Author: PetGd

Image via Belish/Shutterstock By Victoria Schade It takes more than a patch and vest to make a service dog. Although it’s easy to assume that service dogs, emotional support animals and therapy dogs all provide the same type of aid for their caretakers, their training, responsibilities and access to public spaces differ greatly. The confusion over what working assistance dogs do versus what “support pets” provide can have far-reaching consequences for the people who rely on the tasks their service dogs perform every day. Here’s a breakdown of what each of these categories mean. What Is a Service Dog? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” Veronica Sanchez, a certified professional dog trainer and the owner of Cooperative Paws, an organization that offers service dog training for professional trainers, says, “In the service dog world, we refer to this as ‘task training.’” These tasks are essential functions that handlers are unable to perform on their own because of their impairment. Service dog responsibilities depend on the needs of the handler. Certified professional trainer Michaela Greif from Paws & Affection, a nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for children with a range of disabilities, says that some of the of skills include retrieving dropped items, pulling doors open, turning lights on, pushing drawers and cabinets closed, bracing to provide balance for an owner, interrupting panic attacks or alerting an owner to a change in insulin levels. But the breadth of a service dog’s abilities goes well beyond the day-to-day support they provide their handlers. “The harder work is in creating a dog that can flourish under all types of circumstances, because a service dog needs to be quiet, attentive to the handler, accepting of a multitude of environments and unfazed by every imaginable situation,” Greif says. Training Service Dogs Training a service dog takes commitment. For example, Paws & Affection dogs go through over two years of training, starting at just eight weeks of age. The training starts off with basic pet dog manners, and builds to include thorough socialization, impulse control and the specialized skills needed to support their handler. The formal training process culminates with the Canine Good Citizen Test and Public Access test, which Greif says evaluates the ability of the dog to be an appropriate, unobtrusive helpmate in public. Then, dog and handler are matched and train together to become a working team. The scope of work that goes into preparing a service dog for the responsibility of assisting their handler and acting appropriately in public goes well beyond what typically happens in pet dog training. People with disabilities have the legal right to take their service dog to any place where the general public is allowed, from movie theaters to hospitals, even if pets are not usually permitted there.  How Should You React to Service Dogs in Public? Although it’s tempting to reach out to pet a service dog, it’s critical to resist the urge. Remember, service dogs in public are on the job. Greif cautions, “It is wonderful that so many people are enthusiastic about seeing such dogs in public, and it is most appropriate to direct your interest toward the human on the other end of the leash, rather than assuming it is okay to pet or speak to a service dog.”

Always Supervise Your Dog Around Water The most important thing to remember when letting your pup play in the water with you is to always keep an eye on them. There are several things to look out for before, during, and after your dog is in the pool: Watch out for dogs drinking pool water. Every dog (and human) who gets in the pool will inhale some pool water, but watch out for excessive drinking. Pools treated with chlorine can be harmful to ingest if your dog drinks too much. The same goes for salt water pools; too much salt is never good for a pup. And if your pup is hot and exhausted from being outdoors and swimming, they’re going to want to drink it to quench their thirst. Fortunately, the amount of chlorine in the pool water is very diluted. Symptoms are mild and include mild gastrointestinal issues, but it’s still a good idea to stop your dog from drinking too much of it. Drinking too much salt water however can have more serious consequences especially if the dog is dehydrated. Never leave your dog unattended near a swimming pool. Keep fresh water and a portable dog bowl nearby so your pup has access to clean drinking water at all times. Watch to see if your dog gets tired. Dogs who are enjoying themselves in the pool may not notice they’re getting tired. If you notice the rear part of their body sinking a bit, that’s a good sign that they’re becoming fatigued and could use a break. This is when a life vest or flotation device can save them from slipping beneath the water’s surface, but if you don’t have one for your dog, ensure that they have a safe and easy way to get out of the pool. Pool ramps, steps, and ladders for dogs will give your pup a safe spot to exit and take a breather before jumping in again. Providing a reliable access point for them will also help during training and if your dog gets nervous in the water.,Summer is here, and it’s only natural to want to be outside. A big part of summer is swimming in the pool, but can your canine family members take part in the fun too? The short answer: Yes! But read on for a few things to keep in mind when it comes to dogs and pool safety. As with humans, pool safety is key to keeping the good times going. When it comes to dogs and pools, many of them love the water and will take to it naturally, while others will benefit from a little swim training.  Whether or not your dog is a born swimmer, it’s important to make your pool accessible for them when you are around, giving them easy ways in and out of the water, that will also keep your pool from being damaged.

Image via iStock.com/Kkolosov By Deidre Grieves When it comes to understanding how a dog ages, you may have heard that one dog year is equivalent to seven human years. But according to Dr. Lisa Lippman, a veterinarian based in New York City, that isn’t an exact calculation for determining dog age. “The ‘seven-year rule’ is a simplified explanation of canine-human aging,” she says. According to Dr. Lippman, a medium-size dog that’s well cared for will live roughly 1/7th as long as their owner, but different breeds of dogs age differently. This guide will explain how a dog ages and how to best care for your dog at every life stage. Dogs Age Based on Size and Breed Dr. Lippman explains that the dog-years-to-human-years equation is actually more about weight than it is about age. “A 5-year-old dog that weighs 20 pounds or less is about 33 ‘human-years-old,’ where a dog that weighs over 90 pounds is closer to 41 years old in human years,” she says. The dog age ranges associated with different life stages—puppy, adult and senior—vary depending on the size and breed of your pup. Most dogs, says Dr. Lippman, are considered puppies until they reach approximately 1 year old. But defining the transition between adult dogs and senior dogs is a little more complicated. “Large dogs tend to age more quickly than their smaller counterparts,” she says. “Very large dogs may be considered seniors at 5 or 6 years of age, whereas small dogs aren’t seniors until 10 or 12 years old.” Because of how dogs age, small dogs and large dogs also have different life spans. Smaller dogs like Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Dachshunds and Pomeranians tend to live longer than larger dogs such as Saint Bernards, Great Danes, Newfoundlands and Irish Wolfhounds. “While we still aren’t sure exactly what accounts for this difference in maturation and aging, smaller dogs definitely live longer, on average, than very large ones,” says Dr. Lippman. “This is especially apparent when you compare very small dogs, such as a Yorkshire Terrier—which can live well into their teens—with very large dogs like Great Danes—who live to be about 10.”

If you live in an area where there is plenty of snow and space to run — and hopefully someplace to go — and you have at least two big, energetic dogs and a sled, there is an outdoor activity made just for you: mushing!  We’re not talking “mush” like the stuff you eat for breakfast. This “mush” is based on the French word for marche. Or to put it simply, “Go!” Mushing can be for practical purposes, like getting from here to there (and back again), in which case you need only a team of dogs big enough to haul the loads they are pulling. If you are interested in mushing for sport, well, that’s a whole ‘nother ballgame, and you’re going to need a bigger team for that. And then you have the choice between going pro and joining a competitive racing association, or just staying casual and racing around with your dogs alone, or against your friends and neighbors. Either way, it’s a great way to stay healthy and have fun all winter long. If you live in a location that is not snowy all year long, you can even continue to mush in the warm season with a rig. In fact, mushing is not confined to sledding; it can also include skijoring, weight pulling, sled racing, and almost anything that involves harnessing a dog to a vehicle for the purpose of pulling it. Meet the Dog Sled Team Dog sledding requires a sled, a team of dogs, and a musher — the person driving the sled. Almost any breed of dog can be used on a sled team, so long as it is a medium to large sized dog (between 45-90 pounds is best). The most common breeds are the Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Canadian Eskimo and Samoyed, but other breeds and mixed breeds are also used. Pulling breeds like American Bulldogs, mastiffs, American bull terriers and Staffordshire terriers can also benefit from this sport. In cold environments, it does help tremendously if the dogs are heavy coated, but the main components for a successful mushing dog is speed, strength and stamina to spare. The dogs are set up in groups of two, running side by side — think of how Santa’s reindeer sled team is organized. The team is positioned based on the dogs’ abilities to perform certain roles. The Lead dogs set the pace and steer the rest of the team. They are usually chosen based on their intelligence, since they have to be smart and able to find trails even under tough conditions. The Swing dogs follow the lead dogs and help guide the dogs behind them through the tough turns.  The Team dogs are usually found on larger teams. They provide the main power in the team and are positioned based on their strength. The Wheel dogs are the dogs closest to the sled. They are positioned based on their ability to stay calm under pressure, especially with a moving vehicle right behind them. And because they are directly hitched to the sled, they have to be the strongest; making turns and maneuvers smoothly enough that the sled will not be overturned and pulling the sled out of ruts.  Finally, the Musher rides right behind the sled, giving commands and steering the sled team. The Musher often will participate by running along with the dogs to help speed the team along.

It’s never too early to start planning for a getaway, and what better way to get away from it all than to hit the nature trails with your favorite companion? We found some of the best national parks in the U.S. where dogs are welcome, so get your backpack and your hiking shoes ready for some adventure! Before you go, don’t forget to make sure your dog is current on vaccinations and is protected from ticks. 

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