Did you know there are potential links between pet ownership and success? Some of the most successful entrepreneurs today have pets and are making their office spaces pet friendly too! Even the greats of the past like Theodore Roosevelt knew the importance of pets! So, are you looking for another reason to get one? Maybe your future spouse is on the fence about Fido? Let us walk you through all the reasons your pet can make you a success!
How your pet can make you a success!
Beat that stress! – Being a success can be stressful! As your business and influence grows, so does your work load. Having a pet can help you manage the workload when you’re in that transition period before your successful enough to delegate some of your duties. Studies have shown that even people who say they don’t like animals experience reduced stress by petting one!
They build confidence! – Everyone needs someone to believe in them, or someone to comfort them after a failure. Your pet will always be happy to see you! Pets often prove to be an emotional “safe-haven” for people. This allows for some recovery time after a blunder and helps people get back on their feet quicker and stronger! These are important skills for success!
They build connections! – This applies more to dog owners than cat owners, but pet ownership has been proven to increase your social skills. Maybe this is because of all those trips to the dog park? Or maybe this is also related to that confidence boost? Either way, pet owners are often more social and better at networking.
Are you worried that the extra responsibility of pet ownership could cancel out these benefits? Consider hiring a pet nanny or dog walker to help keep up with pet duties. That way, you get all the great benefits of animal kinship without all the stress!
the dirt and sniff new smells! We’re talking about your dog of course, not you! But as the season moves on the heat can start to be dangerous to you and your pet. No body is in the mood for another month or two of being shut up indoors. So how can you make sure that you and your pet are staying healthy and active? Here are our top tips!
Staying Healthy in the Heat
Stay Active, Safely – It’s important that your pet still gets their exercise, even as the temperature soar. There are several ways you can do this without too much threat of heat exhaustion. The first is to make sure that you or your dog walker time the walks to take place early in the morning or late in the evening when the heat is less intense. Another way is to spend your outdoor time next to bodies of water. This gives your pet the opportunity to cool off when they need to. Who doesn’t love a game of water fetch, anyways?
Lots of water – Make sure your pet is getting lots of water. A well hydrated pet can regulate their body temperature better than a dehydrated one. They will need more water than they do in the winter so be prepared for this. Get a larger water dish if you or a Pet Nanny won’t be available to keep an eye on and refill the water throughout the day. When you take your pet out, it’s also a good idea to bring a bowl and bottle of water with you as well.
Stop traveling with them – It might be no big deal to take your pup with you while you run errands in the cooler months. They likely benefit from the outings. In the summer though, it is NEVER okay to leave your pet in the car while you run in – even for a second, and even if you leave the window cracked. It can take less than 10 minutes for a parked car to reach deadly temperatures. Leave your pets at home unless you are exclusively going to a pet friendly destination where they can join you.
Have your kids been pestering you to get them a pet? Have you been pondering over the decision for quite some time now? Then it is time you to act! To help you with your decision here is a beautiful infographic that will explain all about the benefits of children growing up with pets. Having a pet along with young children can be an added responsibility for you, but consider the lifetime of benefits that your children will get by adding a cute, happy, playful, loyal, protective, watchful, sensitive, and loving entity to your family! How many reasons do you need to make the leap? How about 25!
Several types of research have been conducted, and are going to be conducted in the future, regarding the various benefits that kids get by having a pet at home. Some of the important conclusions that these studies have come up with are; the kids who grow up with pets have increased levels of immunity, they learn their responsibilities early in their life. They are also often happier than those without pets. They learn to respect other beings. These children will also be more active and pet ownership helps in keeping serious diseases such as heart conditions and obesity at bay. There are many more advantages, please check out this infographic from Top Dog Tips to get the full details.
We love our little bundles of fur, but lets be honest – they sure can smell. Smelly pets are a universal problem among pet owners. Whether it’s the litter box, or the pet themselves, we have some top tips for banishing pet odor. While any one of our tips below can help, keeping pet odor under control requires the full approach. All these tips utilized together should have your home smelling like a house again!
House Cleaning Tips For Smelly Pets
Bath them often. This applies mostly to dogs, though an outside cat may benefit from a bath occasionally too. It is generally recommended to bath your dog once a month. This may vary based on their breed and level of outdoor activity, but it’s a good base time. Regular bathing helps get rid of bacteria that can build in your pets fur and on their skin, causing odor. If your pet is prone to dry skin, use gentle soaps and a conditioner. Pro-tip: If your pet is shedding, give them a good brushing before the bath!
Clean your carpet. Even a well trained pet can have accidents on the carpet. Steam clean your carpet at least once a year. Quarterly if your pet is a repeat offender. Even if potty issues aren’t a problem smelly pets can leave behind odors in areas they frequent. Don’t have the time or money for a full carpet steaming? Invest in a handheld steam cleaner to spot treat areas.
Don’t ignore furniture and pet beds. If you picked yourself up a handheld steam cleaner, or rented a large carpet shampooer for the weekend, don’t forget to hit the furniture. Couches, mattresses, and pillows used by your pet can all benefit from a good cleaning once in a while. Make sure its safe to use the steam cleaner on your fabric, then steam that odor of smelly pets away! Don’t forget to wash dog or cat bed covers and give them a good steaming too!
Clean the air. Some people like to use products such as Fabreeze to control odor, but we suggest getting an air purifier instead. They have benefits beyond eliminating pet odors and when used in unison with the other tips, keep your home fresh and free of potential allergens for you and your pet!
As kids get older, they find themselves having friends who own pets. From dogs and cats to birds and hamsters, its inevitable they will be asking their parents if they, too, can become pet owners. With pet ownership being a big responsibility, some parents hesitate on giving their blessing. However, as scientists have done research on the benefits of pet ownership as it pertains to children, you might find yourself more eager than ever to drive to the local pet store or animal shelter. There are numerous ways pets help children!
If you have found that your children have had more than their share of ailments, owning a pet could change all that. Based on research published in the Journal of Pediatrics, kids who had pets in their home while they were infants were found to have 31 percent fewer respiratory infections and 44 percent fewer ear infections. When looking for a reason to explain this, scientists determined that being pets help expose them to dirt, dander, and pollen made the children’s immune systems much stronger at an early age, making it a bit easier to clean up after Fido or Fluffy.
And speaking of cleaning up after pets, kids who own pets have also been found to grow up to become very responsible adults. According to researchers, owning pets that they are responsible for feeding, grooming, playing with, and cleaning up after on a daily basis shows children the importance of responsibility, organizational skills, and maintaining a regular daily schedule.
But if you’re more interested in having a child who’s a great student, you’ll be happy to know pets help contribute to this as well. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, kids who own pets are much more self-confident, have higher self-esteem, and are better able to make friends and perform better in school, particularly in literacy. By having pets who willingly sit and listen to them read while not criticizing them for an occasional mistake, children’s confidence levels go sky high.
You may think the time for vaccines has passed once your pet is all grown up. Not so! If you want to keep your pet in peak health it’s important to get regular check-ups and a booster vaccine from time to time. How do you keep this straight though? What does your pet need and when? These questions become even more complex if you are taking on a new pet that is already an adult.
Most pets that come from shelters will have had a vaccine or two. It’s super important when there are so many animals in such a close environment as a shelter. Before you adopt, be sure to ask about your potential new pets medical history. Their known vaccine history should be included. Get a copy and be sure to take it to vet for the first check up. This will help them know what your pet needs and what it doesn’t.
Some vaccines may not be important for pet, depending on their lifestyle. Shots for things like the dog flue and kennel cough are super important for dogs that come into regular contact with other dogs. If your pets don’t frequent dog parks or socialize on a large scale, these may be less important. A vaccine for Lyme’s disease can be super important for dogs that spend time outside. If you have a delicate dog or a house cat though, chances of them contracting it are pretty slim (it’ comes from tick bites).
Save these two great infographics that detail your dog or cats vaccination needs from the start of their life on. It includes the boosters they will need to get after so many years and annually. Be sure to ask your vet about the need for seasonal vaccines too – such as the dog flu!
Pennsylvania has always been a pet loving state, with statistics indicating that over half a million of us seek the companionship of a dog, cat, or other furry, spiny, or ‘slimy but friendly’ creature in our homes. Around 400,000 households have at least one dog vs 244,000 households with at least one kitty. Statistics also show that we love our yards; even city dwelling millennials dream of having a large home in the suburbs with a backyard lawn on which to have barbecues, socialize with friends, and play fetch with Fido.
If you are lucky enough to have a beautiful, spacious backyard, are you sure it is safe for your dog or cat? If you already know how to puppy proof your home, why not ensure the yard is just as safe?
Picking the Right Plants
Many pet owners are surprised to find out that common flowers such as azaleas, rhododendrons, many types of lily or daffodils, are toxic to cats and dogs, so much so that ingestion of just a small amount can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling, and sometimes, even death. If you have bought a new house and are not sure about which plants are in the yard, help from a trusted gardener will enable you to weed out potential culprits.
Fencing Fido In
Dogs have a natural digging instinct and some might try to escape to the Great Outdoors if they are bored or alone in the yard or backyard. To stop this from happening make sure your fence is sturdy and that it reaches all the way down; flexible dogs are often able to worm their way out of even the smallest gap.
Bury chicken wire deep into the soil beneath the fence or better yet, consider building a stone or paved path between the fence and the grass, so your dog has no soil to dig up when escape is on his mind.
Another unsuspected danger for dogs in the yard is a gate that is easy to open. A self-closing system will ensure your pooch can’t just slide the latch to the side and escape. If you prefer a manual latch, make sure it is too difficult for your dog to manoeuvre.
If your dog is a digger, build him a little play area in your yard by digging up soil and filling it with sand. Place his favorite toys under the sand and watch him go!
Also, ensure that your dog isn’t digging because of boredom. Make sure he is physically and mentally challenged through exercise and Kong style toys and puzzles, which will keep him interested in more useful pursuits. Walk him regularly, even if he is a yard dog, to ensure mental stimulation and exploration! Hire a pet nanny if you can’t find time regularly!
Ticks, Fleas, Insects (and Snakes!)
Dogs and cats love to roll around in the grass, which means they can be bitten by insects or infested by ticks and fleas. The first priority is to keep the grass shortly mowed and clear of clutter.
Make sure your pets are protected with a pet-friendly flea and tick repellent that is free of harsh toxins such as pyrethoids, which have sadly caused too many pet deaths. Go with what your vet recommends and talk to them about natural possibilities.
Many dog and cat owners use diluted essential oils such as eucalyptus or peppermint to repel parasites, but be very careful, since some essential oils can cause harm. For instance, geranium and citrus oils can be dangerous for cats, while some oils (such as cedar, citronella or pennyroyal) should never be used on pregnant animals.
The one oil cats seem to be okay with is neem oil, which can be added to shampoo (one teaspoon of oil per cup of pet shampoo is usually okay, according to passhealthfoods.com).
For dogs, typical solutions contain around five drops of essential oils like geranium, lemon, or lavender, with one teaspoon of carrier oil. When rubbing the oils onto your pets, avoid the eyes, nose, mouth, genitals and anal area.
Neem juice and citrus essential oils are also excellent to spray on plants to repel insects, but if you have cats, avoid anything but neem in most cases.
Beware of the Sun
Dogs can suffer from heatstroke if let out in the sun too long. Unless your backyard has tall trees that can provide plenty of shade, build your dog a wooden dog house where he can hide from the burning UV rays during peak hours of sun.
Make sure there is a fresh bowl of water out and place his house far away from his ‘potty spot’.
For most Americans, a pet is as much a member of the family as humans are. Make sure their favorite place to lounge contains no toxins that can harm their health, and keep them inside to avoid the risk of loss or injury. Finally, adapt your yard to the seasons, making sure Fido or Kitty always have a cool spot to chill out in.
While the saying is “April showers bring May flowers,” sometimes those rains get here a little sooner than expected. Melting snow and ice from winter mixed with heavy spring rains make this time of year a flood risk for most. Whether its spring rains or you live in an area effected by hurricane season, you need a flood plan for you and your pet. Every time this kind of disaster strikes shelters are filled with abandoned or lost pets. Don’t let this happen to you and your pet – have an action plan!
Flood Tips For You & Your Pet
Evacuation Plans – Have an evacuation plan. That means both knowing how to get out and where you are going. Ensure that the “where” is pet friendly, as are your travel accommodations. This is the best way to ensure you and your pet’s safety. Expect evacuation to move slowly and be chaotic. Don’t wait till the last minute to get to safety.
Watch Weather Reports – Many areas will be in a flash flood watch for several days before a flood. This usually means that the ground is already saturated and heavy rains are predicted. If you stay aware of the weather reports and know how water builds around your home, you should have a good radar about when you need to take action.
Have An Emergency Pet Kit – Keep an emergency bag packed for your pet. This should include things like leashes, food, water, medicine, comfort items or treats, and anything else your specific pet may require. First aid kits are always a good idea too!
Ask Kennels About Emergency Plans – If you’re traveling out of town and have to board your pet be sure to ask about emergency plans. Good pet borders should have reasonable plans for protecting your pets in case of a natural disaster.
Tag Your Pet – If you and your pet do become separated speed up your reunion by making sure they have a collar with your contact information on it. Microchips are also a great idea in case they end up in a shelter.
The best plan is to have a plan and stay aware of your conditions!
With March comes Spring and after Spring comes summer! All this good news means you and your pets will be out and about shaking off some cabin fever. Travel safety is second nature for you. You always buckle your seat belt and check your mirrors. If you’re traveling with your pet it’s important you check for their travel safety too!A small, low speed collision can still send your light-weight pet from the front to the rear of your vehicle (or vice versa), causing serious injury.
Pet Travel Safety
Minimize and Secure – Objects can become dangerous projectiles in an accident. While it may be tempting to just let stuff pile up in your vehicle, this is a safety hazard. Try to minimize what you keep in the front cargo area of your vehicle. Especially heavy or sharp objects that could be dangerous if thrown. If your vehicle has an open trunk area like most SUV’s use straps to secure luggage and other items.
Get a Car Seat or Travel Crate – Yup, they exist. Smaller pets do great in little pet care seats like this one. They are padded and attach to a body harness (be sure you use a body harness and don’t attach to their collar). This keeps them from being tossed around and increases travel safety by keeping them from becoming a distraction for the driver. Travel crates for large pets are also great, but be sure they are properly secured.
Pet Seat Belts – If you’ve got a well behaved pet, consider investing in a pet seat belt. These are secured using the same seat belt hookups already installed in your vehicle and fit around your pet like a body harness. They keep your pet secured in case of accidents or sudden braking and turns.
Was your new puppy a well thought out addition to your family? An incident of fate? No matter how you came to have a delightful little furry critter, what you do now that they’re home is important! Don’t set your puppy up for failure by failing to cultivate an environment they can learn and grow in. If you puppy-proof your house, you can prevent future mishaps and frustrating moments in the future. What does it mean to “puppy-proof”? Let us make offer you some great tips that will get you well on your way!
Puppy-proof Your Home!
Pick-up and block access to all toxic substances. Even if they aren’t in an area your puppy will frequent. It’s not unusual for these little beasts to escape or travel out of our preferred territory for them. Make sure if they do, no hazardous accidents await them!
Get a trashcan with a puppy proof lid. The trash may smell bad to us, but it can be super enticing for a pet. Puppy-proof your trash by adding a secure lid, or getting a sturdy one with a foot mechanism.
Tie up those drape cords. Don’t let your puppy get dangerously entangled in drape or blind cords. Tie these up out of reach to avoid buying new window treatments or an injured pet.
Keep plants out of reach. This can prevent poisoning and keeps them from digging in the pots!
Keep power cords out of reach. This is a must if your new puppy is a chewer (and most are). You can also make sure they have plenty of chew toys so they can get this impulse out without causing damage.
Ditto ^^ for shoes, throw pillows, or anything else you really care about or can be dangerous!
Keep your nightstand clear. Puppy-proof your bedroom by making sure nightstands or tables they can access by jumping up on things are free from things they can break. Also make sure to keep medicines in the medicine cabinet, out of reach!
Keep the toilet lid down. Don’t let a bad habit start!
Got some additional tips to help puppy-proof homes? Share them with us!
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