Fur Kids Foundation Pack News Blog

Attention Yappy Hour fans!

3/11/2014

Yappy Hour was so pup-ular during its first year that the Foundation has decided it should be its own group, separate from the Foundation. While we are a bit sad to see this event leave the Foundation, we believe it's become a life of its own and should be allowed to grow on its own.

A few dedicated dog walkers have created the Gillette Dog Walking Group on Facebook—you can find details about it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/651655331538221/. We have invited everyone who attended past Yappy Hours, who we could remember, to the new Gillette Dog Walking group page on Facebook. Please, have some fun with it!

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Does Daylight Savings Time stress your dog?

3/7/2014

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Who’s ready to spring forward this weekend? That’s right! On Sunday, at 2 am, remember to set your clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time.

Oh, wait, that means we actually lose an hour of sleep. (I’m more of a fan of the “fall back”, which takes place in November, and gives me an extra hour of dozing with Cooper.)

And, if we lose an hour of sleep, so do our four-legged counterparts. Sure, they don’t exactly tell time, but they do have a biological clock. You know, the one that goes off at 6 am on Saturday’s because that’s their normal feeding time during the week. They are creatures of habit.

Point being, it’s not just our clocks that will be affected during this time change, your pet's internal clock will be altered as well.

Now, for Cooper, this won’t be a very big issue. See like me, he’s not a fan of mornings, and is happy to eat whenever the occasion arises (when we fall back, however, he’ll probably be pestering me for grub).

But, not every dog is as easy as Cooper. And, while I get to enjoy the comfort of my bed in the morning on Sunday, many of you may need to be up and at ‘em. You may find that your dog is confused, or stressed at this change in schedule. If your routine is set in stone, you may want to consider changing Rover's feeding or potty breaks for the next couple of days, so that he is up for the adjustment. Also consider getting up early on Saturday, and for a few days afterward, so your dog adjusts to the time change gradually.

You should also watch your pet for signs of stress—i.e. scratching, licking, panting, yawning, shedding, getting into the trash can (OK, this may just be bad behavior). If you see some of this behavior, know that the time change may be causing some stress on them, like it is on you. Perhaps be sure to give yourself some extra time to spend with them.

It won’t take long, and they’ll be set into this new schedule, just like you.

Psst: Don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke detector, as well.

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Selecting a Pet Sitter

3/2/2014

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Did you know that March 2-8 is Professional Pet Sitters' Awareness Week? With this in mind, we thought it would be a great time to discuss how to select a pet sitter for your fur kids.

Choosing a pet sitter is not a task to take lightly as the person you hire will not only be responsible for your pets while you're away, they'll also have access to your home. Here are some simple steps I've used when selecting a pet sitter to care for my four-legged family members:

Step 1: Far in advance of your trip, research local pet sitters. I say far in advance because in these parts, pet sitters can book rather quickly.

Step 2: Do some "recon" on the pet sitter. Check out their website, Facebook page, or give them a call and chat with them to make sure they can provide the type of service you need.

Step 3: When speaking with the pet sitter, ask them:

what their experiences are with pets
to describe a routine visit with your pet
how they deal with pet emergencies or weather emergencies
if they can administer medications (if needed for your pet)
and of course, the cost of their services and if they are insured or bonded.

Step 4: Ask for references and give those references a call to learn how well the pet sitter provided services to their pets.

Step 5: Invite the pet sitter to your home to make sure he/she interacts well with your pet.

Step 6: Provide the sitter with an outline of the care your pet needs. Include items like amount of food your pet needs each day, what medications or supplements your pet needs to take each day, what commands you give your dog so he/she will listen to the sitter while you're away, where your pet's collar and leash are, the name and number of your vet for an emergency, where you take your pet for exercise, where your pet's favorite toys are, and so forth. The more information they have about your pet, the better the care they can provide.

Pet sitters provide a wonderful service for your family and choosing the right one for your pets will make your trip more enjoyable as well. If you're looking for more information on selecting a pet sitter, check out this article on Dr. Karen Becker's Healthy Pets website, Finding the Right Pet Sitter for Your Dog or Cat.

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Attention Yappy Hour fans!

Does Daylight Savings Time stress your dog?

Selecting a Pet Sitter

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