2. Ask what training the pet sitter has received.
All sorts of pet lovers are good at taking care of pets, of course. Yet you probably want a pet sitter who has had more actual training than you have had. This may include a Veterinary Technician who is licensed to give shots, help with exams and assist in surgery would be quite a catch. In lieu of that, you’ll really want to make sure the sitter can spot health problems and react accordingly. Maybe, they even have a certificate in pet safety.

3. Ask about previous experience.
What did the sitter like and dislike about these experiences?

4. Ask what services the pet sitting company provides.
Depends on what you want. Do you want your pet to be groomed while you are gone? Do you think it’s important that he spend at lease an hour a day catching frisbees. Do you want a diary of your pet’s ever-changing moods? A pet sitter can do all these things. But you need to find out if your pet sitter will do them.

5. Speaking of contracts, does your pet sitter provide one?
A contract that lists services and fees is good for your peace of mind.

6. Can your pet sitting company provide references?
You really want a pet sitting company who can prove that their sitters have satisfied customers before they got to you.

7. Does your pet even like your pet sitter?
All the training in the world would not forestall a bad match here. You don’t want to set your pet up on a blind date.

8. Is your pet sitter’s company licensed, bonded and insured?
This would cover many dire contingencies.

9. How many other pets is your pet-sitter currently sitting for?
A full dance card, so to speak, means less special attention for your pet.

10. Is your pet sitter asking you as many questions as you are asking them?
If the pet sitter doesn’t seem especially curious about your pets, that’s a red flag!

First, I am not alone as a dog owner who does not want every rambunctious dog to tackle my pal when we’re entering the dog park. Yet, so many pet owners are not paying attention to their dogs but rather talking with other people in the park, on their cell phones or taking a nap on the bench!

Once inside the park, this is a time for owners to be on heightened awareness, watching their dogs interactions and controlling their misbehavior. Unfortunately, more times than not, dog owners with a dog who has over rambunctious, bordering aggressive behavior is either distracted or in denial that their dog is about to create a bad situation.

There seems to be more distracted people with poorly socialized dogs who lose control of (or make no effort to control) their pets. These people, who often have a cup of coffee in one hand and a cellphone in the other (and a leash in none), chase haplessly after their dogs who run to greet, tackle, or pick a fight with another dog. Occasionally, as the chase or attack occurs, the people yell their dog’s name and, in turn, the words “My dog is friendly!”  Ha!  Really people?

By this time, it’s usually too late. The next thing you know, people are scrambling to damage control and often times sadly, a dog gets seriously hurt. Sometimes, even people who try to stop the attacks.

Just this weekend, at one of the so called “friendly dog parks”, I witnessed an owner with a highly charged and aggressive dog, sitting and chatting with someone while his dog went after and attacked 3 different dogs. I watched him sit on the bench, laughing at this, like it was amusing instead of frightful.

One by one, pet owners leashed their dogs and left the park. As I did the same, I looked back to see the wrong person and dog still inside the dog park.

Come on pet owners, show a little respect and awareness. A dog park is a place to bring social dogs. Not aggressive dogs. Dog parks are a place where the dogs get to play and interact, not the owners. Owners, you’re there to make sure all dogs have a great experience playing, socializing and exercising. Do it for yourself on your own time!

Here are some common signals and their meaning:

Turning the head away: Peaceful intentions. Avoiding possible conflict. Prevents eye contact, which most dogs find threatening.

Lip licking: Peaceful intentions. Calms a social group, eases tension. But it also may precede a bite from a fearful dog.

Yawning: Stress reducer. Commonly observed at the veterinarian’s office or at the groomer.

Tail positions: Up means confidence. Down signals a relaxed or submissive state. Between legs means fear. Wagging with entire body signals joy. Wagging without the body indicates stress, interest or excitement.

Raised hackles: The dog feels threatened or is overstimulated.

Shivering: Fear, tension or overstimulated.

Paw lift: Forward weight distribution signals a friendly state or begging. Rear weight distribution could indicate fear or distrust.

Closed mouth: Precedes bite. Helps gain scent, conveys seriousness.
Open mouth: Relaxed.
Grimace: Tense jaw muscles with mouth pulled back at corners exposing canines or all teeth signals fear, excitement or aggression.
Whale eye (whites of eyes visible, dilated pupils): Conveys fear or aggression.

Presenting stomach: Laying squarely on back with paws over center of chest signals submission or trust. On side, lifting one hind leg indicates fear, apprehension or fearful submission.

Sneeze: During or after enjoyable activity signals happiness.

Bowing: Means the dog is playful.

Breathing: Through stomach signals a relaxed state. Through chest indicates excitment or stress.

Sniffing ground: This is a calming signal that shows peaceful intent, relief of stress or an attempt to gain a scent.

Freezing: Signals the dog is contemplating a fight or flight.

Drooling: During the presence of food means the dog is hungry. During stressful situations signals fear and, for dogs that suffer car-sickness, often precedes vomiting.

The size of your pet is important.   A 90 pound dog will need far more water during the day than a 20 pound one.  The food your pet is eating will affect the amount of water they need. Is the food wet or dry, what is the sodium content, are some ingredients going to make them more thirsty than others.  All good questions to ask yourself!

How about your pets age.  Younger dogs and cats need more water than senior dogs. More active breeds will drink more than lap dogs.   Climate plays an important role in how much a dog or cat needs hydrating.  The temperatures inside your home can also be an important factor.   Also, is your cat or dog on medications that make them loose more of their bodies water weight.

It’s so important for your pet to stay hydrated all day long. Like humans, they will easily dehydrate if left without water for too long.  Here’s some tips to remember.

If you’re crate training or leave your pet shut off from the rest of the house while at work or out for long periods, make sure to leave them with clean fresh water at all times.  Make sure the bowl is large enough to last throughout the day.  Or use an automatic water dispensing bowl.

Change the water bowl frequently and clean the bowls out daily.  Find out what material the pets bowl is made of to determine how clean it stays.  Our pets will stay healthier with clean fresh water in their bowls!

Remember when hiking with your dog to take along enough water for them to drink. A package of ice cubes work great to make sure the water is fresh throughout the day. You can even drop a few in their bowl during the day to keep the water full and clean.

I’ve owned pets all my life and now run a successful pet sitting company. I consider myself a loving, caring, responsible pet owner.  I believe in keeping pets safe, feeding them healthy food, making sure they’re physically healthy, exercised, socialized and loved.  But, apparently nowadays, it means something entirely different.  When was this new rule book written because I must have missed the issue!  And, who wrote it? Since when, in this politically correct world we live in, do we have to follow someone else’s rules because they think it’s the politically correct thing to do in order to be a responsible pet owner.

What happened to the days where you could walk your dog without a leash, go to a school yard and have the dogs play with the kids, go to a park and have the dogs running and playing alongside the people, letting them swim in the ocean and sun themselves on the sand.  What happened to having your neighbor call and say your dog was visiting them at their house and they just gave them a sandwich. What happened to letting your dog pee and poo on a walk and not panic because you forgot a bag for cleanup and it might cost you a hefty fine.

I was at a park with my dog a few weeks ago playing catch with a ball  when a police car came blazing across the park and stopped in front of me and my dog.  The two officers proceeded to tell me I was breaking a law!  Yes, breaking a law playing fetch with my dog in a park!  They then proceeded to tell me they were going to write a ticket and if I resisted giving them my name and information, they would tasser me and my dog with their tasser guns!  Yes, this is all true, as unbelievable as it may sound.  This can’t be what it means to be a responsible pet owner, because quite honestly, it scares me to death if that’s what it means.

What I love about dogs, is they have no agenda’s and they live by their instincts. They don’t stop and think, can I, should I, could I, dare I, what if I….. But people nowadays seem to think they should.

I’m really tired of people going out of their way to stop their car or come out of their home to take the time to lecture and scream about your dog walking on their grass, peeing in their yard, pooping and making sure you have a bag to clean it up.   Really? Really??  When did we make everyone a dog deputy!!

And, those signs people buy and stick in their lawns, warning you about the code violation your dog is committing if he poops on their grass. Really? Really???  I walk around stressed and full of panic if I forgot a bag.  Are they going to call the cops, have me arrested?  It’s become so coo coo crazy.  And, we just seem to let it continue.

I miss the good old days. I really do. When dogs could be dogs. People were kind and everyone lived in harmony, not fear because you forgot your poop bags on the morning walk or you took your dog off  leash to fetch a ball.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Lets give thanks for the pets and focus on the joy that they can bring if you let them!!  And, give serious thought to how far we’re letting this politically correct world take over what we already know.  How to be a responsible pet owner!

Seriously, if you don’t know how you want your dog to behave, how does your dog!

Pet owners are so afraid of how their dog will feel if they set limits and boundries.  They don’t want their dog to not like them, so they avoid any training and hope by some miracle the dog will just figure out on it’s own what to do.

Training is a great way to bond with your dog and see him in a compassionate light. You can watch your dog grow and learn and take pride in teaching him. And you’ll also be learning from your dog!  Communication is how we develop relationships with other people. It’s no different with our dogs — it’s just how we communicate.

Train your dog with positive reinforcement, which is a giving and taking of information — your dog sits when asked; you give feedback with a toy or treat, confirming that he did the desired thing — to make your journey easier and non confrontational.

Your dog shouldn’t make you feel bad about yourself, nor should it come with warning labels!  Training will build a bond with you and your dog, as well as allowing your dog to learn new skills and build confidence.

Training helps you redirect behavior you don’t like with new positive behaviors.  Take on one behavior at a time, so as not to confuse or stress your dog.  Be consistent and reinforce the new behavior over and over each day.  Offer praise and love when the dog gets it right.

Don’t be afraid to take time for training.  In the long run, it will strengthen your relationship with your dog and make your life so much easier.  Your dog will feel more comfortable with the boundaries and limits you’ve set and happy to see you pleased.

Signs of periodontal gum disease include the yellow and brown buildup of tarter around the gum line, inflammation and bad breath.  Your dogs and cats don’t have to be seniors for this to start happening. Infact, it can start as early as 3 years of age.

You’ve tried giving them bones to chew on, breath drops in their water, even tried brushing their teeth with pet toothbrushes! Ya, like your dog likes a big hard plastic toothbrush in it’s mouth! Not my dog. Ugh! Nothing is working, now what?

If your dog doesn’t like plastic pet toothbrushes and if “finger brushes” make them gag, you might have more luck using a simple, thin cotton glove. Place toothpaste on your gloved index finger and gently massage your pet’s teeth and gums. Most dogs find this sensation pleasurable and relaxing.

The glove is analogous to your finger, which your dog presumably trusts, and not hard, inflexible, or rubbery. Wash your hand in the glove and hang the glove to dry for next time. (So simple!)

Eighty percent of humans brush their teeth at least twice a day, but very few pet owners brush their pet’s teeth at all. Yes, guilty as charged! But, with this glove idea, it’s made it easy and a positive experience for both myself and my dog.

Now, I’m working up the courage to try it on my cat!  Meowrrrrrrr!!!!

Dogs age much more rapidly in the first two years of their lives but then it slows down to a 5 to 1, 6 to 1 or a 7 to 1 ratio, depending on the size of your dog.

Small little Chihuahua’s will be in the 5 to 1 ratio after the first two years while Labs and Chow’s may be a 6 to 1 ratio. If you have a St Bernard lounging around the house, then bump that up to an 8 to 1 ratio.  Yes, 8!

So, just how old is your dog?   Here’s some other signs that may help you figure it out.

Your dogs teeth will be a good give away for signs of aging. Dogs usually have a set of permanent teeth by their seventh month, so if you’ve come across a dog with clean pearly whites, he is likely a year old or thereabouts. Yellowing on a dog’s back teeth may put the dog between one to three years of age, while tartar build-up at a minimal level could mean you have a dog between 4 and 6. Missing teeth or severe wear usually means the dog is settling into senior aging.

Your dogs muscle tone is another clue. Younger dogs are more likely to have some muscle definition from their higher activity level. Older dogs are usually either a tad bonier or a little fatter from decreased activity.

Does your dog have a shiny coat of fur? A younger dog usually has a soft, fine coat, whereas an older dog tends to have thicker, coarser (and sometimes oilier) fur. A senior dog may display grays or patches of white, particularly around the snout.

Look into your dogs eyes. Bright, clear eyes without tearing or discharge are common in younger dogs. Cloudy or opaque eyes may can mean your dog is starting to age.

One of the best ways to prolong the life and improve the functions of your dog as it ages is to carefully regulate its fuel intake. Older dogs exercise less and thus need fewer calories. No matter what your dogs age, a healthy dog is a happy dog and needs lots of love from it’s owner at any age!

Many dogs take guarding their home and owners very seriously! Territoriality is an extension of resource guarding, when the entire home and property become a valuable resource which the dog wants to guard from intruders at any cost. Resource guarding is natural behavior. Dogs that resource guard will view approach by other dogs or humans as a threat to what they perceive to be valuable. This may be it’s home property, the owner, a meal or a toy, or a preferred sleeping space.

Other dogs can trigger aggression in your dog for a variety of causes. Inter-sex aggression is aggression toward dogs of the same sex. This tends to be most common in dogs that are sexually intact and are generally resource guarding for reproductive advantage.

Type-specific aggression can occur when a dog has a socialization deficit with dogs of a particular body type (large, black dogs for instance) or a history of negative experiences with a dog of particular body type. Or, behavior-specific aggression. Dogs, like people, cannot be expected to indefinitely tolerate even the rudest behavior of other dogs. Many dogs will not hesitate to use their voices, body or teeth to tell a rude dog to “back off!”

Movement can trigger aggression in dogs. Because dogs are predators, they are hard-wired to chase after and bite at things that move quickly and unpredictably. Animals which move quickly (squirrels, birds, cats, etc.) are frequent triggers. Human triggers for motion reactivity include biking, jogging, skateboarding, or moving automobiles.

Frustration is another common cause of dog aggression. Frustration creates stress, which contributes to aggression. Frustration aggression often shows in relation to barriers including leashes or fences. The dog may want to check out a person or dog on the other side of the fence but becomes frustrated because he cannot. He may redirect his aggression toward a familiar human or animal as a result. If barking always worked to get attention but suddenly the owner begins ignoring the barking, the dog may experiment to find out if nipping is a more effective way of getting attention.

Dogs can be aggressive to specific groups of people with certain common characteristics such as men with beards, small children, people in walkers or wheelchairs, individuals with altered mobility, even individuals wearing a certain cologne or perfume.

The predictors of dog aggression vary widely. The most important thing to remember is a dog’s response to a stimulus will be effected positively (create a positive, happy response) by the number of positive experiences the dog has in the presence of that trigger, particularly during critical periods of development such as when they’re a new puppy!

Aggressive behavior is always a good opportunity for teaching a dog new tricks!  Positive ones!

Cat Food.  It can be more eco-friendly by favoring certain cat food flavors over others. According to John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution, it takes significantly more resources in terms of land and water to produce one pound of beef as compared to a pound of chicken. So, when you’re at the store staring at the shelf and trying to decide which of the 15 flavors to pick, consider the ones that are lower down in the food chain. Choose chicken over beef. Look for seafood that is sustainably harvested such as sardines or mackerel instead of tuna.  Go organic with your cat food. Certified organic foods are produced without synthetic pesticides or genetically modified ingredients and the organic farming process helps to preserve the integrity of the land and water.

Cat Litter. Forget those disposable plastic liners. You can keep your cat’s box fresh with daily scooping and washing it regularly with a mild soap and some water. When you do need to replace the litter box, look for one made from recycled plastic. Go with litter made from recycled paper products, corn or wheat.

Cat Toys. They can be eco friendly too. To reduce waste, choose quality over quantity and choose toys that you’re sure Kitty will enjoy. Cats are notoriously finicky, so if you buy something that you’re not sure your cat will like, chances are they wont. Get creative and look around the house for articles you already have. A pen top or bottle top can keep a cat intrigued for hours. Try hair rubber bands and cut up toilet paper rolls.  A roll of string or yarn or an old cardboard box and cover can become your cats next favorite toy.

Share the Green. Once your cat has settled into her new earth-friendly routine, share your green knowledge and experience with fellow cat lovers. Greening the entire planet can start with just one cat and owner, so take the first step today toward reducing your cat’s carbon pawprint today!