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As a new puppy owner it’s hard to think of leaving your puppy at home alone. Ideally, you’d like to bring him everywhere but is that the right thing to do? Here’s our take.

Can your dog participate? 

Leave your dog at home if you are doing something where your dog can’t participate.  If your dog has to stay in the car leave your dog at home. For those that can’t or won’t leave their dog at home, here are three tips if you have your dog with you.

Bring someone with you that can get out and walk around with the dog in a shaded area while you shop or attend an appointment. In the summer months leaving your dog in the car is the most dangerous option. Even with the windows down cars can reach high temperatures that can cause your dog to overheat, so never leave your beloved puppy in the car.

Only visit stores that are dog friendly and your dog can go inside if he or she is on a leash. There are several pet friendly stores, banks, and restaurants. Call ahead to your destination so that you are aware of the company’s policy.

Go through the drive thru. If you are running errands that have a drive thru such as the bank, pharmacy, and coffee shop, stay in the car with your dog so you can keep the car cool and take care of business. Your dog will love receiving treats from the friendly staff at the drive thru windows.

Your dog depends on you to make good decisions for a healthy puppy. In the hot summer months consider your puppies health and comfort by not leaving him in the car.

The sunshine and long summer days gives a unique opportunity for fun activities with your dog. Being in the house all day can not only be boring but it can leave your dog with extra energy. Here’s are a few ideas for fun activities with your dog. 

• Summer splash- If your dog doesn’t mind the water using the hose or sprinklers can be a great way to give them exercise.  Let your dog bathe outdoors this week with a run through the water.Some dogs love chasing water that’s coming out of a hose or sprinkler. Just remember to bring a towel or let them dry in the sun or your likely to have a mess on your hands after the fun. 

• Hide and seek – Hide and seek is an easy teach-as-you-go game, so begin by hiding in an obvious place and tell your dog “come find me!” Have a celebration when your dog locates you, either with praise or a quick game of tug. Then hide again in a more challenging location and repeat the process. It’s a fun game suitable for all ages that will put a dent in your dog’s energy levels, and will increase the bond between you at the same time.

• Nothing quite compares to the full body exhaustion that results from an intense dog play session. Not only is the body very obviously engaged, the social nuances that happen during the play date require that your dog engage her brain as well. This type of interaction takes more effort on your part because you have to find appropriate play partners. Pairing up dogs that are a similar age, size and enjoy the same types of interactions (for example, both  are large dog breeds who to wrestle or both enjoy a game of “catch-me”) helps to ensure healthy and constructive play. By the end of the get-together, you’ll have a tired and happy pooch.

If you live in an apartment and you are looking for the best apartment dog breeds then you’ve come to a great source. Understanding why some dogs bark more than others can help you select the perfect breed for your apartment lifestyle.

With proper training every dog can be taught not to make noise, there are quite a few dog breeds with innately silent behavior. These dogs require little to no attention in order to keep silent. Keep in mind that every single dog will bark from time to time. Also If you plan on getting yourself a furry friend, make sure you have enough time and resources to give him a comfortable life. Without the proper dog care and attention, you can expect barking.

All dogs were bred for different reasons. With some breeds, being loud and barking a lot was considered an advantage and for others the opposite is true. For example, many – but not all – hunting dog breeds are known for constantly raising alarms with their barks.

Besides that, there could also be genetic reasons and medical conditions that cause dogs to bark more or less. Breeds that are predisposed to certain conditions are likely to either bark more to alert of issues, or bark less simply because they cannot.

Finally, temperament of the dog is a huge factor. Canines bark for different reasons, and the more acute and sensitive a dog breed is, the more likely you’ll have a loud pet at home, constantly sending alerts about what it hears on the other side of the wall. Meeting the dog’s needs can keep it quiet. For example, people often assume that small dog breeds don’t require as much exercise and playtime as medium or large breeds, which isn’t true. Due to lack of exercise, many small dogs will bark more often. 

Dogs can help relax and calm so, it’s no wonder that people suffering from anxiety and depression commonly use dogs as emotional support animals.

Training requirements:

There is no training required for an emotional support dog, so any dog can be an emotional support animal (ESA) without any training. The main difference between an ESA and a service dog is that a service dog is trained to ground a person with a psychiatric disorder or does work or performs task to provide services to the owner. ESA animals simply provide comfort.

Rights and Protections:

Since emotional support animals are not considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they don’t have the same rights and protections as service animals. Since ESAs have not been trained to perform a specific job, they do not qualify as service animals under the law and can be denied entry into public places including restaurants and stores. 

Emotional support dogs provide comfort, a calming presence and company. Emotional support dogs do not have access to all public areas, but there are two legal protections. First, they can fly with a person who has an emotional or psychological disability. Second, they can qualify for no-pet housing. A letter from a physician may be requested by housing authorities and airlines because the use of emotional support dogs has been abused by some over the years.

Characteristics to Look For:

Your emotional support dog should be devoted to you and responsive to your emotions and commands. The dog should also be calm and laid back. A rambunctious dog has the capability of becoming an emotional support dog, but it will require more training. It is recommended to look for a dog that is around one year old so you can build that relationship with him and have him be out of his curious puppy phase. However, puppies can be emotional support animals as well; they’ll just need to be a breed that is people-oriented like Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Goldendoodle, and poodle.

There’s no way around it, shedding stinks – whether you’re sick of encountering fur all over the house, or are allergic to dog dander, reducing shedding is a big priority for many dog owners.

Understanding why dogs shed can help you feel better about the daily struggle with dog fur.

Shedding is a completely normal occurrence for almost all dogs. Dogs shed for a number of reasons and regular grooming and bath times are the key to cut down on the amount of fur on your clothes and in your home.

Dogs Shed To Grow New Fur or hair.

Just like humans, dogs have hair that is continuously growing especially long hair dogs. Shedding is the normal turnover of hair, allowing old or damaged hair to be replaced with new healthy strands which keeps your dog’s coat in tip top condition.

Dogs Shed When Seasons Change.

Shedding is especially evident during the changing of seasons. The transition from a winter to summer coat is usually the time of heaviest fur loss for dogs, so don’t fret when your long haired, double-coated dog loses giant clumps of fur come springtime.

Some Breeds Shed More Than Others.

While all dogs shed to some degree, there is a significant difference between the amount of fur loss between breeds. Some breeds, like Poodles and Poodle-mixes, are known for shedding very little. Heavy coated breeds, like Huskies, will shed so much that you’ll be surprised that your dog has any fur left.

Since understanding the cause of shedding won’t reduce the amount of hair your long hair dog sheds, it’s important to remember that grooming can make a world of difference. Try brushing your dog outside to reduce the amount of hair in your home. Also pet vacuums are designed to pick up dander and fur better than normal household vacuums so these can be a great option.