Desperately Seeking Cool

It was a sweltering 80 degrees during our morning walk. We did some agility practice in the park and by the time we were done it was hoovering around 91 degrees. Marley and I do not enjoy the heat. We rushed home around 11 a.m. and started drinking cold water while contemplating the long day ahead.

We've decided to spend the day indoors with some trick training in the afternoon and an evening trip to the park. I've tried taking Marley to the park in the late afternoon and she will walk from shade to shade where she proceeds to stretch out and give me the "crazy human" look.

During the hot weather we follow some of the advice provided by the ASPCA.

• The majority of our outdoor activities occur in the early morning or late afternoon.
• Marley no longer accompanies me on errands around town.
• I make sure our walks are on natural surfaces, such as grass, gravel or dirt. I believe asphalt and concrete retain heat for a long time and is therefore not safe for Marley's paws.
• I'm also spending some time preparing her for any Fourth of July noise we may encounter.

Finally, I'm compiling a list of any friends and acuqintances with a dog friendly pool. I'll bring chocolate cake if we can go swimming.

Road Trip

I'm planning Marley's second road trip. I love road trips and I'm so happy Marley does so well in the car. I've started by mapping our route and checking our destination for pet friendly sites.

I want to know how can the stuff of a 12 lb dog can take up so much room? Marley's stuff includes:

• Crate - to keep her safe in an unfamiliar location
• Blankets - got to be comfy
• Towel - in case she gets muddy, heaven forbid she actually swims
• Vaccine certificate - My vet provides me one at our annual visit and I scan it into my computer for safe keeping (paper vanishes and multiplies at my house).
  
• Food and water - always safe to use what is familiar
• Bowls - for food and water
  
• Toys - a variety to keep it fun, must not forget our soccer ball or bubbles
• Pet friendly snacks - Carrots and apples
• Extra Leash - just to be safe
• Regular gear - such as poop bags and long leash
  

Umm...12 lb dog requires 30 lbs of equipment how is this possible?

After visiting multiple sites looking for pet friendly destinations and mapping my route I discovered the best site ever! Go Pet Friendly is simply so wonderful, in addition to having great tips, they have a brand new Road Trip Planner! They are currently working on it and I encountered a slight snag. I emailed them with the problem and they responded within minutes. I am amazed with their friendly, professional customer service and I look forward to using them for my next road trip.

Agility is working in the real world

Who knew I would be able to use our agility training in the "real world?"

I usually have to be careful on our walks because Marley wants to go around trees and get us all tangled up. I have been using "ThisWay" and she will stop and walk towards me and around the tree. This is great and prevents us from running around trees all morning.

However this doesn't seem to work around poles especially if Marley's already around the pole. She gets confused if she can see me and the leash is pulling away from me. Usually, I have to stop her and walk around the pole.

Today I had the brilliant idea (ok, in reality I was tired and didn't want to walk around the pole), I sighed and said "Marley Go" while I pushed my palm out and pulled slightly on the leash. She looked slightly confused but walked away from me around the pole. I was so surprised it worked, I started to praise her lavishly and she grinned.

Who new this stuff would come in handy? I sense a whole new world is opening up for us on our walks.

Pet First Aid Class

I just completed the pet first aid class at UC Davis. I learned a lot and I feel confident about taking action should anything happen to Marley.

We learned

• how to approach an injured animal and how to check its breathing and pulse
  
• how to administer CPR and we were able to practice on a first aid dog doll
  
• discussed muzzles and why its important for your dog to be comfortable wearing one*
• practiced bandaging an injury on a leg and on an ear
• the first steps to take when you think your dog has been poisoned
  
• discussed disaster preparedness

As a first time dog owner, I learned a lot and I highly recommend this class.

There is still time to sign up for the next classes which are offered on May 16, June 20 and July 18th.

*Tip: All pets have the potential to bite when in pain or injured and it is best to place a muzzle on an injured pet. It was recommend we practice placing a muzzle on our pets that way when they are injured it does not become another stressor. She recommended starting slow and have play time immediately afterward.

Pet First Aid

I was pleasantly surprised at the number of places that offer pet first aid in my neighborhood.

PetTech is offering classes at the UC Davis School of Veteranary Medicine In April and May.


If you are in a different part of the country or if you are interested in becoming a pet first aid instructor, you can contact Pet Tech (not the same site as listed above)

I'm very excited about this class and I hope to be pet prepared for any emergency that may arise.

Tip from my Vet

As I'm watching the news about Gustav, I remember a tip my Vet provided. She suggested I always have 3 phone numbers connected to Marley's microchip.

1. My phone number
2. The Vet's office
3. An out of state contact

What...an out of state contact, why? She mentioned it was a tough lesson learned from Hurricane Katrina. Many people list family members and the Vet, however during an emergency everybody is on the move and may miss the phone call. Who is notified? Usually a natural disaster will affect a geographic region and if you have an out of state contact it is likely they may not be affected. I would advice listing the person who is likely to provide you shelter during an emergency.

While I have no intention of ever leaving Marley behind, I just do not know what may happen and knowing we may be reunited provides me with peace of mind.