POOCH We Care NEWS Edition 19 / 2018 1.866.933.5111 www.ThePoochMobile.com Keep Your Happy And Safe This Summer In the warmer summer months, there are precautions we need to take to help keep our healthy and safe. Regular grooming can prevent summer skin problems, such as flea infestation, especially for dogs with heavy coats. Fleas thrive in moist, humid climates and live off the blood from their hosts. This can cause itching from the bite itself or simply from the fleas crawling around under your dog’s coat, yuck! Dry climates can also cause uncomfortable dry itchy skin. The Pooch Mobile uses a unique, organic cleansing shampoo together with Lavender Aromacare rinse to help cleanse and moisturize the skin and coat. Having your dog washed regularly on a 2-4 week year round schedule will help keep your dog’s skin and coat in top condition, all summer long. Your dog will not only look beautiful, his coat will be clean, soft and smell amazing. This also helps reduce shedding. Outdoors — Always provide your dog access to shelter from the harsh sun and heat. Trees with large canopies can be planted. You can construct a shelter using timbers, insulation and shade material. Wind flow is also important for keeping animals cool; consider this when deciding the location of the shelter. Happy Pooch Mobile Customers Make sure your dog has fresh, cool, clean water available. Dogs drink more on hot days and water warms up quickly. A good idea is to provide two sources of fresh water. Water bowls should be large enough and designed so they cannot be overturned. Be sure to check water bowls morning and night to ensure there is adequate water. Scrub all bowls weekly to prevent and eliminate slime and bacteria. Summer exercise — Dogs need exercise even when it is hot, but extra care needs to be taken with older dogs, short-nosed dogs, and those with thick coats. The best time for walks and playtime is in the cool of the early morning or evening. When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog stand on hot asphalt or concrete as his body can heat up quickly and sensitive paw pads can burn. Look for alternative surfaces such as cool grass. Remember — if the surface is too hot for you to stand on, it’s too hot for your dog. Sunburn — Dogs can get sunburned too, and may require sunscreen on their nose and ear tips. Dogs with light-colored noses, or light-colored fur on their ears are particularly vulnerable to sunburn and skin cancer. Heat stroke is a very serious life-threatening disease that can affect dogs quite rapidly. Dark colored dogs are particularly prone to heat stroke due to the fact that their dark coat absorbs heat. Other medical factors that predispose your dog to heat stroke are: obesity, laryngeal paralysis, and heart disease. Some common early signs of heat stroke include panting, excessive salivation, hyper-excitement and increased rectal temperature. Heat stroke can affect every organ in the body; if you suspect that this is taking place, seek immediate veterinary attention for your . Things Our Dogs Need From Us The Most! 2 THUNDER STORMS The 10 Best Breeds 2 If your dogs are afraid of thunder, place them in a safe environment where they Adopt - Don’t Shop 2 cannot escape. If they find a place where they feel safe (like under a bed) leave them Why Do Get Hiccups? 2 there; don’t try to pull them out. Putting a blanket, coat or towel over your dog can How To Raise A Friendly Dog 3 have a calming effect. Have You Heard Of Pica? 3 Masking the sound of the thunder with an air conditioner, vacuum cleaner, or Hot Cars 3 television might help your dog relax. Music can help calm your dog – classical is best. Pooch Popsicle 3 See your vet for medication that may be suitable to calm dogs if they are How Do Dogs Communicate? 4 particularly fearful. Snake Awareness 4 Do You Love Dogs? 4 1-866-933-5111 www.facebook.com/thepoochmobiledogwashusa www.ThePoochMobile.com Things our dogs need from us the most!

Our dogs are our family, and we always Exercise: While lots of dogs love lounging, want to make sure that they have they also need their fair share of exercise. everything they need. Fundamental Mental stimulation: A destructive dog is often things like food, water and shelter are a bored dog. Make sure to keep that doggy a given, but what else is necessary to mind busy with puzzles, toys, training and make our dogs’ lives the best they can playing games. be? Grooming: This includes: nail clipping, Undivided attention (at least some brushing, dental care and regular baths every of the time): It’s important to dedicate 2 – 4 weeks. some time every day where our dogs have our undivided attention. Quality food and water: The wrong food can Boundaries: We love to spoil our dogs, but they still need some cause all sorts of troubles for your pooch. Do boundaries and consistent rules put in place. It helps to build a plenty of research. Ask your vet what’s best to positive relationship and helps to avoid problem behaviors. feed your dog and make sure he always has access to clean water. ADOPT — DON’T SHOP

If you are looking at buying a friendly, loving addition to your family why not head over to your local shelter? The main reasons dogs are surrendered are for a change in family situation, not because they have any issues. In fact, many shelter dogs have already had some basic training. Just a few benefits of rescuing a dog are listed below. You will be saving two lives — The life of the dog you adopt and the space that opens up for another dog. Most dogs would have completed a veterinarian valuation and examination. Most of the time they will be able to tell you all about the dog’s behavior and personality. Many adult dogs are already potty trained. Most rescue groups will take the dog back if it’s not a good fit for you. Mixed breed dogs tend to have less inherited genetic problems. The cost of adopting from a shelter is much lower than from a breeder. The love and gratitude you will receive from a shelter dog is unlike any other.

THE 10 BEST GUARD DOG BREEDS This list mentions the 10 breeds that take Why do guarding your home seriously 1. Giant puppies get 2. Akita 3. German Shepherd hiccups? 4. Chow Chow Hiccups occur when 5. Kuvasz your pup’s diaphragm 6. Chinese Shar-Pei’ becomes irritated, 7. Doberman possibly from eating or 8. Komondor drinking too fast. Nervousness or excitement can 9. Belgian Malinois also cause hiccups in a . Don’t be alarmed by your dog’s hiccups. Puppies tend to gulp a lot of air 10. Rottweiler *by Kristina Lotz when they eat or drink. 1-866-933-5111 2 www.facebook.com/thepoochmobiledogwashusa www.ThePoochMobile.com HOW TO RAISE A FRIENDLY DOG

Ever since early history dogs have developed a special bond with humans. As pack animals, dogs have a need for companionship, love, security and friendship. As humans, we share many of these same needs. Over the years this had led to dogs being right by our side as man’s best friend. All dogs are loyal and friendly when they are treated right and trained correctly. For all training, the key is having the right timing to reward your pooch. It’s best to use a short sharp word like ‘yes’ when he has done the right thing. And remember the key to having a well-behaved pooch is to reward, not punishment. Here are few tips to help you raise the friendliest pooch you can.

Schedule playdates Puppy play sessions are always beneficial to ensure a friendly, well-rounded pet. During play, dogs determine their role in the social hierarchy and learn how to properly approach and interact with their own species. New dogs and puppies should have practice interactions with other dogs inside the home, outside while on a leash, and in an off-leash fenced setting.

Provide in-home and in-public socialization sessions Just as important as learning to act appropriately around other dogs, new pups must also learn how to behave around humans. Socialization with people is important to ensure that your dog does not suffer undue stress and anxiety at the vet, groomer or boarding kennel. It also reduces the risk of liability from a fear-induced . Encourage frequent visitors to your home as training exercises and provide lots of fun public visits to pet-friendly establishments so your pup can learn that strangers are not always threatening.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF PICA? Pica is the technical term for a disorder where your dog ingests items that are not food. Usually, Pica is simply a sign of boredom, especially in younger dogs and puppies. Items being ingested may include rocks, dirt, paper etc. If your pooch starts vomiting, has diarrhea or constipation, or a painful abdomen after eating a foreign object, you should take them to a vet to get assessed.

HOT CARS The Pooch Mobile Emergency Never ever leave your dog alone in Contact & Hot Safety Card POOCH POPSICLE a car or any vehicle, as it could be Why not give your pooch fatal. Dogs can’t sweat the same way as humans and even with the a summer treat? windows open, a parked car can Simply make ice cubes out of chicken/beef stock quickly become a furnace; and and place them in your dog’s water to add parking in the shade offers little flavor and to cool the water. protection. You can also make large popsicles by using Always carry cold, fresh water when a plastic tub, fill with water, add chicken or traveling with your dog as they will beef stock and a few of his favorite cookies, and get thirsty just as easily as you when freeze. Then simply pop it out of the tub it’s hot. Ask your Pooch Mobile Ask your local and your dog can enjoy licking away operator for a Safety Card. Pooch Mobile today! at his frozen treat for hours.

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Have you ever wished Ears: If a dog’s ears are your dog could talk to raised, they are relaxed or you? Well, they do. Just listening. If they are back, not with words. Research they might be signaling shows that dogs submission. have their own way of Dogs are social animals, communicating with their and there is a universal owners, as well as with language they share other dogs. when communicating with We send our dogs to other dogs. obedience school to teach them how Play bow: This means let’s play. to understand what we want from However, it can also be a sign of them. But they also need to tell us what apology; it’s a dog’s way of saying, they need from us, and they do so “Oops. I didn’t mean to play so rough. every day. We simply have to open our Let’s keep playing!” eyes, ears, and hearts to understand what they are trying to say. Paw slap: This is like a human coming up and slapping you on the back. This Any dog owner will tell you that their gesture puts the dog at an awkward furry family member speaks volumes com angle, so it’s also a sign that the dog with their bodies. Here are a few typical trusts the dog it is playing with. signals dog’s use: Rearing hind legs: When dogs rear Face: Dogs will wrinkle or straighten up on their hind legs, it’s a sign of their foreheads to show confusion or affection. It often looks like dancing determination. when dogs do this together when Eyes: A dog’s eyes brighten when they’re playing. they look at a creature they consider Play biting: Again, it’s a sign of play. friendly. When they are afraid, their Dogs are careful to avoid sensitive pupils dilate and they show the whites areas of the other animal. of their eyes. : Just like their human owners, Lips, teeth, and tongue: If your dog is dogs like to talk. However, unlike body happy or wants to play, they may pull signals, barking can represent different their lips back and show their teeth things to different dogs. in what appears to be a smile. This is a gesture that is reserved only for human/dog communication; a dog will not do this with other dogs.

Some of the common Snake Awareness symptoms of a snake bite Armed with curiosity and natural hunting instincts it is not uncommon for our favorite Weakness or lethargy four-legged friends to cross paths with a Shaking or twitching snake. At this time of year, even city dogs and cats can have these encounters in local Dilated pupils or difficulty parks, particularly those near bodies of water blinking www.ThePoochMobile.com such as lakes and beaches. Vomiting Your Local Pooch Mobile Operator Precautions Loss of bladder or bowel control Use a leash—When exercising them in bushland or near beach dunes. Loss of function of body movements Keep your backyard clean—clear any long grass, and remove any piles of trash. Rapid and shallow breathing Be aware—when out and about be aware that there may be snakes in the area. Excessive drooling Paralysis, collapse, coma

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