NATIONAL DOG DAY IS Sunday, AUGUST 26
Timely Tips to Help Our Furry Friends
Take Back-to-School Stress in Stride
Heading back to the classroom can be a frantic, frazzling experience for kids, parents and pets alike. With all the scheduling dilemmas the new school year brings – band practice, soccer practice, carpools and the like – the quality time we used to spend with our four-legged friends during the summer months is suddenly in short supply. So it’s no wonder if even the most well-behaved pets aren’t at their angelic best during these especially stressful days.
Here are a few suggestions from one of the world’s leading providers of training and mental exercise products to make the back-to-school transition period less trying.
- A week or so before the kids return to school, start getting your pets used to their absence. Take a few trial runs by leaving them early in the morning for about an hour. Line up the lunchboxes on the kitchen counter so that your dog or cat starts to see this as part of your morning routine.
- Consider crating your dog during the day. To many pet parents, the prospect of having their four-legged companions stay in a crate may seem like locking them away in prison. But crating a pet makes a lot more sense when you think of it as a protective crib or playpen. The sense of security a crate provides can be comforting to many dogs. Just be sure to leave them with fresh water, food or treats, a snugly blanket and some favorite toys to keep them occupied until you or the kids get home.
- Quickly establish a new daily routine. Dogs and cats are creatures of habit and feel anxious when there are major disruptions in their life. While you’re scheduling carpools and after-school activities, you should also schedule regular times for your dog’s feedings, walks, play dates and together time.
- Leave them playthings that keep their minds actively engaged. One excellent way to keep housebound pets from getting bored is to give them a fun homework assignment, such as the Dog Miracle Puzzle™ from Nina Ottosson. This durable, cleverly constructed puzzle lets dogs seek out concealed treats by trying to move, lift or push aside durable, stackable bricks with their paw or nose. By changing the placement of the puzzle bricks and where the treats are concealed, pet parents can decide how difficult the game is going to be. The number of ways the bricks and hidden treats can be rearranged is virtually endless!
- Use a pet-friendly training device to gently correct unwanted behaviors. One example is the Pet Corrector™ from The Company of Animals. This convenient can of harmless compressed air simplifies training by mimicking the “hissing” sound animals make in the wild. Dogs and cats have an instinctive aversion to this sound. For dogs who tend to pull or tug at the leash while walking and could use some gentle correction, there’s the Halti® Headcollar. And for those more impulsive types who need to be more firmly yet humanely restrained, the Baskerville Ultra Muzzle is a great solution.
Hopefully, these tips will help prevent those back-to-school days from stressing out your precious pets – and you. The Company of Animals is widely regarded as one of the world’s most respected providers of pet training and mental exercise products. For complete details, please visit www.companyofanimals.us.
Ways to Celebrate National Dog Day
Grab a leash or a dish and join the celebration.
- Have a back yard barbecue, inviting your friends to bring their dogs — fencing in all four-legged friends, for their own protection.
- Take your canine companion for a walk in the neighborhood or to the park or beach.
- Take a ride in the country. Go to a pet friendly winery.
- Take your dog for a doggie vacation/holiday weekend even if you just camp out in the back yard.
- Spread holiday cheer to local dog shelters year-round. Donate your resources to a dog rescue center. Volunteer and share your love for dogs with those less fortunate than your own family pet.
- Have a friend who loves dogs but for whatever reason cannot have one right now? Share your dog for a day! Your friend and your dog will enjoy a dog day of summer as you all walk and talk together.
- Share your love of pit bulls with others.
- Top the day off with the gift of a new dog dish for your furry friend (treats included, of course).
About National Dog Day
Founded in 2004 by pet lifestyle expert and author Colleen Paige, National Dog Day was created to honor dogs more than we currently do, to give them a day to show deep appreciation for our long connection to each other – for their endearing patience, unquestioning loyalty, for their work, their capacity for love and their ability to impact our lives everyday in the most miraculous ways. National Dog Day wishes to encourage dog ownership of all breeds, mixed and pure – and embraces the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy and safe life. To learn more, visit www.nationaldogday.com.
About The Company of Animals
Founded by highly acclaimed UK pet behaviorist Dr. Roger Mugford, The Company of Animals is the UK’s provider of training products designed to achieve a positive relationship between pets and their parents. The Company of Animals designs and manufactures a wide range of acclaimed products. For more information, please visit www.companyofanimals.us or http://www.facebook.com/TheCompanyOfAnimalsUS.
