her off. You can put a themed bandana on her if she won’t accept the costume.

Trick or Treat night:
Bring all of your pets inside. There are too many pets reported missing after Halloween.

Put her in a separate room or put up a gate to restrict her from running out the door.

Or head the trick or treaters off at the pass. My wife and I usually take turns sitting outside with the candy while the other sits inside with our boy. If it’s a cold, rainy night, I always volunteer to stay with Dewey!

Keep the pumpkin, candles, and candy out of your dog’s reach.

After:
Keep your eye out for dropped candies on your walk the next day. Our beagle, Winkler, was excellent at sniffing out dropped candies and wrappers. You already know the list of toxic food and candies, don’t you?

Thanks for reading these ideas and preparing for this scary night.

09/09/2024

Puppy kindergarten??? What an interesting idea.

Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods are studying how the canine mind develops and what makes a successful service dog.

08/16/2024

According to this article, we (humans) may be causing our dogs' anxiety and obesity. I think they're right...

Pet owners are treating their animal charges ever more like humans. But that isn’t good for pets, or for us, many experts argue.

08/16/2024

I think we may know this

People have grown more attached to their pets — and more willing to spend money on them — turning animal medicine into a high-tech industry worth billions.

07/22/2024

Answers to three questions I'm frequently asked:
Is my dog sad when left alone?
Can my dog tell time?
Am I "nuts" to talk to my dog?

In her weekly chat, Well+Being editor Tara Parker-Pope answered your questions on the science of our furry friends.

06/30/2024

Arre you taking your dog on vacation with you? Here are soem suggestions to prevent car sickness.

Many people are planning vacations in pet-friendly places reachable by car. But for humans whose pets get carsick, these excursions can become an ordeal.

06/27/2024

With OV's fireworks on Friday, it seems like a good time to review July 4 safety tips for our dogs.

 Do not leave your dogs outside; bring them inside to protect them.

 You may want to stay with your dogs for the majority of the fireworks’ duration. A dog can often react differently to a loud bang when you are not present

 If your dogs must stay outside, cover the dogs’ crates or kennels with a blanket to offer some protection from the bright flashes and loud bangs.

 Create a special “den” where your dogs feel safe.

 Keep windows and curtains closed to reduce noises and bright flashes.

 Turn on the radio, TV or exhaust fan to distract your dog from the loud noises outside and to help him relax. Classical music has been shown to be calming.

 Do not let your dogs answer the front door. Because your dogs may be under significant stress, they may harm your visitor or dart out the door and get lost.

 Have identification securely on your dogs in case they get out. Make sure your phone number is up-to-date so if someone finds your dogs, you can be called. Consider talking with your veterinarian about micro-chipping your dogs with a universal micro-chip.

Finally, be sure to check your yard for debris in the morning after fireworks.

gregknowsdogs.com

06/23/2024

It was great meeting these two at the Norfolk Mermaid Festival yesterday. They have great, fun pet themed merch!

06/07/2024

Take Your Dog to Work Day is only two weeks away! Here are tips to get ready...

June 21 is Take Your Dog To Work Day – ironically, as a Norfolk dog trainer, that is one place I don’t take my dog! That’s because my dog training lessons are all about YOUR dog and take place at your home.

Take Your Dog to Work Day was originally founded by Pet Sitters International to raise awareness for the high volume of dogs that are homeless and encourage people to adopt a dog from a shelter.

More and more companies are allowing their employees to take their dog to work, because studies have found that dogs in the workplace bring many benefits. For many people, work can be very stressful and intense, and what better way to chill out than to look into the adorable eyes of a dog? What a great way to take a break – petting a dog or taking him for a walk. It’s a great way to boost employee morale and motivation and to lower absenteeism. Plus, dogs often provide some much-needed comic relief.

However, not every dog has the right temperament to go to work.

First, it’s important he responds to basic commands like Sit, Stay, and Come. Otherwise, when you get an office full of dogs that don’t know the basics of obedience training, chaos can ensue!

Here are some other tips to make sure that you and your dog are well prepared for the day. Planning ahead is key:
• Well exercised. Take your dog for a long walk or run before you go into the office. This will make him calmer and less hyper when entering a new environment. When walking through the building, keep your dog on a leash.
• Pet proof. You know those cords hanging from your computer? Or the rest of the apple you just threw in your garbage can? Make sure your office space is pet proof.
• Familiarity. Bring along his favorite blanket, cage, toys, water bowl and food. When you first get to the office, give him time to sniff around and become familiar with his surroundings. Need to attend a meeting that day? Bring a baby gate or playpen to cordon off the area.
• Be respectful. There may be employees that are allergic to dogs or heaven forbid, don’t like dogs. Make sure your dog is not intruding on people who may not be as happy as you that he is there. Know the pet-free areas of the office such as the bathroom, food preparation areas, day care areas, meeting spaces, etc.
• Clean up. Because your dog is in an unfamiliar place there may be some accidents or marking. Come equipped with rug shampoo, p**p bags, paper towels and pet odor remover.
• Up-to-date. Make sure all his vaccinations are up-to-date or you could be putting other pooches at risk.
Most of all, have fun! This could be a great opportunity for your dog to socialize with a bigger pack!