A Very Merry Christmas With You And Your Dogs!
We have had a very strange past two years and we know how much you want to make this christmas special for you and your loved ones. - let's check what your dog should stay away from to ensure they stay healthy.
Â
Staying Healthy
Make sure to keep these foods out of reach of your dogs as they can cause illness, if not death!
CHOCOLATE - causes kidney failure in dogs. If you want to share some chocolate with your dog, you can find dog friendly versions in many pet stores.
ONIONS AND GARLIC - can cause red blood cell damage and will cause an upset tummy.
MACADAMIA NUTS - they have a nasty affect on the dogs nervous system.
COOKED BONES - be careful as they can splinter and cause cut gums and internal bleeding.
RAISINS AND GRAPES - they are calamitous to the kidneys.
ALCOHOL - will cause sickness and diarrhoea and can cause nerve damage.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER - check your foods such as peanut butter for xylitol. This ingredient causes liver failure.
Other things you should keep your dog away from are decorations such as tinsel and baubles. Although not poisonous, tinsel will clog and be very difficult to pass if eaten. The same with baubles, and if they are glass, this can be very dangerous if the dog gets hold of one and breaks them.
Take extra care around your tree lights and electricals. Dogs love to chew through everything for some reason!
Â
Fun activities to do with your dog
Take extra long 'sniffy' walks. Let your dog take you where they want to go around their favourite walking spots or around your neighbourhood. Allowing them to sniff and follow trails to investigate with their nose.
Hunt the treat - ask your dog to go in a different room, or get someone to hold onto them for you. Hide their favourite treats in a different room in easy to reach places. These can be under blankets, on chair legs, under units etc. Then once ready, ask your dog to find it.
Trick training - why not use this time to teach your dog to do something really cool! It can be something useful or just something really funny! I recently saw that someone had trained their young dog to get in a cardboard box, let them close the lid over and then when she gave the cue "peekabo" the dog leaps out of the box like a jack in the box. Although this is not considered useful, it is pretty funny! You could teach them to get your shoes or your gloves for you before you go on a walk.
Introduce the dog to a new place or experience. Make a makeshift circuits activity in your living room or take them on a walk in a new place.
Scent Work exercises - get a few boxes filled with fabric or tissue, hide treats throughout. Egg boxes work great too.
Â
New Year's Resolution
This New Year, let's make a resolution involving our dogs. Why not introduce you both to a new hobby? Have you thought about Scent Detection, Mantrailing or Sports Classes - or even Gun Dog Training?
If you would like more information on the above - take a look at www.puredogtraining.com/services.
Enjoy the little things in life more, like spending quality time with your dog, whether it is when you are training them, taking them for a walk on the beach or in the woods or if it is simply hanging out with them.
Get in touch if you have any training enquiries :)
07850 632928