How to ease your dog out of lock down

As we plan for life outside the work-from-home bubble. You may have to consider how your pets might cope with our “new normal”. Your dog will miss you, not so much your cat, probably happy they get to snooze without disturbance, although they will miss their extra biscuits 😉

These easing of restrictions after these last few months could have an adverse effect on our pets. I have been researching the possible problems that may come from us not being at home so much or being able to be as indulgent with our little furry friends.

Maybe install a webcam, just to see how they react when your gone. In many cases, they will probably pace a bit and then settle down. If however they do struggle, it is good to be prepared.

Separation anxiety – As we will need to leave the house for longer period of time, our pets can get anxiety from this separation, it can manifest itself in different ways and become a real problem. We will need to prepare our dogs for this change, by reintroducing old routines so they don’t struggle once this social distancing measures are lifted. It maybe you change into your office clothes pick up your keys and leave the house for 10mins, mix up the times and the length of time. When you return, don’t make it to exciting , wait for them to settle and then reward them.

It maybe that your dog will bark or become destructive when your gone, I suggest make some distractions for them, leave the radio on, make some Kongs with a favourite treat inside, this will also make them tired as the concentrate to get the prize. Give this to them as you go out the door, this will help them associate something nice as you leave. It may not work immediately, be patient and may try different treats or toys that they prefer.

Most of us haven’t been socializing our dogs as we used to, it will be very exciting for them to meet their buddies or new dogs off the lead, but boundaries will need to be controlled for them, keep an eye on the behavior signals and keep introductions in a controlled environment, it can become overwhelming moment and messages get mixed and this may come out as aggression or nervousness.

Hope this is helpful, I will be doing another post for puppies coming out of Lockdown. Thanks for reading. http://www.pawswalktailstalk.

Dehydration in cats – tips to encourage your furry friend to drink up!

Many people think water is water for your cat, but this is not entirely true. There are various types of water from tap to bottled and rain water, your cat will have their own preference. I would suggest frequently change your cats water

Bowl choice 🍵

The type of bowl can make a difference, stainless steel or ceramic are a good choice, a big favourite is the pet water fountain, a lot of cats love to lap-up fresh moving water. Cats can be fussy where you are placing the water bowl, some don’t like it close to their eating area or they may prefer another room. Have a test and see or put several bowls about the house.

Multiple cats in the house 😼😸😺

Having multiple cats in your home may deter your fussy drinker, no body likes drinking other people water, your cat may feel the same and not like to share with other cats. Put several bowls of water in different locations.

All these tips and Still being fussy 🙀

If you are concerned that your cat still isn’t getting enough water, it may be necessary to add water to either dry or wet food. Normally a cat that will not drink water will go after a bowl of watered down favourites, such as tuna juice.

Indoor Cat Life

I have have made this blog for some helpful reading on the care of your indoor-cat or the cat who just prefers to be indoors, to help avoid boredom or the possibility of developing behaviour problems.

Your indoor cat will require a lot more of your time to be a happy and healthy cat, the only social interaction they will really have is with you, learn to understand your cat, watch them, read their body language it will be fascinating and will improve your relationship. Your cat will probably like frequent, but brief interactions not normally pass 30mins, especially when they are having their crazy play mode!

Tips for keeping house cats happy
• Provide a litter tray in a quiet place; clean it regularly. Cats are often reluctant to use a dirty tray or one located in a busy area.
• If possible for their water, provide a pet water fountain, cats like to drink moving water best.
• Provide scratching posts so they can mark territory, strengthen muscles and sharpen claws.
• Provide opportunities for daily exercise to stay fit and healthy, leave out favourite toys.
• Provide/create new ways for your cat to stay active, both physically and mentally. Cats can become frustrated and bored with indoor-only lifestyles.
• As your cat won’t have the freedom to interact with people/other animals outside, you become their main companion; make plenty of time to interact.
• Cats like to sleep in different parts of your house, provide a space where they can hide if frighten, such as under the bed or a covered cat bed.

A busy, well-socailised puppy is a happy pup. Read my simple tips for some ideas on how to keep your youngster occupied.

• When leaving your puppy for a longer period of time, try freezing goodies in a Kong, such as unsalted peanut butter, plain yoghurt (no added extras) or as I am typing this in October, cooked pumpkin. A Kong is a dog feeding toy and available at all good pet stores.  The Kong generally tires them out trying to get to the food stuffs and enhances their natural behaviour sniffing out food!
• When arriving back from being out, before anything open the back door and let your puppy straight outside.  Your puppy will be excited to see you home and will definitely need a pee and this will also encourage your puppy to be trained to go to toilet outside, as your puppy will associate you coming home with being let out to go to the toilet.
• If your puppy is starting to get nippy as those new teeth start to grow, clap your hands or make a sharp yelp noise every time your puppy nips and replace your hand or legs with a toy to chew on.  This will alert your puppy that it is ok to chew the toy but not you.
• Most of all socialise your puppy, they will learn from this experience how to be with another dog/puppy. Another advantage in doing this, besides the fact that it will help your puppy not to be fearful of other dogs, is that they can vent their energy in an acceptable manner.

After 25 years living and working on farms I moved down to Hove last year.  I bought with me my beautiful Cairn terrier, Inky, and we have both settled in to seaside life!  We live with my partner, who has a young bearded collie called Shambles – a beautiful dog rescued from Greece – and two cats, Bonkers and Crackers.

Pet care is obviously a major part of our lives and, when I started a new job down here, I really wanted to know that our dogs were getting the very best.

I’ve spent a lifetime working with animals and I know how important great care is and that being able to read your animal can help it deal with the different situations it faces in its daily life.  Tails talk!  Shambles, our young collie, can be quite a nervous dog and through her tail I can tell when she’s feeling happy and sociable or when she’s feeling anxious.  It’s one of the key ways dogs communicate with us.

Having spent twenty years training animals – particularly young horses – I know that a calm approach and an ‘in control’ attitude is the way to help animals feel safe.  I am a great believer in ‘reward based’ training and developing a loving, caring bond with animals.

If you want to find out a little bit more about what your dog is trying to tell you, check out this great article from the American Society for the Provention of Cruelty to Animals.

Okay, so we need to write some blog posts, but whilst we sort some out, here’s a great guide on how to care for your dog from our friends at the RSPCA.

http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs

Paws Walk Tails Talk is about two weeks from lift off and we’re busy getting ready for the launch of the new business!

So far we have set up the website and the Facebook page, met some lovely potential new clients and ordered several hundred dog poo bags!

Actually we have done much more than that.  We’ve given thought to every element of the business – from the most secure ways to store your keys to the best location for dog walks (and ones without too many dog walkers with big packs of dogs) in Brighton and Hove.

We know it’s going to be great so help us get under way by liking us on Facebook and sharing our details.  We are the pet service you always wanted to have and we work all over the Brighton and Hove area.