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July 2009
Welcome to Paw Joggers Paw News!
This is Paw Joggers first monthly newsletter! We hope you find the information informative and entertaining.
Paw Joggers wishes you and all your furry family members a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Happy 4th of July!
Keep your furry friends safe this weekend.
Dogs and Fireworks: A Top Ten Survival Guide
Paw Joggers knows that with the upcoming holiday weekend, dogs across the country will react with fear and anxiety to all the firework celebrations.
The noise of fireworks can be extremely stressful for dogs. We recommend these top ten strategies to Cincinnati's dog owners, to help them through the Independence Day weekend."
- DO expose your dog to loud, unexpected noises on a regular basis, especially leading up to an event that includes firework celebrations. Drop pot lids, toss a soda can with a few pennies in it, slam a door: anything to get your dog accustomed to being startled, so he can practice recovering quickly.
- DO NOT bring your dog with you to a fireworks celebration.
- DO provide your dog with a safe, comfortable place that will help her feel more secure amid the scary sights and sounds. Close the blinds to keep out the flashes of color in the sky, and turn up the television or some music to help muffle the sounds.
- DO NOT put your dog in a crate; a panicked, frightened dog can easily injure himself in a crate.
- DO ask your veterinarian if an herbal remedy or prescription sedative may be appropriate for your dog.
- DO consider giving your dog a highly valued chew toy before the fireworks celebration begins, which may help to keep her mind off the disturbance.
- DO attach a "house leash" to your dog, to act as an extra long handle, should your dog try to escape or run away.
- DO NOT comfort or "baby" your dog if he is afraid. Dogs take their cue of how to behave from their owners; if you are acting "strange" by offering soothing words and gestures, your dog may interpret your actions as praise for being frightened, or as confirmation that the fireworks are truly scary.
- DO act as normal and as "matter of fact" as possible, to help your dog understand that there is nothing to worry about.
- Most importantly, DO ensure your dog is wearing proper identification in case he manages to escape. More dogs escape during holiday celebrations than at any other time.
With a little preparation and an understanding of how to help dogs through their fears, dog owners can help prevent their pet from becoming a statistic this 4th of July weekend."
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Preparing for disasters can save your pet's life
Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere and can take many different forms. If a disaster strikes, do you have a disaster plan? Paw Joggers encourages all pet owners to create a disaster plan.
Planning for disasters is the best way to protect your family, and as a pet owner your disaster plan must include your pets.
Allison Cardona, director of disaster response for the American Society for the Protection Against Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), said that most people don't believe that a disaster could ever happen to them, but people need to know what natural disasters are possible in their geographic regions, have a disaster plan in place and practice their plan.
If a tornado warning has just been issued, there typically isn't time to figure out what to bring and where to go. People should already know where they are going and have the supplies on hand.
"The best way to survive a disaster is to prepare for a disaster," Cardona said. "People need to research pet-friendly hotels and shelters and create portable disasters kits for all the people and all the pets in their family."
When disasters strike, people can be displaced from their homes for just a day or for several weeks. It is essential to a pet's well being to compile the following supplies in a portable container and keep the container in an accessible location:
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A crate for each pet that is large enough for the pet to stand up and turn around in.
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Food and water dishes.
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A file on each pet that contains health history, vaccination dates and a recent photo.
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A leash and collar with all pertinent information on the tags readily available. This will include pet's name, rabies tag and contact phone number - remember to include your cell phone number since you will not be at home.
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An ample supply of food, water and medication for the pet with specific feeding and medication instructions written out in clear handwriting.
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Remember that you can not predict Mother Nature. You may be evacuated much longer than you had originally thought. Pack enough supplies for an extended stay. If you don't need them, great! You can keep them on hand in case of another emergency situation.
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A muzzle and harness is a good idea in case behavior becomes less than desirable for the place you are staying. The pets may be put into close contact with many new pets they do not know and they may have to be cared for by people they do not know.
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Flashlights, batteries, trash bags, baby wipes, newspapers and paper towels should be included if pets either get sick or go to the bathroom while in their crate.
Also view this link for more emergency preparedness tips:
http://www.ready.gov/
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Take Your Dog to Work Day
Did you work like a dog last Friday?
If you participated in the 10th annual "Take Your Dog to Work Day" last Friday, June 26th, please send Paw Joggers a picture so we can share on our web site and FaceBook page. Include your name, your canine co-worker's name and a short caption.
Words of Wisdom
"My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can. That's almost $7 in dog money."
-Joe Weinstein
Spread the word!
Paw Joggers appreciates your business and feedback. If you're happy with our services, please tell your friends. If you're unhappy with our services, please tell us!
PAW JOGGERS
Phone: 513-304-5031
Email: dogsjog@pawjoggers.com
Web: http://www.pawjoggers.com/ | 
