Having Your Dog as Your Gym Partner
Having Your Dog as Your Gym Partner
With California being currently in a “shelter in place” status, a lot of people are concerned about what to do with their dogs and how they’re going to stay in shape since their gyms are closed. Well, we have you covered. In this video, Jessie shows you just a few sample moves of how you can work out effectively WITH your dog (Clem often is watching her when she is performing workouts without him but he REALLY loves it when she lets him join in).
Looking on the positive side of life, look at this time as a great OPPORTUNITY to connect even deeper with your dog! You can teach him/her new skills, incorporate him/her in your workouts (not just walks or running) and really take advantage of all of that time you have been wanting just to hang out at home.
Please subscribe and follow us on YouTube as we’ll be working to get more videos up for you—addressing questions people are asking us about how they can live better with their dogs.
Stay safe and well, Folks!
Quick Tip Idea for: Futon Mattresses
Need a cheap dog bed? One thing you can try is buying a used futon mattress on Craigslist and then just cover it with a sheet or a futon mattress cover (either one works for keeping it clean). Since we go through beds over here rapidly, the futon mattresses work out well and you actually get TWO for the price of ONE (once you cut the connecting piece of fabric between the two parts of the mattress).
A non-exhaustive list of things you can use these mattresses for, with regards to pets, is as follows:
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- “Steps” for a little dog gym: a) just the two pieces of the futon mattress will act as big steps for little breeds to jump and run along, or b) cut one or both mattresses to create a pyramid for little dogs to exercise on
- Actual dog beds (great for large breeds, too)
- A transition tool. Step 1: Place the mattresses next to couches for training your dogs to stay off of the furniture but still being able to be close to you. Step 2: When they know the mattresses are their “beds”, you can then place the bed away from the furniture
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So far, I think the most use from our futon mattresses has been from the little guys who love to jump and run across it while playing Fetch 😉 We haven’t made the pyramid idea yet but just having the two (pieces) is enough to embark on a world of fun and exercise adventure for the smaller breeds.
As always, please share your thoughts and ideas 🙂 We would love to hear them!
Travel First Aid Tip for Dogs: Ear Infections and Foreign Bodies
Introduction
We are placing a series of travel first aid tips for dogs on our website. These tips were written for the “Canine Companion – Instructions & First-Aid Tips” that came with the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs by Dr. Brooks Bloomfield of The Doctor’s Office for Pets located in Truckee, California, a well-known, highly-respected veterinarian with over 30 years of superbly practicing veterinary medicine on wildlife and domesticated animals.
There are so many times that we as pet owners long to have a great veterinarian’s advice on-hand 24/7 so that we’re not left with so many questions during stressful situations when something has happened to our beloved pup especially when traveling (doesn’t it always happen that these situations arise on weekends, too, when your veterinarian’s office is closed).
Basic Pet Care Animal Hospital
www.bpcah.com
This travel first-aid tip deals with: Ear Infections and Foreign Bodies.
“Ear infections and foreign bodies are common problems in our busy dogs.
Dogs have a longer ear canal than us and it takes a bend that can make it impossible to visualize some foreign bodies.
If your dog will let you, grasp the foreign material with tweezers being careful not to poke the sharp points into the ear itself. Sometimes irrigating with a gentle ear cleaner can provide relief. The eyewash included in the kit can be used as an irrigating solution, and if infection is obvious in the outer ear, it can be treated with dilute povidone iodine solution made from the enclosed swabsticks, and applied up to three times daily.
Any persistent head shaking, pawing at the ear or discharge should be evaluated promptly by your veterinarian.”
Note: References to items or supplies noted in the above instructions were made in reference to the supplies that came in the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs in conjunction with these instructions.
[pullquote_right]Wishing you and your fur-kids safe and happy travels this summer![/pullquote_right]
Travel First Aid Tip for Dogs: Diarrhea
Introduction
We are placing a series of travel first aid tips for dogs on our website. These tips were written for the “Canine Companion – Instructions & First-Aid Tips” that came with the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs by Dr. Brooks Bloomfield of The Doctor’s Office for Pets located in Truckee, California, a well-known, highly-respected veterinarian with over 30 years of superbly practicing veterinary medicine on wildlife and domesticated animals.
There are so many times that we as pet owners long to have a great veterinarian’s advice on-hand 24/7 so that we’re not left with so many questions during stressful situations when something has happened to our beloved pup especially when traveling (doesn’t it always happen that these situations arise on weekends, too, when your veterinarian’s office is closed).
This travel first-aid tip deals with: DiArRhEA.
“There are many causes of diarrhea but fortunately, it is usually self-limiting. Diarrhea can be a substantial source of fluid loss so make sure your dog is consuming enough water to prevent dehydration. Feeding a bland, easily digested diet is appropriate for the dog with diarrhea. Dio-Tame may help your dog if he or she gets afflicted.
Persistent diarrhea or the presence of blood should always be followed up with a veterinary exam.”
Note: References to items or supplies noted in the above instructions were made in reference to the supplies that came in the Emergency First-Aid & Travel Kit for Dogs in conjunction with these instructions.
[pullquote_right]Wishing you and your fur-kids safe and happy travels this summer![/pullquote_right]
Backyards: Your Pet’s Possible…Prison?!
“We have a great backyard! Plenty of room for the dogs, kids, us…it’s awesome! There’s a fence so Spot is secure…a great place for him to just run around and chill when he wants too, which is fantastic because he can get his exercise out in the backyard.” What’s missing? Planned and deliberate exercise, e.g., leash walks, leashed bike runs or off-leash running!
After the walk or run, it’s also a good idea to incorporate some breed exercises in your dog’s energy-reduction schedule. A couple of breed exercise examples are as follows:
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- German Shepherds are of the working breed. Have them carry a dog pack for 20 minutes or so. Put a few things in it to weigh it down like a couple of water bottles and have your dog bring you the water every couple of minutes. Make the full 20 minutes deliberate by commanding him/her the whole time
- Huskies love to pull! A great exercise for them would be to put a harness on them which is attached to a car tire (not too heavy or too light). They can pull the tire to you as you call them from the other side of the yard
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Additional notes … dogs are followers by nature. They need leaders and if no one steps up to take the lead, they will out of necessity. As their Pack Leader, they look to you to take care of their needs and establish boundaries, which also include exercising them.
Your dog’s need for exercise isn’t optional but rather a necessity.
Remember, a dog’s “energy tank” registers full every day for a fresh start! What does your dog’s energy tank read today?
New Policy on Aggressive Dogs
Lately it seems like there has been an abundance of loose dogs running around in neighborhoods all over Woodland. When walking dogs on leash, these loose dogs can often be annoying at most and primarily because the dogs walking with us on leash can lose their concentration and want to run and play with the “lucky one” running off leash. In most cases, we’re able to throw out a command and make the wandering soul stay at a distance. However, there are those days when we have the blessing of running into a stubborn soul that just has to meet the new “leashed” kids on the block 😉
Now concerning walking a known dog-aggressive dog on leash, running into these “free spirits” poses a different and quite dangerous problem. They are not seen by the dog-aggressive dog as new buddies to go meet and play with; rather they are seen as targets. Nine times out of ten, the loose dog will stay at a distance and decide not to approach us. On the very rare occasion, however, this isn’t the case despite the actions of the leashed dog displaying volatile behavior, i.e., lunging, growling, baring teeth and so forth.
Even though we haven’t had an incident where a dog fight broke out (thanks in large part to people having called of their loose dogs in time or having an umbrella handy on a remembered occasion which aided in keeping the dogs separate until control could be established to both fur parties) while walking a dog on leash, the potential is definitely there and increasing as more and more loose dogs are found running the streets.
In lieu of this current problem, for clients who have dogs that are NOT dog-friendly and with regards to the service In-Home Visits, we have amended our policies under section “Securing Pet(s)”. The addition to this section concerning aggressive dogs is noted as follows:
b) Aggressive dogs will not be walked for liability purposes unless they are muzzled. If not muzzled, all exercise for aggressive dogs will consist of playtime and only on their property.”
As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Truckee Pet Sitter Spotlight On: Truckee Tails
We receive numerous requests to date for in and around the Truckee-Tahoe area. Though we still service clients and friends from the Bay Area to Truckee (specifically for boarding, daycare and pet taxing), many new people calling in are wanting to locate a local pet sitter in Truckee or the surrounding Tahoe area for pet sitting and/or doggie exercise. So, we thought we would highlight an awesome Truckee pet sitter for you as a recommendation: Truckee Tails Pet Sitting.
Lisa Purchard of Truckee Tails has been providing people with exhausted dogs since 1999. She is bonded, insured, and certified in Pet CPR.
Truckee Tails
Lisa provides the best in the way of dog exercise: Off-leash playgroups. This service is an elite service providing the adventure and exploration opportunities that most pet owners wish for their dogs to have while traveling with them. Majority of the dogs (I say majority leaving room for those rare pups who have Duracell batteries built in to them…LOL) are absolutely exhausted–but happily so–at the conclusion of their off-leash excursion with Lisa. And, having an exhausted pup while on vacation is always a good thing! With a tired pup, you will have the opportunity to take in the sights and events in the Truckee Tahoe area, focusing on yourself and those with you knowing that everyone (pups to of course) are enjoying themselves.
In conjunction with providing dogs extraordinary off-leash adventures, she also provides In-Home Visits (you’ll want to refer to her service areas in the Truckee area) so if you want to go out to a nice dinner on Lake Tahoe or even Donner Lake, you’ll be able to do so and in peace.
We receive numerous requests to date for in and around the Truckee-Tahoe area specifically for dog boarding or daycare. Though we still service clients and friends from the Bay Area to Truckee (specifically for boarding, daycare and pet taxing), many new people calling in are wanting to locate a local pet sitter in Truckee or the surrounding Tahoe area. So, we thought we would give you some recommendations of sitters in the Truckee-Tahoe area.
[logo] In the Truckee area, if you’re looking for great off-leash dog hikes that will find you with an exhausted pup, check out Truckee Tails! Lisa Purchard of Truckee Tails has been providing people with exhausted dogs since 1999 and is the pet sitter of choice in Truckee. In conjunction with providing dogs extraordinary off-leash adventures that is sure to wear out even the most energetic of fur-kids, she also provides In-Home Visits (you’ll want to refer to her service areas in the Truckee area) so if you want to go out to a nice dinner on Lake Tahoe or even Donner Lake, you’ll be able to in peace.
Because most Tahoe Truckee property rental places disallow animals to be left in the rooms unattended, a few people look to board their dogs within the area. If you’re looking for cage-free dog boarding facilities, check out the following pet sitters who offer just this service:
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Owner: Meredith Hobbs [530-412-0683] |
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Owner: Megan [http://www.northlakedogcamp.com/index.php] |
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Owner: Debora Amaral [http://caninecountrytruckee.com/] |
If you prefer to leave your pups with us, we would love to care for them for you! Please refer to our Daycare page for our daycare and boarding criteria.
Exclusive European Style Boarding
KYPSAH offers–and has offered–European style boarding since 2004.
What is European Dog Boarding
European style boarding is a cage-free style of boarding where the dogs live as a pack within our home. In a nutshell, the dogs that partake in sleepovers become like our dogs and live with our family: They sleep in the house with us just like our own dogs do. This is the difference between us and a kennel: There is 24/7 supervision around-the-clock and the dogs that stay with us are in a home—not a “home-like” environment.
Typical Day
A typical day at our home consists of waking up and letting the dogs outside to do their business first-thing. Afterwards, we exercise them prior to eating breakfast (a dog that may have a medical condition will quite possibly be on his/her own routine where they have to eat first).
Play time
During the course of the day (before and after breakfast), the dogs get a lot of exercise that starts in the morning—weather-permitting. There are structured leash walks (this means the dogs are not allowed to lead but follow a strict, disciplined walk), skate sessions (this is a good exercise for those that have an abundance of energy), group exercise play after the walk and skate sessions are done (this exercise is only for dogs that are up to playing and do not have physical conditions that prevent such exercise; dogs are also sized up to play with dogs of like-size) and breed exercises.
Among exercising them and throughout their stay with us, they are also rules and boundaries they must adhere to. Consequently, we keep them burning psychological energy as well by issuing commands when needed, i.e., “out of the kitchen” as the kitchen is off-limits.
After all of the physical exercising, the dogs generally rest for a while and lounge around the rest of the day.
What We Provide
We provide everything: Toys, treats, beds and all the love they can handle. The only thing you need to provide is their food. Homemade diets and medications are also taken care of at no additional charge; you just need to provide the food and we’ll cook it for them as per your instructions.
An Exclusive Style of Boarding
Our dog boarding style is rather exclusive as we only take in a select few on a nightly basis, and since this service is an informal service, it is offered to those people who feel that their pets need more than our other services can offer them. Therefore, this service is solely for the benefit of the dogs to meet their unique, personal needs, as well as, their owners to give them peace of mind knowing that their dogs are getting the most attention possible. With this being said, our informal dog boarding service books up very fast and especially around the Holidays.
Thanksgiving 2006
What Type of Dogs We Normally Keep
The types of dogs that really benefit from this style of boarding are as follows:
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- Dogs that are used to having people around them all day
- Breeds that long for a lot of human interaction
- Dogs that have health conditions, i.e., Diabetes, seizures that need to be monitored closely
- Dog families that need to stay together
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Important Notes
- We do not discriminate among breeds. We accept all breeds provided the dog meet all of the criteria.
- All dogs from one family must meet the criteria—no exceptions.
Calm Dogs
It’s always great having calm dogs when they’re staying with us, and we work really hard at giving them that calm, balanced environment they need. It involves a lot of exercise (structured exercise, breed exercise and group play), consistent rules and boundaries that must be adhered too, and all the love and affection we can give them. The end result are a pack of happy dogs that are really enjoying each other’s company 🙂
Supervised group play
Field Trips
Oftentimes, we work hard to give the dogs field trips. The field trips consist of taking them places where they can run off-leash and really drain their energy.
Molly and Misha
For those of us in the valley, it’s difficult to find a good place where you can take dogs to run off-leash and let them really burn a lot of energy in a short amount of time. Most of the time, we’re riding bikes or skating the high-energy dogs, which can exhaust us, too! Therefore every so often, we try and get the pack to a place where we can hike them for an hour to an hour and a half off-leash. It’s a fantastic treat for all involved (dogs and humans alike) 🙂
We are always on the look-out for places to go and always open to suggestions so if you have any, fire them to us, would you? Our most favorite place to go is Truckee where the Riggs family used to live and where KYPSAH began back in February of 2004. There are several places to go there (weather permitting) and the dogs have a blast and are STILL tired when we get back home to Woodland.
Waterside Fun
We will be hosting a page under our Services tab that will boast off-leash dog hike (field trip) opportunities probably starting around February of next year. These opportunities will be specifically for dogs who are under voice command and line of sight at all times. If you have a dog that falls short of making the grade of being under voice command and line of sight, we can give you some training tips on how to get him/her there by the time the field trips begin.