Author: Teresa K. Traverse

Phoenix is a sprawling desert metropolis that is home to plenty of pet-friendly attractions. Jodie Snyder, author of “Happy Dog Phoenix,” knows this well. “For seven months of the year (October through April), we have very pleasant weather so you can walk, hike or run with your dog,” says Snyder. “You are never more than 30 minutes away from getting out into nature with your dog.” Consider taking your dog to South Mountain, the largest municipal park in the country, and hike up to Dobbins Outlook to get one of the best views of the whole city. If you’re looking for a place to stay, Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar is one of the most stylish and dog-friendly hotels around. Guests can enjoy plush pet beds, food, water bowls and mats. Then, grab a bite at Short Leash Hot Dogs, which has a dog-friendly patio where you can sample this spot’s signature gourmet hot dogs served on naan. The Phoenix area is also home to one of the most notable dog parks in the country. The 17-acre Gilbert’s Cosmo Dog Park features a lake, four fenced areas, pet drinking fountains, two dog washing stations, and a play area.,Known for its arid climate, breathtaking views and unique landscapes, the Southwest is a must-visit region of the country. It also happens to be incredibly dog friendly. From Phoenix to Lake Tahoe, here are the Southwest’s best places to visit with your pet:

This tip sounds fancy, but it’s not. You’re essentially finding ways to rewire your dog’s brain to associate something they were once afraid of with something the love. Let’s say your dog is afraid of skateboards. Try placing a skateboard on the floor with dog treats sprinkled on it. “The dog’s going to investigate and realize, ‘Oh, wait a minute, this could be a moving tray with treats.’ In effect, you’re trying to help change the dog’s opinion of this,” says Melese. Once the dog is comfortable with the stationary skateboard, try moving it one inch with the treats on top. Once the dog is no longer fearful of the skateboard moving slightly, start moving it more until mimics what they might find in real life: a moving skateboard with someone on it. This technique reprograms the dog’s response through a combination of managing the exposure (so that you don’t have the dog constantly reacting to that same thing) then reintroducing the stimulus (the thing that is scaring the dog) in a controlled manner and associating it with positive experiences, like food, says Melese. He adds that for this technique to be effective, the treat needs to be high value (consider small pieces of cheese or boiled hot dog).,Raising a dog who is shy or fearful can make it difficult to go to new places or experience new things together. But worry not. Building confidence in dogs takes some work, but it can make new experiences less daunting. So how do you build confidence in a dog? First, determine if they are shy or fearful by looking at your dog’s body language, says Dr. Patrick Melese, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at Veterinary Behavior Consultants in San Diego, California. “It’s most obvious when a dog is showing body signals of fear: tucked tail, ears back, avoidance, shaking, trying to hide, things that most people clearly would recognize as an avoidance and a fear behavior,” says Melese. Additional signs you should look out for include panting, lip licking, shaking off, dropping his tail and maybe even crouching. Fearful dogs may also check in often with their owners or, if they are extremely afraid, may become aggressive to make the source of their fear go away, says Dr. Liz Stelow, a behavior clinician at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis, California. From allowing your dog to observe other dogs, to putting your pooch in a new environment the right way, here are six ways to help boost your dog’s confidence:

You can find a variety of pet-friendly hotels in Sedona, from luxury resorts to more budget-friendly accommodations.,With breathtaking scenery and miles upon miles of nature to explore, Sedona, Arizona, makes for an ideal travel destination for the adventurer at heart. From Sedona’s impressive red rocks—sandstone formations that light up red and orange in the sunlight—to its happening arts scene and new age vibe, this free-spirited place is an ideal place to vacation with your dog.

As more pet owners jet off to new destinations with their dogs in tow, resorts have taken note and are upping the ante when it comes to pet-friendly amenities. From designer in-room beds to suites specifically tailored for pets, discover ten resorts across the country that provide pets and their owners with stellar dog-friendly amenities.

There is no evidence that garlic is effective in killing or controlling fleas, said Sarah Nold, DVM and senior appeals specialist at Seattle-based pet insurance company Trupanion. If you’re searching for a home remedy to get rid of fleas, Nold recommends sprinkling Borax laundry detergent on your carpet, pushing it down into the carpet with a broom, leaving it out overnight and vacuuming up the next day. This helps to dry out the flea eggs or larvae that might be in the carpet, helping to control fleas in the environment. If you use this method, keep children and pets out of the area until the Borax has been vacuumed up, she said. Vacuuming regularly and immediately emptying your vacuum outside is also helpful in controlling fleas in the environment. Additionally, garlic can be toxic to dogs if they ingest it, said Jennifer Quammen, DVM at Grants Lick Veterinary Hospital in Butler, KY.,Home or natural remedies can be a blessing. Your dog exhibits a certain symptom, you look it up, give him or her the treatment and voila! Your dog is feeling better. But you should exercise caution when administering certain natural remedies. Some can do more harm than good or are just flat out ineffective. Here some of the most common home remedies that you shouldn’t give your dog.

Americana Vineyards is located on 75-acres in the Finger Lakes wine country where leashed dogs are free to roam. “A lot of people travel with their furry family members, and we’ve always welcomed them” says Joseph Gober Jr., owner of the winery. Expect a pet-friendly lawn where you and your dog can watch concerts, a pond where your dog can swim and a dog-friendly winery and tasting room. Owners can nosh on food from the on-site café on the patio with their dogs by their sides. Americana also sometimes includes dogs on its Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. After your visit, check those social media feeds to see if your pooch appears. Americana Vineyards is open seven days a week and is closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving.,Wineries make for great day trips or places to relax if you’re on vacation. Fortunately, many winery owners love their pets just as much as you do and have created inclusive and welcome environments for dogs. Even better, a number of wineries across the country also have winery dogs on property so your dog will have a buddy while you taste test. From New York to California, check out these pet-friendly wineries: